2013 - Week 41

Here we are, another week! This week was fairly normal, but the weekend was chaos. Pure CHAOS!

Monday was back to the grind. We were off to work, the girls were off to school. Everything went fairly normal. The weather was actually halfway decent, which was a nice shift. When I left work, the main street was blocked off by cops, undercovers and a few ambulances. Not really a rare sight in my work neighborhood. It's a horrible area...it's scary walking to and from our cars - especially in the winter, when it's dark in the morning, and dark at night. (we're getting a parking ramp, right outside of our building next year and I CANNOT wait!). Sadly, this is actually the area I grew up in. Now, it wasn't all bliss and safe living back then, but it was fairly normal. Now, you couldn't pay me to live here. From the sounds of it, it was a drug bust (again, no surprise). Our security tried to play if off as a pedestrian being hit by a car. They failed to mention this "pedestrian" was fleeing from police at the time. Gah! It's horrible. After that excitement, I picked up the girls, we quickly got ready and were off to soccer. Our very last practice, so sad! Then, of course, home to rush through baths, dinner and a little quality time before bed. I'll be happy to have our quiet week nights back, but I'll miss soccer. Olivia really seemed to be getting into it, I'll be interested to see how she does next year.

Tuesday was another pretty standard day. The girls' school pictures came in, and they were pretty cute. They used a different company, and I definitely like the old one better, but the girls still took some pretty good pictures. We stopped into the store quick after school, and then made our way home. I talked Christian into getting some Thai Takeout for dinner tonight, YUM! So, we just ate, watched some TV and spent the evening hanging out together.

Wednesday was pretty boring, nothing too exciting to report on.

Thursday was a busy day at work, for some reason. Haven't had too many out of control days for a while, but today was one of them. We did take a break to have lunch at the food trucks outside. They are way too expensive, but it's fun to splurge on once in a while. Tonight was Glee night...the big tribute to Cory Montieth. I literally cried from start to finish. Not necessary because of Cory himself (even though, I do think it's terribly sad such a horrible disease took somebody so young), but knowing that the actors were not portraying characters, they were themselves. They were remembering, and grieving, for real. Not just as actors on a show, but as real people, going through something very difficult. You could just feel that pain, and it really got to me. I'm not the most emotional, sensitive person. And, addictions to drugs and alcohol are just things I will never ever pretend to understand, but this definitely moved me.

Friday started off our crazy weekend. First up, work of course. Tying everything up for the end of the week. I had to leave a tad early to run to PetSmart and get the cats million dollar food, then stop at Target to pick up a couple of birthday presents for the weekend. Next up, I picked up the girls and we made our way home to let the dog out, change and get ready for the evening. Once Christian was home, we were off to a benefit for our friends' mom. The benefit was a good 45 minutes away from the house, so it was quite a haul in the tail end of rush hour, but we made it. We had some time to catch up with some friends, and the girls had a blast dancing and running around. AND, I made plans to (finally) see "Wicked" in a couple weeks with some girlfriends. Can't wait! Finally, we made our way home. The girls passed out on the way home, and went right to bed. Christian and I tried to watch a little TV after, but we were both exhausted!

Saturday, another pretty crazy day. I spent the morning doing a few chores, and we all got ready for the day. First up, we were off to Olivia's last soccer game. While not official, they won, which was a pretty exciting way to end the season. They had so much fun, I'm going to miss watching those little ones running around. Next up, we had a little soccer banquet with (most of) the team at Pizza Ranch. I was excited for our first visit there...but, it was not very good. Blech. The kids all got a little sports bottle and trophy (OMG, Olivia was so excited, it was cute), and the coaches gave them little goody bags. Aww, it's all over now. So fun. We stopped home quick to change, bundle up and get ready for our next event...our annual visit to Sever's Corn Maze and Fall Festival with my BFF and her family. We managed to win enough tickets for all of us to get in this year, so that was exciting. It was cold, and windy, and misting at times, but we still had a blast. We watched the Wildlife Show, played in the Extreme Corn Pit, watched some pig races, shot some pumpkins, visited the petting zoo and Parakeet Island, had some lunch and did a few other activities before we were just too tired to go on. Of course, it was super fun, as always. Finally, we were off to our last stop...my sister in-laws. She let me know earlier this week she was having a birthday party for our middle niece, Mia. Unfortunately, we were already booked all day, so we couldn't make it to the actual party. So, we stopped over to her house to visit and bring her, and our other niece, some birthday gifts and visit. The girls fell asleep on the way there, so they were pretty tired and not really in a playing mood, so we didn't stay for too long. We finally got home around 8:30 and we were so ready to pass out. The girls were right off to bed, and we definitely weren't far behind.

Sunday ended our weekend of chaos. Christian woke up feeling pretty crappy. He had a head cold, taking over, and a bad headache. So, I went about my usual chores...sweeping, laundry, dishes and picking up around the house. I got the girls fed and dressed and we got ready for the day. Christian was feeling a bit better, but pretty exhausted. But, we were off again. Today we were going to my BFF's house for a football party (though, with the way the Vikings are playing this year, there's really nothing to celebrate). I spent the day chatting with her, the girls colored some pumpkins, we ate a ton of food and had a lot of laughs. If nothing else, it's always exciting just spending time with her. Christian left right after the game...he ran home to cut the grass quick and pack a bag, and he was off to North Dakota for the week. Hopefully things go better on the homefront this time, than they did last time, because he'll be gone until Friday for sure this time around. The girls and I hung out there for a bit longer, then were off to swim classes. Finally, we made our way home, had a quick dinner, and relaxed for the night. It was an early bedtime for the girls...no naps, and busy weekend = two very, VERY exhausted girls. I caught up on some TV before passing out myself. What a weekend!

We cuddled up on the couch, and Amelia looked exhausted. She insisted she was not tired, and was never going to bed. 2 minutes later, she was passed out, propped up against me.

With that, we ended another week. Now, we see how girls week goes without daddy!

Until next week!

2013 - Week 40

Here we are, another week! This week, we welcomed October. OCTOBER - can you believe it! Only 12 weeks of 2013 to go, 3 quarters down, and one to go. This year has just flown by. Fall is definitely in the air, and we're loving it!

Monday was your typical back to the grind Monday. We were off to work, the girls were off to school. I still wasn't quite 100% from my stomach bug, but definitely getting there. I had to leave work a tad early to do a little shopping, and pick the girls up. There are two weeks left of soccer, and Monday practice start a little earlier now so we're home before it gets dark. So, we rushed home, had a snack, got ready, and made our way to the field. Since Christian was going to be so late, he just went straight home and started dinner. YES! Meanwhile, Olivia not only scored her very first goal during tonight's scrimmage...she scored TWO goal! Seriously guys, I've never seen her so proud of herself. She was so excited, and I was just beaming. It's so amazing watching them grow and prosper, such a privilege really. After that excitement, we made our way home. We had some dinner, took baths, cuddled up for a bit and it was bedtime before we knew it.

Tuesday was a standard day. Really, nothing too exciting to report. I was finally feeling better and felt back to normal. We were off to work, the girls had great days at school. I do have a funny story to share though. Last night I asked Amelia if she liked her teacher, Ms. Jenn, "yeah". I asked her if Ms. Jenn was nice, "yes, but sometimes she doesn't like me". Well, what do you mean she doesn't like you, "well, sometimes I'm not nice, so she puts me in the toddler room". I couldn't stop laughing, and I wondered how accurate she was. So, when I picked them up tonight, I told Ms. Jenn this story, and she just cracked up, laughing uncontrollably. She said "yup, I sure do put her in the toddler room. And, she HATES it! When I go back to ask her if she's ready to come back to preschool, she gives me those big puppy dog eyes and whines...I'm sooooo sorry". LOL. Amelia, my little Diva, she sure is something else!

Wednesday went by quick. Yes, the week is over halfway over! I picked the girls up tonight, we made our way home, and it hit me. They have actually been getting along lately. Like, REALLY getting along. They've been talking to each other, sharing stories, watching videos together, playing and sharing with each other. I mean, they're still "toddlers", and sisters, and there are definitely squabbles here and there, but things have been WAY different lately. It's so refreshing, and relieving. When we got home, they watched a video while I made dinner, and then disappeared down to the playroom for a while. I went down to check on them later and they were having the time of their life, playing so good together. I couldn't believe it. AND, we've FINALLY gotten them to start picking up after themselves. They had the horrible habit of taking out literally every toy in the room and just turning the entire basement into tornado valley. Now, they keep the toys in the playroom, they put them away when they're done/before they start playing with something else. It's been AH-MAZING! My girls, growing up and making me so proud!

Thursday, another standard day. I'm liking these standard days - life has been much less chaotic this week, and it's very welcomed! They had a flu shot clinic at work today, so I got mine. Ugh, I will NEVER get used to needles, I just hate it. Amelia got her mist at her checkup a while back, and Olivia goes in tomorrow. Christian's work clinic is later this month, then we'll be set for winter! Or not, whatever. Today was also my Friday at work, so it was a busy day getting as much done as I could. I picked the girls up after work and we made our way home. They did some coloring and crafts, we had dinner and hung out for a while. Just another day in the life!

Friday, Friday, wonderful Friday! I woke up to news that it had snowed in South Dakota...like REALLY snowed, 30" or so. WHAT! Seriously, not ready for this yet. Last winter literally just ended, and was long enough. I'm not ready for this years to start in October! It did stay across the border, but too close for comfort! We still need an Indian summer or two before it all comes crashing down. Christian dropped Amelia off at school this morning (which, she hates), while I watched the news and waited for Olivia to wake up. Olivia woke up, and started frantically searching for sissy - so cute. I had to give her the GREAT news that we had a quick doctors appointment this morning before she goes to school. So, we had some breakfast, and off we went. She just had to see the nurse for her flu must, so we were in and out in 5 minutes. She was off to school, and I spent the day being LAAAAAAAZY. And, I mean lazy. I did some dishes, and a tiny bit of cleaning up, otherwise, I barely left the couch. Hulu was my best friend today, and I am beyond excited that all of my shows are pretty much back now. My life, super exciting! I did run to the store quick to pick up a birthday party gift for this weekend and a couple things for the house before picking up the girls, so at least I made it that far! Once Christian was home, we had some dinner and hung out for a bit before the girls were off to bed. We watched "Snitch" and "Silver Linings Playbook" tonight - yes, TWO movies, and I made it through both! Both of them were actually really good. I didn't expect much from Snitch, but the story line was decent. Of course, I figured Silver Linings Playbook would be good with all of it's award wins, but it was better than I expected. Very funny, and great story. Loved it!

My Puppy, she couldn't wait to show me the ears she made at school today.

Ending our night, watching these two loving' each other watching some videos before bed. This is how you end a Friday night!

Saturday started off with a nice lazy morning. TV, breakfast and hanging out together. Then, we were off to soccer. It was chilly, but the sun was out so it actually wasn't to bad (the rain hit later in the day). Once home, we watched "Brave", had some lunch and the girls went down for their naps. I watched a little Hulu before falling asleep myself. Apparently, BIG mistake because I woke up with a monster migraine. Like, in tears in major pain migraine. I grabbed an ice pack and some medicine, searched for a comfortable position, and didn't move for a few hours. Luckily, the girls played REALLY well together while I was resting...coloring and watching "Bolt" over and over again. Christian ran to the store to get some dinner ingredients, and some caffeine for me, and he made dinner while I slept off my migraine. Thankfully, I woke up actually feeling better and it was pretty much gone. We ate dinner, I had my Diet Dew and was feeling pretty good. The girls were off to bed shortly, so we watched "Taken 2", decent, until Christian passed out, and I watched Saturday Night Live. With all of the recent Miley Cyrus drama, I couldn't miss it. It was actually an OK episode, so it was worth it.

Sunday was a pretty busy day. I was feeling better, so I got some cleaning and a load of laundry done this morning. We had breakfast, got ready, and were off. Today was my friend from works daughter's birthday party...Annabelle, she turned 6. They had her party at one of those indoor playgrounds so the girls had a blast running around. They both fell asleep on the way home, so we put them down for naps. Christian was off to get a haircut, and, of course, both of the girls woke up refusing to nap. Seriously. So, we rested for a bit, then dug out the Halloween decorations and set everything up. We don't have a ton of stuff, and don't even put it out half of the time, so I figured why not. We're ready, and the girls surprisingly love the "spooky" stuff. Christian got home and we gave the girls a little snack before heading off to Swim Class. My mom came to watch the girls tonight, and took us all to dinner at Applebees afterwards. YUM, never gets old for us! Finally, we were on our way home to relax and settle in for the night. Both of the girls got to bed a bit later than usual, so I'm sure tomorrow morning will be a treat!

The girls were obsessed with the vampire teeth they got as a party favor today.

With that, another week comes to an end. I know I've been SUPER slacking on the picture taking front. I really need to get back at it. Phone pics DO NOT cut it for me in the long run, I just haven't been in much of a photography mood lately. Gonna work on that for sure though!

Until next week!

2013 - Week 39

This week...was back to REALITY. No more vacation and no more secrets. Whew! The week started off pretty normal...complete with soccer pictures and kindergarten applications..WHAT! However, it ended with some sickness that was far from fun.

We got off to a late start Monday, after our late night and airport adventures. The girls were super excited to see us this morning though, which is just beyond heartwarming. Christian decided to just take the day off and stay home. Worked out well, he did some cleaning up, cut the grass, watered the gardens. So, that was a bonus to him being too lazy to get up and going. Meanwhile, I dropped the girls off at school just in time for breakfast, and made my way to work. HOLY MOLY was it a loooong day. But, I toughed it out, and made it through. I did have a bit of excitement today when I realized that Christian and I both won tickets to Sever's over the weekend. Our FAVORITE fall activity...it's fairly expensive, but, luckily, this is my 4th year winning tickets, so that's exciting. Since we both won, we'll be able to share with our friends so they can get in free too, which I love. Yes, the streak continues! After work, I picked up the girls and we made our way home. Christian ran over to visit with his parents for a while, so he arrived home shortly after. We had dinner and just spent the night relaxing.

The animals always miss us when we're gone...

Tuesday was another pretty low key day. Christian was back to work...lazy boy. After work, we were off to soccer...they took their soccer pictures tonight, so they decided to just reschedule practice from last night, and have a short one tonight after pictures. OMG, watching a bunch of kids take "formal" pictures has got to be one of the funniest things I have ever witness in my life. These kids CRACK ME UP. All of the different "smiles" and expressions, the short attention spans, the chaos - it was hilarious, and I loved every minute of it. Of course, Olivia has had a camera shoved in her face every day since about the day she was born, so she was in and out, but it was a blast watching everybody else go. I could never be a professional photographer...it's too funny. After a quick practice, we grabbed some drive-thru for dinner, ate, and spent a little time together before bed. Olivia was so funny tonight, just saying the craziest things, and everything made her laugh like crazy...like full on, toddler belly-laugh. I LOVE nights like that, definitely brings you back to reality after a few days away.

Wednesday was a crazy day. I filled out Olivia's kindergarten application. Yes, KINDERGARTEN! This kid was JUST born, and now we're starting preparations for kindergarten. I almost died. Technically, we're ahead of the game here because we're trying to get her into one of the local magnet schools, but still, CRAZY! The pre-application process ends in November, and we'll hear by mid-January if she's in or not. FINGERS CROSSED! Honestly, I know our attendance area school is just fine, and I'm very happy with our school district as a whole, so I would be OK with her going there, but I'd really love to give her a headstart in the STEM program, so I'm hoping she gets in. Other than that...typical day. Work, school...we played outside for a while after school, dinner, baths, and bedtime. Just another day!

Just a girl and her dog....poor Chuy.

Thursday was kind of a rough day. I wasn't really feeling well all day...nothing too serious, just overall lethargic and crappy. I suffered through the day at work though and got through it. But, we had a quiet night at home. The girls and I did some glittery manicures and I kicked up my feet with some trashy gossip magazines for a while. Christian helped me get dinner ready and we just spent the night watching some TV and relaxing. Between this week and next, pretty much all of the fall shows are going to be starting up, so it's pretty exciting. My HULU queue is filling up fast, that's for sure!

Manicures and Magazines

Friday was DEFINITELY a rough day. I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst stomach cramping, it was horrible. It would come and got every 15-20 minutes or so, and then this horrible pain and cramping would commence for a minute. I got up, got ready and made my way to work, hoping I would feel better as the day went on. But, it just seemed to get worse as the day went on. It didn't matter if I ate, walked, sat, laid down...it was bad. I finally called it a day and went home to rest. I picked up the girls from school and had an episode on the way home...the girls felt so bad and were so worried about me. My little sensitive babies. I spent the night laid up on the couch and did nothing. Christian picked up some dinner on the way home because I was useless. I spent the night on the couch, not doing a whole lot. Not good at all. By the end of the day, I was convinced that I had a touch of the stomach flu I had earlier this year...I was having a lot of the same symptoms, and there wasn't much other explanation for it all. Ugh. I did suffer through a movie with Christian, we watched "Seven Psychopaths" before we crashed. And, I do mean suffered...it was not very good and way too long. Not recommending this one, and it wasn't worth the late night. LOL

Saturday was another tough day. Christian had to work, so it was just me and the girls. I was still feeling pretty bad. Not AS bad, but I definitely wasn't better. But, the show must go on. We were off to soccer...only, it was raining. All day. Our first game in the rain, and it was quite an experience. Olivia did pretty good...as long as they were running and playing, she was OK. Otherwise she was miserable. Of course, half of our team didn't show up, so the kids that were there were stuck playing the entire time. Poor things. They did end the game fairly early, which was a good call.We made our way home, had some lunch, and the girls were off for their naps. Christian came home while they were napping and we just rested and watched some TV for a while. When Olivia woke up from her nap, she started complaining that her ear hurt...just what we need. I was miserable enough, now she wasn't feeling well. Poor thing. We spent the evening watching some movies and relaxing, and she seemed to perk up as the night went on. Christian went to have dinner with a friend, so I caught up on some TV and went to bed fairly early. Hoping for a better day all around tomorrow!

Sunday was a better day indeed. I was not 100%, but WAY better than the last few days. So, I got a ton of cleaning and chores done around the house. Laundry, dishes, sweeping. The usual. Olivia seemed to be doing well, and wasn't complaining about her ear, so that was good. We got them down for a short nap, watched the beginning of the Vikings Game and got ready for the day. First, we were off to meet my BFF Kari and her family at the Apple Orchard. It was an AMAZING day, perfect for a fun fall activity, so that worked out great. She's super pregnant now, and super cute...it was fun getting to catch up for a while. From there, I was off to do our weekly Target shopping quick. Then, Christian was in charge of putting everything away and cleaning up, while the girls and I were off to swim class. Amelia's VERY FIRST class, and Olivia's first Level 2 class. Amelia has such a blast, and was so excited to be in the water. She was pretty angry when class was over and she couldn't go back in the pool. What a life. Olivia was the only kid in her class, so she got a lot of attention, which was great. They spent the class pretty much recapping the basics and making sure she remembered everything from Level 1, and she did great. So fun. After class, we picked up Christian, and stopped as his parents house quick for dinner. His nieces were over, spending the weekend with his parents, so the girls got to play with them for a while and hang out. It was a LONG day, and I was happy to finally get home, kick up my feet and watch a little TV before bed. What a weekend!

With that, another week comes to an end. Hoping no more sickness like that comes around! And, hoping it doesn't pass on to either of the girls now! Here's hoping...

Until next week!