I have had a really long, busy, stressful week at work. The other day while leaving I commented to Blair that I sure hoped the house looked better, not worse when I got home from work.
His response, “I will make sure to turn off all the lights so that it is dark when you get home.”
He is such a nerd!
Since it is Thanksgiving, I thought I would post a few things I am thankful for:
We had a wonderfully quiet Thanksgiving yesterday. My mom & her boyfriend were supposed to join us for Thanksgiving. On Monday her boyfriend’s 16 year old son was killed in a car accident in Florida. Copy & past the following link: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/16071844.htm?source=rss&channel=bradenton_local It is just gut wrenching to even think of losing a child. Understandably, mom has been with Jerry this week as he goes to the scene of the accident, memorial at the school & funeral on Friday.
Yesterday, Blair & I decided to have a relaxing family day instead of traveling. I had a special cinnamon roll breakfast with the girls. Blair made a huge lunch of turkey, mashed potatoes, okra, corn, lima beans, peas, etc. The girls played outside because the weather was gorgeous. After lunch came naptime! After naps we took the girls to see the movie Happy Feet. Popcorn, Skittles, & Coke! We had a casual dinner at home after the movie. It was a relaxing, quiet day indeed!
What a long week! I started off by working Sunday. Blair had class Monday & Tuesday night. Blair brought the girls to me at work on Halloween & I had to rush & dress them there. Jordyn & Chloe both were Stanhope Elmore High School cheerleaders. In fact, we had real cheerleader outfits from the school that we modified to fit. The girls & I ate at Chappy’s Deli & enjoyed seeing all the little kids dressed up there with their parents. After that, I took them to my brother-in-law’s church for the Halloween festivities. Blair left class early then met us there. They played games, ate popcorn & pranced around for about an hour. We were all exhausted so we did not stay long. Wednesday my big boss was at the store a good part of the day & then we did not get home until 7:30 that night. That doesn’t sound late, but when you get up at 5:30, leave the house shortly after 7am & are busy all day! Whew! Thursday I worked late & made it home about 7:30. When I got home, the girls were still up. I took one look at Jordyn & asked Blair how long the red spots had been on her face. Of course, the response was- What spots? Long story short, Jordyn has the chicken pox! Evidently, a vaccine does not mean that they won’t actually get it. At least with the vaccine, the chicken pox will mean less spots & fewer days. Hopefully she will be back at school on Tuesday. It broke her heart to miss. She asked me how in the heck is she supposed to learn if I don’t let her go to school. I traded work schedules & stayed on with her today. Blair will be here taking care of her on Sat/Sunday. Then me on Monday. It is so hard juggling my job, Blair’s job, Blair’s graduate school & the kids both in school.
It seems that it is always something that keeps us busy. This week I feel like I am spinning! Less than a month, though, & Blair & I will be in New York without the kids. I won’t have to take care of anyone but myself & I won’t have to clean a dang thing!!!!!
Warning sarcasm enclosed:
Note to men
When the trash can is overflowing, you have to take the trash to the outdoor trash can for it to be picked up.
You have to actually plug in the vacuum & move it around the room for it to work.
Clothing has to be put in the washing machine for them to be cleaned. Placing the clothes in the dirty laundry basket is a good place to start.
Children under the age of 5 do not actually clean up after you nor themselves.
When you are finished using an item (ex: hairbrush, toothpaste, etc), put the item back where it belongs. Then, next time you need it, it will be located where you can find it.
If it is a piece of trash (ex: wadded up tissue, empty soda can) throw it into the trash can.
If the counter is sticky, wipe it with a damp cloth.
If the floor has bits of food or trash on it, use a broom to sweep it up.
If there are toys everywhere, pick them up & place them in the toy baskets.
If there are bits of trash & leaves on the carpet, the vacuum will get this up.
If you lose a kid in the yard because the grass is too tall, it may be time to cut the grass.
There is not a button on the T.V. remote control labeled cleaning mode.
When the dishwasher is overflowing, you may actually have to turn it on & run the clean cycle. Also, after the cleaning cycle is finished, the clean dishes have to be taken out & put away in the correct cabinet.
****This post was in no way, shape, or form directed at the man in my life.
The breakdown happened tonight. It has been a tough day with the girls. Jordyn cried for Blair off & on. Chloe & her were fighting the majority of the day, as well. Tonight I decided to take them to Chappy’s Deli, by Lenscrafters to have my job evaluation done & then to the bookstore. The breakdown officially happened on the way out of Books-A-Million. Chloe ran into a chair in the cafe & busted open her lip. It was all downhill from that moment. She screamed & cried for her daddy the whole way home to Millbrook. Her crying upset Jordyn which then made her cry which then made me cry. We had a threesome of crying the whole way home. It is so hard explaining to a 2 & 4 year old why we can’t call daddy at 8pm because it is the middle of the night where daddy is & that a call may not go through. They don’t understand that he is in another country & in another time zone. They will not officially see Blair until Sunday morning, so we have 4 more nights to go. Thank God my Aunt Donna will be in from Georgia tomorrow night. I don’t think I could make it another night after tonight without some help. I wish there was family to call on, but I feel alone in this moment. We know so many people that have parents that will come running at one simple phone call. Hopefully they do not take that for granted. It is so tough not having that support system that is able to help.
My hat is off to all single parents. I don’t know how in the world they do it. I have gained so much more respect for my mom over the years. My mother was a single parent for me when I was only a few years old. She did not finish high school nor have any major job skills at the time. She was only 17 when she had me & was probably around age 20 when she was suddenly left on her own with me. She did not have any parental support or help at all while I was growing up. Somehow she was able to take care of me. I cannot imagine what all she went through. We grew up together, I suppose. I remember turning 13 the same year she turned 30. i cannot imagine having a 13 year old in my house to take care of, much less on my own. Not to mention, I was not in any way shape or form an easy teenager to deal with…….
I love my husband & my girls & I cannot wait for Blair to be back home with us. My heart aches.
Daylight hours yesterday were actually great! After a night of no sleep, we actually all woke up somewhat energized. We met Laura & Myka at Chick-fil-a for breakfast for a bit. Jordyn just adores Myka & it took her mind off missing daddy. After that, my Aunt Teresa came into town at noon & took the girls out until 5pm. Wow that was glorious! I honestly cannot remember having any time alone in at least 6 to 8 months. I was able to go grocery shopping without fighting & fussing from the 2 monkeys. I ate lunch without a 2 year old in my lap eating off of my plate. I rearranged furniture in the house & hung some pictures up on the walls. All the laundry, vacuuming, etc was done as well. Of course, the girls did not get a nap due to the visit. Chloe has never gone a day without a nap since she was born. Needless to say, she was a grouchy bear until bedtime. I put the girls down at 8 & then settled in to scrapbook. I dozed off at about 11:30 to the sound of the television. It is so extremely quiet without Blair home! At about 12:30 I awoke to Chloe screaming her head off. I am guessing she had a nightmare of some sort. After I calmed her down, she told me good morning, that she was thirsty & wanted to go watch Maggie & the Beast with Daddy. It took until 2am to convince the 2 year old that it was in fact nighttime/bedtime. She slept with me for the rest of the night. I woke up at 6am to her an inch from my face squealing with delight, “Good Mawning, Mommy!” <—- I spelled it like that because that is exactly how she said it…..
Anyway, they have been fighting like cats & dogs today. We ran some errands & I took them to Drip & Dip for a distraction. The distraction lasted a grand total of 30 minutes. Now we are home settling in until this evening. I may brave Montgomery & the bookstore with them tonight. Without Blair home it is definitely quieter, but it certainly lacks energy & excitement. He is so loud & boisterous that his absence is that much more obvious. My house is cleaner, but I do miss the big nerd.
We survived day 1 of Blair’s trip to London. The big excursion limo picked him up from the house yesterday. The girls rode with him to the school while I followed in the van. Chloe exclaimed on the way there, “This is awesome!” The other travelers were all waiting when he got to the school. He kept the limo a surprise so their jaws dropped when Blair arrived & stepped out of the limo. That sure beats carpooling with their parents on the way to Atlanta. I did not realize how hard Jordyn was going to take Blair leaving until yesterday. When the limo pulled away, she was so broken hearted. Of course, Chloe was just Miss Happy Go Lucky, let’s go play! Jordyn is a daddy’s girl, though. Last night was really Jordyn’s first night away from Blair without being distracted at a grandmother’s house (that has only happened twice). With the way we do my work schedule, Blair has always been the one to give the girls a bath, brush teeth, pray & put them to bed. Last night, Jordyn cried for 3 hours. I think things were compounded by the fact that we had a major thunderstorm & she is deathly afraid of thunder. Finally, after crying since 8:00 she ended up in my bed at midnight due to the thunder. On top of her crying & screaming, the front window in the house decided to leak & pour water everywhere! My front carpet is flooded & the molding around the window is water-logged. Well, I am here to tell you. When it rains, it pours!
Blair called about 30 minutes ago & they have officially landed at Heathrow airport in London. He will be giving me the details later. I do know that one of the kid’s backpacks was stolen at the Chicago airport. His iPod & digital camera were in it, so that sucked. At least his money was not, however. Blair sounded giddy & extremely excited. The flight was an all nighter, but he said he did get some sleep. They had stuff planned with the tour guide as soon as they got to London, so he is ready to get a move on.
My Aunt Teresa is coming to save me for a few hours today. She is going to take the kids away for a bit so that I can get some things done. The kids adore her, so hopefully this will take Jordyn’s mind off missing her daddy for a while.
March is already flying by! We have had a busy month thus far of everyone being sick then celebrating family birthdays. Blair’s brother, Matt, turned 30 this month & Blair will be turning 35 next week. We always do a combined family birthday dinner for them both. Of course, they chose to go to Outback last weekend. Steak is always a birthday dinner favorite. This week there have not been any sicknesses to report. Thank God! Blair did go to Enterprise yesterday to visit with his Grandmother. She has been in a nursing home for a while, but has not been doing well this week. Honestly, she isn’t expected to pull through this time. Blair leaves for London on Monday, so we thought it best for him to go see her this week before leaving town.
Wow, Blair leaves for London Monday. I will be flying solo with the kids until the weekend. I have not had the girls alone overnight, EVER. Anyone wanting to adopt 2 very adorable little girls for a few hours can just let me know. I don’t have family nearby nor friends to speak of so I am willing to pawn them off on anyone. I do not get sick time or vacation time, so missing work will be a little tough. Blair’s trip, aside from lunches & his souvenir stuff, is all inclusive so it will all even out in the end. He is so excited! I am just not the world traveler that he is. He is the adventurer & I am the homebody.
I suppose it is time for a family update.
The girls: Jordyn is now 4 1/2 & is extremely growny. I call her a little mini teenager. She has a slight attitude & rolls her eyes & puts her hands on her hips alot. Her favorite shows of the moment are Scooby Doo, The Wonder Pets, Lazytown. Jordyn’s favorite movies are Curious George, ANY Princess or Barbie Movie & the Real Scooby Doo Movie. Her favorite foods haven’t changed much since she was 2. She loves chicken fingers, fries, mashed potatoes, & any junk food. Unfortunately, she is not the healthy eater we would love her to be. Jordyn loves to play princess dress up & swing outside in the backyard. Most days she is running around in the backyard in her cheerleading outfit & a princess crown as a headband. She also loves to wear flip flops & sundresses regardless of the outdoor temperature. The Barbie jeep she got for Christmas has been a big hit with her! Also, terrorizing her little sister seems to fill her days. Of course, that is a mutual thing between them both. Jordyn also loves to do anything related to art in any way. Paints, stickers, chalks, crayons, pencils are the faves. She is a bit of a worry wart & questions everything. All day long I hear such things as: “Mommy is it going to rain today?” Mommy, why are you scratching your cheek?” “Mommy, why are you wearing those shoes & not the other ones?” Mommy, mommy, mommy?” We have had many challenges with her lately, but I know that it goes along with the age. She is independent & hard headed. Most people that know our family well say that Jordyn is most like me.
Chloe is a wild, free spirited 2 1/2 year old. We always say that she is “all boy”. She is the little social butterfly & is always introducing herself to strangers. “I am Co-Co & this is my little sister Jordyn.” She often tells people that she is the big sister & that she is 4. Chloe also talks nonstop. Often she will pat me on the arm & tell me, “Don’t be ugly. We must be patient!” It is quite funny. She has an amazing imagination. Her favorite shows are Maggie & the Ferocious Beast & the Wonder Pets. Her favorite movie & book is Curious George. We took her to see “monkey-George” has her first trip to the theater. Her favorite foods are chicken fingers & fries, Poptarts & fruit. In fact, she cries for fruit & would eat it for breakfast, lunch & dinner. She loves to go to Chick-fil-a to slide & to run around in the backyard & play in the dirt. Her favorite thing to wear is her pink flashy flip flops that are 5 sizes too big. You truly cannot pry them off of her feet. Chloe started sleeping in a big girl bed about 2 1/2 weeks ago. She made the decision one night that she was absolutely not going to sleep in the crib anymore & that was that. Of course, she now wakes me up at 6am everyday wanting Maggie & a poptart. She loves to terrorize her big sister. Chloe is actually the leader of that relationship & her big sister does whatever she tells her to. Chloe still has a pacifier attached to her & is not potty trained. She screams for the paci & just could care less about the big girl potty. Chloe is extremely independent, but can be so cuddly (on her terms of course).
The hubby: Blair is teaching 9th graders at Stanhope Elmore. This is his 4th year at Stanhope & he absolutely loves it. He still takes care of the girls on nights & weekends while I work. He is infatuated with his iPod video & blogging. Of course, he still reads quite a bit because there are books scattered all over the place. Blair will be going to London on his Spring Break & talks & plans about London nonstop. He waves his passport around & informs me that he could go out of the country anytime he wants. We get a big laugh over it! Blair is preparing to go to grad school in the summer. In fact as of yesterday, he has officially completely the application process & financial aid info for AUM.
Me: I have been at Lenscrafters for over 6 years now & am still mostly enjoying it. My favorite part is making eyeglasses for little kids. They are always amazed over their first pair of glasses. They are not rude like most of the adults, either. Staying home with the girls during the day has been extremely challenging the last couple of months. I thought it would be easier as they got a little older, but in many ways it has become harder. They constantly want something “to do” & are rather demanding. My days are filled with laundry, dishes, mopping, breaking up fights, wiping little girl butts, spanking little girl butts, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning & then work in the evenings. I still enjoy scrapbooking, but honestly could not tell you the last time I actually developed pictures or created a scrapbook page. I certainly enjoy buying the supplies & magazines. I am giddy like a little kid when I get a new scrap mag in the mail.
I am sure I will think of more things to update on later, but that is all for now……..
Today’s epiphany is very profound.
I had a sudden realization that my husband’s hair is much longer than mine.
