October 28, 2011

Where does the time go?

Looking back on things I am not really sure what Stacey and I did with all our free time before we had the girls.  These days it seems like there is little time to sleep let alone anything else.  What did I do Monday nights before I had to take the girls to dance?  Where did we go before we had to make plans weeks in advance to secure a babysitter?  I think the days just must be getting shorter :)

Seriously, these days I don't think that I work any more then I used too, in face I know that I put in less nights at the office since the girls were born.  Yet it took me an hour last night just to get some things put away and in order.  Part of the problem is that the girls have way to many toys.  20 baby dolls is more then enough for two little girls (Just so you know Stacey and I will put out a hit on anyone who dares to buy a baby doll for the girls birthday or Christmas this year....think we are kidding, just try us.  And no I don't really care that the girls keep saying they just want a baby doll).  I did what any good mom would do after spending an hour cleaning up, I sat and read the girls a book, put them to bed, and had a glass of wine!  Go ahead and laugh, but I have given in to my OCD and am learning to accept the fact that my house will never be the spotless envy of my friends.  I have two kids, and well let's face it a husband, and so my house will be clean, but not spotless.  If you come over you may have to move a toy or two around.  I don't have to run the vacuum everyday and the beds may or may not get made. 

Instead I will use my time having fun with family and friends.  Just to prove my point the girls will enjoy an evening with Nana and Papa and Stacey and I will have a date night.  The two dishes in the sink can wait until tomorrow and our closets are full of clothes so the mountain of laundry (ok maybe I am exaggerating a little there) can wait until Saturday. 

Since I can't add hours to the day, I will just have to enjoy the ones I have.  After all someone will clean it all up after I am gone :). 

October 17, 2011

Papa's Girl

When Dan married into this family he never knew that he would end up with five girls not just two (and that does not even count other grandkids).  While Christina and I were a breeze to deal with :), these little girls are anything but. 

Grace, more so then Ella, is a proclaimed Papa's Girl.  We have had talks were Ella says she is a helper girl and a mommy and daddy's girl and asks Grace who she wants to be and Grace always, and I mean always, says "well I really papa's girl."  If she get hurt, or sad, or in trouble, or really just anytime she can open her mouth it is always I miss my papa, I need my papa, can I call my papa.  The last is by far my favorite.  Most of the calls she makes Dan ends not having a clue what they just talked about, but really I guess that might just be that she is a girl and he is a boy.  She will tell him about her day, what she wants to do next time she sees him, or how he gets to do something for her.  Take her to nana and papa's and she can find papa's lap quicker then an Oreo can find Dan's mouth (sorry had to add that in there). 

It should come as no surprise that when I told Grace we were going to see papa on Sunday that her face just beamed.  Sunday morning came and she had to get all dressed up, after all it had been two weeks since she had seen him which was just torture in her mind.  On the way she wanted to call and make sure papa would be home when she arrived.  After jumping in his lap she only moved to have her dress hemmed (which papa had to look at and watch the process for her) and to get a book in which papa must read.  Papa even got caught trying to skip pages (silly papa).  After watching almost all the football game that papa was coaching I suggested that it was time to head home.  If you could see the hurt in her eyes you would realize why we stayed another hour until papa was done coaching so she could give him a hug goodbye. 

So there is only one question left, papa when does Grace get to see you again :)

October 10, 2011

What every little girls needs

Children never cease to amaze me and there is never a dull moment when a child is around (trust me if there is something big is about to happen).  So let me set the scene. 

It is Saturday morning and Ella has gotten up at 6:00 a.m. and Stacey got her set watching cartoons and then came back to bed and fell back to sleep like the rest of us.  The three of us get up at 7:00 and I started breakfast.  We needed to leave by 9:20 for our 10:00 pictures (or so I thought).  I waited as long as possible before showering both girls and getting them dressed.  The only instructions was to spend the next hour not eating, drinking, or getting into anything.  Anyone with kids is most likely laughing now knowing this is impossible. 

Just as Stacey was getting ready to cut his hair and take a shower, I realized that our photos were at 9 not 10 and we needed to leave in 10 minutes.  I will spare you the story, but we made it only 10 minutes late which is not bad.

We arrive at this nice studio and the girls have gotten over the idea that I would not let them color in the truck with markers on the way.  They are both little hams so they are so excited when we get to choose the background and start getting set up.  Like a good mom I take one last look over them before sending them to the camera.  Grace reminds me that I was going to do lip gloss on them and I have to now explain that I left it at home and pray there is no meltdown coming.  "Don't worry mommy I have it here in my pocket," Grace says.  So as she is taking it out I realize that she has a few other things in her pocket.  Now here is what every girl needs to take with her to a photo shoot:  lip gloss, pink ribbon, hair clip, and oh yeah a pink handgun (fake of course).  I about fell over laughing.  When I asked why she brought this stuff, "You just never know when you might need to a gun or lip gloss mom."  At least she will be prepared for anything.