10 years later ...

Ten years ago today, I married my love.  The day began with rain, tears of joy from heaven.  The day ended with lots of laughs, a few tears, the wrong cake, many drinks, family and friends, and a future to build.

Why do I love Michael:

10.  He has this very canny way of turning tantrum children into happy children.

9.  He knows that I like my coffee black and he saves all the folded over potato chips or Doritos for me.

8.  He appreciates my profession.  He thinks I am amazing for what I do every day in a classroom.

7.  He tells me I am beautiful.

6.  He just brought me these:

    

5.  He says thank you for dinner.  He'll remember to start the dishwasher at night.  He washes my car.  

4.  When I am stressed, he'll bring me wine.

3.  He works hard.  He works really hard.  And do you know who he works really hard for?  His children and me.

2.  When we disagree we still love each other.

1.  Because God meant me to love him.

August 30th, 2013

Go to your room ...

Do not pass go.

Do not collect 200 dollars or a juice box from the fridge.

Do you need to go potty?  Don't lie to me.  Do you need to go.  Go potty, then go in your room.  Do not come out of your room until I come get you.

Do you need a diaper?  Are you wet?  Did you poop?  Go to your room.  (F&$%, this is when I realize that Charlie still sleeps in a crib and I have to lift him into this crib.)  Here's a book.  I'm not happy with you, Charlie.

Max go to your room.  Do not come out.  Here's a book.  Take a rest.  I'm not happy with you, Max.

Now, that I am in my basement, let me tell you what has happened.  I have discovered my children's monster identities.  The Tazmanian Devil, Chip and Dale, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and Veruca Salt, Nellie Olsen, and Randy from "A Christmas Story" all rolled up together in two magnificent packages. I was going to pull my hair out ... before they actually did.

Max
Max whines.
Max stands at the top of the staircase whining and pleading to be picked up BECAUSE he doesn't want to walk down the stairs.
Max will push Charlie out of the way so he can get to me and be closer to me.  Physically closer.
Max believes the answer to everything is NO.  Just ... NO.

Charlie
Charlie screams ... whenever he wants.  6:13am as we wake up ... he screams.
He hits.  "nice touches Charlie."  Hits.
He wants the car keys.
He wants to turn the car on.
He doesn't want to get in his car seat.
He will kick, push, scream, thrash about, holler, cry, bend, twist, launch himself across the car to get out of his car seat.

So ... today I had it and they knew it.  And I blessedly had almost an hour to myself.  And for the rest of the day, all I had to say was "room" and they stopped.

They are slowly growing up, hopefully sooner than later when it comes to their maturity(for their age ofcourse).  But my little men are still my little men.  If I ever want to snuggle up to Max in bed, he won't kick me out.  If Charlie wants to wrestle on the floor, I'll always let him win.  I still struggle to be the tough mum, yet laying down the the law today felt pretty damn good.

get to know your surroundings

I have lived in Hershey, Pennsylvania for just over a month now.  I am slowly learning the back roads, where the closest Starbucks is, NOT to even venture down HersheyPark Drive during a weekend or concert night (unless I want the kids to nap in the car), and that it can smell like chocolate one day and sewage the next.  

It is fun to say I live in Hershey.  My husband works for Hershey.  My kids attend the U-Gro center in Hershey and we now live in Hershey.  Our church is right here.  I am starting to recognize people when  I go out.  

My new house gives me such joy.  The boys love the back yard and I love walking our little streets, searching for cicadas.

So today I got to know something else nearby.  Max, Charlie, and I ventured out to the nearest farm for some fruit picking.  It was blackberry day and we had a blast.   

on our way out ...

we picked the black ones

caught in the act of taste-testing ... the evidence was all over his shirt

"Charlie ... chickens."

on our way in ... 

2.2 lbs. of blackberries

Strites Orchard was fantastic - we'll be going back soon!

August 10th, 2013

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