Dance Party

I heard this song on the radio this afternoo. I haven't heard it in FOREVER and I STILL absolutely adore it!

So when it came on the radio the kids and I dropped our dinner and had a impromptu dance party in the kitchen.

too bad Roger was in class, missing the party :(

Monday

Paul and Anna have been playing together ALL MORNING........ NO FIGHTS AT ALL.  

They have giggled all morning long.  Running from Anna's room downstairs, to Paul's room upstairs.  Every now and again appearing in the living room dressed as "super heros"

When Paul woke up he asked "is it a school day or a Paul and Anna day!?!??!"

when I announced that it wasn't a school day he looked at Anna and they exchanged BIG smiles before running off to play!

"Come on friend! We are best friends!"

At one point they played kitchen and made me "soup" and "chips."   

I pretended to eat as they giggled.

Anna has however been so caught up in playing that she forgot to take a potty break.... TWICE.  Oh the pee clothes.  YUCK

I need to remind her in a little while to potty break...... Paul too.

I can't express to you how happy I am that they are playing SO WELL together!

I mean, the house is a massive toy blizzard but the laughter coming from the walls is so exhilarating.

Well, I better call them down in a bit so we can have our reading time before nap.

Maybe I'll let them play a little longer today :)

they are just being SO GOOD!

Raspberries and Cream

WEW, what a week.

It has been a GREAT week but a super exhausting one.

You know those kinds of weeks?

Monday the kids and I went to the yarn store to pick up some.... YARN. 

My new project is a blanket for me and the kids to snuggle up with during our reading time. 

Every day from 1:30pm until a little after 2pm we snuggle on the couch and read read read read read. 

It has to be one of my favorite times of the day. ( besides my morning devotional time :) )

I LOVE reading picture books out loud! 

Children's books are always so adventurous and magical.

Speaking of.... I was talking to another mom today about being a BIG kid. We agreed that having children gives you a pass back to the magical and adventurous stage of your childhood. Then we laughed about all the BIG KID things we have done and she shared a pointer with me on how to go faster down the MASSIVE slide at the indoor park. I gave it a try and it was SUPER FUN!

Back to the reading thing.......

I also LOVE to see Paul and Anna's little eyes light up when I read one of their favorite books.

Some of the books that we have read over and over again, Paul has memorized and can "read" them to us. It is pretty impressive to hear him "read" The Best Nest to us. 

He never misses a word.

Anyway, I wanted to make a blanket for that special part of the day. 

A blanket that they can look to when I am dead and gone "momma made this blanket for us. We used to snuggle up with it while she read us a book!"

I know, I am weird and sappy but I am ok with that. :)

The pattern is called Raspberries and Cream. It has a seed stitch border all around and a simple pattern throughout with two colors (kelly green and heather)

R1: (with kelly green color) k2, sl1 (ending with k2)

R2: (withkelly green color)p2, sl1 (ending with p2)

R3: (with heather color) knit

R4: (with heather color) purl

Here is what I have so far. 

I have a long way to go.  I casted on 199 stitches.  14 stitches for the boarder and 185 for the pattern. I also knitted 10 rows of seed stitch on the bottom with the heather color before starting the pattern with Kelly Green.

The kids are doing GREAT.

They have been playing LIKE CRAZY.

We went to the indoor playground twice this week to meet up with friends and tonight one of Paul's friends is coming over to have dinner and sundaes.  

Next Friday we are going out to lunch with two of his preschool friends and their Mommies!

Dirty Hair, Clean Teeth

I am plum tuckered out.

OH MY

I just realized that it is almost 8:30pm and i STILL haven't taken a shower today.

However, I did brush my teeth so that is a big HIGH FIVE to me!

AND..

I am in some work out clothes instead of my jammies.

Roger left SUPER early this morning to get to class. As soon as he left I tried MY BEST to get back to sleep but as soon as I did I heard a little cry from the room next door.

Anna woke up with a bad dream.

I convinced her to sleep in bed with me for a little while but by 7am she was READY to get up.

At this point I need to add how nice it was to wake up with Anna in bed with me this morning. She woke me up by whispering "I love you mommy!" in my ear.

How Precious?

While I was getting breakfast made for Anna, Paul woke up. 

GOOD MORNING!!!

At that point I told myself I would take a shower when I put them down for a nap at 2pm instead of fighting to get a shower while they destroyed the house and each other.

However...

IT WAS SUCH A NICE DAY

60 degree weather. No sunshine but a nice 64 degrees.

At 9:30am I loaded the kids up in the double jogging stroller and we went on a hike around the town.

FABULOUS

When we got back home we played and played and played and played in the back yard until lunch time.

After lunch the kids played FIRE FIGHTERS while I cleaned up after lunch and mopped the kitchen.

Then nap time came around...

I was toooooooo tired to shower so I took a nap with the kids.

After the nap we watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition on the computer about a solider at Fort Hood that had gotten shot during the madness there. Both Paul and I cry every time we watch that show.  

I decided after nap to make a quick yarn pickup at the store.  

Like usual, that turned into a melt down with Anna because she kept trying to take yarn and run out the door while screaming "I want the pick yarn, MAKE ME A PINK BLANKET."

Then the kids BEGGED to go to the book store but it took FOR EVER and several screams to get them out of the book store.

OH MY

Then we had to go back into the book store because Paul left his toy.

"dear Lord please let us find that toy. Thank you!"

TOY FOUND

start ALL over again with the kicking and screaming to get the kids out of the book store.

I used to LOVE book stores but after the kids I have learned to AVOID THEM AT ALL COST.

Then I made dinner, fed the kids, cleaned up after dinner, bathed Anna, put Anna to bed, bathed Paul, put paul to bed and now I am.......

EXHAUSTED.

However, with all of that said........ we had a GREAT day.

Lots of smiles, hugs and kisses. 

I even managed to get the kitchen mopped and exercise (the MAJOR walk we did this morning)

I also found a GREAT game. I stood on the deck hitting tennis balls with my tennis racket into the back yard and the kids ran to get the balls.

FREE Entertainment!

not bad jessica! not bad!

Anna:"I love you momma! Merry Christmas!"

me: "Anna it isn't christmas."

Anna: "will Santa came by to bring us presents before he goes to get baby jesus?"

Me:"WHAT?  no no no let me explain...."

Anna "momma will santa drive his sleigh or will he be riding his old junk car?"

I have NO CLUE where she gets this stuff but it cracks me up

Paul- "what does the word extremely mean?"

me -"REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY"

paul - "well, I EXTREMELY want a remote control boat"

hmmmmmm I really should shower before bed but just the thought of standing in a shower makes me even more tired than I already am. 

but then again, you can't beat that nice clean JUST OUT OF THE SHOWER feeling that I have been missing ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY. :)

Baby Fever

I started feeling baby fever today.

I started thinking "man, I want another baby. in fact, I want at least four more little monkeys running around."

I realized that kind of thinking was completely nuts so I immediately turned the computer on and began reading my older posts about when Anna was a baby.

Here are links to the older blogs that I had written, that really helped me get out of the baby fever mode:

solidarity in motherhood

adventures of motherhood

sick momma

screaming child



It is amazing how you forget all the exhausting things about being a new mommy when your 2 year old and 5 year old are being SO GOOD and you have had a good nights sleep.

They are getting a LOT easier to deal with and be around.

It is pretty perfect at the moment!

What in the world was I thinking?
Four more kids? REALLY?

Maybe one more?!?!

"stop it Jessica! Snap out of it child!"

Ministry, Volleyball, Kids and Husbands

I met a woman today that I was so excited to meet. She is a fellow minister's wife, a stay at home mother AND a volleyball player.

She spoke today at our Mops group about the importance of friendship.  She did a WONDERFUL job explaining how hard it is to keep up friendships and make new friends when you are stuck at home with kids.  She gave me a LOT of encouraging words, suggestions on how to meet people in the community and suggested a great book to read (What Every Mom Needs by Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall)

After her speech I approached her because I was SOOOO excited to meet a fellow minister's wife.

After talking a little bit about how challenging the ministry can be she confessed that her husband is getting out of the ministry and she no longer attends the church that he works at. 

i felt a stab in my heart. 

Everyone my age that I talk to about the ministry ends the conversation with "we are getting out of it because it is too hard."  

Is it REALLY that it is too hard or is it that there is a LACK of support for ministerial families?

I am beginning to feel completely ALONE. 

All of these people are going to seminary, getting church jobs, seeing how challenging it can be and then quitting.  

Don't get me wrong.... we just got out of 2 challenging years with a very challenging church. I even suggested that Roger NOT look for a church job..... I was tired of the drama, the isolation, the back stabbing, the tears I cried EVERY DAY.  It can be REALLY challenging when you are working at a church that just isn't the right fit.

We finally found a church that I feel is the right fit for us and it is WONDERFUL (not to say that there aren't challenging moments).  I feel that we are actually part of the community at this church.

Anyway, my heart broke for her and her husband.  

I wish there was some way to meet up with other ministerial families so we could share words of encouragement.  It seems like EVERY SINGLE person I have talked to is either thinking about leaving the ministry or has left it.

It gets discouraging and makes you think "should we?"

She also talked about how hard it was for her to stay home with the children because she was more of a tom boy and always avoided the chatty girl circles. She played volleyball (like me) and always fit in better as one of the guys.  I mentioned that I played volleyball as well and thought maybe she would be interested in starting up a team.

I was again saddened to hear that she doesn't play anymore because she is now married with children.

Hummm

Confused.

She found it inappropriate to still hang out in mixed company now that she is married.  

hummm

I left feeling defeated.

meeting people is so hard

Independent 2 year old

Anna Catherine is quite the character. Everyday with her is a MAJOR adventure and a MAJOR test of my patience. 

I seriously have to mentally prepare for the day by having a quiet time before she gets up. Most mornings she hears me moving through the house and declares "I WANT TO GET UP MOM!" even if she is still super sleepy. 

She doesn't want to miss a single second of day light!

Today was Roger's "day off" but he really needed to get some reading done for class and visit a few people so I tried my best to enjoy my "day off."  

I decided to stay in my jammies as long as possible as a way of telling myself "this is your weekend."

When I finally did decide to take a shower around 10am Anna Catherine was in her super hyper "I want to rip the house apart because it is super fun" mood. 

"hummmmm" I thought to myself "how do I keep an eye on her and take a shower?"  I thought briefly about locking her in the bathroom with me (she still doesn't know how to unlock the doors) but then I remembered how much she LOVES getting into the bathroom cabinets and rubbing lotion all over herself, the floor and the wall.

I decided to have her take a shower with me.

Everything was working out just fine. I was taking a shower and while she played in the water.

Then I looked down to find her rubbing body wash ALL OVER HER HAIR.

"crap... I guess I am going to have to wash her hair."

So I washed her hair.

When my shower was complete she declared in a squeaky voice "i want a hot bath."

I filled up the bath water for her while I got myself dressed.

While she played in the hot water I took some time to snuggle on the couch to read.

about 10 min later little Anna came running bare bottomed into the living room.

"dry my hair mommy!"

As I was drying her hair I noticed that it was REALLY REALLY sticky.

"what did you do to your hair anna?"

Then I looked at the tub to find that she had emptied ALL of my special body wash (white tea and pearls) that I ONLY use every now and then. I guess she emptied the WHOLE thing into her hair.

"back into the bathtub anna.  I have to wash your hair out again."

emptied the old bath water

put new bath water in

washed her hair for the 3rd time

Now it is 11:45am and we are both FINALLY washed, dried, and dressed.

WOW

That was a really LONG shower adventure

but then again.....

everything takes a REALLY LONG time when you add a VERY independent 2 year old. 

I found a fellow stay at home mommy blogger having trouble keeping her little one dressed.  click here to read about her adventure in trying to keep her daughter dressed just like I am constantly fighting to keep anna dressed. :)  It is pretty funny!

I AM

Warning, this post contains sappy stuff:

I have always loved this song.  Over the years it seems to be the song that I keep going to when I feel so frustrated that can't breathe.  

It reminds me that even though I feel alone at times, that I am really not. 

It reminds me that the hardships that we all face in life have some sort of purpose in the grand scheme of things.

Today at lunch Anna started talking about having her 3rd birthday party. She will be turning 3 at the end of May and is so excited about having a party. She has the WHOLE thing planned "all of my friends will wear pink panty hose and we will have cute little birthday hats! I want a BIG HUGE pink cake with sparkles and LOTS of candles."  Paul, in his big brother voice, said to her "Anna you were just a little bitty baby when I turned 3."

For some reason that little conversation melted my heart. Listening to them talk to one another amazes me. They have these cute little conversations that center around what they seem to think is the MOST important things in life, like turning 3 years old.

This morning while I was knitting and sipping tea, anna decided she wanted to join me. I made her a little cup of "tea" and gave her some knitting needles and yarn. She sat beside me twisting the yarn around her little knitting needle, with a BIG smile on her face "yep mom.... we are knitting little hats..... we have to work hard with this yarn mom!"  In her sweet little mind she was having a knitting party with me!  

The Lyrics to I Am

Pencil marks on a wall
I wasn't always this tall,
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed,
You watched my team win,
You watched my team lose,
You watched when my bicycle went down again,
CHORUS:
And When I was weak unable to speak,
still I could call You by name,
and I said “Elbow healer, Superhero,
come if You can,” and You said “I am”
Only 16, life is so mean, what kind of curfew is at ten PM
You saw my mistakes, You watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I’d never love again
CHORUS:
When I was weak, unable to speak,
still I could call You by name,
and I said “Heart-ache Healer, Secret-keeper,
be my Best Friend” and You said “I am”
You saw me wear white, by pale candlelight,
I said forever to what lies ahead
two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
too much it might seem when it’s two AM
CHORUS:
when I am weak, unable to speak,
still I will call You by name.
“Oh Shepherd, Savior, Pasture-maker,
hold on to my hand,” and You say “I am.”
The winds of change,
And circumstance blow in and all around
us so we find a foothold that’s familiar,
And bless the moments that we feel You nearer
Life had begun, I was woven and spun,
You let the angels dance around the throne, who can say when,
But they’ll dance again, when I am free and finally headed home
CHORUS:
I will be weak, unable to speak,
still I will call You by name
“Creator, Maker, Life-sustainer,
Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer,
Lord and King, Beginning and
the End, I am, yes, I am.”

Confessions of A Stay- at- home Mother

I find the majority of my day is spent trying to convince 2 small children that MY ideas are the best..... "Playing with the train set is a MUCH better idea than drawing on the wall Anna....... Paul, I'm sure you would have a LOT MORE FUN if you shared that with your little sister."

I confess....... I get REALLY tired of it.  

I get tired of.

"Paul SERIOUSLY stop flying your little helicopters around my head. My head isn't the landing pad."

My brain says to me "JESSICA I NEED YOU TO USE ME."

I say back to my brain "i do use you! Just in a different way."

Roger came home for lunch today and tried to talk to me about how precious the kids are being "I'm sorry Roger but I am trying to think at the moment about the schedule I need to keep today and I haven't been listening to a word you've said."

I then had to explain to him that there are CONSTANTLY things like "oh no... I need to hurry and get lunch cleaned up so I can get the kids ready for a nap so that I can start dinner so that I can feed them before church tonight so that they won't be cranky..........  oh crap I forgot they both need baths"

MY BRAIN hurts from constantly using it yet I feel like I never use it.

So strange

I feel so overwhelmed yet so bored.

I feel smothered yet lonely.

There are children talking to me ALL DAY LONG yet I feel that I never really get to have a conversation.

This morning as I was trying to get everyone out the door so I could drop Paul off at preschool, Anna decided to throw a MASSIVE 2 year old fit. The fight began when she declared VERY LOUDLY that she wanted to wear ONLY her panty hose.  Then began the fight to put on her clothes.  

At one point she slapped me hard in the face, grabbed her pants out of my hand and tried to rip them with her teeth.  TIME OUT ANNA.

6 time out sessions later I got her clothes on.

Paul was late to preschool.

As I was dropping him off, Anna all smiles by this point, I couldn't help but think "how in the WORLD do working moms do this."  I kept my cool with Anna's tantrum mainly because I had no where else to go. I didn't have to go to work and Paul doesn't HAVE TO go to preschool. My work is to TEACH my child how to behave so I worked with Anna this morning TEACHING her that when mommy says to do something..... YOU DO IT.

I remember when Paul was 2 years old and I DID have a job. In fact, I was still in college during the day and had a job at night. I remember getting tardy notices from professors and crying "but my 2 year old was throwing a fit and I couldn't get him into the car.  PLEASE PLEASE I can't have ANOTHER TARDY  no no no please don't deduct my grade PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I have worked so hard for that grade "

There was a point when I actually dropped all of my classes but several professors convinced me to stay in college "you can bring your child to class if you need to. I understand"

What I am saying is that I was a working mother before I was a full-time, down in the trenches, mother. 

Although I find being a stay at home mother VERY tedious at times, I can't help but be amazed with working mothers.  Especially working mothers of little little little ones. 

I was talking to another stay at home mom the other day. She said, "i sometimes wish I could just go back to work and pay someone else to do this."  The "this" she was referring to was caring for the child ALL DAY LONG. 

I understand her. I have had those days where I am like "it would be so much easier to pick them up in the evening, feed them and put them to bed instead of doing "this" all day long."

But then I hear mothers who work outside of the home talking about how hard it is to be away from their children for so long and how they yearn to be able to stay home to raise the kids.

No matter what you do, being a mother leaves you feeling at times, aggravated and guilty.

I start feeling guilty when I become aggravated and aggravated when I become guilty. 

I'm learning that this is normal and not a sign that I need to check myself into a mental hospital. 

I am not a career stay at home mother. Once the kids are in school I am "outta here."

I haven't quite decided what exactly I want to be when I grow up but I will definitely go back to school for my masters in something related to my undergrad degree.... psychology.

Roger and I joke all the time how if I decided to open a Marriage and Family clinic it is awesome that I will know two lawyers in town and a minister!  I might get a LOT of referrals!  "I know this great marriage and family therapist right around the corner that I would like for you all to see."   

And that therapist would be ME!!

Every day I try to focus on the joys that i have in my life. The wonderful opportunity I have to get to care for my children while they are still in this small delicate stage.

But days like today when I am CRAVING going back to school it is so hard to keep focused.

Well, I guess i better get back to ....... oh wait.... they are both taking a nap!!!

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET

Amazing Ada Grace

I can not contain my excitement!  

If you know my friend Amanda you know that all she has ever wanted in life is to be a mommy.

I remember the day that I got married her saying to me "you have to at least wait until I am married before you have babies."  I ended up getting pregnant with Paul 6 months after my wedding.

"UMMMM Amanda? I need to tell you something before everyone else finds out."

"you aren't pregnant are you?"

"ummmmm well ummmmm yeah."

Amanda was my wonderful maid of honor that had the glorious job of holding my wedding gown up while I peed.  I have a nervous bladder and what is more nerve wracking than getting married?

"Amanda?  I have to pee REALLY bad!" 

"you have to WHAT? You just put your wedding dress on."

A few years ago Amanda let us all know that her and her husband, Travis, were trying to have a baby. We were all so excited for the both of them. Especially since all Amanda ever talked about was being a mommy.  

But after several negative pregnancy tests Amanda knew something wasn't right.

You can  click here and here to read her emotional account of their story.

She was later declared infertile. 

It ripped at all of our hearts.

We all began to pray.

I remember mornings spent envisioning God (I pray in vision not word) placing a child within Amanda's womb, then anointing her with oil.

After months of MANY MANY MANY people praying, Amanda found out that she had a precious little gift from God within her.

click here to read her story about the day their prayers were answered.

All throughout her pregnancy people from all over have lifted up prayers. 

Prayers for a safe pregnancy. 

Prayers for a safe delivery. 

Prayers for a healthy child.

On Febuary 7, 2011 at 3:59 pm little Ada Grace was born.

This precious little girl doesn't know it yet, but she is a living testimony to the amazing power of God.

And to think that we BOTH have little girls that are only 2 years apart!!!

I am so excited about this wonderful journey called LIFE!

The Naked Stage

Anna has reached that delightful "I want to be naked all the time" stage in her development.

At 2 years and 8 months she has learned how to take her clothes off all by herself.

I love this age. The age between 2 years and 3 years old. 

Every second there is something hilarious going on.

It is like I am in a comedy club all day long.

Anna has finally started to catch on to the fact that if she doesn't do what I say I will put her in time-out but she is still trying test my parenting skills.

Yesterday she ran into the living room yelling "look at my butt!!"  Then she pulled her underwear down and began shaking her booty.  "Anna that is NOT how you are suppose to act. no one is to see that butt."  

Of course as soon as she pulled her pants back up, walked out of the room so sad that I wasn't excited to see her butt, I fell over laughing.  It was seriously hilarious.

A couple of weeks ago Roger and I were in our room talking when we heard crazy noises coming from the other side of the house. We walked into the living room to find Anna completely naked, jumping on the couch "hey guys! you want to see my exercises?  I am exercising!"  She then jumped from the couch, onto the floor, and began doing naked jumping jacks.

HILARIOUS!

"Anna the next time you take your clothes off you are going to time-out. We don't let people see us naked."

This morning I walked out of the bathroom to find Anna bare bottomed with little yellow shoes on and a sweet shirt. She ran to the front door, opened it, and stepped outside on the front porch "ANNA CATHERINE" 

"but mommy I was checking the weather!"

Last night she was sitting on the couch in a shirt and a little pink toto. She got off of the couch, ran up to me in the kitchen and said "hey mom!! I don't have any underwear on!"  Then she pulled up her toto with this massive smile on her face 

"NO NO NO ANNA go get your underwear NOW"

I am trying to teach her to keep her clothes on but I am seriously getting a kick out of this stage.  She is so funny and her cute little voice cracks me up.

you never know when you'll see a naked two year old running through the house.

I keep comparing it to the two years I spent working at a state run psychiatric hospital. Every now and again we would get patients that we could never manage to keep them dressed. I remember this little old woman that would randomly walk out of her room naked and wonder up and down the halls. That little old woman would also wear these short little skirts with out any underwear and at breakfast she would stand in the middle of the unit and pull the skirt up.  

Being a stay at home mother is a lot like working as a mental health associate. 

You never know what your day will bring.

Making Friends in Momma Land

   The most amazing thing happened to me today.  

You know those amazing things that you just KNOW that God had a hand in?   

Yep! 

After picking Paul up from preschool and feeding both of the kids lunch, I decided to take them over to the indoor playground to let them run off some steam. 

I packed me a goody bag just incase the kids started having so much fun that they didn't need me ( I know.... that NEVER happens)   I put my two knitting projects and my super awesome book in my "mommy fun" bag and we headed out the door.

As soon as we got to the indoor playground the kids made a mad dash to their desired areas and I popped a squat on a bench. 

I pulled my knitting out and began my "momma fun" time!

Then the momma beside me got finished breast feeding her little one and pulled something from her "momma fun" bag. 

It was a knitting project!

"WOW!!  are you knitting as well?!?!  This is awesome!!"

She then invited me to her knitting circle that meets every thursday, shared a few patterns with me and asked me to look her up on the online knitting community that we are both a part of!

YAY!!!!  

Then two other mommas came in with their "momma fun" bags and what do ya know, they pulled out knitting projects as well!

So there I was, sitting with 3 other mommas, all working on our knitting projects, chit chatting about spinning yarn, while keeping one eye on our children.

I have found a community in which I am NOT the weirdo!!

This is awesome!

This past week I have made so many new momma friends and the kids have made so many little kid friends!

A lesson learned?

I have a problem with sleeping until I absolutely HAVE TO get up. 

Since I am a "stay at home mother" my work day starts either when I want it to start or when my children yell "MOMMY THE SUN IS UP."   

I went for a while getting up VERY early, before the sun was up, to take a shower, clean and get a few minutes of precious alone time before the breakfast rush.

This winter it has been SO HARD for me to wake up before the kids demand that I drag myself to the kitchen to make them breakfast. 

I am fine when I do get up.  

I jump out of bed and start getting little people dressed "no Anna you CAN NOT wear your pink tights and ONLY your pink tights. WHy? because is is FREEZING cold.  Fine. Wear the pink tights but at least put a shirt on."  Then I manage to feed everyone, feed myself and get Paul and Roger out the door (roger drops paul at his preschool and I pick paul up at lunch).

Most mornings are pretty calm. We are a jolly little bunch in the mornings.  Anna LOVEs to say good morning!  "good morning to my family.... GOOD MORNING"  She'll keep repeating it until you say it back and then she'll start ALL OVER AGAIN  :)

However, at around 10am I look down, with my tea in hand, and see that I still have my jammies on.  (I know... such a rough life)  The question is why didn't I get up to shower before the kids got up. Now I am left at home alone with a two year old and I need to shower.....hmmmmmmmmm this is going to be tricky.

It happens every morning so I know the consequences of sleeping until the very last second yet I do it anyway.

When the kids were babies it was simple to shower. I put them in their car seats and sat them in the bathroom with me. If they cried I would start singing to them but most of the time they just sat in their little seats talking to themselves. Then they became mobil and showers became VERY adventurous. 

Today as I was attempting my shower anna came running in "Mommy! Mommy! I need to poop"

I poked my head out of the shower and pointed to her little step stool "well, quick, get the stool and put yourself on the toilet."   

As she was putting herself on the toilet I was thinking "we have reached a milestone! She is putting herself on the toilet! YAY this is AWESOME!"

She then yelled out "mommy wipe my butt."

I was in the shower still so I had to lean over, through the tub, at which point I knocked all the shampoo onto my little toes and stepped on some toy cars that paul had left in the tub from his bath, and grab the toilet paper with  my wet hand.

"yep, we still have a few more milestones to reach mss anna."

she looked up at me "mom, you are suppose to be taking care of me. TAKE CARE OF ME MOM."

With water dripping off of me and shampoo from my hair falling to the floor, I helped her put her pants back on.  

"I really need to start taking showers before the kids get up."

I wonder if I have learned my lesson yet and will get up early tomorrow?

probably not.