Tired and Grumpy

Some days, I really don't know what I would do without my running buddies. When our night before a run emails are going around and I hear rain in the forecast, am getting home at 10 pm, and have no desire to hear my alarm go off at 5:05 AM, they remind me that I really do want to go.

Sure, I don't love getting up that early, but I love the accomplishment, the camradarie and how great I feel when it's through.

So, here's to a two-a-day on Thursday and another 12 miler on Saturday.

All the single ladies ...

Hubby took Maddy and Libby to their 2nd birthday party of the weekend today, his Dad's. So, after church, I have been on my own. Since part of my afternoon was already booked (the reason I didn't go to the party), I have enjoyed my favorite "single girl dinner" of crackers, sharp cheddar, honeycrisp apple slices, and Halloween candy. No wine unfortunately, or that would have made it perfect.

So now to do a little work while the house is quiet and possibly run the much-needed vacuum cleaner.

Dramatic reading of Brown Bear, Brown Bear

les fleurs

Funky, but pretty farmer's market flowers that were on the tables for our first Junior League meeting of the year.

Revenge

My husband posted a photo to Facebook of myself, Maddy, and Libby all asleep on the sofa today. He must have had a memory lapse that he falls asleep sitting up about 5/7 nights. Revenge will be mine.

Let's just say that the first night in big girl bed's was as tiring as any night with newborn twins. Here's to hoping that tonight is better.

Sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't

Love this.

Saw this in Swoozie's yesterday and can't stop thinking about it. Where could it go? Bathroom? Kitchen? Small wall near the stairs. Hmmmm.

Preschool

This picture shows Libby's mad hopping skills, Maddy's cheesy grin, but what it doesn't show is a power struggle to wear shoes and not sandals, not wanting to walk in the "dirt", and an early morning dance routine to "I Love A Rainy Night."

baby steps

Instead of rambling about how I haven't blogged in two months, I thought I would just start back with baby steps. Literally. Pictures, think lots of pictures.

Training for another half marathon or two. I couldn't do it without my running girls, especially those that push me through eight hard miles on a Saturday morning, or get me out of bed for a 5:45 AM run to in the darkness.

Even though I don't have a coolio iPhone, I can use the coolio retro camera app on my Droid that I heart as much as an iPhone.

Summer Summary

Swimming lessons - check.

Using the pool more than 5 times like last year - check.

Jumping off the side into the "big" pool - check.

Blowing bubbles - check.

Eating, eating, and more eating - check.

Sleeping in til nearly 8am after a big day at the pool - check.

Oh, and potty training! Check! Not 100%, but doing great and two little girls will be wearing big girl panties to school tomorrow!

Will it ever click?

This afternoon, I was holding Libby on my lap when all of a sudden, I felt something warm.

Yuck.

Yes, and on dry clean only pants.

Yes, I had just asked her two minutes earlier if she needed to potty.

We are about a week away from their 3rd birthday. I know everyone says that they'll potty-train when they are ready, but I'm beginning to wonder when that is.

June 12

Today was our minister's last day at our church. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around how someone who you may only 'think' about once a week is so ingrained in our lives. I'm assuming because he serves as our portal to God, if that is a proper description for a minister.

As I listed to his sermon today, I cried. I thought about hearing him preach for the first time, meeting with him during our pre-marriage counseling sessions, the night of our rehearsal dinner, the beautiful sermon he gave on our wedding day, how we consoled us and prayed with us when Maddy and Libby were in the NICU, and provided us with uplifting messages when we needed them and when we thought we didn't.

Everyone around us was crying and it was almost surreal seeing grown men sob over what so many would see as a promotion and a time of congratulations.

He told us to always remember the mission of our church and that did ring true with me. You have to always go back to the basics and that is true for so many things. Relationships, parenting, houses, exercise, clothes, food, etc.

Yes, our church won't be the same without him, but his twelve years of service have made so many remarkable changes, but I will remember the basics.

Still here.

I've heard from a few friends wondering what happened to the blog. Well, it's still here, I'm still here, just haven't made the time to write in the last, oh, six weeks! How did that happen!?

Life in a nutshell ...

Busy time as President-Elect for the Junior League: writing a speech, giving a speech, preparing a board retreat, lots of meetings, burning up the phone, traveling to Philly, and trying to make time for some strategic/big picture thinking.

Working part-time ... from home, thank goodness.

The girls are amazing. Growing up. Almost 3. Independent, funny, sweet, communicating, lots of pretend-play, hugs and kisses, tantrums and foot stomping. Typical almost 3 year old behavior.

We had a busy weekend ... pool, yard work, church, coffee, run with friends, burgers on the grill, seasonal summer beers, popsicles in the freezer. Lots of fun and much needed.

Hopefully, I can get back in the swing of this soon. I miss writing, but often find myself with nothing to write about, so I just read more blogs.

Parenting Fail

This afternoon, Maddy, Libby, and I had fed the dogs, gotten a snack ( a very specific TWO graham crackers and goldfish) and were hanging out. Maddy had wandered out of the room to go to the potty, and I looked up and didn't see Libby. I had also started a load of laundry, reviewed some paperwork, etc. ie. Not fully engaged. I listened for footsteps or the scream of "Mommy! I pottied ... I want candy!", but I heard nothing. I went through the house and looked in the office where they sometimes play and noticed our front door open. Not the outer door, but our inner wooden door, but I knew I hadn't opened it. I quickly glanced in the yard to find it empty, then I started up the stairs when a man knocked on my door asking if I was looking for twin girls. With my heart in my throat, I ran out into the yard with him and found them with another man. The "what-if's" are still running through my head and I can't even go there right now. One of the men lives on our street and I never found out if the other man was a neighbor or just driving through. Both girls were wearing their princess shoes, Maddy was carrying her mouse, and Libby had her water bottle. They were two houses down from ours and that seems worlds away to me. My BIG note to self from today ... no more half-assed paying attention, I'm checking all door locks, and may really feel the need to install an alarm that goes "beep-beep" when the door opens. We had several talks about not opening the door without Mommy, Daddy, or a big person. I plan to have several more. Hug your little ones and say your prayers. I almost didn't write this post, but I know how easy it is to get preoccupied with other "priorities" and as women, we call ourselves multi-taskers and know we can do it well, but it may not be worth the outcomes.

Potty Update

My parents are visiting and arrived on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mom was pretty adamant about trying out the big girl panties and potties, so we did. I've been a little hesitant and while we've been using the potties from time to time, we haven't done any kind of major work just yet. I kept waiting for a free weekend, but having two extra adults around helps too.

Things were going well ... we had a couple of accidents, and things were starting to click,and they had both gone in the potty several times. I bought some MnM's, had an arsenal of stickers, and decided to do a load of laundry.

It was fine until the washing machine stopped working. In the midst of potty training twins? Really?

Turns out that one mardi gras necklace in the drain of your washer will cause your washer not to work, will cost you $129 and will cause you to halt potty training.

So, after catching up on laundry, we've picked it back up over the weekend and the girls have been doing so great. I think they each earned 3-4 MnM's today, had a couple of accidents a piece, but are so excited for one another when they "go."

My babies really are growing up.

Not a potty picture, but earlier this week when they "stole" the bubble gum eggs out of one of our little Easter chickens and I caught them conspiring behind our chair about eating the eggs.

Taking me way back

I think I had this same skirt, but I can't remember when. Sophomore year of college?

I was checking out Lands End Canvas to see what is new for Spring, but I think this definitely fits my rule of "If I wore this style more than a decade ago, just say no." Love the madras, though.

B double e r u n, beerun!

I've only run 18 miles this YEAR, and I'm running in a hilly 5 mile race tomorrow.

Plus, I'm the one who mentioned to Hubby that we should run it.

I think I am officially crazy.

Wish me luck!

Social media

Question for you lovely readers out there.

I know we all use social media on a daily basis. We Tweet, we blog, we Facebook, we Stumbleupon, etc.

Does anyone have any good books on B2B social media and marketing strategies?

Interested in what the big dogs are doing and who's doing it right.

Thankful

Today, I am thankful for

Starbucks grande skim vanilla lattes
Mucinex
Neti Pot sinus relief thingy
Daffodils blooming in my yard
Two two-year-olds that napped from 2-4:30pm
Returned phone calls

Jelly beans in Hubby's grocery bag

A favorite sitter with availability

A meeting free evening and dinner plans with the fam

Blog, neglected.

I'm still here and still checking your blogs ... just not updating mine.

I'll fill you in on the latest. I feel like this post is one large whiny rambling, but maybe I'll just hit publish instead of save and be done with it.

I've been busy feeding hungry children and helping adults learn to read through my position with the Junior League. Oh, ok ... so I'm not single-handedly doing this, but our organization is. Doesn't that sound better than saying I'm going to meetings every morning and night? Is handedly a word? I'm not complaining ... it is all very rewarding, but my schedule has been a bit crazy to say the least.

I've also been thinking about my personal vision statement. This could be an entire post, but it all relates back to a seminar I recently attended and the speaker asked if we had our own personal vision for our life. I could hear the crickets chirping in my head. Do you have one? I truly had to joke my way through that seminar, even when I'm sure I should have been taking it seriously.

Maddy and Libby have learned to open our back door, and while they haven't escaped just yet, the dogs are certainly enjoying this new skill.

I have a knot on the back of my neck ... does this mean I need a massage, or is it a tumor?

I also have a cold. Boooo. It's definitely not making me feel like doing anything that I need to do and I've been injesting large amounts of Vitamin C, cold medicine, saline nasal spray, and graham crackers. Not that graham crackers will cure a cold, but for some reason they taste pretty good.

It's 9:28, off to refill my water bottle, put the doggies to bed, take some more cold medicine, and go to bed. Night-night.