Oh, hello...

I've been meaning to jump back into the blogging world. I'm lagging in adult conversations and I miss rambling through my fingers.

Every time I start a blog post or think of a good topic to write about, something comes up. One of my 2 kids is in need of something, my teaching job requires lesson planning (weird, huh?) or I'm just wanting to sit and watch House of Cards or Westworld with Nick because we're too exhausted to do anything else.

So, let's get caught up.

+ Ellie is 3 and a complete three-nager. Occasional attitude and sass, non stop talking, and random unexplainable crying. I don't know whether to fear the teenage years or pray that all emotions will be gone from all the crying that happens over wanting to do things herself.

+ Oliver is 1. I now have two toddlers. And one is much crazier than the other. Actually, I take that back. Ellie is crazy emotional and Oliver is a crazy explorer. He puts anything and everything into his mouth, opens all cupboards and drawers, senses open doors and baby gates and will cheetah crawl his way to it (seriously, he's too fast) and never closes his mouth. But, he loves his sister, books,  and laughs a lot. It's awesome and tiring. 

+ Nick is in nursing school. It's actually quite nice, despite the mass amounts of homework and studying. He no longer works the awful night shift at the hospital, is awake during the day (!), and gets to have dinner with us almost every night!

+ I drink coffee now. Okay, I did before BUT I have advanced from frappuchinos-only, to mochas, and now to lattes and straight coffee with creamer. We have a coffee maker in our kitchen that gets used a lot. What's next?!

+ Toddler dance classes are adorable. Watching a bunch of toddlers in leotards jump around a room is pretty darn cute. It's even more cute when your daughter is an expert leaper. Just watch.

+ I can't stop reading. Technically I'm listening because you have to have something productive to do when your commute is 25 minutes both ways, right? I've been on a WWII kick lately. Ruta Sepetys' books, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly are a few of my recent favorites.

I did, however, decide to take a break and am FINALLY starting the Harry Potter series. I've watched the movies, but never read the books. I know. I'm getting on it!

+ I can't stand Facebook and social media right now. I'm not getting political on here, but every side and then some is being shoved into my face and I'm done.

+ I can stand LuLaRoe. I absolutely love their clothes. The leggings are like wearing clouds all day and the shirts are all pretty flattering - which is a big selling point when you are a mom fighting the terrible post-2 kids body. The only problem is that it's so expensive! I can only justify buying one thing every few months so I don't go broke. But I want them all!! 

+ Each month I post a joke of the month on my bulletin board outside of the music room. Enjoy this one from last year:

Life x2

 

Life with two kids is a whole 'nother beast.  I thought just one was crazy and exhausting.  I also thought I'd never give into the whole TV thing.  Let me tell you, when you're trying to put a 2 month old to sleep and the 2 year old sister is being noisy... you play an episode of something just for a little peace and ease.  It's also such a great relaxing activity when all you want to do is melt into the couch at the end of the day, but bedtime is still an hour away.  Yes.  I've become a TV allowing mom.  At least my daughter is watching educational shows.  Little Einsteins is probably the best.  And Super Why.  She's even started learning her alphabet sounds! Yes, we have a child genius on our hands. Ok, maybe not, but at least she'll be somewhat ready for preschool.

Speaking of preschool, we're thinking of doing it next year.  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!  We're potty training right now (60% success rate right now and going on day 7) and we're talking about gymnastics class in the summer and preschool in the fall  *cue mommy sobs and grown-up baby wails* 

But really, preschool is expensive.  I could buy two round trip tickets to Hawaii for the price of preschool.  Ellie needs some good socializing though.  That's our only reason for putting her in preschool this next year and not the year after.  Somehow we created a book-loving introvert.  Well, hyuk hyuk, the acorn doesn't fall very far from the tree. So it makes complete sense.  But, we're pretty set on making sure that she at least has the chance to not be a super introvert.  Only slightly introverted.  We'll see.  Oliver may just take over for her and be the crazy one. 

Oliver is adorable and so much different than Ellie.  He has the cutest smiles and coos.  Ellie didn't smile as much as he did at this age or at least I'm pretty sure she didn't.  Seriously, everything just blends together because it's all a phase and then that turns into another phase.  The whole first year is a blur and just a phase.  It's hard to remember most of Ellie's first year.  Even Oliver's first few weeks are starting to blur together.

Oliver is taking a bottle like a champ, growing into 6 month clothes (thanks to his long bodied relatives), and sleeping better than his sister.  He only wakes up, on average, twice a night.  It's a miracle!  Ellie woke up at least 3-4 times.  It drove me crazy.  Bonus: I can get both kids nap at the same time in the middle of the day.  It's pure mommy bliss and I love it.

I get the chance to binge-watch something (before I head to work in a month), read a book, or...SLEEP!  I've seriously enjoyed reading some good books (check out my goodreads) and watching some new shows.  The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime) was an awesome show and now Mozart in the Jungle is winning me over.  I love the silly musician puns.  I may have watched the Office and Parks and Rec all over again.  Totes awesome sauce.

Now I need to put in time to exercise.  Post-natal body is killing me.  I forgot how terrible and annoying it is to wait for the jell-o stomach to become "normal" and the stretch marks to not feel like weird ripples.  Also, that c-section scar is killing me.  I did a 15 minute Pilates workout and my wound hurt afterwards.  Ugh. AND shopping afterwards is amazing and terrible all at once.  I may have bought 2 pairs of yoga pants just so I didn't have to wear uncomfortable jeans.  Maternity jeans sag like no other and pre-pregnancy jeans won't button.  What an awkward time.  /endrant

I think it's time I left to eat my 2nd dinner.  Breastfeeding stomach is 10 times bigger than pregnant stomach. True story.  At least I get to eat whatever and not worry about it not liking me.