But why mommy???

C and I were talking about going to school yesterday. She starts preschool two mornings a week after a hiatus since April. It's a new school, so I'm trying to get her all revved up about it. While we were talking over dinner about it, she said:

"But Mommy, why do I have to go to school if you don't work anymore??"

She actually had me stumped there a minute for an answer... Finally I told her she needed to go to learn things and play with new friends. She was ok with that response. At least for now... Here are some more of her latest why questions:

"Why does the sun go to bed at night? Doesn't it want to play with the moon?"
"But why can't we get another kitty? Milo is so lonely and he needs friends!"
"Why do I need clean underwear? My bottom is clean because I wiped it."

Ahhh...it's getting so hard to come up with legitimate answers and not laugh!!!!

Time with Elmo

Last week we took the girls on a mini-vacation. It was a last minute whirlwind trip to Sesame Place and the Jersey shore. J had a few vacation days booked for the summer and we were going to save them and make a long Labor Day weekend, but he had to head away on a business trip so we had to use them or lose them. M has really been into "Melmo" these days so we decided this was the year to go. I'm glad we did it when we did. C had a blast going to the shows and seeing the characters. Her favorite part was the tea cup ride with Daddy. (I sat sideline with M to avoid puking!)

M called everyone Melmo and loved it as well. She danced along with the shows and had a blast in the smaller play areas. Unfortunately she was sick Friday so she was kind of miserable at the park, but once we got her some medicine and cooled off in the pool, she was much happier.

Friday night through Sunday we went to Brick, NJ to visit my cousin and her boyfriend. They have a house on the bay there with a heated inground pool (nice!) and a boat. Both C and M enjoyed the pool and even the spin on the boat, or ship as C calls it. C was the jr. captain and even got to drive!! She was all smiles during that!!

Unfortunately it was really cold and rainy so there was no playing on the beach for us. However, we headed to Point Pleasant and took in the boardwalk and some yummy funnel cake. The kids loved the rides and food until it started pouring. We then skeedaddled out of there and sat in the car eating our funnel cake.

Overall it was a great trip!! I'll post some pictures of it later.

Girly Update

So it's been awhile since I've posted an update on the girls. Here's their current latest and greatest:

C--

• Is enjoying the summer at the pool. She's now swimming on her own with floaties, and just started going underwater.
• She's developed quite a nice tan!!
• Can count to 10 in Spanish with help on prounciation.
• She's really into trying new things. We've recently been going to some outdoor concerts near us and she's loving it.
• Is now 38.5 inches tall, which is 1.5 inches bigger than she was right around her birthday.

M--

• Just got molar #1 of 4 through. The rest should be coming any day now, along with the fangs.
• Is running around like a madwoman!! She hates being carried or being in the stroller.
• Has gotten over her water fear and enjoys splashing in the pool.
• Can now say: shoe, grape, Elmo, Mema, Papa, Caitlin, Mommy, Daddy, yum, thank you (clearer now), meow or milo for our cat, Allie, bubble, Diego, Dora, me, up, side (for outside). We're working on please, more, and all done.
• Just got her first pair of sneakers in a size 6! She loves her shoes!
• Can climb up the stairs and is thinking about going back down.
• Loves to go in the swing at the park or down the slide.
• Hates to be in the grass, sand, or sitting in the pool! If she falls down then she yells until someone picks her up again.

It's amazing how much they've changed in just a few months!

Birthday Resolutions

So Saturday was my birthday. Usually they suck, and I mean really suck. They consist of people forgetting (including my mom), something bad happening paired with some really nasty August weather. I don't usually look forward to them but this year was different. Maybe it's getting older or my kids that have changed me, but this year I was determined to not to be in a huge funk on my day. Having to attend a wedding and starting the day on the beach definitely aided that, but I also think I'm just expecting less. Either way, my day came and went but I made some resolutions to myself. Here they are:

• I will work on becoming happier with who I am despite my flaws.
• I will eat healthier and work out more regularly so that my children are brought up in a household where that matters.
• I will spend less time worrying about what other people think of me.
• I will spend more time telling people how much they mean to me.
• I will not let money run my life.
• I will take each day as it comes and try to let it go each night before bed.
• I will continue to try new things and meet new people.

Yes, that is quite a list. Of course, these are all things I should be doing already but I've decided enough is enough. I can't keep making excuses as to why I don't do certain things or meet more people. I need to live each day for what it is and try to make myself a little better along the way. I'm hoping this will help me stay happier and teach my daughters not to stress the way I did. I've always been the responsible one and the worrier since I was a child, so much to the point I would forget to enjoy being young. So now I am going to enjoy it and hope that my positivity will rub off. I know this will not be easy and each day will provide new challenges, but I am ready. Sad it's taken me 29 years to figure that out....

We made it...and then some...

Well, we did it...J and I went away for a weekend alone. Yup, no kids from Thursday - Monday. I brought them up to stay with the inlaws on Tuesday and came back to VA on Thursday. Yes, I did break down a few times on the way back home but I did not turn around the car. I limited the phone calls to twice a day...morning to check in and night to say goodnight. Once we got to VA Beach on Friday I was distracted enough by everything to not be so sad about it. The kids had a blast in NJ and we're hoping to be able to do it again soon.

As for our weekend it was by far one of the best vacations we have had. I wish we would have had an extra day, but all in all, it was just what we needed. We went down with friends of ours and had so much fun at the beach and hanging around, not to mention the wedding. That was a blast! (Of course the open bar and multiple margaritas definitely contributed to that!!) We even ended the weekend on a high note and went to dinner and a movie (Bourne Ultimatum...LOVED it!!).

So I will admit that everyone who told me to go was right. It was a nice break for the kids, for J and I, and for myself. And the kids don't despise me for leaving...although M did give me a hard time when I saw her, the little stinker! This will definitely become a yearly occurrance in our house!