4 there, 1 to go

Kevin was super Dad and didn't even blink an ounce of stress when I took him and the kiddos to the airport this morning.   Flights were on time, uneventful & relatively fast ..... in the time it took them to fly half way across the country I managed to drive to to Virginia.  But I made it in pretty record time and hit absolutely no traffic.  

Hooray for a smooth travel day.
Here we go has turned into....

Here we come!!!!!!

Kevin & the kiddos at 7:ooam today:

Kevin, the kiddos & Grandma 3:00pm today!

Be there soon m'loves :*

Done.

omg.
That was awful.  Moving & packing up is never fun.  Add 2 kids into mix and it gets less fun.  Add 1 sick kid even worse, 40 degrees and rain, not enough room to fit everything....catch my drift?

I had intentions of taking one last family picture outside 186 for the last time but no one was in the mood. Here's our last family pic in the driveway of our first house.

I need a hot shower, a stiff drink & a roadtrip.

Beginning of the End

We just had our last dinner in our first house.  Kiddos are asleep in their rooms for their last night in this house.  We have a few more hours of work to finish up the packing and then after naps tomorrow we leave :o 

In order to be all packed up in time for an early flight we decided to stay in a hotel tomorrow night.  Sunday morning Kevin & the kiddos take a one way flight to Houston.  Sunday morning my car & I begin my journey.

Inspections happened yesterday & went well.  Closing date is still on track for June 28th.

Holy COW!
Here we go......

Foto Friday

Today is Logan's last day at school!

T.G.I.F

Just a couple ladies getting ready for a special someone comin' home today :)

Difference of a Day

10 Friends, Pizza & Beer get a lot of work done.



Kiddos even worked hard.  They went to bed late, exhausted, dirty & sweaty with pony tails still in.

I can't Thank You all enough.  We couldn't have done it ourselves.

The Plan

Tomorrow some wonderful friends are coming over to eat pizza, drink beer and put all of this:

plus lots more
into these:


The next day I go pick up Kevin at the airport :) and we come home and continue to load up these and maybe drink a bottle of wine (or two) to celebrate our life and the changes happening.

Thursday we have inspections and probably another day of skipped naps, more packing, more loading and more celebrating.

Friday & Saturday will be spent finishing up, saying goodbye to our first house, and probably taking quite a few last night in our first house, pictures . 

April 2010 - First dinner in our first house.

Sunday I take Kevin & the kiddos to the airport.  Drop them off for their journey to Texas and I'll begin my journey, in my car by myself,  which looks something like this:



I start on Sunday, May 26th and I should be home by May 30th or 31st...perhaps I won't miss her birthday afterall :)

Stop B is to see a now preggo, almost due friend - that I haven't seen since Logan was a weebabe
Stop C is to see my BFF :)
Stop D is to see a friend I went to high school & college with and haven't seen since our days at Virginia Tech
Stop E is to see a friend I went to high school with and haven't seen since I was 18 - we have reconnected via email & blog in the last 2 years  :o
Stop F is HOME

Who would of thought some of my closest friends draw a perfect path to Texas?!!  The world is weird like that.  I love it.

Week 4

aka: one month.

I'm am feeling good about this week for so many reasons but the biggest reason, DADDY ARRIVES ON WEDNESDAY.  The kiddos enjoyed Grandma Jo being here so much and I think that was in part because she is Grandma Jo and in part it was the simple fact that it wasn't Mommy.  They are craving a change, I know it.  They need another face in here.  Daddy's face will be amazing to see, we hear he no longer has that beard he had when he left :o

Miss you Daddy :*

Completely Different, Completely the Same

Then: May 2012

Now: May 2013

Quick Trip

Grandma Jo has come and gone already!

Unfortunately due to ridiculous traffic she didn't arrive until after the kiddos went down on Friday evening and she left after lunch today.  It was a quick trip but very helpful & we even managed to squeeze in a bit of fun :) 

Here are the pictures of the fun we had at the fair on Saturday:

There was a petting zoo, a big fire truck, a moonbounce, cookies & hot dogs, a band and nice weather but maybe my favorite thing was LOGAN FLIPPIN RODE A HORSE.  It may not sound like a big deal - and I'm not exactly sure why I thought it was such a big deal. But it was & still is.  He didn't fall off (probably because I had death grip on him).  He wasn't scared.  He loved it & said "giddy up"

Thank you again Grandma Jo 
xo

Foto Friday

Bakin' muffins this morning with Mommy!

Chatty Cathy

My little sleeping babe has turned into a chatter box in the last 2 weeks.  It's to the point that sometimes I find myself trying to escape her presence even if it means just a minute of silence.  That's how much she is talking.  You can't get her to stop.  If she is short on words she will just fill the silence with "Dis is dis?" (What is this?), or "Who is dis?"

At Wendys yesterday, I was taking turns - I would sit on Logan's side for a couple minutes and then I would get up and sit on Reagans side.  When I got to Reagan one time she turned to me and said
"I like it when you sit on dis chair moma"

She is speaking paragraphs.  
I am having conversations with my almost 2 year old.  

Today I was laying on the floor and she hopped on my back and I said 
"is that a monkey on my back?!"
and she replied
"no moma, i giraffe and then she cracked up laughing"

When Logan gets on the bus in the morning she pats him on the back just like I do and says 
"Have a good day at school Buddy" - just like I say :)

I can't even explain how much she has exploded with words.
Daddy you will be shocked.

Just when you need it

Yesterday.
Yesterday we had another showing.  So we went to the gym & then I took the kiddos to Wendy's for dinner to kill the time. When we were getting ready to leave, a man, I didn't notice until right then made eye contact with me and said
     "you are doing a good job, you're a good mother"
That's all he said and then he went back to reading his paper.  After having a tough week hearing those words from a complete stranger felt like...I don't know.  It felt strange, I wondered if I made it up (still wondering?? lol).  It felt really good.  I didn't even know he was there?  Did he see me pick a fry up off the floor and give it back to Reagan?! 

I believe in fate.  It was someone there giving me those words to help me keep going. 

It was exactly what I needed at the exact right time.



Today.  
Today those two showings we had this week turned into an offer which in turn has turned into our house being under a legit contract.  Pending inspections and such - our house just might be sold.  Just when we were feeling crummy about packing up and not having any forward progress.  

I believe in fate.  Someone knew Kevin & I needed some sort of good news thrown our way.  

It was exactly what we needed at the exact right time.

Here we go m'love, we're comin home :*

Naptime Yesterday

This was us at naptime yesterday.  We had a showing smack dab in the middle of naptime so instead we went out to lunch and then sat outside of the restaurant watching the cars go by. 

I put Logans hood up, Reagan put her own hood up to be like him. I didn't put her arm around him, she did that - and he let her keep it there the ENTIRE time.

This was him when we finally got home. We skipped naps & everyone seemed excited about that.  They were playing so nicely, or so I thought.  He had gone into his room & climbed up in his bed to re-charge.

I love when I get to see him sleep.

 

Ten Things to Remember About Motherhood

I've hit that breaking point that I knew would happen.  I've been around the clock caring for two littles without help.  I've been attempting to pack up our entire house by myself.  I've been running around after the kids go down at night shoving things back into the attic and taking organized piles and throwing them into random boxes because we have a showing the next day.  I've gone too long without a hug from my husband.

And despite a string of a few rough days...I'm doing a good job.  Not everyday can be bubbles and butterflies.  I've pulled patience out of places I didn't know existed. I've physically pushed my body to the limits because there is no other option.

Given my sensitive state, when I read the article below this morning - I cried.  

I'm being amazing .  I'm being brave.

Ten Things to Remember About Motherhood

1. It's not a sprint. Even though you may feel like you are out of breath and worn out with mothering, motherhood is simply not a sprint. It is a steady race, with moments of sprinting, moments of catching your breath, and moments where you sit on the sideline with your head in your hands gathering resolve, courage, and strength to keep on going.  Those moments, those keep up the pace moments, are the moments that build character and strengthen resolve. And, yet, remember that even though it's not a sprint there will be days when you say it moves so fast - they are the moments when you look at the teenager and sigh and wonder where the toddler went.

2. There will be moments that are plain hard. Often, these moments can be over the littlest things. Reasoning with a toddler about which shirt to choose or dealing with a defiant six year old or wiping up spilled milk all over the just mopped floor. And then there are moments that are challenging - finances, relationships, real life - all tucked within the motherhood journey. Don't be surprised when the hard moments come, but also know that those are the moments that shape you as a mother and will surprise you with your strength. Don't expect to savor every moment - I think too often the precedent is out there that we need to love every second - not true. Instead, learn to love the little things, yes, but also expect that there will be sometimes that simply are challenging. It's a balance.

3. There will be amazing moments. Surprisingly, these will often be the moments that you least expect - the impromptu little events tucked into a busy life. These are the moments that Hallmark loves but cannot be scripted into life. When those sweet moments come - celebrate them - write them down - and simply remember them as those gifts of time that you were blessed to share with your family. These are the sweet days in life when every thing seems to work perfectly and your heart is content and the kids are being great and the living room stayed fairly clean and you made dinner and everyone loved it and your to-do list was almost done - savor those times - for they are gifts.




4. You will mess up. Every mother, every person makes mistakes. Mistakes don't define. Learn from them, change the pattern, and move on. Mistakes teach us about ourselves, bless us with humility, and make us more determined in who and what we want to be. There is power in the words I am sorry and then working to make a change. Don't fear messing up - know that it will happen - and instead use those times as a time to be better and to grow. And yes, your children will survive even if you don't have everything perfect. And, remember, honestly, that the moments that matter are the moments where you stop, slow down, and sit. Maybe the house isn't perfect, the dinners not perfect, but that doesn't truly matter - what matters is the giving of you and the willingness to keep on going.

5. You will astound yourself. Yes. This. You may not see it now, but when you you look back at your day, week, month, years, and time of motherhood there will be moments nestled in there where you will be amazed at the great strength that you had. Those moments are there, dear mother who feels like she is in the trenches right now, they are there. And those moments are sometimes the simplest, most overlooked things that you do everyday. Those milk pouring, hand holding, running in the backyard, and caring for kids moments matter - those are the moments of deep strength and perseverance.


6. Your patience will be pushed to the limits. I never understand patience until I had children. You know - the thirty-four times you're asked for a snack in the morning even though you have a snack time or the hunt for the shin guards for soccer that are supposed to be placed in the same spot but once again are lost or the what's for dinner cries or the reasoning with a toddler over which shirt to wear - motherhood is about learning patience. Being a mother has taught me that there are some battles not worth fighting and have also taught me the strength and power of patience. The great thing about patience? It can (and will) be learned.


7. There is no perfect mother. That perfect mother ideal simply doesn't exist. Give yourself grace to make a mistake and move on. Grace is a powerful gift - one that needs to be extended to not only our children but also to ourselves. Sometimes the bar of motherhood is held so high that it is easy to miss all the beautiful and meaningful things that you do every single day. Learn to celebrate those things - the times where you said yes or pulled up your boot straps and kept going or when you try. Being a good mother doesn't mean being a perfect mother. Honestly, the perfect mother is the real mother who has the ability to embrace the little things, to give herself grace, and to admit where she truly is in the day to day. It's not about being perfect - it's about progress.

8. Your instinct is a powerful gift. So much of being a mother is learned by actually being a mother. So much of what I've learned from being a mother has been because I've walked through it. Mothers are blessed with instinct - learn to listen to it and trust it. But don't hesitate to ask for help, advice, or encouragement. It is not a reflection on motherhood strength to ask for help - rather it is the opposite - sometimes the greatest moments of strength are when one humbles self and asks for help.

9. Many days if feels like you are moving in a giant circle doing the same thing again and again. Because, well, you really are doing the same things again and again. This is why patience is put into play. This giant circle may feel like it's going around and around but it's still creeping forward, still moving on, and this is the gift of normal. Those everyday things - the making of mac and cheese, the putting pony tails in the hair, the slammed car doors, the tying of shoes, the answering of why again and again, those are the normal motherhood moments. They may not feel beautiful, but I have this feeling that one day we all will look back and sigh and remember the normal as so incredibly beautiful and something to be cherished.

10. You will find the strength you have within. You have strength. Power. Tenacity. Vision. The patience of a saint. And this is what I celebrate. It's the brave mother portion - that part of you that stays up all night holding puke buckets and still keeps going. It's the part of you that wonders if all of this mothering stuff makes a difference and deep down knows that what you are doing matters and makes a life difference. It's the braveness to drop a child off at school or at the airport or at camp or to bring one home and into your life. Motherhood is brave. It is such a testimony to the strength of you. Do not ever underestimate what you are doing, dear mother. You are brave

So today, brave mother, in whatever state of your motherhood journey is I want to encourage you to first remember how deeply what you do matters and second to continue to press on as a mother. One day, one step, one clean kitchen and folded sock and car ride, after another.

Week 3

Weekends are always a little rough around the edges.  It's always a little more lonely seeming and loooong.  

But we made it 10 more days till Daddy arrives and 17 or 18 days until me & my car arrive in Texas.  

I can do it.

Sunday.

Miss you Daddy.

Foto Friday

Cause he made me so proud singing songs & bringing me gifts at school today :)

Cause she made me so proud sleeping all night & naptime in her "new bed" :)

 

 T.G.I.F!

My Mothers Day

Today was the Mothers Day Tea Party that Logan's preschool class put together. 

I loved every second.

They sang a couple songs (videos below),


presented all the Mommy's with a note & flower (video below) and brought us cookies and strawberries.



 It made my day.  And if that weren't good enough Kevin arranged for me to drop Logan off with Reagan and the babysitter and go spend 3hrs at the spa getting a massage and walking around in a robe.

For all intense purposes My Mothers Day has been had & it was wonderful.


Thank you m'love & Thank you to m'babies for makin me a  Moma :)

OK this is weird.

This exact same day last year Logan transitioned to a big boy bed also?!!!  That's weird to me.  I only know this because I was sifting through pictures to find a couple of baby Reagan to post from back when she was itty bitty.

And I came across this dated May 9, 2012
Logan in BIG Boy Bed.

After my initial shock that my children shifted into Big Kid Beds on the exact same day a year apart I did find these few pics of itty bitty baby Reagan almost 2 years ago...

Makes me wanna cry - where'd my babies go?!

Last & First Night?!!!

If things were different I would have Reagan stay in a crib until she was 5 or 10.  Butttttt - we're about to move across the country.  Less is better.  We sold the crib.  The new owners will pick it up on Saturday.  I didn't really think about what that actually meant...

It actually means that maybe last night when I randomly took a picture of her sleeping could have been her last night in her crib?!

 It actually means that I now have tonight and tomorrow night to make sure she does ok in her new BIG GIRL bed, before the crib goes :o  So this afternoon we did the ole' switcharoo.  Logan got bumped up to the queen bed & his old twin size went upstairs for Reagan. We set it up and she seemed pretty jazzed while I was getting it ready.  

And when I took her up to bed tonight she said "Reagan sleep in new bed"

She hasn't moved yet :)

Last year

Is it weird to anyone else that this EXACT time last year we were leaving the Hertel House after a week long visit.  Little did they know we would be bacccckkkk....in a big way a year later :)

Rainy Day

Since Kevin left we have had absolutely gorgeous weather - it finally has gotten to the point where we turned our heat off and for 2 whole weeks the sun has shined EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.  Mommy was almost craving a rainy day.  Imagine my delight when some rain clouds started rolling in today after the kiddos woke up from their naps.  We just sat on the bench watching cars go by and the big dark clouds move over our house until it finally started raining :)  



To the kiddos delight Mommy let them play in it...cause it smelt so good and felt so good for it to be warm enough to let them play in it.  They were super excited & for whatever reason I was excited enough to play with them.  

Maybe I just feel like a weight has been lifted with my new found Plan B :)

Plan B

Plan B looks like this:

 I am packing up the house.

• Kevin arrives on May 22nd to help load the UBox's we ordered

• We say good-bye to our unsold house 

• Kevin flys back to Houston, TX - with the kiddos May 26th, sans Moma. 

• I begin my drive to Texas May 26th/May 27th. Make some key stops ... Mary, Fatema, Katie get ready!

• We live with my 'rents (eeeek! lol) until our CT house sells and we buy our new house

Not ideal but the other option wasn't ideal either.  'least we'll be together as a family.

FYI: for all those who were curious - Reagan's 2nd Birthday will be postponed until I arrive in Texas.  There will be no mention of her birthday until then well I might reminisce some in the coming weeks....

Big helpin' Monday

This morning Reagan helped me make some muffins & this afternoon Logan helped me mow the lawn :)

Week 2

Tomorrow will mark uncharted territory - since Logan was born we have never, as a family, been apart longer than 2 weeks & if I can remember correctly 2 weeks away has only happened once and that was the lovely epic viral "vacation" me & the kiddos just had in Houston with the Hertels.

This weekend was rough.  Not because of one single thing but because of a combination of a lot of little things.  The kiddos might be kinda sick?  They aren't sleeping well - Friday night they took shifts sleeping with Mommy which means I didn't sleep, at all.  I don't operate very well short on sleep...so you can imagine how Saturday went & Sunday was kind enough to hold some leftover crumminess for me. 

Long story short.  We are planning a plan to get me out a little sooner than the original plan A had in store.  

Hello plan B.
More details to come, when more details are known.

Here are the very few smiles I got outta them today this weekend.  This bubble machine that Isa sent promised hours of fun.  I got 10mins.  But it was pretty cool - thank you Isa :)

Miss you Daddy.

The results are in

So all of Logan's blood work came back fine....Chromosomes all lined up, no Fragile X, and no Gluten Allergy.  YaY!  When I asked our Pediatrician if he thought Logan would benefit from a Gluten Free diet he wasn't forward thinking enough to believe that some diet changes might make a difference in Logans behavior that we would, and I quote, "be hopping on the Gluten Free bandwagon".  I didn't appreciate that. So I've decided to continue on our ride on the bandwagon & continue finding Gluten free alternatives.
But once again, the evening after I got the call from the doc I felt deflated in my quest to find the thing out there that gives us a little more insight into what makes Logan tick.  To make me feel better we when went out to eat at Chilis and devoured some deliciously gluten covered food.

We're back on track now.  And I know soon enough, when we move, we'll have a new Pediatrician and new opinions.  In the meantime here are a few things Logan that are making me smile this week:

This invitation I got in his bookbag:

This time on the couch when he fell asleep on me:

This video.  HE WILL be that kid that loves the spinning tea cups at Disney World: