I have no excuse...

for being such a bad, bad blogger here lately!!
I think life has just gotten in the way, which happens sometimes, ya know?

But, I am alive... and did return from my trip... ages ago!

My kids, my dad, and I loaded up a rented minivan and headed south to Georgia, where my aunt and grandparents reside. The whole family (or most of us, anyway!) got together down there to celebrate my Papa's upcoming 80th birthday. It was GREAT to see family members that we haven't seen in years (in fact, this was the first time everyone MET Avery... sinful, isn't it??). I also got to meet my cousin's little boy, who is Avery's age, and my aunt's other grandchild, who is Damon's age! The kids had a wonderful time together, and I loved catching up with everyone! However, it was a LONG trip... and quite hectic for me with two kids, without their dad around to help! I was sooooooo grateful to get HOME to my own bed (and my kids' own beds) at the end of the weekend.

So, what's been going on since then... hmmmm... I'm JOB-HUNTING. I've been saying off and on for years that I want to go back to work outside of my house, but I always wimp out and decide to stay here with the kids, editing away. Well, Damon will be in school all day starting Tuesday, and I'll only need childcare for Avery... and, I really can't handle Nick's crazy jobs anymore. So we decided that we'd both start hunting for more "regular" jobs. I promised him that I'd follow through with it this time... so, I've been sending out resumes like mad, and had my first interview yesterday. Keep your fingers crossed for both of us! We could use a little good fortune over here! :)

Today was Damon's Kindergarten orientation. We went in and met his teacher, Mrs. Davis, and made a collage of some pictures that Damon picked out of my stash to decorate his new cubby. He was excited to be back in his school, and a little nervous to be going to a "new" classroom... he really wanted to drift over to the pre-K wing of the school, I could tell! But, I think he'll do great this year. I got a little teary-eyed walking down the hall with him, because I just can't believe he's my baby Damon... He'll be six years old soon, and it just blows my mind!

Oh, more excitement (of the not-so-good variety)... Yesterday, Damon decided to play "barber" with his poor little sister. He really did a number on her hair. Remember how cute Avery used to be??? Well, now she looks like someone put her head in a blender. I'm not exaggerating. We even took her to a professional to have it "fixed," but there was only so much she could do. I want to cry every time I look at my baby girl. She looks downright pathetic, not to mention neglected by her mother! Oh well... I keep telling myself that ALL kids have an experience like this, and that it's "just hair" and will grow back beautifully. But, still, I'm crying.... she was so adorable, just yesterday!

I think that's all of my "big" news from here.

I apologize to all of my fans who kept reading about the darn jet plane every time you clicked on my blog link (ELLEN! lol). I'll try to update more regularly... and I'll try to share some new pics soon. Although, I'm not sure I can subject Avery and her blender haircut to the camera right now. The scrapbooker in me tells me to DO IT, because i just HAVE to document every little detail of her life. But the Mommy in me says, NO NO NO... she just looks pitiful.

So, say a couple little prayers for us... for Nick and me finding fabulous new jobs, and for Avery's poor hair!!!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, not really... we'll be leaving in a mini-van... but you get the point!

This evening, my dad, my two kids, and I are embarking on a road trip for the weekend!!!

Our goal is to surprise a certain family member for a surprise birthday party (obviously i can't say MUCH, since it's a surprise, but I'll be sure to fill you in on the details next week when we return!).

My dad wrote one of his "famous" poems for the big occasion, and I stayed up late last night creating a scrapbook to go along with the poem. I hope it's a hit with the recipient!

Today, I have a long "to-do" list in preparation for our departure, in, ohhhh, 4 hours! eeeeek!
I better get moving!

I also wanted to say HEY to my sister-in-law, who is having her very first baby shower this weekend... I'm sorry I won't be able to be there for the festivities, Miss. I love you oodles, and know that I'll be there in spirit, Kiddo!!! I hope you get lots of great booty for your new little one! Can't wait to hear all about it!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, and I'll be back next week to fill you in on our many adventures!

Trying again....

To post some darn pics of our waterpark day... I tried, AGAIN, to add pics to the post below, to no avail.

So, now I'm attempting to post them in a separate post... *fingers crossed*

Lookit that! It actually worked! SHEESH!

Sick kids?? And lots of "UGH"s!

I think my kids might be getting sick now. UGH.

Earlier this evening, Damon was very "whiny." Which I didn't think TOO much about... I figured he was just tired because we've had two uncharacteristically BUSY days the past two days. But, then, at one point in the evening, he actually told me that his throat was hurting. And for him to make such a specific complaint makes me wonder.

Well, we all went to bed at a halfway decent hour tonight. The kids were in bed by 9:30 and Nick and I followed around 10. I was really looking forward to getting a decent night's sleep because I've only been averaging about 3 hours of it per night, all week... and by today, I felt downright MISERABLE as a result.

Well, Avery woke up around 11 or 11:30, came and got in our bed (which is nothing unusual), and WHINED and CRIED forever (which IS unusual). Nick and I just could not do anything to console her... She wasn't making any specific complaints, but all I can surmise is that she just feels downright "icky."

I just got her back to sleep in her own bed... and I'm kinda waiting around to make sure she stays asleep for a while before I head back to bed myself.

I'm afraid the signs aren't looking "good" here. UGH UGH UGH.

We're supposed to be heading South early tomorrow morning, to visit Nick's mom for the day... Hopefully we won't have to cancel due to two whiny, under-the-weather children!

[ETA: We did in fact cancel our plans on Saturday... we ended up with two very sick kids, who lazed around and felt downright miserable all day!! By evening they were both running fevers, too. BLECH! The good news is that now, 24 hours later, they seem to be on the mend. We have lots of runny noses and coughs, but life has returned to their little bodies for the most part... and we even got a LITTLE sleep last night!]

Water play is a "good thing, Martha!" (so are true friends)

Today, the kids and I spent the day at a local waterpark with some of our playgroup friends.
It was just fabulous!!

This was my first time at the park, even though we live MINUTES from it... I'm kicking myself now for waiting until so late in the summer season to "discover" it. Because, honestly, I'd like to live there, ALL day, EVERY day!

We only had one near-drowning when Avery and I were walking through the 1.5-foot-deep pool together and she tripped and fell face first in the water. Being the good mom that I am, I waited (only half a second or so... so relax, people!), to see if she would "right" herself and get up out of the water. The answer to that question: ummmm, NO. She just surrendered to the depths of the pool (did I mention that it's a whole foot and a half deep??) and saw her life flash before her eyes, I'm sure, before I reached down and scooped her up.

On a lighter note, much to my shock and amazement, Damon has supposedly TAUGHT HIMSELF to swim. Here I've been, stressing all summer about getting him in swim lessons and wondering "how on earth do people teach their kids to swim?? why can't they just be born with this skill and make my life easier!" And today, in the 1.5-foot-deep pool, Damon just simply started swimming... under water... not drowning! It was a proud Mommy Moment. *sniff, sniff*

Okay, but let's quit talking about those kids already... I wanna talk about me for a minute.

Today was a simply wonderful day for ME, too. I spent the entire day NOT on my computer working, NOT staring at my ten piles of laundry and wondering why they can't just clean themselves, NOT stuck in my house with no contact with the outside world... Today, I spent the day surrounded by some of my nearest and dearest ("real-time," HA!) friends.

I mentioned in a post a few days ago that, despite all of my moaning and groaning about my little life, I DO, in fact, count my blessings from time to time. And when I count those blessings, at the top of the list is my Mom's Group. I joined the "original" group when we moved back "here" in January 2005. Since then, the group has seen a lot of changes. And, as far as I'M concerned, they've all been for the better. Today, we are a fairly large group, and within it, several very close friendships have formed. I truly don't know how I survived my first 4 years of motherhood without these women in my daily life---to laugh with me when I'm happy, cry with me when I'm sad, and just simply UNDERSTAND what it's like to struggle with the ups and downs of staying home with children and surviving each and every day!

So, without further ado, and before I turn into a complete blubbering idiot, I just want to say to my Moms that you all mean more to me than you know, and I'm beyond grateful to have met you and been given the chance to share this "wild ride" with you.

So, back to the title of this post... Why is water play such a good thing, you ask? Well, because tonight, I tucked my children into bed... and instead of listening to shrieks of protest for an hour afterward (which is our normal "thing" around here at bedtime), the little darlings magically FELL ASLEEP without so much as a whimper. And, THAT, Martha, is why water play is a very, very "good thing!"

(ETA: After about 15 failed attempts to add pictures of our day to this post, for your viewing pleasure, I give up! Blogger is NOT my friend tonight... but I will try to add some pics later, and then reconsider my feelings for Blogger!)

5 years ago today...

Was a big day for me... I added a new role to the list that I'd been acquiring for 25 years. In addition to daughter, sister, friend, student, aunt, and mother (just to name a few), I became a wife!

Nick and I were married on August 7, 2001 (probably the hottest day of the year!) in a very simple, short-but-sweet, civil ceremony at the courthouse in Georgetown, Delaware.

It wasn't lavish by any means, but even so, it meant the world to me and remains one of the most significant days of my life. We had already experienced a lot together in only the 2 years since we first met, not the least of which was becoming parents 6 months earlier!!

I didn't need or want "bells to ring, a choir to sing, the white dress, the guests, the cake, the car, the whole darn thing" (yes, I just quoted a Shania song... lol). I simply wanted to be Nick's wife, to make that commitment for better or for worse, and sign the piece of paper with my NEW name, that would finally match his and my son's.

The past five years have been... well, interesting, to say the least! We have had a lot of ups and downs and put those vows to the test more than once. But, we're still here today. We have a beautiful family and share a love for each other that continues to grow and change with each passing day. I've cherished these first five years and all that we've experienced in that time.

Today, I look forward to the next five years and the many more that will follow; I look forward to watching our children grow and become happy little people; I look forward to creating more memories; and most of all, I look forward to learning even more about my best friend, my companion in everything I do, my partner for this wild ride we call life... my dear husband.

I love you, W.

Hope Restored

Today was a good day... no, today was a GREAT day!

If you recall my really whiny, I'm-feeling-so-sorry-for-myself, wahhhhh blog post from a few days ago, you know that Nick and I have been experiencing a lot of financial stress lately... which, in turn, has led to stresses in other areas, and just made me feel downright depressed about life in general.

Well, tonight, I feel like a lightbulb suddenly went off in my head... only, it wasn't exactly a lightbulb... it WAS, in fact, a visit from a certain "angel" in my life (you know who you are, *wink*). Someone near and dear to both Nick and me visited us today and shared years of knowledge and experience with us, in hopes that we would absorb some advice and change our bad habits and, overall, live a much less stressful life.

For the first time in weeks, months, maybe even years, I feel that I DO have control over my life, financially and otherwise. I'm certain that Nick and I will "be okay."

To my "angel": Thank you... so much. Words can't even express how I feel right now, and "thank you" certainly doesn't feel like enough. We've had a lot of "help" in the past, but nothing... and I do mean NOTHING, means as much as what happened here today. In just a few hours, I feel that I learned so much from you... and I know that was just the beginning. I feel truly blessed to have you in my life!! Thank you, thank you, thank you... a thousand times over.

Hope has definitely been restored... just when it was needed the most.

So, today was a GREAT day!!!!!!!!!

...in other words

It's Tuesday... time for another inspirational quote from ...in other words, the weekly quotation meme that I discovered last week.

I really enjoyed participating in this one last week, and the quote definitely inspired me! However, I'm having a little bit of difficulty with this week's quote, which is:

Tradition is what you resort to when you don't have the time or the money to do it right. --Kurt Herbert Alder

First of all, the idea of "tradition" immediately makes me think of the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.). And, personally, I find that it can be both time-consuming and expensive to uphold traditions.

When I was a kid, one of my favorite Christmas traditions was that my mom would take the time (lots of time!) to bake these absolutely yummy sugar cookies and decorate them individually with icing. They were the best!! But, at some point, as my brother and I got older, that "tradition" fell by the wayside... because it was too time-consuming and labor intensive.

Another tradition... Thanksgiving dinner, with all the trimmings. When I got married and started cooking our family's "traditional" feast, I realized how darn expensive it is. Not to mention that it takes ALL DAY to cook the meal. Definitely not something we "resort to when you don't have the time or money." If that were the case, we'd eat Kentucky Fried Chicken for Thanksgiving dinner.

So, I guess I'd have to say I don't agree with Mr. Alder. Maybe I'm interpreting "tradition" differently than he is, though... I'll have to give this some more thought this week.

August already!

Wow, time flies. I feel like it was just July 1st and now it's a brand new month already...

July was a pretty busy month for us... we went on vacation (the highlight of the month, for sure!); Nick started a new job; my workload picked up alarmingly; and this horrendous HEAT WAVE found us last week.

I haven't blogged in the past week, because honestly, I just haven't felt like it. Although Nick started a new job and is doing very well, we have yet to receive his first paycheck, and a month of him being unemployed is hitting us HARD at this point. It also hasn't helped that my employer didn't send one of my paychecks to me this month because, unbelievably, they confused it with one for the same amount that I received LAST July. Yes, I'm serious. I TOLD you it was unbelievable... So, I've been wallowing in my own self-pity a lot these last few days. wahhhhhh.

When Nick and I first met, and not too long after welcomed Damon to our family, multitudes of people showered me with THIS advice: It's really hard "starting out" in your 20s and times are tough now, but they do get better.

Well, now I'm into my 30s with two children, and guess what?? So far I've seen no indication that this is getting any "better!" again, wahhhhhh.

Yes, I know that I'm a lucky person, and I do count my blessings every now and then. And I know that there are people in this world who have it a lot worse than I do... but, even so, I always pictured my life at 30 to be, well... not this one.

I don't think Nick and I live a very "extravagant" lifestyle... we rent a small home, just enough for the four of us; we responsibly decided to rid ourselves of the possibility of ever reproducing again because we knew we couldn't AFFORD more children; we share a vehicle; we don't go on wild shopping sprees just because; we buy our groceries at Save A Lot; we don't have credit cards in our wallets; and our kids wear a lot of hand-me-downs... just to name a few examples.

Yet, we still have an extremely hard time making ends meet on a regular basis.

I really WANT to believe that "things will get better." Believe me, I do. I just don't see HOW that will happen any time soon.

I've heard people in a similar situation say that they try not to worry because worrying doesn't help any, and some of them also believe that "God will provide." Maybe that's what I'm missing---this sort of faith that comforts me and tells me that it'll all be okay, even when I have no logical reason to think so (but that's a topic for another blog post altogether!).

So, now that I'm "all over the page" here with THIS post, I guess I'll end... and try to find something more uplifting to share. I know it's Tuesday, and I'm due to post my ...in other words quotation blog today... so stay tuned for that (and I promise not to whine and moan and feel sorry for myself in doing so!).