I have to say that the 10 days that we spent with Brian here recently were by far the best we have had so far. Brian came home earlier than we all expected that Thursday and surprised Ava at school. It took her a minute to realize who was standing there since she thought he wasn't coming home until the following night. But as soon as it registered she jumped in his arms and wouldn't let go. Ella was happy to see him too but Ava's reaction was priceless. We spent the next couple of days just the four of us and loved it. We played catch up lol. Brian was amazed at all the differences in the girls. He did get to talk and see them on the computer every day while he was gone but it just isn't the same. The zoo was a lot of fun. I think my favorite moment was when we were at the gorilla exhibit and the girls scooted their way to the front so their faces were pressed to the glass. One of the gorillas came sauntering over and sat right in front of Ella and was just staring at her as she talked to him (or her) and waved at him. He seemed perfectly content to just sit there and so did Ella. She LOVES monkeys, gorillas, any animals like that. In fact, her first zoo trip when she was 8 months old she chose a stuffed gorilla to take home and has slept with it ever since. Two-thirds of her stuffed animals on her bed are monkeys. Ava was in awe of the elephants and the giraffes. She had been asking to see them all day and then we were able to see them pretty close up so she was ecstatic.
While at the zoo Brian and I changed our plans from going to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood to surprising the girls with a trip to Disney. They had mentioned it several times in the past few months so we figured it would be fun. It was an absolute BLAST!!! We had so much fun but at the same time so exhausting! The drive down wasn't horrible so that was a plus. Ella is notorious for being a horrible traveller but she did amazing. Ava has always been a great traveller and of course did a great job. We stayed at the Nickelodeon Resort and we were impressed. The reservations desk staff and the guest services staff were not the greatest and they did not get us into our room until a bit after the normal check-in time. However, what impressed us were the grounds, eating area, water park, room and general area staff. Anyone we encountered, even just walking by would stop and say hello and ask how our stay was and seemed to genuinely care. I think our favorite part was the water park though and the fact that the weather cooperated and we were able to even go swimming at 8:00 at night in the middle of October! The girls thought that was great and wanted to go swimming when we got home (it was barely 68 when we got back here!).
Disney World was the absolute greatest part of our trip. We decided to take the girls two days so we wouldn't have to rush to do things and meet characters. The girls met lots of characters, saw several parades, two shows and some fireworks. They loved the ferry ride over, although Ava was convinced we were riding one of Tinker Bell's friends over until I showed her the boat and explained the difference in spelling and such.
If you ask the girls they would probably say their favorite character they met was Prince Naveen or Rapunzel. If you asked Brian and I we'd have to say Prince Naveen and Peter Pan, although Prince Eric and Ariel were pretty great as well. What made these particular characters the best? Well first of all, Prince Naveen took several minutes with the girls, got down on their level and really talked to them. Then he took them by the hand and danced with them. He made them laugh repeatedly and they loved him! Peter Pan, Disney couldn't have found a better person to play him. He was very much like the character in the movies. He noted that the girls' pen had Ariel on it and after talking to them about her he took them by the hand, told the other people in line he'd be right back and pranced (yes, I do mean pranced) the girls over to where people were meeting Ariel and Prince Eric and proceeded to teach the girls how to make whale noises at them and picked them up to play peek a boo with them! Later on when the girls met Ariel and Prince Eric they too made whale noises with the girls and spent a good bit of time with them.
The parades were a great highlight as well. I have been to Disney World 4 times and this was the first time I had ever seen the light parade. That was awesome! I think Brian and I enjoyed it as much as the girls did. We also found it very amusing that sitting in front of us was a woman with two daughters who were 6 and 3. The six year old's name was...Ava Grace. The three year old's name was...Ella (different middle name though!) Our Ella's we found out were only three weeks apart in age as well. We all got a good chuckle from that. But the reason I say the parades were the biggest highlight was the because of the presence of characters without the presence of screaming, crying and running. Ella did hide between Brian and I when the characters came close at any of the parades but Ava shook hands with them, danced in the street with them and even had a playful moment with Jafar...and yet she still won't set foot in Monkey Joe's!
I am very thankful that we had this opportunity as a family to have such a grand adventure. Brian's job may have him travelling a lot and this outage being a full year was not something we anticipated but it has also afforded us to do trips like this, our anniversary trip to NYC and our trip to NJ to see Brian earlier this year. This outage has also helped us appreciate our time together even more. We took for granted having each other around all the time so now we make sure that our time together is the best for all of us. That being said I can't wait for him to come home for good!
Sisters Forever
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
New adventures for our little family...
So at the risk of sounding absurd...I LOVE Ava's Pre-K teacher. She is just young enough (a year older than me) to be fun and energetic and seems to have an infinite amount of patience. Let me put it to you this way, when she mentioned that she had 18 children in her classroom and only 5 were girls she didn't even blink an eye. Ava is ecstatic to go to school EVERY DAY. She has never cried over me leaving her there nor has she ever said she just wanted to stay home. As a matter of fact, she got mad at me just last week for not letting her go to school! Her best friend is (no big surprise here) a boy. His name is Joseph and he is absolutely adorable and sweet. She has a friend that is a girl there too but she and Joseph are joined at the hip as her teacher says. They always seem to arrive right around the same time and leave around the same time. When Ava walks in Joseph stands near her and waits for her to do her morning tasks before they go play (put her stuff in her cubby, wash her hands, tell me goodbye). He always has a smile on his face and Ava talks about him constantly. Now if only I could ensure that Ella would get this same teacher next year! But of course I can't even guarantee that Ella will get into the Pre-K program at all next year.
Ella and I are trying to get into a new routine which is difficult. Neither of us are morning people whatsoever. So getting up at 6:30 am to get ready for the day and taking Ava to school is sheer torture for us. Ava is a morning person so it doesn't bother her. Ella and I come home after dropping Ava off and sit around for a while before we both lay down for a little nap, get up and eat lunch and do school work and by then it is time to go get Ava again. We have got to start something new, no more watching tv all morning long and vegging out on the couch. That will get old very soon, not sure which one of us is going to go crazy first! Ella is a more hands on child so I am going to have to come up with something aside from worksheets to keep her entertained for the next few months while Ava is at school.
On another note, Brian and I have decided that tv takes up entirely too much of our time together as a family and at the end of the year we are going to shut off our cable. I know I know, we will go through shock at first but we will survive. We are going to try it for a year to see how it goes. It has nothing to do with being able to afford it, not that that it is anybody's business, we can afford it. We will keep our internet as I will need it for my classes to get my teaching certification. Through that we will keep up with the shows we cannot do without (you know: Castle, Glee, Fringe), at least for now. Who knows, we might faze that out as well.
I am excited about all of our new ventures this coming year. My oldest is in school, my youngest will start school in a year and I am going back to school in January for my teaching certification. Brian should be back home full-time before we know it and we are more than ready for that! This year will definitely be memorable for all of us!
Ella and I are trying to get into a new routine which is difficult. Neither of us are morning people whatsoever. So getting up at 6:30 am to get ready for the day and taking Ava to school is sheer torture for us. Ava is a morning person so it doesn't bother her. Ella and I come home after dropping Ava off and sit around for a while before we both lay down for a little nap, get up and eat lunch and do school work and by then it is time to go get Ava again. We have got to start something new, no more watching tv all morning long and vegging out on the couch. That will get old very soon, not sure which one of us is going to go crazy first! Ella is a more hands on child so I am going to have to come up with something aside from worksheets to keep her entertained for the next few months while Ava is at school.
On another note, Brian and I have decided that tv takes up entirely too much of our time together as a family and at the end of the year we are going to shut off our cable. I know I know, we will go through shock at first but we will survive. We are going to try it for a year to see how it goes. It has nothing to do with being able to afford it, not that that it is anybody's business, we can afford it. We will keep our internet as I will need it for my classes to get my teaching certification. Through that we will keep up with the shows we cannot do without (you know: Castle, Glee, Fringe), at least for now. Who knows, we might faze that out as well.
I am excited about all of our new ventures this coming year. My oldest is in school, my youngest will start school in a year and I am going back to school in January for my teaching certification. Brian should be back home full-time before we know it and we are more than ready for that! This year will definitely be memorable for all of us!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wake up,ninty miles an hour
Take the world's fastest shower
Coffee black,microwave it (I don't drink coffee, diet coke is more my style!)
I'm at my best caffeinated
Out the door,pick up the pace
I'm here,I'm there,I'm everyplace
That's how it goes
A day in my life
I'm on my toes
From morning to night
Livin' like this
Some might say it's
So exhaustin' frenzied,manic
Call me nuts but I like it frantic
I'm not bulit for relaxing
I get bored without some action
One speed is all I know
Seize the day,yeah that's my motto
Maybe someday,I'll slow down
Maybe someday,but for now
Chorus again
Things I haven't done
Keep me on the run
But time sure does fly
When you're having so much fun
Chorus again
Yep...this song is my anthem lol. Life with a three and four year old is very interesting, exhausting and just plain fun. Some of the things the two of them come up make me want to pull my hair out in frustration, laugh hysterically or both at the same time. Some say I am completely nuts for wanting to stay at home with my children, much less doing it alone for the past year. My husband may be gone from the house but not gone from our lives. We speak to him every day by computer right now, being in England he doesn't have a cellphone nor does he really have time to deal with one. But talking on skype is way better considering we actually get to see him! We are praying that he can get home soon, and I mean home home, here in Gastonia. I am glad he has had the experiences he has had in the past year but we miss him at home and he hates how much he has missed with the girls. But I'd also be lying if I said life will become calm once he comes home! With two sets of hands we are hardly ever home when Brian is home. We like to go to the park, amusement parks, zoos, etc. We like to live life to the fullest.
On another note I will say that my kids are my pride and joy. I love hearing people comment on their manners and their behaviors in restaurants. I have those kids that you see sitting politely in their chairs, order for themselves and remember to say please and thank you (yes, yes I am bragging). Of course there are times when people want to bite their tongue to keep from laughing when they are near my children. One said occassion was fairly recent actually. When Brian was in last month we took the girls to Panera Bread (they LOVE that place). They had been sitting pretty, eating quietly, saying please and thank you, etc. I took the girls to the bathroom and when I came back Brian said that the woman sitting diagonal to me commented on the girls manners. Not three seconds later this is what we hear out of Ella's mouth as loud as can be: Daddy, did you hear me fart! I wanted to crawl under the table! The woman on the other hand had to hide her face, I could see that she was trying very hard not to laugh and was failing miserably.
Ava is absolutely loving school. She tells me everyday all the things she has done, or hadn't done that day. She jumps on me every morning excited to get dressed and head to school and pushes me out the door each day when I drop her off. I know I won't get that with Ella, the teacher will probably have to peel her off of me. Ava loves school so much so that when she started running a fever yesterday and I told her she had to stay at home she got mad! At me! Apparently it was my fault she was sick and couldn't go to soccer practice or school! Shame on me! I also love that she enjoys folding laundry (and is surprisingly good at it) and putting dishes in the dishwasher, it comes in handy sometimes! I won't let her do either unsupervised all the time, I mean she is only 4!
I have to say though that my favorite moments in the past few weeks have been watching my children play soccer. Ava thoroughly enjoys it, Ella not so much. Ella talked about wanting to play soccer with her sister so I figured I'd sign her up. So far she has not enjoyed it as much as she thought she would. Their first game she actually plopped herself down in the middle of the field in the middle of the game and started plucking up grass! This should be an interesting season for her!
As Jon and Kate have said on their show: "It might be a crazy life, but it is our life." I don't care for either one of them but I do like that comment...and hey they didn't write it, a producer did lol. I wouldn't trade one crazy minute of my life. I am happily married to an awesome man who is thoroughly patience with me (believe me, I can be a challenge at times lol). And I have two children who exemplify such determination and tenacity to keep me on my toes for years to come. But I wouldn't trade them for anything, life would not be the same. Our next adventure...going to the zoo when Brian comes home for a visit! We haven't been in a long time and I can't wait to take them now that they are older!
Take the world's fastest shower
Coffee black,microwave it (I don't drink coffee, diet coke is more my style!)
I'm at my best caffeinated
Out the door,pick up the pace
I'm here,I'm there,I'm everyplace
That's how it goes
A day in my life
I'm on my toes
From morning to night
Livin' like this
Some might say it's
So exhaustin' frenzied,manic
Call me nuts but I like it frantic
I'm not bulit for relaxing
I get bored without some action
One speed is all I know
Seize the day,yeah that's my motto
Maybe someday,I'll slow down
Maybe someday,but for now
Chorus again
Things I haven't done
Keep me on the run
But time sure does fly
When you're having so much fun
Chorus again
Yep...this song is my anthem lol. Life with a three and four year old is very interesting, exhausting and just plain fun. Some of the things the two of them come up make me want to pull my hair out in frustration, laugh hysterically or both at the same time. Some say I am completely nuts for wanting to stay at home with my children, much less doing it alone for the past year. My husband may be gone from the house but not gone from our lives. We speak to him every day by computer right now, being in England he doesn't have a cellphone nor does he really have time to deal with one. But talking on skype is way better considering we actually get to see him! We are praying that he can get home soon, and I mean home home, here in Gastonia. I am glad he has had the experiences he has had in the past year but we miss him at home and he hates how much he has missed with the girls. But I'd also be lying if I said life will become calm once he comes home! With two sets of hands we are hardly ever home when Brian is home. We like to go to the park, amusement parks, zoos, etc. We like to live life to the fullest.
On another note I will say that my kids are my pride and joy. I love hearing people comment on their manners and their behaviors in restaurants. I have those kids that you see sitting politely in their chairs, order for themselves and remember to say please and thank you (yes, yes I am bragging). Of course there are times when people want to bite their tongue to keep from laughing when they are near my children. One said occassion was fairly recent actually. When Brian was in last month we took the girls to Panera Bread (they LOVE that place). They had been sitting pretty, eating quietly, saying please and thank you, etc. I took the girls to the bathroom and when I came back Brian said that the woman sitting diagonal to me commented on the girls manners. Not three seconds later this is what we hear out of Ella's mouth as loud as can be: Daddy, did you hear me fart! I wanted to crawl under the table! The woman on the other hand had to hide her face, I could see that she was trying very hard not to laugh and was failing miserably.
Ava is absolutely loving school. She tells me everyday all the things she has done, or hadn't done that day. She jumps on me every morning excited to get dressed and head to school and pushes me out the door each day when I drop her off. I know I won't get that with Ella, the teacher will probably have to peel her off of me. Ava loves school so much so that when she started running a fever yesterday and I told her she had to stay at home she got mad! At me! Apparently it was my fault she was sick and couldn't go to soccer practice or school! Shame on me! I also love that she enjoys folding laundry (and is surprisingly good at it) and putting dishes in the dishwasher, it comes in handy sometimes! I won't let her do either unsupervised all the time, I mean she is only 4!
I have to say though that my favorite moments in the past few weeks have been watching my children play soccer. Ava thoroughly enjoys it, Ella not so much. Ella talked about wanting to play soccer with her sister so I figured I'd sign her up. So far she has not enjoyed it as much as she thought she would. Their first game she actually plopped herself down in the middle of the field in the middle of the game and started plucking up grass! This should be an interesting season for her!
As Jon and Kate have said on their show: "It might be a crazy life, but it is our life." I don't care for either one of them but I do like that comment...and hey they didn't write it, a producer did lol. I wouldn't trade one crazy minute of my life. I am happily married to an awesome man who is thoroughly patience with me (believe me, I can be a challenge at times lol). And I have two children who exemplify such determination and tenacity to keep me on my toes for years to come. But I wouldn't trade them for anything, life would not be the same. Our next adventure...going to the zoo when Brian comes home for a visit! We haven't been in a long time and I can't wait to take them now that they are older!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Beach trip!!!!!
So, I'm going to guess by my blog title everyone is going to think this trip was a blast. Well guess what? You thought WRONG!!! I have decided that no one could pay me to make another solo beach trip with a nearly 3 and 4 year old! Not to mention their newest fear (of dogs, added on top of characters, bugs, snakes-which I agree with lol, water, power wheels-Ella only here, and I'm sure there are more but I can't think of what they are) was quite interesting.
First of all we started off the day on the wrong foot. Nobody wanted the breakfast they asked for so after two breakfasts and still barely any food in their stomachs I told them to eat what was in front of them or go hungry. I am not a short order cook so get over it. Lately my menu consists of two items: Take it or leave it. So after they finally ate enough to where I didn't think Ava would pass out on the soccer field we headed out to do a couple last minute errands before her game. Oh, did I mention I woke up with a sinus attack from hades? Yeah, figured I forgot to mention that part, so of course I was feeling AWESOME that day. Ava's game went ok, despite the (literally) 100% humidity.
We left her game and headed for the beach, stopped for lunch halfway and by then I was ready to pull my hair out. Ella was being whiny as usual-she has never been a model car rider. Ava was bored so I gave her her bookbag of toys (Leapster, ipod and headphones, coloring books and crayons, little toys from the dollar tree,etc.) and I handed Ella one praying she would play or go to sleep. Well she dumped everything on the floor and then fell asleep, great right?
Finally we get to the beach and at this point I am not the most chipper person on the planet. I get everything unloaded from the van (who knew you could need so much stuff for two days?) and into our hotel room. I proceed to empty the cooler so that I can dump the ice in the sink. I pick up the cooler after emptying it and after trying to maneuver it right I somehow grabbed the lid and pulled up, slamming it into my face and dumping the ice and water EVERYWHERE. Housekeeping came and cleaned it up for me (thanks!!!!) and the girls and I went to move the van from the loading zone and went down to the beach for a few minutes. This of course is where the dog fear comes in. Dogs can be on the beach from 5pm-10am ON A LEASH!!! That is a-okay with me, as long as you follow the rules. But no, there had to be two guys with a dog who didn't even have a collar on (mind you she was adorable and if not for their fear of dogs I might have talked these guys into letting me have her!). The first guy sees the girls are screaming (people in Scotland could hear that scream) and comes to get the dog and apologizes while he is berated by some woman for not having a leash or collar on the dog. After a while he lets the dog go, enter guy number two. The dog comes at the girls again, wanting to play. The girls scream so we proceed to leave that specific area after guy number two picks her up and walks off. Then he lets the dog down and then CHASES her right over to where my girls ARE. Ava clings to my thigh and Ella scales Ava like she is a rock climbing wall and ends up on my shoulders. Then he has the nerve to apologize as he laughs.
Remember my chipper mood I said was absent? Yeah, he got to see why redheads have the reputation we have. I let him know how irate I was and then told him I would have animal patrol out there. Sure enough I went inside to the front desk and had them call. At least after that we never saw another dog without a leash while we were there so that was all good.
Spending time on the beach was great but exhausting. Ella wanted to sit and dig in the sand while Ava was getting brave and running into the water. I didn't want to leave Ella alone so some stranger could easily pick her up (even though I'm sure she'd let everyone know she was being taken) and I didn't want to be too far away from Ava in case a wave knocked her down or something. So I made Ella come down closer to the water some of the time and made Ava go dig in the sand some of the time so I could have a break. But lordy if I suggested something other than the beach it was a meltdown from Ella (who used to hate sand by the way) or Ava getting mad at me and showing me her attitude (4 is such a great age...yes this is dripping with sarcasm).
Needless to say, I was ready for Monday to get here so we could be back on home turf! Except of course we hit the ground running as soon as we got here. We, I mean I unpacked, got laundry started, ran to the store, took Ava to her soccer game, ate dinner, gave the girls their baths and put them to bed. It is a wonder how I got into bed before midnight. Now you know why I am still exhausted after that trip lol and why I said it wasn't as great as the title states!
First of all we started off the day on the wrong foot. Nobody wanted the breakfast they asked for so after two breakfasts and still barely any food in their stomachs I told them to eat what was in front of them or go hungry. I am not a short order cook so get over it. Lately my menu consists of two items: Take it or leave it. So after they finally ate enough to where I didn't think Ava would pass out on the soccer field we headed out to do a couple last minute errands before her game. Oh, did I mention I woke up with a sinus attack from hades? Yeah, figured I forgot to mention that part, so of course I was feeling AWESOME that day. Ava's game went ok, despite the (literally) 100% humidity.
We left her game and headed for the beach, stopped for lunch halfway and by then I was ready to pull my hair out. Ella was being whiny as usual-she has never been a model car rider. Ava was bored so I gave her her bookbag of toys (Leapster, ipod and headphones, coloring books and crayons, little toys from the dollar tree,etc.) and I handed Ella one praying she would play or go to sleep. Well she dumped everything on the floor and then fell asleep, great right?
Finally we get to the beach and at this point I am not the most chipper person on the planet. I get everything unloaded from the van (who knew you could need so much stuff for two days?) and into our hotel room. I proceed to empty the cooler so that I can dump the ice in the sink. I pick up the cooler after emptying it and after trying to maneuver it right I somehow grabbed the lid and pulled up, slamming it into my face and dumping the ice and water EVERYWHERE. Housekeeping came and cleaned it up for me (thanks!!!!) and the girls and I went to move the van from the loading zone and went down to the beach for a few minutes. This of course is where the dog fear comes in. Dogs can be on the beach from 5pm-10am ON A LEASH!!! That is a-okay with me, as long as you follow the rules. But no, there had to be two guys with a dog who didn't even have a collar on (mind you she was adorable and if not for their fear of dogs I might have talked these guys into letting me have her!). The first guy sees the girls are screaming (people in Scotland could hear that scream) and comes to get the dog and apologizes while he is berated by some woman for not having a leash or collar on the dog. After a while he lets the dog go, enter guy number two. The dog comes at the girls again, wanting to play. The girls scream so we proceed to leave that specific area after guy number two picks her up and walks off. Then he lets the dog down and then CHASES her right over to where my girls ARE. Ava clings to my thigh and Ella scales Ava like she is a rock climbing wall and ends up on my shoulders. Then he has the nerve to apologize as he laughs.
Remember my chipper mood I said was absent? Yeah, he got to see why redheads have the reputation we have. I let him know how irate I was and then told him I would have animal patrol out there. Sure enough I went inside to the front desk and had them call. At least after that we never saw another dog without a leash while we were there so that was all good.
Spending time on the beach was great but exhausting. Ella wanted to sit and dig in the sand while Ava was getting brave and running into the water. I didn't want to leave Ella alone so some stranger could easily pick her up (even though I'm sure she'd let everyone know she was being taken) and I didn't want to be too far away from Ava in case a wave knocked her down or something. So I made Ella come down closer to the water some of the time and made Ava go dig in the sand some of the time so I could have a break. But lordy if I suggested something other than the beach it was a meltdown from Ella (who used to hate sand by the way) or Ava getting mad at me and showing me her attitude (4 is such a great age...yes this is dripping with sarcasm).
Needless to say, I was ready for Monday to get here so we could be back on home turf! Except of course we hit the ground running as soon as we got here. We, I mean I unpacked, got laundry started, ran to the store, took Ava to her soccer game, ate dinner, gave the girls their baths and put them to bed. It is a wonder how I got into bed before midnight. Now you know why I am still exhausted after that trip lol and why I said it wasn't as great as the title states!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Oh the joys of children!
So I took the girls to Dollywood for the very first time this past week and they had a blast. They absolutely loved Dolly Parton (even though she wasn't even there!). They continually called her (and still do now) Dolly Partment. I think at one point they even called her Jelly Apartment. But they really enjoyed the shows (we were there during the Festival of Nations) and playing in the water areas. I was a little disappointed that they took out the big playground area that was in the middle of the park but they had fun anyway. They made friends with a police officer while they were there as well. It was funny seeing a cop have a full on conversation with a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 year old! I was merely there to translate if it was necessary lol.
Dealing with their tantrums on the other hand is a whole different ballgame. I am so tired of telling Ella repeatedly to do something or stop doing something and she COMPLETELY ignores me. As soon as I scream at her, she does it. I hate screaming at her but it is literally the ONLY way to get her to listen. I go hoarse by the end of the day with as many times as I have to do this! I pray that I am in the same boat with many other parents and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Ava did not go through this phase so I don't know how it shapes up throughout the year! Ava's new thing is to tell me I hurt her feelings if I don't let her do something that she really wants to do or something like that. Ava's biggest thing that aggravates me is her mouth. She is extremely cocky and sarcastic. I swear she is nearly four going on fourteen. Lord help me when she IS fourteen!
The other day we did some outside Easter pictures and I was way more pleased with these as compared to the ones I did in their room a few weeks ago. Ava was a ham as usual while Ella got a little bored after a while. Then when we went out to a barbeque barn that evening we found several spots that were perfect for pictures, I just wish the kids had been just as enthusiastic about it! Glad they were all good sports about it and at least sat still!
Overall, we are doing a little better with Brian being gone. It still bites that he isn't here all the time but it does make our time together that one weekend a month that much better. We try to spend all the time we can together while also seeing other people I know he wants to see. Next week I am flying up for our 5th anniversary, we are going to a Phillies/Braves game Friday night in Philly and then on to NYC early Saturday morning where we will hang out there all day Saturday, go to a nice restaurant that night and stay at the Waldorf Astoria! I am so excited. We haven't had a weekend just the two of us in almost two years (that I can remember anyway).
Dealing with their tantrums on the other hand is a whole different ballgame. I am so tired of telling Ella repeatedly to do something or stop doing something and she COMPLETELY ignores me. As soon as I scream at her, she does it. I hate screaming at her but it is literally the ONLY way to get her to listen. I go hoarse by the end of the day with as many times as I have to do this! I pray that I am in the same boat with many other parents and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Ava did not go through this phase so I don't know how it shapes up throughout the year! Ava's new thing is to tell me I hurt her feelings if I don't let her do something that she really wants to do or something like that. Ava's biggest thing that aggravates me is her mouth. She is extremely cocky and sarcastic. I swear she is nearly four going on fourteen. Lord help me when she IS fourteen!
The other day we did some outside Easter pictures and I was way more pleased with these as compared to the ones I did in their room a few weeks ago. Ava was a ham as usual while Ella got a little bored after a while. Then when we went out to a barbeque barn that evening we found several spots that were perfect for pictures, I just wish the kids had been just as enthusiastic about it! Glad they were all good sports about it and at least sat still!
Overall, we are doing a little better with Brian being gone. It still bites that he isn't here all the time but it does make our time together that one weekend a month that much better. We try to spend all the time we can together while also seeing other people I know he wants to see. Next week I am flying up for our 5th anniversary, we are going to a Phillies/Braves game Friday night in Philly and then on to NYC early Saturday morning where we will hang out there all day Saturday, go to a nice restaurant that night and stay at the Waldorf Astoria! I am so excited. We haven't had a weekend just the two of us in almost two years (that I can remember anyway).
Ava and Ella in a rare sweet moment lol.
My Ella Bella Bear- 2 1/2
My Gracie Lou- 3 1/2
I can't believe she will be 4 in a month!
Such beautiful little ladies!
Two months from now she will be 3!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture!
Such little hams!
Christian was cracking me up. He would not give us a real smile for anything!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Ready for a vacation...
So the girls and I have been doing the whole living without Brian for the past 3 months and only seeing him once a month. We are actually working on month 7 of him not being home. The first four months we saw him every weekend. We thought that was bad until he was gone for a month at a time! Now, I'd take every weekend any day! But we know it is for the best. The girls are starting to have a hard time with it now and are really acting out which of course is driving me completely bonkers. But sometimes you have to make sacrifices to better your life and so far this has been our biggest sacrifice thus far.
The three Riddle women are headed to Savannah to spend some time with Breanna (my sister from another mother) and her awesome family and then watch out West Palm Beach, we are invading for a week! I am so excited. We have not seen family down there since Ava was 3 months old and she will be 4 in less than two months! We are going to make this the best trip. I need to just let everything else go and focus on making this a fun and exciting time for all of us. We are going to the beach, the Palm Beach Zoo, the spraygrounds, visiting family and maybe a good shopping trip (the girls love to shop!).
I do have to say though that the girls have kept me very entertained on our good days. The other day we picked Brian up from the airport and he showed Ava one of his new boots and said "This is Daddy's new boot." She piped up from the back without missing a beat and said "Did you get the other one too?" Got to love that girl! She has my sarcasm (lordy we will need some serious prayers in ten years lol). Ella told me yesterday that she is going to marry Trenton (who is Breanna's oldest son and quite the cutie but he is 2 1/2 years older!). Ava then added that she was going to marry Christian (her Uncle Bubba and Aunt Nikki's cutie patootie who is 5 weeks younger than Ava). This is the same kid who at Christmas put his arm around Ava and told us they were going to the mountains to make some magic...I really hope he meant hocus pocus abracadabra or we are going to have some serious issues in a few years!
On another note, Ava is playing soccer this Spring and she has been so happy with it. Her first game is on the 9th and she can't wait. They are both going to do swimming lessons this Summer. I can't swim worth a flip (no pun intended) and have issues in water. So I want them to be more comfortable in it than I ever was. And then both will play soccer in the Fall. AND my baby (Ava) starts Pre-K in the Fall. I am so sad that she has gotten big enough to go to school but glad she is going to have this time away from me and time to interact with other children. I'm praying there are a lot of girls in her class as 99% of her friends right now are boys!
I will try to keep this up a bit more, things have been so hectic and I just forgot all about this!
The three Riddle women are headed to Savannah to spend some time with Breanna (my sister from another mother) and her awesome family and then watch out West Palm Beach, we are invading for a week! I am so excited. We have not seen family down there since Ava was 3 months old and she will be 4 in less than two months! We are going to make this the best trip. I need to just let everything else go and focus on making this a fun and exciting time for all of us. We are going to the beach, the Palm Beach Zoo, the spraygrounds, visiting family and maybe a good shopping trip (the girls love to shop!).
I do have to say though that the girls have kept me very entertained on our good days. The other day we picked Brian up from the airport and he showed Ava one of his new boots and said "This is Daddy's new boot." She piped up from the back without missing a beat and said "Did you get the other one too?" Got to love that girl! She has my sarcasm (lordy we will need some serious prayers in ten years lol). Ella told me yesterday that she is going to marry Trenton (who is Breanna's oldest son and quite the cutie but he is 2 1/2 years older!). Ava then added that she was going to marry Christian (her Uncle Bubba and Aunt Nikki's cutie patootie who is 5 weeks younger than Ava). This is the same kid who at Christmas put his arm around Ava and told us they were going to the mountains to make some magic...I really hope he meant hocus pocus abracadabra or we are going to have some serious issues in a few years!
On another note, Ava is playing soccer this Spring and she has been so happy with it. Her first game is on the 9th and she can't wait. They are both going to do swimming lessons this Summer. I can't swim worth a flip (no pun intended) and have issues in water. So I want them to be more comfortable in it than I ever was. And then both will play soccer in the Fall. AND my baby (Ava) starts Pre-K in the Fall. I am so sad that she has gotten big enough to go to school but glad she is going to have this time away from me and time to interact with other children. I'm praying there are a lot of girls in her class as 99% of her friends right now are boys!
I will try to keep this up a bit more, things have been so hectic and I just forgot all about this!
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