Where I've been: Disney World!

Last Wednesday we packed up the car and the kids and went to Disney World in Orlando for a few days of family fun in the sun. My in-laws from Vermont came down with their two littles (although one is getting sort of biggish - when did that happen?)

We had four glorious beautiful days in the parks with animated characters, princesses, and pirates, Oh my! There were giggles over spinning teapots and meltdowns over dropped ice cream.




Mr. Rose and Miss H watch one of the performances at Cinderella's Castle - The Magic Kingdom


We walked, and carried, and stroller-pushed. We waited in lines and we waited some more. We rode and we watched and we clapped and we cheered.

Autographs were gathered and memories were made.

And now? Mama and Daddy are tired. There is so much more to write and share, but alas, that will have to wait for another day.

PYHO: Planning a big birthday party

Birthdays are important to me. When I was growing up, I used to look forward to my birthday even more so than Christmas. My birthday was my day. The one day that I got all the attention and special favors from my family. It was, and still is, a day that I am reminded of just how much my family loves me.

Next month, Miss H will be turning four. She has been looking forward to this day since the day after her third birthday. Last year, the girls and I were staying with my parents while Mr. Rose was traveling. Not wanting to burden them any more than I already was, I suggested to Miss H that we have a party at Chick-Fil-A with a few of her preschool friends.

We invited five of her classmates and met everyone there. I bought a few kids meals, some cupcakes, and let them have at it. They played in the playspace, sang happy birthday, and opened presents. Easy, peasy.


Miss H and I at her Third Birthday Party

This year is different. This will be her last birthday in this town and I really want her to have a fun time with the friends she will be saying goodbye to in a few short months. We decided on a Candyland (her favorite new game) themed party and came up with a guest list of fifteen kids. Oh yes, you read that right. Fifteen.

At the time it sounded like a good idea. As I addressed the invitations last week, I panicked. What was I thinking? I'll have to clean my house and come up with something fun for these kids to do while they are here for two hours. Do I have the space in our house for this?

But when I really think about it, Miss H doesn't care. She just wants to have her friends over to play. I want her to make a memory of the friends that she had while we lived here. I want her to be happy and to have a birthday that she will remember. I want her to know that even though this party will be work for me, that I love her and that her happiness on this day and everyday is all that matters.

So, we'll get some balloons and a cake and decorate our house like Candyland. I'm sure everyone will have a great time and in the end the only thing that matters will be seeing the smile on my baby's face.



 

I'm linking up with Shell at Things I Can't Say for Pour Your Heart Out. Head on over there and check out some of the other links today!

Trying to squeeze in some Mommy time

Saturday mornings are a glorious time. We sleep in as late as the girls will let us, and lounge around drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Around 10am we all head to our local YMCA where Miss H takes gymnastics.

For the one hour of her class, Lil' B goes to the nursery, Mr. Rose heads for the treadmill, and I take my post outside of gymnastics to watch Miss H. It is so nice to be able to sit by myself and read or write while I marvel at the cuteness of my daughter on the balance beam.

The past two Saturdays have been different though. Last Saturday the YMCA was jam packed with people. It is basketball season now, so vying for a seat on one of the benches out side of gymnastics is becoming so difficult that it should be its own Olympic sport. On top of that, there was a Valentine's Day members appreciation party occuring right in this same area that happens to be about 20 feet wide by 30 feet long.

Have I ever mentioned that I hate large crowds in small spaces? No? Well...I do.

Lucky for me there is an upstairs observation area for gymnastics, although with considerably less seating, but I headed up there anyway. It was definitely quieter so I stood watching out the window as Miss H did her jumping jacks and stretches in relative peace.

Until...it started.

Two women next to me started talking. And talking. And TALKING. The one was relating a story to the other and it seemed like she was just telling it over and over again with increasing amounts of adjectives, hyperboles, and volume. From what I could tell it seemed that someone had wronged her in some way. I kept standing there trying to block it out, but all I could hear in my head was, "The more you stir it, the more it STINKS!" Before I could embarrass myself by butting into their conversation, I headed back downstairs.

By this time, things had quieted down a bit and I managed to find a spot on one of the downstairs benches. I settled in and pulled out my book. Just as I was starting to read, it started. Again.

Two different chatty-cathys had taken a spot on a bench right in front of me. Same situation as before, different topic. I wanted to scream, "For crying out loud would you please keep it to yourself! Some of us are TRYING to enjoy the 1 hour of solitude we will have this weekend!!" Again, I tried to block it out and failed.

This weekend when we headed out I planned on trying to write a few blog posts for the coming week. There was no member appreciation party this weekend, so the crowd was much reduced from last week. I quickly found a seat and whipped out my notebook and pen. No sooner had I written the first sentence than a woman in front of me turned around and tried to start a conversation with me. I answered her politely and after each response bent my head back down to my notebook.

She kept talking and talking, and finally I gave up. I put my notebook away and admitted defeat. Saturday mornings at the YMCA are not the place for Mommy quiet time. Maybe next week I should actually exercise.

Mr. Rose's perspective on shoes: a special Guest Post by my husband

Today, I am pleased to have my husband, Mr. Rose, guest posting. Some of you may know that I also have a private family blog, and on that blog Mr. Rose has been taking up my slack. The other day he posted this story and fifteen minutes later asked me if I had read it. The next day he asked me if anyone commented on it. Really? The only people who read that blog are my parents, my sister, his Dad, and a few of our close friends. Not a big audience and not really any commentors in the bunch.

I started to tease him a little bit. "You're getting the blogging bug! You're getting the blogging bug! What? You wrote something and nobody commented? Doesn't feel so good does it?" He quickly assured me that no, he was not getting the "blogging bug," and no he did not care if anyone commented, he was just curious.

Riiiiiiiight. So without further ado, I give you:

Shoes

I remember a time in my not-to-distant past when shoes did not play any significant role in my life. Sure, when I was a kid I wanted to ensure I had basketball shoes for basketball and cleats for soccer. When I was older, I wanted a nice pair of shoes or two for dressing up, but I never really thought more than a minute or two of any given day about shoes. Okay, maybe if my feet were hurting during a 25-mile roadmarch I'd think a bit more than a few minutes.

When first married, I experienced the perplexed wonderment of losing all my closet space to Erin's collection of shoes, but I got over that pretty quickly too. Now, however, shoes have taken over my life in a way I was never prepared for. See, shoes happen to be one of Lil' B's most favorite things in the whole world, second only to maybe dogs, birds, or "up!" Although, not her first word, it has probably been one of her most frequently used ones. For some reason, she loves shoes. Putting them on, taking them off, making sure you have them on, taking yours off, asking for them, pointing them out.... You know how persistent an 18 month old can be. "Shoes, Shoes, Shoes" is what we hear almost all day long. The good thing is, she knows how to put them on and off by herself already and I bet she'll be tying shoe strings in no time.

That said, having just adjusted to Lil' B's mannerisms, Erin brings home these:

The first shoes that Miss H has picked out on her own. My first thought was "OMG, what did you allow her to do?" They are pink, sequined, they have peace symbols, oh - and did I mention they light up whenever she takes a step. Hmmmm. Not exactly the nice brown or white (and conservative) shoes that she has owned up to now. My skeptical mood quickly transformed into happiness when I saw how proud Hannah was of her new shoes. So, once again I adjusted.

Then the other day, I learned that Miss H has also started to pick out all of her own clothes to get dressed now:

I think she pulled it off. What do you think?

Heaven only knows what the future holds......

So, what do you think? Does Mr. Rose need to have a regular slot here on Cultivating Rosebuds? Please do me a favor and show him some comment love.

Girls can be tough, too!

It is no secret that my Rosebuds are princesses. They love to wear dresses with ribbons and bows and glass slippers. But every once in awhile they are in the mood for something different. Lil' B is obsessed with birds and animals of every kind. Miss H likes to point out fancy cars and motorcycles and construction equipment while we are driving. Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids is one of their favorite cartoons.

Have you ever tried to find a t-shirt for a Dino Diva? Or how about a "girlified" construction digger? I've never seen one...until now! One of my dearest friends Kathryn has a daughter, V, who loves some non-girly things, but she could never find cute clothes depicting these topics with girly colors like pink and purple. So she started her own online shop, Girlified Designs, to create t-shirts and onesies for "girly girls who like things a little tough."

Smiley Snake T-shirt

How adorable is that little cutie wearing her Smiley Snake shirt with pride! Kathryn also has designs with a Digger, a Dino Diva (my personal favorite), and Sporty Car. If you have a little lady in your life who would sport these designs with style and a little toughness, check out Kathryn's Girlified Designs. 

Disclaimer: Kathryn is one of my best friends and we have known each other since 8th grade. We were in each other's weddings and see each other several times a year despite living 9 hours apart. She is an #ALLCAPSAWESOME friend, and an amazing mom. Given that, this review is my honest and open opinion of her store. I was gifted one shirt for each of my girls by Kathryn which you could consider compensation for this post or simply one friend being nice to another. Take it as you will. : )

Happy Valentine's Day to Me

Saturday afternoon I drove to the mall to pick up some Valentine's Day goodies for the girls. After I picked out their gifts, I wandered into a clothing store. I found a couple of cute items and headed for the dressing room.

As I began to try on the clothes, I did not recognize the figure standing in front of me in the mirror. Saggy parts where there shouldn't be abounded. Parts that should be full and voluptuous simply withered. Needless to say, nothing fit right and I headed for the door.

Sunday I decided that I was going to do more decluttering and organizing, since that always seems to help me feel better. This time my objective was to clean out my closet. I resolved to give away anything that didn't fit or I had not worn in a year. I started with the dresses and tried each one on. Miss H thought it was fun to watch Mommy play dress up and with each dress she told me how beautiful or gorgeous I looked. That girl knows how to make her Mama smile.

I held nothing back. If it didn't fit and wasn't within one size of what I am currently wearing, out it went. I filled a huge box with clothes to donate and I have several fancy dresses that I am going to try to sell on consignment. But there are also LOTS of clothes that I know I can get into with a little work.

I know that I am never going to get back into the clothes that I was wearing before having kids. My body is just different. However, there is much room for improvement. I know what I need to do. I need to exercise. I need to get into the gym and actually do cardio, not just walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes reading my Nook. I need to get back to Body Pump and Yoga, and maybe even Zumba if nobody is watching.

This Valentine's Day I am reminding myself that I am important too. It is important for me to take care of myself so that I can take care of my family. I have to love myself, and loving myself means making sure that my body is fit and full of energy. Happy Valentine's Day, Erin. Now go get your booty to the gym!

Things I'm Loving Lately

I thought I would write a short and sweet post about some things that I am loving lately. We are a little crazy here this week with a sick toddler, a sick mama, planning two Disney vacations and a trip for house-hunting. Here are the things that have been making it all a little bit happier:


1) Taylor Swift Radio on Pandora: In case you haven't heard of it, Pandora is free Internet radio with an unlimited number of radio stations. Right now in my account, I have Rob Thomas radio, Glee radio, and Taylor Swift Radio. When you pick a station, Pandora plays music similar in style and genre. For instance, with Taylor Swift Radio I get a very nice mix of country-pop crossover - everything from Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts to Colbie Caillat and Michelle Branch. Seriously, I'm digging it.

2) Miss H picking out her own clothes and getting dressed all. by. herself. 'Nough said.

3) Lil' B being obsessed with shoes.

4) My husband - he's a rock star in case you were wondering. (Not a for real rock star, a proverbial one, but a rock star none the less.)

5) Glee.

6) Twitter - Yes, I drank the Kool-aid and am now addicted to Twitter. It is so nice to be able to log on and be able to have a conversation with someone (or several someones) at any time of day. I am really enjoying getting to know some of the fabulous bloggers that I follow a little bit better with each tweet.

And that brings me to, Blog Boycott Day! My amazing awesome fabulous friend Liz at a belle, a bean, & a chicago dog dedicates the second Friday of every month to being an anti-blogging, pro-Twitter day. Instead of spending the day blog hopping, log onto Twitter instead and follow the hashtag #BlogBoycottDay. You can also Link-up on Liz's blog so that we know who is playing along. Come tweet with us and get to know some people better. But I have to warn you, it is addicting! So come on, all the #ALLCAPSAWESOME kids are doing it.....

Cleaning house and mom guilt, just say no

My dear sweet newbie mom sister calls me up and asks me if I have a schedule for cleaning my house. Cleaning you say? What is that about? When I think of cleaning house, I think about mopping floors and scrubbing bathrooms two things that I have very little time for.

I am lucky if I can get the clean dishes emptied from the dishwasher and keep up with loading it back up with dirty dishes from the day. Lil' B makes both of these tasks a big challenge as she likes to pull knives out of the dishwasher. On an excellent day I am able to actually sweep my kitchen floor, as opposed to simply picking up the dropped food with a paper towel. I try to tidy and wipe down the bathroom during bathtime. We use the weekends for hard core cleaning and general straightening up.

After explaining all this to her she says, "But don't you feel guilty? I feel guilty when my husband comes home and the house isn't clean." My answer to her is no. My job all day long is taking care of my kids - feeding them, getting them dressed, changing the diapers, breaking up fights, taking them to playdates or outings. They occupy nearly all my time during the 13 hours a day that I am "at work." Anything else that I can actually get done around the house is gravy.

Her husband works from home, so I asked her when she worked before the baby was born and came home to find his lunch dishes all around the kitchen, did she think he felt guilty? NO, because he was WORKING and that is exactly what she is doing.

So what do you think? If you are a stay at home Mom, do you feel guilty if your husband comes home and the house isn't spic and span? If you work outside the home, do you think you would clean more than you do now?

If you are interested in following someone who is way funnier than I am, go check out my sister's blog  Yellow Brick Road Mama and/or follow her on Twitter @emacmorton

My child's pacifier addiction and the lengths she goes to get her fix

I know that I am not the first parent to have a child who is addicted to their pacifier. I was fortunate that Miss H never liked her paci, except that now she is a thumb sucker but that's a post for another day. Lil' B is another story. I have blogged about her need for the pacifier to get to sleep before, but now it is reaching the addiction stage.

Since her first birthday, we have strictly been enforcing the paci at nap/bedtime only rule. Every once in awhile when she is sick or teething, I will let her have it for a day or two, but I am always careful to get back to our old routine.

A couple of months ago I started giving her the pacifier during particularly messy diaper changes as a way to keep her hands and attention occupied. Now, instead of being an occasional treat, she has come to expect it with every diaper change. She runs to her room and excitedly stands next to her crib (that's where paci lives). She giggles and sort of jumps around saying, "Paci, paci, paci!" When I finally cave and let her have it, she puts it in her mouth and makes this little "mmm, mmm, mmm" sound, like she is so happy to be getting her "fix."

Now, she is getting tricky about it. Lil' B has always been good about letting me know when she needs a diaper change. One day last week she came up to me and said, "Poo-poos" and did the sign for diaper change. So, we went through the canipleasehavemypacimommyplease routine and I gave in.

Up on the changing table I undressed her to find that her diaper was dry. Completely dry. I looked at that little girl and said, "Lil' B......"

And she just laughed. Sucker.

Why can't we all just be friends?

One of my favorite addictions is facebook (which I have actually been cheating on with Twitter lately but that is another story entirely.) I love connecting with old friends and being able to feel close to some of my friends who live far away. But something happened to me on facebook the other day that made me want to give it up entirely.

If you are friends with me on facebook, you are either someone I actually know in "real life" or know well enough "online" that I have requested or accepted your friendship. If you are friends with me on facebook, you have probably read my Info page and know that I am a Catholic right-leaning Republican. You also probably know that I don't *usually* post about polarizing political topics in my status updates. I believe that we are all entitled to our opinions and that we should be able to discuss and debate those opinions like adults, but *most* of the time, I do not engage the opposition.

Sometimes though, I feel inundated with leftist, liberal facebook statuses or posts. So much so that I start to feel attacked. And every once in a while, I cannot be quiet. I cannot let my voice be silent.

A facebook acquaintance posted something that riled me. I don't really want to get into what it was about here, it just went against one of my most passionate and core beliefs. I felt something rising up inside of me and I could not keep it in. I had to leave a comment. The problem was even bigger than the belief issue; he wrote, "Not trying to be political here..." and then proceeded to post a petition of Congress. How can a Congressional petition not be political? That doesn't make any sense.

So, I posted a rebuttal comment to his post with the sign off, "Not trying to be political? Yeah, right." A little while later I was still steaming about it and was curious as to how this person was going to respond to me.

He "Unfriended" me.

Now, this was not a person that I even remotely cared about keeping in touch with and probably should not have been friends with him on facebook in the first place, but it still stung. Did he just unfriend me because I voiced a dissenting opinion or because I called him out for politicking on facebook? Regardless, I know I am better off with him out of my News feed. But I still considered, for a half a second, saying goodbye to facebook and never looking back.

After that I took a good long hard look at who were my "Friends" on facebook and purged out the ones that really didn't need to be there. It was incredibly cleansing and I highly recommend it. Just don't unfriend me, okay? Not without saying goodbye!

Pour Your Heart Out: Unintentional Stay-at-home Mom

Do you ever wonder if you have made the right choice?




I struck up a conversation with another mom of two young children at the playground yesterday. As we were chatting, she mentioned that she was getting ready to go back to work next month. That, as much as she loved her children and being a mom, she still felt unfulfilled and really needed to get back to her career.

Ouch.

Some days I wonder if staying at home with the kids is the right choice for me. I love my girls, but day in and day out of constant contact with them seems to be taking its toll on me. I have written before that I am an unintentional stay-at-home Mom. I always pictured myself as a work-outside-the-home Mom, but circumstances as they are have led me here.

Sometimes I think, how green is the grass over there at the house with two working parents? Is there more stress from Mom being at work all day, or less from Mom and kids having some space from each other? Because some days, I swear my kids need a break from me as much as I need one from them.

Even as frustrating as the day-to-day minute-by-minute struggles of being a stay-at-home Mom can be, I just can't imagine leaving my kids all day long with someone else. My dream would be to be able to have some very fulfilling, low stress, part time job where I could work from Panera a couple of times a week and take a short trip every now and then. Oh wait, I have that job. It's called Blogging. Except that I'm not getting paid for it. I'll have to work on that....

Linking up with Shell from Things I Can't Say for Pour Your Heart Out.