One Long Weekend

This weekend was exceptionally long. I know, usually one is excited for the weekend and they always go by to fast, but this weekend was a long one. Around 11:00 am on Friday Natalie came down with a fever of 103.8. I started medicating her and called the dr. They said to just treat the fever, so I did. At 4:00 it still was really high so I called again, this was after Natalie literally laid on the couch all afternoon. Wouldn't eat, drink and her eyes kept rolling back in her head because she was so tired. They once again said to alternate Tylenol and Motrin. Saturday morning the fever was still high so we were off to the dr. to find out that she had an ear infection. Who knew?! She hasn't had a cold, runny nose and wasn't pulling her ears. That afternoon when she woke up from her nap her fever had risen to 105. Off to the ER we went. Let me tell you, there are some very interesting/weird people at the ER on a Saturday afternoon. After a little over an hour of waiting, we were called back and what I saw was truly shocking. It was like a movie with beds and people laying in the hallway. Very different if you ask me. So there we sat on one of those beds in the hall. The dr. finally came over and said she was fine and to just keep treating the fever. UGH!
Well, yesterday she was doing better, still on the tylenol and motrin but getting better. Then yesterday around 11 or so, Maddie starts the same fever. How can this be possible? Ear infections are not supposed to be contagious. So again today I was back at the dr. to find out that Maddie does indeed have an ear infection as well. We maybe going to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist because this is the 5th ear infection they have had in less that a year so if they get one more they may have to have tubes. Once again though it was ironic to me that they managed to get ear infections at the same time without sharing a cold. But needless to say all the trips to the dr. and the ER made for an interesting weekend.

The Great Debate

For the last several months Tom and I, but mostly me, have been going back and forth and back and forth on whether we want to have another child. Tom has said several times he doesn't care either way, but that he might like to have a boy. I thought this was funny, because after the girls were born he said he was fine with all girls. I on the other hand don't know, at all. It feels like there is so much that has to go into the decision. I sit and wonder, literally for hours, whether we are being selfish in having another child. For financial reasons, for economic reasons, world temperament, but mostly will it be fair to all the kids. The girls already have to share time with us, what will it be like if there is a third? We have a great family dynamic at the moment, and it is hard to picture that family if there was another child added to it. Also, the girls get along so well, what would it do to them to add another? I wish there was some button you could push that could give you the answers and that there weren't so many uncertainities. I fear that we could have twins again and I don't think we could do it, well we would, but I don't know if I could carry them and wow 4 kids would be a lot for us. I don't want that surgery again, but it would be a for sure thing we if decide to have another. I know that a lot of these questions all parents ask themselves when they decide to expand their families, but I feel like it is a huge weight that is sitting on my shoulders ready to drop at any moment. It may even be years until we truly decide, but then again there in lies more problems, because if we do have another we don't a huge age gap, so once again we are forced to think carefully about what we are doing. I guess I don't want to look down the road in years and say I wish we had had another child and we didn't, but I am sure in the end the decision we make will be right for our family, all of us, because that is what is most important our nice little family and making sure the girls are happy, safe and secure. Ahhhh well, so here is to my great debate...if you have anything to say I would love to hear it, it really is a hard decision, one that we know can only be answered by us and hopefully will some day.

Even when its hard

I have decided that even on days like today when it is hard being a mom, I wouldn't change a thing and I am the luckiest person alive that I get to stay home with my girls. Today would have been a day where Maddie got a time out for throwing things down the stairs. Natalie got one for throwing her good shoes into the pool. I had to give Maddie one in the grocery store for screaming and throwing items out of the cart. Okay, how do you give a child a time out at the store, well, let me share that with you. I had to take her out of the cart, put her in a corner, near the trash can at the end of an aisle and turn my back to her while she had her time out. Crazy I know, but the behavior was not acceptable. So one would think that time outs would have been the last of it to make it a bad day, but oh it gets gross, so hold on. Maddie made a mess in her diaper while we were outside playing after dinner, so I thought why waste a diaper and just let her run around with her body suit on, thinking nothing more could come out. I was wrong. By the time we got up to take a bath she had managed to go again and it had been ground into the body suit and pieces fell out all over the floor. So while I was trying not to rub it into her anymore, there was little Nat, walking around and almost stepping on the pieces....GROSS!
But we managed and laughed about it and while I am tired today, I am so thankful that tomorrow I get to wake up and their smiling little faces will greet me in the morning. That they will tell me they love me and give me hugs and kisses and to think, that is my job. My job is to love them and hug them, and play with them. Can I ask for more in life? I think not, I think that even though it can be hard there is no other place on earth I would rather be.

While Mommy is away:

The other day I left the girls home with Tom for a little while so I could run some errands. When I was almost home Tom called me and asked me where I was. I told him I was almost home. He said, "good because Maddie has something to show." Okay, I thought this is interesting. Well, when I walked Maddie ran up to me and had pen all over her legs and her feet. Natalie had a little pen on her also. I laughed and asked her what happened. She just hugged me, too cute. I asked Tom how long they had had the pen and he said he didn't know, less than 5 minutes and that it wasn't on the walls. I laughed again and said okay. Later that night as I was cleaning things up, I saw that there was pen all over one of their babies, all over the box pictured above and then worst was on our green foot stool. Of course I just kept laughing. Tom was really upset, but ah, kids will be kids right?

The Great Sunscreen Debacle

So it is obvious to most that Sunscreen is not to be applied to one's eyes. It is also very clearly marked as such on each package. Today, however, we had our first really big sunscreen in the eye adventure. Typically I will use the tear proof stuff made by Banana Boat. Today, however, I used water babies, one would think that something made for babies would be tear proof, but this turned out not to be the case. As both the girls started rubbing their faces the sunscreen that had just been generously applied to their arms, hand, legs and face made its way directly into their eyes. I thought for sure this wouldn't set them back and out to the pool we went. Maddie played for a little while, but Natalie just sat in my lap and kept her eyes closed. So after about 5 minutes inside we went to the sink. Now let me tell you hold an almost two year old under the sink so you can drench their eyes with water is a task, times that by two and by the time I was done I couldn't here myself think. I thought that the water drenching would do the trick so we sat down for a snack. Of course the water bath didn't do any good so we had to go upstairs to the shower, where the girls could let the water beat down on them and rinse their eyes out throughly. After about twenty minutes in the shower the girls seem to be able to see now. Both their eyes are all red and swollen, but I don't think there will be any permanent damage, but I can assure you I will NEVER use any sunscreen on or near the face that doesn't say "Tear proof."

All It Takes Is A Picture

I have heard people say before that all it took for them to finally lose the weight was to see a picture of themselves and they knew they had to do something. Today, I had one of those moments and saw one of this pictures. I had been doing really well, losing weight and keeping up with my running for the Mini. After the mini, like always I stopped running. Yes, I had my infected toe and was actually told by my doctor to take some time off, but I haven't gone back. In all I lost about 15 pounds from Thanksgiving to the beginning of May. I have now gained probably half of that back. I walk everyday and I am trying to make sure to get 10,000 steps in, but my eating is out of control. While I was training I was diligent about tracking what I eat and keeping my calories under control. Now, not only am I not tracking what I am eating, I eat everything in sight and I am not running there fore I am not burning what I need to be. I have a friend who said, "why do we always put things off?" Which, who really has the answer to that, but I am no longer putting this off. It is time for me to make a life change, not only for myself, but for Tom and the girls as well. I need to set a good example and eat healthy so that the girls eat well. I also need to have a positive body image so the girls have a positive role model. I do not want them to be 4 or 5 and thinking they are fat or need to lose weight. I don't know how much I will write about my struggles and triumphs, but if it keeps me accountable or I find great ideas or recipes I will share. I know a lot of you want my pumpkin bar recipe, so I will get that out one of these days!
So wish me luck on my life changing endeavor and if you have positive advice or things that have worked for you, I am all ears!

Still Here and Tagged

Awhile back, okay a very, very, very, long while back I was tagged by Jeanelle and here I am finally getting back to her tag and answering some questions.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago:
I was 18 and just graduating High School. I cannot believe my 10 year reunion is in July. Not to excited about that to be honest with you. Anyway, I was headed to DePauw for college.

2. 5 snacks I enjoy:
Anything with chocolate, pretzels, especially the big ones, gold fish crackers...this can be dangerous now that we have kids and they are always around. Triscuits and apples with peanut butter.

3. 5 things on today's to do list:
Get Maddie's glasses fitted so they actually stay on her little face.
Play date at Jeanelle's, can't wait for that one
Take a nap when the girls do, Maddie woke up at 4 this morning, ugh
Run errands
Make dinner

4. 5 Things I would do if I was a billionaire:
Pay off our house and cars
Put money away for the girl's college and their future
Help my parent's with my sister's college
Pay off my bro's mortgage
Go shopping and save the rest

5. 5 jobs I have had: I am going to give you 6, so enjoy :-)
Administrative assistant at Innovative, not a very good job, but at least I met Tom there!
Wardrobe assistant for the Indianapolis Ballet, before it went bankrupt
Administrative assistant for University of Indianapolis
Development Assistant for Special Olympics
Client Coordinator at Scofield Editorial
Mother, best job in the world. It may be hard at times, but I LOVE it, every single part of it and I am so glad I get to stay home with the girls and do it....thanks Tom!

6. 5 Bad Habits:
I have a little OCD and need things organized
Biting my nails
Speeding
Talking on my phone in the car
Eating junk food

7. 5 Places I've lived:
Fort Collins, Colorado, ahhhhh Colorado, some day again in the future.
Medina, Ohio
Colchester, England: Study abroad for 6 months, awesome, awesome, awesome
Greencastle, Indiana
Avon/Indianapolis, Indiana

8. 5 people that also need to be tagged?
I am actually going to pass on this one, so all you readers out there, you luck out and you don't have to participate!

Well, I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me....and I promise to write more soon. We were out of internet for a week and I feel like I had a ton to write about, but now that it is back, I can't think of anything good, so anyway, Happy Wednesday.

Time Better Spent

Today, I have spent most of the girls nap time trying to figure out why our satalite isn't working correctly. It is highly annoying, not that we need to be inside on this gorgeous day, but it is nice to have music and stuff on when we are eating lunch. I have tried everything that the DirectTv website suggests and called to speak to a representative and at least now we have channels, before about every other channel wouldn't come in, but now our DVR is not working. I am guessing something happened during that huge storm we had last night. Seriously, I cannot believe how bad it was here. At one point there was such a huge crack of lightening that one of the girls toys that plays music when it hears noise or vibrations actually went off. I jumped so high I could have been a high jumper. But I digress and my frustration is still seething. The wonderfully intelligent representative on the phone told me that there wasn't anything else he could do was send a technician out, NEXT Tuesday and that it will cost us $79.00. UGH. come on people, give me a break please. I am hoping Tom can fix whatever is going on when he gets home, if not out the door flies more money we weren't prepared to spend, I love unexpected costs!

They May Be Identical, But They Are Not The Same!

As a parent of multiple children one always strives to treat each child as an individual. As a mother of identical twins it is especially important to remember that the girls may have the same DNA, but that they are different. I have always thought that Tom and I have done a good job of treating the girls as individuals. I mean, to us they look nothing alike and they never have and boy do they have different personalities. But when it comes to the girls health it has been hard to look at them differently. Of course they go to all their appointments together, they do everything together, but it has really been hard lately to remember that even physically and health wise the girls are different. You may be wondering where this is coming from so I will tell you. A few weeks ago I noticed that Maddie's eyes seemed to be going crossed eyed when she was eating. Then it appeared like she had a lazy eye, especially when concentrating, so I asked Tom if he had noticed it. He did so I called our Dr. and got a referral to an eye Dr. Today we took little Mad's and found out she is far sighted. All her crazy cross eyedness and lazy eye finally made sense and luckily she won't have to have surgery, just some super cute pink glasses. She will probably always wear glasses or contacts, but that is okay and we are glad we caught it early. While we were at the Dr. I asked him if we should be concerned about Natalie and he said to just watch her like we had with Maddie and since we already know the symptoms if we see them in Natalie to make her an appointment as well. He said she is at higher risk, but not to expect it to happen. After the appointment I started researching identical twins and health issues and I found it most interesting that even though the girls share the same DNA, during gestation and even after birth that same DNA can have slight differences that make the girls different physically, emotionally and mentally. I found this fascinating and somewhat relieved as well. Lately I have been thinking a lot about how, heaven forbid, one of the girls got seriously sick, would the other one as well. The articles I read put my mind to ease a little since the girls are really starting to show physical differences. Mad's eyes, Natalie has the "Knauer" gap in her teeth and of course their personalities. This is definitely something I am going to do more research on and I am excited to learn more. Also, as it has been said before and I am sure you have heard it, not only should you treat all of your children as individuals, but you should also trust your gut and don't wait when it comes to your own health or your child's. We very well could have waited 6 months until they went back to the Dr. but I am soooooo glad we know what we are dealing with and that in a week she will be able to see better and we don't have to worry any more. So never doubt your feelings no matter what people say, I mean really what is a co-pay even if it wasn't needed if it can save someone unnecessary pain.

I Did It!

Before
After
Today, after months and months of debate I finally did it. I cut 9.5 inches off my hair to donate to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. I only needed 8 inches to donate to their program, but I still am not sure if I like how short my hair is, 9 inches is A LOT. But it is just hair and it will grow back, and I know that I have helped someone else have the chance to have hair and that means and says a lot, or at least it should. So here are the before and after pictures. Please pay no attention to my very wide shoulders and back!

"Welcome???"

Apparently we have a sign on our house that says, "Welcome" to ants...we must send out some secret sent that allows them to follow us. I am not sure what it is, but ugh it annoys and disgusts me for sure. Don't get me wrong it is now were near as bad as last summer in that dreaded apartment, just in our kitchen and a rough ant on the wall going up the stairs to the second floor...I know right, how the heck does an ant make it across the kitchen, living room and up the stairs? I am not sure, but they do. But, in all honesty the girls did turn on this welcome sign. Tom and I have been trying for days to figure out how they are getting in the house and what they could possibly be after, I sweep after every meal and snack that is eaten inside, so 3-5 times a day and we vacuum about everyday as well. So today after dinner there seemed to be more than normal so I got out the vacuum and started going to town on everything. I then looked under the stove...ohhhhhh YUCK. There was an old rice cake, not sure how old, but it was back under the stove and it was covered! It was so gross. So I had to pull out the drawer, vacuum really well, even got out the flashlight to see better and then mopped. After the girls went to bed I set up some ant traps also, I am hoping this will help eradicate the problem and we can go on living ant free. Ahhhhhh, gotta love nature and all the wonderful things it brings with it. Hope none of you are having this problem, but if you are and you have kids, just look under your stove!

Before and After

Before
This past weekend we decided, even though it was nice out, to paint our office. I have been going insane because everything in our house is white. I mean don't get me wrong, i enjoy all the brand new paint and cleanliness, but it is contractor's white that if you touch or walk by it leaves a mark. So we added a little color, just one room at a time, but I love it!
So here are some before and after!

After

Support the Fight

Today, I was going to post before and after pictures of our office that we painted, but as I was doing my blog lap I found something much more important to write about. It is that time of year again for Relay for life and it is such a great cause to support. While I have never met her, Ali, is such a brave person and I admire her for her positive outlooks and strength. Her family has formed a Relay for life team called Ali's Allies which needs your support. You can go to this page to support Ali and her battle as well as to support others. Hopefully one day cancer in all its evil forms will be eradicated, but it can't be done without your help!

Calling all readers

Last night one of my friends and I went and saw "Made of Honor" it was a very good "chick" flick, and it had Patrick Dempsey in it...need I really say more! Anyway, before we went to the movie we were walking around Target and ended up in the book section talking about all the books we liked to read when we realized we both wished we were part of a book club. We then decided to start our own! So if you like to read and want to join us let me know, we will probably get together once a month or every 6 weeks or so for fun, food and laughter!

There are people made to run, then there is me

The Mini is over, my months of training have come to an end and I honestly do not know what to think. I am a little disappointed with myself. I was about 8 minutes off of my goal time...after you take off the 5 minutes I wasted using the restroom. (This was a first for me and I was very angry that I had to stop) A note for the future and to any other runners out there. I racked my brain trying to figure out what I could have eaten to upset my stomach and there wasn't anything out of the ordinary until I looked in the pantry yesterday afternoon and noticed the reduced fat Oreos. At this point it hit me...I had eaten a few more than I should have the day before while making a dessert that required them. I then hobbled out to the garage and told Tom I had figured it out and that the Oreos had ruined the race for me. A lesson learned I reckon...and it WILL NOT happen in the future. Do I see more races in my future...I think so. I am pretty sore today, my knees and my toe nails are all bruised, I guess my shoes weren't big enough even though they are a full size larger than I normally wear...I guess I still need to go up. So I think in a week or two when I am healed I will really start thinking about more longer distance races.
So that is my story and now for my thanks. Thank you to my girls for putting up with my training. They went on many a run in the jogging stroller, most 3-4 miles and didn't fuss to much or they played in their pen while I ran on the treadmill. Thank you to Sheri who pushed me more than I would have pushed myself and for doubling back after you finished yesterday and for finishing AGAIN with me. That really says a lot about your character, you as a person, friend and a competitor. I am so glad you have been my running partner and I am glad you say you will still run with me! So Thank you! Finally, thank you to Tom, who helped me watch the girls so I could run on the weekends and at night and for always supporting me. I love you and couldn't have done it or much else without your support.
I will be posting a few more posts about running gear and some things I really found helpful, so if you care look for those later this week! Finally, I hope the rest of you who did the mini had a great race as well and that you enjoyed yourself and are not too sore today! Congrats!

Anticipation is Building

The official countdown clock is 2 days 23:05:45 while I sit and write this to the Mini Marathon. While I have run this race 3 or 4 times prior to this year, for some reason I am really getting excited for this race. I think it is because I am in the best shape of my life, even better than before the girls were born and I have shaved 2 minutes off my usual pace. I have gone from 12 minute miles to 10 minute miles. I attribute this achievement to two things. The first is pushing the double jogging stroller and the additional 45 pounds of the girls and to my great running partner, Sheri! It is great when you find a good running match and she is mine. She pushes me when I want to quit and her pace naturally is faster than mine, but she slows down when I need to and has really helped me excel this year. My goal is to finish the race in 2:15 or under, that is my best ever time that I achieved my first time running the mini. So look for the results on Saturday or Sunday! Also, good luck to all you other runners out there that are attempting this great race!

It's Done!

We didn't let the wind get us down and by Sunday afternoon the girls were able to play on the play set. They love it and I am glad. We will be spending a lot of time out there this summer. I have figured out that I can place a chair in between the swings and sit and push them. Now I just have to figure out how to push two swings and read a book or magazine at the same time :-) Here are a few pictures of it. We still have a few cosmetic pieces to fix and install, but the structure is secure and safe and ready for playing!

There's Good Luck And Then There's Our Luck

Tom and I have always wondered if we just breed bad karma, or if we have natural disasters flags on us, because it seems like we cannot have anything nice. We get a new car and within a year we are in an accident. 5 out of about 7 over our cars in our lives have been in accidents, none our fault. We build a new house and it is flooded. We spend around 12-15 hours putting together that swing set for the girls and a huge gust of wind comes along and knocks what we have done over, splintering pieces and breaking other things. It was heart wrenching I tell you. Tom has been spending a few hours each evening working on it and then I put in about 4.5 hours today, mostly while the girls napped, and then with one gust over it goes. We cannot believe it and needless to say we are pissed and saddened. It isn't like it is ours, it is for the girls. Couldn't they have something nice or have we passed our bad luck onto them...I REALLY hope not. Don't get me wrong we have very blessed lives, but we have faced a lot of disappointments to. Anyway, back to the swing set. We purchased it at Toys-R-Us...our first mistake. We should have gone with the one from Lowes, but it was more expensive, so we thought we would get the one we did, which also had more features. I guess you get what you pay for. Our second mistake was trying to put it up ourselves. We should have just shelled out the cash and had someone do it, then it would have been finished and maybe the wind wouldn't have been able to pick it up and toss it like a rag doll. We are now in the process of piecing things back together and trying to jerry rig things so they are sturdy and the girls will have a safe place to play!

When is it worth it to hire an installer?

Lots of wood that WAS NOT Labeled AT ALL
Swings etc


Yesterday we purchased a play set for the girls. In an attempt to save money, so we can build a fence, we decided to install it ourselves. Today when I was unloading all the wood and Tom came home to a mess in the garage we looked at each other and I asked him when it was worth it to pay someone to install the thing for us. He laughed and said right now. From the pictures you can see that the garage is taken over at the moment with wood and piece, but hopefully by the end of next weekend we will have swings and a slide for the girls. Look for more pictures throughout the week, and probably some complaining too!

18 month update

Today the girls turned 18 months old. I cannot believe how fast time is flying and that in a few short months they will be two years old already. It is really amazing how time flies and how fast they grow and change. They had their 18 month check-up last week and they are as healthy as can be. Maddie is now 30 and 1/4 inches and 23 pounds and Little Natalie has surprisingly surpassed her sister in height and is 30 and 3/4 inches and 21 pounds. We were finally able to turn their car seats around and they love it...they were in complete awe and kept smiling because they can finally see where they are going instead of where they have been. Other than that it seems like they are learning a new word daily and are up to about 30 or more words. Natalie's favorite word at the moment is "No" and it is the cutest no in the world, although I am sure this will change when she becomes more defiant. Maddie likes to say "mamma" and to take your hand and hold it while she leads you to whatever it is she wants. Today the overwhelmed me with pride when they were able to put together "more, please" during lunch when they wanted more crackers. While this was just sign language I was so happy that they put the two together. We just started working on the please and they have really caught on, between the sign language and their ever developing speech, communicating with them has gotten much easier. Other than that all is going well and we are waiting for spring to unpack the warm weather to stay and to get approval from our Home Owners Association so we can put up our swing set. This summer will be a busy one for us, but I am looking forward to some travel and keeping the girls busy and out of the house. So that is all for now, but look for more some day down the road.

Disappointment

Today, I had a moment of great disappointment. What could cause such disappointment you ask? Well, earlier this week Ellen announced that she would be filming her show in Chicago sometime in May. I couldn't believe it, I was so excited. I had asked Tom if someday if we were ever in an area where she was taping if I could go and of course he said yes. So I immediately e-mailed him asking him if he could take the day off to watch the girls if I was able to get tickets to the Chicago show. At this time I didn't know when the taping would be. Today, they had the Chicago taping up on her ticket section and wouldn't you know it...it is the day of the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. I cannot even begin to explain to you how disappointed this made me. I will admit, that even though I have put months of effort and training into this race for a split second I thought about not doing it and still trying to get tickets. I then realized I couldn't do this to myself, or to Sheri, who has been the BEST training partner ever and who has trained even harder than I have. So I guess it wasn't meant to be and hopefully someday in the future, the near future, I will have another opportunity to see a taping of the show. For now though I will have to be content with watching it from the comfort of my own home!

Tag I'm It

A few days ago I was "tagged" by Chantelle so I guess I will oblige and tell you seven things about me. I will then pass along this nice tag and make a few others "it" :-)

1. I was born in Fort Collins Colorado, where I lived for fourteen years. I was then uprooted and moved to the great land of Medina Ohio. I lived there for five years at which point I moved to Indiana for college and have lived here since.

2. I have travelled to over 18 countries including: England, France, Switzerland (my favorite), Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia and I won't name anymore!

3. Maine is one of my favorite states in all of America and I especially love Camden, where both myself and my Aunt Kim were married and Friendship, where I have been going since before birth.

4. Tom and I meet at my first job out of college and we were the "office" romance...tisk, tisk...my how that worked out. I guess I should also add for those who care or are keeping tabs...he was just supposed to be a rebound from a long time boyfriend whom i had just broken up with, but here we are happily married almost 6 years later!

5. 99% of the time I will delete any sort of forward that is sent to me, even if it is from my Grandmother...I just find that not much useful information can be found continually forwarding messages on, especially chain letters.

6. I never used to believe in Self Tanner, but I simply cannot stand the thought of being pale and I do not want to age myself anymore or risk cancer so I won't go to tanning beds anymore.

7. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors and I always pre-order his books and read them within a few days of receiving them, I mean what more is there to do since Harry Potter is finished :-)

I now "tag" Tom, Sheri, Kelly , Maya, and Jeanelle. I look forward to reading seven new things about you all and sorry if you have been tagged before!

Warning to all Moms who wear makeup

As promised I am back with something actually important to say. I was reading an article/letter in a new magazine, Green Guide I found at borders. One section was called Just Ask! and a mother had written in about her worries for her three year old twins having lead in their play makeup. Well the answer was that if you are going to let your child play with make up you should let them use yours, but that it should be made with plant-based dyes and petroleum-free. Why you might be asking, because there is actually lead, yes dangerous levels of lead in makeup. As much as 47% lead has been found in some products. I was very shocked to hear this, especially with all of the lead concerns and children. The article made a very valid point, that a child could actually eat makeup, such as a tube of lipstick and become very ill. So, if you do not want to buy the recommended make-up you should treat it like any other poison or medicine and make sure that your child cannot get their little hands on it, this is something I am going to take to heart and make sure the girls do not have access to my stuff for sure!

What a week

Well, this has been a week for sure. Maddie as mentioned before went to the dr. on Tuesday for an ear infection. Yesterday I got to take little Natalie, who also has a double ear infection. Thankfully we are still 2-3 ear infection away from having to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. When I went to pick up the prescription at Target for Natalie, they were like do you have any questions and do you know how to use our new syringes? I just laughed and said, yes this is the third time this week we have been here and I have the same meds for the other one. I understand she was being polite, but I wish we could get a direct line from our house the pharmacy at the rate we have been going. Oh well, hopefully the warm weather will help us all heal and we can move on. Speaking of weather, all of us are anxiously awaiting better days. The girls love being outside and even when it is chilly or drizzling, like yesterday, Natalie never wants to go in and will say no and shake her head and then proceed into a tantrum when you try to get her to go in. I can't wait to fence in the yard and put up a swing set for them so can play in the yard instead of walking up and down the sidewalk!
Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend and hopefully next week I will have some inspiring words or great advice to write about!

Why it is important to teach your children proper hand washing

I want to start this post by saying, my family is a clean family. I am obsessive about hand washing and hand sanitizer and cleanliness in general! For this reason I was very surprised today when I took Maddie to the doctor because she has been sick on and off for a couple of weeks. It all started one night with a fever of 101.1, which was 101.8 by the next morning. The doctor told me that as long as Motrin or Tylenol was breaking it and causing it to go down then she was okay. A few days after the fever she developed a hive like rash on her hands, feet and her nether regions...concerned once again I called the doctor and was told it probably was something viral and not to worry and to give her Benadryl. Then this weekend we had the green snot issue, always a concern and ear pulling. I hate jumping the gun and running to the doctor, but after over 2 hours of inconsolable crying this morning I broke down and took her and come to find out she has an ear infection. So where does the hand washing come in you ask? Well, I also found out that she has had, hand, foot and mouth disease. It is viral, so there isn't any medication to cure it and it goes away on its own, but it is spread from improper hand washing. A shock to me to say the very least. She must have picked it up off of a shopping cart or something like that and I can assure you I will be more vigilant in sanitizing the entire cart, the girls hands prior to going into a store and post trip, as well as ensuring we practice proper hand washing as soon as we walk in the door, before and after meals and if they for some reason don't have a bath before bed, hand washing before bed as well. So help keep yourself and your child safe and always wash your hands!

Playing Catch up

So I once again have been MIA. It seems like time just flies by and then I realize I haven't posted anything in a while. The girls are really keeping me busy, which is a good thing and we are having a lot more fun. They are saying more words each day and we are probably up to 20+. The newest words are Thank You, Ducky, Doggy and Uh Oh. They prefer to use longer words instead of short, it is always "Kitty Cat" instead of cat, Doggy, instead of Dog, etc. It is really cute and I love when they bring me something and say "Mama" it melts my heart. They are taking to eating on their own with utensils, a messy, messy endeavor, but cute at the same time, especially when they lift up their bowls full of yogurt and try to lick them :-) Other than that I was able to spend a wonderful long lunch out last Sunday with my friend Sheri. We went to one of her favorite places Tea's Me and it was really good, and this is coming from a coffee lover! We talked for over 3 hours and it was funny because I couldn't believe how fast time flew by. I was gone so long that Tom was actually worried and kept calling my phone because he couldn't believe I still was at lunch. It was really nice to catch up and to talk about running and I am excited to be running the mini with her in May. So for now that is really all there is to report. Maybe spring will be here soon and I will have some fun outdoor stories to share.

Peace

Afternoons like this one are what I cherish. The girls and I had a wonderful morning together, even though Maddie did get her fingers stuck in the bathroom door, that was quite unpleasant, but now they are taking a good long nap, it is 2:30 and they have been in bed since 12:00! I am sitting at the kitchen table paying bills and catching up on things, watching the white world outside. The snow is really beautiful and it is coming down very fast. I hope that Tom gets home safely, but with the woods as a background and the white falling it is amazing. The birds have also found our bird feeder, FINALLY, and they keep coming and going. They are so pretty and I can't wait for the girls to be able to see them. They love animals so much, even though they call them all Kitty Cat! Right now my cat is sitting at the door chirping at the birds, but it is a very peaceful moment. Moments like this are the ones I dreamed about and wished for when we were stuck in that apartment, but now I can have them for many years to come. I hope you all enjoy the snow and have a save and peaceful weekend as well!

Will your favorite return?

Well, it looks like the Writer's Strike may actually be coming to a close...finally, and a lot of my favorite shows will be returning in April for a few more episodes before summer break. I am so excited. Some of the shows coming back that I can't wait for, are CSI, both Miami and the original, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. You can find more information on other shows here. I hope your favorite(s) come back and we can all enjoy a little more television before the summer break.

Reliance

I realize my posts have become few and far between lately and I thank my few faithful readers for sticking with me. I have come to realize lately that for me my blog and those of my friends were my saving grace during our whole house building challenges. I don't think I would have gotten through those 9 months without the blog world and for that I am so thankful. I have also realized that now that we are settled, my blog and that world has fallen to the wayside for me...not sure whether this is a good or a bad thing. Maybe just honesty shinning through. Before I didn't think I could survive without all the blogging, but now I know I couldn't survive without my girls. As they grow and change and challenge me everyday I am now more and more thankful for them and all the smiles and laughter they bring me. So don't worry I am not going away for good, but I am going to be focusing more of my energy and creativity on the girls, but I will continue to post enlightening comments and updates here, but probably not every day :-)

My New Job

Okay, so I don't really have a new job, outside of the house, but I have decided that my new job needs to be as budget savvy as possible and to save as much money as I can. I have started cutting coupons and looking online and in store fliers in order to see what is on sale, but it is still very difficult. I find that I spend way to much money on groceries each month and I honestly do not know where to cut back, but I need to. I also have started to explore making things from scratch. I know that I spend way to much on packaged foods, like special K bars and quaker mini's, but I don't know how to stop. I guess one route would be to truly start eating more fruits and veggies as snacks instead of all of that packaged stuff. So my question to you all out there is: How do you save money each month at home and at the grocery store? Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated!

Wildlife

Since moving into our new house we have been able to enjoy many freedoms and luxuries we did not have at the apartment. I love being able to run out to the mailbox or have packages left on my doorstep. Having a garage again has been amazing and being able to just walk out the door and take a walk is great. Then there is the wonderfulness, is that a word?, of nature. The sun shines in the windows and I have been able to put up my rainbow maker in the living room. It is a glass ball thing that when the sun strikes it, it creates rainbows, the girls and I all love it. We have put up a bird feeder and we hope that soon the birds will find it, because the girls will love it if they do and we have witnessed not only a fox trotting down the path behind our house and into our yard, but also a coyote. Yes, a coyote, we were very surprised, but it is so cool and I love hearing the girls running to the window saying Kitty Cat, it is pretty darn cute. Above all else though it is nice to see trees again and not other houses, cars or buildings. Ah wildlife and nature, need I say more?!

The Joys of getting Older

Sunday was my 28th birthday. Really just another day. I spent a lot of it shopping on my own, which was great and gave me time to just think about the last 28 years and about the future. We celebrated a little with Tom's Mom and Dad on Saturday, dinner out which was really nice and then Tom made me dinner on Sunday. I have joined a new weight loss group, this one is free and I like it a lot more than the Biggest Loser Club to be honest, it has really helped me a lot more, but one thing I found extra great was the e-mail I received from them on my birthday. Here is what it said:




Sorry it isn't easier to read, but it really just made me think and I really hope that I can make this next year count instead of just letting it pass by!

A Child Called "It"

This past weekend I read a book that I think all parents should have to read, A Child Called "It." It is the story of a little boy who was mentally, physically and emotionally abused by his mother and treated like a slave and animal for years. I know you are probably thinking that this would be a horrible read, but it truly opens your eyes and heart into a little boys world. Thankfully this little boy was a survivor who has gone on to not only write this book so that others can learn from his life, but he is out there helping other children who are in the situation he was once in. I think I read the whole book in a matter of 4 or 5 hours, it was that fast of a read and that good and it really has made me think of what kind of parent I am and want to be in the future to the girls and any other children we have down the road. Obviously the mother in this book went way beyond extreme but it leads one to ponder where punishment ends and abuse starts. I am one to not even want to spank our children so I would never really have an issue with physical abuse or any abuse for that matter, but this book has made me think of how I want to handle any form of punishment, even yelling or raising my voice. It has also lead me to think about what I will say in the future to the girls and see how they might take something, I mean even telling one of them that something they are wearing doesn't look good on them could lead them down an unhealthy path. I would highly recommend this book to anyone out there who hasn't read it and if you have I would love to hear your thoughts on the story.

What a way to start the new year

Today has been a day, lets just say I wish it had happened in 2007 so we could move on, but this is how we started the new year. Maddie woke up at 5:15, she has had a cold for about 3 weeks and has been sleeping really weird, sometime sleeping in until 10:00 other times waking between 2 and 6 in the morning, today being an early day. So I brought her into bed and we laid around until 6:30, at this point I was wondering why Tom hadn't come up to shower yet, he usually is showered by this time. So Maddie and I got up and went into our bathroom. I went to turn on the cold water, nothing, Tom's sink, nothing, shower NOTHING...blast our pipes were frozen. So I hauled downstairs to tell Tom, who was having work issues, he is on call this week. So when he was done with that he tried to figure out what was going on. I guess Arbor didn't insulate anything in the garage or where the pipes are in our bathroom...LOVELY. Then I decide I need to take Maddie to the dr. since she has a weird cough and as an afterthought I have them check Natalie. Well, go figure but both girls have ear infections and it is freezing out so we have to run to Target and get them medicine. Finally around 1:00 this afternoon after Tom's dad brought us a heater for the garage the pipes break up and we have water again. Now Tom and his dad have to insulate the garage tonight so it doesn't happen again. Ah, to say the least we are glad it is 2008 but this was not a pleasant way to start the year off. My continual fear all day has been that the pipes will burst and we will be flooded again...I couldn't relive that!

Happy New Year/What Motivates You!?

Happy New Year to all and may this next year bring you everything you have set out to attain and want to achieve! This year I am making no resolutions, I never achieve them so I am not setting any. I am still looking to shed the left over baby weight and the added pounds and to finish the mini, but really I am just looking to have fun and spend time together as a family. With that said, I am looking for help. The other night I spent a couple hours surfing iTunes looking for good music to load on the iPod that would help get motivated and keep running even when I don't want to. I put on the typical Timbaland, Kanye, Missy Elliott and a few others, but I am looking to hear what motivates others and what you have on your iPod or you listen to when you are working out! Happy New Year and I hope those of you that have made resolutions achieve them this year and that you all have a great year.

Will my luck run out?

Today I had to take my computer to the Apple store again to be fixed because it wasn't recognizing the battery and in turn wouldn't charge. Luck has it, it was the last day of my warranty. I know, I about died when I found out that it expires tomorrow. We had an appointment on Thursday, but we were to tired to drive to Keystone after driving back from Ohio. After the guy replaced the battery he asked if I wanted to purchase the extended warranty. I asked if the battery died again if it would be replaced since it had already happened and he said no, since the computer would be out of warranty. He even said that even though this battery issue is a known issue in MacBooks that if I had brought it in tomorrow it wouldn't have been covered. After thinking about it, and knowing that I have already taken the laptop there twice in a year we went ahead and threw down the $200.00 for the 2 year extended warranty. We figure that it will either guarantee that it won't break for two years and if it does then we are covered. It was an expense we didn't want to have right now with all the house things we would like to buy, but I am hoping to some day soon figure out a way to use this laptop to make some extra income. So know I sit here and wonder if my luck will run out since I found my necklace and was able to get my computer fixed on the last day of its warranty!

My Christmas Miracle

Last Sunday my family and I went to tour an old house in Akron, The Stan Hywet Hall. It was all decorated in Babes in Toyland and even the girl's enjoyed it. Later that night we were in the car headed to a movie when I went to check on my diamond necklace, mind you I NEVER wear this necklace, but thought that I would for the holiday. Well, when I went to reach for it, it was gone. At first Tom thought I was joking until I showed him my neck, at which point he realized I wasn't joking. I ran in the house to tell my mom and we started looking, but nothing. We then called Stan Hywet but they were to busy to look for it. We went to the movie and all I could think about was the necklace and what if it was really gone. Tom had given it to me last year for Christmas and I couldn't imagine if it was gone. The next day we tore the house apart and my car and my mom's but no luck. I couldn't give up hope, but the chances of it being found were dwindling. Stan Hywet was closed until Dec. 26, but promptly at 10:00 I called to see if they had found it. No one had turned it in, but the lady said they would look for it. Within 5 minutes they called me back, and low and behold they had found it! I could not believe it, they actually had it, chain and all. The chain was broken, but they had the diamond. That afternoon I went to get it and I just wanted to scream, I was so happy. No one could actually believe that they had found it and that I had it back, especially since so many people had toured the house after we left, but I have it and I couldn't be happier. So there you go, again! Christmas Miracles do happen.

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish everyone out there in Blogger world a Merry Christmas. I hope everyone had a great day and I will write more about our doings and comings and goings in a while.

Flushing $20.00

Today I literally almost flushed a $20.00 bill. I don't think I have ever stuck my hand, willingly, as fast as I did when I saw that thing almost going down. I had totally forgotten that it was in my back pocket and I guess it had fallen out... I am glad I turned around before it was to late or I would have been REALLY angry with myself! Lesson learned? Don't keep money you want in your back pocket if your jeans are lose!

Inspiration

I am currently watching the Biggest Loser season finale and I think I have FINALLY found the inspiration I need to successfully lose weight. I mean honestly, I have NO excuses as to why I cannot lose weight. The point is, I am not motivated. As I sit here and watch these individuals who have lost 50, 60 and some even more than 100 pounds and range in ages from their 20's to their 60's I have realized that the only thing stopping me is myself and that I just need to do it. Stop eating junk, start running and just DO IT. As a lot of you know I am training for the mini in May. Well, I say I am training, but I am not seriously training yet and I need to. So I am done. I am done making excuses for myself. I am done sitting around when I could be running or lifting weights or doing something that will help me lose. I am done saying I am training, I AM training. So if you are like me and you need some motivation check out the BLC web page and see some before and after pictures, it is really amazing!

Three Strikes and I'm out

Tonight I was about as clumsy as a person can be and I wanted to lock myself in my room. First, I dropped our huge wood cutting board on the brand new hardwoods in the kitchen. Oh yes I took a huge chunk out of one of the boards...a nice new ding for ya. I guess I was glad I did it and not an installer or one of the girls or even Tom, because the only person I can be mad at is myself. Then I was trying to throw the tv remote onto the couch and instead completely hit Tom square in the face. At that point I almost went upstairs. Then I was trying to give Maddie some tylenol and wouldn't you know it a huge drop went straight into her eye. My family for ever has called me Grace, but that side isn't always present. Tonight it was present in full form and I was so mad at myself, especially for damaging the new floor. Luckily Tom was very kind about it and didn't yell or anything. So chalk one up for Grace, I hope she is gone in the morning!

Here we go again

So wouldn't you know it. We finally get into the new house and Natalie and I are both sick again. I heard that once you had children you should be prepared to be sick a lot more and I never believed it, until now. I used to be a totally healthy person who was rarely sick, but this is my second cold in the last 6 months, Natalie's too, meaning it is only a matter of time until Maddie gets it and possibly Tom as well. At least a majority of the stuff is put away and we aren't walking around boxes so I don't feel total pressure to keep work and I am allowing myself some breaks so that I can recover faster. If you are a parent and find yourself getting sick more now as well, can you give me some pointers on how you try to keep the germs to a minimum and from spreading?!

As Promised

Our House!
The Kitchen
The Family Room & our Christmas Tree
The Girl's Room

Here are some Pictures of the house...it is still a little bit in disarray, but we are getting there!

The Closing Story

Well, we are in and almost settled. It will be a while before we are truly, completely at home, but things are getting there! As promised here is the closing and move in story. When we walked into closing the title company wasn't there, (Arbor does their closings at their models). A little late the man finally got there. He then got out his papers and said okay let's get started. First, you know about the lien on your property right? Lien, what lien we ask...we had nooooooo idea. Apparently, Arbor had fired a plumber and hadn't paid him, he in turn put a lien on all the properties he had done work on. Arbor then turned around and sued him. Well, of course Arbor didn't tell us any of this, especially the part about the lien. The title guy then proceeds to tell us that we have 2 choice, to not close, which almost made me puke or to close with the lien on the title. After about 30-45 minutes of explanation of how the title would be cleaned and what it all meant we decided to go ahead and close. Let me state for the record I have never been so mad in my life. It was like the final stake in the coffin that Arbor had ONCE again withheld information from us...SHOCKER! But we closed and got our keys and that night we moved our bed and the girl's beds into the new house. The house has a few imperfections as all houses will, even though some of them are annoying, we will survive! Saturday, after a looooong night of very little sleep, the girls were just not adjusting well we got up to start the real move. I stayed at the house with the girls, my mom, sister and Aunt. We started getting things organized and waited for the appliances. at 8:30 the appliances arrived, much to my surprise, but HHGregg was wonderful. I have never really liked them, but they were on time, courteous and installed everything really quickly. Then Tom called to let me know that that he and the movers were on their way...WHAT, it was only 9:30 am. Well, by 11:30 everything was moved in. We went with 2 Men and A Truck and they were fabulous! On time, very very fast and very polite...I highly recommend if you are looking for a mover! The rest of the weekend was spent on packing and organizing. So we are settling in and I will post pictures tomorrow...gotta find the camera still :-) Also, a very special THANK YOU to Tom's parents, my Mom, Sister and Aunt. We couldn't have done it without you guys...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Ho HO HO

Well, our Christmas Miracle arrived early this year on Friday and we were finally able to close on our house! I will post more tomorrow once we have internet there about the full details. We almost didn't close again and to tell you about the weekend, but I wanted to let all you devoted readers out there that we are finally in our house! So look for more tomorrow!

Nothing can ever go smoothly

Today at 3:00ish I called the title company to get the amount we had to bring to closing tomorrow, wouldn't you know it was almost $1200.00 more than we were anticipating! Now I am running around scrambling trying to see why it is so much more and see why Arbor didn't pay more of the closing costs they said they would pay. This whole thing has been such a headache. You can expect a post completely bashing Arbor down the road, but we have to get through this first. I hope that our broker is able to get to the bottom of this fiasco or we will have to pull money out of our savings to pay the additional closing costs, something we were not prepared to do at all. Oh well I guess, if we get those keys tomorrow it will be fine, but this is one more loop to jump through that of course we weren't expecting. Tune in tomorrow to see if the deal goes through or not!

Going MIA

This week I may be a little hit and miss on my entries with the upcoming move, need to pack etc. So please forgive me if I fail to enter anything thoughtful or worthwhile...wait do I ever post anything that is truly worth while? Anyway, if I am MIA don't fret I will return!

Oh The Odor!

Ever since the girls have started eating "real" food their waste has smelled something awful. I have switched diaper pails to try to keep the smell contained and I will admit the new pail is so much better, but it still isn't keeping the smell completely in. Today I had the genius idea to purchase those little travel diaper disposal bags that are powder scented... I know how can you be green when you buy more plastic, but really the smell is awful. You can sometimes smell it when you walk in the door and I do not want the new house smelling like poo. We will see if this new method of double wrapping in scented bags works, but if any of you parents have any advice, aside from recommending a different diaper pail I would LOVE to hear how you keep the smell down!

All Sorts of Wrong

Last week I was driving in my car and heard the song Lean like a cholo or something like that and I just started laughing because it was cracking me up. I asked Tom if he knew what a Cholo was and he didn't so I asked my sister...she is 16 and knew the definition...scary. Anyway, Tom wanted to check out the actual definition, which then lead him to look up the video on YouTube. Now the actual video is fine as far as videos go, but then he stumbled upon this version. Yes, that is Dora the Explorer doing Lean Like a Cholo. Now seriously, what kind of message does this send to our kids. At first we were laughing, but then I was like, "wait, that is horrible." At this discovery I realized once the girls have access to the internet we will be blocking some websites and monitoring their activity as close as we can. I mean there was even an Alvin and the Chipmunks version, as Ellen would say..."WHAT!"

Deja-Vu

Today was Deja-Vu day. I spend hours moving boxes and re-packing as I was doing this I just kept thinking, "been here, done that." Then I kept thinking that I better not be doing this in vain and we better get to move this time. Well, we know we are moving one way or another, either into our house or somewhere else. I need a garage and more space....ahhhh more space. So hopefully the rest of the packing will go well and in a week and a half we will be moved...yippee I don't want any more bouts of deja-vu, just my house!

Daunting

As we get close to closing on our house, again, we are just 11 days away. There is so much anticipation, nervousness and the daunting fact that we have to pack again. Last time at this time we were pretty much ready to go minus the few everyday things we use, but this time neither Tom nor I seem to be in any big hurry to get things packed up. I think it is that lingering feeling that something will go wrong again and we won't close. We haven't let ourselves get excited so there won't be any disappointment should it fall through. The chances are so slim that something will go wrong, but we just have no faith we are emotionally and mentally exhausted. So I begrudgingly will start to pack this week and as we get closer to next Friday I will pack more day by day, hoping we actually get to move this time. I know Tom and I won't sleep well Thursday night and until we have that key in our hand and we have changed the locks we will not be totally happy and excited...so here is to hoping the next 11 days pass quickly and that we get an early Christmas miracle and actually get to move.

They Arrived

Today, just a few days after ordering them, my envirosax arrived. I was very excited to see what they would look like and I was pleasantly surprised. I love the pattern I picked, the monochromatic one and the size of the bags is great, much larger than I had anticipated.



They also came in a little pouch that will easily fit in my diaper bag or even in my purse. Now the goal is to remember to take them with me when I go to the store and hopefully I will even remember them when I go to target and other places like that so I can totally cut down on the plastic bags!

Going Green

Last week the girls and I were in Ohio, I feel like a lot went on, but none of it was extremely interesting, so instead I am going to write a post about some new grocery bags I ordered and cannot wait to use. They are called envirosax, envirosax.com and they are an economical, fashionable, green way to do your shopping. I am just to sick of all the plastic bags we get weekly and I wanted something that would help the environment. I feel like the baggers today were trained to put as few items in a bag as possible, for instance one thing of deodorant went into a bag alone today and I almost lost it, so when I got home I did some research and ordered the new bags. Now the goal is to remember to take them in when I do my shopping. Some other bags I found that I may also get down the road are baggubags, baggubags.com, they come in a variety of colors and if the envirosax work out well then I might add to my collection with the baggu. Both of these sets of bags can also be purchased at amazon.com. If you end up getting these or know of any other re-usable bags let me know!

Toddler Land

We have officially, officially entered toddler land. The girls hardly ever crawl anymore and walk everywhere. They are even almost to the point of being able to run. It is pretty dang cute, but hard to keep up with at the same time. Especially when they go in opposite directions. We have started to have to practice no, no, no to about everything, especially to my parent's wood burning stove. They are facinated with the dancing flames and keep wanting to touch it, but we just keep saying no and hot, hot and blowing, which is the sign language for hot. We are also starting more sign language and they seem to understand it so much better now. I think we were a little ambitious when we started, but now Maddie always does the sign for milk. Especially when I ask if they want to eat she will do the sign for milk, and Natalie does the actual sign for eat. One day she, Natalie, was standing there doing the sign to eat and I asked if she was hungry and she kept doing it and then ran to the gate and kept trying to get out to her high chair. It was pretty cute, but then again pretty much everything they do these days is cute. Natalie loves my dad and just follows him around, curious about everything he is doing. Maddie will watch, but usually from a distance. All I know is toddler land is a lot different than the infant stage, but it is more fun too, even though we are super active.

Thank Goodness

Yesterday the girls and I drove to Ohio to stay for the week. It rained the whole way and I was really hoping that they would sleep the whole way so I wouldn't have to stop to feed them, but no such luck. Thank goodness though for Steak n Shake's Drive Thru and I can't believe I am going to say this, but my mini van as well! There was no way I was going to get all 3 of us out of the car, we would have been soaked. So I kept my eye's open for a Steak n Shake and found one just outside of Columbus. Went through the drive thru, got the girls a grilled cheese, parked, hopped into the back of the van and fed the girls. Then changed them really quick and we were off. I just kept thinking, there is no way I could have just done that in another vehicle, ah thank you mini van. So even though I still cannot believe I drive one, it has come in very handy and I think I like it!

Week One: Down

Well, I survived my first Starbucks free week. I am very proud of myself and ready for my first Friday Treat! I also joined the Biggest Loser online club, to help me get control of my weight and poor eating habits. It has truly been great. It has an extensive meal planner that plans everything down to your snacks and you can swap out meals if you don't like what they have planned for you. It caters to no red meat diets and vegetarians as well. Then it allows you to track your food intake, calories, fat, etc. as well as your exercise...which it also sets up a plan for you as well depending on your goals that you enter when you register. At first I was a little skeptical, and didn't think that I would be able to handle the eating, but it really hasn't been that bad and you can still eat things like peanut butter and jelly for lunch or grilled cheese. Basically it restricts you calorie intake to around 1200-1300, well for me at least, I am sure others are different. But it really makes you aware of what you are and have been eating and how full you actually can be if you eat smaller meals throughout the day that are healthier. So week one of BLC and Starbucks are complete and I must say I am feeling much better! If you would like more info on the BLC go to their website: Biggest Loser Club and good luck.

I think I am going to do it, but when is the queston!

A few days ago I was watching Oprah, something I don't do that often, honestly! Hilary Swank was on and she had Oprah cut her hair really short so that she could donate it so they could make wigs for women who are battling cancer. I have been thinking a lot about cutting my hair or not cutting my hair, but after watching the show I think I might take the plunge, cut my hair short again and donate it. You need 8 inches in order to donate, so I don't know if I am there just yet, I don't want super, super short hair, so we will see. I also hope that I am brave enough to take this plunge. I have had short hair before and I always get so sad afterwards, but maybe if I know my hair is going to a good cause it won't be so bad. If you are interested in donating or know someone else who might, you can get more information at Pantene's Website If I take the plunge then I will post before and after pictures, but it might be awhile...I still need to measure my hair to see how much I would have left if I did it now and I am not sure about the winter cold and very little hair. So we shall see, but I know in the end it would be totally worth it.

Christmas in Novemeber?

Like each year prior to this one I am disgusted when I go to the store and see Christmas stuff for sale before Halloween is even over. This year I have to say that I think the Christmas commercials on television have started earlier than any other year and that sales people have gone crazy. Even in Wal-mart yesterday they were playing holiday music. I couldn't believe it, it made me want to puke and if I were an employee there I would go nuts. Don't get me wrong I love Christmas, it is my favorite holiday, I love decorating the house and seeing Christmas lights and everything else that goes along with this holiday. Seriously though, do we have to start things so early, people are still going to spend money and I honestly feel that the true meaning of this holiday is lost in all of the commercial propaganda and I wish that the stores could at least wait until Halloween is over to put up their displays and wait until Thanksgiving is over to start playing music. Oh well, I will spend the holiday with family and friends and will be thankful for that and I guess in the end that is all that matters.

The Daylight Savings Game

Prior to having the girls I loved daylight savings time in the fall, an extra hour to sleep, how nice and while the girls didn't wake up to early...I guess Natalie woke up at 5:00, it was actually the bedtime that was tricky. The girls go to bed pretty much right around 7ish and yesterday they didn't nap well because they both have colds so they were ready for bed at 5:00. Their clock was telling them it was 6, but it was way to early. We managed to push them until 6:30...a real task, but we managed. However, this morning Maddie woke up at 3:30...oh yes and Natalie woke up at 4:30. Ah, there was nothing I could do, but get up with them, and of course we ended up accidentally waking Tom up around 5:00. Not sure how much he appreciated that one, but what ya gonna do. Oh well, we are all suffering from some sort of cold or something. Natalie started a few days ago with the runny nose, Maddie started getting it last night (wouldn't you figure too, that the little one, Natalie, is much stronger and less pathetic than Maddie, who cried almost all night) and now Tom and I both have sore throats...ah family germ sharing. Oh well, we hope others out there with kids were able to adjust to the time change easily!

Dodged a Bullet

Today we went over to the new house to look around and see how things are progressing. I find that as each day we get closer to close date the more I get excited, even though I don't want to, just out of fear from the last time. When we got there we were ready to go get the key from the sales rep, but of course the garage wasn't locked. All the cabinets, counters and doors were in there as well...why is it so hard to lock the door. Anyway, we looked around and Maddie and I finished quicker than Tom and Natalie so we headed over to our old house to see its progress. We looked in some windows and then tried the garage, it was open so we went in. The house still isn't totally finished, over 4 months later, the door aren't hung and all the fixtures still weren't up. What was finished though was done horribly! They had taken out the wood floor to fix stuff and put the exact same floor back in...you may be asking how we know this, well, there was a big scratch in our old floor and low and behold, that same scratch was still there, in the same spot. Also, the counter and snack bar were not connected properly and either the entire wall had bowed or they put the old cabinets and counter back in and it had bowed, because there was at least a two inch gap between the back splash and the wall...it looked awful. Finally the floor was all squeaky. As we looked at all this we just started laughing at how we really dodged a bullet on that house, and it is no wonder that it hasn't sold yet. Who in their right mind would be a house that has a 2 inch gap between a wall and a counter and who reuses a floor, who knows what else they reused. They claim they are disclosing that there was water damage, but the house has been listed a lot higher than we were originally going to purchase it for and it is way worse ship. I pity the fool who buys it, but thank goodness we had the sense to move on!

To Funny To Wait

I know this is my second post for the day, but this was to funny, at least to me to wait to write about it.
Ever since I have lived here my uncle and I have had a big rivarly, going on. He lives in Massachusetts and obviously is a HUGE Patriots fan. Well, every time the Colts play the Patriots I expect some kind of razing from him. I thought it was kind of weird that I hadn't heard from him, but them he called to day. He was laughing when he called and he said, "I didn't realize your phone number changed when you moved. I have been calling you for weeks, saying how sad it is that you live in Indianapolis, and wouldn't it be great if you lived in Boston and the Colts suck." (He also had been telling my aunt that he thought I must have been in a really bad mood or was just being, a you know what.) I was like okay, where did you leave these messages. He goes, "well that is just it, today I called and this little old lady answered the phone, and was told me that no Lauren lived there." Oh, yes, he has been calling some little old lady's phone and leaving nasty Patriots messages on it. Can you believe that. I couldn't stop laughing when he told me this...that poor lady!
So, when we win on Sunday I will be looking for good ideas of how to get him back and welcome all suggestions. Last year we sent him a picture of the girls in Colts gear with a sign that read, "Rub some dirt in it uncle Kirby." So, bring on the ideas after the game on Sunday and GO COLTS!

Step Two

Today begins step two in my addiction recovery to Starbucks. I am going to attempt to going to one drink a week, probably on Friday's as a reward for making it through the week. It is going to be tough, but I am sure I can do it. I would like to get off the caffeine again anyway. I did so well not drinking it at all while I was pregnant and then only in limited amounts while nursing, but then I got out of control. So I am hoping that I can somehow go back to being caffeine free for the most part and only have the Starbucks as a treat once a week for now and then hopefully eventually maybe only twice a month or so. I just hope I don't get horrible headaches or turn into a monster....ahhhhhhh

How to be politically correct

Sometimes I have so much on my mind that I just want to write it all down and vent, but then I think, "no you can't do that, it isn't politically correct." "You might start a riot, or you will totally offend some people." How do you go about voicing what is running around in your head, without totally obliterating relationships that you have built? Does anyone out there speak their mind, feel refreshed, but do it in a way that doesn't hurt others? Advice Welcome!

Mug n Bun

Yesterday Tom had a craving for a hamburger, something that NEVER happens. So we started thinking of a good place to get a take out burger, that wasn't Steak n Shake because we don't live near one. I got online and started searching and remembered that Mug n Bun is like 5 minutes from our apartment, so we agreed to give it a try. WOW! There is a reason this joint has been in business for 48 years. The burgers are great, the onion rings are amazing and oh my goodness the homemade root beer is killer. We bought a gallon of it, it is that good. The only down side is they take cash only, but hey I guess a stop at the ATM on the way there is worth it. If you are ever on the west side, 10th and Lynhurst or want to drive for a good burger, (they have other things, chicken, fish, pork tenderloins...etc...a very extensive menu) you should give it a try, because it is fabulous...oh and the prices can't be beat! You can check out their website Mug-N-Bun.com(it isn't very fancy, but it works for their menu and more information)

Ouch!!!!

I am going to start this post by saying, I would do this all over in a heartbeat and it was beyond worth it, but seriously look at the above picture...I was HUGE! Last night I was putting together a photo book of the girl's first year and stumbled across some pictures of my last few weeks of pregnancy, this being one of them. I am 35 weeks here...huge, huge, huge. At the time I knew I was big, but I didn't realize how big until I looked at this picture and man, oh man. I also was looking at some pictures of my baby shower, which I am enormous in, but not only my stomach. My face was so incredibly swollen, I looked like a chipmunk, or someone who has just had their wisdom teeth out. I called Tom over to look at the pictures and he even said, wow, I didn't think you were that swollen...yeah, oh yeah. I even asked his parents today and they said they didn't remember me being that bad...but the proof is there. I am not going to post those pictures, it is to embarrassing, and I think this is enough, but like I said, I would do it all over again, and it must not have been that bad, since I didn't even remember being that big or in pain and I got my two little sweeties out of the deal, so there you go.

Shoes and Flu Shots

When you have twins everything is multiplied, the diapers, food, love, clothes and SHOES. The girls are just starting to walk and there was a sale online for shoes, $4.99 a pair...I couldn't beat it so I started stocking up and this is what I ended up with...CRAZY. I saved so much money though so it will be worth it, but it is funny when you walk into their room and see so many shoes laying around...they are never in a straight line, or neat and tidy. The girls are way to little for that at this stage, but they are too cute, the little shoes that is...well the girls are too!



On a side note, I have decided that ALL parents should be forced or feel obligated to get a flu shot. I HATE shots, and up until the girls were born never got a flu shot, never needed a flu shot, never got the flu, but now that I am a parent I get the shot like I should. Well, I must have been on a lot of pain killers last year, because I don't remember it hurting as bad as it did today. Holy Cow, it hurt like crazy, I almost wanted to cry, no wonder the girls cried when they got theirs, it was crazy. With that pain, I realized that the parent should feel what their child is feeling as well, so everyone can sympathize together. I am just hoping that this year I don't get sick...I know, I know they say you can't get the flu from the shot, but last year I got a fever and was achy for about 2 days after getting it, so I hope that doesn't happen this year. I also hope that the girls forgive me when I have to take them back for their flu booster in a few weeks...painful, my poor babies. I know it is for everyone's benefit, but still...Pain, Pain, Pain. So if you are a parent get your flu shot and be nice to your babies when they get theirs, because it isn't a pleasant experience! :-)

Addiction

They say the first step to an addiction recovery is admitting you have a problem, so here it goes, I am going to pubcilcly admit that I have an addiction to Starbucks Frappacinos. Okay, so I know tat you are probably saying, so what, but I am seriously out of control. I have started getting the ones at the store, that are cheaper, but then I end up drinking like two in a day, sometimes I will have one and then go to starbucks and get a real one. This is a very costly addiction, seeing as how Starbucks is not cheap, and lets not forget all of the calories that I am consuming. I have started to get the light ones, but still these are calories that I could easily save myself and would probably help the pounds come off. So the first step in my recovery was to admit I have a problem, the second step is trying to solve that problem. I have thought about going cold turkey, but that won't work, so now I am thinking that I will try every other day, then every 2nd day and so forth until I get myself off and then only have 1 a month as a treat. I hope this works, but if anyone has any other ideas I would love to hear them!

Table Food Please Mommy

Today the girls had their one year check-up, which went pretty well. We switched doctors, same practice, just different doctor. She was amazing compared to our other doctor. He was fine, but very sarcastic and made me feel very dumb, which was always hard, being a first time mom and all, with twins. But this lady was great and she did make me feel dumb, she took her time examining the girls and she was very friendly. It was a great switch. We also found out that we have been cleared for the girls to eat any food they want, including peanut butter, eggs and shell fish, and of course whole milk...yippee! We will start to explore new foods, in small amounts, so as to not waste things, which should be fun and interesting. In other news the girls are completely healthy. Natalie is still falling in the 5% range for her weight of 17.8 and Maddie is in the 25% for her weight of 19.6. Their heads are in the 50-75% at 18, and Their heights are 28 for Natalie and 28 and 3/4 for Maddie, still pretty small, I think it was 25-50% or something like that. The doctor said not to worry though, because they are still on the curve so that is good. Tom and I have also made the decision to keep them facing backwards until Natalie is at least 25 pounds. They say you can turn them around once they are 20 pounds AND one year, but that it is actually safer to keep them facing backwards, so we are going to do that for awhile, they have each other to entertain and I am all about safety. Other than that we are just working on talking and walking. Natalie is doing a great job and Maddie just gets so excited that she keeps falling, but she is starting to get the hang of it as well. So that is all for now, but I am sure there will be interesting food stories down the road.

I Did It!

As the girls turned one yesterday I achieved my goal of nursing/pumping for them for a whole year. My initial goal was six months, and once I reached that I set out to try eight months. Once I got to eight months I knew I could make it the full first year, which I did! It has been a sacrifice to say the least, but it was worth it to not have the girls on formula. Surprisingly they really did not have much formula at all, we supplemented about one bottle a day for a few months, but for the last six months they haven't had any. Now the process of weaning has begun and I am so excited to have extra time back in my day. Of course though on the heels of this great achievement I have yet another infection. This would be my fourth of the year and of course this is the worst one. Last night I was really sore and then I was laying in bed and just got really, really cold. I had on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, socks and all of the blankets and I was still freezing. At this point I figured I should take my temperature and sure enough, fever. Then I got nauseous and yup you know what happened next. Then wouldn't you know, since I am a mom and all and you don't get to call in sick, Maddie woke up and wanted to eat and cuddle. So I fed her and rocked her a little and then went back to bed...it was a rough night, but we survived. Now I am just waiting for my prescription to be ready so hopefully I will feel better soon. Ah, but I digress, this post was supposed to be about my big achievement and moving on to the next big thing. Yippee for me.

Happy Birthday

To My Little Angels,
Today you turned one year old. I cannot believe that it has already been a full year since you entered this world or how much our lives have changed since you entered it. You have brought us so much love and laughter that I cannot imagine life without you. You both started off small, but you have blossomed into two healthy little girls. You are both trying to walk and you enjoy exploring new foods. You get a kick out of making each other laugh and we can tell that you are going to be close, because you are always hugging each other, or holding hands, or kissing each other. You love to talk to each other and you play well together. Your special "twin" time is when we bought you down to sleep and you stand at the end of your cribs and talk, or laugh or pass your blankets or pacifiers back and forth. We have been so fortunate that I have been able to stay home with you girls to watch you grow and to see all of your changes and I love every minute of it, even when you have your little fits or you don't get enough sleep. I cannot even begin to explain to the two of you how special you are or how much you are loved by me, your daddy and everyone else. You are just so lovable and cuddly and you make everyone laugh and smile. I want to thank you girls for this wonderful year and I wish I could put into words just how much you mean to me. I could go on and on, but I won't here and now. Just know that we love you and I am so glad to have you as my daughters and I hope you have a very Happy Birthday and a very Happy Year!
I love you girls,
Your Mama

Wild Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated the girl's 1st birthday for the 2nd time at my in-laws house. It was a fun weekend. The girls still weren't really into their cakes, but they loved all their gifts. Then that night, the girls and I stayed at their Nana and Poppi's house since Tom was headed to a bachelor party. We went to a little fair in Martinsville for the fall Foliage festival. The girls were so funny because even though we fed them before we left we had to stop and get them a grilled cheese because they were hungry. The next day we went to the Fall Foliage parade. It was sure interesting, to say the least. About 5-10 minutes after the parade started a bunch of medical equipment went zooming by and rumours came back that one of the Shriner's had lost control and crashed into the crowd. We weren't very surprised because they had come very close to the curb when they had been by us. Then towards the end of the parade a man, seemingly drunk or on something fell off his horse and was taken away by the cops. It was pretty funny, and all had a good time, even the girls. I was worried it would be to loud for them, especially Maddie, but she loved it and was rocking and even recognized Tom, who rode in his Dad's wagon. It was a fun weekend, even though we are paying for it today, the girls got up at 5:45 and just a little while ago went down for their first nap, but we will bounce back and hey at least we all had fun.

Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup and Karaoke

Today I tried to be a little more adventurous with the girl's meal choices. I know I should be giving them "real" people food instead of just pureed baby stuff, but it is so easy and I am afraid of choking...they only have 2 teeth a piece still, so I figure they can't chew that well. Well, yesterday I was eating a bagel and cream cheese and Maddie kept wanting some, so I gave it to her and she seemed to like it. So, today for lunch they had raisin bagel and cream cheese. Then for dinner Tom and I were having grilled cheese and tomato soup and I figured they would probably eat the soup, which they did, then I thought okay lets give them so grilled cheese too. They absolutely LOVED it. We started with just a little and they each ended up eating a half a sandwich...it was crazy, but that is good...exploration is good. You know what is no good. Live karaoke in the apartment upstairs, being sung at the highest decibel, by your Japanese neighbors. Yes, that is right, our upstairs neighbors are doing karaoke...it is horrible, it is so bad that even the girls were looking around wondering what that horrible noise is...we are giving them until 11:00...quiet time and if it doesn't stop they will either get a pleasant...or not so pleasant knock on the door, or the cops will be called...ahhhhhh house please be finished soon!

Off Days

Days like today are more challenging than other days. While the girls did sleep all night last night, both of them for a change, they both woke up this morning at 5:45. Usually they get up between 7:30 and 8:30, so on days like today I have to especially patient and have to just roll with the punches. On days like today instead of waking up at 8:00 the girls are usually going down for their first nap of the day, can you imagine taking a nap at 8:00 am? It does allow me to get ready much earlier than normal, but most of the day is working around the next nap. They will probably sleep until 9 or 10 and then need to sleep again around 11 or 12 and then again at 3 or 4, only to have to be woken, by me, no later than 5:30. Other times they only take 2 naps and just aren't as happy as they normally are. Days like this also cause me to wonder why in the world they woke up so early. Maybe they are really teething this time...I feel like they have been teething for 6 months, but Maddie cannot stop drooling. Or maybe it is because they are reaching that milestone of walking...who knows what is going on, but all I know is that hopefully the sun will come out at some point, we will get a walk in and we will have fun playing with their Nana and Poppi this afternoon! So here is to off days and the challenges they bring and the ability to roll with the punches.

Under Roof!

After several long, long, long months we are getting closer to having a house. We are finally under roof. Now we are waiting for our next pre-dry wall meeting, which should be next week! Then it should be about 6-8 weeks until we get to close...I am personally hoping it is 6 weeks until close. So here are a few pictures...not to exciting, but for us after all these months it sure is...

Finally moving forward after all these months and looking forward to the next steps!