Friday, July 30, 2010

Finally Friday

This week seemed very long to me.  Maybe because we have fun stuff planned for the weekend.  I don't know.  I did my work thing, and it was just like I remembered it.  Very much, only it's difficult to switch gears from doing things the way I do them, to doing things they way they insist they be done.  It'll get easier I'm sure.

Wednesday Kat called us and invited us to go swimming, so we all went up the street to a friend's house and swam in her fabulous pool.  Even Norah wanted to go in, which is saying something.  I didn't bring my suit, since I don't really have one, so Kat obliged and took Norah for a swim.  Then Hannah stayed for a sleepover. 

Norah is still doing really well in her underwear.  She's dry 100% of the time for the last few days, we just have some issues with pooping.  I hear that's harder to get, so we're cutting her some slack.  She's even waking up dry, so I'm thinking we might take the plunge and try underwear to bed this weekend.  Interesting.

Monday, July 26, 2010

First day

Today is my first day back to work in about 5 1/2 years.  It'll be fine.  Only three hours and right up the street from Kat's house.  So I don't have to leave right away, and will be right back.

It's also the first day that Norah will be going an entire day in underwear in someone elses house.  Yesterday she did great while we were out running errands, and stayed dry all day.  She's still having trouble pooping, but I expected that.  She's very proud of herself, and of course I'm proud of her also!  She's such a big girl, I can't believe she did it all on her own and is totally initiating herself.  In fact, she's waking up dry and peeing when she wakes up.  Which is amazing to me, but if I remember a certain other two year old who is potty trained did that at first.  So I'm fully expecting that to stop :)

Friday, July 23, 2010

Fun Coming Up

Tomorrow we're making the long drive to visit our friends in New Jersey.  It's only 2.5 hours, so not totally ridiculous, but long for the girls.  Especially since Norah has decided as of yesterday, to potty train.  She spent the day in underwear yesterday, with only a few accidents and plenty of successes and M&M's.  We'll see how today goes and debate what to do about the drive tomorrow.  Probably a diaper is easiest, simply because little ones learning lack control, lol.  If she said she had to pee and we pull over, unstrap her, etc...  So I'm think that's how it will go.

Hopefully we can get all our errands done today.  I have to stop by the office and have my TB skin test read this morning, then probably some groceries.  And fill my van up with gas so we don't have to do that in the morning.  I'm really excited for tomorrow, and hopefully everything goes as planned this time!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Hi Ho, Hi ho...

We all know where the dwarves were going when they sang that song... and now so am I.  Norah is big enough now that she doesn't mind being with other people, and Hannah will be in Kindergarten in September.  So I'm starting back to work next week.  It's a huge change for me, and I'm actually a little stressed about it.  I don't want to screw up my kids in any way, but the reality is, in this economy, one income doesn't go as far as you need it.  Hannah seems very confused as to what exactly I'll be doing.  I can't seem to explain it other than I'm basically doing the same stuff I do at home.  Just getting paid, and it's for elderly people, not little ones like them.  So as of right now I'm working Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  I'm sure she'll try to fill me up a bit, probably on Fridays.  And of course I'm still watching Kat's Monkeys whenever I'm not working and she is. 

I'm mostly hoping that we can all adjust to this easily.  I didn't make this decision without a lot of thought. 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Happy Monday

You know, for a change!  Yesterday morning I got a phone call that we should come up for lunch to see Gabe and Ellie.  Hannah was thrilled, because we don't see them enough, and there was promise of a pool, and of course they have a swing set.  They also live down the street from a really great playground.  So we hung out there for a good part of the afternoon.  It's SO nice that all four kids are old enough to play and let us chat for a few minutes at a time.  I got some really great photos of the kids playing, and I wish I'd gotten pictures of Norah and Ellie at the easel, but painting themselves, not the paper.  I have a couple of the aftermath though.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Fun

Today everyone that was planning to came over to celebrate my birthday.  Meema and Uncle Dave showed up early with Amanda and Gary.  Then later Donny came with Allison and her kids Bradly and Zachary.  It was lots of fun.  The kids played outside for hours, and we ate some fabulous wings that Steven made, and watched them all have fun.  Despite one mishap for each boy with falling down, they all had a great time.  I did too.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow when we can celebrate as just us.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Almost time

My birthday is coming up on Sunday, and some of my favorite people are going away for the weekend and all of next week.  Camp Sunshine will be so SO much fun for them, I know they're looking forward to it!  So tonight, Steven offered to look over their van to be sure it was safe to drive all the way up there.  So I cooked dinner for everyone.  Tomato soup was the request, and since it was easy enough and required very little of me, we had exactly that.  Only Kat thought she needed to celebrate my birthday early with me, so she brought ice cream cake!  Yum!  I love it, and I love her.  I feel so special.  And I got flowers and a pretty balloon.  Heck it's not even my birthday and I'm pretty spoiled. 

So tomorrow I get to run all the errands and do all the cleaning that means we're having company for the weekend.  And who knows what Sunday will bring.  Hopefully it will bring me not cooking OR cleaning :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Only Tuesday

And we're already looking forward to the weekend!  Saturday we're having people over.  Meema and Uncle Dave, Amanda and Gary, and Uncle Donny and his girlfriend, Allison.  We're meeting her for the first time, and she's bringing her two boys.  I don't think Hannah understands that more kids are coming over to play, but hopefully she'll remember how to play with boys.  She does great with Michael and with David, so hopefully she'll do great.  Norah plays with anyone, and no one.  It's hard to keep track of what she'll do/not do.  It's never the same, such is life with a two year old I guess.

Then of course, Sunday is my birthday.  I'll be 29 this year.  I don't think we have plans for my actual birthday, and since Mimi and family are headed up to Camp Sunshine for a week, Kat and I will have to celebrate another day.  Steven asked me the other day what I want, and honestly I'm not sure. 

Monday, July 12, 2010

Back again

The tooth fairy made a surprise visit here last night.  About 25 minutes after I put them in bed last night, sitting on the couch watching tv, I hear Hannah come out to the gate and excitedly whisper "Mommy!" as loud as she dared.  She apparently wiggled her tooth right out, and had to tell me right then.  Which of course is fair, since if she put it out for the tooth fairy without telling me, she might not have made the trip. 

So she rinsed her mouth, we dabbed the tiny drop of blood, and got her a bag to put her tooth in.  Then she was tucked right back in, and headed off to dream about what the tooth fairy would bring her this time. 

As it so happens, she was ecstatic over the "dollar and money" she got.  ($1.50) And she popped it right in her piggy bank.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Quiet

Right now it's silent in my living room.  Toy Story is playing, and even though it's about five minutes to bedtime, they're both completely rapt and into it.  They got to have ice cream on the floor, and they're watching peacefully.  This sort of quiet really only happens when they're in bed sleeping, so peace and quiet while they're awake is a treasure for sure. 

At least until I tell them it really is time to go to bed.

Friday, July 9, 2010

A change

As much as I adore the previous photo, I thought maybe something a bit more recent might be more appropriate.  Add to that the new layouts offered, and I couldn't say no.  Fluffy dandelions are a favorite "flower" here, so they are absolutely the right choice. 

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Pins are officially out!

And Hannah couldn't be happier.  We showed up a hair early for her 8:45 appointment, but didn't get taken back until well after 9.  After some xrays, we were shown to a room to wait for Dr. Nichols.  When she came in, she showed me the xrays and said that everything looked favorable for removing the cast/pins right then, if we were agreeable to that.  We were indeed.  Hannah had a borrowed Nintendo DS to play with, and it miraculously kept her occupied for quite a bit of the procedure.  There was a lot less to it than I thought there would be.  First she cut off the ace bandage, then she picked apart the layers and pried off the actual splint that was protecting her elbow.  A bit more trimming, and her naked, skinny arm was out in view.  Hannah didn't notice much until the pins were actually being removed, and then she cried.  I don't blame her, it looked very painful considering how hard they were being pulled and twisted.  She calmed down quickly (for her) and got to hold her pins and play with the scissors and tools that Dr. Nichols had used.  After a thick gauze pad and a stretchy bandage, we were good to go.  The bandage comes off tomorrow, when the holes have had a chance to close up on their own.  After that, she has a follow up appointment on August 18, and we were told that by then she should be back to nearly full 100% usage!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Today's the Day!

I'm leaving in about half an hour to take Norah to Kat's house so that Hannah and I can go to the Orthopedist.  Her pins come out and her cast comes off today.  She's feeling a bit nervous, as am I.  I'm hoping that Kat's offer of their DS to distract her will work.  She's excited to take it with her, but I'm afraid that I'll have the kid that nothing will calm her.  She's a daddy's girl, and today she has to make due with me.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Holiday Weekends Rock!

We had a great Fourth of July holiday weekend.  Zach came up on Thursday night after work, and Sara came down after work Friday.  Saturday we just hung out, and then headed to some fireworks in the next town over.  Sara and Zach brought them glow necklaces and bracelets, and they both watched the show happily the whole time.  Norah thought they were a bit loud, but she wasn't scared as I was worried she'd be.  They passed out and slept until EIGHT the next morning, which is unheard of.  Sunday we stuck around home and played outside.  Steven set up the pool for them, and they took a quick dip, though Hannah's dip was quite a bit less than Norah's.  Yesterday there was more playing outside, and then playing inside in the AC because it was so hot.  We're in the middle of a crazy heatwave, and today it's supposed to top out at over 100 here.