A Beautiful Busy Week

After writing and posting the last post I wrote I realized I've written that post over and over again. It's a recurrent fear of mine I suppose. I have made a point to soak it all in this past week. On my way home from work one day this past week when the weather was perfect I made point pulling into my subdivision to notice that everyone was out enjoying the weather. The neighborhood  sidewalks were filled with bike riders, people walking their dogs, and kids giggling and playing.

I took a deep breath in and told myself to remember it. To remember everyone enjoying themselves, the fresh cut grass smell of spring, and the beautiful pink and orange sky where the sun was setting.

I was beating myself up there for a short while that I wasn't doing enough fun things with my girls, being my really motivated self, and taking care of things. This week though I stepped up. In fact, I think I kicked butt!
Raigan had her follow up appointment with her Pulmonologist, both girls had their dentist appointment, and Riley had a full eye exam for her to start kindergarten in the fall. I worked 43 hours, took my girls to Sawyer Point, coached cheerleading clinics in the evenings with my girls, went shopping for summer clothes for my girls that Raigan really needed because Riley's hand me downs are still a little too big for her, and hubby and I FINALLY painted our bedroom. I feel like myself.

Of course this week didn't come with struggles, as it always does, but I focused on the good before it all changed to something else. There is one changed that came this weekend

When my husband and I bought our home a few years ago we painted the bedrooms before moving in.  I picked out this great green color that I thought would create a nice Spa Zen feel. We start to paint and it looked neon-like, but I thought it would dry darker and we finished painting the room because we had so much left to do and move our things in and clean our townhouse, so we just went with it. It turned out a pastel/neon Easter egg green, definitely not zen and I've pretended to like it ever since. 

It was such a relief to get our room painted, I have had blue painters tape on the trims for months and months now. I had gotten a few samples and tried patches on the walls and we really didn't like them, so they stayed on the walls for probably a month now looking terrible.

It is such a challenge to photograph wall color and have it look how it actually looks, but take my word, the new color is way better than the green. The color we used is Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore. I started to panic a little because the color was so white when we painted, but it dried just the way I pictured it! No horrible pastel green to live with for years to come.

Not only did we paint, but we super deep cleaned our room and while I'm sitting here typing this blog post, I feel so relaxed to know that everything is super clean.

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 Hopefully this next week will be just as successful, but maybe a little slower paced, but if it's not, I'll be just as pleased with it.

Change

I think it's pretty wild how fast things change. It seems as the more that time goes on, the faster it goes too.

A few years ago when were were in Hilton Head  http://megherald.blogspot.com/2010/09/wordless-wednesday_29.html in September time stood still. It was by far one of the most relaxing times of my life. I had to miss classes to vacation with my family (tough decision there...) and Hilton Head is amazing in the fall. The weather is still so welcoming and warm and the shops are only sprinkled with locals as all the tourists have returned home to begin a new school year and enjoy the fall. We played on the empty beaches, soaked up the sun, and let our sun kissed babies nap the afternoons away while we enjoyed the quiet sound of the ocean out of our window.

Specifically since that month of that year I have been asking myself where the time has gone. Time hasn't stood still since then. There are moments in all the flashes that I consciously pause and tell myself, "remember this" and try to burn it into my memory before it's gone. So much has happened and changed in the past few years, and even more so recently for our family. I have learned here recently that the only absolute constant in life is change.

The way the girls have changed over the years is just crazy to me, it's like a cut and paste kind of situation. One day I woke up and there was this toddler pasted where my baby was the night before. Riley is this little person and no longer a baby or toddler and shocks me with how bright and beyond herself she is. I just ask myself, wow, at what point did all this happen? I know there wasn't one specific moment when it all changed, and it worries me that I'm not soaking it all and noticing the tiny changes that add up to this really big change.

Raigan was always a super laid back reserved baby and I thought she would be quiet and reserved, but sticking to the theme of change, she has proved me wrong. She is a loud, crazy, outspoken, strongwilled little 2 year old, and I love it. This is our little family. I think this is exactly wherr we are supposed to be in our lives right now, even though it wasn't what was in my plans necessarily or how I saw it panning out, but that's the beauty of life. It's actually better than the plans I had for our family and we, or maybe even me and I push it on my family, are trying to embrace whatever comes our way and run like hell with it.

People give you a lot of advice (wanted or not wanted) when you become a mother and half the time I listened and took it into consideration and the other half of the time, I went with these instincts that are just there. No one told me (or maybe I didn't listen) how complex my feelings for these little girls would be. I love them so deeply and passionatly, I have this crazy need to protect them and provide for them and sometimes they drive me totally crazy and I need nothing more than a hot shower by myself for 5 minutes, but a minute into that shower it's been too long and I need them again. I fell pretty much crazy hard in love wtih my husband, but nothing compares to the love I feel as a mother and someone could give you all the advice and heads up, but you just can never understand it until you're there and experience it. 

I just hope that my girls feel this crazy involved intricate love. Not just the good times either, the times when I'm tired and my pateince is running short, I hope they still feel that love.

When I think about how much I as a person have changed it's just flat out crazy to me. I have discovered over the past few years, especially when Riley made me a mother, that I'm strong and capable of things I never thought I would be capable of. I look at the Megan from years ago, and I feel like it's a totally different person. I have changed physically with my hair color, the evidence of growing a child in the form love marks on my belly, and an extra 10lbs that I don't think I will ever loose, but how I've changed emotionally, mentally, and in my heart is much more noticeable than the physical things.

Another weird change about myself that I have discovered and never thought would ever happen is my new found love to read. I have always loved reading magazines and studies, they are my thing. I love articles, but have never enjoyed reading books. I was never the kid in school with my nose in a book and the idea of reading for pleasure would make me cringe. I supposed I was always picking up the wrong books, because when you find something that resonates with you it's great.

I now have stacks of books on my nightstand and can't wait to find 5 minutes to finish another chapter or section. I want to help my girls find their nitch and their love for books too, which I think will be much easier for them and take less time than it did for me. With that being said, I found some really great finds at a child's consignment shop in our area. I love kids books, but frankly, they can get really expensive. I think it's a great way to spend money, but I would rather get more for my money like anyone would. I loved as a kid, and still love The Magic School Bus books and movies. I think it teaches science in such fun, creative ways. When I found it for less than a dollar I scooped it up.

Also found this Madeline book collection of hard back books for $3!

Riley has been reading for a little while now and we love these Step into Reading books. Normally we pick some up at almost every Target trip and we got all these for the price of one.

I love that change brings about good things and even bad things that we are going to perceive as good and find the good in. Change isn't just something different, it's an opportunity to bring improvement and greater things. Greater things like a new found love of reading, a wild crazy toddler, and a husband's job that it working very well for our family. I just hope I take the time to study and enjoy the changes.

Happy Easter

Off on an Adventure We Go

I had a birthday a few weeks ago. I'm a young mother at the ripe old age of 25. I didn't take the typical path in life that some do. I couldn't image being an older mother though, because I'm young and my kids wipe me out most days. I'm sure there are older mothers out there though overflowing with energy and would put me to shame. I'm pretty sure this stream of consciousness is going to go somewhere, so stick with me. Last week I was home with my girls, off from work, worn out and wanting nothing more than to lay in my bed all day in a quiet, chilly (but not cold) house, under my covers and watch hours of mindless America's Next Top Model seasons or Gray's Anatomy reruns. I would maybe order some Thai food and lay in my bed and eat it. Doesn't that sound like the most lazy, fabulous day? I guess that says a lot about me. haha

Instead of laying in a cozy bed, I awoke to a quiet morning where my girls had not yet woke and make myself  a cup of coffee. I reminded myself, perhaps more than once, that I'm a young mom full of energy. I thought about my dream date with myself, but quickly realized that I had way more important things to do with my free hours of that day.

My girls straggled into the kitchen (it's still new that Raigan get out of her new big girl bed without assistance and it couldn't make me more happy that she's growing in her independence because she glows when she accomplishes something for herself) groggy eyed and with bed hair. I hurried them to eat their breakfast and promised them an adventure. Things are always more fun when you call them an adventure. Instead of going to the grocery, we're on an adventure to find food! Sounds much more exciting.

So after their quick bite and a shuffle to get dressed off we were well before noon, which frankly is unheard of around here on off days.

We crossed the bridge and Raigan was whinning because I told her no when she asked if we were going to the play place at the mall. Riley joined in and I told them we were going to a bookstore. Not just any bookstore, a fabulous children's bookstore that reminds you of The Shop Around the Corner in You've Got Mail.

I love exploring our city for things and places that are unique and one of a kind. Places that you can't find in any given city in our country. The Blue Manatee is one of those amazing places. My girls have a love for books that I would like to take at least partial credit for instilling in them and what more fun of a place to visit than here.

The store is scattered with unique artwork, displays, benches, and reading nooks very appropriate for feeding little one's imaginations the creative fuel they need.

They have a great selection of children's books, educations materials, classics, chapter books, and on and on.

They also have a cafe that sells all vegan selections. Their website offers a schedule of activities going on at the bookstore as well, like French Story time.

Homeschooling

I suppose everyone has their perceptions of all the different types of schooling. There is public school, private school, home school, catholic school, charter schools, board schools, and whatever others I can't think of. So when you think about your child and their education it can get overwhelming. As my girls' mother I feel like it's my responsibility to research all of the options and find the best one for my girls. I've given a lot of thought to homeschooling. I love teaching my girls and I think I know them better than anyone and their strengths, things they need to work on, the best way that they learn, and so on.

I get insecure though and think that maybe I do know those things and can work with their teachers to facilitate the best type of learning for them and to leave the work to the professionals. I mean, I would find it a little strange if Riley's kindergarten teacher tried to tell me how to nurse patients.

Currently we just do fun workbooks and activities that my girl enjoys. We color, do sight words, put together puzzles of the United States and talk about how many 5 nickles and 3 pennies are. I think it is super important for my girl to socialize too because it's her personality and being around others feeds her so soul like it does mine. After thinking a ton about it, Hub and I decided to register Riley for a private Catholic grade school at the parish we belong to. She will start half day Kindergarten in the fall, and I am thinking about home schooling her the afternoon. There is a homeschooling convention coming in April, and I think I may have convinced Hub, whom is very skeptical of homeschooling, just to check it out. I am worried though that I will confuse her and be overloading her with too many things and different teaching styles, but I think it will all be worked out and just take some communication between her teacher and I.

Where ever our path of life takes us, I'm sure things will fall into place exactly as they should. In the mean time, we are going to have fun learning at home because this is such a fun and exciting age, and Riley is enjoying it. Raigan is also working on coloring and recognizing the different letters, both capital and lower case, and has mastered her ABCs.

Our last compeition of the season! 1st Place!

Our season for Kentucky All Stars came to an end and they are having their end of the season party here soon. The girls had an awesome season as they received 1st place at each of their competitions in their age group. Winning wasn't the only part to be proud of though; the girls improved so much from the start of the season and worked so hard. They developed friendships, built skills, and learned the lesson that hard work pays off. I love cheerleading and I'm glad my girl loves it too.

Here is my girl in her back right corner doing her liberty.

And her arabesque.

Here is her team and their round offs.

Tuck jumps to front rolls.

Getting ready for their pyramid.

And here is my girl as the center-point flyer. If only I can get her to smile when she hits her builds. She says she gets nervous, God love her.

I'm a little sad to see this season come to an end, but excited for the next season of rec to start here in a few months. I will be coaching Riley's squad again and Raigan is going to start this season just like Riley did when she was just a wee little one too. It's super cute to listen to Raigan do 8 counts and cheers, she's so into it and talks about Riley's competitions often.