Spring is here....Spring is here!

...it's the best time of the year! Is that song still on Noggin (or whatever that channel is called now?) The weather has been gorgeous and we have taken advantage of every moment of sunshine. This afternoon we headed to the park. We truly enjoyed exploring the flowers popping up everywhere, letting the sunshine warm up our skin and swinging.

 

 

 

 

Stone Oak Celtics: Winter 2010

 

 

New Toy!

 

When I first saw these, I knew that it was a must have for me! Naturally, I love any camera and I especially love vintage type of stuff. I have wanted a Polaroid camera for a while but it is so hard to find the film. Then I saw this camera! The instant photos are about the size of a credit card. These little pics make me soooooo happy! I have so many projects in mind as how to use these nifty little pics.

The Weekend run-down (with pics to follow)

It was another one of those weekends where I find myself on Monday morning thinking, wow did all of that really happen; with a dizzy feeling. Yes, I am referring to another crazy busy weekend in the lives' of the W's. It started on Friday night with the start of doodle's basketball tournament. No words can describe the mayhem that ensued. Our boys won...go Stone Oak Celtics! I had no idea that 6 and under basketball could cause such poor parental behavior but yeah, I witnessed it and our boys came out unscathed which I was not convinced was possible after surveying the rough opposing team. It was almost 10 pm when we got home. Baths and straight to bed because we got to do it all over again on Saturday morning.

Up and at 'um early Saturday morning. Luckily, my mom came on Saturday and sat with me and Camy at the game. This crowd was rough in a different way. Back story: our team is a little like "The Sandlot" team. Randomly thrown together by zip code, the coach quit after the first practice and MSW and another dad stepped into the coaching role. They only were together for 7 weeks. They lost one game all season and the improvement was astonishing! In the end, they placed 2nd in the tournament. They lost the championship game by 1 point to a team that has been together for 3 seasons. They did us proud! Little man doodle did so great. He is the only 5 year old on the team and some of the boys have or will be turning 7 before he even turns 6- most of them were in 1st or 2nd grade. He held his own out there and improved so much! MSW gave doodle his trophy as well as a speech on his season. I was in tears! I love my boys so much! So, doodle walks away from another sports season with a medal and another trophy to add to his collection.

A quick lunch at Red Lobster's and then the boys dashed off to haircuts while my mom, Camy and I went to La Cantera. I made it back home in time to change, feed the baby and repack diaper bag for the night plans. The boys went from haircuts to tee-ball practice. I had made plans a couple weeks ago to meet two of my closest friends for dinner. We were then invited to go out to dinner with a couple of families from the tee-ball team. I kept my plans and sent the other 3 on their way. I had a wonderful time and did not leave our table until 4 hours later. Nothing like a dinner with friends that you have known since you were 3 years old.

I thought it was so cute watching MSW, doodle and camy head out for their own dinner plans. My handsome husband toting a diaper bag and carrier, while holding the door open for doodle. They had a great time too. Of course, Jodi and Cynthia held Camy the whole dinner until she realized it was bubbly time and mama was not in sight. She found comfort in daddy's arms, though. We have become very close with the Hillenbrand's and Boales'. They are great people and awesome to hang out with. We spent most of last summer hanging out with them so I am excited that tee-ball is starting back up and we get to see them several times a week again! Cynthia had to let me know how amazingly sweet it was that when Camy got upset she stopped crying as soon as she was in her daddy's arms. Something about seeing a daddy with his baby girl! When I got home after 11 pm, both kids were bathed and asleep and MSW was waiting up for me. Perfect ending to a busy day.

Sunday was just as crazy with photo commitments, a basketball season party and house work. We did it all though....every item on the list was checked off Sunday night. As busy as it is and we are always on the go, I know that one day I will look back and miss it all. So, I stop long enough to capture a memory and file it away for that one day when I don't have a sporting event or friends to meet up with and remember just how precious these days really are!

To maid or not to maid...........

March means that MSW is up for his annual performance evaluation. Because raises are entirely merit based, a raise (if one was to be had) would be announced too. He has been trying to get me to hire a maid for years. Honestly, never wanted one. Cleaning for me is therapeutic and if I am being entirely honest I have OCD when it comes to my house cleaning. For example, I own a carpet shampooer and the carpets get shampooed almost weekly. I am pretty sure that I will end up redoing the cleaning anyways because it will not meet my standards.
Sunday afternoons have always been our cleaning day. On pretty days we open the windows, pull out the supplies and blast Marley. MSW is in charge of the floors and toilets and I do the rest. We have a system. We start each week with a spotless house. It is the way we have done things for our 11 years of marriage. However, now we have two littles. We used to have more time and our Sunday cleaning ritual did not take away from the family time as much. Now, Sunday afternoons spell baseball practice and relaxing, long picnics in the backyard (wait until you see my new backyard set-up!) So lately, the cleaning has been getting in the way. MSW said on Sunday if my salary goes to “X amount” we are getting a maid. I agreed, it seemed far-fetched. I got a text yesterday afternoon, “hire your maid.”
I should be excited, right? Let’s stroll down memory lane….My first memory of a maid was, Belia. She was my great-grandmother’s maid. She was like 4 foot 7 inches, a size 0, former belly dancer and about 80 years old. Or at least this is what my childhood mind remembers about her. Mimi was mean to her and in return, she was mean to us when the adults were not around.
The next maid was Martha. Martha was as wide as she was tall, spoke very little English and came to our house every Wednesday. I don’t remember much about her cleaning abilities. I only remember my mom telling us Wednesday mornings to clean up our room because Martha was coming, so she obviously did little in my room. I do remember that she loved her some Carpet Fresh and literally used bottles of that stuff every Wednesday and every tv in the house was tuned in to the Novela channel.
What Martha was best known for was her phone skills. She insisted on answering the phone, we had 3 phone lines that came into our house. “Isss me, Martha. No, its not home.” That was her line. Every single time. So, it became a game for our friends to call and ask for us over and over. You have not really laughed until you have heard Crystal do an impression of Martha. I think Martha cleaned our house (or should I say answered our phones) for about 10 years.
And then I became a big girl with my own house to clean. About 5 years ago we decided we needed a maid. I hired a lady who works in the housekeeping dept. at SAC. She is a sweet lady who also is an amazing seamstress too. She does not drive so I had to take her to our house and then take her home at the end of the day. She was at our house for 12 hours. The only noticeable thing she did was paint my French doors and tie back my curtains with rubber bands. Somehow “clean my house” was translated into “redecorate my house.” That was the first and last day of having a maid in our home. So, here we find ourselves again and the crossroads of the maid debacle. So, If we do venture down this road again I think I am going to go with an agency since I clearly don’t have good hiring practices on my side.

Early mornings....

At some point I became an early morning person. Strange....never thought I would be. I tip toe out the door by 7 am. I like to be at work early. I love the quiet mornings at my desk before the craziness of my day begins. I always listen to my favorite playlist and sip on my coffee that MSW so sweetly makes and puts in my car each morning. MSW and I usually catch a few minutes of uninterrupted conversation while he is on the way to drop off the baby. I look over my calendar, catch up on personal e-mails, etc... It is my time. The rest of my day will be filled with teaching, counseling appointments, meetings, etc... I don't sit at my desk much at all during the day but for the past couple of years I always make sure to have fresh flowers sitting on my desk. Flowers add such a wonderful happiness to the place!

Lessons Learned....

MSW and I were cleaning up the kitchen one night last week and having a conversation. Doodle was in the other room playing with some little car and using the coffee table as his race track, I did not think he was paying attention to us.

The conversation was about me not being included in an event. I was sharing my hurt feelings with MSW about how it made me feel, etc... I did not realize there were little ears that were taking it all in....

That night as he said his prayers, he prayed for me and my hurt feelings. (So sweet!) The next day we were talking about his birthday party and the invite list. "Mama, I am going to invite "N" to my party. Nobody ever invites him to parties and I do not want to make him feel sad."

What a powerful lesson he learned! I was so impressed with him connecting it all together and coming to such a meaningful conclusion. However, I was also embarrassed. I guess as a mom I expect myself to be superwoman to my littles. I was embarrassed that he saw my vulnerabilities and ashamed that he knew I was like "N" and left out. But, in the end I guess it is equally important that he understands true feelings. If I needed to be used as an example to teach him a valuable lesson, so be it...I guess in a way that can make me a super mama too!