My Life
I haven't blogged in months. In September we started building a house and it has been crazy since that time. My friend Kendall has been asking me to start again. So, I have decided to start again-tonight. I won't lie, the events in Connecticut are really what made me decide that it was time to start it up again. I was physically ill yesterday when my Mom called me at work to tell me what had happened. I did not get the full magnitude until last night when I got home and could see the new coverage and read the information online. I was horrified. Not only for these parents, but for the students who experienced it and lived through it, for those who have passed on (what must have gone through their little minds before they died), and for the first responders and police officers. No child should have to die, and no child should have to die scared.
As I sit here looking at my kids sleeping, I think to myself that the hardest thing for me would be that there is no one to take the anger out on. I feel lead/called to do something for these parents that are left behind, but I am not sure yet. I think that I will be shown what that is or else it would not be on my heart.
I never wanted to hug my kids as much or as tight as I did yesterday when I got home from work. Maybe that is because I have two kids who will be in Kindergarten next year. No child, no matter the age, should EVER have to be scared in school. Especially children who are just going to school for the very first year. I never remember being scared in school-not even in High School. The world is a crazy place right now, people are crazy.
I had a kind of bad week, I won't lie. Really just one day was kind of bad. When I got home, my kids are what made it better. H.D. said "Mom, what is wrong?" I told him and he said "oh Mom, it is o.k., I am here and it will be just fine" and he gave me a huge hug and a kiss. Then maybe an hour later, Gigi asked me the same question and I told her too. She said, "Mom, don't be upset over that, that is stupid and besides you are the best mommy in the whole world and that is what matters". And, you know what, I am NOT the best Mommy in the whole world, but that is what matters-that she thinks that and that they care to ask me if I am upset, that they know that we all love each other that much. They are pretty great.
I say sometimes that I am not sure what Doug and I did before we had them and honestly it is hard to remember, but there were 9 years pre-H.D. and Gigi. But, those years weren't nearly as exciting. I hope and pray with everything I have that I never have to go through what those parents in Newtown, CT are experiencing-the loss of a child. My kids are my everything, my life They were an answer to years of praying and two big, huge gifts from God.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Oh wait..that's me!
I usually write these blogs on Saturday night, but this past Saturday night I didn't feel well so the blog had to wait. And, that is totally o.k. because the idea for this blog occurred to me on Tuesday morning. I call my Mom on the way to work EVERY morning. If I don't call her it is because I am too tired and I just spaced and totally forgot. EVERY morning she asks about the kiddos and if they have done something funny the night before and she asks how they slept.
On Tuesday morning, she asked how they had been on Monday night and how they slept. I told her fine and nothing really out of the ordinary. Then, I said, "I told you what Gigi did in Church, right?" She said, "no, what?". So, I started telling her what had happened on Sunday morning in Church, just like I am about to tell you now. Right before Children's time in our Church the kids walk around and collect change for a fund we call "Pennies for Missions". My kids LOVE to do this, it was a BIG deal when they got old enough to do this! After they collect their change, they are suppose to take their little bags full of change to the offering plate, drop their bags in the offering plate, then go to the front of the Church for Children's time. On Sunday all seemed well. Both Gigi and HD were collecting their change and then came back down to the front of the Church to drop their bags in the offering plate. Please keep in mind, I was sitting on the FRONT PEW of the Church. H.D. dropped his bag and then went to the front of the Church. Gigi dropped her bag and then came back to the pew. I said "honey, go up for Children's time". She then said to me (AS SHE IS REACHING DOWN THE FRONT OF HER TURTLE NECK) "Mommy, look what someone gave me" and she pulls out a dollar bill. I said, "Gigi, you have to put that dollar in the offering plate". She said, "no, mom, they gave it to me". To which I said, "no, they gave it to GOD. Now, put it in the offering plate or we will leave right now". She turned around and put it in the plate.
Now, one other time a few months back, she took money off of the Communion rail that folks leave for the homeless ministry. This also happened during Children's time. That time she yelled "look Mom, MONEY".
You may ask, I wonder why they sit on the front pew? Well, we sit on the front pew because I know that she could take someone's hair out of a french twist (she did this once on a plane when she was 18 mths old). So, I just take as many distractions as possible out of the equation.
Anyway, back to my Mom...I am telling her this story and I say I just don't know sometimes what I am going to do with Gigi. And, my Mom is cracking up and telling me I will survive it, just like she did. I said, she can be so prissy, and so cute and then turn around and belch and be so crude and then I said Oh my..that's me. My Mom said, uh you are just now figuring that out?!? And, I will say that all those things belching, being crude, being able to spit, I am thankful that my Brother taught me how to do them. I am not ashamed. I am, however, proud, that I did EVENTUALLY learn the appropriate time to do these things.
It took Gigi forever to take a regular bottle when she was a baby. She had to be a on a special bottle because she had an extremely high palate. When she finally got that special bottle it was on like Donkey Kong. I remember, very clearly, saying to Doug-she is going to be a huge hit at College Parties. She watching her take a bottle was like watching somebody shotgun a beer. She still drinks like that when she is really thirsty. When she started on baby food, we called her Messy Marvina. She is still one of the messiest eaters I have ever laid eyes on; however, between the two of us, we wear more food than actually lands in our mouths!
H.D. is just the opposite, drinks slow, eats slow. H.D. never makes a mess eating. H.D. is more like his Daddy more laid back and easy going. I love both the kids dearly and she can drive me absolutely batty, but I think it is because we are so much alike! And, because we are so much alike I understand that no only is she controlling but she is also as stubburn as a mule!
Until next time...
On Tuesday morning, she asked how they had been on Monday night and how they slept. I told her fine and nothing really out of the ordinary. Then, I said, "I told you what Gigi did in Church, right?" She said, "no, what?". So, I started telling her what had happened on Sunday morning in Church, just like I am about to tell you now. Right before Children's time in our Church the kids walk around and collect change for a fund we call "Pennies for Missions". My kids LOVE to do this, it was a BIG deal when they got old enough to do this! After they collect their change, they are suppose to take their little bags full of change to the offering plate, drop their bags in the offering plate, then go to the front of the Church for Children's time. On Sunday all seemed well. Both Gigi and HD were collecting their change and then came back down to the front of the Church to drop their bags in the offering plate. Please keep in mind, I was sitting on the FRONT PEW of the Church. H.D. dropped his bag and then went to the front of the Church. Gigi dropped her bag and then came back to the pew. I said "honey, go up for Children's time". She then said to me (AS SHE IS REACHING DOWN THE FRONT OF HER TURTLE NECK) "Mommy, look what someone gave me" and she pulls out a dollar bill. I said, "Gigi, you have to put that dollar in the offering plate". She said, "no, mom, they gave it to me". To which I said, "no, they gave it to GOD. Now, put it in the offering plate or we will leave right now". She turned around and put it in the plate.
Now, one other time a few months back, she took money off of the Communion rail that folks leave for the homeless ministry. This also happened during Children's time. That time she yelled "look Mom, MONEY".
You may ask, I wonder why they sit on the front pew? Well, we sit on the front pew because I know that she could take someone's hair out of a french twist (she did this once on a plane when she was 18 mths old). So, I just take as many distractions as possible out of the equation.
Anyway, back to my Mom...I am telling her this story and I say I just don't know sometimes what I am going to do with Gigi. And, my Mom is cracking up and telling me I will survive it, just like she did. I said, she can be so prissy, and so cute and then turn around and belch and be so crude and then I said Oh my..that's me. My Mom said, uh you are just now figuring that out?!? And, I will say that all those things belching, being crude, being able to spit, I am thankful that my Brother taught me how to do them. I am not ashamed. I am, however, proud, that I did EVENTUALLY learn the appropriate time to do these things.
It took Gigi forever to take a regular bottle when she was a baby. She had to be a on a special bottle because she had an extremely high palate. When she finally got that special bottle it was on like Donkey Kong. I remember, very clearly, saying to Doug-she is going to be a huge hit at College Parties. She watching her take a bottle was like watching somebody shotgun a beer. She still drinks like that when she is really thirsty. When she started on baby food, we called her Messy Marvina. She is still one of the messiest eaters I have ever laid eyes on; however, between the two of us, we wear more food than actually lands in our mouths!
H.D. is just the opposite, drinks slow, eats slow. H.D. never makes a mess eating. H.D. is more like his Daddy more laid back and easy going. I love both the kids dearly and she can drive me absolutely batty, but I think it is because we are so much alike! And, because we are so much alike I understand that no only is she controlling but she is also as stubburn as a mule!
Until next time...
Saturday, September 8, 2012
What will you do for a Klondike?
Remember that commerical? What will you do for a Klondike bar? I loved Klondike bars. I mean who didn't, they were and are delicious-even though I haven't had one in probably twenty years. My kids remind me of a Klondike bar and that question. Some people might find that comparison strange, I find it right on target.
My kids are the thing in life I wanted MOST since before I can remember. The name that Gigi has (Georgianna Marie) is my Great Grandmother's name (Marie Georgianna) and I had it picked out since I think I was 12 or something. I wanted these kids more than I wanted anything and Doug and I waited a VERY long time to have them and went through a LOT to conceive them and then get them here. Including my 8 weeks on hospital bedrest and quite a few procedures prior to getting pregnant. To find out I was pregnant was wonderful. Did I enjoy it? No. I was terrified something was going to happen. So, did I want them more than a Klondike? Yes, most definitely.
Would I give anything these two kids of mine and our little family? Absolutely. For years, I watched my Mom struggle to provide for my brother and I and she was a great role model of what a parent should be to their child. I also had a great brother who, unfortunately, at times had to be more like a father. He was also a great role model and in a pinch, if I cried, would give me his lunch money for the week to buy me a silly watch at a gas station. He is the best brother I could have had and the best Dad to his kids. He gets it. They are more than a Klondike to him. We also had awesome Grandparents who were ALWAYS there for us, for everything. I miss them everyday and wish that they could see my kids and my niece and nephew. We were more than Klondikes to them, they always made us feel really special. I am so glad that our kids are close to all of their grandparents. I feel like that relationship is so, so special.
Now, are these kids perfect? No. Do I give into them way to often? Yes. I should be more discipline minded, but I am not. In fact, there are days that they run over me like a freight train. But, most days we have fun. I won't lie, sometimes they frustrate me and I get upset. But, my saddest times are when I am not with them. I can't imagine my life without them and I can't remember my life before them.
This week at preschool Gigi's teacher gave her a certificate for keeping her "Green Frog" for the entire month of August. The Green Frog is for good behavior. They can get Green, Yellow, or Red. A year ago, a month of green frogs for Gigi would have NEVER happened. When I saw this certificate, I could have cried. I was SO proud of her. She has worked really hard. Being "good" for her is not easy, she is too much like me. So, Gigi keeps her green frogs and now... H.D. is starting to struggle a bit. This is usually what happens. This happened once before when they were little. All of a sudden, their personalities flipped. This is what seems to be happening right now. Gigi is calming down a bit and H.D. is gearing up and getting a little more rowdy.
Everyday, every week is an experience. I was off work this week and we really didn't do much at all, but my kiddos were so excited that I was home everyday. That was worth every minute of missing work and staying up late after the kids were in bed to do work emails.
Until Next time...
My kids are the thing in life I wanted MOST since before I can remember. The name that Gigi has (Georgianna Marie) is my Great Grandmother's name (Marie Georgianna) and I had it picked out since I think I was 12 or something. I wanted these kids more than I wanted anything and Doug and I waited a VERY long time to have them and went through a LOT to conceive them and then get them here. Including my 8 weeks on hospital bedrest and quite a few procedures prior to getting pregnant. To find out I was pregnant was wonderful. Did I enjoy it? No. I was terrified something was going to happen. So, did I want them more than a Klondike? Yes, most definitely.
Would I give anything these two kids of mine and our little family? Absolutely. For years, I watched my Mom struggle to provide for my brother and I and she was a great role model of what a parent should be to their child. I also had a great brother who, unfortunately, at times had to be more like a father. He was also a great role model and in a pinch, if I cried, would give me his lunch money for the week to buy me a silly watch at a gas station. He is the best brother I could have had and the best Dad to his kids. He gets it. They are more than a Klondike to him. We also had awesome Grandparents who were ALWAYS there for us, for everything. I miss them everyday and wish that they could see my kids and my niece and nephew. We were more than Klondikes to them, they always made us feel really special. I am so glad that our kids are close to all of their grandparents. I feel like that relationship is so, so special.
Now, are these kids perfect? No. Do I give into them way to often? Yes. I should be more discipline minded, but I am not. In fact, there are days that they run over me like a freight train. But, most days we have fun. I won't lie, sometimes they frustrate me and I get upset. But, my saddest times are when I am not with them. I can't imagine my life without them and I can't remember my life before them.
This week at preschool Gigi's teacher gave her a certificate for keeping her "Green Frog" for the entire month of August. The Green Frog is for good behavior. They can get Green, Yellow, or Red. A year ago, a month of green frogs for Gigi would have NEVER happened. When I saw this certificate, I could have cried. I was SO proud of her. She has worked really hard. Being "good" for her is not easy, she is too much like me. So, Gigi keeps her green frogs and now... H.D. is starting to struggle a bit. This is usually what happens. This happened once before when they were little. All of a sudden, their personalities flipped. This is what seems to be happening right now. Gigi is calming down a bit and H.D. is gearing up and getting a little more rowdy.
Everyday, every week is an experience. I was off work this week and we really didn't do much at all, but my kiddos were so excited that I was home everyday. That was worth every minute of missing work and staying up late after the kids were in bed to do work emails.
Until Next time...
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Got it, Mom!
We have had a interesting few weeks. The kids have been allergy tested, they've had flu shots, H.D. had to have his hearing checked and Doug and I have had doctors appointments too. It seems that it is constantly something. I cannot belive that today is the first day of September and that this is Labor Day weekend.
During this few weeks the kids started new activities as well. H.D. started gymnastics, at his request. They had taken before, and he had asked for about 6 months to go back. I started him at a new gym and he is really doing well. The coach/owner is Romanian and she is amazing. I am in constant amazement of how much confidence he has after a class. Gigi chose to start dance. She had also been asking for about 6 months and I had admittedly TOTALLY been putting her off. We had tried dance before with Gigi, although at too young of an age. This class is a ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling class. The first couple of weeks were a little questionable for Gigi, but this last week she did really well. I think she will do well. Gigi is a lot like me-if we can't do it perfect we just automatically want to quit. That is a blessing an a curse. It is a blessing because we are perfectionists and want things just right; however, in sports and activities-it makes you not want to keep working towards a goal. Thank God for Doug. He won't let the kids quit. I think the MOST exciting part of them both doing an activity separate from each other is that they come home and show us and each other what they have learned. It is pretty cool.
We did, however, totally let Gigi quit soccer. All her friends from the spring league moved upt to U6 and she was to stay in U5. We asked her 3 times if she wanted to play soccer. She said she did. H.D. on the other hand said "I don't want to play, Mom, get your money back" and I did get my money back. So, we kept Gigi signed up. We took her to the first practice and she said..."who is that coach and those kids?", we explained that there are new coaches and new kids. She said "I am not playing, take me home". We asked her several times if she was sure and she was sure. Doug and I were fuming. We took her to teh car and told her that because we spent quite a bit of money signing her up for soccer, that the next 8 times that H.D. goes to Wal-Mart to get a small toy for getting "green" all week at preschool, she will not get one. She responded by saying "do I get to go to Wal-Mart just not get to get a toy?". We said, "yes" and she said "I'm o.k. with that" ahhh I thought well, that's my child.
I am on vacation from work this next week (Labor Day week). Therefore, this week at work was SO long and I was tired, like, on Monday. Monday morning, my alarm went off and I hit the snooze button as I always do. Gigi had come into our bed and crawled in beside me. The next time the alarm went off she said, "it's o.k., got it, Mom" and she hit snooze. I though, that is pretty bad.
We also started working on "sight words" this week in the evenings after I got home from work. This was at the suggestion of my very smart friend Mary who is also a teacher. This was a successful adventure. We learned the words "is, my, we, up, to". Gigi is really into it (no surprise there). H.D. has to be bribed with a kit-kat to sit down and work on this words. BUT, he will do it and that is a HUGE step from where we were just a few weeks ago. I will not lie, this is pretty exhausting after a long day at work, but it is also something that I think we need to do and something that I feel will pay off. We are less than a year away from kindergarten!
The kids do not have allergies. The allergy testing was hellish. I should have NEVER taken them together. That was not the smartest move I have ever made. The allergiest was awesome, though. My Peds never lead me astray when it comes to referrals. H.D. volunteered to go first. He has been through so much, he usually takes things very well and the nurse did a great job of explaining the process. But, this did hurt and he cried. Gigi was standing there and didn't really help. She said, "Bub, you are bleeding, you have bleeding, oh my goodness". Which, in turn, made him cry harder. Then it was her time, yeah right. The nurse and I basically had to hold her down to get it done. I HATE having to do that, I will do it, but I hate it. I hated it when I worked at the Hosptial with other peoples kids and I hate doing it to mine. After all of this was over, the kids were totally fine to go back to school like nothing had happened, but I had to go back to work and I just really wanted to go home! The kids are able to come off of their Zyrtec. H.D. is able to go on an inhaler starting the beginning of September through March. This will helpfully ward off wheezing this winter and help us avoid those LONG breathing treatments. The doctor said that since his skin testing was negative that he will not become asthmatic. So, that was an awesome finding!
Until next time...
During this few weeks the kids started new activities as well. H.D. started gymnastics, at his request. They had taken before, and he had asked for about 6 months to go back. I started him at a new gym and he is really doing well. The coach/owner is Romanian and she is amazing. I am in constant amazement of how much confidence he has after a class. Gigi chose to start dance. She had also been asking for about 6 months and I had admittedly TOTALLY been putting her off. We had tried dance before with Gigi, although at too young of an age. This class is a ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling class. The first couple of weeks were a little questionable for Gigi, but this last week she did really well. I think she will do well. Gigi is a lot like me-if we can't do it perfect we just automatically want to quit. That is a blessing an a curse. It is a blessing because we are perfectionists and want things just right; however, in sports and activities-it makes you not want to keep working towards a goal. Thank God for Doug. He won't let the kids quit. I think the MOST exciting part of them both doing an activity separate from each other is that they come home and show us and each other what they have learned. It is pretty cool.
We did, however, totally let Gigi quit soccer. All her friends from the spring league moved upt to U6 and she was to stay in U5. We asked her 3 times if she wanted to play soccer. She said she did. H.D. on the other hand said "I don't want to play, Mom, get your money back" and I did get my money back. So, we kept Gigi signed up. We took her to the first practice and she said..."who is that coach and those kids?", we explained that there are new coaches and new kids. She said "I am not playing, take me home". We asked her several times if she was sure and she was sure. Doug and I were fuming. We took her to teh car and told her that because we spent quite a bit of money signing her up for soccer, that the next 8 times that H.D. goes to Wal-Mart to get a small toy for getting "green" all week at preschool, she will not get one. She responded by saying "do I get to go to Wal-Mart just not get to get a toy?". We said, "yes" and she said "I'm o.k. with that" ahhh I thought well, that's my child.
I am on vacation from work this next week (Labor Day week). Therefore, this week at work was SO long and I was tired, like, on Monday. Monday morning, my alarm went off and I hit the snooze button as I always do. Gigi had come into our bed and crawled in beside me. The next time the alarm went off she said, "it's o.k., got it, Mom" and she hit snooze. I though, that is pretty bad.
We also started working on "sight words" this week in the evenings after I got home from work. This was at the suggestion of my very smart friend Mary who is also a teacher. This was a successful adventure. We learned the words "is, my, we, up, to". Gigi is really into it (no surprise there). H.D. has to be bribed with a kit-kat to sit down and work on this words. BUT, he will do it and that is a HUGE step from where we were just a few weeks ago. I will not lie, this is pretty exhausting after a long day at work, but it is also something that I think we need to do and something that I feel will pay off. We are less than a year away from kindergarten!
The kids do not have allergies. The allergy testing was hellish. I should have NEVER taken them together. That was not the smartest move I have ever made. The allergiest was awesome, though. My Peds never lead me astray when it comes to referrals. H.D. volunteered to go first. He has been through so much, he usually takes things very well and the nurse did a great job of explaining the process. But, this did hurt and he cried. Gigi was standing there and didn't really help. She said, "Bub, you are bleeding, you have bleeding, oh my goodness". Which, in turn, made him cry harder. Then it was her time, yeah right. The nurse and I basically had to hold her down to get it done. I HATE having to do that, I will do it, but I hate it. I hated it when I worked at the Hosptial with other peoples kids and I hate doing it to mine. After all of this was over, the kids were totally fine to go back to school like nothing had happened, but I had to go back to work and I just really wanted to go home! The kids are able to come off of their Zyrtec. H.D. is able to go on an inhaler starting the beginning of September through March. This will helpfully ward off wheezing this winter and help us avoid those LONG breathing treatments. The doctor said that since his skin testing was negative that he will not become asthmatic. So, that was an awesome finding!
Until next time...
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Dominant Figure
Everyone always asks a ton a questions about "twins". Maybe not as many questions now as they did when the kids were younger and you could really tell they were twins. Now they look like brother and sister, but Gigi is a full 3 inches taller and 7 pounds heavier so that makes a difference at 4 1/2. The number one question is, "who was born first?". I always answer truthfully, by saying: "we don't talk about that". This is true-they kids do not know and in fact there are very few folks who do know. In reality, we had 2 doctors, 2 sets of nurses and medical teams in the O.R. when they were delivered so the birth was almost simultaneous.
A person can be around my kids about 5 seconds before it is obvious who can be labeled the "dominant figure" in the relationship. Gigi doesn't just own that title-she went out and got the title, drop kicked it and wears it like a second skin. This started at a very early age. I remember getting a call from my Mom at work when the kids were probably 14 months old and she said that she found Gigi sitting on H.D.'s back bouncing up and down and she was laughing. This still takes place. However, I also remember the night in the bath tub when H.D. had decided he had enough and stood up and looked at her and yelled "NOOOOO". I proudly said, "good job, H.D.". I was proud because he finally stood up for himself-not because he yelled at his sister. H.D. continues to show signs of stepping out on his own, and that is good. This drives Gigi CRAZY. She cannot stand for him to do something that doesn't involve her or that she is telling him not to do.
The same characteristics that make Gigi hard to deal with on a regular basis: insisting on picking her own clothes and shoes, organizing her things, not starting something until she finishes whatshe is doing to completion, etc.. These will make her a sucessful student and adult. I have seen this in her when she practices her letters and numbers-she focuses so much. It is adorable.
H.D. is pretty laid back. He gets more upset with Gigi than anyone else. I'll be honest that I don't know what H.D. will do when he "grows up", but I can guarantee that he will have fun doing it and he will be successful.
I kidd the kiddos all the time and ask them if they will stay with me forever? They say, "yes, momma we will stay with you forever but we have to grow up and get bigger, ok?". I see all these posts of parents taking their kids to college. I. cannot. imagine. I think I may have to be drugged and hospitalized in the time frame leading up to that day. I think I will have a very hard time next year when they start kindegarten. Yes, I know they must grow up, but it doesn't make it any easier. I waited a long time for these kids. They are truly miracles and my gifts from God. 8 weeks on bedrest in the hospital was nothing compared to the joy they bring me.
SO,my plan is to not save for college so they have to go to Community College and live at home. Yes, that's it...that should work!?!?
A person can be around my kids about 5 seconds before it is obvious who can be labeled the "dominant figure" in the relationship. Gigi doesn't just own that title-she went out and got the title, drop kicked it and wears it like a second skin. This started at a very early age. I remember getting a call from my Mom at work when the kids were probably 14 months old and she said that she found Gigi sitting on H.D.'s back bouncing up and down and she was laughing. This still takes place. However, I also remember the night in the bath tub when H.D. had decided he had enough and stood up and looked at her and yelled "NOOOOO". I proudly said, "good job, H.D.". I was proud because he finally stood up for himself-not because he yelled at his sister. H.D. continues to show signs of stepping out on his own, and that is good. This drives Gigi CRAZY. She cannot stand for him to do something that doesn't involve her or that she is telling him not to do.
The same characteristics that make Gigi hard to deal with on a regular basis: insisting on picking her own clothes and shoes, organizing her things, not starting something until she finishes whatshe is doing to completion, etc.. These will make her a sucessful student and adult. I have seen this in her when she practices her letters and numbers-she focuses so much. It is adorable.
H.D. is pretty laid back. He gets more upset with Gigi than anyone else. I'll be honest that I don't know what H.D. will do when he "grows up", but I can guarantee that he will have fun doing it and he will be successful.
I kidd the kiddos all the time and ask them if they will stay with me forever? They say, "yes, momma we will stay with you forever but we have to grow up and get bigger, ok?". I see all these posts of parents taking their kids to college. I. cannot. imagine. I think I may have to be drugged and hospitalized in the time frame leading up to that day. I think I will have a very hard time next year when they start kindegarten. Yes, I know they must grow up, but it doesn't make it any easier. I waited a long time for these kids. They are truly miracles and my gifts from God. 8 weeks on bedrest in the hospital was nothing compared to the joy they bring me.
SO,my plan is to not save for college so they have to go to Community College and live at home. Yes, that's it...that should work!?!?
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Treehouses, Mannequins, Dinosaurs and The Zoo~Oh My!
There are weeks where it is truly hard to believe that my kids are growing up as fast as they are-this was one of those weeks. I worked Monday-Wednesday this week and had Thursday and Friday off of work. The preschool was on "break" between the summer program and fall program; therefore, I had to find childcare for my kiddos. I am so lucky to have found a great group of friends! When I moved to Nashville, I began working at Baptist in Nashville and was surrounded with a great group of women-some of the best and hardest working women I have ever met! I was young and they took me under their wing and literally "took care" of me. They were there for me through a LOT! I know that there are some of them that I could call in the middle of the night and they would help me!
When you have kids things really change, like will I ever have a life again? I will say that for a while I truly did not. However, when we joined our Church and when my kids started the preschool at our Church, that gradually started to change. I now have strong, strong relationships that I wouldn't trade for anything! Over the past two months since our childcare situation has been changed, many of these folks have offered to help with the kids or with other things or been there to help when I have had to ask. That is what happened this week, and as usual-my kids had a great time! A real blast!
Thursday, I decided to take the kiddos to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens to the Treehouses exhibit. IN total there are 7 Treehouses that have been built on-site that can be played on and in. It was to be another scorcher in Nashville on Thursday-SO, the plan was to get to Cheekwood as SOON as they opened. We did just that and the kids were thrilled to see that the FIRST treehouse they saw was a pirate treehouse. They immediately went to climbing the rope ladder, which H.D. climbed right up. Gigi, however, struggled up that ladder. After all that struggling and just really getting frustrated, she gets to the top and says "seriously, mom, there is a ladder that goes underneath the boat". Note to self: look through slats of treehouses for ladders when going to other treehouses. The next few treehouses were pretty uneventful. Then while H.D. was sliding down a slide on one of the treehouses, Gigi starts heading towards a "pond". Here inlies an issue that frequently arises when you have twins, you have two kids the EXACT same age-you can't say to the older one "stay right here don't move while I chase your sister who won't come when I call her". I said, no less than 3 times, "Gigi come back here"-no response. Then I saw here sitting on a bench-good deal. H.D. exits the slide and we go meet her. Turns out the reason she is on the bench is that she got her flip flops all muddy and nasty and she is having an out of body experience. She insists on not putting her shoes on to go to the next treehouse and I say, sure. They then convince me to get into one of the treehouses which had to have been 150 degrees inside. It is a great exhibit and I would recommend it for anyone with kids!
After we were all sweated out at Cheekwood, we headed to JCPenney to get our free kids haircuts. The haircuts were really well done and saved me money-that was not the interesting part of our visit. As we entered JCPenney and the kids saw some mannequins and then got on the little stand and touched said mannequins, I realized that my kids have not really been to a department store that has mannequins. Some people may think that is strange, I think it is brilliant. I work across the interstate from Cool Springs Mall so I do all that shopping on my lunch hour or after work. The best part is that on our way to the salon, we walked through the lingerie department. The mannequin in this department really caught their eye. H.D. started touching her and said "where are the rest of her legs" (she was a 1/2 mannequin)? "Hey mom, she has a bra and panties on", he said REALLY loud. Gigi says, "she doesn't have a head either, this is so weird mom". I finally convinced them to move on. On our way back out, H.D. said "How do the ones without feet get to their car?" I said, not really wanting to deal with it, "they use the feet of the other ones".
On Friday, it was the day to go to the Zoo! It was a perfectly, wonderfully overcast day! It was awesome. We got there right as they opened! We were 1 day prior to the DinoTrek exhibit closing. This exhibit was the first thing we did when we got there. It was really cool and the kids loved it. The dinosaurs moved and some spit water, it was truly cool. After that we saw and fed the Lorikeets, then went on to the Elephants, and then on to see the rest of the animals! My daughter loves diet Coke and we try so hard to strictly limit her consumption. I, however, love caffeine in the morning. So, I needed a diet Coke. I opted for the "Gripper" that had free refills all day. She had to get her hands on that drink. So, she ask to hold it. I said "no", she said, I will make a "deal". That is Gigi talk for "I am going to try to negotiate to try to get my way". She said, "let me carry it when we are on bridges and pavement". The WHOLE Zoo is on bridges or pavement. Seriously. I countered with "how about bridges and going up hill". She accepted and said "we just came across a bridge and we are getting ready to go uphill so I will go back across the bridge and come back across-stay here". H.D. said, "she is so silly". I really hope she is a lawyer because if not the World is missing out.
The kids insisted on wearing flip-flops. This proved to be a huge mistake. I took a pair of tennis shoes for Gigi, pink and white tennis shoes. H.D. was the first to break down saying he had blisters between his toes. I told him he could wear Gigi's shoes. "No, mom, people will make fun of me-that will be humiliating" that is really what he said. I convinced him to just put them on. He was so embarrassed, but eventually forgot about it. We were there for almost 6 hours. A long time. We were leaving and got all the way to the exit and Gigi said, I have to go potty. I was SO DONE at this point, all I could think was potty training is SOOO overrated. But, what I said was "ok let's go back to the potty". What H.D. said was "you have got to be kidding me". After the potty, we are walking back to the exit and she says, "H.D., I want those shoes back NOW-I am getting a blister", he says "no". I said, "H.D., they are hers and she let you wear them almost all day". He finally agreed, mostly because I think he knew that none of us were getting out of there until he gave up the shoes. She wouldn't have let us leave. She sits down to put them on and has to put the sweaty socks on that he had had on his feet. Of course, they wouldn't go on her feet so crying got cranked up. I said "I will put them on" we got the shoes on and finally got moving towards the car! The aformentioned situation is one of those situations where we are all 3 so tired that I want to lay down on the ground and throw a tantrum when they start whining and crying just so we can ALL be officially miserable.
Saturday has been much less exciting. It is back to work on Monday and that will be slow compared to Thursday and Friday!
When you have kids things really change, like will I ever have a life again? I will say that for a while I truly did not. However, when we joined our Church and when my kids started the preschool at our Church, that gradually started to change. I now have strong, strong relationships that I wouldn't trade for anything! Over the past two months since our childcare situation has been changed, many of these folks have offered to help with the kids or with other things or been there to help when I have had to ask. That is what happened this week, and as usual-my kids had a great time! A real blast!
Thursday, I decided to take the kiddos to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens to the Treehouses exhibit. IN total there are 7 Treehouses that have been built on-site that can be played on and in. It was to be another scorcher in Nashville on Thursday-SO, the plan was to get to Cheekwood as SOON as they opened. We did just that and the kids were thrilled to see that the FIRST treehouse they saw was a pirate treehouse. They immediately went to climbing the rope ladder, which H.D. climbed right up. Gigi, however, struggled up that ladder. After all that struggling and just really getting frustrated, she gets to the top and says "seriously, mom, there is a ladder that goes underneath the boat". Note to self: look through slats of treehouses for ladders when going to other treehouses. The next few treehouses were pretty uneventful. Then while H.D. was sliding down a slide on one of the treehouses, Gigi starts heading towards a "pond". Here inlies an issue that frequently arises when you have twins, you have two kids the EXACT same age-you can't say to the older one "stay right here don't move while I chase your sister who won't come when I call her". I said, no less than 3 times, "Gigi come back here"-no response. Then I saw here sitting on a bench-good deal. H.D. exits the slide and we go meet her. Turns out the reason she is on the bench is that she got her flip flops all muddy and nasty and she is having an out of body experience. She insists on not putting her shoes on to go to the next treehouse and I say, sure. They then convince me to get into one of the treehouses which had to have been 150 degrees inside. It is a great exhibit and I would recommend it for anyone with kids!
After we were all sweated out at Cheekwood, we headed to JCPenney to get our free kids haircuts. The haircuts were really well done and saved me money-that was not the interesting part of our visit. As we entered JCPenney and the kids saw some mannequins and then got on the little stand and touched said mannequins, I realized that my kids have not really been to a department store that has mannequins. Some people may think that is strange, I think it is brilliant. I work across the interstate from Cool Springs Mall so I do all that shopping on my lunch hour or after work. The best part is that on our way to the salon, we walked through the lingerie department. The mannequin in this department really caught their eye. H.D. started touching her and said "where are the rest of her legs" (she was a 1/2 mannequin)? "Hey mom, she has a bra and panties on", he said REALLY loud. Gigi says, "she doesn't have a head either, this is so weird mom". I finally convinced them to move on. On our way back out, H.D. said "How do the ones without feet get to their car?" I said, not really wanting to deal with it, "they use the feet of the other ones".
On Friday, it was the day to go to the Zoo! It was a perfectly, wonderfully overcast day! It was awesome. We got there right as they opened! We were 1 day prior to the DinoTrek exhibit closing. This exhibit was the first thing we did when we got there. It was really cool and the kids loved it. The dinosaurs moved and some spit water, it was truly cool. After that we saw and fed the Lorikeets, then went on to the Elephants, and then on to see the rest of the animals! My daughter loves diet Coke and we try so hard to strictly limit her consumption. I, however, love caffeine in the morning. So, I needed a diet Coke. I opted for the "Gripper" that had free refills all day. She had to get her hands on that drink. So, she ask to hold it. I said "no", she said, I will make a "deal". That is Gigi talk for "I am going to try to negotiate to try to get my way". She said, "let me carry it when we are on bridges and pavement". The WHOLE Zoo is on bridges or pavement. Seriously. I countered with "how about bridges and going up hill". She accepted and said "we just came across a bridge and we are getting ready to go uphill so I will go back across the bridge and come back across-stay here". H.D. said, "she is so silly". I really hope she is a lawyer because if not the World is missing out.
The kids insisted on wearing flip-flops. This proved to be a huge mistake. I took a pair of tennis shoes for Gigi, pink and white tennis shoes. H.D. was the first to break down saying he had blisters between his toes. I told him he could wear Gigi's shoes. "No, mom, people will make fun of me-that will be humiliating" that is really what he said. I convinced him to just put them on. He was so embarrassed, but eventually forgot about it. We were there for almost 6 hours. A long time. We were leaving and got all the way to the exit and Gigi said, I have to go potty. I was SO DONE at this point, all I could think was potty training is SOOO overrated. But, what I said was "ok let's go back to the potty". What H.D. said was "you have got to be kidding me". After the potty, we are walking back to the exit and she says, "H.D., I want those shoes back NOW-I am getting a blister", he says "no". I said, "H.D., they are hers and she let you wear them almost all day". He finally agreed, mostly because I think he knew that none of us were getting out of there until he gave up the shoes. She wouldn't have let us leave. She sits down to put them on and has to put the sweaty socks on that he had had on his feet. Of course, they wouldn't go on her feet so crying got cranked up. I said "I will put them on" we got the shoes on and finally got moving towards the car! The aformentioned situation is one of those situations where we are all 3 so tired that I want to lay down on the ground and throw a tantrum when they start whining and crying just so we can ALL be officially miserable.
Saturday has been much less exciting. It is back to work on Monday and that will be slow compared to Thursday and Friday!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Frustration and Fun
The title of this entry perfectly describes this week. For the majority of this week, I (not really anyone else) was completely frustrated with a horrible migraine. In fact, I am pretty sure my Neurologist was pretty frustrated with it as well. I am hesitant to say it is over with because I had, until late Friday night, had this headache off and on for 25 days. After 2 sets of nerve blocks which are injections in the back of my head and over my left eye, anti-nausea, anti-inflammatory injections, and some changes to my daily preventative migraine meds, it would appear as though-today-that things would be on an upswing. Migraines have always been part of my life, but they have worsened and increased in frequency and intensity since the kids were born. And to answer all the questions that I typically get: no, they don't think there is a specific trigger, no, they don't know what causes them, yes, I have had an MRI, and yes, I trust my doctor. I was lucky to have my Dad to take me to the doctor on Monday and my good friend Mary to take me on Wednesday. I have such great friends.
These migraines are pretty frustrating for me when dealing with my kiddos because I do not want them to feel like they are the "issue" or that they are missing out on anything because "mommy doesn't feel good"; however, this week was an exception and I was out of work quite a bit and had to just be in bed and rest. That kills me-that I can't be the get in the floor and play mom that they deserve and to miss work. Two things that I HATE. But, that said, it couldn't be helped this time and so thank goodness today (Saturday) I have had a decent day!
I decided when I woke up and my head felt strangely normal that today we would go out an do something fun. And, we did. Original plan was go to the Discovery Museum in Murfreesboro, but I felt like the kids needed to be outside today. Now, nothing is ever boring with us. Doug has to work every Saturday; therefore, these Saturday adventures are just us 3 Musketeers. I decided we would go to Smyrna to the Splash Pad park. Great idea, and it was free-even better-because typically my kids find themselves bored after an hour and want to leave. That is always when I am glad that I didn't pay $31.99 to get a 4 year old into somewhere for an hour of fun and 7 hours of whining, "MOOOOMMMMYYYYY can we ppplllleeeeeeeeaassee go home?", to which I respond, "No, honey, we paid a LOT of money to get us in here!". So, free is good.
We got there and the kids were so excited and it was not crowded at all-great! They went running around and immediately to the two facing water guns and aimed them at each other. They were loving it. Then, I got in with them and ran around. They were so excited. Then came the spiral downward. The got hungry, I had snacks-no biggie. Then they asked me what this little spout (picture a REALLY short water fountain) outside the gate was. I told them it was to wash your feet off before you came the splash pad. They seemed satisfied with that explanation. Then, I saw H.D. out at the spout again, this time trying to climb it. I went to him and said, "H.D., we are here to play, inside the gate-we can't climb this thing", "o.k., mommy" he said. A little while longer goes by and he and his sister have gone out there to wash their feet, that is fine, I think. Then I see him bend down, no, no, he is NOT going to drink from that-AND, he did. This is the point, when I said, "H.D., Gigi -time to go!". I mean after all, I didn't SPECIFICALLY tell them not to drink out of it, right?
They got in the car fine and were due a treat for being good all week at school so I told them I would take them for ice cream. They were so excited! So, we got ice cream. When we got back in the car I told them that I was going to let them buckle themselves in their car seats, mostly to see if they could both do it. I knew H.D. could but Gigi gets too frustrated and gives up. The following pictures are what occurred next (no kidding):
 |
 | ||
|
 |
| A Successful H.D. after getting out of his car seat and buckling his sister in hers. |
 |
| Ahh a happy, buckled Gigi Marie. |
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Emotional Pain vs. Physical Pain
Which is worse for a Mother? This is a question I asked myself multiple times this week. Any given week, our house is typically pretty crazy, but we are usually able to keep things relatively "light". This was not one of those weeks. In our house we don't have much physical pain with the exception of my chronic migraines, Doug's aches and pains and the occasional bump and bruise.
This summer has truly been a "season of change for our house. The kiddos have always had my Mom or Doug's Mom with them since they were born (they take turns coming to stay with us). My Mom was with me the 8 weeks I was on hospital bedrest before the kids were born. Has this set up always been easy in our smallish house? NO, Has it always been worth it? YES, I say this because the kids have a love for these two women that is truly unmatched. It is a special kind of love, it is unconditional. I would not trade that relationship for anything because I was close with my grandparents and I would give almost anything to spend one more day with each of them. The grandma's take them and pick them up from preschool and, of course, stay with them until Doug or I get home. And, they take them on other "special" outings.
The first of June, my Mom fell and broke her lower leg and kneecap. Therefore, she was out of commission. Doug's Mom came the last 2 weeks of June, but not knowing was going to happen with my Mom I started making alternate plans for July and the first of August. So, for July on Monday's and Friday's we have Paige (the love of H.D.'s life) coming to the house to babysit and Tues, Wed, and Thurs, they are going to preschool and I am going into work late and working late and Doug is picking them up after preschool. Everything has been fine until this week.
On Tuesday, Gigi cried-just about harder than I had ever seen her (even when she pitches a fit) when I dropped her off at school. She even stood at the window and cried and cried as I was leaving. As this is happening, I am thinking this is SO strange to me because she is my "independent" child. And, the preschool is at our Church. She knows these people-they all love my kids. However, I thought that she would, I am sure, calm down as soon as I was out of sight. I went on to work. At 12:30p.m. I got a call from the preschool director. She said that Gigi was still crying, and had basically been crying since I left that morning. As we were talking, I could hear Gigi coming down the hall crying. Mrs. Robin (the preschool director) put Gigi on the phone to talk to me, she was crying so hard she could barely speak. Puh puh puhllleeaassee come get me she kept saying over and over again. To which, although my heart was breaking, I said I can't come get you-Daddy will be there soon. She was to go on a playdate with H.D. that afternoon a their friends house. She said she didn't want to go. She told Mrs. Robin that she was afraid someone would kidnap me, and no one would know where she and H.D. were. Where did that come from? I don't know.
She ended up changing here mind, went on the playdate and had a blast but was glad to see me. Tuesday...I gave her a necklace of mine and told her-I will definitely be home because I have to get this necklace. Thanks to my mom for that idea! She had to do that with me. She cried on Tuesday, too. She told me she was "lost at this school with you, mommy". But, she did not cry as badly and her teacher said she stopped quickly. That night, she told me that every time she was sad or missed me she just looked at that necklace.
Mrs. Robin thinks and now I do as well that she is afraid I will go away because it has been a while since she has seen her grandmas. That makes me so sad. Her little mind is so much like mine was at her age, it is scary. She is Doug's physical mini-me but her personality is SO me. God help us all. This is a child who will give a complete stranger the shirt off her back but fight her brother to the death over the last Danimals yogurt.
So, which is worse physical pain or emotional pain? I am still not sure. I have seen both of my kids in each. However, I will say, at least with physical pain there are pain meds to be had. You can't really do anything for emotional pain, except just be there and reassure. That is exhausting.
My Mom is the person you want in your corner for either type of pain. She is seen me in the worst of both types of pain and she never flinches or backs away. She handles them with the utmost grace.
So, tonight, when Gigi started asking me 25 questions about Heaven I thought--oh,you have got to me kidding me. And, then I thought-what would Mom say? Then, I took a deep breath and answered her questions.
This summer has truly been a "season of change for our house. The kiddos have always had my Mom or Doug's Mom with them since they were born (they take turns coming to stay with us). My Mom was with me the 8 weeks I was on hospital bedrest before the kids were born. Has this set up always been easy in our smallish house? NO, Has it always been worth it? YES, I say this because the kids have a love for these two women that is truly unmatched. It is a special kind of love, it is unconditional. I would not trade that relationship for anything because I was close with my grandparents and I would give almost anything to spend one more day with each of them. The grandma's take them and pick them up from preschool and, of course, stay with them until Doug or I get home. And, they take them on other "special" outings.
The first of June, my Mom fell and broke her lower leg and kneecap. Therefore, she was out of commission. Doug's Mom came the last 2 weeks of June, but not knowing was going to happen with my Mom I started making alternate plans for July and the first of August. So, for July on Monday's and Friday's we have Paige (the love of H.D.'s life) coming to the house to babysit and Tues, Wed, and Thurs, they are going to preschool and I am going into work late and working late and Doug is picking them up after preschool. Everything has been fine until this week.
On Tuesday, Gigi cried-just about harder than I had ever seen her (even when she pitches a fit) when I dropped her off at school. She even stood at the window and cried and cried as I was leaving. As this is happening, I am thinking this is SO strange to me because she is my "independent" child. And, the preschool is at our Church. She knows these people-they all love my kids. However, I thought that she would, I am sure, calm down as soon as I was out of sight. I went on to work. At 12:30p.m. I got a call from the preschool director. She said that Gigi was still crying, and had basically been crying since I left that morning. As we were talking, I could hear Gigi coming down the hall crying. Mrs. Robin (the preschool director) put Gigi on the phone to talk to me, she was crying so hard she could barely speak. Puh puh puhllleeaassee come get me she kept saying over and over again. To which, although my heart was breaking, I said I can't come get you-Daddy will be there soon. She was to go on a playdate with H.D. that afternoon a their friends house. She said she didn't want to go. She told Mrs. Robin that she was afraid someone would kidnap me, and no one would know where she and H.D. were. Where did that come from? I don't know.
She ended up changing here mind, went on the playdate and had a blast but was glad to see me. Tuesday...I gave her a necklace of mine and told her-I will definitely be home because I have to get this necklace. Thanks to my mom for that idea! She had to do that with me. She cried on Tuesday, too. She told me she was "lost at this school with you, mommy". But, she did not cry as badly and her teacher said she stopped quickly. That night, she told me that every time she was sad or missed me she just looked at that necklace.
Mrs. Robin thinks and now I do as well that she is afraid I will go away because it has been a while since she has seen her grandmas. That makes me so sad. Her little mind is so much like mine was at her age, it is scary. She is Doug's physical mini-me but her personality is SO me. God help us all. This is a child who will give a complete stranger the shirt off her back but fight her brother to the death over the last Danimals yogurt.
So, which is worse physical pain or emotional pain? I am still not sure. I have seen both of my kids in each. However, I will say, at least with physical pain there are pain meds to be had. You can't really do anything for emotional pain, except just be there and reassure. That is exhausting.
My Mom is the person you want in your corner for either type of pain. She is seen me in the worst of both types of pain and she never flinches or backs away. She handles them with the utmost grace.
So, tonight, when Gigi started asking me 25 questions about Heaven I thought--oh,you have got to me kidding me. And, then I thought-what would Mom say? Then, I took a deep breath and answered her questions.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
First Tries
Since I had the twins 4 1/2 years ago, the Stills house and our life has been a whirlwind. A whirlwind of change and a whirlwind of craziness. One would think that as these two kiddos get older that things would calm down...WRONG ANSWER. Things get crazier, but I must say-they get more hilarious. I do think that finally after 4 1/2 years, we are getting a better handle on "things". "Things" like Doug and I tag-teaming tasks, like you fix dinner, I will do baths, then you give medicine while I put the P.J.'s on. Not to say that life is not still very stressful. Doug and I were married 9 years before we had kids and together 13; however, we were not prepared for our drastically our lives would change. Last week we got a look into just how much when the kids were in East TN for a week with Doug's parents. We watched a movie every night, uninterrupted, together. It was strange. It was cool. In the end, we needed to re-connect. We were ready for the kids to come home, and we were better parents for taking the break.
This week was about some "first tries" at things. First, on Monday, we had a new babysitter come to the house to watch the kids because my Mom is still recovering from her fall in early June and Doug's Mom is staying home until August. We have Paige, the new babysitter, coming on Monday's and Friday's. When I got home Monday evening, the kids met me at the front door and were both talking so fast I could only understand every fourth word or so and it was PAIGE as they squealed with delight. They had a blast. H.D. waited to get some alone time with me and then he said, "Hey, Mommy?" and I said "Hey, What?" he then said the following: "Today, I really wanted to kiss Paige, but I didn't because I only kiss you, right?" "Right, H.D", I said. Well, here is a first-H.D. has a College girl crush. He loves the ladies, but to this point the oldest one had been a highschooler from Church. Gigi said, "Hey Mom, guess what color Paige's pool turns when you pee in it?", "What color Gigi?" "Dark, Dark, Blue". To which I said, "Gigi, did you pee in the pool?", "No, brother did".
What do you get from your parents when you go away for a week and they REALLY miss you? BIKES! We finally gave in and got the kids bikes. We had previously not gotten them an outdoor riding apparatus of any type because our driveway goes downhill and our neighborhood streets are too busy. The one night this week that it didn't rain, Doug was grilling and I decided to take the kids down to a cul-de-sac so they could practice riding their bikes. As we made the turn down the street, it became VERY apparent that the kids did not know how to make a turn on their new bikes. Gigi went speeding toward a parked car. I stopped her about 3 inches before she hit that car. She then proceeded to attempt to hyperventilate. At the VERY same time H.D. had an accident. So, she is hyperventilating and he is crying and Doug is grilling. GREAT. This is the point when I decided I should teach them how to brake. I did and they got it! Before I knew it, here came Daddy to the rescue, he must have heard the cries. Doug was barefooted, and he was walking down the street! Thank goodness he showed up because we still had to get home.
Friday was another first. Paige was back for another round. She decided to take them skating, like roller skating. I kept my cell phone with me all day at work Friday because I kept waiting for a call about broken bones or missing teeth. It never happened. When I got home I asked if they had fun. They said "the skates were too heavy for our feet". Blessing in disguise.
This blog is a way to help me document everything these 2 crazy kids do. They really do crack me up, daily.
This week was about some "first tries" at things. First, on Monday, we had a new babysitter come to the house to watch the kids because my Mom is still recovering from her fall in early June and Doug's Mom is staying home until August. We have Paige, the new babysitter, coming on Monday's and Friday's. When I got home Monday evening, the kids met me at the front door and were both talking so fast I could only understand every fourth word or so and it was PAIGE as they squealed with delight. They had a blast. H.D. waited to get some alone time with me and then he said, "Hey, Mommy?" and I said "Hey, What?" he then said the following: "Today, I really wanted to kiss Paige, but I didn't because I only kiss you, right?" "Right, H.D", I said. Well, here is a first-H.D. has a College girl crush. He loves the ladies, but to this point the oldest one had been a highschooler from Church. Gigi said, "Hey Mom, guess what color Paige's pool turns when you pee in it?", "What color Gigi?" "Dark, Dark, Blue". To which I said, "Gigi, did you pee in the pool?", "No, brother did".
What do you get from your parents when you go away for a week and they REALLY miss you? BIKES! We finally gave in and got the kids bikes. We had previously not gotten them an outdoor riding apparatus of any type because our driveway goes downhill and our neighborhood streets are too busy. The one night this week that it didn't rain, Doug was grilling and I decided to take the kids down to a cul-de-sac so they could practice riding their bikes. As we made the turn down the street, it became VERY apparent that the kids did not know how to make a turn on their new bikes. Gigi went speeding toward a parked car. I stopped her about 3 inches before she hit that car. She then proceeded to attempt to hyperventilate. At the VERY same time H.D. had an accident. So, she is hyperventilating and he is crying and Doug is grilling. GREAT. This is the point when I decided I should teach them how to brake. I did and they got it! Before I knew it, here came Daddy to the rescue, he must have heard the cries. Doug was barefooted, and he was walking down the street! Thank goodness he showed up because we still had to get home.
Friday was another first. Paige was back for another round. She decided to take them skating, like roller skating. I kept my cell phone with me all day at work Friday because I kept waiting for a call about broken bones or missing teeth. It never happened. When I got home I asked if they had fun. They said "the skates were too heavy for our feet". Blessing in disguise.
This blog is a way to help me document everything these 2 crazy kids do. They really do crack me up, daily.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)