The Best Compliment

Last weekend I received the best compliment ever. Or at least the best compliment I remember.

We had driven up to Boone for the day to see Josh's family, many of whom we hadn't seen for about a year and half or so. They had all flown or driven to NC for the holiday and had extended their stay so that we could visit them on our first day off.

Josh's grandfather, Robert, is a sweet guy. He's older. I mean, he's a great grandpa after all. And interestingly he can do a perfect impersonation of Donald Duck.

But Josh's grandfather comes up to me, hugs me, and tells me that I just keep getting prettier. Maybe it was because I wasn't feeling particularly pretty. I mean, who does after an hour and half car ride with 2 babies? And after two years of pregnancies and losing weight and gaining weight and not even feeling like I'm living in MY body, there aren't a lot of random compliments out there. So any compliment I get these days feels kinda special.

But something about just struck me as so super sweet. And he may well have greeted all of the females in the family that he hadn't seen in awhile that way. I dunno. Either way. Something about it just made me grin. And even now, days later, I appreciate it.

Once you have kids you get used to not being the one people compliment. Not that you don't necessarily look good. But little people are so much cuter! So sometimes its a rare kind word that just really makes your day. So really, best compliment. Ever.

:-)

The Season for Giving

I have always loved Christmas. I loved all of my family's little traditions and holiday festivities. I looked forward to the holiday, not just for the presents, but for the time spent with family and being together. And of course the fabulous food!

Now that I have kids, I look forward to Christmas even more. I remember how excited my mom was about Christmas and I totally get it now. Picking out gifts for the kids and wrapping them and waiting a month (or two in my case!) for them to open them. Getting to see their excitement and wonder. It is just so much fun!

I was so excited about Christmas and so worried that I would be overwhelmed with other things that I did pretty much all of my Christmas shopping early. That worked out pretty well because there's no way that I could have time and brain power to do all that now.

Now that Elly is really, REALLY crawling I am ready to pull my hair out. She is into everything. I'm not sure what the difference is for her mentally between her scooting around on her butt and getting into stuff and crawling across the floor to get into stuff. But either way, when she was scooting around the living room she would get out toys that she found but she wasn't getting into much. Now it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep up with her. She's crawling down the hall and following me around the house. She's trying to climb the Christmas tree, pulling out all of my baking pans and tupperware, rearranging the kitchen furniture, dragging bath towels into the living room, pinning Evie down to steal HER toys...it's insane.

I'm loving her mobility. Not so much her new found love for destruction and danger. I guess she tries to make up for it by crawling into my lap and laying her head on my knee. That just melts my heart! It's too precious.

Either way, I'm really glad that I did all the Christmas shopping last month. I am, however, having a REALLY hard time not buying them four or five more things. I am getting ONE more thing for each of them. Because I had never really found anything that I was just in love with giving them from Santa. But now I have. So one more purchase. And of course stocking stuffers. But I've already got a decent list made for those so I'm not worried.

But I absolutely love giving gifts. If I were rich I would buy extravagant things for everyone I know. Since I'm not rich, I'm having a hard time not spoiling my kids rotten and ruining our finances. It's so hard! Especially since Evie is old enough to want things and enjoy getting stuff without being so old that she's asking for 14000 things and driving me insane about it.

When I was growing up we always got one thing from Santa and our stockings. The stockings were gifts to keep us busy until my parents got up and the present was usually one medium sized or priced item that we had really wanted. The biggest and best gifts always came from my parents. So I never had this expectation that Santa was this magical person who got me extravagant gifts just because I asked for them. He was magical, sure. And he got me cool presents, sure. But I recognized that my parents BOUGHT me the really cool stuff with money they had worked hard to earn. I really like that idea. So that's what I plan to continue on with my children.

So Evie has figured out the one thing that she NEEDS from Santa. It's so precious. We saw a commercial for the princess dolls last night and she comes up and climbs in my lap.

"Momma, Evie NEED princess. Sissy need too!"

"Well, baby, maybe you should ask for one from Santa."

"Yes, yes Momma. Need princess."

She has since specified that the Rapunzel doll is her favorite. And that Sissy wants Snow White. Though in all honesty, I like the Belle one better so it just depends on what's available. Because now that my sweet daughter has decided that she and her little sister NEED this doll, of course they're all sold out. *sigh*

So now I will spend my time stalking the Disney website. Yep. I'm one of THOSE parents now. haha.

But I'm so excited for Christmas. Even if my kids are trying to pull all my ornaments off my tree and chew on the packages. Ah well! Tis the season, right?

Stationery card

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sitting here thinking, I'm trying to come up with something astounding and philosophical and beautiful to write. Something to really express the depth of gratitude and how overwhelmingly humbled I am by the multitude of things I have to be thankful for.

My two beautiful healthy little girls. Who both astound me on a daily basis. Each of them grows and changes so much. They're such wonderful and special little people. I am just amazed that I helped make them. That they're MY children. That I am THEIR mother. It's just mind blowing at times.

My job. Which I am so fortunate to have in these tough economic times. And even more fortunate that is a job that I absolutely love and which allows me to help others and give back to the community.

My house. Which isn't the biggest, newest or nicest. It's got a lot of "quirks" and "personality." But we've put a lot of time and work into it and made it our home. It keeps us warm and dry in the winter and cool in the summer. It's where my babies are growing up and becoming little girls.

My family. My friends. Who support me and love me, regardless of my flaws and faults. They laugh with me, cry with me. Listen when I need it. Give advice and condolences and help.

My husband. Who tolerates all of my quirks and my personality. Helps me out with the house and works as hard as he can to provide for us.

My co-workers. My health. My food and my clothes and my everything. I am just so blessed! And so thankful!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Why I loved Breaking Dawn

I was a late comer to the Twilight craziness. Not as late as some people. I did catch on before the first movie came out. But only after I made fun of other people for being so excited about some dumb vampire movie. Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against vampires. Especially not when they're played by really hot British actors. But from what I had heard about the Twilight books they were just mushy teenage love drama. Nothing really worth reading.


Sometime before the first movie came out, but after it had a release date, my mom told me that the books were actually pretty good. Somehow or other she convinced me to give them a try. And I was hooked. Granted a lot of the book is mushy teenage drama. But it's well written. And hey, I'm not so old that I don't appreciate a cute love story.

I ended up buying all four books because I couldn't wait for the library to get them all in. I went to see Twilight in theaters and was thrilled.

I love the books. I have read them all several times and of course own all the movies that are already released. The movies are great adaptations from the books.

So why am I a Twilight fan?

Well, the story is cute and compelling. No really! The main character is a teenager who doesn't really fit in and doesn't really belong anywhere. I think all teenagers face that quandary at some point. It is after all the teenage struggle. Who am I and where do I belong? It's what you spend those tumultuous years between 15 and 18 figuring out. And in the midst of the sexy vampires and drool-worthy werewolves...that's what Twilight is really about. Bella figuring out who she is and where she belongs.

There is also a really precious love story. It's completely beyond belief of course. But it's nice to lose yourself in the fiction and laugh and cry with the characters.


And although I love all four books and all the movies (so far), Breaking Dawn is definitely my favorite. In Breaking Dawn, Bella and Edward get married. And Bella has a baby. She grows up and goes through a lot of grown up things all at once.

As a mother, I loved watching Bella evolve as she finds out that she's pregnant and fights against all of her family and even her beloved Edward to have her baby. I know how it feels to have your priorities just CHANGE. From seeing a plus sign on a stick to holding that baby for the very first time. As a mom, you do a lot of emotional growing up while your belly does all that growing out. Feeling that little person move and kick. Hearing their heart beat. Knowing even before they have taken a single breath that you would give your life in an instant for them. It's a tumultuous period for a woman.

I felt like the directors and producers did a great job transitioning the written word onto the screen. When a story is told first-person like the Twilight Saga, it is a challenge to make some of the most powerful sections of the book into something visual for the screen. Especially without devolving into a lot of monologue. It also takes some pretty decent acting. Breaking Dawn was just really well done!

The wedding was gorgeous. Renesmee looked exactly how I wanted her to look. The honeymoon was adorable. The pregnancy was horrific and touching. I simply loved it!

And now of course, we have to wait a whole YEAR for the next one. Grr...

What. A. Day.

Yesterday was an awful day.

Honestly. Like God awful. Terrible. It was such a crazy busy day at work that I spent the day feeling like I was drowning in calls. I was so exhausted when I got home.

I was really hoping that today would be better but no such luck.

I am in dire need of a hug.

And a cookie.

And a glass of wine.

Wait. Make that two glasses of wine.

The holidays bring out the worst in people. Just ask anyone in the emergency services or health care field. I'm sure hospitals experience the same amount of craziness that we do. It's crazy! So tomorrow is going to be so much worse.

I am planning on posting tomorrow, but if things are bad then this may be the last you hear from me. Well, until after the holiday.

I will be working tomorrow. Then our Thanksgiving will be on Friday. Then on Saturday my little family is driving to Boone to spend some time with my husband's family. We will be coming back Saturday night. But then we'll spend all day Sunday recuperating and it'll be back to work Monday! 

Everyone be safe this weekend! Try to be nice on Friday!

Naughty Things You Can Only Say On Thanksgiving...

1. Talk about a huge breast!

2. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.   

3. It's Cool Whip time!

4. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst!

5. That's one terrific spread!

6. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat.

7. Are you ready for seconds yet?

8. Its a little dry, do you still want to eat it?

9. Just wait your turn, you'll get some!

10. Don't play with your meat.

11. Just spread the legs open & stuff it in.

12. Do you think you'll be able to handle all these people at once?

13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once!

14. You still have a little bit on your chin.

15. How long will it take after you stick it in?

16. You'll know it's ready when it pops up.

Happy Thanksgiving to all...

Maintaining Mommy Friends

Since having my second child I have found that having any life beyond them seems to be pretty darn impossible. Maybe it's just me. I'm kinda slack when it comes to going out of my way to make friends anyways. People that I used to hang out with have stopped calling and texting and coming around in general. I guess I'm just no fun anymore.

And it's true. I mean, if you're not into play-doh and crayons and Dora the Explorer...I don't really know that I could even carry on much of a conversation with you. I mean...what the heck could we talk about??

And while time is much tighter than it was before the babies, I suppose I could work harder to do more "grown-up" activities. But the truth is I don't want to. Whereas before spending a weekend sitting around the house would have been depressing, now I look forward to it. I love the weekends that we don't have to do anything. We can have tea parties and play dress up and color and run around and the only time constraints we have are meals, naps and bed. I love those weekends!

It's hard to have friends once you're a mom. Your priorities change so dramatically. And all you want to talk about it diaper rashes and tantrums and your toddler's hilarious way of saying "zebra" (which by the way is like "ze-ba-bah-rah" it's adorable) and your non-mommy friends want to talk about...well you know, normal people stuff. Like work and school and drama with their fiance and how their parents are driving them crazy.

And while there is a really good argument out there on maintaining pre-mom friendships and staying well-rounded and not losing your identity in parenthood, I think there is a better argument for what happens when parents don't prioritize and when kids get forgotten. I know too many people who have kids and just keep on doing like they did. They keep going out and partying. They continue to lead wild lives. And they just let the T.V and the babysitter raise their children. And I don't want to be that kind of parent.

Being a parent is who you need to become.

There is nothing wrong with going out every once in awhile. Date nights are a must and some alone time needs to be a priority because if you can't take care of yourself then you'll have a hard time taking care of everyone else. This last one is the hardest for me to do. I just cannot let chores go undone or let a mess lie. I have to have order in my life or I will totally lose it. So I really need to find a way to make more time for ME. Even if it's just to go to bed a little earlier or take a bubble bath or something.

While I don't really have many of my pre-mom friends left, I have made new friends since becoming a mom, or to be more specific since becoming a baby buncher. When you're going through two under two, you really need to talk to people who can relate. Because a lot of people who have two kids that are several years apart just don't understand the chaos and the stress. Some people can sympathize but most people just don't get it. And for the first six months especially, you need "been there done that" help. So, I made friends with a couple of baby bunchers and they have been total life savers.

It's hard to realize that you never get to talk to those old friends anymore. It's a little sad. Heck, it's a lotta sad. Kinda bittersweet to think back on all the memories you shared with those friends and wonder if they ever miss you. Wonder if they understand why you're not interested in happy hours or late night drinking parties or big concerts in the middle of the week. Maybe one day they'll have kids and they'll call me up screaming "I understand! I understand!" lol. Or maybe not.

Nowadays I look forward to Saturday morning Walmart trips with Evie. And Sunday afternoons doing yard work with the girls. I look forward to Friday night movie night, snuggled up with the babies and watching animated classics (last week was Pocahontas and this week will be Happy Feet!) while munching on Orville Reddenbacher. I relish in teaching the girls holiday traditions and trying to get them ready for preschool.

In a few years the girls will be going to school and they will have their own friends and then there will be more time for me to do things. Things that I don't have time for right now. Like you know, shave my legs. haha.

A Brief Ramble

I don't really know what I want to write about today. Is it okay if I just sit here and ramble for a bit?

Well, I don't guess I will know what you said. If you don't want to listen to me ramble then please. stop reading. Otherwise, that's probably all you're going to get!

So I am totally spazzing out about everything that I need to get done in the next 48 hours. And to make it all the better, I will spend 16 hours of that working. And I'd like to spend at least 16 of it sleeping (though who am I kidding really?) so when you take 32 hours out of that 48...and factor in the time that I will be spending feeding, bathing, clothing and generally caring for my little people...yeah...not a lot of hours left there.

I've got to go to the grocery store and get something for the spaghetti lunch we're cooking at work. Plus some eggs. I need to make deviled eggs. Bake 2 pumpkin pies. Finish thawing my turkey and de-giblet it. Super clean my house. Oh. Em. Gee. I guess I can just cross sleeping off the list of "to do" and maybe I need to add a bottle of wine to the grocery list. Cause I might just need it!

To make being stressed so much more enjoyable, when I get stressed I am pretty much incapable of eating. My stomach totally rejects food. Even the idea of eating makes me feel like I could be sick. So I'm sitting here feeling my blood sugar plummet. Wishing I could come up with something that sounded edible. While simultaneously feeling like I never want to eat again. And thinking about pulling the icky bits out of a clammy 20 lb turkey tomorrow. Gag.

Yeah. Not good.

And although I got the girls' Christmas pics done this morning I don't feel good about THAT. The photographer did a great job but the girls just wouldn't smile at the same time. And their attention spans are pretty limited. So there is a small window of time that you can spend trying to get them to smile for the camera before you lose their focus and they're having a total meltdown.

So I'm anxious to see if any of them turned out decent. Anxious about what to do if they didn't. Aggravated that it didn't go as well as I had hoped. Frustrated by my ridiculously high standards that seem to leave me increasingly disappointed. And bummed by the fact that the only person I have to rant to...is my blog. Hah!

Well, I've rambled until I've thought of something I can eat. And I've thought of a blog idea! Yay for me.

Tis the Season

The tree is officially up and Christmas season 2011 is under way. Putting the tree up was kind of a nightmare. Just to be honest. Evie spent most of it crying because her Dada kept yelling at her to stop touching everything. Elly was pretty content just to watch us and wrestle a gift bag.

Either way. The tree is up.

I'm loving it! Evie is driving me a little crazy with all the messing with the tree. And pulling decorations off. And rearranging presents. And more messing. Oh my gosh. It's crazy obnoxious. But it's all about the spirit. You know that so special holiday spirit. It's all about family. Especially the kids. Yeah she's driving me nuts. But she's so excited about Christmas and presents and Santa. I told her it was a birthday party for Jesus. And she asked if we were going to blow out candles. We don't typically...but I've heard of people having a cake and candles for Christmas. Evie might be one of those people!

Have I mentioned that Evie is driving me a bit crazy? Yeah. Okay. Just wanted to make sure you got that.

In other news, Breaking Dawn was awesome. Really awesome. Made me sniffle a few times. And laugh out loud a few. All in all really enjoyed it.

Also, still madly in love with my phone! So totally in love! Hehe. I'm actually writing and posting this blog on my phone. How neat huh?

"One of the many comforts of having children is knowing that one's youth has not fled but merely passed on to the next generation."- American Horror Story

Second Guessing

Parenting is hard. Several people have told me that it is the hardest, most frustrating, yet most rewarding job you can ever have. Two years into it, I would have to agree. A little over a year into the terrible twos, I'm wondering how on Earth I will survive the threes and oh my gosh, there's going to be two of them in their twos!

I don't know if all parents do this. But I'm always second guessing and worrying and wondering. Did I make the right decision to punish Evie for this? Should I have reacted differently?

I worry about Evie turning into a total brat. Or a hellion. Or a totally dysfunctional member of society.

Is that a normal parent thing?

Is second guessing worse than just making the mistake in the first place?

Am I over analyzing this whole parenting thing?

Shoo. The last is probably a resounding yes. Because I pretty much over analyze...well, everything. But it's a pretty ingrained personality flaw. And it's not gotten me killed yet. Probably too late to change it anyways.

But the terrible two's are just that. They are so terrible. There is this speckling of sweet moments. When she climbs up into my lap at the kitchen table and hugs my neck and says "Love you Momma!" that makes me smile. Or when she's yammering away about her nice clean tennis shoes and insists I call her ma so she can say "Tank you Ma! Tanks!" But as bright and wonderful as those moments are they are so overwhelmed by the days of tantrums. The days that start off with her standing in the kitchen screaming because she has to eat something for breakfast and are followed by tantrums over not getting to watch more t.v. and tantrums over having to share her toys and tantrums when she has to go potty. There just aren't words for how awful those days are. Those are the days that I thank God I have a full-time job and get to deposit her with someone else for at least a few hours a few days a week.

And everyone tells me that the three's are soooo much worse. I just can't imagine. Especially since, if you'll remember, I will have a three year old and a two year old. And then even after Evie is out of her "three's" and hopefully not such a pain, Elly will still be in her's. God help me. It's going to be a couple of hard years. Three years of tantrums and potty training and more tantrums and oh-my-gosh.

On top of all this, right after I finish yelling at Evie for her terrible attitude and sending her to time-out AGAIN, I see a commercial on television about how the first five years are the most formative and how the type of person your child will grow to be is established during those first few years. Holy crap. What kind of heathen am I unleashing on the world?

So yeah, these years are hard. I snuggle up to Elly, who is in that awesome oh-so-sweet and fun baby phase and I think how much different she'll be six months from now. She'll be walking and talking and able to feed herself. She'll have an opinion and be able to express it some. And then she'll become a two-year-old and I will sit and wonder where my sweet baby went as she throws yet another fit.

How does anyone survive it?

Seems like it comes and goes. We have better weeks and worse weeks. Though it seems to correlate more with what's going on with Evie developmentally versus what's going on with our household. Like this week she's tackling going potty solo...so we've had a lot of fits and fighting and rebelling.

And what will we do when there are two of them? Throwing themselves in the floor and screaming and flailing.

I just keep reminding myself "This too shall pass" and praying that I'm not like seriously messing up my kids.

Busy week

Sorry I've been absent this week. It has been a busy week! I promise to write something good tomorrow. Maybe even a couple of good blogs. I've been mulling over a couple of ideas. Plus excitement in the holiday front! Hehe. Just finished my book today. Finally read Inheritance. The final book in the Eragon series which took forever to be published.

Elly is still cutting teeth. It's miserable and means she wakes up screaming through the night. Which means that I'm not sleeping much.

Evie has started taking herself to potty like a big girl. As Evie says "Mommy proud!" cause I really am! It's amazing watching this baby turn into a little person. She's so independent! Of course she's still using her little plastic potty. But no biggie. She is such a tiny person that I don't see her being tall enough to even use a stool to get onto the big potty comfortably for a while.

Well I'm going to put these babies to bed and take a shower. I'd love to take a nice long bubble bath and sip a glass of wine. And ya know. Relax. But there's no time!

If I can get these girls in the bed early enough maybe...just maybe.

*sigh*

Yeah. Right! Lol.

It's here!

My iPhone 4S arrived today! It wasn't originally scheduled to ship until today and therefore wouldn't arrive here until next week. So I'm even happier.

I've gotten all the necessary programs on it. Now I'm just playing around it and seeing what else I want. Since I've been at work all day I haven't gotten to play around with Siri much but I'm looking forward to that as well.

Mean while, I am super glad it's Friday.

It's been a pretty good week. A rough start but had a phenomenal day Thursday and a spectacular Friday. So that makes it all okay. Don't know what I'll be doing this weekend. As of right now I have no plans.

I think I will be doing some Christmas decorating though. I know. It's very early. But I'm very excited. And since my family isn't have Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day but instead on Black Friday, I've decided I want the house fully decked out for Christmas by then. And of course I will be working all that week. So the decorating is going to be this weekend and next, when all four of us are home and together.

And of course there is always the MOUND of laundry to do. Plus I'm so incredibly behind on my DVR. Like 2 or 3 weeks on some of my shows! It's a tragedy. It really is.

So, Happy Veterans Day! Hope everyone has an awesome weekend! I'm going to resume playing with my phone. lol.

Cooking for the Masses

I love to cook.

I don't really know when I developed this affinity for the kitchen. But the appreciation has really blossomed since having kids. And my favorite cooking appliance, without a doubt, is the crock pot.

I must get it from my great grandmother, Ma Mary. I need to devote an entire blog to that special woman. Maybe tomorrow. But for now, suffice it to say, she loved to feed the masses.

Something about feeding other people just tickles me. I love it. It's why I prefer to do Thanksgiving at my house. And it's why I brought a crock pot full of lasagna to work today.

It's a new recipe that I sort of developed from a Betty Crocker recipe. It's delicious or I think so.

Today, my mother and my toddler, two of my coworkers and myself, and then two paramedics who were just lucky enough to be stationed here today ate some of my lasagna. They all swear to have loved it. I didn't watch to see if anyone was raking food off into the trash can. But a couple requested the recipe. So maybe that's a good sign?

My mom even texted me to say it was good!

It makes me proud and makes me feel good that someone else enjoyed something I created. Especially since the recipe is kind of my own. So, anyways, I was just sitting here thinking how proud Ma Mary would be of me. And how I wish that I had cared more about domestic things when she was alive because she could have taught me so much!

*sigh*

Enjoy the full moon!

By the way, if you are interested in the recipe I will be happy to share!

My Public Service Message

If you or your family ever need help, the first thing you would do would be to call 911, right? Fire, heart attack, break-in, you will pick up the phone and call for help. And that's the right thing to do. We teach our kids at a young age how to call 911.

But do you know what to tell 911 when you call?

What is the single most important piece of information to give that voice on the other end of the line?

Really think about it. But be honest. Because in a true emergency you wouldn't have minutes to sit and think. You're going to be going on instinct and adrenaline.

So what is it? You hear the dispatcher answer the phone. What do you say?

For many, the first thing you will tell the dispatcher is what is going on.

"I've been shot."

"My baby's not breathing."

"My dad is having a heart attack."

"Someone is breaking in."

"The chimney is on fire."

You're panicked and you need help. So you tell them what you need first. But if the phone dies. If your cell phone drops the call. If someone rams a telephone pole down the road and knocks out service for miles. What kind of help would you get?

If you were calling from a cell phone, maybe none. If you were calling from a land line and something was entered incorrectly, you might still not get help. Because with that brief sentence you told the dispatcher what was going on. But you failed to give them the most important piece of information.

Scary to think about. Especially in the examples I gave. In each of those, minutes really count. REALLY count.

So, what should be the first thing you tell 911?

Your location.

Few people know it. A lot of the times when people call, they give a five minute spill on what's going on. Who is fighting with who. Their dad's medical history. How bad it hurts when they breathe. If they're calling from a land line, the phone does pull up the address for us. But so many people have cell phones nowadays, and no matter how hard we try, the system cannot do more than the cell phone will let it. Between bad cell phones and in and out cell service, cell phones don't always map right on top of where you are. Though usually it gets us close enough that we could find you. And disposable cell phones don't even let us call them back.

Don't lose faith in us, your cell phone, or the system. There are dozens of people who have been charged for making false 911 calls who will attest to the fact that GPS on cells work. However, don't leave your life and the lives of your family in the hands of some hunk of plastic.

Know your address. Teach your children their address. When you travel, keep up with where you are.

And remember, when you need help, the most important thing to tell 911 is where you are. If we have that, we can send EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement so you'll be covered no matter what you need.

And if you need a phone number, please don't call 911. That would be 411. You don't know how many people can't keep that one straight.

Selfish Behavior

I absolutely hate selfishness. I think it may be the personality trait that I despise the most. Though laziness is right there with it. But selfishness above all else seems to be one of the most destructive traits because with it come so many other negative ones. Selfishness leads to so many harmful decisions or can be the motivating factor behind so many bad choices.

I am not immune to the occasional selfish decision. But I try very hard to put others needs before me own, perhaps to the point of it being a flaw at times. But of course I'm as human as the next person.

Some people seem to revel in selfishness. It seems to permeate from their pores like a bad perfume. All their decisions, despite any argument, seem to be made with only their own desires in mind.

Like this craziness with the Duggars. What. The. Hell.

I totally respect anyone else's religious belief that birth control is against the Bible and whatever else. I think that some chapters of the Bible pertained more to ways of life back in the day, ya know, in the B.C. days and aren't really expected to be obeyed to the letter now. But you're entitled to glean whatever wisdom you wish and live however you choose. I just don't remember reading anything in the Bible telling us that not going at it like rabbits to make a baby every couple of years is a sin. Did I miss that chapter? Was that the 11th Commandment that the Baptists cut out? Thou shalt copulate with your spouse daily. Yeah, I missed that one completely. My poor husband.

Beyond the serious destruction that her body has to have suffered, and her psyche from dealing with 19 pregnancies, how can she possibly even remember their names? What is Michelle thinking? That must be the longest list ever when she gets mad. As often as I call Elly by her sister's name and vice versa. Those poor kids must be perpetually confused. Granted, from the couple of episodes I've seen of 19 Kids and Counting, Michelle Duggar isn't really doing a lot of the child rearing. Not of the last 10 or 15 kids anyways. They're all being raised by the older ones. Which, by the way, sucks for those kids. Because they're spending their childhoods taking care of their younger siblings. Where's the freedom? Where's the fun? Oh wait, that's right. In the Duggar's world, kids aren't supposed to be kids. Just tally marks on the ole bed post.

This whole thing is not just insane to me, but selfish.

First off, from a global point-of-view. There are 7 billion people on the planet now. SEVEN BILLION. Can you just stop and think about that? Back when God told them to go forth and multiply, I'm not sure he meant it to this extent. The human race cannot sustain itself. People like the Duggars make me think that China's one child policy isn't the worst idea a government ever had. One child seems a little severe as far as the world goes. But a two child policy doesn't seem unreasonable. The Duggars should be arrested and sterilized for producing 20 children.

Second, Michelle Duggar was told before her last pregnancy that she needed to stop. That her body couldn't handle more. She's 45 after all. It's a wonder she can still get pregnant at all. Let alone that her uterus can sustain a pregnancy. I've done two babies in two years. It is HARD. Physically it takes a lot from your body. I'm just now starting to feel like my pre-pregnancy self. And my body will never be the same as it was before I got pregnant with Evie. If she dies during this pregnancy she will be leaving 20 children without a mother. Sure those kids wouldn't be seeing a whole lot of her anyways, but why deprive the four or five younger ones that actually need some semblance of their mother in their lives?

Another risk is to the baby itself. The chances of birth defects increase dramatically after age 35. Again after age 40. Not to mention the risk of miscarriage. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a pregnancy. Why chose to do that to yourself?

And shame on TLC for making it not just okay, but entertainment! Ugh. And that crazy Joe Bob is happy! Ecstatic. He loved telling the kids they were going to have another brother or sister.

Insanity at it's finest. Poor kids. Only time will tell how messed up the little ones turn out to be because of this non-sense. Granted, Michelle Duggar has taken baby bunching to a level that I don't think anyone should ever attain. I personally am going to just let her have her world records.

If you want to read a funny blog about this here it is: The Superficial

Hope you guys have had a good Tuesday!

Five Reasons Why I Hate the Time Change

Without a doubt I absolutely hate the time changes. Both of them. Neither serves me any benefit whatsoever and they cause a lot of unnecessary drama and stress in my life.

You may think that hate is a rather strong word for something as inanimate as a time change. But nonetheless, hate it I do. Here's the top 5 reasons why:

1. The time change completely screws up my world for at least a week. Sometimes two. Evie and I are both morning people. We get out of bed early (by most standards) for no real reason. We have no where to be and nothing to do. We also both wake, unassisted by alarms or anything of the sort, at approximately the same time each morning. I could probably sleep a little later but the patter of Evie's feet into my room at about 7:30 each day is my wake up call. And I'm usually up around then even if she's still snoozing. I admit that there are days that I am a bit on the grumpy side until I've had at least a sip of coffee, but by and large I'm an a.m. sorta gal. Our body clocks firmly get us up by 8 a.m.This internal clock is incredibly hard to reset and in Evie's case, she can't read a clock. Me telling her to go back to bed for another hour makes her cry. Simultaneously, her entering my room whispering "Mommy...Mommy" at a quarter after 6 makes ME cry. It's not a fun week!

2. I can never remember how to set the clock in my car. This also creates a confusing couple of weeks. I get into my car to go to work and have a "HOLY CRAP!" moment because I think it's time for me to be at work. I hate trying to remember how to change my car clock. It involves turning off the radio and holding down buttons. It's certainly not something I should be doing while driving. And I don't really spend a lot of time in my car that I'm not driving. Honestly, many years I just let it go until spring. lol

3. I cannot fathom the reason for the time change. Yeah, I understand why the whole time change thing was initiated. I totally get daylight savings time and extending business hours and blah blah. But in this day and age, why do we need to change the clocks back? It's dark when I get up in the morning and dark when I go to bed at night. It's winter. The days are supposed to be short! And between the internet and 24/7 Walmart, does a change in the time really affect commerce? And if there's no really good reason to do it, then why are we??

4. I hate cleaning up puddles. Especially special doggie type puddles. Apparently Mushu's internal clock is as well set as Evie's. He goes to bed early, refuses to get up and go out and then I hear his little toe nails, ticking off down the hall at 6:30 a.m. This means when I get up I get to find his mess and clean it. Joy!

5. It's a pain. Is there any better reason to hate it? It ruins my mornings. Makes me exhausted. Causes my children unnecessary drama and turmoil. Ruins my carpet. Causes me to have small aneurysms trying to remember how to reprogram all of my clocks. It's like that old joke about no one being able to figure out how to program the clock on a VCR...that's me. With all my devices. Not to mention I have a hard time working out the logistics of what the time change is going to mean the next day in reference to naps and meals and stuff. I don't know why. I just need a wrinkle in my brain that I'm missing. I'm lucky that my cell phone updates on it's own. I would probably never figure it out and would spend several days very late and early and confused.

Ugh. I hate the time change!

Sunday Football

I just want to say that I hate the New England Patriots. Watching my Colts get their tails whipped week after week only makes my animosity for the Patriots that much greater. And more violent. I just want the Giants to smash Tom Brady's face. *sigh*

I miss Peyton!

This has been a really depressing football season.

In other news, my car is now super super clean. Spent a couple of hours this morning washing and dusting and vacuuming. Enjoyed a great birthday lunch with my mom, step-dad, lil brother and grandparents today. Evie is still afraid of my grandpa, but actually ate a little bit of lunch. She loved helping her Ma blow out birthday candles and then savored some cake.

Now Josh is off to work for the night and I'm left to deal with the babies versus time change scenario on my own. I'm confident that I can deal with it but it's nights like these that I really, really wish Josh and I shared a more similar schedule. Evie has a pretty strong internal clock and hates change. So she is pretty difficult. And tending both girls goes so much smoother when there is an equal ratio of parents to twiblings.

Ah well, back to cheering for the Giants. At least one of the Manning boys is playing! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Maybe some one out there even enjoyed that extra hour of sleep last night?

Living with a Hemangioma

This is a strawberry hemangioma. And yes, that is the side of my sweet baby's face.

Miss Elly was born with this. Well, actually she wasn't. It didn't show up until she was a week old. But technically it was there when she was born. Hemangiomas are like benign tumors. It's a collection of blood vessels that grows incorrectly close under the skin. They show up in the days or weeks following a child's birth and grow for the first year. After the first year, hemangiomas shrink, usually fading completely by the child's fifth birthday.

Hemangiomas are more common in girls. And they're apparently hereditary, since both of my girls have one. Evie's was in her diaper area and luckily never got bigger than a pencil eraser. Still, we visited a plastic surgeon at Baptist hospital several times to keep an eye on it. Hemangiomas can appear any where on the body. They can also grow to be massive and cause lots of problems with a baby's development. Typically if a hemangioma is going to cause a child any problems, it will be removed. Either by laser or cut off.

The doctors were initially concerned with Evie's hemangioma because of the potential for irritation and infection. But by her first birthday, hers had already disappeared. Elly's caused a completely different set of worries. Because of its proximity to her eye, the doctor was worried that it's growth would interfere with her eye lid's function, her vision and therefore her development. A young child has only a very limited number of ways to take in the world and learn. Interference with vision, a major sense, could cause some very serious delays and problems for Elly.

Queue lots of worrying and stressing and praying on part of her mom.

The doctor didn't want to do anything unless it was necessary, though I was initially for lasering that bad boy off before it could cause problems. I didn't want my poor little girl dealing with this big ugly growth for half a decade. I wanted it gone! But the doctor wanted to wait til she was older. Unless it started causing any problems. In the meantime, he just wanted to wait and see. Then we could possibly look at putting her on some medication to limit its growth. Or even do some laser treatments and remove it.

At six months old the doctor started talking about laser treatments and I actually thought about what all would really be entailed in doing laser treatments. Elly would have to be put under general anesthesia, she certainly couldn't be expected to just hold still while they performed the procedure. And since she was being put under, they'd have to put her on a cardiac monitor, IVs, and might even have to intubate her. Now, a cardiac monitor isn't really that scary for an adult. Nor is an IV. Not even with my fear of needles. But this is a six month old baby. Imagining my daughter surrounded by tubes and wires scared the crap out of me! So I asked, since the hemangioma hadn't grown much, if we could wait a couple more months and see what was happening before we booked an OR. The doctor agreed. And we set up an appointment for when Elly was 8 months old.

Fortunately, at the 8 month appointment, Elly's hemangioma was starting to fade. The outer edges were nearly gone, only the dark patch by her eye remains. The plastic surgeon feels like it has grown all it will and it should continue to fade and disappear in the coming months and years.

Initially I had a lot of concerns about the aesthetic issues with Elly's hemangioma. After we decided it wasn't really interfering with her vision or development, which was my main concern. I worried about people thinking something was wrong with her. And lots of people ask if she fell down or scratched herself. I try not to. But I worry about if it hasn't faded by the time school starts, what the other kids will say to her or about her.

Kids can be so mean. I don't want Elly to start out life with a disadvantage. So I hope and pray that it is gone before then. And I know they'll notice it. Even Evie regularly points it out and asks about Sissy's booboo. And she's only two.

Despite my concerns about the presence of the hemangioma affecting Elly's future, I'm still not willing to put her through a potentially serious surgery and all the pain and problems associated with it for an aesthetic procedure. So we will wait and see. And of course pray it's gone. And thank God that it isn't causing any problems.

"My momma mapped out the road that she knows, which hands to shake, which ones to hold. In my hand-me-down Mercury, ready to roll, she knew that I had to go and hang out, make lots of noise, and lay out, lay with a boy. Make the mistakes that she made 'cause she knew all along, I was already gone." - Sugarland, Already Gone

"I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited, but I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it. I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded that for me it isn't over yet. Nevermind, I'll find someone like you. I wish nothing but the best for you. Don't forget me I beg, I remember you saying, sometimes it lasts in love and sometimes it hurts instead." - Adele, Someone Like You


"Make me your radio, and turn me up when you feel low. This melody is meant for you, so sing along with the stereo." - Gym Class Heroes, Stereo Hearts

"And if by chance this brings you cheer, maybe one day you'll bring me a beer. Or not to mention my favorite drink, a margadaquiriscrewalottaonthebeach...So here's to cheap whiskey, and fine wine. Buying shots and pick up lines...Hey hey hey, what's so wrong with one more drinkin' song? Hold up your cups and sing along. To one more drinkin' song." - Jerrod Niemann, One More Drinkin' Song

The Road to 911

People who knew me back when are a little surprised at the career I ended up in. Not because they can't see me doing it but because it is such a long ways from where I wanted to be.

When I was in high school I really had no clue what I wanted to be. Growing up I always thought I'd be a veterinarian. I guess most animal lovers grow up thinking that's where they'll be. I was a little daunted by the lengthy time to spend in school. But I thought I could handle it. My junior year in high school I took a general veterinary medicine class, one that vet assistants take, at my local community college. You watch a couple of general surgeries, learn how to give vaccinations, trim nails, take a temperature, etc. It was a great class but during the semester our family dog, Lucy, passed away. Now we had several dogs, we always have. But Lucy was special. She was my mom's Jack Russell Terrier and she was so smart and so sweet and so much more than a pet. When she died my mom was devastated and my entire family was pretty shaken up. As much as I wanted to be able to help animals, I didn't think I could possibly handle telling a family that their beloved dog had passed away. I couldn't deal with it. So I abandoned that career path.

Without any idea of what I wanted to do I took a bunch of goofy career tests and skill placement surveys and things. I really had no idea what to do post high school. I felt like since I was a "smart kid," AP classes and high SAT scores, I had to go off to a four year university but didn't know where or what for.

My mom worked at the local paper as an editor and my senior year they had no high school interns. She convinced me to be their intern and do write some profiles of students for the paper. And I was good at it! Not just that but I liked it. I had long enjoyed chasing ambulances and being "in the know" about all the county goings-ons. And I absolutely loved writing.

I thought journalism would be the place for me. I didn't really want to get a journalism degree so much as an English degree with a focus in journalism. My favorite types of stories during my internship, and the part-time job that followed, were the "fluff" stories. Meeting a little old man who bred unique flowers and doing a story. Learning the in-depth parts of local dairy farming and its future. Writing a feature on a kid who worked to give back to the community. I loved getting out and meeting people and learning about them and sharing their story. LOVED it.

So off to college I went! I went to UNC-Greensboro for two years, which I enjoyed but Greensboro wasn't the place for me. Boone was more my style, laid back and small town. Plus my boyfriend at the time was a student at Appalachian. So I transferred. Of course, the boyfriend and I broke up the month before school started but I was still happier at ASU and that was where I met my hubby. So it all worked out.

The month I graduated from App with my Bachelor's in English with a minor in Communications, I bought a house, moved back to my hometown and got a job at the same paper I had interned at in high school. I had high hopes of one day working for AP and traveling to other countries to cover news. I even had a few things published by the Associated Press. Shortly after joining the newspaper staff, the paper was bought by a new company and a large group of us left to start a new newspaper.

I covered the local police department and the school systems. I still loved writing but I got so burned out working the crazy long hours and dealing with the editor that I absolutely hated. I still loved listening to the scanner and covering the wrecks, drug busts, police reports and other emergency services stuff. But unfortunately that wasn't all I had did. I wanted out of the newspaper business but didn't want to get away from the emergency services activity that I loved so much.

Someone, I don't remember who, suggested that I apply for a dispatch position that had opened at the local police department. It was like a light bulb went off. What a fantastic idea! I decided that I would like working for the county more, since they dispatch not just law enforcement but also fire departments, rescue squads and EMS. I left the paper in the summer of 2008 and started training at the county 911 center and have never looked back.

I LOVE my job. I am so blessed and so thankful that in a time where so many are without employment I not only have a job but a job that I love to do. Of course I have bad days, who doesn't? It isn't the highest paying job nor is it always an easy job. But I don't doubt that it is where I am supposed to be. I've told my husband that even if I didn't have to work and I could stay home with my babies, I would still want to work part-time as a telecommunicator, I love it that much.

I do miss writing, hence the attempt at daily blogging. It feels like it is a good exercise for my brain to put thoughts into print, even if no one ever reads them (which I know sometimes people do). One day it would be great if I could get myself to write something. A novel or collection of short stories. I would absolutely love to be able to. But I have a tendency to get busy and get side-tracked and for my stories to never get finished. So who knows if that will ever happen.

In the mean time, I blog. I try and make myself write some sort of something every day. Even if it's just a thought or a summary of a recent event. As you can see, it doesn't happen as often as I intend. But I try, I really do.

Trick-Treat!

Halloween this year was a big success.

Evie got to really trick-or-treat for the first time. And she seemed to really get the whole concept. She would say "Trick-treat!" and hold up her bucket. Pretty simple I guess. She loved getting candy and was pretty bummed when the "more candy" part was over and it was time to take off the costume and get ready for bed.

This year Evie dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood. She loved her costume and I was really pleased by how good it looked and how well it fit. I ordered it like two months ago from the website, Costume Express. I had been warned by a friend to order a size larger than I needed in order to have a fitting costume and she was right. I originally wanted to get the girls costumes that sort of went together but I just couldn't find any that I liked that worked.

So Elly was a cat. But a really cute cat I thought! Evie liked Elly's costume too. She ran up to Sissy and patted her head and went on and on about Sissy's tail and Sissy's ears and how cute she was. Of course, Evie was even more excited to learn that Sissy couldn't eat any of her candy. More candy! Yay!

Evie and I talked a lot about Halloween before the day. I'm still disappointed that she wants nothing to do with gutting a pumpkin. But oh well. All last week, Disney and Nick were running their Halloween episodes. So Evie watched a few episodes of Dora celebrating Halloween and Mickey Mouse and Handy Manny, etc. And she and I talked about putting on costumes and going trick-or-treating. So she was ready!

Her excitement over Halloween makes me excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We've already been talking about Santa and her asking him for things that she wants. I want to order the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie to watch and talk about Thanksgiving. It might be silly, but holidays are really important to me. Ways to mark and celebrate the changing seasons, the passing years. Reasons to come together with family and participate in annual traditions. I feel like it's important to learn about all holidays. Not just ones that our family necessarily practices. Helps you to learn about different cultures and religions. Expands your horizons and exposes you to completely different ways of life and thinking.

Watching Evie and Josh trod down the road together, going door to door for "More Candy!" was absolutely adorable. This was Josh's first year getting to be home with Evie on Halloween. And he definitely enjoyed it. Keeping up with Evie and Elly next year will be interesting. I will definitely have to come up with something cute for the two of them to wear though!

My favorite parts of the beach

I think my absolute favorite thing about the beach trip, if I had to choose just one moment or part, was Evie's reaction to the ocean. The undeniable awe as she looked out at the never-ending water and her squeals of  "OCEAN OCEAN!" as she ran from the waves were so precious. One of the coolest things about having kids is watching them learn and experience new things. And of course seeing the ocean for the first time was definitely an experience for Evie.

Elly is still too young to really care. Sure, she looked at the ocean. Yeah, she sampled the sand. Literally. But it wasn't really something for her to take in. She did enjoy the experience however. I think traveling, to at least some extent is really important. Especially today, when society is so connected. Kids need to experience life beyond their neighborhood and their community.

I highly doubt that Evie will remember this ever-so-precious first beach experience. She will probably be awestruck and overwhelmed the next time she sees the ocean as well. But that's okay. It's something that will certainly stick in my mind. I have a catalog of firsts in my mind from the babies. Evie's first words, her first steps, her first birthday, her first time at the beach. Elly so far just has first smile and first words. But she'll get there!

The next coolest thing from the beach was definitely the aquarium. Evie was all gaga over the mermaids. But for me the best part was totally the sharks.

In case you don't know me very well, I am just a smidgen obsessed with sharks. I'm not sleeping on shark sheets and snuggling with a plush shark at night or anything like that. But sharks are INCREDIBLY fascinating. And cool. And scary as hell. Sharks ate dinosaurs. And thousands of years later here they still are. Eating...whatever and whoever they want. Cause they're sharks. They are really smart. And really dangerous.

I look forward eagerly to shark week every year. And I set my DVR the week before making sure I don't miss anything. And I spend that week at work glued to the Discovery channel. No joke. Like I said. Just a smidgen obsessed. But I haven't ever seen sharks in real life. Not like real sharks. Little black tips and the such yeah. But never like Tiger sharks or bull sharks and I would absolutely LOVE to see a Great White. I read Jaws for the first time when I was in middle school. And I read it annually about the same time as shark week. I guess I should spend more time going to aquariums.

Anyways, Ripley's Aquarium at Myrtle Beach was pretty cool. I really, really loved the tank that you walked under/through and looked up at all the sharks and fish and even a sea turtle! I really hate that my camera batteries died and I didn't get more pictures. Because it was really cool. There were 6 foot long Tiger sharks and big Nurse sharks. The Tigers just ceaselessly circled the tank with their empty black eyes. I loved it!

Evie liked the little sharks. And of course the sea turtle. But she was much more fascinated by the fish tanks. They have one massive tank that has a replica coral reef and is just full of fish. A diver goes in and does a dive show every hour but Evie was more impressed just watching the fish. Even Elly loved the tank of fish. All of the brightly colored fish darting here and there. She clapped and giggled and babbled at them. But her attention span is pretty limited.

She was more interested in snack time. But I'm sure you  just can't believe that girl worries about when she'll be getting her next meal! haha

November Thanksgiving Challenge

On Facebook, everyone is posting something they are thankful for each day of the month. Although I am posting there I though I would also post here. If for no reason than it's easier to go back and find posts on here than Facebook.

Day 1 - Thankful for vacation time.

Day 2 - Thankful for the job I come back from vacation to.

Day 3 - I am thankful for the food I get to eat. The two hot dogs I had for lunch were delicious.

Day 4 - I am thankful for the mornings I get to spend with my beautiful children. Three hours everyday with my two favorite people! It's so very important to me and I cherish it. I feel like I know the two of them as well as I know myself. :-) I am very fortunate. 


I think I will repost this daily and just add to it. Might be easier.

Thought for the Day

"I'm a woman, not a road sign. I frequently do not mean what I say. It's all just a matter of interpretation. Or a guessing game, depending on where you stand." - Me

Ditching the Droid

So, in a week, my cell phone contract is up for renewal.

It's a day that has been marked on my calendar for about 6 months and I am quite eagerly anticipating it. Ticking it off excitedly. Reminding my husband. My mom. My kids. My dog.

Yep, next week! I am so excited because finally, FINALLY I am getting rid of this piece of crap phone and getting a new one. But not just any new phone. No sir. I am making the switch to the iPhone.

Two years ago, I signed up with Verizon and committed myself to the Droid and the Android OS. I wanted an iPhone then. Kinda. I mean, who wouldn't? But they were awfully pricey. And Verizon's plans were cheaper then as well. So, I went with Verizon. And I chose the Android because it seemed really cool at the time. And of course, then the iPhone wasn't available from Verizon.

Ugh. Well, Verizon is still better. I'm happy with my carrier. Not so happy with my phone.

The phone itself is on its last leg. I'm notoriously hard on cell phones. My temper and tendency to hurl them across the room doesn't help. But just day to day life with me is tough. My phone goes everywhere and does everything. It's in back pockets, my purse, the diaper bag, the cup holder, coat pockets, the baby's mouth, the toddler's hands. Life is hard for my cell phone.

The OS is terrible. It's like the Mac vs. PC debate. Windows will always have more problems because of how many types of computers run it. With Apple, they make it all. From the hardware to the software. Therefore there are no compatibility issues. There aren't glitches and quirks and hold ups and malfunctions. Apple doesn't release iCrap. It releases the MacBook and the iPad and the iPhone. Good, solid, long lasting products that are dependable. I am thankful that I have not actually ever needed to make an emergency call on my phone. Because 98% of the time it freezes up, blacks the screens, dials the wrong number, hangs up, mutes out, restarts itself, etc. when I'm trying to make a non-urgent call. I'm sure an important call would just cause it to implode.

So next week, I'm getting an iPhone. And I am so excited!

Baby Bunching Away from Home

Taking the bunch on vacation is a whole different sort of challenge.

At home, our lives are simplified by schedules and routines. It's what keeps my bunch happy. It's what keeps me sane and allows me to sleep at night. I am, after all, a schedule person. And my babies are schedule people too. Otherwise they wouldn't be so happy on a schedule and so miserable when they get off it.

Elly isn't quite the schedule-holic that Evie is. But let me tell you, Evie is a total terror when her schedule gets disrupted. And disrupting schedules is what vacationing is all about!

Another challenge when vacationing is gear. All the gear that it takes to keep my two happy is absolutely impractical to pack up and tote around with you. The toys, the jumperoo, the high chairs, the pillows and blankies and DVR'd television. Things that can stop a tantrum, keep babies happy, burn energy, or put babies to sleep. My life pretty much revolves around these things. Not literally of course. But really, this gear is the oil that keeps things running smoothly in my baby bunched world.

I think all in all things went well on our week away from home. We certainly took a car load of things with us, including a space saving high chair that my husband thought would not fit. But I don't feel like we took an overwhelming amount of things. Even after the serious eye-brow lifting that our car load got as we were loading and unloading. I can't think of a single thing that went with us that wasn't utilized. Though it turns out I needed to pack a few more pull-ups and I completely forgot razors (guess I was just going with furry legs at the beach? lol.) But razors were pretty easy to acquire and Evie kinda got a kick out of napping in diapers a couple of days while we were there.

Even five plus hours of riding in the car went fairly smoothly. There were no fits of screaming or crying. No unplanned stops or frantic fumbling to find a toy or snack to calm a tantrum. My meticulous planning (even if it was last minute!) really paid off. Evie watched movies and chatted pretty much the whole ride down while Sissy slept. And they both slept the majority of the drive back. We stopped for lunch on the ride down where the only problem was that Elly didn't want to eat because she was too busy looking around and Evie didn't want to eat because she was too hyped up from sitting down for so long. Supper on the way back went really well though. Both girls ate a pretty average amount and then happily returned to the car.

My biggest tip to anyone preparing to travel with their bunch? Hmm...prioritize. Obviously you can't take everything. Take the most important stuff. But don't be afraid to take things that your mom-sense says you'll need. Pay attention the few days BEFORE you leave to the things you turn to when baby is melting down, or it's naptime for the toddler. Those are the things that you cannot live without.

And if you are early in the baby bunching and haven't invested in a lot yet but are planning on traveling with your bunch ANY in the next few years...buy a pack and play or two. Definitely. Also, a space saving high chair for big baby at home and both while away is fabulous. Evie uses hers as a booster seat at home and it worked great for them at the beach. Also, white noise machines are life savers for baby bunchers. Especially if you intend to ever let your bunch share a room. Having them accustomed to sleeping with white noise worked out really well at the beach. That way I didn't have to worry about them waking at night due to unaccustomed house noises or neighborhood noises or anything.

Another nice investment? A van! Boy, one of those would be pretty nice about now. I am totally eating my words for all the times I swore I would never, ever drive a minivan in a million years. Two car seats can change your perspective.

So Much to Blog About!

Well, I have so much to tell about our week at the beach that I don't even know where to start!

It has been a long time since I've seen the ocean. But it is still big, blue and beautiful. The ocean is still hypnotic and mesmerizing. Beautiful and terrifying. Sitting on the sand, staring out at the endless horizon, thinking about how much water there is. How there are entire mountain ranges in the ocean that are bigger than any of the mountains on the land. When you picture how big that ocean is on the globe...and how little you are by comparison...well, it just makes me think about the bigger picture. Life is a lot like the ocean, ya know? It's not about one little wave or one little seashell or a handful of sand. That's not what makes the ocean. Life is so much more. Each little moment comes and goes, shaping us, molding us. The years pass like the tides and shape us and the waves shape the shore.

See, the ocean makes me all allegoric and metaphoric...I wax all poetic when I look at the ocean!

For nearly a week, the ocean was the second thing I got to see every morning upon waking. The first thing, as always, was Evie. My little alarm clock did not let a pack-n-play stand in the way of her waking me up. Nope. She discovered that with a little heft and little heave she could hoist herself out of that pink-and-brown stuffed-animal-filled prison and roam the house, whispering "Mommy...Mommy....HELP!" until I tracked her down. The first day she did it scared the crap out of me.

But after finding Evie, we always went and looked out off the balcony at the ocean. Dark and never-resting on the sand. I tried really hard to get to watch the sun come up, since I was up BEFORE it every morning. But I wasn't quite successful. Toddlers are really good at keeping you busy in the a.m. hours. My eight-month-old did a good job as well.

Our days stayed pretty busy. Keeping up with three from the car seat crowd burns some calories! Between diaper changes, bottles, snacks, diaper changes, sippy cups, meals, naps, more bottles and snacks, clothing changes, more diaper changes, baths, more bottles and bed times...shoo, I'm wore out just REMEMBERING how wore out we were.

I had honestly forgotten about that phase that babies go through right after they start walking where they are into EVERYTHING and won't listen. They're tearing into boxes, rearranging kitchen chairs, pulling books off shelves and climbing bookcases and hiding the remote. I guess I blocked it out. Even in a "child-proofed" house it's a tough phase because they are really, really testing their limits. Wanting to see what happens when they pick up the book end and throw it for the 18th time. It's not like the terrible two's, when they're asserting independence and individuality by intentionally doing things they aren't supposed to. Nope, this phase of toddling is just about curiosity and cause and effect. They want to know all about this great big world they have access to. So they climb, pull, tear, rearrange...just whatever it takes. That's the phase my nephew is in right now. And it keeps you on your toes CONSTANTLY. It was exhausting. But a lot of fun.

It was definitely a great reminder for what I am in for in a couple more months with Elly.

In addition to just maintaining the three kiddos, we did plenty of sight-seeing and went to the ocean a few times.

We took a trip to the boardwalk, went to Broadway at the Beach and had a big shopping trip to the outlet mall. We also spent a morning at Ripley's Aquarium, which was AWESOME. Went out to eat a couple of times. Had some really delicious meals cooked in the condo. Ate a great pizza.

Evie got a new Minnie Mouse from the Disney Store. Elly acquired a Winnie the Pooh. Now I am intent on getting the girls all of the Disney Pooh plush characters. I think they will be super cute in the play room, which is already pooh themed. I can just picture all the characters lined up on a big toy box in there next year, when Evie and Elly are bunking together in what is currently Evie's room. So, we went ahead and got Piglet for the girls to share. Plus went back later and got Eeyore and Tigger for the girls for Christmas.

We also went to the Carter's Outlet store. Which was AWESOME. I love Carter's. I wish we had a Carter's outlet store nearby, but it's probably best that we don't. I found matching Christmas dresses for the girls. Also got them each an outfit and Evie another shirt.

The Rack Room shoes store had the light up Sketchers that I have been wanting to get Evie for only $15! So she got some new shoes. Her very first pair of lace up shoes. I guess that's kinda goofy considering she's two. But generally I prefer to deal with minimum effort when trying to get Evie dressed and out the door. Especially since most of the last two years have been spent pregnant or dealing with a new baby.

We even went by a Wings and got everyone a nice touristy t-shirt.