HELLO November!

Can I possibly be the only mom who is psyched Halloween is over?

With LT (C's new nickname, as he is a lieutenant in the Army) still gone, I was flying solo for my least favorite holiday. My mom came up to hand out candy at our house while I took the three amigos out.

They were wild, but cute:

We made a quick costume change from a Monkey, Barbie and a Butterfly to the Dog (last years - thank god for kids who don't grow), a Cat (again, last years) and a Monkey. 

I apparently went as a mannequin, without knowing it, as both my jeans and sweater still had tags on them.

Look, I do have spirit!

Here's to a great November, which I hope to survive with flying colors!  LT comes back Dec 10th, and I'll be over the moon to see him (and then leave for quiet time by myself!).

Do You Spin?

My kids LOVE Laurie Berkner.  Like, hum her songs all the live long day LOVE her. 

We just went to the Life is Good Festival a few weeks ago to see her, and they will love me forever after that (ha.)

To put them in a good mood, we listen to the Best of Laurie Berkner Band every morning on the way to school/daycare.  

There is one song, "I Really Love to Dance" that has confused me forever.  

My Mom said try Spinning

So I gave it a try

My friends all like spinning, and sometimes so do I

But the only thing I really want to do is Dance

Forever, I couldn't figure this out.  

Did kids really take spinning classes?  No way - how could they. . . 

So did she mean, spinning wool?  That is so old school, but maybe she is from farm country. . . 

Until, just this week, light dawned on Marblehead.  She means spinning.  Like around and around and around, arms whirling.

Just in case you thought I was smaht. Can you say Mommy brain.  What the hell is going to happen when I am old! 

The Three Amigos

This is my tribe.  This is what they are like EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING.  At 6 AM.  The girls always want to cuddle with their brother and he just wants his juice in peace! I feel ya little man.

New Toy!

So I finally got an IPhone. I am thrilled with it, and am really am having a ton of fun of with it.

So far, I use Echofon for Twitter, I love facebook and how easy it is to check it.  I've been playing Tetris and Solitare way too often.

But my favorite thing?  It has to be what my kids can do on it!

They love Dora, The Memory Games, Cookie Doodle, Scribble.

What is your favorite IPhone App?

Life Changes

In July, my husband took a new job.  With the Army.  Yeup, at 34, he enlisted.  Lord help me. 

While it does "fit" him, it is quite a life change.  And doesn't really fit with our plans for the year.  But it was his "dream job", so he really wanted it, and who was I to stand in the way. 

No doubt, there are a lot of benefits.  Specifically, the benefits.  And pay, and hours, mostly.  The downside is he has weeks, months really, of training ahead.  Right now he is gone for 5 weeks.  Then he is gone for 8 (missing Thanksgiving), then 3.  After that, it slows down a lot and he is mostly home. 

As you can imagine, my days are CRA CRA.  Here is what it looks like:

5:30 Up.  Why didn't I get up @ 5 to run! Damn, gotta shower

6:00 Kids up.

6:30 Fighting with kids to get dressed

6:45 Drop off G and J at Daycare

7:00 Try to feed Emma something. Cheerios in a bag? Something at Starbucks? ANYTHING!

7:30 Drop Emma off at afterschool

8:15 Get to work

10:00 Worry about how to get everything done - bills, Jake's dr appts, sports.

12:30 Lunch with my coworkers

2:00 Sit in a meeting and think about what the kids need during the GAP Give & Get event

3:30 Ask to leave a little early, since traffic worries me and daycare closes at 6.

4:30 Leave work early.  Feel guilty as I walk by the cubes of all my coworkers who got there before me and who I am SURE are judging my lack of hours. 

5:30 Pick up E

6:00 Pick up G & J

6:15 What to do for dinner. . . Chicken Salad Sandwich, PBJ, Chicken Nuggets??? I am not a cook!

6:45 Finally get something on the table: Mac & Cheese!

7:15 Put out the trash while kids run around outside

7:30 Get milk ready for bedtime, get juice ready for the AM, clean up kitchen

8:00 Try to quickly get at least 2 baths done.  

8:30 Everyone lie down! 

9:15 Everyone is asleep

9:30 Pay Bills, Check twitter, switch laundry, load dishwasher, pick up what I can, pick out clothes for everyone for tomorrow

10:00 Try to watch the news

10:30 Try to go to sleep.  Play too many games of Solitaire on my IPhone

Not too bad, right? ;)

2010 Goals Updated

I thought it was a good time to get an update posted on my 2010 list.  Lots of it isn't going to happen. :(  But new stuff did happen, so it'll all just roll over to next year.

2010 To Do List

1. Organize the garage: 1/2 done.  We can park in it, but I am still not crazy happy with it.
2. Repaint the living room: This is done, but I went to dark.  I'll have to do it again next year.
3. Get back to my favorite weight (or lower!)
4. Redecorate Emma’s room
5. Install the Master Bedroom closet organizer (purchased 4/07) DONE - and loving it!
6. Join the book club
7. Host 6 playdates (3 down)
8. Find the positive everyday (dinner questions w/ the kids)
9. Change to a job in healthcare (more on that later!)
10. Wear all my clothes and donate the rest
11. Clear the toy clutter
12. Plan a summer visit for Maine or Vermont
13. Take kids back to Storyland (Booked for June)
14. Finish the master bath
15. Read / Listen to 12 books: I'm already at 9 books.  
16. Run a 5k
17. Finish landscaping the backyard
18. Pay off Jake's medical bills
19. Watch a movie once a month
20. Get a stool for the kitchen
21. Make something with the sewing machine
22. Explore MA with the kids
23. Do one on one with the kids regularly
24. Swim in the ocean
25. See my siblings each month
26. One date night a month
27. Focus on the relationship with C
28. Wallbaord in laundry room installed
29. Regular summer pedicures
30. Create a living will & trust
31. Do an overnight away with C
32. Try the garden again, simpler than last year.
33. Decorate the house with style - accessories, color etc... (I found Katie's blog, which is TOTALLY my style!)

First Day of Kindergarten

E started school today! I can't believe my baby is 5.5 years old and a kindergartner!

It wasn't an easy transition this morning.  Just like Jump Up Day in June, she was a mess.  She cries and holds onto me for dear life. On the walk to school she had told me if G could have come with her, she would be fine.  Too bad she can't take her little sister with her! (Who is totally ready for school. . . lord help me we have 2 years until she goes!)

Luckily we have a great school counselor who I had already talked to and knew to expect this.  She took her in, and within 5 minutes she was fine.

That's not to say I was.  I teared up immediately when I had to hide behind the building.  Random strangers were coming over to give me hugs.  I love them for that.

I kept it together for a while, but then was crying on my walk home.  I must have looked like a loon to the construction crew that is rebuilding a house on my street.  But whatever...

You would never know that she went to daycare her whole life.  I so wish I hadn't passed along my anxiety of new situations.  Poor kid.  But she rallys quickly, and will be fine!

Congrats E! You are going to rock kindergarten!

This was way before we got to school.  She was still happy at this point.