so ... we moved.

I think we need a bigger pool.

finally ... a hydrangea bush

yardwork

So, you know how moving goes, right?  Boxes everywhere.  Numerous runs to the hardware store (or dumpsters out back of the liquor stores) to get more boxes, packing tape, stuffing.  Your life evolves by what is packed and what isn't yet packed.  Two pairs of CLEAN underpants left and three towels.

The food choices become that long lost box of Cream of Wheat, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, and dry cereal.  I say dry cereal because you have not had milk for three days and refuse to buy any.  It's one less thing you will have to move.  Your kids become very familiar with take out or fast food or macaroni and cheese or your favorite restaurant that serves alcohol because we all know that is needed.

Your kids DO NOT understand the concept of packed, or being packed, or going to be packed, or will be packed tomorrow.  They do not understand where everything went.  For some reason your almost four year old remembers that Halloween book, "Room on the Broom," and they want it for story time RIGHT NOW.  Can I tell you how many times I repacked the trains ... THREE.

You and your husband HATE EACH OTHER.  Then you love each other.  THEN you HATE EACH OTHER EVEN MORE.  Then you love each other ... eternally.

Movers ... our movers came at 2pm.  They were supposed to be there at 9am.  I am NOT going to get into this but this was one part I was not in charge of.

Unpacking ... lots more fun than packing.

Cleaning a house ... much more fun than cleaning an apartment.

Backyard.  First of all, after 5 years our lawn mower started up on the first try.  Score.  The boys are in heaven - they can dash where they want and we don't have to worry about any tenants below us.  We have the toys out, balls everywhere, toy trucks, and my husband is in his glory with a garage (At least I have a place to send him.)

All in all, we're surviving our move and the kids are being ... CRAY CRAY.  They love it which is the most important thing.  And so do we.  We're not doing this for a very long time.

And Michael and I leave for our 10th anniversary trip WITHOUT kids in two days to Florida.  I hear a pool, Minnie Mouse, and many adult beverages calling my name.  Not necessarily in that order.

July 21st, 2013

sleep training ... the saga continues

My boys are early risers.  Normally this is fine with me as when I work I get up at about zero 5 hundred.  However, now that I am off for the summer and Michael does not get up until about 6:30am, my early morning boys are driving me a little nuts.  An extra half hour let alone an hour would be amazing.

I want to try this ...

http://www.goodnitelite.com/

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or something of the like?  A few friends have said they have worked like magic, yet my concern is that I have waited to long.

Also, we're moving.  CAN I SAY IT LOUD AND EXCITED ... we're finally moving.  Just bought a lovely home in the borough of Hershey, PA.  How "sweet" is that!  Anyhoo, the boy's rooms will be upstairs from us, so besides gating the top of the steps, I need a way to keep Max in his bed.

Please give me some thoughts!

Thanks,
sleep deprived Natasha

June 29th, 2013

dumpster diving

I am not talking about McDonald's at the end of a night when you were broke ass in college and hungry.  Come on, admit it, you atleast considered it ...

Max, Charlie, and I were walking Annie - our four-legged little lady, before a morning full of errands until she decided to make a deposit around the neighborhood.  So I dutifully bagged it up to dispose of in the proper receptacle.  Let me rephrase myself.  I first of all fended off two little boys who wanted to pick up the poop themselves.  THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.  Then it was a fight over who would carry it, throw it away, try to untie the bag, etc. etc. etc.  Seriously, this is what they fight over.  DOG SHIT.  Max won after a bird distracted Charlie and off he went to the dumpster to throw it away.  Now our apartment dumpsters are encased by lovely wooden sheds to hide the unsightliness of them with doors that can be opened and shut by the rubbish men.  Max goes around and launches the bag into the dumpster while holding my keys - do I need to tell you what happened next?!  Poor little guy - he IMMEDIATELY knew something was not right.  His face was so scared.  Threw clenched teeth I told him all was fine.  After biting my tongue, I had to figure out how to get out my keys.  I am only 5"3" - there was no launching myself into the dumpster, especially with Max, Charlie, and a freaking out Annie at this point - she is scared of the dumpsters.  So ... I took the tall rusty pole that the doors of the shed open and close with and fish out my keys.  Thank goodness the dumpsters had been emptied out that morning, or I could have been fishing through coffee grounds, dirty diapers, and yesterday's mail.  I came out a little sweaty, hands covered in rusty grease, and with keys.  And we went on with our day.

Now I did do some actual dumpster rummaging a few hours later while trying to find boxes to accommodate packing - liquor stores are great for this.  Unfortunately, the boxes had been broken down and placed in the dumpsters already.  Don't mind the girl with her SUV back door open nonchalantly parked behind a strip mall fishing through a dumpster for boxes with emblems of Cupcake Vineyards, Captain Morgan, and Yellowtail.

I have no shame.

It's a good thing I did get some boxes yesterday.  Quiet time, my ass.



















Note to self - do not let child carry keys on walk and quiet time is very rarely going to happen.

June 25th, 2013

Goodbye Room 203

Last Monday, I closed the door to my middle school classroom one last time.  My boxes and file cabinet sat neatly taped, labeled, and stacked by the door.  They were labeled with my name, my school's initials, and my new room assignment; room 214.

Now this room 214 is not simply down the hallway.  Oh no, this room is in the high school.  That's right folks.  This teacher is moving on up!

I am excited for the new challenge of teaching high school French and very excited to have my same students, yet it is so bittersweet to leave my middle school family.  These are the people that helped me through two pregnancies, numerous ups and downs in my teaching career, I have laughed with them and cried with them.  We've exchanged educational theories and nasty jokes.  Some have left.  Some remain.

As two of the funniest guys I know would say, "stay classy STMS."

June 22nd, 2013

Toddler Antics ... part?

As I tried to get a few more minutes of blessed sleep this morning since he was awake before 5AM. 

That was a brand new roll ...  

 

"Charlie, what are the animals doing?"

"Poop."

All strapped in and ready to go; Dory, Squirt, Nemo, and .... Jingle.

No, they are not twins ... one didn't grow and one did.  I swear.

Max is too big for naps.  Did you know this?  I was not made aware.  Yet, his animals needed to sleep. All the little bumps underneath all the blankets are animals.  When I wanted to vacuum he said they had to sleep.  I told him we would be very quiet, move them to his bed, and then Mummy could vacuum.  He was fine with that.

Yep, he's too big for naps.

This is what happens when you put stickers all over the door.  You have to unstick them. 

Is it bedtime yet?

June 8th, 2013

The intervention, when and when?

So ..........

Let's dish.

No, seriously, for reals.  My question is this:

When is it right to stand over your children and make sure they are playing nicely and calmly and not hurting each other?  It is all I ever feel like I do.  When can I trust that they are calmly playing with trucks or reading books or building blocks and I can actually sit and have a HOT cup of coffee?

Today at a school picnic held at the school due to threatening rain, majority of the other mothers or fathers could sit, enjoy a meal, listen to the retirees speak ... while I chased my children up and down the hallways and tried to shove food down their throats.

When do you know if your children are ready to play on their own?  I know it is much easier shut in our apartment than at a school picnic, but I want to able to say I have let them be, let them build their imaginations, let them share ... without pummeling each other!

June 2nd, 2013

My 2 year old

There he is ... 2 years old.  He rushed into this world 2 years ago after a very quick but never forgetful painful 2 1/2 hours for mum.  He is a whirlwind.  A cuddle bug.  Our big little boy.

Now, I know you are wondering about the rather obvious bandage on Charlie's head.  As I picked him up from U-Gro yesterday, Charlie heard the Life Lion.  Life Lion is the helicopter that flies to save lives for the literally adjoining Penn State Hershey Medical Hospital next door to U-Gro.  [Got to love the fact the ER is right there.]  Ok, back to the story.  Charlie heard LifeLion, so he ran to the window to see it pass and in doing so, slipped and hit his head into the door frame.

I'll not go into "Psycho" like details of what happened and ensued next, but I'll just show you this.  Poor Max was quite upset that little brother Charlie was hurt and thank goodness for Miss Terri who was there to help me.

So we finally got home just after 9pm after a good four hours of waiting, numbing, sedating, stitching, etc.  Max was quite a gem after the earlier tears and mum and dad had no idea what it was like to contain a 2 year old coming out of sedation.  We have a few bruises to say the least.

I understand boys are boys.  A lot more rough and tough is in my future, I know.  Yet I was not prepared for the amount of blood yesterday, the tears from Max, the shock on Michael's face when he got to the ER.  No one is ready for their little ones to get hurt.  The fact that I did this not much more than a month earlier did not make it easier.  Just calm breaths, patience, and hide your own tears.

Thankfully, Charlie seems right as rain as he ran all over the apartment with his new teddy bear, had a bite of cake, and played Pooh sticks with Max today.

And I'm fine too.

May 25th, 2013