Weekend in action

Of course it is not over, but I am taking a chance and declaring this weekend a hit. I think we all relaxed and had fun without any major hiccups. Today started out with these: blueberry scones (recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com). I have cut out coffee due to my pregnancy, and have stored the coffee pot safely out of reach. Martin doesn't normally drink it and I got tired of seeing it sit on the counter - empty and untouched. Today I had a cup - a grande non-fat vanilla latte kind of cup- courtesy of Starbucks, and it was delicious.

The photo below is Erika. Saturday night we were outside finishing off dessert and watching a TV program when Martin snapped this. She looks a little relaxed don't you think? It was great since Martin and I both got to watch the majority of the show.

We did the pool on Saturday afternoon and it was a hit. I think we decided to sign them up for swim lessons next month. I initially thought I would just take the reigns and do it, but two of them and one of me is still a little too much. All the energy in their little bodies is so hard to harness and control - even for them! I think a professional is in order. The only downside to the weekend is Erika broke out in a little rash yesterday. There were a few red spots on her tummy. Today there are more. I feel a visit to the pediatrician coming. No other symptoms have showed up, so I really hope it is some benign rash and not some weird insect bite or worse . . . a virus.

Weekend preparation

In a moment of boredom yesterday I picked up a tattered collection of Tennessee Williams' plays that I bought in college and have read and re-read many times. It is getting HOT here and something about reading his stuff during the summer just seems perfect to me. Last night while laying in bed we had our bedroom doors that lead to the pool open and we could hear the frogs and night noises outside. It was a perfect setting to read. I wish every night was that serene - no TVs, no telephones. Quiet. This afternoon was not so quiet, but very productive. I ended up putting the girls down for a nap, slapping in some earphones and listening to Oasis while I vacuumed, mopped and scrubbed room after room. There is still more to do, a short list in fact, but I am done for now. Laundry and windows can wait till tomorrow. We have a showing scheduled late morning tomorrow so I told Martin I would take the girls to the Y's pool while he worked out. This will be our first swim on the year. I don't have a maternity suit yet, so that may be interesting. The girls will love the pool no matter what Mama looks like!

Bossy kids and chow time

Bossy kids are a drag. Especially if another kid is being bossy to MY kid. Today we had an incident with a little girl. It was minor and no injuries occurred but I became very defensive. A little girl not much older than my girls pushed Ainslee. I was standing right there and witnessed it happen. I calmly asked the other little girl not to push anyone and just wait for her turn. Her response was an whiny noise and a furrowed brow. Her mom quickly came up and explained she could not push and the whole nine yards. I feel extremely uncomfortable directing other children and keep a close eye on my two so that I will be the one to catch naughty behavior. This is the second thing this same little girl has done this week that has ruffled my feathers. I realize there is teasing and hurt feelings in their futures, but I hate to see them bullied or hurt when they are so young and sweet. On a happier note, dinner time has taken a turn for the better. I have moved the girls out of the high chairs and they have joined us at the table. My husband usually turns on some music and we all sit around and have dinner together. This is new for us. My husbands previous job had a long commute and he often ate out with clients or business partners. It was pretty usual for the girls and I to eat and then he would warm up left overs once he got home if he hadn't already eaten. I am not sure that our routine will continue once we all relocate to TX due to his work schedule there, but while he is here and working from home it is part of our routine. The other bonus, the girls are eating so well lately. I am beginning to think I will have to increase the amount of food I make since we haven't had anything left over for days. I can only say that my heart is happy when I see them spooning bite after bite into their mouths and then asking for more!!

Yoga, I go

A quick thanks to Joanne for the nail polish recommendation. I will give it a try next time. The Monday polish-fest went well. I still didn't do mine, but the girls have pretty pink fingers & toes.
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I hopped on the treadmill today only to realize I really didn't want to be there. I didn't want to exert that much energy for a 45-60 minute stretch. I also realized that there was no way I could make myself. Instead I popped into the yoga class and borrowed a mat. Wednesday's yoga class is gently - very, very gentle. We ended up doing the entire class on our backs which was perfect for me today. The instructor talked through the entire class (my only yoga experience has been at this gym with this teacher - maybe they all do this?) and said things like, "focus on your breathing, feel your breathing, avoid distractions." Once I was no longer distracted by her comments & directions I was surprised where my thoughts took me. I was a refreshing and renewing hour.
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Part of yesterday's day included a long walk and then tricycle ride around our neighborhood. There is a little pond nearby that I usually avoid for fear the girls will get too comfortable around it and let their guard down. Yesterday we visited the pond and saw a soft shell turtle pop his little head up. They are such strange looking creatures compared to the hard shell turtle. This is the second s.s. turtle we have seen in less than a week - two different ponds too.

Making it fun

I meet a mom whose twin girls are a few years older than mine. A few years is a long time in toddler years so I hope to be able to accomplish what this particular mom has done to some degree as the girls get older. She makes every day fun. Now, I am not with her every day, and in fact, when I am with her our children aren't usually around. But I really do believe her when she tells me this and her personality backs up her statement. My problem is I don't know how to make each day fun and different. Other than three meals, our only "have-to-to" time constraint is nap time. It would seem logical that we could have great adventures every morning and/ or every afternoon. It just doesn't happen though. I think my girls have fun each day, but we do a lot of the same stuff. I get them outside as much as possible and I avoid doing errands or shopping with them unless I have to so they aren't strapped in their stroller for hours while I mark off my to-dos. I feel good about that. But I also think I could do more. But what? That folks, is my dilemma. Right now they are into nail polish thanks for their friend, Taylor. Thanks Taylor! I painted their nails the other day, but of course they didn't sit still long enough to let them dry. Then they got upset because part of the polish was scraped off. Today, we made an outing to let them pick our their own color, they had to agree on the same one, and I promised to redo their nails after naps. The color is fuchsia (great). We will take it slow and do thin coats. I think this is fun for them, but their attention span is so short that it is only fun for about 5 -15 minutes. I guess the best thing is to make it a point each day to try something new or explore a new spot. I also wish they could just say, "Hey Mom, let's . . . ." That day is coming I'm sure. Until then I will just give it my best.

The No-Plan plan

Why do I make plans? I am a planner. Not sure who this came from since my mom or dad never seemed too schedule oriented, but it helps me cope. What causes me to come unglued is when I plan something and that something unravels or just doesn't come together. This is called INFLEXIBLITY. I realize it and I am really trying to correct it. Easier said then done, but it is a day-to-day effort I intend to make. My whole spaghetti dinner that I chopped, sauteed, seasoned and simmered was never touched. Miss Erika woke up with a terrible ear infection which resulted in a two hour stay at urgent care since my pediatrician's office was closed, then another hour driving and waiting at the pharmacy. When we finally returned home it was close to 6:30 pm. I was starving, but apparently I was the only one. Erika had no appetite and Ainslee had some canned soup and some applesauce. Hmph. The medicine finally kicked in around 8:30 and Erika seemed to rest well. Today she is much better, so I am feeling better too. And, dinner is already prepared - Spaghetti!

Foodie

I am a foodie. It all started with my first kitchen in Tallahassee back in 2001. My husband and I bought a small townhouse after our first move together. Owning a kitchen made cooking so much more appealing. I have been hooked ever since. I am not a gourmet by any stretch, and I am not a baker. I like to cook hearty, comforting meals. With Martin out of town so much I slack off when he is not here, but he is coming home tomorrow so I have stocked the fridge and pantry and started thinking of meals for the coming days. Tonight is spaghetti - a favorite of the girls and a great left-over for Martin's Friday lunch. I went all out with this batch and added shredded carrots & onions and some black olives and garlic. I am hoping the sauce cooks down enough that the carrots aren't visible. Not that the girls won't eat it because of the carrots, but then again they might not. I never know. It feels good to have something simmering on the stove. I have had food on the brain lately, and food in hand as well. I am determined to gain less with this pregnancy. I only gained 34 lbs. with the girls. They weighed 5.9 & 5.10 at birth. It was an incredible pregnancy. I am hoping this one is the same, but I figure one baby: less pregnancy weight gain. With the Cadbury caramel eggs out of the house this will be a little easier to accomplish.
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I haven't done this previously, but if you have a favorite quick dish or a sure-fire hit with kids let me know. I will share in return!!

Saturday's surprise

I am not a fan of weekends when Martin is away. They seem empty and very long. Today had a surprise twist though . . . Healthy Kid Saturday at the YMCA. I have been a member of the Y since the girls were about 8 months old. Every morning we get up, eat and get dressed and then head to the Y. I don't normally go on Saturday or Sunday, but I needed to today because my patience was wearing thin by 8 a.m. and we had a showing at 11 a.m. so I had to be out of the house anyway. When I got to the Y the parking lot was packed and there were vendors and balloons outside. The girls were hooked instantly. We ended up staying longer than I expected and they girls hit every booth. I am guessing the event was intended to bring light to the Y's summer camp programs and allow parents to sign up for the summer events, but other than that it was all about balloons, stickers, pencils, face painting and candy. What kid wouldn't love it? We stood in line for 30+ minutes to get Erika & Ainslee's face painted - very much worth it - and they held out like troopers. Ms. Kitty and Ms. Butterfly kept looking at each other and saying: "you are beautiful". Bath time may be a tearful event when they realize that their embellishments wash off!

Friday musings

Another thanks to Stacy ! I have a whole HTML cheat sheet to play with. Thanks so much!
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Nothing has been happening here, hence the lack of blogging. Martin is gone till Thursday and I have been doing the bare minimum here at the house (I know that sounds terrible, but it is honest). Aside from keeping the girls busy and entertained, I don't have any ambition to start anything. May just be the first trimester slump. On the bright side, everyone is healthy, the weather is sunny and there may be a splash park in our weekend plans. I just need to call and make sure it is open. We haven't been in the pool yet - the water is still too cold for me- but continuing the girls' swim lessons is a big priority for the summer. We should be able to start soon. Well, I am going to post now to see if my link worked . . . here it goes. Have a great weekend!

Calling for help

I decided to play around with the formatting today and was trying to learn a trick or two, unsuccessfully. So, I am going to just ask . . . . Can anyone tell me how to insert a link but rename the link so the "http://" stuff doesn't appear?? I am sure it is easy, but I am tired of trying to figure it out. Thanks in advance!!

A PJ Day

This is what I discovered in our back yard during the egg hunt. It is mini-version of the bird of paradise. Beautiful!

I had such great plans for Easter. They were all accomplished but I did them ALL in my pj's. Seriously. Baskets, breakfast and some dinner prep work was done first thing in the morning. A shower and a fresh pair of pj's late morning, a nap for me during the girls' nap-time, dinner and egg hunt and the last of the Masters in the evening. All in pj's. This is highly unusual for me, but it wasn't even a second thought yesterday. Today was anything but a pj day, which is all the more reason I am glad I took advantage yesterday.

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Martin has a noon flight to TX tomorrow, and Ainslee has already complained about not feeling well two days in a row. Not sure what the coming week has in store . . . .

Spilling the beans

Thank you Stacy at Mamasdoodles (http://mamasdoodles.blogspot.com/)! Erika and Ainslee are loving their new tails! My favorite is when they wear their tails & ride their tricycles. It makes me laugh every time. The above attire (minus their tails) is the summer pj uniform. I hope to be substituting panties for diapers in the near future, but at a mere 2 1/2 years I still enjoy seeing them free from clothes whenever it is appropriate.
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We had much cooler weather today for our zoo outing. It was a great visit. We joined four other moms and rambled around the lush, tropical setting. The paths allowed the children to walk and/or run for almost the entire visit which suited all of us just fine. Erika & Ainslee spent a lot of time studying the reptiles and exclaiming "I found it" when a little snake or lizard would come out of hiding. The larger cages and bigger animals would hold their attention for a short time, but then they were ready to move on.

While talking to one of the other moms she was asking about our move and the house (blah, blah) when she stated: "Your stomach . . . how are you feeling?" Well folks, another little bundle will be joining us in October. My little family is very excited, and judging from my friend's reaction I won't be able to conceal our news much longer. I will be 12 weeks next week so it seems a little early to already be showing. It has been nice to have it as our little secret for a while, but I am ready to start sharing the news. A few more hours and we will be off to our first official Easter weekend egg hunt. I am hoping that after today's activities the girls will have no issues sleeping soundly tonight.

Pie & Easter

Yesterday in the grocery store I saw the April issue of Bon Appetit (www.bonappetit.com). The cover shot is of a lemon meringue ice cream pie and was enough to convince me I needed to pick up the magazine. It looks very spring-y, perfect for Easter, and very delicious. It has a toasted pecan crust, two layers of ice cream, a lemon curd filling and the meringue topping. I don't have a kitchen butane torch, so I won't be making this right away, but I am definitely saving the recipe. YUM. It has been a while since I've made a pie, so I may need to add one to our Easter dinner menu. I am looking forward to Easter. The girls had a great time last year and I am sure they will enjoy this year even more. Their egg hunt will be a bit more challenging and their baskets will include a bit more sugar - they are getting bigger which has it rewards.

A crafty moment

This idea was lifted straight off of Anna Marie Horners website: http://www.annamariahorner.com/homework.htm. I didn't make any attempt to make it mine, other than design and colors (and the little "e" in the corner). The frame is headed to Memphis for my niece's birthday in a couple of weeks. I think it will make a fun edition to Ellery's bedroom, and I am excited to hear her response. I have plans to make additional frames for my two nephews who have birthdays later in the year and the next ones will have a bit of my personal flair to it.