One of those craaaazy days....

Today was.... crazy from the get go.

First things first - Baby S slept through the night from 8 PM to 6:30 AM. He awakened at around midnight crying but the crying wasn't enough for me to go in, and 30 minutes later he was back to sleep. Here's hoping for another repeat of that!

Anyway, this morning Ethan headed off to work and I was able to sleep until 8 AM - Baby S took a bottle at 6:30 and went back to sleep shortly after. F knows to get dressed and play quietly in his room until I come and get him, and E loves to play in her crib first thing in the morning. Anyway, I got up, emptied the dishwasher, packed F's lunch for his field trip that day, and gave Baby S his anti-seizure meds. Then I went and got the other two our of their rooms and we all had breakfast together. Baby S chose that moment to need a diaper change, and when I was back in his room changing it, F's carpool person came and picked him up. This is normal...he waits by the door with his backpack and then goes with them regardless of whether I'm there to say goodbye or not. Our carpool moms understand I have three kids under the age of 5 so sometimes things happen right before they come to pick him up and I can't be right there to chat for a little bit.

So all this is fine, right? Wrong. You see, F didn't have class today because his class was meeting at a nature center about 40 miles north of here for a special field trip. We had arranged with another mother of a classmate for her to pick him up and take him. Sooo.... F is gone, and the right mom shows up to get him... and he's not there. She said "Well, I can't be late, so I'm sorry" and then left. I'm wondering just exactly where F is at this point due to the fact that neither of his teachers are actually AT the school. So... in typical supernanny fashion, I jumped into my clothes, googled the directions to the nature center, grabbed my at-the-ready diaper bag (seriously, it's always ready to go with everything - I check it and replenish it at the end of every day) and got my two younger ones in the car. Drove to F's school and ran in to find that he had been sent to the two year old class for the day. One of the teachers went to fetch him for me and once he was locked and loaded in the car I set out driving on the interstate to get to the nature center. We made it right on the dot as the group was about to leave with their tour guide. The mother that had was supposed to take him apologized for not going to the school to get him since she and her daughter ended up being 20 minutes early and would have had the time to get him . I sweetly told her not to worry about it, and she offered to bring him home afterwards, which I accepted gratefully. It would not have been the most fun to walk around for three hours with the two younger ones during their naptimes. So we drove back home and my friend Dawn came over with her three month old and 3 year old charges. We had fun playing with the kids, and had lunch together as well. When F came home, he played with Hayden in the backyard and Dawn and I were able to just chat and catch up while keeping a watchful eye on the kids. As you moms know, being alone with children day in and day out with little to no adult interaction can be taxing. Nannies and governesses have the same issues, so I have a circle of friends that I get together with for the purpose of our kids playing together and for us to have some adult conversation. It's also nice to be able to go to places like the Zoo and have another person there to watch the kids for a couple of minutes if you need to use the restroom, etc. We support each other much like moms do.

Anyway, Dawn and her kids left aorund 5 and I set about making breakfast-at-dinner. F and I had been to the Farmer's Market on Wednesday and had bought a loaf of French brioche just for tonight. I whipped up the French toast batter and had a plateful of french toast slices and bacon. F&E went to TOWN and polished most of it off. Tonight was the first time E has used a fork for its purpose...she was extremely proud of herself as she stabbed each piece and fed it to herself. Next mission: spoon and yogurt...with a towel on the floor and nothing but a diaper. Maybe we'll try that tomorrow....

After dinner, I set the alarm for the house (it's quite a large house and I like to have the alarm on at the end of the day just in case) and we played for a while before heading to the bathtub. E gets super excited about bathtime and grabs her empty water pail and tosses it into the empty tub. I reach to turn on the water...and the alarm goes off.

Now, I'm not a "panicker". This means that while I may feel inwardly frightened and want to scream like a little girl and run, I do not. I remain calm and composed. "Oh my! The alarm is going off guys! I think we need to go outside for a little bit." So we get outside and wait for thirty minutes before the police show up to do a sweep of the house. All was clear, and it was determined that E throwing her pail into the tub set off the "glass shatter" function of the alarm in their jack and jill bathroom. Whew. I was definitely relieved to have a definite REASON why the alarm went off. After the police left, we headed back inside and I gave them their baths and got them to bed... late...but oh well.

So, now I'm sitting here on a Friday night at 8:30 with not much to do! The house is literally in perfect condition with not a toy askew, the dishes are already done as I ran the dishwasher right after dinner, the trash is taken out, and the laundry is finished. So....I guess I'll go to bed! Tomorrow is another day, and I'm sure it will be a busy one!

Single parenthood and stylin'

So, I'm playing single momma to the kids today through Sunday. It's not a big deal... I actually find it much easier to deal with the three munchkins when mom and dad aren't underfoot. We'll just say that I have a way of doing things, and it's pretty efficient. Plus, the kids are on my schedule and everyone stays happy for the most part. Their parents are in Florida for business... this is the third time they have gone away since January, and I'm hoping it's a stress-free weekend for them as I know they're nervous. I'm sure everything will be fine...and even if it's not, I'll handle whatever gets thrown my way.

Not sure what I will do with the kids this weekend... I'm thinking the Zoo, Aquarium, Children's Museum...and definitely a few park visits. Our pool is opening this weekend, but there is no way the water will be warm enough yet for them. Probably by the end of May we can add swimming into our repertoire.

Ethan and I went shopping the other day with our stylist at Nordstrom... she came to work with us to put together looks for our photo shoot...which was cancelled due to thunderstorms all day on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. No worries though, we rescheduled for August. Why August? Well...our photographer is due in a week, and is on maternity leave through the end of July. I didn't want to work with anyone else, and since August is the month of our 5th anniversary, it still works well.

Anyway, Karen's visit (our stylist) was not a total loss as she was able to see Ethan's sad excuse for a wardrobe. The guy can't help it.... 70% of his wardrobe is his uniforms. Anyway, she threw out quite a few of his clothes. I have been working together with her for over a year now, and she is wonderful. Shopping with Karen at Nordstrom is really awesome. When we show up, we have huge dressing rooms with entire outfits grouped together. Shoes, accessories, etc. The works. No browsing around to find things as she (a) knows what we have in our closets at home already and (b) knows our sizes. I don't really have that many pieces that I "need" to add to my wardrobe but I left with a really cool black Elizabeth & James satin jacket and white Joe's Jeans, and Ethan left with a pair of COH jeans and two new long-sleeved collared shirts that I love on him. So exciting. We'll keep visiting her at Nordstrom as she finds things she thinks will work well for us, and buy what we like, etc. No, we're not rich and famous... Karen's services at Nordstrom are completely free. You too can have a personal stylist...just call your local Nordstrom and request an appointment with a personal shopper. We do pay her a small fee to come to our house and do styling/wardrobe editing but hey! It's worth it to me to have outfits that I wouldn't think to put together by someone whose job is to stay current with fashion.

Alrighty....it's 9 PM and time for me to hit the hay. Here's hoping the kiddos all sleep through the night.... but I'm fully aware that Baby S probably won't!

Busy as usual....

I find myself with a free moment to post....at last. Hope all of you have been doing well. I've been a busy girl (as usual) working my tail off. 91 hours at the end of this week.

I haven't been up to much, really...just enjoying the gorgeous weather and getting the kids out and about. Now that baby S is bigger, it's a lot easier to go places since I have a better idea of his nap schedule. I'm looking forward to taking the kids swimming once the pools open next month. I know E is going to love it, and I'm pretty sure S will too. All three of them have been total water babies... maybe because they were born into water? Who knows? I'm excited for the summer... it always goes by so quickly, and will REALLY fly by this summer because F starts school August SECOND. They sure start the school year super early... but it works for me. More time with the little ones, and they're the ones who need the outings and experiences that F is too old for at this point. Speaking of Baby S... at only 6 months old, he is crawling, pulling himself to a stand, and starting to cruise from one piece of furniture to another. It's amazing... he's such an awesome little man. Always has a smile on his face unless he's hungry or sleepy... and then he's sure to let you know with some high pitched whimpers.

Ethan is working 12 hour shifts all weekend. The poor man won't get much sleep. He gets home at 7 PM tonight and gets to sleep for a few hours before going back to his extra side job from 2:30-6:30 and then straight to the precinct for his next 12 hour shift... home to eat and maybe sleep an hour or two before his side job at the bar from 10-3... couple more hours and then 7-7 shift again. At least he's racking up the comp time which we'll need for Mexico in August. I won't see him at all this weekend since I'm working overnight tonight until 9 AM tomorrow morning and then tomorrow night from 7-11.... and Sunday from 9-3. Good thing I'm working. I might go crazy all alone at home for that long. Before anyone asks....yes, I have friends. They just happen to live in other states which makes weekend plans problematic. ;)

NEXT weekend we'll have some fun... we're having our photos done by Mango Street Photography which I am super excited about. After the shoot, Ethan and I will head to dinner for a relaxing evening with just the two of us. I'm not sure what we'll do other than dinner somewhere! I love time with my husband... he's just so much fun to be with. Not a day goes by that I am not amazed that God decided to let me have him as my husband.

Who am I that He would love me like this?

Down the Vía Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The Man condemned to die on Calvary

He was bleeding from a beating, there were stripes upon His back
And He wore a crown of thorns upon His head
And He bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for His death

Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King,
But He chose to walk that road out of
His love for you and me
Down the Via Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary

  Por la Vía Dolorosa, triste día en Jerusalém
Los soldados le abrían paso a Jesús
Más la gente se acercaba,
Para ver al que llevaba aquella cruz
Por la Vía Dolorosa, que es la via del dolor
Como oveja vino Cristo, Rey y Señor,
Y fue Él quien quiso ir por su amor por ti y por mí
Por la Vía Dolorosa al Calvario y a morir

The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men
Made its way through the heart of Jerusalem

Down the Vía Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
But He chose to walk that road out of His love for you and me
Down the Vía Dolorosa, all the way to Calvary

My left ring finger feels naked....

Last night I did my C25K (I switched my days this week to T/Th/Sat) and my fingers were really hot and swelling a little bit, so I took off my wedding rings and forgot to put them back on after my shower.... and left for work this morning with no rings. It feels very strange as I can't ever remember not wearing my rings. I always have them on unless I'm about to dip my hands in sticky lotion or getting a manicure or something. I also have no ring tan lines on my finger, which I find odd. I guess I don't get that much sun!

Good news about Baby S! He is no longer going to occupational therapy! The OT is thrilled (and completely amazed) by his development and since he is at the 9 month level as far as development, she won't see him again until our checkup at the end of June. He is crawling, and has just started pulling himself up. He'll be 6 months old on Easter Sunday. He is truly an amazing little boy, and I am just so darned proud of the little cutie. He endured all my therapy workouts for the first couple of months and it has paid off big time. We have an appointment with the neurologist next month to determine if we can start decreasing his anti-seizure medications. I really hope that two years from now, everything we went through is just a blip on the radar and it causes no further issues down the road. Above all else though, I'm just hugely grateful he's alive! God must have big plans for you on this earth, little fella. He sure has taught me a lot because of you.

I am expecting a bunch of packages today.... so exciting. I just love getting mail. I remember going to check the mailbox as a little girl and hoping one of my grandparents or my best friend had sent me a letter. When they did, I would read and re-read it and save it in my letter box and then carefully craft a reply. Now, most of the mail I get is bills (welcome to adulthood, right?) and junk mail... but sometimes a letter does come... and I enjoy it every bit as much as I did when I was a child. Anyway, the packages are from Old Navy, Polka Dot Designs, and Zappos. Old Navy is just a few more of the long-length shirts that I decided to stock up on since they were on sale and I needed them for summer. Polka Dot Designs are my invitations for a party I am throwing in June (it's a secret, so I won't be posting about it here until after said event). Zappos is not shoes this time around... it's a few pairs of jeans. I love Zappos because of their free overnight shipping AND free return shipping. Zero sales tax doesn't hurt either... and the privacy of my home as a dressing room cannot be beat.

My parents arrive tomorrow night.... I can't wait. Still trying to finalize the menu for when they're here but I think I may wait for mom and then come up with something. She is always fun in the kitchen, and so is dad. It's an excuse to take them to the international farmer's market too! I'm thinking mussels in white wine sauce, pork loin, rack of lamb, and steak will be on the menu (not all at once, on different nights of course!)... just have to make sure they like all that stuff!

And I'm out!

The end is in sight...

This morning I registered Ethan for his fall semester at GSU.... his last semester there before he graduates in December! Words cannot describe how happy I am that this is finally coming to an end. I am so incredibly proud of my husband for how hard he works. I don't know many people who could handle 6 classes, a full time job as a police officer, two extra side jobs, and being a devoted and loving husband all at the same time. It has required a lot of sacrifice from him since he hasn't had the time to do the things he loves. His fall semester only requires him to be in class on Monday evenings, and the rest of the time is his... I am so happy for him because he definitely deserves to have some time to himself after the hectic pace of the last three years! I am also happy that we'll be able to have a more "normal" existence in the fall (ie: have dinner together every night). Once he graduates... wow, there are just so many options and so much freedom I don't even know where to begin! Let's just say all the hard work will be worth it.

This week is a short 4 day week for me due to Friday being a paid holiday. My parents are coming to visit and arrive late Thursday night. I am so excited to have them here for a few days and to not have any other obligations whatsoever this weekend. It's a nice change in pace. Even if it will be short-lived. Things will return to their normal craziness until Memorial Day weekend. Such is my life!

One of the many reasons I love my job....

Baby S is ALWAYS laughing and smiling.