Friday, December 30, 2011

Today is the start to a new life

Yesterday was a very bittersweet day. It was my last day at a place that I held employment for the last six years. It was going to become a financial burden for me to continue to work there because of new company policy changes in 2012.

But what makes it exciting, new and a little bit scary, is that my husband and I made the decision for me to stay at home with our two girls. !!!! I'm so lucky and so blessed.

What is so bittersweet about the whole thing is that I liked what I did. We covered the local news media in cities I lived in and I was good at what I did and enjoyed doing it. I loved my 'break' and the adult interaction and friendships. The other bittersweet thing is we had to say 'see ya soon' to our day care provider. I've written about her before and how much she brought to our girls' lives and to ours. She taught them things I could never (Spanish) and provided a loving and nurturing environment.

As a send off for employees, our crew makes a newspaper cover and here's what mine looks like. The articles are hilarious and the 'cherry thunder' air freshener smells awful and has been an inside joke.

Note: Upper right side, "Irish Twins blog takes off, Mom in discussions with TV network." Next Kelle Hampton?! ;)


Saturday, December 24, 2011

The night before Christmas

I'm gunna say it because every parent is thinking it, the days before Christmas are tough with little ones. They don't behave, listen or stop fighting just because Santa will be here in T-minus 24 hours. Right?!

Instead of pulling out my hair today, I really tried to enjoy the magic of why they are acting crazy. Christmas!!! Santa is almost here!!!

Tonight we ate dinner, cleaned up messes every hour, wrote letters to Santa (well and to Frosty because Emma doesn't 'like' Santa, just Frosty, and she refused to write it to Santa) and waited for daddy to come home work.

I can't WAIT for tomorrow morning. To see their little legs travel down the staircase and to see their faces light up!!

Merry Christmas!!!


Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas traditions 2011

This year was an important year to take note and really think about the Christmas traditions I want to start. Ones the girls love and will continue to as they get older. Ones like making cookies and delivering them to neighbors and friends, decorating the house inside and out, putting up the Christmas tree, decorating gingerbread men/houses and wrapping and putting presents under the tree.

Some of the biggest thrills this year were eating cookies (and the dough!), decorating with lights, turning on the lights especially the tree lights, wrapping presents and putting them under the tree and delivering cookies to neighbors.

My favorites were threatening good behavior with Santa's watching, baking cookies and seeing the magic of Christmas again through a child's eyes. And the free 12-foot tree my husband scored from a customer. It is beautiful!!!

Personally the ultimate is remembering why we celebrate this holiday. Our Savior. He was born on Christmas and by making it a point to tell the kids that it is Jesus' birthday.

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!






Thursday, December 15, 2011

Ten Things for Thursday

Stolen straight from Rebecca at Unexplained X2  Here are my Ten Things for Thursday:

Ten things I love:
1. Date night with my husband last night.
2. Rib eye steak with crispy/fried onion strings, with sauteed onions and mushrooms underneath a healthy serving of melted cheese.
3. My house all decorated for Christmas.
4. That my girls might be on the cover of the weekly newspaper again (sitting on Santa's lap).
5. Friends that understand exactly what I'm going through as a mother.
6. Someone left out plain M&M's and peanut M&M's out in our production area at work.
7. Coming home from a long day at work, after a commute... and seeing our outside Christmas lights on.
8. My new jeans I bought last night with my birthday money.
9. A closing store sale where I was able to get a pair of ballet shoes for Ava at 50% off!
10. The way my girls love me and want me 24/7 and cry for me when I'm at work (even though I look forward to these days when I have my 'alone' time).

Ten things I hate:
1. Having to get up after my alarm goes off to go to work.
2. Tail gaters.
3. Evil co-workers that are out to make my life hell, yet act like they care.
4. Medical premiums.
5. My plans of cleaning the bathrooms tomorrow.
6. That it's almost Christmas-- I want another month with my tree and the magical of Christmas through my kids' eyes!
7. Thank you's via text message.
8. Cold coffee.
9. Barbie accessories.
10. Dog hair.

Ten things I don't give a *beep!* about:
1. What celebrities crave/hate/love about being pregnant. All women feel the all different kinds of strange things
2. Back stabbers that try to reconnect with me to haunt me.
3. CEOs.
4. The leaves that still sit in piles in my front yard. Knowing it bugs the hell out of my neighbor just makes me smile (he blows our leaves back onto our lawn).
5. How much I spent on the girls for Christmas, even though it's a lot more than I had really wanted to. It's about the magic, man!
6. Fairness amongst the other kids' presents we have to buy for Christmas.
7. Saying very loudly, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" to every checker that wishes me "Happy Holidays!"
8. The playroom and the mess in it.
9. My unpolished toes.
10. The mess in the back seat of both of our cars. We have to kids. We commute. :)

Play along with Rebecca by clicking here.

Monday, December 12, 2011

'It's my birthday.. and I will cry if I want to!'

I'm not one to advertise that it is my birthday, but I guess as you get older and past the woes of being over the 30 mountain, you do go all out to scream it to the world!

Best moment so far, well two moments, were when Emma got SO excited about singing 'Happy Birthday' to her mommy, she ran over to me as they were lighting the candles... Sat down next to Mr and exclaimed, 'It's happy birthday to mommy! Happy birthday to mommy!!!'

And last night, my honey coming home from a late night at work with not only flowers and a card, but a balloon. Took me right back to my middle school and high school days and I had that smell if childhood from that time. From a balloon. From the tens or twenties of balloons .... Smell ... I would experience in middle school and high school.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Walk for Preclampsia

I have been reunited with an old friend from high school (thank you, again, Facebook!) and we are going to team up and do the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia. Stay tuned for more details with fundraising options to support something that is so close and dear to my heart.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Take 1

Santa in our house is an exciting thing this year. More than last year. Their Santa photo made it to the front page of the Pleasanton Weekly. Classic picture. Both crying. Hysterically.

So since year they want to do it again. With Santa crying and the girls smiling.

Not sure if it can be achieved since Emma is Ava's age last year.

Here's Irish Twins Take 1. And the lucky encounter we had with Santa an hour later, after his break to go and feed the reindeer. Emma slowlllly climbs down the stairs.

**I couldn't post them all on correct order with Blogger Mobile. I will try and fix it on Monday.