Off to a new week

I guess we are almost half way through this week but I am glad it is here nevertheless. I don't want to be a complainer because I certainly feel that my life is good and I am fortunate to have what I need however, LAST WEEK SUCKED! So here is how it went...

Friday (Sept 8) I got a call from daycare and Owen had a fever and was spitting up. Meanwhile I had just gotten a call for a potential huge event 10 days later and they wanted to meet with me that afternoon. Fortunately, Mike was able to skip out of work, for a change, and get Owen. He continued to have a fever until Sat. however, he never got flu like symptoms. On Monday, we found sores in his mouth which then verified that he had hand, foot, and mouth. Bummer!

We had continued to give both boys Tylenol since "crabby" was an understatement. So, when Kyle broke out with the sores also, we never even had known he had a fever. Yes, I'm sure he exposed many others at daycare.

Realizing that I had this incredibly crazy week at work still happening, I thought we were over the hump and I could just focus on planning this really big event, putting on other really big events and returning phone messages that were days old. WRONG! I raced home, like I do everyday, to get Janie off the bus by 4pm. My girlfriend picked her up at 4:10p to rush her off to gymnastics so that I could go and pick the twins up. I get the boys home, feed them and begin baths before running to pick Janie back up when my phone rings and it is the gym saying that Janie is in the lobby crying because she wants me. I re-dress the boys and run to pick her up (leaving behind my friends daughter that I am supposed to pick up). It turns out, Janie had a fever and needed to stay home the next day. Yes, another one with hand, foot and mouth! Fortunately, my husband came through again and took the day off!

The kicker of the story that I have now babbled on about is the morning that Janie had the fever, I went in to check her and kiss her before I left and she woke up. 45 minutes later, I finally left for work, late, with her in the garage crying and asking me why my job was so important! Are you kidding? I wasn't leaving her with the wolves but it certainly felt like it. I cried the whole way to work wondering if I had my priorities straight. Am I raising my kids right? Do they know how much I love them? Am I around enough to teach them right from wrong? Do they know that I would give my life for them? Maybe we should sell our house, move into an apartment so that I can stay home!

The thing is, I like my job. I like the balance that it gives me and the adult time. I feel like I am a better mom because I work. I appreciate the time I have with my kids more. But, these times make you question that. I am usually able to stay home when I need to or leave work when I need to but this was just one of those weeks! For once, I felt like the balance was not good. I didn't have complete control.

So I worked another 17 hours on Thurs. and Sunday too and now I am slowing down enough to rid the guilt! It is catch up time but I think I have a handle again.

The cool thing is that the event that I landed for this past Sunday was sponsored by a car company and Daniel Powter was the entertainment. He was fabulous live and does have songs other than "Bad Day".

I didn't mention the major traffic jam or my back pain being back or all of the NICU stuff I have to do because that would be complaining!

Now back to my life and my family and the way I like it...I hope.

So much catching up

I haven't blogged in so long because my life seem like a whirlwind. Getting through the days and trying to balance work/home life seems more challenging than ever. Certainly I don't want to complain because life is good, just chaotic.

Let's back track...

We took the kids two weeks ago to the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth and had a ton of fun. It is such a perfect place to take the family. They have five swimming pools, a miniature golf indoors and the rest of the hotel is like Chucky Cheese. The pools were great~ 90 degrees and just right for the kids. We had a horrible night sleep with 5 in the room but it was worth it. I have to say that the chicken dinner the next day was not perfect. The food was good but the kids were not. For the first time ever, I had to leave the restaurant with the kids (K and O). Yikes!
It was fun meeting another set of twins with a very similar background to ours in the pool. They were born at our hospital 1 year earlier and had the same length of hospital stay. Crazy! Then we ran into a couple celebrating their anniversary. Really? Would you really go to the most kid friendly place I know for you anniversary? I would rather stay at home.

Last weekend (Labor Day) we just hung around home and did stuff with the kids and my mom. We went to the petting zoo at Kensington. It is so nice to get the boys out to run because it really does not happen that often. It always takes two people not taking their eyes off them. The boys really didn't care much about the animals but they loved running on the open ground.


Mike and I also went on a date last weekend. My mom was down for the night and suggested we go out. We made plans and actually went to a movie. I have not been to the movies in eight years. Now some of that is because I would often rather go out for a drink then go to a movie but we finally did it. It was crazy to sit in the movies, hold hands and realize how much I love spending time with the man I married. Something that I don't find time to think about often. We did manage to hit a local watering hole on the way home for a beverage.

The update on the kids...

Janie started first grade this past week. She now goes full days every day. She seems to be doing okay with it. She is a bit more tired and very sassy (that may be normal) but overall seems positive. It is just hard for me to believe that my little girl is now in 1st grade. This just teaches me once again to enjoy my kids every day because it goes soooo fast!

She is still very involved in gymnastics and now goes two nights a week for two hours each time. She is part of a pre-team group called Shooting Stars and will compete in seven meets this year. My girlfriend Theresa helps me so much in the running or we would not be able to do it. I wonder every day if this it too much of a commitment for a 6 year old. I just don't want her to miss out on other things.


Owen has been sick again. We got a call from school on Friday saying that he had spit up and had a 102 fever. Fortunately Mike was able to pick him up. He only vomited one time and had a fever until Saturday morning. I am not sure if it was just a virus or what. Now he is just really irritable and and whiny. He is continuing to break molars so that may have something to do with it. If he is not back to himself in a day or so, a trip to the Dr. may be in our future!

Kyle is good however he had a fever tonight. His spirits seemed to remain positive so we will see where it goes.

The boys are just such characters and tons of fun. The are very busy and have to be locked down (by gates) all the time or something will get destoyed or broken. It is awesome to watch them laugh at each other and play more and more together.


So along with Janie starting school, my job has been insane. We are now back to school at work also so there have been a ton of events. In addition, we have had several weddings and large outside groups in to keep me crazy. Our nanny comes back in two weeks so that will help with the running of the kids and trying to be home to get Janie off the bus every day. In the meantime, I will just continue to try to parent to the best of my ability and not get fired from my job!