Five on Friday

Hallelujiah, it is Friday!  I know in general as a parent this means precisely nothing but for me it means Tom is home for a long weekend.  We have a day date lined up and hopefully everyone continues their upward trend and we can get out and do something fun with the kids.  Anyway, here's what I've got...

1.  Ever since sickness intially descened on our house no one has been sleeping well.  With three toddlers someone is always up, and lately it's been the big kid.  Although I really cannot complain as she is usually a consistently good sleeper, she has gotten into the habit of me coming in to her room throughout the night to help her or sleep with her while sick and now we've set an ugly precedent.  Since she's in a big girl bed and no longer confined to a glorious crib she's been getting up a little too early...ahem 5am.  I purchased an Ok to Wake! Clock and I'm hoping this does the trick for my little literalist.  I am tired.


2.  Speaking of being tired, I saw this floating around somewhere on Instagram and it just made me laugh.  Like, laugh a little hard you know?  This is literally me every.single.morning.

3.  Some new finds from the week...if you are trying to keep up with your protein intake these Quest Cereal Protein Bars are delicious.  So far I've only tried the waffle flavor but there are a couple others that look great.  Quest is always a winner for me and they are awesome to keep in my bag when I'm on the run.

Being the good basic mom I am I make a Target run at least once a week...I mean we always seem to need something.  I'm guilty of peeking through their latest home decor items and their recent stuff is killing me.  Although I almost always refrain from purchasing what I see, I gotta say if this line was around ten years ago when I was single and living alone I would have been all over it.....

4.  I don't know what the deal is but all of my kids have been stage 5 clingers lately.  No matter where I am in the house or what I am doing, they are drawn to me like magnets.  The look of fury I receive from the twins when I sneak off to use the restroom by myself is pretty much laughable at this point.  The horror!  Don't they know there are three of them and just one of me?  I know, I will miss it one day but for now I'd just like a few seconds where someone isn't shoving their hand/leg/foot/head/leg onto my body.  Buuuut, they are so adorable.......

5.  Clingy children seugways nicely into alcoholic beverages no?  As much as I try to get behind wine, and I do like it, my drink of choice will always be vodka.  We've been trying to keep sparkling water around just to have something fun to sip and when Tom brought home some really good news on Tuesday of course we had to have a celebratory drink.  Tito's, Coconut La Croix and a splash of lime juice was heaven and almost made me feel like we aren't in the dead of winter.  Low calories and carbs and delicious...try it!

Cheers!

On the Mend....(we hope)!

I hate to even type this out, because you know I'm clearly jinxing us all, but all of us appear to be on the mend!  The week started out a little rough and I was honestly struggle to find the silver lining in anything.  Both boys were still not doing so great, fevers and just general malaise, and I ended up taking them to the doctor yesterday morning.   After a couple of speedy checkups Henry seems to just be fighting a cold and our ped feels that William (and the rest of us) have actually been dealing with rotavirus, not just the common stomach bug going around.  I wish their vaccine would have protected them but alas this strain got the best of us.  I think over the last two weeks about 80% of my days were spent holding a minimum of one child, usually two.  When the shit really hit the fan I had one in the Ergo, one in my arms, and one on my lap.  Suffice to say I could use a little "please don't touch mommy" time.  But look at that sweetness...

The good news is they are on the tail end of this beast and both of my little nuggets woke up almost themselves this morning.  We are back to our normal school and work routine but I'm still a little gun shy to take the twins to any public place where there a lot of other kids.  Too soon...can't deal with more illness!   Reese is back to normal and back in school, which is a good thing for everyone.  Poor kiddo really missed school and is so happy to be back.  We all thrive on a routine and it is nice to be getting back to our every day normal.

Disclaimer...on the odd chance we arrive to car line early I let Reese come sit in the front seat....we were parked :)

My Focus for 2017

I haven't made "resolutions" in years and I can't actually remember the last time I actually made one, let alone stuck to it.  I think my resolution for 2015 was something like 'give birth to two healthy babies, stay alive, and keep my kids alive'.  Whew, did it. When we rang in 2016 I pondered what I wanted to achieve and where I wanted to focus, but in all honesty I was so tired I simply told myself, "survive".  I was returning to work a few hours a week right around the new year, we were deep in the terrible twos and all I really wanted to do was to keep my family moving forward.  And we did...three cheers for setting the bar low.   

Now that my head is above water for the first time in a long time, I want to focus on holding myself a little more accountable.  In 2016 I began working out again, just with DVD's at home.  Although I really didn't focus on specific weight loss or fitness goals since I was still breastfeeding for the first half of 2016, I  wanted to get back into the habit of simply moving every day.  I wanted to get in the habit of setting aside a small chunk of time in the day for me, which has really set the foundation for regaining some strength and reigniting my dedication to getting it together in the fitness arena.

So all that to say, instead of resolving to reach certain goals, I've spent some time reflecting on where I want to focus some of my time and energy in 2017.  Here's what I've come up with...

READ.  If i'm getting crazy I'd like to commit to reading two books (for pleasure/not parenting related) in 2017.  My pre-kids self was a voracious reader and it was one of my favorite hobbies.  Now?  Ain't nobody got time, or brainpower, for that.  But I think I can maybe manage two books in 12 months.  Time will tell.

COOK. We really don't eat out often because, um....does taking three toddler to a restaurant sound fun to anyone?  No.  I cook several times a week and I try to meal plan consistently simply because it makes my life easier.  But I'm so bored with just about everything in my rotation so I would like to focus on adding in a few new recipes to the weekly menu.  And something my kids will actually eat is a big bonus.

FITNESS.  I would be quite thrilled if this is the year I hit my goal weight...for good.  I'm closer to it than I've been in quite awhile so theoretically it is certainly feasible.  This the first year in about five years there are no fertility, pregnancy, or breastfeeding considerations so I'm eager to put the focus back on me...and not the version of my body that exists solely to conceive/grow/birth/feed little humans (although that time, while it lasted, was lovely).  I need to dig a little deeper to delineate a clear plan to address my eating and workouts but this is the main focus I'm really excited about.

MARRIAGE.  Although we are already pretty good about this, I want to commit to getting out for at least one date a month with Tom.  We are supremely lucky in that all four grandparents live 15 minutes away and are always willing to jump in and provide us with some baby free time.  And our kids adore all of them so it really is an ideal situation.  Even an afternoon date on a Sunday counts so I just want to be sure we continue this tradition.  Because guess what?  We have a lot of fun together without our kids and I want it to stay that way.



TRAVEL.  Now there are about a billion other considerations when it comes to this topic but we have really put travel on the back burner during these baby rearing years.  It has just seemed like to way too much work, hassle and expense to bother traveling up until this point.  But if it's possible I would really like for Tom and I to get away for a night or two.  Nothing crazy or fancy, just a block of time for us to wander around, eat non-kid friendly food and enjoy some proper day drinking.  We have a couple of weddings coming up in the spring so I think we might be able to make this one work!  We have also toyed around with the idea of taking the children on a family trip this summer.  Maybe I'm just lazy but I'm still not totally convinced I want to take on a road trip with a then 4 year old and two 2 year olds.  Jury's still out on that one....yes, I'm scared.

SOCIAL.  Friendships being affected by new babies is nothing new and try as I might, it is really hard to make time for friends when our lives are all pulled in different directions.  I have struggled, since becoming a mom, to connect to other moms and really only have a handful of girls I consider "mom friends".  I've made some attempts here and there at Meetup playgroups and things of that sort, but nothing has really panned out.  In 2017 I want to continue to focus on connecting with other moms, even if its just through this blog.




Here's to the new year!

Surviving Sickopalypse 2017

There's really no way of sugarcoating the first week of 2017 for us.  It has been completely miserable.  This monstrous GI bug that is going around returned to our house on New Year's Eve (after a glorious ten day reprieve) and has taken us all down one by one ever since.  It's around ten degrees outside, we had our first snow day, and I haven't left the house in three days.  I'm not even quite sure what day it is or what's going on in the land of the living.  We've been hunkered down drudging through a haze of sick babies, laundry, all nighters, and all the Lysol ever made.  Oh, and a sick me.   Fun, eh?  Although a couple of us seem to be on the other side (knocking on wood) a few of us are still down for the count.   Playing with Snapchat filters, throwing screen time rules out the window, and a little self care are getting us through.

 I truly believe there is no parenting experience more miserable than taking care of young children when you yourself are sick.  And the more kids, the worse it is.  Since there is no avoiding the inevitable rough times I've been making an effort to pay attention to the little things that make me happy, as silly as they may be.  I've been burning my favorite candle to try to lighten up the ick factor that comes with a house full of sickies.  Instead of trying to squeeze in a shower while juggling sick babies, I've been waiting until right after we put them to bed so I can indulge in a long (and by long I mean 12 minutes and not 2) shower.  During my pre-baby days I showered whenever I felt like it, but now?  I make the most out of it and treat it as my "me-time" when things are particularly rough.  If I'm feeling crazy I break out my favorite sugar scrub and maybe even treat myself to a 2 minute DIY pedicure.  I really know how to live the high life now don't I?  All kidding aside, sometimes it's the sum of these little things is what get me through.

But we can't all be sick forever right?  And in the grand scheme of life, things could be a lot worse than a stomach bug.  Overall, I have three healthy kids, it was a good week to miss work, and we have plenty of new toys from Christmas to keep us somewhat entertained while we weather the storm.  I genuinely miss my babies being happy and running around like the little maniac they are.  Onward!

NYE 2016!

We had a perfectly low key evening ringing in the new year.  This is our fourth new year's eve since becoming parents and we have stayed in every year...and loved it.  Pre-kids we always went out and although we had fun (and I'm sure we'll venture out again one day) I adore our mini celebration with the kids.  The twins of course really had no idea that it was a special night and went to bed right on time, but like last year, we let Reese stay up and drink sparkling juice out of a fancy (aka plastic) champagne flute.  She was so excited and her enthusiasm is infectious, as always.  We had special snacks Tom picked up, talked about what a great year we had and everything we have to look forward to in 2017.

This year felt heavy and insufferable for so many reasons, but in my tiny corner of the world, the year was good to us.  I started the day with a spin class and felt so happy and excited about my dedication to becoming the best and most fit version of myself.  I accomplished a lot in this arena in 2016 but I'm pretty pumped to really kick it into high gear in 2017.

After class we took a family walk and realized pretty much immediately that it was colder than it looked.  But we were bundled up and everyone needed outside time so we pressed on.  Even Reese's new "baby girl Daniel Tiger" from Santa joined us for the jaunt.

We chilled at home for most of the day and finished the last episode of The Crown (omg so good) while the kids napped.  After naps we headed to our favorite local bookstore to let the kids burn some energy while I made a quick exchange.  If you are local, Joseph Beth Booksellers really is a gem, especially if you have children.

And of course, as luck would have it, about an hour after my 10pm NYE bedtime Reese woke up violently ill so we were tending to her until the wee hours of the morning.   Turns out I was up to see midnight after all!  But seriously, nothing is sadder than a sick baby.  We scraped our plans to have our friends over for brunch in the morning and spent the first day of the year nursing a sick kiddo and trying to keep everyone else healthy.  Here's to hoping 2017 turns it around! 



Christmas 2016

We celebrated Christmas with both sides of our family and had a wonderful time doing it!  The week leading up to Christmas was rough...really rough.  It started off with an emergency room visit for William as his latest Superman stunt earned him three staples in the head.  The whole ordeal was about as fun as you'd imagine and we were just so thankful it wasn't worse.  Once things calmed down from that fiasco my sister and I took the children to the Festival of Lights at the zoo, which concluded with a wicked stomach bug taking down me and the kids, one by one like sad little dominos.  Momming when you're sick is completely miserable but momming sick kids when you're sick is about the worst.  But luckily the kids bounced back quickly and I wasn't too far behind them.

Festival of Lights, a few hours before we all got sick (Henry was giving strong signs here..)

We kicked off our Christmas festivities on Christmas Eve at my brother and his newly minted finacee's home for dinner.  We didn't see them on Christmas day so it was special to be able to see them to exchange gifts, celebrate their engagement and eat an amazing dinner.  The wheels fell off at a predictable time so Tom and I threw the kids in the car and got them just in time for bed.  Reese and I decorated our cookies for Santa and she was curious and excited climbing into bed that night (which turned out to be the last night she ever slept in her crib...which is another story for another time).

After Reese was in bed Santa got busy and excitedly put the presents under the tree.  Definitely a mental pat on the back for wrapping presents early this year so we could enjoy a stress free evening. We relaxed with some red wine and Christmas Vacation...the perfect Christmas Eve!

We didn't go overboard with gifts this year (and actually we never do) and as always I'm glad we didn't.  The kids were just excited enough and although the boys didn't really know what was going on, it was a ton of fun to experience Reese's first Christmas where she was truly excited and happy about her gifts.  After opening presents we enjoyed a fancy bacon breakfast and playing with the new toys.  We host Christmas Day dinner every year and I always make Pioneer Woman's lasagna, so as the kids happily played I snuck off here and there to get a head start on dinner and frantically pick up the house.

Our families showed up in the afternoon and we had such a great time I barely took any pictures.  William refused to sit in his high chair or let anyone hold him but me so I basically spent the entire time holding him, but it's all good because I still had one whole hand free for wine :)  Holidays can be so stressful and exhausting and although it was certainly hectic (I mean, what isn't hectic with three toddlers) I am immensely grateful that we get to celebrate with all our family.  The fact that not everyone gets to do this isn't lost on me so I certainly savor every moment we have.  Merry Merry!

Our Twins are Eighteen Months!

Last week Henry and William turned 18 months old and we officially closer to two than one.  This is just....crazytown.  Although obviously I know the age of my children, it almost always blows me away when I stop and think about how old they are.  I suppose I'll always be wondering where he time goes, but anyone with multiples knows that time moves at an even faster speed when there are several young children to juggle at once.  It's just all so fast.  Some days crawl by and others go by in a blink.  As a mom of three toddlers I work so very hard to enjoy the days with my babies.  And let's be real, not every moment is enjoyable.  The moments filled with meltdowns and crying and arguing and clingy babies clawing at my legs are pretty much the opposite of enjoyable.  But! One thing I have gotten very good at is learning to compartmentalize the crappy moments, take some deep breaths, and just power through it.  The amount of sheer joy these two bring into my life makes all of the challenges of raising three kids three and under simply fleeting moments.  They truly are my precious angels.

For posterity sake, here are some fun little details about the boys right now.

Personality: Both boys are loving, sensitive, curious and 100% obsessed with their mama.  Henry loves anything having to do with water and will literally dunk his whole upper body under water in the bath.  I'm pretty sure he would spend all day in there if he could.  William on the other hand abhors the bath and we get him in and out in under a minute.  Both love to be held but the second their feet hit the ground they are unstoppable.

Interests:  Both boys are smitten with Daniel Tiger and Curious George.  William loves to read books and is known to crawl into my lap waving a book around wildly saying "boo boo" asking me to read to him.  And while Henry loves a good book as well, he can be found quietly building towers with blocks or anything he can stack.  Both love building blocks, puzzles, and basically anything on wheels they can ram into a wall.

Routine: I've kept the twins on the same schedule since day one so their routine is pretty much identical.  Here's a quick rundown of their day...

6:15-7:00am: Get each boy up, pile on the couch with milk, a banana and an episode of Daniel Tiger.

7:00-9:00am The boys play while I attend to all of the morning chores and getting everyone ready for the day.  They'll all eat breakfast during this time (or throw it all over the floor) and I try not to go crazy getting everyone safely piled into the car without being late.

9:00-12:00pm  Mornings vary depending on whether or not Reese has school that day.  If she does I usually will run and errand or two with the boys and then take them to a music class at the library or open gym.  We pick Reese up and head home for lunch.  If it is a day that I go into work than we are more likely to stick close to home, but it all depends on how everyone's doing.

12:30/1:00-2:30/3:00pm  NAPS.  All three kiddos take a nap at this time, and let me tell you, mastering a joint nap every day is something I'm quite proud of.  It took a lot of work and it is a lifesaver.  Once everyone is up they'll have a snack, play and get another show or two.  We might also sneak in an errand or trip to the park if the weather is decent.

5:00  Dinner

5:30-7:00 I clean up dinner, the boys play, welcome dad home, and we often race through clean up, bath time, stories, and finally bed.  This is by far the most chaotic time of the day, but it can also be the most fun as it is the only time we're all together.

7:00 BEDTIME!  The boys crash and for the most part sleep through the night (William likes to pull some overnight antics but overall I can't complain).

Being their mama is my pride and joy and I'm so enjoying seeing the little boys they are becoming!