Lately...

A Day in the Life of a "Stay at Home" Mom -

(when you get bored, scroll down for pictures...)

6:00am - Wake up, feed Carina, go back to sleep for 30 minutes
7:00am - Wake up again and wake Mia and Laney, get them and myself dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, faces washed, make lunches, make breakfast
8:00am - eat breakfast, wake up Carina, get her dressed
8:25am - Out the door into the car
8:40am - Drop off Mia at school
9:00am - Feed Carina in the car at Laney's school (Laney gets a video)
9:20am - Take Laney into her class, wash hands, get her started on an activity
9:35am - either head home or run a quick errand
10:00am - Carina naps, do housework (laundry, pay bills, take a shower, bathe Carina)
12:00pm - Wake up and feed Carina and feed myself
12:30pm - Out the door into the car
12:50pm - Get Laney from school
1:30pm - home, Carina is usually asleep again at this point, have one on one time with Laney
2:35pm - Out the door into the car. Carina is usually asleep, sometimes Laney is too.
3:00pm - Be at Mia's classroom door for pickup.
3:25pm - Arrive home (unless it's Wednesday, then we head straight to gymnastics and Carina will have eaten at 2.) Feed Carina.
3:40pm - Work with Mia on her homework, Laney does a "project" or watches a TV show
4:10pm - kids fight play, I make dinner
5:15pm - Dinner for the kids and sometimes myself
6:00pm - TV time, kids fight play, I check email
6:30pm - feed Carina
7:00pm - bath time, or major playroom cleanup time
7:30pm - get kids in jammies, teeth brushed, books read, prayers, water
8:00pm - big kids in bed
8:20pm - feed Carina, Patrick and sometimes myself, watch some TV
9:00pm - try to get Carina to bed
11:00pm - my bedtime

Well, this past few weeks we had a week of the sickies, two weeks of the snow, and now Carina and I are just getting over the crud. I think I had/have the flu, so I guess Carina does too. My guess is that we got it from the doctor's office. Isn't it ironic? Also, we missed posting about Valentines Day, Carina's 4month checkup, and Laney's new amazing whistling! Here are some photos and a video to catch you up. Now I'm off to bed to try to kick this thing...*cough*!




the spoon sticks to nose trick!

Mia and Patrick are experts!

A "swim" party / makeup party playdate
Carina is 4 months old, 25in. long and weighs a whopping 15lbs 4oz! (and, she seems to be teething)

Mia's Sledding Hill

Patrick Digs us Out

SNOW 2010

The first real snow this season that the kids could really play in has arrived!!! (Note we were en route to NC for the Blizzard in December.) Maybe there will be enough for a snowman later, but for now, the girls made some pretty nice snow angels before Laney got too cold and wanted some cocoa.

Carina got her chance to really get out in the snow and still doesn't like it much, but we did get a few shots of her so we can officialy dub them her first snow pictures.

Happy Snow Day to You!

Christmas at the Beach

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This year, we spent Christmas week in Emerald Isle, NC.

We headed down a night early to try to beat the Blizzard, but met up with it in Richmond where we waited almost 3 hours in near standstill traffic before we got our turn to attempt to cross the bridge across the river. Several cars and all semi trucks were stranded at the bottom of the large incline of the un-plowed bridge. (The plows couldn't make it to the bridge through the traffic.) We made it across. Thankfully we were full of people, luggage, and Christmas presents, and had new tires. As we made our way off I95 onto I85, we stopped to call a tow truck for a stranded minivan and family who had plowed into a ravine - it was a pretty nasty drive. Patrick is a very skilled driver, and I'm thankful he was the one driving.


By the time it was nearing 3-4 in the morning and we were just out of the snow and finally in the rain, we stopped to get some sleep at an old gas station. Sleeping in the car was just fine at that point. However, should you attempt this, please remember to call those expecting you, even if it IS 4 am and there is a sleeping baby in their house (oops!).

After a few hours to freshen up and refuel our minds and bodies in Raleigh, it was smooth sailing to our beloved 3 Palms - the house we also rented in September 2008.




We started the week with a bad cold for Mia and while we passed it around , we fit in fun filled days of cooking, relaxing, cookie making, gingerbread house decorating, sea shell collecting, and even a birthday party for Jacque! What a blast.

Thanks to Neil and Jessica, I took a much-needed break from the kid-chaos for a half-day spa experience with Amanda and my mom - ahhhhh.

Although weather systems seem to try to keep us from going, I love Emerald Isle and can't wait to go back in the summer - hope you all had a Merry Christmas, too!

Laney Sings

Here is Laney yet again singing a verse of one of her favorite songs...

A Trip to the Mall

Well, not the Shopping Mall, but the DC Mall. Last weekend we traipsed down to the Mall for a morning adventure, DC style.

First, we had a ride or two on the carousel, one of the girls' favorite activities IN THE WHOLE WORLD, EVER. Then we had a snack and inadvertently (I think) fed the birds.
Next we headed over to the Natural History Museum and visited the Butterfly exhibit, where you can walk among several different species of butterflies. It was really neat, though I was worried my little butterfly catcher, Mia, would try to catch a few, rules or not.
Lastly we had lunch on a park bench and headed back home as I was getting WAY too hot in the 90+ degree heat.

But it was a fun morning!

Mean Old Coffee Table...

Anyone want a mean old mission style coffee table circa 1997? It's really just a plank of wood on 6 legs, but it beats up our children and enough is enough! Mia has a grey tooth thanks to this mean old guy and in the last 10 days Laney has given herself an unintentional frenulectomy and a black eye - sheesh!

Nevermind that we removed it for awhile and the TV console started to pick up where the coffee table left off, it's time for Mr Meanie to go. That, or we really really need a playroom where the kiddos can gallop, dance, and spin their princess dresses.

Laney visits the Dentist!

Laney had her first dentist visit yesterday, and all went well. Her favorite part? The toothpaste and Mister Thirsty! It didn't hurt that she got a PINK toothbrush as well. Here's hoping all her visits are this good.

Happy Birthday, Laney and America!

Laney is now officially 3! She has grown so very much in just the last few weeks it's astounding. Laney is finished with diapers, doesn't bite her sister or her playmates, has completed her first swimming class, really enjoys talking on the phone to her family members, can reach the light switches in the kitchen and new bathroom, and can play a few board games without eating the pieces. She LOVES to play dress-up, to put puzzles together and has completed a 64 piece jigsaw puzzle of Strawberry Shortcake on her own, and she absolutely adores baby dolls and her "sissy", Mia.

She's into everything and you can't leave her alone for a second, but she's showing her intelligence by being sneaky about things and waiting until you just leave the room before getting into mischief. She'll tell you that she wants to do everything herself and will button and unbutton anything with buttons she can get her hands on.

She's been a true joy to raise these last 3 years as well as a handful recently, just as she should be. We love you Laney-Bun!

And a big Happy 233rd Birthday, USA!

Laney the Mischevious

If you had asked me a year and a half ago, I would have told you my Mia was our difficult child. She was always busy, always moving, always contradicting us and often running away from me to avoid leaving wherever we were (park, school, friends' houses).

Well, I was wrong. Mia is not sneaky. Sneakiness adds a whole other dimension to trouble making that I didn't know about except from first-hand experiences which of course, were not viewed from the same perspective. (You see, I was the sneaky child in my family growing up.)

These past 6 months, Laney has really pushed the envelope in the Sly, Cunning, and downright Messy categories. But this past week, in one single day, she made newsworthy strides in pushing Mommy to the limit.

In the morning, things were moving slowly. I finally got Laney upstairs to get her dressed for the day. After making hers and Mia's beds, I put out two dresses for her to choose from and went in my own room to make my bed. When I went in to check on her, she had smeared pink lipstick EVERYWHERE. Similar to the Desitin Incident, it was literally EVERYWHERE. On the air conditioner, her bedspread, the beds, the floor, and the glider. Not having the patience to grab the camera, I just got angry, grabbed wipes and got her to help me wipe off the wood surfaces and the air conditioner. I took the cushions off the glider and googled "lipstick stains". I put on a movie downstairs in the living room and got started on the stain removal process.

OK, THEN. While I was slaving away at the cushions, muttering frustration under my breath, Laney leans over the couch and spits a white goopy spit ball into my hand. Having seen this before, I knew what it meant. Laney had pulled the stuffing out of the couch cushions and was chewing on the stuffing. Oh joy. Well at least I could put most of it back in and fluff up the pillows without much trouble.

So, after fixing the couch and getting about half of the stain out, we had some semblance of a regular day - running errands, eating lunch, and attempting a quiet time for Laney which was again unsuccessful for the 4th day in a row.

After quiet time, Mia and Laney were playing together in the living room and I hear a small choking sound, followed by Mia screaming "MOMMY! MOMMY! Laney ate a Penny!" Of course I hurried in - Laney was OK, breathing but with tears in her eyes, and Mia described the situation. Evidently, Laney put a penny in her mouth, choked on it, managed to get it out and somehow swallowed it. All in about 3 seconds. The after-hours doctor on call told us that although pennies are no longer poisonous, if it didn't manage to find its way out in 2 days we would have to get Laney an x-ray to make sure it wasn't causing issues in her digestive tract. So, yep, we had to become poop archaeologists for awhile. Thankfully it came out the next afternoon and we avoided a trip to the hospital and any subsequent medical procedures.

But PHEW! What a DAY!

She's turning 3 in less than 2 weeks - it will all end then, right?

Potty Training

...is underway! Laney is very successfully potty training with the help of her big Sissy. However, we still need to work on how much potty paper to use.

One for the Books

Just so you know, the red stuff is Axe Body Wash. And this was during Laney's nap, or so I thought...




And I guess I should also mention that this is our upstairs bath, which has NOT been even slightly remodeled yet. Note the duct tape on the floor. Yes, duct tape is still our friend, this time being used as waterproof floor covering.

The Trip - a Recap

Whew! It was a quick trip by all accounts, one we would have love to have extended. But, we managed to fit in most of the things we wanted to do and still had a little time for R&R.

We left Friday after Laney's school morning and drove to Florence, SC, our halfway point and a place to spend the night. Saturday evening after a stop at the Outlet Malls we arrived at our condo in Orlando. How beautiful! And a working kitchen to boot! Hooray!

Sunday our friend Tim escorted us to the Magic Kingdom where we played the day away, and we left the park in time to make it to dinner in Downtown Disney at the House of Blues. Great food, and very kid-friendly!

Monday and Tuesday we spent with Patrick's parents in Lake Placid as well as with their son Dennis and his wife Diane, who Mia adored. It was a nice relaxing time and we enjoyed the company.

After a quick kids' pirate treasure hunt at the resort, we headed back to Downtown Disney on Wednesday for a lunch treat at TRex and to look at the Legoland sculptures we had eyed earlier in the week. Who knew that they would be closed for renovations! Oh well, it was nice to have an afternoon to do some more outlet shopping and just hang out at the resort and enjoy our place.

Thursday we ventured out to Disney again, this time to the Hollywood studios. We really loved seeing the Beauty and the Beast show, but the rest of the park lacked the interesting activities for the girls. However, while Laney napped in the stroller, Mia got to get out some of her extra energy in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. That was fun!

We left early and headed back to the Magic Kingdom just in time for dinner and parade watching, and completed the day watching and dancing to the fireworks. Patrick even caught a glimpse of Tinkerbell flying down from the castle!


Friday, our last day there, turned out to also be our warmest day, peaking at about 68 degrees. (Yes, it was historically cold in Florida last week. Seems we took the cold weather down with us, and brought it back here with us upon our return.) We swam in the pools in the morning, and had a fun playdate with our friends The Remleys in the afternoon. We had a big feast at Outback with our friends and then ended the night back at our condo full and sleepy.

Saturday and Sunday we again spent driving, and now here we are, back in our Little House (My Home! as Laney calls it) and we're a little road-weary, but happy we had our little adventure.

A Week Away

What makes it Christmas for you? For me, it's the excitement of finding just the right gift for someone, the beautiful lights on trees and houses, the Christmas specials on TV, the music, Sticky Buns on Christmas morning, a cup of cocoa with a candy cane in it, reading the Advent verses on Sundays leading up to the 25th, and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus Christmas morning. Add children to the mix, and it's just *magic*.

Mia and Laney are working really hard on trying to be good for Santa, but all the excitement is causing a bit of high energy to escape in all but the best possible ways. Speaking of which, I gotta go. I hear screaming.

Happy Birthday Patrick!

Patrick's birthday was yesterday, and he took the day off work. (Yippee!!) Mia was delighted that he was available to see her "tricks" on the monkey bars at school during drop off, and Laney was not so delighted to have to go to the Nanny even though her Mommy and Daddy were BOTH home for the day. But both girls were very happy to make cards and to make and eat chocolate cake and pumpkin pie, and they were absolutely GIDDY about getting to go out to a "restaurank" for dinner.

Happy Birthday, Honey. We love you.

A Visit From Cousin Jacque!

My niece, Jacque, visited her Aunt Heather in Virginia this past weekend and the girls played at the Reston Zoo together! What fun! The girls fed the lambs and goats, and we went on a "safari ride" where we were inundated with giant camels! We had a fun time and were sad to only have a short time to spend with Jacque, but we were so glad for the visit!

Laney Goes Green

'nuff said.

Whew!

What a Weekend! (Still recovering...) Between Halloween, a Bar Mitzvah, a Birthday Party, an Election Day Bakesale, Election Night festivities, and a Time Change, I'm beat! But what fun!

Halloween night was kicked off with a Pancake Dinner hosted by our good friends and neighbors, then we all headed out to purge the neighborhood of their goodies and admire the carving skills in the area. Turns out political pumpkins took the cake this year, with all but one in some way referring to our new President Elect.

The night after Halloween, Patrick and I attended a Bar Mitzvah for our next door neighbor's son and we had a really nice time. Neither of us had been to one before, so it was really fun and also very interesting to learn about the customs and traditions involved in this coming of age milestone as well as the Jewish religion. David did a great job with his Torah readings, and though he shared his night with another Bar Mitzvah, he definitely shone brighter. (Don't tell the other family that, though.)

The following day we went to a Birthday Party at Pump It Up, an all inflatable jumping place (what a great idea for a party place!) and the girls just wore themselves out. Though I was a little unnerved by the bigger kids pushing by and over the 2 year olds, everyone had a great time. Happy 2nd Birthday, Elliott!!

THEN, Election Day the girls' preschool had a bakesale to try to take advantage of the extra voters and some potential school donations, so Monday was spent baking. I love to bake, but the kids had the day off of school, so I didn't really get to make as much as I wanted. This was a good thing, however, because we didn't sell all the things that we made. (Can I gloat? My banana bread was all gobbled up- yippee!)

Lastly, that night Patrick's company had a huge Election Watching Party in typical Accenture style. It was fun! There was a huge room decorated with one side in Blue Donkeys and one side in Red Elephants showing CNN, and there were satellite rooms - one Red showing Fox News, and one Blue showing MSNBC. Other rooms held human statues, a raffle drawing, food of course, and meandering ex-presidents. Lots of fun for us all.

Carving Pumpkins and Building Walls

This past week we spent a good chunk of time working on our front yard and new kitchen. It's been a long time in the planning stage, but this week, we finally were able to begin on the actual building (and demolishing) process. My dad and mom came up and now we have new wall studs that will become one of the walls for the kitchen, as well as a new retaining wall and sod in the front. Woo-hoo! You would understand my enthusiasm if you could have seen the front yard just prior to the work - old rotting railroad ties, dirt and weeds. It was lovely - not. But now it is! (Going to add pics tomorrow - I can't believe I didn't take any!)






Sunday evening, we spent family time carving pumpkins. Both girls drew their own jack-o-lantern faces and neither one was even remotely interested in getting gooky pumpkin and seeds all over their hands, so Mom and Dad had to do that part. (When I was a kid, that was the best part! Well, that and the toasted pumpkin seeds!) The result was fun all around and some great spooky jack-o-lanterns on our porch.