Week 2 & Rachel

Olivia's 2nd week of Kindergarten is complete! And she still loves it. I am so happy for her. And our morning routine is still going great. And we have not tempted fate by having her do hot lunch again. I don't think we will do that again for a while. She is a happy camper with her bologna sandwich, granola bar, and sour cream & onion pringles. Now, if I can make a mental note to always remember to put her milk money in her lunch bag - then we will be in business. I remember, but it's not until we are out the door waiting for the bus.

Olivia is still a little tight lipped about the goings on at school. I do know PE is still her favorite. And she likes to eat lunch sitting across from her cousin Nathan. I didn't share this little nugget of a Nathan-ism last week. But since my sister always shares a nice Nathan quote in each post, I will tell you all about it now. The day Olivia claimed she shared lunch with Nathan last week, Nathan told her "tomorrow I will get my Mom to send 2 quarters so I can buy a chocolate milk for both of us." Isn't that boy sweet & funny.

Olivia also has been looking just so darn cute these days. Every morning I do her hair & she looks adorable. Just so grown up...and I think she may be catching the eyes of some boys in school already. Lord help me! I remarked on how cute she looked Monday when I picked her up from Day Care. She told me that her little girl friend Skye liked her hair clip. And that Blaise said her hair was just so smooth & pretty. Olivia seemed pretty proud that Blaise liked her hair & she got all red in the face. But so far no boyfriend...I jokingly ask her.

She doesn't talk much about her school activies or what she is learning. She talks more about her friends & lunch. Which I am sure she gets from me. Such a social little girl! And tonight Olivia is performing at the high school football game. It's the Mini M-Squad. Last night was practice & she learned the dance routine. But she didn't show me any of the moves. So I am sure tonight will be interesting. I hear there were 212 little girls there. YOWZA!!! I am sure the bleachers will be packed tonight!

Now that the Olivia update is done, onto my lovely second born girl!

Rachel is still her onery little self. She has adjusted well to Day Care & seems to enjoy it. No more tears...so Mama is a happy camper too. Jarrett was off work the majority of this week so she got to spend some extra time with him & maintain her status as "Pal".

I know we all have heard it, "every child is different". Well, I think I got polar opposites in my 2 little girls. Even though they look alike, they do not act alike. I repeat, they do not act alike. I am going to just come right out & say it: OLIVIA SPOILED US! She was SOOOOO EASY from birth until 3 or 4. We didn't see any defiance or attitude really from her until Rachel was on the scene. And I anticipated that. A new baby & she doesn't have 100% of the attention that she used to get. So on & so forth.

Rachel has been a trying child from the day she was born. She doesn't sleep all night like Olivia did. She doesn't eat like Olivia did. She is completely different. I didn't expect Rachel to be a carbon copy of Olivia in every single way. But I did expect them to have similar characteristics & behaviors. Rachel, how do I say this, marches to the beat of her own drum. She does things on her own schedule. Take crawling for instance, this child never crawled an inch. She scooted, if you don't remember look HERE.

The dreaded time of the day is bedtime. Rachel is as stubborn as the day is long. She didn't want to sleep in her crib anymore. So about 2 months ago, I converted it to a toddler bed. That worked for all of 3 nights. She detests her bed. She likes to sleep being held, STILL! I know, bad habit to start - yada yada yada. But come on now, this Mama has got to sleep too. If holding her is the only way that is possible then so be it. That lasted for a month.

Now, she likes to sleep in our room. We took the mattress off of her unused bed & put it on our floor. This is where she sleeps. Or shall I say, this is where she starts out. Usually about 2 or 3 hours in she wakes up SCREAMING!!! And then gets put in bed with us. After about 3 or 4 little feet to the ribs or a toddler head-butt, I move to the bed on the floor - LOVELY! Nothing like having to sleep on your own bedroom floor to make a great night of rest.

Any suggestions or ideas that may work for me to get this girl to sleep in her bed in her room where she belongs? You know, suggestions other than hog-tying her...that is Jar's suggestion that I constantly shoot down.

And I wonder why I am always tired & want to take a nap right this very moment.

Good-Bye Funk

Just as soon as I announced my funk, it's gone! Maybe I should have started griping on here as soon as I started this blog...

Anywho, back to the funk that is no more.

I decided, I need a change of scenery...not a permanent change, maybe just a long weekend of change. I just need to get out of my normal routine for a while. Actually go somewhere instead of home to work, work to home, home to wal-mart, so on & so forth.

As luck may have it, Jarrett's cousin is getting married on September 12th in New Jersey. We were not going to go, there are several reasons: 1) Jarrett & I couldn't miss (who really misses it) be absent from work, 2) I didn't want Olivia to be out of school this early in the school year, 3) money money money.

But, thanks to my funk...I made the executive decision to say "what the hey, let's just go & do what we want". I know, sometimes I am crazy like that. HAHA! And believe me, I am a little stressed about it. Normally I need at least a months notice before we go anywhere. I have to make 50 some odd lists & get everything in order. So, this is very spur of the moment for me, even though it is a full week away.

I am super stoked that we are going to be East bound & down, loaded up & trucking. (Come on, I had to make a Jerry Reed reference. I told you that was my favorite movie HERE.)

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go throw some groceries down my neck & settle in for the evening.

The Facts of Life

I am in a funk of sorts.
And I loathe that I am continually reminded, in one way shape or form, that being an adult has ups & downs. Generally speaking, I am a happy person. I have a husband, whom I love. I have 2 beautiful little girls, whom I love more than life itself. But some days, I think this whole adult responsibilities thing sucks hard core. And, if I am being completely honest with myself, I have a tendency to have a "Glass Half Empty" mentality.

So, today I feel like complaining...alot. And that is exactly what I am going to do here. So, that is my disclaimer...read on if you want to.

There are several things I want to do, but I can't. There are things that I should do, but I don't. There is not enough time in the day to do all of the things I should be doing. There are projects I want to complete, but I don't have the time or money.

On such lovely days as this, I want to be home with my 2 gorgeous girls. But now my Olivia is in school so I don't feel as guilty for working. Still, my little miss Rachel is shuffled off somewhere every day. Maybe in 4 years I will have no residual working Mommy guilt.

My washing machine crapped out 2 weeks ago. Therefore, today I am wearing my last clean pair of socks. Not good times...

I feel like I am coming down with a cold (thank you 40 degree mornings at the end of August). I didn't sleep worth a crap last night.

I joined Weight Watchers to lose weight, obviously. I lost big the 1st week 3.6 - I'm thinking WOOHOO!!! I lost a little the 2nd week .8 - still a minus so we are good. I lost big again the 3rd week 3.4 - quite a happy camper. And then this past weekend I gained 1 pound. I HATE that there is a little plus sign in my Chub Club Book --- HATE IT! But, what it comes down to is that I cheated the diet. I ate whatever the heck I wanted all week & then I paid for it. I only have myself to blame for that one, but it still stings! And I am not very happy...

There is a warning light on my car about my tire pressure. For the past 3 weeks I have had to put air in one of my tires at least twice a week. I am no automotive genious, but I know that I need new tires. And that really irritates me because it is not coming at a very good time.

Now that I have all of my crabbiness out of my system (for the time being), lets focus on the positive. Keep my eye on the prize, so to say.

I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR!!!

But sometimes, I take it for granted. Well, lets be honest, I am sure lots of people take it for granted. (That is supposed to lessen my guilt, but it doesn't really.)

Since I listed the things that are really ticking me off this week...I will list the things that made me happy this week too (materialistic things towards the end so I don't come off shallow! HAHA!)

Jarrett & I got all dressed up, we went to my 10 year high school reunion!

I got to see my best friend Lindsay at the reunion, I hadn't seen her in years! Here are my BFFs Lindsay & Haley!

I took this picture with Jarrett! It made me smile, well obviously, didn't it make you smile too?! He is such a goofy, loving guy.

This little girl is talking more & more. She said "night night", "diaper", "bottle", "sister", and "crazy" the other night. And she helped me make cookies Monday night.

This big girl is going to be performing at the half time show of the High School football game in the mini-m squad. She still loves school too!

And this one was too cute not to share. She's a goofball!

And on the list of random things that made me smile...

- Jarrett recorded America's Best Dance Crew for me even though he dislikes the show with a passion.

- I got to go shopping at the mall with Olivia alone on Saturday, it was fun to have some one-on-one time with her.

- I finished Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows. And can safely say I am offically a Harry Potter nerd because I loved the entire series!


And there we have it...you take the good you take the bad, you take them both & there you have...the facts of life! Not always fun, but always worth it.