Happy Birthday To Me!

Dear Diary,

I tried to get to everyone who wrote me a message yesterday wishing me a Happy Birthday! If I somehow overlooked you, I am sorry! I feel like if you took the time to write me a message, I can take the time to respond! Not to mention I am the worst at wishing people a Happy Birthday on FB. For some reason I don't see the little birthday reminders EVER. So that makes me appreciate all the messages even more! So Thank You!

Birthdays are not what they used to be, although I have never been one to get overly excited about my Birthday. Yesterday was extremely regular, which is okay because I love my regular life so I guess a regular day on my Birthday isn't so bad. I decided on Monday night that I did want a Birthday cake so at 9:15PM I ran over to the store to get what I needed. For dinner I went with pizza because 1.) It sounded good, and 2.) We had coupons. Because it was a typical day, Garrett was a little late from work, which was a slight bummer, but what are you going to do? So, I baked my own cake, picked up my own dinner, and cleaned up the mess - not to mention I gave both girls their baths and folded all the laundry before Garrett walked in the door at 7:00! But the good news is that I got the cake I wanted, the first pick of the pizza slices AND I can use the "I handled my own Birthday" excuse for a few days to get out of nightly duties =)

Addy did sing me Happy Birthday though. Yes, I had to remind her several times that it was my Birthday and yes, she only got about halfway through the song, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless!

Moving on from Birthday news - I have to take the time to complain about the horrible customer service at Toys R Us. I think I hate the place. Which is no surprise because I hate Babies R Us too.

I tried to take advantage of "Cyber Monday" only to not be able to submit my online order because the website was getting "too much traffic." I didn't want to lose my deal so I called Customer Service to figure out what was going on and she more or less told me there was nothing she could do and to "keep trying." If I wanted words of encouragement I would have called a friend - JUST HELP ME PLACE MY ORDER!

Obviously everyone else was having trouble as well because Toys R Us extended their deals another 24 hours. So, by yesterday morning I was able to get my order to go through only to wake up today and have an email saying the one item I REALLY wanted was cancelled because they don't have it like they told me they did. And to make matters worse, it was a buy one get one 50% off so now I have no idea if I get the second one half off or if they are going to charge me full price for it. URRGHHHHHH!

I have placed orders through Amazon and Target and have had NO trouble and received them in an extremely timely manner. I will not be placing any more orders through Toys R Us and once I figure out they have screwed me on my half off item, which I know they will, I will be cancelling the rest of my current order as well! How can such a well known, huge chain store be so horrible at customer service? Don't even get me started on Babies R Us!

Alright I better get started with my day. We've been in the playroom for 10 minutes and it already looks like a tornado has passed through. I only cleaned LAST NIGHT, putting everything in its exact spot but who needs a clean playroom right? Oy!

Sincerely Yours,

You're Welcome Olivia

Dear Diary,

First of all, I want to say that our Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful! We had an entire weekend of family and food and while our bodies may hate us for the extra weight we will carry following this weekend's food fest, our hearts are happy because of the time that was spent with everyone we love!

While we were home we decided to go through some old baby pictures of myself only to realize that Olivia and I are twins...separated by 26 years. She looks just like me when I was a baby, which I guess only she can decide if that is a good or a bad thing. Enjoy the comparisons below. I know we did!

Lindsey & Olivia: The "Side Glance"

Lindsey & Olivia: "Looking Up"

(Please ignore the dots on my forehead. We think a staple is to blame!)

Lindsey & Olivia: "A Bit Surprised"

Lindsey & Olivia: "The Happy Face"

Lindsey & Olivia: "So Serious"

While she may not look a lot like sister, at least we know she is related to somebody in this family!

Sincerely Yours,

Team Rob

Dear Diary,

It has been quite awhile since I have written. Busy doesn't even begin to describe my life lately, which is okay, but I have to say I am eager for things to slow down. After a full day of juggling orders and girlie's, I have decided to sit on the couch with the laptop. One child is about to fall asleep while the other is still doing her nightly exploring before she'll be ready for her last meal of the day.

The ol' hubby is working late. Normally I would complain but tonight I don't mind because the Dancing with the Stars Finale is on and I plan to watch the entire 2 hours. Yes, I am one of THOSE people. And I am not ashamed to say that I am 100% rooting for Rob Kardashian to win. No, I don't love the Kardashians and yes, I do really like J.R. and Ricki also, BUT since I started watching this show several seasons ago, I decided that those who begin the show knowing how to dance have an unfair advantage. If you score well the first episode, then I am not rooting for you. I have always liked the contestant that starts off shaky and turns into a pretty good dancer and that is exactly what Rob has done. That guy has proven himself and I have been a fan of his from the beginning. I'll go ahead and put my name under the Loser list after I admit that I EVEN voted for him the past two weeks. Go Rob!

Besides being on Team Rob Kardashian, I have 3 things I am admitting tonight.

#1. I Love My Christmas Decorations: I didn't go overboard but I am very happy with how things turned out. And I hardly spent a dime. In years past I have gone for the nontraditional Christmas colors - trying to match my home interior or picking deep colors instead of the bright festive Christmas palate. This year I went for traditional reds and greens. My mantel is awesome, my tree is perfect, and my little shelves round everything out. We are staying home for Christmas this year now that Addy is old enough to understand about Santa. We want to have our own Christmas traditions that the girls will always remember and we thought being at home was the best way to do that! It will be different this year but I am really looking forward to it!

#2. Dinner Sucked Tonight: We are going to Pitt for Thanksgiving so I decided I wasn't going to do much cooking this week to avoid a bunch of leftovers in our fridge all weekend. I ran to the store today and decided I would just buy a couple bags of those frozen Chinese dinners. I went for the cheaper brands and really shouldn't have. First of all "Meal for 2" SHOULD NOT be written on the bag. If Addy and I hardly had leftovers then clearly they have a misprint. It was gross and I will be referring Garrett to a fast food restaurant on his way home tonight. I guess that's why I make real dinners during the week. Frozen is quicker but not better.

#3 I'm Addicted to Online Shopping: I have started my Christmas shopping and I have yet to set foot in a store. And I have to say I'd be okay with all my gifts greeting me at my doorstep. You can't beat the "Free Shipping" deals and half the time the product is marked down as well. I can browse, compare brands, read reviews and shop for several people at once without leaving my couch. With 2 small kiddos it's the way to go!

Alright 5 minutes until showtime!

Sincerely Yours,

The Coolest and Most Perfect

Dear Diary,

I love days like today. For some reason cold, rainy and overcast is my weather of choice, although if I was forced to be out in the middle of it every day I would maybe change my mind.

It’s like the rain gives you an excuse to be lazy. Not that I have been lazy- two loads of laundry done and folded, an abundance of orders started, kids fed and diapers changed frequently, dinner started and a little playroom fun of course- but I will admit that my teeth didn’t get brushed until just a few minutes ago AND not a single one of us have changed out of our PJ’s.

Along with the rain came some deep thinking today. Okay, not deep, but thinking nonetheless. I was playing with the girls and I thought to myself several times, “I have the coolest and most perfect children ever.” It’s a 100% true statement.

Now, most of you are thinking, “Wrong! I  have the coolest and most perfect children ever,” and to that I have to say that you are 100% correct as well.

I realized today that Mom’s and Dad’s love their kids SO much because God gives us each the coolest and most perfect kids for us. It’s pretty amazing if you think about it.

When I think back to high school and what I thought my “children” would look like and act like, I pictured a house full of boys. I have no idea why. I just imagined having all boys and to be honest up until that first ultrasound with Addalyn, Garrett and I just knew we were having a boy. Now, two girls later, I can’t imagine if we didn’t have a pink and purple playroom, a closet full of dresses and at least 3-4 tea parties a week.

And of course, I would love a little boy but to be honest, IF we have more children, I would be just as happy with a 3^rd little lady because I would know that God gave Garrett and I the coolest and most perfect kid for us!

I love how much I love my kids and I love how much they love me back. I know for a fact they do because one tells me every day “I love you babe,” and I can make the other grin from ear to ear from clear across the room by just smiling at her.

I think every good parent out there thinks like this and I hope everyone thinks their kid(s) are the coolest and most perfect, but it does make me sad to think about the parent’s who don’t realize that and the poor children who work so hard just so their parents pay attention to them at all. If I could, I would wrap my arms around each and every one of those little boogers and squeeze them as tight as I squeeze my girls so they could feel how they are supposed to be loved. And if you are a regular blog reader of mine, you know I am not a hug person. =)

Hug your kids tight because God gave YOU the coolest and most perfect kids for you!

Sincerely Yours,

It's The Little Things...

Dear Diary,

Hola. It must be a blog kind of a day today. Rarely do you see two posts from me, but tonight I have two sleeping children and it’s too late in the evening to start anything else before bed so I will hit the keyboard instead.

I just got home from grocery shopping and I have determined that 9:30PM on a weeknight is the best time to go. I didn’t have kids with me, I got to push one of the small convenient carts, the shelves were stocked, and I was practically the only one there. I was in and out in no time, although I did consider hanging out in the magazine and book aisle for a bit just because I could. And now the shopping is behind me and my meals for the week are just waiting to be cooked. It’s the little things…

Sometimes my days go so fast that it’s hard for me to even remember what all went on. My little Olivia is definitely the second child. The poor thing hurts herself, or gets hurt a million times a day and half the time I couldn’t even tell you what happened. Not because I am off taking a nap or watching a soap opera, but because I am doing 50 million other things or paying attention to her sister. Olivia wears the “2^nd Born Child” ribbon well. I look back and feel like I had so much time in the day when it was just me and Addy and I wonder where that time has gone. So, this Sunday when Olivia woke up from her nap a little early I went up to her crib and got her and brought her down to the couch with me. She finished her nap curled up on my chest and I realized I used to let Addy take naps on me all the time when she was little and Olivia rarely does. I loved it. I am going to miss those little moments someday so I better soak them in while I can. It’s the little things…

We ordered Pizza the other night and we got a free container of chocolate chip cookie dough. I had every intention of baking the cookies but someone, I wont name names but it starts with a “G”, opened it and took a couple bites out of it. So naturally when I felt like I needed a little snack this afternoon I did the same. There really is no excuse for eating the cookie dough, especially when we have far too much Halloween candy leftover, but I have to say, it was delicious. It’s the little things…

And while I am talking about eating the wrong things, I have to brag on myself for a minute. I have been pregnant for a good portion of the last 3 years. I am not one of those small, “all belly,” pregnant women so needless to say I had some weight to lose. I weighed myself the day I brought Olivia home from the hospital, which is a horrible idea for all of you soon-to-be Mothers. Give yourself a few weeks before standing on that scale. Anyways, 7 months later I am proud to say that I have lost 52 pounds since that day I brought Olivia home and 39 of those pounds I can credit to Weight Watchers. I lost all the baby weight plus some. I’d like to lose a few more but I am not killing myself over it, in fact I haven’t been counting my points for weeks now, but nevertheless I feel great! It’s the little things…

And now it’s late and I am going to go take my shower and sit in my bed and read my book. It’s the little things indeed…

Sincerely Yours,

Trick-Or-Treat!

Dear Diary,

Halloween is the best. I love everything about it - from the movies and shows on tv to the ghost stories to the costumes and the fall weather, it's perfect! And my love for Halloween has rubbed off on Addy. We've been talking about it for weeks now and she couldn't have been more excited to go Trick-Or-Treating last night.

This is our 3rd Halloween in this house, but our first time actually Trick-Or-Treating. We knew we had a lot of Trick-Or-Treaters in our neighborhood but I guess we didn't realize how many until we were out last night.

Our night started with a Jack-O-Lantern pizza from Papa Murphys, delicious. As we were eating we had kids coming to the door right and left which made Addy as excited as ever so we hurried through dinner and got into costumes and headed out. The weather was perfect. Not too cold but chilly enough to bundle Olivia in a blanket in the stroller and to really feel like Halloween.

The plan was for me to push Olivia and take pictures while Dad took Addy up to the doors. After a house or two of being uneasy, I did my Mommy magic and we started having a great time. It was like Trick-Or-Treating in the movies. Kids were everywhere, parents were in costume, houses were decorated, people were waiting for Trick-Or-Treaters on their doorsteps and someone even turned their house into a haunted house, although a little too scary for us so we didn't participate. I don't know who was enjoying themselves more - me or Addy.

I Trick-Or-Treated a lot when I was little but it was never like this. Addy absolutely loved all the kids and I think she could have stayed out all night. She earned her candy by saying "Trick-Or-Treat" at every door and she always said "Thank You" after they'd throw the goodies in her bucket. I had a very proud candy owner once we got home. She was also quick to point out her bucket this morning when she woke up.

We ended the night by answering the door for the late Trick-Or-Treaters, which Addy loved just as much. "HIIII KIDS!!!" She would say. And if I needed more proof that she was my child, she asked to watch Hocus Pocus before bed last night.

It was honestly a better Halloween than I imagined. Olivia is still too young but the rest of us will have awesome memories of our first Trick-Or-Treating Halloween. Already looking forward to next year when we will have 2 little ladies ready to hit the block!

Sincerely Yours,

Buy Yourself A Stamp

Dear Diary,

I am in the middle of a book. I am in the middle of two books actually (I know, queen of multitasking). I am reading the new Ellen Degeneres book, "Seriously...I'm Kidding" (Thank you Megan), and I read a chapter last night that I loved.

Ellen talks about the lost art of writing letters. My family can tell you that I am the queen of letter writing and if I could get or give the same gift every year for all occasion, it would be a letter. I love writing them, and I love getting them - and let me tell you, I don't get them very often, even with my not-so-subtle hints to my husband.

We have faster, easier and more convenient ways of communicating like emails, FB messages, tweets (is that what you call them? I am not on twitter and I feel like a grandma when I say I know nothing about it #whatthehelldoes#mean), etc. But what happened to good ol' letter writing?

It is so nice to go out to the mailbox and see an envelope that is hand addressed to you. It's typically a card because it is your birthday, anniversary or a holiday but wouldn't it be nice if it was a handwritten letter from someone instead? Don't get me wrong, I love a nice card so please don't stop sending them, but I miss the days of letter writing.

When I was younger I had a pen pal. I met her and her sister when they came to visit their grandparents who lived across the street from us. For one reason or another we played together the week they were visiting and even had a camp out in their grandparent's backyard. When they left we exchanged addresses and we wrote back and forth to each other for a few years. I cant remember why we stopped but I know I will never forget how fun that was.

One Christmas I decided I would write letters to everyone that I was giving a gift to. I was buying for my family, Garrett's family and the flower shop girls so I had quite a few letters to write. I think I was more excited for them to open their letters than I was for them to see the actual gift I gave them. There is just something about telling someone exactly how you feel and doing so on paper.

It is especially nice when it comes from someone who you would NEVER expect to write you a letter. I have written my husband numerous letters over the years and have received few. When we were pregnant with Addy he asked if I wanted a "push present," apparently a new trend to all the Mommy's out there having babies, and I told him I wanted nothing more than a nice letter from him. And so he wrote me one, granted it was while we were in the hospital waiting on little Addalyn's arrival, but I never said when he had to write it, just to write it. One of the best presents I have ever received for sure!

So the point of this post? Next time you are going to send someone a card in the mail, or email them a nice ecard or leave them a FB message, consider writing them a letter instead. I guarantee they will appreciate it and who knows, maybe we'll start a letter writing trend!

Sincerely Yours,