I'm alive.

I'm alive and survived traveling half way across the world and back and oh buddy, I couldn't be happier to be home. Really, I've never been happier.

I also dropped the ball about posting a post about packages I made for the girls before I left. I had uploaded them and hoped to write a post on the plane or while I had some down time in Japan, but that didn't happen because wifi is apparently hard to come by there or on the way there.

My husband did an awesome job though of delivering these. Each day I was gone, during nap time he would place the bag by our front door so it seemed as though it was magically delivered. I have to credit him with this wonderful idea too! I knew I married him for a reason, okay many reasons.

I raided the Dollar Tree before I left and the Target dollar isle to buy little toys and candy for each of the girls for each day that I was going to be gone and the day I left.

I also typed up a letter for each day I was gone that included the day of the week, the date, a little fact about Japan, where I was going to be that particular day and a countdown of when I would be back.

I also printed out a map so the girls could locate on the map what city I was in (or daddy could help them locate where I was). I also put a big dot on the map was it would be easy to find in the hopes that they would generally grasp where I was, and I think they did.

I put their letter, map, a little toy for each of the girls, and some candy into a gift bag with the date and count down written on the front.

For the days that I was traveling across the United States I put a map of the US with dots of the stops.

I might have to take the girls to the dentist here sooner than their 6 month check ups because of all the candy I gave them and told my husband to allow them to eat it all.

I'm really glad that the girls enjoyed their packages and Riley asked me how I got them there when I came home; she totally bought the whole magic explanation. Ahh how awesome it is to be a 4 year old. I am also really glad to be home and couldn't say it enough. I'm glad to be home. I'm glad to be home. I'm glad to be home.

To end on a happier note, my husband starts a new job tomorrow!! I'm so excited for what's happening for our family, I'm not exactly sure what it is that's happening, but I'm excited about it. haha

Riley and I start school next Monday and I'm pretty excited for our lives to get back into a comfortable routine again, even though it's painful to see summer come to an end. I'm really excited for fall to come because I love fall. Ahh I'm so glad to be home.

Beating the Heat

I was running on the treadmill this morning at the gym and the news came on. I normally don't watch the local news because it's so negative all the time. I read some news online to get the scoop sans the murders, shootings, and accidental deaths in the sketchy areas of town. The only reason I tuned into the news this particular time was because it followed the showcase showdown on the Price is Right. I just realized I'm nearly a paragraph in, and am no where near the point I'm trying to get at here. On the news, they spoke about how we are nearing a record for temperatures in the Tristate. It has been well into the 90s here for weeks, and has it been obvious. We have been spending off days at the pool, but hot mornings home inside. My girls love playing inside just as much as they love being outside.

They enjoy playing sleepy time on the couch with their favorite blankets, which I find funny, because when it comes to real sleepy time, it's the furthest from what they want to be doing.

Does anyone remember the Muppet Babies? This blanket was my husband's when he was a baby and we even have the naked baby photographic evidence of him laying on it, but I'll spare you. Riley loves it and carries it with her as she channels Liuns from Charlie Brown. When I picked them up from the childcare room at our gym today, they were also playing this sleepy time game; silly girls.

Raigan has been having a little attitude as of late about having her picture taken with her sister. I came out with 10 pictures of her not looking at the camera, a few of her making not so pleasant faces, and this one good one.

I'm really nervous to say that there are officially only 22 days left of summer, and I will be spending 10 of those days in Japan. I'm really nervous about my upcoming trip to Japan, as I've never been away from my kids for that long. I have never really been away from my husband for that long either since we have been married. Not to mention the whole, being on the other side of the world thing, but that's not at all comparable to the missing my girls part.

Riley will go back to preschool in a few weeks and I will start my last semester of my undergrad. A small part of me wishes that it goes by quickly, but another part of me wishes that I can take the time to thoroughly enjoy it, because being in college only happens once in a lifetime. But for some of us, it takes 6 years and 2 daughters later so we get to enjoy it a little longer. haha

A Basket

I love to watch my girls play together.

It's the sunshine to my life.

My girls have a pretty cool playroom. It's filled with a train table with an elaborate collection of Thomas the Train trains, a Dora kitchen, a puppet theater, and an impressive collection of toys we've accumulated over the past 4 years. There are puppets, puzzles, play food, and pretty much half of a Toys R US down there, but their favorite toy?

A basket and a little imagination.

They use it as a bed and put pillows and blankets and pretend that one another are the royal Queen. They pretend that it's a race car and push the other one down the hall as fast as they can. It morphs into a cave some days and a good hiding spot on other days. A platform to stand on when they win a gold metal; their (and by their, I mean mostly Riley because Raigan just follows along with her big sis) creativity never ceases to amaze me. I'm proud of their creativity and ability to think outside the basket.

"Girls, it's probably not a good idea to play with the basket on the bed, one of you could fall off."

"Can I sit on it, Mom?"

"No, I just don't want you  guys to fall down and get hurt. You could easily fall off the basket with it up there."

"Like this, Mom?"


"Yes, Riley, just like that."

"Like this, Mom?"

"Yeah, Raigan, just like that."

 (as you can see from the pictures, I was closely supervising behind a camera lens)

Good Morning!

Perfect Timing

So Riley got another Little Passports in the mail the other day. She gets so excited when she gets mail; like mother like daughter. Her little passport this month was from Japan and it couldn't have come at a better timing, as I will be in Japan next week.

Let me just say that again, I will be in Japan next week. That's so crazy. I spent most of my evening last night making treat bags for my girls for each day that I'm gone. I write little notes and printed maps and did a concept similar to Little Passports, so my girls know what city I'm in that particular day and how I will be missing them terribly. I plan to pick up some little toys and treats to put in there for them too. I hope they enjoy them and enjoy spending the week with my husband.

I plan to share my little treat bags here as soon as I'm finished with them so other mommies can use it if they ever travel away from their littles.

I love how excited my girls (and my brother in law, Mark) are about learning geography and I love that this little teaching tool makes it so fun. They talked about sushi, Children's Day, fish markets, and had an activity to help better understand the concept of the exchange between Dollars and Yen. Some of the activities I think are geared more towards older children, but Riley totally grasps the concept of the general geography and most of the items included.

Usually they give a clue as to which country is next, but this time they left it to be a mystery. I think there' s a little bit of fun not knowing totally what you're getting yourself into. At least that's what I keep telling myself, as I will be flying halfway across the world to a country where I don't speak the language and don't even know what to pack for, but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity that I just cannot pass up.

Lions Carnival

Cheerleading and football season has begun! The season opened with the annual summer Lions Carnival. The girls worked it to raise money for the season and it actually ended up being a lot of fun. We worked the drink/soda booth.

I think it was a lot of fun, because I got to work it with my sister in law and Riley had fun because she got to do it with her cousin bestie Chloe.

And of course, our littlest cheerleader of all, Raigan.

Spice Rack Bookshelf

I have seen this Ikea spice rack used as a book rack in more than one place and I went to Ikea a few months ago actually and forgot that I bought them. Then I discovered the bag they were in, in the garage the other day and asked my Hub to hang them up in Riley's room to house our library books that always seem to get lost.

This is my girl and her owl bedroom. She loves it and I love her. And she even made her own bed this particular day. That is her sister's tiny little hand there at the bottom. She loves Riley's room too.

Here is my Hub hanging the little spice racks in Riley's little reading corner at the end of her bed.

And here is the final result with our little library books.