Flowers

We planted these flowers at our mailbox in May 2011, the first spring we lived in our house. They are perennial flowers so they come back every year. They bloom from June-August and are really looking good this year! Lucy helped me water them one day and I just had to share!



Hide And Seek

I tried to teach Lucy how to play hide and seek the other day. I don't think she caught on very well because after I counted to 10 and said "ready or not here I come" this is where I found her! What a fun little girl she is!

A Second Sophomore Year, Kind Of

Ross started school again this fall! Last year he decided to go back to college for an accounting degree. You can read about it here. It's his second year of college so I guess you could consider him a sophomore...in a way!

Due to having a wife, having kids, working full time, and having a life in general, he is only able to take one class a semester. So far he has three accounting classes under his belt and seven more to go. He has even made the Honor Roll and I am so proud of him! He has done a great job of doing his homework and studying for his tests, all while balancing family and work life. He hopes to graduate in Spring 2018. Slowly, but surely, he will!

And, like always, he was such a good sport to take back to school pictures with me. :)

August Dates

I have a pretty good memory and like thinking back to what happened a year ago, two years ago, three years ago, etc., on any given date. August is a fun month for me of remembering what happened in years past. Ross and I got engaged on August 21, 2009, and we found out we were having Lucy on August 16, 2012. It's so much fun to remember the joy and excitement we felt on those dates and sharing our good news with our friends.

Officially Broke In As A Mom

I know I've been a mom for 2 year and 3 1/2 months now, but there are a few things that have happened over the last few months that made me feel like yes, I am officially broke in as a mom now.

The first came early one Saturday morning, about 4:45am. Lucy woke up around 4am that morning whining a bit. I sat and rocked her for a bit and put her back in her crib. She kept whining so I brought her to bed with me hoping she would go back to sleep. That didn't work so I decided to rock with her again. I am so glad I did because after about 5 minutes of sitting there she threw up ALL OVER ME. And I do mean all over me because she was sitting facing me.

It was like this slow motion scene...all of a sudden Lucy starts throwing up ALL OVER ME. Think hot dogs, cottage cheese, and Kool-aid throw up. It was by far the most absolutely disgustingest thing I have ever experienced in my life. Ever in my 36 1/2 years of life. So disgusting. It was all over and down my shirt and in my hair. Oh so gross. Although it was so disgusting, I was glad it happened all on me because hardly any of it got on her. Just a little got on the quilt I have on the rocking chair and a just a little got on the carpet. So from the aspect of cleaning up and worrying about stains, I was the main one who had to clean up.

I called Ross in and he was a trooper. He HATES throw up, cannot stand it, but he helped by cleaning up Lucy while I took a shower. I'll spare you the details of trying to get undressed and not get the throw up that was on me all over or trying to get it out of my hair..........

I've thought off and on before that night that we've been lucky to not have anything like that happen. Well, it happened and we were broke in as parents and dealing with sick kids.

The second experience was one I've heard most all of my mommy friends talk about over the years: the thrill of going to the grocery store alone without any kids. They would describe it as a heavenly vacation because they were able to shop without the worry of kids. Of course I couldn't relate to it before having kids and then with Lucy I felt like I still couldn't relate to it. It was always pretty easy taking her to the grocery store with me. I would plan it around a time I knew Lucy would cooperate and would be sure to have snacks and my phone along if she got restless.

Well, I can probably count on one hand the times I've gone to the grocery store with both of my girls since Molly was born. I just don't like going with both of them. Molly's car seat and Lucy take up too much room in the cart for my groceries and I'm afraid one is going to pitch a fit at any moment so just prefer to not go with them or go when Ross can go along, too. A few Sundays ago we needed some groceries and I decided to go during naptime. I was gone about 45 minutes but it was so great. I felt like I was on a vacation by myself. I got to listen to whatever I wanted to in the car. I didn't have to carry anyone in to the store with me. I had lots of room in my cart. And I just kind of took my time, something I wouldn't do if I had the girls with me.

Like I said, I know I became a Mom when Lucy was born, but after these two experiences I feel like I really am a mom now.

Timehop

I have an app on my phone called Timehop. It's an app that looks back at the Facebook posts (maybe even Twitter and Instragram posts, too, I don't know, don't have either of them) you made one, two, three, four, etc., years ago on that date and brings them up for you to look at. It has been so much fun to relive some of those memories and I remember some of the posts so well! It's been especially fun to read my posts from 2009, the year Ross and I were dating. We had such fun dating each other! I also had a lot of fun suntanning in the summer. it seems like half of my posts talked about getting ready to go to the pool or lake! I highly recommend the app if you don't already have it!

I Own A Business!

I am now the proud business owner of Total Body Blitz by Libby!

 

I've been teaching aerobics/group exercise classes for 14 1/2 years now at different gyms around Springfield. I started at Cox Health Fitness Center in 2001 teaching a step class and was there for quite a few years. Since then I have taught various classes at the YMCA and Chesterfield Family Center. In December 2013, I started teaching a boot camp class at Chesterfield and have really enjoyed it. You can read more about it here.

 

Chesterfield Family Center is part of the City of Springfield and I am a contract employee through the city. The city passed an ordinance that all contract employees must have a business license to continue employment. So this meant I had to get a business license. When I first learned about this I was so annoyed! I thought it would be a very long and involved process, and an expensive one, too. I was so happy to realize how easy of a process it was. It took about five minutes to complete an online form and that was pretty much it. I was also happy to learn that the business license would only cost me $25. I have to renew it each year, but I can certainly handle $25 a year. I was afraid it was going to be hundreds of dollars.

 

I was excited to receive my license in the mail the other day. I am so official!

 

 

Mommy Fail REDEPMTION

I am happy to say I have redeemed myself from my Mommy Fail last year regarding the library's summer reading program. Last year I completed all the activities with Lucy but was a few days late turning it in and could not get her free gift of a board book. Oh I was so bummed about this! I felt like I had really let Lucy down. Now, in reality, I know that she had no clue about this program, but I just felt so bad!

I vowed that this would not happen again and the next summer I would get our cards early and make sure to get the completed cards turned in on time. I'm happy to say that we officially completed the reading program last week when I turned in our game cards and got a free book for Lucy and a free book for Molly. Go me!

We also got a flip card for Lucy which is a card that has several discounts on it. Examples are buy one get one free cupcakes, a free small Andy's frozen custard, discounted tickets to Springfield Cardinals games, discounted bowling tickets, different things like that. We've already gotten our free custard and cupcake and look forward to using more items on the flip card in the next few months. Again, go me!

Gumma

My Mom is so good to come help me whenever I need it. She watched Lucy for me each time I had a dr appointment when pregnant with Molly, she stayed with us when Molly was first born, she came over to help when I was sick a few weeks after Molly was born, she's always available to babysit whenever I need, and so many other things she does for me and us.

Last week she babysat in the morning so I could go to my best friend's graduation. It's so nice to be able to leave Lucy and Molly with my Mom and know that I don't have to worry about how they're doing while I'm gone. She knows our routine and knows both girls and both of them like her. Thanks for your help, Mom! I love you!