No Batteries Required!

Addison yells with joy "Santa gave us these Reese"! Ummm....well, if Santa only knew! Today it is gorgeous outside! I have tried bribery, giving them water, shovels, bikes and sidewalk chalk. All of which have been rejected, but they have been playing with these boxes for at least an hour (inside of course)! I haven't even heard a single whine or gripe from either of them. Next year I think Santa might save some money and wrap up some boxes!



Griffin would stay outside all day if I would allow it. And I would be happy to do that if he didn't need so much supervision when he is outside. He wants to eat pretty much anything he can get his hands on! He is into everything! If I weren't 33 weeks pregnant, I know I would be enjoying his discoveries! I am officially exhausted right now though and he is officially into EVERYTHING!

Yesterday I caught him several times, in sneaking a bite to eat! I tried giving these to him in his high chair, but I think he was really enjoying eating right out of the box! Can't you see the remorse in his face?



If I can learn anything from these two things, it's this: the less I try to control them, the happier we all are!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

I am so excited, (but more nervous) that I am traveling to L.A. on Wednesday! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Thirty-One has offered me and 20 (or so) other top directors with the company to fly to L.A. to the Direct Selling Women's Association National Conferences all expenses paid!

You might think that I am nervous because I am flying while I am 32 weeks pregnant, but really that doesn't bother me at all. I am nervous because I am going to be gone for 6 whole days! What a long break from reality!

Rob will be home with the kids while I am gone. The time leading up to my leaving is full of preparations to make sure that things continue to run smoothly while I am gone. Getting groceries, arranging for child care, car pooling, meals, schedules, reminders, etc. Not to mention I have to shop and pack for myself! I think that these trips are great for me to attend because by the time I get to the day I am supposed to leave, I am so exhausted preparing to leave that I desperately need a break! I should be excited and looking forward to 6 whole days of not retrieving sipping cups and changing diapers, but that's really not the case!

I know that Rob is totally capable of taking care of the kids! He is very responsible, but there are so many things I do here that I think go unnoticed! I pride myself in our scheduled naps, eating and bed times. That's how we keep any sort of sanity around here. I know in my mind that for the next 6 days, there may or may not be lunch at 11:30, there may or may not be naps at 1:30, the kids may not be reminded to brush their teeth twice a day, and there probably will not be a vegetable served that isn't in the shape of a french fry or tomato sauce!

In my mind I know that this time away from me is actually good for them and me. I am pretty sure there is no other time in my life I will get 6 entire days to myself! But my heart says "No don't go, they NEED you!"

I am guessing that part of what makes me nervous is being all alone in my thoughts. That happens so rarely and I am so used to my little people filling up any white noise around me that I am not sure how I will just simply relax and focus on me!

The time that the kids will get with Rob is important! I love that they can see their dad taking care of things and even though he doesn't do it the way I would do it, he does it great! If I could just get past the guilt that mother's tend to carry when we do anything for ourselves...I would actually enjoy this little trip of mine and know that when I get back I will still be needed! After all, those groceries that I got will run out eventually!

Maybe I'm wrong!

The last few weeks I have been getting more and more questions about when the baby is coming. I guess that this big belly actually looks as big as it feels. I never understood why people would say "You're carrying high (or low)" but this time I understand! This belly is low and only because my abdominal muscles have nothing left to give!
This time around has been very different from all of my other pregnancies. I have really felt good the entire time. The difference is that this time I have exercised the entire time. I started by running. I ran a little before I got pregnant and just kept up with it as much as I could. Then at about 6 months pregnant I couldn't do it anymore. This belly was weighing me down! So a friend (thankfully) encouraged me to do Palates Reformer. It has made a world of difference! I can actually still suck in my stomach! Most people who see me do it find it pretty amazing (and so do I really!) It's a trick I have never been able to do before at 30 weeks.
Today when I was leaving the gym, I saw a group of mom's who I know and they praised all my hard work and told me they don't know how I get through a day, a statement that I honestly hear frequently! As a matter of fact, I was at my mom's group the other day and had to talk to each table of 10-12 moms separately and no one (even the mom who had 4 kids in 5.5 years) could figure out how I was going to get through this huge responsibility that has been presented to me.
I guess I just do it and I don't think it's a big deal. This is what I have been handed by God. I can either lay down and die or I can get up and do what I need to do to get through a day. I have a lot of help! Plus I have an amazing cleaning lady once a week so I have to do minimal (although some) housework. We have 3 grandma's who love our children so much so we do get breaks occasionally. Not to mention my husband is my partner and supporter! He is an amazing dad and husband!
Despite all of that, I wonder what other people would do in this situation. I guess to some I may look like Wonder Woman, but really, I am just doing what I need to. Sometimes I even find myself feeling guilty because so much gets left undone. If you saw the top of my desk you would understand what I am talking about.
I rely on God to show me what I need to do. I pray constantly all day long about my kids, my husband, my business and the women in it. I even find some time almost every night to take a hot bath and read my Bible. In June I may have to give up that luxury for a while, but not forever! I guess I just get up each day and do what we all do, I get through the day and at the end of the day I sleep really well! To me, it's not that big of a deal, but maybe I'm wrong?

Mud Pies

Today they made mud pies! I decided that in 10 years from now, it would not matter if they ruined their clothes! They had so much fun!

Urgent vs. Important

The end of the month is always a very busy time for me with work. I find myself hunkered down in front of my computer following what my team is doing and adding up the totals of their sales, closing last minute parties, getting recognition out to my team members who met goals, and doing our family budget all while the kids beg for my attention. It is the most exciting time of the month, but also the most stressful. I imagine these are the weeks when my children wonder if I love my work more than I love them. I am constantly saying "not now, mommy's busy".
This week was no different except for the fact that it was 80 degrees and sunny! At the end of March in Central Illinois that is very rare! I wanted to take advantage of it, so I (like any workaholic overachiever would do) took my laptop outside while the kids played. Addison would say "Mommy will you push me". I would reply "In a little bit." I felt guilty the entire time! I know that she is more important, but I couldn't take myself away from replying to all my "urgent" emails. So the next day before I got out of bed, I decided to pray about my day. I asked God to really help me focus on my family instead of my work and he reminded me about something I had learned in February when Jill Savage came to speak at my team meeting. She talked about the "Urgent" vs the "Important". Urgent things are those that call loudly like the telephone ringing, voicemails, emails, Facebook messages, doorbells ringing, work that has to be done, kitchens that need to be cleaned etc. They are things that if ignored aren't going to really cause any major problems in your life. Important things are those like children who need help with homework, husbands who need to be greeted at the door, children who want to tell you a story, and babies who want to be tickled and played with. It is inevitable that when you are tending to the important, something "urgent" will pop up. It's important to know when to ignore the urgent!
I am really trying to step away from my computer when my children want to tell me a story even when it is 15 minutes long about bakugaun or princesses. I have noticed that I am still able to tend to the urgent because the important are not at my feet begging for my attention. I think this is going to be a struggle for me for the rest of my life, as it is with every mother. Case and point being that I started this blog on Thursday and it is now Monday and I am just finishing it! It's really interesting that when you actually take a step away from the computer to push your daughter on the swing, you realize she only really needed your attention for 5 minutes and after that 5 minutes she feels so loved! What could be more important than that!?