the busy contest

I have recently been discussing with friends how much I love reading blogs, and this is one my favorites. She recently wrote this post about being busy that really had my nodding enthusiastically as I read it.


In the nonprofit world, there is a very definite busy contest going on. My agency sees more people with less money and I work the MOST hours of anyone, etc. I never play the busy contest at work because, the truth is, we are all busy. Overworked, underpaid. Too many clients, not enough money. Did we think it was going to be different when we chose to work in this field? It is the definition of preaching to the choir and I try my hardest not to participate.

Now, among my friends, sadly I sometimes play the busy contest. Sometimes, when someone is talking about how busy they are... well, do you want to know what I think in my head? Puh-lease, I can beat that. (And usually I can.) Which brings me to my point. What do you win if you win the busy contest? A messy house, a bad cold (I am feeling horrible today out of nowhere), piles of laundry, and a house without a single Christmas decoration up.

This is the season of my life right now. It is a broke and busy season, but it is a good season. We are happy, so I do what I have to do and trust that this busy season will pay off in the long run. But I'm going to do better at not even entering the busy contest.

Love Florida and love my big beach girl and my little water baby:

It sounds silly, but when Chris pushes this girls in the stroller, I think, my stroller runneth over; I have more than I could hope for:

mare mare and mommy

wordless wednesday 'cause I'm still out here but have just been too busy attempting to take the perfect christmas picture

cute story with some pictures

Yesterday I picked Annie up at school, and she said, "MOM, I have a note for you in my bag." And I said, "Oh, is it from Ms. Lulu or Ms. Lindsay?"

(They like notes at Annie's school, although we did NOT get a note - but we did have a conversation LOL - when we sent Annie to school last week sans underwear, which was totally not our fault as she took them off before going and forgot to put them back on). Anyway....

Annie: "No, from me." <takes out the cutest note on orange construction paper with scribbly pencil writing that has a very distintive up-down-up-down jagged mountain thing, followed by two circles, followed by another up-down-up-down mountain thing and a "shape">

So, I say, very proudly, "does that say MOM?!?!? GREAT JOB!"

Annie, laughs: "no, that says MomMY."

And it totally does. Well, I guess it technically spells Moomy, but, hey, it's my first note! How cute is that?

And my little girl who now crawls (milestone met across-the-room style 10/26) and eats like a champ!

you are welcome to watch...

but this is for me. We are (unfortunately???) not video people, so these recorded moments are rare. This is for me to remember my little girl. She was being super sweet and talking to her friends. I tried to sneak in and catch her, btu she caught me and this was the result, just a regular discussion around here:

twins

I got dressed first and then Annie came out.

sisters

So even though I think that you get what you get and that's your family, I was secretly hoping Maren was a girl. That may have been because I thought Maren was a boy (thinking I am having a boy makes me wish it were a girl and thinking I am having a girl makes me wish it were a boy so I guess I am always happy or never happy depending on how you see it). You see, I have a brother and a sister and I know Michael and I are close, and we are far apart in age. So it is OK for Annie to have a brother that was much younger (someday); they will still be tight. But she needed a Meghan too. Not sure how much sense I am making, but these miniature sisters that live in my house are cute, cute, CUTE.

Annie loves Maren, completely and totally, in a be still my heart sort of way. There has been very little jealousy, very unlike the stories of Harper lore:

Me: "NOBABYNOBABYNOBABYNOBABY!!!!" <throws doll>; (2 years, 3 months apart)

Nana: "Meg, do you like your new brother?" Meg: "Yes Nana, I don't even bend his fingers back anymore." (4 years, 3 months apart)

Well, my mom says I loved Meghan, but that story gets told a bit more. I literally don't have one about Annie (yet). This is more of an Annie story:

Me: "So do you want to go on a Big Girl Date with me to get Rita's Italian Ice?" (sounds like something you do with an older sibling, right?)

Annie, excitedly: "YES! Let's bring Maren too, OK?"

My favorite pic of the two of them:

And Annie loves to match with Maren. For Halloween, she doesn't want to be matching/themed outfits; e.g. lion/lion tamer, two different kinds of flowers, Yoda and Princess Leia, etc. She wants them to be the same thing, like both Snow White or both Tinkerbell. TBD - stay tuned.

And Maren - well, I do think she might like me the best :) but she loves her Annie. And her dad. And Grammy. And they guy behind us in church tonight who told me that, "she is the happiest baby ever or else I am hilarious." She is just a little love monster, but I will say with certainty that Annie makes her feel happy and secure. I really think she sleeps better in her crib because she knows her big sister is in there.

I am glad for them that they have each other, that they already have a best friend and a maid of honor for their weddings. Sisters are special.

Lastly, my favorite story: Annie stopped sleeping in her bed a few weeks ago and started building a little nest on the floor so she could be next to Maren. (Since then, we have rearranged their room so they are right next to each other but both sleeping in their beds.) I went in because Maren was crying one night, and Annie said, tearfully, "don't bring her out. I can't sleep without her." (This cute story led to several nights of screaming crying in her room when she woke up and Maren was in bed with us which is totally not cute but we've nipped that in the bud and she just tiptoes in and climbs into bed too so we're one big happy family thankful for a king-sized bed.)

Good night. (Sorry for all the parentheses but I love them and if there were such as thing as parentheses within parentheses I would use them.)

not-my-words Wednesday

Mother, O'Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

busy days and why girls are so fun

It's been blog lite lately, both in substance and frequency. Busy days. But I was just thinking that girls are so fun. People always say, oh girl clothes are so cute!!! I wish I had a girl because of the clothes! Not me. I see at least as many cute boy clothes, and, even if you have cute clothes, it's not like they* want to wear them. They* would rather wear purple tutus, shirts with Dora on them, and too-small sparkly shoes on the wrong feet. The fun part about girls is their HAIR for sure! I just have to share these pictures of when I straightened Annie's hair a couple months ago. I told her she looked like a Barbie doll, and she told me, "I don't look like a barbeque."

*And by they, I mean Annie.

six month update

So, what's Maren like? Well, do you know pure joy and love? That's Maren. She is absolutely amazing, "shockingly cute" per her dad, and just the best baby. Seriously, I could rent her out; as in, a wife thinks she wants a baby but the husband is unsure, so they take Maren for a few hours... and then try to get pregnant the same day.

She is fascinated by Toby. If she could talk, she would say, kinda valley-girl style like her Mama: "O.M.G. Did you KNOW we have a DOG?" She just discovered him, and she thinks he is awesome. And she is a good sport (those are blankets on her back that Annie put on her):

She rolls everywhere and is most content on her tummy, just looking around.

She rarely cries - goes days without crying. She smiles constantly. She is just a happy little soul.

She sleeps through the night about two-thirds of the time but gets up around 5 for an pre-dawn snack and goes right back down the rest of the time.

She is social. She likes to look around and be around people. She is absolutely fine going anywhere. She likes being held, she likes baby carriers, and she likes strollers. She even likes riding in the car. I mean, she is open to anything!

She is a super sleeper including naps. :) She prefers to sleep on her tummy. She is a bit of a light sleeper. She and Annie share a room and she pops her head right up with a huge smile when we bring Annie into bed (Maren is usually out by 7-7:30; Annie is up until 8-8:30). It is a bit like a dog does when you walk by them. What? I wasn't sleeping! Then she goes right back to sleep.

She is super long and nice-sized but not chubby:

Milestone-wise, she babbles all day long, can't quite sit by herself yet, and cut her first two teeth last week.

She has the most amazing eyelashes ever. Long and so curly that they literally curl into her eyebrows. Her hair is light brown and soft and short but will definitely be ready for a bow on her first birthday. Her eyes are, well, not blue. That is all we know at this point! I am guessing they will end up in the hazel range??? They have a lot of green, some blue, some brown. So, we shall see. Her features in general seem to photograph darker than they look in person.

It has been a happy six months. We know how very fortunate we are and I hope you can read the love in this post. You can see why we think we want a houseful of kids!

from jax beach with love

hope it's thirty-one-derful!!!

test

Playing with something here. Please excuse the cute baby!

day in the life: August 5, 2011

I have seen this on other blogs and wanted to try it out. Interestingly, I chose a kind of out-of-the-ordinary “day in the life,” as Fridays tend to be (notes: usually Chris drops off at a later time and I pick up at an earlier time; also, we usually get Annie in bed much earlier!). But, then, we have to flexible around here or we would never survive :), so here you go.

4:40: I wake up to a sweet little voice on the monitor, not happy but not crying. I realize it is not Annie, but Maren. I think about how she might roll over and go back to sleep. I spend five minutes deciding if I should go in to nurse her or let her fall back asleep on her own. I think about how my alarm is set for 5:40. I run through three hour pumping/nursing schedules based on first feed in my mind. I decide I should get up to nurse her. Maren stops making noise and I go back to sleep.

4:50: I hear Maren again and get up right away to nurse her. I offer both sides so I don't have to pump one side when I get up to run. Luckily she takes both.

5:05: I get back in bed. I think about how my alarm will go off in 45 minutes. I start a to do list for work in my mind. I decide to use the Hypnobabies rainbow relaxation. It is not working, so I doze off daydreaming about my Sarah bachelorette cruise.

5:40: My alarm goes off. I hit snooze twice. I get out of bed, brush my teeth, and put on my running clothes.

6:05-6:35: Surprisingly good run.

6:40: Jump in the shower still sweating. Get out still sweating. I feel thankful that I am wearing painting clothes to work today.

6:55: I hear the friends on the monitor. I hear the door slam as Annie gets up to use the bathroom. I go in to say hello and give hugs and kisses. I leave Maren in her crib and go kiss a sleeping Chris good bye.

7:00: Get in car to go to work. Gas light is on so I stop and get gas as a random act of kindness to Chris on account of the Big Discussion we had last night about money.

7:10: Arrive at work and start painting the wall (why I am painting the wall is, simply, a post for another day. When I worked at Red Cross I had to clean bathrooms – at least I don't do that now.)

8:15: Leave work. Go home. Nurse Maren. Chris leaves for work and does not take the car so he does not notice my random act of kindness. Ask Annie to get her shoes on. She goes to the bathroom and takes off all her clothes. Pack all the bags. Ask Annie to put her clothes on. She cries that she wants new clothes. I use my stern voice and tell her she can wear whatever she wants but she has to put it on now.

9:00: Leave house to drop girls at Bea's. Stop at Ace Hardware to pick up another paintbrush. Stop at Publix for tonight's dinner's ingredients.

9:45: Back at work. Paint.

12:15: Quick lunch at my desk while I pump and check email. Rice and beans and salad.

12:45-2: Paint

2-5: Work frantically because, when you paint all day, you don't actually get any work done. Plan agenda for pretty-big-deal Principal's meeting I am hosting this Wednesday. Work on new report I had to create because our crappy old computer system won't pull it anymore. Pump again. Realize paint does not look that great and will need a second coat, which I will have to do this weekend some time.

5:05: Home before anyone else!!! What should I do??! I think about how I never have this opportunity. I lay on the couch and watch WWHL with guest Neil Patrick Harris. He is kind of arrogant and rude but it is very relaxing.





5:20: The friends are home! YAY! Nurse Maren. Discuss everyone's day.


5:40: Throw the girls in the tub. Boat and airplane rides on the bed for both girls. Annie can't decide what to wear.

6:15: Chop veggies for homemade pizza dinner. Annie helps Maren with her mesh feeder filled with only ice. Maren loves it. Walk around holding Maren while Chris starts the grill and Annie plays outside. Throw in a diaper load of laundry. I ask Annie to please not use the cry voice.



7:20: Maren starts fussing. Get smiley girl ready for bed. Nurse laying down in Annie's bed. She falls asleep and I gently move her to the crib.



7:40: Put on second wash of diaper laundry. Chris and I talk about how late it is and why we haven't eaten dinner yet. Annie cries because her pants are wet from washing her hands. Annie practices her bike. Annie cries because I tell her she can't change her pants again. Annie changes her pants anyway. I ask her to please not use the cry voice. Chris comments that there is a lot of whining going on for someone who had a two hour nap.

8:00: Annie and I take Toby for a walk around the block. She stops to pick some “lollipops” (??) and tries to carry them in her skirt. They all fall out but she doesn't mind. She shows off her running and jumping.

8:20: Pizza's ready. We watch it and turn on a movie. Babe 2. We talk about how pizza and a movie on Fridays is becoming a nice little routine. Pause movie. Chris gets Annie ready for bed while I do the dishes. Switch diaper laundry.

9:30: My friends are cuddling on the couch. I am icing my foot because I did something weird to it doing mountain climbers at the gym and I have boot camp in the morning.


10:00: Bring Annie into bed. We're right behind her as soon as I finish this!

wordfull wednesday

oh and THIS GIRL

is a rolling fool. Milestone met: just shy of five months. (Hey she's a second child and I'm trying to keep track of the big moments!) She was a major hit at Annie's school party. All the friends gathered around Maren to tickle her (Annie said, "do you want to see my baby?"):

birthday letter for my big girl

Dear Annie,






You turned THREE last week. OK, it was a little over a week ago, but man is the summer flying by!




Some awesome things about you:

• You are sensitive and sweet. You like to hug and say I love you.




• You love to read and you love letters. You know them all. Tonight I told you I was a bookie and you told me, "I'm a bookie too." We read three books every night. You occasionally "lose a book" but those are few and far between.




• You like to play outside. You are girly but dirty too. You are going to be a good camper.




• You have all but given up naps. We had too because you would come out of your bed for literally hours - you come out with a smile on your face and say, "mommy, all my friends turned into monsters." We say, "OK, Anne, throw them into the hallway and go back into bed."




• You are 100% potty trained even for nighttime, with very few accidents.




• You like to dance and have a super cute fast feet thing going on where you twist your hips around and move your feet as fast as they can go.




• You are a gentle girl with a soft voice and a shy smile.




• You have a lot of concentration for a three year old. You can do puzzles, painting, games, etc. for a long time. You saw your first movie, Winnie the Pooh, with Dad. It is so fun! I can't wait for even more big girl activities.




• You have an unbelievable sense of direction. You always know where we are and what city we are in. I am pretty sure we could drop you in Ponte Vedra and you could find your way home.




• You are learning to swim and finally love to dunk underwater. We are working on kicking.




• You love bouncy houses and parties.




• You are a total oldest child so far - a rule following, leader, take-charge kind of girl.




• You have a sense of humor and try to make jokes all the time. You do funny voices and say funny things. (You do a mean Maren.)




• You like to tell stories and have stories told to you, especially scary stories where we do lots of Oooooooooooooo.




• You are a little copycat, which we consider a compliment that you think we are cool. Recently heard: "My whole body hurts." (I have been going to the gym.) "I am going to bring the rest for lunch tomorrow." (I always pack up half my dinner for lunch the next day.)

We have a book called Mommy's Little Girl, which has clarified our relationship for you. You made this up yourself and say all the time, "I'm a big girl now, but I'll always be your little girl."



Always, Annie!


Love,



Mom

so much for wordless wednesday

But I have to say how funny Annie has been lately.

Whedn I pick her up from school, she is usually very happy and just talks and talks and talks (big sister can t-a-l-k like her mom and her aunt and her uncles). So yesterday she told me this long convuluted story that started like this:

Annie: "I have new underwear on."
Me: "Oh did you have an accident today?'
Annie: laughs "NO Mom!"

Then she goes on and on about how Angelique did have an accident and Ms. Lulu got confused between Annie's bag and Angelique's bag and tried to give Annie's underwear to Angelique but then Annie saw the underwear.... I am not quite following, but then she says:

"I had on polka dot underwear but I saw my flower underwear and then I wanted to put them on because the other ones were too casual."

I am 95% sure that she understands the meaning of the word casual....


Then, she wanted to play Memory (we play a lot of the Dora Memory game). So she lines up about half the cards face up, brings the directions out of the box, and says, "Mommy, I am going to tell you the rules. First, no using your hands. Second, no flipping over the cards. Third, no pee-peeing on the cards."
OK, got it buddy :)

birthday gift for Annie

Click here to view this photo book larger