Jack!

I will start by saying our ladies left their cribs just after turning two, and only because I was trying to avert night time accidents with a potty chair in their room. Aside from the froggy potty being a doggy buffet, that was pure genius! So with two years of freedom at nighttime under their belts, and having moved on to bunk beds, I was rather relaxed about the bedtime routine. Yes they stayed up and chatted, that is usually rather entertaining. They did leave their beds to exchange books, I was ok with that. Generally speaking, if you are quiet and in your room you're free to do as you please! This Mama is off duty once the door closes!

Then recently it happened, someone came out once. Then twice. Then they were coming out in pairs! Accompanying each other to the potty. I should have put a stop to it then but I was off duty and the union has rules about working off the clock. Fast forward a few weeks and this in and out routine evolved into a small floor show every night with them not-so-slyly sneaking down the stairs to bid us endless goodnights, ask for various things.

GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP!

Sadly we don't own this book, although I find it hilarious. I was done. Silence wasn't coming until almost 2-2.5 hours after bedtime! Nonsense! So the hubs came up with incentives. The ladies have earned new books, and dates with Daddy, and tonight they've earned a movie! So as loving parents, and given the season and their new interest in the music, we've decided on: The Nightmare Before Christmas!

Can you hear my mother's shock and horror! Bwhahaha! 

Honestly they love the music, and have seen youtube clips as we've listened to the music. I'm embracing the idea that fear is taught and we've gone over that such things aren't real, only costumes and make believe. 

Now we only need to make our exit from the incentive program and establish that the expected behavior is for them to lay down and sleep! As of last night, they eagerly hop into bed asking for "rules" for the evening and curious as to what they can earn. Sigh. 

Suggestions??!

Anyone?

Help!

Maternity Shoot

Does this make me a real photographer? 

LOL

I was asked, politely, to do a maternity shoot. I thought it would be a nice gesture and certainly would give me something other than my children to edit. 

Of course it was the first bonafide day of fall, with a slight drizzle. 

Sigh. 

I felt horrible every time something fell out of my mouth about smiling and looking happy. The proud papa to be has Bell's Palsy. I know this. 

I. Still. Asked. 

REPEATEDLY.

It also reaffirmed that I hate people, even if I like them a little. 

I have little tolerance for people complaining. I'm not a fan of whiners. If you want my services, follow directions!

So I missed some shots I had really hoped for. 

Like train track shots. 

Over all though, I think it was a thoughtful gift. Something they wouldn't have otherwise been able to do. Pictures they'll have and cherish forever. 

If only I could show you MY favorite!

What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

Starting them young...

Beach Weekend (Pictures)

 Every October, the third weekend in, you'll find us at the beach. It's more relaxed off season, and the beach is always amazing. I only took pictures our first and third day, and mainly of scenery. Not one family picture was taken, or even mentioned. I've already got the shot for the season, so why push it?

Ok, so I got a few shots of people. 

The ladies were excited by the "ponds" on the beach. They also were quick to point out the "ships", which were actually dredgers(?) that left me scrambling to simplify beach erosion and restoration. 

*Guilty*

This one might be a little over touched.

Hello Harvest Moon!

Have I ever told you I secretly dream of restoring a barn into a house?

A barn exactly like this, in this general area!

We also picked out pumpkins on our way home. I may have partaken in the painting. 

I love white pumpkins! I have high hopes of landing a Cinderella pumpkin Friday when we hit the patch. There are also half a dozen or so mini pumpkins/gourds/squashes lining my dining room table. It's far from pinterest perfect and looks more like I dumped a bag of fall on the table. Sigh. 

Favorites??

Does anyone else hate carving pumpkins?!

Full Circle

I had my full circle moment tonight. 

It's a small diner. It's under new ownership, with a new name, but the layout is the same. Almost five years to the day we find ourselves here again. Five years ago we sat as a party of two at the front window on a similarly drizzly night. It was another weekend getaway, only this time we were coming together to review our plans and confront our fears. 

Infertility is scary stuff. 

But five years later we're sat as a party of four in a front window booth. We've come full circle and I'm liking the view. 

I'm happy to report I didn't cry, and the grilled pork lion was pretty amazing too. 

My Gym

The ladies just finished their third My Gym class. It was a last minute change in plans inspired by livings.ocial and the neighbor. Originally I had planned for them to start in ballet, however Em's desire for that waned and I couldn't see forcing her to try for her sister. They both whole-heartedly wanted to go to the gym. They had been to a few events there and it ranked fairly well with them. After the third class I can say that they are fully enjoying themselves and it is a low commitment for me. Win-win! It's cheap, monthly, and I can start and stop. There is also open gym play time which is great for rainy days, an added bonus you don't find with rec leagues!!

I am also excited the ladies are becoming familiar with group activities and listening to others. It makes me feel a bit more comfortable sending them off to kindergarten with them having had any preschool experience. I'm a little leery of this new found independence and confidence but it hasn't caused much if a ruckus, no one is hanging from ceiling fans yet.

It's also shown me the differences in their personalities. Bum, bum, bum...

I've known these things, but seeing it in a different setting really brought it to my attention. Emma is always eager to try, to jump up and give it her best. She is out going and wants to show off to anyone whose attention she can get. She calls out for praise and is quick to offer a "ta-da" when she completes something, but isn't overly prideful. She plays well with others and engages them. She's excited and a bit of a class clown, always full of the sillies. She's very independent, of both myself and her sister. Everything I've seen, noted, and expected.

Claire is, and always has been, more quiet and reserved. She calmly completes the tasks before her. At an almost inaudible level she will congratulate herself, head down, on her way back to the line- and usually only if prompted. She doesn't like the spotlight. She's pleasant, and will join in the sillies, only if everyone is engaged already. She enjoys her time, the teachers, and the other children, but she doesn't engage them and almost always shys away. Again, exactly what I expected. 

Only in this public setting has it been made clear to me; Claire is a push over. She doesn't possess the determination/courage/command to stand up for what she wants. She usually avoids the confrontation completely, leaving equipment the moment another child appears. However today she did stick around and HAM joined her in a boat. HAM told her to leave, she did so immediately going elsewhere to sulk. :(

So I've noticed throughout the rest of the day that she bows to nearly every request. She even handed over her lovey! 

I'm in fret mode, worried I haven't shown her how to stand up for herself. Torn between sticking to my work-this-out-yourselves mentality and wanting to step in at every opportunity to save her, I think I'm probably over thinking the whole thing. 

If nothing else, she enjoys her time at the gym and with her friends. She also doesn't seem to have much of a problem being pushed around, so long as she can find something else to occupy her. So maybe this is just my issue. 

Of course as I sit here frantically pecking at my phone, she and HAM are playing together ever-so-nicely with the train table. Sharing, working together, yadda, yadda, yadda... Sigh. 

More worry, for probably nothing. 

Two More Sleeps

Just two more sleeps stand between me and the ocean.

The house is clean. The car had a check-up. The clothes are mostly pulled. Toiletries are accounted. Snacks are bagged.

I even figured out the "Vehicle Entertainment System", because I'm not sure if it is just my ladies but as of recent they are quite the talkers.

That is all I have. No predetermined dining options, activities, or must-sees. I'm not nervous because we know the town like the back of our hands, but I do like to avoid the dinner fight.

Tomorrow night I will hustle to bag our things, sneak out a few books and a movie, and snuggle my dear, old dog. I will fall into a giddy sleep, anxious to surprise my ladies!

Yay for surprise getaways!!

Super Sunday

Can you believe blogger ate my post?! Ugh...

I had Sunday off, a rare treat for me. Rare! In fact, I'll probably not have any more save for the end of my vacation. Just another way in which work is making it easier and easier to walk away. 

I had such high hopes! There were so many projects begging my attention around the house but I woke up to more rain. Day number 8276 of rain. 

Can't take pictures in the rain. 

Can't work in the yard in the rain. 

Can't paint, can't poly, can't caulk in the rain. 

See a pattern? So I say and sulked with the computer. I sheared the squatch (read: I gave DH a haircut) and putzed around. As we were getting lunch together DH noticed the rain tapered off and he suggested we try. +27 points to that man!

Did you see this on FB? Well worth the effort! I love that its not so bright and sunny, I only wish the trees were more fall-y. I knew everyone's limit and didn't push. We only did four poses. In and out! I'm sad the kid shots didn't come out. I gave the camera over to the ladies in hopes of catching some funky-angled kid shots, only someone hit the live view and they were only releasing the shutter. Sigh. I was hoping one of the 400 clicks would have produced an amazing shot of the hubs and I. At least I nabbed a frameable AND a potential Christmas card photo!

The ladies got some playground time before we headed home for nap. While everyone napped I got to tidy some and edit some pictures. (Another worthwhile reason for forgo employment.) Once everyone was up and moving we hit the depot and I picked up some odds and ends, including screws! 

Screws that let me attach hideous gold casters to the drawers from the ladies old dressers. 

Because drawers with casters make amazing under-bed storage drawers and let me repurpose furniture!

Coat of paint and some pretty knobs! By bedtime they had been turned into stuffie beds. I'm not sure what I should put in these drawers but I'm thinking toys. I want I put shelves in the old dresser frame to make mini bookshelves too. Welcome to storage central! 

If I knew every weekend would be as relaxed and productive as this Sunday was, I'd gladly walk from work. Work, such as it is, deserves its own post though. You're not alone Marcia!

How was your weekend? 

Next weekend were surprising the ladies with our annual beach trip. One day they'll realize we go this weekend every year, but until then I'll savor their reaction when they realize where we are. :) We also plan to pick out pumpkins and hopefully carve them too! Lots to do before then though!

I'll Miss Outside (Picture Dump)

Outside is what allows us to survive the day!

But apparently Mother Nature got the memo about falling being here is acting accordingly. While I'm not upset about the changing leaves, apples, and pumpkin everything, I do know that our extended outside time is dwindling. The ladies love to be outside playing, exploring, and just generally moving which I love. I also enjoy the lighting, you just can't recreate that inside. 

Someone teach me about flash! 

Anybody? Louisa? What are these and can we eat them? They're giant crab apple-y things. 

Photo Credit : Claire T. Bear

Photo Credit: Claire T. Bear

This is what Ins.tagram has turned society into. 

Bye-bye!

Zoo

Last Friday I just needed to get out. 

We needed to go and do something, somewhere. Anything would have done. But the zoo was free, and simple, and who doesn't like to run around?! And my pictures over the summer had almost ceased flowing. :(

HAM insisted on a dress, this dress, and only this would do. Thankfully is was nearly 90 degrees on OCTOBER 4th! 

Girlfriend wasn't afraid of the lily pads or the remote possibility of a stray drop of water touching her!

Yup, tried that slow shutter business. 

Birds.

Tree slide! 

We must have gone down a dozen times. But towards the end my heart swelled with pride a little as I saw them start to push the big kids back. Not that I'm condoning violence but I'm glad they're able to assert themselves a bit. No one likes to be pushed around. 

If I trusted the three of them with my camera I would most definitely have a picture of myself in the shells. I loved these!

Behold, the zoo timeout. 

We don't head butt our friends. 

This guy, sitting still and taking in the sights, had Claire in hysterics. 

Whomp, whomp. I'm not sure how to break that fear.

This monkey, not nearly as terrifying. 

October Goals

September was a wash. So... moving on.

Family

• O.C.E.A.N.
• Family Picture
• Pumpkins!

Home

• Fall Decor
• Pick up 1x12 board for bookshelves
• Under bed storage <--- excited="" li="" share="" super="" this="" to="">
• Something new to spruce the place up?

Personal

• Create a plan of action to carry me the rest of the year
• Maaaaaaaaaybe a hair cut!

30x40

A little piece of pinterest joy has found it's way on to our walls. I wanted something BIG for the ladies' room. 30" by 40" is pretty big for their tiny room and I love it. It took me all of 15 minutes despite having the print since August. 

Now the print quality is faaaaar from ideal, and this crappy phone picture shoes you the 'lines' that are present. For a $5 project, I can handle lines. This isn't something I plan on keeping, it's cheap enough to change out on a whim. Changing out is something that will have to be done because this cheap print isn't seal in any way and I'm sure the sun will fade it. 

I'm not in love with the placement, but I'm sure 3M can help me fix that!

Isn't it wonderful? I love this shot, the entire brief series I took really capture the moment. Thankfully you can't tell is was about 104 outside when I caught them!

Friendship. Camaraderie. Sisterhood.

What do you think?

Rainbow Bridge

So our dearest friend Goldie has crossed the rainbow bridge. I can name you to adults who were shaking in their boots over this matter.  

First off, this wasn't a typical belly-up situation as one would expect. This was suicide. He went full speed ahead, never looking back. Over the tank and fled across the nook floor, like a convict on the loose. That took the pressure off of me as I had just cleaned his tank the day before. Sigh, new filter wasted. 

But the ladies! How would they react? What would we say? This house doesn't have the easy out of "heaven" and I certainly didn't want to scare them. However I did want to, subtly, instill that death is part of life and that all living things eventually pass on. Stick to the facts, maybe leave out the bit about plunging three feet to the color floor below. I think, with a heavy reliance on the hubs and the Berenstain Bears, we accomplished just that. They accepted the idea of death, of it's permanence. They know he won't be back. There was no discussion of where he went thankfully, I didn't have a way to delicately say the trash. 

What surprised me most was the reactions, I pegged the ladies differently. I expected the both of them to be a little upset and thought Claire would give the tears while Emma delivered the comforting words of future plans. Nope, switch it. Emma was briefly devastated. Entire body shaking with big crocodile tears. Claire quickly moved on and wanted to finish the story. Just when you think you have them figured out!

But it's over with now and all is settled. I enjoyed a brief few hours of the idea of having my breakfast nook free of fish and errant fish flakes. After our discussion with the ladies, once the tears had subsided, DH suggested that since there were two of them we could get two fish! *flush* The sound of my dream down the drain. DH takes care of the fish so I can't complain, but oh the thought of a clear table!

So this marks the end of Goldie, our first carnival fish. $5 bought us 3 month of joy. 

Wordless Wednesday

Nowhere in these 42 sets does it mention "helpers" or six hands. 

Elephants, Donkeys, and Fat Wraps

Welcome to my Tuesday!

raw image
Beautiful morning sky.

I was invited to a small party Monday evening, something I had forgotten and was unpleasantly reminded of. Not the normal get-together type party, but a let's-sell-crap party. I've been to a few parties and usually I can find something useful. Bags, scents, and kitchenwares are usually safe and I generally feel obligated to buy something. This was not safe. This was crap. It was a fat wrap party. Let's get together and wrap ourselves in plastic and watch 'toxins' magically melt away leaving toned bodies behind.

Who invites a tiny person to a fat party? I'm 5'2" and wear a size 0. No thanks.

Fast forward to this morning where FB was filled with people flying their political flags. OH horrors! The government shut down! WHATEVER WILL I DO?! Oh, the same thing I do every Tuesday. Granted this whole debacle between the Elephants and Donkeys is beyond ridiculous, but the things people put out for the world to see never cease to amaze me. The diversity in my wall is rather entertaining, especially between family!

Friend R is complaining about being furloughed with three small children.
Friend M is worried her WIC won't be accepted.
Friend P is working from home as an excepted government worker and loving life.
Friend J is depressed the Zoo is closed.

I find myself being an especially harsh judge of people. With so many petitions and shares floating around, I may have to leave the innernets until this is resolved. Maybe brush up on some housework and be a useful member of the family!

Do you ever stop and look at the world around and wonder when everything went off track? What am I sending my ladies into?!