Becoming a Mommy of two has been the most joyous, rewarding award I've ever received. Since it literally happened in the blink of an eye, it has also been challenging and educational. Having to divide your attention between 2 little girls, who honestly never received the attention they deserved, is sometimes more difficult than catching a rain drop.
Abbie is my youngest at 17 months and she naturally wants Mommy for most things. She will sit and play by herself but she requires help when eating, still needs changed, can't really sit in the bath alone, etc. So, 90% of my time when I'm with them is making sure Abbie has what she needs & wants.
Jaelyn is on the verge of being 3 and so independent that I often forget she needs Mommy time too! She feeds herself, goes potty, can take a bath with minimal supervision and is even starting to dress & undress herself. I lose track of her and have to make myself STOP and take a time-out with her and her alone. My eye opener was when Jaelyn decided to, whats the word, 'act-up' at daycare. She was pushing friends, not being nice, and not her normal bubbly self. There are a lot of things I could blame it on but the truth is she was wrong. I did a few things differenly after finding this out, we made a sticker-chart which she was very excited about and I tried to explain things to her calmly instead of being completely upset about it. Afterall, how can she understand it's not nice to be mean if I am not being nice when I explain it?! In any event, it made me think that perhaps I do need more one-on-one time with her.
On Tuesday, I decided to take Jaelyn to a little local circus in town. Just me & her. Mommy & Jaelyn. I cannot tell you how very rewarding it was. She sat on my lap almost the entire time except when she needed to stand-up to see what was happening. The excitement on her face as the elephants came out and the clown car broke in half was a joy unlike anything else. Seeing that Circus through her eyes was the best kind of therapy. I forgot about work, dishes, laundry, the vacuum cleaner and just enjoyed cotton candy, elephants, clowns and much more like I was three years old, too. It made me realize that Jaelyn doesn't care if we are at a Circus, at home or shopping in a mall. All she cares about is being happy, smiling and knowing she is loved. I am so very proud to be one of those that gives her what she needs. I am so very proud to call her my daughter and I am so very proud that she is teaching me just as much as I am teaching her.
A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan
I can't think of anything more true.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
12 Reasons to Love Being a Mom
I take no credit for this, it was in my american baby magazine... but I totally love it & think its perfect for Mother's Day to share! ♥
Author: Jen Singer
Babyhood goes by fast. Stop and appreciate the lovely, funny or just plain crazy little moments that happen every day.
1. You receive a reception worthy of the next American Idol even though you'd only left the room for a minute to get more wipes.
2. There's no better exercise program than chasing a toddler through a good-size mall - except maybe chasing two of them.
3. When was the last time a grown-up hugged you simply for buying cookies?
4. You can't very well put videos of your husband dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" on YouTube. But the baby? Upload away!
5. Babies don't accidentally butt-call your cell phone and they never hog the remote.
6. Nothing's sexier than a man holding a baby - except for a man changing a diaper.
7. The 100th reading of Goodnight Moon is every bit as good as the first.
8. You no longer look quite as silly dressing up for Halloween. In fact, not dressing up might make you odd Mom out.
9. You've got a built-in excuse for RSVP'ing "no" whenever you feel like it.
10. Somebody loves you no matter what you're wearing (strained peas on your shirt), what you're doing (prepping yet another birthday party), or how long it's been since you showered (Uh, Tuesday? Nah, Monday!).
11. Naptime.
12. Alarm clocks are more appealing when they're wearing footie pajamas.
Author: Jen Singer
Babyhood goes by fast. Stop and appreciate the lovely, funny or just plain crazy little moments that happen every day.
1. You receive a reception worthy of the next American Idol even though you'd only left the room for a minute to get more wipes.
2. There's no better exercise program than chasing a toddler through a good-size mall - except maybe chasing two of them.
3. When was the last time a grown-up hugged you simply for buying cookies?
4. You can't very well put videos of your husband dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" on YouTube. But the baby? Upload away!
5. Babies don't accidentally butt-call your cell phone and they never hog the remote.
6. Nothing's sexier than a man holding a baby - except for a man changing a diaper.
7. The 100th reading of Goodnight Moon is every bit as good as the first.
8. You no longer look quite as silly dressing up for Halloween. In fact, not dressing up might make you odd Mom out.
9. You've got a built-in excuse for RSVP'ing "no" whenever you feel like it.
10. Somebody loves you no matter what you're wearing (strained peas on your shirt), what you're doing (prepping yet another birthday party), or how long it's been since you showered (Uh, Tuesday? Nah, Monday!).
11. Naptime.
12. Alarm clocks are more appealing when they're wearing footie pajamas.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Retail Therapy
I went to the Hallmark store today on my lunch hour. I seem to do a lot of my shopping during this hour because, well, its peaceful! I don't have to juggle looking at things, getting snacks, sippy cups, or feel guilty about not visiting the toy section.
My goal was to pick up several cards I needed and hopefully a few neat gifts for Mother's Day, which is a new experience for me in itself. Yes, I always bought my Mom & Mother-In-Law a gift for Mother's Day but I never got to pick out "Nana" & "Mom-Mom" gifts. I LOVE picking out things for them! What better way to show how much I truly appreciate everything they do for my daughters than to pick them out something special? There really are not enough words to express how grateful I am to not only have them know & love my daughters but to actually be a big part of their lives growing up. As I stood picking up the personalize items I couldn't resist, it brought me back to memories of my 2 Grandma's - Mammaw was my Mom's Mom and Mom-Mom was my Dad's Mom. They were truly a big inspiration in my life and the memories I have of them are so very cherished to this day. It was always a big deal going to Mammaw's or Mom-Mom's... maybe we were happy for a change of scenery or maybe we were just happy to be somewhere where we could basically do whatever we wanted! (for the most part!). Both of them knew how to cook beyond words so dinner & dessert was always yummy there. Even though each of them had a different personality, they each took part in inspiring me in different ways.
I know my girls are still too young to realize just how lucky they are to have such loving grandparents in their lives but hopefully someday they will look back, while in a Hallmark store picking out a Mom-Mom card for me, and cherish every moment they shared with the 2 remarkable women in their lives. ♥
My goal was to pick up several cards I needed and hopefully a few neat gifts for Mother's Day, which is a new experience for me in itself. Yes, I always bought my Mom & Mother-In-Law a gift for Mother's Day but I never got to pick out "Nana" & "Mom-Mom" gifts. I LOVE picking out things for them! What better way to show how much I truly appreciate everything they do for my daughters than to pick them out something special? There really are not enough words to express how grateful I am to not only have them know & love my daughters but to actually be a big part of their lives growing up. As I stood picking up the personalize items I couldn't resist, it brought me back to memories of my 2 Grandma's - Mammaw was my Mom's Mom and Mom-Mom was my Dad's Mom. They were truly a big inspiration in my life and the memories I have of them are so very cherished to this day. It was always a big deal going to Mammaw's or Mom-Mom's... maybe we were happy for a change of scenery or maybe we were just happy to be somewhere where we could basically do whatever we wanted! (for the most part!). Both of them knew how to cook beyond words so dinner & dessert was always yummy there. Even though each of them had a different personality, they each took part in inspiring me in different ways.
I know my girls are still too young to realize just how lucky they are to have such loving grandparents in their lives but hopefully someday they will look back, while in a Hallmark store picking out a Mom-Mom card for me, and cherish every moment they shared with the 2 remarkable women in their lives. ♥
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Go Phillies!!
Today is Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park for the Philadelphia Phillies. The girls & I are rooting them on showing our support for #26 - Chase Utley! (ok, maybe I had a small influence on that over the girls). It's going to be a beautiful day for a ball game.. GO PHILLIES!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Hippity Hoppity
What a beautiful Easter weekend we had in New Jersey!!! The weather was absolutely perfect for egg hunts, playing outside and just getting together with family & friends.
Saturday morning the girls dyed eggs with Nana and had such a blast! Jaelyn couldn't wait to pull the egg out of her cup to see what magical color it had turned. The expressions on her face were truly priceless. I just love her smile. Abbie was not quite as excited but still smiled all the same when Nana helped her out. I think she would have rather thrown the eggs or tried to eat them, haha!
Sunday morning we woke up to find filled Easter baskets! Jaelyn dug into hers right away peeling away wrappers and digging right into the chocolate. Abbie tried to eat it with the wrappers and required a bit more help. They were both thrilled! After a short nap, we got our best Easter dresses on and made our way over to my Sister's house for an egg hunt, dinner and just plain old fashioned fun.
The egg hunt was a blast. The looks on all the kids faces as they had to 'hunt' for 200 eggs... 6 kids & 200 eggs, you do the math!
This weekend was a true reminder of how blessed we are as a family. I can't think of anything better than seeing my girls, along with their cousins, smiling, laughing and playing together as if it was a plan already in place and was now happening.
Saturday morning the girls dyed eggs with Nana and had such a blast! Jaelyn couldn't wait to pull the egg out of her cup to see what magical color it had turned. The expressions on her face were truly priceless. I just love her smile. Abbie was not quite as excited but still smiled all the same when Nana helped her out. I think she would have rather thrown the eggs or tried to eat them, haha!
Sunday morning we woke up to find filled Easter baskets! Jaelyn dug into hers right away peeling away wrappers and digging right into the chocolate. Abbie tried to eat it with the wrappers and required a bit more help. They were both thrilled! After a short nap, we got our best Easter dresses on and made our way over to my Sister's house for an egg hunt, dinner and just plain old fashioned fun.
The egg hunt was a blast. The looks on all the kids faces as they had to 'hunt' for 200 eggs... 6 kids & 200 eggs, you do the math!
This weekend was a true reminder of how blessed we are as a family. I can't think of anything better than seeing my girls, along with their cousins, smiling, laughing and playing together as if it was a plan already in place and was now happening.
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