31 Things | Days 10-13

I realize as I am posting all of these 31 Things posts that they are missing punctuation.  It's something that happens when I cut and paste from word to the website then from the website into blogger.  It's correct on the printouts in my album.  I am not worried about the punctuations here...

Our evening routine begins after supper.

Supper is typically hit or miss. Either the girls sit down, eat well, and finish in a reasonable time or Hailey is walking around, Hannah is making deals on how many more bites she has to finish and we have to call clock* on them.   *calling clock is what dad says before he points to the clock and shows them which number seals their fate. Eat before the hand touches that number or go without a treat

What happens behind this curtain either makes or breaks the night. The girls usually always take baths together- although Hannah has been in to taking showers lately. They like to play in the bath and they love to splash. Lots of bath toys + lots of splashing = lots of giggles or lots of cries. When the giggles are out I close the curtain to save the floor from water- I know that sounds ridiculous!  After bath its time to Jammie Up!

The next 90 minutes is filled with either crafts, playing house, playing dress up, playing outside, Barbies, babies, blocks, play-doh, snuggling, watching Modern Family or The Middle, playing restaurant, entertaining ourselves on the iPads and Pods, laundry, Cootie, Chutes and Ladders and/or any other activity that sounds like fun for the night. It is always followed by a treat.  We try to get the girls to bed around 8:00 pm. Sometimes we spill over to 8:30 and occasionally hit the 9:00 hour. Weekends the girls can stay up a little later.

Hannah used to got rocked in this chair each night and now Hannah does. Hailey goes down first- I sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Jingle Bells (her pick) and Rock-a-Bye Baby
Hannah chooses Twinkle, Twinkle, Rock-a-Bye Baby and a Silly ABCs (just that- sung in a silly voice)

Post-bedtime is bittersweet. I am excited to finally have a moment to sit still without having to answer to the mommy-calls but at the same time I already miss them. Working full time I dont get to spend very much of their day with them. It kills me.  After the kids are in bed I usually treat myself to ice cream- either a bowl or a rootbeer float. This is a habit I NEED to break! But seriously, its like crack!
Soon I will be starting my 8:15 pm evening run. Its finally starting to get light out- my head is there but my body hasn't gotten the memo yet.


 

Like plants need water and cars need gas, I need Diet Coke.

I love this stuff. Way too much. I must have one in the morning during my commute and I like to know that I have one nearby- just in case I need it.
I dont even really drink that much of it- honestly. Its more of a security thing- I need to have it near. Sometimes when I take a drink I try to actually taste it and during those moments I think to myself You know, this really doesnt taste like much- whats your deal with this stuff?!

My other guilty pleasure is Ice Cream. I prefer basic flavors. Strawberry, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip, Pistachio. I am not a huge chocolate fan so I will never get a bowl of just plain chocolate. I dont mind add-ins but if an ice cream has too much goin on with it I am usually inclined to pass on it. Breyers brand is my favorite either the Neapolitan, Mint Chip or Natural Vanilla. I wish I could kick this habit- would be easy too if I just didnt buy it but walking out of the grocery store with a cart full of groceries and no ice cream?! Unheard of!

We grill a lot of meat in our house. We grill year round. Pork chops, ribs, chicken on the bone, steaks, hot dogs (ick not for me), and hamburgers. Most of the time Brian is using the Big Green Egg.

We eat out more than we should. These days our favorites include Chicken Wild (Buffalo Wild Wings- named by Hannah and has stuck ever since), Wendys, McDonalds, Acapulco, Pizza Hut, and Ming Tree (local Chinese place down the road).

We eat a lot of fruit in our house. I love to buy fruit and have it around. My kids love it so its nice to offer as a snack or quick breakfast in the mornings. When I come home from the store I typically like to cut and tupperware the fruit all at once so its grab and go ready.

We eat warm vegetables frequently. Mostly corn on the cob in the summer and can corn or peas in the winter. We eat a lot of potatoes (have that is it a veggie argument to yourself- it counts at my house). We all like raw vegetables however I find that I dont buy them very often. I dont really enjoy cleaning and cutting raw vegetables and most of the time it warrants dip which then dirties more dishes and make things more difficult for an easy snack. I have been trying to get better about having veggies on hand for the girls. If we have them they get eaten- just not as fast as the fruit so I end up throwing out the excess.

A lot of my friends are really into sandwiches. I will eat them but they are not my favorite. I am never disappointed when I eat one but when I am hungry I rarely think to myself that a sandwich would hit the spot.

Planning meals for the week, or more likely each day on the commute home, is my daily low. I dislike coming up with meal ideas and feel like I suggest the same things over and over. Brian usually cooks so its not like I can just make dinner and say if you are hungry you will eat what I have made. I need to get better at meal planning.

Day 10 and Day 11

Confession: When I first moved in with Brian I would watch as he was working out in the yard. I would watch him- with his backwards hat on- move the gutters and mow the lawn. I would watch as he patched the lawn in the spots the dog ruined over the winter. I would watch him as he worked in the garage and around the house. I still find myself watching him however these days I am not quite as secretive about it.

I watch as Hannah turns from my first born baby to a little girl who is wise beyond her years. Most days I am watching by choice but with a four year old little girl you have to expect that I hear Mommy, look at me! more times than I can count. Today I watched as Hannah ordered her own lunch at Wendys. I watched her as she told me to stand by the ketchup so she could go and get her Frosty all by herself. I watched as she ordered her Frosty, handed the lady her coupon from her kids meal, say Thank you and show herself back to our seat where daddy was waiting. I watched this weekend as she helped grandma cut the watermelon at the cabin. I watched her make her own bed- without being asked- and then proceed to wash the dishes in the sink- just because she wanted to be helpful. I watched her care for her mommy when I broke down crying when we thought there was something wrong with our unborn baby- Dont cry, momma.
I hope she never loses the sparkle in her eyes, her caring soul and bounce in her step.

I watched as Hailey walked with daddy out to the car this morning. She was happy to be going to Jackies all by herself (Hannah was sick so had to stay home). I watched her prance out to the car like a big girl enjoying her time alone with daddy. Ive watched her turn from toddler to little girl in the past few months and watched as she found her voice. I cant get enough of this little girl and cannot take my eyes off of her when she is around.

I watch as Hannah reminds Hailey to take a potty break. In the middle of whatever they are playing, Hannah will yell out Potty break time! and both of them trot off to the bathroom. I watch Hannah setting a good example for her sister and helping her to be successful.

I watch my girls in the rearview mirror as their favorite songs come on the radio. I watch them sitting in their seats singing and dancing along to the music.

I watch as my girls enjoy being sisters. Many days I hear Hailey ask Hannah Hannah, am I pretty? and Hannah answers Yes- of course you are! I watch them call each other best friend and I watch as they play together without mom and dad having to remind them to be nice to each other.

I watch as Hannah drives Hailey around the yard in the Barbie car. I watch Hailey content as can be sitting in the passenger seat with the wind blowing in her hair. They drive in circles around the yard talking as if they have somewhere to be.

I spend time watching when I would rather be doing. I want a few minutes to get stuff done and when I get it, I spend that time watching them instead.

I dont mind housework. I really dont.

I dont mind cleaning the bathroom. I dont mind vacuuming. I dont mind doing the dishes.

I love the way my house looks when its clean. I love the first few hours after the house is clean and I love the first time walking through the door into that clean house.

These days it gets harder and harder to clean.

The girls typically want to be everywhere I am so when I am trying to clean I have two little tornados following me around.

I love to clean when I can open the windows and turn the radio on. I start in the bathroom and then move into our room, then Hannahs room. I make my way to the living room and end in the kitchen. The floors are last.

We dont always clean the downstairs although it is the one place we are the most and probably needs to be picked up more often than the other spaces.

We have a dishwasher but dont use it. A few years ago we decided that since it never gets used we should make use of it and started storing pots, pans, and crock pots inside of it- gets quite the look from our company that try to help out by rinsing and loading up their dishes.

We wash dishes every night but usually leave them out to air dry. I love the nights that we decide to spend 5 more minutes drying them and putting them away instead of waiting for tomorrow.

I love washing mirrors but I hate cleaning the outside of the toilet. With 3 girls and a dog in the house there is never a shortage of hair on the bathroom floor.

The girls love to clean the toilet. One night Hannah actually asked Mom, if I eat all my supper can I clean the toilet? Now when Hailey sees her opening the cabinet for the supplies she comes running to help out too.

I dont mind doing the laundry but I dislike putting it away when the rest of the house isnt picked up. I despise standing in the middle of the girls room and tripping over toys and shoes on the way to the closet to put their clothes away.

I hang almost all of our clothes because I am not a fan of folding.

I would love to get a housekeeper although she wouldnt be much help to me. I dont mind the cleaning, its the picking up I cant stand.

Day 12 and  Day 13