I have a minute to myself, and instead of showering, (swim lessons this morning then walk with Rylan) I am blogging. We've had a good week, a few temper tantrums, but overall a good week. Bri's on the road as usual, but the sun has been out, the weather windy but beautiful so we took full advantage. Monday after our walk with Rylan (That's that Grace always says... "Walk with Rylan?") we filled the pool in the backyard and swam. Tuesday morning instead of our walk with Rylan we went with Rylan and Monica to the community pool and swam. The girls had a BLAST together. We would have put them in the same swim class. We convinced Monica that if she joined Aqua~Tots the only instructor to have was Mary, but what to do with Lily? So we do swim lessons on different days so Monica and Rylan can watch Lily. I love having "Grace and Mommy have alone time". So the girls have not been in a big pool together. Splashing in our backyard doesn't count. They played on the stairs, showed off for each other with kicking, bubbles and scoops. Grace went under a few times... it was really nice. The best part is Monica and I were on the same page that swim time with this kiddos is not Mommy time. As much as I think we'd both like to swim a few laps or lay in the sun, heck just enjoy the peace and quite in some fresh air, 30 minutes was the kids max. 3o minutes for them to play expel some energy and head home for lunch and naps. Grace loved being back in our community pool so much and Lily was such a good little doobie sleeping the whole time that we returned the next day while Monica and Rylan were at Gymboree. I must have been some form of aquatic life in a previous life, because water just makes me happy. Life so far away from the ocean has not been easy, but at least I can enjoy the pool for 9 out of 12 months here.
Tuesday night the girls and I walked alone. We skipped our morning walk with Rylan so that Lily would sleep at the pool and then had to take Lily to the pediatrician to look at a rash she developed a week and a half ago. Our walk was amazing... The sun was setting, a breeze was blowing, I really love the desert this time of year, that time of day, it's breathtaking! As a treat for Grace who's tantrums seem to be more and more frequent we walked our route backward ending up at the playground for 15 minutes of running around. We have not been to the playground in 3 months! It was really nice. No kids, no noise, a near full moon rising, Grace loved it. We invited Monica and Rylan to join us last night for the same walk with a stop off at the playground, but it was windy and a bit chilly so we did not play long. But still a good walk and nice way to end the day.
Yesterday I came across bubble bath that was aroma therapy bath for babies. Of all the options I chose "Calming" Lord knows at the end of the day, by the time dinner, bath and bed time rolls around, I am spent, the kids are spent, they both "need", neither can cope, Brian's on the road, I only have two hands... It just seemed that we all needed a little "Calming" IT-WAS-HEAVEN! It smelled like the essential oils they use when you go to the spa for a massage (mind you I HATE spa massages, I need some big old Swedish, military, type woman to dig her elbows into me, not the fluffy, foofy, la la massage... but I digress) Grace played nicely, Lily kicked and splashed with a smile on her face. Grace didn't try to drown Lily, Lily didn't cry on the floor in her PJ's while she waited for Grace's bath to finish... it was... "calming" Then downstairs for bottles and quiet time. Lily fell right asleep (oops! I try to keep her up 'till at least 9, it was 7:50) I put Lily down in her crib, shut her door and went down stairs to get Grace. Wait... Grace is going to get to go to bed with out Lily screaming in the background, because Lily needs to be fed...held... comforted... given two seconds of my time for the first time all day... What?? This is awesome!! I can put Grace down with out counting to 10 in my head and reminding myself to take deep breath and that "Grace deserves a calm happy good night from me as much as Lily deserves to be picked up right now, but Lily is going to have to wait, and It's not Grace's fault so don't bark at her that she needs to hurry up because Lily is crying because Lily is fine and she can wait until...." Yes, that's the random rapid fire thought process going on in my head while trying to put Grace to bed and tune out Lily. I think I must do a pretty good job of it to because Grace had no sense of urgency about anything when Lily is crying. Grace has no clue or cue to hurry up, pay attention or help Mommy so that I can comfort Lily. Anyway...Grace finished her bottle got her teddy and walked quietly and calmly upstairs for bedtime. Turned on her lady bug, started her CD player, said "Good night Mommy" and lay her head on her pillow... This stuff is the stuff miracles are made of!! If I had not needed to throw a load of laundry in the wash, empty, refill and run the dishwasher and pack the swim bag, I would have soaked in a tub of that stuff myself!
Okay, so today... FANTASTIC swim lesson, nice walk with Rylan, quick lunch, both kids are napping, the house is a mess... Yeah, I so should be figuring this mess out, I mean I created a bomb went off kind of look here last night... But I had to post pictures, no not of the mess, of why there is such a mess. Grace really likes to open doors, not because she can, but to hide. If the front door is not dead bolted, or the garage door is not dead bolted we have a serious accident waiting to happen on our hands. Grace climbs into the kitchen cabinets, into the pantry, into the hall coat closet, all to hide, she thinks its funny. And to tell you the truth, it kind of is. I remember hiding and play in my closet as a kid. Heck I vividly remember getting in trouble for climbing into my toy basket and repeatedly doing in, fully knowing, even understanding that I was not allowed to do so and that if caught, I was going to get in trouble. But it was a big basket and it was fun! So... Pantry, not safe, hall closet, not safe... broom closet under the stairs not safe... but it's a catch all disaster with no rhyme or reason to anything that is in there... So, It's no longer a broom closet...
Tuesday night the girls and I walked alone. We skipped our morning walk with Rylan so that Lily would sleep at the pool and then had to take Lily to the pediatrician to look at a rash she developed a week and a half ago. Our walk was amazing... The sun was setting, a breeze was blowing, I really love the desert this time of year, that time of day, it's breathtaking! As a treat for Grace who's tantrums seem to be more and more frequent we walked our route backward ending up at the playground for 15 minutes of running around. We have not been to the playground in 3 months! It was really nice. No kids, no noise, a near full moon rising, Grace loved it. We invited Monica and Rylan to join us last night for the same walk with a stop off at the playground, but it was windy and a bit chilly so we did not play long. But still a good walk and nice way to end the day.
Yesterday I came across bubble bath that was aroma therapy bath for babies. Of all the options I chose "Calming" Lord knows at the end of the day, by the time dinner, bath and bed time rolls around, I am spent, the kids are spent, they both "need", neither can cope, Brian's on the road, I only have two hands... It just seemed that we all needed a little "Calming" IT-WAS-HEAVEN! It smelled like the essential oils they use when you go to the spa for a massage (mind you I HATE spa massages, I need some big old Swedish, military, type woman to dig her elbows into me, not the fluffy, foofy, la la massage... but I digress) Grace played nicely, Lily kicked and splashed with a smile on her face. Grace didn't try to drown Lily, Lily didn't cry on the floor in her PJ's while she waited for Grace's bath to finish... it was... "calming" Then downstairs for bottles and quiet time. Lily fell right asleep (oops! I try to keep her up 'till at least 9, it was 7:50) I put Lily down in her crib, shut her door and went down stairs to get Grace. Wait... Grace is going to get to go to bed with out Lily screaming in the background, because Lily needs to be fed...held... comforted... given two seconds of my time for the first time all day... What?? This is awesome!! I can put Grace down with out counting to 10 in my head and reminding myself to take deep breath and that "Grace deserves a calm happy good night from me as much as Lily deserves to be picked up right now, but Lily is going to have to wait, and It's not Grace's fault so don't bark at her that she needs to hurry up because Lily is crying because Lily is fine and she can wait until...." Yes, that's the random rapid fire thought process going on in my head while trying to put Grace to bed and tune out Lily. I think I must do a pretty good job of it to because Grace had no sense of urgency about anything when Lily is crying. Grace has no clue or cue to hurry up, pay attention or help Mommy so that I can comfort Lily. Anyway...Grace finished her bottle got her teddy and walked quietly and calmly upstairs for bedtime. Turned on her lady bug, started her CD player, said "Good night Mommy" and lay her head on her pillow... This stuff is the stuff miracles are made of!! If I had not needed to throw a load of laundry in the wash, empty, refill and run the dishwasher and pack the swim bag, I would have soaked in a tub of that stuff myself!
Okay, so today... FANTASTIC swim lesson, nice walk with Rylan, quick lunch, both kids are napping, the house is a mess... Yeah, I so should be figuring this mess out, I mean I created a bomb went off kind of look here last night... But I had to post pictures, no not of the mess, of why there is such a mess. Grace really likes to open doors, not because she can, but to hide. If the front door is not dead bolted, or the garage door is not dead bolted we have a serious accident waiting to happen on our hands. Grace climbs into the kitchen cabinets, into the pantry, into the hall coat closet, all to hide, she thinks its funny. And to tell you the truth, it kind of is. I remember hiding and play in my closet as a kid. Heck I vividly remember getting in trouble for climbing into my toy basket and repeatedly doing in, fully knowing, even understanding that I was not allowed to do so and that if caught, I was going to get in trouble. But it was a big basket and it was fun! So... Pantry, not safe, hall closet, not safe... broom closet under the stairs not safe... but it's a catch all disaster with no rhyme or reason to anything that is in there... So, It's no longer a broom closet...
Random pics from this week...
"Kissa my tushie mommy!"
Lily hanging out...
"Look I'm wearing bracelets!!"
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