Party Time

Cinderella was not in attendance, neither was Sleeping Beauty. There were not any clowns, magicians, or storytellers, and there was not a bouncy house anywhere around. For 2 birthday parties, here's what we had - pancakes, bacon, a sandbox, tree house, craft projects (including decorate your own cupcakes) and lots of little girls running around in pajamas. The six year old party was Friday evening from 5:30 - 8PM, and the 4 year old party started at 9:30 Saturday morning.

I'm pretty sure that the parties would not have been a big success if the best Grandma & Grandpa ever had not been at the stove keeping the pancakes and bacon coming for all. Friday night we topped them with whip cream and Saturday morning we had chocolate chips. Who knew that, with the last minute delivery of the piano bench from my dad's house, we could fit 11 giggling girls around our dining room table.

I won't lie and say that I didn't get stressed while planning these soirees, but once the cupcakes were baked (another thank you to Grandma) and the party favors were assembled, things ran relatively smoothly. Of course, a week later, I'm still looking for some of the items that I put away (hid) at the last minute so that the house would appear relatively clutter-free.

I'm sure that I will have new insight and party lattes each May as we tackle the 2 parties in a row for the girls. Here it is for turning 4 and 6 - top everything with lots of sugar, and, for some reason, wearing pajamas is a huge hit with little girls. Running out for a latte before the arrival of the 2nd round helps, too.

Letting go...

"Mommy, try letting go!" That is what Mason said to me last week as he was riding his bike. Granted, it's time for him to learn to ride. He boycotted the bike when we removed the training wheels a year ago and the scooter has been his preferred 2-wheeled transportation. Still, his words caught me off guard and I found myself getting a little teary as I ran along beside the bike.

Now I can't keep up with him as he bikes all over the place. He has mastered yet another skill. I can check "teach bike riding" off my to-do list of parenting. Now Mason would like to be in charge of teaching it to his sisters, and I know I should let go and give him room to try.

As I sit here on Mother's Day - here, of course, being Starbucks, I'm trying to figure out how it is that my baby will be 4 tomorrow and her sister will be 6 on Thursday. My kids are almost 4, 6, and 8, letting go is going to be a bigger part of my job every day. That makes me a little sad, but it will put my kids on the path to becoming independent adults. Although I never say no when Mary Jane asks if it's alright if she lives with me forever. I'm taking baby steps to letting go. Happy Mother's Day!

5 year plan...

5 years ago my life got busy. Charlotte was almost a year old, and I was settling into life with 2 small children. In early May, we spent several days basically homebound while we worked on potty training with almost 3 year old Mason. Soon after that, we decided to move back to Atlanta from our home in Denver. Now, as we approach birthdays 4 and 6 for the girls, we are almost 5 years into that move.

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" was once a standard interview question. Now, it's probably a question that the job candidate asks the potential employer. We are living in a state of constant change. When we bought this house, I had a 5 year plan in mind - it involved some very drastic renovations. My plan did not involve putting the house on the market for 2 weeks and then changing our minds about a cross-country move. I still have a plan for renovations, but they are on a smaller scale. After living here for almost 5 years, I realize that we have alot of what we need without moving walls around.

5 years ago, I was too busy chasing toddlers and changing diapers to realize that in 5 years my kids would be done with preschool. I could not have imagined that I would blink and all of a sudden we would be done with diapers, sippy cups, and episodes of Barney. I guess it's almost time to plan for the next 5 years, at the end of which my babies will be "tweens" whatever that means. I'll probably still have renovation ideas that only exist in my head at that point.

I haven't come up with my plan for the next 5 years. I know that my husband is hoping there will be fewer trips to Starbucks during that time, but I have a feeling I'll need some good lattes. As I gear up for another birthday party weekend (the girls' parties are a week away) and the end of another school year, I'll make the switch to iced lattes for the summer and I'll try to soak it all in because if I blink another 5 years will have passed and I don't want to miss a thing.

A wedding latte: Part 1, the road trip

A wedding is a wonderful thing. My baby brother got married last weekend, and it was a truly fantastic event that took place in Houston, TX, 800 miles from here. We drove there. 4 adults, 3 children, 2 laptop DVD players, and 1 top carrier on the rented Tahoe.

My husband loves a good road trip. I tolerate it. My kids don't know the difference, although Mason did notice that everyone else did seem to get there much quicker by flying. I will admit that the Tahoe made it a much easier trip so did having my in-laws along for the ride. Geographically, Louisiana is an interesting state to drive through so the scenery on the way was new and different. As soon as we arrived at our destination, after 14 hours and only 2 stops on Thursday evening, I realized that Sunday morning was going to come way too soon. The drive home was not so smooth. 15 hours and too many stops to count. I think that Mason logged upwards of 10 hours on Super Mario that day, and we wore out the car charger for the laptops.

The mood is always less festive when returning home from a trip. The flower girls and ring bearer lasted until almost 11 at the wedding reception on Saturday night after being ready for pictures by 4 in the afternoon. Everyone was tired, cranky, and impatient. When I say everyone, I really mean me and Mason. But we made it. A stop at a Target with a Starbucks helped a little. I got a soy mocha, the kids picked a toy from the $1 section. At each of the many stops the kids and I all did 10 jumping jacks before getting back into the car.

My latte is this, sometimes happier memories come from thinking of the destination - a great family and fun filled weekend - and not the journey.

Follow Through

I've come to the conclusion that follow-through is not my strong suit. I'm good at starting things (like this blog), but I then let them dwindle. I haven't even followed-through with ordering a replacement piece for my coffee maker so I can make lattes at home.

I'm much better at staying in reactive mode. So much of being the parent of young children revolves around being able to change plans at a moment's notice (and often after very little sleep). Today is the 4th day out of the last 10 that I've been at home with a sick child. It's hard to make many plans with those odds. I've already cancelled plans for tomorrow just in case. Perhaps I'll use the time to finish a project or two. I still have mounds of pictures that need to be sorted into albums sitting in the basement. Besides, there is never a shortage of laundry, dishes, dusting, etc to do in this household.

My latte today, or regular coffee for those of us who have a broken machine and sick kids keeping us from going to Starbucks, is to follow through. Pick a task and stick with it so that you don't become overwhelmed by all of the loose ends in your life.

"I am the Entertainer"

That's a line from a Billy Joel song, in case any of the 5 or so people reading this aren't as big of fans as I am. When I was in my early teens, I think I owned almost all of his tapes (yes, it was a pre-CD world). Anyway, that's a line that I think of often these days because I often feel like my job is to be an entertainer. Not to huge crowds in sold out arenas (like Billy Joel who I've seen live 4 times and is a great performer), but to very active kids living in a city filled with cold, rainy weekends and busy after-school schedules.

Mason has karate on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 5-5:45. It's a great class and the instructor gives feedback to the parents during class. That means that the other moms and I are sitting to the side trying to keep our younger kids entertained and quiet. This usually involves markers, Polly Pockets, tea sets, and lots of snacks. Through the luck of scheduling, Charlotte has ballet from 5-5:45 on Wednesday afternoons. At least the kids can run around a little during her class, but snacks and toys are also a must. It is not a time when it is easy to set up play dates to leave the kids at friends' houses. By 5, most kids are starting to get ready for dinner or are too tired to deal with sharing and entertaining friends.

Lattes actually help me get through these afternoons, but I've learned that I don't need caffeine that late in the day. Greentea is my late afternoon latte of choice these days. Starbucks also now offers a lovely selection of kid-friendly, semi-healthy snacks, but there is a hefty price tag associated with a pre-dinner run to Starbucks so I would suggest sticking to the drive-through. My latte for today (I should rename this blog My Weekly latte, I'll try to do better), is to pack a big bag of tricks if you're heading out late in the day. At least for Mary Jane, snacking is part of what gets her through the hour while her brother or sister exercise. She is happy to eat healthy snacks so it is up to me to make sure that's what is in the bag. It can be quality time to interact with kids without any TV or computers nearby if you're well prepared going into it.

The Process of Parenthood

"It's a process." That's an expression that I have used over and over again since I first became a parent, whether referring to sleep patterns, potty training, or eating habits of 5 year olds. What I realized today is that it's all a process - I guess a journey is another way to phrase it. Until we become parents, we have no idea what it will be like or of all of the processes involved.

Today I used my administrative skills to update the calendar with everyone's activities for the coming weeks, my culinary skills to get some "growing foods" into my kids, my finance skills to pay some bills, my (somewhat-limited) housekeeping skills to ensure that my house doesn't look like a tornado struck, and my well-honed negotiating skills to get everyone in bed at a decent hour.

Who knew that this is what my life would evolve into? Before Mason was born, I had never had anything fancier than a vanilla latte from Starbucks. A whole other world was waiting. Luckily, I now know that I can have things like a venti soy mocha as I did today while I visited with 3 other moms over coffee.

Today's latte - enjoy the many processes of parenthood. They are constantly changing, but many depend on each other. Where would our kids be if we had not first taught them how to sleep through the night (usually) and how to use the potty?

Domestic Diva

I am a Domestic Diva! Not really, but I think I might right a novel and start it with that sentence. Something with a heroine who stays home with her kids, drives an SUV, and has a very expensive latte habit that her husband is trying to break. But back to the domestic diva - that might be stretching it a bit, the laundry is starting to pile up and there are still dishes to be washed in the sink. I do feel as though I've had a productive couple of days on the homefront.

I've taken on closets as my new organizational project. I won't bore you with the details, but I've taken out a full bag of trash and all of the girls clothes, toys, and most of my bathroom items are now up to date and accessible. All of this without buying one new container of any sort.

My domestic diva latte is this - look around. You might have more cute and functional storage containers in your house than you realized. I've repurposed a tin watering can as a holder for all of the girls' fairy wands. Mary Jane laughed at me, but now she knows where to put them away.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I know, it's a catchy title from a somewhat annoying song, but there is some truth in the phrase "Don't Worry, Be Happy." As a parent, it is very hard not to worry about everything. I think I say "be careful" and "stop doing that or you'll get hurt" a few dozen times each day. Rob tells me that I should relax, let them run around the house in socks on slippery floors while holding sticks, but I just can't help myself.

Now I realize that it's not just me. My 2nd grader is also a worrier, he is learning so many new things right now and questioning all of them. He wants to know if Vampires exist, if the earth is going to collide with the sun, if the Halloween candy has gone bad and how do I know that it hasn't? So now I also worry about the fact that he worries so much. It's exhausting!

But my latte today, as you might have guessed is don't worry, be happy. Try to look on the bright side of things. Even though I started the year by putting my husband's Blackberry in the washing machine (not a good idea), I've also managed to channel my inner-Martha Stewart (not an easy thing to do) in order to make a crafty headband holder for the girls' room and a cute wire display for artwork.

Not too long ago I wrote about Happy Thoughts and how writing some down each day might help your outlook on life. I'm giving it a try this year. You can check out my new blog Happy Year Project . I am going to list 3 things which made me happy each day for a year. I'm already finding that some days it's easier than others to come up with a list. There will still be lattes for the new year, too.

New Year, New Latte

Resolutions don't really work for me. Last year I resolved to keep up with my blog, and that didn't really happen. At least in 2010, my new wii fit might help me finally get into shape. I'm realizing that New Year's doesn't come at the best time for me to make big plans. It's right after a very exciting and highly anticipated Christmas for three Santa-believers. They all received just what they requested and more. A tip - take kids to see Santa as early as possible in the season. I just heard a mother say that 2 days before Christmas, her 4 year old asked Santa for some items which he had not mentioned at home. Yikes!

By the time New Year's rolls around, I'm more tired than ever and my house is a huge mess thanks to lots of new toys and weather that has kept my crew indoors for much of the break. On Tuesday we'll start back into our routine and all of the chaos that goes with it. I'm going to finally tackle the boxes of artwork and pictures in the basement that need to be sorted. It's a new year, anything could happen. Maybe we'll finally get in to the neighborhood pool this summer - we've been on the waiting list since June, 2006. The Christmas decorations have all been put away until next year, new lattes await for 2010.