Here are my highlights and observations:
* Full day exploring Phi Phi Islands, means butterfly, but pronounced pee pee.. Surprisingly my kids were very mature with this information.
* Learning that fish eat bananas. That's what we were given to feed the fish while snorkeling. Who knew? Side note, fish will nip your fingers as Carter can attest to.
* Monkeys hide on Monkey Island when they are worried of approaching bad weather. Not the best feeling when on a speedboat an hour away from the mainland.
* Scoping out the life vest situation and telling Bill that when the boat begins to sink he better help grab five.
* Not everything is included, snorkeling masks, yes, fins not so much, those are an extra fee.
* Lunch however was included. It consisted of curry, rice , a seafood soup, and of course spaghetti and barbecue sauce. I am not kidding.
* Saw a water snake and an eel, along with some amazingly colorful fish.
* My kids don't like snorkeling in the rough open sea with the rain pounding down and the boat rocking like crazy, although they did enjoy snorkeling just off the beach in the coral. Go figure!
* Ava is a brave girl when it comes to the wildlife, she held an iguana and it sat on her shoulder. To be fair, I think all my kids wanted a chance, but it costs money so for those 5 minutes she was the chosen one, aka favorite. Good thing I have a photo for all the times she tells me she is unloved. Now I can point to it and say to her, "Do loving parents allow a wild animal to sit on their child's shoulders?" On second thought, maybe I should burn that picture.
* No one got sea sick, though it was touch and go for a few of our team.
* Swimming pool time to end our day and Dim Sum for dinner, which surprisingly everyone loved! I'm sure it's not because they were famished.
* Everyone in bed and asleep by 7:45.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Phuket Day One
We were only in Bangkok for the night since we weren't sure what to expect in Thailand and especially Bangkok becaus of the coup. Although I didn't observe any signs of a coup. Thank goodness! We had one flight left until we arrived at our first destination,...Phuket .
As any good family, we decided to start the day off right with the most important meal, breakfast. The girls ordered the traditional Thai breakfast of waffle with ice cream covered in chocolate syrup. Okay, so maybe traditional is not exactly true, but there it was, giant picture, right on the menu. Carter went for the breakfast of champions, a Thai pancake. What made this version a little different is the fact that they do not have syrup, but instead a giant bottle of honey arrived. Carter decided this is much better than maple syrup anyway.
Our one hour flight to Phuket was uneventful, unless you ask Bill who was surrounded by non wearing deodorant passengers. Apparently he hasn't mastered the art of breathing through your mouth. I honestly didn't know if he was going to make it. Thankfully he did. We were finally reunited with our luggage which we hadn't seen since SFO and hired a taxi for the 30 minute ride to our hotel.
The hotel is amazing! They gave us eucalptus scented cool towels upon arrival and fresh tang to drink. They let us check in early which was great! We spent the day at the pool which overlooks the ocean. We weren't able to go into the ocean because there were red flags out on the beach. When Bill inquired about the red flags he was told that you can swim in the ocean but it is not advised because of the strong undertow and all of the jellyfish. Undertow,,,,jellyfish, I think well stick to the pool, at least it has a water slide.
The hotel we are staying at has a baby elephant that they bring out twice a day. The kids were able to feed and pet it. Ava and Mia were even able to ride it, although Mia was completely petrified. Then for even more excitement a snake was found slithering right next to the pool. After a few screams from the women and children near it, the staff proceeded to quickly catch it and then drape it over my daughter's head for a picture opportunity.
For dinner we took the free shuttle down to the last stop, which is the next hotel and walked into the little town. I forgot to spray on the mosquito repellant which for Mia was a grave mistake. We had a very expensive dinner although they did provide a free taxi back to our hotel. So that was nice. Plus all through dinner, which was eaten outside overlooking a lagoon, the kids were obsessed with trying to take pictures of all the lizards walking around. Also Mia was being eaten alive but this was not realized until we returned to the hotel. Note to self, Mosquitos LOVE Mia.
As any good family, we decided to start the day off right with the most important meal, breakfast. The girls ordered the traditional Thai breakfast of waffle with ice cream covered in chocolate syrup. Okay, so maybe traditional is not exactly true, but there it was, giant picture, right on the menu. Carter went for the breakfast of champions, a Thai pancake. What made this version a little different is the fact that they do not have syrup, but instead a giant bottle of honey arrived. Carter decided this is much better than maple syrup anyway.
Our one hour flight to Phuket was uneventful, unless you ask Bill who was surrounded by non wearing deodorant passengers. Apparently he hasn't mastered the art of breathing through your mouth. I honestly didn't know if he was going to make it. Thankfully he did. We were finally reunited with our luggage which we hadn't seen since SFO and hired a taxi for the 30 minute ride to our hotel.
The hotel is amazing! They gave us eucalptus scented cool towels upon arrival and fresh tang to drink. They let us check in early which was great! We spent the day at the pool which overlooks the ocean. We weren't able to go into the ocean because there were red flags out on the beach. When Bill inquired about the red flags he was told that you can swim in the ocean but it is not advised because of the strong undertow and all of the jellyfish. Undertow,,,,jellyfish, I think well stick to the pool, at least it has a water slide.
The hotel we are staying at has a baby elephant that they bring out twice a day. The kids were able to feed and pet it. Ava and Mia were even able to ride it, although Mia was completely petrified. Then for even more excitement a snake was found slithering right next to the pool. After a few screams from the women and children near it, the staff proceeded to quickly catch it and then drape it over my daughter's head for a picture opportunity.
For dinner we took the free shuttle down to the last stop, which is the next hotel and walked into the little town. I forgot to spray on the mosquito repellant which for Mia was a grave mistake. We had a very expensive dinner although they did provide a free taxi back to our hotel. So that was nice. Plus all through dinner, which was eaten outside overlooking a lagoon, the kids were obsessed with trying to take pictures of all the lizards walking around. Also Mia was being eaten alive but this was not realized until we returned to the hotel. Note to self, Mosquitos LOVE Mia.
Monday, June 23, 2014
We're off!
We're off! Packed and ready to go. Southeast Asia for 23 days and then 15 days in Tulsa and Route 66. Looking forward to the adventure, making memories and new experiences.
Every trip I make I feel like I get a little better at packing, but I'm sure there will be stuff I wished I didn't pack and other things I wished I would have. There comes a point where it's good enough or at least the point where the taxi is waiting to take you to the airport and you just have to grab your bags, ready or not. Go! Go! Go!
Day one was LONG, but relatively uneventful. We left home at 8:15 and arrived to SFO around 9:00. The only problem was that Bill was not on our flight. So the kids and I left first and traveled 10 1/2 hours to Japan, layover for 3 1/2 more hours. We saw Bill just as the kids were beginning to fight and 30 minutes before our next flight. We loaded up most of Team Thompson and then flew Thai Airways, which is amazing by the way, 6 1/2 hours to Bangkok. Where we meet up with the rest of Team Thompson, aka Bill.
Overall the kids were really good. Not having to entertain an infant or cranky 3 year old for hours makes the flight just a little bit better. Everyone entertained themselves by watching movies, such as Labor Day, which is totally kid friendly right? No video games except for a little Fruit Ninja at the airport in Japan, appropriate I'd say. And lets not forget a little violent Japanese murder drama, all in Japanese, that my kids were engrossed in at the airport in Japan. I was being a good mom and reading my own book, while my kids were watching the murder of a child on a swing with a wrench on the big screen public TV. I only know this because when it was over Ava told me all about it and how she didn't really think it was appropriate that they watched it and now she was scared. On the upside after 3 hours of listening and watching Japanese maybe they picked up a few words.
The flight from Japan to Bangkok was great! We each had our own little tv screens and could watch what we wanted. The kids actually slept and again no fighting. Yes! I thought the food was really good, although my kids barely touched theirs. We started out with a snack which was some kind of rice crackers and dried little anchovies. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was eating, and didn't realize I was snacking away on whole dried fish until my kids each handed my their bags, shaking their heads with a disgusted look on their faces. They all tried some at least. For the main meal I had the chicken curry, which was wonderful. The flight attendant thought my kids would prefer the pork and noodles so I agreed. Yeah, not really a hit with any of them either. Last we finished up with a little green tea ice cream. Amazing, although my kids slept through that part. You snooze, you lose. Seriously!
We arrived in Bangkok and went through customs and then waited for Bill. Now my kids were tired, now the fighting began. Luckily Bill was only an hour behind us. Needless to say we were super happy for Team Thompson to be reunited. The taxi we crammed into was a small economy car. Mia sat on my lap and Ava's seatbelt didn't work. Awesome. Our hotel wasn't too far and at least this taxi driver wasn't texting while driving like the taxi driver who took us to SFO. After driving for awhile we turned off the main road onto what appeared to be an alley way and took it all the way to the end. It seemed a little dodgy getting here, but the hotel is actually very nice. We got out of the taxi and straight to the lobby, which is outdoors. My kids were ecstatic because there were a bunch of lizards crawling around on the walls. Best Place Ever according to Carter, who can't wait to catch some. So not going to happen.
We went straight to bed since it was midnight here. I could only sleep for 5 hours which is why I'm typing this. Our taxi picks us up at 8am to finish traveling to Phuket. It's only an hour flight. Can't wait to get to our destination, get our luggage, and relax.
Every trip I make I feel like I get a little better at packing, but I'm sure there will be stuff I wished I didn't pack and other things I wished I would have. There comes a point where it's good enough or at least the point where the taxi is waiting to take you to the airport and you just have to grab your bags, ready or not. Go! Go! Go!
Day one was LONG, but relatively uneventful. We left home at 8:15 and arrived to SFO around 9:00. The only problem was that Bill was not on our flight. So the kids and I left first and traveled 10 1/2 hours to Japan, layover for 3 1/2 more hours. We saw Bill just as the kids were beginning to fight and 30 minutes before our next flight. We loaded up most of Team Thompson and then flew Thai Airways, which is amazing by the way, 6 1/2 hours to Bangkok. Where we meet up with the rest of Team Thompson, aka Bill.
Overall the kids were really good. Not having to entertain an infant or cranky 3 year old for hours makes the flight just a little bit better. Everyone entertained themselves by watching movies, such as Labor Day, which is totally kid friendly right? No video games except for a little Fruit Ninja at the airport in Japan, appropriate I'd say. And lets not forget a little violent Japanese murder drama, all in Japanese, that my kids were engrossed in at the airport in Japan. I was being a good mom and reading my own book, while my kids were watching the murder of a child on a swing with a wrench on the big screen public TV. I only know this because when it was over Ava told me all about it and how she didn't really think it was appropriate that they watched it and now she was scared. On the upside after 3 hours of listening and watching Japanese maybe they picked up a few words.
The flight from Japan to Bangkok was great! We each had our own little tv screens and could watch what we wanted. The kids actually slept and again no fighting. Yes! I thought the food was really good, although my kids barely touched theirs. We started out with a snack which was some kind of rice crackers and dried little anchovies. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was eating, and didn't realize I was snacking away on whole dried fish until my kids each handed my their bags, shaking their heads with a disgusted look on their faces. They all tried some at least. For the main meal I had the chicken curry, which was wonderful. The flight attendant thought my kids would prefer the pork and noodles so I agreed. Yeah, not really a hit with any of them either. Last we finished up with a little green tea ice cream. Amazing, although my kids slept through that part. You snooze, you lose. Seriously!
We arrived in Bangkok and went through customs and then waited for Bill. Now my kids were tired, now the fighting began. Luckily Bill was only an hour behind us. Needless to say we were super happy for Team Thompson to be reunited. The taxi we crammed into was a small economy car. Mia sat on my lap and Ava's seatbelt didn't work. Awesome. Our hotel wasn't too far and at least this taxi driver wasn't texting while driving like the taxi driver who took us to SFO. After driving for awhile we turned off the main road onto what appeared to be an alley way and took it all the way to the end. It seemed a little dodgy getting here, but the hotel is actually very nice. We got out of the taxi and straight to the lobby, which is outdoors. My kids were ecstatic because there were a bunch of lizards crawling around on the walls. Best Place Ever according to Carter, who can't wait to catch some. So not going to happen.
We went straight to bed since it was midnight here. I could only sleep for 5 hours which is why I'm typing this. Our taxi picks us up at 8am to finish traveling to Phuket. It's only an hour flight. Can't wait to get to our destination, get our luggage, and relax.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Kids In Charge Day
Saturday was "Kids In Charge Day." I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but it was Bill's idea therefore it probably was crazy. There were only 2 rules; the kids all had to agree on what they decided to do and it had to be safe. They knew a couple of days in advance so they brainstormed some ideas of what we would be eating and what we would be doing. Interesting stuff, really.
Here's our day in a nutshell. Bill took the kids shopping with a limited budget and they returned with food for the day. Breakfast consisted of donuts and bagels with cream cheese (cream cheese is totally a protein, right?!). The girls chose to paint their nails while Carter decided to play video games. Now I really should explain what I mean by video games. We don't own any new or fancy video game system. When Bill and I got married 14 years ago one of our wedding presents was a Sony Playstation, I'm talking old school. What makes it even more old school is the fact that the games we have are the Namco SUPER retro Ms. Pacman, Dig Dug, Pole Position and the like. Carter thinks it's a special treat to play these video games since there is very little gaming in our house. Poor Carter.
Lunch was very classy with Chef Boyardee beef raviolis, fruit salad and root beer floats. I have to admit I did not partake with the canned raviolis although they are a favorite with my brood. That would all be thanks to my husband who loves himself some Chef Boyardee. Really? Not sure what that says about my cooking that he loves so much, but I digress. Nickel City was where we headed after our amazing carb filled lunch. We played some more video games. Mia amazingly hit the mother lode of tickets by dropping some ball in the Jackpot hole. They all decided to combine their tickets (the older ones can be so clever) and walked out of there with a water gun each. I think Mia's broke before we even made it to the car, but whatever. They gambled away their nickels for some tickets and left with an awesome prize, okay awesome may be on overstatement, but they didn't leave empty handed. I mean, it's great to spend some money and bring junk home instead, am I right?!
Once we returned home the girls went outside to play on the slip and slide and get in the spa. Carter continued to play his video games. He did venture out for awhile, but no sooner had he got wet than a bee landed on his finger and stung him. Needless to say, he decided he was done playing outside. The girls, on the other hand, continued to play while daddy proceeded to kill the bees hoovering around them.
Yakisoba noodles were what we ate for dinner followed up with some apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We ended the night by observing a family of raccoons (a mama and 5 babies) crawl out from under our deck and look for food. They were super cute!!! Although according to Bill they would take down Mia in a second. Apparently he's had a run in with some 'coons in the past.
Here's what I learned from Kids In Charge Day: my kids love carbs, sugar and more carbs (alright, I kind of already knew this one), Carter would be addicted to video games if we let him, although he really is pretty amazing at Ms. Pacman, my kids can actually agree on doing some things, they really enjoyed spending the entire day with us, we really enjoyed enjoyed spending the entire day with them as well.
Here's our day in a nutshell. Bill took the kids shopping with a limited budget and they returned with food for the day. Breakfast consisted of donuts and bagels with cream cheese (cream cheese is totally a protein, right?!). The girls chose to paint their nails while Carter decided to play video games. Now I really should explain what I mean by video games. We don't own any new or fancy video game system. When Bill and I got married 14 years ago one of our wedding presents was a Sony Playstation, I'm talking old school. What makes it even more old school is the fact that the games we have are the Namco SUPER retro Ms. Pacman, Dig Dug, Pole Position and the like. Carter thinks it's a special treat to play these video games since there is very little gaming in our house. Poor Carter.
Lunch was very classy with Chef Boyardee beef raviolis, fruit salad and root beer floats. I have to admit I did not partake with the canned raviolis although they are a favorite with my brood. That would all be thanks to my husband who loves himself some Chef Boyardee. Really? Not sure what that says about my cooking that he loves so much, but I digress. Nickel City was where we headed after our amazing carb filled lunch. We played some more video games. Mia amazingly hit the mother lode of tickets by dropping some ball in the Jackpot hole. They all decided to combine their tickets (the older ones can be so clever) and walked out of there with a water gun each. I think Mia's broke before we even made it to the car, but whatever. They gambled away their nickels for some tickets and left with an awesome prize, okay awesome may be on overstatement, but they didn't leave empty handed. I mean, it's great to spend some money and bring junk home instead, am I right?!
Once we returned home the girls went outside to play on the slip and slide and get in the spa. Carter continued to play his video games. He did venture out for awhile, but no sooner had he got wet than a bee landed on his finger and stung him. Needless to say, he decided he was done playing outside. The girls, on the other hand, continued to play while daddy proceeded to kill the bees hoovering around them.
Yakisoba noodles were what we ate for dinner followed up with some apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We ended the night by observing a family of raccoons (a mama and 5 babies) crawl out from under our deck and look for food. They were super cute!!! Although according to Bill they would take down Mia in a second. Apparently he's had a run in with some 'coons in the past.
Here's what I learned from Kids In Charge Day: my kids love carbs, sugar and more carbs (alright, I kind of already knew this one), Carter would be addicted to video games if we let him, although he really is pretty amazing at Ms. Pacman, my kids can actually agree on doing some things, they really enjoyed spending the entire day with us, we really enjoyed enjoyed spending the entire day with them as well.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Lessons Learned
It's official, Summer of Work has begun! The kids eagerly awoke and started picking up and making beds. Teamwork, amazingly enough, even took place with Carter and Mia each helping the other make their beds. Ava was so into it she even went above and beyond and organized 2 of her desk drawers. While Carter decided to make everyone his delicious pancakes from scratch!
It was even Ava's laundry day (once a week the kids do their own laundry) and although she balked a bit she eventually tackled the job and did it well. She sorted, washed, dried, folded and put away her clothes.
I learned that my kids are really quite capable. Crossing fingers it lasts more than a week.
Alas, for every positive there is a negative, and the negative was quick to come. Today "hike" was chosen from our Summer of Fun jar. Most were excited although it was supposed to be a hot day, mid 90s hot. So we decided to take our hike in the late afternoon. The kids were playing Jenga and I was doing something really important, okay so maybe checking Facebook isn't that important, but still I was busy. The next thing I know there's crying and two kids are running to me, eager to be the first to tattle. Long story short, one of my kids lied to me. Not only lied to me once, but continued to lie clinging to their story. So once I found out the truth, which mom's have an amazing knack for, that child was sent to their room for the rest of the day. A babysitter was found and the hike was still on, minus one child who I hope learned their lesson.
It was even Ava's laundry day (once a week the kids do their own laundry) and although she balked a bit she eventually tackled the job and did it well. She sorted, washed, dried, folded and put away her clothes.
I learned that my kids are really quite capable. Crossing fingers it lasts more than a week.
Alas, for every positive there is a negative, and the negative was quick to come. Today "hike" was chosen from our Summer of Fun jar. Most were excited although it was supposed to be a hot day, mid 90s hot. So we decided to take our hike in the late afternoon. The kids were playing Jenga and I was doing something really important, okay so maybe checking Facebook isn't that important, but still I was busy. The next thing I know there's crying and two kids are running to me, eager to be the first to tattle. Long story short, one of my kids lied to me. Not only lied to me once, but continued to lie clinging to their story. So once I found out the truth, which mom's have an amazing knack for, that child was sent to their room for the rest of the day. A babysitter was found and the hike was still on, minus one child who I hope learned their lesson.
Thursday, June 07, 2012
I'm Back
Well, it's been a long time since I've been here. Life got so busy I blinked and years have passed. After rereading all my old posts I'm sad I haven't done a better job of writing about my children's silly, complicated, endearing, exasperating, humorous, and exhausting lives. I'm making a point to write at least 3 times a week, hopefully more. If I write it here, then I must stick to it....right?! So here goes.
The last day of school is tomorrow, we have the summer in front of us, and I'm on a mission. A mission for fun and work. I know they don't seem to go together, but they both feel so important and valuable. Here's what's shaping my thoughts:
WORK
Right now I'm reading "Cleaning House A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement," by Kay Wills Wyma. I can't tell you how much I'm LOVING this book. I totally agree with her, that work creates self worth and self esteem. My philosophy has always been to raise respectful, independent, and kind children. However sometimes I lose sight of the independent part and do too much for them. I still remember the first time each of my children cleaned their rooms by themselves. They were each about 2 and I stood and told them where the items went, but did not do anything to actually help in the process. I remember the fits, crying, yelling and how they said they weren't going to do anything. But once they finally finished (for some it took much longer than others) they had this look of pride on their faces that I will never forget. Although they don't have set chores, when asked, they help with the laundry (sorting, washing, and folding), emptying the dishwasher, loading the dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, helping to cook, pulling weeds and more. However I feel that I don't ask very much and I'm not very consistent. So I'm making it one of my goals this summer to expect more from my children by making them work. Wish me luck!!!
FUN
One of my friends went to a workshop and the woman leading it asked this question; When was the last time you had fun with your kids? It's one of those questions I had to ponder. I mean I feel like I have fun memories, but really what pops into my head is the nagging to get them ready and out the door in the morning, the constant reminding to pick up after themselves, the never ending refereeing of sibling bickering and fighting and the list goes on and on. My children are only young once and I know how fleeting their youth is. While I feel it's my job to create the independence I talked about above I do still believe that I want them to have fond and playful memories as well. So we are calling this The Summer of Fun! We, the children and I, have brainstormed many fun ideas to do over the summer. We have a daily jar that we will pull from and a weekend jar as well. Every day we will do what the card tells us. Every Monday we will pull from the weekend jar too so that we can do the necessary planing that the weekend task might entail.
This is going to be one interesting summer. I'm looking forward to all the memories, hopefully more good than bad, this adventure has to bring. Wish me Luck!!!
The last day of school is tomorrow, we have the summer in front of us, and I'm on a mission. A mission for fun and work. I know they don't seem to go together, but they both feel so important and valuable. Here's what's shaping my thoughts:
WORK
Right now I'm reading "Cleaning House A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement," by Kay Wills Wyma. I can't tell you how much I'm LOVING this book. I totally agree with her, that work creates self worth and self esteem. My philosophy has always been to raise respectful, independent, and kind children. However sometimes I lose sight of the independent part and do too much for them. I still remember the first time each of my children cleaned their rooms by themselves. They were each about 2 and I stood and told them where the items went, but did not do anything to actually help in the process. I remember the fits, crying, yelling and how they said they weren't going to do anything. But once they finally finished (for some it took much longer than others) they had this look of pride on their faces that I will never forget. Although they don't have set chores, when asked, they help with the laundry (sorting, washing, and folding), emptying the dishwasher, loading the dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, helping to cook, pulling weeds and more. However I feel that I don't ask very much and I'm not very consistent. So I'm making it one of my goals this summer to expect more from my children by making them work. Wish me luck!!!
FUN
One of my friends went to a workshop and the woman leading it asked this question; When was the last time you had fun with your kids? It's one of those questions I had to ponder. I mean I feel like I have fun memories, but really what pops into my head is the nagging to get them ready and out the door in the morning, the constant reminding to pick up after themselves, the never ending refereeing of sibling bickering and fighting and the list goes on and on. My children are only young once and I know how fleeting their youth is. While I feel it's my job to create the independence I talked about above I do still believe that I want them to have fond and playful memories as well. So we are calling this The Summer of Fun! We, the children and I, have brainstormed many fun ideas to do over the summer. We have a daily jar that we will pull from and a weekend jar as well. Every day we will do what the card tells us. Every Monday we will pull from the weekend jar too so that we can do the necessary planing that the weekend task might entail.
This is going to be one interesting summer. I'm looking forward to all the memories, hopefully more good than bad, this adventure has to bring. Wish me Luck!!!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Kiddy Camp
I signed my kids up for summer camp! Well, it's not exactly all summer, nor is it technically camping, heck it isn't even all day. What it is, however, is 4 wonderful mornings all to myself (with the baby of course). I'm going to get so much done in the 3 hours that they are off playing games, creating art, making friends, doing who knows what and really who cares as long as I have ME time. What bliss it will be.
I'm so excited about all the time I have on my hands and not wanting to waste it, I make a list of all that I will accomplish while they are gone:
Clean house,
Do laundry, ( not sure why this is on my "list" since it's all I ever do and never can complete)
Organize pictures,
Start Ava's baby book ( I know, I know, she's 3, but it's never too late)
Clean out closet
Organize Mia's room ( which I still refer to as "the office")
Take pictures of Mia ( I don't have enough, poor 3rd child)
Read a book ( or at least some of one)
On Monday when I drop the kids off at 9:30 they are eager to leave me and go play. It helps that Carter has a friend there from preschool. Even Ava who has never gone off on her own before is completely okay with me leaving her. She waves to me as she begins to color a picture. "That was easy," I think to myself.
I hurry back with Mia to the car. I am eager to get home, begin my list and have some quiet time. I pull in the garage, take Mia out of her car seat, and bring her in the house. I set her down and am about to put a load of laundry in when Mia begins to cry. "Oh, she must be hungry, no problem." I feed her. She continues to cry. I change her. Still she cries. I swaddle her and rock her. Finally she's asleep and it's quiet.
I put the load of laundry in. Then I look at the clock. Wow, it's already 11. I'm getting hungry. So I pop in a quick frozen Weight Watchers meal and sit down and begin the crossword puzzle from the days newspaper. Four minutes later my meal is ready. When I finish eating I clean the kitchen, dining room and begin the living room. The phone rings. It's my friend Amy. I chat with her while I begin folding the clean laundry that has been sitting in the baskets for about a week (Lovely, wrinkled clothes, because you know I don't iron). After about 10 minutes I glance at the clock.
"Shoot, I gotto go pick my kids up," I tell my friend as I hang up the phone. It's 12:00. I gather Mia, change her diaper, strap her in her car seat and head out. I arrive just in time for the 12:30 pick up. Perfect.
So much for my 3 hours of heaven. I think tomorrow I will skip my list and just relax for the few moments I have.
I'm so excited about all the time I have on my hands and not wanting to waste it, I make a list of all that I will accomplish while they are gone:
Clean house,
Do laundry, ( not sure why this is on my "list" since it's all I ever do and never can complete)
Organize pictures,
Start Ava's baby book ( I know, I know, she's 3, but it's never too late)
Clean out closet
Organize Mia's room ( which I still refer to as "the office")
Take pictures of Mia ( I don't have enough, poor 3rd child)
Read a book ( or at least some of one)
On Monday when I drop the kids off at 9:30 they are eager to leave me and go play. It helps that Carter has a friend there from preschool. Even Ava who has never gone off on her own before is completely okay with me leaving her. She waves to me as she begins to color a picture. "That was easy," I think to myself.
I hurry back with Mia to the car. I am eager to get home, begin my list and have some quiet time. I pull in the garage, take Mia out of her car seat, and bring her in the house. I set her down and am about to put a load of laundry in when Mia begins to cry. "Oh, she must be hungry, no problem." I feed her. She continues to cry. I change her. Still she cries. I swaddle her and rock her. Finally she's asleep and it's quiet.
I put the load of laundry in. Then I look at the clock. Wow, it's already 11. I'm getting hungry. So I pop in a quick frozen Weight Watchers meal and sit down and begin the crossword puzzle from the days newspaper. Four minutes later my meal is ready. When I finish eating I clean the kitchen, dining room and begin the living room. The phone rings. It's my friend Amy. I chat with her while I begin folding the clean laundry that has been sitting in the baskets for about a week (Lovely, wrinkled clothes, because you know I don't iron). After about 10 minutes I glance at the clock.
"Shoot, I gotto go pick my kids up," I tell my friend as I hang up the phone. It's 12:00. I gather Mia, change her diaper, strap her in her car seat and head out. I arrive just in time for the 12:30 pick up. Perfect.
So much for my 3 hours of heaven. I think tomorrow I will skip my list and just relax for the few moments I have.
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