whew!

I feel like I wake up in the morning and don't stop running until I fall in bed at night. Today I accidentally slept in 15 minutes late and it threw our whole morning off. I managed to get everyone fed and dressed and out the door, but in the hurry I didn't have time to listen and be patient with Lily. It also left no time to locate my missing keys. All of these mishaps lead to the kids and I walking to school through a river of Lily's tears. I feel so bad that I didn't stop and listen to her and try to make the walk easier...instead I hurried her and didn't hear a word she said. She was late for school and I handed her off in a fit of tears. I'm sure her day quickly turned around, but I hate it anyway.

After we dropped Lily off, Drew, Julianna and I were off to the Y so that I could do a workout class. I love it, but it requires the kids play in the nursery for a full hour. And because they have to stay in the nursery, I only go to workout with the kids in tow a couple times a week. I feel guilty that they are spending their morning with the nursery workers and not me. Tomorrow I'm going to try a class that starts at 5:30 AM and see how that goes. Although I don't mind running, I hate to roll out of bed and run. I would rather have some sort of warm-up or at least time for my eyes to see clearly...Plus, if I workout in a group, I'm less likely to quit early like I did with Monday's run.

After my workout we headed to the library for Toddler Time. This was Julianna's first time there as an actual toddler. It was bittersweet to have my youngest starting her story times at the library. She loved it! She sat for the stories, danced with the music, clapped with the songs and watched the puppet show with rapt attention. The other special treat about story time today was ice cream! All the kids got to snack on their very own dish of the cold stuff. Drew loves story time so much that we might go back on Thursday for the preschool story time too. I love to read so it's so exciting to watch my children's love of books and reading grow.

We then headed home for lunch and naps. I laid down with Drew for about 20 minutes and then it was time for me to tackle the laundry. I only got one load through the washing machine before Drew was awake. I think maybe letting him go to sleep with his toy motorcycle and play cell phone in had was not a good idea. I think that when he rolled over he landed on on of the hard or poky toys and woke himself up. Next time I'll sneak out with the toys.

Now, after a bit of play time, it will be time to go pick up Lily from school. Our afternoon and evening is full as well. I'll need to go through Lily's backpack, motivate her to clean out her lunchbox, feed the kids a snack and allow for some unwind time before it will be time to get our swimming suits on, our towels and jammies packed and head out the door for swimming lessons. They will have their lesson, shower at the Y and head home for dinner, story time, teeth brushing and bedtime. Then begins my chore of cleaning up the kitchen for the day and going into a coma on the couch until it's time to head to bed to prepare to do it all again tomorrow.

pure brilliance

Lily has ADHD. I have never mentioned it here because it's a private matter. However, I realized today that I also never want to send the message that ADHD is something to be ashamed of, because it's not. In fact, in some respects, it's something to celebrate. We have a very open relationship with Lily. Her ADHD has been explain to her like this: You have a special kind of brain. It's so smart and moves so fast that you take medicine to slow your super-charged brain down so that you can focus. Mommy has it too. I take medicine to help my brain, too. Aren't we lucky to have such super-charged brains?!

Now, who knows if we are handling it correctly and the meds issue is not a subject I feel like discussing on my blog at this time. But, as far as raising Lily, we are doing the best we can. We are educated on the subject, open with her, her teachers and our family. Everyday we try to celebrate the creativity and other amazing traits Lily has. It is a part of her that we wouldn't change, despite the challenges that it sometimes creates.

Today when I picked Lily up from school her teacher talked with me as we walked down the sidewalk towards home. She said that they had done some testing today to get a baseline for the students in the class. She said, "She aced it! And she was the only one who did! She did so well and then wrote her name all fancy all over her paper. If she can be this distracted and do this well..." She trailed off. But, I am going to fill in the blank for her, "she must be brilliant!"

That's my girl!!

what's next? bungee jumping?

As it turns out, Lily doesn't care if I talk about her on this blog. I asked for her permission because I really wanted to share these pictures of her. I'm pretty sure this girl craves adrenaline rushes. That's her jumping so high that she was doing double flips in the air. Below that, is her climbing a rock wall, and I have no doubt, when she gets to be a bit more coordinated she will be climbing to the top. She went to ride rides at the fair with Grandma yesterday. She rode all the big fast rides and had a great time.

She did not get her thrill seeking gene from me. I will only do dangerous things with vast amounts of peer pressure. This girl jumps right in and I consider that a very good thing. It will take some creativity to make sure that her thrill seeking personality chooses healthy thrills. I'm just saying - I'm all well and good with bungee jumping and flips off the high dive. I'm just hoping to channel the energy in a healthy direction and not, well, you know, someplace scary.

Now, I can't decide. Will she be a diver? A trapeze artist? Or something all together different? No matter what her determined and fearless personality will come in handy.

take your own advice

Remember a few posts back when I went on and on about healthy eating? I was saying how important it was for me to fill my kids with healthy foods and not eat processed nastiness. Apparently I need to follow my own advice.

I have been working out regularly for over a month now. I love it. I love the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a workout; not to mention the muscle tone. My tummy hasn't been this flat since high school. I run 2 to 3 times a week and also take a couple of classes at the Y. I have also been staying busy with the kids. Drew has soccer; Lily and Drew both have swimming lessons and the Fair has been here (where I spent 3 days in a row visiting). We had a packed weekend last weekend plus more fun planned for this weekend. To keep up this pace, my diet has never been so important.

So why haven't I taken my diet as seriously as I do my children's? I don't know the answer to that. I will share what I ate the day I went with Lily's class to the Fair. I had a bowl of cereal, a Mt Dew, a handful of Wheat Thins and an ice cream cone. My schedule for that day included: dropping Lily at school at 7:45, working out from 8:30 to 9:30, showering and getting ready, taking Drew and Julianna to my mom's and walking around for 4 hours at the Fair. Needless to say, I felt totally wiped out and beaten up by the end of that day. When I woke up to do my morning run on Wednesday, it's a wonder I made it around the block.

So, by telling you about these poor eating choices I'm hoping to inspire myself to eat better. I will be drinking more water, eating more things like yogurt or fruit and maybe even some veggies. I will not be eating crap all day and expect my body and mind to keep up. I started this by enjoying a bowl of strawberry yogurt topped with almond granola while I posted this blog.

Can you guys comment and give me idea on how you keep your energy up during your busy lifestyle?

Wordless Wednesday: Eating at the Fair

bark like a dog!

 

At the lake a few days ago Julianna climbed in the dog kennel. No, I didn't put her there. She shut the door of the cage and started panting like a dog; and then, she said, "bark!" No, she didn't start barking, she said bark! bark!

I don't know if that's genius or just weird. Maybe it's both.

then and now

It's hard to believe that this picture was taken in 2008. We were in Baldwin City riding a restored train. It was our first solo, Tom, Taylor, Lily and Drew vacation. We took the kids to Kansas City and stayed in a hotel. We swam in the hotel pool, or mostly just the hot tub. We took them to Wonderscope, which is a wonderful, hands on children's museum. Then we caught this train on the way home. Well, the train didn't take us home it just took us to Norwood, KS and then back to Baldwin City where we then got back in the car and drove home. Lily has referred to this trip many times over the last two years. She remembers practically every detail. Including the fact that I let her watch 30 minutes of the movie Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang in the hotel. Apparently she loves that movie.

We planned this trip to Kansas City again this year. Minus the hotel, plus Julianna. We caught the train again and took them to Wonderscope. I guess that sounds like we took the train to Wonderscope, but we weren't that lucky. :) They had a magnificent time again. It was so fun to think about the fact that Drew is now the age Lily was when we went the first time; and Julianna is now the age Drew was the first time too.

As every year of parenting passes some things are getting easier. Tom and I have an easier time navigating our parenting style together. The kids require less assistance with little things like, oh, I don't know, going to the bathroom or feeding themselves. The fact that Julianna is the only one in diapers and everyone can walk, opens up many opportunities and new things to try. Lily is recalling more and more memories of things we've done together and is 'getting' more jokes. I can say with great confidence that having these kids and creating this family and absolutely the greatest thing I have ever done. Please remind me of this when they really start to back talk and hate when I look to them in public.

these boots are made for walking

Just look at those cowgirl boots. Have you ever seen something so adorable? Well, maybe once, when Drew wore this very pair.

I love the changing of the season and doing the switch to long sleeves, jeans and boots. I don't actually like cold weather- but when it's a crisp 55 degrees- I can dig it. Julianna will have plenty of other hand-me-downs to where this fall and winter but I suppose it might be time to take the other two shopping. I'm hoping that since I supposedly have more time with Lily and Drew in school, I can score come good finds at the Goodwill.

traditions make details fuzzy

This is Lily and I at the Kansas State Fair last year. I love having family traditions like pizza on Sundays and riding the train at the Fair every year. These are the happy things we will idealize when the children are grown and gone. Today Lily and I rode the train together for the 6th year in a row. Today she lost her cow hat during the trip and someone tossed us a bag of free popcorn. I'm pretty sure that we won't remember those details in ten years, we'll only remember the part about riding the train.

Thumbs

Thumbs

Oh the thumb-suckers thumb

May look wrinkled and wet

And whithered and white as the snow

But the taste of a thumb

Is the sweetest taste yet

As only we thumb-suckers know

--Shel Sliverstein

Julianna sucks her thumb. We have sonogram pictures of her doing it in the womb. Obviously her thumb is a huge comfort for her. I know that some parents are obsessed with making sure that a thumb-sucking habit doesn't happen. I am not one of those parents. I love that she sucks her thumb and I will wait a very long time before I discourage the habit. Who is it hurting? What's the problem really? Is the pacifier really a better alternative? Come on people! It's a natural soothing habit. She rarely sucks her thumb just because; usually she does it when she's tired or hurt. I am no hurry to make her stop.

rock a bye baby

bathing the baby with diaper wipes.

here julianna was trying to escape with one of the babies at the children's museum.

Julianna loves babies. She would play babies all day and night if she had time. She loves to mother her dolls; carrying the around the house, kissing them, rocking them, pushing them around in her stroller and generally being a sweet mommy. I love watching it because that is exactly what I did when I was little. And still today, if I could play with babies all night and day- I totally would.

Zzzzzzz

crashed out before i could even get him to a bed!

this is before i realized that he was still going to take a nap. here he was in to middle of playing with his new school shoes when he just zonked out mid-play.

Drew is 3 years and 8 months old. I'm pretty sure most kids this age, that go to bed at 7:30, do not take a nap anymore. However, Drew is one tired cookie. Over the summer we tired skipping his nap sometimes and I thought that he'd give it up altogether any day. However, now that school has started we are back to napping every single day. I think he's tired from waking up so early to get Lily to school and because it's exhausting for him at preschool.

The naps don't always come easily. But, not because he's not tired. I lay down with him because I feel like I can get him to calm down and go to sleep much quicker than if I let him come out of his room 10000 times before he dropped from pure exhaustion. Anyway, they don't come easily. He goes down kick and screaming, literally. But it's short lived. Within minutes of laying down with him he's conked out for at least an hour.

As far as I'm concerned, he can nap all he wants until kindergarten. As long as he's still going to sleep every night by 8 PM, I don't see why he can't have a rest time in the middle of the day. However, this is uncharted territory- Lily dropped her naps before she was even three years old.