New "finds" to share...

If you are a man reading this (not sure I have too many male readers...) just stop right now and go watch sports or find something else to do. You will surely not be interested in what I will be writing about for this particular blog.
Now, with that out of the way and the men off doing manly things, we ladies have some time for a little fun chat. I often find myself on a hunt for quality things, fun finds that I can share with friends and family, and if you know me at all you know that one area I love to shop in is within the realm of beauty. I love make up, skincare products, hair products, etc. Yes, It is superficial and silly, but I just get an inner glow from finding a wonderful beauty product, and if the packaging is pretty then I am just sold! Truly, I am not that shallow. I just love the idea of having a fresh clean and classic look. And what woman doesn't love the way a new lip gloss just shines when she smiles? I have come to realize that beauty products certainly don't solve problems or give "meaning" to life, but they tend to give a little lift to even the most minimalist woman. I am sure there are Au natural women out there who get all giddy when they purchase a brand new chap stick with new pretty packaging.
Recently, I have been going through some issues with my skin, related to the carrying and birthing of our youngest daughter, Stella. She has the most beautiful baby face skin, but failed to pass that along to me before she left the womb. And so, the race to find some wonderful products has led me to stumble upon my most favoritist (yes, I am making that a word for this one sentence) make up brand, Stila. I have been flirting with this cosmetic line by recently purchasing some of their "lip glaze" for my sister-in-law and myself. Truly awesome lip gloss, but pricey. I stayed away from the other products due to price, thinking that it could not really be worth it. But for Christmas my dear mother supplied me with a gift card to Sephora and I took the plunge into the Stila world! I purchased this kit called "Travel in Style" that has a few products in a type of trial size (I think they are almost sold out, but the products are still there in regular size). It has:
-Illuminating tinted moisturizer (perfect if your skin needs an energy boost with the winter weather)
-bronzing powder (apply light handed!)
-convertible cream blush (good for cheeks and lips!)
-multi effect mascara (awesome!!!)
-eye liner (still working at applying this...)
- lip glaze lip gloss in a gorgeous brown sugar color
I also purchased the illuminating mineral powder foundation to wear as a powder with coverage and a glow (also awesome!). But they sell the powder separately and want you to buy the case too (at a hefty $14!) so I cleaned out my old Cover Girl case and stuck my Stila powder in that instead (hmmmm, $3 or $14???). I admit, I felt pretty smart and somewhat sneaky...
The best product by far though, is the perfecting concealer. If you only get one thing from Stila, and need a concealer, buy this. Wow.
So my Christmas gift is spent, but I am oh so happy with my new purchases. There is something about putting on a fresh face, that helps the morning go smoothly...
And I will never get too old to love playing dress up. It is always fun.
As a side note to those who are also around my age and starting to notice that the "19" year old glow is fading, somewhat, I have fallen in love with the lovely yet affordable Skin Genesis product line by Loreal. The oil free lotion smells pretty and works wonderfully to hydrate and brighten my oh so dull winter skin! And the eye serum is great...it is about time I made friends with eye cream.
And so the anti-aging begins. But I would rather it be a product fetish than a surgery fetish:) I also have tried and personally critiqued (to myself and of course my patient husband who must be tired of listening to my beauty banter!) many other products and regimes. If you want to know, just ask:)
Love to all of you women out there who also like to having some artistic fun painting their own canvases...
Just call me Botticelli...
I wish.
www.stilacosmetics.com

A Few of my Favorite Things...

Good morning to all!!!!!

It is Saturday morning here out in the West and I am enjoying a small luxury. I have a little time to myself while my girls are sleeping...

Funny how things work. Literally, as I was completing the above statement, Gracie came around the corner to say hello and let me know that Stella was now awake.

Haha.

It has been two hours since I wrote the above paragraph. Such is the life with little kiddos! This holiday season has truly FLOWN by like no other before it. This week is Christmas and I have NOTHING done. But I decided that it would be better to focus on the things I love and the blessings I have as opposed to worrying about what I have not completed. Here are a few of my favorite things, maybe you have a few in common with me...


fires in the fireplace (finally cold enough in the evenings here!)
yummy holiday treats
Christmas movies, especially when I get to watch them with my hubby and girls!
the smell of Christmas trees
Christmas music by Frank Sinatra
hot tea with a cinnamon flavor
COFFEE on a cold night (or anytime, since I am tired)
"What Child is This?" and "Silent Night" in many different versions
apple cider
Christmas lights and trees
baking
family
good wine and conversation, sans children!
cuddling up with a good book
Gracie singing "Santa Claus is coming to town" and getting particularly loud at the "coming to town!" part
getting a gift for my husband that I know he appreciates
kissing Stella's little cheek to get her to giggle
time off from work to be wife and mom for a living, at least for two weeks
building gingerbread houses
sleigh bells
stockings with goodies
hearing my husband read the Christmas story

I could go on and on...wonderful time of year that it is! Somehow, I missed the season though, it just went...
I do realize that I have a few more days to enjoy a few of my favorite things, so I am going to try to enjoy wrapping the presents in the next few days...
More importantly, it is wonderful to remember what Christmas is really all about. The birth of our Lord and Savior! Praise be to the Lord.

Oh, and I just got the time to finish this blog just now...which would be Sunday evening, a day after I began to enjoy my small luxury. I did not realize how small it truly was:)

Giving thanks...

As many of you may know, the Southern CA area was hit with a stream of wildfires recently, as it usually is every year around this time. They were rather large and close this time though, which sent a little panic our way. Many people lost their homes and all of their belongings within minutes. Thankfully, our home and possessions are still in tact and we are thankful for that!

Moments like this make you realize that all you have is such a blessing. How appropriate for this "Thanksgiving" time of year. We were able to get together with friends and family, and even eat some wonderful food! Here is a summary of our Thanksgiving week....

Thanksgiving morning I ran my second 5K, and beat my first 5K time! Aside from it starting late due to rain, and us getting soaked before the race, it was a fun time for Keton and me! There is something nice about seeing your husband cheering you on at the finish line...

Stella had her first feeding...already. She went to her doctor's appointment this week too and she is a healthy 17.5 lbs and 27 inches! Obviously we have a larger than average 4 month old...:) But she is truly happy and content (maybe because she is eating???).

We tried for a family photo on Thanksgiving but of course the girls did not want to cooperate at all:) But that is why we love this picture!

And a few more shots...

What a wonderful time for our family...

We are Thankful for it all!

One month down...

It has been one month, practically, and I have not graced this blog with stories from our lives. My apologies, but life has just taken up my time (as it does to us all!). The other day I was sitting in my car driving to work, and I glanced over at the passenger seat to make sure I had everything I needed. As I glanced at my purse, I was rather shocked to see it busting out at the seams with "stuff". Then I started thinking about something. Have any of you ladies out there noticed that purses have increased in size over the past few years? Years ago, all you could fit was a wallet, some gum, maybe a mirror and lipstick. Now all you see are women of all ages with purses that look as though they are ready to go away for the weekend at a moment's notice. Sadly, I have become one of those women. But truthfully, I need all of that space! It is not only amazing that I have a purse so large, but that it is actually filled. To me this means that we are living in a day and age where we have so much to do, so much we need and so much that we carry as burdens, literally, on our shoulders. I have two calendars in there, one for work and meetings, and one for personal things. Of course my phone, for who can live without a cell phone? Admit it, whenever you accidentally leave yours at home you feel as though you are missing a part of your anatomy. There are pens, random receipts, hair bands, and a make up bag. On occasion there are burp rags, bottles, diapers, wipes, and spare pairs of little girl's underwear in case of any "accidents". And of course emergency snacks to be given when you need to just get through the check out line at Target, and your little one is fussy and getting loud. In a nutshell, our new large-and-in-charge style purses are filled with the essence of daily life. As my good friend calls it, the "mundane" parts of life. When did life get so complicated!?

This complex daily routine is truly the reason for my lack of blogging lately. Too much to do, not enough time, and when that happens blogging is too much of an indulgence. Thankfully, I decided to finally give in and blog! After all, I need this outlet as a way to vent, communicate, remember, share, and celebrate the happenings in our lives.

This past month a lot has been going on, and since my last blog we have had Halloween (Gracie went as Audrey Hepburn, I thought it was cute but Keton said she was one of those kids that had the dorky costume that no one recognized because it had too much "thought") and Gracie got a little candy that her father happily devoured when she had her head turned. We enjoyed the evening by seeing my mom and my husband's family, which is always a good time!

I even penciled in the eyebrows...too cute! That same weekend I ran my first ever race, a 5K in the local area for education. My goal was to finish running, and I did! It felt great to accomplish something and try something new. I am running my second 5k on Thanksgiving morning, and the goal is to break my previous time! It has been great to get back into shape, and I have been truly feeling the wonderful benefits of daily exercise. Marathon, here I come??? Who knows...but for now, this is enough!

The next weekend we took Gracie, Stella and their cousin Isis to the zoo, and they had a blast seeing all of the animals and habitats. Okay, so maybe Stella could have cared less, but the other girls thought it was the greatest! It is always fun to go to places like the zoo with little ones, because they help you to see it in a way that you used to when you were a little child. The day ended with a carousel ride, how could anyone have more fun?

That same weekend we attended my husband's first cousin's 21st birthday bash, and aside from her turning 21 making us feel old, we had a great time.

So yes, we have been busy little bees...I am sure you have too. Stella has grown so much, and I sure at her doctor's appointment on Monday she will be "off the charts" yet again. We have grown to just LOVE her beyond words. Her manner is so peaceful and calm. She definitely takes after Dad!

So keep checking my blog when you can, and I promise to do my best to share more than once a month!

Making Memories....

It was hot. In the 90's. We needed shorts, sunscreen, and lots of water. Shade was sought out constantly, and we were soaking up the rays almost everywhere. No, we were not at the beach. And no, we were not in the desert in mid-summer. We were apple picking. In late October. The very last weekend of apple season, to be exact. But then again, this is southern CA, and we like to be "special". While the rest of the country is bundling up and lighting fires in their fireplaces, we are sweating it out in good old CA. Keton and I took the girls apple picking, and we were really excited because we have been wanting to do this for a long time. Even though the weather did not provide us with a perfect fall day, we made the best of it anyway and had a wonderful time!

The farm was called "Riley's Farm" and it was full of children and adults hunting for juicy apples. There was a cider press, BBQ restaurant that served everything fresh off of the farm, and a general store straight out of "The Little House on the Prairie".

Stella slept through most of it, but Gracie was happy to pick some apples on her behalf and chomp on them while finding more to put into the bag. It is amazing how much more delicious the apples are straight off of the tree. It really got me thinking about how important it is to eat food in the form that God intended (if possible!). It is so much healthier, tastier, and truly keeps your body running at it's best. Although our family strives to eat healthy, and I consider it a necessity to provide nutrition to them, we still tend to snack on refined foods for convenience. But I have to tell you, snacking on those apples this week has been pretty satisfying...and adding some organic peanut butter makes it almost a dessert.

We had a great weekend seeing our girls, as well as the rest of Keton's family, at his grandfather's birthday gathering. My mom was able to make it as well, and it was truly nice to have everyone "together", which just does not happen much anymore.

Gracie and her cousin Isis love to mess around with my brother-in-law Colton. It works out because it turns out that he is more fun than I am:) It has been great to be with family again, and it has been nice for them to get to know the girls. They do grow so fast! So thank you all, for a wonderful fun family weekend, where more memories were made!

My new relationship...

I have begun a new relationship. One filled with drama, that is certain. My new partner is running. A few weeks ago I was talked into this silly idea of signing up for a 5k in our local area. Now, if you know me, you know that I am not really a "runner" nor am I "fast" when I do venture out and run. My sister-in-law talked me into signing up for the 5k, "Come on! It is for education!" Well, being a teacher, how can I turn that down? So here I am, involved in a very give-take-love-hate relationship, one which I have had to truly commit myself to. I began the actual running (fine! jogging....whatever) a few weeks ago, with a slow jog through the local cemetery (it is actually pretty, and it was during the day) and I made it through ten minutes before having to walk a little. Wow, I thought. Ten whole minutes, and I am in pain already. I might be walking for education. I did pick up some jogging towards the end of that run, and so I felt okay about it. Since then, I have been running almost everyday, some days better than others. With my crazy schedule and children, and hubby, I am able to get my run in only in the evenings, which is where the drama comes in. My new partner wants to go out, but I want to stay in and cuddle with my hubby, and kiss my girls. But this new partner is relentless! And so, off I go late in the evening, running through our neighborhood, or at the park where Keton plays softball. And I have to say, the first ten minutes of our outing is just brutal. I am so ready to pack it up and head home! But after that awkward beginning, I have found that I hit my stride. And there is almost a calm peace that comes with my jogging. So freeing, and it feels good to know that each step is making me healthier (and removing the baby weight!). And if I miss a run, boy do I hear it from my partner the next day. It is almost as though this little voice inside pokes at you until you lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement again. Then it is silenced and the feeling of accomplishment fills you up. Maybe I am dramatizing this just a little, but it does feel so good to accomplish this one little goal of mine each day. I know that running the 5k, and finishing it, will make me feel like I have succeed at something, even if it is small. So I supposed I owe my sister-in-law a thank you for introducing me to my new friend. Hopefully I can work on building a lifetime relationship with my new buddy. As long as my new buddy keeps my bottom looking good....

A little romance....

I think one of the most romantic things that you can do as a couple is attend a wedding together. The ambiance is lovely, the vows bring back memories, and the "new" love hanging in the air makes anyone feel as though they are newlyweds again. Keton and I just returned from our friend's wedding, and we had such a wonderful time! We dropped off the girls with my mom (thanks again mom!) and headed off to a weekend of socializing, shopping, eating and sleeping without any interruptions or big responsibilities. Even though the schedule was full, it was a very fun weekend! It was great just to have time to focus on each other. So rare. We enjoyed some delicious food and wine, and danced the night away without any inhibitions or cares. We went to the outlets near our hotel and actually had the chance to shop separately and try on clothes AT THE SAME TIME! But truth be told, we loved our rented freedom but missed our girls terribly. It was so great to pick them up on Sunday and squeeze them until the begged us to stop! Okay, maybe Stella could not comment, but Gracie sure did. Funny how they seem to grow up just within a few days. We are now back to our regularly scheduled lives, but the memories of our romantic weekend away seem to distract me often:) I am so blessed with a wonderful husband!

Time Standing Still

We are going on a mini-vacation this weekend! Keton is in a wedding, and on the way up to Northern CA (where we will attend a wedding at a vineyard/winery, yay!) we are stopping in Central CA to drop the girls off. You know what that means for my week. Laundry. TONS of it. Packing, for four of us now! Lots of, "Where is my other black heel????!!!" "Why is it in Gracie's toy bin?" "Does this dress go with these shoes?" " Why is everything I own black?" "Do we have the bottles/food/diapers/underwear for our almost trained munchkin?" "Why do we have eight bags for one trip???!!!"

You know the routine. Craziness. Lots and lots of craziness. With a little fun mixed in of course. So tonight Stella has been fussy, which is rare, and Gracie was just in the mood to entertain. Meanwhile Keton is out playing his weekly softball game, and I am trying to orchestrate chaos at home. I am running here and there and doing a million things at one time, wondering why Stella won't stop squeaking and Gracie won't lay down and SLEEP. Then, as I was putting clothes away in Gracie's room and listening to her tell me about the book she was reading, it occurred to me that she is so cute and this is one of those moments that I need to just STOP and enjoy. She was so adorable with her words and mannerisms ("Mommy, I read to you." "Horseys have naked butt."). We sat and talked and she recalled the scenes from "Polar Express" which is currenlty the favorite movie (yet again...last year we had it memorized by October) and she lovingly calls it "Polar Press" or "Polar Breast" if she is really excited. She gets really into the scenes and gets very animated, it was a great moment.

Life just happens if we don't take the time to enjoy it. We need to SLOW down and take in the moments with our children, our spouses, or friends and family. I don't know about you, but I often get soooooooooo busy and into a "groove", that I don't like to stop and slow down for anything or anyone. Go go go go!!! is my daily mantra. But tonight, I was reminded of how wonderful it is to stop and savor a sweet moment with my little Gracie. After all, she will have grown more by tomorrow. Moments like tonight are what I really remember, and what really matters. The laundry can wait, and who cares if I have to pack some things last minute? Time stands still when I am in the moment with my family. I hope I get to stop the clock tomorrow...and the next day...and the next.

Stella

Each day when I come home from work, I am greeted by my little Gracie running up and hugging me (or yelling at me...). It is one of the best feelings in the world to come home to your children, and have them be happy to see you and show that they missed you. But little Stella is unable to run up just yet. However, when I get home I try to spend a little time with just her. Which can be a challenge because Gracie tends to take up all of the space, time, energy in the room. But with my husband's wonderful assistance with Gracie, I can usually steal a moment away to be with just my darling Stella. She has become such an important member of our family. Just the other night Keton and I were discussing how strange it is that it feels as though Stella has always been a member of our family. What would we do without her? And she has only been here, in the flesh, for two months. But as you moms know, once that little one is here, it is as if they have always been. If I had one word to describe my little Stella it would be "sweet". She is so easy going, and gentle in manner. Just the most polite little lady if there ever was one. All fussing has a true reason, unlike our other little firecracker! During our "moment" yesterday, Stella and I just stared at one another and talked about our days. I used full sentences while she used the adorable little "cooing" sounds she has discovered. She was all smiles and giggles too. Even this early on, she is interacting so well and just loves to smile and flirt with us. She is so aware, and in-tune to her surroundings. We had such a special moment yesterday; I truly think I fell more in love with her in just the few minutes we spent together! She is just such a tremendous blessing. My heart aches as I write this because I cannot just run over to her and give her a kiss and a snuggle! The Lord has blessed us again! We just LOVE our little Stella...

The Rat Race

There I was standing in Starbucks yesterday, waiting for my iced coffee, with my phone and ear piece in my ear talking to my mom. I felt kind of weird standing there talking into the ear piece, mainly because I only use it while driving and I am just not that comfortable with the "blue tooth" type stuff. Then I looked over and saw someone else with an ear piece in, and then another person, and another person, etc. At that moment it occurred to me that how many of us live life is just crazy. I mean, we are connected to "the world" on a 24/7 basis. We cannot escape anyone at anytime, because they can either call us, text us, email us, page us, etc. And it is no longer good enough for us to just have a house phone, we cannot LIVE without a cell phone. And now we have to have a device that allows us to talk "hands free" so that we can continue the other activities we are doing WHILE we are talking on the phone. Does this sound crazy to anyone else? I mean, we are multi-tasking to the max! No longer do we just drive somewhere. We get in the car, and we think "Perfect, I have the kids strapped into car seats, and no husband/wife to chat with, so I have the TIME to call my mom/friend/etc. It is amazing to me that we have filled up our days and nights with so many activities and responsibilities that we cannot even take the time to "relax" while driving to our next busy activity. While at this Starbucks yesterday (and yes, I was there to fuel up since I had MORE activities and responsibilities to get to) I started mourning the days where we had a more simple life. I think we get into this "rat race" mentality, and our need for more and more drives us to work more and fill our time up with "stuff". If I get to squeeze in painting my toes at night, I am super excited. How sad. Now, I realize a lot of this craziness (for me anyway) is due to the fact that I have two little ones, and a very full time job and a hubby to care for. But even with all of that, I think I can find a way to clean out the "fluff" and tone down the multi-tasking, so that we can have moments of simplicity, peace, clarity in our lives.
This morning, I was so tired I could barely get out of bed. As the days "to-dos" ran through my mind, and as I thought about our plans for this evening, I felt my anxiety level go up. I think the calendar needs some revamping and perhaps more of doing nothing needs to be scheduled in.

The simple life is what I am dreaming of today....how about you?

Potty Training Adventures

I know every mom has been through this, or will go through this, and I have been finding it quite the little adventure. Gracie is about 2 1/2 and has so far not really been interested in "the potty". We have tried on and off for awhile, but with a big move across the country and the arrival of her new sister, we figured that she would be fine with waiting a little while. This week she has decided that she is ready, (I hear my debit card yelling "yay!" at the thought of not having to purchase 2 sets of diapers anymore!!!!!) and we have obliged her whole-heartily. She has new Mickey and Minnie undies and that means she is ready to go! She proudly announces when she has to go, and then likes to show off the end result of course. But her most favorite part is the "treat" that she gets. She loves her treats so much that she tried to potty about 4 times in 5 minutes yesterday. Naturally she was a little dismayed when she realized no more "potty" would come out and she could not have yet ANOTHER treat. But it was all in all a very successful day yesterday and I was a proud mommy! Throughout this experience we have also learned that she is quite the little intelligent schemer too. Lately we have been just giving her the dinner that we are eating as well (if you know Gracie then you know she is the pickiest eater EVER!) and if she does not eat it she gets no "dessert" after and that is that. Well the other night she would not eat, and was told about the no dessert clause, and I saw the little light go on upstairs. All of a sudden she announces, "I have to potty!", she runs to go potty and then after announcing that she was successful she demands her "treat". Therefore, getting her dessert anyway. Smart little booger...
Each day of potty training brings about new adventures and of course many uncertainties. But I have learned that with little ones like Gracie, they will only do it when they are ready. And when they are ready, WOW, they just do it with style:) In some ways it is awesome, and in others it is just yet another reminder of how fast they grow up. My little baby has turned into a wonderful little girl. What a blessing.

Not Enough Time...

Wow. It has been a little while, or a long while, since I posted. It's not that I don't think about posting daily, but to actually be able to sit down and get it done has become a little issue. For one, I just recently began teaching again and my time has just diminished. I begin my days with feeding Stella and Gracie, getting in the shower, completing my make up while eating my breakfast, etc. The usual "mom" issues. Then I travel to my new job as a high school teacher; usually half dazed and somewhat confused (Did I turn the coffee off? Did I put on deodorant? Is that spit up on my shirt? Did I have a meeting this morning, or is that tomorrow?). Truthfully, God has blessed me with a terrific job and it is really all of the blessings in my life that are keeping me busy. There are days though where I feel as though I am just a character in a movie that is "about" my life and I am not actually able to enjoy it or live it.
I have been thinking about this issue lately; and I am vowing not to be overwhelmed with the demands of life. I have decided that some things CAN wait until tomorrow, and sometimes it really IS more important for me to have a phone conversation with my two and a half year old daughter that makes absolutely no sense and completely wastes valuable time. This school year, I am going to really try to have a healthy balance between work and play, and make sure that my family knows that I value them.
I may be sleep deprived and I may need ample amounts of coffee and exercise to keep me going, but I know this time will pass all too quickly. For the moment, I am going to savor the sweetness of being a "young mom", and all that entails.

Our Mini Adventure

I have embarked on a mini adventure this weekend with the girls. Since it is a three day weekend, the girls and I have traveled up north about four hours to Fresno, CA where my mother and her husband live. My husband was not able to come, so this is where the adventure part sets in. Since having Stella, I have been conquering my fears of going out with TWO children, one step at a time. The first trip to Target, or the grocery store, or a friend's home. There was even a doctor's visit somewhere in there. Each outing with just myself and the girls has helped me become a little more comfortable with handling them alone. However, being that Stella is only about one month old, I was afraid of this "road trip" this weekend. It would be me and two little ones trekking up north in the heat, and you know that everything cannot go perfectly. Could I do it? Would they both potty in their pants at the same time and decorate their car seats with poopies??? And then how would I clean them while watching them both? How do I go to the bathroom? Maybe I should not drink any liquid for five hours and try to avoid having to stop and have a family trip to the potty. Was I prepared that they might both start crying at the same time and not stop for hours? And then of course there would be the inevitable stop to feed little Stella. What would Gracie do? Knowing her she would probably run off and I would have to leave our stuff and chase after her while feeding my newborn. In which case someone would most likely steal our stuff while I was trying to run down my screaming preschooler. You can see where my imagination ran wild....
Alas, things went rather smoothly on the trip up here. We did have to stop to feed Stella, and Gracie sat quietly and ate her yogurt parfait just like the little sweetheart that she is capable of being:) We all made a trip to the potty without incident (I convinced Gracie that while I was using the restroom, it was crucially important for her to watch her sister and make sure she did not jump out of her carrier and run away; she was the best "watchdog" ever!). Both diapers were changed and we were out the door and on the road. They both slept, I listened to some Frank Sinatra and drank my grande coffee, and in no time we were at my mother's door. And, for now, the fear has subsided and I feel a little more brave about what I can accomplish as a mom of two. That being said, it is so apparent that I depend on my husband, and that he really does a lot for us. Not having him on this trip has created in me a whole new appreciation for all that he does!
So far this visit has been nice, and I have to say that I am not scared about the road trip home. I feel as though I have "grown up" a little more as a mommy. I wonder what challenge I will take on next...

The Beauty Shop and The Medicine Cabinet

My oldest daughter, Gracie, has given me more than enough material for my blogging this week. It seems as though each day is a new opportunity for her to do something that is just too funny to keep to myself. The other day, for example, she was off playing with her niece Isis (who is five years old) and I assumed she was having a grand time and staying out of trouble. Oh what a silly assumption; I am obviously a young and "new" mom still. Isis came out holding a "ball" of some strange substance. While on her way to the trash can, my husband asked her what she was carrying. She simply replied, "Hair." He then asked her what she was doing and she said, "Cutting hair." He then questioned her about who's hair, and of course she said, "Mine and Gracie's." I think my heart actually stopped beating for a minute. It seemed like several LONG minutes before I reached Gracie's bedroom door. Visions of G.I. Jane and Demi Moore's buzzed head were popping up in my mind. Gracie greeted us with a smile and a seriously uneven and almost completely "chopped" hair do. See photo for a visual! All we could do was laugh. Apparently Isis is ready to use her kindergarten-child-proof scissors! We soon discovered that Isis also cut of about four inches off of her own hair as well. Several laughs (okay, and maybe a few tears) later, we had the girls evened out and showing off their new "summer" do's. Haha...

As if that was not enough excitement, Gracie struck again only hours later. As I have said before, I have a newborn as well who just turned one month the other day. So naturally my nights are filled with sleepy-eyed midnight feedings and in the morning I am usually pretty tired. The morning following the hair incident, Gracie awoke rather early. I tried to put her in bed with me since my husband was already at work and there was room. I gave her some milk, talked to her in a sweet voice and basically begged her to go back to sleep for "just a few more minutes". Apparently I then dozed off for a minute or two and when I awoke I discovered that she had completely emptied a bottle of nose spray and a bottle of gas drops that were for her sister. Oh, and she dumped them all over my bible and other books I had resting on my nightstand. Thank goodness she did not drink them, but this was about the only other thing she could do with them that was still not fun to deal with. This left me feeling rather upset because I just WANTED TO SLEEP, and a little mad at myself for leaving the medicine in plain view of my little one. And yes, I had just purchased both so there went some money down the drain (or poured all over my books) as well. Don't you just LOVE kids:)? Actually, all joking aside, what I have discovered this week is that even with all of the crazy things Gracie is doing lately and the seriously small amounts of sleep I am getting, I have truly learned to enjoy my little girl for all that she is. How boring our lives would be without our little girls....

Plus, just this week I have become a little bit wiser in my mothering....:)

Gray Hairs

On the way to story time the other day, I made the mistake of looking into the car mirror to apply some lip gloss. Little did I know that I would be discovering something I did not expect to discover for YEARS...several gray hairs. And I do mean several. Let me put it this way, there were too many to just "pluck" away with a pair of tweezers. I will admit that about a month or two ago I found a few gray hairs hanging out around my hair line, and truth be told I convinced myself that they were "really blonde hairs" (even though I am a brunette) and it was probably caused by hormones during my pregnancy. Well, now I am not pregnant anymore AND these hairs were a lovely shade of gray, not blonde. I freaked out and bought some hair dye. Okay, I know this sounds very superficial, but I was just not prepared to be dealing with this at an early age. I am not yet 30, and here comes the "old age" hair. My husband politely told me that I will look beautiful with gray hair...ummmm maybe when I am much older I can do the au naturel look and go all gray but at this age hair dye is a must. This whole experience got me thinking....

Now I have to color my "grays" every other month or so. Just add one more thing to my to-do list, and one more thing to my "upkeep" list. I feel like the older I get the more upkeeping I have to do to maintain my look. Not that I particulary have a "look" but it seems that I am having to do more and more just to stay decent. Anyone else feel this way? I truly do not like high maintenance fashion, hair, make up, etc. but I am also not able to go with the naked face look either. Yet, the older I get the more time it seems to take to look the same. And, ironically, I have less time now. I wonder if there is a solution to this...

I am assuming that with these new gray hairs, I will also be receiving new wisdom...right??? I sure could use some.

Replacing the pacifier...and other things I do over and over....

Do you other moms ever feel that you spend countless minutes, maybe hours, putting the pacifier back in your newborn/baby's mouth? Or wiping up after your toddler for the hundreth time that day? Or changing yet ANOTHER diaper? Not that I am really "complaining" because I truly love being a mother and I love my girls. But what really gets me about being a mom is that you are never really "done" with your work, or that as soon as you accomplish one thing, it is off to the next! The minute Stella, my newborn, is asleep, don't you know it...Gracie is up or is involved in some dramatic situation needing my immediate attention. I am slowly realizing that being a mom of two is a whole different story. Again, it is greater than I ever expected, but also challenging and yesterday I found myself in the parenting section of Borders Bookstore. Currently I am in the state of survival and so I have been feeling as though there is something lacking in our families' lives. Everyone keeps telling me that this is just a phase and soon I will be on top of my game and we will be "thriving" instead of barely getting through the day. Anyone have any advice on this??? I guess I just want to do it all, and I am disappointed that I cannot...

The funny thing is...I am currently living at my mother-in-law's home as we are in transition with our lives since moving back to our home area, AND I am a full time stay at home mom for the minute. So not only do I have help, but I am also not juggling a job...yet. Funny how I actually have the nerve to write about all of this in my blog given my circumstances...but I guess I am just not as with it as many moms are. In early Sept. I begin teaching again, and so the serious juggling act will begin. Get ready for those posts....

On a positive note, the girls are healthy and happy and I just could not imagine a day in life without them! God is so good...

Crazy days (and sleepless nights!)

You know that you are super tired when you and your husband spend five minutes in the morning trying to figure out which one of you got up with your two and a half year old daughter in the middle of the night. Sad to say, but on this morning neither one of us could recall which person actually went in and checked on her when she awoke for the fifth time in the middle of the night, again. Of course, the main reason for this forgetfulness is that we have a two week old daughter as well, and so due to the multiple feedings and such, we are tired, tired, tired parents. However, I have to say that our newborn, Stella, is quite a wonderful little baby so far. And it is a good thing....since our oldest, Gracie, is quite the little firecracker.
Life has been chaotic since we started having children, and apparently it gets more chaotic as you add children to your family. But in the same breath, life with the girls is simply wonderful and we would not have it any other way. As I am typing this my toddler is whining and crying because she has to have "creative" room-time all by herself...poor thing. But we have found that waking up each morning to their adorable little faces and even more adorable quirky habits, is the best way to start your day! Truth be told, we would be lost without them and I probably would not have enough stories to start this blog!
On that note, welcome to our story. I have a wonderful friend that posts her family's happenings weekly and I enjoy them so much I decided to start one for our family. There is no telling what this blog will include or share, but I think it will be a fun adventure for us. I am off to try to find a moment of peace and quiet....
As if that exists at this time!