Garage Sale Time

A few weeks ago we had a garage sale at my sister's house.  Allison was my little helper for the day (or maybe about 10 minutes or so, but still she was happy to help).  Since then, Allison has been very excited whenever she sees a garage sale as we drive by.

When we were at Grand Haven last week, Allison saw a group of chairs and blankets that some people laid out but were currently unoccupied.  Allison yelled out "LOOK MOM!  A garage sale!"   Because as you are well aware, there are always garage sales taking place on the beach.  

A few days ago, we set up a "garage sale" in our driveway for Allison and Amelia to play with. They each took turns shopping and buying the multitude of bargains.

Today they had the real deal and helped out at our family garage sale. Allison wanted to make cookies to sell, so she and her Nana made a batch of no-bakes.  She and Mia, along with the cousin Jack, took turns selling cookies.  At the end of the day, they each made three dollars.  Allison is saving her money to buy a souvenir at Brookfield Zoo when we go on vacation this summer. 

Pomp and Circumstance

During Allison's last week of daycare they had a preschool graduation ceremony. I picked Allison up early so that I could change her into her dress. I was surprised to discover that the center had caps and gowns for the kids. I wasn't expecting that at all.  Allison was so excited and looked so cute in her gown. I got a little teary-eyed upon seeing her.

During the ceremony the teacher, Ms. Karen, spoke a little about each child. When it was Allison's turn, Ms. Karen talked about how Allison is very curious and loved doing her 'Grapeseed', which was the curriculum they used at the center. It includes books and CDs they could follow along with and we also received a set of books to use at home.  Allison is a huge fan of her Grapeseed and still continues to use the books even though she is no longer at the center.

For the most part, Amelia did very good sitting still to watch Allison's graduation. She became a little antsy towards the end.  After the ceremony, I tried getting some pictures of Allison and Amelia together. Allison wanted nothing of it. She was very serious looking and would not smile for any of the pictures.  I don't think Allison knew what to make of the whole thing as Ms. Karen got a little choked up when she was talking about the kids and then one of Allison's friends started crying too. I think Allison was a little freaked out about it all. While we didn't get a great picture of her smiling, in the end I did capture a picture of Allison in her preschool graduation robe that I will treasure forever.

Little Gardeners

Doctor/Dentist Visits = Well Behaved Children?

On rare occasions I can take the girls out and it appears that I have my act together and have two very sweet little girls that actually behave.  Surprisingly, the only time this usually happens is when we go to the dentist or to the doctor's office.  My girls are odd in that they love going to those places.

Recently I had to take Allison to get shots on two separate occasions and she did wonderfully both times. She marched right back to the nurse's office and didn't even flinch when she got her shots.  The second time she went, Allison actually watched the nurse as she inserted the needle and she merely said "ouch." 

We went to the dentist a few weeks ago and Allison was so excited to go. She was bugging me all morning to leave. This was Amelia's first trip to the dentist as a patient - she watched Allison get her teeth cleaned last time.  Allison took the job of being the big sister very seriously and talked Amelia through the whole process. She even shared her sunglasses so the bright lights wouldn't bother Mia's eyes in the dentist's chair.  Amelia did great. You could tell she was a little nervous, but she thought that the moving chair was pretty cool.

Allison and Amelia were very excited about all the goodies they received - a new toothbrush, "big girl" toothpaste, a prize from the toy chest, and a sticker too!  They both behaved beautifully; everyone in the office was totally in love with them.  Maybe I should save my errands for days we are already scheduled to go to the dentist or doctor and while running the errands, tell the girls that if they behave, we can go to the dentist/doctor's office.

Happy Belated Mother's Day

Happy belated Mother's Day to all my family and friends who are moms.  Since I write this blog, I guess I will also wish myself a Happy's Mother's Day.

On Saturday, both sets of grandparents came over for dinner. We had a nice time visiting with our parents and they enjoyed catching up with each other and seeing the girls.

On Sunday, I worked at the Mother's Day brunch. Hopefully this will be the last Mother's Day that I have to work for a very long time (if ever again). At the end of this week, I am going to become a stay-at-home mom. I turned in my resignation at work and I will be taking some time off to spend with the girls.  I hope to eventually find a new job closer to home. For the past 10 years, I have been commuting one hour each way and it was starting to catch up with me. In addition, with Allison starting school in the fall, I realized this is valuable time that I am never going to get back. 

I'm excited to spend more time with the girls. I'm also nervous to spend more time with the girls. Will I do a good job at being a SAHM? Am I losing a part of my identity by not working outside the home or am I gaining a new part of my identity? I know there will be days it will be tough, but there will also be days where we will create some special memories together.  In the end, I just have to remind myself that I'm a good mom - not a "perfect" mom.  Plus, I don't really want to be that perfect mom. I simply want to do the best I can and I love my family. In the end, that is all that matters.

Needless to say, life with Allison and Amelia is going to get a little more adventurous.

P.S. I did get to celebrate Mother's Day after work. Brian made me a delicious steak dinner and I was able to relax while the kids played in the sandbox. After the girls went to bed, Brian and I sat on the patio and played games. All in all, it was a nice weekend.

When I Grow Up...

Amelia has some grandiose plans for when she grows up. I wish I have been writing all her plans down; she has been keeping us entertained.

"When I grow up, I am going to be a mom and chew gum."

"When I grow up, I'm going be a dad and drive a car." 

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a princess."

"When I grow up, I'm going to be HOCKEY MAN.  Papa, you and Nana can come to my games to watch me play."

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a hockey man, a baseball player, and a football player."

"When I grow to be a penguin, I'm going to eat fish."

In case you are wondering, Allison would like to be a teacher and then a doctor.

Siblings Day

April 10^th is Siblings Day….clearly I never got around to writing this post until now. I was good in that I had the video put together, just not the post.

A year ago the girls started a new daycare center. Because of their age difference, Allison and Amelia were placed in separate rooms. This would be the first time in 2.5 years that they wouldn’t be spending the day together. The rational side of me that composes 80% of my brain knew this was a good thing because the girls needed to spend some time apart and it would do them good. When the 20% emotional side kicked in, it broke my heart to think of them not seeing each other all day. After all, Allison and Amelia were the best of buddies and had always been together. In reality, they did just fine and saw each other throughout the day on the playground and at the end of the day when the daycare combined rooms.

Allison and Amelia continue to be each other’s frequent best friend and occasional foe. There are times that they drive us crazy with their fighting and then there are times they melt our hearts when the girls cuddle on the couch or show concern when one is sick or hurt. I can only hope as they grow older that they continue to be each other’s best friend and will always remember to care for one other.

When picking out a song for the video, I was trying to think of a new song I haven’t used before, but in the end I had to use “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” again. In my eyes, they are my Woody and Buzz.

I hope you enjoy the video I put together.