ready to sloooowwww down

This week was the end of gymnastics and swimming lessons. The week before that was the end of dance class and preschool. I still have to work until June 10, but that's only 5 more work days for me. Yippee!

So things are slowing down around here.

Sydney is going to Safety Town through the Town of Cary the week of June 15 and the following week we'll go to the beach. Um, followed by the lake again for July 4th, haha. Guess we won't be slowing down too much. But July 7th is her staggered entry for kindergarten day and then that Monday the 13th the first day with her whole class and first full week. So then we'll be pretty slow until her track out in August!

I'm really looking forward to having that time with Mollie to hang out. We'll find plenty to get ourselves into I'm sure:)

Phil has been gone since Wed. He had a trade show in Wilmington Wed-Fri and then met his Dad, my brother in law Travis and his Dad at the beach house for a work weekend. They rebuilt parts of the front deck and gate and stairs. It had been lined with lattice which is really not safe and not up to code. They replaced it with pickets. And pressure washed and put up new entry lights by the front door. Those were super-70's style and not a big deal, but a quick $40 fix. We'll probably have to paint the deck at a later date. I'm excited to see it, it will not only be safer, but make the place look a little better!

Anyway, he should be rolling in here pretty soon and we're all ready to see him! The girls have missed him more this trip I think b/c they've been asking a lot about him and Sydney's been wanting to talk to him on the phone more.

So, to occupy ourselves for part of the weekend, we went to Nancy's last night to spend the night! The kids hadn't all had much of a chance to play together and we wild and free (outside of a restaurant or event). It was a lot of fun. None of us really slept well, but I think at least now Sydney will be willing to stay there alone for a sleepover.

Here are Chase, Mollie, and Sydney in the bath. Cropped to make it PG.

Yesterday morning we went to a friend's pool in the morning, then a pool birthday party in the afternoon. The girls are already getting a lot of sun as you can see. It freaks me out. I've been trying to coat them in sunscreen, but it's a pain! Anyway, Sydney is a fish! She can totally swim on her own now and it's so exciting!! Mollie's not afraid of the water, but still cautious and will not get her face in. She's a little water princess.

This afternoon we went to see the movie Up with our friends LeAnne and Eliza. We were both really surprised at the adult themes in it. Like death, living your life to the fullest, etc. Which is GREAT for us. I loved it. But it's definitely not as geared toward kids as I thought it would be. It's cute and Mollie and Eliza were great and really entertained. But I think Sydney was a little bored with it. Like she was caught right in that spot of the entertaining not being quite enough, but the message was too over her head to understand it. Plus, she was tired, almost had a breakdown (sobbing) during the movie and then fell asleep on me and snored. But anyway, see it! It just wasn't what I expected.

the most beautiful place on Earth

Might just be Watauga Lake.
It's so nice. Even when it rains, it's pretty. It's so peaceful. We had a great time. Everyone slept well (which as been an issue in the past). Fun times. Our neighbors James and Michele joined us from Friday-Sunday evening. Phil's brother David and our neices Olivia and Emma got there around 3 on Sunday and stayed the night. We left around 4 on Monday to come back home. Stopped in Winston to eat dinner and got home around 8:30 last night.
My ear started feeling better, but hurt until about Sunday I think. It stunk. Royally. My ear drum ended up rupturing during the night b/c I woke up Friday to gunky stuff coming out my ear and it continued most of the day. If you've never had it happen it's like snot coming out your ear, haha. Sorry, GROSS!
We of course were so glad to see Phil's cousin Michael, Mary, and Grace as well. I need to get those pics up soon. Actually, I loaded them today, but haven't added them to the share site yet. Here is the direct link:
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2CcM3LJmxYsWw

We'll go back for 4 or so days around July 4th and then again Labor Day weekend!

I feel horrendous

I don't know if I spelled that correctly.
The ear infection fairy hit me this afternoon. Slugged me maybe?
It started hurting around 5:30 or so. Maybe 6. And kept hurting worse and worse. Deja vu. I have been there before. I went to urgent care. I was apparently the most interesting person they'd seen in a while (sad). Showed off my ear drum to a few people and sent me home with my Augmentin.
Urgent care is scary. I luckily had my ipod to drown out the annoying screaming kid and his MORE annoying mother. I know I have kids so I shouldn't say that. He was really annoying. And luckily the old lady in the housecoat with the face mask who probably had swine flu was not sitting next to me.
So now my ear hurts like hell, I popped my drugs, 4 Advil, and dripped my ear drops. And hopefully it will stop hurting before we head to the mountains tomorrow afternoon! And preferably before work tomorrow. That would be nice too;)

goodbyes and ear infections

Today was the last day of preschool for the girls. I still get teary-eyed thinking about it. I get so emotional so easily. I thought it had gotten better. I mostly made it through Sydney's little song performance in the Church and the ice cream social and giving her teachers the gifts. When the director talked about them going off to Kindergarten I almost lost it. They don't do a graduation ceremony like a lot of preschool b/c not all of them go. They have a 5 day transition class there that some kids go to. And even more so this year because of the K entry date changing this year from Oct. 16-Aug. 31. So there are kids in the 4's classes who have to wait another year.
(which as a kindergarten teacher I was pumped about)

So then I go to get Mollie in the middle of the ice cream party b/c they dismiss at 12:15. The director was in with Ms. Maria and Ms. Caroline and I was saying goodbye and I just started bawling! Well, not bawling, just uh, crying. I'm such a loser! I know that they think Mollie is really special though since they've had her 2 years and her one teacher made her those dresses! I told them we'll come back by to visit next year and I might sub for them. I hope I can. Betsey, they director, said she would ask me. She asked me to work there, but I said maybe the next year;) I think I would actually. It would be fun! So maybe that will be my next job after I become the happiest laid off WCPSS employee in the county:)

Okay, so that brings me to our 1pm pediatrician appt. at 1pm. I had decided to take them in today and get their lingering coughs checked out. Sydney then said right before school that her ear hurt. Well she has an ear infection and MOllie has a double and I had no idea! Mollie still swears her ear doesn't hurt. I was going to wake her up from her nap to go to her new swim class that just started Monday. But then I thought, why would I do that? Why would I wake her up when her body obviously needs the rest--to take her to something she obviously seriously dislikes:)??
Backing up, I switched her to a level 1 class which meets on M/W afternoons since she would do nothing in the level 2. She still did nothing, but I did manage to get her to sit on the side with her feet in. So I called and talked to the program director and said look, she's sick, we're not coming, but we just started in this class and that was after the failed level 2 class so I don't want you to think we're not coming back. She has just managed to get pink eye and an ear infection all during the course of this swimming session that. she. hates. Sigh. Do we even bother to go back next week? I guess we'll see. I don't want to give into her swimming lesson hating self either. So we'll probably go.
Sydney, on the other hand, is a great swimmer and it's a good thing b/c it's cost me a fortune running over to the Triangle Aquatic Center now 4 times a week b/w the 2 of them. Her class is Tu/Th.

We're going to the lake for Memorial Day weekend, this weekend I guess. I think we all need a vacation! I'm just glad we caught the EI's before heading up to the mountains!

reunion

My Meredith reunion turned out to be really fun. It was great to catch up with some people. It was at the Mosaic Wine Lounge in downtown Raleigh. It was nice. They heavy apps. were not that heavy and I was hungry when I left, haha, but it was great company. I'm glad I went!

strawberries, etc.

Last week we went strawberry picking at Buckwheat Farms, not too far up the road in Apex. They do strawberry and maybe blueberry picking. That's what it said on the sign, but I never saw any of those. Anyway, even though the girls don't really like strawberries they really enjoyed the picking part! And making smoothies, strawberry shortcake and dipping them in chocolate. None of which they still liked, but whatever. I've gained 3 lbs. Oh, and it's only $1.50 a lb. so I thought that was pretty good. I guess we were doing a lot of the work for them though, haha.

Wednesday was Mollie's end of the year MMO party. Her last day is Wed. (way too early if you ask me) I just love her teachers! Ms. Maria and Ms. Caroline are so awesome. She had them last year also and I will miss them as much as Mollie will! They just know her so well!

Side notes:

• The summer movie schedule is out for the Regal Cinema at Beaver Creek if you're close by: click here
• Also, if you've never signed up for the Social Butterflies newsletter, it's full of fun happenings in our area for families/kids. My friend Cary does it and it's gotten really big! She now has a website and through it you can subscribe to the newsletter.
• That friend Cary and another friend Linda who I had not seen in forever know each other from church (small world) and last Tuesday we went out to Tony's Oyster Bar for an impromptu ladies night out. One of Linda's other friends ended up coming late, and it was so much fun! So FYI they have 1/2 price appetizers M-F at the oyster bar until 7pm. And actually on Thursdays it's all night. A great, cheap dinner. I think I mentioned that Phil and I did this for Valentine's Day
• Lastly, tonight is my 10 year Meredith College reunion dinner! I'm excited, a little nervous, but mostly excited. I think it will be fun. And I can't believe it's been 10 years. I think it flew by. But then I think about all that has happened in the last 10 years and well, it's a lot. I have such great, great memories of college. It really was probably the best time of my life:) !!!

found my ring!

This is really odd, but I was just putting my phone back on the desk in the kitchen and there was my ring! Out in plain sight. Now, I KNOW we looked there yesterday. Now we're wondering if maybe Sydney had it and was scared she's get in trouble so she blamed it on Mollie who just went along with it, haha, and then she put it back! We're just going to let it go and be happy we found it, but weird. It was really freaky. I'm so happy I found it!!
Poor Mollie. I took away her Jack in the Box. Her new most prized possession. But she said she was playing with it! I'm just not sure if Mollie would be mature enough to think to put it back when no one was looking. She would have just given it back eventually. Or we're both just blind...Hmm...

pictures

I got the shutterfly site updated with pics. No fancy details, but I'm all caught up. The files from my new camera are about 10x larger than the ones from my old ones so those last ones took a while!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Mom! And to all my mom friends:) It was nice to spend time this weekend with family and my girlies! They are so silly and precious and I'm so lucky to have them. Even when they're being little stinkers.

Yesterday we celebrated Cameron's graduation at Allen & Son BBQ and it was so good. Probably the best bbq I've found around here. The girls have him his bear and hit was cute. We had fun hanging out with all of their friends and some family. The girls got to play with Chaser and some other little kiddos. We got to take some bbq home with us too and we used it to make bbq salad last night for dinner which was delicious!! We also realized that our neighborhood pool opened yesterday and even though I knew it would be so cold, I wanted to take the girls. They were so excited. I wanted to get them in a pool, well mainly Mollie, with me before the next swimming lesson Tuesday. Mollie was pretty stubborn. I'm really detecting a theme with her attitude lately...stubborness. She thinks she can make everything better with a kiss though so that's sweet at least;)

This morning we went to brunch at Peak City Grill in downtown Apex. YUMMY! It was great. Mom and Dad went to and it was sort of a surprise for Mom. Phil told her yesterday, haha, but she was still surprised. Nancy, Courtney and I chipped in to get her an ipod and we gave that to her yesterday when we were all together.

When we got home from brunch the girls were playing really nicely together and then played a little computer while Phil and I took a little snooze off and on on the couch. It was nice. Then I got my scrapbook stuff all organized and sat down to do that for a while. I'm almost 2 years behind! I'm in August of 2007 now. Now that I have it all out and don't really have any projects going I'm hoping to get to work on it more and catch up. Since we moved all my stuff to the office downstairs that should help also. Proximity:)

We decided to round off our awesome weekend of gluttony with dinner at MacGregor Draft House. I cook sometimes. I had a nice juicy burger. Then I felt so fat that I would need someone to roll me out. But it was worth it.

Okay so I have drama and a funny story now.

The drama is that we think Mollie has lost/hidden my anniversary band that Phil actually got me for Mother's Day 3 years ago. (Not sure why he got me an anniversary band for M-day, but whatever, it has diamonds in it)

I had only been wearing it for a while b/c my ring finger has this weird break out issue lately and I've been trying to give it as much space as possible with diaper rash cream and Aquaphor on it, haha. I usually take my ring off when I get home and put it on the counter or bar in the kitchen. I know it should go in my jewelry box. Mollie has been hiding things lately. But she usually remembers where she puts them. Uh, not today. I noticed that I couldn't find it this morning. Finally this afternoon I asked the girls if they had seen it. Sydney said she saw Mollie with it. Mollie said she did have it. But then the random stories about where she put it kept on coming with no ring. She at that point was just making crap up so we just looked all around. And never found it. I'm really hoping it turns up in the next few days! We took the couch all apart. It has to be around here somewhere!!

The funny story is: last night the girls were playing waitress. Phil and I were sitting on the couch. Sydney was taking our order with her clipboard/pad/pen. She repeated the order back and she told Mollie she was going to get me a Diet Coke. Mollie said she would help. So they walked to the fridge and we hear Sydney say, "I'm going to get Kelly's Diet Coke out" and then Mollie said, "okay, I'll get Phil's". We were almost rolling off the couch laughing. I had tears streaming down my face. They each got a stool and grabbed a can and brought them to us on the couch. Neither of us needed a Coke right then, but we sure did open them and drink it because it was so cute!

I'm working on updating our Shutterfly site. I haven't done it since January when we went to Disney!

Here is a picture of me and my sweet babies who started as 16.1 collective lbs. and now = 80! I love them so much. I'm having a great time with my new camera! My photographer friend Melissa told me about a site paint.net that is a free editing tool very similar to Adobe Photoshop. I like it.

friends

May excitement

May is always such a busy month. For everyone I think. Everyone I talk to thinks May is overwhelming.
First for the quest of the Jr. olympic swimmers:
Sydney maybe, not Mollie, haha.
Sydney does everything as perfectly as I could have hoped. She is really comfortable letting them help her float on her back now and she's a really good kicker. She keeps her legs straight:)
Mollie did not scream on Thursday, but stayed on the side of the pool. I was happy. She let her teacher take her once to swim around and kick a little. But that was short lived.
This is the thing that ticked me off. Their teacher never showed up. Our lesson was at 4:20. At 4:30 she was still not there. One of the other parents went to tell the staff that she was not there. No one knew where she was. No one could find her. They said she was there earlier that day and tried to call her. I hope she's okay. I do. But for Mollie who was so pumped up at another try at swimming and was really excited...not so good to be hanging around for a long time wondering what was going on. Finally one of the program directors put her suit on and came to teach the class. Mollie really did like her. So who knows what will happen Tuesday--will we have the same old teacher or a new one? Not good for someone with anxiety about it in the first place! I made some tickets out of card stock and told the girls they could earn 3 swimming tickets per lesson if they did a good job. It was mainly to motivate Mollie, but I couldn't just not give Sydney any. I told they they could trade them for a prize at the end of the week (2 lessons). I did end up giving Mollie her tickets when she got in with the teacher and let her hold her. I'm hoping that helped for next time. Who knows.

Tonight is my brother in law Cameron's graduation from pharmacey school at UNC! We're so proud of him. He (and Courtney) have worked so hard! I remember telling him when he started and Sydney was 1.5..."when you graduate Sydney will be about to go to Kindergarten!" That did not make him feel that great, haha. Seemed so far away. And here we are! We are going to a lunch/cookout party at Allen & Son BBQ in Pittsboro today. The girls made him a bear at Build a Bear and we got a lab coat for it embroidered with his name and degree. Pretty exciting.

So glad the Hurricanes won last night! Phil had his company box for the game Wed. night and I didn't go with him (b/c his mom was here, long story). But Courtney had gotten Cameron upper-level tickets for his graduation gift. So Phil had them come in the box and Cam won a shirt from drawing they had! I'm glad they got to have free food and drinks and better seats since it was his present. I just wish I had been there instead of home...with his mom...

I've been wanting to go strawberry picking. There's a farm close by. Maybe we can squeeze that in this weekend!

sexy people

Check out the new link to the Sexy People blog. It is worth being on my list:)

a little behind

The Peak Fest Saturday was great! We had a nice time walking around downtown. Mollie's performance was delayed by about 30 min. and I'm so sorry/ thankful to all the people who thought they were going to step in and watch a 15 min. dance performance and instead waited for 30 min. for a 10 min. show! Our friends James and Michele, Kim and Joshua and family, Jessica and the Wright family (slowly becoming too many names to write, haha), and Jennifer and Andy and kids all came to watch. Not to mention my parents:)

Saturday night I helped out at the preschool Bunko and Baskets fundraiser party. It was really fun! We won a basket last year, but I was at the beach scrapbooking so I wasn't there. It was really neat to be there this year playing/helping with the bunko and refilling snacks and getting to see who won lots of prizes and one of 12 amazing baskets. This is the only preschool big fundraiser and they usually make $6-7,000 I think. It was BYOB and there were lots of older folks there so it was cute to see them walking around with their coolers, wine glasses and bottles, etc. Catholics know how to party in the fellowship hall all to benefit the preschool! I ended up being there from 6-11:30 and I was wiped out! Seriously exhausted.

Sunday morning I had the nursery, haha, so I was right back there by 9:15am.

Yesterday and today we've been running around like crazy people. This afternoon the girls had their first swimming lesson. Mollie did not do well. Sydney did great. But I think I should have done something else with Mollie. We'll see after Thursday. I could hear her screaming in the lobby. I was trying to hang back and thought if I wasn't in there she would do better. But no. The strange girl trying to get her to blow bubbles did not go over well. To say the least. Now I'm starting a swimming ticket program. They each get 3 tickets at the end of the lesson if they listen, do their stuff, etc. I'll make it up as I go along. But they get to trade the tickets in for a Barbie prize at the end of the 8 sessions. I'm hoping seeing Sydney get them for today and the incentive of them on Thursday helps Mollie some. We'll see.

Tonight we had a tornado warning. It was pretty scary. The sky was all dark. But it blew by thank goodness.

Here are some pics I've taken recently. I got a new camera. Did I mention that? It's nice, Phil surprised me with an early mother's day present last week b/c he couldn't wait. Too excited.

Peak fest:

Oh, we got a free train set from someone who was getting rid of it. My friend Jeannie knew Mollie loved to play with trains so she secured it for me, haha. Phil had a good time setting it up and Sydney helped. They love it. I'm sure the newness will wear off soon, but right now it's great! Oh, and Sydney has become such a poser! And I don't where that lower right shadow came from. Me I guess:)

Peakfest

The Apex Peakfest is tomorrow! It's my most favorite Town of Apex event.
Mollie's Kinderdance class is dancing at the Halle center at 12:30 if you're out and about!