Week 2 down

So we are almost at the end of the second week of school and the kids are exhausted and all weepy and melty and crabby.  We also had the first illness of the school year, since we want to be over achievers we decided that Week 2 was a great time to start missing school.  Poor Britt had a high fever and sore throat and missed two days, and Gray decided to catch it as well and missed one day.  Thankfully they are feeling better :)

We have been working hard to get the house ready to sell and had decided that we would try to stay here in our town, in our school district.  Well...the hubs met with some new manager of the group he wants to move into who basically said they would hire him there now, but the position is in Cary, NC.  The guy went so far as to put through a request to have the position "moved" here so they could hire Ryan, but the understanding is that eventually we would move to NC.  We were thrown for a bit until we thought about it.  I am a-ok with living further south, we would be closer to my parents, for me the area is great because of all of the universities, we would get a city without it being DC, schools looked pretty good, good medical care for Finn and well, I would get a new house which is all I really care about.  My jobs go anywhere, so it is easy for me to move.  Ryan has always been the one who didn't want to go further south, but he really wants this opportunity and it will make a big difference in his career, so I guess Cary is now on the radar.

Health wise, beside the little virus that ran through, kid are doing well.  Finn has his cardiology checkup in two weeks and I am anxious.  I am hoping for no change with the SVAS and we need to talk to them again about his heart rate.  I keep flagging it on our pulse ox at nearly 160 beats per minute while he is resting, so not a true SVT, but still a pretty elevated heart rate which is not good for an already stressed heart. I am wondering is we need to do a 24 hour monitor to see what is really going on.  I also have to try to get a double appointment at Children's, he needs his annual with genetics and he needs to see gastro for his diastasis recti.  We also still need to see ENT for his follow up and need to get pulmonology into rotation as well.  Just managing Finn's appointments and therapy is a full time job sometimes BUT he is signing a ton, trying to speak more and is super silly, fun, smart and loving.  I would go to the ends of the earth for him :)

So it begins...

Yet another first day of school has come and gone.  Haven started 7th grade, Brittan 5th and Grayson 2nd and in just a few short weeks, my Teagan will start preschool.  I figured out that by the time Finn finishes his senior year, I will have had children in school consistently (not counting college) for 23 years.  Egads!

Thankfully the day went smoothly, kids got off without a hitch and everyone had a great day.  I had our sitter come this morning to watch the little ones and I got so, so much done!  Then while they napped, I baked cookies, started a yummy dinner and finished my work.  Now I sit here and the house is cleaned up, lunches are packed and kids are set to hit the hay.  Not a bad start to the first week of school!

The run down

Well I have been absent most of the summer working to juggle many different jobs/tasks/kids.  Figured I would give a quick rundown.

Work-still do it and a lot of of it.

School-Chapter 4 of the dissertation is in final edits and Chapter 5 has been started.  Should be all done this fall...then you can all call me Doc Tribemama.

Finn-Doing well.  He is HUGE which makes me laugh since last summer he was so tiny and wasn't growing at all.  His speech is coming along slowly but surely.  We have some Occupational Therapy as well to strengthen his muscles, especially in his arms and shoulders since he has hypermobility and his joints sort of pop in and out.  He was also just diagnosed with Diastasis Recti which means basically the stomach muscles have split apart. Kids with CL are prone to hernias so I guess this is just part of it all.  We will see gastro at Children's when we go see genetics.  He also will need to get his tonsils and adenoids out at some time, and we have follow up with cardio in the fall.  That being said, you would never guess anything was going on.  He is a non-stop mover and shaker, he loves to dance and has some awesome moves, he is loving and sweet and silly.

Other kids-All doing great.  They are such a different group which makes raising them fun and a challenge.  I think they are all ready for the routine of school, time with friends and less time managing their relationships with siblings 24/7.  They love each other and get along most of the time, but just as siblings do they get on each others nerves too.

House-we are preparing the house for sale next spring, but we have no clue what we are doing when it sells.  Buying an existing home is easiest, but we are not sure we will find what we want when the time comes.  We like the idea of building, but that takes time and where the heck will we live in the meantime?  There are a few builders who have homes that we can customize some to better fit our needs, but we are not sure we want to live in a planned community again.  Decisions decisions!  We will meet with a builder and realtor this winter to see what our options are and go from there.  Personally, I would love to buy a big lot with a teeny house on it.  Live in the teeny house while we have the new house built, then rent the teeny house when we move into the big house...who knows maybe it will happen.

School starts in a few days and I think the kids will all have a great year!  Happy September :)

Back on track

So I think that I will have a lot more time to blog in a week or so, since the three biggies will be heading back to school.  Usually this week is crazy since I am working for FT school and usually go back to my PT gig teaching on campus, but this year is different since I am teaching for PT school online too!  I developed the online course last year and taught it for the first time this summer.  I was only supposed to have one section this fall, but it was totally full and had a waiting list, so they added another section.  I will also be training another PT faculty member on how to teach the course online in spring (woohoo for extra cash) and I applied for a grant to develop a second course for the department! My boss also suggested I develop another course for another department as well since they need someone with online experience.  I am so thankful that I suffered through the last few years juggling teaching FT online and PT on campus!  The best part is, the courses I develop I own, so I get to teach them.  This guarantees me courses, and online to boot!  It is weird to be home all the time now for both jobs, but the kids are only small once and I want to be here until Finn is in school full time and this allows for that.

I am looking forward to the biggies going back to school.  I know, I know, I am supposed to say that I don't want summer to end, and that I will be sad, etc., but truth be told, it is really hard to work full time with a house full of kids and no real schedule.  Add to that the hubby working crazy overtime all summer, the super hot days that kept us all inside and well, five kids running around, and I am ready to get on a schedule.  I am also excited since school means fall which is my second favorite season which leads into winter, my absolute favorite season!  I look forward to hunkering down with the littles during the day, playing with them lots and enjoying all the fun events the kids take part in at school.

Happy back to school week!

I totally slacked

and didn't post in Gray's birthday last week....he turned 8!  The thing is, the week was crazy busy and his actual birthday was the busiest of them all, and well, the post got away from me.  However, he did have a great birthday.  He got the presents he wanted, and we loved on him as much as he would allow (side hugs only these days).  He chose his dinner and his Dad even worked from home so he could hang out with us.  See, I also know he wouldn't be upset this post is a little late since he told me, "Don't worry Mom, it isn't your fault" when not one, but TWO of the cakes I made for him would not come out of the pans, although I am not too sure whose fault it was then if not mine :)  Thankfully, third time (and a new recipe) was the charm and he got his wish...a chocolate cake with a Biscoff cookie spread filling, topped with chocolate ganache and mini chips.  Yes he is a chocolate fiend, and yes that is just one of the many things I love about him.  He still gives great hugs and kisses, he is the sweetest big brother to the babies, he is funny, silly and super creative.  He answers me with "I would love to" when I ask him to complete a chore and he is totally NOT a morning person, which I relate to.  He is our kid in the middle, oldest son and best all around big boy and our world is full of silly, crazy, chatter with our Gray around.  Sorry for the late post Gray, but thank you for being such a special and amazing son, brother and kid, we love you!!

Best bedtime routine

Teagan and Finn have the funniest bedtime routine ever, and we do it for nap and bedtime everyday.  It starts with me rocking them both in the rocker. I sing Edelweiss and Castle on a Cloud, and sometime Finn either nurses or has a bottle.  When I am about 75% of the way through Castle, they both jump off my lap and run to Teagan's crib.  I put them both in and Teagan lays down and gets her blanket on.  Finn then makes every stuffed animal kiss each other goodnight, and there are  at least 10 stuffed animals.  Then he proceeds to jump up and down for a few minutes, bouncing Teagan around who thinks it is hysterical.  Then he will give her a hug and a kiss and I will put him in his crib.  He then hands me his pillow, lays down, gets up and sticks his hand out for his pillow, we put it back, he lays down again and they go to sleep.  Oh, and her bed is packed with dolls, stuffed animals and blankets.  Finn has two blankets and his little crib pillow.  He throws anything else we put in there out!  They are funny :)

Too busy summer

I am too busy to post much.  Too busy working.  Too busy entertaining the kiddos. Too busy holding down the fort while the hubby works a lot.  Too busy potty training.  Too busy adventuring.  Too busy trying to pack up the house for the move in the next year.  Too busy enjoying delicious meals like grass fed filet minion, fresh local corn and couscous blend like I am doing right now :)  Happy Summer!

Day late and a dollar short

So...I meant to blog on Tuesday but the day got away from me.

On Tuesday, my second daughter turned ten...TEN!  She turned the big double digits and she is growing into an amazing young lady. When Brittan was born she was so different from Haven. She didn't cry much as a newborn, and she always seemed timid.  As she grew we found that she liked her space, even as a little baby, and she would happily sit for hours observing us and smiling when we looked her way...but if we got too close, or pulled her into the craziness that was Haven at age two, poor little Britt would lose it.  She was a beautiful baby, she looked like a little doll, and she would sit in the cart at the store and just smile at everyone around her, so long as they kept their distance.  As the years went on, Brittan grew and changed and found her voice.  She is no longer timid, although one of our more quiet children, and she is far from shy.  She excels at school and sports and loves to run of all things!  She is a mother hen to the babies-competent, genuine, loving and sweet.  She is bossy to Haven and Grayson and I see a lot of my desire for perfection and things being just so in her.  She is tender hearted, and feels deeply and can have such empathy for those around her.

We are a dynamic bunch-loud, opinionated and passionate and for awhile I worried that our quiet, sweet, petite little girl would struggle to find her place.  Well, I didn't need to worry, she has her place.  Now at ten, she is a force in our home, a quiet storm of sorts, and not only do I rely on her to toe the line and be a team player, but her siblings rely on her to help them stay on track (although they may complain she "helps" too much!).  She is going to be a great woman, an amazing mother and she wants to be a teacher when she grows up.  She adores little ones, her siblings and every other small child we come across, and she has a way of working with them and talking to them that makes all the little ones just love her.  She is responsible, silly, kind, loyal and full of joy.  She is the balance to the intensity that is her older sister, and she is a child who is always surprising us at every turn.

Happy 10th birthday Brittan Elizabeth.  You were named for the four great grandmothers and I see all of their best qualities in you every day.  We love you more than anything, and we are thankful every day that your sweet soul is ours to care for.  I am so excited to see you grow!

My littlest girl

It has been quite a while since I blogged, that happens when you have a house full of children, very busy jobs and a husband's job schedule that is changing and demanding.  Today, however, is one day that I must blog, because today is Teagan's 3rd birthday!

We had a big break between kids after Grayson.  My oldest three are a neat and tidy two years apart each, and then it took nearly five more years for us to have our fourth child, our sweet and sassy little Teagan Jayne.  The pregnancy with her was really tough and included preterm labor, meds that completely messed with my already wonky heart and numerous cardiology visits to check on her little heart that was beating erratically.  It was a long pregnancy, scary at times, and when we neared 37 weeks my doctor decided it was best for all involved to have her.  We had an amnio as I turned 37 weeks and found out the next day her little lungs were ready to go, so we scheduled her to be born on Wednesday July 15th.  Actually, my doc wanted to wait a few extra days and have her on Friday, but that was my second daughter's birthday and I could not make them share a birthday if there was a way to avoid it.  Looking back, I was so worried about Brittan having to share her week with Teagan, but instead she relishes the special bond that it brings, and they have such a sweet relationship, I am happy that they can share their birthday week.

So today marks three years since that little 7 lb 6 oz bundle came into our world.  She is the fourth child, but the firsts in many ways-the first with a dimple and the first with her Daddy's curls and our smallest baby. Teagan changed us, changed our family and our world and all for the better.  We never knew what we were missing until she came along.  At three she is hysterical.  She loves to laugh and is super happy and smiley-unless you get on her bad side and then she lets you know!  She is so very smart, loves to learn and is creative and inventive.  She loves her siblings and calls them all her "friends" and she has a really special bond with her baby brother. She is so spunky, loud and silly, amazing and fun, loving and kind.  Happy Birthday my Joopy Jayne and Daddy's Tigger, we love you so very much!

Have to....

So, as many who know me in real life know, when my husband and I got married over 12 1/2 years ago, I was five months pregnant with our oldest daughter.  We got married by the magistrate and my sister, brother in law and niece were there to serve as witnesses.  After the ceremony, we went to breakfast and then to Babies 'R Us to register for my baby shower that was in a month or so.  Then in July,  few months after Haven was born, we had our "marriage celebration" in NY where we renewed our vows and had the big Long Island reception. Traditional?  Not so much.

When we got married, so many people swore it wouldn't last, that we wouldn't last.  If I remember correctly, a few of his friends gave us a year.  We were young, already had a baby, just starting our careers and we had moved a year earlier away from friends and family.  Money was tight, and we had just bought our first home a few weeks after Haven was born, so we had the stress of the upcoming move hanging over our heads too.  If I had been an outsider looking in, I would have said we were doomed too.

The first few years were really, really hard.  Between our wedding and our move to the house we are in now three years later, we both got laid off and needed to figure out new jobs.  We added Brittan to the family. We sold our townhouse and bought this house, and we argued.  A lot.  We had a hard time growing up, growing together, balancing it all and building a relationship. To be truthful, it sucked a lot of the time....and then we added Grayson, because we are such good planners and all.  When Gray was a year old, we separated for about 6 months.  It was a hard time, not only because I was juggling three kids 5 and under and work, but because we really needed to evaluate our marriage and why we were together, and if we should be together.  Ryan always came to the house on his days off, he took the kids out, played with them and gave me a break.  Sometimes we did things together, like a preplanned trip to Sesame Place where we all went as a family.  It was awkward and weird and felt all wrong, so when Ryan moved back home we decided that we were in it for the long haul.  The reason was simple, we weren't married because of the kids, we weren't together because of obligation, we were married because we wanted to be.  When we were pregnant with Haven, we never believed that we "had" to get married.  I had a good job, insurance, etc. and would have figured it out alone if need be.  Ryan would have been in her life, loved her and taken care of her, that was never a question.  We never felt we needed to marry because of the baby, we felt we needed to get married because we loved each other.

After the separation and through today, the only reason our marriage works, that we stick through the bad times, that we stay together no matter what, is because we love each other.  My husband can make me crazy at times, he is my polar opposite and thinks he is funny when he totally is not (lets see if he reads here) but he is also my best friend, my confidant, my support.  We have had some many ups and downs in our marriage, both in our relationship with each other, as well as family, friends and our kid's health.  There is no one who gets me like he does, who I can look at at a doctor's appointment for a kid and he knows what I am thinking, and he asks the question that would make me cry.  He is an amazing dad, and an amazing husband and while we were away and busy on Father's Day, not a moment went by that I did not think that I picked the best man to be a dad to my kids, and that they are so very lucky to call him Daddy.

So, over 12 years later the answer is still easy, all you need is love :)

Thankful

Today is my birthday and I turned 37 and I think I am really OK with that.  I had a great day with my family, my girls made their dad take them out to get me presents and they came up with the perfect items.  Haven got me a new makeup bag (she accidently broke the zipper on my old one) and Brittan got me two canvases and some brushes (she knows how much I miss painting).  They also made some adorable statues out of clay, so sweet!

I received so many well wishes from friends (THANK YOU!) that always make me feel special and loved, that totally fills my heart!

Hubby surprised me with my presents yesterday, and then today we headed to the farm so I could collect the last of my surveys, I think I have a total of 11 left to get!  The kids and Ryan picked some strawberries since today was the last day of the season and I stood in the sun and gathered data, not the ideal outing on my birthday, but necessary.  We then went to lunch and hit a local dog adoption event since I am looking to add another dog to the family.  We found a sweet, sweet five year old pug, but they required too much (home visit, references and a HUGE adoption fee) and while I think the pug would have been a perfect addition to our family, calm and sweet with a great disposition,  I am not going to jump through that many hoops so we had to pass.  We will find the right new family member, it just will take some time :)

After that I ran into Old Navy to grab a few quick items for the upcoming trip then we headed home and my poor exhausted husband went to bed while I took Brittan to a sleepover and fed the crew.  Now the babies are tucked into bed, Haven and Gray are relaxing and the hubby is still asleep (I will wake him soon so we can have dinner) and I think I am the luckiest woman on earth.

Peace

There is this weird sense of peace that comes when you find people in life who get it.  People who understand your day, your fears, your off sense of humor, your lack of time for BS.  It is comforting to say something that may seem offbeat or odd to someone not in your shoes, and have it not only be accepted, but also acknowledged and understood.  Ah, that peace of not needing to have your guard up, your radar on, you tongue in check, it is priceless.

I am thoroughly enjoying that peace today, even while some of my children are banging pots and pans in the other room making a racket, and others are bickering and the music from my husband who is working out echoes through our very chaotic house.  I know, right now, that even the noise is peace.

This is the summer of change

Everything has felt different the last year.  I have had some really big upswings and some really low down times when everything seemed impossibly overwhelming.  The last few months it has been settling some for me.  I am managing better.  Forcing myself to sit still.  Forcing myself to be alone and not working.  I am starting to do more for myself and it has been so great.  This is it, this is the summer when I finally start to re-emerge from my role as solely wife and mother, to a more well rounded and better balanced person.

Right now I am super excited about an upcoming trip up North.  On our way back we will throw a bit of caution to the wind and wing it, something I miss terribly since having children, the impromptu roadtrip.  Then when we get back we will hang around the house for three whole days and head South to get the big girls from my parent's house.  Then we are essentially on summer break and the fun begins...and I have some BIG plans.

We will go to the beach.  Maybe not all the way down to the ocean more than once or twice, but we will go play in lakes and rivers, often.  We will head into DC at least once. We will see a concert, take in a baseball game, go camping for a night. We will see our friends, we will BBQ outside and we will have a firepit so we can have loads of smores outside in the evenings.  The kids will get very dirty-and I will hose them off :)  I want us to have fun this summer, and for there to be more of a balance.  Fun doesn't mean running all over town or spending a load of cash, but we can try to do a super fun outing thing once a week and have friends around a few times a week and just hang as a family a few times too.

The other thing I am doing now is working hard on exercising and eating really, really healthy.  It is not the easiest thing, but I am still trying.  Today went well-steel cut oats and maple sugar for breakfast, some leftover curry for lunch and dinner will be lemon pepper mahi-mahi with wheatberry salad.  Ryan is also working on eating better so he will be joining me in dinner and the kids are having a much more kid friendly dinner of leftover pasta.

I feel the change, it is coming from the inside out and it feels mighty good.

Sometimes it all just works out

Today has been a good day, a really good day.  Started off with an early wake up from Finn, but I somehow got him resettled and then came down to say hi to the hubs who had worked from home overnight.  Made breakfast for the babies and woke up the biggies who were crabby as all get out, but awake and moving.  We had plans to do a quick straighten and then head out to the Farmers Market and then down to the Farm.  If you know me at all, you would know that those two places are the happiest places on Earth for me :)

As I was shuffling kids around and directing them to their morning chores, Ryan told me he was coming with us.  This was a huge surprise since he has to work tonight too, and it would cut into his sleep schedule, but if you know him at all, you know that these are also his happy places :)

So after bathing babies and getting everyone together we made it out the door just after 9 am, which is a huge success.  Stopped and got some cash and headed to the market to find that today was the street fair so there were a bunch of vendors and part of the road was closed off.  Threw Finn in the sling, grabbed our produce bag and away we went.

I love the market.  I love seeing the vendors, chatting with them and of course knowing I can get some of the best products all in one place.  Today we ended up getting a bunch of produce, some more wildflower honey, my favorite goat cheese and some herbs.  Haven also bought some body spray made by a local honey producer and the whole crew grabbed a snack at the Beach Fries truck!

Then we were off the farm to grab eggs, our milk order and yogurt.  Then home for lunch and naps for the babies.  I got caught up on work and then started dinner, chicken curry, and the house smells amazing!

Hoping the rest of the day goes as well :)

See Mama run out of steam

Last weekend was a whirlwind.  On Saturday I headed about 3 hrs south to see two of my closest friends from way back when.  They are twins and they are both expecting their first babies one month apart and nothing would have kept me from the shower.  It was so good to see the girls and to get to celebrate with their family and friends.  They are two of the kindest, sweetest, brightest, happiest and most loving people  I know and they will be the most amazing moms!

The next day we had a party next door to celebrate their little girl's second birthday, then Haven had her sleepover extravaganza.  I am pretty sure the girls all had a great time and I got NO sleep that night so needless to say I was a bit wiped by morning.  Thankfully the hubby took Grayson to the farm to get milk while the babies, the big girls and I grabbed a two hour nap.  It was bliss.  Then we had a fantastic supper of grilled steaks, watermelon, corn on the cob and fried onions for me....oh it was so yummy!

Yesterday we went and got my windshield replaced and while we waited the babies, Ryan and I poked around in a flooring store and a countertop/cabinet store.  Since we are looking to move in the next year, I wanted to get some ideas in case we need to replace the countertops or put in new floors.  My hope is that  the entire house will be wood floors except the full baths.  With a hoard of kids and a very hairy dog, wood floors are just easier to keep clean.  We will have some rugs, but again, those can be sent out to be cleaned unlike carpet!

Today we were supposed to have Finn's therapy session but his therapists son was sick so she had to reschedule. I had a ton of work to do, so it was a home day with the babies.  Dinner was easy, french toast, homemade buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy, we are embracing our southern home more and more.

The next few weeks are still crazy with events, doctors, birthdays (ahem...mine!) and a trip up north to New England followed by a trip down south a few days later to North Carolina!  I just need to make it to July so I can relax!

How did this happen

Tomorrow my oldest girl turns twelve.  Twelve!  How did that happen?  I cannot believe I have been a mom for 12 years, that the sweet, chunky, little baby that I had twelve years ago with the glowing yellow head and huge cheeks has grown into this tall, lanky, bright, interesting and opinionated young lady.  Haven and I butt heads a lot, she and I can fight and argue and some days we struggle, but she is the first to try to cheer me up if I have a bad day, and she reacts deeply when I am hurt and she and I have a unique and special relationship that I would not trade for anything in the world.  I look at her and I catch a glimpse of the young woman she is becoming, and oh, what an amazing young woman that is.  She is so smart, and she can connect with people in such an honest way.  She is funny and silly and impulsive.  She is kind and sweet and feels things deep in her core.  She is constantly singing and dancing and has no problem standing on the bus stop dancing her heart out for the world to see, I admire that.  My girl, now 12 years old, the one that made me a mama is going to great things in this world, and I am so lucky to get to see her do it.

Help please and repost!!!

If I can ask again, if you have not yet done so, please go to 

http://productlabelsurvey.blogspot.com/

and fill in the survey for my doctoral research..pretty, pretty, please!

Oh and if you have a blog and can share the link, I really would appreciate it, I am so close to reaching my sample size!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

Update on Finn

So here we are, almost a year to the day that we started trying to find out what was going on with Finn.  The "crisis" moment happened last year on my birthday (6/9) when Finn had what looked like a seizure, but it had really started a few months earlier when we noticed he was very floppy and not growing well.  The following months were scary as we learned in detail what his heart condition was and we were finally sent to Children's Hospital to see genetics.  Then even more waiting as we waited almost 4 months for results and finally a diagnosis.

Well here is where our sweet, amazing, silly and fun little guy is now as he nears 18 months old.  He walks beautifully and even jumps well.  He loves to climb and has great muscle control given his poor muscle tone.  He eats a ton and has filled in nicely which makes his skin look much less saggy and loose, and my little peanut who a year ago was not growing at all is simply HUGE. He is starting to say a few words, but is still lagging behind in speech, but we are working on it.  He does communicate well, he points and grabs and lets us know his feelings.  We can tell he is bright and his therapist believes his speech delays to be either due to muscle tone in his mouth or possibly some hearing issues, so we will follow up with audiology in June.  We also will see genetics this summer and pulmonology as well as cardiology.  Lots of appointments, but they will help us see what is going on with Finn and allow us to make choices or get help if needed before a real problem presents.  His condition is one where things can go wrong with organs slowly over time. My goal is to catch it at the first sign and not wait until he is really sick. The earlier, the better.

I am so thankful to have all my children, to be blessed to have a houseful of kids and the privilege of caring for them.  I am excited to see them all grow up and become the men and women they were meant to be.

Remember when I used to cook and bake?

Yeah not so much these last few weeks and I hate it!  I have been so swamped that I am throwing things together to feed the masses and not really *cooking* like I like.  Now they are eating just fine, they had a homemade Lasagna I had in the freezer one night, and shrimp and rice another, and a nice chicken dinner, but nothing elaborate.  Last night Haven cooked since I was on calls all afternoon and she made cinnamon rolls (from a can, ugh!), potatoes and omelets with ham, cheese and tomatoes.  Not too shabby for nearing 12.  I planned to make some marinated chicken and grilled veggies tonight, but there is just no time so I am ordering a pizza I think.

To be fair, I was closing out Spring classes at PT school, working FT for FT school, we are having our "virtual" faculty conference this week which equates to me spending 10 hours on the phone in addition to my usual calls and workload, plus I had to go do some data collection and still take care of the babies, the house, do laundry, etc.  Yeah I am beat so pizza it is tonight.  Next week I plan to do better :)

Mother's Day

Yesterday, as most of you know, was Mother's Day.  I have a hard time doing for myself, buying for myself, etc. but the husband has found a few ways to get around that.  A few years ago he came home with a gift card to one of my favorite supply stores, Sur La Table and then said we were going there.  I had no choice but to use the gift card since he already bought it, and I had a blast spending the money without feeling guilty.

Yesterday we planned to take a ride to the big super fancy mall so I could finally get my apron at Anthropologie and shop some at Sur La Table.  As a bonus, we booked lunch at Maggiano's...family style.

The morning started great, cards, flowers and blueberry pancakes, my favorite! Then we had a rough patch with arguing kids and an OCD flareup and meltdown.  Then we got out the door and had an amazing time.  Kids were so well behaved at lunch, I was one proud mama.  Food was incredible and the wait staff took great care of us and watched out for Haven's allergies. We really enjoyed sitting around the table, talking, eating and sharing with one another.

I must admit that shopping was fun too.  I got a new apron, new blender and a bunch of kitchen gadgets.  It was so very nice.