Ohh What a Difference a Year Makes

Last summer was hard.  One baby and one toddler.  Two different sleep schedules.  Bottles. Diapers. limited mobility.  Packing for a cabin weekend was a 4 hour marathon.  And by the time you'd gotten in the car; made three stops in two hours; unpacked and "set-up shop" at the cabin; spent 9:00am-4:00pm trying to put one of the kids to sleep; repacked the show two days later; reloaded the car; made four stops on the way home; and unpacked again...you wondered why?  (And I'm lucky because my in-laws decked-out their cabin home with cribs, toys, monitors, books, bouncers, swings, and sippy-cups.)  Why did I put myself through this?  What was I thinking?  Will it always be this hard?  How do those other families do it...traveling up to their cabin home every weekend of the summer?

But life goes on...and somewhere along the way we found ourselves with two toddlers; on the same sleep schedule; sans diapers and bottles.  Packing for the cabin is more like 45 minutes and we are completely mobile.  Cabin weeks have become something that I genuinely look forward to these days.  James and I talked about how things would change last summer...but I guess I just didn't really believe it.

They say you shouldn't look back.  But I can't help but remind myself how hard it was...and how much better it is. I see my pregnant friends and I want to share my small tidbit of wisdom with them.  Warn them that it's harder, more exhausting, and more challenging than they could ever imagine.  And all these crazies who prattly-on about how rewarding it is to suffer through those first two years of a childs life can quite frankly, kiss mine.

Ohhhhh, What a Difference a Year Makes! 

2012...Already!

Wow! Time sure flies when you're busy! And boy have we been busy lately. I shake my head in disappointment as I realize my last post was in early fall, 2011. Ekkk! Since that time, so many crazy, exciting, and well, not so exciting things have happened. Here is the CliffsNote of the past 5 months...
1. Lucy turned 3
2. The girls moved to Macdonald Montessori School (and love it)
3. Thanksgiving in Missouri
4. Christmas at the Cabin
5. James still recovering from throwing his back out
6. I had PRK surgery on my eyes (also still recovering)

Ok...glad I got this post out of the way!

The 9-1-1 Pull-up Emergency

This afternoon I received an exasperated voicemail from our daycare provider. Lucy had used-up the last of her Pull-ups after nap time and no one else in the classroom is her size (i.e., your daughter is a mini-giant). She wasn't sure what they were going to do for the remainder of the day (2 hours).

I understand Lucy is big for her age, but really? Let's think outside the box ladies. I'm sure someone in the next room (3-4yr olds) rocks a 4T-5T pull-up. Are you really telling me that Lucy wears the biggest size pull-ups of all the kids in the entire school? Really? Really.

Mundane at it's Best

James and I had a moment. Well, not really a moment; more like a weekend. A weekend filled with little family moments at home. We spent time at the park, the Children's Museum, and the dinner table. In this day and age, weekends like this are too few and far between. But, I will remember this one for awhile. Thanks family for a memorable one!

You Complete Me

It seems when you have two kids, the life you once knew begins to slip away. You don't mean for it to happen; but the truth is beer-bonging, all-night benders are replaced by errand-filled weekends that start at 6:30am and end at 10pm (if you're lucky). You become a hermit...a slave to sleep and routine. And for the most part, you revel in the quiet comfort of the mundane.
Shockingly (yes, that's sarcasm in my voice), friends who don't have kids find this new lifestyle boring (a fair assessment). And you hear lots of stories about couples who find new friends...the parents of your child's preschool friends. People who can relate to the munchkins you love to brag about (despite the fact that you promised yourself you'd never be like that).
But Norm and I don't have to woo new couples to be friends with us. For some unknown reason, our friends continue to love us and include us in their fun adventures (no matter how many kids we poop-out). Who knows, maybe their keeping us around as their fallback couple in case they-too, find themselves with-child one day? Or would miss the verbal abuse they receive when "Jane" comes to visit. Possibly, they just haven't thought of a good way to break-up with us. Whatever the reason, Norm and I continue to find joy and happiness in the friendships we have. What a blessing to have such a great group of people in your life who support and love you no matter what. Thank you friends...you know who you are. "You Complete Us"! (glistening tear and cheesy moment, I know).

A special thank you to Blake and Stephanie for hosting Christmas in July year after year...it's one of my favorite summer events. And to our besties for always making the supreme effort to come up to the cabino in August for our annual friends weekend. We love you!

Random Acts of Life

Greta...stop eating paint!

The photographer thought this was the best family picture...EEK! Will there ever be a Norman Family picture we can frame?

My Neice is a STAR!

I can't believe Marina is such a big girl. Check out the following clip posted on her Dance School's website! She is the little girl on the right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyWNxVjkExs&feature=player_embedded

http://www.janetsdancestudio.com