The Adventures Continue...

Tricked you!  No real adventures here, just everyday normal stuff….but I’m NOT complaining  

BJ is still in Mexico on a business trip and will be home soon.  He is helping the company’s plant down there improving processes and getting them organized.  This trip is three weeks and he will have to take at least one more for another week but beyond that we don’t know how much more traveling he will be doing this year.  I’m betting a few more trips but when and to Mexico or Canada we don’t know yet. 

Paisley turns two in less than two weeks.  Time sure has passed me by…I can still remember feeling her in my tummy and holding her for the first time in the hospital like it was just yesterday.  She is such a character!  I would label her as my spunky child.  She has the greatest facial expressions…sometimes I can’t help but laugh when she scowls at me.  She always gets into her bed through the rungs of the bunk bed ladder…like her own little portal, legs sticking out as she slides in.  She is also quit a little hoarder.  The girl can’t go to bed unless she has three dolls, two stuffed animals, a ball, plastic jewelry, and her cup all in her arms under the covers with her…its humorous to watch her try to hold it all.  She is also getting much better with words.  I think because of her staph infection and not wanting to talk for so long she is a little delayed in this area but catching up quickly.  We are just happy that she is healthy again even if it comes with a bit of attitude (which she clearly gets from her father)

Then there is my adventurist Bianca!  Always into something!  truthfully she has really stepped up and been such a huge help.  Minus nights she is completely potty trained!  Yeah!!!!  Just in time cause I think I will have to start buying diapers for Gage here soon as I’m almost out of the ones I got from my shower.  Bianca has taken a big interest in baking with me…it could just be the results of the baking too, but she seems to enjoy the process as well.  Bianca is also very into making drawings and creations with stickers, but these are limited as Paisley still eats crayons and stickers sometimes end up places they should like the walls and floors.  She is also picking up some acting skills mimicking me and puppies (don’t worry, not at the same time) She keeps us on our toes and that’s what we love about her…there is never a dull moment when she is around.

Last but not least there is Gage.  He is growing like a weed.  I don’t know if it is because he really doesn’t get a chance to be crabby or if he really is just that mellow but this kid is such an easy going boy.  Only time he cries is if he has a burp stuck…and really it’s more a whimper than anything.  He sits up now and figured out how to rock himself in his swing without me, the girls or batteries.  He is eating foods  now (just pureed of course) He handles the sisterly smothering well they love on him a little too much at times.  Think his eyes will stay blue and he is still very much a toe head…more so than both the girls ever were.  He is just such a smiley baby it’s ridiculous!  He still sucks his thumb like it will be gone tomorrow, but Bianca still sucks her fingers too….again must be something they got from their dad

I’m good.  The water heater has gone out three times since we moved in so they finally just replaced the coils inside and hopefully we won’t have any more issues.  Found a church that we like but it is a bit of a drive as far as Wichita standards go but average for Denver.  My goal this year is to loose some weight and I go back and fourth feeling like I’m making progress.  I’ve dropped 6 pounds so far but don’t seem to feel any different so I’m frustrated but I have to remind myself that its only January and I have to be patient.  Finding the time to work out was hard as kids always seemed to interrupt but I found some new workouts that I can do in 10 minute intervals throughout the day which works better than one 30 minute chunk.  Hoping I can drop a few sizes and gain some confidence back.  BJ’s mom will be out to visit us in less than a month and we are so excited to see her.    Other than that there really isn’t too much new here.  Just keep on keeping on….Goin crazy in Kansas

Oh the Horror!

Life in the Goin household is never boring!  I find myself daily calling my parents to tell them what the kids did that day to make me laugh, or frustrate me to the point of giggles.  My children keep me on my toes, some days my tip toes, and my life would be so boring without them.  I can’t remember what my life was like before I had them, but feel so grateful that they have blessed me with so many memories and a good foundation for many wrinkles to come J

Today was another one of those days that I found myself at Wal-Mart praying for the time to pass quickly as we checked out.  Normally it’s because one of my little angels are spinning in circles on the floor as they cry and scream for one reason or another, but that was not the case today. 

As I begin to unload our very full cart Bianca walks over to our cashier.  She is young like me and smiles at Bianca.  She has noticeably large front teeth and I see Bianca studying her.  That’s when the clock slows…Bianca very politely says “excuse me…are you a chipmunk?”  You have to understand my children’s adoration for the new Alvin and the chipmunk movies.  We have watched them HUNDREDS of times….HUNDREDS!!!!  I’m still unloading the cart at this time trying to figure out what to do and act as though I didn’t hear what my child just asked the poor gal.  The cashier not amused tells Bianca no, so she quickly comes back with “Oh, are you a chipette?”  I can no longer pretend to be a naive bystander as my daughter innocently and curiously interviews this poor soul.  I quickly interject to Bianca “she probably has a beautiful voice like one of the chipettes”, and in an attempt to distracter her ask her to help me finish putting things on the conveyer belt.  With my head down and tail between my legs praying for the moment to end I pay for our groceries and book it to the car.  From now on we will have to make sure we avoid her line L

In other news Paisley will be 2 in just a couple of weeks and continues to surprise us with her spunk.  She is such a different kid now that she is healthy and we love it.  Gage is 6 months old now and eating real food now.  His newest development is rocking on all fours...which means crawling is not far behind...AHHHH!  Time goes by too quickly and daily I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy each day for what it has to offer.

What do stay at home Moms do with thier time?

What do I do with my time?  I get that question from people sometimes…or at least I feel like people question me.  I feel like some people look at me and say you are a stay at home mom….you are home all day why are you complaining about not having time…all you have is time.  To that I say HA!  Let me run you thru my day.  Remember that thru my day I am constantly repeating myself trying to teach manners, keeping them safe, answering curiosities, encouraging creativity and resoursfulness, potty training, disapline, chosing to do things right instead of using short term fixes to solve problems at everyone's long term expense.

By this time its 8:30 or 9:00 and finally my turn to take a shower.  This is my “alone time”, I use that term loosely as during my shower I’m still yelling at kids to share or stop yelling or please close the curtain so water doesn’t get on the floor and not to poke at the babies eyes or lick the mirror.  Then I get dressed and try to get ready, although some days it just doesn’t happen.  After I get out I clean up whatever went down during my shower whether it is toys, crayons on the floor, wall, or books or cupboard items.  Then you try to find an activity to entertain the girls.  Some days its play dough, some days we do stickers or markers or crayons, maybe Barbie’s or ponies, but some kind of activity is then followed by a snack.   While the girls snack so does the baby with another feeding and burping. 

Then we usually watch some TV like Mickey Mouse or Handy Manny while I check my email or write on my blog or learn with the kiddos and play with the baby.  Then we make lunch and eat lunch around 12 or 1.  Then we do another round of diaper changes and potty training, which can take 5 minutes or 30 depending on how cooperative everyone is and what has happened in those diapers.  Ideally this would then be followed by a nap but things are not always easy and naps are postponed or avoided by young ones.  Most days naps are not taken by all at the same time, someone will fall asleep while the other plays with me and then we switch someone falls asleep when the other wakes up so I’m constantly entertaining someone.  After naps we usually do a snack and new cup and new diapers.  Then another activity like read a book or play dress up or make believe house tea parties.  And again feed the baby and burp.  Then we have to figure out what is for dinner and make that. 

Dad gets home and I get dinner in the oven and talk to him about his day and upcoming events and our day at home.  I try to get the girls to clean up some of the days mess during this time which means I sit there and point the a toy and say “pick up the yellow Barbie, now put it in the bin.  Pick up the puppy, now put it in the basket, pick up the socks put it on the laundry, pick up the bear and put it on the tub…and on and on and on and on!  You can just say clean your room.  You have to break it down to each item for them otherwise nothing happens for day!  Then we all clean up for dinner, say our prayers, eat and then the cleanup and bedtime begins.  This includes baths, diapers, pajamas, cups, crying, yelling, screaming, cuddling, and lights out, another feeding and burping and most nights more yelling, screaming, crying, and discipline.  By this I’m exhausted and ready to crawl into bed and just veg a few moments with my husband before falling to sleep which almost always is interrupted by at least one feeding.

Not too bad you say….until you realize that in that time I still have to try to pay the bills, do laundry for 5 people which can be one to two loads a day, dishes which is always one load a day, vacuuming, general pick up, running to the store, the post office, goodwill, Wal-Mart, Walgreens,  cleaning off counters.  Then the tings that need to be done every so often like deep cleaning of bedrooms, and bathrooms, and doctors appointments, maintenance calls, bug man visits, dusting, bedding.  The list goes on and on.

Oh yeah that’s right….then try to fit a workout in there along with time to do little things like shave your legs or paint your toes…read a little or watch TV that’s not a cartoon.  So next time that you catch yourself asking a stay at home mom what she does all day…pause, rethink, and remember that this is our full time job…24/7…no over time, no holidays, few breaks and sometimes feeling underappreciated.  We do it because we love our families and want to see them thrive.  We love our jobs, but it is hard work and it goes unrecognized  too often.  Just realize we don’t sit around all day and twiddle our thumbs and make and effort to put yourself in our shoes before judging what we do with our time. 

I wake up when my kids get up around 6:30 or 7:00.  I make breakfast for everyone weather that be cereal, waffles, French toast a banana, whatever and of course cups of milk.  While the toddlers are eating I go breastfeed my 6 month old.  This is a process mind you.  Babies don’t just eat real fast and are done.  He eats about 10 minutes each side then you have to burp him and that’s a 5 to 10 minute process depending how much air he swallowed while eating.  Then you change three diapers, put lotion on three kids, and get three children dressed.  Again this is not an easy task as they don’t just get dressed it’s a fight to get feet into pants and socks and arms into shirts…and you have to catch them first to even get the clothes on!