A Great Weekend, revisited

We had such a beautiful day at the pumpkin patch and such a nice weekend over-all. Having my mom come down on Friday night makes all the difference. I feel like I get a little “break” to do something just for me and I don’t have to worry about the children…I know they are in good hands. I hope this tradition continues throughout the fall.

Oh yes, it is shaping up to be a great fall. To compare to last year, click here. My babies, where did they go?

Did you participate in any family traditions this weekend?

Pinning is Where it’s At

I don’t pin. Not because I do not have the time for it (I believe you can make time for anything you really want to do) or because I don’t think it is inspiring. I have been on Pinterest many times to look around, but I have just never felt the need to sign in and start pinning. Plus also, I am about 5-10 years behind everyone when it comes to the “in” things, is it will probably take me a few years years to catch on. HA!

But, yesterday at school I did something that I think is pretty awesome and when I finished I made a mental note to myself that if I was on Pinterest I would have posted it. There are so many cool teacher ideas there, especially bulletin board ideas. I have a secret…I really became a teacher because I love decorating my classroom. That might not totally be true, but maybe a little.
I won’t keep you waiting any longer…

It might not be the best picture I have ever taken, but it is definitely the best bulletin board I have ever created. I am in love with my own work and I might never take it down.

This weekend we are heading to the pumpkin patch. I love this time of year. I know it is totally cliche because every blogger loves fall, but I really do. I specifically wanted to be married in October because I think fall is the most beautiful season. I wish I could bottle it up all year.

Any plans for you? Did you do anything at work this week that made you especially proud?

A Crisis

We have been going through a significant health crisis with Megan over the past 6 weeks. It was significant enough that yesterday we had to put her under anesthetic in order to get a CT Scan of her chest.

I got a call this morning with a very positive outcome.

Now, I can breathe…and possibly sleep.

All of this has made me put a lot of things in perspective. Some of this has made me question decisions I have made as a mother. Mostly, I am just so happy that I can put it behind me. I do believe in God. I know God was with me during this crisis. I felt his arms around me in a very real way.

One of the things I cannot shake is the absolute piss-poor care our primary pediatrician gave us during this time of need. We have seen many different doctors in the practice several times over the past few weeks and I have been crushed in the fact that they have not communicated with each other, do not read my child’s chart before entering the room, and have very few answers to any of my questions. They are also not very caring, compassionate, or friendly. Needless to say, I am going to be researching new practices now. I just can’t go through another time with this group.

On a better note, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has been awesome. I have loved the care we received and felt they really had Megan’s best interests in mind. Yesterday, I felt like a part of their family as they walked us through everything that was about to happen. They made me feel supported in a time that I was very unsteady.

I will do anything for my children. I will always be their advocate for the rest of their lives. I am so happy Megan is healthy. Thank God.

Monday, Monday

Our weekend was great. We did so many neat things and wore the kids (and ourselves) out! My mom was here on Friday night and she was able to watch the kids for a few hours so I could get out of the house. I went to a Tupperware party and then shopping for a bit. When I came home the house was cleaned, my kids were cleaned and everyone was ready for bed. Perfect, I tell you!
Saturday we went to Oktoberfest Zinzinnati! So.Much.Fun. I have never been and I don’t know why because it was incredible! The food was amazing, the entertainment was great, and Megan & Tyler had a ball. Shawn and Megan also made it on to the official website which was cool.

why, yes, we did indulge in a fried PB&J…and it was a delicious as you might imagine it to be.

We also had plenty of time at home which was nice because we have a million not-so-fun-but-have-to-get-done jobs to do…this included weeding (which I hate), spraying for spiders (Gross!), cleaning out a storage area in our basement (which flooded and we needed to deal with), and deep cleaning our kitchen (which was necessary). All of those jobs stink because there is no real “WOW, this looks great!” moment when you are finished. In fact, our garage is such a disaster because we have to throw away a million things and garbage day is not until Wednesday. Hopefully once that is all gone things will be looking up.

All this work did put me in “purge mode” and for that I am thankful. We have so much crap in our house. Tons of storage has made it very easy for us to save all the things for the last seven nine years. Now I am in a place where I just want to rid myself of everything!!!!!

I wish my job was just to work on our house. Then I might have a snowball chance in you know what to get everything checked off my list. Until then, I will work on things little by little.

update: when I pulled up to our house this afternoon I did notice a difference in the landscaping. I am taking this as a small victory.

A Party for a Princess

Megan turned 4 and it was a beautiful, magical, celebration for a little girl fit to be a princess. There were so many special details that went into this party.

From the edible tea cups:

source of inspiration

To the wand-inspired peanut butter and jelly sandwiches:

To the tea cookies and cupcakes:

Everything in the kitchen came together perfectly.

And the decorations were fit for a queen…Er, princess.

And the company was, in a word, perfect!

My girl had a day that she deserved. I could not wipe the smile off of her face. She was so polite and so precious, it made my heart burst with joy and pride and excitement.

We are all exhausted, but oh so happy. If I could bottle the day up I would…I would drink it slow and remember every detail of the best day of her life.

My Crazy Mind

Do you know when you have so much going on and your mind just won’t stop but you are oh.so.tired. that all you want to do is sleep but your mind will not let you and you just want to cry?  That is how my week has started out.

I have a lot hanging over my head that I don’t feel the need to write about on here but maybe I will someday. 
It is causing me all sorts of stress and I cannot shake it.

 Oh, yea, we had an awesome couple of days celebrating my favorite little girl over the weekend.  An update is coming, I promise!

Last night to ease my mind a bit I made a new recipe from my favorite cook, Rachael Ray.  I must say, everything I make from her magazine turns out well.  This was a ravioli with spinach and mushroom creation.  It was delicious and definitely a 30 minute meal.  I would have taken a picture but I was a) too hungry to wait and b) to lazy to find my phone to snap one.  But, if you look in her magazine you will see the picture and it looked exactly like that.  No lie.

 

Happy Birthday, Lady!

I love my Megan Elizabeth something fierce. She is still and will always be my most prized accomplishment. The day she was born I was born-again. She made me believe in God in such a real, present, tangible way.
I know it is so cliché to say, but it feels like yesterday I was 42 weeks pregnant, eating Chinese food and saying, “I feel different today.” I can’t believe that itty bitty 8 pound baby is now an official little lady…she is 4.

This weekend we will celebrate everything that Megan is and we hope her to be. Today is the little princess tea party that started out as a small get-together with the neighborhood girls and has turned into an extravaganza of epic proportions. Indeed, she will be celebrated. Tomorrow she will be spoiled by everyone in her world that love her and cares about her the most. I am sure it will be more special than even I can imagine.

In keeping with tradition I will leave you with 10 things that I adore about my little sweetie.
1. Her compassion…she is always asking people how they are feeling and helping people who are hurt.
2. She loves to sing and keeps a tune pretty well.
3. Her favorite thing to do is play outside with friends.
4. Peanut Butter and Jelly is her most consumed food, however she loves carrots and Mac & Cheese and Spaghetti and popsicles (the girl could live on those alone!)
5. She stills loves rubbing her blankie and will walk by it and just rub for a second…I just love that.
6. She has a beautiful head of hair and must wear a bow daily!
7. Megan’s memory is hard core…if she did something three weeks ago, three months ago, or longer she will remember.
8. She loves people and life in general, but she loves her mommy the most.
9. Talking is her favorite past-time. She is more verbal than any 4 year old I know.
10. Everything she does is with the upmost passion and dramatic flair.

Happy birthday, Megan Elizabeth…may your life be filled with more joy than you can handle!

Megan’s First Day

She went into her classroom like a champ and did not look back. In fact, I think she was a little disappointed to see daddy after only an hour.

My girl.
She is growing up.
I hope they love her like I love my students.

It’s just the beginning…

Monday’s Thoughts

A mystery illness has taken over our household. Everyone has seemed to have it over the last few weeks. Symptoms involve headache, upset stomach, coughing, sneezing, fever, chills, and over-all aching. I was hit with it yesterday afternoon like a Mac truck. It was horrible. I had to put myself to bed at 3:30 and I did not come out of my room until 6:30 this morning. Megan joined me at 6:00 and slept through the night as well. Shawn woke up with a sore throat and Tyler has boogies. Not a great way to start the week.

Busy-ness (is that a word?) started last week with ballet and continued today with Megan’s first tennis lesson. Our girl is an athlete. A very girlie girl but an athlete nonetheless.

I recognize that these are the easy years with after-school obligations and whatnot, but I am already starting to feel like “this is life” and I couldn’t be happier. There is no greater joy than watching your kids find their own path and take a step outside of the nest…only to look up and see that mommy is there watching, and waiting, and being their first and biggest cheerleader.

Tonight I am going to put them to bed and say an extra long prayer of thanksgiving. I am so, so thankful that they are mine and I am theirs.

In other news, I have decided to jump on the I love everything pumpkin bandwagon. It started with a pumpkin latte last week and will continue throughout the season. I always thought I hated pumpkins, but I don’t. I think I took a wrong turn one year at the Circleville Pumpkin Show and didn’t want to go there again. I am so glad I got over it…I feel like I have been missing out!

The Everyday Blessings

So much to say, so little time.
This week has kicked my butt.

I am currently sitting in my kitchen with cinnamon rolls in the oven and the sound of my little guy singing along to Doc McStuffins in the background. Life is good right at this moment.

This week I took my baby to Pre-School orientation. A few moments of “how did this happen?” and a couple of tears later (by me, not her) and she was sitting in her classroom doing a puzzle like it was no big deal. Megan is awesome. I got a winner.

An hour later we were off to her first tap class…this was one of those full-circle moments that I had to step back and realize this is my life. I am her mother. I am so lucky. I started dance tap class when I was four. I loved it every week. The feel of the shoes, the leotard and tights, the smell of the room…and now, as I pass the torch to my daughter, my hope and prayer is that she loves life just as much even more than I did as a child.

My little ones are growing up. I am in complete denial that one week from today my Megan will be four. I just cant conceptualize it. Sometimes it feels like time is moving so slow in the day to day and then you stop for a moment and look around and wonder why things moved so fast. I guess this is just how life is.

Since starting back to work I have really tried to be present in everything I do. My goal for the school year was to teach with passion and purpose and carry this mantra into my home as well. I am also working on being the best version of myself whether it be in work, home, or my own well-being.

We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend back in Western New York. We spent so much time with people we love. My family, near and far, are such a blessing. When we travel “home” it always feels like no time has passed. And my Auntie is holding strong at 98. She is smart as a whip and watching her interact with my children is amazing. She is the last of that generation and I want to soak her up.

Finally, I feel like I owe one dedicated paragraph to this guy…

The only time he will sit still for a picture is when he is strapped into his car seat. Word.
He is a little fireball that has so much energy and passion that he is unstoppable. We say all the time, “he is lucky he is so cute” because his behavior is questionable at best…but then he stops and gives the biggest kisses and monster hugs and it is like all is right in the world. I love that little cuddle monster.

I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend of soaking up my family. Enjoy!