Thursday, March 29, 2012

Too Many Shoes!

I have never been a shoe person.  Shoes have always been about comfort.  Back before kids, when I was working full time, the majority of my day was spent on my feet running around a hotel and it was more important that my shoes felt good than look good.  Once the kids came, I really didn't need my shoes and usually will throw on a pair of flip flops or sneakers.   Until recently.......when my sister was home for Christmas she took me to DSW.  I had been there before, but it was always in a hurry.  Get in, get out.  Grab a pair of black shoes or boots on sale.  Praying the entire time that the kids don't knock over a display rack onto my head while I'm trying the shoes on!  When I went with my sister it was an "experience".  A little painful at first (sorry sis!), as she went down each and every row, stopping to look at shoes, touching everyone.  Circling back to her favorites.  She ended up buying me (after much protest) a very cute pair of black ballet flats.  Shoes that I thought I would never wear.  Shoes I did not want.  Shoes that I now love and need to replace because they are wearing out.  I wear them almost everyday.   I wear them with jeans, with skirts and with capris.  They are comfortable and cute at the same time.  My sister was even kind enough to point out that I am current with a fashion trend!

Last week I went out for drinks with the girls.  After being made fun of (with love!) by my neighbor for wearing my flip flops (they are Coach brand!) with a dress and told I needed to get some better shoes, I was inspired!  I was on a quest to find cute, affordable shoes without leaving my house.   There are several websites that make this promise and come through! (I know these have been around for quite some time - but they are new to me!)  I went online and ordered my first pair of wedge espadrilles.  They are soo cute!  I love them and cannot wait to wear them.  I also ordered another pair of ballet flats and a pair of crocs - but they dont' look like crocs.  They look like cute canvas boat shoes - perfect for the beach!   This is very rare for me.  I usually buy one pair of shoes a year - maybe.  To buy three, now that is excessive! (I hope my husband isn't reading today's entry!) But, I am very happy with my purchases - no buyer's remorse here.  I even found two other pairs that I am "watching" hoping they go on sale soon! (very cute - peep toe pumps and floral print wedges).

Now, however, I am left with quite the dilemma.  I have 7 (seven!) pairs of shoes that I want to pack to take on vacation!  I have always been the two pair of shoes kind of girl.  Wear one/pack one.  Now I am going to need a separate bag....just for my shoes!

Have a great day!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Rolling vs. Folding

The packing continues!  Our goal is to leave in 50 hours, 23 minutes.  Not that I am counting!  We are beach bound and heading to beautiful Hilton Head Island, SC!

I have two kids packed and two more to go.  I also need to pack myself.  I have learned that I always spend at least 2x as long on the kids as I do myself. My oldest daughter attended a birthday party a few weeks back at the American Girl Cafe. (It was too cute for words!) But I did spend longer getting "Charlotte" ready to go out for the afternoon than me. Who is Charlotte? She is my daughter's "just like me" American Girl Doll!  I am hoping that by starting to pack early and sticking to my lists, I will avoid arriving at our destination with only 1/2 the things I actually need and scrambling at the drugstore/whatever store I can find to make up the difference!  The last time we were in Hilton Head was in November a few years back.  It was unseasonably warm and I didn't pack any shorts for myself.  Of course, I could not find any there, any where, because it was November and who buys shorts in November! I'm sure I will be scrambling late Thursday night to get everything finished.  Good thing Gray's is re-run once again!

In my family, there are two methods of packing - the rolling and the folding.  I am a folder.  Maybe it is from all of the year's I spent as a sales associate at GAP.  The folding is ingrained!  Back in the day, I could fold a perfect denim wall!  My mother and sisters are rollers.  They are convinced that by rolling you can actually get more in your suitcase and your clothes do not wrinkle.  I am not convinced of this and we will have to have a suitcase challenge one of these days!  I recently saw an interview with travel expert, Samantha Brown.  She is a fan of folding and suggested using cubes in your suitcase to help keep your items neat and organized.  She also suggested using every inch in your suitcase to pack in - in her empty purses she packed accessories and makeup. I'm going to try this!  I will also add looking up these cubes to my list!

If you are a roller - let us know!  Can you fit more in?  Do your clothes wrinkle?

Have a great day!

Monday, March 26, 2012

List Making

I come from a long line of list makers - my mother, my grandmother, my aunt.  I too am an avid list maker.  I have notebooks in different areas of the house - each with a different running "to do" list!  I have lists for my work, lists for the kids' school, lists for things to do around the house. I have tried making the "honey do lists" but they were never well received in our house!   My sister and I laugh about our lists.  She is a list maker as well, and we have even gotten to the point of making quick little lists of things we need to talk about.  As we get older (or, I like to think just busier!) we start to forget things!

The current list I am working on is a packing list!  Spring Break is next week and packing for a family of Six is no easy task!  I had high hopes of getting the majority of the packing done this past weekend.  That didn't quite happen - I was only able to pack one small tote bag! I did get most of the kids' summer things washed and tortured them by having them try on clothes from last year and the few new things I picked up to see what does and does not fit.  I currently have three lists for spring break:

-Kids' bag to pack for hotel (this one is done!)
-Things to Pack for Kids
-Things of list to buy at Grocery Store when we get to our destination

I need to make a few more lists:

-My things to pack
-Car snacks/activities (we have a 10 hour ride ahead of us!)
-Tennis things to pack
-Beach things to pack

Lists help me stay organized and also help me not to over pack!  It is inevitable that a few extra things get thrown in at the last minute - but this way I can avoid a lot of extras being thrown in that we won't use! It also feels really good to be able to cross things off your list - it is a visual that you have accomplished something!

My family loves to travel.  Before we had the twins we did take a lot more trips.  Now, we pretty much just stick to the East Coast and go to places that are drivable for us.  Here are some tips and tricks I have learned over the years:

-If you are traveling with a baby, and won't have access to a car, ship what you need to your destination.  This makes getting around the airport much easier.  When my oldest was a baby he and I would tag along on my husband's business trips.  We would always send a box to the hotel in advance that had baby food, formula, bottles, wipes, diapers, paper towels, etc.  This way I didn't need to worry about navigating a strange place by myself with a baby and didn't have to pay the high premiums that hotel or convenience stores charge.

-Pack some surprises.  Go to the dollar store or target (or where ever!) and pick up a few things for the kids that they have never seen before.  This can be some stickers, a new coloring book, a new story book, etc.  I also like to have on hand some "non-messy" treats that they do not have on a regular basis - lollipops and skittles are magic!  My girlfriend always picks up glow sticks - the kids love these and make it so much easier to spot your group when in a crowd.  We had these at Disney and they were so great!

-Keep a small notebook or pen in your diaper bag or purse.  Great to have on hand when making your lists!  But also can keep the kids entertained while waiting at a restaurant or airport.

-Put some band aids and tissues in your purse or diaper bag.  Go do that right now.  These are things that you should always have on hand anyway. I am now known to carry these and have passed out band aids to kids at birthday parties and even church.

-Pack some healthy snacks that can help stabilize blood sugar and avoid meal time meltdowns!  These can be for the parents too!

-Pack clothes that mix and match.  If you have a spill only on a shirt, no need to change out the entire outfit.  Also, if kids are going to be sitting for a long time either in the car or on the plane, pack things that are comfortable for them to wear: soft cotton, no tight waist bands.

As I continue to get ready for this trip and our upcoming Summer Vacation I will be sharing a lot more of our tips and tricks!  Please feel free to post some of your favorite travel tips below!

Now, I can go cross blog entry off my list for today!

Have a great day!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Mental Health Day

Have you seen my brain?  I left it somewhere and don't remember where I put it!  That is the kind of week I have been having!

Tuesday - Drop off 5 year old at school, then go to post office to drop off some items that I sold on eBay (which is great!  I will need to do an entire entry on this! stay tuned!).  Stood in line with both twins (who were exhibiting their best 3 year old behavior - knocking down displays, spinning racks, making monkey sounds & pig sounds, running, dancing, etc), only to find out I used the wrong envelope to pack my items.  Went home re-packed up everything then went back again to stand in line to drop off my items.  Yes, I did have to stand in line because I was shipping an item to Canada and the maternity outfit that I sold could have been some sort of act of treason against our great Nation.  More animal sounds, spinning racks and dancing from the twins.  This time I got to stand in line behind a lovely woman who pointed out that my children's shoes were on the wrong feet (I let them dress themselves - does it really matter.  They were crocs!) and that my twins didn't look anything alike - and asked if I was sure they were twins! (I'm sure - I was there when they were born!)  Finally, a postal worker who actually was part human, came out from behind the counter and took my correctly packaged package.  This whole process took about 1 1/2 hours from my morning.

Wednesday - Drop off 5 year old at school, then head to go get gas, some groceries and a prescription.  It is time to pay and guess what!?!  My wallet is not in my purse!  Drive back home find wallet, then start all over again.  This took about an extra 1/2 hour from my morning.

Thursday - Get three little ones fed and dressed.  I go upstairs to get myself showered and dressed.  Look at the clock and notice that I'm running ahead of schedule for once, and decide to sit down for a few minutes.  Which is something that I NEVER do.  What happens next.... I fall asleep!  I also never do this!  I wake up 20 minutes later!  Barely had time to shower & dress.  No time for hair - it is a pony tail & hat day for me! (My secret is now out. I might as well also come clean & admit that I picked up one of my daughter's pony tail holders from the floor and stuck it on my head. It has sparkles on it and everything!)

On Thursday's I have my afternoon babysitter.  Normally I go and play tennis.  Today I was just not up to it and knew I would not be able to concentrate.  Instead, I called my neighbor to see if she wanted to go to the gym or Sam's Club.  She convinced me to go to lunch instead.  I am so glad that she did! (Thank you neighbor!)  I actually had someone bring me my salad and had a meal where I was able to sit down and eat.  I didn't have to get up and get something for someone else.  More importantly, I had adult conversation during the entire time!  I had a very nice visit with my friend and ran into two other ladies we knew from the neighborhood and had nice chats with them too.  I was gone for under two hours, but in my head it felt like I was gone all day.  I left feeling relaxed.  My headache was gone and I came out of my "mommy fog."  I had a really nice time, too.

When was the last time you took a mental health day?  Try it - even if it is for an hour!

Have a great afternoon!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Spring Forward

Spring is here and is definitely in the air!  Last week we changed the clocks, springing forward by one hour.  We have had a hard time adjusting this year!   The weather has been so nice and it is staying lighter out later, making it difficult to get the kids inside to wind down and get ready for bed.  Since they are staying up later than normal, our mornings have been very rough.  The last few days, I have actually had to wake my oldest up which is a first for us!  We also are having many tantrums and cranky meltdowns in the afternoon.  My twins are pretty much starting to drop their naps, but I'm trying to institute a "mandatory resting period".  Wish me luck with this!  I am already envisioning the damage that they will do to their room!

With the new season not only have we lost the hour, we have added some new spring activities to our schedule, making us busier than ever!  This has caused a major backslide in the laundry department!  I did spend a good chunk of time last night attempting to get caught up and folding 4 baskets of clothes.  I did not do very well with my new policy folding or hanging things immediately upon removal from the dryer!

Well, I have one kid crying, one kid throwing a tantrum about her Lego wall being destroyed and another kid demanding a sandwich!

Have a good afternoon!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

March Madness

We have seeds, games, teams, basketballs flying and the score is tied.  But in our house, we haven't watched even one NCAA game!  Just the March Madness from the kids! All on one Saturday too!

These kids are driving this mom mad!  Yesterday afternoon when I got home from taking my oldest daughter to ballet and walked in only to find out that the other three kids had not moved the entire time I was gone, I HAD IT.  Magically the floor was covered with toys, but no one was playing with anything.  Just sitting in front of the TV.  Apparently "Not Me" dumped out all the toy bins and ran!  That "Not Me" kid better find another household to terrorize! 

In an effort to lower the noise level, get the house picked up and get the kids moving; I turned off the TV, unplugged it and hid the remotes.  The kids thought that the unplugging was a drastic move, and were horrified (I should have taken a picture of their little faces!).  But, it worked and drastic times call for drastic measures! We had crying for about 10 minutes, then the kids got involved with playing and they completely forgot about TV.  One point for Mom!  We managed to clean out the playroom/office/library (this room is the smallest room in the house and by far gets the most use!  Very often all 6 of us are in here at the same time!), get some errands done, then spent the rest of the day playing outside.  All in all a productive day.

I am very happy to report that my kids played outside until dinner time, a very late dinner time.  I am also happy to report that the TV was not turned on for the remainder of the day! Until my husband discovered the remote stash, caved in and turned on Sprout after the kids had their showers. One point for kids - husband got penalty and benched!

Our TV is not on right now and while the house is never quiet, I love that the only sound I hear right now is of my boys playing (granted they are using parts of the new vacuum as swords to reenact a Knight Battle, but they are playing together & using their imagination...until someone loses an eye!).

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Thunder Road

As soon as we got in the car this morning to head to school, my Baby A (3 year old boy twin) immediately said - "I want music Mom.  I want to hear Thunder Road."  Nothing made me happier than to have one of my kids request a BRUCE song! 

I come from a Bruce family.  I grew up listening to his music. At the risk of sounding like a stalker, we would even drive by his house, (or what we though was his house) hoping for a glimpse of him.   Bruce Springsteen was introduced to me by my older sister at a very early age.  My brother, sisters and I are all big fans and have even gone to quite a few concerts together. I think 2012 is going to be the year for a road trip concert!  I remember in the early 80's when tickets for the Born In The USA tour were going on sale.  This was back in the day, before there was Internet and you could purchase tickets on line.  We had to go STAND in line!  We camped out over night in the local parking lot of Drug Fair (I don't even think this store is still around!).   After waiting all night and one lawn chair and cooler later (I fell asleep and they got stolen!), we were successful and secured the tickets! I am still in shock to this day that my mother let us do that, especially since when concert time came around I was not allowed to go. (I was allowed to go wait in line all night for tickets, but could not actually go to concert because it was in "the City" at Madison Square Garden and it wasn't safe! Yes, Mom, I am still angry about this!) .

My oldest child is seven.  When he was a baby we played Wiggles, Barney, Baby Einstein, etc. all the "kiddie" music.  By the time the twins came along, I was really tired of being in a Wiggles induced coma and decided that I wanted the kids to like my music.  We will also play Radio Disney in the car and while I am not above to singing along to Selena Gomez and the Scene, I would rather listen to Bruce.  My kids all know this and I hope appreciate this.  They all do have favorite songs and ask for them by name and even sing along.  Some of their favorites are: Thunder Road, Born to Run, For You, The Rising, Mrs. McGrath and Girls In Their Summer Clothes.  All excellent songs!  Whenever I hear one of these songs I think of my kids.  I look forward to the day when I take them to their first Bruce concert!  If you have never been to one, they are like no other concert.  It is part concert, part reunion and part revival.  A new album (are they still called that?) came out earlier this month, one of my favorite songs is the bonus track: American Land. I will leave you today with the chorus:

There's diamonds in the sidewalk, the gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who'll make his home in the American land


Have a great day!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Running Late....

Why is it that whenever I am already late for something, bad things start to happen that end up making me even later?!  Some would say, Karma, other's would say Murphy's Law, my mother would say just slow down and stop rushing.  Last week when we were running late for school, I tore a contact lens.  Not the end of the world, but annoying nonetheless.  Today, something much, much worse happened!

My five year old daughter goes to a pre-K program five mornings a week.  Her school day goes from 9am - 12pm.  It is not the end of the world if we are a few minutes late for drop off, but we do always try to be on time.  It makes transition easier into the classroom and is helping prepare her for kindergarten.  Also, it's nice to have her go somewhere for 3 solid hours and actually learn something!  (those of you with preschoolers understand this!). 

Now, if you are late for pick up that is another story.  The school will actually charge you if you are more than 10 minutes late.  I'm proud to say that this has never happened to me.  Worse than paying the penalty fee, is having your kid be the last one in the classroom wondering where their mom is.  Today, she was second to last!

About 10 minutes before the "real time" that we needed to leave at, I started to round up the twins, gathering shoes, toys, everything we would need for the 10 minute car ride and herd the kids towards the door.  Of course at the moment, Baby A needs to go potty.  (He turned 3 in January and has mastered the potty!)  So, we put everything down for him to go.  He entered the bathroom and slammed the door in my face, saying he will be a minute and needs privacy.  After what felt like an hour later (it was only about 3 minutes!), he opened the door and asked me to help him with his pants (he picked out a great outfit today too - big boy khaki pants with zipper and button!).  I said no problem, only to discover that he kinda missed the potty....poop was in his pants and down his leg.  No big deal, we have 5 minutes, we will not be late.  As I am taking him back into the bathroom to get him in the tub, I discovered the catastrophic disaster that occurred....it was everywhere, on the side of the toilet, on the floor, on the rug, on the WALL.  Somethings you just shouldn't have to clean off the wall.  This being one of them!

We got him cleaned up and the bathroom clean and were on our way, with one minute to spare.  Thank goodness for Clorox!

Have a great day!

Monday, March 12, 2012

The Girl Scouts

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts. I was a Girl Scout for many, many years and have so many wonderful memories of troop meetings and camping trips.  I still keep in touch with my Troop Leader and am proud to say that she had a tremendous, positive impact on my life.

The Girl Scouts were founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low.  Several years ago while on vacation in Savannah, GA, I had the opportunity to tour her childhood home.  It is a very impressive. We took a  docent led tour and if you are in Savannah it is definitely something to see. 

I know that many people think that the Girl Scouts are really all about the cookies (and it kinda is - who doesn't love a thin mint!) but it is also so much more!  It is team building and decision making and working together.  Being a Girl Scout prepared me for so much - from learning to swim, to not being afraid to go up on stage, to trying new things, to fundraising.  At a very young age I memorized both the Girl Scout Promise and the Girl Scout Law.  We would start each meeting by reciting the Girl Scout Promise.  If you stopped almost any former Girl Scout on the street today, I'm sure they would still be able to recite it to you word by word.  Even as an adult, I try to live by the Girl Scout Law and cannot wait for my girls to join this wonderful group!


The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.



The Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to behonest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and torespect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

St. Patrick's Day




St. Patrick's Day is next weekend.  Growing up in our Irish Catholic household, this holiday was always a big deal.  My mother and grandmother with their love of all things Irish gave me that gift at a very early age.  The beginning of March, my mother would start to play Irish Music. On St. Patrick's Day she would always cook corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. She even had special serving dishes that they would go in. This year I will be cooking that same traditional St. Paddy's Day dinner for my family. I might even try to make the Soda Bread from scratch this year. My grandma was as "Irish as the day is long".  She passed away almost five years ago and I do think about her daily, wishing I had five more minutes with her so she could meet my twins. My youngest (Baby B) is named after her and does look like her (at least I like to think so!).   I seem to miss my grandma more around St. Patrick's Day.  When she was younger she marched in all the parades and had great stories to tell.  As she got older she was content to watch the parade on TV but still dressed her full Irish regalia for the day.  When I cooked corned beef for the very first time, it was my grandmother that I called and she walked me through it over the phone.

I hope that I can share this sense of tradition, culture and heritage with my children. They all have Irish names and I can't wait for them to be a little older and take them to the Emerald Isle.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Shared Spaces

Baby A & Baby B Minutes Old
January 19, 2009


My twins are three years old.  I have boy/girl twins and they were born minutes apart.  Our Boy is Baby A and our Girl is Baby B.  They have very different personalities and are individual children.  But, they are twins and that is very cool. 

The twins share a room and are currently in toddler beds.  We will be transitioning them to "big kid" beds soon.  The other day Baby B asked if she could get a crib.  I automatically assumed it was for her dolls and gently explained that she already had a crib for Bitty Baby.  She answered, "not for my babies, for me and brother!  So we can sleep next to each other." They each have their own bed, but often still snuggle up against each other at night and for naps just like little puppies.  When I was in the hospital, I was actually scolded by several nurses for putting them together in the same bassinet. I insisted that they stay together, even though it was against hospital policy.

In many ways having twins is much easier than a singleton.  They have a built in playmate and have learned at a very early age to share and take turns.  We still have days when they tag team it and cause catastrophic double trouble throughout the house.  But, as they get older, those days are getting to be few and far between (thank goodness!).   

They don't quite get the word twins yet or the meaning.  They just know that in our family we had two babies at the same time.  When we are out and see other families with infant twins, my twins clap and shout "two babies just like us"!  I'm looking forward to explaining the whole "twin thing" while watching their special bond with each other grow.



Baby A & Baby B home from hospital and napping on dining room table in bassinet.




Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Brothers & Sisters

I recently started watching the series Brothers & Sisters on Netflix.  I know this show has been off the air for some time, but I had never watched it.  I started with the pilot and I am currently up to somewhere in season 3.  If you have never watched the show, it chronicles the life of the Walker Family of Pasadena, California.   The show is really about the interaction of the five siblings and has a pretty good cast (Rob Lowe, Calista Flockhart, Sally Field, etc.).  Watching this show is one of my "guilty pleasures".  I can watch it on my tablet and each episode is about 40-45 minutes.  I sneak it in whenever I can! Usually while folding laundry!  The show sometimes does remind me of my own brother & sisters - which is maybe why I like it! Our family has much less drama of course (I'm sure my mom will disagree!).   There are four siblings in my family ranging in ages from 32 -45 and we are all very close.  We are siblings, but we are friends too and do get together on a regular basis for everything from family dinners, to sibling happy hours to weekend get aways.

I too have four kids.  Right now they are quite young, ranging in ages 3 -7, but as they get older I am watching friendships develop along with their own secret language and ways of doing things.  My twins definitely have a little "twin-speak" going on, but it is nice to see that this special way of communicating and finishing each other's sentences includes all the kids.  Many years ago a family friend commented that whenever my siblings and I got together it was in many ways like a secret club and that they often felt left out.  We never meant to exclude anyone, but I do hope that my kids have their own secret club and continue this on as they become teenagers and adults.

Have a great evening!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Verses

My three younger children go to a wonderful preschool.  My oldest daughter who is 5 years old, goes five mornings a week in their pre-k program.  The school is sponsored by a local Methodist church and the kids say prayer before snack and attend monthly kid worship. It is Christian based, and a fantastic program.  I know my kids like their school - they are happy to be dropped off and love their teachers and friends.  However, if you have ever had a conversation with a five year old, you know that sometimes you don't always get the full re-cap of the school day!  Our typical car ride home conversation sounds a little like this: 

me "what did you do a school today?"
daughter: "went to the playground."
me: "what did you do on the playground?"
daughter: no response
me: "what was snack today?"
daughter: "worms"
me: "what?"
daughter: "we found worms on the playground and I put one in my pocket, can we get Chik fil a for lunch?"

That is it.  When she is ready she will tell me bits and pieces about her day.  It is when these bits and pieces come out I learn how much she likes school and how she is learning and growing both academically and spiritually. One night last week my daughter and I were reading her Princess Devotional Bible as her bedtime story.  We came to one of my favorite verses:

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails ... (NIV)

My daughter jumped off the couch and said "I know this, this is my class verse! Love is patient, love is kind." and she looked at me and said, "you know Mom, Love really is." I then shared with her that this is one of my favorite verses too and showed her the water color paining of it that had been hanging in her bedroom since she was a baby.  Something that was always right in front of her and never realized the meaning.  This verse is commonly used in Christian Wedding Ceremonies.  I have been thinking about this verse since last week and how it can be used and how it is currently being used in my house on a daily basis.

Give it a try in your house - you don't need to be Christian - just think about the words: Love is Patient. Love is Kind.  Just like the love YOU feel for your kids.

Have a great evening! 

Saturday, March 3, 2012

When Life Gets In the Way

It has been way too long since I have written on the blog and I have missed it.  I have a notebook size sheet of paper filled with different topics I would like to cover!  A friend asked me last week, why I am writing a blog - was it for relatives to keep in touch or just something fun to do?  This is something that is all of the above!  Relatives in other states and friends in other countries can keep up with the antics of my crazy crew!  I think that writing is fun.  In recent years, my writing has been limited to session descriptions for educational programs, text for websites and marketing materials.  It is fun to write about something that I love - my children and family.  Most importantly, the blog is something that I do for myself.  It is a creative outlet and helps me to put things in perspective.  I would like to thank you for clicking in and seeing what my fearsome foursome have been up to and for following me.  I have only been blogging a short time, but the blog has been read in four different countries and has had almost 400 hits.  That's not too bad!

In the last few weeks, life has simply gotten in the way.  We have had too many medical appointments and too many activities.  I can do without the doctor's visits but wouldn't trade in any of the activities!  There are days I feel like I spend more time in my van than in my house, and I have heard that as the kids get older it gets much, much worse! Sometimes I'm sure my husband wishes I would learn to say no - last weekend was tied up with volunteering at lacrosse assessments and ballet meetings, this past week I was focused on volunteering in my daughter's class and doing a little "kids in the kitchen" project with 18 five year-olds!  This evening will be spent volunteering at my daughter's ballet academy for their Winter Recital. (She's a snow flake!)  I may complain, but I truly love every minute of it.  I always think of this quote from a famous mom of multiples, and it definitely applies to my family: "It's a crazy life, but it's OUR life!"

Have a great day!