Teach Me How to Mommy

Ok, well  maybe just don't... Last Thursday I woke up to a snow day (yeaaa) and the stomach bug (booo).  Jerry went off to work and even though I am NEVER like this I was resigned to have a really chill day with the kids.  I let them watch an extra show in the morning and instead of moving from one activity to the next I tried to kind of stay put in one area and have the kids play around me.  Heck I was 39 weeks pregnant, right?  You can't really go outside when the snow is coming in sideways, right?  Everyone deserves a day to just not be "super", right? Well that day was here.  I still made the kids their meals, we ended up doing a fort and we did eventually venture outside and walk to the neighbor's house, but I was working at about a 25% capability level. The only problem is, when it came to 3:30 and my regular one cup of coffee a day ritual, I couldn't stomach it.  I tried three times to sip it and it wouldn't go down.  I knew my ...

It's been awhile since I've written.  I have had lots to write about, but no time.  The holidays often feel like the best marathon I've ever run (I've never run one) you push, push, push until the big day is here.  Then once it's done you need a few days to recover.  Our holiday season was all of that and more.... But last night I took down the Christmas tree.  My parents wanted to take the kids for a sleepover (umm, YES) and instead of going out my husband and I stayed in and did an overhaul of the entire house.  To be fair we did go out on two dates this week, so don't feel bad for us. We had already organized everything, but to be honest every time I started a project this week I would get one step done and then the kids would have created another project (mess) that I'd have to address making me at least ten steps behind my original place. I usually don't take the Christmas stuff down until New Year's (or the day after).  But this year I a...

This is a quick review in case you ever thought of traveling to the Dinosaur Place in Montville, CT.  Long story short, regardless of the travel, price and heat, this place is still worth it. When Jerry gets home every night the first question he asks is, "Which adventure did Mom take you on today?"  Shortly after, he states that he wishes he could be there.  Even though I Snapchat all our adventures for him he still gets pangs of jealousy.  Understood - I'm exhausted but it's for all the right reasons. So this weekend we took the kids to the movies for the first time ever.  The experience was great, but the movie kind of sucked.  Cars 3?  I guess I should've seen 1 & 2.  There was a lot of talking in it - you know like the cars talk to each other a lot.  I kept waiting for the great music - there was none!  Give me Trolls! So on Sunday we thought we would keep the adventures going.  We received a gift card two years ago (...

Had a conversation with a coworker this week that really got me.   The jist of it was how hard having a teen girl really is.  It wasn't sugar-coated.  The things he said I could relate to (you know having been one myself and having two sisters). Yet, somehow I had forgotten...wasn't I always this amiable and easy to deal with? Wasn't I born sweet and awesome, just like Lucy is? (I think my parents my have a response to that...).  Instead of dreading it I am going to enjoy my time with this dancing queen.  Spending some extra time on these snow days building her up - making sure she knows just how great she was.  What else in the world could be any more important? PS.  Take me back to days at Memere's pool.  This dress won't fit her this year (although she still won't let me donate it) and I bet Memere's shoes are already going to start looking small.

Having my husband home this week has been useful and exciting in many ways.  Little nit-picky arguments aside, we managed to have a lot of wonderful family time and actually get some stuff done around the house. Rather, I should say we got a lot of different projects started and nothing actually finished.  Like, my husband gutted our upstairs bathroom (you know the only one up there) so that's a start.  Then we arranged the family room for a new couch and went shopping, but came home empty-handed.  We are making progress. More importantly my husband and I both when through our closest and dressers and purged (donated) all our old/ugly/ill-fitting/stained clothes.  We had three black industrialized bags full and it felt so good to drop them at Savers. I am not positive what I'll be wearing over the next couple months, but everything is so much cleaner and lighter.  It's worth having to go naked to the grocery store. While I was playing with the anti-na...

Christmas was magical in every way.  The cookies, late night bedtimes, parties, Santa and presents (oh my the presents).  The last four days have been a whirlwind.  We (gladly) lost any sense of schedule and we bop from one new toy to the next (and back again and then to something new and then back to the beginning - or the ever popular "let's open something new").  As soon as Jerry and I get the house "cleaned" it's back to a tornado, yet we haven't given up. We will never give up. It does get more fun every year, so (as we all know) it's worth the extra work it takes to make it right.  Yet, when I came up on this saying on my Insta, I thought yes, yes, yes.  Christmas is over so now what ?  Like, what day is it?  And how many days do I have left on this vacation? Am I supposed to be somewhere right now? A couple months ago I had planned to paint Lucy's room and the bathroom over vacation.  Seeing as though I haven't gotten th...

Cute kids- not so cute sleep avoidance I know last week was a long week for you.  It was a long week for me too.  I know this because I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow and also, I didn't really have time to reflect on anything that occurred last week until now (and even this is a squeeze).  What's even more exciting and nerve-wracking is that after tomorrow the Christmas spirit will fill the air we breathe.  I can't wait for it all and I'm on pins and needles all the same.  I am wondering how I'll juggle it all -  I know I am bound to screw up somewhere along the way.  I think that's why I got to thinking about what happened to me last week... I am trying to do a special bulletin board/project in my classroom.  If I ever actually get it done I'll post it - it has potential, but right now it is just under construction (like permanently under construction).  It required a laminator which I don't have and to my knowledge my school...

Recently, Amy and I have been talking about our comfort zones and how they have been shattered (purposely or not) this summer. 5 minutes into our visit and my anxiety is through the roof. Markers on Nana's new deck. AHHH! I am working on being a little more impulsive .  Instead of having everything scheduled for the kids, I am trying to go with the flow.  Hence, this week I decided to pack a few bags and bring the kids to the beach.  Of course I am lucky to have a place to go (thanks Mom and Dad).  I packed enough for a few days thinking if it goes well we will stay, if I get too tired or things are too hard I can leave. I have a lot of pride so escaping was never really an option, but boy I came close.  The kids started pushing the limits immediately.  What can I climb?  What snacks can I pillage? Where can I run off to?  And, of course the ever popular how late can I stay up? With Jerry these questions and rebellions are easily manage...

Last week............. was it that long ago already??? There are no words to describe the amazing weekend we had celebrating Alissa..  Pictures... yes.  there are lots and lots of pictures but since most of the weekend was dedicated to snapchatting, it's probably good that most of that evidence is "deleted".   There was rarely a moment where a drink wasn't in our hands, a snack was never more than a few inches from us, and a song was ALWAYS being belted out at FULL volume.   Everyone was smiling, happy, carefree, uninhibited.... Here are a few of my favorite memories: 1)  Snapchat that! Colleen and Snapchat might be dating... we're not sure... because every time we looked over she had a different devilish grin, and soon 5 snaps arrived to our phones.  Girlfriend was on FIRE this weekend.  She reaallllly was the Kylie Jenner of the Cape!  There were so many snaps I couldn't keep up, and I mean that in the best way possi...

Fresh off a fantastic weekend with beautiful friends (new and old).  We were gone for less than 48 hours, but I felt like I was on a different planet.  Sure we were in Cape Cod and not Mars, but it felt like a brief stop in time (or during many moments a flashback to my "old" life). These are my top 5 reasons why it is still ok for a 32 year old to go to a bachelorette party and really (REALLY) let loose. 1.   We went to the beach all day, which isn't a rarity for me, BUT it was with adults only.  I was able to relax and do the beach how I used to.  Instead of sand castles and umbrella time, I swam in the waves, had a beach drink and tried to nap.     I read more of my book than collect shells (but I still did both). 2.  I didn't drive the entire weekend. No car seat buckles and no kiddie snacks, no mediating and no toddler tunes.  Better yet, no pressure (safety, caution).  I left that to others.  Mostly to Meg for driving ...

Just this week I was "tied up."  The kids were not in eye sight, but I heard them.  Then all of a sudden I didn't hear them.  It could've lasted 30 seconds or 5 minutes, I don't remember, but all of a sudden I was like what happened.  Was one of them sitting on the other?  Were they half way up the stairs (in socks)? Were they playing in the bathroom (the worst possible scenario)? No they were 10 feet away from me and Lucy was reading to John.  By reading I mean explaining the picture (she's smart, but not that smart).  He was sitting in awe of her. (The details of them being only half-clothed and sitting on the ottoman are not important). I am sure many moms have had these moments.  I have too, but there was something about me not being present while it happened that made it that much more special.  They love each other even when I am not there (hovering).  True siblings.  Sometimes I think back to the time that Jerry and I...

How many of us have New Years Resolutions?   Resolutions are HARD... specifically if you have to tell people about them.  I once read a study that said that even though we THINK telling people about our goals will keep us accountable, it really doesn't change our success rates.  You have to have the true internal desire to really achieve.  Telling people you want to "lose weight" or "read more" will only happen if you make the time for it. I have struggled with making a resolution since my epic resolution of 2010 (the year I vowed not to listen to Lady Gaga... yup.. THAT was my major problem in 2010... ohhh take me back!!!   I really liked her music, but I was so overloaded.. with her meat dress and weird egg/pod thing.. I Needed A Break... It was a silly resolution, and honestly it was really hard to keep, but I did! no joke... I also hate myself for even admitting to this!  haha) Last year my resolution was Survive.  Survive Colin's 1st year,...