12/13/11

Back to normal today. Thankfully nothing too crazy happened while I was out yesterday...just a few things to catch up on, but that just made the day go faster, so not the end of the world.

I really don't have a ton to report on today. Just the standard work, home, play, bed kind of day. Buddy finally found a pretty successful hiding place tonight, it took the girls FOREVER to find him with their new frisbees :)

12/12/11

VENT AHEAD!!!

Today was a bit of a frustrating day. Last week my mother in law told me that she had some appointments this morning. I don’t really have time to talk to her in the morning…I’m always running late, so I just drop the girls off, get them inside and go. So, that night, I asked Christian to talk to her and figure out what’s going on to see if we can figure out a way that I won’t have to take the whole day off. Well, fast forward to this morning. I woke up, showered, got ready – like any other day. Christian got up, showered, and came into the room to get dressed, like any other day. Then he asks “where are you taking the girls today”. I looked at him dumbfounded and said “your parents’ house of course”. And, from there, fight insured. Turns out, he had never talked to his parents, so no plan was made. God forbid I leave something up to him and trust it will get done. I was livid at this point, and he said “fine, I’ll stay home then”. We both know this isn’t possible – his work gives them leave time, but they frown upon actually using it, so it’s really not an option. So I said, of course I’ll use MY leave time, let MY work sit, like usual, and stay home.

He called me on his way to work and said he talked to his mom, and I could drop the girls off after her appointments. This wasn’t so bad, at least it was only a half day then at that point. So, that was the plan. The girls got up; I fed them and got them dressed so we’d be ready to go. Before I knew it, it was after noon and I hadn’t heard anything. Low and behold, she was STILL with the doctor, which meant it was going to be at least 1:00 by the time they got home. Obviously, pointless for me to go in. So, that was it. I was officially taking the entire day off, and very upset about it. Thankfully the girls were pretty well-behaved for me.

I know I should have been more proactive about checking with him to make sure something was planned, but I feel like I should be able to trust him to do it on his own. After I cooled down, I did explain to him exactly what my issue was – his lack of support and help, rather than having to take the day off. Hopefully he understands, and will be more attentive in the future.

It was a pretty early night for us all. I had exerted too much energy being upset, and the girls were just plain tired. Buddy showed up today, hiding in the fridge (I would call that cheating really), with some books. The girls thought it was pretty funny.

12/11/11

Sunday has arrived again. And, today was another end to another amazing weekend.

We started the day off bright and early. We ate some breakfast, showered/bathed, got ready and were on our way. Today’s big event was a trip to see Santa! I wanted to get there earlier in the day…before the girls got too crabby, and before the mall got too busy. It’s always a little nerve-wracking to visit Santa/the Easter Bunny – you just never know how the girls are going to react. Lucky for us, the girls LOVED Santa. They both sat on his lap and were smiling and laughing like crazy. They were so excited to see him – and we didn’t even have to wait in line, which was a definite bonus. Santa gave each of the girls a big package of Christmas Peeps too, YUM!

Since it was so early, we wandered the mall for a while. I ended up buying myself a little Christmas present…I’ve been seeing those head wrap-like things all over – they are basically a cross between earmuffs and a hat – neither of which I really care for. We crossed a kiosk selling these wraps, and I just had to have one. I’m super excited about it. Christian didn’t end up finding anything he wanted though…poor guy. LOL. We stopped in for a quick lunch on our way out, and were home for naps and some relaxing. I went through coupons and ads, and made my weekly shopping list. Christian was off to help his friend with the floor again, and the girls took a nice long nap.

After naps, the girls and I had some pizza, wings and a lot of play time. Christian came home as we were staring to relax and settle in for the evening. After some quick baths, the girls were off to bed, and the weekend was basically over. Tonight, the girls found Buddy hiding under Christian’s nightstand with some foam puzzle mats. Those kept the girls pretty entertained through the evening!

Here is today's picture of that sneaky little Elf, and the girls with Santa.

12/10/11

Today was a VERY busy, very exhausting day!!!

After some breakfast and showering, Amelia and I were off to sell some movies (off Craigslist) and do a little shopping. I had to pick up a few necessities at Target, and they had a special “Spend $50 get a $10 gift card” coupon good through today, so of course I had to use that! I wanted to spend a little alone time with Amelia since Olivia has a very special afternoon coming up.

The girls went down for their naps right when I got home, while Christian and I ate some lunch. I eventually had to wake Olivia up and get her ready…today, she and I were off, with my mom, Kelly and Meeka, to see “Disney on Ice”. My mom brought her, for part of the show, last year, but she was a little too young to really understand how cool it was. I couldn’t wait to take her this year and see how she would react. I picked my mom up, and we got to the show just in time. She was in awe of the whole thing, it was so fun watching her take it all in. Of course, we stocked up on a few overpriced goodies during intermission, but the whole experience was worth every penny – she was so amazed by the whole event, she deserved every bit of that joy!

While we were at the show, Christian spent some time at his parents’ house with Amelia. Olivia and I ate some dinner and hung out for a while until they came home. We spent a little family time, and it was bedtime before we knew it!

Tonight was my 10-Year High School Reunion. I’ve been debating going since the plans started. Outside of Facebook, the only person I actually talk to from school is Kari – and she couldn’t go to the reunion. I started making some tentative plans with a couple girls – but they weren’t able to go until later at night. I finally got a text from one of them, Emily, around 8:30 letting me know that she was going. So, I hoped in the car and was in my way to meet her. I was a little nervous…I didn’t know what to expect, or who would even be there…and of course, I was sure that nobody would even remember me. I was pleasantly surprised. I had such an amazing time catching up with a few people – and I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. It was nice to get up, and I’m actually really happy that I didn’t miss out. High school, like it or not, is (and should be) such a huge part of your growing up experience. I think I would have been really bummed out if I would have missed out on it.

I finally got home around 12:30 (I know, but that’s REALLY late for me) and settled in for the night. It was definitely a SUPER busy day, but in the end, it was a pretty amazing one.

Today, Buddy was “hiding” in plain sight. He brought Olivia and early Christmas gift, her Rapunzel dress, and brought Amelia a little Winnie the Pooh figurine. Lucky girls to have such a generous Elf :)

Here are some pictures of today's events...only one snap from the reunion, but of course MANY from the show. LOL

12/9/11

Friday, sweet, sweet Friday. Between Holiday’s, and Flex Days, I haven’t worked a Friday in a LONG time. It felt strange…I prefer not being there on Friday’s personally :)

I did end up leaving a little early. I ended up making some last minute play date plans with Kelly and the kids, so I headed home to do some cleaning up and get the house a little organized. Our guests arrived shortly after I picked up the girls from my mom’s house. Olivia was SO excited to have her BFF over. We ate some McDonald’s and the girls played the night away. It’s usually one fight after another when Olivia and Meeka get together, but they actually played REALLY well together tonight. There were a couple of sharing/”I want what you have” issues, but that is to be expected. They had so much fun together. It was interesting to watch Amelia…she kind jumped between being really interested in Niko and what he was all about (being closer in age and size to her), and wanting to do what the girls were doing, but not quite able to keep up.

While we had our little play date, Christian went to his friends new house to help him install some flooring in his bathroom. He arrived home shortly after the Madrid’s left, unfortunately for him, also right after the girls went to bed. I was pretty tired, so he was on his own for the evening. LOL

Tonight, the girls found Buddy hiding in one of the “nooks” in the entry with some bath books. I LOVE these bath books, they keep the girls really entertained during their baths.

12/8/11

Today was a usual, low-key Thursday. Work has been going great…I’ve managed to stay pretty caught up lately, which feel great, but it seems like everything I touch has some kind of problem. While it can be pretty stressful, I know that in the end it’s a good thing. Stressful, “new” stuff only helps me learn more about my job, which definitely is not a bad thing. One of my co-workers approached me about not only being a part of a new “task force”, but actually chairing it. That kind of stuff is definitely not my “thing”, and the thought of it is a little overwhelming. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about that. He said that it can help me “advance”, but I honestly don’t see how – since that is not something that I would want to do regularly. We’ll see what happens there.

Christian’s work has been going great too. With the Holiday’s getting closer, the overtime is starting to add up – which is REALLY nice. I’m starting to get a little upset that all of their “promises” that they were “working on something” for him have still not turned into anything. Christian has been there for quite some time now…he’s always there, always dependable and accountable, puts in extra time and help whenever needed. He works SO hard, and I really wish he would get rewarded for it at some point.

Outside of work, everything was normal as usual. Tonight, Buddy was swinging from the Chandelier with glow necklaces for the girls. We thought for sure he would stay hidden forever, but both of the girls spotted him right away, as soon as they walked in the door, even with the lights off! They are too smart for Buddy, that’s for sure!

12/7/11

So, I’m super grateful to have finally gone into the eye doctor. I needed some new eyes like nobody’s business. However, I definitely did not take well to the eye dilating as I usually do. My vision was so blurry and messed up last night, ALL night, that I woke up with a pretty serious headache this morning. I couldn’t really sleep or anything, which didn’t help. So I ended up calling in sick to work today. Staring at a computer screen all day was NOT going to cure my headache, that’s for sure.

After some rest and some Excedrin, I finally started feeling a little better. I was able to catch up on some shows, I went through our closets to throw out some dirty, hole-filled clothes, get some clothes ready for donation and make them a little less jam-packed. Then, I started on the “office” again…still trying to get it sored through, and cleaned out, before the carpet cleaners come next month.

Before I knew it, Christian and the girls were on their way home. I made some dinner, and we hung out for the night. Tonight, the girls found Buddy hiding in their closet, with ribbon wands! I was a little worried about the weaponness of them, but the girls actually did great with them. They thought they were pretty cool, so job well done Buddy!

12/6/11

Well, I'm back! After disappearing for a while, I'm back. I don't know what my problem is...why I just give up on my blog so often now. I still love doing it, I just really forget about it all the time! I think 2012 is definitely going to bring some changes to the blog. I think we'll be moving towards a "52 Weeks" format, just to recap our weeks, and our favorite pictures. That should be more manageable for me, and still a good way to document our oh-so-exciting lives. But, until then, we'll just keep pushing through 2011....

Today was a pretty good day. I've managed to stay pretty well caught up at work the last week or so. I almost don't know what to do with myself. I've become so accustomed to being swamped, with no end in sight. Lately, I've been able to keep up, even on the tasks I put off as long as I can! The good thing about this is it gives me the ability to take some time off here and there, without the guilt I usually feel.

Christian's work is really starting to pick up with the Holiday season in full swing. He's been going in an hour or two early every day, and working and hour or so late. He's pretty exhausted, which isn't always too fun to deal with, but it's worth it.

Today I had a MUCH, MUCH, MUCH needed eye appointment. I am horrible about my eyes. I had perfect vision all through school, but it's been getting worse ever since. But, I only get myself into the doctor every 2 years or so. So, I was very excited about getting an updated prescription today. The appointment went well, and, of course, I had another pretty significant change in my sight. I ordered my new contacts, and now I'm on the lookout for a good deal on glasses. I thought I would be able to go back to work after my appointment, but my eyes didn't handle the dilation too well this time. So, instead, it was home for the rest of the day! Oh darn...

After some rest and readjusting, I was able to wrap all of our Christmas gifts! It feels good to have that done, and it's really hard to believe Christmas is less than 3 weeks away...WOW!

Christian and the girls got home right in time for dinner. They discovered Buddy the Elf hiding in the bathroom today. Buddy brought the girls each a puzzle, and I was pretty impressed with Olivia's skills. She got about halfway through it, with a little help. Amelia really just wanted to take hers apart. LOL

12/5/11

Today was a pretty lazy day. Just the usual, work and home. I had grand plans to do dishes and clean up the house when I got home from work, but I was just way too exhausted to do anything. I really need to start making some changes in my life. I need more energy, and need to be all around more healthy. Obviously this is the worst time to year to try to implement some healthier lifestyle choices...between Holiday stuff, running around, being busy at work and Christian's unpredictable work schedule, I don't want to set myself up for failure. I am going to start working on a plan that I can implement in the new year though.

So, it was definitely a laid back night for us. Luckily we have a fridge full of leftovers to tide us all over. I made the girls' videos from Santa today, and played them during dinner. Amelia thought it was pretty hilarious. Olivia was just entranced with it. I purposely made Olivia's video "naughty", in hopes that maybe Santa can get through to her, and get to her behave. And, honestly, it seemed like a little light switch went off as soon as Santa told her she "still has time to get on the nice list". She was like a whole new kid the rest of the night. Hopefully it sticks! You can watch their videos, they really are pretty cute: Olivia's and Amelia's.

Buddy the Elf was hiding up in the kitchen nook. It took the girls a LONG time to find him tonight (finally...I swear, Olivia has been spotting him as soon as she gets home/wakes up!). He brought the girls a couple of books tonight, and they LOVED them...they love books, it's cute.

12/4/11

Oh Sunday...another Sunday, another weekend comes to a close. It was nice to have a fairly lazy, relaxed weekend. Those are pretty rare this time of year!

Amelia slept in until 9:00 or so this morning, which was truly amazing! She definitely gets caught up on her sleep when Olivia isn't around. We didn't do much this morning. I showered quick as soon as I got up. Then Christian plowed the driveway quick, while Amelia and I just hung out. My mom brought Olivia home a little before nap time. She was immediately up to her usual antics. Really, worse than usual. She was acting out towards Amelia, and was not listening to a word I said. Let's just say, nap time could not come soon enough. So, we all ate some lunch and put the girls down for their naps.

While they napped, I was off to do some shopping. I ran to Hallmark to get Olivia's last birthday present, the precious moments figurine we get them for their birthday's. Next up, I stopped into the dollar store. I decided to have Buddy the Elf start bringing the girls little gifts every day. Yes, I am bribing my children. LOL. I'm just hoping a little rewarding will go a long way. I guess we'll see how that plan works out. Finally, I stopped in to Target to get a few groceries, and some wrapping paper. And, with that, I am basically done Christmas shopping! YES!

Christian and I cleaned up the house a little as soon as I got home, then it was time to start dinner. My Dad and stepmom were coming over for dinner tonight...I invited them over to celebrate his birthday and their anniversary, both were earlier this week. So, I made some enchiladas, rice and beans, and we hung out chatting for a while. It was nice getting a chance to catch up a little, and the girls had a blast.

The girls were off to bed shortly after our guests left. And, with that...weekend over. Today, Buddy the Elf was hiding in the Christmas Tree, and he brought the girls each a little chalkboard. Lucky girls!