How I Spent My Vacation

This week, I took the whole week off of work. I think this was the first actual whole week of vacay I took since Aubs was born. I love love love my kids and husband to the ends of the universe, but I will say this: 9 days of constant 24/7 with the husband AND kids is NUTS – I probably will not ever do this again.

Their school has a benefit of a week of vacation where we don’t pay a week, but we have to keep the kids with us. I took advantage of that…or so I thought it was an advantage 🙂 The first two days were great! We had a blast . . . and then the husband decides to go hunt . . . and I’m left to myself. It also didn’t help that I hadn’t worked out those days I was taking care of the girls (working out helps with my mood).

While the husband was hunting, I was finding any reason to get out and about with the girls . . . Kaleidscope downtown, grocery shopping, the mall, going to the park when it was 40 degrees out (yes, I was that mom), perusing Hobby Lobby, etc . . .

I would not make it as a stay at home mother nor as someone who doesn’t have either parents in town to help. For those that got my Christmas cards, you’ll probably see the mention of convincing Ryan on having a third. After this week, you’ll need to convince me too. Whoever says parenting multiples gets easier – well they lied.

To brighten up this post, what I will say is that I have learned a great deal of patience this week. I’ve learned to slow down on the multi-tasking and enjoy the moments with my girls. As much as I just complained, there are sprinkles of memories in this week that I will cherish forever.

• The hilarious look on Aubs face when she went through her first automatic car wash.
• Ansley and Aubrey embarrassing the heck out of me at Pottery Barn: Aubrey sitting on the counter trashing all the giftcards while Ansley runs around holding fragile ornaments with other shoppers looking at me like I’m an unfit mother.
• Ryan getting out his duck decoy sled to take us sledding on the first snow of the season.
• Ansley talking about Santa this week and being a “good girl”.
• Aubrey rubbing snot all over Ansley.
• Aubrey’s dancing consists of moving her left arm like a chicken.
• The girls playing “Ring around the Rosie” with Uncle Kev.

This week, I found it weird to have my oldest actually having conversation with me. It seemed like it was only yesterday that I was staring at her newborn face while she was snuggled in between me and Ryan, and me thinking about how big Ryan’s head was compared to hers.  These days, her head is just as big as his and soaks up things like a sponge. She’s listening intently on every single word I say. That’s a lot of pressure for me. For instance, I was in the car talking to Ryan and I told him I forgot the sour cream for our tacos tonight. After hanging up, I hear this voice behind me saying, “Lets go to the store momma to buy sour cream!”  This kind of scares me a bit because I NOW wonder how much she really does understand when Ryan and I talk. I’m envisioning the scene from Meet the Fockers and the toddler saying “a….hole”.

In addition to this, she’s also learning about my little white lies I tell her. Example, she loves these yogurt bottles I get her. When she wants seconds, I usually would tell her, “There’s no more. It’s all gone.” Today, she was adamant about going to the refrigerator, stepping on the a stool to peer over the fridge to look for herself that it was actually gone. Thank goodness it was really all gone. Then, she wanted to take a bath during the middle of the day. I told her that the water faucet was broken. She insisted to go check for herself. I told her that if we turned it on, garbage would go everywhere. She finally believed it (after her little inquisitive eyes looked at me for truth). Whew, got out of that one.

Now let me tell you about my other stinker. She’s gotten into the terrible twos early like her sister.  This is probably what made this week so difficult. The whining of the terrible twos. Aubs has also gotten to be very very clingy. Sigh. She now has a full on cute mullet (as cute as they can be). She’s not talking as much, but I do know that the girl understands every word I say to her. Today, I told her to sit beside me, and she plopped down on her little chair with her tummy sticking out like a couch potato…and then proceeded to smile at me.

Let me tell you about my husband. He’s my polar opposite. For real. I’m pretty sure we are complete opposites on everything: food, politics, morning/night rituals, kids . . . I don’t really know how we’ve not driven each other out of the house this week. Oh wait. I did. He went hunting. Just wait until wedding season buddy.

Today is only Thursday. I’m making a list of where the girls and I could possibly go tomorrow and making sure I cycle these stores (I’m pretty sure Hobby Lobby and Michaels would look at me weird if I went in four days in a row, excluding Sunday).

Next time I take vacation, it will be a day that they are in school I love my babies and husband, but I go back to work Monday. I can’t wait.