Parting is such sweet sorrow...

As of a couple weeks ago, Mia no longer takes a nap. Actually she would take a nap but, as a result, not go to sleep until 10PM. Totally unacceptable. So we tried eliminating the nap, and, to our surprise, she did pretty well with it, with the very happy outcome of her passing out by 7. It's been a slightly bumpy adjustment...mostly for me. That bit of time in the afternoon when both kids were napping was, as I called it, my moment of serenity. ;) Not only could I have a bit of time to myself, but it was the time of day when I could be productive. Phone calls, cleaning, etc, etc. I'm finding it hard to keep her occupied and still be productive. And unfortunately it's very hard to not rely on the TV to entertain her for a bit so I can get things done. I just thought she would be taking a nap for another year at least! (Can't you just hear the whiny tone in my voice?) Anyways, enough of my tirade here...on the bright side, I have my evenings back! This fact makes it a pretty good trade-off even though it's been an adjustment.

I wrote the above paragraph earlier today, and now that I read it over it sounds very whiny and rather annoying....thought about just not posting, but I figure-- what the heck-- take it or leave it, this is whatcha get....

The Ultimate Experiment

I've decided that parenting truly is the ultimate experiment. Being a mom is probably the most important and the most difficult job in my life, yet I went into it with no on-the-job experience. What the heck did I know about being a parent? Unfortunately for my kids...especially my first-born, I'm learning as I go.

Another irony is that I'm supposed to be teaching my kids how to become independent, responsible adults...yet many times I feel like I'm still learning my own lessons in this regard. I feel like a fool telling my 2 year old to not react out of anger when I do it myself. At least I have the good 'ol apology to fall back on. I remember when I was a kid, my dad would get mad, over-react, huff, puff, snort, stomp...and then disappear for a bit...then he'd show back up and apologize for the way he acted. Even as a child I remember being impressed with this act. It was like, "Wow, my dad's human!! He makes mistakes too!" Well, now I'm in those shoes. I've had to do it several times-- apologize to Mia for yelling or over-reacting.

On a different note, I had to share yet another one of my stupid, funny mommy-head moments. Yesterday I locked my keys in my car. And, oh yeah, my kids were in the car too! I've almost done this a couple times before-- so for that reason I usually keep my keys tucked in my pocket. Somehow I had a brain fade and didn't do that this time. I got lucky in that I almost always unbuckle Mia before I get out of the car (so that she can climb out Maggie's side). So, it took me a good 5 minutes of coaching Mia to push the unlock button-- but she did it! She even seemed rather amused that I was stuck outside! Don't think I'll be making that mistake again (hopefully)!

Winter musings

Well, winter is officially here. We had our first real snow a few days ago. And after living here for over a year now, I still like winter...it's charm hasn't worn off yet. Maybe living in the desert for 7 years has given me a greater appreciation for the uniqueness of each season, I don't know. Granted there are plenty of inconveniences and hassles that go hand-in-hand with winter...it took me a half hour just to get out of the house the morning after it snowed...had to warm up the car, brush off the snow, scrape the windshield and bundle up the kids and myself. Can be quite an ordeal to get somewhere! All that said though, I am a sucker for all the lovely aspects as well. Burning logs in the fireplace, cozy scarves, fuzzy slippers, candles, watching the snow fall...but most of all I love the dampening effect that the snow has outside. Everything seems so quiet and serene-- all is peaceful. Now I'm sure come February I'll be anticipating spring, but in the meantime I'm enjoying it. :)

The good, the bad and the ugly...OK, just the bad and the ugly

I've become aware that I tend to mainly take pictures of my kids when they're looking cute and clean. Fact is though, we have many a messy moment around here. Messy food, snotty noses, stained clothes, bedhead hair, tantrums and fits...you get the idea. So recently I made a point of snapping a few photos of our not so beautiful moments...

Why is it that my kid's favorite food also happens to be one of the messiest?? But, since I count marinara sauce as a much needed veggie, I have to bite the bullet. So my question is...do kids love spaghetti because it's yummy or do they just love to make a mess?!

Maggie got a hold of one of Mia's uncapped markers-- oops! ;) Thank God those markers are non-toxic...seriously!
Mia had a nasty fall on the sidewalk the other day and scraped up her chin and lip...gotta love the war wounds from childs play. :)

New look

I did a little house-cleaning on my blog and decided to spice things up with a new background. In all honesty, I was feeling a little inadequate...in regards to my blog, that is. In reading other people's blogs, I can't believe how fancy shmancy some of them look with their amazing backgrounds, fonts, headers...and all their super fantastic edited photos. Makes me feel very amateur...which I am I suppose!

Anyways, I'm donning this new background and look for the time being. I do really like it, although it does seem a little bright. Let me know if it's too hard on the eyes. FYI...here's the link to the website I got it from for FREE! That's right, FREE and perhaps more importantly, FREE of work on my part! Woohoo! http://simplychicblogs.blogspot.com/