Trying to Keep the Romance Alive

Mike and I promised each other that we would always put our marriage first.  After all, once the children are grown, it's just going to be the two of us again so we better make sure we're still sweet on each other when that time comes.

Still, it can be challenging to keep that promise when there are two little ones that require SO. MUCH. ATTENTION.  Don't get me wrong.  I gladly give my babies all the attention they want and need because they're only this little for such a short amount of time.  But at the end of the day, I'm so exhausted that the last thing on my mind is 'romance'.  Sleep is a precious commodity these days!

In this phase of parenthood, we may not be going out on as many date nights as we once did and I spend more time in raggedy pajamas covered in Cheerios and spit up than in sexy lingerie, but I still try and keep the romance alive.

This morning, I decided to send Mike a racy text message while he was at school.  A hint of things that might happen if I weren't so darn exhausted, he wasn't so stressed studying until 2 in the morning, and we didn't have a baby who still wakes up several times during the night.

I couldn't even enjoy my romantic moment for a minute before I was pulled back to reality.  Grace left her opened container of Aquaphor (an ointment with a Vaseline consistency) on the floor and Claire was having a good old time getting her hands in it and rubbing it on her face, hair, clothes, and carpet.

You can see all the mess on her hands and face if you look closely.

This was a nearly full container before Claire got a hold of it.

The other exciting event of the day was that the Blew girls came for a quick visit as they were passing through town.  Mike was kind enough to offer to babysit all 4 girls so that Julie and I could go out to lunch solo.

Costco Fun

 The highlight of our day was our trip to Costco.  The samples today weren't all that fantastic, but that didn't stop us from loading up our cart with all kinds of goodies- most that were on our shopping list, several that were not.  We just can't seem to leave that place without buying a few extra things that we didn't know we needed until we saw it there.

Claire enjoyed our outing and Grace was oblivious to it all as she played with her Leappad.  Then, as always, we ended our Costco outing with a meal in the 'picnic' area.  I love how the picnic tables even have umbrellas even though we are inside a huge warehouse building.  Ambience, I guess.  Claire didn't care one bit whether we were really having a picnic or not.  She was just thrilled that she got her first taste of pizza crust.  She is definitely her daddy's daughter.  The girl loves her pizza!

Trying out the new baby carrier.  Claire is now the weight that Grace was at two years old.  Carrying her in the Bjorn was killing my back and shoulders.  Hoping this new one makes things a little easier since the girl still insists on being carried all the time.

Saturday Reunions

 Saturday was all about reunions.  The girls were reunited with the grandparents and spent the day with them.  I had lunch with my friends from my teaching days and in the evening, a girl's night with my friends from my Japan days.

It was wonderful spending time and catching up with good friends.  And the girls had a blast with the grandparents, as always.

Quick little story- for some reason, Claire freaks out and starts crying when my mother-in-law puts on her reading glasses.  She takes it off and Claire is fine, but when Grandma wears them, Claire will have no part of her.  Weird, I know.  I wear glasses when I'm at home, too, but it doesn't seem to bother her in the least.

While Grace is an amazing big sister- sweet, helpful, and kind- she does have moments where the little green monster makes an appearance.  It's hilarious when Grace is jealous.  Her eyebrows knit together and she starts talking in a pouty way, usually saying something like, "No one is giving me any love.  Hmmph."

This time though, Grandma was reading a story to the girls while Claire sat on her lap.  Grace went and got Grandma's glasses, handed it to her and said, "Here, Grandma, put on your glasses," knowing full well that it would mean Claire wouldn't want to stay with her.

Sneaky, sneaky girl!  But gotta love her creative way of getting Grandma all to herself!

My Landstown crew!  

It's such a small world in the Navy! We all met in Japan and now we're all together again.

A Pajama Kind of Valentine's Day

We had a very laid back Valentine's this year.  In fact, it was so laid back the girls stayed in their pajamas for most of the day.

We started off this morning with an excited Grace giving us a wake up call by announcing, "It's Valentine's Day!"  She has been looking forward to Valentine's Day with almost the same level of excitement as Christmas.  Even though we had nothing special on the agenda for the day (hence the pajama wearing), I tried to make it memorable for my girls.

I surprised them with a table decorated with balloons, flowers, and a goody bag full of treats.

I let Grace eat pure sugar for breakfast- heart shaped donuts.

She was thrilled with the breakfast menu.  When I asked her what she wanted for lunch she said, "Chocolate.  Just chocolate."  A girl after my own heart! 

Grace said we couldn't forget about Daddy, "our special Valentine because he's our only boy".    I let her pick out his gift and she wanted to go to his favorite store, Jos A. Bank, to pick out a pink tie.  All of it completely her idea, including which store to go to.  I have no idea how she figured out his favorite store, but her logic for picking out his present was flawless- "He wears a tie all the time for school, so we'll get him one but in a Valentine color."

Claire checking out her stuff.

"Seriously, mama, this is all I get?!?  Some baby food wrapped in ribbon?"  Poor second child!

Another Late Night

It never fails that whenever Grace has a school party the following day, I am up way too late the night before working on a project or baking a treat.  I wanted Grace to really participate in making her Valentines for her classmates and teachers.  I made her write out her name on every single card and she helped me tape the picture onto the cardstock paper.  I thought that starting on them a week before they were due to be passed out was plenty of time.

I was wrong.  I finally sent her to bed an hour past her bedtime and I stayed up until one in the morning putting on the finishing touches.

When Grace woke up, she was so happy with the way they turned out that it made the late night worth it.  Although next year, I'm seriously going to contemplate store bought cards.

A special Valentine "delivered' by Grace.

Teacher gift

Another teacher gift.  It's socks rolled to look like a  frosted cupcake.   Grace and I thought it was cute.  Mike thought it  just looked like socks rolled up into a cup.

Grace was so excited about all the Valentines she received.

Daddy brought home a sweet treat for Claire, too!  She immediately dropped it on the floor and it broke into pieces, but she loved it all the same.

Back to the Gym

When we first moved to Williamsburg, Claire was 2 months old and I was determined to shed the baby weight quickly.  We found a great gym that had a babysitting service that took infants as young as 6 weeks old and immediately signed up for a two year contract.

But that was when our sweet Claire was a little cry baby.  Literally.  You wouldn't know it seeing our cheerful little cutie now, but back then was another story.  She would cry inconsolably if she wasn't in my arms.  Mike and I would go to the gym and one of us would inevitably get called to the baby room because they couldn't get her to calm down.

When Claire was 4 months old, she worked herself up so much that she threw up all over the babysitter.  I don't mean a little spit up either.  The poor young lady was covered in Claire's throw up.  I was mortified.  And I haven't been back to the gym since.

Until today.  Since Claire has mellowed quite a bit since then and her stranger anxiety is a thing of the past, I decided it was time to go back to the gym.  As I was grapevining my way through a Zumba class, I prayed that Claire was behaving herself.

When I went to pick her up, the babysitter, who was the same one that Claire got sick on five months ago, told me she was a happy little baby who behaved so well.  Success!

Now I have no more excuses.   Time to shed the weight equivalent of Claire!

Nothing But Goodness

Mondays are always hard on just about everyone, but it was especially challenging for me today  because Claire decided that 5 AM was a good time to get up for the day.  And you would think that an extra early wake up would mean some really good naps later in the day.  Nope.  Not my baby girl.  I'm blessed with many, many things, but children who like to sleep is not one of them.

After getting Grace off to school with her Daddy, I tried to be productive, but all I managed to do was turn my upstairs hallway and bedroom floors into disasters with piles of sorted laundry waiting to be washed.  My little Miss Crankypants required my full attention and laundry sorting was about all she would let me do.

And wouldn't you know, Claire finally fell asleep later that morning.  About ten minutes before we had to pick up Grace from school.

The only other noteworthy event was that I made dinner tonight.  (Lemon orzo chicken soup, in case you were wondering.)  As we were sitting in the playroom watching the girls play, Mike said that my hair smelled like food.  Yes, it smells like that because I cooked you a meal, buddy!  So romantic, isn't he?  This is the same guy who used to call me beautiful every time he spoke to me on the phone.  He tried to tell me it was a compliment because he loves food.  Nice try.  Now he owes me a night out at a nice restaurant.

Thankfully, my sweet girl came to my rescue and when her daddy asked her to smell mama's hair and tell him what it smelled like, she said, "Nothing but goodness!"

Borrowing big sister's microphone.  She danced and lip synced along to Dora's song.

Claire's also a big fan of the dollhouse.  She likes to try and eat the furniture.