Unseasonable

Lana and I took the kids to the park today. It's unseasonably warm now that November has come.
We took a picnic lunch which Griffin refused to eat, surprise surprise.

Nice hair, as usual.
My small guy.
Mira's stitches are getting better quickly. The mederma seems to be working well. She's got an awful cough though and it's waking her up at night, which in turn, wakes me up at night. I'm really exhausted. I have started working with Mira on preschoolish things each day. We are doing letters, animals, numbers, shapes, order, coloring, writing, gluing, cutting, etc. My only problem is where to put all of her beautiful creations! She absolutely loves the engagment between us and is constantly begging to do more. We do about 3o mins twice a day. I don't have any idea if what I teach her is appropriate in content or in the way I approach it, but it can't be bad for her and it gives us something to do together.

G was running a fever yesterday but acting fine and seems ok today other than he won't eat at all....not exactly abnormal. He is saying EVERYTHING now. Doctor, sorry, Grandma, grandpa, snack, drink, milk, diaper, etc, etc etc. Anything we suggest he say, he tries it. It's amazing.

I am in a funk. I wonder if some how I'm depressed, but I'm still taking my prozac, so maybe not. I am in good shape although struggling with some injuries as usual. I just get frustrated so easily and am constantly tired- I thought I was supposed to be over the stage of exhaustion now that they are older? I feel behind and often like a failure- my house is never clean enough, organized enough, my kids are never well-behaved enough, my laundry is never done enough, etc, etc, etc. Is this just how it feels to be a mom who works AND runs the household?? I wish that I could stick to some sort of schedule to keep it all done, but it never seems to work. So far, I am successfull in my workouts which keep me somewhat sane. I get REALLY agitated if I can't do that. So often is either the kids or the house- and the kids always win (as they should). It's interesting because lots of times if I can just get up and out of the house I find it so much easier now to take them places and do things with them. If we stay here though, they are so very out of hand. They were terrible at the store the other day too- really for the first time in a long time. They're starting to really play off each other. I wonder why right now I can't seem to get any energy or motivation to do anything at all?

Happy Halloween!

Last week I took the kids to a halloween party at a church- they had a good time and it was fun practice for last night and learning about getting candy and saying Trick or Treat!
Griffy was so stinking cute in his vampire costume.
Mira the good witch.
Then Friday night we went to Mike and Theresa's and carved pumpkins. The kids played around. Griffy was a kitty.
Mira and Delaney made their pumpkins with these "Mr Potato Head" look-alikes for Halloween.
She was proud.
Halloween night- we all dressed up! It was fun! B the pimp, me the pirate wench, G the vampire, and M the witch.
Delaney and Theresa were Super Girl. The kids did GREAT Trick-or-Treating. Griffy really got into it. They have a ton of candy now that we have to ration and hear them scream about not getting to eat all at once.
Some of the houses get really scary- Griffin was suspicious.
Twas a Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday Aunt Molly!!!

More of the same.

There really isn't anything going on around here. I feel like I'm working all the time, but I suppose I'm not really. The kids are good. Griffin is starting to show his assertive side and has started kicking and hitting. I love toddlers... He's growing- 21 lbs now. Nearly to the chart! I have quit worrying about him- he's absolutely normal but just small. He eats new things each day- he loves pizza, bananas, crackers, peanut butter, grapes, cereal bars, and a few other things. Pretty soon he'll be big enough for me to coax into eating more.

I worry about Mira almost constantly. She has started yelling at me when she wants me to do something. I feel so often like a failure. Am I failing to be the mother she needs so that she'll turn out well? I think that has to be a mother's worst fear. She is so strong willed and being her mother is absolutely exhausting. Sometimes I find myself ignoring her bad behaviors because I just don't have the energy to deal with it. I have been thinking about it so much lately that perhaps I have a renewed feeling of what needs to be done. She is a constant arguer, fighter, defiant little girl. I think she's worse with Brooks because sometimes he actually gives in to her, so in return, everything is a fight to see if he will "this" time. On the other side, she is just so darn sweet. She loves to snuggle, give kisses, play with her babies. She tells us stories and reads books with us. She's so smart she can figure almost anything out. Being a parent is just plain HARD.

As for me, I've begun training for a half marathon in November. I got up early today hoping to get a quick 4.5 miles in but then realized that I didn't have time, so it's coffee and the internet instead. I'll have to run after work.

Brooks is taking a class this semester and I know he'll be glad when it's over. It's a whole new ballgame when you are trying to go to school after you have kids!

I suppose that's all. We are going out of town to see Brooks' family this weekend, so perhaps some pictures!

Good Morning.

So I know it's been awhile since a picture and that's mostly because I don't DO anything with the pictures I take...it's terrible. If I start thinking about it I start feeling like I want to puke.
So anyway, I thought you deserved some pictures.
Coloring in the morning. Just after G had his baby cereal and regular cereal.
Oh the hair. She cut it herself the other day. Luckily you can't really tell because it's so wild anyway.Such a sweet boy. He rejects his high chair and screams every single time we approach him with the tray. It's bye bye high chair for a year or two...

Nothing...

I really have nothing to say. I've been working a ton now that I'm back in the PICU and can make overtime. My goal is 3 extra shifts per month...if I work on Monday I'll make my goal! I also have a 4 hour meeting every week, so it's been really busy around here. I'm ready to get paid and reap the reward!

Things are good. I've done 2 10K runs now- the 1st an hour and 4 mins, the second an hour and 2 mins! Pretty good if you ask me!

The weather is getting so cold it seems winter has arrived and snuck up on me. I took all the shorts and sleevless stuff out of the kids drawers today to pack it up. Mira's drawers are overflowing like usual and I think I only am responsible for 4 shirts! Yay for self control! I love that we have such great hand-me-downs.

The kids are good. I am hoping Griffin stays healthy for a few weeks so we can get caught up on his vaccines. They are getting so much easier. They are still both pretty moody and strong-willed, but I am finally able to exercise and clean when they're awake and present, watch GMA again, read a little, and take care of myself. I can't imagine having another baby right now, but I am starting to get the itch. We are planning to work on that next summer and give us some time with these two while they are easier to take places and do fun things with.

Griffin still isn't an eater but Pepper swears he eats things that I can't hardly believe. For us he still eats his baby food, yogurt, and lots of crackers and cereal. He also loves nutrigrain bars and bananas. B said he threw a 10 minute screaming fit because he didn't get his banana when he wanted it! There's that red hair for you! He's a sweet eater like his mama too- loves cookies and ice cream and french fries like his daddy. All of a sudden at 18 months he's started calling me mama. He's never called me anything, just cries when he wants me, so it's really sweet to hear him say it even though he could for months. His speech is really sweet- new words all the time and he'll try and say almost anything. I better go so he doesn't spill my coffee! That's all for now!

Sweet Mira

Just a couple pics of sweet Mira- fell asleep on the plane.
She was SO tired when we were coming home she slept really hard on the plane. She peed her pants and I didn't have anything else for her to wear. By the grace of God I had a pull-up in my bag, so that's what she wore. This picture is hilarious.