Business as usual

Ok back to business as usual - thanks for bearing with me while I ranted about the world's injustices!
Got my 3rd assignment back from my writing course - got a 'nice work' and 'you have strong writing skills' - hooray! Think I'll try non-fiction for my next assignment - time for a new challenge!
Last week of ballet this week before vacation. The girls are absolutely loving it - and I can't get over how cute they look!
We fly back to the UK on Saturday so it may be a couple of weeks before I can post but I shall return! The girls are a bit sad they will miss the 4th of July fireworks but hopefully it means the airport will be quiet as most people will have done their travelling already!
Enjoyed one of my monthly massages this morning while they were at class - I'm soooooo relaxed now....

"If you want to make the world a better place..."

"If you wanna to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and then make a change" so sang Michael Jackson.

As the full horror of the last few years of his life becomes known to the world, I have to ask, where were all these 'celebrity friends' who are mourning him now, when he was alive??

I realise that some people can't be easily helped but surely someone from his large 'loving family' or a friend or someone on his payroll felt a moral obligation to persist in trying to help him?

Shame on the promoters of his 50 concert dates in London - exactly which doctor told the insurance company that a frail, 8 stone man who was so emaciated his hair had fallen out was fit to perform 50 stadium dates???

I felt the same when the world was watching Britney Spears have her breakdown. Those paparazzi who stood filming her shaving her head in the middle of the night saw dollar signs attached to her, they didn't actually see a young, vulnerable girl crying out for help. Where were her parents?? Why didn't they step in to say "Britney you are taking a break from the limelight while we help sort you out"?

Shame on the tabloids and the paparazzi for turning people into 'celebrities' and hounding them day and night. Shame on those who read this stuff and buy the magazines!! These people choose to entertain us and I thank them for that but I don't want to see them on the cover of every magazine just because they went out to buy a coffee with no make-up on! I already know they are a normal person who wasn't born with their hair done, designer clothes on and professional make up - I don't need a greedy photographer to tell me this.

People are just getting greedier and greedier and at what price? The sanity and the lives of people who just want to act or sing for us.

It's right there in the lyrics he wrote to the songs we all know but didn't really listen to "But They Told Me A Man Should Be Faithful And Walk When Not Able And Fight Till The End, But I'm Only Human, Everyone's Taking Control Of Me, Seems That The World's Got A Role For Me, I'm So Confused" from Give into Me. He reportedly told Lisa-Marie Presley during their marriage that he thought he would end up like her Dad and the title of the song "Gone too Soon" now seems like a premonition.

Sorry, this is a break from my normal lighthearted posts but I feel strongly that people are effectively being murdered by those around them who feed them drugs and push them hard for their own gain ...and getting away with it. How many more celebrities have to suffer from Marilyn Monroe to Princess Diana to Michael Jackson. They are just people and deserve to live how they want to live - not as the media, fans, promoters etc want them too.

Sadly, not enough people feel this way and I doubt things will change. We'll be in the same situation again saying how tragic it is that another celebrity has died this way.

Michael Jackson himself sang " I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways".

I for one am doing that - from taking the girls with me when I take clothes to those charity boxes in parking lots and explaining why we're doing it to getting the girls to help me buy Christmas gifts each year for a family at our local domestic violence refuge shelter. I hope to instill in them a sense of helping others throughout their lives.

I chose this picture of Michael as it was from his Thriller days - before all the madness began and he looks genuinely happy - even his eyes are smiling, which they haven't done in photos I've seen of him in many years.

I hope the paparazzi respect his wishes and maintains the anonymity of his children so they may have the 'normal' life he is reported to have longed for.

Friday - hooray!

Friday again - lollipop day!! My girls always know when it's Friday!
I'm currently doing housework and they are in the playroom but I keep getting interrupted by "Mommy, she took my toy!" or "I wanted to play with that!"
I told them to think about how they play when they have a friend over. Do they come running to me all the time. "No" they said "we play nicely"
Eureka!!!!!
"Then can you pretend that your sister is a friend over to play and play that way?" Well it's been at least half an hour and I haven't heard a cross word from them!
I want to say a word about 2 deaths that happened here in America yesterday. Farrah Fawcett, sadly, after a long battle with cancer and the sudden death of Michael Jackson.
Whatever you may think of him and his bizarre life - none of us know what he truly had to deal with in his life - you can't deny the huge impact he had on music.
I saw him live in Glasgow, Scotland in 1992 at an open air concert on his Dangerous Tour - he was amazing and any time I hear his songs I am taken back to that time in my life.
Most of all they were both parents and so my thoughts are with their children....
Go hug your family today....

Movies

Thanks again to our local movie theatre for screening free children's movies all summer!

Today we went to see Charlotte's Web - a true classic which created in me a life long love of pigs.

With the tears streaming down my face at the end my girls were asking why Charlotte the spider wasn't going back to the farm.

"She's very tired" I said unable to tell them she was dead.... Get a grip! I don't even like spiders!!!

We met a girl from preschool on the way out of the movie and her Mom said "I couldn't stop crying at the end!" We're so emotional!!

I was impressed that the girls sat through the entire film this time - although my little one did wriggle a fair bit - she has been a wriggler since day 1!

What will I do?

2 hours.
I have 2 hours to myself while the girls are at ballet. The night before, I plan what I'm going to do in that 2 hours. Then the morning comes and I realise we need a birthday gift or we're out of milk or something and I have to change my plans!
So today - instead of tidying the house for 2 hours as I planned ...- I went to Borders to get a book for a Birthday Party then of course I had to go into the shop next door and try on some clothes for our vacation as this is so difficult to do with little ones in tow!
Now I have 30 minutes left before I have to leave to collect them and I haven't done anything I planned!!
Another friend agreed with me about this recently. She said if she has any time to herself - even if it's just her husband is entertaining the children in the yard for a short while - she'll flutter about thinking "oh, what will I do? I could do this job or I could get that job done. Will I sit down and relax for a few minutes??" and by the time she's thought what to do with that precious time alone she'll hear "Mom!!" and the moment has past....

vacation's calling

My manager at Pink Papaya has signed me up for an aspiring leader course - gives great info on building my business but oh no! I get homework!!!
I must not take on one more thing until I finish this writing course! I want to give writing my full attention so once this Pink Papaya course finishes in August I must learn to say "no"!
Scored one thing off my 'to do' list and booked my little one's 3rd Birthday party! She's having it at the gymnastics place they go to for ballet. 45 minutes of instructor led gymnastics should keep them busy!! This is her first real 'party' . We've always done something special for their birthdays but each will now have had her first party when she turned 3.
3 - my goodness - how'd that happen?? I have no more babies.....
First I have to start packing for our trip home to the UK - our first in a year and a half!! The girls have doubled in age since we were last home!
Must admit to being nervous about the flight this time - and not just the occupying 2 little girls in a confined space for 9 hours bit - but the actual flying. There's been so many air accidents recently...best not to think about it!

Lightning strike

So the lightning strike is the talk of the neighborhood!
Seems it landed somewhere in the trees or garden of the house right next to us as it blew out their phone line and computer access!
I'm blaming the people on the other side of us for attracting the lightning some how as they have both had experience of this before!! The wife was in the kitchen of a previous home when it was hit by lightning blowing a hole in the roof and the husband's car was hit while driving to work!
I have heard very loud thunder before but this lightning actually striking right outside our house was like nothing else I've ever heard. I can only imagine it's what a bomb going off sounds like...
Several more storms forecast.....we'll be heading for the basement!

Too close for comfort!

Oh my goodness! We were woken at 2am by the loudest BANG of thunder I ever heard!!! The whole house shook and it made our bedroom smoke alarms go off!

We were sure the house had been hit by lightning and my husband went to investigate. We have tall trees right outside so perhaps it was them.

Whatever, I've never been so scared in my life!!!! I ran through to the girls rooms as they were crying. My little one had her hands welded to her ears where they remained long after the storm had passed.

My oldest slept in our bed (and apparently tossed & turned all night!) and I slept in with my little one (who insisted on sleeping diagonally so I was perched on the edge!). It took her a while to get back off to sleep as she was worried about .....Santa! She asked if Santa heard the thunder too and if he was scared! How sweet of her! Most children don't give Santa a second thought between Christmases!

The storms here are huge - with lightning regularly touching the ground, causing fires and even killing people. Sadly a friend's brother in law was struck and killed last year. It's kind of hard to reassure the girls when you know that it isn't actually 'alright'.

Phew, hopefully it's true and lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice!

I failed miserably

I admit it, I failed miserably at the whole nap time thing. Neither girl is napping anymore – to the horror of all my Mommy friends! My little one stopped napping around 2 and a half years old, fell into a sound sleep at 5pm for about 3 nights, then got over it.

Admittedly, if after lunch I drive somewhere they will fall asleep but the chances of actually putting them to bed for a nap are zero!

One friend is desperately clinging to nap time although her son isn’t then going to bed till 10pm. Another friend lets her children sleep all afternoon then has them up till …10pm!

Sorry ladies, it really is time to take the plunge and do away with naps! Yes, your little ones may be worn out for a day or two but they’ll survive, you’ll get your evenings back and you’ll be able to spend time with that other person in the house – your husband!!

Arranging a time for a play date yesterday the mother said “you’re still at the nap stage aren’t you?”
“Sadly, sadly not” I said. She then gave a very knowing “ohhhhh” adding “but you do the quiet time thing don’t you?’

I tried – they kept coming out their room asking if quiet time was over! “Ah” she said “You’re not as mean as me, I would reply ‘No and I just added 5 minutes!’ “

Oh! I never thought of that! But then I’m still learning and she’s a mother of five!

I really did fail miserably at the whole nap thing. From a very early age, if my girls didn’t want to nap, no amount of pleading, shouting, time outs or taking toys away would get them to nap. I have wasted hours of their life and mine just trying to get 5 minutes to myself!

Bedtime is no better. I think I’m too soft. The books all say “don’t talk to them, pick them up and put them back to bed”

Easier said than done when you have 2 girls who have been speaking in sentences since they were a year old!!!! “I just want to tell you something….” is their latest line to keep me there. “Tell me in the morning” I find myself saying – darn it! I just spoke to them!!!!

But then I stand over them when they are asleep and regret every cross word. I was comforted recently by a former neighbor who is like a Grandma to the girls. A mother of 4, who had 2 boys exactly a year apart followed by 2 girls, she told me she would struggle through the day then stand over her sleeping children and whisper “please make me a better Mommy tomorrow”.

I do that!!!!!! It’s nice to know I’m not alone... My girls were so wanted, are now so loved, but my goodness, when they are sound asleep…it’s the best feeling of achievement!!

Tangles be gone!

A big thank you to the very helpful lady at my local Sally Beauty Supplies! I went there yesterday and explained the situation with my 4 year old's tangles. She told me to start combing from the ends of her hair and work my way up rather than from the top of her head working down.
She recommended a comb and a different leave in conditioner (the one I'm using is obviously not working!!).
I noticed if I braided her hair it wasn't tangly but was worried it would weaken her hair if done repeatedly. This kind lady suggested just loosely braiding it if necessary.
I thank you, my daughters thank you and my husband (who had to listen to them crying, me apologising etc) thanks you!

Busy, busy

Aren't summer vacations meant to be relaxing?? This one is becoming a roller coaster of playdates, parties, shopping, spa parties, assignments (got an 'excellent' for my recent one!!)

The girls are having a great social life - from playgroups and playdates to being taken for a walk around the block by the 'big girls' they have something lined up every day!!

So I try and squeeze more hours into the day. However, if I get up early thinking I'll have at least an hour before the girls wake - they somehow hear me tiptoeing around and they wake up early!! If I try and stay up late, my husband (who doesn't sleep very well) tells me I can't come to bed late as I'll wake him!!

How come they can sleep through my husband leaving at 5.30am for the gym and opening the garage door under their bedrooms but I only have to lift the coffee pot and they wake?? Probably the same way I can sleep through my husband coming home late from a night out with the lads but I wake if the girls so much as breathe heavier than normal! I guess Moms and children are just in tune with each other.

Seems my only option is to stay up late then sleep in the guest room.....!

...back again

Hello again,
I sorted out the crying in the playroom. It was something and nothing as usual i.e. something important enough to them to make them cry but nothing life threatening!
Out with girl friends the other night an interesting question arose - do you think you are a better wife or a better mother? We all said we thought we were better mothers and that we all felt guilty for saying so.
Later, I asked my husband if he thought he was a better husband or a better father and he said - a better husband. Interesting.
I had to explain why I'd asked and when I told him I felt I was a better mother he said "that's as it should be - husbands are big enough to look after ourselves".
Thanks, that made me feel much better!

Hi

Was just about to write a post but I hear crying coming from the playroom - better go and sort out whatever's going on!
A Mom's time is just never her own!

Ballet

Today was the first day of ballet for both girls! My little one has waited a whole year to go! I am so impressed with her- she never, ever once caused a scene when her sister went last year and she couldn't. She accepted it incredibly well.
She was absolutely delighted to go today!
Me? I went grocery shopping....it was very nice to be able to browse and take my time though without the girls in tow. I even had time to sympathise with a mother of 3 boys who were giving her the kind of hard time I usually have!
"Can we have this?" "No" (to an older boy) then "and I thought you were going to stay in the car! That's why I got this cart!" (to a little boy).
As I tried to turn my own cart past them to get down the aisle she said "and now you're all in the way!"
I told her it was ok and that I was enjoying a rare shopping trip without my children. "Summer vacation  kills me" she stated as she tried to round up her brood!