What did I do to deserve this? It's 5 o'clock and the girls are playing nicely, the music is bumpin, fritatta is in the oven, and I have a gin and tonic in hand. I even went through the trouble of adding a twist of lime.

School is awesome. in NTR 142 we we made froccocia bread. Other groups made: snicker doodles, cornbread, cream puffs, Indian flat bread, apple muffins, and biscuits. There went my carb intake for the day! Hence the crustless fritatta that's in the oven. I took pictures, because it's rather pretty, but of course I don't have the camera or lighting to make it look as good as it does in person.

Anyways... My other class, NTR 300 is going well too. I hope to be done with my website by Monday. Here is the link. http://www.public.asu.edu/~eacorn/. I've really enjoyed doing this. Meal planning is my favorite!

As I write this, I am being treated to a play Junie B. Jones style. Zoe is being a good sport and I'm glad they have stopped terrorizing Jax long enough to play something else.

I'm going to get this lapotop off my lap so I can clap. These girls are fantastic actresses ;o)

monday monday

Oh boy howdy. I've got a case of the Mondays. I'm so over the record breaking temps, humidity, and haboobs.

Didn't make it to the gym this morning, but I did manage to drag Zoe to a half a dozen stores before lunch.

School is in full swing, but I seem to be waiting for an underdog. I did drop one of my classes this semester, but I think it's for the best.

The calendar has been so full. It's a bit overwhelming. Lots of confusing days for everyone. I'm here, K is there, babysitter when? I pick up who when? What day does that start? I didn't know that was today... I foresee this happening until mid-September.

Ok Imma stop whining now.

the effects of an online summer class

I have the most amazing people in my life. Amazing.

My mom took the kids today to Tucson so I can get a jump on my schoolwork. This is after spending more than a week sleeping on a sofa sleeper caring for my grandparents. My mom is amazing. Such an inspiration. She is so selfless and giving and caring. I am greatful for her!

And speaking of greatful... Dave is a genuis! I'm struggling with Chem 101 (obviously), but my amazing husband is like, "It's easly all you have to do is think it through." Well, thats probably one of the dumbest things he's said to me, but I won't hold it against him. He is so encouraging and helpful. I am so greatful for him!

So, summer classes are hard.... I will get through it. I won't give up. I will not worry about feeding my kids random crap like hot dogs and frozen pizza. What's that? You didn't get your protien or vegis today?? My house will be a mess. Clothes will be taken out of the clean pile and worn. Dishes will pile up in the sink. It's okay. It's only 7 weeks.... then Nutrition 100 for 8 weeks :)

Where did May go?

Summer Camp started for Kayleigh this morning at 8AM. Summer School started for me today too.

Having a bit of anxiety.


Camps, playdates, swim lessons, commitments, a clean house, home cooked meals, school work, workouts, oh my!



I have lots to share, hopefully I'll get here soon. If not, look for pix on the FB.

Happiness is...

... slowing down and taking the long way home because a good song comes on the radio and you don't want to turn down the volume or stop singing at the top of your lungs.


Happiness is the car behind you getting pulled over in a school zone.

Happiness is achieving a personal best. 40 minute 5K! :)

Happiness is a Mom who loves your children.


Happiness is enjoying this beautiful spring day.

food critic?

My 5 o'clock cocktail is going down extra smooth tonight. I think it's because Zoe is on her way to Tucson with my mom for the rest of the week and it's raining! It's just been a really great day :)

I'm just gonna get the random's out there. I want to go to school for nutrition. ASU? Maybe. Or a more holistic approach? Hmm.. I think I should also be a food critic. After eating at two (IMO) higher priced restaruants, I think they should be called out on their lack of quality food. I want to tell the first place (I won't name names) just because you smother it in cheese and green chile doesn't make it good. I mean chile and lots of cheese are good, but I didn't order queso! And seafood? Really? I couldn't tell. It was as tough as well-done chicken. And the next place.... If you are going to advertise a "Goat Cheese Quesidilla" put more than a few sprinkles in the mix. One taste of the goat per wedge is not enough!

Okay, rant over. :) I'm happy to say I'm going to miss my littlest monster!

Keeping Busy

Holy busy! We've been keeping quite busy these last few weeks and there is no sign of slowing down. Well, at least not for me anyways :) Dave and I snuck in a date night. It was perfect. A 3 course meal, Jerame and Danielle, an after dinner stroll in Old Town, and a super cool wine bar.

The girls have been keeping me really busy. Zoe has just been hard to handle. I think she has OCD, but I'm sure it's just her age?!? She seems to need constant attention. Hence, the lack of blogging. Even now, after setting her up with a snack and a craft, she is still hungry and wants to do something else....

Kayleigh is really enjoying school. The biggest change I see in her is that she is trying to read- finally! She has never liked me trying to teach her things, so it's good that someone else can. We went to the bookstore the other day and she picked out a Barbie vet book and she reads it at least twice a day. Typical Kayleigh... Pretty+Girly+Animals = Kayleigh I think one day she will own a blinged out vet clinic. :) Zoe stayed with my parents for a few days (THANK YOU MOM AND DAD) so to welcome her home we decorated around her bed. She was quite pleased with it :)

And in case you were wondering what K is doing in the above picture, she is giving her sister a tattoo. When she was done she even covered it in plastic. LOL!

my buddy

Sing it with me.... My buddy, my buddy, my buddy and me!

Zoe and I have settled into somewhat of a routine this week: Drop off K, workout, run errand, lunch, nap, pick up K. After Kay gets settled into Kgrade we are going to have to change it up a bit so we can add arts and crafts into our day.

I'm happy to say that I have been working out on a regular basis and really working it! I've been sore everyday for the past 3 weeks.

Today, Z spent time with a 2-year-old that we met while visiting Dave at his condo while we were still in Tucson. They also have a daughter Kayleigh's age and they all get along so well :)

My only complaint is this heat. ooooo it's soooooo annoying and miserable. i can't wait for cooler weather!

adjusting

Kayleigh isn't the only one learning new things and adjusting to this new school schedule. Zoe has had a bit of difficulty watching her sister go off to school every day. Tuesday and Wednesday she screamed and screamed when we left. And she screamed some more. Good lord she screamed. So, today I was determined to make it a good day for her.

We packed a lunch bag for her and busted out the stroller. The stroller worked, but she wanted to put her lunch bag away and sit in a chair and wait for school to start. Crisis diverted though and we made it to the car in a civilized manner. I opted not to go to the gym this morning so we could spend some QT together. It was a small sacrafice that paid off big time! I'll get to the gym every morning, just not this week :)

Speaking of adjusting... Kayleigh is doing just fine. As expected she is super tired at the end of the day and cries a lot... We were warned this would be expected... She is always open to talking about her day... She knows that when she gets home it's snack, homework, then playtime. Tuesday I walked in on her teaching Zoe her colors in Spanish. She was, naturally, a good teacher.

And as for me, I'm adjusting :) The hardest part is getting out of bed with an alarm, but I'm excited to be at home with Zoe. I love seeing her get excited about simple things.

whoa!

Number 1 is a week away from Kindergarten. Totally crazy. She'll learn math and science in Spanish and if we keep it up she'll be bi-lingual by the 6th grade. Totally more crazy.

I joined the YMCA or just "The Y" today.

Everything is twice as much here than in Tucson. Sucks.

Dave and I have a hot date planned this weekend. It's our 6 year wedding anniversary.


My attempt at a Hazlenut Chiffon cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting. Will have to try it again. The sign says, "Happy Birthday You Are Craptacular!" The frosting was the shit. haha

Speaking of cake. I signed up for the 3rd and final Wilton class. Starts on Friday. I'm looking forward to it!

Before and After

we put a lot of love into this house. i'm really going to miss it.

that horrible fan is going to haunt my dreams though ;o)

i don't have a picture handy, but my favorite part of the house is my red walls and white cabinets in the kitchen.

It's hot ya'll.

Staying indoors is for the birds! I'm sorry, but if it's above 90 I want to be inside all the time with the AC and fan on. I need some inspiration for indoor crafts. Anyone? The heat is bareable though when you are lucky enough to be invited to a friends house for some fun in the pool. Thank you Sarah Brown!

Come on monsoon season!

a little of this and a little of that

When I quit my corporate job two years ago, I thought being a stay at home mom meant that we would have some tough days but mostly our days would be filled with art and classical music. I should have really ran that thought by a SAHM first... However, today the classical music is on and my babies are filling page after page in their new doodle pads with wonderful creations. We are starting with crayons and will move on to markers, glue, glitter, stickers, and paint.

These past few weeks have been crazy and hectic intertwined with fun and joy. My brain has been in overdrive for these weeks too which has made for thoughts that are more appropriate for a journal than a blog.

This weekend we found a condo and signed a two year lease. I'm excited about the place and nervous at the same time. It's out of my comfort zone for sure. Oy. I hope it's the right place for us. The condo has everything on our wish list, the school is top notch, the location is great. But, the average person is 47+, white, and rich. Not that that is a bad thing, but we only have white going for us. Hopefully we can still find away to surround ourselves with down to earth, young people.

Above is a picture of a similar entrance to our new pad. We are 1.5 miles away from the school and 50 feet away from the pool, exercise facility, and clubhouse. And best of all we no longer have to drive 20 min to the nearest store of any kind!

I'm so thankful for Dave. I'm glad we get to go through life together and give all these amazing opportunities to our girls.

birthday necklace

Dave gave me an acorn necklace for my birthday!!!! Here is what the note card said inside:

This little acorn cap fell form a mighty oak tree just outside the window of our studio. Just as this tiny insignificant acorn can turn into a great tree, remember that lives and dreams also start small but have the potential to become great. May this tiny treasure remind you that you are growing.

He always picks out the most perfect gifts.

dirty thirty

I’m turning 30 tomorrow. Ugh. Part of me really hates the fact. The other part of me says I’ve had an amazing 30 years. I feel so fortunate to have had this life.

Although, I still don’t know what I want to "do" when I grow up, I’m happy to say that I know the woman I want to become and I try to be that woman everyday. However, I hope that in my 30’s I can learn not to apologize for the person I am.

To some 30 is just another number. But to me it’s always been significant. And moving to Phoenix and Kayleigh starting kindergarten in the same time frame just solidifies the significance. I have this great opportunity to change and evolve which is very exciting. I have this mental checklist of things I want to accomplish after we move… All of which should just help me be the best me I can be.

So, tomorrow I’m going to wear flip-flops, torn jeans, a low-cut flowing shirt, and my hair in a messy bun on top of my head. I’m going to spend time outside, make my birthday dinner and cake and share it with my sisters, be silly with my precious girls, wake up with my husband, have a drink and a deep conversation(s).

Dave Matthews said it best in the Song Tripping Billies, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” (side note… that song is one of my favorites and was on our wedding cd.)

hopes and wishes

I wish I knew where we would be living come July 1.

I wish someone would buy our house so I didn't have to keep it "clean."

I wish I didn't wake up to maggots all over the kitchen this morning.

I wish I liked playing school with Kayleigh and "Marina."

Zoe's painting

I hope Prop 101 passes.

I hope to meet nice people/moms/kids/families soon after we move to Phoenix.

I hope Friday comes quickly.

I wish I could get the text spacing to work :)

I'm in love with this photo

It reminds me that saplings need to be nurtured and cared for so that they can grow big, strong, deep roots to one day become amazingly beautiful, strong, unique mighty oaks.

"I am unhappy at 4am"

So, Dave mentioned to me that my 4AM post the other day made me sound unhappy. My response? I am unhappy at 4AM!!! Good thing I had some R&R in Tempe, because this week we've had a 4 o'clock morning, a 4:30 morning, and a 2,3, and 5 o'clock morning. Kayleigh will fight naps tooth and nail making for some really long days, so today I took charge. I rented Princess and the Frog and am holding it hostage until she takes a nap! :)

Anyways... Here's another feel-good post to make up for the one unhappy one...

A clean-for-me pantry makes me pretty darn happy! Kayleigh's help made the work easier.

Another reason to be happy... A girl that can clean her own room (and looks cute doing it).

A fresh-cut flower can always make me smile :o)

I really do love my life........

The last two weeks have been hard for everyone in the house. Last week, Zoe was up almost every night at 3 or 4 in the morning for a couple hours. Once waking her sister up, the other keeping me up until Dave woke up at 5:45 to go to work. The week before last Kayleigh had a gymnastics recital that we didn’t get to because she only wanted to wear a spaghetti strap leotard and flip-flops. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but it was like the coldest day of the week. It was a very dramatic day.

We’ve also had some very nice days, weather wise. So nice that one day I decided to take the girls for a bike ride. Well, we take 45 min to get the right clothes on and out the door. We ride about 7 houses down and Kayleigh decides to give up. Then Zoe decides to cry because we aren’t going to the park, I decide to ride a head so Z and I could have some sort of a ride, Kayleigh falls off her bike, she cannot stop crying, I yell at her to get up and be tough, her bike keeps falling down because the training wheel broke. OH BOY. We get home and the first thing out of Zoe’s mouth is, “I’m hungry.” She at an hour and 5 minutes earlier! She then cries to get in the swing, I get a rag to clean it off, put her in, give her one push and she wants down.

I had about all I could take. I figured I deserved a break. I need to miss these kids. I decided to go to Phoenix by myself for some me time. I had a wonderful time with Katie and Josh. I couldn’t wait to get home.

It took an extra hour to get home because of two accidents on I-10. Kayleigh has pink eye. Zoe cried until 9:20 because she didn’t want to go to bed. She got up at 4-5 because she was scared, then wanted a ring in bed with her (I’m still up because I’m afraid she is going to choke on the dang thing.), then wanted to be Cuckerd up, she woke up her sister who had to pee…. It’s now 5:30 and Kayleigh closed her door turned her light on and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Dave will be up in 15 min. and my day will have started at 4am… Oh, and my children cannot sleep in. No matter what. Up before 7 almost every day.

Welcome Home!

My children are the reason I wake up in the morning. The reason I want to breathe… and the reason my hair is turning gray, my house is a mess, and I’m crazy.

What Inspires You?

A friend of mine asked me to make a top 10 list of what inspires me. It was fun to think about. Here is my list.

1. For the most part I am inspired by people; Moms mostly. I’m inspired by the stay at home mom, the grandmother, single mothers, crafty moms, the type-A personality moms, and working mothers. I can honestly say that I have been lucky enough to have been inspired by every mom in my life.

2. I’m always inspired by nature- bodies of water, full-grown trees, black dirt, gardens, lush green grass…

3. Cooking shows, cookbooks, cooking magazines, the grocery store. I love food so I can easily find inspiration for the next meal just about anywhere.

4. Books. From historical fiction to chick-lit, I can almost always find something inspiring in a book.

5. Traveling inspires me to be open-minded and appreciative.

6. Music.

7. My sisters inspire my confidence.

8. As silly as it seems, I’m inspired by holidays and birthdays. They inspire me to be creative.

9. My parents inspire me on so many levels.

10. And finally, I am inspired by my husband and two girls. They inspire me to be the best me that I can be. :o)



So, the question is.... What inspires you?