Nothing but time

When you're little, it seems like time moves slowly. At least it did for me. The time between each birthday and Christmas seemed to drip like molasses. But now that I'm an adult, time seems to fly by at a rate that I simply can't keep up with.

And that's not an excuse for not updating my blog in the past ten months, it's just a declaration of how I'm feeling about life in general these days.

I've said it before (probably on this blog) and I'll say it again... "I wish time would slow down." Especially now that I have children. I want to savor every (well, almost every) minute of my time with them. It truly seems like just yesterday that they came home from the hospital...

...just yesterday that I learned to manage two babies' needs at one time.

...just yesterday that they learned to crawl, walk, talk, and run.

...just yesterday that they started Kindergarten.

SERIOUSLY, People...where does the time go?

I suppose it's only appropriate that time moves quickly.

With so many responsibilities and so many things to do in life, it wouldn't be right to move at a snail-like pace. But I refuse for time to make me feel like I'm in a race to get everything accomplished before I cross the finish line. I've done that for too many years now.

Even though I can't control time, I'm going to try and control how it makes me feel. Especially now, the first time in my life that I have the TIME to slow down, even if it wasn't by choice. ;)

I think I'm going to enjoy it while I can. Here's hoping it doesn't fly right by, too!

Journal Project: Summer 2012 (what's left of it)

Miss Independent and Little Miss are supposed to be writing in their journals every day this summer however, they're not really thrilled about it. I was explaining the importance of this project (strengthening their writing skills, documenting their adventures, etc.) when it dawned on me that I had my very own journal (of sorts) that I haven't put much effort in for quite some time.

So...as they're documenting their 2012 summer adventures I'm going to attempt to do the same. For starters, I just joined The Girls in Reno, NV, after being away from them for two-weeks. Prior to this trip, I'd only been away from them for two-nights!

You may be thinking to yourself that two-weeks doesn't seem very long, but for me, it felt like it was going to be an eternity. Many tears were shed -- mostly by me -- but thankfully we all survived, including my parents, who graciously offered to take them. Now that the girls are here, they may not offer to do it again! And that, my friends, would definitely be something to write about...

For the time being though, I'll just stick to highlighting some of our adventures across The Silver State and beyond.

Stay tuned and wish us luck!

Fall is here!

Miss Independent and Little Miss
October 2009

Okay, so it's not officially Fall until Tuesday, but it's close enough.

I was sorting through old photos today and came across this one from last year. We were living in Maryland and drove way out into the middle of nowhere to a pumpkin farm someone told us about. It was a drizzling day, but we figured all was well. However, when we finally arrived at the farm we were crushed to find out it was closed. It was a Chevy Chase Wally World moment for sure.

We kept driving and ended up at an Amish Farmer's Market. Despite the rain, we enjoyed picking out fresh fruits and vegetables -- including a couple of pumpkins -- as well as some yummy made-from-scratch cookies and sweet breads.

Anyway, reflecting on that day was all I needed to put me into a Fall State of Mind. I'm looking forward to things like:

• The State Fair
• The girl's birthday party
• The leaves changing colors
• The pumpkin farm
• Lower temperatures
• Caramel apples
• Trick-or-treating
• Pumpkin Pie

And so much more!

It's just about my most favorite time of the year. How about you?

I'm a Gleek and proud of it

I am now a Gleek.

I just caught up on Season 1 and am now officially ready for the premiere of Season 2, which airs next Tuesday.

I kept hearing the music and ended up buying a CD before ever watching the show (I have this thing for show tunes). I ended up liking it so much that I had to watch an episode. Within minutes, I was hooked.

It might be a little late, but that's okay. If there's one thing I've learned from Glee, it's that it's okay not to be part of the "in crowd." What's important is that I'm owning my inner diva-ness and singing with the rest of the Gleeks from now on.

If you're not a member, I would highly recommend checking it out. For me, the show has taken me back to my "I wanna be an actress" days and gets me up and moving. I can barely sit still and find myself singing and dancing -- Glee-style. And although they're not watching the show, Miss Independent and Little Miss have been enjoying a few of the tunes too. Our favorite right now is Don't Stop Believin' (by Journey). Good times!

Looking for the albino squirrel

I'm having one of those days. The kind of day where everything goes wrong -- from the minute you get out of bed, until the minute you fall asleep that night.

I hate those days.

I suppose I could take the high road and say that I'll learn something from this day.

I could remind myself that it's all worth it -- even if I can't see the reasons clearly right now.

I could think of all the things I'm grateful for, or throw myself into some act of service...

However, the only thing me and my bad attitude want to do is go back to bed and start over again. Unfortunately, life doesn't have a rewind button. Plus, it's almost 8:30 p.m.

But here's a happy thought...life does have a "do-over" button (assuming I live to see tomorrow). Each new day brings an opportunity for better things -- including better attitudes and a chance to find an albino squirrel.

Yup, you read that right -- a chance to find an albino squirrel.

Apparently there's one running around the neighborhood and my friend Amanda says if you see him, he'll bring you good luck. So I'm going to call it a day, get some rest, and then start my hunt tomorrow. Even if I don't find the albino squirrel, I bet I'll definitely find a better attitude!

Stay tuned...

Hello, Kindergarten!

Little Miss and Miss Independent
September 7, 2010

WE DID IT!

And by WE, I mean...

ME -- I DID IT!

I was able to send them off -- on time and everything.

The girls did great. They were soooo excited to get on the bus. Of course my camera battery died after two pictures (apparently I'd left it on by accident the night before), so all of my pictures came via the iPhone and some really nice neighbors.

Stinger Bee Breakfast

But despite all of that, the day was great. We started with a "Stinger Bee Breakfast" (in honor of the school mascot). I made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and shaped everything on the plate. Although I thought it looked like a bee, the kids thought it looked more like a bat. Here's a picture so you can decide.

The table was decorated with yellow and black accents. At each place setting was a new book, some flash cards and a really cool Tervis Tumbler with a bee on it. This breakfast idea will hopefully become a tradition that we do each year on the first day of school.

So after a few pictures, we walked to the bus stop. There were tons of parents and kids waiting with anticipation. There were at least six other Kindergartner's, so the girls made some immediate friends.

When the bus arrived, both girls ran to get in line. They totally forgot about mommy and daddy and didn't even look back for a picture. I managed to capture them getting to the door, but that was it. And since they are riding a newer style bus with tinted windows, I couldn't see which seat they were in. So, I ended up blowing kisses to every kid on the bus. :)

As far as crying goes, I managed to hold it together until the bus pulled away. The walk home was hard but I made it. Overall, I think I did pretty good -- all things considering (no sleep the night before, constant anxiety, etc.). I concentrated on work until it was time to go back to the bus stop to pick them up. It was so fun when they arrived. They had a ton of stories to share and said they were excited to go back.

In a nutshell -- this worrisome mom couldn't be happier with how the day turned out. And, hopefully, from here on out, I'll be much less worrisome (yeah, right).

Thanks to everyone who called to check on me throughout the first day. Your comforting words meant so much to me.

Here's to a great school year!

Just keep swimming...

In less than ten hours my babies will be heading off to Kindergarten.

My pulse is racing and I have hundreds of thoughts in my head.

What if we don't get up in time?

What if they refuse to get on the bus?

What if I refuse to let them get on the bus?

What if they have a terrible day?

AAAGGGHHH!

Okay, deep breath. I know I will survive. I'm not the first person to go through this. There are TONS of teachers and volunteers just waiting to help make their day great.

I can do this. I can do this. I WILL do this.

Wish me luck.

I'll be up at the crack of dawn making a "First Day of School" breakfast for the monkeys, then it's off to get them ready, take pictures, put them on the bus, etc.

Stay tuned for a report on how it all goes. Assuming I survive the day...

I feel like Nemo's dad did (in Finding Nemo) on Nemo's first day of school. He was totally paranoid about every little thing and Nemo ended up getting sucked into the fisherman's net.

I guess my mantra should be, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." like Dory suggests and all will go well.

Dear Kindergarten:

Since we're meeting each other for the first time, I thought it would be fair to warn you that I'm going to be one of THOSE parents.


You know...



The kind of parent who:

• Cries the first time they open the school doors.
• Cries when walking down the hall to her child's classroom.
• Cries when filling out paperwork.
• Cries when talking to the office staff/teacher/principal for the first time.
• Cries while taking a gazillion pictures of her babies.

You know...


The kind of parent who:

• Does all of this at Kindergarten Orientation -- BEFORE school even starts!

Yup. That's ME. I'm one of those parents!

However, in fairness, there's a reason I'm THAT kind of parent.

I am the parent of twins.

Let me rephrase.

I am the parent of ONLY twins!

I am going through this process for the first AND last time -- AT THE SAME TIME! My emotional state is working double duty because I'm sending my first and last babies out into the world -- at the very same time -- and it's killing me.

Yes, I know I didn't warn you that I would cry like a baby today. In all honesty, I didn't know I would. And, yes, I will probably do the same thing next week when school starts...

BUT, please don't judge me on these days alone.

Just bear with me and understand that while I've had years to prepare myself, the time has gone by too quickly and I'm still not ready to let my children go. Not just yet.

Surely I'm not alone in feeling this way, Kindergarten, so I'd appreciate you empathizing with me and all of the other parents going through similar situations.

In closing, I appreciate your patience -- in advance -- for I have no idea how I will act or react during our one-time-only, year-long relationship. With that said, I say "let the madness... I mean, wonderful memory-making begin!"

Sincerely yours,
THAT Parent (at least for now)

Birthday beach trip!

The beach trip for my birthday was a great little get-away for us. Our only regret about the trip was that it didn't last longer.

I'd forgotten how much I love swimming in the ocean, searching for sea shells, eating crab legs and going to the candy store for salt water taffy.

As you can see from the picture, the girls loved the trip too, and they did everything they could to stay at the ocean as long as possible. Can't say I blame them!

To see pictures from our trip, click here.

Block Party!

Before I moved from Maryland I had a craft night with a dear friend of mine, Kelley. We made "Be Blocks," which another friend of mine (Rachele, from Arizona) dreamed up and even had published in a paper craft magazine.

If you've never heard of Gordon B. Hinckley's book, Way to Be!, I highly recommend reading it. It's a book about virtues and highlights nine ways to be happy and to make something of your life.

Here are the nine "Be's"...

1. Be Grateful
2. Be Smart
3. Be Involved
4. Be Clean
5. Be True
6. Be Positive
7. Be Humble
8. Be Still
9. Be Prayerful

Great, great book and a really quick read.

Anyway -- the blocks turned out beautiful and I'm so glad we had an opportunity to make them together. I miss you, Kelley. I'm glad you love the blocks as much as I do. And thanks, Rachele, for creating such a beautiful memento of President Hinckley's "Be's" -- I'll treasure mine forever.

In my dreams, I'm Wonder Woman

For as long as I can remember, Wonder Woman has been my hero. Like lots of little girls, I would spin around and pretend to turn into Wonder Woman. I would fly around the house in my Wonder Woman Underoos. I would watch the TV show and pretend that it was me fighting crime "in satin tights." :)


Put simply, Wonder Woman is awesome.

And so is my favorite birthday present this year.

My parents sent me this framed picture of Wonder Woman, which I'm proudly displaying in my office. So even if I can't BE Wonder Woman -- make that, even if I can't LOOK like Wonder Woman -- I can still see her every day and pretend that I am her -- out to save the world.

I can also make sure that my little girls grow up being fans too. Of course, they already are -- despite grumblings from The Man, who says the TV shows were a little violent. But what do you expect when you're fighting crime? Saving the world from a Nazi takeover ain't no picnic! Although, when you're Wonder Woman, you can make it look like a picnic. Here's to saving the world and looking great while doing it!

I'm not getting any younger...

The fact that I'm not getting any younger bugs me, but what can I do about it? It's simply a fact of life and something we each have to deal with in our own way.

My way of dealing with it this year is to go to the beach for my birthday and pretend that I'll never hit 40. Unfortunately, I only have one year left until I actually do hit 40, and then I'm afraid it's all down hill from there.

Just kidding -- I know we only get better with age, so I'll manage.

Anyway, back to the beach trip...

I begged The Man to take me and he finally agreed. It's only a three-day trip, but it's still enough time away from reality to give me the refreshing break I need. Stay tuned for pictures -- not of me in a bathing suit, but of the girls having a blast in the sand and ocean. :)

And speaking of pictures, I thought you'd enjoy this one of my Aunt Janie and me at Virginia Beach way back when. She's the hot one, who, by the way, only gets hotter with age. She gives me hope that I'll do the same.

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. I remember seeing bits and pieces of that movie when I was younger and it freaked me out. For the record -- I don't like scary movies, so the fact that I saw as much as I did probably ruined me for life.

Anyway...

I'm going to have a great day because I'm not supersticious. How about you?

An update

So I'm really bummed.

I was doing GREAT on my goal of updating my blog at least once a week, but then we moved and it's thrown me off.

Anyway -- I'm back to the grind and the world of blogging so I can continue documenting this great little life of mine.

I hope you'll come back for a visit soon, cause I got some stuff to share!

Stop moving my cheese!

Remember that book, Who Moved My Cheese?

I was required to read it when it was all the corporate rage.

The basic premise (if you haven't read it) is that "change" (or, "cheese," in this scenario) is going to happen ("move") whether we like it or not. Those of us who embrace the changes and chase after our cheese will succeed. Those of us who don't will end up lost in the maze, ultimately missing out on future opportunities.

Since I'm still employed by the company that required me to read this book, I will refrain on commenting further on why I think they really wanted us to read it, but I will say this:

At the time, I bought in to the idea of chasing after my cheese and felt like I was pretty good at doing so with a happy and positive attitude, but those days are long gone. Those were the days before I had kids -- when I could do and keep up with it all.

At this particular time in my life, my cheese is moving around like crazy. Things are changing so rapidly that I can barely keep up with what day it is. And the hardest part of all of it -- is that the old me could've handled it.

I was organized. I could keep up with a list. I could think and speak in complete sentences.

I don't know where the old me has gone, but if she's lucky, she's off on a beach somewhere enjoying some quiet time!

Don't get me wrong -- I absolutely love my life as a mother, but I'm having a hard time juggling it all. I've seriously got to pull it together and muddle through these changes the best I know how.

But it's so HARD!

Thankfully, I have the best family a girl could ask for. I have the kind of family who drives 2,700 miles to clean my house, pack boxes, watch my kids, hug me when I lose it, etc. I have no idea how I'd survive without them right now because truth be told, I'm a little "off" these days.

I'm hoping that at some point soon, the old me will meet up with the new me and come up with a new and improved me. That's the kind of change I could deal with.

For my dad

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you and I appreciate everything you've done for me. Including driving all the way out here (with Mom) to help us move this week! I owe you so much.

I'm not ready

It seems like just yesterday I was pregnant with twins.

It seems like just yesterday I was juggling two feedings at one time.

It seems like just yesterday that my babies started walking.

But it wasn't just yesterday that these things happened.

Where has the time gone?

I'm not ready.

I'm not ready to send them to Kindergarten.

I'm not ready to wave goodbye as they ride on the school bus for the first time.

I'm not ready to let them grow up.

And yet, I guess I have to be.

Friday is pre-school graduation. I'm barely ready for it. Once it's over, I have approximately two months to get myself ready for the next big step. And at the rate I'm going, it's never going to happen.

I want my babies back.

Sigh -- I know that's never going to happen, but I can still dream and relish the moments that went by way too quickly.

As you can see from the picture, my girls are growing up. And way, way too fast in my opinion. If only I could control time...

I think I might be lost without LOST

WOW.

I haven't cried like that during a TV show in a while.

The show (IMHO) was excellent.

The music was beyond powerful.

YES, I still have questions.

YES, I know they'll never be answered.

YES, I'm okay with that. (Sort of, anyway.)

Below are some clips from my very favorite parts.





Here's to a wonderful show that I'll miss almost as much as Alias.

Namaste!

I'll never be LOST again

Despite all that's been said and written about it, it's still a show I'm going to miss.

Here's looking forward to the LOST series finale on Sunday...

Where in the world are the Wyatt's?

We're moving again.

The good news is ...

• We're going back to Richmond, Virginia -- the place I call home.
• Curtis will have a job and I'll be able to keep mine.
• I'll be able to enjoy the Ukrop's Bakery again!

The bad news is ...

• We really like Maryland and are sad to leave the friends we just made.
• Moving is really expensive.
• I still can't find stuff I need from the last move!

I'm hopeful that this will be the last time we go anywhere. I'm ready to get the girls into school and settle into a place that we can call home for years and years...Wish me luck!

Our plans are to go sometime this summer, so stay tuned for details and for a change of address card. Hopefully you've been writing our information down in pencil instead of pen! :)