A first Thanksgiving

In my mind, Thanksgiving is a big get together with extended family and lots of food and fun. This year it began to dawn on me that we were going to be alone for Thanksgiving. My family was all going to be together in Kentucky and Norm's family was all going to be together in Georgia. We were going to be here in New Hampshire. I put a lot of energy into being depressed about that. What were we going to do? Do I make a turkey and a lot of food for the four of us? Do my kids even like turkey? Will they realize what Thanksgiving is about? I was really sad about the fact that I have not been home for Thanksgiving with my family for 12 years. I can't imagine ever trying to brave the airlines for Thanksgiving! So in the midst of my struggle, I set out to make a Thanksgiving for our family. Number one, nix the turkey. I bought a turkey breast! We only eat white meat and I throw it in the crock pot and not put my hand up a turkey's, you know what! Number two, DVR the parade! So I can watch it and we can fast forward the commercials and those performances that are not so entertaining. Number three, catch a live football game. This was Norm's idea and I really liked it. We went to the Dover High football game with some friends and ate popcorn and hot dogs and had a great time.

So on Thanksgiving Day I threw the turkey breast in the crock pot and we went to the football game. We came home and watched the parade on DVR and relaxed. Then we made mashed potatoes and salad and cranberry sauce. The turkey breast was delicious. Even the kids ate it! We had a nice dinner together and the clean up was really easy and fast. To top off the evening, we made oreo cookie turkeys. It was a fun first Thanksgiving with my family.

H1N1 comes to our house.

For weeks I have been chasing my kids around with hand sanitizer and obsessing about taking care of ourselves and getting our rest. My best efforts were thwarted though, when Brayden tested positive for Flu A the first weekend in November. I had been watching the positives at work. They were all kids and I knew it was coming. Brayden has virus induced asthma so I was concerned about him getting a secondary infection. So, I sprung into action, calling the doctor, getting him medicine and taking temperatures around the clock. It was somewhat like the early days with a newborn. Every four hours, checking temps, giving medicine, waiting for the temp to come down, and back to bed. For me, the middle of the night vigil was very lonesome and stressful. When Sophia spiked a temp a few days later, I knew that I was in for a long haul. I hardly slept and neither did the kids. I was obsessed with fevers and listening for wheezes and difficulty breathing. Thankfully, about four days later, the fevers were gone and only the cough remained. That is when I had my meltdown. I had caught what I believed to be a derivative of the flu without the fever and I was exhausted and mad! I worked really hard to keep us well. I paid copays for vaccines and took care of everyone and we still went through it.

The Sunday before the flu, in church the Pastor preached a sermon about David and Goliath and he was asking us what the giants in our lives were in which we have to trust God. I had a hard time thinking about what it was for me but in the midst of this experience, I realized that the giant in my life right now is dealing with the illnesses of my kids. I can't control them, I just have to trust God for the strength and the energy to go through it with them and not be paralyzed with fear about what might happen and just take one temperature at a time while keeping my eyes on God to carry us through.

For those of you that think I have it together...

One day last week I had to take the kids to the doctor for their vaccines and I was in a rush. Brayden had just gotten off the school bus and Sophia was just up from a nap and I had only a few minutes to get them in the car and ready for the 20 minute ride to the office. I decided to appease them by giving them both a Capri Sun juice and a pack of crackers if they got in the car super fast. True to form, Brayden gobbled his treat down quickly and Sophia still had three quarters of her juice when we got to the office. So, we got out of the car and I put the rest of Sophia's juice on the drivers seat so that I would remember to give it back to her when we got back in the car. We went in and took care of the kids and then we jumped back in the car to go home. I was already dressed to go out for a date with Norm and I was looking forward to getting back so that we could go. We had an unremarkable ride home until I pulled into the driveway 20 minutes later and realized that I had been sitting on the juice and it squished out all over the seat and the back of my pants and up my shirt and I had not noticed. Oh boy! That kind of stuff used to never happen to me.

After the transition...back to blogging.

My intention has been to blog about our transition into the fall for a few months now. Obviously, it has been a busy and tiring transition. I haven't felt like blogging for one reason or another. It is now November and the leaves have started to settle on the ground and I feel like we are starting to settle into our new routine and I can now go back to blogging. Whew!

The biggest change in our household is that Brayden has gone off to full day kindergarten. Wow, the house is so much quieter without an active, 5 and a half year old boy here day in and day out. He is doing well. He loves the bus, I am convinced it is his favorite part because that is all he talks about consistently. The first few weeks of school he came home and just sat on the couch and stared. He's a little better now but by Thursday, don't even try to talk to him. He's burnt. I am amazed at the things he has picked up. He has a working knowledge of things like Star Wars, GX racers, Transformers and Bakugan. When I asked him how he knew about this stuff he said, "From the bus" Mind you, he only rides 20 minutes each way! He also is learning how to sound out words. If we prompt him, he can sound out a lot of one syllable words. I have discovered that I have to catch him off guard to find out what is going on at school. He tells me things when I am putting him to bed and not when he gets off the bus. Some days he offers information. One afternoon, he told Norm, "Dad, I wish I could burp anytime I want to! That's so cool." We always find out what kids are getting in trouble too, I am not sure if he is excluding himself from the list or not but it seems that he is trying to play with the kids that are not in trouble, most of the time it is the girls. Our first parent teacher conference is this week so maybe we'll find out more then. I would love to be a fly on the wall in his classroom!

Sophia started preschool this fall too. She goes 2 mornings a week and she loves it! Her teachers make a big deal about her and she loves them! I am so happy about that because I was afraid that she would be too shy. One by product of Brayden being at school all day is that Sophia now talks twice as much or maybe even more! Her sentences seem even more complex and eloquent than Brayden's were at her age. I don't know why I am surprised but I am. She is such a girly girl. She knows just how she wants things and she loves the Disney princesses, lipstick and wants to pick out her own clothes. I have found that if she doesn't like something that I choose for her, she just won't wear it. I have returned very very cute outfits because they would never have gotten worn. Her teacher and I have also noticed that she has a flair for coloring and matching color. She sorts and organizes her colors into matching or complimentary piles and according to her teacher, colors above average for a three year old. Her favorite colors to use are yellow, red and orange. She also prefers lavender to pink. I am sure some psychologist might have some insight as to what that means but it is pretty entertaining to watch her.

So, with everyone being in school, I have had a small amount of free time that I did not have before. I am still trying to figure out what to do with it but one thing that did happen was that I get to work out a little more. I trained for and ran my first 5K in October and my house gets cleaned a little more often than it did before. I think I like this phase of life, now that we are getting used to it. Now to think about the holidays...stay tuned.

Preschool Graduation Follow up

Tonight we took Sophia to meet her teachers and see her classroom at Bunnies and Blocks Preschool. She was a little shy, as usual, but Ms. Tammy got a smile out of her before she left. She played with all the toys and finally got to go play on the playground that she has only watched Brayden play on until now. I am sure there will be more Sophia preschool stories to come but the thing that struck me most was how much Brayden has outgrown preschool.

Back in June, I was so sad to watch him leave Bunnies and Blocks. He had a great experience there and I was having a hard time imagining sending him to kindergarten. Now, 3 short months later, I was amazed at how big he looked trying to play with the toys and on the little playground. He too, was frustrated at the "baby toys" as he called them. He didn't fit on them! How did that happen so quickly!!! Just a few months ago, he was a little kid playing on those toys.

Brayden went to Kindergarten camp at his new school last week and he got a taste of what it is going to be like. He is excited and now, even more so after visiting his old school! I am surprised at how easily he has moved on. He doesn't call Bunnies and Blocks "my school" anymore, it's "Sophia's school" now. Wow.

I'm gonna do it!

I decided today to trade cake and junk food for my running shoes again. I found a new 5K that I am probably not going to be able to run but I want to do it. September is a good time to start over. The kids will be going to school and there will be no excuses for me not to exercise. I want to be running the Seacoast 5Ks next Spring. I ran a little today and it felt good so as long as I am not injuring myself I am going to keep going.

My Gardens

During my childhood in Kentucky, I lived on a farm. I was accustomed to growing things. My grandfather grew mostly tobacco. My Dad put in vegetable gardens over the years and I can remember that my favorite thing was to go out, with a salt shaker and pick a ripe tomato and eat it right there. Then I married a Landscape Architect. I learned about growing trees and shrubs and perennials. The home I live in is far away from the farm in Kentucky and the landscape is all the handiwork of my talented husband, but I have discovered that I love gardening. There is not much time for it right now, due to the demands of little ones, but I have added small things here and there. I see myself in the future with a big straw hat, happily planting and pruning and watching it all grow.

Pictured above are some of my favorite things that have grown here in our garden this year.

Sirens.

Brayden was born with an affinity for trucks, racecars, firetrucks, police cars and construction vehicles. I guess a lot of boys are. One thing that I have noticed that is different about my boy is his ability to create the sounds they make and differentiate between them. I know, I hear them all the time.

When my boy buckles himself into his seat, he becomes whatever rescue vehicle he determines that we need, complete with sirens and horns. I have become very accustomed to the sirens coming from the backseat. Everywhere we go, sirens! Sometimes I wonder if I am a distracted driver because of the siren noise. I figure the real fire and rescue vehicles drive around with the noise so I can too. I have asked to turn the volume down on the sirens and Brayden complies with my requests so I let him continue.

Recently, I have noticed other peoples' reactions to the sirens. There is lots of staring and smiling. I am sure they are wondering how those people can deal with all the noise. I had to laugh the other day. We were driving by a man sitting in his lawn chair outside. The windows were down and the boy was in police car mode, sirens wailing. The man looked around and finally found the source of the siren and did a double take. Was that noise really coming from the small boy in the backseat?

I figure, if I can hear him, he is okay. One day he will trade the sirens in for an iPod or a handheld video game and he will become a teenager who keeps to himself. I will miss the siren sounds. So for now, we are to the rescue!

The princess and the pee.

Sophia is potty training. She is doing really well now but we had kind of a rocky start. When we first ditched the diapers, Sophia would have an accident and she would get mad. She would cry and insist on being changed immediately. Sophia will probably not appreciate this story but it is so cute it has to be told.

The first or second day Sophia was wearing her "princess panties" she was having a pretty successful day. I went to work in the evening and Norm took the kids to a local playground. The kids were playing and having a great time. At some point Norm was helping Brayden climb and he heard loud crying. He looked up to see Sophia at the top of one of arched jungle gym ladders and a steady stream of pee coming down from above! At the same time, Brayden yells,"Dad! Sophia's peeing!!!" I am glad there were no kids below her to receive an unwanted dousing! Norm was well prepared. He brought along an extra pair of underwear and was able to console the sobbing princess.

Now, several weeks later...she is very good at telling us when she has to go.

Shopping with Sophia

I have always felt a little jealous of Norm and Brayden and their guy time. Now that Sophia is a little older, I am able to take her places and do the girly things that I want to do. It helps that Sophia is super girly at this stage in her life. She is never without cute shoes and accessories that usually include a tiara. I would expect nothing less. She comes from a long line of fancy, southern gals that would never leave home without getting all dolled up to go out.

This past Friday the boys went on a little overnight camping trip. It gave me the opportunity to take Sophia and go to the mall. She asked to wear a "pretty dress" and she put on her sparkly sandals. Upon arriving at the mall, I took her hand and we headed to Claires. They are known for their jewelry and hair accessories for girls of all ages. My girl has great taste and loves everything that sparkles. There was lots of gasping and "oooh...pretty" from her. Her eyes took in the walls of bow and barrettes. She tried on purses and hats. She compared strands of stretchy beads until we finally settled on a set that came with rings, her newest obsession. After we paid for all of our treasures, we headed to a few more stores. Upon seeing shoes, she pointed to the ones she liked best exclaiming, "Mom, I like this one!" I must admit, she has great taste.

I enjoyed the moment. Me with my purchase in a bag and her in her little dress and new hat, carrying her bag and holding my hand. We looked and we talked and just enjoyed time together. I know that there will be many shopping trips in the future but this one was especially sweet for me because it was one of the first.

Backwards...

I have recently noticed that Brayden has begun to pretend play much more often. Most of the time that includes him fashioning a costume to go with his play. The funny thing is that most of his shirts have some kind of screen print or writing on them. He feels the need to turn them around backwards so that from the front, you can't see the pictures or writing. He has been doing this so often that I don't think anything of it and since he dresses himself, I have decided not to make him turn his shirt around.

So today was Friday and I normally try to run my errands and do grocery shopping. I asked Brayden to go put some clothes on while I got Sophia ready. We got in the car and went on our way. At some point, I noticed that Brayden had his shirt on backwards. I guess I have gotten so used to the backwards shirt that I didn't even notice and when I finally did, it didn't matter to me. Funny, I am normally really a stickler about being put together when we go out but I think Brayden wore his shirt backwards all day. I wonder what all the people that saw us today thought.

My favorite things.

Okay, the rain, day after day is really bumming me out! So I am taking the advice of a good friend and writing about my favorite things in the hopes that it will cheer me up!

1. The Ocean. I was able to enjoy my birthday dinner at the beach. It is so nice to be driving distance. I feel immediately relaxed when I have a chance to walk in the sand and hear the ocean or put my feet in surf and smell the salt in the air. I love boardwalks and little beachside shops. It makes me feel like I am on vacation even if only for a few hours.

2. Ann Taylor Loft. I probably need to branch out but most of my clothes come from there and I feel good in them.

3. Oreo Cakesters. Mmmmmm.

4. Red wine and strong coffee. Especially when enjoyed with a good friend.

5. Taking pictures and scrapbooking them. It is my creative outlet.

6. Kentucky. It is where I grew up and so much a part of making me who I am. I love UK basketball, the Kentucky Derby, and I know the words to My Old Kentucky Home.

7. Exploring Big Cities. I really enjoy experiencing the culture and character of cities. A couple of my favorites are Boston and San Francisco. I really really want to visit New York!

8. The Deadliest Catch. Mostly I am glad that I am not the one crab fishing in 20 below weather.

9. Dancing to 80's music with my kids.

10. 75 degrees and SUNNY!!!

On turning 37...

Today is my 37th birthday. I spent the morning with the kids and then in the afternoon my sweet husband came home early so that I could go treat myself to some shopping and a pedicure. Then he arranged our babysitter so that we could go out for dinner at the ocean in York, Maine.

Birthdays always become a time for me to reflect on where I have come from and where I would like to go. After today, it occurrred to me that I need to take time to be nice to myself more than once a year. I need time to recharge by myself and that is difficult with little ones in the house. I need to make it a priority. I enjoy shopping and getting pedicures. I also enjoy sitting at home with a glass of wine and flipping through a magazine or watching a favorite show. I like scrapbooking too if Ihave a good idea.

I also realized tonight that I need to have regular dates with my husband. I know that should be a given but it is easy to get busy and distracted with all the other stuff going on in our lives but it needs to be part of the normal routine. I start feeling stuck in preschool land and forget that I can have a normal conversation. It is good to have an adult night out.

Now that I am 37, I should start taking really good care of myself. I want to exercise more and eat a little better than I do now. I want to be in good health for my kids and for myself. I want to read and keep my brain sharp and I want to enjoy aging and not just complaining about the wrinkles and aches and pains.

Finally, I want to embrace every day with my kids, my husband and my friends. After all, a year goes by really fast!

Fell asleep in Dover, woke up in Seattle!

Today we are saying goodbye to June. I am not sorry. I counted tonight and realized that it rained 15 days out of 30. Bummer! I tried not to complain but here in New England, we have a long winter and we look forward to the summer. It has not arrived yet! We tried to make the best of it and jump in puddles and go to the library but we want some sun!!! My house feels damp, my plants are drowning and my kids want to play outside!

I have high hopes for July! Come back sun!

Learning to fly...

Sophia and I took a trip home to Kentucky to visit my side of the family. My natural instinct is to pack at the last minute and stress out about making sure that I have everything. Then I worry about the airport and all the security checks. Then I worry about making my connection and being stranded in the airport. I can't help myself! All the worrying creates a sense of dread and I can't look forward to the trip until I am already there.



I used to like to fly. Norm and I spent all of our dating time flying back and forth. It was so easy by myself or with another adult. Since then, the airline industry has changed a lot and I have added extra people and checked baggage to my life too. During this last trip I discovered that I have to relearn how to fly in our post 9/11, depressed economy world with kids. So perhaps this post is really a pep talk for me that I need to go back to the next time that I fly.

For the first time ever, I was treated rudely at the Manchester Airport. My flight was completely booked and Sophia and I were assigned seats apart. Sophia is two so that arrangement was unacceptable to me and to anyone that would be in earshot of my wailing child. The ticket agents were really upset that I needed them to switch our seats. I was a little mad about that but then, when the ticket clerk asked for people to switch so that we could sit together, I was amazed at how rude and difficult people were about offering to change! Well, I just stood there until they worked it out. Thank you to the family that offered to change around because they saw a two year old that needed to sit with her mom!!! The clerk then handed me boarding passes without looking at me and said, "Here." curtly. I said thank you to which she did not respond so I repeated myself and she acknowledged me. I found out later, on my trip back that they should have handled all of this at baggage check by computer and there are blocks of seats set aside just for these kinds of situations. LESSON #1: Always make sure that they let you check in at the baggage check and that your seats are set. LESSON#2: Always be willing to switch your seats for a small child.

Well, because I put up such a fuss and my travelling companions were so rude, we left late and I had a tight connection in Detroit. Sophia was a trooper, but she had decided that she did not escalators or moving sidewalks. She would stop short and howl to be picked up. I finally had to pick her up and try to run across the airport. Halfway there, she started asking, "Where's Daddy?" to which I am gasping,"Daddy's not here!!!" Amazingly enough, we made it, although, I thought I might pass out. LESSON #3: Two hour + layovers are a good thing.

In the midst of it all, we had a happy vacation and time with family. I will always make the effort for family time.

A final lesson on our trip emerged when we got delayed in Detroit for 5 hours on our way home. We got to our connection and already had a long layover. I wanted to make it fun. We ate dinner together and we practiced on the escalators and moving sidewalks. She can do it now! We then discovered that we were going to be there until 11pm so we just had to wait. She sat sideways on her seat and colored and was happy. Amazing. LESSON #4: My child is a great traveller regardless of the situation and I will take her with me again. Don't sweat it. We can do it!

Preschool Graduation

My boy graduated today. Okay, so it was preschool but it was a big step for Brayden and for his Mom. I am unexpectedly very emotional about it and so is he. I began thinking about it more when I was flipping through pictures that have been taken throughout the year. It is shocking to see how these cute little 4 year olds have grown into kindergarten ready 5 year olds. The difference caught me off guard and now I have to admit he is ready. Ready to send off to the "Big School"



Bunnies and Blocks Preschool kind of fell into our laps and we couldn't have placed him in a better little school. We are all happy there and Brayden doesn't want to leave. He made his first friends there and has taken great steps to write his name and learn about things that I could never do or think of here at home. Today he cried. He doesn't want to go to the big school. That's okay. I don't want him to go either. But he's ready. He just doesn't know it yet.



Time never stands still. It is part of life to go through seasons and years and things are always changing. It one of his first life lessons. I have to teach him how to work through this one while managing it for myself too. We are closing the preschooler chapter and beginning the school years. Am I ready? I am going to miss the cute, inquisitive, outgoing, somewhat strong willed preschooler. But I am also looking forward to watching to see what he can do with his talents and personality as he grows. I hope to be able to give him opportunities to help him figure out who he is as he develops into a big kid. Our job is to help him become a well adjusted adult, not a 45 year old guy who lives in our basement, right?



So, thank you , Bunnies and Blocks! You have given us a great foundation for the big school and we will always be grateful! We,re off to the next chapter! Kindergarten! Hurray!

Stopping the cough.

Tonight I am staying awake. Staying awake so that I can check in on my boy and his cough. I hate coughing. It doesn't matter who is doing it. It drives me crazy and I have to make it stop. I feel guilty when it is my kid and I am so aggravated. For some reason, the cough always seems to strike on Friday when I have less access to a doctor or when we have something fun planned. For all these reasons, I am obsessed with making the cough go away.

When Brayden was 18 months old he had a terrible case of pneumonia. His little chest was heaving and struggling for breath and we ended up in the ER. Since that time, I never sleep when Brayden is coughing. I am constantly checking in, making sure that he is breathing and giving him breathing treatments around the clock to ensure his airways are free.

Recently, I have begun to wonder if we need to push for a diagnosis. The pediatrician tells me he will outgrow it but to me, the coughing seems to have become more chronic. I feel like I need to be his advocate and make sure that we are not missing something. Maybe we are introducing allergens that are causing him problems. Maybe I should just clean my house more??? I want to move forward and come up with a more preventative plan instead of always being behind the cough.

Missing my Boy

I have always worked the evening shift, 3pm-1130pm. Most of the time I really enjoy it. I like the people that I work with and I like staying up late. Working exercises my brain and challenges me. I really like medical technology and what you can learn by looking at a simple blood smear. I'll spare you the details beyond this.

The problem is that I tend to miss things that I would like to be part of with my family. They tend to be evening people as well and we do a lot of things as a family, whether I am able to be present or not. I am glad the kids get lots of attention from their Dad too. Dad is fun. He comes up with lots of fun ideas.

This week two small things happened that I wish that I had been there to witness. A couple of days ago Norm was trying to get the lawn mowed before it rained and Brayden was out in his sandbox. About halfway through, it began to rain and Norm continued to mow. He contemplated making Brayden go inside but when he showed up back outside with an umbrella, Norm decided to let him stay out. After all, he was mowing in the rain, right? Brayden had a great time in the rain. He figured out how he could ride his big wheel while holding the umbrella. He was happy regardless of the weather! I wish I'd seen that.

Yesterday the kids called me at work to tell me about the "big tree" they pulled out of the ground with Daddy's truck. Norm had declared war on the burning bush in our front yard. He had been digging around it for days and it wouldn't come out. He told Brayden they were going to pull it out with the truck. Brayden was so excited! He went and got his bicycle helmet and climbed in the passenger side. It took a lot of work but they pulled it out and then together they filled the in the hole. I wish I'd seen that.

I guess I should remember that I witness a lot of the fun things the kids do and say and that there will always be things that I am sad that I miss. Everyday they grow and become more independent of me and that is how it should be. But doesn't every parent wish they could be a fly on the wall where their kids are involved, no matter how old they are.

22 Preschoolers

Brayden turned 5 last month. It is hard to believe that the time has gone by so fast. I decided, maybe because he's my firstborn and I didn't know any better, to have a big party including Brayden's preschool class. Evidently we chose a very convenient time because everyone could make it! Every time I checked on the Evite invitation, more "yes" responses. I did a quick math count in my head. 22 preschoolers

22 preschoolers and their parents. Where am I going to put them all? Norm and I have a bad habit of putting on big parties. I get stressed out and swear I will never do it again but I guess my memory dulls and the idea of having fun with a lot of people prompts me write a new Evite.

So, days before the party, I am running around collecting party favors and presents. Brayden is into Superheroes so we had Batman, Spiderman, and Superman themed party decorations. I made Batman cupcakes. Thanks to the party store sales lady! She gave me great ideas. It all started coming together except for the black icing. Brayden wanted black icing on his Batman cupcakes. I can't bake to save my life and I had no idea how to make black icing. I gave up and hoped the Batman insignia ring stuck into the cupcakes would distract him.

The day finally came. I think that is has rained on every April 2 in the last 4 years including the day Brayden was born so I expected the same on this day. Instead, we had record setting warmth and sun. What a gift! The kids came, some decked out in their own Superhero costumes, all ready for some fun. They ate, they "fought crime", and they had a blast running a playing in the yard. What a fantastic day for us all!

We will remember Brayden's 5th birthday just because it was his birthday and he's our kid but I will also remember it because God gave me an extra gift of a sunny day and a reminder that we are blessed with so many friends with which to celebrate life.

Happy Earth Day

I have been thinking about "green living" a lot since it is such a hot topic these days. Slowly, I have begun to educate myself about what it means to me and my family to choose good products and reduce the amount of chemicals we put into our bodies and into the earth.

What I can't figure out is who is just trying to market their products and who is really providing true "green" products. Today, I found out that one of the products I am using is really not so "green" It still contains some chemical ingredients that I didn't realize were also unhealthy. Arrgghh! This makes me really frustrated. I have a background in chemistry and I am still struggling with all of these compounds! I guess it isn't so easy as to go to the store and pick up a product that says "natural" or "organic" and be able to believe what is being marketed to me. I guess it is going to be a longer process than I had hoped.

Anyway, I am planting some irises tomorrow in honor of Earth Day. (It rained a lot today) So Happy Earth Day.

Kleptomaniac or shoplifter???

My daughter loves her purses. Like most women, she uses one for awhile and then she will change to a new or different one. She takes her purse almost everywhere we go and I have begun to notice that she will pick up small things along the way and stash them in her bag. I have not thought much of it since she is two and a half but I have lost a few things and ultimately found them in one of Sophia's purses. My five year old son has also found his poor Batman stashed in a glittery bag and we are beginning to wonder if this is a sign of things to come. I am sure that it is a developmental phase and that she is just enjoying having things to carry around like Mom. Only time will tell if she becomes a kleptomanic or a shoplifter but I tend to think she is just enjoying being a girl.

Blogging is hard!

Okay, so I am a little challenged when it comes to blogging but I am not going to let technology get away from me.

I am inspired by friends who blog so I am going to make more of an effort!

Today I am thankful. I am thankful for my family, our health, and good friends. I have recently been reminded of all of that due to cirumstances that have arisen in the lives of some close friends. I am focusing on appreciating every day and trying to take opportunities to make memories of the moments I have right now.

I could write a lot more but I want to spend time with my daughter. She won't be 2 much longer!

As I begin a new year, I am venturing out into the world of blogging. I never thought that I would even try but I have read many other posts and have felt inspired and entertained. I just have many thoughts rolling around in my brain and I wanted a place to muse over them.

I just returned from a trip to Kentucky. I don't go for the weather but it was cold! It was good to see family although we all came down with a horrific stomach virus that the kids are still battling. I wanted to lose a little weight this year but not quite like this. Anyway, my January trip signifies a time to relax, recharge and think about reorganizing life to begin a new year.

I try not to hold myself to resolutions that I will break but to try to envision my life the way I would like it to be and set goals to move myself in that direction.

The two biggest things that stand out for me right now is that I want to carve out more time to do the things that I want to do and not the things that just fall into my lap. I work evenings and I only have few to myself. I don't want to fill them up with meetings and activities that don't give me good time with my family or for myself. The other thing I want to do is become move active and healthy. I want to keep up with my 4 year old.

That is probably enough to keep me busy for this year. I will add things if I need a challenge.
Happy New Year...