a puppy dog coach of sorts.

I have been taking advantage of my free time when the kids are at school.  I've enjoyed having a basement with carpet.   I love working out every morning after I drop the kids off at school.  Working out is my time to think and reflect and wonder.  It's my free therapy.   I am ready for the weather to get warmer so I can run and walk outside with the wind in my face.  I've only done a run/walk  a few times since moving to Georgia. 

 I still can't believe we live in GA.  It seems like just yesterday I was doing Zumba/Boot Camp in Ohio with a group of fun girls,  Funny how life changes so fast.  I never would have thought looking back three years ago that today I'd be structuring my own basement workouts.  We didn't have basements in Texas.  We also didn't have our Lily Jack.  I'm thankful for our sweet Ohio dog I call my fitness coach.  She's always by my side while I'm working out!  She sometimes sleeps on the job, but there are many times when she is running up and down the basement stairs with me.  She's been known to lick the sweat from my arm.  She barks at the jump rope and watches when I ride the stationary bike.  She's my little coach and I love her to death.  I'm thankful for our Ohio adventure because we got to adopt this sweet pup! 

She is a huge blessing just like each and every friend and adventure we experienced in Ohio.   Some days I really miss the people there and other days I really miss Texas.  Honestly I'm so excited about what Georgia has in store for us.  I'm so filled with excitement about our new life here in Georgia.   We are all anxiously awaiting spring weather in our new house and new yard.  I can't wait to see spring at our new lakes!  I think we're all stoked about beginning soccer in a few weeks.  

All six of us are ready to be outside playing and getting our fitness on.  I honestly don't think I sweat in Ohio and I'm ready for some sunshine and flushed cheeks!

two girls learning and growing

It seems like just yesterday I was sitting on the carpeted floor with chubby thighed Layla watching her lay there and kick and coo.  She didn't want to crawl or roll over to her tummy.  Why would she want to do that?  Her momma did everything for her.  If there was a pink plastic toy out of her reach I would just hand it to her.  What was I thinking?

  I think as moms we want to make life easier for our children in the moment.  I wanted to hand her that pink horse rattle or her Ellie the elephant so she didn't have to struggle.  

Clearly, she is fine and me babying her didn't hurt her, but looking back I should have let her do more for herself.  How do you tell a new hard headed mom that?

And just like that, way too fast she turned three.  I still helped her, but then I was half way starting to get it.  I knew she needed to do things on her own to grow and become independent.  In my eyes she was 3 years old for many years.  When she was 4, she was still 3.  When she was 5 she still seemed 3 to me.  When she turned 6 I had an awakening.  She had a little mind of her own, as she always had, but I didn't want her to change.  She was so smart and had the cutest personality. She was reading and learning math facts.  I had to stop babying her and let her grow.  She met friends in kindergarten and wanted to have playdates.  What?  She was still three.  Kids don't do that at that age, I didn't want to let her go and grow.  But she was 6 and very social and super cute.  She needed that! 

No one tells you that about parenting.  I wish someone would shake me sometimes and MAKE me stop what I'm doing and look down into my life as if I'm looking into a snow globe.   You know what?  Now she isn't 3 or 6, she is 9!  How in the world is she 9 years old?  And she'll be 10 in July.  I read in a beauty pageant packet advertisement that was mailed to our home that 10 years old is considered pre-teen. 

 Excuse me?

She's washing her own hair.  She's painting her own nails even if it looks all crazy.  She can scramble eggs and make a mean bowl of mac n cheese.  I have to step away from my perfectionist mind set and let her become the amazing little girl she is ment to be. Gary and I had to let her fall off her bike to learn to ride it.  I now have to let her try to blow dry her hair even when she gets mad and begs me to do it for her.  "Please mom, you do it better.  I don't know how!!"  I can remind her to wash her face and brush her hair, but she has to do it.  I have to be quiet during homework so she can solve the problems on her own without me doing it for her.  She gets mad at me when I make her do her own stuff sometimes.  I get that awful mommy guilt that us moms feel when we least expect it.  I know deep down she isn't 3 anymore and I must let her grow and make mistakes.  After all, isn't that how we learn the best lessons?  

All this to say,  I have learned so much through having Layla and Hayden . A little girl and a little boy, each one growing and learning their own way.  No one tells you how to parent or what you'll feel.  I'm learning how to stop and step back to make sure I'm helping and letting their brains make decisions and choices that in the end help them grab their dreams and run with them. 

What have you learned about yourself after becoming a parent?

Marietta Diner

After we dropped the kids off at school this morning we decided to venture out and try a new breakfast place.

The food was absolutely amazing and the service was great too.  The owner came to our table to make sure our meal was good.  She was so nice and talked with multiple tables.  I think that is a big deal.  Owners and managers should show their faces and get to know their patrons!

The restaurant is in a town nearby called Marietta, which is also the name of the town we lived in in Ohio!  How funny right!?

My parents sent Gary a birthday gift card to a restaurant group that was featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.  We LOVE that show and so Gary was thrilled to get to try one of the restaurants for breakfast.  We still have money left for another meal too!  Thank you mom and dad!

We ordered this little yummy cream cheese treats called blintzies.  We were not disappointed with anything we ordered and we know the kids will love this diner...we can't wait to take them there one day soon!

Sunday Funday!

We ventured out today to explore more of our new state. 

We had high hopes of doing tons of camping while living in Ohio, but it just never happened.  Gary worked so hard and his boss wasn't a fan of him taking time off, so he worked a ton and our camper just sorta sat there.

That won't happen here!  We have a lake very close and today we found multiple campsites we fell in love with.  Just being near the lake got our family all happy and ready for springtime and summer.  We will be some camping crazies as soon as the weather turns warmer!

Once we got our camping plans mapped out we drove to one of our favorite sporting goods stores about 16 miles away.  Both kiddos got new tennis shoes and Layla got shorts for soccer.  Yes, she is going to play soccer this spring, as will Hayden.   They are both excited and so am I!  We ended our outting at a BBQ restaurant near our house.  It was okay, but not as good as Gary's brisket.  The fried pickles were delicious though!  They had a side dish I'd never had before called fried corn.  They seasoned a cob of corn and lightly fried it.  We all loved it and I can't wait to try to dulpicate it here at home.  We had a funday Sunday indeed!

Gary is 41

We had a great day celebrating daddy!

I made homemade enchiladas and we played dodge ball in the basement.  

It was a fun day!

homework homework and more homework

this is what most afternoons look like when the kids get home from school

we pop popcorn and eat snacks and DO HOMEWORK

Daisy waits for the popcorn to fall onto the floor

it is homework for me as much as it is for them

i keep my laptop handy so i can google stuff

i really have to google stuff

homework is hard for me and for them

we are into fractions and inertia in fourth grade

we are working on math facts and nouns, verbs and adjectives in first grade

thankfully we have come up with a great routine

we found a way to stay organized and that makes a big difference while settling in to do homework after school

not having a pencil or paper or the weekly classroom newsletter makes for a chaotic homework event

no one has time for cranky unorganized homework time

the kids are already tired after a long day at school so being organized pays off for our family

I am thankful I get to be home with the kids while they do homework

it isn't always fun, but we make the best of it!

weekend with friends

We are happy to have friends here for the weekend. 

 They are our second visitors since moving to GA! 

We found a fun new Mexican restaurant and they came to sing Happy Birthday to our friend Jarred.  It isn't even his birthday.  We couldn't stop laughing!!!  They must have gotten the wrong table, but it was good for a few laughs and a delicious dessert! 

We got a babysitter for the first time and had an adult only night out.  We went to several different places and had a fun time exploring our new area here in Georgia.  Gary and I are so happy to have so many fun restaurants nearby to show our friends!

toothpaste twist

I have no words for the shape of this toothpaste. 

I saw this laying on the kids bathroom counter.  This is Layla's toothpaste tube and it's really interesting.  I don't think I've seen this approach to squeezing toothpaste, but I guess whatever works huh?!? 

quick lunch idea

Chic-fil-a is just a few miles from my house.  It can be a good but bad thing!  If I'm running errands and want something somewhat healthy but quick I pick soup and salad.  I can't get enough of their chicken tortilla soup.  It's the best with just the right amount of spice.  It's loaded with chicken, corn, and black beans.  If you haven't had it you should titally try it.  I like to get the soup meal with a salad and an un-sweet tea.  It's my favorite lunch!!

~ Monster Jam 2015 ~

The last time we went to Monster Jam was back in 2012 when we lived in Texas.

Last night we went to the Georgia Dome here in Atlanta.  The Georgia Dome is huge compared to the smaller arena we sat in when we went back in 2012.  I think that is great for our ears.  Last time it was soooo loud.  

We indulged in Monster Jam cotton candy and Hayden got a Monster Jam snow cone.  It was sugar overload for our very excited boy!

Layla had a fun night too.  She had fun taking tons of pictures and making collages of all the trucks.

I cheered on my favorite Monster truck named Monster Mutt.  He crashed twice, but put on an amazing show.

I just love to see his ears flop around when he jumps all the giant dirt piles.  He has a pretty cute tail too.  I'm all about anything dog-ish!

Just in case you don't know, Monster Jam is now a racing series.  You can watch it on Fox Sports channels and there is usually one event per week, similar the the motocross series.   The huge trucks started the night battling race style to see who was the fastest.  Then they finished up the night doing freestyle tricks to oooohhh and aaahhhh the crowd.  It is loud and rowdy and super fun for our loud and rowdy family!  We had a blast and it was awesome to live so close to the Georgia Dome.  We were 1.5 hours from a big city in Ohio, so being less than one hour is amazing!

taller and taller they grow

Gosh it seem like I just bought Layla a pair of pants and they fit.  They were long enough and now they seem short.  I think she is growing.  One step up to the ruler and we know it's true.

  We are still loving the life size ruler Gary and I made back in 2011.  It has been wonderful since we have moved from state to state since then.

Hayden Cole is growing too.  I'm so happy to see these healthy munchkins getting taller and smarter.  We are blessed with cute kiddos that love to eat and love to learn, for now at least!  It's fun to see them grow, but not too terribly fast! ;-)

lemon face

Lego obsessed!!

These two built, created and played Legos all day long and they are proud of the finished product!

Happy New Year!!!