Our Normal Life

Goodbye 2009

December 31, 2009 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

Survey courtesy of Facebook…

—Name one thing you’ve done a lot of this year? Wrangle toddlers.

—What was the best thing you bought? Hmmm, my husband was right and I love the iPhone.

—Did anyone close to you give birth? Two coworkers had babies.

—What was your biggest achievement of the year? Surviving life with two toddlers.

—What was your biggest failure? Often not having enough patience with aforementioned toddlers.

—Where did most of your money go? Regular household stuff and savings.

—What did you get really, really, really excited about? I love the kids’ birthdays…so Kailey’s second birthday and Lucas’s first.

—Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Probably the same level of happy.
b) thinner or heavier? Same, I think. Still holding on to those pesky 10 pounds from the pregnancy with Lucas.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, overall, not really just monetarily.

—What do you wish you’d done more of? Outings with the kids. It’s impossible for me to really take them out alone (unless strapped into a grocery cart), but I wish that was more of an option.

—What do you wish you’d done less of? Worry. I am a worrier. Especially about things outside of my control.

—Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t hate anyone. Life is too short. But I am sad about some issues between my husband and mother-in-law. I think their relationship was irreparably damaged and it’s sad because if she had just apologized for hurting him, it would have been forgiven. But moving on…

—Do you have the same friends this year as you did last? Yep.

—What was the best book you read? Probably Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. It really challenged my views on food.

—What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 32. I had a low-key celebration with family, which I loved.

—What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Hmmm, I had a pretty great year. Maybe winning the lotto?

—What would make your job better? I am pretty darn happy with both my jobs…mom and Financial Analyst…both are perfect in their imperfections.

—How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Comfort

—What kept you sane this year? My husband. Hands down. He’s my rock.

—What’s your favorite way to spend NYE? With my husband and kids. Probably sleeping.

—Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. My continuing lesson is just to roll with the punches and not take life too seriously. It’s too short to be unhappy.

—What will be your New Years resolution? I don’t really do resolutions. But my ongoing goal is to be a better wife, mother, and friend. And to know that there will be times that I fail, but I still need to keep trying.

Putting Your Hand Out

December 30, 2009 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

I read an article the other day about a college student with Ds winning a ruling to allow him to live in a dorm at the school he currently attends. The article was interesting to me because I don’t know a lot about the college options available for intellectually differenced individuals. Apparently, this student has been attending the college since 2003 and rides two different buses (public transportation) for two hours from his parents’ home in order to get to classes. The college was denying him housing because he wasn’t enrolled in a traditional degree program. I understand this. I really do. I also understand the argument I read a few people making that there needs to be academic standards for educational institutions. I would argue that the university is a business. I doubt they are letting in academically challenged students out of the kindness of their hearts. College enrollment is down everywhere. I am sure it is profitable for them to have paying students, regardless of whether those students are enrolled in a brain surgery program or not. So I guess I don’t understand the reasoning behind refusing him housing. I don’t know all the facts of this story, but I didn’t see the parents asking for any special accommodations for their son (live-in aides or whatever). So, assuming he can live independently like any other student, why would the university not accept his check?

And arguing from my heart, why not show a little kindness and let this kid have full access to the college experience? Where do you draw the line for exclusion? For instance, should we stop making college athletic facilities accessible to those with physical disabilities? I mean, those kids are never going to play at the same level as athletes without physical limitations, so why bother, right?

It’s always disheartening to me that so many people feel that they have the right to decide the experience that others should have access to, rather than the responsibility to help their fellow human beings in this shared experience on the planet. People seem to forget that at some point in life everyone will need a hand up and the rest of the time you should put your hand out to help.

Aaaaand…

December 28, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

…now Lucas, Bill and I are coming down with the cold (sore throat). Yikes. These kids are such germ incubators. Of course it doesn’t help that I spent Christmas night with a little one coughing, sneezing and breathing a vapor of ick in my face. Good thing the poor buggers are so darn cute.

Bad thing parents who stay at home don’t get sick days.

Christmas, Etc.

December 27, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

In a nutshell, Christmas 2009 was laid back, full of family and some toys, ended with a little sickness and followed up Chinese takeout. Something like that.

Christmas Eve was relaxing. My mom came over. We only had one item to assemble. (The kids got a little table from Ikea and it was delightfully easy to put together). There was hot chocolate with Baileys and some sandwiches from HoneyBaked Ham. So nice in comparison to last year’s mad rush to assemble an exersaucer and a million little doll accessories. I am sure we won’t get off so easy every year, but definitely didn’t take it for granted.

We were all up bright and early on Christmas morning. We put on the kids’ new Christmas fleece outfits, gave them breakfast and then headed to packages. I was sort of expecting they would enjoy unwrapping a little more this year and had painstakingly wrapped even the items for the stockings. I also ended up being the unwrapper of those items. {Sigh} Maybe next year the enthusiasm will last longer than a few presents. The kids got a little table, an Elmo, a digger truck and doll, etc. But the hit of the morning? The counting bears. They are the little bears in 5 colors that you can sort into 5 cups and use for learning to count, etc. The “educational” toy. Clearly, there is just no predicting the fickle nature of my kids.

As we were finishing up with the gifts under the tree, my brother and sister-in-law arrived for brunch and round two of gifts for the munchkins. There were play tunnels, superhero capes, ballerina tutus and new books…not to mention joyous children.

We had brunch and the kids had nice, long naps. It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday.

Unfortunately, the evening was not so fun. Kailey came down with a cold and awoke with tears and hacking. She and I spent Christmas night with her moaning and groaning fitfully on a beanbag (which seemed like the best way to keep her head more elevated) and me curled on the floor beside her. Poor bug. The following day was no better (or actually worse because we had no sleep at all). My brother was a really good sport and brought us food home from the birthday lunch we were supposed to attend in his honor. Luckily, Chinese food is perfect for takeout. And we still had cake and ice cream to celebrate at our house as planned.

Today, two days post Christmas, we were just starting to make it past the cold (or at least until one of the rest of us finally succumbs to Kailey’s germs) and enjoy the lull before we ring in the new year. I am still not sure where this “old” year went, but it was certainly a fine year, with lots of happiness and laughter. A year, like our holiday, which will be fondly remembered.

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2009 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Are you sitting around waiting for this guy?

Well, even if you happen to be on his “naughty” list, hopefully this holiday season finds you celebrating life and love with family and friends.

Holy Daze, Batman

December 22, 2009 in Lucas | 1 comment

Is it really Christmas on Friday? Three days from now? Yeesh. When did that happen? Frankly, I am still wondering where I lost a whole year, because it surely can’t be 2010 already. I am not sure how I can start the day thinking that we will never make it until the amazingly-far-away bedtime and then all of a sudden we are saying goodbye to an entire year. I guess this sensation of flying full speed into the future is the balance to those childhood years where summer days were endless. I was talking to someone at work the other day and made reference to being pregnant “last summer”…um, or two summers ago. Clearly, I am don’t quite have a realistic grip on the space-time continuum.

I am going to blame some of this fog on my son and his frustrating desire to wake up at 5 am (or earlier!) most days as of late. And when I say “wake up,” I am very politely referring to him screaming his little head off. Why? Who knows. Not me. Ignore him you say? Yes, of course we do. For often over an hour. But we are basically all awake and crabby by that point, so no one is really getting any additional rest. On days that Kailey has preschool or speech therapy, I try to snatch Lucas before her sleep is ruined completely. (They are sharing a room, but frankly, there is nowhere in the house where you can’t hear his screaming). He’s often quite delightful, once he’s up and on his way downstairs. I was blaming teeth for a bit (since all the molars seemed to be trying to come through at once), but there really seems to be no explanation. So, we trudge onward, while trying to remember how fleeting these years of small children really are. How, like Christmas, they will be here and gone before we barely get a chance to enjoy them. And then we will be left thinking about them fondly, but also with a touch of wistful sadness and longing for just one more minute to relive the magic.

It’s Beginning…

December 13, 2009 in Kailey, School Stuffs | 3 comments

…to look a lot like Christmas. At least on my refrigerator. In terms of preschool art projects.

Isn’t this the sweetest Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

And this…um, Santa hat? (It says “Santa’s Coat,” but I am still going to have to guess hat).

Certainly, the old fridge has never looked so festive!

Tis the Season

December 8, 2009 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

To bid on some great great gifts for a good cause! A few days back, I posted about my friend Michelle bringing home her daughter Lily. Now Lily’s Blog Auction is up and running. There are lots of great items awaiting bids. Great items to support a great cause…

Currently…

December 6, 2009 in Kailey, Lucas | Leave a comment

Kailey loves to spin until she is dizzy and falling down, giggling madly. She is always careful to start out in the middle of the room and then just lets loose with the twirls. She loves honey crisp apples, cheese pizza and cleaning everything with her little microfiber towel.

~*~

Lucas is into everything. He wants to touch and know how things work. He figured out how to open a child-proof bottle (empty!) and pull out the electrical plug covers. He’s starting to get the hang of using a spoon, so there is actually more oatmeal starting to land in his mouth than his lap. He loves the Christmas tree, shape sorters and sneaking off to lunch with his parents while his big sister is at preschool.

Shoes, etc.

December 4, 2009 in Kailey, School Stuffs | Leave a comment

The morning started with both kids having dirty diapers as soon as Bill pulled out of the driveway. I am sure there is a name for this phenomenon or some money has exchanged hands between the little people and their father, as this is not an isolated occurrence. Anyway, I set to work and changed the little miss and then turned to nab the little mister. As I laid him down, I distinctly wondered what he had stuffed in down his footed pajamas as my kids think it’s hilarious to stick everything from the remote control to wash cloths down their pants. Um, you can probably guess the punchline here. At some point, the little imp must have unfastened one side of his diaper and the rest is history. A sordid history which involved tossing a pajama clad kid into the tub, pulling out the flushables and lots of thorough scrubbing and laundry. All before 7 am.

Maybe this set my day on edge a bit. Because later at preschool drop-off, when the teacher said “I have been meaning to ask you about Kailey taking off her shoes,” my defenses went up. It automatically felt (in my mind), like my kid was being called out for some behavioral problem which would in turn be a reflection of my parenting. GAH! After taking some deep breaths (and a little venting), I realized this was just the beginning of many interactions I will have with teachers in the upcoming years. And this teacher is a caring, kind person. She was simply asking if there might be a cause for the shoe removal, nothing more. I was ready with a whole plan of attack…duct tape, lace up shoes with triple knots, tying her hands behind her back. Woah, right?! But when it’s your kid (or at least for me, when it’s my kid), the mama bear protective instincts can really be in overdrive. Yes, I think Kailey is removing her shoes a bit because she is anxious (which should calm down when she is in more of a routine with school), but mostly because she’s a kid who doesn’t like to wear shoes. She does it a few times and they put them back on her and move forward. A small thing. And when I went back to pick her up from school? Her classmate wandered out of the room with his shoes AND socks off! Kids.

At the end of the day, it was just dirty diapers and shoes. And another day done.

(Little side note: Kailey is usually the first kid out of the classroom. I was joking with her teacher about how she is much more interested in saying “bye” at school than “hi” so I guess it was no surprise she was the first one to leave. The teacher said that actually Kailey is just much better at following directions right now than the boys are and they have to stay until they listen to the teacher. Ha! I love this kid).