Compliments from Strangers

Today was fairly nice out, weather wise. My kids have been fighting some nasty cold, cough thing for a couple days, but we decided to go out while it was warm and ride bikes for a bit. Side note, Olivia is the flippin cutest thing on a tricycle I have ever seen. So we were riding around our parking lot. Well, Olivia riding, me carrying Abigail trying to keep up and give Olivia a push whenever she gets stuck. We took a few minutes to look at some dead worms on the ground. Collected some berries that had fallen from a tree. Looked at the flowers blooming. All of a sudden a voice came from a window - "You are so good with your girls." It startled me. I looked up and saw this lady, probably about 80 years old in her kitchen window. She went on, "I always see you out here with them. Playing with them in the snow. Letting them splash in the puddles in the rain. Blowing bubbles. That is wonderful. You are a great mother to those girls. I wish I had spent more time with my children when they were young. I seemed to only care about how clean my floors were. Now that time is gone, and I wish I spent more time with them like that."  I laughed and said I should probably spend a little more time worrying about how clean my floors are. But her eyes were so full of regret  as she told me my kids would never remember how clean my floors were, but they would always remember those times playing outside with me.

I hope she's right. I know I'll always remember these times... and I certainly won't remember all the facebook statuses I read every day, and the emails that seem so important at the moment. Anwyay it was nice to hear, even from, or maybe especially from, a complete random stranger.

More Olivia Funnys...

Every night before Aaron and I fall asleep we laugh about things Olivia has done or said the past 24 hours. Tonight I happen to have the laptop handy so you can be part of our conversation (this might not be her funniest material, but it's our every day)

Yesterday it was 41 degrees. I was rushing Olivia to the car. She closed her eyes and said, "Ahh that's better." I asked her what she was doing, she said, "I'm pretending I'm on the beach in Messico! Ah it's so warm here!!" (She may or may not have heard me do this once or twice.)

I asked her if she wanted me to put on the radio and she said, "Yeah! I want country music!" Where she learned music genre names, I do not know. But I'm glad she's requesting country.

She's also started calling her bottom - or anyone's a "rump roast". 

Tonight when I was giving her a bath she asked to wash my feet. I asked her why she told me, "So when the Easter Bunny comes he won't say P.U! And leave without giving us candy." Well then, wash away little one.

Also, it was gorgeous here today. Like 70 degrees or something fabulous. Weather like this gets all the kids outside. So we joined some game going in our little shared backyard. It was so fun to watch Olivia play pretend with these big girls, and boy. The boy was an evil king, who took the girls' power away. Olivia had the power of ballet. They tried to stop the evil king by showing him their best moves. But he stole their power. Olivia came up with the idea of going to the Fairy Office and getting more magic. Which is conveniently located just around our building, and has an endless supply of magic. All the while, Abigail ran around with a stick giggling when others were giggling, or yelling when others were yelling. 

It's been a good 24 hours.

Wish List

If I could wish for just one material thing -- just one anything I could buy at Sam's Club, or Best Buy... or ebay... it would be a fancy-shmancy-what-the-heck-does-she-need-that-for camera. And I really don't know much about photography. But I really want to learn. We got an $85 Samsung point and shoot (that's what I hear people with fancy cameras call regular cameras) last summer. It's fine, I guess.... Sometimes I can be very ungrateful. I mean there are people in the world with no camera at all, and rely on their memories for pictures. I have a lovely Samsung something or other, 12 mgp and optical zoom.... but this is how almost every picture I took today turned out:

So frustrating!!! But there were some cute ones so here ya go...

Abigail slipped and fell, then just laid there all cool like, "yeah I meant to do that"

She had this dazed look for most the Easter Egg Hunt

See... I just know if I had a fancy camera they both would have been looking at it.

This was just a sweet moment... Olivia helped Abigail get a drink from the water fountain.

So if anyone out there in the world wanted to all go in together for my next birthday, Christmas, anniversary, Easter, 4th of July, etc present... a camera would be nice. But ya, know I'm just sayin. I mean I'm happy with my little camera. And these wonderful pictures...

My Epic Failure of a Morning.

Today was really miserable. Let me give you the run down.
I change Olivia's leotard three times.
I spend 10 minutes looking for Abigail's shoes.
I bribe, threaten, and speak through gritted teeth to get hair done.
Then I load two kids into car seats to start the drive in the pouring rain to dance class.
About half way there I thought I remembered something about spring break. And class being canceled.
I hope I'm wrong.
I wasn't.
It's 10:30... I think, "Well Aaron is done with school at 11, so might as well head back to LECOM to pick him up."
Then I got a text. "Ambassador meeting, think it will be done at 11:30, but don't know." Which we had spoken about several times, I just forgot. (Noticing a pattern here?)
The logical person would just go home, right? I'm not logical. Since I'm already out, I figure I'll go drag my kids around the mall. Or Old Navy or something.
Pull into mall parking lot. Abigail is out cold. I should have woken her up. Instead, looking at the clock seeing it's 11:10, I figure I can sit in the parking lot of LECOM for 20 minutes.
20 minutes turned into 50. During which Olivia told me she had to go to the bathroom. And then peed in her car seat since I didn't know what to do -- leave Abigail in the car alone? Wake Abigail up? I hoped she could hold it. She couldn't. After waiting 40 minutes I get a text from Aaron, "Want me to get a ride home?" I cried when I read it. I didn't even know what to say. But before I could respond he told me meeting was over and he'd be right out.

So basically I spent my whole morning getting ready for something I didn't have to go to. Then spent 2 hours in the car for absolutely nothing. Well to pick Aaron up from LECOM which is a 10 minute errand most days. Oh and during these glorious 2 hours I got a text from a friend inviting me to a birthday lunch for a mutual friend. I really wanted to go. Instead of going I sat in a pee smelling car for two hours. Oh yeah, and Abigail woke up after that 40 minute car nap and never napped again.

I spent the rest of the day folding and putting away laundry. And trying to write this blog post. Both of which were interrupted one too many times. Is it bedtime yet?

Feeling like a grown up

Sometimes random things make me feel grown up. Nevermind the fact that I have a husband, two children and a home I take care of. No, it's not these things that make me feel grown up. At least not directly. It's the smell of the roast in the oven. That' I'm cooking. For my family. And it's fixing small plastic toys with super glue. It's finding the ticket stub from my first date with Aaron and literally being in total shock that we went to a movie that started at 9:50 PM. Yes, it is these little things that make me realize I'm really a grown up.

Sorry for the lack of update. We've had lots going on. We even had our first overnight house guests!! It was a blast to have my brother and sister-in-law here with us for the weekend.

Last night at 4:30am I heard, "MOMMY! MOMMY!" I went into girls room to find Olivia, completely naked, wide awake with every light on in their room and every book from their shelf in her bed with her. I brought her into our bed so she wouldn't wake up Abigail (who had amazingly slept through the whole ordeal). She tossed and turned and squirmed until 5:30.

I have been thinking I want to go on a camping trip with our little family. And then I think about how much I enjoy sleeping. And I change my mind.

Yesterday/Today

So yesterday was amazing. However the memories of its wonderfulness are being drowned out by the disaster that was today. But as I type it's call coming back to me.

I went and did XBike with my friend Staci in the morning. It was awesome. I felt good about myself. I came home and cleaned some. And then I got to go get the most amazing facial. It was seriously the most relaxed I have ever been in my life. It was bliss. And afterwards my skin felt amaaaaazing. So unlike my skin. I love that about facials. Anyway, then came home cleaned some more, got all dolled up and went a date with my hubby. It was wonderful. Dates are always wonderful. We went out to eat, and then to Sam's club where we realized our age by the items in our cart. Diapers, milk, and a children's book. We laughed. And felt so free for 2 hours. Lovely.

This morning the kids woke up crying at 5:45am. Aaron brought them in bed with us. Which lasted for 15 minutes. Then Aaron took them downstairs while I went back to sleep until 8:30 - that was the best part of today. They were miserable and cranky right up until it was time for church. Then they were even worse. We go to church for 3 hours. Today was followed by a teacher training meeting right after church - so 3 and a half hours. The first hour was spent trying to listen and be reverent, while trying to keep quiet a 1.5 year old. The next two hours were spent trying to entertain 15 two year olds. During my kids nap time. So Abigail got an itty bitty nap when we got home, O never slept. They were just SOO grouchy all day. Unbelievable how that whining can just grate on you. Dinner wasn't great. Kids wouldn't eat. Just blah.

On the other hand - it was 78 degrees on the way home and we got to eat lunch outside. That was nice.

Sorry if you heard this one already...

I posted this on facebook, but I want to document it here where I will have it forever.

Tonight as I was getting the kids ready for baths Olivia ran into my room. She came back with a bra in her hand. She handed it to me and said, "Here Mom, here's your boobie-trap!"

I almost died. 

Sexualization of breast cancer.

I read an article about this once. I tried googling and it and couldn't find it again. So I'll try to form my own opinion and tell this in my words.

I hate when I see things that say "Save the ta-ta's" or the boobies, or whatever other slang word sounds cute or sexy. I hate when I see people posting pictures of underwear on their Facebook page to help promote awareness of breast cancer.

For one thing - I'm pretty we are all well aware of breast cancer by now. Thanks to the large commercialization of all things pink in the month of October. And posting a picture of your bra really isn't DOING anything.

Breast cancer isn't sexy. It isn't cute. I think that by doing things like this we are belittling what this disease is. Now I feel like I can't take all that strong of a stand on the topic. I have never had breast cancer, and I'm lucky enough that I've never watched someone I love suffer and die from breast cancer. But I do know people who have. And I am sure they will tell you there is nothing sexy about losing your hair. Or your breasts.

I imagine if I did have breast cancer, and lost my breasts and was in fear of losing my life I would not feel kindly towards people sporting shirts with slogans like "Help the Hooters". I cringed when I saw someone post "Feel them up Friday". Apparently encouraging your monthly self breast exam. I have nothing against self examinations. I know they have helped a lot of people catch cancer early enough to treat. But "Cop a feel" and "feel them up" just seems a bit much. It also seems to be getting worse. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said, "Don't let cancer steal second base".

And, if I remember right from the article I read, other less sexy cancers are having a hard time coming up with funding. Apparently no one wants to buy t-shirts that encourage colonoscopies.

Am I being prudish? Does anyone else feel this way?

ELMO! In pictures

Thrilled she got this flag.

Any clue how long it takes to get a 3 year old and 1 year old to look this cute? It was a lot of work! 

My mom was so generous and got us tickets to see Elmo's green tumb... third row from the front!!

Abigail wasn't so sure at first. But by the end she was thrilled.

And we'll end on the funny! Seriously how can you not laugh looking at Abigail's face?

I really do love this life.

What Kind of Blogger Am I?

This is a question that keeps puzzling me. I know I think about weird things. This blog started as a place for me document my pregnancy. I never really thought about anyone else reading it. Then one day I realized other people did this too, and they didn't call it their online journal, but a "blog". So then I put a link on my myspace. Oh yeah myspace. And I knew family and a few friends were reading it. So it became a place for me to keep those people updated on my life while I lived far away from most of them. Meanwhile blogging became THE thing. Like who doesn't have a blog? Seriously. And some people started making money with their blogs! Like lots of money. I won't lie. I love to imagine me getting paid to write. Even if it was pennies. It's appealing. But am I.. ya know.. cool enough? And what would people think of me promoting my blog, if I was doing it make money? Because we all know people who want to make money are evil. I can't handle people thinking I'm evil.

And then it raises the question - if I did a have a blog that made money what kind of blog is it? Like, I'm not a food blog, or a political blog... am I humor blog? Do I need to fit into a category? Also I don't have nearly a good enough camera to be a "cool blog".

So I don't know what I am. But I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Soon I'll post pictures of our awesome time at Elmo's Green thumb this morning. (But it's not funny - so it doesn't fit into my humor blog category. Aaron needs to get home soon, I worry about the weirdest things when I'm up late alone.)