The Daily Bailey

My Disney Journal

2012-02-12T18:50:00.002-05:00

During our Disney vacation, I kept a daily journal of what we did and the memories we made, because I knew I would forget all too soon otherwise! Please do NOT feel obligated to read the entire thing, I am posting it so that I have it saved somewhere other than my hard drive, lol. We really did have the most amazing trip and I wanted to remember every minute of it!

If you are interested in seeing the pictures I took in Disney, here is the link to them: https://plus.google.com/photos/116819915576737615694/albums/5703566408873855265?authkey=CLug0_Kh3bWj2gE. We have a ton of photos that Disney photographers took also, but we're still trying to decide if we want to purchase them or not!

Our Disney Trip: January 22-29, 2012

Sunday: Today was a busy travel day! We flew out of the Pittsburgh airport because it was much cheaper than flying out of Cleveland, so we ended up coming to Pittsburgh Saturday evening and staying in a hotel near the airport (yay for credit card points and a free night at the Holiday Inn!). Our flight left at 6:20am so we had to be up EARLY and everyone was cranky, but excited. We had a layover in Atlanta where Delta ended up putting the 4 of us in separate seats for the continuing flight, but we got it straightened out and everything else went off without a hitch. After a long trip on the Magical Express in Orlando, we finally arrived at our resort, the Wilderness Lodge, around 2:30pm. We explored the resort and went swimming for a bit—it was sunny and almost 80 degrees! Aiden really loved the water slide in the pool, and Ava loved swimming in the kiddie pool (she didn’t have to worry about getting water in her ears in there). Eventually we headed back to the room and got cleaned up for dinner. We took the boat from Wilderness Lodge to the Contemporary Resort and had dinner at Chef Mickey’s! It was a buffet dinner with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto! It really was a great way to start off our trip, the kids were so excited to see their favorite characters. After dinner, we rode the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. We had time for a few rides before the fireworks, so we went on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The fireworks really scared Ava (I made a note to bring earplugs for next time) and Aiden ended up falling asleep in his stroller, silly boy! We made it out of the Magic Kingdom and took the boat back to our resort. In our room the kids had a big surprise waiting for them! My cousin, Chris, and his wife, Dawn, had sent the kids gift baskets with personalized embroidered Mickey Ears, character autograph books with matching pens, and some Mickey pretzels and cookies! It was such an amazing gift and the kids were so excited! What a great end to a very busy day!

Monday: We started off the first full day of our trip with a character breakfast in the Magic Kingdom! We rode the boat over from our resort (that was such a nice feature, as the bus rides in Disney can take a while, but the boat ride was about 10 minutes!) and made our way to The Crystal Palace. It was a breakfast buffet featuring Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. The kids loved the characters and this time had their new autograph books and loved getting the characters signatures. After breakfast, we hit the rides hard. We explored the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, rode the Jungle Cruise (I loved the kitschy humor!) and rode It’s a Small World (Aiden saw the Parisian dancers lifting their skirts and yelled, “Mom! They are showing us their panties!” It was hilarious!). Then we did the Magic Carpets of Aladdin (beware of the water-squirting camel! He got me right in the ear, lol) and the Pirates of the Caribbean. Later we split up so that Aiden and Daddy could ride Splash Mountain (Aiden LOVED it) while Ava and I rode the train around the Magic Kingdom and got in line to get Woody and Jessie’s autographs. Then we all headed back to the hotel (love that boat ride!) and the kids went to the Cub’s Den for a few hours while Chuck and I went to Hollywood Studios for the night. We had a quick dinner of cheeseburgers and fries (not healthy, but very good!) and then rode the Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster. Both rides were a blast but the waits had been a bit long, so our night out was over. We bought the kids souvenirs (a princess Minnie stuffed animal for Ava and a Perry the Platypus stuffed animal for Aiden) and picked up the kids. They had a blast in the Cub’s Den and were delighted with their presents.

Tuesday: Animal Kingdom! Another bright and sunshiny day in Disney, sunny and 80 again! We rode the bus to the Animal Kingdom and headed straight for the roller coaster, Expedition Everest. Aiden and Chuck rode right away and Aiden was a bit scared. I wanted to ride it since the line was so short and Chuck convinced Aiden to go with me again, but it proved to be too much for the little guy, he cried almost the entire ride. But it was a great coaster! Next we headed to Kilamanjaro Safaris. This is set up like a real African safari ride through a large, sprawling zoo, and the animals roam pretty freely. We saw everything from a baby elephant with his mother (my favorite!) to giraffes blocking the road of another car, hippos, rhinos, crocodiles, and everything in between. Ava loved how bumpy the car was on the path! After our safari ride, we walked the Pangani Forest Trail to see the gorillas and birds and other small animals. We had lunch at Pizzafari and then played in the Boneyard for a while (a large fenced-in playground, essentially. The kids loved it!). Next we rode the Triceratop Spin and then Aiden and Chuck rode Dinosaur while Ava and I played some more in the Boneyard. Afterwards, we saw two amazing shows: The Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo, the Musical. Both were great and Ava, in particular, LOVED the music in the Lion King and couldn’t sit still in her seat! Animal Kingdom closed for the day at 5pm and we headed back for a great BBQ meal at the Whispering Canyon Café at our resort. The kids did hobby horse races after dinner and especially loved that when someone asked for ketchup, the last table to request it had to race over and bring all 12 bottles of ketchup to the next person who asked. It was hilarious! (We asked for ketchup before we knew how this all worked, lol. Not a lot of elbow room on our table after that!). Chuck and I shared a skillet with ribs, chicken, mashed potatoes and corn and it was really good! We went swimming after dinner and then made an early night of it, everyone was exhausted!

Wednesday: Yet again, we lucked out and it was another gorgeous day in Disney—sunny and near 80 degrees. We hit Hollywood Studios, which proved to be one of everyone’s favorite parks! There are a ton of shows to see in Hollywood Studios, and we did as many as we could. First things first though, we raced to sign Aiden up for Jedi Training! He was in the 12:40pm show and it was awesome. Each kid got to wear a robe and use a light saber to battle Darth Vader! It was definitely a huge highlight of our Disney trip. We saw Disney Junior Live with Mickey and the Clubhouse gang, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, the Little Einsteins, and Handy Manny and all of his tools. Mommy and Ava saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Ava loved the kiss at the end. We had lunch at Pizza Planet, which was fun for the kids, and then saw Muppets 3D, and Beauty and The Beast on Stage. The kids had a great time meeting Phineas and Ferb and really loved the Pixar Pals parade. Then we had dinner at the Sci-Fi Diner where you eat in cars like you are at a drive-in movie. After dinner we took the bus back to Magic Kingdom and saw the fireworks in an AMAZING spot. It was a really long but super fun day!

Thursday: We seriously lucked out on the weather during our trip—ANOTHER beautiful day, sunny and 80 degrees! We decided to take a bit of time to relax today. We had breakfast at the hotel quick service café, and did some laundry. Then we took the bus to Downtown Disney for some shopping. The kids got Disney gift cards from Granny and Grandad for Christmas, and they were so excited to have some spending money of their very own! We checked out the Lego store (some amazing creations there, including a Loch Ness Monster in the lagoon, so awesome!) and the World of Disney store. Aiden bought 2 Phineas and Ferb playsets and a Mickey Pirates of the Caribbean set. Ava bought a Cinderella locket, a Minnie fashion set and a stuffed Minnie doll. Chuck bought me a beautiful snowglobe with Cinderella’s Castle inside! In the afternoon, we had lunch back at the hotel and went swimming for a bit, then headed out to the Magic Kingdom for some fun. We saw Mickey’s Philharmagic and then Aiden and Chuck rode the Haunted Mansion ride while Ava and I rode the carousel a few times. We really lucked out and got to meet some very special characters with NO WAITING during the afternoon parade: Mickey, Minnie, Belle, Aurora and Cinderella! Ava was so sweet and excited, she got to talk with each of the princesses for a few minutes and it amazed me how wonderful they were with her. For dinner we went to the Polynesian resort and ate at Ohana’s—hands down the BEST meal we ate in Disney! Even Aiden found a food he liked—steak! Good taste, kid! We ended the day by taking the monorail to Epcot where we rode The Seas with Nemo & Friends and then saw Illuminations, Epcot’s fireworks display.

Friday: In the morning, we split up into boys and girls so the guys could ride some of the bigger rides at Epcot. Aiden and Chuck rode Test Track twice, Soarin’, and Mission: Space while Ava and I went to the Magic Kingdom for more of her favorites (the carousel, It’s a Small World, and we got Dole Whips for a treat, yum!). Then we met the boys in Epcot and “lunched around the world” feeding people in various countries, lol. Chuck and I had great sushi in Japan (Ava even ate the fish eggs from mine, silly girl!), Ava had a hotdog somewhere in the middle, and Aiden tried an empanada in Mexico. It did rain for about 20 minutes (those ponchos from the Dollar Tree came in handy!) but then it cleared up and the sun came back out. We had some fun in the afternoon riding the Nemo ride again and saw Turtle Talk with Crush which was really funny and one of the coolest parts of Epcot. We also rode Spaceship Earth (inside the big Epcot globe) and saw the Circle of Life movie. For dinner we had a really memorable experience: dinner with the Princesses at Akershus in Norway! Ava was absolutely enthralled and could hardly believe her eyes. Belle and Cinderella even remembered meeting her the day before at the Magic Kingdom! (it really was the same princesses, too!). Snow White held Ava’s hand as they did a princess parade around the restaurant, and we got a wonderful keepsake photo of the kids with Belle. After dinner, we finally met up with the Tanskis, our friends who were also in Disney for the week! The kids went to the Sandcastle Club at their resort, The Beach Club, while we headed out to walk around Epcot, have some beers, and see the fireworks. Unfortunately, Aiden ended up getting sick and they called us to come pick him up, but after that he was ok and we headed back to the hotel for bed.

Saturday: Our LAST day in Disney! We decided to spend it at Magic Kingdom, which ended up being really crowded because it was the weekend. We rode Peter Pan’s flight and then met Tiana. We saw the Monster’s Inc Laugh Factory, which was really cute, and then Aiden and Dad rode Space Mountain. We rode Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger spin and Aladdin’s Magic Carpets again, and then saw the Country Bear’s Jamboree. We lucked out and got a front row seat to take in the afternoon parade one last night (Belle waved and pointed at Ava, she recognized her again!). We stopped in a shop on our way out to buy a few more souvenirs (t-shirts, a Christmas ornament, and some toys for the kids) and decided to head back to the hotel for ice cream and a bit of a rest. Dinner was at the Grand Floridian Café (where I accidentally fell down the stairs, ouch!) and we watched fireworks from the hotel since it had an amazing view of the castle. Then we headed back to the hotel for packing and bed.

Travel Sunday took ALL day and was, by far, the absolute worst day of our vacation, so I will spare you the ugly details, lol. The good news is that we all made it home safe and sound…eventually.

Our Disney trip was a magical vacation that I will remember forever. I can’t imagine a better family vacation, we made memories that I know will always be among my most treasured. Seeing Disney through the eyes of my children, with such wonder and awe, it was truly a trip of a lifetime.

The SuperMom Conundrum

2012-02-03T17:27:00.005-05:00

I have a ridiculously long post to write about our awesome vacation in Disney World, but sometimes when you have a seed in your head, it starts to grow, and refuses to go away until you just plant the darn thing already! So here are my musings on what I like to call "The SuperMom Conundrum."

If you follow my blog or know me personally in any respect, you know that I can be a tad bit envious of other moms. You know those moms I'm talking about. They are the moms who make me stop and say to myself, "How does she do it ALL? I wish I could be more like her. I wish I could make it look so easy!" Now, to be fair, I know deep in my heart and my head that NO mom out there has it 100% together 100% of the time. But some women are just particularly good at making this motherhood business look pretty darn simple. And I'll put it out there for you just so you aren't confused about my opinion, lol: IT IS HARD! It's so hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my whole entire life, and most days all I can think is what a bad job I am doing, what a terrible mess I am making of it all, and I wonder how many years of therapy my kids will ultimately need to reconcile my OCD tendencies about their toys and my crazy obsession with hand sanitizer and my absolute intolerance to whining of any sort. And we all know that one mom (or 10!) who works full-time but still manages to remember show-and-tell and permission slips and also fits in PTO meetings and playdates and then somehow ALSO manages to stay in her highschool size 6 jeans! But that's probably not reality...right?

I think that somehow, over the course of the last 50 years and the Women's Liberation Movement, we women have put more pressure on ourselves than ever before. I read this article this week about the long-standing debate between working moms and stay-at-home moms and it resonated deep within me. When did we decide that we're not successful mothers if we can't do it ALL, do it WELL, and smile the entire time? There are only so many hours in the day! It's just not humanly possible to have a full-time job out of the home, spend every second with your children that they're not in school (and ENJOY it), cook a homemade dinner every night (with organic food and no high fructose corn syrup, no less!), clean the house, do the laundry, exercise religiously (God forbid you actually look like you kept children in that stomach at one point!), keep yourself looking kempt (my hair is starting to take on that perma-ponytail bump again...), and do it all happily, with no griping or eye-rolling or long winded sighs. It's can't be done...can it?

Somewhere deep inside of me is this version of the mother that I think I am supposed to be. Society, the media, and even fellow mothers have built my "SuperMom" up so much inside my head that I don't think I will ever, EVER, come close to her. I start off every day with these completely unrealistic expectations of myself, my children, my husband, everyone. And I can tell you from personal experience that when you start the day at 6:30am with unrealistic expectations, it sure isn't going to be a great day.

So I've decided that this is the year that I kick that SuperMom out of my head. She needs to find another head to live in. I don't have a full-time job and I'm not really using my college degree. I work outside the home 7 - 8 hours a week, and that's plenty for me right now. I don't have to cook a gourmet meal 7 nights a week. I don't have to be perfect 100% of the time and smile doing it. But you know what I DO have to do? I need to LIGHTEN UP. I need to revel in this phase. I need to remember (I'm stealing this from a FB friend, I hope she doesn't mind!) that this life is a marathon, not a sprint, and if I'm going to make it to the end, I need to set my pace accordingly. I need to congratulate myself on the small victories and know when to tell myself, "Better luck next time." I need to hug my kids more, yell at them less, and let my unrealistic expectations fly out the window. Because at the end of every day, no matter how tough it was, I still know that I am lucky like a four-leaf clover. And that is really ALL that matters.

Bye-bye SuperMom. This RegularMom is going to play Wii with her kids :-)

Another Birthday Behind Bars...

2012-01-09T12:58:00.002-05:00

I have my little brother on my mind today. It's his 28th birthday, and he's spending yet another birthday behind bars. If my math is right, it's the 5th one in the last 7 years. It's sad, heartbreaking for my family...I can't imagine how it feels for him right now.

We don't talk much about my little brother these days. One the one hand, it's almost embarrassing that something so awful could happen to him. On the other, it's painful to remember. Things just seem better left in the past; he put everyone through so much that it seems pointless to re-hash it all. What's done is done. Sometimes, I will ashamedly admit, days go by and I don't think of him at all. And then suddenly, especially lately when I am playing with my kids, I get hit by a certain long-forgotten memory, a tiny piece of the old Matthew that I stored away somewhere, and I miss him. We never had a great relationship, that much is true. But I still love him, even now, even after everything.

It hurts my heart to know that my children will not grow up knowing who their Uncle Matt is. They did meet him, once, over Thanksgiving back in 2009, when he was clean and out of prison and on a track that we all hoped would stay that way. But it didn't. Somewhere along the line he lost his balance, didn't ask for help, fell off the wire, went back to heroin, robbed several stores, landed back in prison. I haven't spoken to him in 2 years. I'm not sure when I will.

Like I said, we don't mention Matthew much these days. But sometimes, NOT talking about him feels wrong. I think his story is heartbreaking, but it's happening everywhere, all over this country. There is NO such thing as recreational drug use, especially when it comes to hard drugs. I've never met a single person who could "take it or leave it" when it comes to heroin. From my understanding, once you start on a drug like that, it changes you, makes you willing to do almost anything for more. Steal from your family? Yes. Lie to your family? Yes. Even rob a store at gunpoint, just for a few hundred dollars to get your next high. It's scary what drugs can do, but at the same time I think my family is grateful that it wasn't worse. He isn't dead, he didn't overdose. He didn't kill anyone. He has some pretty serious psychiatric problems and health issues, and in prison he is actually getting the help he needs to get better. Eventually. Maybe. I don't know. I'm hopeful.

Matthew can't read this, but his story is important. I know it will be one that I will eventually tell to my children, over and over, to show them what drugs can do to even the smartest and brightest of people. When the sky is your limit, and you choose to do hard drugs, there's just no telling how far you can fall.

Happy Birthday, Matthew. I love you. I forgive you. I hope you are getting better.

~Barbara

DIY: Crossword Family Name Art

2012-01-07T17:46:00.005-05:00

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I have to start this post by saying...sorry. Yeah, I've been completely MIA from the blog lately. And I hate it--I want to be on here, posting frequently about our life, because I love to go back and re-read all of my posts from when the kids were babies. Some days back then I was even posting twice a day! Good memories, lots of pictures and anecdotes about the kids and what we were up to. I need to start doing it again, and it's on my list of resolutions, I promise!

Anyway, I did accomplish a DIY project this week, and a few people on Facebook wanted to know how I made it, so I thought I would share the instructions on my blog. It was very easy to make, and has a big impact on the wall. I absolutely love how it turned out.

First, you will need to configure a crossword that will accommodate all of your family names. I decided to use our last name in the center as the starting point, more because I needed the L in Bailey than any other reason, lol. For some people, even using your last name might not be enough letters, so get creative! Add the word "FAMILY" in the middle and build from that. Or "HOME" or "LOVE" or anything you can think of that would add to the piece. There is no "wrong" way to make this project, it's completely personal. I couldn't figure out a way to get "CHUCK" to work, so I had to use "CHARLES" instead. I configured my crossword by cutting out paper squares and writing the letters in everyone's names on the tiles, and then working and re-working and re-working again my configuration until I was happy with the results. There are fancy online excel sheets you could use, but I kept it simple. Isn't that almost always the best way?

Once you've got your crossword figured out, count how many tiles you will need and head to the craft store. If you have any coupons, bust them out. You will need to buy:

MDF Coasters--I got mine at Pat Catans back in the unfinished wood section. They were $.89 for a pack of 6, but they only had 2 packs. So I had to buy 3 more sets of 4 coasters in a coaster holder, so it cost me a bit more than I would have hoped. Still, the coasters only totaled roughly $8 (for 24 coasters), not bad.

Black acrylic paint--the small bottles of paint in the craft paint section

Alphabet Stencils--I found the size I wanted in the scrapbooking section for $3

Stenciling paint brushes--I used a small, circular foam brush made specifically for stenciling, also found near the paints.

Double-stick tape for hanging

Back at home, carefully stencil each letter onto your coasters. I did end up messing up one of mine pretty badly, but the nice thing is that the coasters were the same finish on the flip side, so I just re-did it on the other side. Let your paint dry, set up your crossword configuration on a large table or even the floor, and then plan where you want to hang it! Mine is BIG--it takes up a good portion of our large hallway wall. I simply used a strip of double-stick tape on each coaster and pressed it good and hard onto the wall. They seem to be up there and not going anywhere any time soon!

There you have it. Very simple instructions for a personalized project with a lot of WOW. I hope you love how it turns out. I think this would also make a fantastic wedding gift for a new couple, and then you could give them extra blank coasters and the stencils for later down the road if they have children. Cute, right? And I promise to be a better blogger in 2012. Happy New year to everyone who is actually still reading this thing!

~ Barbara

My DIY House

2011-11-21T21:00:00.003-05:00

There are few things in this world that make me feel as satisfied and accomplished as a good DIY project. When I tackle a craft or a home decor project that adds a personal touch to my home, I feel good, no doubt about it. I love looking around my home and knowing that most of the items on the walls, whether they are pictures I've taken or projects I've completed, are unique and personal. They are items that I will treasure for always, I am sure of it.

I won't go into long tutorials or endless instructions, but I just wanted to compile a picture post of some of my favorite DIY projects that I've done over the past few years. Some of these were gifts and aren't actually in my home now, but they still gave me that sense of satisfaction that a good DIY project always does. I have a few new projects that I've been working on as Christmas gifts, so I can't post them yet, but I can't wait to share them after they've been given! :-)

Whenever I'm feeling down or like my home just needs a little change, a good, thrifty, personal project always seems to lift my spirits. I've got one on the agenda for this week too--I'll be sharing it soon!

Go out and make something, it just might end up being your favorite item in your home.

Stay Small...

2011-11-07T17:43:00.003-05:00

My kids are constantly asking things like, "How old do I have to be to ____________?" Mow the lawn, ride in the front seat, drink wine (that was Ava, help us all, lol), use the oven by themselves. The list goes on and on. I completely understand where they are coming from, because for so much of my life I felt like I was sitting on the cusp of something really good. If I could only drive a car, then my life would be perfect. Once I graduated highschool and went to college, that's where the fun would really begin.

Of course now I know that none of that is true. Sure, drinking wine is fun, but hangovers over the age of 30 are pure hell, lol. Mowing the lawn definitely doesn't seem like a privilege. And truth be told, I've always secretly (ok, not so secretly) hated driving. If anyone else offers to drive, I practically throw the keys in their face. Sometimes I'd just rather not have to be the responsible party.

And that's the heart of the matter, isn't it? I was thinking the other day how I hate to separate my life into "before kids" and "after kids" because it seems so one-dimensional. But some days I literally can not, for the life of me, remember what it felt like to wake up in the morning and not immediately have to worry about the well-being of 2 other people. I don't remember what it felt like to wake up on a Sunday morning and lie blissfully in bed, with the most important thing on my to-do list maybe being "organize the pantry." It seems like an entire lifetime ago.

Perhaps that is why, when my littles ask their questions, "When, when, when will I be big enough?" I tend to say things like, "You can drive a car when you're 16, but how about we get through Kindergarten first?" I don't want them to wish it all away, because I just know that it will be here faster than I can blink. I don't want to tell them that being an adult comes with all of these mundane responsibilities, like bills, and taxes, and housework. I just want to let them be kids for as long as they can.

I don't know what made me think of it the other day, maybe just because I've had my brother on my mind lately, but Aiden is now almost the exact same age that my brother was when our dad passed away. I hate thinking about it, how young and naive and innocent my little Aiden seems to me...and that my brother lost his Dad when he was so very small. It was different for me and my sister, we were years older and had more insight into the personal situation going on at home, in many ways even at almost-9-years-old, I could see how losing our father might turn out to be a blessing for us (he was, in short, not a good person, or father). But my brother didn't really know this, couldn't comprehend it. All he knew was that he was 5-years-old, and his father was dead, and never coming back. I think about having to try to explain something like that to my Aiden...it literally brings me to tears. Naturally I hope and pray that this is never something I have to deal with...but still, I've had it on my mind.

Anyway, this post sort of turned out to be a downer! Lol. I apologize. I guess when you are in that state of mind, you can't help but put it somewhere.

In other, unrelated, news. I got a part-time job! I am working at the YMCA in the drop-in childcare for members 3 evenings a week. So far it's been pretty good, I've had some crazy nights, but all in all it is a wonderful experience. It's definitely opened my eyes to how very lucky I am to have healthy, happy children. The kids are taking my job in stride and are very understanding that their Dad has to put them to bed when Mom is at work. So far, it's working out well, so that is great!

Everyone else is doing well. Ava had a little fever this morning and stayed home from school, but she seems fine now. I have Aiden's first parent-teacher conference this evening, hopefully it goes well! He really enjoys school and is doing great, so I am not too worried about it.

Happy Fall to all! I can't believe Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away! It will be Christmas before we know it!

School Daze...

2011-09-25T19:44:00.003-04:00

I've been a bad blogger. But, doesn't it just seem like September went by at WARP speed? I can't be the only one who feels that way, lol.

My little Avie-bug started preschool back on Sept. 12th. She has two teachers, Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Knight, and she's attending St. Paul's Lutheran Preschool, the same school that Aiden went to last year. We've been so pleased with this school, the teachers are so wonderful and caring and it is a great little community. I've been really fortunate to have made some amazing friends from the preschool, and it felt so nice to come back this year and not be "new."

Ava is really loving school. Her teachers say she is very disciplined and the best "rule follower" in the class. Mrs. Johnson also told me that Ava is the only kid in her class (of 13) that can write her name (though, to be fair, it IS only 3 letters, lol). At home we are working hard on learning all of our ABC's, she's definitely been slower to catch onto the alphabet than Aiden was, but she's just such a different child. They are both so unique and I wouldn't change them for anything.

Aiden is loving Kindergarten. I am really impressed with his teacher and the amount of learning that is involved in a meager 2 hours and 45 minutes of Kindergarten a day. That's not a lot of time! I supplement that at home with a lot of reading, sight words, writing exercises, etc, but he's just been a little sponge this month, soaking it all in. He's reading beginner reader books with minimal help and he's starting to get less frustrated with unknown words and learning to take his time to sound out the letters and build the word.

I'm a proud mama--they are both doing great and (knock on wood) I have absolutely nothing to complain about!

Here are some pics from Ava's first day of school. Enjoy!

Take a Back Road

2011-09-06T19:54:00.003-04:00

I was driving in the car with the kids today and I had one of those precious moments that I wish I could wrap in pretty paper and keep in my pocket...forever. Not the "big" moments, not like starting pre-school or Kindergarten or birthdays or Christmas morning, just a special moment that felt perfect, and I wanted to keep it. There we were, cruising down 20 with the windows all open and the breezy fall air flowing through the car. Our hair was blowing and my kids were singing all the words to Rodney Atkins "Take a Back Road," because they are forced to inherit my love of country music so they know all the words to all of the great new songs:) They were waving their hands in the air and had red apple cheeks and bright, shiny eyes and I felt it. I felt that tightness in my chest, like an iron vice gripping my heart and suddenly my eyes were threatening to spill over. Because it was perfect. Just a moment, just a silly little grain of sand in this giant hourglass of my life, and I wanted to reach out and drench it in bronze...freeze it forever, because it was happiness and sunshine and light and laughter and love. In just one single moment.

That's my favorite part about being a mom. Most days have bad parts, most days I kick myself for something that didn't go right. But there is almost always that one perfect moment where I can feel the love flowing between us, fluid like hot liquid lava, a thread that was never severed when they left my womb. I feel anchored and whole and like I'm the most important person in the whole wide world. Because of them.

I just had to write it down. I know I haven't blogged much lately...summer was busy and I got lazy. But I tend to forget that I started this blog for me, as a record of my time home with my babies, as a log for my journey into motherhood. I don't always need to be profound, or have something meaningful to say, I just need to write it down. Because those moments like the one today, they happen a lot, but then I forget them. And I don't want to forget. I love that I'm keeping this record, so that some day I can read it back to my babies, right from the very beginning, and they will know that even though sometimes I might not show it in the right ways, my love for them is powerful and my words are my proof.

Kindergarten!

2011-08-28T17:45:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's true. My sweet, amazing 5-year-old boy is officially a Kindergartener. I can hardly believe it. He's so big now!

On Thursday morning of last week we had Kindergarten orientation in the morning. We got to meet his teacher, Mrs. Juchnowski, and the parents listened to some important school information while the kids did a bus safety program (even the children who won't ride the bus, just to get used to the rules for future field trips). Aiden is attending Hale Rd. Elementary school in the Riverside (Painesville Township) school district. There are 6 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school in the district. His high school class is going to be BIG--there are 65 kids in Kindergarten at Hale Rd. elementary and I am told that the other elementaries are equally as big. His teacher, who goes by Mrs. J, teaches morning Kindergarten at another school in the district, and then comes to teach one of the two afternoon Kindergarten classes at Hale Rd. I was very impressed by the school's principal, Mr. Miley, who is kind and caring but also strict with his kids and with the parents as well--I can tell he is the driving force behind the school's excellent rating!

Since we live so close to the school, Aiden (and eventually Ava) won't ride the bus, he needs to be dropped off and picked up, which is fine by me:) I know he is a little disappointed about missing out on the exciting bus ride, but selfishly I am happy to take him myself! On Friday afternoon we sat outside the school until the buses pulled up and Mrs. J came out to get the students. The principal shook all of the kids hands and welcomed them to Kindergarten and in Aiden went, with not even a look back to his Mommy. I was wearing sunglasses and hopefully hid my tears from the other 10 or so parents who were also dropping off, lol. When I picked Aiden up he had a huge smile on his face, said he loved Kindergarten and had a great day. A big success!

I can't believe he's actually in real school now. At first I was a bit disappointed that he got put in PM Kindergarten (12:30pm-3:15pm) since Ava will be going to preschool M-W-F mornings, but I can already see the benefits of having some one-on-one time with each child. They rarely get me to themselves and it will be so nice to be able to tailor our crafts and projects to each of their individual needs and interests. I am really looking forward to everything about this year! I also signed them up to both take Gym 'n Swim 'n Splash at the Y every Tuesday morning. It's 30 minutes of games and sports in the gym, a 30 minute swim lesson and then 30 minutes of free swim. I know they will both love it and it will give me a nice little break too:-)

Here are the pictures of Aiden on his first day. He's so excited about school and I am excited for him! Ava doesn't start pre-school until Sept. 12th, so you'll have to wait a few more weeks for her "first day" pics, but she is pretty excited too!

:-)

2011-07-18T07:30:00.003-04:00

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."

We've probably all heard this quote at some point in our lives. I'm more than a little ashamed to admit that I very rarely live by it. At almost every period of my life, I can remember wishing that time would speed up. I'm almost always looking forward to the next big "thing": the next season, the next trip, even the next weekend. In grade school, I couldn't wait for middle school. In middle school, I dreamed about highschool. In highschool, I fantasized about college. I've always been that way, one foot in the present and the other perched precariously on the edge of something that hasn't even happened yet, but in my mind must be minutely more meaningful.

It feels almost deliriously wonderful to be standing still, for nearly the first time in my life. I am living in every moment of this summer. I'm not looking forward, I'm not looking back. If anything, I am a tiny bit terrified of this fall, sending my babies both off to school. That's a milestone for a mother too, isn't it? I'm excited for them, but I'm certainly not wishing that September would hurry on up.

Maybe it has something to do with being on the verge of 31, a number that feels somehow infinitely older than 30. Maybe it is because my children are just so much fun to be around right now. They are in that wonderful stage where they want to be with me, be in my presence, but don't need my undivided attention every minute of the day. It's my absolute favorite time since becoming a mother, a time that I've dreamed and fantasized about for so long that now that it's here, I just don't want time to keep marching on. But I can feel it, tick tick ticking away, every minute like a grain of sand in an hourglass that I'll never flip over.

Today I will drink pink lemonade. I will watch my littles ride their bikes. I will sing songs and dance dances. I will push swings. I will feel the sun on my face. I will feel the wind whip through my hair with the car windows down. I will hold tiny hands, and try not to think about how they feel a bit bigger than last week. I will be present in the present, because it is my gift.

Dear 16-year-old-me

2011-06-18T17:52:00.002-04:00

There is a viral video going around right now called "Dear 16-year-old-me" as part of the campaign for skin cancer prevention and awareness. It's an intense and emotional video, and well worth watching, but it got me thinking. What if I could go back and give my 16-year-old self some advice? Would I do it? I've always maintained that if I ever had the chance to go back and change my mistakes, I wouldn't do it, because without my missteps and wrong turns and detours I wouldn't be where I am today. And today is good...great even. But I think I might have a few suggestions for my teenage self. And I thought I would share them here, because someday my 16-year-old daughter might need a little advice too:)

Dear 16-year-old-me,

* That boy who cheats on you and breaks your heart? It turns out that he really isn't worth it. Don't spend the next 5 years throwing yourself away trying to prove that you are special. It will not improve your self esteem.

* Drive more carefully. Much, much more carefully. Your wallet will thank you if you can avoid the accidents and speeding tickets!

* When someone introduces you to the "screwdriver," don't overdo it. If you do it will ruin orange juice for you forever, and that is a sad thing!

* Your little brother is not your responsibility, but he is your family. He needs you and he won't be able to admit it. Make more time for him, be his friend, reach out to him even if he insists he is ok. He isn't. And someday you will wish you had taken better care of him...

* Don't major in Advertising in college just because Journalism seems too intimidating. You are a writer, so follow your passion even if it means subjecting yourself to criticism and possible failure. You'll never know unless you try.

* Don't stop singing in college. Try out for a chorus or an acapella choir or something. You might not be the best alto in the world, but singing makes you happy--don't give it up because you are afraid.

* Don't spend so much time with your college boyfriend that you lose touch with your best girlfriend. It will be something that you will regret for the rest of your life, because you will learn the hard way that people like her are special and should be treasured, and you will always need a good girlfriend in your life.

* Holding grudges is a terrible character flaw. Learn early how to forgive and move on, it will save you a year of anger and hurt later in life...

* If, at some point, you find yourself with 100 cases of chocolate bars in your living room that are free samples for your job, do not spend night after night eating them. It is true what they say about chocolate: a moment on your lips, a lifetime on your hips. Your body will thank you if you can resist them.

* Take really good care of yourself when you are pregnant. Do not ever start drinking sweet tea, it will add 20 extra pounds to your pregnancy weight gain.

* Floss your teeth. A lot. Just trust me on this one...

I have so many more things I could say to the 16-year-old-me...but then again, if I did, I might not have learned the lessons I know now. I could tell her to never open that credit card in college just to get that free leather binder, but then I wouldn't know how it feels to buy a bunch of things I can't afford and slowly take years to pay them off, lol. I could tell her to think long and hard about getting those 2 cats in college, because cats live a looong time...but those cats love me, and they need me, and I couldn't imagine them with any other owner. I could tell her so many things, but the truth is that I owe it to myself to own up to my own mistakes. They make me who I am today, they are a part of my history. I hope that when my children are teenagers, I have enough faith to let them make some of their own mistakes, but also to protect them from what I can. Luckily for me, that's a long time off!

P.S. Seriously, do take a moment to watch the video link I posted, and make sure to always wear sunscreen to protect your skin. I'll admit, the 16-year-old-me didn't wear a lot of sunscreen either. And it's definitely something I would go back to tell her to do!

Fortune 5-what?

2011-06-15T23:07:00.002-04:00

Once, recently, after finding out that I was a Stay-at-home-mom, I had a stranger tell me, with a sympathetic pat on the arm, "Don't worry, sweetie. You aren't the only mom out there who never used her college degree." Because I'm trying to keep my hot-temper under wraps these days, I smiled and nodded and went on my way with my mean thoughts screaming loudly in my head. "NOT use my college degree!! How DARE SHE!!!"

I majored in Advertising in college. And I use it ALL THE TIME.

"Guess what kids? Tonight we're having Spinach Lasagna! Yum, it is sooo good! It tastes just like pepperoni pizza! How great is that? Oh...the green stuff? Don't worry, it's the BEST part! It tastes just like cheese!" Tell me that didn't practically win an Oscar, lol.

And guess who ate it tonight? Guess who proclaimed it "The Best Lasagna He's Ever Eaten!" (ok, so it's the only lasagna he's ever eaten...but really, who's counting?;-) Clearly, I am an Advertising Genius! (*Hint, it wasn't Chuck! It was AIDEN!!)

Seriously though, do I ever get tired of the "Oh, you stay at HOME all day? I could NEVER do that!" comments? You bet I do. And you know why? Because I never imagined myself here either.

Surprised? Me too. But growing up...I'll admit it, I never wanted children. I didn't fantasize about them, I didn't like babysitting them. During my brief, but albeit beloved, stint as a summer camp counselor, I repeatedly requested to be with the oldest children I could legally be with--I just couldn't imagine myself with young children. I sailed easily through college, landed myself a job that I thoroughly sucked at (I use that word lightly, lol), got myself another job that I didn't love but wasn't terrible at...and fell in love with one Mr. Charles Bailey II. Along came Aiden, the surprise of my life...and it's 100% true what they say, children change you. Those people that say, "Oh, I'll never let having a baby change me!" Well, they are wrong. It is impossible. Having a baby DOES change you, oh yes it does. Those people that say, "I'll never let my children become my whole life!" Well, they didn't have children, did they? Because, let me tell you, it happens.

I became a mother, and it became my whole life. They became my whole life. Being part of a non-broken family, a whole unit, for the first time in my life? It consumed me. In the best way possible.

People ask me all the time, "Do you think you'll ever go back to work?" "Don't you miss having your own money?" "Doesn't it feel strange not having anything for yourself?" And I have some answers. I'm not sure...yes...and sometimes. I would like to "go back" to work someday, if the time was right. But I loathe the insinuation that while I'm at home I'm not "working." Because I absolutely AM. I do everything in my physical power to get ALL of the chores that I can done during the week so that we can spend time together as a family when Chuck isn't working on the weekend. That means mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping, weeding, sweeping, etc. I try my best to do literally everything inside of this house that I can think of so that Chuck won't have to do it on the weekend. But I also do a really great job of taking care of my kids. I teach them in so many ways, and take them so many places. They get to take lessons and go to museums and the zoo and parks and playdates. We learn a lot together and I take pride in teaching them in new and exciting ways. So it hurts me when people insinuate that this "job" is easy. Because it isn't. Some days it is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And yes I miss the adult interaction, and yes I miss having my own money, and yes I miss feeling important and appreciated.

But do you know what?

I'm a good mom. And it's my JOB. And I am tired of apologizing for it. I am a Stay-At-Home-Mom, and I am proud of it. I am proud of my husband for making it work for us. I am proud of myself for doing a good job. And I will not feel ashamed of "not using my college degree."

How's that for Advertising? :-)

I might not work for a Fortune 500 company, but I have the greatest fortune I could have ever imagined, and it's 2 sets of bright, shiny eyes waiting for me to show them the world, every single morning. No one brings me coffee, most of the time it gets spilled on me. And it's more than ok. It's Motherhood. And it just might be all the fortune I ever need....

The Summer of Warp Speed

2011-06-13T07:47:00.004-04:00

Doesn't this always seem to be the case? When you want time to speed up because you are looking forward to a future event, time seems to practically stand still. But when you are finally, mercifully, ready to be IN the moment, to relax and enjoy the PRESENT, it goes by at warp speed? I am in awe of how quickly this summer is flying by. The days are passing in a blur and I find myself wishing I could be Zack Morris back on Saved By The Bell, when he could yell "time-out!" and time would freeze. I would totally time-out this summer, that's how much I am loving it:)

There are certain times in your life when you look around and think to yourself, "Somebody, quickly! Pinch me! I must be dreaming, because this can't be real!" I really, truly do feel that way right now. And I am trying so hard to squash my inner-realist who threatens to rear her ugly head and yell, "Just wait, your luck will run out soon!" We are so happy right now. My amazing husband got a PROMOTION last week--whoo hoo, SO proud of him! So if you live in Ohio and your insurance rates go up, you know who to partially blame, haha. The weather has been amazing. We have healthy children, a pool membership, a ton of wonderful parks and beaches and bike trails and fun things to do nearby. I've never liked the word "blessed" but I certainly have to agree with the definition: "good fortune" seems to sum it all up right now. We are lucky, plain and simple. And I am so grateful:)

Here are some recent pics. The kids showing off their new Indians hats and new pajamas. Enjoying Playground World and the pool. Our "new & improved" swingset--we upgraded the disc swing for a double glider that the kids love being able to do themselves.

Life is sweet. Even sweeter than the fresh peaches sitting on my kitchen counter:) I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Summer of Fun

2011-06-02T07:42:00.003-04:00

My apologies for the long wait between posts. You see, we got new phones last month--my Mother's Day present and the coolest, best thing I've gotten in a long, long time. I love it, and the camera on my phone is actually better than my point-n-shoot, and has it's own awesome editing software right on the phone...so, yeah. I've been taking a lot of pictures, but not really putting them anywhere! I promise to be better about uploading them!

Things here in northeast Ohio are...wonderful. Really. Summer has finally arrived, with its fresh grass clippings and warmer temps and no school. The kids and I are having a blast, going to parks and the pool and the beach, riding bikes and eating popsicles and doing all of that fun summer stuff. I really want this summer to be about fun and sunshine, giving us lots of good, happy, warm memories to stuff away and pull out during the cold, long winter (which is, thankfully, far far away still). I joked the other day that I want my toughest decisions this summer to be: pool or beach?; beer or wine?; and peanut butter or ham 'n cheese sandwiches? We've literally eaten every single lunch this week outdoors, and it is heaven:) (My kitchen likes it too! lol)

So here is to a summer of fun and memories. A summer of laughter and smiles, popsicle tongues and dirty bare feet. A summer of splashing and swimming, swinging and sliding, and having the best time we can possibly have. Together:)

On a side note, at the pool the other day (LOVING our Y membership, the pool is very close and so much fun!) I was watching a mother with a 3 month old baby and a 2 year old son try to juggle it all. She was feeding the baby and trying to keep an eye on her toddler, coaxing him to come closer, be careful, stay within sight. The baby started fussing and she looked over at me and the kids who were eating sandwiches and carrot sticks and juice boxes in our deck chairs, and she said, "I am so envious of you right now, you have no idea." I laughed. Oh how I laughed, because I DO have an idea, because I used to be her and I remember those days and how I longed for the time when my kids would be old enough to sit in chairs and eat their lunch and then swim and splash nearby. IT. HAS. ARRIVED. And I am truly loving this stage of motherhood, no diapers, no babies, just me and my littles, who have really become my very best buddies.

It's going to be a fantastic summer:)

Smells Like a Memory

2011-05-20T07:24:00.002-04:00

We often joke around our house about Ava's amazingly keen sense of smell. She can smell anything from what seems like a mile away. She's always the first to comment on dinner cooking, or the smell of flowers in the air, or fresh cut grass. She can smell from downstairs when Bailey has pooped in the playroom (damn cat!) on the far end of the house. She can't even walk into Target without commenting, "Mmmm, I smell popcorn!"

It's no secret that smells can induce memories and feelings, and most scientists agree that smell is in fact the strongest sense tied to memory. Most of us will have a strong visual image when presented with a particular smell from a good or bad memory in our childhood. I know, for me, that the smell of a campfire floods my brain with wonderful images, camping with my dad when we were kids, or attending a campfire at Camp Eberhart in my teens. I simply can't smell a campfire smoldering and not feel the smile creep onto my face, literally lighting me up from the inside. My nose knows:)

But I found an interesting article about the correlation between olfactory sensitivity and emotional sensitivity that intrigued me. (http://www.neatorama.com/2009/10/13/correlation-found-between-sense-of-smell-and-emotional-sensitivity/). Are people who smell better more emotionally sensitive? And why? It certainly might explain my extremely sensitive daughter, who seems to feel every emotion like it might be her very last. It might even explain my own over-sensitivity when it comes to my emotional feelings.

Whatever the scientific reason for the link between smell and memory, I know that as a parent I plan to use it to my advantage:-) I want my children to smell a campfire, or my homemade macaroni and cheese, or even just the chlorine in the pool at the Y, and be comforted. I want to conjure happy, loving memories that will last a lifetime. Can you smell that? It's a memory:)

Picture post

2011-05-01T11:32:00.004-04:00

Just a quick picture roundup from April, as I've been meaning to put these all up but keep forgetting. We had a very nice Easter dinner at Chuck's sister's house and I remembered to take some pictures of the kids with relatives, since I haven't taken any new pictures in ages. You'll notice that Chuck is absent from all of these photos...one of these days I'll manage to convince him to actually be in a picture with his own wife and children (hint...hint...) ;-)

I hope everyone had a nice Easter and April, despite the terrible very UN-spring-like weather we've all had. I'm sincerely hoping that May is better than April, though is the forecast for this week is any indication, I am going to be disappointed, lol.

Please keep Ava in your thoughts as she's pretty sick with some sort of fever virus, poor doll:( She's been running a pretty high temp for the past two days, I hope she feels better soon!

To Everything, turn, turn, turn...

2011-04-13T19:20:00.002-04:00

I love all of the four seasons for different reasons, but there is something particularly reviving about the brink of Spring, that essential time when it hasn't quite yet sprung, but Mother Nature tempts us every so often. I am not, at all, a Bible reader, but I can't help but think of the song adapted from Ecclesiastes, "To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose, under Heaven." Beautiful words with a significant meaning, for spring simply can't exist without the winter that precedes it.

For every time I felt that aching in my soul this winter, that hollowness in my bones and the longing for a warm breeze on my cheek...it's sweeter now. I can lift my face to the sun and finally feel the heat, bask in the smell of new green things about to burst forth. I can literally feel the earth's trembling excitement in my bones. Everything has lay dormant for so long, myself included. I feel like I am finally emerging again, from a cozy den and a long winter's nap, to find myself utterly fresh and new, colorful and fragrant. How strange it is to have felt like I literally lost myself because I couldn't plant my toes in the grass...

I don't believe in the general premise of religion, but I can relate to what a religious experience must be like. There is nothing more soul stretching, more grounding and yet simultaneously uplifting--for me, anyway--than stretching out on a nice green lawn, feeling the wind on my face, and admiring the sky. If there really is such a thing as the "Holy Spirit," that's the only place I can ever imagine it existing.

One of my favorite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, once said, I believe in God, only I spell it Nature. I couldn't have said it better myself:)

Happy Spring!

Aiden's Birthday

2011-03-27T10:03:00.005-04:00

Aiden had a great 5th birthday. Thank you to everyone who mailed cards or sent presents, he was so happy and excited! We just did a nice, quiet family day with presents, cake & ice cream, a trip to Chuck E. Cheese, and anything he wanted for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He got two Star Wars Lego sets from Chuck and me and then decided to spend his birthday money from his Granny & Grandad and his Aunt Deb & Uncle Bill on two more Star Wars Lego sets, so he is in Lego heaven and hasn't stopped chattering about Legos since his birthday, lol.

After my failed attempts at both Chuck and Ava's birthday cakes last year, I finally decided to start a new birthday cake tradition in our house. The day before your birthday, you get to go to Walmart (classy, I know, but they have the biggest selection of ready-made cakes!) and pick out any cake you want. Then you can put whatever you want on it, toys or candy or decorations. We found some Power Rangers birthday decorations at the Party Store and Aiden decided to make it a theme. He picked the most atrocious lime green and blue cake (but it was delicious!) and arranged all of his Power Rangers on it along with a Power Ranger candle and a #5 candle. He declared it perfect and it was the easiest birthday cake I've never baked, ha ha.

Happy birthday to my wonderful, sweet boy! Great things lie ahead for him, of that I am certain:)

Five years...

2011-03-22T19:30:00.003-04:00

I told the cashier at Walmart this afternoon, "My little boy is turning 5 tomorrow." Aiden looked around and said, "Huh? What little boy? Mom, I'm a big boy turning 5 tomorrow!" Just like that, a sucker punch to the gut, right in the middle of Walmart.

Has it really been 5 years since he swam in the space under my heart? Since I felt his tiny body writhe and wriggle inside of my own skin? Five years ago today, right now, he was supposed to have already been born, but my little man was stubborn right from the start. He's always had his own agenda:-) He just got stuck like a stick in the Georgia clay, refused to move, and so finally at 2:24am on March 23rd, 2006, he was promptly retrieved from my stomach, came out screaming, and pretty much didn't stop for the first 6 months of his life.

Everyone says to cherish those first few months, that they go by too quickly, that you will forget them all too soon. I have a confession...I wanted them to go by quickly. I wanted to forget them, forget the endless screaming, forget being covered in spit-up and being so tired that I could barely remember my own name. I couldn't believe that this was what other mothers raved about, what other mothers wanted to hold onto and never let go. But, little by little, we got to know each other, him and I. I discovered my son and, in doing so, I discovered a new side of myself as well.

When a child is born, so is a mother. And now my little boy, my baby, is turning five. I realized this morning that I've been a mother longer than I've ever done anything else in my life. Longer than any other job I've ever had, longer than any school I ever attended, even technically longer than I've been a wife, I've been a mother. And it's all because of him.

Gone are the days of wishing that time would speed up. He has bloomed into the most perfect and amazing son that I ever could have hoped or wished for. He is kind and polite, smart and outgoing, willful and ambitious. He has his bad days, and I have mine too, and we weather them together, just like we've always done.

I'm so excited to celebrate his birthday with him tomorrow. :-) Lot's of pictures to come, I promise!

:-)

2011-03-20T19:34:00.002-04:00

A very special little boy in my life is turning 5 this week, so although I have been a terrible blogger lately, I promise a new post this week with birthday pictures:-) I just haven't been myself these past few months, winter has really stolen my light and my desire to write anything at all. But don't worry, I can slowly but surely feel it seeping back in with every degree that the temperature rises, and I'm certain that the urge to pour out my words will be back very soon.

Chuck and I got a jumpstart on the spring yardwork today (I had really forgotten how much debris accumulates in a yard over the long winter!) and I'm looking forward to *hopefully* growing grass where the pear trees used to be and enjoying a nice, full yard this summer. We're currently trying to get the yard all puppy-proofed; Chewie is so small that he can escape under a few gaps in the neighbor's fence, so we're going to try to fill in the gaps with soil and then seed the areas. We also need to install lattice under the deck to keep Chewie from investigating under there. Chuck and I keep joking that Chewie is the nosiest little puppy we've ever seen--they say curiosity killed the cat, but I'm not so sure it won't kill Yorkie-poos too!

More to come later this week, you can hold me to it!

Let Me Count the Ways

2011-03-04T17:37:00.002-05:00

It's no secret that I am not a "baby person." I'm so happy to be done with the gurgling, teething, screeching, crawling stage that it isn't even funny. And not-quite-five short but somehow also long years later, I am finally really in love with being a mother. It's funny how it happens like that sometimes, it crept up on me, this enjoyment of my children. I've always loved them, truly and deeply in a way that only a mother can when her heart is suddenly walking around outside of her body, but now I am really enjoying them, the funny things they say and do, the way they show their love for me. And I try to tell them, I really do, but I know that I complain a lot here, so I wanted to write a little love letter to my children, for me to remember all of the silly little reasons why I love them.

Dear Aiden,
* I love how every night when I tuck you into bed I tell you, "Good night, sleep tight sweet boy, don't let the bedbugs bite, I'll see you in the morning!" and you always, without fail, tell me, "Mom! Don't let the bedbugs bite you either! Love you!"
* I love that you have become so affectionate and sweet, always giving me kisses and hugs and you told me yesterday at the Y, "Mommy, you are the best mommy in the whole world and I feel so lucky that I am your son!" My eyes swam with tears because not so long ago I worried that maybe you would never be that way with me, and you have surprised me and shown me what a truly special heart you have.
* I love how much you love coloring, and how every time you color a picture you tell me that you think it's better than a real live photograph:)
* I love that you love your new puppy and want to play with him and protect him.
* I love that you love to do puzzles, just like your Daddy, and you don't mind that it takes me a while to figure them out!
* I love that you are really trying to be better about eating new foods and trying fruits and vegetables.
* I love the way you still try to fit into my lap, even though it's nearly impossible.
* I love how great of a big brother you are *most of the time;-)* and you help your sister when she needs it.
* I love how polite you are, you almost always say "please" and "thank you" and "may I?" instead of "can I?" without me ever asking you.
* Most of all I love you for always being yourself and saying how you feel. You are very outgoing and love to make new friends and I hope that never changes!

Dear Ava,
* I love how you pucker your lips up for a big smoochy kiss:)
* I love the way you dance with your eyes closed (even though this will likely someday lead to an accident, lol)
* I love the way you call your bottom a "tiny heiny."
* I love your super squeaky high voice that you use when you are playing pretend.
* I love the way you sing the ABC song and say "elmo elmo p" instead of "lmnop."
* I love that you always remember to give me a hug and a kiss goodbye if I am leaving, and you always tell me that you will miss me.
* I love how you use at least a page of stickers a day, just because they are your favorite thing.
* I love how much you love your brother, and how you ask me at least 10 times every school morning if it is time to pick him up yet (even though as soon as we do, you two start fighting, lol).
* I love how much you love to swing, because it reminds me of myself as a kid.
* I love how when I get frustrated about something, you are always there to encourage me and tell me, "You can do it, Mom! Don't give up!"
* I love how much you love to Swiffer, because it helps make the floors extra clean:)
* I love when you help me cook, because you always get really into it, and it makes me feel happy:)
* I love that you ask to ride bikes in the driveway every single day, despite the fact that it's been freezing and snowy for the past 3 months. Soon, baby girl! Soon!
* Most of all I love you because you wear your heart on your sleeve and I never have to guess how you feel. You love big and hurt deeply and are very passionate and I hope that never changes.

My sweet, beautiful, amazing children...you've changed me so. I really don't remember the person I used to be before I was your mother, and I am better for it. Thank you for letting me love you, teach you, guide you, hold you, and for loving me back even when I've done you wrong or had a weak moment. I'm lucky...

30 Things...

2011-02-27T18:39:00.002-05:00

Most of the time, this blog is about my wonderful children and what we are up to. But today I thought I would do something a bit more personal. A friend of mine did this a while back on her blog, and I loved getting little tidbits of knowledge about her that would never really come up in everyday conversation. Sometimes I feel like knowing those tiny idiosyncrasies about someone is what makes you really, truly call them a friend.

So, without further delay, here are 30 really random truths about me:)

1. I love hummingbirds, I'm practically obsessed with them. Chuck bought me a hummingbird feeder last summer and I could sit and watch them for hours. I can't wait for them to come back!
2. My favorite color is purple. I have a purple vacuum, my Kindle cover is purple, my wallet it purple, my favorite shirt is purple. You get the idea.
3. I love to read. If I'm not reading something, a book or a short story or just something, I feel like something in my life is missing.
4. My favorite candy...it's a tie between gummy worms and Good 'N Plenty, which I know lots of people hate but I absolutely love.
5. This is the first time in my life that I've had long hair, and every once in a while I see my reflection in a mirror and don't recognize myself!
6. I have two half-sisters (daughters of my father) somewhere in the world, but I've never met them and I don't know their last names.
7. I can't stand to not wear socks inside--I wear them almost constantly, even in the summer.
8. I really don't like to watch a movie or tv show more than once. Occasionally I'll love a movie so much that I will watch it a second or even third time, but very rarely. I'd rather spend my time watching something new!
9. My dream job would be proofreading/editing novels. I love grammar (even though mine isn't always perfect).
10. I am terrible at buying gifts. I agonize about what to buy and then when I finally do make a decision I second guess myself for days and usually end up hating what I bought, lol.
11. I love constellations and one of the neatest presents I've ever received was my own star that came with my engagement ring from Chuck. It's called Barbara Bailey and it's part of the constellation Cassiopeia.
12. When it comes to anything technology-related, I am clueless. I don't even know how to hook up a DVD player to a tv. My sister had to load my Ipod with songs for me, I had no idea what to do!
13. I am a huge baby at the dentist office! I've had to get 13 fillings in the past 2 years and have asked for nitrous every time.
14. I haven't worn earrings on a daily basis since I lost one of my diamond earrings 3 years ago. My ears seem to reject earrings, I have lost an earring from almost every pair I own so I just stopped wearing them.
15. I bite my nails, it's a terrible habit. I want to admonish my children for biting their nails, but I know that makes me a huge hypocrite!
16. Even thought I bite my fingernails and never paint them, I always keep my toes painted, even in the middle of winter. I have no idea why!
17. My favorite candle scent is Yankee Candle Harvest, it smells like cinnamon and spice and everything wonderful about fall.
18. I didn't start learning to cook until Aiden was around one and I got tired of making Hamburger Helper every night. It turns out that I love cooking and could spend all day in the kitchen if time let me!
19. My favorite season is fall. I love the changing leaves and the cool crispness in the air.
20. Some people are pool people and some people are beach people. I love both, but I am really a beach person. I love feeling the sand between my toes and listening to the waves and seeing all the boats. Nothing makes me happier than a good day at the lake!
21. I've always wanted to get a tattoo, but I am too chicken! I have no pain tolerance and I can't seem to muster up the courage!
22. I bought a real 4-leaf clover keychain on our honeymoon in Vegas, and it hangs from my rearview mirror in my car. I know it's hokey, but I really believe it's brought me good luck the past 5.5 years and if anything ever happens to it I know I will be crushed!
23. I love taking pictures and someday my dream present would be a great camera and to take a photography class.
24. I sang in my high school show choir and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Being part of a team and winning competitions based on talent was so rewarding. I love to sing and I probably drive my husband and kids crazy because I sing ALL the time!
25. I love being a stay-at-home mom but sometimes I really miss the social aspect of an office. I didn't always love my job before, but it was nice to know when I was doing a good job.
26. I am probably the least picky eater ever. I love almost all types of cuisine and have very few foods that I don't like, but...
27. I can't stand cilantro, it just doesn't taste good to me!
28. I never learned the proper way to type on the computer, so I type using a modified hunt-and-peck method, but even Chuck swears he thinks I am the fastest hunt-and-pack typer he's ever seen! I type pretty fast even though I only use 5 fingers, lol.
29. I have a slight astigmatism in my eyes, which means that my corneas are shaped like footballs instead of like spheres. Secretly I have always wondered if part of my self-confidence issues are a result of seeing myself shorter and fatter than I really am, lol.
30. I have always hated my name because it is so old-fashioned and I purposefully named my children very popular names so that they would never feel self conscious about their names. That's probably very vain on my part;)

So there you have it, 30 things you may or may not have known about me! Happy Monday tomorrow, I love the start of a new week, it always feels so full of promise, a brand new week to try and try again. :)

Meet Chewie!

2011-02-20T18:21:00.003-05:00

We got a puppy! Meet Chewbacca "Chewie" Bailey, our 10-week old yorkie poo. He was a somewhat spur-of-the-moment buy, as we had only barely discussed Chuck entertaining the idea of a small dog, but then Chuck called on some yorkie poos for sale and Wednesday night the breeder brought over the sweetest little puppy you've ever seen:) We all fell in love and couldn't not keep him. He does bear somewhat of a resemblance to a certain furry creature from Star Wars, so we named him Chewbacca and call him Chewie for short. He is about 4 lbs right now and should be about 8 lbs when fully grown. He is so soft and sweet and most importantly I've not had any allergy problems at all, which is wonderful for me! I told Chuck that I think this is the first time in my life that I've been able to pet and hold a dog without sneezing and itching.

Chewie is a really sweet puppy who loves to cuddle and be held. He seems to be very smart for a little guy, and has gotten potty training almost right away (just a few accidents after the first day). He is especially playful (like all puppies are) and loves his rope bone and his little toy monkey. The only issue we're having at all is that he doesn't like his crate at night, but since he's not 100% potty trained yet we can't really have him sleeping in our bed. I hope he gets better about the crate, but I know it will take time. Our cats, Zoe and Bailey, have not yet once come downstairs to brave the "ferocious creature" and we ended up just moving their food upstairs since I didn't want Zoe to starve (it wouldn't hurt Bailey to lose 1 or 10 pounds, lol). I hope they adjust eventually, they are both getting older (Bailey is 7 and Zoe is 9) so I know they don't appreciate a new face in the house (especially such a cute one who is getting so much love and attention!) I can't wait for spring and summer so we can play with Chewie outside and take him with us to the park.

The kids love him and are very sweet and affectionate. We're trying to teach them to be loving without OVERloving him, lol, he is a small guy after all!

Still here...

2011-02-15T19:30:00.002-05:00

I've been such a bad blogger lately. I am sorry, we're still here. I haven't taken any pictures lately either. I am terrible! But we are getting ready for a short trip to MI on Thursday to visit my sister and my parents, so I am sure I'll take some pictures then. I really miss taking pictures, but it feels like everything is so dreary and gloomy and there isn't much to photograph!

The kids are doing great. Ava has really had a mental growth spurt suddenly and is very interested in doing her 24 piece puzzles, which is great. She's also starting to show more interest in learning the alphabet and numbers, and is making progress with her speech too. She is a chatty girl by nature, but she's starting to make much longer sentences and strangers aren't having such a difficult time understanding her anymore, so that is great! Aiden is as bright as ever. He loves doing his 100 piece puzzles and has become a master colorer. He colored a picture for Valentine's Day that is probably better than I could do, lol. He's working hard on learning to write and starting to take an interest in reading basic sight words (I'm trying not to push him too hard, I don't want to get reading started off on the wrong foot). He is constantly surprising me with the little things he's learned from either school or (sadly, lol) tv. The other day he said to me, "Mom, I bet you didn't know this. There are 50 states in our country and I've lived in two of them, Georgia and Ohio. Isn't that neat?" I was so impressed, he was just so matter-of-fact about it, lol. He loves attempting to tell silly jokes and both of the kids new favorite thing is to watch American Idol with me (I DVR it and then watch it the next day without the commercials). Aiden always wants the silliest contestants to go through to the next round and Ava was so cute, every time someone got a yellow ticket she applauded and yelled, "They did it! They got a ticket, they got three yes's!" She can be so sweet sometimes.

Both kids had their dental check-ups today and no cavities! Ava was scared because of her recent Dr. check-up (she had two shots) and she screamed bloody murder when the dentist came in and told him, "I DON'T LIKE BOYS!!!!" (he thought Chuck would be happy to hear this news, lol). Aiden, however, was AWESOME and told the dentist and the tech all about how he is in love with the new girl in his class and they both couldn't get over how smart and adorable he is:) Two people in the waiting room told me that my kids were the most polite pre-schoolers they'd ever seen, and of course it always makes a mom feel good to hear that from strangers! Lol.

I'm rambling but I thought I would do a quick update on us. Just waiting on spring and excited to visit Lansing for a few days this weekend. It's supposed to be 50 degrees tomorrow, bring it on!

S.A.D.

2011-02-01T19:30:00.003-05:00

The "winter blues," the doldrums, call it what you will. Until this year, when people would tell me that they suffered from "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (also known as SAD), I would think to myself, "Well, yeah, no one really LIKES winter." I didn't really believe that SAD was real.

I was wrong.

Perhaps it is because after 5 mild winters with virtually no snow and above freezing temperatures, I have been thrown into a dark, dismal abyss of snow...more snow...and more snow. I thought I was prepared for this, but clearly, there is no way to prepare yourself for staying indoors all day, every day. Particularly not after I spent perhaps the best summer of my life outdoors 90% of my waking hours. No, no way to be prepared indeed.

But there is little to be gained from complaining about the seasons, or as I have now taken to referring to this winter in my mind: the 5th ring of hell. It is time to lift my chin up and get on with things, as wallowing has never served me well. I've upped my Vitamin D supplement, I'm trying to get to the Y a few times a week (it seems the snow has other plans, but I do try) for exercise for myself and the kids. About once every two weeks I manage to convince the kids to play in the snow, which means 20 minutes of outfitting and preparations for usually 10 minutes of actual outdoor play and then another 20 minutes of de-outfitting and mopping up water and laundering soaked clothes. Though they do enjoy the hot chocolate afterward:)

Anyway, you wouldn't know it from a quick glance at this post, but I do promise that I am trying to take on a more positive outlook. Snow IS quite beautiful to look at, after all. We are blessed with a warm house and warm hearts within it. I have a solid, sturdy car with newer tires that takes me where I absolutely need to go. And I have countless happy memories to call upon of warm, languid stretches on the beach, splashing in the waves with my happy, tanned children, soaking up all the vitamin D that we can handle. It will be here again, eventually.

If you're looking for a fun website, this one is great. It's called 1000 Awesome Things and I read through a few pages today and it made me laugh and smile, two things which are hard to come by these days. http://1000awesomethings.com/.

My Awesome Moment of the day? Ava's "Diaper Dance." Every night she gets a pull-up on before bed (she's 100% potty trained during the day now--go Ava!--but still has accidents at night). Tonight she did this spastic dance and little song, "Diaper time, diaper time, d-d-d-d it's Diaper Time!" It's actually a disturbing little diddy from an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia that I must have sung at some point and she picked up, but it was hilarious none-the-less. :) AWESOME!

A Concert for You

2011-01-27T19:15:00.003-05:00

Oh yeah, if this doesn't induce a headache, I don't know what will, lol. I made the kids "guitars" out of cereal boxes and rubber bands and Ava wanted to put on a concert (try not to judge me by the really unhealthy cereal, lol). Don't you love her "singing voice"? Chuck and I call it her "squeaky voice" and it's the voice she uses whenever she is playing with her toys or singing a song. Awesome, right? Lol.

On a completely unrelated note, Aiden is so excited about the SuperBowl. Like ridiculously excited, he can't stop talking about it. He told me yesterday, "Mom, I can't wait for the SuperBowl. I get to stay up late to watch it, right? I want the Packers to win. Not because I like the Packers, but because I hate the Steelers, so I am going to be a Packers fan for one day, ok?" Someone (hmmm, I wonder who? cough...cough...Chuck...) has been coaching him well, lol.

Enjoy your concert;-)

Losing My Religion

2011-01-25T13:42:00.004-05:00

I had a whole big post written, but it just didn't sound right. Any of it. And some days, that's ok too. So I hit the delete button and decided to just post this cartoon, which I love. Some day I'll write my big religion post, and it will be perfect....eventually.

Great Wolf Lodge

2011-01-23T17:26:00.004-05:00

This week, on Monday (no school since it was MLK day), we surprised the kids with an overnight trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, OH. It's only a 90 minute drive, which is perfect for a quick get-away. We told the kids we had some errands to run, went out to lunch first so everyone was full, and then hopped in the car. Ava actually fell asleep and slept the whole drive, so she was VERY surprised when we arrived, lol. Aiden was so cute, he kept asking questions, "Hmmm, what is this place?" "It looks sort of like a hotel...are we staying here?" And then when we showed the kids the waterpark, they were SO excited. Ava was hilarious, she is very much into asking "Why?" right now, and about every 10 minutes she asked us, "Why? Why you guys surprise us like this? Why?" So of course we answered, "Because we love you, silly, that's why!"

We all had a great time. Ava wasn't very brave and we had a hard time convincing her to do much other than float with me on the lazy river and play in the baby pool, but Aiden really enjoyed himself. He especially loved the hot tub (which was nice for Mom and Dad, lol). He is really getting to be a great swimmer, he's taking lessons at the Y this session and progressing very quickly.

I didn't take the best pictures (the lighting was a challenge) but I wanted to share what I did have. All in all it was a nice little break from winter, and we all had a great time:)

It's Not Easy Being Green

2011-01-12T21:14:00.002-05:00

Jealousy. Oh the ugliness of jealousy. Green just isn't my color, yet somehow I can never stop myself from trying it on for size. Where is it coming from, you ask? A petty place, that is for sure.

As far as having babies goes, I had mine earlier than a lot of my friends from college or camp or wherever. Many of my friends don't have kids yet, and my first baby will start Kindergarten this year (gasp!). So Facebook, lately, has been a veritable baby blur--pictures and birth stories and general tales of love and laughter. And I am so happy for these friends of mine, truly I am, but I can't help it. The little green monster in me is throwing quite a fit.

No, no, no, it's not what you think. I am *not* jealous that my friends are having babies. I did that, had two of them, and I am definitely done making people, lol. It's just that, well, it feels like all of my friends' new babies are...perfect! They are "little angels," they are "sleeping 10 hours already at 2 months old!," and my friends all "just love being a mom more than anything else in the world!" Facebook didn't exist (or at least, I wasn't on it) back when Aiden was born, but trust me, if it had, my status updates wouldn't have looked anything like theirs. My status updates would have been more like, "Why why WHY won't he stop crying!?!?!?!" or "Is it ALWAYS this hard?" or "I don't even remember what sleep actually feels like....SOB!" I'd like to say that I am exaggerating, but anyone that ever met Aiden as a baby can attest that he didn't like being a baby any more than I initially liked being a mom. It was HARD...so much harder than I ever imagined it would be. I loved him, but learning how to deal with a newborn that almost never slept and cried constantly...it was a rough initiation into what was supposed to be one of the best and most exciting times in my life.

I needed to get this out on paper and try to get over it. I can't go back and change the way things were, and I know that I am a stronger mother for having weathered the storms of infancy in this house. Ava was a fairly happy baby, but she was also a terrible (if not worse!) sleeper like her brother, and then had all those ear infections and eventually tubes. Maybe I need to try to look at things from a different angle. I want so badly to be happy for all of my friends and their joys and blessings, so I need to get over the fact that I didn't have perfect babies. And it's not to say that it was all bad, after all, I did try my best to cherish those sweet moments when they happened, however few and far between.

Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own. ~Harold Coffin

I couldn't have said it better myself. This is the dawn of a new year, a fresh start for me and a time to let go of petty feelings and count the joys that are real for me today. Do I feel like maybe I missed out on some of the joys of motherhood because my firstborn was a difficult newborn? Yes. But I wouldn't change a hair on his head. He is headstrong and fierce, and he just didn't like being a baby, lol. But he is my joy, my sweet wonderful boy, and while I may not have had many moments cooing to him in his nursery, I have had a million great moments with him as a pre-schooler. So I would have to say it was worth it, every single time.

Here is to letting go of doubt, freeing myself of envy, and being grateful for the moments that are mine and mine alone. I'm sure jealousy will be waiting for me to try her on for size again sometime soon...let's just hope I remember how terrible I look in green;)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Ava!

2011-01-04T07:27:00.006-05:00

I realized last night that I posted Ava's birthday pictures on Facebook, but I forgot to do a birthday post on the blog. Whoops!

Happy birthday to my sweet, beautiful, amazing little girl. You've changed our lives completely and I can't imagine life without you. Where has time gone? I can't believe you are already 3 years old! I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. You have turned into such a character, full of love, you wear your heart on your sleeve and never hide your emotions (I wonder who you get this from? Lol). You have a flare for the dramatic, love to sing and dance, and love to play dress-up. You host the best tea parties, adore sweets and treats, and you love to tell us that you love us:) Lately you have become very shy around strangers, but I am hoping that passes soon. You finally (mercifully!) decided to start pooping in the potty instead of in your panties and you are completely potty trained now--no accidents for 10 days now! We are so proud of you and we love you so much! Happy birthday, Avie-bug!

(All she wanted for her birthday was a Care Bears cake, which no stores make and I wasn't about to attempt on my own, lol. So $5 in quarters later I managed to come up with plenty of duplicate bears, but they looked great on top of a cake. She loved it!)

Technology or bust

2011-01-03T18:40:00.002-05:00

All I have to do is take one look at my children to realize how far technology has come in the past 20 years. Heck, even TEN years--I didn't get my first cell phone until my senior year of college! I remember even then it was this huge novelty, most of my friends didn't have one yet and I bought this teeny little Nokia and thought it was just the best thing ever.

Technological advancements of the last 20 years have vastly changed the way my children will grow up versus the way I grew up. I'm sure I'll get some of my years mixed up, but I don't remember us having a home computer until I was about 12 years old, and when I say "computer" I really mean word processor at best. We had a Nintendo and then a SuperNintendo, but I don't think it was until middle school, maybe even high school since I remember playing it a lot in our basement in Auburn. The second "big" item that my sister and I ever pooled our allowances for was a cordless phone, and it was so terrible that you couldn't even take it upstairs, but we still loved it:)

My children will never know the world that I grew up in. We don't even own a home phone--they have no idea that there was a time not so long ago when people didn't walk around with a tiny phone in their pocket. We have 3 laptop computers (not counting Chuck's work computer, so I guess it's actually 4) which is somewhat sickening, lol (but one of them is really old and terribly slow). My 4 year old is better at playing computer games than I am, and that's with pretty limited play time. Chuck and I were talking the other day and realized that neither of our kids has ever even seen a cassette tape--but I didn't get my first CD until high school!

It feels like the speed of technology is almost scary these days. The amount of time it takes a gadget to become obsolete is nearly frightening. Chuck and I have given up on trying to buy the "latest and greatest" of anything technological, because we know that given a year or two it will be the old, outdated model and for it to even keep working we'll likely have to upgrade to something else. The one thing we haven't succumbed to yet is the "smartphone" craze, but our contract is up this summer and I know we're both considering it. Is it considered "jumping on the bandwagon" when the wagon left without us about 5 years ago? Lol.

I think one of my greatest struggles as a mother is competing with technology. It's hard to try to convince my children that reading a book or doing a puzzle is more fun or stimulating than playing an exciting computer game or watching their favorite television show. My mom told me once that she doesn't remember ever letting us watch much tv as children, but mainly because there weren't many shows made for kids back then. And she's right, if you missed Sesame Street at 9am, there wasn't any other option. These days, between DVR and the 3 separate kids-only channels on our cable package (one that is completely commercial-free!), there's seemingly infinite options to compete with. But I'm trying. I'm still in the race, struggling to make my children appreciate and love reading and quiet games as much as I do. Yet at the same time I can realize how some screen-time IS a necessity if I want my children to succeed in school and in life. If I completely void technology from their lives, they would be at a severe disadvantage in school (since even my son's pre-school classroom has their own computer) and eventually in the workforce, since nearly all jobs require computer knowledge of some sort and some people (like my dear husband) sit in front of a computer for 8-9 hours a day, every day.

The most intriguing thing, for me, is that a decade ago I never could have imagined how powerful technology would be. The internet was something I used for e-mail, and not much more. I never would have imagined tiny phones with internet access and cameras and video-cameras built right in. I couldn't have fathomed owning a flat-screen tv. I have no idea what the next 10-20 years will bring, but I know that without a doubt my children will probably be more savvy that me, lol. Bring it on, technology, bring it on:)

Steal my breath

2011-01-01T07:03:00.004-05:00

Do you know that old saying, "Life's not about the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away,"? I had one of those moments this morning, and I thought I would share it here. It was particularly sweet because I rang in the New Year last night with a wicked case of food poisoning. Definitely not my best New Year's Eve, although I do have an amazing husband who doted on me dutifully:) (We narrowed it down to either bad lunch meat or a bad glass of wine at dinner, but luckily I was the only one affected)

...

We're alone in the quiet morning hours, holding hands and sharing Blues Clues. I lean over on the couch and press my lips to Ava's tiny ear.
"I have a secret," I whisper.
Her eyes light up as she gasps, "What? What is it?" She's breathless and giddy by the idea of something new.
"I...love...you. So much," I mumble against her cheek.
"Mommy!" she giggles. "That's not a secret, I already know that!" Ava rolls her eyes, something she must have learned from me. "Mommy, I wove you too, you my best friend!"

It's so simple. And my breath catches in my throat as her words squeeze my heart like a tight little fist. I want her to promise me that we will always be this way. Her life is so full of truths, everything in black and white. She has nothing yet to regret. The moment and the meaning absolutely take my breath away, steal it like a punch in the gut, and I wish I could bottle up this feeling and wear it on a chain around my neck. She's always been my more affectionate child, I would never dare hope for these special words from her brother,we have a different sort of love. Not less, just different. And in the still of the morning, the world dark outside, I wrap her sweet words around me like a soft and downy blanket. The moment will be gone soon, and she will likely never remember it, but I will keep it in my pocket always.

And on a belated note, here are some Christmas pictures--finally! Chuck and I aren't in a single one of these, we were probably wrapping our bloody hands from spending an entire morning wrestling toys out of ridiculous packaging. Ok...I'm exaggerating (but toy companies really need to start becoming more environmentally conscious with their packaging!) We had a fantastic Christmas, quiet and lovely and Santa spoiled our children (ok, ok, we are the guilty spoilers;) It was perfect.

I hope all of you have a fantastic New Year! We're excited and ready for a calm and peaceful (hopefully!) 2011!

The Weight of Resolutions

2010-12-28T19:13:00.003-05:00

On January 1st, 2010, I watched my husband drive away with all of his clothes and a few of his possessions to live in Ohio without us, until we could sell our house in GA. I was depressed, trying to keep a positive outlook, but knowing that it could take months, if not longer, to sell our house and be able to move to Ohio. I made a resolution that day, for the new year, to lose 30 lbs in 2010. I wanted to be healthier, more active, eat better, and most importantly feel better about myself.

I did not succeed.

As of this morning, I weigh TWO lbs less than I did a year ago. Over the course of the year I did lose 10-15 lbs a few times, and then slowly gained it back again. The typical yo-yo dieter--that's me. The only weight loss "program" I've ever had success on is low-carb, because of my insulin resistance and PCOS, counting calories has never worked for me. We joined the YMCA 2 months ago and I'm actually up 5 lbs from when we joined. Not so successful...though I think everyone has a hard time losing weight between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

My husband, ever one to look on the bright side of things (and for that, I truly love him, he buoys me when I feel like sinking, every time) pointed out that at least I didn't gain any weight this year...and he is right. It is a small victory, and one not to be overlooked in an otherwise very successful year. Because with the stresses of living alone with my kids for 3 months, selling a house, moving 900 miles, buying a house, moving in, and then getting settled and starting our lives over, I suppose I could have easily eaten my anxiety away. But I didn't. I could still get on the treadmill today and run 3 miles (though I didn't...I'll admit that I had leftover pie for breakfast, not my finest moment but no one else was going to jump on that bomb;)

This week is the last of 2010. Next year I will have a 3-yr-old and a soon-to-be-5-yr-old. I will turn 31 years old. My husband will turn 37 (yikes--when did we get so old?). I have new resolutions to make and to keep that will have nothing to do with a number on the scale and everything to do with liking myself a little bit more and hating what I see a little bit less. Because, really, what's in a number?

PS--Did you know that if you Google, "How much does..." the automatic search fill-in is, "How much does Snooki weigh?" That makes me sad:( Granted, the girl shouldn't go around telling everyone she weighs 90 lbs when she clearly doesn't, but she is 4'11" and having your weight so publicly scrutinized must be terrible. I wish society would stop putting so much weight (pun intended) on weight. I hate to think of my little girl growing up hating herself because of a number on the scale...

Christmas break!

2010-12-15T19:52:00.002-05:00

Aiden had his Christmas Program this morning at preschool. He did so great:) He was so cute and really proud of himself, and he really tried hard to sing all of the songs and do all of the actions. We were proud parents!

Chuck did take a lot of video of the program, but I need to get it uploaded and edited. Here are some pictures I took of the kids before we left for school. No bribing even--can you believe it? They were so excited to wear their new Christmas clothes, lol.

No school for 2.5 weeks--I'm glad we have the Y to occupy us and I am really looking forward to Chuck's birthday this weekend, and then Christmas, and then Chuck is taking a week off work and of course then my little Avie turns 3 on New Year's Eve! Exciting December for the Bailey household!

Once upon a winter...

2010-12-08T18:01:00.002-05:00

My last post was all rainbows and smiles and sugar plums. Consider this a fair warning: this will not be one of those posts.

We only lived in GA for 4.5 years. Which means I've lived through 24 winters before we moved, yet somehow I completely forgot about what comes after that first snow. This picture above isn't really from Painesville, it's just symbolic of what all the parking lots look like right now. Aiden can't get over it, he keeps asking me why everything is so dirty and slushy and muddy and gross, lol.

I had also completely forgotten about the salt. Oh the salt. The never-ending salty residue that now lives on every pair of pants I own and is eating away at my new faux-suede boots (in retrospect, a terrible buy). I feel like I can almost taste it in the air, and it's dirty and gritty and just...not my favorite part of winter, lol.

Aiden told me today, when it was particularly windy and particularly cold, "Mom, this winter business is rough!" Somehow, I had blocked it out of my mind. I was glorifying the prettiness of the snow and the fun of winter sports and completely blocked out scraping my windshield and having dirty, salty clothes all winter and forgoing any sense of style in order to just plain stay warm.

But still, I think we do get our reward here. Midwestern summers are something of dreams, where the sun sinks low in the comfortable air with the fireflies darting all around. That is something that I couldn't get over missing when we lived in the south. And while right now I might not be loving winter, it sure does make it feel like Christmas. :)

Do you believe in magic?

2010-11-30T19:53:00.003-05:00

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

There is something so utterly magical about getting to experience Christmas once you have children of your own. It brings back all of your own happy childhood Christmas memories, but in a whole new light. I see the way my kids eyes light up instantly when they talk about Santa, when they prance around our lit-up Christmas tree, when we make a Christmas craft or read a Christmas book. I can feel the magic there--I can remember believing in something that didn't make any sense just because believing was the best feeling in the whole world.

Most people don't know this, but I believed in Santa for a long time. Far, far longer than I should have. When my sister and I finally staged a scheme to out the Tooth Fairy (aka: we stayed up all night to catch my mom in the act, lol), and the truth came out about Santa and the Easter Bunny, well, if I'm remembering right we were nearly 12 years old. Yes--TWELVE. I remember running to tell my best friend the news and her saying to me, "Yeah, I know. We've all known for a long time, we just didn't want to tell you guys. You just kept believing in him for so long!" Come to find out that even her youngest brother who was probably 5 at the time knew that the big guy in the red suit was a fairytale. But mostly I remember how every Christmas after that just sort of lost its luster. The magic, for me, was gone.

But this year? It's back. The magic has returned in all of its glory and it's making me feel like a kid again. I have two wonderful children who are finally both old enough to relish this magic, this wonder, this excitement. Children who want the tree lit from dawn until bedtime, who love doing crafts and singing Christmas songs and, of course, talking about their lists! Children who are learning the true meaning of Christmas, the joy in giving to others (although I really might go broke this season as both kids INSIST on donating something to every Salvation Army bucket we see, lol), and celebrating the birthday of Jesus. While this particular aspect of Christmas is not something that I personally believe in any more, I am definitely teaching it to them--they have a right to know the Christmas story and decide for themselves one day if they believe it in their hearts to be true.

One thing is for certain, whatever you celebrate this holiday season, be it Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa (or Festivus! A Festivus for the rest of us! lol), make it magical. I hope your heart is filled with the spirit of the season, the warmth of family, the joy of giving, and the miracle of life. I wish you blessings so many that you can't possibly count them all. I know I definitely can't even begin to count mine. :)

PS--We were listening to Christmas music in the car the other day and an instrumental version of "Oh Holy Night" came on and Aiden said, "Mom, this song just makes my heart feel so big, like it can't get any bigger or it might burst!" I know the feeling kid, I know the feeling:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:02:00.002-05:00

My baby Avie is sick. Probably the most sick she's ever been in her almost-3-years, and it is pitiful. This is probably not going to go down in Bailey history as the "best Thanksgiving ever," but that's ok. It's all part of the journey, and we still have much to be thankful for this year.

I am so thankful for my little family: my sweet, wonderful boy, my adorable baby girl, my amazing husband. We're lucky to live so close to Chuck's family and be able to see them often. I'm thankful for a year full of blessings, we sold a house, we bought a house, we moved across the country. We've settled in, we're making new friends, and enjoying making new memories with old friends as well. Aiden loves his new school, and is learning how to write (and hopefully soon read!). I'm thankful to have my sister back in my life.

I sincerely hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving. I will be cooking and taking care of my sick little girl. But it makes me all that more thankful that I have people who need me to take care of them.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Barbara

Happiness is...

2010-11-07T00:26:00.003-04:00

A night of reflection when we gain an hour to ourselves in the utter stillness...so rare and yet so precious:)

Happiness is:

* the first November snowfall after 5 mild winters and insufferable summers. It didn't quite stick, but I felt that same pure excitement that I felt as a child when we would all gather at the window and marvel at the giant flakes falling on the lawn. There is something contagious and almost holy about the season's first snow--and even if I will be resenting it come January, today it was true bliss:)

* my 2-year-old's original song "I love you" belted from the top of her lungs in the YMCA pool tonight. "I love Mommy, I love Daddy, I love Aiden, I love everybody, and I LOVE YOU!" She can be the sweetest child you have ever met, so full of love and hugs and kisses, and she fills me up:)

* Seeing my firstborn so very proud of himself. In just one week at the Y, he has taught himself how to float on his back in the pool, swim underwater with his eyes open, and jump off the edge in the deep end and swim to the ladder. He has a non-stop smile in the water and I've never ever seen him more proud of himself. He is born to be a swimmer and I intend to encourage it as long as it makes him happy. He so rarely accepts compliments (a little something from his mama, I'm afraid) but he is all too happy to declare, "I am a GREAT swimmer, Mom!" Indeed, my little man. Indeed:)

* Taking care of my body without feeling guilty. Since my children were born, working out meant either waiting until they were sleeping (and thus never finding the energy!) or sacrificing time with them to exercise while they were awake, and they were usually not happy about it. Joining the Y has made taking care of myself AND my children possible. They absolutely LOVE the childcare and I get to exercise for an hour by myself. Could it be any better? I don't think so!

* An amazing husband. We have our trials and tribulations, like any couple does. But my husband loves me, and he shows it in the little things he does for me, day in and day out. We struggle at times, but at the end of every day he is there for me, he is a fantastic father, and I couldn't have created a better partner for myself. Lucky doesn't do it justice. He's everything to me:)

I can almost always find the things that went "wrong" in my day, but I so very rarely take the time to appreciate what went right. I think luck has so much more to do with it than most people know, and I know that I am lucky. Happiness is smiling, loving children, a terrific husband, and a fulfilled life. I search sometimes for more meaning in what is already a very meaningful existence. Tonight I just wanted to use my manners and say...thank you. My life is good. And I am happy:)

DIY: Jumpstart on Christmas!

2010-11-03T13:18:00.002-04:00

So we joined the local YMCA last week and have been going during what used to be "nap time," seeing as how Miss Ava decided that she's all done with naps. I LOVE the Y, it is fantastic for the kids and I get a great workout and some time by myself. What more could I ask for? But since we've been going every day since we joined, I've done almost NO craft projects around the house! Well, I got myself into gear and finished this fun and easy Ornament Wreath this morning. This is an idea from My Backyard Eden, one of my favorite crafting/DIY blogs. It's been done and re-done and there are so many fabulous wreaths out there! I decided to go very simple with a red and silver wreath, and I still need a bow to hide the hanger at the top, but as it turns out, I can't make a bow to save my life! The next thing on my DIY list, for sure, lol.

I've also been crocheting Christmas presents! I've been making these fabulous rope infinity scarves with flower brooches, and I love them. I've made a few long, so they can be work almost like necklaces or doubled over to be very cozy, and I've made a few short,thicker, cowl-like scarves as well. I need to make another trip to the yarn store soon! I'm also working on a new design for a flower scarf, I'll post it once I finish one!

Happy crafting! And go make the ornament wreath, it's so easy! I used $8 in ornaments (eight tubes for $1 each from Target) and an old wire hanger. That's it!

Halloween Roundup: picture post

2010-11-01T19:24:00.004-04:00

This is mostly a picture post, so I'll make it brief! A few of these are probably repeats, but I figured I'd toss in all of the "Halloween" pictures I have. I am such a bad mom, I only got TWO pictures of the kids in their costumes! They sat with their friends for a group photo on Halloween night before we left to go trick or treating, but none of mine turned out. Oh well.

The kids had a great time on Halloween. Ava was Jessie (from Toy Story 2 and 3) and Aiden was the Red Power Ranger. We went trick or treating with friends and despite the coooold weather, the kids had a fantastic time. I am having a hard time accepting that it is November already, lol.

Crochet!

2010-10-26T14:09:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting to learn how to crochet for...forever, it seems! I finally decided to teach myself from books and youtube tutorials, and I LOVE it! It's so easy once you know the stitches and it's very relaxing. I'm excited to start some bigger projects, but these are my first two projects. Ava is modeling my very first scarf--a simple single crochet scarf. Next I made a neck/ear warmer that can be worn two ways: around the neck as a neck warmer, or on the head as an ear warmer. I made a cute crochet flower and attached it to it also. I like how it turned out!

My Dirty Little Secret

2010-10-18T12:36:00.002-04:00

In light of my friend Carolyn's Momcenter blog post today, and this sister post about dirty houses, I decided to "come clean," so to speak, on my blog and admit something that some of you might know, but a lot of you probably don't.

I am a complete neat-freak.

Not a clean freak, as in germs make me crazy or anything like that, but a NEAT freak. An "everything-must-be-in-its-proper-place-or-I-will-likely-develop-a-nervous-twitch" freak.

Like most people with a strange tendency, mine manifests itself in a compulsive need for order and cleanliness, a desire for every possession I own to have a place and a need for nothing to be OUT of place. Strangely, though, I really only care about the OUTWARD appearance of things, such as everything in a room needs to be put away, but not caring at all about the actual order of items once they are inside a closet or a drawer. Subsequently, my house appears to the casual observer to nearly always be freakishly "clean," but if you actually opened my drawers or closets you would likely find things to be unfolded, balled up, in a heap together or even just lying in a pile on the floor. Yet outwardly, all the beds in the house are made, the kitchen counters are wiped clean, the dishes are put away, the couch pillows are fluffed, the floors are vacuumed, etc. It is an odd behavior that only seems to be getting worse with time, and having children compounds it.

Watching shows like "Hoarders" on TLC literally makes my skin crawl. Not because I am judging these people by the way they live, but because I literally lack the ability to comprehend how they could exist in an environment so cluttered and chaotic. I wrestle internally with the compulsion to simply follow my children from room to room, picking up after them the entire day. I don't want to be this way, I think about how much more enjoyable my life would be if I could successfully suppress the constant urge to "tidy things up," but at the same time I have absolutely no idea how to break a habit that is so rooted in my life, my upbringing. It is, admittedly, a daily struggle.

But posts like Carolyn's DO make me stop and think. I am wasting valuable time with my children by spending so much time cleaning, and more importantly...I do not want this life for them. I want them to be able to pick up the tv remote, then put it back in a completely different spot and not think twice about it. So I am trying. I am learning to relax my standards for their benefit. For the most part I only clean up the playroom every few days or so (even when being in there makes my hands itch to put things away). I try to save the majority of my wiping and sweeping and vacuuming for first thing in the morning or while they are resting. It doesn't always happen, sometimes my tendencies still get the better of me, but I am making a conscious effort. Baby steps, right?

"A clean house is a sign of a wasted life." ~Anonymous. Maybe not necessarily words to live by...but definitely some food for thought.

Picture post

2010-10-18T07:47:00.006-04:00

I haven't done a picture post in a while, so here is what we've been up to the past week or so. You'll notice immediately that nearly ALL of these pictures are of Ava. I promise it's not me being partial, but Aiden just doesn't want his picture taken much these days. :(

Aiden is home sick from school AGAIN today. Please send some well wishes his way. He's a very grumpy sickie, lol, he definitely gets this from his mama.

DIY: Family Tree Canvas

2010-10-16T14:45:00.005-04:00

Another DIY? Of course! I've never been one of those people to look at something and think, "Hey, I could make that!" but lately I've been tapping into my creative side and I'm loving it! There is something very satisfying about creating a piece of art for your home and loving the way it turns out. It's been a long time since I felt proud of myself for accomplishing something, and it feels nice:)

A week or two ago, I was browsing through family tree items on Etsy (have you ever checked out Etsy.com? The world is so full of creative, inspiring people!) and saw a family tree quilt that someone had made that I LOVED. Now, being that I don't quilt and can't even sew, I changed the idea a bit and decided to do a similar project, but use mod podge to decoupage scrapbook paper onto a canvas. I'm pleased with how it turned out, even though it's not perfect. It's imperfectly perfect, just like my own little family:)

Materials needed: misc. scrapbook paper, mod podge, blank canvas (I used 11 x 14), foam brushes, printed pictures of you and your children (on regular printer paper, not photo paper)
> I got my canvas for 40% off at Michael's, so it only cost $3.20. I used 4 different sheets of scrapbook paper which cost $1.80 total. So aside from the cost of a new jar of mod podge (eek, that stuff is pricey! $7 for a pretty small jar!), this is a very frugal art project!

For an added "cute" touch, I wrote my and Chuck's initials on the trunk of the tree and our wedding date underneath it. After I finished the project I thought it would have been cute to "carve" the kids initials and birthdays into their limbs of the tree, but it was too late to add them :( Oh well.

Have fun making yours and show me how it turns out! I used green scrapbook paper because my house is very neutral and virtually any color would look fine, but I love the idea of doing a red/yellow autumn tree also.

PS--you can't see it in the picture, but using mod podge on canvas makes the whole thing look like an oil painting. It is very cool!

DIY: Family Monogram Photo Collage

2010-10-14T08:56:00.003-04:00

When I found this DIY tutorial on A Little Moore last week, I swooned. So of course, I had to make a giant B:) I got the cardboard letter at JoAnn Fabrics for $9.99, but if you shop there a lot you probably have a 50% off coupon and could get your letter for $5. The nice thing about this project is that it is EASY. The not-so-nice thing is that it is TIME CONSUMING. But no matter, I think literally anyone could do this project. This would make such a fabulous house-warming present for a newlywed couple if you had access to their wedding photos!

I used about 60 photos to make my letter, and it took me about 2 hours total. It doesn't show in the pictures very well, but this is a GIANT letter, lol. 24 inches tall, so it has presence. All you need is plain old computer paper and mod podge. I copied/pasted my photos into a word document and re-sized them to make them about 2.5-3 inches wide (depending on if it was a portrait or landscape-oriented photo). Then you just start cutting and affixing your photos to the letter. A tip for beginner mod podgers (is that a word? lol): I think your fingers are your best tools for helping to smooth edges and press out bubbles. I had a bit of a problem with the mod podge smearing the ink and discoloring it a bit, but after I was finished Chuck and I both agreed that it sort of gives the B an "aged" antiquey feel that I actually really like!

I LOVE the way this project turned out!

Born to you

2010-10-08T13:45:00.002-04:00

I posted this on FB last night, but I wanted to share it here as well. It warmed me deep in my soul, it stretched those sinews that anchor my heart to my spirit and it made me feel effortlessly loved. Unconditionally.

The kids were riding bikes in the driveway yesterday afternoon. Ava came up to me and asked, out of the blue, "I was born from you, Mommy?" So I explained that, yes, she grew in my belly and was born from me. And then she said, "I was born from you, and you were born to me, and that's cause why we love each other, Mommy!"

She was born from me. I was born to her. And THAT is why we love each other.

I hope beyond hope that our love will always be so simple and uncomplicated. I hope that we never let our petty issues get in the way of our love for each other. I hope that I always make the effort to show my children, to tell them, to LOVE them the way they deserve to be loved. Even when they let me down, even when they disappoint me, even if we don't see eye to eye. I hope that I can be the kind of mother to them that they will want to be to their own children some day.

My love for them...some days I wonder if anything else really matters at all?

On a related note, I took these pictures in the koala house at the Cleveland Zoo yesterday. I could have sat and watched this mom and baby for hours. The baby is almost one year old and the zookeeper in the koala house told me that she didn't know how much longer the mom was going to keep holding the baby while they slept, because it was clear that the mom was not very comfortable and she kept giving the baby the stink-eye every time the baby fidgeted and moved around. It can't have been very comfortable for either of them, but oh my goodness, was it ever cute to watch!

And one of my monkeys loving another monkey:)

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

2010-10-06T14:47:00.002-04:00

It is NEVER going to stop raining.

Ok, that's probably a bit of an exaggeration, but right now it feels accurate. It's been raining for five days. So, in an effort to banish boredom and also make fun Halloween treats, the kids helped me make these candy corn sugar cookies today. Kind of a pain to make, because this dough was REALLY sticky. If I make these again, I would make two separate logs of dough and keep one in the freezer while I cut the other, because by the time I got to the end of slicing my very long log of dough, it was mushy and my cookies didn't look anything like candy corns, lol.

I followed this recipe from What I Live For. The kids loved making them, and loved eating them even more!

DIY: Book wreath

2010-10-04T19:36:00.002-04:00

When I find a DIY project that I absolutely LOVE, I obsess over it and have to do it immediately, lol. So when I stumbled on this book wreath tutorial last night in bed, I knew I HAD to make a trip to the Dollar Tree today. This project cost all of $1 (for the foam craft wreath) since I already had lots of hot glue sticks and an old book from MOPS that I was just going to recycle.

You'll notice that my book wreath looks NOTHING like the one in the tutorial, because I did my folding differently and affixed my scrolls differently, but I actually like the way mine turned out even better than the one in the tutorial. It is HUGE, and looks perfect in our downstairs half bath, which I've been struggling to decorate for over 6 months now, lol.

I won't lie...I'm in LOVE with it. Can you love a wreath? It's exactly my style--crisp lines, white and black, makes a statement all by itself.

PS--I also made a lovely autumn flower and leaf wreath for $3, and I can't wait to hang it on our front door, but I forgot to take a pic--oops! Maybe once I get it hung...

Patterson's Fruit Farm

2010-09-26T07:26:00.005-04:00

If you know me, you'll know that one my my favorite things about fall in GA was Fall Family Fun Days at The Rock Ranch. I've been lamenting the loss of the Rock Ranch and wondering what we would do instead, and we found our replacement:) It's not exactly the same--think less bouncy houses and more tree houses--but really fun none-the-less. Yesterday we went to Patterson's Fruit Farm in Chesterland for their Family Fun Fest. The weather was pretty chilly, but the kids had a fantastic time and we stayed for hours playing. I even got my annual "birthday apple fritter" so that was an added bonus (and it was so good!) (Chuck used to buy me apple fritters for my birthday every year in GA from a great bakery there in town, and I thought I wouldn't get one this year!). The apple cider was AMAZING and it was just an all around great, fun day:) We definitely want to go again before Halloween (can you believe it is almost October already!?!?)

Enjoy the pics:)

DIY Silhouette project

2010-09-22T13:59:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite projects that I've done lately. Such an easy and cheap craft that turns out really cute and makes for great wall art:) I followed the instructions here and it was a cinch!

The photo doesn't do it justice, because it looks really small. But this is in an 8.5x11" frame, and the scrapbook paper I used is really beautiful on our taupe-colored walls. I hung it in our entry hallway and I just love how it turned out!

Total cost for the project was $4. The frame was $3 from Walmart and the scrapbook paper was 3/$1 at Michaels.

DIY Foam Bath Toys

2010-09-19T13:17:00.003-04:00

I wish I could say that I came up with this awesome idea myself. It's one of those projects that as soon as you see it you slap your hand to your forehead and say, "DUH! Now why didn't I think of that?" So simple, easy and CHEAP, and oh so much fun:)

So this project came from Filth Wizardry and Cheerios Underfoot. My kids LOVE Yo Gabba Gabba, so when I saw how she did them, I simply had to copy it. Our Brobee was colored with green washable marker that came off in the tub (poor Brobee) but he still looks pretty cute;) Ava's favorite is the blue cat, Toodee.

Then Aiden asked for Mr. Strong, and I have a feeling that the entire afternoon is going to be devoted to making the Lil' Miss and Lil' Men collection. They are so cute, how could I resist? We got the craft foam from The Dollar Tree, so this entire project literally cost $1 (although I bought 4 packs of foam, so we can make MORE of course, lol).

PS--one of my favorite things to do when I am checking my blog is to hit the "Next Blog" button at the top of the screen. You just NEVER know what kind of blog you'll find. This is what I stumbled on last night and if only I knew how to sew, I'd be busting these out all over the place. It is soooo cute!

So you had a bad day...

2010-09-15T14:18:00.003-04:00

I had a bad day yesterday. The morning started off ok, but by mid-afternoon it just seemed like I could do nothing right and both of my children were intent on letting me know it, repeatedly...loudly. By the time Chuck made it home, I was at that point that mothers shouldn't reach--the one where I wanted to march out of the same door he'd just swung open and announce something evil like, "I'm never coming back!"

I didn't, of course. But I did need to escape for a while.

So I laced up my running shoes and headed to the shore, where the lapping waters of the lake always seem to cleanse my soul and renew my spirit.

I was not disappointed.

I ran and ran along the trail until my heart burned in my chest and my throat screamed for a cool breath, and then I walked along the shore all the way to the lighthouse and back. A glimmering half-moon hung low in one part of the sky, while the other was lit ablaze by a fiery setting sun. I drank in shades of fuchsia and umber that I've only ever seen in my dreams. I watched a kite surfer expertly launch himself into the air and thought to myself that I couldn't remember ever seeing a more beautiful sunset in my entire life.

Then I plucked a smooth, round stone from the sand and held it tightly in my fist. I poured everything that had gone wrong that day into that rock and I hurled it into the surf as hard and as fast as I could. Sometimes, letting go really is that easy.

It was definitely the best sunset I've ever seen. It was proof of perfection that had nothing to do with me. Every day I wake up and no one asks me to paint the sky blue, to blow wind through the trees, to teach the birds to sing or the stars to shine. They are all there for me to enjoy without lifting even one finger, and I truly, truly did.

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better." ~Henry Rollins

First day of school!

2010-09-13T10:16:00.002-04:00

Finally! We have the latest start of ANY school I know of, but the big day has finally arrived! Aiden was very excited this morning (and Ava insisted on wearing her backpack and having some pictures taken too:). He did wonderful at drop-off and promised me that he would try his very best to have a happy day. Fingers crossed! He'll be going M-W-F from 9-11:30am at St. Paul's Lutheran preschool. His teacher, Mrs. Percival, is very sweet and taught at the local elementary for as long as anyone can remember, lol. Several of the parents in Aiden's class had her as a teacher themselves!

Hopefully he has a great first day!

Gearing up

2010-09-11T16:13:00.002-04:00

I am pretty sure that Chuck's been waiting since Aiden was BORN to be back in the Cleveland area, rooting for the Browns. He has two new fans joining him this year, and they are so excited:) Aiden's t-shirt ended up being HUGE, but Ava's adorable cheerleader set fits her perfectly (and was on clearance at Walmart for $5, can't beat that!) Add in a set of orange and white pom-pons from the Dollar Tree, and you have the cutest Cleveland Browns cheerleader ever:) (The only Browns cheerleader, as it turns out, as I've just learned they don't have cheerleaders, lol).

They are very excited for the first game tomorrow!

Time's a Wastin'...

2010-09-08T19:28:00.003-04:00

Mostly, I think that the internet is a HUGE time-waster. I love it, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I stop to think about what I actually did BEFORE the internet...and I am a bit stumped. I suppose it was back in highschool and college where I spent a lot of time studying and doing homework and of course this was before laptops and smartphones and high-speed internet even existed...but still. *shudder*

Anyway, I will be the first to admit that I spend too much time on the interwebs, lol. But there are some links that I just have to check, because they make me smile or they make me laugh out loud or they make me cry or they make me second-hand embarrassed. You know what I'm talking about. :)

So, without further ado, my recommendations for the *best* time-wasters out there:

> Kelle Hampton's blog, Enjoying the Small Things. A Maconite just turned me on to this site in the past few weeks and I've spent far too much time pouring over her amazing, inspiring words and her breathtaking photographs. This is a hip, stylish Michigander mother-of-two who's been transplanted to Florida, and her newest daughter has Down Syndrome. She's an amazing writer with a HUGE internet following and I can completely see why. Check her out (start here if it's your first time to her blog).

> Texts From Last Night, F My Life, FAIL Blog, and Break.com. Nothing makes your bad day seem peachy like reading about other people's terrible lives or seeing their hilarious misgivings online.

> PostSecret.com. These are real, anonymous postcards sent in from everywhere. I can never get over the shock and awe factor of this one.

> We all need our fix of celebrity gossip. Admit it;) My faves are Perez Hilton and I'm Not Obsessed.

> When I feel like cooking, or just drooling over what someone else is cooking, it's Simply Recipes, every time.

> Your local Craigslist.com, because there is literally NOTHING you can't find on Craigslist. (Ok, probably not nothing, but still...)

> Facebook. 'Nuff said. Has there ever been a bigger internet time-waster/stalker website ever invented? Lol. Urban Dictionary defines Facebook Stalking as "A covert method of investigation using facebook.com. Good for discovering a wealth of information about people you don't actually know." Pretty darn accurate, I'd say, lol.

> Scribd. Nope, I didn't misspell it, I promise. If you LOVE to read, you will love Scribd. It is a document-sharing website which allows users to post documents of various formats, and embed them into a web page using its iPaper format. Scribd currently has more than 50 million monthly users and more than 50,000 documents are uploaded daily. I've read full-length novels on Scribd--it's a lot like having a Kindle or a Nook without the huge price-tag and without having to pay to download files. Love it.

> And my grand finale (not, not really, but this one just makes me laugh!) is People of Walmart. For real. Real pictures taken of real people at real Walmarts all over America. You'll never feel more attractive than you will after looking at these pictures;)

There you have it, all my favorite time-wasters. Now tell me how you waste YOUR time on the internet!

...

2010-09-06T17:03:00.003-04:00

From the looks of things, you would assume I've been ignoring the blog this past week. I promise I haven't. I've written something almost every day, actually, but none of them feel quite right. Too personal, or too impersonal, or too whiney or too humble. I'm not exactly hitting "delete"--they're saved as drafts to work on at some point--but I can't quite bring myself to hit "publish" either. The problem with the weight of words is that I can't ever settle for something too heavy or too light. I want it to be just right, and I'm having an off week, I suppose.

I'm still here. We're still here. I got so very lucky and one of my best friends in the whole world came to Cleveland last week for a special meeting at Progressive and we got to hang out. We drank martinis at Bar Louie and ate cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory and sipped wine and laughed and talked and I got to stay in a hotel with 5 pillows and a giant comforter all to myself and it was a little slice of heaven:) Then the next day Chuck brought the kids out to the hotel and we swam in the heated pool for hours and splashed and played shark and it reminded me of swimming in hotel pools with my sister and brother on family vacations when we were little. And then my amazing friend came out to the house and babysat the kids and Chuck and I went out for Thai food and it was delicious and so very much appreciated. She is the best kind of friend--the one that is always there without you ever needing to ask. She's seen me through the thick and thin of the past 7 years and I don't know what my life would be like without her. Thanks, Rachele, for being so wonderfully you:)

The kids are doing great. We had a campfire last night and Ava was being the sweetest little thing this side of a powdered sugar factory. She is just like her mama and loves making up "Ava Original" songs about everything under the sun, and last night's was so adorable. "Us friends, best friends...us friends, best friends..." She kept telling me how I was her best friend and how we all made her heart so happy and I just wanted to bust mine open and gather up all of the love in my heart and save it for a rainy day when I might need a smile. She truly is my sunshine, which will probably come in handy sometime around January, lol.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today--pounding headache, sore body, etc, it's probably allergy-related but you never know--so Chuck took the kids to a BBQ at his sister's house and I am relishing in the stillness of the house and one very warm, sleeping kitty curled up at my side.

I'll keep writing, I'm sure one of these days it's bound to be just right. ;) Happy Labor Day to all, hope it was wonderful.

Fun week

2010-08-28T18:19:00.006-04:00

Wow! We had quite the week. It feels like we didn't stop once, which makes relaxing today all the more sweet:)

> We made this adorable "back to school" craft from No Time For Flashcards, one of my favorite pre-school craft sites.

> I got crafty and busted out these DIY Geoboards from No Time for Flashcards and Mom Tried it. They turned out GREAT (I will admit that my amazing husband cut the wood for me and also did most of the hammering, lol) and the kids really love them. Aiden in particular has enjoyed playing with his and making all kinds of cool shapes and objects.

> We went kite-flying at Lake Erie and collected rocks to paint pet rocks like these from The Crafty Crow (ours didn't turn out as cute, but the kids still loved it) and we made beach art like these over at Artful Adventures (I didn't bring my camera to the beach, but we made a giant rock sun and a rainbow--so cool!)

> I made these cool number boards for Aiden from Mom Tried It, and he really enjoyed these. We also practiced color patterns and he really impressed me with his pattern-making abilities.

> Aiden and I made robot collages from paint samples we snagged at Walmart (I forgot to take a picture of his, but he was very creative and really is doing great practicing his scissor cutting skills!)

> We copied my friend Lori by making these adorable marshmallow creatures and sculptures. The kids LOVED sorting the colored marshmallows first and then building (and of course EATING!) all sorts of animals and sculptures.

> We did a really fun and COOL marble painting like this one over at Let The Children Play. This was a neat project--I've heard of it but never tried it before and I loved how it turned out. I could totally see buying some cheap canvas and neat colors and making these to actually hang up as art in your house!

We still have two more weeks until Aiden starts pre-school (the latest start of any school in the area! We're restless here!) and we're all looking forward to the change. He's been out of school for 5 months now, which feels like a really long time, lol. I'm looking forward to staying home a bit more and hopefully convincing Miss Ava to use the potty here VERY soon:)

PS--the pics aren't in any real order, sorry for that!

Squires Castle...again

2010-08-25T21:16:00.004-04:00

I took the kids to Squire's Castle again today. They had a fun time exploring and I attempted to take some good photos. Just wanted to share:)

The Art of Solitude

2010-08-23T18:12:00.003-04:00

"Language...has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone." ~ Paul Tillich

I keep having the same dream, over and over again. It isn't profound, it isn't scary or disturbing or even funny. It's just the same, every single time. I take the kids to a playgroup at the park, we meet a group of new moms and kids, and I spend two whole hours having real conversations with other people who, like myself, now have nothing important to talk about except their kids, their homes and their husbands (all good stuff...of course;) That's the dream, that's it.

Don't worry, I find it as sad and pathetic as you do too.

We've lived here for 5 months as of today. Five whole wonderful months in our brand new house with lots of fun new things to do and places to explore. It's been amazing, really, my love and appreciation for the Midwest has been utterly restored. But every once in a while I get this pang of...homesickness, this sudden clenching in my heart, and I really really miss Macon. The kids and I ate lunch today at Chick-Fil-A and at first, I was ok. I ordered our food, we sat down and ate, and then the kids went to the play area and I sat at my table and I felt it. This wave of loneliness washing over me as I looked around and realized that I've never really been this alone before. I've always had my sister, my mom, my friends. In Macon, we likely would have met several friends and the moms would have sat and chatted away while the kids all played together. I sat there, swiping away the tears leaking from the corners of my eyes, and tried to remind myself, like I always do, that if we were still in Macon, things would be different. All the 4 and 5 yr olds would be in all-day school. My best friend went back to work last month, so she wouldn't have been there. Even Ava would have started 2K pre-school three mornings a week. If we were there, I'd be starting over too, in a totally different way.

It helps to keep reminding myself.

This moving business, it's tough on the soul. The older I get, the harder it seems to be to put away my reservations, stick out my hand, put a smile on my face, and try to make a new friend. I watch my children on the playground with envy and awe, as they skip up to a new child, announce their name and age proudly, and then yell to me, "Look, Mom! I made a new friend!" How easy it is for them! When did it stop being so easy for me? When did I start doubting myself and my merits so much?

I will admit though, all in all it's been a great summer. I've been lucky enough to make a few new friends, and for that I truly am thankful. I am looking forward to Aiden starting pre-school here, to maybe meet a few new mom friends in the pick-up line at school. I know that, in time, we'll make a whole new life here. And until then, I am reminding myself that solitude and loneliness are two very different things, and I am grateful that in having one, I can appreciate the other more.

Swingset and misc.

2010-08-23T13:17:00.004-04:00

So this weekend Chuck put together the kids' new swingset. I tried to help, aka: stay out of the way as much as possible and hand him tools and things as he needed them. The boxes on those things always give you so much hope, "You and several of your friends can build and play in one day! Approximate building time: 6-8 hours." Well, it took us (meaning, again, mostly Chuck) about 16 hours total, but we did have a few mishaps. For instance, when your drill bit breaks off halfway into a 4x4, it's not a particularly good thing, lol.

Chuck also built the playhouse last week, which matches the swingset. The kids absolutely LOVE the set and the house. Aiden loves climbing the pirate's ladder and the rock wall and Ava loves swinging (no surprise there). Ignore the lack of grass on the ground in the pictures--that's the main reason we put them where we did, no grass is growing under our pear trees because of all the shade.

I did include one picture for you of what happens when you have three pear trees in your backyard. It's sort of like living in your very own real-life Minesweeper game! Except add in about 100 bees and thousands of ants! Awesome...right? Not so much. We're seriously debating taking them out before next spring. I thought having the pears would be so cool, but you have to pick pears before they ripen on the tree--once they've fallen they are already bad. And these trees are TALL--like hundreds of pears 30-40 feet in the air. They are falling all over the yard and it's terrible. I did, however, pick a bunch of them yesterday so we will see if they ripen and end up tasting ok. That might sway me to keep ONE tree...maybe, lol.

I also included a few pics of the kids in their "tent" from yesterday. While Chuck was finishing up the swingset we set up our beach cabana tent in Ava's room and had a pajama party. The kids didn't get changed out of their pj's the entire weekend long. They were so devastated to hear that actual clothes were required this morning:)

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to my amazing husband. For all that you do, for all that you give us, but most importantly for all that you ARE, I love you.

400 posts!?!?!?!

2010-08-19T12:24:00.003-04:00

Can that be right?? Wow. Time really flies. I logged in today to realize that yesterday was my 400th blog post (so technically this is 401, I guess). If you want to go back and remember what things were like in the Bailey household when I started this blog in April of 2008, here you go: http://aabcbailey.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

Thank you to everyone who continues to read our story. The Daily Bailey wouldn't exist without people to read it. You all rock!!

XOXO,
B

Purple heart

2010-08-18T13:16:00.003-04:00

I'm having one of those sentimental Mommy days, where the tiniest moments seem larger than life and I wish that I could freeze time to make them stay this way forever. I can't even blame it on PMS or hormones or anything like that, it's just me being really emotional, so in other words...myself. Most days I can't even drive somewhere for 20 minutes in the car without hearing a song that reduces me to a blubbering mess (partly the reason I've been avoiding country music lately--I'm far less likely to burst into tears over Ke$ha, lol).

We played play-doh this morning, me and my A's. Aiden and I were trying to teach Ava her letters and shapes (without much success, I might add. Ava is convinced that all letters are either X, N or D. She spelled her name XDND, no joke). She picked up a purple heart from the table, smashed it in her tiny hands, and then looked at me and said, "Oh no! My heart is broken, can you fix it?" I couldn't help it, in an instant the tears that started bubbling up in the corners of my eyes and threatening to slide down my cheeks. I looked at this tiny person, so absolutely innocent and pure and wonderful, and I realized that some day her heart IS going to be broken, and there will be nothing I can do about it.

I know what you're thinking. "Wow, girl, you need to stop watching so many Hallmark commercials!" or you're possibly wondering if I am sure I'm not pregnant (don't worry, I'm sure, lol). I don't know what gets into me sometimes, the things these little people say to me that tear me up inside when I realize that they have this whole life in front of them and they are going to live it and have things happen to them that are completely beyond my control. Some day, hopefully in the VERY distant future, my little girl is going to give away her heart and, like most first loves, it will probably end in heartbreak. It will be something that changes her forever, and it won't have a single thing to do with me. It is a staggering thought for me, because I've been the absolute center of her world for the past nearly 3 years. But kids get older and you send them off to school and soon there are entire chunks of their day that you know nothing about. How surreal and distressing and astonishing to suddenly realize, over a hunk of purple play-doh, that very soon I will not be the center of their universes any more.

Yeah, I totally cried.

I think this must be the point in some mother's lives where they immediately decide to have another baby, to make another person that will need them so ultimately and completely. But I am not going to do that (no worries, Chuck). I have been looking forward to this independence of theirs, these times that are so exciting for them and so terrifying for me. I am going to embrace the changes, the advancement, the growing. And I really, really hope that one day when my little girl actually does get her heart broken, that she'll come to me and cry on my shoulder and remind me of a simpler time when all she really needed was a hug from her Mommy.

Pen to paper...

2010-08-18T13:02:00.003-04:00

So recently I was discussing my ultimate goal in life of becoming a writer (like a real, honest-to-goodness, paid writer, lol) with a dear friend of mine, who actually IS a writer (a phenomenal one at that, and if you want to check her out look for entries by Carolyn Robertson on these sites: http://www.celebritybabyscoop.com/, http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/ and http://blogs.babycenter.com/celebrities/). She gave me wonderful and sound advice about how to put myself out there and try to make the right connections and all that jazz, but she also made me realize one very important thing. If I ever want to actually BE a writer, I sort of have to...well, write. A lot. Here is where my blog comes into play.

Mostly this blog has been a place for me to share pictures of my ridiculously cute kids and stories of their antics, and it will continue to remain as such, with some more fluff:) I am setting a goal for myself to write two posts a week to really get back into the habit of exercising my mind, my vocabulary, and my story-telling ability. I'd love for you all to follow along, but if you come to a post that you just don't care about, please feel free to skip it! I promise I won't hate you...much;) (On the other hand, feel free to leave comments if you have constructive criticism, because lord knows I need it!).

So, I'll probably still post pictures once a week or so, but there might be more words on this blog than you are used to, lol. Thanks for humoring me!

XOXO,
B

Coming soon...

2010-08-12T11:23:00.002-04:00

Chuck surprised the kids the other day and bought this for them while Aiden was at camp:
http://www.swing-n-slide.com/123-Cimarron-Play-Set-Wood-Complete-Outlet-Store.aspx
It also comes with this free playhouse, which Ava is really excited about:) http://www.swing-n-slide.com/126-Playhouse.aspx. It will be a lot of work to put the whole thing together, but the kids are sooo happy and excited and I know they are going to absolutely love it. We'll still have a good month or so of nice weather to enjoy it, at least, so that is great too!

It should arrive in a week or two, and then I'll post pics when it's all set up!

A swing and a smile

2010-08-08T13:59:00.003-04:00

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad. ~Author Unknown

I think that one of the great revelations of parenthood is that it feels almost innate to want to give your children more than you had as a child. Not just material items, like toys or clothes, but more emotionally too, more caring, more laughter, more love. I have certain memories of my own father that feel like tiny grains of sand in my hands, once so strong and easily recalled, now I feel as though they could slip away from me at any given moment. I came across his picture in an album recently and barely remembered that was what he looked like. It's funny what time does to your memories like that. My father passed away the summer before my 9th birthday, and in that many years I have probably the same number of happy memories of him. It's sad, but true, and that's the way life goes sometimes. Not all people who have children were meant to be fathers, and certainly some could never call themselves dads.

I got lucky enough to marry a man who has an amazing father, and I think that is one of the many reasons that he IS an amazing father. An amazing Dad, truly. A man who gives his time, his love, his hugs, his kisses, and his heart to his kids. He loves them unconditionally and shows it in the way that he treats them and the things that he does for them. They might not know how lucky they are, but I sure do.

Here are some pictures of Aiden on the tree swing that his Daddy built today:) Ava needed a nap so no pics of her yet. I have a really cute video of Aiden spinning also that I need to upload. I got a little teary-eyed thinking of all of the happy years to come here, and how lucky we really are to have each other to laugh with:)

More summer fun...

2010-08-07T17:18:00.003-04:00

I am not usually one for laying around and putting up my feet, but it feels like we've been going non-stop for the past week or so, and I am looking forward to doing NOTHING tomorrow (well, maybe swimming, but that's in the relaxing category, lol).

Lots of pics to share. Chuck bought me a hummingbird feeder because I am OBSESSED with the hummingbirds at Penitentiary Glen, the local nature center. They have an AMAZING bird observatory area and tons of hummingbirds frequent their feeders. For the first week, we had ours hanging in one of the pear trees in the backyard, and I never saw a single hummer. But then we got a bird feeder post and mounted it in one of the planters on the deck and, voila!, hummingbirds! We have two that are feeding many times a day (and one is VERY territorial about the feeder and chases the other away a lot). It is so neat to watch and the kids absolutely love it! I have the best husband ever:)

This weekend is only halfway over and it has been a BUSY one! Friday at lunch we went to Grandpa's and picked over the garden again, and I think we got our biggest haul ever. 2 cantelopes, 12 ears of corn, 12 tomatoes, 6 green peppers, 5 eggplant and a bag of green beans and a bag of broccoli that didn't make their way into the picture. Lots of chopping and eating to do around here, but I am absolutely loving it:) Friday night we went to the Vintage Ohio Wine Festival at Lake Farmpark. Twenty different vineyards were there and had all of their wines available for sampling. Sadly, we only made it through 9 of the vineyards, the lines were just too long for the kids to really tolerate:( We'll definitely go back next year and get a sitter for the kids so we can enjoy it a little more. But the kids had fun regardless, and we stayed LATE and even got to see fireworks (which we missed on the 4th of July since everyone was sick). The kids LOVED them (Ava was scared at first but then suddenly realized they were beautiful and couldn't stop telling everyone, "I not scared anymore, wook at the purple fireworks! Oooooh!"). Ava was also boogieing the night away to the band; she couldn't stop dancing and everyone was admiring her moves;)

Today we went to the Cleveland Browns Stadium for Family Day. They had bouncy inflatables and some kids' activities, and then we got to go inside the stadium and wander around a bit. We even sat right down in front on the 50 yard line for a while. There was a scrimmage scheduled for 1pm but we needed lunch, so we headed over to the Zoo for lunch and animals. I never get tired of the Cleveland Zoo--it really is a great zoo. So many awesome animals to see. My only complaint is that it is soooo spread out that you do have to walk a LOT, but hey, we all need more exercise in our lives, right? ;)

Next week Aiden has morning daycamp again and I am looking forward to spending some girl time with my bitty bug:) Lots of fun to be had as the summer in Northeast Ohio keeps ticking away. We're loving every minute:)

The perfect summer

2010-08-01T13:22:00.006-04:00

The last time I had a summer this fun and carefree was 1997, my counselor-in-training year at Camp Eberhart. Stuck somewhere between a camper and a counselor, it was the perfect summer. A touch of responsibility, a ton of fun, all with the company of people who loved me.

This summer is shaping up to beat 1997. Sure, it's been filled with family drama the likes of which I've never experienced, but it's also been one of the best summers of my life. My two babies have grown into two little people who constantly amuse, amaze and astound me with their antics, and we're having so much fun. My husband has been amazing, my best friend and a shoulder to lean on and laugh with. Few people in this world are as lucky as me. We've gone to Cedar Point twice, we go to the beach a few times a week, we go on picnics and hikes and explore the parks and playgrounds. We've had a visit from GA friends. We go to the zoo and the nature center and learn about the animals. We visit Grandpa and tend to the garden, enjoying the mounds of vegetables it produces. We explore the river, finding clams and climbing rocks. This summer has truly been exquisite in almost every way.

I wish I could explain exactly why I love this place so much, why it calls to me the way it does. Maybe my soul knows that I got married on the banks of this lake, that I started my new "life" here almost 5 years ago, and I've finally returned. I know so many people who have lived in this area their whole lives, and are itching to leave. But I have lived in other places, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, and now Ohio, so I know what it is like to leave one home for the merits of another. I can honestly say that I've never felt as at home as I do here in Northern Ohio. The lapping waves on the shores of Lake Erie feel like long lost friends to me, beckoning with promises of course sand, colored pebbles and cool refreshing water. I'm loving summer and yet already yearning for fall, to see the leaves turn colors and crunch under my feet. It's something I haven't felt in 5 long years, and I plan on relishing the seasons (yes, even winter!) as they come.

Here are some pictures of more of our summer fun. All of August left to enjoy, and then September to look forward to.

More pics from our visit...

2010-07-23T15:57:00.001-04:00

Here is the link to my friend Susan's blog, with more great pictures from their trip to visit us:) http://maconjennings.blogspot.com/2010/07/ohio.html

Fun with friends

2010-07-20T14:40:00.004-04:00

We had the best visit with our best friends from GA. Susan, Henry, Oliver, Holly, Athena and Elijah arrived Saturday evening and the kids' reunion was oh so cute:) They were just so happy and excited to see each other and play together again. It was a short two-day visit, but really the perfect amount of time to have a LOT of fun. On Sunday we took our friends to Lake Erie to the Fairport Harbor beach. The kids had an awesome time swimming and playing in the sand. Sunday afternoon we hit the splash pad--and boy was it HOT out! Monday rained, so we headed to the mall to let the kids play in the soft-play area and then hit up the Disney Store. Monday afternoon the rain cleared up and we let the kids burn off their energy at a nearby playground.

The slideshow is all the pics from the visit, and then the rest of the pictures are misc. from the weekend and today. I took the kids to Paine Falls to check out the beautiful waterfall, and then to Indian Point park to splash and explore in the river. Aiden is really a boy's boy--he could have stayed and explored and hiked the river all day long.

Thank you so much to Susan and Holly for making the looong trip to visit us! We had so much fun--it really made our summer. We've missed you guys so much!

The Art of Reverse Psychology

2010-07-16T20:34:00.003-04:00

Thought I would share this funny anecdote from this evening. I was making dinner in the kitchen and because our front hallway is open to the upstairs, I can hear the kids in the playroom (sometimes good, sometimes loud, lol). This is what I hear:

Aiden: Ava, come with me. Ava. Ava! Ok Ava, I'm leaving now, bye....see you later....bye Ava...
Ava: Bye Aiden, see you later!
Aiden: No, Ava! You're supposed to come with me! That's supposed to make you want to come with me!
Ava: Oh...ok, I come with you! Let's go!

I was laughing so hard. Aiden has the art of reverse psychology down to a science...almost;)

Pieces of Me

2010-07-14T13:47:00.003-04:00

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh

I can't count how many times before Aiden was born that I thought to myself, "I won't let having a baby change me. I'll still be me." But the truth is, that's just not possible. Having a child means that your life is never the same again. Having a child means that YOU are never the same you.

I feel like these last almost-thirty-years make up one giant puzzle, all of the pieces of me. There are so many different me's. Shy and quiet Barbara from grade school, just one wrong look could send me to tears. Smart and friendly Barbara from middle school, with my first boyfriend and my first kiss. Summer camp Barbara, full of energy and songs and life and happiness. Show choir Barbara, loving high school and boyfriends, road trips and prom and parties. In college I became Bea, someone totally new, with jobs and papers to write and deadlines to meet and bills to pay. I smoked clove cigarettes and lived with my boyfriend and couldn't pick a major to save my life. Next came working Barbara, at Reader's Digest and then Progressive, where I fumbled and failed and thrived and succeeded. And one man came along and I fell in love and all of a sudden, I was about to become Mommy.

Now I am someone totally new. And yet some days I can't even remember who I used to be. I search for her, in the quiet moments of the afternoon when the house is still with sleeping babes, I look around and wonder where I went. It's like working Barbara went to the store and forgot to come back, and sent Mommy back in her place. I make meals and I clean messes and I wipe bottoms and I read stories and I play pretend. I push swings and I teach the alphabet and I sing songs and I give timeouts. And every once in a while, in the middle of the day, I take 10 minutes to myself in a locked bathroom, and I cry, because that's what you do when you miss someone. I miss me.

I'm trying to remember that this is one big journey, and we are all constantly changing into someone new. I'm trying to find the things that make me happy, find hobbies I enjoy and can actually find time to do, make friends with people whose company makes me feel like myself. But once you have children, being their mother ALWAYS comes first. Their needs and their wants--I am their everything. Some days it's a little hard to reconcile with that, because just 5 years ago I was only MY everything. Being someone's everything, two people's everything, it's a privilege and an honor, but it's equally terrifying and exhausting. It's the best and the hardest job I've ever had, and I don't get a grade or a progress report or a performance evaluation or a raise. I do get lots of love and hugs and kisses, and thankfully, it's enough:)

I know some people will read this and judge me, but I hope that the mothers reading this will nod in agreement, sigh a little sigh, and start assembling your own puzzles. With all of the pieces of you...

Cedar Point & Soak City

2010-07-12T18:25:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, we took the kids to Cedar Point and Soak City. It was all of our first time at Soak City, and the kids first time at Cedar Point, and man did we have a blast! The kids had the BEST time and did so great on most of the rides. If only Ava would have been just an inch taller, she could have gone on a lot more stuff, but she took it pretty well and had so much fun riding the kiddie rides. She was NOT a fan of the Tilt-a-Whirl, she said it made her too dizzy!

Aiden had so much fun. He really wanted to ride almost everything that he could go on, except the two small kiddie roller coasters--he was too timid for those. He did do the big viking ship with Chuck though, and he loved it!

We spent almost 4 hours at Soak City and it was the perfect day for it because it was HOT! Soak City is Cedar Point's water park and it has 3 separate areas for kids (in addition to tons of water slides for adults). There is also a pool that the kids had to wear life jackets to swim in. It was both of their first times wearing life jackets and they did great. Aiden made me laugh so hard though. When he first got in he was starting to freak out a bit and I said, "It's ok buddy, you're fine, don't panic. Don't panic." And he yelled, "I'm panicking! I'm panicking!" He was fine, of course, but it was funny.

My favorite moment of the day was riding the bumper boats with Ava (Chuck and I had to ride a lot of the rides with the kids and ended up splitting up into girls and boys for most of them). She looked over at me, patted me on the knee and said, "You such a nice Mommy. I love you." It melted my heart:)

Here is a slideshow of pics. Cedar Point definitely has two new superfans. They already can't wait for next summer:)

Swim time

2010-07-10T13:26:00.002-04:00

What a fun couple of weeks we've been having! Aiden is getting to do all sorts of fun activities this summer, and he's loving it! Last week he did a Day Camp (9:30am-12:40pm every day) through the Mentor Parks Department. He really loved it--every day they did crafts, sang songs, played games, went on nature hikes, played on the playground, and then even swam in the Garfield pool for 30 minutes. On the last day of camp he even got to go on the big waterslide and he loved it!

This past week he had swim lessons every morning at the Outdoor Family Center in Perry. Man, oh man, this place is AMAZING!! The lesson is only 30 minutes, but that's the perfect amount of time for a 4 year old. His class was six 4 yr old boys, and it was taught by 4 YMCA lifeguards who were AMAZING with the kids. Aiden was definitely the most tentative in the class--probably because we're not members of the Y and he isn't as comfortable being in the water as the other boys. But he did great! He really loved his lessons and we have him signed up for next week as well, so I think he will make some progress.

The BEST part about the lessons are that once they are over, they call free swim so everyone just stays and swims, even though the pool doesn't open to the "public" until 1pm. So every morning this week (except Friday, it rained right after the lesson finished!) we stayed and swam for hours. The pool has an AWESOME kids area, and Aiden and Ava love it so much. Ava woke up every morning begging to go to the pool. And it was pure coincidence and luck that we got to go to the pool every morning on the hottest week of the year!

Here are a few pictures. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as we are:)

Thankful:)

2010-07-04T12:43:00.004-04:00

So, let me start off by saying WOW. I am absolutely floored at how many people e-mailed me with words of encouragement to keep writing my blog, and to ask for the password. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you. It's almost a little intimidating to have an idea of how many people actually read my humble little creation. It means so much to me:)

Many of you mentioned that you didn't think I should make my blog private just because a few people are offended by what I have to say. And I thought about it long and hard and decided that you are right. I shouldn't have to censor myself, and I've certainly NEVER said anything remotely offensive about any members of my family, it's just people being overly sensitive, and to that I can certainly relate. So my final decision is to leave my blog as is, and hopefully this is the end of the drama. You won't need any password to read The Daily Bailey.

A note to any persons who have previously been offended by my blog: PLEASE remove it from your favorites and discontinue reading it. Thank you.

As for the rest of you...a million thanks wouldn't be enough. You lifted me up this week and made me look past the silly drama and count my blessings, for they are many. Your support and encouragement means more to me than I could ever express, so thank you.

Now for some pictures, enjoy:) They are from the past few weeks. The one of Chuck and I is from Cedar Point and I love how this odd old man managed to take center stage in the photo, lol. (I took another one and he was also in it!). We're having an absolutely amazing summer, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. :)

Going private

2010-06-30T19:34:00.002-04:00

It's been brought to my attention that I am offending certain people by mentioning them on this blog. This has never, ever been my intention. My purpose for starting this blog was to share the story of my children with the people to whom I believed it mattered. Since those people have made it extremely clear that they no longer wish to be a part of my story, I have decided to make this blog private.

I need this space online, somewhere to put my words on paper and make them real. I need a place to talk about my days, my hopes, my disappointments, and my failures. I hope that those of you who still wish to read The Daily Bailey will send me an e-mail letting me know, and I will e-mail you the password to view the blog. I apologize, because I know in this day and age it is annoying to have to remember another silly password. But it's been made clear to me that certain people are very upset by my blog and find it offensive. Point taken, action decided upon.

If you still wish to read our story on The Dailey Bailey, please send an e-mail to:
barbara.bailey927@gmail.com

Thank you to those of you who love me, support me, encourage me, and most of all read my words. It means more to me than you will ever know.

Always,
Barbara

No, nope, nuh-uh, no way

2010-06-28T17:04:00.005-04:00

No. It's a word that most toddlers learn right away. It's an important word. It's just that I never realized how MUCH I would be saying "No!" as a mother.

Sometimes, it's necessary. Crucial even. "No! Don't let go of my hand in the parking lot!" "No! Don't touch the hot stovetop!" Or even, like today at the mall, "No! You may NOT lick people, Ava!"

But other times, I have to wonder, is there really a point? Would I really be the WORST mom in the world if I just said YES? Sometimes, saying no makes things so much harder for me. It causes tears and tantrums, it makes me feel like I'm being "mean" even if I am really just being "cautious." Sometimes I fantasize about an entire day of yes...

Yes, you can have chocolate bars for breakfast!
Yes, we can watch tv all morning!
Yes, I'll buy you that awesome new toy!
Yes, we can eat Doritos for lunch!
Yes, let's skip naps and play video games all afternoon!
Yes, let's have ice cream for dinner!
Yes, let's stay up late and skip baths!

My kids would think I hung the moon if they ever had a day like that. But, instead, I spend what feels like MOST of my time saying no to my kids. And I can't help it, it makes me feel bad. Guilty. Even if I am saying no for their own good. Even if I am protecting their teeth and their appetites, protecting their brains from too much media stimulation (whatever the heck that is, lol), protecting their healthy sleep habits. I know I am strict, but to some people it just comes across as "mean." And I hate that.

I follow these parameters, these "guidelines" that someone, somewhere, somehow decided are the "right" way to parent. I limit tv time. I enforce a schedule. We have meal times and snack times, and I try (but sometimes fail, admittedly) to feed my kids healthy foods. I encourage good manners, I discourage fighting. But in the end, all it really feels like is a string of no's. "No, no more tv right now." "No, please don't fight over that toy." "No, we do not hit people." "No, please stop pulling on the cat's tail."

I'm working on it, I really am. I'm trying to be more positive and optimistic, trying to spin disappointments into unexpected delights. And I know that by next week, I won't remember this day of "no!" and it will feel like a million years away, because that's how these things go. All I can do is sigh a big sigh, give my kids hugs and kisses and remind them that, "Yes! Mommy loves you!" and remember that some moms are "yes" moms and some moms are "no" moms, but we love our children all the same.

"The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes." ~ Tony Blair

Summer lovin...

2010-06-18T13:56:00.002-04:00

Probably one of these days I'll shut up about how much I love summer here. Probably by September, lol. Until then, you will all have to suffer through my Odes To Summer.

Really, what's not to love about summer? I just had no idea how much I would LOVE summer in northeast Ohio. Being so close to the lake is wonderful. There is almost always a breeze from the lake that keeps even warm days feeling cooler and more refreshing. The beach at Fairport Harbor is amazing, and we're having the best time playing there. We've even been heading down there in the evenings after dinner just to play at the playground and watch the sailboats and jetskis. Last night there was a man on a self-propelled hang glider (which was SO COOL!) and he was tossing down parachute men to the kids on the beach. So much fun!

I haven't taken any new pics this week, but here is a photo collage I made of some of my recent favorite pics of the kids. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and all the dads out there have a great Father's Day! I'm very much looking forward to celebrating with the greatest dad I know, my husband:)

More weekend fun

2010-06-07T17:35:00.004-04:00

I have a confession to make...I'm kind of in love. With Cleveland.

I know, I know, it's not what you expected. In fact, more than half of you (ok, probably ALL of you) are scratching your heads right now and saying, "Cleveland? No, surely she meant... somewhere else..." But no, I assure you, I meant Cleveland.

I feel a little bit like Liz Lemon in the "Cleveland Get-Away" episode of 30 Rock, where she visits Cleveland with her boyfriend, Floyd, and falls in love with the city. You probably desperately want to watch that clip now. Lucky for you, it's right here! http://www.hulu.com/watch/856/30-rock-cleveland-get-away

There are just so many great things to do in this city, and even though we live in Painesville, it's really just a short 25-35 minute drive from pretty much anywhere in the city. It's no New York, or Chicago, or D.C...but sometimes I think that's a good thing. You get all the fun of being a tourist in your own town, without the crazy traffic and hassles that can go with a bigger city.

We had a fun weekend. Saturday afternoon we went to Geneva-on-the-Lake (NOT Cleveland, the other direction actually, but since it's a post about the weekend and it was fun, I want to include it!). It's a small town about 20 miles east of Painesville and every summer they open up the main "drag" and it's filled with street food and souvenir shops and arcades and just fun stuff. Completely up my alley:-) We played putt-putt and Aiden loved it! Sunday we went to the Museum of Natural History again (we're really getting our money's worth on our passes!). The kids had a blast, and we even got to watch the animal keeper feed the raccoons, the bobcats and the red fox! On the way home we made an impromptu stop at a cool park with a splash pad, and the kids had a great time:)

In living color...

2010-06-07T16:32:00.000-04:00

As promised:)

Out & About...

2010-06-02T14:52:00.006-04:00

All this great weather means us Baileys have been out and about, which is always a good thing in my book. I guess I'm just not much of a homebody, which doesn't bode well for my being a stay-at-HOME-mom, but my kids get to go a ton of fun places, lol.

Last weekend we spent two awesome days at a nearby beach, Fairport Harbor. The little boy running with Aiden in the pictures below is a friend from Progressive's son, Evan, who was born just one day after Aiden! They had a great time enjoying the sand and sun together:)

This morning I took the kids to a playground near Cleveland called Preston's H.O.P.E. You can read about it here http://www.prestonshope.com/ if you like. It is a HUGE fully handicap accessible playground, and it is completely free to the public. It is set up like a little town, complete with kid-sized buildings like a bank, a fire-station, a schoolhouse, a barbershop, etc. The kids had a great time, despite Ava being very fussy (she's cutting her molars). On the way home we stopped to get Burger King (I should have packed lunches, hindsight is always 20/20, right?) and the BK actually had an aquarium where you could sit and eat and watch the fish. Cool, right?

I hope everyone enjoyed all the great weather as much as we did! It is over for now in Northeast Ohio--we have rain predicted pretty much every day for the next week. Bummer.

Flower child

2010-05-27T12:24:00.003-04:00

There was a huge "kids stuff only" community yard sale this morning, and I scored some ADORABLE outfits for Ava, which is great since I missed the spring consignment sales in GA. I got this cute little yellow romper set and decided to have an impromptu photo shoot. Can you believe that my flowers from Mother's Day are still alive? It's surely not a testament to my green thumb (as I don't have one, at all, lol), but they are almost 3 weeks old!

I couldn't pick just one photo, so I decided to just post them all. I want to play around on GIMP with them and do some selective colorization. I'll post those later:) Enjoy! (I'm partial, but isn't she the cutest!?)

Happiness...

2010-05-26T12:42:00.004-04:00

Four years ago, I was a brand new stay-at-home-mom with an extremely fussy 2-month old. I spent all of my waking hours (which were many, seeing as how he hardly slept) trying to figure out how to keep him content (aka: not screaming). Over time, this morphed into me spending all of my time trying to be a "good" mother: feed him the right food, read him the right books, teach him the right things. I spent so much of my time trying to figure out if I was a good or a bad mother that I forgot one very important thing. No, not just important, but crucial. This motherhood business is supposed to be FUN! When I stop trying so hard to be a "good" mom to my kids, and I step back and breathe it in and bask in everything unique about them, I realize something that I forgot along the way: this is FUN! This is MY chance at a second childhood, my time to be home with them and have fun and relax and enjoy just BEING. I don't have to spend every second of the day planning activities, teaching them colors and numbers and writing and reading. I don't have to stress about them not eating their vegetables or using perfect manners or being potty trained. But somewhere along the line I convinced myself that I did need to do all of those things, and being a mom stopped being fun and really felt like a job that I was terrible at.

Until now.

I feel like this move has woken me up. Maybe it's the onset of summer--that feeling deep in my bones that calls me out of bed in the morning and screams, "Come and play!" Maybe it's knowing that I get a fresh start here, in a new place, in a new home, with new people to meet along the way. Maybe it's because my babies are finally NOT babies at all anymore, but growing children who can converse and laugh and make me laugh like I've never laughed before.I don't know. But I do know that I've had more fun in these past few weeks than I've probably had in the past few years. And while part of me feels sad about that, the other part is jumping up and down, throwing my arms out to the wind, holding my head up high, ready to dive in headfirst.

I'm not perfect. I make mistakes, a lot of them, in fact. There are important people in my life who I love that I'm not speaking to right now and it feels ridiculous. But this morning at the lake, I looked at my kids and saw them, I mean really saw them, and I was happy. I've spent the past 4 years trying so hard to be happy and to be good at this mom business, and this morning I sat back and let it all go. And like a butterfly I've been chasing, it floated ever so quietly down and settled right onto my shoulders, and that happiness lit me up from the inside out. I promise you, I am not going to let it go.

"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Aiden the Inventor

2010-05-24T14:05:00.002-04:00

This is a little post about Aiden, who as of late has become quite the inventor! He is so bright for his age, always trying to figure out how things work and what he might be able to improve upon. Just recently he has started "inventing" things in his head, and I get to hear all about his amazing inventions. I want to share some of the ones I am most impressed with, because this kid is pretty smart! (undoubtedly, he gets this side of himself from Chuck!)

Note: these are direct quotes, straight from the inventor himself!

Movie Redbox Robot Vehicle: put a book inside a Redbox machine, and it shows you the movie so you don't have to read the book! It has treads too so it can move around and go anywhere you want it to!
>> I love this one. It would be pretty awesome though, wouldn't it? Stick any book into the machine and it would show you the movie. Neat idea:)

Sticky Bug Trap: put bubble solution on your steps where the ants like to be. Then you put little pieces of rice krispy treats all over the bubble solution. The ants come to eat the treats and get stuck in the bubble solution, and then you don't have any more ants!
>> Can you tell we have a huge ant problem? Lol. I love how he thought of a sticky liquid AND a sticky food. Brilliant!

Talking Bandaids: You could take a character bandaid, like Toy Story 3, and put a button inside of the bandaid, so that if you bumped your knee when you had the bandaid on, the character would talk to you!
>> I liked the idea behind this one--kids would love the gimmick I think! Smart kid, this one:)

These are just a few of the, no joke, ten to twenty inventions Aiden comes up with daily. Most of them have something to do with one thing transforming into another (big into Transformers here these days as well), but I love seeing his little wheels turning. He reminds me very much of his Daddy!

Hangin' around...

2010-05-23T17:58:00.002-04:00

Hey! The Bailey clan is still here, alive and well. I took a break from blogging for a while because of a fallout with some family members who don't think I am doing a good job as a mother. But a lot of good, dear friends read The Daily Bailey to catch up on our lives and see pics of our adorable kiddos, so I don't feel like neglecting you any longer:) I know I am doing a great job as a mother, and my husband supports me 100%, and right now in my life that is really all that matters. Life is good:)

These past 2 weeks have been surprisingly wonderful. Drama free! I was sick for a few days but Chuck was amazing and I am feeling much better now:) We took the kids to the Cleveland Zoo 2 weekends in a row--that place is amazing! We had Atlanta Zoo memberships the entire time we lived in GA, and while I loved it, it was nothing like the Cleveland Zoo. I'm so happy we decided to splurge on a family membership--it's only $70 a year and in just one more visit it will have more than paid for itself!

The kids are doing great. Aiden is his silly self, he loves telling me jokes (that make absolutely no sense, lol) and obsessing over Toy Story 3 and all of the new characters. He is so excited about seeing the movie when it comes out! Ava is doing wonderful as well. She is adorable and silly--she loves to dance and is becoming obsessed with Barbies and all things Barbie-related.

Here are some pics from the past few weeks!

Sometimes...

2010-05-18T13:35:00.003-04:00

Sometimes fear of rejection leaves me standing in a doorway, unable to enter.
Sometimes going a new direction leaves me terrified, unable to find my center.
Most days I'm fumbling and stumbling and never quite sure of my way.
Most days I'm awkward and lonely and can't think of the right thing to say.
But I know that I am true, a good friend with a kind heart.
I know that I am loyal, and loving, and sometimes even smart.
I know that I am sensitive, I know I have thin skin,
I know that there are times I think I'll never quite fit in.
Sometimes the truths of my childhood are a bitter pill to swallow.
Sometimes I worry that all that pain has left a part of my heart hollow.
Most days I worry for reasons that I can't explain at all.
Most days I'm scared to take a leap for fear that I might fall.
But I know that I am strong, a worthy mother and a loving wife.
I know that I am lucky to have this crazy beautiful life...

Taking a break...

2010-05-08T21:09:00.001-04:00

Hey all. Just a quick post to say I am taking a break from blogging for a while. No worries, we're still here and alive and kicking. Hope life is treating you well...

Farmpark

2010-05-02T18:06:00.003-04:00

This afternoon we went to Farmpark, which is one of the many parks in the Lake Metropark system. It is a really neat place, and it is HUGE! Lots of animals to see and places to explore. We even got to see brand new piglets and baby lambs. Sooo cute!

I didn't remember I had my camera until the very end at the playground, but these pictures make me smile so I wanted to share them. The kids both had a great time--Ava especially loved the lambs but said the piglets scared her because they were squealing really loudly!

Funnies...

2010-04-27T14:25:00.004-04:00

Just a random post during "quiet time" while I have a few minutes.

We had a playdate at a new friend's house yesterday (I'm getting out there and making friends! Go me! Lol). Her house looked SO much like our old house in GA, and when we pulled up both kids exclaimed, "Our house! Our old house! We're HOME!" which sort of made me sad:( But then Aiden said, in such a serious voice, "Very distinguished...yes, very distinguished." And I had to crack up--he is so funny sometimes!

We have HUGE power lines here because of the power plant. The kids are convinced that they aren't actually power lines. Instead, they think they are giant robots or transformers, and every time we drive by one they both yell, "Look, Mommy! It's robots in disguise!" (just like from the Transformers theme song). Ava is the cutest because all she says is, "Robots in skies! Robots in skies!"

Ava loves disciplining the cats for me when they are being naughty. Zoe was meowing really loudly this morning and I told Ava to go tell her to stop making so much noise and she ran after her, wagging her finger in her face, yelling, "Stop Zoe! Stop make noise! Go upstairs! Naughty cat! Stop noise!" Chuck and I were both laughing at that one! Then later in the morning Bailey was out of food and water so I fed her and told Ava to go tell Bailey that her lunch was ready. Ava ran upstairs and I could hear her yelling, "Bai-wee!! Time for unch! Food and water ready a you! Come n get it!"

Aiden has been working hard at trying to learn how to read (I told him all 4 year olds learn how to read and somehow this has convinced him that he ought to get on board) and how to write his letters. He still has a lot of trouble holding the pencil the correct way, and it's taking a lot of patience to try to teach someone so stubborn:) I have gotten him to the point now though that when he wants to give up, he takes a deep breath and says, "I can do it, and I will try..." and that seems to help motivate him to keep going. He is getting great at sounding out words and can read several of his beginner reader books all by himself or with a little help. Go Aiden! (meanwhile, Ava can still not identify even ONE letter or number correctly. I am certain that by this age Aiden knew the entire alphabet and numbers 1-10. But she did finally learn her colors, so that is a step in the right direction!)

I think that's all for today...hope it's warmer where you are. It's not even 50 here today! Come one spring, where did you go?