{Potty Training Merry-Go-Round}

I love merry-go-rounds...okay, as a kid I did. Now I step on one with Landen and Caroline and I pray to God I can find something to focus on so I won't puke or pass out in the four minutes (that feels like twenty!) we're on it.  Lord knows I packed a change of clothes for everyone but myself.

I am enjoying her smiling face but let's be honest, she's what I'm focusing on so I don't throw up!

Potty training has been kinda like a merry-go-round for us. We get on and we're good for awhile and then it stopped-all of a sudden. So we took a break and all of the sudden the merry-go-round started back up this past weekend. I'm done. The gloves are off (except for those pesky accidents)  and this is going to happen this time. Caroline has over come her fear of doing you know what on it so surly we should be golden! 

Today was a school day for Landen and Caroline.  In the beginning of potty training, I would be so nervous about Caroline wetting her pants in public or on our long drive into work. My perspective has changed and I'm at the point where I'm thinking worse things can happen.  Knowing the interstate was shut down (Pray for that poor family!!) and traffic would be backed up, I packed a ton of extra clothes and crocs (easy cleaning!) and we took off. We were in the car for a good hour before arriving to school. I prayed she would make it down the hall to my classroom to use the potty because we were already running late. Sure enough she made it! Now, from this point on, I figured what will be will be. I'll just be packing lots of extra clothes and Kroger bags :-) 


I'm beginning to think I should have listened to a friend of mine who told us this past summer that for the majority of kids potty training happens at three years of age. I'm thinking I should have listened to her...when will I learn. 

I hope you are well and enjoying the week. Today was beautiful and my only regret is that I couldn't teach outside all day. I hoped you soaked it up to rejuvenate yourself! Remember to be kind to yourself, Moms! You're special. The days may seem long sometimes, but they are the best days of our lives...and anyways, you're amazing so take each day to bask in it!

Keep Calm and Mommy On! 

xoxox

Danielle 

{Pause}

Have you ever have a moment where life is quickly is drawn into perspective? I am not sure if it's because I'm getting older or if It's because I have children now, maybe it's both, but I have become more sensitive to the realities of the world. The possibilities of good and worrisome things that could happen to my family, friends, and the free soil we live on everyday.

Yesterday, I was in my blissful world of a wonderful work place, Starbucks coffee, and a night out at Lachey's in Over the Rhine with my friends. A girls night out that I felt I deserved since the past couple months have consisted of interrupted and restless nights of sleep while juggling everything else in our life. It was the best night. Great food, fun bar, awesome friends, tweets from Nick Lachey and I was double dog dared to say hello and take a pic with Justin, who was picking up dinner, from 98 degrees.  I was relaxed, happy, and everything was just right in the world.

I woke up this morning to two happy kiddos and my awesome husband.  Loving all the good moments and counting to ten for the more challenging moments with twins. Aaron and I headed out for a day out together and one stop was to see American Sniper.  Aaron briefed me on the story line, which I was familiar with since it had been such a big story a couple years ago on the news. The story of Chris Kyle was captured in an amazing way-my opinion of course.

I left the theater in silence as most other people did too. It's an on the edge of your seat,gut wrenching, true story that continues to have a hold of me at the moment. I tried "running it off" and after four and a half miles, my mind and heart is with all of the families out there whose family members are worried sick about their loved one or are mourning the loss of a friend/family member. American Sniper was probably the closest I would get to really seeing and understanding an ounce of  what it's like for those serving our country.

I can't help but be thankful for being able to live in an area of peace. Where I can get up and live this amazing life God has given us. I am now more cognoscente of what and WHO it has taken to live in a free country.  As I said in my "freedom" post, Thank you...from the bottom of my heart to those who serve our country and the families who spend restless nights worried about their loved ones. My restless nights can't compare to yours. I will be forever grateful for what you're doing for me and my family.



Keep Calm and Mommy On (in perspective) 

xoxoxo
Danielle 

{Don't Let a Little Toilet Water Ruin Your Day}

Do you ever have days where if you don't laugh you will cry? We spend most of our time 'laughing it off' at our house because we would spend our lives being upset otherwise-who wants to live like that?

Do you remember how last week I  mentioned how Caroline was a flight risk anymore, now we can add Landen to the list. My trust pal is not trusty anymore. 

Today I thought I was being smart by packing my van up at school before picking up the kids from preschool-freeing up my hands to hold on tight to them in the parking lot. This worked out great until halfway on our journey through the building when Landen and Caroline decided they no longer wanted to wear their backpacks and carry their lunch boxes...now my hands and shoulders were full.  Let's just the moment the exchange of goods took place Landen started up a flight of stairs while Caroline ran up a ramp in the opposite direction. They had to of plotted against me through ESP! 

Luckily, my friend was walking out with us and she was able to round Caroline up while I ran after Landen-who had made it up the second flight of stairs. Stride Rite, what are you putting in those shoes? Mini rockets?! So, I'm thinking I need a grocery cart..something I can throw the kids in and all their stuff without having to strap them into the stroller which they hate. I know, socially its unacceptable...but wouldn't it be a funny sight? 

This past weekend I had some fantastic moments as a parent-who says that? I'm kidding. Let's just say Caroline blew out her diaper in her white pants and I didn't find out until I was changing her on the floor of the minivan in the dark and I noticed something dark on my fingers! Ugh yuck! It didn't just happen once that diaper change it happend twice..possibly more but you just don't keep track in these situations.  We got Caroline all fixed up and on our way home we went. 

When we got home Landen insisted upon trying out the potty. Okay, sure-why not. I put him on facing the tank with a piece of cheese, he had insisted upon, in his hand-such a boy.  At this point I was bent over helping him and he droped a piece of cheese in the toilet and the water (thank G-d it was clean at this point-still disgusting) splashed up in my face hitting me in the eye.  At this point I was not very mature...I of course squealed and said how gross it was-hilarious to two-year olds of course!  I'm thinking I need to invest in an eye wash like science labs have, it would come in handy our house! 

Parenting really opens your life up to situations you couldn't ever dream up. It can either make you go crazy on days you are worn down or keep your flexibility skills in shape while you're somehow still running a top the moving ball we call life.....Moms, we need to have our bad days. Go ahead and call them that, but don't let them control the next bright day ahead of you. Find a way to refresh, laugh, and move on. 

The job of a Mom is a big one! Many of you are single moms, working moms, stay-at-home moms, and moms for a second time (I.e. Grandparents who are babysitting full time or raising their grand children).  Be kind to yourself and laugh when you want to cry....or heck,  have a good cry if you need to!  But find a way to move on from toilet water I your face and poop on your fingers, because there are going to be plenty more along the way ;-) 

Keep Calm and Mommy On! 

Xoxoxo

Danielle 

Dark Circles, Wrinkle Cream & "Where is Caroline?"

My week can pretty much be summed up by three things: dark circles, wrinkle cream & "Where is Caroline?! " When Landen and Caroline were babies, the were the best sleepers! I knew back then there would come a time where Aaron and I would experience days and nights of pure exhaustion-duh! We read the 'parenting' books!

Honestly, it doesn't bother me too much there are rough nights-there is nothing coffee can't get me through. By the end of the week, like tonight, I'm beginning to feel the affects of those middle of the night wake up calls. This morning I was standing at the bathroom sink taking off some leftover eye-liner that had made me look alive the previous day, and I continued to wipe and wipe under my eyes. I even got a clean cotton pad with make-up remover and it wasn't coming off! Then I realized it wasn't make-up and it wasn't going to come off! It was just dark circles- thank G-d for concealer.  Just like stretch mark after pregnancy, dark circles are another badge of parenting. On!!

This year I'll be turning thirty and unlike some people, I'm super excited-I feel like my life is like a bottle of wine-it just gets better with age. Did your parents ever say to you, " with age comes privilege?" I heard it often growing up and I garunteed you I will be saying it to Landen and Caroline.  Back when I was a kid (oh my! I am getting old) those earned  privileges were fun to gain but now my recent 'privilege' is night cream and eye cream-not as exciting as taking out the family mustang or an extended curfew.  Wether or not I need the creams, I have to say they feel amazing, now to see if they work!  I have a hunch the next thing will be grey hair and Caroline may just be the one to give them to me! 

Caroline has been running off on me and Landen is a slow poke- MOST of the time.  This makes it really difficult when you're standing in a parking lot and Caroline takes off down the front of the cars in snow and ice. Did I mention we were on a hill above a busy road!  Needless to say my trusty partner, Landen, who listens,  stood safely on the curb and watched me chase her down. Moments like these often times gives me the best ideas! I'm wearing a backpack on the days they go to school! That way I have two free hands to hold on tight to both of them-not ready for leashes yet...I dont think I can do it mostly because one of the two would take off on me while I was strapping the other one down!

I have to say, being kept on my toes makes parenting a lot of fun. I hope through the dark circles, creams, and chaos you fellow Mommas are able to enjoy the 'privileges' we have earned and Mommy 

Xoxoxoxox

Danielle 

{Moving On}

Since I went back to work in the fall, time has hardly stood still.  In August, a week before school started, our pup, Addy, lost control of her hind legs one morning. I was devastated. It was horrible to watch and knowing her mind was there and her body was not, made it even worse.  Aaron took her to the doctors. The resident doctor asked if she had been hit by a car, because her spine and back end was bad.  The doctor gave her some miracle drugs that allowed her to gain control. But unfortunately this was only temporary.

Addy came along a year before Aaron and I got married in 2007.  We drove out on a cold day to a little town in Indiana. The town looked like it was something out of a movie. Curvy roads, and one hill where you could over look the town of small sections of farm land outlined by fences and little white churches with steeples to a perfect point. We arrived at a small home and ahead of us was a fenced in yard with grass that had yellowed from the cold wet weather. Out through the mud barreled a feisty pup begging to be taken home. I remember noticing her tail right away. It was an odd stub of a tail, much longer than most Rottweilers. She was overall a little ragged. But we came with a warm blanket; how could we walk away? We knew we could give her a good home. Doesn't every dog deserve one? 

Aaron and I didn't ask many questions, he got her papers, and off we went to the vets.  When we arrived, this fierce, but happy, puppy ran in through the door. She got checked out and we were pretty much told right away that Addy probably had the mange-she just looked really rough. But she was okay; she got her shots and away we went.  This was the beginning of our family. 

Over the next couple of years, Addy watched us study for our college classes, went for daily walks, drives in the Jeep, and weekend camping trips. She gave us a run for our money some times. She was loving but was not afraid to share how she felt.  We treated her like our baby, pressing her paw into clay and proudly displaying it in a shadow box frame. She was our guard dog, companion, and first child. She was our O' Hana. 

I have to say I'm sad I lost time with her when I was in the hospital waiting for the twins to be born. She saw me one morning and then didn't see me for months until I walked in with not one baby, but two. I missed out on cuddles and talking to her about the babies coming. Addy was so excited the day I arrived and walked in the door. I remember her closely following up the stairs because I was so eager to see the nursery Aaron and our family put together. We now had a new family with Addy. We had a much bigger family in which she loved and protected.













When the meds started to not work anymore, Aaron put the call in the doctors. They explained there was nothing more they could do. The next morning was going to be "It."  My mom told me I had to be strong for her. It took everything I had not to cry over her so instead we cuddled and we all loaded up in the van for her very last car ride . The kids were having fun, Addy was smiling like she did whenever we were traveling together. It killed me inside.

The next day, we dropped the kids off at my parents house. Aaron and I drove back to Indiana with her one last time to the vets.  At this point, she wasn't able to move very much at all. She was happy, cuddly, and we sat in the back end of our van with her. We talked to her, rubbed her, and gave her big hugs. I've never done anything so hard in my life.

Landen and Caroline ask about Addy all the time. They say, "Addy sick Mommy?" out of the blue. Right after her passing they would ask if she was in the van. I love that they still remember her and ask about her.  It's much easier now thinking about her, I swear I still see her out by the fence in 'her' spot. I hope they somehow can remember her as they get older. Every day I drive up my parents drive and she's there on my left side  to "say hello to." She loved their yard.

This Christmas, I pulled out the box of decorations marked Garland and Stockings.  I was so excited, as they are the first things I like to put up on our mantle. I sifted through to find the stockings and came across Addy's. After having been forced to move on from her passing because of our hectic busy life, I couldn't help but pause and think of the past Christmases Aaron and I had shared with her before kids.  I placed it on the mantle this year for Riley to use so I could have a piece of her with me.

2014 was a difficult year for many people, joyous for others, and  a mix of both for some.  Our year, I would say, was a mix. It's very easy to become caught up in the tragedy of the world and the loss of those who are still very dear to our hearts-people and pets. While we have to let ourselves grieve, I find we have to find a way to move on. If I didn't have work and a busy household to run, I probably would have had an extremely difficult time. Moving on DOES NOT mean forgetting. It means we hold them so close to our hearts that we know they are with us daily while we make new memories with our family and friends around us and hopefully we will cherish those memories more than we would have ever before.

While I miss those sweet puppy-brown-eyes gazing into mine as well as that somewhat silent companionship, I know in 2015 I need to make sure I give my best to Riley, our Chocolate Lab, and I need to continue moving on....I hope for any of you Mommas who have or are experiencing loss will find peace in 2015.


Danielle

{Wrestling With Resolutions}

It's THAT time of the year. The local gyms go from being abandon to being fought over for twenty-four hours a day. It can be the most frustrating time of the year for those who are dedicated members who have stuck with it and made every month count at the gym. I was once a dedicated gym member arriving at five A.M. annoyed the doors weren't unlocked yet, then I would return after work and get some lifting in...those days are gone!  Do you have a New Year's Resolution? Do you keep away from them?

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