Can't We Just Fit It All In?

In my ongoing attempt to both lose weight and get in better shape, I've decided to try to get on my treadmill for 20 minutes a day. So far (two days in) I'm at 100%. Whoo-freakin-hoo for me!!! Yesterday I managed my 20 minutes while shouting at C to 'stay away from the wires.' She kept asking me, "Mommy, where are you going?" Today I got to 30 minutes. Hubby had taken C to preschool today so after the bus stop for A, I walked home and put B to bed and hopped on the treadmill. I caught an episode of Golden Girls--a real classic, the one where Blanche finds out her brother is gay--and got in 30 minutes before I even noticed! What I did notice, however, was that I was sweating like a pig. P.I.G. Heck, I was probably sweating more than a pig!! (It is fair to note here that I have no technical knowledge as to the sweat or non-sweat habits of actual pigs) B was still catching his zzz's so I jumped in the shower. By the time I finished the quick shower, dried my hair and got dressed I had just enough time to squeeze in a quick phonecall before I had to wake B up, change is disgustingly grotesque diaper, and hit the road to go get C from preschool. All in all this was a great morning! I had time to exercise, the baby got his rest, C was at preschool, life was grand. What I find hard to take, though, is this: Because I spent most of my "free" time exercising and recovering from the sweating-like-a-pig part of the exercising I wasn't able to complete other tasks that are best done while the children are sleeping, at school, or otherwise very occupied. Things like calling insurance companies, paying bills, scrubbing dirty toilets, filling out field trip permission slips. As much as I'm thrilled about finding the time to take care of ME, I'm entirely bummed that it means I have to work harder at finding the time to fit in the other very necessary tasks that fall well within my job description. I called Hubby at some point this morning just to see how his day was going and his answer was a good one. He said if his morning just had a few extra hours in it, it would've been perfect. How true that is!! In a way it made me feel better--that it wasn't just the madly insane housewife/SAHM part of me that simply couldn't handle things, that Hubby too had these time issues that prevented him from completing all of his important duties too. More than that though, it still just bummed me out. I sit here this evening worrying that I won't be able to get it all in tomorrow. Will I be happy and well adjusted Mommy who makes the time for her own needs, or will I be the productive do-it-all Mommy who finds time for anything and everything but herself? Why does it have to be either/or?? Can't I just fit in ALL in? Just this once...

Holy Crap, I Have a First Grader!

Somehow--I'm not quite sure how--I became the Mom of a First Grader. Seems like just yesterday there was 2 feet of snow outside my house and I was laying on the sofa just praying that labor would hold off another few days. (of course that wouldn't happen...that's how she got one of her cute nicknames, "The Blizzard Baby.")

Where has the time gone?

While I remember my own Kindergarten year --I really remember First Grade. I remember my teacher that year, Mrs. Mann. (this was always a source of concern for me...her name was Mrs. Mann, yet clearly she was a very nice lady!) I remember that when we did really good work we got a unicorn stamp on our work packets. We made handprints in plaster and then they got painted gold. Did I mention the unicorn stamps?? I remember that Mrs. Mann wanted us all to go to bed by 8:00pm because kids needed a good night's rest. (I must've retained something...my own kids get 12 hours each night!!)

I can't wait to see what this year holds for A. Seeing it through her eyes, remembering what it looked like through my own so many (many) years ago, and knowing that I still get to re-live the First Grade two more times down the road!

Infants & Toddlers (Birth-to-Three) Eval for Baby B

Today was the evaluation appointment for B. I was a little worried that I'd picked a bad time since the appointment was at 9:00am and A had to get on the bus (at the end of the street) at 8:50. As things normally do, it worked out fine, and we were home with time (1 minute, 48 seconds) to spare. We had a RN and a Physical Therapist here doing the evaluation and they did play-based testing on B's social, language, cognitive, and adaptive skills, as well as both gross and fine motor. At this point B is 7 months old. The findings from all of their testing were very positive and reassuring--he is testing in the normal range for all skills, but he does have some atypical development in his neck and shoulder muscles, as well as some tip-toe standing when held up. This fact qualifies us for services through Baltimore County Infants and Toddlers. They will also monitor his receptive language skills, since that was an area of concern a few weeks ago when he was evaluated by Dr. Landa and other researchers at Kennedy Krieger. If a delay were to evolve where that is concerned we would be seen here at home by a special educator, in addition to the Physical Therapist.

I have to laugh though--so many times when we as parents have concerns we call a doctor or ask a professional for advice, and then the same day the child ends up doing, independently, the task that just a day ago seemed impossible. This happened today...one of the questions I was asked was whether or not B drinks his bottle by himself. My answer was no--but late this afternoon he surprised me by swigging an ounce or so all by himself. (To which C exclaimed, "Yook, Benno is feeding him own self.") Ahh...a good day.

Could You Make Mine Sans Crust?

Ahhh...it's been too long!!

I have been laughing at myself lately, thinking of things that I used to swear I wouldn't do--or wouldn't let my kids do--as a parent.

Let's see...well, first there is the whole pacifier thing. (in our house that would be a 'cork' thing) A was pretty good about the whole cork situation. Once we made the decision that it would be bedtime only--it was as good as done. One night we just didn't offer them and we never looked back. It was great--we felt success as parents. Yay...we broke her of that awful habit!!! Yeah--who the hell were we kidding?? C takes this whole 'cork' situation, well, really freakin' seriously! They are not only her corks, (yeah--we're talking multiples here) they are C's "guys." Why, you ask, are they her "guys?" Well duh--doesn't EVERY 3 year old girl use her "guys" as Little People in the doll house? Anytime they are lost I am nearly guaranteed to find them hiding in one of the two dollhouses in her room. Ugh...I always joke that she won't go down the aisle with her "guys" but I'm starting to get a little afraid! One of the guys, the orange and green one, is held together, I suspect, by pieces of DNA or perhaps boogers. Not sure which--but it also is her favorite guy. Seriously?? Yeah--seriously. Way back in the day I worked in a daycare center, with 3 year olds by the way, and a few of them slept with 3 or 4 pacifiers at naptime. I used to be so disgusted--thinking horrible thoughts about the parents of these little beasts. Ha...joke's on me now, isn't it??

The other thing that always got me was kids who wouldn't eat crusts. I've been known to leave crusts on my plate--but to go that extra step and have them cut off??? Ugh--no way, seemed like a silly detail to me. Lately, little Miss C, has started asking for the crusts to be cut off of her sandwiches. Well--that's the sandwiches she'll eat--by the day that number is dwindling. I swear once we're out of blueberry season we may be out of luck on feeding her entirely. Anyway--back to this whole crust business. I really do have a point ;)

We recently were on vacation at the lake--and while I truly am in my blissful glory (most of the time)when I'm there--it is pure hell getting ready to go and getting ready to come home. Packing up my kids and our stuff, whether it is for one night or 10, is mind-numbing, hard work. Plus there are all of these last minute things that I can't pack up ahead of time--like B's crib aquarium, or C's corks. What if I forget a favorite book? ugh...I am getting tense just thinking about this!! On the other end of the trip is this same dilemma--the packing up and going home. Only this time it's improved upon--we've added dirty laundry to the equation! Seriously--this sucks!! This got me thinking about the whole crusts-off-the sandwich routine. The middle of the sandwich really IS the best part you know...especially if you think about a good one, like PB&J! The middle is where the big glop of peanut butter is, and all around it is the oozy goodness of the jelly. Whats on the edges?? Nothing but dried peanut butter and if you're lucky a little purple smear. Once we were on vacation a few days, things got good--really good. Kids were sleeping well at night, we fell into a nice nap routine, great weather (that was luck!), and fun activities with Pappy & Grandma, too. Even going to the few restaurants we did was great! Then came, cue up the 'dum-dum-dum-dum' music, the final day. Between packing the suitcases, packing the cold stuff to go home, and getting the kids in the car, and trying to do so at a time when B would sleep and A & C will at least be quiet....well--that was just impossible. As it turned out--it wasn't THAT bad a drive home. Hubby took his place behind the wheel--I took my designated spot too, behind the driver seat, next to B, and well within snack-reach for A & C. Shockingly, we made it home in three hours. In one piece, I might add! We survived, and we even *gasp* enjoyed ourselves!!! Success feels so good.

I'd still just like mine sans crusts. please.

Ah...More Fairies Must Be the Answer!

We are still away at the lake and will be for another week. It's grand--blissful, really--in a weird, masochistic sort of way. We've fallen into a pretty nice little routine, which always happens around day 3 or so, and generally are enjoying ourselves. We still, however, are seeing a lot of the naughty-ness that accompanies a family with 2 little girls and 1 baby brother. A, as the oldest of our brood, seems hellbent on waking up sleeping children. Either by touching, talking to, pinching, or tickling--it's her life's truest desire. I will not mince words: This. Pisses. Me. Off. She's pretty good about adhering to a decent time out though and for the most part (more than 50% of the time), 'gets' it and moves on. This I have to live with--and this is fine. I still hate that she must wake the littler ones, though. Can't she just awaken Hubby when HE'S sleeping? Now Little Miss C...she is a different kid altogether--and will not, I repeat WILL NOT adhere to, nor be confined to, a simple time out. No way, no how, it's not gonna happen. I was not happy about this until that article a few weeks ago about the Clean-Up Fairy enlightened me. (read past entries to catch up!) The lady who gave life to my now favorite Fairy really should be nominated for sainthood--well, in my humble little mommy opinion! C becomes very nearly unhinged when we mention the "C.U.F." She bolts around the room, doing whatever needs to be done to tidy things up, and make any mess appear far less messy. It's done as if a 3 year old was doing it still--but it works. Yay. Somehow, a small success. Trouble arose though during the first day or so of our vacation when we were really having trouble with C's tantrums and screaming fits. (Whomever said it was the Terrible Twos never had kids... in reality it's the Life-Threatening-Threes that'll give you your battle scars as a parent) I tried to think of a way in which my friend "C.U.F" could help me and then I decided to try something new. C was doing something naughty-- screaming for the sake of screaming--when I calmly told her I needed her to listen to mommy, and to calm down. I warned her again, "Please calm down and listen to Mommy or else the Listening Fairy would come and take away your corks" (now this brings up another topic entirely--my 3 year old's continuing to use her corks...that's pacifiers to the general public) Anyway--a really cool thing happened with my latest threat--it worked!! She stopped screaming, apologized, and snapped back into angelic-three-year-old-mode. **sound the alleujah chorus**

Stay tuned....

Finally on vacation....well, sort of

Friday is a blur as I look back on it--packing, packing, refereeing fights, cleaning, packing. Then the drive--oh the drive. We decided to leave at the height of a Friday rush hour. Stop saying those things--we're not stupid!! Well, yeah, maybe we are. The Baltimore Beltway can be a pain in the ass on its best day--but 4:30 on a summer Friday? C'mon. We weren't even to I-70 when the kids starting asking for food. Which at that point was still 2 hours away. I was sitting in my assigned seat in the middle row of our van. Next to B, and in front of A & C. Directly behind Hubby. I really am not a fan of this as I have always been a firm believer in the "mom and dad up front/kids in the back" way of driving. Even coming home from the hospital I didn't sit w/ my babies. Well, with A I did, but it wasn't because I wanted to! However, this perch in our van allows me to be within reach of everyone and therefore I am able to be superwife & supermom for 3, or sometimes more, hours. When we finally reached our stopping point for dinner (a McDonalds playland--oh joy!) we were all hungry and rattled from close to 3 hours in the car. I can't imagine ever driving to, say, Florida with my family. Maybe if I'm in a separate car from them! Anyway--McDonalds was pretty much non-eventful, except for the crazy clean-up attendant on duty. As she saw my flip-flop wearing daughters run to the playzone she ran after them as if they were carrying weapons of mass destruction. Why?? Because they weren't allowed to go on the play equipment barefoot!! Oy... So basically she chased my kids, she was RUNNING, all because they MIGHT put their bare feet on the stinky festering filthy equipment. Ugh. Lucky us, McDonald's sells socks at the counter, $1 per set. And believe me, I want my kids to have a layer of something between them and the awful germ-pit, but seriously...running after the kids? Get over yourself lady. Once we got back on the road again things stayed remarkably sane. We arrived into town around 9:15 at which point I ordered Hubby to the all-night grocery liquor store for a few essentials. Wine, chocolate, Cheese bread, OJ. You know, the basics. I would love to tell you that the long day and long drive made my little angels go right to sleep--that would be a good end to this little tale, but alas--it was not meant to be. It took so long to get A & C to bed...kicking and screaming is putting it mildly. At least dear, sweet little B was doing the right thing!! By the time the girls settled down and I finished unpacking the kitchen items (of which there were many) and unpacking my clothing, Hubby was passed out cold on the bed and I was a zombie. It was well after midnight and I just wanted to crash. It was only a brief 5 hours until the fun would start all over again--but it was the first time, on night one of a vacation, that I have slept that long a stretch...I normally count on no meaningful sleep at all that night because I'm forever tossing and turning and clock-watching. By the 2nd night it gets better, and if there's a 3rd and more--I'm good. Sleeping that long, and that well, was a good thing. Given that the day/night were so horrendous and the following day ended up being, well, a day with lots of yelling to say the least, I decided to be pretty damned happy about that five-hour stretch of sleep. Let's see what the next day brings!

Assorted Ramblings of the Last Few Days

I have missed writing...this whole blog-thing has been sort of an experiment anyway...and over the weekend and early part of this week I've left it alone. I missed it!! I don't know why that's exciting either...just felt like it should be said.

The other night Hubby and I snuck away (thanks to Grandma & Pappy) for dinner...nothing special, but it was pure carbo-licious goody-goodness. Panera!!! When I die and go to heaven I would like to eat Asiago Cheese Bagels and Soup Bread Bowls for every meal. Anyway...the real point of this particular ramble is that we went to the mall AFTER dinner to exchange some earring backings that kept falling of. Hubby gave me some diamond studs for our tenth anniversary and I was finally getting around to getting the proper backings. (for those of you keeping score, our 11th anniversary was early this spring...) I summoned a saleswoman who was kind enough to stop me midsentence and say, "You are wearing your size sticker on your shirt." As in--right down my left boob. Great....just where I want to see a 6 inch long sticker with "L" going down it. Now, it's true that my shirt had a busy print to it--but it was easy enough for the kind jewelry woman to notice it!!! My husband hadn't noticed it, I hadn't noticed it, my inlaws hadn't noticed it, I think the Panera girl must've noticed it (in hindsight) because she seemed giggly. I had also spent a decent amount of time with a JCPenney salesclerk that evening....why didn't anyone say anything earlier??? Grrr....

B is sitting up--really well I might add--and it is hard to believe this is the same kid for whom I just contacted Infants and Toddlers. However--I did, happily--and they are coming out on September 1st. C is forever finding more ways to torment Hubby and me...it is so clear to me that she was just destined to be a middle child. Tonight she refused to go to bed, she just kept 'having to go to the baff-room." She finally fell asleep, snuggled up w/ about 6 blankets, a giant cucumber named Larry, and 4 corks. (Pacifiers for those not in the know) A is out at a ballgame with Hubby tonight~a daddy/daughter date. There was a rain delay before so I'm just crossing fingers they got to see a little baseball. A is really interested in the details of the game this year...it's pretty darn cute!

I am starting to get really, really nervous because its now been a week and I haven't heard anything from Sharon at People Magazine. I'm worried they have forgotten about us!! I am sure they haven't....I mean, they wouldn't have spent that much time and then just forgot, would they??? Too much stress! MIL mentioned today, correctly, that the death of a Kennedy (Eunice K. Shriver) is enough to bump us out of a magazine for a few weeks indeed. Ho hum. (my condolences to the Kennedy/Shriver clan, of course)

Nighty night all~Have a fabulous tomorrow!