Wednesday Ramblings

Oh, my posts just keep getting fewer and further between.

So, here are today's rambling thoughts ...

1. I surpassed my minimum fundraising goal for my upcoming Komen 3-Day walk. My latest donation pushed me over the $2300 mark! So excited that the "hard" part is done ... now to walk 60 miles!
2. I lost my third toenail of the year. It's always the same toenail that I lose and I just went up another half size on my shoes. I can't figure out what is causing it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the toe"nail" underneath is a pinkish shade, so it almost matches the rest of my painted toes.
3. I started this blog almost 4 years ago! Can you believe it. Here's my very first post. Obviously, I had no idea what I was doing back then either. It's funny that some things remain the same ... Hubby's still cooking dinner, we're still running, Zeus and Zoe are still around, and I'm still volunteering with the Junior League.
4. My Mom cracked me up today. By the way, she is doing well ... she's done with chemo, is now halfway through radiation, and will continue to receive another anti-cancer drug every three weeks until April. I believe that she will do another scan after the radiation to check things out. Oh, and how she cracked me up ... She told me that her hair was coming back, but unfortunately her facial hair was coming back as well. Nice and coarse, Mom told me. She's always made me promise that I won't leave her in a retirement home with whiskers coming out of her chin.
5. I had my mammogram yesterday and talked with my OB about a lot of different things ... possibly having genetic testing to see if my Mom had the Braca gene and possibly passed it on. It is the gene for breast or ovarian cancer. That is something that I'm not even able to wrap my head around and think about right now.
6. Note to self: When you eat cake three nights in a row, and Feeney's twice in one weekend, and you hop on the scale on Monday morning, don't question where the extra 4 pounds came from. Apparently running 15 miles DOESN'T give you the ability to eat anything you want!
7. Oh, I found blue crayon marks on the sofa. Joy. Thank God for washable crayons and washable slipcovers. Too bad it's on the body of the sofa, so the whole big slipcover is going to have to come off.

15 miles and Feeney's

Well, I did it. My half marathon plan called for 13 miles on Saturday, but there were several people who were going up to 15 and I wanted to see if I could do it and I did it. 15 miles ... whoo-hoo!

It was actually a very good run, with the exception of the last mile or so. Someone told me that your body wouldn't know how to react once you went past 13 (or whatever mileage is your highest) and that was true. I could feel myself slowing down and really had to think about what I was doing so I wouldn't get sloppy. But, I did it and felt pretty good.

I was surprised at how quickly the miles went by. We got to mile 7, then to 10, and it hit me that I was really going to do 15.

My Garmin froze at 11.66 miles, so that stunk, because I'm a little OCD about using the Garmin for miles/pace, etc. My time kept going, but no pace and no distance. The guy who I ran with had the same problem, but he was able to restart his so that made me happy.

Now, it's taper time and in 2 weeks, race day. Wow.

I also discovered another new love ... Feeney's frozen yogurt. A self serve froyo bar with lots of yummy fresh fruit, chocolate candies, gummy worms, sprinkles, sauces, etc,etc. So, so good. Great flavors and let's just say that I was worried my cup was going to cost $18 (you pay by the ounce), but luckily it didn't. Here's to hoping that $3.50 isn't bad. I am glad that it's not too close to my house, but I can definitely tell that this may be my new addiction. Yum.

ending with cake

Yesterday, I worked, came home and did Mom duties until 6:30, then went to a meeting at 7pm that lasted until after 11. So, I got home around 11:30, read for a few minutes and tried to go to sleep as quickly as possible.


I woke up about 5:15 to walk 5 miles with some teammates at 5:45, came home at 7am, showered and got ready for work. I worked, came home and did Mom duties, and did enjoy 30 minutes of light dozing while Hubby read books and played with Maddy and Libby.


I am exhausted and ready for bed. It's only 8:34 PM. Plus, I have to get up a little before 5 to meet my running girls for 6 miles at 5:30. This is the point in the training that I am over it ... especially these early morning runs 3 days a week.


But do you know one good thing? Both days ended with cake. Yummy cream cheese frosting, strawberry filled cake. Carb loading, right!?
More days should include cake.

Proud parent

I'm so proud of my girls and their different accomplishments ...

Maddy has gone to the bathroom on the potty for two nights in a row. Yeah, Maddy!

Libby has been counting to 10, usually missing the number 6, but she gets the rest. Yeah, Libby!

It's funny ... I don't think Maddy has any idea what she has done, even when we applaud and basically act like idiots over her achievement. However, Libby, while sitting on her potty tonight, pointed to the other potty and said "Sister potty." Then, she clapped.

A little look

After I get home from running on Saturday mornings, Maddy loves to put on my socks. Kind of gross, but it's so cute to see my ankle-length socks come up her calves. Yesterday, she put on both my socks and shoes. A future runner, perhaps?

When I'm lucky, Libby and Maddy will give kisses. I was just surprised to see that they would give one to each other. I guess it doesn't matter that 3 hours earlier, they were probably biting each other.

Growing up

I know I've said this a thousand times and you all are sick of hearing it, but some days, I just can't believe that my babies are growing up. I swear they change overnight.

For instance, Libby has counted to four recently. On her own, not with me badgering her. She had placed 4 bathtub rings on her arm and as she took them off, she counted "1-2-3-4." They can both count higher if you ask them to repeat, but I was surprised that she did it on her own. She counted "1-2-3" as she walked up 3 steps tonight.

Also hearing them put together little sentences just amazes me. "Libby, shoes, outside." or "Here Mama, shoes." Maybe my girls are still a little obsessed with shoes!

It's been fun to see them start to pretend play more. Lately, they have been blowing bubbles with their spoons, making dinner in their pots and pans and looking for someone to sample their creation, and mothering their baby dolls.

While they can be very sweet to each other, they can also be quite mean. The sweet things have been patting each other backs, bringing one another blankies, doll, etc. Some of the mean times have included biting and pinching, so both of them have been spending some minutes in the time out chair. Once when Libby was in the time out chair for biting, Maddy brought her a toy. Think she'll be our sensitive child?

Enough rambling and sorry for no photos ... I need to charge camera batteries and maybe I'll get around to posting on a regular basis soon!

You know you're training for a half-marathon & Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure when ...

You do more laundry of running clothes than anything else.

You seriously analyze which Gu flavor tastes the best, and make sure you stock up on them.

You don't think twice about having conversations about blisters, icing, foam rollers, Body Glide, port-a-potties, chafing, or calf stretches.

6 miles doesn't seem like that long anymore.

Your favorite pre-long run dinner is something with pasta.

You give strangers your opinion of the hand held water bottles in REI, without them asking.

Your latest shoe purchase are running shoes, and not cute sandals.

You just spent $17 on socks, but if you don't get blisters, then it's all worth it.

I had no idea

Did you know that SPANX made t-shirts for men? I guess they need to feel sucked in and smooth, just like we do.

I think I need a full body SPANX suit today. I don't think I'm helping matters that during the week I've eaten fried dill pickles and tater tots. Two different meals, but still.

I will have to say that the dill pickles were so worth it, and I'm glad that I'm running 11 miles tomorrow. I can't believe that my 3rd half marathon of the year will be here in just a few weeks. These hot temperatures haven't made training any fun at all and who knows how hot it will be at Virginia Beach for the actual event.

I have been using the Frogg Togg chilly pad and they are pretty amazing. They come in a big square and I've cut them in smaller pieces to carry with me. I've also been filling my water bottle about halfway, then freezing it overnight. Then, I fill it the rest of the way in the morning. Too bad that it didn't last as long as I had imagined, but at least the water stayed cold and not lukewarm like it typically does.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Movin'

We're moving to NYC ... Ok, ok, not really, but we'll be living there for 5 days this fall. Does that count? Yeah, probably not, but I'm pretending.

Hubby is running the NYC marathon again this year and we decided to make a little vacation of it since it's also near the time of our five year anniversary.

We were looking at hotels, debating if we wanted to return to where we stayed last year, and on a whim, decided to look at vbro.com

We've used vbro in the past and have had good experiences. Once, we rented a neat architect's home in Key West, and another time we stayed in a condo at Wrightsville Beach. We found two apartments that we liked and found out yesterday that the one we really wanted was available.

It's kind of exciting to feel like you're actually living in that location and not just visiting. We'll have a doorman, a great city view, 2 blocks from Central Park, close to the museums, shopping, etc. Plus, who doesn't love drinking coffee at "home" each morning, as opposed to dropping $10 each morning at Starbucks. Maybe I'll be like the scrunchie girl from Sex in the City who thinks that Carrie and Berger actually believes she lives in NYC.

Random Monday Ramblings

• I've run 500 miles so far this year. My total for 2009 was a little over 500, so it feels pretty good to beat that already. Not sure if I'll make it to 1,000 ... I'll have to get in some serious miles in the next 5 months to do so.
  
• I was starving this morning when I got to the grocery, so I did the trick that I see parents do for their kids all the time. I found a snack (Luna Blueberry Bliss bar), opened her up, and inhaled it. I saved my wrapper and gave it to the check out person who looked at me a little oddly. I felt like she was going to tell me, "You know, you could have shoved that wrapper in your purse and we would have never known."
• When I was leaving the grocery, I had a man ask for 80 cents for the bus and he would unload my groceries for me. I had exactly no cash money on me, so I had to tell him no. Not that I would have let him unload my groceries for me, but I might have been willing to give him a little change. How sad is it that I didn't have 80 cents? Do you think bus fair is really 80 cents, or I wonder in the land of begging for money, if people are more likely to give you a dollar if you ask for less. I'm sure there is an art to the salesmanship of it.
  

Learning to deal with independent twin toddlers. Alternate title: Trying not to lose my sh*t.

Currently, Maddy and Libby go to preschool 3 mornings a week and they absolutely love it. For the past month, we have been walking to and from the car to the classroom instead of using their stroller. I know this may not sound like a big deal, but when you have two little ones to get out of the car, up the stairs, past the playground, into the church, down the hall, and into the classroom, it can sometimes be a challenge.

Mornings are usually a piece of cake. They will wait on the sidewalk for me, they don't pay attention to the playground, and they typically walk right to their room. OK, sometimes Maddy wants to push the stroller by the crib room, but typically we are OK.

Afternoons are a whole other world. At first, they were OK. Then, they wanted on the playground, so I started going another way. Then, they wanted to check out other hallways. Then, they wanted to climb into the bye-bye buggies that were in the hallway. Then, they wanted to sit in the little chair outside the school director's door. Then, they would refuse to walk to the door and I would end up carrying screaming children (often with the help of a teacher, or school director) to the car.

Today, on the last day of school, 3 bye-bye buggies were parked outside of their classroom. I cringed. I brought the stroller today, because I knew we would have extra items to carry (leftover diapers, emergency clothes, etc), so I thought maybe I would be alright.

Of course, they both end up sitting in the buggies and whenever I would tell them that it was time to go, or actually pick them up, I was met with a screeching toddler, yelling "Nooooooo!" I finally just ignored the screaming, told them it was time to go, and had to force them into their stroller. Of course, they splayed their legs and arms out making this difficult so I really felt bad pushing them into their seats. Two other Moms tried to help out, but it was really just a nightmare.

I ended up carrying Libby, while pushing Maddy in the stroller, both were sniffing from crying, and I was hot and flustered from everything.

So, what is the solution? You want them to become independent and it's hard to tell them not to climb in the buggy when it's something they do every day. At 2, do they really know the difference? Or do they know the difference, and just know that they have the upper hand? We are usually on a schedule in the afternoons and I have to be back at work, so I don't have time just to let them play for a few minutes. Should I start looking for books on raising headstrong children, or how not to get pushed around by your toddler, invest in the back pack leashes, or just result to dragging them down the hallway?

We have a month to come up with a good solution since school is out until after Labor Day. So, readers ... get to work so I'm not known as "that Mom" at the preschool.

grilled cheese

I made grilled cheese sandwiches for Maddy and Libby tonight and all of a sudden, I was thinking about fall and everything that I love about it.


Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinners, cool fall days with enough sun to warm your face, pumpkins, fall festivals, glasses of red wine, leaves on the ground, my favorite Japanese maple tree turning fiery red in our backyard, sitting outside on patios during those perfect days where it's warm, but not too warm to sit outside, bonfires and sharing meals with friends, hayrides, scarves around your neck, the perfect long sleeve white tee shirt, those days where you can still wear shorts, opening the windows and letting fresh air in your home, running on a crisp fall morning, hiking in the mountains, cuddled up and reading a book under a blanket, hot apple cider, the anticipation of Halloween and hearing the laughter of children in the neighborhood, watching college campuses come to life, wearing your favorite boots for the first time, needing a sweatshirt on a cool morning, feeling the warmth of a coffee cup in between your hands.


Then I stepped outside and it was still hot and humid, so I calmly shut the door and went back into the air-conditioning.

Sigh.

I love fall, but as I re-read my list, everything is about food or clothes. Oh well.

Irony, or my karma is shot.

We aren't potty training Maddy and Libby yet, but I did pick up two potties and decided to keep them out in the bathroom. I thought we could ask them before going to bed, before a bath, if they'd like to try to go. Lately, both Maddy and Libby will remove their diapers and bring them to us. Sometimes wet, sometimes dry. I'm not sure if they are doing this because they have new babies whose diapers comes off, or if they just wanted a new one, or just want to drive us crazy.

So on Saturday, it was bath night and we asked them if they wanted to sit on the potty. Maddy sat on it for a few minutes, but nothing happened. We asked Libby and she immediately said "no." As soon as she stepped in the tub, she did go potty. Hubby and I just laughed. We went ahead and gave them a bath ... I figure it was probably mostly water anyway, right?

So, we were nearly through with their bath and all of a sudden, I hear Hubby say "Shit." Literally. Someone had pooped in the tub.

Who needs a potty when you have a big ol' bathtub?

Clean livin'

We've been trying to eat healthier, more local, and a bit cleaner/less processed here at the D. household. By no means are we perfect ... Goldfish crackers still invade on a weekly basis and I'm not sure who eats more of them. I love supporting the local farmers at our farmers market, plus the produce is so much better than what we can find at our grocery stores. I really don't think I can buy eggs at the grocery store ever again, because the quality of the local/farm-fresh is so much better.

I tried to bring this style of eating into my running fuel. I find myself needing a little boost on longer runs and I've always used Gu products before. Same with post-run, there's nothing like an ice-cold cup of Gatorade to quench your thirst.

I was at my local running store and picked up some Stingers. These are organic, made with honey, energy chews. I liked the taste and the texture, but they just didn't seem to give me the extra "boost" that the Gu Chomps do. I think I was missing the caffeine. I'll definitely try them again and see if maybe I need to eat more of them than I do with the Chomps.

I think my biggest fail was the natural sports drink I heard about from one of my running buddies. It's called Recharge and was available to Earth Fare, our "healthy" grocery store. She had actually found it for a $1/bottle at Big Lots so I stopped by to pick up a few. Yuck. Not good and I'm definitely not giving up my sugar laden Gatorade for this. Has anyone else tried it? Do you have any good sports drinks that you would recommend? I know that Gatorade is supposed to be the Kool-Aid of Sports drinks and while (I think) it tastes good, I don't know if it's doing anything to replenish me after a long run.

So, as I prepare for 10 miles tomorrow, I'm packing my bag with Gu Chomps and sticking a bottle of G2 Gatorade in the fridge.

Little Gym and discovering orifices

I decided to try out Little Gym today with Maddy and Libby. They had a good time even though they didn't come to the red mat and introduce themselves like all the other kiddies. Mine were too busy playing on all the equipment leaving me to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" by myself. They had a good time and I think they could really get into it after they learned the ropes a bit more. Some of the kids there were totally fearless and you could tell that they had been coming for a while.

It worked out that Hubby could meet us for lunch and we decided to get pizza at Cici's. Yep, it's cheap, but I will say that those people are working hard, the store had a 100.5 health code rating, and they are constantly asking if you need anything. Not too shabby even if the pizza is just OK. Maddy and Libby loved the pineapple, pasta, and breadsticks so everyone left happy.

While we were there, we looked over to see Maddy with a finger up her nose. Then, Libby stuck hers in her nose. While Hubby and I tried hard not to laugh, we just couldn't help it. Of course, they thought this was hilarious and refused to remove their fingers. I almost took a picture, but I decided against as I didn't want to encourage them anymore. Their interaction and "teamwork" always makes me laugh and scares me a little. I have a feeling I'll be doing whatever they demand in a few years when they tag-team me.

A few more questions

I have a few more questions to answer, but I wanted to take a break to ask if anyone else has seen the amazing looking strawberry layer cake in the current issue of Martha Stewart Living? I can't find the recipe online, but I may have to post this deliciousness.

If I can really get serious and make this sucker, that would be even better. Too bad Martha didn't include it in last month's magazine when our fresh strawberries were really at their best.

They also have a frozen peanut butter/banana/graham cracker recipe that looks wonderful, too.

Can you tell I'm entering higher mileage in my training and all I want to do is eat? I really can't believe that it's almost time for my 3rd half marathon of the year in about 7 weeks. How did that happen?

Answering ... high school, college, and how I ended up here

Emily asked what high school and college were like for me. This is feeling a little bit like therapy, but I guess I'll write it down anyway.

High School ... I had been attending a private school that was K-12 off and on since 1st grade. I attending 1st grade there, then switched to a public school for 3 years, and then went back to the private school in the 5th. I don't really remember how all of this transpired, or why, but that's what happened. I think my Mom personally knew my 2nd grade teacher and really wanted me to have her so we made the switch. So, I was in 9th grade and told my parents that I wanted to switch back to public. My thinking was that by attending a school where I had 20 in my class, I was never going to be able to cut it when I went to college and had classes with hundreds of people.

So, they let me switch, but sent me to the "good" high school that wasn't in our zone. Not that we were in a bad area, but there were plenty of people at my supposedly "good" high school that were doing the same things that everyone at the "not so good" high school were doing.

I had friends, but I was also a bit of an outsider. I was in my punk rocker/bad poetry/hair in my face phase and just didn't know exactly where I fit in. I enjoyed English and Art, tolerated History, and struggled through Algebra and Chemistry. I ended up being friends with the cheerleaders and the popular girls even though I'm sure I didn't look like them or listen to the same music that they liked. I always liked school, teachers liked me, I stayed out of trouble even though I do remember forging late notes from my Mom in the parking lot when I was late for school. I did Sub Debs, went through Presentation and all of that. I ended up meeting a guy and having my first real boyfriend when I was a Junior. He went to a different school and was a year younger, so when I graduated he was still finishing up his Senior Year. Yes, I went to Prom as a college freshman. Say it with me, La-0-ser. But, I did have a great dress because I was so much older and wiser than all of those college seniors.

High School seems so far away now, but I have good friends and memories that I still cherish. I remember being nominated for our "Friendliest" superlative, but lost out by a few votes to a girl named Brandi. Sigh.

Onto college. All my friends were going away to to the larger schools in TN or in Kentucky and I was planning to go away to college in KY with one of my good friends, Beth. At decision time, I decided to stay and attend college in my hometown, where my Dad had graduated from. Not to mention, I had the boyfriend.

Freshman year was probably no different than my senior year of high school. I lived at home, dated the boyfriend, worked part time, and that summed up my life. Sophomore year rolled around and I decided to go through Sorority Rush, my friends that went away to college in other cities all came home, I ditched the boyfriend, and moved in with my oldest friend and now sorority sisters.

This was a little more what college should be like. It was still a bit of a mixed experience. I didn't live at home, but we didn't live on campus. My friend that I lived with had a condo that her Dad owned (and it was AWESOME). I was a good student, but probably not as serious as I should have been. Looking back, I cringe when I think about some of the grades I made when I could have done better, but sometimes wine and cheese mixers at the Pike house took precedent. I majored in Communications, with a minor in English and really loved my classes and professors. My sorority/women's fraternity (Chi Omega) was definitely a big part of my life and I served in several leadership capacities, including Chapter President. Some of those ladies are still my closest friends today and I am glad I made the decision to join.

Do I regret not going away to school? Sometimes. Do I regret not doing things like studying abroad? Definitely. I had a good experience, but there are definitely things I would do differently if given the chance.

Laura C. asked how I got to Greensboro.

After college, I attended graduate school in Chattanooga, TN with one of my best friends. We had always said that we wanted to attend college together, but it just wasn't feasible, so grad school seemed like the next best idea. During our 2nd year, she got married and moved to Alabama. I had taken the first semester off to travel, so I finished out the second semester and started applying for jobs. My thought was that I would get a job and go to school part time. I really felt like I wasn't ready for grad school since I had no real world work experience. I interviewed for a job in High Point, NC, got the position, and moved to Greensboro in May 2008 sight unseen. My other plan was to go to work in Yellowstone National Park again for the summer and enroll in the Masters of Corporate Communication program at my alma mater. Yellowstone is a whole other part of my life that I should really write down. As cheesy as it sounds, it was pretty life changing for me and was my first time living on my own. I probably grew up more in those two summers than I did all of college.

Greensboro has been a great city for me and for our family and it's hard to believe that I've been here for over 10 years. I left briefly when I was transferred with my first company, but returned after about 6 months. Hubby likes to call it the biggest smallest town you will find. We have plenty to do, Raleigh and Charlotte are nearby if you need a "big" city, plus the beach and mountains a few hours away too. I'm involved in my community, we know our neighbors, we have good friends, it's a great area for our family, plus I honestly like the area.

Answering ... must have baby registry items

Sweet Sarah who is expecting a BOY asked about must have baby registry items.

Well, my experience may be slightly different because I had two, but I'm sure that a lot of the items would translate well for anyone.

Items that I couldn't have lived without ...

Some sort of baby chair/bouncer seat. Not only is this a good spot for napping when they are little, it provides a safe space where they can sit and look at toys around them, and you can use it to sit and feed them when they are starting rice cereal, solid foods, etc, but can't sit in a high chair. We had a Boppy brand and one that was Fisher Price papasan style that we borrowed from a friend. I liked them both.

Swing. I know that some Pediatrician's are against the swing, but there were some days that this was the only thing that made my babies happy. We had the Fisher Price papasan style ... both a new one and one that we borrowed. Loved, loved, loved them both.

Dr. Brown's Formula Mixer Pitcher. This rocked. I nursed/pumped for eight months, but we also had to supplement with formula. Since I had two, this pitcher came in handy because I could make up a larger quantity, the mixer really took care of any clumps, and then the formula was in the fridge, ready to go. We used all Dr. Brown's bottles and had good success with them so I never tried any others.

Medela Breast Pump. It ain't a pretty sight, but if you need to pump, Medela's are the best and you can find the hospital grade models easily too.

Halo Sleep Sacks. My daughters still sleep in a sleep sack. Yes, they do go up to an XL that goes up to 36 pounds so I figure that we still have a little more time for these. They liked being swaddled when they were small, but once they got too big for the swaddle blanket, they would never keep a blanket on them and I was always freaked out about suffocation. This way, they stay safe and comfortable at the same time.

BOB stroller. I can't say enough good things about this stroller. We bought it when Maddy and Libby were 6 months old so I never used it with the car seat adaptor. It's good in neighborhoods with lots of curbs and for long runs, too.

Snap & Go stroller. I loved this when the girls were little and still in infant car seats. Like the names says, you could just snap them in and go.

Cloth Diapers. While I didn't do cloth diapers for little bums, we used cloth diapers for burp cloths, to clean up spills, and Maddy and Libby actually sleep with one of their cloth diapers as a blankie each night. I actually prefer the larger, thinner ones over the thick ones. They have adorable lovies, but what they always want is their blankie. You can also tie it around their shoulders and play superbaby, or around their head and play baby with a do'rag!

Sound machine. We didn't use anything fancy, but actually a clock radio of Hubby's that has a "wind" setting on it. It definitely helped to mask noises during nap time and night time.

Board books. Books have been a favorite of Maddy and Libby for as long as I can remember. We made reading stories to them part of our nap and nighttime rituals. Board books are great because they will take more abuse (chewing, drool, etc) than the regular books.

If you want to make your own baby food, and as tempting as the Williams-Sonoma model may be, all you need is a stick immersion blender and silicone ice cube trays. Then just visit wholesome baby food and you'll be all set.

Good car seats. We had Graco's as infants and now we have Britax. Love the Britax.

Baby Jail. Ok, this may not be politically correct, but once Maddy and Libby were mobile (crawling), this thing saved me. I was working from home at the time and it was the only way that I could keep an eye on them while I tried to do a little work. It's huge and if you can get over looking at primary colors all day, then it can save your life!

We've had a few things that were trial and error. I thought I had to have Baby Bjorns, but I really didn't use them all that much, but I had friends wore their babies all the time. Also the Bumbo seat was kind of a bust for us. They seemed to be too small/too unsteady at first and then the next thing I knew, they had outgrown it. However, other people that I know loved theirs. Same for the Diaper Genie. We use a Diaper Champ that just uses grocery store bags and it seems to be so much easier than using something that requires a special refill.

Other must haves that I think were vital to our sanity:

A schedule for meals/sleeping and sticking to it. If it was nap time, then I was at home ... not out trying to get my babies to sleep in a stroller. Not judging those Mom's that can do this, but a schedule was sacred at our house.

A non-quiet house. Huh, you ask. I vacuumed when they slept, flushed the toilet, dogs barked, phones rang, music was on and everyone turned out OK. Granted, I didn't have a party while they slept, but they got used to household noises and now can typically sleep through one another waking up, dogs barking, storms, etc.

Please feel free to leave any more "must have" baby items in the comments and we can all share ideas. I can remember doing our baby registry over several visits because I would just get overwhelmed with all of the stuff. Plus the fluorescent lighting and concrete floors in most of those stores are no fun!

Answering ... motherhood

MER asked, "What surprised you most about being a Mom? What's the hardest part and what's the most rewarding?"

I think the instantaneous bond that I felt with my children surprised me the most. I had no idea that I could feel the love that I feel for my children. I was never one of those crazy baby people. I've always liked babies, but I didn't grow up around lots of babies, didn't ogle stranger's babies in the grocery, but when I first held them, something shifted in me that I still can't truly describe.

The hardest part ... Well, the early stages before they were sleeping through the night was definitely hard. Now, it's truly a blur and I honestly don't remember how difficult it was, or how sleep deprived we were. We had a system, we put the babies on a schedule, and we just kind of powered through it. I have some hard days now. Two at two is hard. Heck, I guess one at two would be hard, and I'm sure two at three will also be hard, but there are days when you have tantrums, or screeching, or you've just gotten hit with the Elmo phone for the 2nd time, and I want to lose it. I'm not proud to admit that I've lost my cool and yelled when it wasn't necessary, but I've done it. I've also walked out of the room during screaming and gone back in 5 minutes when I could better handle it. There are days that I'm glad I work, but there are days that I look forward to Friday (when I typically don't work) and we can have special outings together.

The most rewarding parts for me comes in little snippets throughout the days, weeks, months, and years. Lately, it's been when I'm walking Maddy down the stairs and she asks, "where sister?" because Libby was already downstairs, but she didn't know where she was. Or when Libby gives me a kiss when I ask, or when Maddy's upset and Libby brings her a toy to make her feel better, or when you can hold a freshly bathed, PJ'ed, damp curly haired child in your lap and read a book about meerkats, monkeys, and giraffes and adore the interaction. Or asking them 8 different animals and they get them all right. Or seeing your husband hold/play with your child and see a different kind of love that is so endearing. Those are some of the best moments for me.

Answering ... dogs and babies

MER asked "How long have you had your dogs? Is there a special story behind how they became part of the family? How did they adjust to the twins since they were your first babies?"

We have had the dogs, Zeus and Zoe since Hubby and I were dating. Everyone called them the engagement dogs and joked that Hubby bought the dogs instead of a ring. Truth be known, we bought and paid for them separately from the same breeder in Lake Norman, NC, paid our own vet bills, etc. They have always lived together as I couldn't have a pet at my apartment at the time, but since Hubby (then boyfriend!) had a house with a fenced in yard, it just made sense for them both to live with him.

Zeus and Zoe were on our save the date cards.

Hubby wanted a dog and invited me to go along to see the puppies. I loved dogs and had a weakness for labs, so as soon as we saw 10 little black and chocolate pups, we started throwing around the idea of having two. Gluttons for punishment, don't you think?!


Zeus and Zoe have always been good around Maddy and Libby. Zeus used to rest his head on my belly when I was pregnant and I always felt like he sensed something was going on. We were so worried at first that they would do something naughty, but they really have been good. Zeus will let the girls pet him, lay on him, pull his ears, and put toys on his back. Zoe is a little more aloof around them and likes to come around during snack/meal time, but doesn't enjoy play time as much. She typically just goes in another room if they are playing too close to her.

Emily asked "What do you want most for your girls? And how in the heck do you tell them apart? Really? Is there something about each that makes it clear?"

Wow. Where to begin and I'll start with the "easy" part of this question ... how do I tell them apart.

The first and easiest is that Libby has 3 hemangiomas. Two are on her back and the one on her hand is now very light, but that used to be the easiest way to distinguish them.

Libby is slightly taller (about an inch) and weighs more (about 1.5 pounds), but that is hard to see on them unless you can get them to stand still.

Maddy's face is a bit more round, and Libby's is more oval. Maddy's face is also a little more petite. See, can you tell? Maddy is sitting on Libby's lap in this picture.

Personality. Libby is typically more a "people person." She wants to be with people, checking things out, seeing what's going on. Maddy is too, to an extent, but she is also content to do her own thing more than Libby.

What do I want most for Maddy and Libby? Happiness, independence, laughter, to be challenged, love, education, success, good families, good memories of their childhood and families, a good heart, good character, a sense of humor, safety. I could go on and on. I think as a parent you want everything for your children and of course, that is ridiculous, but I really do find myself wanting them to have everything they could want and even more. Not in a selfish, greedy way, but in the "the sky is the limit, just go for it" kind of way. I want them to take risks and learn from mistakes, be genuine, be true to themselves, and always know that they have parents and family that love, support, and are there for them every step of the way.

Let's give a shout out to Emily who not only took this wonderful photo above, but is scheduled to welcome Baby TT today at 2PM! Cannot wait!

Answering questions ... summer supper & cocktails

Barefoot in the Park asked about my favorite summer supper, and Laura C asked about the fave cocktail.

As far as summer suppers go, I am a huge fan of pimento cheese sandwiches. They remind of me of visiting my cousin Judy (older cousin, more like an Aunt) and she would serve pimento cheese, chicken salad, and cucumber sandwiches by her pool. Of course, she managed to make it all seem elegant and I'm sure there was a pitcher of iced tea involved. Also in this same theme would be a simple tomato sandwich. White bread, sliced tomato, Duke's mayo, and salt and pepper. Hmmm, or a BLT sandwich.

To me, these are always easy, satisfying, and you typically don't have to "heat up your kitchen" as my Meme used to say.

My other option would be something from the grill (fish, meat, chicken, hot dog), served with fresh vegetables, corn on the cob, etc. Hubby just bought a new grill so I want to start making packets of potatoes again. Basically, cube up new potatoes, add other yummy veggies ... you can do anything from squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, add a little EVOO, ground black pepper, wrap them in foil, and let them cook on the grill. Yum.

For the summer cocktail, I'm partial to a good gin and tonic. I don't change it up much and while that may be considered boring, I consider it what works for me. I like a good gin like Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, or Hendrick's. A good beer is always nice in the summer, too. I tend to lean towards something light like Skinny Dip, Hoegaarden, or Natty Greene's Wildflower.

Oh, and since it's food related, MER asked if I prefer croutons or bacon bits. I would have to say that real bacon trumps bacon bits and croutons, but Ruby Tuesday's croutons may trump any other salad topping.

Laura C. also asked "how do southern ladies wear heels and skirts and makeup and all that with the hot weather and not sweat like pigs?"

I had to laugh at this, because while I guess I am a southern lady, I am usually sweating like a pig when the temperature reaches 90. I used to have a co-worker that anytime we had an appointment, it was sweltering and we would always have to park far away and walk just so we could end up sweaty and gross for our meeting. For one, we stopped in the bathroom, put cold paper towels on our necks and tried to dry our shirts Madonna AKA Desperately Seeking Susan style. I do think that skirts can be cooler in the summer because you can get a little breeze by fanning your skirt. Of course, us genteel southern ladies know that we would never do that in mixed company or in front of a gentleman! *Please insert your favorite southern accent to that last sentence.

Answering questions ... running

What fun! I wish people would ask me questions every week because it just feels more exciting to answer them, rather than write about what just pops into my head.

I'm going to try to group a few of them together where there is a common theme.

Barefoot in the Park asked me what made me get into running.

I have been running off and on since college. My Mom also ran when I was young, so I remember going with her to races, or waiting on her to finish her daily 6 mile run. She was ahem, much faster than me and often brought home trophies from winning her age group.

I started running one summer during college and started out by running from one light post to another, then walking to the next light post, and repeating. I did this over and over and finally made it up to 3 miles of running. I guess it was my own version of the "couch to 5K" program that is so popular now. I ran pretty consistently in college and grad school. This was back in the day when I carried my hand held CD player, wore a cotton t-shirt, and didn't know anything about Gu, Fuel Belts, or Garmins.

My problem back then was always consistency and really up until 2 years ago, it still was. When I met Hubby in 2003, he was training for a marathon and it was a good way for me to get back into running, because I had someone to run with. From then until 2007, I would train for a race, run the race,then "lose" my running shoes for several months. Then, the ordeal of starting over was always hard and I just couldn't get back into my running groove. I got pregnant in 2007 and hadn't been running consistently so it didn't make any sense to try at that point. After I had Maddy and Libby in June 2008, I decided that I wanted to run again because I missed it. I started in January 2009 and really haven't taken more than a few weeks off since.

I am proud to be a runner. It makes me feel good even when the last thing I want to do is put on my shoes and and go. Even though I'm not setting any records, or winning any races, I know that it helps me be a better person, wife, and mother.

If you still want to read more, here is a post that I wrote about why I run for my running group. last year.

B - buh - boring!

Sorry for the lack of content in posts, or lack of posts lately. Or did you even notice? Anyone? Anyone? Buhler?

Like everyone else, life is busy ... work, kids, running, etc and I just haven't had a lot to say.

I could write about an unprofessional person that I have to deal with, but I think that is really better saved for private rants with my co-workers.

Or I could write about Libby going to the bathroom two seconds after I took off her diaper last night. On the floor, right before bath time, but honestly ... aren't you a little tired about reading about diaper/potty posts?

I could write about the teeny tiny single serving Edy's ice cream that Hubby brought home last night, but then that just makes you want one of your own and it's not really fair when you are stuck at your office on a Tuesday morning and can't get to the grocery. Oh, wait ... maybe that's just me.

So, dear readers ... any burning questions? Anything on your mind? Anyone else feeling the same way? I don't think I've ever opened it up before, but here goes ... ask away! I can't promise that I will answer everything, but I would love to hear your questions and thoughts. Plus, I need something to get me over this writers block / bout of b-buh-boringness!

Happy Independence Day!

Here's my attempt at patriotic star cookies for a cookout later today. Libby hurt my feelings by proclaiming "flowers!" when they were cooling. Yep, she's right ... my stars spread out into flowers, but they are still yummy sugar cookies nonetheless.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Date night

Hubby and I haven't seen too many date nights in the past two years. Yep, I could probably count them on two hands I'm sure. We've actually had two dates in the last three weeks, so maybe things are looking up ... or maybe we're just shelling out money for a sitter + dinner that we really shouldn't spend, but we know that it may equal sanity.

We have a local restaurant that has a great patio/deck area and on certain Friday nights during the summer, they play movies on a large screen out on their patio. The dinners are themed around the movie and we've always talked about checking it out and we finally went last night.

First, the weather was gorgeous and actually cool by the time we finished dinner. Amazing for the beginning of July.

We watched Bottle Shock, which is a great movie about how Napa Valley wines came to be known back in the 70's. Lots of good actors and we really enjoyed it. Better yet, the dinner included five courses and four wine pairings. Each pairing included one California wine and one French so everyone there had to guess which was which. Lots of wine and great food. Lucky for me, I had already done my long training run on Friday morning so I didn't have to worry about getting up for a 6:30 AM run. Lucky for me I had a little extra sleep to ward off any after-effects of four wine pairings.

So, here's to date nights, fun wine dinners, cool weather in July, and good memories.

Thankful

*Now before I get started I realize that the range of thankfulness varies greatly.

• Mom has her last round of chemo tomorrow. She ended up only needing to have 11 treatments, so we are all glad that they are almost through. She is scheduled to have radiation, but we are all looking forward to the chemo being finished.
• A simple summer supper of Carolina BBQ, BBQ slaw, baked beans, and one of my Mom's twice baked potatoes.
• Running 4.5 miles at almost a ten minute pace today. That hasn't happened in a long time and I didn't feel like keeling over every minute. Maybe just every five.
• Finding awesome Southwest airline deals for our trip to New York this November. Hubby and I are both flying for roughly $200.

Priceless

Bouncy inflatable house for birthday party weekend ... $200

Seeing so many friends and family (my Mom included) go down the slide and have fun ... priceless.

Maddy sliding.

Me sliding.

Mom sliding.

Libby sliding.

Guess who's here?

It's Grands (aka my Mom!)

Complete with 4 foot tall sock monkeys and bubbles after breakfast. I think it may be a fun weekend.

Libby playing in our makeshift bubble blower.

Waiting for Maddy and Libby to wake up. I think we need to choose names.

Midnight Mayhem

Well, it was actually 2 AM mayhem ...

I awoke last night to the sound of Zoe barking. Not her loud, someone's at the front door bark, but short barks that didn't stop. I stumbled out of bed to find her standing in the living room. I was actually worried that maybe our house was on fire and she was actually telling us to get out.

Then, I find Hubby sweeping the floor and noticed that our garbage was all over the floor. Apparently, she and Zeus were having a little midnight snack in our trash can. Gross. This is when I wish we had a compost pile and I didn't have gross things like banana peels, coffee grounds, pineapple rind, avocado peels, and egg shells in my trash. Guess who's mopping for the 3rd time this week?

No idea why she was barking unless she was just mad that Hubby was cleaning up her mess. He let them out in case they needed to do their business and we all tried to go back to sleep.

That's when Maddy woke up, but luckily it was short lived. After tossing and turning for about an hour, I finally fell asleep. When my alarm went off at 5AM so I could go on a run, I promptly turned that sucker off to catch more zzzz's.

Two years ago

I know I've been saying this every few months for the last two years, but I really am still in shock that Maddy and Libby are (insert age here)! Today, I am still in disbelief that they are 2! Where did my babies go and who replaced them with independent toddlers?

I looked back at the blog and read what I posted the day after they were born, as well as the posts I wrote last year that talked about the days leading up to and the day of their birth.

6 days old. Maddy - Libby

I heard someone say that days with children are long, but the years go by in a flash and I understand that now. Every day, Maddy and Libby do things that make me smile (calling each other sister, giving kisses, feeding the baby doll "bites" of food, playing chase with each other and running around the room), but they also do things that make me lose my patience (running away from me at an outdoor shopping center, not sitting down in the bathtub, throwing Cheerios on the floor.)


They have brought more to my life than I really ever imagined or thought possible. I truly had no idea how having children would change me, but it has.



Happy Birthday, Madeline Kate. You are my first-born, my spider monkey, my mischievous peanut, and my sweet girl. You are curious and constantly trying to figure things out and how they work. I sometimes think that your goal in life is to find a warm lap and someone to read you a book. You like to snuggle at night and listen to stories, but lately we don't get much snuggling time because you are too busy. When someone holds you, you hold on tight with your arms and legs and have figured out how to not get put down - you just hold your legs up so they will continue to hold you.



Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Lucy. You are my second-born, my giggler, my chatty-cathy, and my little leader. You are talkative, friendly, and funny. You love your books, and definitely have an opinion about which book to read, which cup to use, or which pants to wear. You still enjoy snuggling at night, giving sweet kisses, but sometimes when I ask for a kiss, I'm promptly told "no."

I can't even beging to imagine what this year will hold for us. Potty training? Big girl beds? Trigonometry? I look forward to experiencing everything and learning from you and teaching you, all at the same time.

Love,

Mama

Random Thursday Ramblings

• Our upstairs AC went out yesterday. Luckily, we have a guest room and two cribs still set up downstairs. Just last week I mentioned to Hubby that we should probably take down the downstairs cribs. Thank goodness we didn't get right on that task over the weekend.
• I came downstairs this morning to find Libby sitting on top of our table, and Maddy sitting in one of the chairs, checking out the laptop. Nearly 2 = super busy and curious.
• Talk of marathons was heard on my run today. One of the girls in our group has run one full, and is training for another. Apparently, several others are debating running the Disney Marathon in January. I was thinking of possibly putting a full on my list, but for Fall of 2012 ... not January of 2011. Hmmmm ...
• Greek yogurt with blueberries is my new love.
• I really need a manicure and pedicure, but no time to go. I wish someone would make house calls! So my invention would be a house call person who will change your car's oil, fill your gas tank, give you a mani/pedi, and deliver your groceries. Where's my business plan or my personal assistant!?

high fructose corn syrup = crack

Why is it that I have a kitchen full of bananas, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, grapes, blackberries, and peaches and I am choosing to stick my hand into the bag of Starburst? Multiple times? Then hiding the wrappers in the mud room garbage can?

Plus, the Starburst are inside another bag that is tied in a knot and I have to untie the knot just to get into the bag.

So, my theory is that high fructose corn syrup + the taste of the rainbow, (wait ... that's Skittles) are = crack.

Saturday

8 mile run with Maria
Pit-stop in Food Lion (don't ask)
Ice cold gatorade and water balloons, post run
Farmers Market for blackberries, peaches, and eggs
2nd Breakfast of the day ~greek yogurt, granola, and blackberries
Trip to the pool
Naps for the under 2 age group
Cleaning of the catch-all basket where I found credit cards that expired in 2006 that are in my maiden name. Clean much?
Playing around with blogger's new template ... what do you think?
Bill paying
Clothes washing
Birthday party weekend planning ... somehow one party is turning into two. Have I told you who this party is for? (Hint: They aren't turning 2!)
Now pondering dinner ...

passion

I think most of you know that I'm part of my local Junior League and we recently held our leadership retreat. It was a great weekend of bonding, learning, laughing, and pondering the future of our organization.


We were asked to fill out a short survey that will later be published in our local magazine as an introduction of our 2010-11 leadership team.


One of the questions is "What are you passionate about?"


I had quickly filled in so many other answers ... family, children, education, hobbies, favorite holiday tradition, but this one made me stop in my tracks.


What am I truly passionate about?


I have many "things" that I feel passionate about, but so many of them aren't serious enough to include in this survey. Chocolate mint ice cream, Nike tempo running shorts, my CHI flat iron, a great night-time moisturizer, a good glass of wine, and a leisurely dinner where you can talk for 3 hours.


I'm passionate about my children, my family, my friends, and my faith, but isn't everyone?


Some people are passionate about their favorite sports teams, their cars, or their lawn. While some of those resonate with me, I can't say that they get me out of bed in the morning.


I'm passionate about trying to give my children the best experience and start to their lives that I can. Whether this is through teaching, loving, or just having fun, I hope that they will look back on their childhood fondly and that we will have a good, honest, trusting relationship.


There are certain experiences that I've had that made me passionate. I'm passionate about premature birth prevention & research, finding a cure for breast cancer, suicide prevention, rights for people with disabilities, but I can't say that I stand up every day and "preach" about these things ... my passion is much more quiet, and more internalized. I guess I find myself wondering if passion should be quiet.


I have found that it's OK for your passions to change, develop, and grow over the years. Thank goodness I grew out of my passion for Cabbage Patch Kids, ESPRIT tee shirts, puffy stickers, and paint pens. Thank goodness I didn't grow out of my passions for books, writing, or running. My career used to be my #1 passion, and while it's still important, my priorities have definitely changed.


So, what are you passionate about? Do you wear your passions on your sleeve or would I have to get to know you to truly understand your passions?

Books ...

I picked up a couple of books last week. Thanks so much for your suggestions.

One is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. My book club is reading it and we meet next week, so I better get to reading.

The one that I have actually started and don't want to put down is One and the Same that Laura C. recommended. WOW. This is an eye opener for anyone with direct relation to twins, whether you are a twin, have twins, or just are friends of twins. It is written by an identical twin, and even though I'm only on the second chapter, I know this will be one that will stay on my bookshelf to refer to for many more years.

This one never made my list

I worked from home today and after our sitter left, I put the girls down for their afternoon nap.

I proceeded to eat lunch and get ready to do a little more work, when I heard a lot of chattering and asking "where paci go?" over the monitor. I decided to go back upstairs and hopefully solve any problems and get them settled back down.

I did paci distribution, two diaper changes, more kisses, and wishes of sweet dreams.

I went back downstairs and did some work, but kept hearing chatter every now and then over the monitor. I decided not to go back upstairs, because I figured they would quiet down and I would just make it worse.

About two hours after they normally go down, I could still hear someone moving around so I decided to go inspect.

I was shocked at what I saw next.

Two totally naked babies who had thrown all of their clothes, diapers, blankies and books into the floor. The funniest thing was that Maddy was wide awake (with a puddle in her crib), while Libby was sound asleep, snoozing with her bum up in the air.

I really wish I would have grabbed my camera, but I was in such shock, I really didn't know what to do first. Needless to say, sleepsacks at naptime are going to have to be reinforced. Yes, they make them big enough for 2 year olds (and even older.)

So, if the 3's are supposed to be the new 2's, then what are the 2's? Causation for early afternoon drinking?

blink of an eye

I was gone on an overnight retreat this weekend and I swear that Maddy and Libby grew while I was gone. One night = taller, bigger, more words, putting together sentences, crawling up into tall chairs, etc.

Can you believe we are on the countdown to 2? In two weeks!?

I leave you today with a little cuteness, in my opinion.

Hydrangea love.

I love hydrangeas. I used them in our wedding and thought they were perfect.

When we looked at our house, I will admit that I was so excited to see 4 different hydrangea bushes around the yard. I would still love to plant more, along with more peony bushes, and daffodils.

We didn't cut them back last year like you are supposed to, so they are probably a bit overgrown in "proper" hydrangea standards, but does it really matter when you look out and see their beautiful blooms?

These particular bushes have changed colors since we've lived here. I really remembering them being a greenish shade, then they moved to white, and now part of the bush is blue. It's really amazing and the color is supposedly based on the soil acidity.

I wish they would bloom all year round, but I guess I wouldn't appreciate them as much if they did.

On my list

Has anyone read the New York Times article of the new book, "Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man?"

I was intrigued by just reading the article and can't wait until it releases next month. It almost feels wrong to want to read a story about someone spiraling out of control, but I am fascinated by taking a look into Bill Clegg's life. I loved "A Million Little Pieces" too, and I don't care whether it was real, or embellished.

What are you reading this summer?

Bad phone photos = Wednesday rambling blog post

I have always loved the color lime green until I saw this today.




Really? Why would you choose this color for your Jag?! Or for any car?


Later, I caught Libby trying out my shoes. Yep, I probably walk that slowly in some of my shoes, too.

I also had to share a comment from one of our baby sitters this afternoon. I was holding Maddy after huge meltdowns from both Maddy and Libby over water in sippy cups. It was mayhem and our sitter stayed around until the chaos calmed down and everyone was happy again.

I had walked into the kitchen while holding Maddy when our sitter grabbed a tissue and said "Excuse me, let me get this. You have a huge booger on your shoulder." Nice, huh? Have I mentioned that glamour is my middle name?

I've hit a new point of boring with this post ...

So, I don't blog for a week and now I'm blogging about floors.

Does anyone have the Shark?

For a while now, I've noticed that our hardwood floors never really look clean. Even after they are cleaned by someone other than me who probably really knows what they are doing. I've tried different cleaning products - Murphy's Oil, vinegar & water, plain water, etc and it's always the same result.

This thing just looks like a miracle and I'm wondering if it's as good as it looks. Between two dogs, two adults, and two toddlers, it's an understatement to say that are floors always need a good cleaning.

Has anyone tried it? Do you love it?

This blog halted on account of ...

coughing
a sinus infection
a Z pack
a pedicure in "make love not..." pink
photos that make me smile
end of school year picnic
lots of lots of chick-fil-a nuggets
slides down the "big kid" slide
blooming hydrangeas
slow-melt mini popsicles
ants in my kitchen
3 years worth of tree trimmings and weed pullings
a "new" beautiful yard
flowerpots
gently used Lilly
a guacamole craving
bathing suit try-ons and
a search for a cover up.

I'll be back soon, I promise.

Lost lost

I watched the very first episode and didn't "get it." I remember there was a plane crash and a polar bear.

So, I've never watched it since.

I think everyone else that I know on the planet (or at least on Facebook) is currently watching.

I'm watching House Hunters International.

La-ooser, I'll admit it.

Maybe I'll catch up via DVD's or on demand TV. Should I? Have I really missed out for the last 5 year!?

Peculiar

Darn you, Seventh Generation cleaning products.

I caved, spent the extra money on you, and thought I was doing something good for the earth, good for my family, but I can't take your smell. It is reminiscent of a preventative flea shampoo that we used to bathe our dogs in when I was growing up. Yuck.

I miss my good ol' Clorox Anywhere spray.

Does anyone have a "friendly" disinfectant/cleaner spray that they use? This is for things like high chairs that need to be clean and free of germy germs. Or one that you make yourself?

Random Thursday ramblings

So maybe this should be a weekly post ...

On my mind this week:

• It breaks my heart when Maddy tells me "no more" and "all gone" when I am giving her a dose of medicine. I'm calling the Doctor to see if this stuff can be flavored. I even gag just catching a whiff of it.
• I got called a "life saver" today at work. Not a bad way to wrap up my day. I love solving a problem that I really thought I wouldn't have a clue how to solve. Go, me!
• I have been floored by the generosity of some friends recently.
• No one told me that Amish Friendship bread is really sugary-cinnamony cake in disguise. If someone asks you if you want a starter, say yes.
• If I don't get started in party planning, Maddy and Libby aren't going to have a 2nd birthday party. Well, that isn't entirely true, but I was so far ahead of the game last year.

Pondering

Someone told me today that I remind them of one of the Real Housewives, or maybe it was Desperate housewives. I don't know.

But, they didn't tell me which one. Then I was afraid to ask.

I'm going to rule out Orange County, because I think they're all blonde.

I'm going to rule out Atlanta, because I'm not black, nor do I wear a blonde wig.

So that narrows it down to NYC, New Jersey, or the Desperate ones

Who could it be? I don't see it, but I know there's a few that I would love to look like, and a couple that I secretly pray I don't look like.

Today, I looked like a Real Mom of Twins. This was because I looked down on my shirt to see Maddy's antibiotic stained on my shirt, as well as on my jeans, and on my watch. How do you think she liked her medicine? Yep, that much. My hair was frizzy from getting out in the rain without an umbrella, because there's no good way to push a double stroller and hold and umbrella. I also had some reddish stain on my chin that I still have no idea what it was. Ink? Strawberries? Who knows!?

Long day

I knew it was going to be a long day when I was woken up from a dead sleep at 11PM, around 3AM, and again around 5AM.

First time was Libby who lost her paci's. I need to figure out if we're really giving our paci's away next month. Gulp. I said this was going to happen at age 2. Now guess who's becoming a big ol wimp?

Second time was Maddy. She had a fever when she woke up from her nap on Sunday afternoon and she was warm again. A quick temperature check confirmed 102 in the ear, so Motrin and some rocking with Dad was in order.

Third time was Maddy again who had lost her paci's. Common theme around here.

So now it's 8:20 AM and everyone in the house is snoozing except for me.

Needless to say, I'm taking my first "sick" day at work and I've only been there a month. I'm keeping both girls home from school even though Libby wasn't showing any symptoms. So far. I'm wondering what her forehead is going to feel like when she finally wakes up.

Wish us luck!

Favorite childhood books

Kelly's Korner is doing a post about your favorite childhood books. I have always been a huge reader and my Mom took me to the library every week to check out books. I was also that geeky kid who was on a team for "Battle of the Books" and I correctly answered the question for our team to win the competition. The question was "What was the main character's name in Sounder?" and the answer was "He was never named and always referred to as "the boy." I will always remember reading as one of my favorite past times. It still is, but my time is a little more limited these days.



So, here are a few of my childhood favorites ...


Good Night Moon


The Country Bunny and the Golden Slippers


Amelia Bedelia


Anything by Richard Scarry


Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree


Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs


Where the Wild Things Are


Anything by Judy Blume


Ramona Quimby, Age 8.


The Velveteen Rabbit


Harry the Dirty Dog

No Roses for Harry

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Bridge to Terabithia

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Where the Red Fern Grows

I could go on and on, and on.

Random Thursday Ramblings

Maybe that's what I should rename by blog, since it's all pretty random, isn't it?

* A little update on Mom ... some of her blood work levels were off last week so they didn't give her a chemo treatment, but she did have a treatment yesterday. 4 down, 8 to go! She is also on a blood pressure medicine that lowers her sodium levels. Even though low sodium sounds good, it's not when it comes to chemo. So her Dr. is trying to manage this so she can still take her meds, but also receive chemo. Mom said that she is starting to lose her hair and when it was windy on Tuesday, she said it was actually blowing away in the wind. A sweet friend gave me scarves that her Mom had used and I mailed them off to my Mom yesterday. It was great to be able to recycle these, and my Mom hopes that she can do the same.

* We almost had a pink eye episode yesterday. One of Libby's teachers noticed that her eye looked a little red and swollen. It looked better after her nap, but I called the nurse anyway. She didn't think it was pink eye based on what I told her, but just to keep an eye on it and flush her eye with warm water in case she had gotten dirt lodged in her eye. With as much pollen as we've had lately, I wouldn't be surprised if if it was just a reaction to all that's blooming.

* To run or not to run. A girl from my running group sent an email about a Friday morning 5:30 run. Ugh. I ran today at 6AM and am trying to decide if I want to do a long run tomorrow and get it out of the way before the weekend.

Pros: It's going to be in the 90's over the weekend and I would have it over with before it's hot.
Cons: I would have to get up at the crack of dawn to leave my house by 5:15.
Decisions, decisions.

* I haven't technically started training for the 3-Day. I actually start a half marathon training program on Monday, so I need to ask my Coach how to include some walking and transition to all walking before the 3-Day. I know one thing I'll need are at least 2 pairs of shoes to do the walk in that I can break in before the event. I've heard different theories about how to do this, but most have said that they trained in one pair, but had 1-2 other pairs that they wore that weekend. I love Brooks for my running shoes, but used to wear New Balance for walking. Look at these awesome Lace Up For the Cure shoes and clothing that they carry! They even have personalized ones so you can let everyone know who you're walking for.

That's my girl ...

It was "strawberry day" at our local Farmer's Market on Saturday, so we came home with over a gallon of fresh berries. As much as we love to eat them, I knew I had a few too many so I decided to make some strawberry bread instead of freezing them.


The recipe made two loaves so I took one to Maddy and Libby's school for the teachers and other students to enjoy at snack time. Well, I ended up with half the loaf leftover at the end of the day, so I put it on the counter with the other loaf.


When I came home from work, the girls had just woken up from their nap. Maddy was still a little sleepy and grumpy, so I was giving her a little snuggle time and Libby was standing in the kitchen.


I looked over and saw a sight that I never expected to see.


Libby had pulled the loaf of bread off the counter, unwrapped it, and proceeded to chow down. I promise that we do feed her!


I had to laugh and I also had to take a photo. I'm used to our dog's doing this, but I wasn't quite ready for my children. Oh, and no idea why her shirt was off. Lately, they have been in a routine of removing clothing whenever possible. It makes for fun mornings!

Happy Mother's Day

I found this quote about Motherhood and it really hit home.

“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.

So true. I really had no idea how I would react to being a mother. While I always knew I wanted children, I wasn't one of those women who was baby-crazy for years prior to getting pregnant. When the time was right and it happened, I was thrilled, but I still had 33 weeks and 2 days of apprehension about what kind of mother I would be.


I do remember getting to hold Maddy the night she was born and something changed in me. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt something shift. Her small, warm body just fit on my chest and I think I could have stayed like that forever. Almost equally as hard as leaving both of my babies in the NICU when I was discharged from the hospital, I couldn't hold Libby the first night she was born as she was hooked up to a CPap machine.

Some days, I still wonder what kind of mother I am. I strive to be good, kind, caring, funny, compassionate, honest, and loving. Some days, I think I'm doing well to achieve one of those qualities each day, and some days I feel like I'm just getting by with the basics in a day. But, when bedtime rolls around, and I say goodnight to two sweet little girls, I know that there is no better job in this world than being a Mother.

So, Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there. Today, I'm thinking about my Mom in particular. I have wonderful memories of racing down the grocery store aisles with my Mom pushing the cart and me riding, weekly trips to our library and being allowed to check out as many books as I could take, Mom's grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade applesauce, and chocolate chip cookies, Christmas mornings, and seeing my Mom the night Maddy and Libby were born.

I'm also thinking about three special friends who have had to deal with the loss of a child, the loss of a Mom, and the hope of becoming a Mom. A, J, and K, you are in my thoughts today!

Mother's Day 2010

Maddy was ready to pose.

Keeping it real with Libby. Not interested in photos. At all.

Lemon-Aid

One of my friends, Allison has a son who has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Instead of sitting back and watching, she and her family have set out to help find a cure for this disease. This is just one of the events and fundraising efforts that they have held in the past two years. Other events have included a 10K race and a series of birthday parties all held to raise funds for Duchenne. They raised over $50,000 through special events last year and have no plan of stopping.

One such event that is being held is called Lemon-Aid. It's a special fundraiser that you can read more about here. If you are in the area, or know anyone in the area, please encourage them to participate. You can also participate by linking your own Lemon-Aid stand to fundraise.

Like so many others, I was touched by their story and I wanted to share the impact that Allison is making on so many lives and one in particular, her son.

Teaching bad habits

Hubby snapped a few photos this morning and said it needed to go on the blog. Maybe he did that so I would stop posting photos of my feet and writing about pants.

This was Maddy and Libby at breakfast this morning. You will notice that they were both checking their phones for any important text messages, emails, or funny Facebook statuses that may have come through overnight.

They love these phones and while we have at least 3 toy phones, these are still the ones they want. I think it's the same with "real" keys ... the toy keys just aren't the same. Probably because the toy keys don't cause Mom's car alarm to go off early in the morning. We finally relinquished these phones, took out the batteries, and most days they leave our Blackberry's alone.

White jeans

I bought my first pair of white jeans earlier this year and I'm a little obsessed with them. I want to pair them with every bright top I own, and I'm on the hunt for turquoise blue to wear with them. I know this probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but this is my first pair of white jeans and probably my second pair of white pants that I've ever owned. I think my other white pants were maternity. I'm almost 40, um scratch that ... I'm over 35.

A little background ...

My parents were friends with a couple and the wife always wore white pants that were about a size too tight. Growing up, I can remember my Mom talking about this woman and her tight, white pants. I guess subliminally, it did a number on me to steer clear of this purchase.

I have made it through most of the day and they are surprisingly still clean. Today involved getting children in and out of car seats, getting a big stroller out of the back of my car, holding children who may or may not be dirty, petting black dogs, and general work/household related activities.

I am probably testing the proverbial waters by wearing them to celebrate Cinco de mayo tonight. Salsa! Guacamole! Black beans! Oh, the many things that Oxiclean may end up removing later. Not to mention that y'all already know that I don't dry my jeans and it should also be known that I also wash them in cold.

Let's say a little prayer that I don't come home looking like a 3rd grader after a good day on the playground.

Check me out

I was asked to be one of the featured runners over at 500 in 2010, so please stop by and pay them a visit. My feature is up today.

If you want to join the virtual "race", it's not too late. We are all running or walking towards completing at least 500 miles this year.

Documenting

No, this isn't like my documentation posts of 2008!

I'm wondering what others do to document the lives of their children and family. I read a lot of blogs, so of course that is one way that I do help document. But, this blog isn't all about Maddy and Libby so while it will serve as a way for me to remember the daily happenings, it will also include a mix of running, the dogs, and whatever nonsense was on my mind that particular day.

I do have a baby book for each of my daughters and a slew of photos, but most are still on the computer, besides a few small photo albums. I keep a notebook on my nightstand that I try to write in every few days, or every few weeks with updates, funny stories, or new developments. I also started a blog just for them, but I realized that it's been over a year since I've updated it.

I'm not a scrapbooker, so I don't really think I'll get started on a new hobby.

I am considering doing photo books for each year of their life so I can include photos and some text to capture the highlights. I just don't want to look back in 5 years and realize that I can't remember when they crawled, or when they cut their 1st tooth, or that I can't find my favorite photos of them when they were two months old. As any Mom knows, it's hard enough to remember the happenings of one child, but when you throw two into the mix, it's easy to get the specifics confused.

Any good recommendations on websites for photo books, or any other neat services out there that you are using? Any other neat ways that you document?

Full circle

It's amazing how life takes you full circle.

My parents have owned by Grandmother's house since she passed away over ten years ago. It sat empty for a while, then they decided to rent it. It has housed several wonderful families and a couple of not so wonderful families.

My parents decided that it is time to sell and they officially listed it earlier this week. They have worked tirelessly on painting, sanding, and updating. They refinished the very cool metal kitchen cabinets, stripped the old lady textured wallpaper in the dining room, and have really done a great job on the house.

It is still amazing to me to see the photos of my Meme's tiny kitchen and remember that she hosted family Thanksgiving dinners for 20+ people in that kitchen. Even more amazing is that she had no dishwasher. I also remember hand washing a lot of pieces of china in that tiny kitchen with my Mom, Aunt, and cousins.

She had a baby grand piano for a while, so I would go to her house every afternoon so I could practice. I remember having one of my birthday parties at her house, going next door to see her neighbor's beautiful garden, riding my bike up and down her street, and sitting on her sofa reading my Mom's high school annuals, and looking at my Grandmother's scrapbooks. She often hosted her bridge club on Sunday afternoons, and she liked to sit in the front room and keep an eye on the happenings of the neighborhood. She always kept her cosmetics in the bathroom, so I would often leave smelling like Mary Kay or wearing bright red lipstick.

My Mom and her two sisters grew up in this house so I know it's hard on my Mom as well. I think my Mom and I just hope that Meme's not looking down on us throwing a fit that her house has a for sale sign in it!