(My apologies in advance, but I can't help sharing....)
Ok, so maybe it is SO wrong that I have spent so much time laughing over this video today, but I just can't help it. There really are no words, so just behold this gem of an interview from our local news last night...
If you want more, here's part 2 from a later newscast.
And yes, as embarrassing as it is to admit, these are totally real.
Happy weekend!!
7.30.2010
7.28.2010
We might be in trouble...
Since she was a tiny little 5 lb. thing, I have called Addison my "Little Addison". She was a bit smaller than Mackenzie for quite awhile, and she has just always seemed a little more petite and delicate. While Mackenzie will gladly stand in the middle of a room full of our family and perform all her little tricks to make us laugh, Addison is more likely to stand quietly on the sidelines, watching intently until she's ready to step up and copy her sister. Because of this little delicate nature, I have felt a bit more protective of Addison at times.
Sweet and innocent, right?
Well...
I'm thinking she is starting to outgrow the shy and delicate aspects of her personality.
Little Addison is proving more and more lately that there is nothing "little" about either her personality or her lungs. She doesn't use any words consistently yet, but she sure can use that little pointer finger to indicate what she wants. If you misunderstand or, heaven forbid, deny her what she wants, watch out. Little Addison has learned to throw the mother-of-all tantrums.
At 15 months, my child can throw a temper tantrum that alternately makes me want to burst into tears or giggle uncontrollably. (What? You don't get the urge to laugh when your toddler is face down on the floor in a pool of snot and tears because her sister has the pink sippy cup she wants? Is that just me?) I'm not talking about just any old breakdown that toddlers have when they're overtired, agitated, or seeking attention. I am talking about an all-out, limp-bodied, red-faced, tears-streaming FIT. She throws her hands around, hitting anything in her way (me, herself, the wall, etc.), and generally just ends up face-down on the floor, screaming her little heart out. THIS IS NOT A LEARNED BEHAVIOR...the girls are generally only around other kids at church and I don't know of much tantrum-throwing going on in the nursery there.
Seriously, though, is this normal for 15 months? I expected it at two, sure...and I've heard the threes are even worse than the twos for a lot of kids. But 15 months? Are you kidding me?! If there is this much drama now, what will it be like when she is two or three? I need a good, strong drink just thinking about it...and I don't even drink!
Like many new parents, and especially parents of multiples, I spent most of the first year just trying to get through the day. It's just now really starting to sink in that these are little people I am raising. The things we do now will shape their attitudes and actions forever...the way we parent them now will affect their entire lives. That's a pretty sobering thought, and I realize I need to spend a lot more time thinking and praying about this issue.
How do I shape my children into the ladies I want them to eventually be? How do I deal with this temper in a way that prepares Addison for the future? How do I stay sane during the next, oh, twenty years or so? Should I start drinking now or wait until they're three and I really need it? (Just kidding!)
What's the secret??
I don't have any answers, but there sure are a lot of thoughts swimming around in my head. I want to raise these girls to be the amazing women I know they can be, and there's a huge challenge in that. I am realizing more and more all the time just how daunting this task of parenting really is. It's about far more than dirty diapers and laundry and sleeping through the night. I am responsible for their LIVES, for better or worse, and that feels like a heavy load right now.
7.27.2010
Workin' Mama
There was never much doubt in my mind that I would be a mom who worked outside the home. Even when we found out we were having two babies, it never really crossed my mind to change the plan and stay home. I worked hard for my degrees, and for the most part, I love my work. I like having structure and a definitive purpose to my days, attainable goals to accomplish by 4:30 each afternoon. (I know it is entirely possible to set and accomplish goals for each day when you're at home with kids too; they're just different kinds of goals.)
Do I miss my girls when I am at work? Sure, most days I do. I'll be honest, though, after a rough night of broken sleep, endless whining in the morning, and three poopy diapers in an hour, I am a little eager to get to the relative peace and quiet of my office! (You know the kind of day I'm talking about, right? Right?!)
Some moms are at their best when they are with their children all day long. I am a better mom when I have a variety of activities, people, and interactions in my days. Sometimes my afternoons are long, and I can't wait to get home to their sweet faces. After being at work all day, I am energized and ready for an evening of playing, feeding, bathing, and snuggling.
Sure, there are times I wish I could be at home with them all day. I am fortunate enough to have a job that is flexible and understanding, and if I need to take a day off to be with my girlies, I can do it easily. We get lots of long-weekend holidays too, and after 3 or 4 days at home without a break, I am usually pretty much ready to get back to our normal routine! As Addison and Mackenzie get bigger, there will be more days when I will take an afternoon off to take them out for a special activity. My mom worked when I was growing up, and I have fond memories of outings like that....which were all the more special because she made a concentrated effort to plan and arrange something fun for us to enjoy, sometimes even as a surprise.
The best part of our situation right now is that the girls are kind of getting a "best of both worlds" experience. While I am working, they are with my mom at her house or my mother-in-law at our house. So they are with a close family member, in an environment that feels as comfortable as home to them. Basically, for this first year, they have had a similar experience to the one they would have had if I had stayed home...except they got their grandmothers, who, let's be honest, often have quite a bit more patience than their mama! And again, my job is flexible enough to allow me lots of time with them, and I see them every day for an hour at lunch.
In two weeks, they will start attending Mother's Day Out, which is a decision we made not out of necessity, but for their socialization and development. I think it will be a good thing for them to have some interaction with other children and they will get to participate in fun activities that we just aren't brave enough to do at home yet (finger-painting, anyone?). When they get out in the afternoons, they will be with my mom until I'm off work, and on the days they don't go to MDO they will go to mom's like usual. I'm hoping it will be a great experience for the girls, but if for some reason it's not, we have the flexibility to go back to the old routine.
It's hard to have a conversation about being a working mom without at least touching the money issue. Jeremy and I both work in public service, so we are compensated with good benefits a lot more than with good pay. Still, we know that we could have made it work for me to stay at home, if that's where my heart was. We would have stayed in our first house instead of moving back to my hometown. We would have had to make some budget changes and cut back on a lot of extras, and there would certainly be no MDO this fall. We could have made it work, but it just wasn't the right situation for our family at the time.
We are very blessed in so many ways that our circumstances have allowed us to give our girls the life we want for them. Jeremy and I were both raised in homes with working mothers (and both were single parents for a significant portion of our childhood), and partly because of that, we are super-close to our extended family. We kind of like knowing that Mackenzie and Addison will have that kind of family environment as well.
They are happy, healthy, and loved beyond belief by many, many people...and that's what matters most to us.
Do I miss my girls when I am at work? Sure, most days I do. I'll be honest, though, after a rough night of broken sleep, endless whining in the morning, and three poopy diapers in an hour, I am a little eager to get to the relative peace and quiet of my office! (You know the kind of day I'm talking about, right? Right?!)
Some moms are at their best when they are with their children all day long. I am a better mom when I have a variety of activities, people, and interactions in my days. Sometimes my afternoons are long, and I can't wait to get home to their sweet faces. After being at work all day, I am energized and ready for an evening of playing, feeding, bathing, and snuggling.
Sure, there are times I wish I could be at home with them all day. I am fortunate enough to have a job that is flexible and understanding, and if I need to take a day off to be with my girlies, I can do it easily. We get lots of long-weekend holidays too, and after 3 or 4 days at home without a break, I am usually pretty much ready to get back to our normal routine! As Addison and Mackenzie get bigger, there will be more days when I will take an afternoon off to take them out for a special activity. My mom worked when I was growing up, and I have fond memories of outings like that....which were all the more special because she made a concentrated effort to plan and arrange something fun for us to enjoy, sometimes even as a surprise.
The best part of our situation right now is that the girls are kind of getting a "best of both worlds" experience. While I am working, they are with my mom at her house or my mother-in-law at our house. So they are with a close family member, in an environment that feels as comfortable as home to them. Basically, for this first year, they have had a similar experience to the one they would have had if I had stayed home...except they got their grandmothers, who, let's be honest, often have quite a bit more patience than their mama! And again, my job is flexible enough to allow me lots of time with them, and I see them every day for an hour at lunch.
In two weeks, they will start attending Mother's Day Out, which is a decision we made not out of necessity, but for their socialization and development. I think it will be a good thing for them to have some interaction with other children and they will get to participate in fun activities that we just aren't brave enough to do at home yet (finger-painting, anyone?). When they get out in the afternoons, they will be with my mom until I'm off work, and on the days they don't go to MDO they will go to mom's like usual. I'm hoping it will be a great experience for the girls, but if for some reason it's not, we have the flexibility to go back to the old routine.
It's hard to have a conversation about being a working mom without at least touching the money issue. Jeremy and I both work in public service, so we are compensated with good benefits a lot more than with good pay. Still, we know that we could have made it work for me to stay at home, if that's where my heart was. We would have stayed in our first house instead of moving back to my hometown. We would have had to make some budget changes and cut back on a lot of extras, and there would certainly be no MDO this fall. We could have made it work, but it just wasn't the right situation for our family at the time.
We are very blessed in so many ways that our circumstances have allowed us to give our girls the life we want for them. Jeremy and I were both raised in homes with working mothers (and both were single parents for a significant portion of our childhood), and partly because of that, we are super-close to our extended family. We kind of like knowing that Mackenzie and Addison will have that kind of family environment as well.
They are happy, healthy, and loved beyond belief by many, many people...and that's what matters most to us.
For more posts on this topic, head over to Multiples and More!
7.21.2010
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday
The girls had their fifteen-month checkup last week. There was some serious stranger-anxiety going on, and they wanted NOTHING to do with the doctor. We have to go get their eyes checked by an optometrist...Mackenzie especially had a significant difference in the readings between her left and right eyes. No big deal; just something we want to stay on top of. It's obvious that they can see fairly well, so I'm not worried.
The stats:
Addison weighs 19 lbs., 10 oz. and is 28 3/4 in. tall.
Mackenzie weighs 19 lbs., 11 oz. and is 29 in. tall.
They are pretty small girls, but growing just fine on their own scale, so we got a good report!
Here's one more picture...Addison is loving on her sissy. They melt my heart when they are in a "lovey" mood. Sure could have used some of that tonight!! : )
Exhausted...in a good way
The week has only just begun, and I'm already exhausted. Somehow I seem to have more going on in this 2-3 week span than I have in months. There are mostly fun things on my plate, though, so I guess you could say I'm exhausted in a good way.
In bedtime news, apparently 8:00 is the new 7:00, at least for three or four nights of the week. There have been a few nights that I was sure the girls were ready for bed at the normal time, so I fought them to go to sleep. I would end up getting them back up to play a little longer...because that's a much better alternative than lying in bed screaming. At 8:00, it was like a switch flipped and they were ready for bed. I don't know if it's a lasting thing or not, but for now, I'm taking advantage of the extra playtime to get to do some things we don't normally have time for with the super-early bedtime. When they start Mother's Day Out next month, they will likely switch to one nap a day, so who knows what might happen then?!
I think the softball and the heat easily explain the physical exhaustion! Of course, running after these two cuties isn't exactly easy either...
And thus ends the most boring and random blog post in history. (Sorry!) The heat makes it hard to concentrate. : )
In bedtime news, apparently 8:00 is the new 7:00, at least for three or four nights of the week. There have been a few nights that I was sure the girls were ready for bed at the normal time, so I fought them to go to sleep. I would end up getting them back up to play a little longer...because that's a much better alternative than lying in bed screaming. At 8:00, it was like a switch flipped and they were ready for bed. I don't know if it's a lasting thing or not, but for now, I'm taking advantage of the extra playtime to get to do some things we don't normally have time for with the super-early bedtime. When they start Mother's Day Out next month, they will likely switch to one nap a day, so who knows what might happen then?!
Mackenzie pointing to her hair.
Last night, after I fed the girls their supper, we loaded up and headed to the church, where Jeremy was practicing softball. There were some very willing volunteer babysitters watching the practice, so I got to play too. That was the first time I have touched a softball in years, and I have to say, it felt great. I am not the type to get a "rush" from exercise (or maybe I'd do it more often!), but I felt SO good after getting out and burning that energy last night. So good, in fact, that I went back tonight! We didn't stay as long tonight, becaause it was super hot (we had an actual heat warning this afternoon...when Alabama issues a warning, you KNOW it's hot), but again, it was nice to get out and do something. We've been tied to the 7:00 bedtime for so long that it's actually kind of fun to have a little more flexibility in the evenings. Of course, that probably means they will go back to the earlier bedtime next week, but oh well...we take it as it comes around here.
Addison showing her tongue.
I think the softball and the heat easily explain the physical exhaustion! Of course, running after these two cuties isn't exactly easy either...
I have been away from the girls for quite a few nights lately, for one thing or the other. I miss seeing them for our nighttime snuggles, but it's been good for me too. Jeremy and I went to a movie last weekend (Grown Ups = hilarious!), and Thursday night, I had a long, leisurely dinner with girlfriends. Friday night I will be going to dinner and a movie with the girls in our youth group, for a Girls' Night Out, and Sunday is a play at the local community college (Steel Magnolias!). On top of all that, there are papers to grade, exams to give, and housework to do...minimal as it may be. And, oh yeah, there's that other 40-hour-a-week job too, which is keeping on my toes right now too.
My goal for the rest of the week is to try to get up at 6:00 and get a shower before the girls get up. I have gotten in a bad habit of not setting my alarm and letting them wake me instead. That was all fine and good when they got up way before I had to, but lately they have been sleeping until at least 6:30 or so. The mornings they don't get me up until 6:45 or later, I will inevitably be late for work...oops! I know I would feel so much better and be less rushed if I could make myself get up and get started before they call out (or cry out, depending on what kind of morning it's going to be). I will be setting my alarm when I go to bed tonight...we'll see how it goes.
7.14.2010
It's a Small World After All
Yesterday, I was browsing the massive blogroll over at Multiples and More site and a blog caught my eye. The post description was the title of a book I read and really enjoyed when I was expecting the girls. The blog was under the 'Expecting' category, so I clicked over to see what the parents-to-be thought of the book in question.
I read through the review of the book, and decided to leave a comment congratulating the new parents on their upcoming additions. After commenting, I read a little further on the blog, which is written by the dad-to-be. (Don't you just love seeing a dad's perspective on the whole pregnancy/family thing? I enjoy reading about it from the "other side" sometimes.)
To my surprise, the 'About Me' section mentioned that the couple had recently moved back to the husband's hometown, which happens to be only about an hour and a half from where I live. Funny, right? I commented again, telling them about the coincidence I had discovered and mentioning my hometown.
It gets better...
The dad responded to my comment with an email, telling me that his wife is actually from the same town as me! Turns out, she is just a couple of years younger than me, and I vaguely remember her face from school and sports over the years. She actually has a twin sister herself, which helped jar my memory a little.
So, to sum it up...I click on a blog at random, out of about 1000 or so listed on a website. The family ends up living near me, and the mother and I basically went to school together here in this small town in north Alabama.
How random is that?!
It really IS a small, small, world. (Do I have that song stuck in your head yet? Do you want to kill me? I've been singing it all afternoon!)
Stop by The Waiting Womb and welcome my new friends to the multiples parenting community. I'm sure they would love a little unsolicited advice! : )
I read through the review of the book, and decided to leave a comment congratulating the new parents on their upcoming additions. After commenting, I read a little further on the blog, which is written by the dad-to-be. (Don't you just love seeing a dad's perspective on the whole pregnancy/family thing? I enjoy reading about it from the "other side" sometimes.)
To my surprise, the 'About Me' section mentioned that the couple had recently moved back to the husband's hometown, which happens to be only about an hour and a half from where I live. Funny, right? I commented again, telling them about the coincidence I had discovered and mentioning my hometown.
It gets better...
The dad responded to my comment with an email, telling me that his wife is actually from the same town as me! Turns out, she is just a couple of years younger than me, and I vaguely remember her face from school and sports over the years. She actually has a twin sister herself, which helped jar my memory a little.
So, to sum it up...I click on a blog at random, out of about 1000 or so listed on a website. The family ends up living near me, and the mother and I basically went to school together here in this small town in north Alabama.
How random is that?!
It really IS a small, small, world. (Do I have that song stuck in your head yet? Do you want to kill me? I've been singing it all afternoon!)
Stop by The Waiting Womb and welcome my new friends to the multiples parenting community. I'm sure they would love a little unsolicited advice! : )
7.13.2010
I Needed That
The last week or so has been pretty challenging around here. I guess I should more accurately say it's been challenging for me...no one else seemed to have much of a problem with it.
For some reason, our routine got a little off a few days last week. On a couple of different occasions, the girls screamed when I put them down for the night, which almost never happens. They normally curl up quietly on their little pillows and hum or "talk" until they drift off to sleep. I'm still not quite sure what was going on, but it threw me for a loop. When they weren't going down right, I just got them back up to hang out a little bit longer, then tried again. They ended up going down fine eventually, but only once they were really ready, apparently. (Which was not until 8:15 on Saturday night...when for over a year, they have been in bed by 7:00, nearly without fail!)
In the grand scheme of things, it's not really that big of a deal, I know. Just push bedtime back a little, right? It seems so easy, but let me tell you, I have been some kind of stressed dealing with the kink in our schedule. I do NOT like not knowing what time they may decide to go to bed. (Why, yes, I do have a little problem with change, thankyouverymuch.) And I really, really hate the screaming when I try to put them to bed. Mackenzie is a very loud child when she chooses to be.
It all came to a head on Sunday night, when Jeremy and I were going to take turns going over to my mom's (which is about 5 minutes away) to eat the delicious supper my family was enjoying...except that the girls were once again refusing to go to bed. It didn't help that Addison had had a late 2-hour nap that day, and Mackenzie had refused to nap all afternoon, until she literally fell over asleep at 5:00 and slept about 30 minutes. They were all out of sorts; I was out of sorts from worrying about it; and Jeremy was crazy from dealing with all of us. When we realized they weren't ready for bed, he suggested we just take them with us to my mom's. I had been so looking forward to eating a nice, peaceful meal, without having to hold a kid or push little hands away from my plate, drink, fork, knife, etc....and at the thought of not getting that, I lost it a little. Jeremy made me realize that, as important as schedule and routine are to my sanity, sometimes I have to deal with a little change here and there. And it will be okay.
In case you're wondering, he sent me on to my mom's while he dealt with the girls. I had a full meal all by myself, and it was fantastic.
Going into this week, I felt more refreshed and ready to deal with whatever the new challenges might be. Eight o'clock bedtime? I can handle it...more playtime for me and my girls.
Yesterday, we had the 15-month checkup and shots. They took great naps yesterday afternoon and were still ready for bed at the normal time, but I attributed it to the tiring day and the tylenol I gave them to wear off the vaccine-induced crankiness.
I was curious to see how they would do tonight, especially since my mom said they did not get a nap at all this afternoon (thanks to a loud thunderstorm rolling through). When Mackenzie fell asleep on the five-minute drive home, I thought the evening could turn out to be another challenging one.
To my surprise, everything went just perfectly tonight. The girls were funny and playful, even though they were sleepy. They ate well, pointing out mama, sissy, and all the correct body parts during dinner. They cracked up at me making the "sss" sound (it's the funniest letter of the alphabet, obviously), and chased each other down the hallway. They had a 30-minute bath, and not because someone pooped in the tub, but because they were playing so well together. After bath, Mackenzie even bent down to give me kiss on the mouth, which is nearly unheard of these days (one-year-olds are apparently too cool to give kisses to their parents!). Addison unexpectedly dove in my lap and buried her head in my shoulder to give me "love". Those two actions right there will likely be the highlight of my week.
We ended the night in the recliner, as always, drinking milk and singing songs as A & M wind down for bedtime. We cuddled sang "Wheels on the Bus" (with a few hand motions on their part!), "Jesus Loves Me", and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". After an extra round of cuddling, my sweet girls curled up in their beds, clutching their blankets and lovies, and went right to sleep, as if the past week was all a dream.
Thanks, girls, for reminding me not to get too bent out of shape over silly things like bedtime. Thanks for your sweet kisses and snuggles, for making me laugh, and for brightening my day with your beautiful little faces. I needed that tonight.
For some reason, our routine got a little off a few days last week. On a couple of different occasions, the girls screamed when I put them down for the night, which almost never happens. They normally curl up quietly on their little pillows and hum or "talk" until they drift off to sleep. I'm still not quite sure what was going on, but it threw me for a loop. When they weren't going down right, I just got them back up to hang out a little bit longer, then tried again. They ended up going down fine eventually, but only once they were really ready, apparently. (Which was not until 8:15 on Saturday night...when for over a year, they have been in bed by 7:00, nearly without fail!)
In the grand scheme of things, it's not really that big of a deal, I know. Just push bedtime back a little, right? It seems so easy, but let me tell you, I have been some kind of stressed dealing with the kink in our schedule. I do NOT like not knowing what time they may decide to go to bed. (Why, yes, I do have a little problem with change, thankyouverymuch.) And I really, really hate the screaming when I try to put them to bed. Mackenzie is a very loud child when she chooses to be.
It all came to a head on Sunday night, when Jeremy and I were going to take turns going over to my mom's (which is about 5 minutes away) to eat the delicious supper my family was enjoying...except that the girls were once again refusing to go to bed. It didn't help that Addison had had a late 2-hour nap that day, and Mackenzie had refused to nap all afternoon, until she literally fell over asleep at 5:00 and slept about 30 minutes. They were all out of sorts; I was out of sorts from worrying about it; and Jeremy was crazy from dealing with all of us. When we realized they weren't ready for bed, he suggested we just take them with us to my mom's. I had been so looking forward to eating a nice, peaceful meal, without having to hold a kid or push little hands away from my plate, drink, fork, knife, etc....and at the thought of not getting that, I lost it a little. Jeremy made me realize that, as important as schedule and routine are to my sanity, sometimes I have to deal with a little change here and there. And it will be okay.
In case you're wondering, he sent me on to my mom's while he dealt with the girls. I had a full meal all by myself, and it was fantastic.
Going into this week, I felt more refreshed and ready to deal with whatever the new challenges might be. Eight o'clock bedtime? I can handle it...more playtime for me and my girls.
Yesterday, we had the 15-month checkup and shots. They took great naps yesterday afternoon and were still ready for bed at the normal time, but I attributed it to the tiring day and the tylenol I gave them to wear off the vaccine-induced crankiness.
I was curious to see how they would do tonight, especially since my mom said they did not get a nap at all this afternoon (thanks to a loud thunderstorm rolling through). When Mackenzie fell asleep on the five-minute drive home, I thought the evening could turn out to be another challenging one.
To my surprise, everything went just perfectly tonight. The girls were funny and playful, even though they were sleepy. They ate well, pointing out mama, sissy, and all the correct body parts during dinner. They cracked up at me making the "sss" sound (it's the funniest letter of the alphabet, obviously), and chased each other down the hallway. They had a 30-minute bath, and not because someone pooped in the tub, but because they were playing so well together. After bath, Mackenzie even bent down to give me kiss on the mouth, which is nearly unheard of these days (one-year-olds are apparently too cool to give kisses to their parents!). Addison unexpectedly dove in my lap and buried her head in my shoulder to give me "love". Those two actions right there will likely be the highlight of my week.
We ended the night in the recliner, as always, drinking milk and singing songs as A & M wind down for bedtime. We cuddled sang "Wheels on the Bus" (with a few hand motions on their part!), "Jesus Loves Me", and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". After an extra round of cuddling, my sweet girls curled up in their beds, clutching their blankets and lovies, and went right to sleep, as if the past week was all a dream.
Thanks, girls, for reminding me not to get too bent out of shape over silly things like bedtime. Thanks for your sweet kisses and snuggles, for making me laugh, and for brightening my day with your beautiful little faces. I needed that tonight.
7.08.2010
What If?
Back when I was 15 or so, I had big plans for my life. I was going to college and law school, neither of which would be anywhere near my hometown. I wanted to spend a year in London, either working or taking classes abroad. No marriage until I finished all those other goals first, of course. I wasn't sure what kind of law I wanted to practice, and I considered that I might even want to teach college (that's one part of the plan that did work out).
Well, as we all know, life happens. By the time I graduated high school, I was dating a totally-wrong-for-me older guy with no ambition whatsoever (except his truck; he had plenty of ambitions there, as if it mattered). A real winner, right? I blame it on the ignorance of youth.
Anyway, by the time I went to college, I didn't want to be too far from home. I always knew in the back of my mind that our relationship wouldn't handle any sort of distance well, but at least I had the good sense not to totally derail my college plans. (And thank goodness for a mom who would never have let that happen!) Instead of an Ivy-league school or at least one a couple of states away, I landed at a relatively small university two hours from my hometown. Naturally, like so many others, my high school relationship was pretty much history by Christmas break.
When it came time to make plans to return to school for spring semester, I just couldn't do it. Although my best friend was attending the same college, we weren't rooming together (I had a private room the first semester) and we hadn't made much of an effort to get to know other people or get involved on campus, mostly because of those silly hometown boys we spent so much time worrying about. I chose not to go back to the university. I just couldn't handle going back to a place where I felt so lonely and far away from my friends and family. It was an emotional time, with a lot of change going on in my life, and I needed to be back in my comfort zone. In a matter of just a few days, I made the transfer to the local community college where, incidentally, I now teach.
Of course, after a year and a half there, I was ready to go again, though not so far this time. I headed over to UAH, less than an hour away, but in a much bigger city than the one I'm from. This time, I was ready. My best friend was by my side once again (she had come home after spring semester and joined me at the community college, where we had lots of fun with all our old, familiar friends), and we jumped headfirst into traditional college life...sororities, clubs, parties, and boys.
Life was finally on the right track. I loved every minute at UAH, and ended up completing my master's degree there and working at the school for awhile. (I met Jeremy at one of those early parties, which certainly changed the course of my life again...but that's a story for another day.)
And what happened to the law school plans? Well, I worked at a large law firm in college, and though it was a good job where I made lots of contacts, I could see the stress that literally hung in the air in that place. Of course, it was a prestigious firm with lots of large corporate clients, and I realized that not all attorneys landed a job like that...but still. I couldn't imagine myself in a place like that. I decided I would probably always feel a little out of place in that world. I skipped the pressure and competition of law school and pursued a master's degree in political science, a field I loved and knew I would be happy studying. Ironically, I wound up working in the legal field anyway, though for a prosecutor, which is definitely the side of the law I prefer to be on!
Occasionally, I stop for a minute and remember the girl I was back then, back when I made all those decisions that changed the course of my life. What if I had taken the more bold path, thrown that stupid boy and all my insecurities to the side, and gone off to pursue that life I used to think I would have? How different would I be today? It's hard to picture myself at a huge university...would I have still chosen political science? If I had gone to London, would I have stayed? I know from my trip there several years ago that likely the only thing to bring me back would be my family. My family and my hometown do have quite the pull though, maybe I was always going to come back here. If I had gone to law school, or even chosen a different career path, where would I be now?
One single decision might have changed everything about the course of my life. If I had gone off to London or the faraway undetermined college, I would never have met my husband. Even if I had gone to UAH first, rather than waiting until my junior year, we might have met and not liked each other at all. We could have met and been dating other people. Who knows? And of course, without Jeremy, I wouldn't have the two sweet girls who now make my world go round.
Even if life didn't turn out the way I planned it all those years ago, I think it's a pretty great life to have. I've got a husband who is completely devoted to me and our family, who works hard for us, and who makes me laugh just about every day. We have built a good life together, laughing, loving, and squabbling through the years. We may not have prestigious careers or a swanky city townhouse, but I think we both do good, honorable work and we truly enjoy our jobs. We have a house that we love in the town that's played such a big part in my life. And we have two daughters who have brought a fulfillment to our lives that we never even knew we were missing. They have brought even more love and laughter into our world, and they've taught me to appreciate what really matters in life.
It may not be the road I imagined myself taking, but someone knew where I was headed all along. It's exactly where I'm meant to be, and exactly where I want to be. But I wouldn't say no to a vacation in London in a few years! (hint, hint...)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11
This is my first time to participate in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Click on over and check it out!
Well, as we all know, life happens. By the time I graduated high school, I was dating a totally-wrong-for-me older guy with no ambition whatsoever (except his truck; he had plenty of ambitions there, as if it mattered). A real winner, right? I blame it on the ignorance of youth.
Anyway, by the time I went to college, I didn't want to be too far from home. I always knew in the back of my mind that our relationship wouldn't handle any sort of distance well, but at least I had the good sense not to totally derail my college plans. (And thank goodness for a mom who would never have let that happen!) Instead of an Ivy-league school or at least one a couple of states away, I landed at a relatively small university two hours from my hometown. Naturally, like so many others, my high school relationship was pretty much history by Christmas break.
When it came time to make plans to return to school for spring semester, I just couldn't do it. Although my best friend was attending the same college, we weren't rooming together (I had a private room the first semester) and we hadn't made much of an effort to get to know other people or get involved on campus, mostly because of those silly hometown boys we spent so much time worrying about. I chose not to go back to the university. I just couldn't handle going back to a place where I felt so lonely and far away from my friends and family. It was an emotional time, with a lot of change going on in my life, and I needed to be back in my comfort zone. In a matter of just a few days, I made the transfer to the local community college where, incidentally, I now teach.
Of course, after a year and a half there, I was ready to go again, though not so far this time. I headed over to UAH, less than an hour away, but in a much bigger city than the one I'm from. This time, I was ready. My best friend was by my side once again (she had come home after spring semester and joined me at the community college, where we had lots of fun with all our old, familiar friends), and we jumped headfirst into traditional college life...sororities, clubs, parties, and boys.
Life was finally on the right track. I loved every minute at UAH, and ended up completing my master's degree there and working at the school for awhile. (I met Jeremy at one of those early parties, which certainly changed the course of my life again...but that's a story for another day.)
And what happened to the law school plans? Well, I worked at a large law firm in college, and though it was a good job where I made lots of contacts, I could see the stress that literally hung in the air in that place. Of course, it was a prestigious firm with lots of large corporate clients, and I realized that not all attorneys landed a job like that...but still. I couldn't imagine myself in a place like that. I decided I would probably always feel a little out of place in that world. I skipped the pressure and competition of law school and pursued a master's degree in political science, a field I loved and knew I would be happy studying. Ironically, I wound up working in the legal field anyway, though for a prosecutor, which is definitely the side of the law I prefer to be on!
Occasionally, I stop for a minute and remember the girl I was back then, back when I made all those decisions that changed the course of my life. What if I had taken the more bold path, thrown that stupid boy and all my insecurities to the side, and gone off to pursue that life I used to think I would have? How different would I be today? It's hard to picture myself at a huge university...would I have still chosen political science? If I had gone to London, would I have stayed? I know from my trip there several years ago that likely the only thing to bring me back would be my family. My family and my hometown do have quite the pull though, maybe I was always going to come back here. If I had gone to law school, or even chosen a different career path, where would I be now?
One single decision might have changed everything about the course of my life. If I had gone off to London or the faraway undetermined college, I would never have met my husband. Even if I had gone to UAH first, rather than waiting until my junior year, we might have met and not liked each other at all. We could have met and been dating other people. Who knows? And of course, without Jeremy, I wouldn't have the two sweet girls who now make my world go round.
Even if life didn't turn out the way I planned it all those years ago, I think it's a pretty great life to have. I've got a husband who is completely devoted to me and our family, who works hard for us, and who makes me laugh just about every day. We have built a good life together, laughing, loving, and squabbling through the years. We may not have prestigious careers or a swanky city townhouse, but I think we both do good, honorable work and we truly enjoy our jobs. We have a house that we love in the town that's played such a big part in my life. And we have two daughters who have brought a fulfillment to our lives that we never even knew we were missing. They have brought even more love and laughter into our world, and they've taught me to appreciate what really matters in life.
It may not be the road I imagined myself taking, but someone knew where I was headed all along. It's exactly where I'm meant to be, and exactly where I want to be. But I wouldn't say no to a vacation in London in a few years! (hint, hint...)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11
This is my first time to participate in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Click on over and check it out!
7.07.2010
Let's Talk About Books
Again? Yes, again! When I clicked over to dooce.com today to catch up on the posts I've missed in the last few weeks, I never expected to see a guest post on a favorite childhood book series. But there it was...a full post dedicated to none other than The Babysitters Club.
I distinctly remember that I was in the third grade when I discovered The Babysitters Club series (or BSC, so I don't have to keep typing that out over and over). That would have been 1990-1991, so yeah, twenty years or so ago. TWENTY YEARS.
I was always a big reader, and I think I just picked up the book because it looked like a good story. I am pretty sure it was not the first book in the series. I'm thinking it was like #8 or so, but I don't remember for sure. What I do remember is being so excited to find out it was a series (I've always been excited by the small things, you know), and telling anyone who would listen about the cool new books I had "discovered".
Over the next few years, I read a lot, I mean A LOT of BSC books. We got to order books from school occasionally, and I would eagerly search for a book in the series that I didn't already own. (Do schools still do book fair events? I lived for those.) (Why, yes, I was a nerd, why do you ask?) I also have some memory of joining a BSC-by-mail type deal. I think we got three books at a time or something. Even if I already owned two of the three books in the set being offered, I would rationally explain to my mom that I needed to order it anyway, because everyone needs backup books. What if something happened to my first copy and I was left with a hole in the series? Surely I couldn't be expected to skip from #17: Mary Anne's Bad Luck Mystery to #19: Claudia and the Bad Joke. I had to have them ALL, plus Super Specials (#7: Snowbound was my favorite special...I remember reading it during one of the few very rare "snowstorms" we got during my childhood).
My friends and I would dream of having our own Babysitters Club, never mind that the only babysitting we did was for our own siblings and we highly resented having to do that. Also, we were like ten or eleven...who leaves their kids with eleven-year-olds?! I guess it was a little different back then, but I just can't imagine leaving my girls with pre-teens. I do remember doing a little baby-sitting for non-family by age 12 or 13, which is the age of the kids in the books, but geez...how did they stay so busy? Parents must have had a lot more date nights back then.
Besides dreaming of our own club, we spent lots of time figuring out which characters we identified with the most. (I liked Kristy because she was a tomboy and into sports. I played softball when I wasn't holed up somewhere with a book.) We spent hours copying the handwriting of each character, and I'm pretty sure I could still imitate the writing of at least three of the original four members. Sad, I know.
I have had a fun walk down memory lane as I read the post and comments related to the BSC. Apparently, it was a series that was a major part of childhood for a lot of us. I would love to go back and read a couple of those old books now, and try to remember what I thought about it the first time around. If only I had some of those old treasures lying around somewhere. Oh, wait, in my mom's storage closet there just happens to be a box of BSC books, in chronological order, through about #80 or so! Duplicate copies of some, but you better believe there's not a single book missing.
I can't wait to share things like this with my girls. One of my most fervent hopes is that they love reading as much as I always have...I feel like it will give us something to bond over. If they do, there's a box of vintage, quality BSC books just waiting for them. If they don't like the BSC, well, there's always Sweet Valley High!
Your turn...what were your favorite books as a child/young adult? Did you love the BSC too? What books are you most looking forward to sharing with your kids?
I distinctly remember that I was in the third grade when I discovered The Babysitters Club series (or BSC, so I don't have to keep typing that out over and over). That would have been 1990-1991, so yeah, twenty years or so ago. TWENTY YEARS.
I was always a big reader, and I think I just picked up the book because it looked like a good story. I am pretty sure it was not the first book in the series. I'm thinking it was like #8 or so, but I don't remember for sure. What I do remember is being so excited to find out it was a series (I've always been excited by the small things, you know), and telling anyone who would listen about the cool new books I had "discovered".
Over the next few years, I read a lot, I mean A LOT of BSC books. We got to order books from school occasionally, and I would eagerly search for a book in the series that I didn't already own. (Do schools still do book fair events? I lived for those.) (Why, yes, I was a nerd, why do you ask?) I also have some memory of joining a BSC-by-mail type deal. I think we got three books at a time or something. Even if I already owned two of the three books in the set being offered, I would rationally explain to my mom that I needed to order it anyway, because everyone needs backup books. What if something happened to my first copy and I was left with a hole in the series? Surely I couldn't be expected to skip from #17: Mary Anne's Bad Luck Mystery to #19: Claudia and the Bad Joke. I had to have them ALL, plus Super Specials (#7: Snowbound was my favorite special...I remember reading it during one of the few very rare "snowstorms" we got during my childhood).
My friends and I would dream of having our own Babysitters Club, never mind that the only babysitting we did was for our own siblings and we highly resented having to do that. Also, we were like ten or eleven...who leaves their kids with eleven-year-olds?! I guess it was a little different back then, but I just can't imagine leaving my girls with pre-teens. I do remember doing a little baby-sitting for non-family by age 12 or 13, which is the age of the kids in the books, but geez...how did they stay so busy? Parents must have had a lot more date nights back then.
Besides dreaming of our own club, we spent lots of time figuring out which characters we identified with the most. (I liked Kristy because she was a tomboy and into sports. I played softball when I wasn't holed up somewhere with a book.) We spent hours copying the handwriting of each character, and I'm pretty sure I could still imitate the writing of at least three of the original four members. Sad, I know.
I have had a fun walk down memory lane as I read the post and comments related to the BSC. Apparently, it was a series that was a major part of childhood for a lot of us. I would love to go back and read a couple of those old books now, and try to remember what I thought about it the first time around. If only I had some of those old treasures lying around somewhere. Oh, wait, in my mom's storage closet there just happens to be a box of BSC books, in chronological order, through about #80 or so! Duplicate copies of some, but you better believe there's not a single book missing.
I can't wait to share things like this with my girls. One of my most fervent hopes is that they love reading as much as I always have...I feel like it will give us something to bond over. If they do, there's a box of vintage, quality BSC books just waiting for them. If they don't like the BSC, well, there's always Sweet Valley High!
Your turn...what were your favorite books as a child/young adult? Did you love the BSC too? What books are you most looking forward to sharing with your kids?
7.03.2010
Fifteen Months
Oh, fifteen months, how I love you. You have brought me some of the funniest, happiest, most entertaining little girls I could imagine. You brought me girls who can walk to get where they want to go, who can point to indicate what they want, rather than just sitting and screaming on the floor while we desparately hand them everything in sight. Puffs? Milk? Tv remote? Cell phone? (The last two almost always work, by the way, which is why my kids go nuts when they see someone on the phone.)
Seriously, though, I do love this age. Addison and Mackenzie are SO funny sometimes, and the thing is, they are beginning to understand when they do something funny and want to do it over and over again to make us keep laughing. Every night after their bath, we sit on the floor in their bedroom and wrestle, tickle, snuggle, shriek, and laugh. It's easily my favorite part of the day.
Both girls are walking fairly steadily now. Believe it or not, I love having walkers. Everyone talks about how much they get into stuff when they can walk, but I have found that it's absolutely no more than it was before they could walk. Except now that they can walk to it, they are so much happier (and mama and babies are both much less frustrated!). I guess with the two of them, we had to babyproof and keep such an eye out anyway, that the walking really doesn't make much of a difference. It's so cool to walk down the hallway and see them following me like little ducklings. Of course, it's not quite as fun when we are trying to go play in the front yard and Addison is trying to head down the (brick) steps before Mackenzie gets out the door (and I'm trying to hold onto two little hands to prevent falls on the concrete porch). But, eh, we get where we're going eventually.
Mackenzie showing her teeth.
Addison and Mackenzie each have 8 teeth (4 on top, 4 on bottom), and naturally, they have begun to experiment with the biting. Nothing too serious so far...but Addison did get Mackenzie pretty good on the arm one night in the tub. They don't seem to be doing it on purpose or in a vicious way--just more like they're experimenting to figure out what they can do with those little teeth in their mouths. Mackenzie fell last week, and I was seriously afraid she had knocked out one of those precious teeth at first. She went down on the hardwood in the hallway, and by the time I picked her up, blood was pouring from her mouth. Thankfully, no teeth were damaged, at least not that I can see. We looked like a scene from bad horror movie for a little bit though...and sweet little Addison just crawled around behind us from room to room, making sure her sissy was okay. (She was.)
Getting cleaned up after her fall. She doesn't look too traumatized, does she?
Mackenzie is trying to say more words, but Addison doesn't seem to have much interest in talking yet. She "sings" a lot, especially riding in the car, but no real words most of the time. (She has said "bye", "mama", and "dada" in the past, but has no interest in doing it right now.) Mackenzie consistently says "bye-bye", and she can say "mama" and "daddy" when she wants to. She tries to say something that sounds like "sissy", and she can say "mum-mum" (baby rice cake snacks). They have a squeaking noise that we say is the frog sound, and Addison particularly loves to do it. They have learned to wink this month, which I NEED to get on video, because it's freaking adorable. (I'm totally mommy-gushing in this post, but indulge me this time!) Addison lowers her head and daintily blinks her eyes, and Mackenzie does a split-second face squinch and shrugs her shoulders. So, so cute.
We are working on adding body parts to the list. So far, they can point out their nose, eyes (and unfortunately, each other's eyes as well), ears, hair, toes, tongue, teeth, and belly buttons. I tell them all the time what smart little girls I think they are. : ) I am trying to teach them a few signs so they can tell me when they want to eat, want a drink of milk, etc., instead of that aforementioned trial-and-error thing we do to figure it out. When I was pregnant, I bought a book wtih the basic signs for babies, thinking I would start working with them early on to learn a few important ones. Well...let's just say those plans went out the window once I realized that having twin infants was going to be much harder than I ever imagined! So far, they aren't catching on too well, but I'm not very good at working at it consistently either.
I keep saying it, but Addison and Mackenzie are just hilarious right now, and the rate at which they learn new things is absolutely amazing. It blows my mind when all of a sudden they pull out a trick I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY COULD DO. We used to sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" all the time, but we all got a little sick of it and haven't sung it in a couple of months. Well, the other day, I started singing, and Addison did the hand motions! I have NO IDEA where she learned that, or if she remembered it from before. They learned how to stand on their heads (feet on the ground, bent over at the waist, with their heads down on the floor) one day this week, and now it's their new favorite trick. All it takes is one of them doing something to elicit a laugh or applause from us and her sister will be doing the same within minutes. I can just imagine what they will come home doing once they start Mother's Day Out in the fall.
The only thing I have to complain about right now is the minor sleep thing with Mackenzie. She seems to be having dreams or a bit of separation anxiety. She usually wakes up sometime in the night and I have to rock her back to sleep (I don't rock them when they go down and night, and I would prefer if she could go back to sleep without it...Addison usually can). It's really not that big of a deal, even when it's a bit more dramatic and she winds up in the bed with me. I tend to get more bent out of shape than I should over a little bit of broken sleep. I think it's a holdover from those first few months, when it was so important to maintain the schedule and routine and do everything exactly right when it came to sleep. Cuddling with a sleeping baby is not the worst way to spend the night...except when she tosses, kicks, and head-butts me in her sleep...that part I could do without. I just try to remember that it's just a phase, and one day, not too far from now, she won't want me to snuggle with her.
My dainty little girls can finally wear some of their 12-month clothes, but still wear a lot of 6-9 month ones. They are also ready to move up to a size three shoe. We go to the doctor for checkup and shots next week. I'm interested to see how much they weigh, but I'm pretty sure it's not 20 lbs. They eat pretty well, though, so I'm not complaining! They are getting a little more picky at times, but their favorite foods are lima beans, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cantaloupe, yogurt, puffs, fig newtons, and ice cream (thanks to their daddy, who shares a blizzard with them about once a week!).
Life is good right now...crazy and busy at times, but fun, and always full of love.
7.02.2010
Family Pictures
We had family pictures made several weeks ago, and I just realized I never posted any here. They were taken around our downtown square, and I love how they turned out. It was a bright, hot morning, but luckily, we finished in only about 30 minutes. After pictures, Jeremy and I took the girls to the bakery for the first time. They LOVED it. Chocolate milk, donuts, and party cookies...who wouldn't love it?
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
I forgot to run these pictures through Picnik to put a watermark on them, so if anyone gets any bright ideas about stealing my family's pictures, think again. We will hunt you down and make you pay. Thank you for your cooperation. : )
As always, picture credits go to Ashley at Life's Mirror Images.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)