Where does time go???

So yah...Pheebs turned the big 1!

We just returned from a vacation to North Carolina. It's our plan to move there some day, so we wanted to scope it out. I tried as hard as possible to keep the kiddos to their nap routines, and this is what I had to build in each hotel room in order to do so. I came prepared with twine and sheets.

Our hotel rooms very quickly came to resemble our home...

We visited the Lemur Center in Durham. It was when Pheebs should have been sleeping. She was cranky and throwing fits. I think it's pretty plain on my face that I'm wishing the darned tour would just be over already!

Got to visit some family. This is Aunt Sue, my Dad's sister. It was her first time meeting Pheebs and only the second time seeing Raina. Despite what the pic shows, Raina actually had a good time :)

I swear there were times I felt they were possessed. I think the trip was too long!

Also got to spend a couple hours with my mom. Can't wait until we live only a couple hours away...

While Chris was attending a security conference in Raleigh, the girls and I found a playground to enjoy. We got some stares. They probably thought we were albinos.

Poor thing was so over-tired for most of the trip.

While in Charlotte, we visited the Raptor Center...basically a little bird zoo.

We drove down in 2 days...back home in 1. These were the best moments... :)

Pheebs' safe place in the yard (no grass)...

On Mom's Day, I cleared off the porch so it doesn't look like a cross between a day care and a yard sale...but, of course, I left the water table (or "wa-wa [insert squeal]" as Phoebe calls it).

We got this playground last summer, but Raina wasn't really interested. She is now, thank goodness!

A few days ago, I bought this house off craigslist for only $25. On Mom's Day, I planted Raina's garden with the seedlings she started inside and also made her a vine tee-pee.

And this is my latest cake creation. A mommy friend asked for a globe cake with yellow flowers for her 2-y-o, who was celebrating her b-day with our planet. Check out mom's blog at http://www.humanmama.com/. She even wrote a piece about me :)



In real-quick other news...Pheebs has started standing on her own, but still no steps. I have 2 (OMG, 2!!!) cakes due the weekend after next that I'm actually going to make money from. And Raina is just the happiest kid alive now that the weather is nice and she can play outside. I look forward to a summer full of walks, playgrounds, play dates, and maybe even a little color to my pasty white self!

This might be a LOOOOONNNG summer

I took my little princess (my youngest one :) outside today to experience the sun, warm temp, and crazy scary green stuff covering the ground.

She better get over this!!!








This is while watching her most favorite baby sign language DVD. She'll start out in a chair or by the couch, but within minutes, we're pulling her away from standing right in front of the TV.

Hanging out with Fozzie Bear

She was severely cranky today, which you can kinda see in her eyebrows here.

Feeling better with the green stuff not touching her

Pics and vids for the grandparents and lurkers

It's been a while...and I know these could cheer up a few of you out there...

(It's heavy on the Pheebs in honor of her upcoming birthday :)

Reading together...

Phoebe self-applauding every time she pushed the red button to pop up the panda.

Afternoon walk (which Raina was actually excited about)

Yay for consignment shops and $5 tunnels!

Hamming it up at the dinner table

Adding a little cheese...

And a little more :)

Practicing her spoon/fork techniques

They're finally starting to play together...it's cute...but inevitably gets ugly!

The vid to go with the photo above...

I think it's a cruel trick that babies can go up steps before they can walk!

Our zoo friend

Ripping tissue paper with Aunt Emily

New toy

"Gentle" is not a concept she understands just yet...

At that dirty phase...

Ending with my favorite funny face :)

Rules

Rules. Sometimes I think I have too many, but most times I think I'm lacking. "I'm" as in me. Rules that are selfishly driven because they'd help my sanity. Rules like:

1. ALL eating must be done at the kitchen table. Is it that I enjoy having the handy-vac permanently attached to my right hand? Do I find some pleasure in constantly worrying about what Phoebe just picked up from the floor and put in her mouth? Is it my way of graciously inviting that which I fear the most, a.k.a. ANTS?!? Do I feel as though the damned cat doesn't puke enough?!?

2. Mom must shower daily and wear PJs as clothes at most only once a week. I take the time to dress my children well enough so that they don't look as though they're hurting for cute clothes. They have their bath nights. The husband showers daily and gets to wear comfy business casual attire. Why do I have to stink? Why do I have to look dumpy? Why do my legs and arm pits have to be so soft? And I don't mean in the "ooooh, what soft skin!" way...I mean in the soft furry way. Why do I put myself so low on the priority list? Why can't I take care of myself without feeling guilty???

3. Other adults in the house must help with chores. Once again, guilt is the reason this rule is not enforced. Because of this, laundry is never caught up or put away, the vacuum cleaner collects dust (as well as every surface in the house), and every nook and cranny is a disorganized mess. Perhaps contributing to why I feel as though I'm a disorganized mess...??? You already have some sense of what state my nook and crannies are in.

4. Mom and Dad should have a date night without the children at least twice a month. Guilt yet again plays into this one. The last thing I want to do is ask family and friends to sacrifice their plans so that the hubby and I can enjoy our relationship as husband/wife/friends (not parents) for a few hours. And my God, do you have any idea what "professional" babysitters cost?!? OMG!!! But you know what? I'd give up the fancy cable or the emergency order-pizza-nights-'cause-the-kitchen-is-too-dirty-to-clean in order to fund some time with my man.

I've been overcome lately with a feeling as though I need to get my sh*t together.

I'm promising myself right now that I'm going to start that...

...next week.

OMG, I totally went there

It's one of those deep, dark secrets that moms never reveal: They have a favorite child.

GASP!

Puh-leeze. OF COURSE every parent has a favorite. We're only human after all. I'll admit it: Pheebs is my favorite. Now before you get your panties all in a bunch, understand this-- Having a favorite doesn't mean you love one child more or less than another. Well, I guess it does for the "bad" parents out there, but I'm only talking about us good ones! I love both my children, but here's the difference...I'm loving babyhood MUCH MORE than toddlerhood. This toddler phase is kicking my ass. Raina doesn't like me for most of her waking moments, fights with me about every freaking little thing, wants nothing to do with my offers to help, and cuddling with me is out of the question. Phoebe, my little 10-m-o, on the other hand, thinks I'm the center of the universe. She LOVES me. She NEEDS me. She is reduced to tears whenever I'm out of her sight or touch. She reaches for me when in the arms of someone else. She crawls at top speed to get to me when I'm across the room. She rests her head on my shoulder and hums as I hold her, occasionally lifting up to give me a sloppy kiss.

Now seriously, how can that NOT be my favorite?!?

I'm enjoying it for all it's worth now 'cause in a few short months she's sure to figure out that Dad is the coolest person alive and I'm, well, not.

Video catch-up

Hopefully this works. Blogspot has not wanted to post videos for me lately :(

Most of these are just of Phoebe playing. I could watch her play all day. Raina never played with her toys. OK, "never" is a strong word...she played but really not all that much. Pheebs plays all the time, so it seems like a new thing to me!

Picture catch-up

Soon will be video catch-up...

Back in the saddle

So yah, after an almost 4-year hiatus from teaching, I'm starting up again.

Am I ready?

Absolutely not.

Am I terrified beyond belief?

OMG, absolutely.

Am I excited?

Yah, I think I am :)

So, whether you'd like a good workout or just want some quality time with me (ha!), feel free to give CCAC your money and join me! Only 4 more weeks to go.

Visit this link for more detailed descriptions of the classes. CCAC inappropriately named a couple of them for me because the names I chose were already taken. Anyways...

http://shopcommunityed.ccac.edu/Courses/Fitness_Health_Sports_Recrea.aspx

Mondays:

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Yoga With A Kick

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Fitness Bellydance

Wednesdays:

7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Strong and Toned

8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Mommy Time

Thursdays:

7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Personal Conditioning Weight Training (this is one that I didn't even propose...they just gave it to me without even talking to me about it first!)

8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Fitness Bellydance (another session)

My exercise vid for moms

So, I'm on the 6-week countdown until I start teaching fitness classes. Don't even get me started on the anxiety associated with that. It's another post for another day.

Anyways, I'm trying to cram "training" into every free moment of my day. As any mom knows, free moments are few and far between...and then when you do find them, energy and motivation seem to have exited the building.

I'm spending the next 3 weeks pretty much just focusing on cardio; the 3 weeks after that will focus more on class-specific training. One of my goals is to get a DVD workout in at least 3 times a week during nap time.

Ahhhh, nap time. What an unpredictable, crazy beast it is.

My 55-minute DVD only got 20 minutes of play time today...which got me thinking about REAL exercise vids for moms.

Here's mine...

The vid would be taught by a semi-frumpy 30-something woman (with good posture, though!) who would assure you that there's no need to change clothes. I mean, you're already wearing sweatpants and a tee, right? Simply slip on a sports bra (or a tight bra that doesn't fit well but you're hoping will within the next couple months with a tight tank over it). The warmup consists of squats combined with triceps extensions, coming down into the squat and reaching down and out to pick up a toy and then throwing it behind you until you clear the floor for your workout. About 3 minutes into the workout, you'll be instructed to high-knee it to the kid's room to enforce nap time (or quiet time); then high-knee it back to the TV. Now that you're warmed up, she'll start the functional training with some lunges and curls. At about the 7th rep, she'll kindly tell you that she'll wait while you lunge-walk to the kitchen to grab some carpet cleaner so you can clean that spot of who-the-hell-knows-what that you've been staring at with every down motion of your lunge. As you create yet another off-colored patch in your floor covering, she'll serenely talk about how in 15 or so years you'll get to buy all new STAIN-FREE furniture and rugs. With that positive thought in your head, you excitedly lunge-walk back to the kitchen to return the carpet cleaner to its child-proof home under the sink (eh? child-proof? hmmmm...). You then hear the volume automatically increase as she reminds you while you're in the kitchen that you forgot to take the porterhouse steak out of the freezer to defrost for dinner, so go ahead and just take out a pound of ground beef instead and have tacos again. Jog in place while you do this, and listen to her tell you the word for "tacos" in Swedish so you can try to convince the family that tonight's meal is NOT the same as yesterday's (maybe add some food coloring to the taco shells?).

Anyways. You get the point.

Argh.

November/December

Thought I better get some pics up before the family comes in a few days so I don't have to hear "You haven't posted pics on your blog in forever!"

:P

My cake helper

I heart legwarmers

Sisters

Raina's new bed and painted room

Fun with makeup

Cakes/cupcakes...