Wondering lately....

what's come over me! I don't seem to have anything to report from the home front, but I don't think that the girlies are changing their ways. So, how is it that I don't feel so much like I'm going insane? Ahhh, they do say that those that are mad don't believe themselves to be.... huh.

Maybe, it's the fact that the girls are getting out of the getting into everything and making a mess and leaving it there and not caring what other's think and going and getting into something else and making a new mess and then leaving that there.... has slightly diminished.

Maybe, it's the fact that mommy has become a hard nosed, Nazi-esque, freak of nature, my way or the highway, tight boundaries kinda mom, and I ain't puttin' up with their whiney ways no how..... kind of mom.

Maybe, aliens came through their bedroom window in the middle of the night and sucked their underdeveloped, selfish, tantrum throwing, let's see what we can do today to make mommy and daddy raise their voices, devious and contrary little minds out... through their noses.

Maybe, I'm too worn out to care and too busy to see, too lazy to look and too CRAZY to want to find out what exactly they have been doing every minute of their waking hours.... yeah, that one's probably the one.

I will say that maybe it's the time of year (you know everyone gets a little happier, even w/0 the happy pills) when the sun shines more, the trees are turning green and the flowers are starting to dot the landscapes. I think I'm feeling more relaxed within myself and not taking things too personally. I'm letting the girls make decisions about what they will do or not do... of course EVERYTHING comes with good or bad consequences eh! So I'm beginning to feel less stress about them cleaning up their toys (if I pick them up they are mine for a wk), getting ready for school (WHAT! you don't have your clothes on?.... too bad grab 'em and go the van is NOT waiting any longer), eating meals (oh, you're hungry, I have this nice plate of dinner waiting for you... you don't want it... must not be THAT hungry huh?)

The only thing I'm sorta stressing about at the moment is my flower beds. The last two years I have really enjoyed planting flowers and tending them. I have found it is a place where I can putter around and do what I want. This year however with the new addition to the family (see previous blog about the naughty husband and the puppy) I have many holes dug in my flower beds and I'm not sure what to do to keep the BIG rascal out of them. Not only are my flower beds ruined but my front and back yards are strewn with stuff that the "DDD" (dum-dum dog) has chewed up and spit out, and drug hither and yon! I don't know how to keep up with everything inside and outside of my house.

It is a good thing that Greg is the responsible person for the doggie pooper-scoopers. That WOULD send me over the brink.... I think!

May your day be sunny, even if there is no sunshine!!

For all the Jane's out there....

who think I'm inspiring, or funny, or totally insane thank you! Thank you for reading this mish-mash of thoughts, wrecks and otherwise embarrassing events in my life!

The chillin's actually have been on some good behavior the last month or so. Oh, yes don't fret about me not getting any good material. They are still themselves, every last ornery atom of their anatomy!! They are still fighting, arguing and bickering, with me and Greg and GP and each other!! They are still able to get me tired out before going to bed, and they are still able to make me not want to cook (something I've enjoyed doing since I was young).

Actually, I did "resign" from cooking last week. I took breakfast and lunch time off. Lauryn and Liyah were in charge of fixing their own breakfasts and Lauryn had to pack her own lunch for school. Sure she put up a fight, sure she thought it wasn't fait, sure I stuck to my guns and told her get used to it!

She got the idea I think. I actually heard with my own ears, coming from her pretty little mouth, "Mom, may I have a drink please? I prefer water." SAY WHAT?!?!

Liyah is now 4 and becoming the fashionista. She is a great dresser (in 4 year old styles) and thoroughly loves dressing up (4-6 outfits a day). She loves shopping with me and likes going to the Goodwill stores and scrounging around.... not that it's a real fashion find but she did find a brand new Dora helmet yesterday that fits her perfect!!

To backtrack to where I was going with this story...... she got herself dresses yesterday to go shopping with me and then came to my room and said she was going to be picking out my clothes....did a pretty good job too. It wasn't what I would have picked out and I really did pass up on her shoe choice (dress shoes with 3 inch heels for running errands isn't my style), but it was cute and I enjoyed wearing it!!

Thanks Liyah! Mommy is really looking forward to doing more shopping with you!

For those of you who think that my girls haven't given me any good writing material lately let me tell you.....

Monday Lauryn stayed home sick from school and Liyah has no school on Mondays. I'm in the bedroom folding yet another load of laundry and wouldn't you know I have two little girls walking into my room saying, "look mom, we're clowns". They have taken a dish of body butter that Liyah got in her Valentines box and smeared it all over their faces, arms and legs. Whoohoo!

I didn't panic, I didn't even raise my voice. I just looked at them, must have been with a confused look on my face 'cause they laughed and said again, "we are clowns, we have makeup on".

Taking a deep, cleansing breath I said, "well, we'll have to shower you two to get all that off you"

So they hopped into the shower and let the water rinse them off, while I walked down the hall to their mess. Lotion all over the floor, all over my only pair of dress shoes (Liyah was playing dress up) and an empty dish from the body butter!!

Still, I didn't panic, I went and made sure they were cleaned up and dried off. They got clean clothes on and then they started cleaning up the rest of the mess. Liyah scrubbed the carpet and Lauryn got the shoes. Thank the good Lord for whoever came up with the idea of baby wipes, they seriously work to clean up anything!

The carpet is clean, the shoes are shiny and the girls never felt so soft!!!

When things don't quite measure up

Well, as you readers know Greg's new drum kit is in the walk in closet. Which in itself is a wonderful thing because we can close doors and hardly hear him in the rest of the house. But that has definitely posed a problem with the wardrobe facilities. So after two weeks of hanging clothes in the girls closet and stacking things on our bdrm. floor we are finally getting our new armoires put up. The problem is... when we measured the wall from the corner to the window we got one measurement, thought we'd matched it up with the measurements on the armoires and then placed our order for the right ones.... BUT when Dad put together the first wardrobe last night it now covers about 1/3 of our window! So with the other one going up today we will now have a window that is only 1/3 of what it once was. It is a great south facing window and gives us lots of heat, but it isn't like we sit in the bdrm. and look out the window.

That is soooo minor, what about when your children don't measure up?!?!

I have 2 beautiful daughters, and having come from a family of 4 girls, and thought that as a mother I would enjoy the girl time, the bonding over Barbies and cooking. I thought that we would enjoy fun and games, would talk and carry on like girls do. I was wrong, my girls are strong willed, defiant, back talking, disobedient, and flat out ORNERY!!!

It's not that I don't love them, with all of my being I love them... but I'm so tired!! Who in their right mind would dream of a relationship with their children like this?

Now, I'm not the kind of mom who expects great things from her children, and pushes them into multiple things to make them better. I don't expect them to be over-achievers, just to reach realistic goals (like picking up and putting away their toys).

What is a parent to do when their children buck at every turn, when they argue about each point, when they push the limit of every request or demand?

Greg and I are reading some books about parenting strong willed children, I've found one greatly consoling thing from reading these books.... I AM NOT ALONE!

So when things don't measure up to our expectations, when the armoire is too big (or maybe the house is too small), when the husband buys more things (or eats out when the pantry is stocked), when GP doesn't eat her food (until you put a cookie or coffee in her hands) and when your children do nothing but argue with you (about every day things, things we do every day), just remember others are going through the same thing (well maybe not the wardrobe thing, that could be a personal problem).

Well, if you're going to be jealous

make sure you are jealous of something really worthy!!

Greg and I made a trip to Kenosha, WI last weekend and picked up his new drum kit he found on ebay... no you may think that I'm jealous of them, I'm not.... although he did tell me last night he loved them.

Actually, I'm jealous of a bathroom.... and definitely NOT your ordinary bathroom. OH, NO! This is the bathroom on Hwy. 50 coming out of Kenosha (as you're headed to Edgerton, WI (shout out to my buddies the Bahrs). It is the bathroom at the.... get this.... Mobil gas station!!!

Okay, my bathroom's not that bad, but this one.... THIS ONE..... WOWWW! I really wish I had taken the camera out of my purse and taken pics... but I was too dumbfounded.

They had coffee brown ceramic vessel sinks with, antiqued bronze faucets shaped like old fashioned water pumps. They had gorgeous tile on the walls with a 2" border of celery green small glass tiles. In the stalls they had wrought iron pieces of art as well as beautiful black and white prints of tulips (my favorite flower).

The great thing is, I walked out and found Greg over by the beverage coolers and we looked at each other with a gleam in our eyes and both burst out with "did you see", "was your bathroom like"... it was too funny.

Greg wants the sinks, I'll take the b/w prints....heck, I'd take the whole bathroom!!

Sunshine, sunshine

I've had a fun day looking up vids on YouTube that have to do with sun, sunshine, sunny, etc. You get the pick maybe?! It has been such a dreary February that the first 4 days of March have been a godsend. It makes me feel better than dealing with strong willed children!!

It's now looking like a neck and neck race to the finish. Will Lauryn win with the "That's so boring" and rolling of the eyes move, or will Liyah catch up and pass her with the "But I don't want to" whine with the wide open mouth and squinty eyes?!?!

I will update.

You KNOW it's love when.....

your wife gives up her walk-in closet for you to set up your drum kit!!! That's about all I can say!

Besides we are going to go to Wisconsin to pick up aforementioned drum kit and we get to see my BEST friends Kim and Paul!!! There may be some sangria's and margarita's imbibed, pretty sure of that. I will be the first time in FOREVER that Greg and I have gotten a hotel room and had the evening ALONE!!!!

Yay! I can hardly wait.

Puppy update: Alex is still in the family. I still feels the same way about him. He is doing much better about poops and pees in the house and isn't chewing as much!