Don't know why, but I am in a reflective mood...I have been a working mom for almost four years now. From the beginning, I always knew that I pretty much had to work. If I really, really had wanted to stay home, I am sure that we would have figured out a way to make it work. I loved working at my school, so when I got pregnant with Adilyn it really never crossed my mind to stay home. I remember that summer when Adilyn was little, I watched an episode of Oprah about mothers. Ironically, it was all about different types of parenting. I will never forget the conversation between two women in their 50's. One worked throughout their child's life, the other stayed home. Both had regrets. The one that worked said that she felt like she missed out on some things that her kids did or were involved in. The one that stayed home said that she felt like she didn't let her kids be independent enough. I knew right then, that no matter what you choose, you could always find something that you might regret. You have to just do what feels right, or what you have to do, and you make the best of it. There have definitely been some hard moments as a working mom, but there have also been some very sweet moments, too.
I always said that I would go crazy if I stayed at home all the time, but I realize now that I just told myself (and everybody else) that so I wouldn't feel bad about working. Overall, I do not feel guilty for working, but I don't know how I'll feel years down the road. I know that once they start elementary school things will be fine, but I hope that I don't regret not spending those first five years of their lives at home. Right now, I don't feel like I really missed out on anything major, but who really knows how I will feel in the end.
Top Five Things I Hate Most About Having My Kids in Daycare:
5. Having to wake up sleeping babies early in the morning.
4. Sending them to school when you think they might be sick, but you aren't really sure.
3. When you notice scratches or bruises on them, but you don't know what happened.
2. When other kids are mean to them or physically hurt them (biting, pushing, etc)
1. When they come home and they smell like somebody else's perfume!
Top Five Things I Love Most About Having My Kids in Daycare:
5. Watching them when they don't know I am watching them on the playground or in their classroom just "doing their thing".
4. Knowing that kindergarten will not be such a shock to their system!
3. Knowing that they have to figure things out on their own and solve their own problems without me being there to fix everything for them.
2. Seeing all their artwork and projects that they have done.
1. Hearing stories about all their experiences and friendships.
With all that being said, I really feel like the most important thing is the quality of the time you spend with your kids. I am sure that there are stay at home moms that may be with their kids all day long, but never really spend much quality time with them. I try to spend those sweet 3 hours that we have together each evening, the weekends, and the holidays completely "with" them. We play, we sing, we dance, we play princesses, or whatever silliness that Adilyn cooks up. I hope that I will always be able to give them the quality time that they deserve to create many special memories!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
It's So Wrong, But It's So Cute
Adilyn keeps saying certain things wrong. Being as stubborn as she is, she will not believe me that it's wrong...so it continues to be wrong...
Pig tails are "pink" tails.
It's not a line leader, it's "lime" leader.
She was singing the other day, "Take the season Julie Holly" = "tis the season to be jolly".
Another wrong song, instead of "Grey squirrel, grey squirrel swish your bushy tail", it's "race car, race car swish your bushy tail".
Pig tails are "pink" tails.
It's not a line leader, it's "lime" leader.
She was singing the other day, "Take the season Julie Holly" = "tis the season to be jolly".
Another wrong song, instead of "Grey squirrel, grey squirrel swish your bushy tail", it's "race car, race car swish your bushy tail".
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Talking Has Begun
It seems that Kacy is learning new words every day! I knew that it would happen soon, but it's so exciting to hear her copy things we say now. Adilyn loves it, too, and she tries to get her to say everything! Her new words this week - bubble, shoe, dog, mine (that's her favorite)!
I so love watching the girls interact and play. As they get older, they are really starting to play well together! I remember the days last year when I couldn't even leave them in the same room for fear that Addy would punch Kacy. I know that in the future there will be some fights and some slamming doors, but it's nice right now to hear them giggling and being silly together. One of my favorite sounds to hear right now is the beautiful song of two little laughs coming from the next room!
Some of their favorite things to do these days:
*Dressing up in princess dresses and princess shoes.
*Hiding in the closet.
*Tea parties and picnics.
*Wrestling and "body slamming" each other.
*Playing in the big doll house.
*Hiding from each other and from us.
*Coloring.
*Playing "monster" and chasing each other.
I so love watching the girls interact and play. As they get older, they are really starting to play well together! I remember the days last year when I couldn't even leave them in the same room for fear that Addy would punch Kacy. I know that in the future there will be some fights and some slamming doors, but it's nice right now to hear them giggling and being silly together. One of my favorite sounds to hear right now is the beautiful song of two little laughs coming from the next room!
Some of their favorite things to do these days:
*Dressing up in princess dresses and princess shoes.
*Hiding in the closet.
*Tea parties and picnics.
*Wrestling and "body slamming" each other.
*Playing in the big doll house.
*Hiding from each other and from us.
*Coloring.
*Playing "monster" and chasing each other.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Adilyn's Best from 2010
So, one of my New Year's resolution is to spend less time facebooking and more time blogging....but, I realized that I put a lot of the funny things that Adilyn said on my facebook updates. Here are some of my favorite status updates from the year.
January
*Me: "Adilyn, what is Kacy's favorite word?" Adilyn: "Ummmm...babababa."
February
*I gave Adilyn a couple M&M's today for the first time today. After she scarfed them down, she said, "Mama, I want some more of those LMNO's."
March
*After being sick for a couple days, she said, "Mommy, my hurt hurts." Poor girl!
April
*On our way home one day, we passed a car wreck. Adilyn asked what happened. I told her two cars hit each other. She said, "Why them cars fighting?"
June
*While stalling at bedtime, sometimes she tells stories, sometimes she just gives random facts. One day she said, "Mommy, Mommy, wait. I wanna tell you something. Giraffes don't make noise."
July
*As I was leaving to go play some volleyball, she came running up to me and said, "But, Mommy, we can play volleyball here, with this." She was holding a football and a butterfly net.
October
*After a rough night, she says, "I think I am having some issues tonight."
November
*Me: Man, I wish I had someone that could carry me around like I carry you around. Adilyn: You do, Pops. He is your Daddy, right?
*During dinner at a Chinese buffet, she says with disgust, "This is supposed to be an egg roll. Where are all the eggs?"
December
*"I am beautiful because you make me beautiful."
*When I realized I didn't have stuff for santa's cookies, adilyn suggested that we make brownies instead. Then she said, "Oh wait, he is allergic to chocolate."
January 2011
New Year's Resolutions: "learn to write my name, try to want to do swim lessons, try to learn to not hit Kacy, dance more" (Adilyn's responses when after a long and very deep conversation about goals and resolutions.)
January
*Me: "Adilyn, what is Kacy's favorite word?" Adilyn: "Ummmm...babababa."
February
*I gave Adilyn a couple M&M's today for the first time today. After she scarfed them down, she said, "Mama, I want some more of those LMNO's."
March
*After being sick for a couple days, she said, "Mommy, my hurt hurts." Poor girl!
April
*On our way home one day, we passed a car wreck. Adilyn asked what happened. I told her two cars hit each other. She said, "Why them cars fighting?"
June
*While stalling at bedtime, sometimes she tells stories, sometimes she just gives random facts. One day she said, "Mommy, Mommy, wait. I wanna tell you something. Giraffes don't make noise."
July
*As I was leaving to go play some volleyball, she came running up to me and said, "But, Mommy, we can play volleyball here, with this." She was holding a football and a butterfly net.
October
*After a rough night, she says, "I think I am having some issues tonight."
November
*Me: Man, I wish I had someone that could carry me around like I carry you around. Adilyn: You do, Pops. He is your Daddy, right?
*During dinner at a Chinese buffet, she says with disgust, "This is supposed to be an egg roll. Where are all the eggs?"
December
*"I am beautiful because you make me beautiful."
*When I realized I didn't have stuff for santa's cookies, adilyn suggested that we make brownies instead. Then she said, "Oh wait, he is allergic to chocolate."
January 2011
New Year's Resolutions: "learn to write my name, try to want to do swim lessons, try to learn to not hit Kacy, dance more" (Adilyn's responses when after a long and very deep conversation about goals and resolutions.)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Some "Live" Holiday Memories
Sorry, some of these clips are kind of long, but I love seeing the kids in action! I also love hearing what they have to say about things. Pictures are awesome, but some of those precious moments caught on video are my favorites!
Opening gifts!
Cousins playing and sharing nicely in Fort Worth!
Santa's Wonderland
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year's Eve
Throughout my life, my New Year's Eves have not been too exciting. I hate to admit it, but I think I only went to a party or a club maybe 3 or 4 times, total in my life. So, unlike some people who say that their New Year's Eves slow down when they have kids, mine have pretty much stayed the same! :)
Yesterday, we went to the Children's Museum with the Hrobars in the morning. We had a good time, but there were so many people there that it was hard to do much. I fought through a room filled with crazy moms and grumpy kids to help Adilyn and Kacy make a crazy party hat only to have Adilyn tell me in the end, "Mommy, it's for you, you wear it." So, I walked out with a silly hat made out of a brown paper sack holding a kid with nothing on her head...It was hilarious how the moms in there were trying to outdo each other. The kids were just sitting there while the moms made their hats for them. One of them wouldn't even let her daughter glue the paper she was decorating with because she was gluing it wrong. What fun is that for the kid?!? Adilyn's had a fish, a flower, blue ribbon, pink pieces of paper, and a couple randon sliver pieces. Just her style! Well, I guess I mean my style since she made it for me! :)
We all went home to let the little ones nap, then we made our way back over to their house for some sparklers and play time later that evening. Adilyn has always liked Mason and Wyatt, but until last night they have never really played together that well. Adilyn showed up in her pink "twirling" dress and her princess shoes, but she went right up to the boys' playroom and they all got along. They played from around 8pm until 11:30pm with no arguments, no fighting, and no crying! Adilyn was the mommy, and Mason and Wyatt were the daddies. As Dana said, "It must be a modern family." They were pretending that the baby doll was their baby, and they all thought it was funny when the baby had a poopy diaper. Kacy and Hudson still don't really play together, but Hudson did love trying on the princess shoes! We stayed until about 11:45, and we drove home and watched all the fireworks that people were popping. We were in the car at midnight, and we counted down while I held Kacy's hand in the backseat and Cory's in the front. Addy was already asleep...So a fun, but very low key New Year's Eve.
I always love the thought of the new year. I know that most resolutions are broken, but I still love the idea of having a new year and new beginnings. I hope that 2011 brings me more happy memories, joy in spending time with the people that I love, wisdom to make good decisions, and peace in knowing that I have everything that I have ever wanted (and more!)
Happy New Year!
Yesterday, we went to the Children's Museum with the Hrobars in the morning. We had a good time, but there were so many people there that it was hard to do much. I fought through a room filled with crazy moms and grumpy kids to help Adilyn and Kacy make a crazy party hat only to have Adilyn tell me in the end, "Mommy, it's for you, you wear it." So, I walked out with a silly hat made out of a brown paper sack holding a kid with nothing on her head...It was hilarious how the moms in there were trying to outdo each other. The kids were just sitting there while the moms made their hats for them. One of them wouldn't even let her daughter glue the paper she was decorating with because she was gluing it wrong. What fun is that for the kid?!? Adilyn's had a fish, a flower, blue ribbon, pink pieces of paper, and a couple randon sliver pieces. Just her style! Well, I guess I mean my style since she made it for me! :)
We all went home to let the little ones nap, then we made our way back over to their house for some sparklers and play time later that evening. Adilyn has always liked Mason and Wyatt, but until last night they have never really played together that well. Adilyn showed up in her pink "twirling" dress and her princess shoes, but she went right up to the boys' playroom and they all got along. They played from around 8pm until 11:30pm with no arguments, no fighting, and no crying! Adilyn was the mommy, and Mason and Wyatt were the daddies. As Dana said, "It must be a modern family." They were pretending that the baby doll was their baby, and they all thought it was funny when the baby had a poopy diaper. Kacy and Hudson still don't really play together, but Hudson did love trying on the princess shoes! We stayed until about 11:45, and we drove home and watched all the fireworks that people were popping. We were in the car at midnight, and we counted down while I held Kacy's hand in the backseat and Cory's in the front. Addy was already asleep...So a fun, but very low key New Year's Eve.
I always love the thought of the new year. I know that most resolutions are broken, but I still love the idea of having a new year and new beginnings. I hope that 2011 brings me more happy memories, joy in spending time with the people that I love, wisdom to make good decisions, and peace in knowing that I have everything that I have ever wanted (and more!)
Happy New Year!
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