Wow! It's for Real!

My, my, my!  We have arrived to "big kid" school, and Madeline is so excited.  I'm pretty excited too.  I know she's "young", but I think she's ready for kindergarten.  Making new friends, learning all kinds of new stuff, learning to read, and being a "big kid" are Madeline's kindergarten goals. 

Madeline's 4K teachers collect artwork, letter, number, colors, and shapes portfolios for each child, and at the end of the year, we received a culmination of her 4K year in her "suitcase" for kindergarten.  It was fun to look through each piece of work, and I could see the growth she made from September to May.  I can only imagine the leaps and bounds she will make in Kindergarten.

We aren't so sure little sister is going to like Madeline leaving and being gone all day at school. 

Here we go!  Madeline has her supplies, her sweet disposition, and her excitement all ready to march through those school doors in August!

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day was perfect.  It truly was.  I only wanted three things on this day:  to spend this day as a family, my children to behave ALL DAY, and a cute picture of me with my girls.  Check, check, and check!  Hallelujah! 

 

My sweet husband started my Mother's Day off on Saturday evening when he got home from a business trip.  Eric presented me with my card and all the fixins for a fabulous dirty martini.  Be still my heart.  We grilled salmon and asparagus after the girls went to bed, had a lovely "dinner date" on the porch, and of course a dirty martini. 

 

My hilarious card that is PERFECT for me.  Eric wrote a sweet letter on the inside.

 

After church, we had lunch out at the Wild Wing.  Nothing screams "Happy Mother's Day!" like wings and beer on the outdoor patio!  The girls do really well there, and it wasn't important to me to go anywhere spectacular.  I just didn't want to prepare lunch for anyone, so mission accomplished.  The girls do really well out to eat on a normal basis, but today, they were true angels.  It helped that they were both famished, so they ate and ate.  When they were done, they colored and colored.  After a fun lunch, we headed to Menchies for ice cream.  We snapped a few pictures and back to the house we went.

The epitome of my children - one standing still and smiling & the other one being goofy.  Love them.

Mom and her girls - cute picture even with chocolate ice cream mustaches

 

When we got home, we went for a walk, rode bikes, played on the swing set, took a wagon ride, played in the yard, and relaxed on the back porch.  The weather was perfect - not too hot and humid!  Madeline and Amelia had a blast, and so did I.  It's days like today that make me realize all the day-to-day discipline and teaching is starting to show in the girls' behavior and attitudes.  

 

I am a very blessed woman to have a husband that makes an effort to show me love and appreciation everyday but especially on this day.  I am even more blessed to be the Mommy to these precious little girls.  I can only hope all my fellow Mommy friends and family had a wonderful day as well.

Homegrown Mother's Day Goodies

Madeline's Mother's Day cards are by far my favorite preschool project yet!  I will treasure these for many years to come.  Too adorable.

 

This little smile and pose is perfect for Madeline.

I love how she wrote her name before "Love,"

This little booklet says it all about me from Madeline's perspective.

Yep, couldn't be more true.

Again, so true.

Ouch!

I managed to make it four years of motherhood without any major injuries, but over Thanksgiving weekend, Amelia took that one off my "Mom Bucket List". 

 

Unfortunately, it was my poor judgment and total brain lapse that Miss Amelia looked like this:

 

However, bless her heart, it didn't phase her in the least bit.

 

The story:  We went out for lunch, and we were seated in a booth.  Eric and Madeline were one side, and Amelia and I were on the other side.  Amelia was happily perched on her booster seat on the outside seat.  Why in the world Eric and I didn't think anything of me scooting in first is beyond me.  Mama brain lapse #1.  Eric and Madeline left the table for a few minutes, and I was looking over the menu.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amelia start to topple over, so I grabbed the booster seat, not her (Mama brain lapse #2), and she lost her balance and tumbled onto the floor.  Her orbital bone broke her fall.  She was hysterical, and I was a complete mess.  No broken bones, no stitches, just a BIG, FAT SHINER.

 

Unfortunately, the shiner got much worse before it got better.  Kids heal so quickly, and once it started to show signs of healing, it was completely gone.

 

I included this picture on my Happy New Year card to explain why the Stewart family was so tardy in the Christmas card delivery. 

 

Amelia was a little trooper.  Her shiner never seemed to phase her, and she healed beautifully.  I'm sure this won't be her last injury of this sort.  However, this Mama doesn't exactly remain calm in times of major wounds, so I hope we're good for awhile. 

Daddy's In Charge

I went away on a girls' weekend, and I found this picture on our camera!  Daddy time is the best!

My sources tell me that upon arrival at church, both girls were dressed adorably AND with bloomers and bows!  As an added bonus, I came home to a clean, tidy kitchen! 

Girls weekend plus a well kept household = total bliss for this Mama

Thanks honey!  We had a fabulous time.

No More Dinosaurs!

I have an office of sorts in our home ~ it is perfect little organized space for me to file our bills in the credenza, a computer & printer is set up for my important facebooking, blogging, and online shopping :), our old kitchen table and chairs resides in this space, a lot of my former teacher stuff lives here, and eventually it will be a great space for homework & projects for our children. 

I've been jonesing for a new computer situation for awhile now.  For the longest time, this was my computer, a total dinosaur:  

 And, then, I moved onto these two laptops.  Now they are both toast for various reasons, and I have been using Eric's work laptop recently.  That just makes me nervous - heaven forbid, my silly facebook or other such nonsense allow a virus on his work computer.  Not to mention, I didn't like using laptops because we kept it downstairs in the den, and we would find ourselves on the computer ALL.THE.TIME. taking away from family time or just us time.  I missed "working" in my little office space.

 So, for my VERY UNEXPECTED anniversary gift, TA-DA.  The sweet hubs finally heard my pleas for a new computer situation that put me back into my little office. 

I don't need much, and I don't need fancy.  So, this little set up is perfect.  My sweet husband never ceases to amaze me with his little surprises.  I'm a lucky gal.

Mother's Day 2012

Madeline's class had a Muffins for Moms to celebrate Mother's Day.  Adorable.  The class sang, "You are My Sunshine" to us, presented us with the pictures they're holding, and a memory book.  And, of course, we had red velvet cake muffins, fruit, and snack mix.  It was a sweet little morning.

 I, as always, have my little sidekick, Amelia, with me.  I felt bad that I didn't get one-on-one time with Madeline, but what can you do when you have childcare issues?  Madeline didn't seem to mind as she announced to everyone, "This is my little sister, Amelia!"

We had a fun morning. 

"My Mom" according to Madeline:

My mom's name is Mommy.

She has black hair and green eyes.

Her favorite food is mac-n-cheese.

I love my Mom because she lets me help her clean.



Lazy Spring Break Day

Madeline's spring break was the week before Easter, and we pretty much kept up our normal routine that week - me going to the gym in the mornings, Daddy working his crazy hours, and the girls on their normal schedules.  Since we were entertaining Easter weekend, I had a big cleaning day, and the girls were able to chill out in jammas all day long.  It was a nice day filled with coloring, probably too much TV, and lots of imaginary play.

The girls sat at the table and colored FOREVER!  It was wonderful.

Notice the girls are STILL in their jammas at lunchtime!  

What a nice day for everyone...no schedule, no worries, and a clean house at the end of the day!

Just Some Mama Thoughts & Keepin' it Real

Wow, it's hard to believe that August is here. Many of my teacher friends start back on the 11th, & their students start on the 18th. Madeline's preschool starts September 1. If I am keepin' it real on this blog, I have to say, "Thank you, God, for getting me through this summer!" I think I've prayed to God for patience no less than 5 times per day everyday of the week. It's been a doozy of a summer, and I for one am glad to turn the page on my good 'ol fashioned paper calendar to August. August brings intense heat & humidity here, but it also brings me to thoughts of cooler weather to come, preschool starting, fixed schedules & routines Monday through Friday, college football on the weekends, and some serious Mama-Disney-marathon-training-time which in turn equals relaxed, happy Mama!

Summer around here is usually relaxed --- hanging out on the back porch in the evenings, a few beach trips here and there, trips to the neighborhood pool, some lake time, evening bike rides on the pink tricycle, evenings on the swingset, later naptimes & bedtimes, sleeping in a little bit, lots of gym time for both Eric and I, and some playdates scattered between all that.

Not so much. Instead, this summer was far from relaxing! It was full of doctor's appointments for Amelia's ongoing battle with reflux & ear infections, many afternoons stuck inside because it's way too hot to go to the pool with a sick wee one, many afternoons watching too much TV because Mommy needs to get housework done in between a fussy baby & a whiny almost three year old, many sharp words coming out of my mouth, many testing the boundaries from my almost three year old, many hours of the wee one fussing/crying out of discomfort, many deep breaths during naptime, many evenings spent praying tomorrow would be a better day, many evenings on the phone with Daddy because Daddy's travel schedule is nutso, and too many middle of the night wake-ups for this Mama and Amelia.

This summer has certainly been quite a learning time for me, and my perfectionist, type A personality certainly does not go well with a feeling of not doing a good job at my job. I know there were times I handled tense situations with grace and kindness, and unfortunately, I had many moments when there was too much yelling that accomplished very little except hurt feelings. I made too many little stops at the grocery store with both kids in tow instead of thinking through the grocery shopping and my couponing. I'm sure I turned down playdates, dates with friends, and other fun activities because I didn't want to drag Amelia with us knowing that she is not feeling well, and that's just not fair. Talk about feeling torn --- choose Amelia's misery to allow Madeline a little fun or having Madeline miss something fun because Amelia would be miserable strapped in the bucket seat or stroller! Then there were times when hiring a babysitter was simply too exhausting to think about because it's just easier to deal with Amelia's temperament, ailments, and meds myself. Many days I was in survival mode, and I wasn't always present enjoying the moment with my girls when they were happy & healthy. One thing is for sure: I complained too much to my hard working husband. Love his heart for listening ever so patiently to my "woe-is-me"!

But, again, if I am keepin' it real, then I would be unappreciative & ungrateful if I didn't mention my long weekend away with only my husband to Hilton Head leaving a sick wee one & testy almost three year old with Grandma and Grandpa. I cannot forget to mention my wonderful girls' weekend with my near and dear friend, Steph, to Costa Rica while my husband kept the sick wee one and testy tot while he worked from home. Bless his heart. Those two long weekends alone gave me the rejuvenation I needed to get through all those other stressful moments, I am sure. Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention our wonderful family filled weekend when we celebrated Amelia's baptism on our 7th wedding anniversary & Father's Day. Again, a little ray of sunshine in our rough summer.

So, I, for one, am ready for a new season with a healthy wee one (fingers crossed), a happy three year old who gets to go to school five days per week (for a week now, she's been asking, "I get to go to school today!?"), a Daddy's work schedule that allows for less overnight travels, and a Mommy who starts her marathon training releasing those feel good endorphins!

And, if I am really keepin' it real, then I should remind myself that this stay-at-home-Mama-gig is what I signed up for no matter how frustrating and stressful the days are. Truth be told, I am really a blessed woman with two beautiful little girls and an amazing husband! Perhaps, in addition to my prayers for patience, I should also thank God for my sweet little family!

Love

Mommy & Madeline Movie Night

Eric has been traveling a lot lately, so I have been holding down the fort which means I am constantly juggling Amelia's needs & Madeline's needs. For the most part, I do a pretty good job of it, but with Amelia's recent reflux issues, I have had to give Amelia a lot of extra TLC. Unfortunately, that leaves Madeline to play on her own more frequently, fend for herself a tiny bit, and not to mention, this Mama's nerves are more frazzled than normal. It makes me feel terrible that I am snappier with Madeline or not giving her the attention I feel like she needs. I like to be able to split my time as equally as possible.

So having said all that, I decided last Monday to have a special evening with my sweet girl. Madeline took her bath right after dinner, got into her jammas, and came back downstairs for popcorn and movie with Mommy! I had a Blues Clues hour long episode on the DVR, and since Madeline has never watched a full movie before, this seemed like a movie to her. Not to mention, I didn't want her up until 10 PM on a random Monday night. Madeline thought she was something else, and I was glad to be able to spend some one-on-one time with her. She really loved her popcorn snack in the red bowl she picked out from the Tupperware cabinet!

Eating the popcorn while waiting for more to pop in the microwave ~ she ate her weight in popcorn that night!

Eyes glued to the screen and intense popcorn eating!
A self portrait post popcorn & movie before we went upstairs to read bedtime stories (please excuse how awful I look)! It was a really fun night, and I look forward to carving out little snippets of special time with each of my girls.

Muffins for Mom

I had the pleasure of going to my first Muffins for Mom on Friday, and I loved it. I'm so thankful that I can stay home so that I am able to attend these types of events with Madeline without juggling other responsibilities.

We had a lovely feast of muffins, fruit, juice, and water. Madeline was proud to show me her favorite centers, and she was sure to point out the little potholder in the kitchen center that she wears as a bracelet almost everyday. (Snicker, snicker...)

Madeline was proud to show "her baby" to her friends. A few of them were getting a little too close for her liking, so she exclaimed with her arms spread out as if she were preaching from the pulpit, "Friends! Not so close! Touch her feet not her face!" (More snickers...)

Madeline worked very hard to create a little flower for me to wear, and her class created stationary with their fingerprints. So cute. Madeline was sure to point out that she chose pink as my folder and fingerprint ink especially for me.

We will save our stationary for later when Madeline writes thank you notes, and of course, one set will go in the memory book.

Such a sweet little event with my sweet girl!

Could It Be?

Sassy Britches has left the premises for the moment, and our sweet Madeline is BACK! This Mama couldn't be more overjoyed. In fact, I received several, "You are my most favorite Mommy ever!" comments this week! I'm sure it's because I have not had "Game Face Mommy" on, and life has seemed to returned to normal. Ahhhh, the terrible twos have gone into hiding for the time being.

Attitude with a CAPITAL A

Meet Sassy Britches:


Perhaps I jinxed myself when I wrote about Madeline's manners & behavior because the switch just flipped, and Sassy Britches is out in full force! Seemingly overnight Madeline as we know her disappeared, & Sassy Britches entered our home in her place.

This one

is venturing into uncharted territory with her talking back and sass, and I must say it's bringing me back to my 5th grade teacher school days. I knew I taught 5th grade for ten years for a reason! I've decided I handle these situations MUCH better than the irrational temper tantrums ~ maybe it's my school teacher comfort zone or maybe it's just a change of pace in the discipline department to keep me on my Mommy toes. Whatever it is, I don't like the fact that my two and a half year old has decided that pouting, talking back, laughing when she is disciplined, trying to boss me around, & sticking her tongue out at me is an appropriate response to Mommy! And, of course, to keep it interesting, she'll throw in one of those awesome temper tantrums at the drop of a hat just to make sure my blood pressure completely skyrockets. Seriously, if there is a boundary, she's testing it. If there is a line, she's crossing it all the while keeping her eye on me and how I react. I'm taking LOTS of deep breaths. I keep reminding myself that Madeline is learning about the world around her and our expectations of her, so it's my job as her Mama (Daddy too when he's home) to teach her that these are not appropriate tools to navigate the world. I'm sure she sees & hears these things in addition to being two and a half and feels the need to test drive this territory for herself. As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that working out for you?"

This timeout chair is occupied more often than not these days, and that doesn't include the times I have had to issue a few spanks for larger infractions.

I know it's the age & only temporary (I hope ~ her teacher keeps telling me so!), but I'm ready for my fun loving, sweet, well mannered girl to come back. Until then, I may have to adjust the grocery list to include more wine or invite John Rosemond to come live with us. :) Just kidding...

There's a Newborn in Our House

I had to laugh at our drainboard in the sink the other night. Two wine glasses, the coffee pot innards, and lots of bottles & Medela pumping items!


This pretty much sums up our day --- coffee in the mornings, lots of Amelia feedings & Mama taking care of milk business, and a glass of wine to wind down the evening when there's the very short hour that BOTH Madeline and Amelia are asleep.
Ahhh, life is good.

And, Baby Girl Makes Four



Today is officially our last day as a family of three. I'm experiencing a wide range of emotions this morning --- I'm excited, anxious, nervous, and even a touch sad. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sad in an unhappy way. I'm sad in a nostalgic way, I guess. I have loved every minute of our time together as a Mommy, Daddy, and Madeline trio. Yes, I have even loved those trying times when Madeline was acting out, and I was stressing out moments! We've doted, disciplined, vacationed, played, worked, and loved hard over the last two years. It's been a season of our lives that I wouldn't take back for one millisecond. We have our groove, and it's all about to change. Well, change makes me nervous regardless of how awesome the change is. I would consider bringing home Baby Sister a pretty awesome change!



We'll get our new groove as a family of four, and there is so much to look forward to with this new chapter in life. I'm most excited about watching Madeline find her niche in big sisterhood. I'm only a tad worried about her with sharing attention and not being the only child. She's quite a compassionate little thing, and I know she will slip into her new role beautifully once things settle down. Not to mention, Little Sister plans to butter up Big Sister with a new Fancy Nancy book upon their first meeting, and I think that just might do the trick. :) We've talked and talked about Baby Sister, so we'll see exactly how much of all that talking was processed in the little mind of a two year old.



I'm a little nervous about the whole delivery process even though I know what to expect this time. I just want a calm and healthy delivery with little to no pain. :) I'm not looking forward to all those post-partum issues --- puffy belly, swelling, soreness, and general tiredness. However, I know that's short term, and I'm looking forward to cuddling, swaddling, nursing, smelling, and taking care of a new baby.

I'll be back with an official introduction of Baby Girl Stewart...

The Mommy Shark

Madeline received some fun bath toys for her birthday --- there are quite a variety of fish, seals, sharks, goldfish, starfish, and turtles (which she insists are caterpillars) just to name a few. She LOVES them. She loves them so much so that part of them stay in the tub for bath time and part of them get played with around the house. Madeline creates all kinds of imaginary play scenarios with her "fishies" as she is doing here while waiting for her breakfast.

Please take note of the shark:

There are only a couple of sharks in the whole batch, and they are larger than the other fish.

In Madeline's world of fish play, guess which fish is ALWAYS the Mommy? The shark!

I guess sometimes this Mommy is a scary shark! But, at least most of the time, the Mommy Shark is feeding, hugging, and kissing the other "fishies". Eric and I just laugh everytime she talks about the Shark Mommy.

"Yummy in my Tummy!"

Apparently, Madeline was thrilled with her dinner selection this evening because she kept repeating, "Yummy in my tummy, Mama!" Of course, she already had me in hysterics from the beginning of her meal when she was over the top excited about "BEAN BALLS!" being on her plate. She did in fact eat two helpings of "bean balls".

Any guesses as to what a "bean ball" is in Madeline's world? Yep, green peas.

(They are green like her absolute favorite veggie, green beans, so any food item that is green is automatically a "bean", & well, the "ball" part is probably self explanatory.)

Kids. They do say the funniest stuff, and I really needed that laugh by 6 PM today.

A Madeline Funny

I was sitting on the sofa helping Madeline change her baby doll's diaper when my belly started to wiggle around from the baby's movement. Madeline pointed to it and said, "What's dat, Mama?" I told her that her baby sister was moving around to which Madeline replied, "Baby sister's playing Ring Around the Rosie!"

As my friend Jen would say...

"There are no words." to describe this picture of Madeline! She created this ensemble all by herself --- sunglasses, mama's running socks and flip flops, & mismatched bow! She was quite pleased with herself, and all we had handy was a cell phone to take a picture. We certainly didn't want to miss the moment by running off looking for the real camera. She knew she was hilarious because she was really into posing for the camera screaming "Cheeeeese!!!" at the top of her lungs. It's little moments like this that make all the frustrations and bad days escape your mind because when you get right down to it, our Madeline is just a silly, spunky little gal, and we love her dearly!