Did and Did Not

Things I did NOT do on vacation:

• carry a phone - this is CRAZY! for me anyway
• read email
• check blogs
• blog
• read the news
• check the weather
• worry about not carrying a phone
• worry about email
• worry about the news
• worry about weather
• worry about work - again CRAZY! and wonderful
• put any kids in time out - I had to threaten maybe once...

Things I DID do on vacation:

• Realize what a good mom I am
• enjoy the beach and pool
• enjoy my family
• realize what an independent person Molly really wants to be
• and that she can't be trusted by the edge of a pool for 1 second
• or she will jump to the nearest person or no person off the edge of the big pool while I am readjusting Aubrey's goggles or inner tube
• listen to Molly yell at me when I tried to touch her in the pool and LAUGH and smile and engage everyone she met
• realize how brave, polite, and fun Aubrey is
• even if she walks up to random people and asks to use their pool toys/regular toys/towels/food... repeatedly.
• ride in a limo - HAPPY ALMOST 50th Wedding Anniversary!
• have an unbelievable massage
• sit in the space between the sink and the vanity in the hotel room each night so the kids couldn't see me so they would fall asleep... I read an entire novel while doing that.
• enjoy my husband
• drink a pail of mango margaritas and some glow in the dark drink (with something called hypntq) and a fruity chocolaty martini thing, twice.
• enjoy a breakfast buffet every morning... that's a lot of yummy eggs
• watch Aubrey swim in the Gulf of Mexico with her head under water and everything (video to come of that I think)
• enjoy a wonderful vacation with my family and RELAX

Palm Sunday Celebration (aka Easter 1)

What? So I am a few weeks late... just getting photos uploaded now :)

Me and my girls!
My Girls! Molly is always doing what her sister does! Or trying.
Molly and Grandy!
Molly L.O.V.E.S her Granddad!
Aubrey in motion.

Oh So Good

I have been lost in a haze of beach, pool, sand, fun, family, and alcohol.

We head home tomorrow! We have had an unbelievably fantastic trip. The girls couldn't have been better, the weather couldn't have been better, the resort couldn't have been better... seriously, ridiculously fun and 'easy' and great.

I have over 100 unread google reader posts and over 200 unread emails... and I haven't even looked at work :) I have been completely disconnected and really loving it :)

See ya tomorrow :)

Oh and I have a wicked good tan :) And I had a wicked good massage and sea salt glow treatment. And lots of margaritas... delivered to our cabana by the Gulf... a lot.

Packing and Laundry and Easter Oh My

A: "Mommy is it stay at home day"
M: "Yes it is!"
A: "Then is it Easter and Florida and Anna and Caleb"
M: "Yes!"
A: "Is it Easter today?"
M: "Nope, but tomorrow it is"
A: "I so scited"

Repeat 700 times over the past 2 weeks.

So today I will be packing and doing laundry to get everyone ready for our trip on Monday! We are very excited. And nervous about how we are going to roll our entire house into a bag and check that on the plane. Temperates all week are supposed to be 78/62 for highs and lows... I can deal with that.

And I hope the Easter bunny can make sure to get everything setup for the big day.

It's #$%@ing Snowing

Seriously... it is Spring and big fat freaky flakes are falling.

Convos with Aubrey

Last night while snuggling you would have heard this:
Aubrey: Mom, will Jesus come for Easter.
Mommy: Yes.
Aubrey: But I thought it was the Easter Bunny that comes.
Mommy: Well, yes the Easter Bunny does come to help celebrate, but the important thing about Easter is that Jesus Lives.
Aubrey: Jesus dieds on the cross with his legs and his crown has pricklies that choke him and the men with the dice are NOT NICE and are you going to die?
Mommy: (trying to keep up and make sure Aubrey takes a breath) Um, yes I will die one day. But the important thing about Easter is that Jesus Lives
Aubrey: (starts singing Jesus Lives then stops) Mommy, will you die and go to heaven and I can't see you anymore?
Mommy: Who told you about that?
Aubrey: Nanny and Grandy
Mommy: Well, you don't need to worry about that right now.
Aubrey: Well, if you die in heaven then you can come back alive like Jesus did but will you ride a donkey?
At this point I grab Aubrey and kiss her all over and we go back to princess discussions cause I couldn't keep going with this...

And on another note:
For the last 3.5 years our house has been held hostage by no less than 5 baby gates in our house - up and active. For the past 18 months that has been 7. Right now? ONE. And that one is for Max and is only closed during the day. It is AMAZING! I had forgotten how nice and spacious are doorways actually were. It is like a whole new world.

Daycare is closed today so my sister and my Nana are headed up to the house to watch the girls with Arley. I am sure they will have fun :)

Day 7

Ahhhhhh, I left work at a decent hour, I had a crock pot meal waiting, the house was clean (Thank you Hubby and Maid Brigade), and the girls had a great bath and bed time routine... I feel more centered and less overwhelmed. I have a big day at work tomorrow and I am actually excited about a meeting I am leading with the client.

I feel less like this:

And more like this:

Hello, My Name Is Emily, You Are?

There are some interesting blogs I have subscribed to in my Google Reader and my OLDEST friend is my NEWST blog buddy! SO off to the links we go...

• Erin and I went to High School together in Texas. What was that, 5 years ago? She has 3 boys, is a Navy mom and just moved to her current state of residence... after literally escaping the fires in San Diego last fall...
• There is a woman who is deciated not only to blogging 365 days a year but to blogging about a recipe from a crock pot that she is using 365 days this year! Very interesting!
• This lady, Suburban Turmoil lives in Tennesse, has 2 young ones and 2 teenage step daughters. I find her to be very though provoking and entertaining. She also blogs at Parents.com and has links to those articles.
• Don Mills Diva has a young son and again is entertaining and interesting!

Regular Places I comment or am commented by:

• Lydia and Jessica - college roommates
• Kelly, Jen, Ali, and Anne - all have 3 years born within a month and met on BabyCenter.
• Becky - friends with Kelly and Jen
• That's Life 2.0 - who I found through The Caffeinated Librarian who I found through Blogs of Note.
• Sunshine who you should know from all the BLING on my side nav :)
• Amy has 2 little girls and a great review website I keep up with.
• Cube - a former co-worker and brilliant artist/web designer/art director. We are working on THIS together.

If I unintentionally did not link to you, comment and I will fix it :)

Baby Shower!

My cousin Cindy is having a little boy in May. We had a "surprise" shower for her, Saturday, at my moms house. Children were not invited BUT I was able to swing an invitation for Aubrey and told her that we had a special invitation - That there was a party for only big girls, and she and I were going and had to dress up. I asked her if she wanted to go with me. You should have SEEN her face. She bottled up her jumping up and down, her eyes bugging, she said VERY seriously, "Yes, Yes I do".

Mommy and Aubrey
Just Gorgeous!
THE cake Lori-Anne made
Cindy, Aubrey, and Kyle!
Aubre was a BIG help!

Achoo Syndrome

Finally the name of something that matches what it is - even in the most "medical" of lingos.

Seriously, I was reading Parenting Magazine last night and they talked about the Achoo syndrome, and sure enough... Some people have this reflex where they look at the sun and sneeze. And it is hereditary! Who knew?

Anyway, I have it and if my kids have to "catch" something from me let's hope it is THAT and not say my other 277 syndromes. Most that probobaly require some sort of anti-psycotic medication or a great husband.

Anywho... hi. It's Friday.

I have realized that just because I have a great reading list in Google Reader doesn't necessarily mean that you guys are reading the same stuff... although you totally should be. SO... I will be working on a nice new list of Linky-Doos.

Oh, Molly? She's fine. You know except for the whole, "I don't want to wear pants" thing. She's great. You know the, force the kid to the ground, sit on her while she screams while you try to put pants on her thing. Yeah, that's fun. Good times, people. Makes my mornings special. I love that BOTH my girls have very distinct requirements related to what they wear. And the BEST part? Molly can get her pants off. And then strip her diaper off when she is in her crib. Yup. That's the best part.

5 Things I Know

1. I am loved.
2. I am loved so much that my husband knows he can call me out on a bad attitude and basically remind me to give something a chance or change it.
3. I love the city. I used to live in the city and I really do love the city. I am eating a "combo" lunch from a Japanese place - California Rolls and Shrimp Tempura with salad, rice, soup for 8 bucks.
4. The crocus in our yard are finally blooming which really does mean that Spring is coming!
5. All you can do is laugh when you are on the phone with your husband, stuck in traffic, and you hear him scream, "Aubrey get off your sister, quit jumping on your sister. Give me that Pencil. That is NOT OK" as the phone hangs up.

Public Thank You

While I have a lot of support and love and family and friends that help us out - all the time - lately my husband is the Most Valuable Player in this house. Not only did he handle my trip to Florida flawlessly, but this week he is Super Man. I have been working VERY late compared to my work schedule the last 3 years.

MVP has picked the girls up, cooked GREAT HEALTHY DINNERS, each night, cleaned up the kitchen, had tons of fun with the girls, and helped with bedtime routines and been around in the mornings to make breakfast and just be PERFECT.

So honey, thank you. I love you and I appreciate all the support and love you provide for me and the girls. Thanks for making this household run perfectly! Thank you for making sure I am not feeling too guilty about it all :)

I love you,
Wife

My First Day Was

... Long
... Fun
... Exciting
...Challening
...Trial by fire
...Interesting
...Crazy
...Seriously crazy
... Did I mention crazy?

Started at 9:30 ended at 6:15. This week I have a meeting every night from 5-6 with the owner who is also the Architect on the project I am assigned to. The project that started 2 months ago and is a 3 year project. The project where I have a huge deliverable on April 1. The project that hasn't had an analyst on it but all the analyst deliverables are now on me with original dates. Yeah, that project.

So I spent the day in meetings. And it really was good (and lunch at Bahama Breeze!). But I am defintely hitting the ground running. And I don't love the 5-6 meeting every night but witht he time change at least Molly is staying up later!

Waiting?!

Isn't getting a new job like having a baby... 'cause I have been waiting all day for someone to bring over a casserole, wine, and flowers for me. To do the laundry, to entertain the children, especially my husband.

No?!? Well... that sucks...

Taxes and Time Change

I hope you all remembered to turn forward your clocks! Spring Forward is here... way freaking early!

Did you know that the change to the earlier March and later November was for Energy Saving reasons?

One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time
(DST) is that it saves energy. Energy use and the demand for electricity for
lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get
up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed,
we turn off the lights and TV.
In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.

Also, I have been doing some research on the Economic Stimulus Package stuff.

Nutshell:
1) If you file taxes for 2007 you will be getting a check in May.
2) But for how much you say? If married, 2 kids, and combined AGI is less than 150,000 you will get 1800 bucks!
3) If your AGI is more than 150 it is a complicated combination of math and logic spelled out nicely here:

Phase Out: The stimulus payment –– both the basic component and the
additional funds for qualifying children –– begins to phase out for individuals
with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) over $75,000 and married couples who file a
joint return with AGI over $150,000. The combined payment is reduced by 5
percent of the income above the AGI thresholds.

Here are two examples of how the phase out works:

An individual with AGI of $80,000 and federal income tax liability in excess of $600 would qualify for a basic rebate of $600. Because this individual’s AGI exceeds $75,000, however, her rebate is reduced by $250 (the credit is reduced by multiplying the amount of AGI over $75,000 by 5%). The taxpayer receives an economic stimulus payment of $350.

A married couple with two children, AGI of $160,000 and federal income tax liability before the child tax credit exceeding $1,200 qualifies for a basic rebate of $1,200 and an additional qualifying child credit of $600 for a total rebate of $1,800. But
because the couple’s AGI exceeds $150,000, their rebate is reduced by $500 (the
amount of AGI over $150,000 multiplied by 5%). The couple receives an economic
stimulus payment of $1,300.

Maybe Just A Little Bit

So earlier this week I read this and was kinda chuckling. My mom warned me, when both of my kids were babies, that the "poo" stage was coming and was normal... and that probably I would go in from nap one day and my child would be painting on the walls with her own poo. But it never happened. Nope. Never.

I have been so blessed... until now.

Tonight, I took the girls up for a bath. Aubrey is stripping, Molly is being stripped. I am making sure the tub is the right temperature. Aubrey sits on the potty, Molly is going through the bath toys on the floor, picking out what she wants.

I smell something. Don't think a thing of it... Aubrey is sitting on the potty. I ask her if she is pooping, she says, "nope, I did that down stairs I just have pee pee". OK, I think... someone must have tooted.

Until I see the big load that Molly has left at my feet. And is stepping in. And reaching down to grab.

Aubrey sees this and throws up. At her feet. While sitting on the potty.

I am standing there, and I can't move. I don't know what to do and in the freeze or flight moment. I freeze.

Molly has the poo in her hand and on her feet and is making squishy toes in it.

Aubrey is continuing to gag.

Molly grabs my pants leg, with her poo filled hand and she steps on my foot with her poo covered feet.

I yell, "DOUG WE COULD USE YOUR HELP".

I bend down and toss Molly in the tub, empty the water and let her play while I try to clean up the floor, get the poo off my shoes and strip my pants off, and wipe up the puke. Aubrey is asking me why Molly gets a bath and she doesn't. 'Molly is covered in poo you don't want to go in there.' Aubrey throws up again...

I yell, "DOUG WE COULD USE YOUR HELP".

I get out the Method bath cleaner wipes, I put the poo stuff in a pile. I ask Aubrey to "just stay where you are". I frantically try to keep Molly's hands OUT. OF. HER. MOUTH.

I yell, "DOUG I CAN SERIOUSLY USE SOME FREAKING HELP".

He comes up and just looks at me, he grabs Aubrey and puts her in her room. Then he says, "how did that happen". Um, I don't know. Seriously, I have no idea.

Doug went back down to his dinner. I clean the poo off Molly. I clean the floor. I get Molly out of the tub, I clean the tub. I fill the tub back up, put Molly in. Get Aubrey undressed - she had put her PJ's on while in her room. I get her in the tub.

We have a nice bath time.

All I can think is... God is laughing, maybe just a little bit, at my "ha ha I am so lucky" attitude.

Thank you, I got it. Lesson Learned.

PS Lest you think my hubby wasn't helpful. He is and was. Last night I went to happy hour, today I went shopping with my mom and sister for 4.5 hours and he baked pumpkin bread, made home made strawberry ice cream, made a steak pasta salad for lunch, made a big dinner, and made strawberry daiquiris. He likes the kitchen. But he loves me!

So Sore

I had a "free" personal training session yesterday morning offered to me and I took it. And I am paying a very high price for this "free" session... like I can't move my arms or lift anything or cough or yawn or sneeze or walk or pee kinda price.

Everything hurts. Everything. hurts. a. lot.

But I had a great time last night, not too much craziness, good turnout, and home by 8!

Going to go crawl over to the coffee pot and use my brain to some how lift the pot of coffee to pour it - or maybe my feet? Hmmmm.

Reinvention Convention

So many emotions, so many thoughts
Bundling it up into paragraphs
Is overwhelming

F you I am outta here
Sad to go but so conflicted
Just some of what I am feeling

Happy hour can't come soon enough
Margaritas await with friends I will miss
Counting the hours ‘til that bliss

But I will miss this
Pumping in the closet
Pregnant with molly

3 years and so many memories
Some I like; some I don't
What can I change

Monday morning brings chance for reinvention
Who am I and who do I want to be
Not the bitch not the instigator

New environment
New challenges
New opportunities

Am I worth it
Am I smart enough
Did I make the right decision?

Too late now
Decisions are made
Actions are taken

Time has come
Saying good bye is hard
I will miss this

But I won’t miss all of it
And I am excited for what awaits

So reinvention is my path
And I choose to take it now.

Not. Gonna. Do. It.

So, I have been TRYING to watch American Idol. But every Tuesday night when this one contestant starts I turn it off and am done. So I am just not gonna try anymore.

And really? Nothing else going on here. I wish there were. Which leads me to Ems List O Randomness

1. I bought they most wonderful dress yesterday. I love it. I love it. I love it. Did I mention I love it?
2. 2.5 days to go and work is having a happy hour Friday Night at Holy Frijoles in Hampden which should be wicked fun :) I may actually throw back a few... or 12. This week calls for it.
3. My kids rock. Seriously. I am so freaking lucky to have the family that I have.
4. Hubby cooked dinner last night. Using one thing - the FRYOLATER. Ahhh, healthy chicken fingers and onion rings. And of course home made chocolate chip cookes. Well, I guess he didn't use the fryolater for the cookies but that wasn't dinner...
5. I have already hit the gym twice this week.
6. I have started my search for pre-schools for Aubrey for next year. Fun times - NOT
7. I have started my Florida pack list - I am very excited for that trip!
8. I have a coupon that COACH sent me... and I am going shopping with my mom this weekend. YAY!
9. The dress I bought, unintentionally is the same colors as the dresses I got for the girls for Easter. We will be so cute. And I am having photos done on the 16th so maybe I will jump in a picture too :)
10. The Sears has turned their first floor into a Lands End store so I got a bathing suit for Florida - dude, why do I have to buy a swim suit 2 sizes bigger than I wear in "normal" clothes? But Lands End is the BEST for suits! Seriously.

Also, I have been saving money for months to buy some cute spring clothes :) Just so you know...

Anyhoo... Happy Hump Day.

60 Degrees of Hope

A hint of spring
a crocus peaks
the birds begin to chirp

The sun is warm
a swing is swung
the kids begin to play

The temps are up
the sleeves are short
60 degrees of hope

We have had 2 days of warm days and it is the most amazing lift in spirits, in hope, in energy. Spring can not come soon enough! Thank you mother nature for this gift, this hint that there is an end to the "dreary".

Aubreyella

I have so many things I want to say about this... but as mostly moms read this... I don't think I need to say a thing.

So shockingly, I will shut up and hit Publish.

Weekend Rewind

Stop. Collaborate and Listen. Em is back with a brand new edition...

So large change in plans over the weekend

1. I didn't not go to painting party due to a number of intervening factors
2. but I did go to the gym Friday night. Awesome.
3. Family time saturday,
4. Doug and I went out Saturday night - Bahama Breeze
5. Uncle Roy watched the kids
6. and they had Chicken and Waffles for dinner
7. and the Best Time Ever
8. Sunday morning we went to the gym
9. Family over Sunday night - GREAT time!

All in all a wonderful weekend... and only 4.5 days left in this office... WOW, kinda freaking out about that.