The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Sunday we took "the fam" to the Zilker Kite Festival.

If you've never been, it's basically a LOT of people flying kites. Most have no kite flying skill - watch out for killer kites or decapitating kite string...seriously.

Before kids, maybe we could have gone and done something relaxing like chill out on a blanket watching kites. That does look nice.


Our "camp" kind of looked like this. After church we headed down south and grabbed McDs on the way. The kids chowed down on nuggets and fries in the wagon while Mark and I trekked 20 minutes to Zilker Park from our easy access parking spot off Lamar.


Hayden talked nonstop about seeing kites from the time we had woken up that morning. By the time we got to the park, he was desperate to get out and get kite flying. Only problem was, he didn't want ANY help, he wanted to do it HIMSELF!! Walking through the crowds, I saw this was a common issue with the kids this age, haha. Tantrum time!!


Corbin was only interested in pilfering my cup so that he could steal sips of my sweet tea. By the end of the afternoon, I gave up and just let him have it.


By the end, Hayden was a kite flying pro!


I was very proud of him!


Corbin started running off, so he spent the last half in my Ergo chillin' and sleeping. I was in no mood to chase him all over Zilker.


Honest assessment? Yes, it's certainly a challenge with young kids. The traffic is horrible, if you aren't familiar with usual Zilker event traffic patterns (learn the secrets and shortcuts!). There is a lot of walking involved. You could be mauled by a kite. There will be tantrums and crying. You will be exhausted after the day. But, it is so worth it.

So prepare for the worst, but chill out and enjoy the best!

See more of what great memories we made!!

Getting Rid of the Blahs

Do you ever wake up and just feel blah? I know I do all time.

How do you know if you have a case of the Blahs?

Okay, look down, right now - are you still in your pajamas? Is it after 10am?

Are you wearing a bra? Did you brush your teeth yet - ew!

Are your kids going on their third PBS show straight?

Did you just eat a piece of cake/pie/donut/chocolate or some other dessert for breakfast?

Is the thought of even making yourself a cup of coffee (which you know you desperately need) too much for you?


Yeah, I'm afraid you might have a case of the Blahs. They can be brought on by numerous things - late night with the baby, allergies, your period, but regardless they are dragging you down and your kids are probably swinging from the ceiling fan right now.

So here's Mel's way of attacking the Blahs - and it really works!! Yesterday I went from crazy-haired pajama wearing Mom, to gardening, having an outdoor day with the kids and doing a backyard "picnic" - all in about 30 minutes.

First, go get dressed woman! And like really dressed, with a bra and clothes you would actually wear out of the house. And for the love of all things hygienic, brush your teeth. I'm sure at least your kids will appreciate it - even if they can't talk yet.

Next, eat a real breakfast that won't have you crashing in 30 minutes from all the sugar. You know, like oatmeal or a smoothie or something. When I'm really down, sometimes I don't even feel like making myself breakfast - which in turn makes me feel worse.

Hopefully, by this point you should feel a bit better. So take a tour of your house and pick up all the trash. Can you really feel anything but blah when the house is out of control? Sometimes just picking up all the trash can really make a difference. I know we always have those "items" that won't fit in the trash can, or junk mail on the table, dirty diapers from the morning waiting to be thrown out, etc. Grab all that stuff and throw it in your outside garbage can!

Ahh! Now you can breathe.

Now take a break and check your email and Facebook because you are probably exhausted from all the "effort", haha.

Okay, now go clean up THAT mess. You know, the ones your kids made while you were hanging out in your PJs...I know at the time you were thinking - whatever keeps them busy, but now it's time to fix the lapse in parental judgment. Get the sharpie markers out of their hands and clean up the all the Tupperware bowls they have pulled out of the cabinets.

Once that's done, walk over to your dryer, put it on the "freshen up" cycle and hit start...again. If you're really blah, there are probably still clothes in the dryer from yesterday, or last week...depending on how blah you really are! Be sure to actually remove and fold the clothes from the dryer - or this activity is stupid. (Yet how many times have I restarted the dryer, only to "forget" about it later...hmmm, my record is probably 6 or 7 - a whole lot of stupid there).

If you're still unmotivated, go for a mini-break again. Sometimes, by this point, my blahs have left, but some days they are persistent little buggers.

Look at your kids. Do they have pants on? Are they wearing clothes from last night or yesterday? Is there unidentified food on their faces and clothing? Yeah...go dress them and clean them up! Poor children...tsk tsk. ;)

Okay, here is the crossroads - most of the time you should be good by now, but if you're still down and out - you need to pack up the kids (they are a least dressed now) and head to a Starbucks with a drive through. You obviously need the "big gun" - caffeine - to get you artificially started for the day. I would say make your own at home, but you probably don't have the effort for that. If you do, kudos to you!

Now take your caffeinated self and tackle your day!

P.S. If you're preggo or nursing or laying off the caffeine - woe is you! Go lay on the couch, you've earned it!

Enjoying Life Now

I'm loving the weather today!! Sunny, clear skies, warm breeze - this is awesome. I used to work down off 360 near the bridge - which is a gorgeous area, and totally makes you wish you didn't have to work on days like today.

When I was working I used to go to a nearby park for lunch just to get away. At the end of my "lunch break", I was always so depressed to head back to work - mostly because I worked in a dark, windowless office in front of a computer all day. I wished I could just stay outside all day enjoying the weather. I told myself when I had babies, I would definitely be at the park with them, soaking up every second of the sunshine and good weather.


I envisioned picnics and playing in the grass. You know, the usual outdoor dream.

And then I actually had a baby. What can I say? Taking care of children is hard work. And can be exhausting work too. Sometimes even taking a shower can be a challenge. Let alone packing up baby, baby accessories, and a picnic!

And then baby gets older - and mobile!! Now there is no leisurely picnic, there is chasing baby down a grassy hill, keeping him away from streams and rivers, stopping him from picking up other people's trash...you get the idea.

And then you have two. This is where a third arm would come in handy. One kid is running one direction, the other is eating trash off the ground - while ants and dogs are invading your picnic...hehe.

Needless to say, it took a long time for me to get up the nerve to actually go on a picnic (alone) with the boys.


But last week, during another day of beauty (much like today),
I finally bit the bullet and just did it.

It was hard (especially when it was time to go - oh the insanity! Oh the crying and tantrums! No Go!). But, it was beautiful and magical too. And that makes it worth it.

I also got pictures to prove we did go, and we did survive - mostly (the only casualties were my purse, a book and the back stroller seat which got water dumped all over them in the chaos).

I encourage all mommies (new and old) to just do it. Whatever "it" is. Get rid of the excuses (no matter how valid) and just get out there and enjoy your babies!! Don't be like me and wait years to finally enjoy your dream, wishing you had gone a lot sooner.

Now I think back to Hayden's baby days and all that I missed because I was "too tired". Ugh, I wish I could go back and slap myself.

It's a beautiful day out there (in Austin anyway) - so go enjoy it!!

Basking in the Sunshine

Today we took advantage of the sunshine!!

Do we dare imagine Spring in our future?

With lots of playing in the sandbox and digging around in the garden.

But Spring also means the passing of time, and I don't want to miss a moment of it.

Sweet little baby feet.

Chubby little baby hands.

He won't always be so little.

Soon he'll be a boy, not a baby.

But until then, I'll enjoy my "baby".


(Boogers and all)

Somebody Tell Me

So what exactly is the purpose of a bib???

Becoming

Some days I feel like there are so many things I want to do,
but couldn't possibly fit it all into one lifetime.

Any one with me on that one?


I am often fascinated by the lives of others.
But would never want to give up my own life for theirs.


I mean, sure, there are things
I would like to change or improve, but never give up.

And every experience - both good and bad - has made me who I am.

And the experiences to come, will continue to shape me.