We’re coming up on the three year anniversary of moving in to our house.  Moving here has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.  We love our town, our neighborhood and our home.  We really fit in and feel a sense of belonging here.  We’ve made some really great friends, my girls go to amazing schools, and we just couldn’t be happier.

That said, it’s taken just about as long as we’ve lived here for us to finally unpack and find a home for all of our “stuff”.  Sure we moved here from a smaller place with younger children, and one would think, less stuff but for some reason, we just hadn’t found a home or a place for everything.  Or at least not the right place.  Things were shoved in places and thrown in a closet just to get them out of boxes and in the house.  A lot of those things are never used or just take up space that could be used for something else.  After finally having a feel on where things should go in our house, the time to organize, purge and rearrange has arrived!

Thanks to resources like Pinterest and reading other blogs such as Young House Love, iHeart Organizing and Sunny Side Up, I’ve caught a little bit of an organizing bug.  And let me tell you, it’s far better than the flu that’s been going around.  I’ve made a few changes, that will hopefully stick, and we’ve bought some new organizational tools to help put things in order.  We’re still working on decluttering the garage, but we’re getting there.

So, stay tuned to learn how I’ve gained cabinet space, made my 6 year old fashionista’s clothing more manageable, created a space for my girls to be creative, and fell in love with a piece of furniture.  Here’s to a more organized 2013 and a come back of sorts for this blog.  Is anyone still reading?

What I’m saying is that I’m going to attempt to make a come back. Key word here: attempt. I’ve done it a few times before and have vanished each time so I can’t make promises. Really though, like I said, I’m doing it for myself so who cares what you think anyway! HA!

Back on February 16th Nora had a run in with a wall, specifically the place where two walls meet at a corner in a doorway.  Scott and I had literally just sat down to eat dinner and the girls were supposed to be watching a TV show before bed.  Well, whenever Scott and I try to eat a nice dinner by ourselves, Nora is always coming and checking up on us.  I heard her start to come down the hall but didn’t think anything of it.  She wasn’t even running, which is amazing in itself.  Then, all of a sudden Scott and I heard the loudest bang we’ve ever heard inside our house.  He looked right at me and said, “This is going to be bad!”  I dropped my fork and ran to the hall to find Nora on the floor screaming her little head off.  I scooped her up into my arms and that is when I saw the blood on her forehead.  There was a lot of it.  Somehow I have the ability to remain pretty calm in these type of situations and I told Scott to get me a towel so I could apply pressure to the wound.  It was hard to tell right away the severity of the wound and not knowing exactly what to do, we decided to call 911.  Nora was pretty hysterical and kept saying she was tired and was starting to hyperventilate a bit.

I sat on the kitchen floor, cradling Nora while holding the towel over her wound while Scott stood watch for the EMTs, firefighters and police officers. Oh yes, we had all of those people at our house that night.  In less than five minutes the firefighters arrived, two big stalky guys came into the house and we were all crouched on the kitchen floor.  They were the nicest guys ever and asked about what happened and looked at the wound.  They agreed that it was pretty bad and determined that she didn’t have a concussion.  They wrapped her head with gauze to cover the wound. The EMTs arrived next along with a police officer.  We decided not to go to the hospital in an ambulance for a few reasons  – 1.  It was almost 8pm and I wanted Brinely to be able to get to bed (she was pretty upset about the whole situation) and if we went in the ambulance Scott and Brinley would have to come pick us up when we were done, and 2.  They wanted to strap Nora to a backboard for the ride.  Since the bleeding had stopped, she didn’t have a concussion, and she was already pretty upset, I thought that strapping her to a backboard and putting her in the ambulance would just have been too much trauma for her for one night.

So after all the emergency responders had left, I took Nora and drove her to the nearest hospital.  On the way there I kept talking to her to make sure she was ok and that she didn’t fall asleep.  It also started to rain which I didn’t think much of until we arrived at the hospital and there was no where to park near the ER.  I circled around a few times but nothing opened up so I had to park on the other side of the parking lot an carry Nora, in the rain, over to the ER.  Granted it wasn’t that far, but it just added to the chaos.

Once inside, we checked in and had a seat in the waiting room.  She was initially checked out pretty quickly by the intake nurse and I though this would be a quick visit, but boy was I wrong.  We sat and sat in that waiting room for an hour, then two hours, then nearly three.  It occurred to me after about the first hour that I hadn’t eaten anything since about noon that day.  By this point, Nora was just about back to her normal self.  She was waving at other babies in the ER and asking questions about the other “sick” people.  I finally spotted a vending machine and was quite relieved only to realize that I had zero cash in my wallet.  At that point, Nora was also asking for water.  I felt so unprepared, but then again, this is the Emergency Room and who is ever prepared to be there?  We took a few walks to the bathroom, not necessarily to go, but more to pass the time and I noticed a man filling the vending machines.  I asked if any of the machine took credit cards, even though I was pretty sure the answer was no.  The guy said no, but gave me 2 bottles of water for free.  He didn’t have the key to the machine with the food in it though.

Not too long after that, we were called back to a room.  We waited some more, and then a doctor finally came in.  She looked at the wound and said it definitely needed to be stitched and that it was pretty deep.  I was fearing it though sort of expected it.  Nora was lucky to have gotten off with just dermabond last time.  So I texted Scott to update him and then we got ready.  Nora was pretty tired at this point and but she was very cooperative.  She sat up on the table, laid down when told, and barely flinched when they put the numbing stuff in her wound.  They did have to wrap her up in a sheet so she couldn’t move while being stitched, but that’s procedure anyway.  Since the wound was so deep that had to put a mattress stitch underneath and then five more stitches on the outside.  They gave her some Tylenol for the pain, bandaged her up and we were on our way home – over three hours later!

It was a crazy, scary night that I’ll never forget.  But now, almost a month later, she is healing well and I know she’ll be fine.  We use Mederma a few times a day and cover the area with a band aid when we go out in the sun.  The wound is off to the side on her forehead and closer to her hairline than her eyebrow so hopefully it will stay out of sight for the most part.  Of course, she had to choose the brightest most colorful band aids they sell to wear out in the sun.  It suits her though.  She’s the type of kid that when injured she wants everyone to know about it!

So that’s the story of my second kid, under the age of three, having stitches in her forehead.  But if you think I’m finished with the head injuries, you’re wrong!  Just yesterday, Nora was playing out on the porch and she came in to show me something.  She has a tendency to carry more than she can handle and when she came in through the door, she wasn’t paying attention and walked right into the door knob.  No, she didn’t cut herself but she does have a little bruised egg on the opposite side of her forehead.

I’m seriously thinking of getting the kid a helmet. ::Sigh::

I met my husband when I was 19.  I was a freshman in college.  Of course at that time, I didn’t know he’d be my husband.  That was almost 12 years ago!  We continued to date throughout college, he graduated, got a “real” job, I graduated, got a “real” job, and then we moved in together.  Within a year we were engaged.  After a year and a half engagement, we were married.  A little over a year after that, our first child, Brinley, was born.  I’ll save you time from doing the math… I was engaged at 23, married at 24 and had my first baby at 25.  Sometimes I’d hear that I was so young or moving too fast, but I never let that bother me.

Now, nearly 12 years after meeting my husband, Scott, I am happily married, have two beautiful daughters and pretty much living the life I always imagined.  My older daughter is in Kindergarten this year.  She’s involved in a slew of activities outside of school.  I’ve met lots of other moms along my journey and I wonder how Brinley perceives us all.  Does she just think we’re all old?  Does she think we’re all the same age?  I know for a fact that she has friends who’s parents are almost 20 years older than I am.  She also has friends who’s parents are younger than I am, though not by much.  I’d agree that I’m probably one of the younger moms but that doesn’t seem to have any effect on my relationships with other moms I meet, younger or older.

I hear quite a bit that I’m so young or just getting started but other than some years, I have a lot in common with the moms that are 5, 10 and even 20 years older than me.  We all have kids the same age and that is the equalizer.  Our age… it’s nothing but a number.

{Aside: Brinley has a bike but it’s way too small for her and she stinks at riding it because her legs are too long.  She can’t build up enough momentum on it and gets frustrated.  We’d talked about getting her a bike back and forth but didn’t want to invest a lot of money so close to winter in fear that she might outgrow this one just as fast as the last.  Well, turns out that the bike she liked last time we were at Toys R Us happened to be on sale for $49 so we figured it woudln’t break the bank.  Then when I got to the store, I was informed that it was on clearance for 25% off of that.  So it only ended up costing me $35!}

So, Nora and I go in the store, I find the bike (it was the last one!) and grab it.  I also get her a cute little basket for the front because she keeps talking about putting her (already-named-but-not-yet-and-may-never-be-owned) puppy, Sprinkles, in a basket to take him for rides.  Nora and I get back in the car with the (unassembled) bike and basket and head back home for nap time.  The entire excursion was pretty uneventful and we were back home in no time.

Later that night after the girls were in bed, Scott and I assembled the bike and left it in the downstairs family room with the plan to give it to her after breakfast the next day, her actual birthday.  So morning comes, I made chocolate chip pancakes and we we ate breakfast as a family to celebrate Brinley’s birthday.  Scott mentioned to Brinley that we had a present for her and her face lit up.  Then Nora chimes in, “We got you a bike, Brinley.”  I try to change the subject with Nora and direct her toward her pancakes because I was pretty sure Brinley didn’t really hear her.  Then she says it again, “Right, mom?  We got Brinley a new bike for her birthday?  Hey Brinley we got you a new bike.  It’s for your birthday.”  Ugh.  Brinley is complete into her pancakes and I still think she may not have caught on.  But the she looks up and says, “I don’t want a bike for my birthday.” FAIL!

I figured the surprise was ruined but we all just carried on eating our pancakes and pretending like that conversation never happened.  We finished breakfast, I gave the girls baths and got them dressed.  Then Scott went down and got the bike.  When Brinley saw it, she was really excited.  It was the exact one that she had picked out and she hopped right on it and started riding it in the house!

So I guess the surprise wasn’t ruined after all. Only a two year old to could try to ruin a surprise and fail!

I’ve never written you one of these birthday letters before but I figured now would be as good a time as any to start.  Today you turn five years old!  When I say that out loud I can hardly believe it.  It’s hard to imagine that five whole years of your life have already come and gone.  It’s truly amazing to see how you have grown and changed in those five years.  When you were born, you changed my life forever.  Being your mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me.  Watching you grow into the young girl you are today has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

You never cease to amaze me.  You are beautiful, inquisitive, loving, determined, and beyond-your-years smart.  Your smile brightens my days and your hugs warm my heart.  I am so proud of everything that you’ve achieved in your young life.  You are so eager to do things and you put so much effort into your passions.  You are so creative, just like your mom and so methodical, just like your dad.  It’s amazing how you truly are a blend of both of your parents – in both looks and personality.  What a lucky girl you are

Your excitement and intrigue about the world around you fascinates me.  You are always asking questions and yearning to learn more.  You love to draw and craft.  The way you can take simple objects you find around the house and turn them into works of art is amazing.  You’re always making pictures and books for your friends and family.  You love to read and to be read to.  You always have.  Daddy and I have been reading to you for your entire life and you’ve always soaked up everything that you’ve heard.  I’m sure that’s why you’re so smart.  It comes as no surprise to us that you are reading books that some third graders can’t yet read.  Sometimes you’re too smart for your own good and you can’t be fooled.  You certainly give us a run for our money!

I can’t believe that you are five years old, Brinley.  Sometimes it feels like just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital.  You were always such an easy-going and mellow baby.  You blossomed into a very inquisitive and joyful toddler and have grown to be such a spunky, loving and, at times, dramatic young girl.  I love you more than words can express and am truly proud to be your mom.  Thank you for bringing so much love, joy and meaning to my life.  Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Love,

Mommy

{click to enlarge for better quality}

Anyway, up until about two moths ago we were a strictly PBS or Disney Jr watching family.  I wasn’t opposed to other shows, it’s just that the girls would always ask for George, Elmo, Mickey, Jake or Angelina.  In fact, Scott and I were the ones to try to broaden their TV watching scope to include Wonder Pets, Wild Kratts and eventually Strawberry Shortcake, Pound Puppies and My Little Pony.  Thanks to a nifty little invention called DVR we just queued up a bunch of said shows for our kids evening viewing pleasure.  Brinley loves the new shows in her repertoire.  However, after sitting down with her and watching some of these shows Scott and I make the executive decision to remove Pound Puppies from the line-up.  The show is just crap basically.  It has no real message and seems to clearly just be a “brain rot” type of show.  I don’t think Brinley has yet noticed that we’ve nixed it and hopefully she won’t.

But on to the original point of this post – PBS and Disney Jr shows do not contain commercial advertisements.  They simply air the show and when it’s over we’d turn the TV off therefore missing any commercial breaks in between shows.  Enter “The HUB”, the channel that airs My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake and the dreaded Pound Puppies.  These shows all contain commercials.  At first I thought it would be a pain having to go in and fast forward through all of them so that Brinley would stay interested but I was wrong.  The kids LOVES the commercials.  I think it’s because she’s getting to see a whole lot of (mostly crappy) products that she’d never otherwise see.

Case in point – Pajama Jeans!  Why on Earth this infomercial airs during a kids TV show is beyond me, but you can bet your money that Brinley has become their youngest spokesperson.  A few weeks ago we were shopping in a clothing store and she said to me, “Look mom, Pajama Jeans!” (They were actually jeggings, but I let it slide.)  I thought to myself, “How the heck does she know what those are?”  And she continued, “Mom, they have the look of jeans with the comfort of pajamas and they don’t leave any unsightly marks!” I couldn’t help but laugh as she proceeded to tell me that I should order a pair.

Now it’s back to the grind.  And honestly, I’m not complaining about this lifestyle either.  Things do seem to operate with more ease when there is routine.  Especially with an almost five year old and a two year old running around the house.  Our daily scheules will be filled with playgroup, dance classes, gymnastics, soccer and a little thing called Kindergarten.

Brinley’s first day was last week and she had been counting down the days for almost a month.  She absolutely loves school and could not wait for the first day to arrive.  I knew she’d do fine in school and that she’d be happy and make friends.  My issue was with the bus.  It just felt so wrong to be sending this little person off on a big yellow bus with no car seat or seat belt driven by a man who I had never before met.  When the bus pulled up that first day I had a huge pit in my stomach and seriously felt like I was going to throw up.  But I stayed strong and didn’t let her see my fear.  When the bus stopped she marched right up the stairs, walked to a seat and sat down never once looking back to us.  As they pulled away I felt my throat get tight as my husband signed “Oh man”.  That may have been the hardest thing I’ve had to do to date.

Today is her third day of school and everything is going perfect.  Though it’s hard to pry out of her what she does all day, I know she’s enjoying it.  When she wakes up in the morning she wants to get dressed right away and has a very hard time waiting for the bus to come.  Since she’s in afternoon kindergarten, the bus doesn’t come until almost noon.  It’s going to be hard to distract her in the morning until she switches in January.

So that’s basically what’s been going on with us.  I’m going to try to get back on track with the blog as I know there are many who enjoy reading about our lives.   What’s new with you?  Any big changes for your family this year?

My doctor’s office just so happens to be in the same building as the girls’ pediatrician.  Even though neither girl had an appointment today, we stopped into the office so I could schedule a visit for Brinley to have the three remaining shots she needs before entering Kindergarten in the fall.  The girls made themselves at home at the coloring table while I spoke to the receptionist.  I was trying to draw up my calendar mentally but since I didn’t have it on hand I was having a hard time figuring out when we’d be available to come in (something I definitely should have thought of before deciding to try to make the appointment, doh!).  Anyway, the receptionist asked me, “Is Brinley with you right now?”  I said yes and she said, “Well how about we do the shots today?”  Now I’m sure I’d be hard pressed to find any kid that actually likes getting shots and willing goes, but Brinley certainly is not someone who has an easy time going to the doctor.  Regardless, I told the receptionist that it was fine.  I figured I might as well get it over with while I was right there.

Brinley had no idea it was coming and I feel really bad about it.  She knew that we were going to the doctor’s for me to have an appointment and I know she never in a million years thought that she’d be the one getting poked.  Anyway, a nurse came and called her name and we headed back to a room.  Brinley started to look a little suspicious.  She asked me, “Mom, how come I’m seeing the doctor now?”  I explained to her that she had to be checked and ready to go to Kindergarten in the fall and that they had to make sure that she had all her shots.  She was NOT happy with me, but she sat on my lap and just looked a bit sad.  The nurse started talking and said that she needed a Chicken Pox vaccine, an MMR vaccine and her fourth Polio vaccine.  Brinley immediately chimed in and said, “Wait, I already have a fourth Polio!”  I just smiled figuring she was trying to get out of one of the shots but the nurse looked at her and said, “Oh really, when did you get it?”  Brinley explained that I took her to a supply store and bought it for her so she could keep her drawings and art work in it.  Then it dawned on me.  She was talking about her art portfolio!  (Forth Polio = Port Folio)

Anywho, she sat on my lap and took the shots like a champ.  She definitely wasn’t thrilled about it at all and she did cry but I am amazed that she was so cooperative.  It’s pretty unlike her   I felt bad that I sprung it on her but in hindsight it probably was the best decision.  If she’s anything like her father, and we know she is, she was better off not knowing about it before hand.  I rewarded her afterward with ice cream and a stuffed animal from the mall.

I’ve signed Brinley up for a few mini-sessions of gymnastics and dance but other than that our calendar is empty and it’s up to me to fill the days with fun, exciting activities.  Sure there will be play dates and visits with friends, but we need a little more spice than that in our lives.  Luckily we had some hot weather last week and the girls and I were able to hit up a local swimming hole with friends.  It took up a good chunk of our day.  Today we visited Davis Farmland with even more friends.  It’s a great little discovery farm with animals galore that the kids can feed, pet and brush.  We had a great time.

The crew with the fake milking cow

We’ve got quiet a few fun things on the calendar for the rest of the summer like our annual trip to StoryLand with our New York friends (Hi, Kel!) and some weekends out to my parents lake house but it’s the day to day monotony during the week that I need to work on filling.  I’m open to your ideas for fun things to do with the kiddos this summer.  I don’t mind spending a little bit to have a good time, but free and/or cheap events are best!