Constant Beginnings

i am sort of freaking out about random things recently. freaking is probably a bit of an exaggeration, so perhaps anxiousness is more fitting... here they are: 1. i had all of our pics saved to my computer. before chris left, we got a mega external hard drive. i am seriously talking mega. i couldn't fill this sucker up if i took 100 photos everyday for the rest of my life. it has massive storage. however, the anxiousness is starting to rear its ugly head as visions of that thing crashing flashes through my mind. sooooo, i am thinking of moving all my files to an online storage company. anyone done this? the prices seem very reasonable, but i am concerned about the accessibility. i want to be able to pull a picture or two at a whim. 2. i turn 32 tomorrow. yikes. i don't feel old and i don't think i look it. in fact, most of my students--granted middle schoolers have no sense of age, which is probably why i love them so--think i am in my 20's. anyway, crazy to think th...

after claire devoured the lollipop. mya did as mya does and found something super fun to occupy herself. I am sort of over the top with certain things. My kids' hair is one of those things. Claire has never had a hair cut. I love long hair on little kids and blonde hair, well, thats the creme del a creme or simply the best of the best. I can't tell you how many compliments we get on a daily basis about our kids from how cute they are to how well behaved they are to how adorably they are dressed to their blonde hair to their long eyelashes and to their blue/green eyes. Let's face it, we live in a pretty superficial society so how can my heart not burst with every word? It does, for these are my babies. That, and I know in the not too distant future, their hair will progressively get darker as mine did. Granted, it didn't truly happen until high school, but it did happen. With that being said, it took me three long years before I finally sucommed to the scissor...

Today marks the first day of our summer vacation. No more work, no more school, no more responsibility for a whole three months. Ha. If only... Summer does mark the first day of some good old quality time with my girls. Have I mentioned that I kind of like them? Alot? I had been planning on taking them strawberry picking and then over to Davis Farmland, which is basically in our backyard. Alison happened to ask our plans, so we invited her and Henri along (and Michelle and Lucy too, but they weren't able to make it). This is our second visit already this year, so I decided to buy a season pass. We typically go and visit the animals, feed them and wander around, but today we were able to enjoy the sprinkler park as well. It was a hit. Claire wasn't so sure about water shooting randomly out of the ground, but quickly discovered the thrill of being splashed on a super hot, humid day. Mya and Henri were lovers, of the park I mean, from the start. However, there was...

I am having my issues with Tricare. Up until now, they have been FABULOUS! Hanscom is sort of a different base. They don't have a full medical facility on site, so you can pretty much get a referral to any civilian facility you choose and if you live far enough away from base, you are golden. Our kids, for example, have a civilian pediatrician. I selected my OB/GYN list of civilian providers and I love them. However, in February we moved two miles further from base, which changed my Primary Care Manager from a base provider to a civilian provider. Normally I would not care as I NEVER go to the doctor (knock on wood as I'm not one to get sick--and when I do, I deal with it the North Dakota way--suck it up and tough it out ;), but my "new PCM" is not taking new patients. I am so frustrated. Basically, I have to find a new PCM or fill out a new application for Tricare to change back my PCM to base. However this process takes 3-5 processing days. I simply want a referral ...

this one's for you, chris... i was messing around in our bedroom, putting away laundry and cleaning. claire was knealing in front of the large mirror that has found its home near our bedroom door. she is chatting away and as i listen more closely, i realize that i think she is saying "fuck." she repeats it ten more times. she says the u as more of an ah sound so it isn't exact--which is why i wasn't certain this was exactly what she was saying. anyway, i ask her what she is saying. our conversation goes a little like this.. claire--fahck. me--oh baby. we don't say that. claire--well, daddy does. he say fahck. me--i don't think so, we just don't say that word. it isn't very nice. claire--daddy say it. it means you get a present. me--hmmm. that was all i could muster. hmmm. what the heck was she thinking--a present? hmmmm. we'll leave it at that. chris? care to comment?

our days are filled with... togetherness... photos... love... glamour... smiles... disagreements... exercise...(yes, claire is still a believer in yoga) fun...

(Mya looks like a drowned rat simply because Claire was doucing her with water from that orange bucket she is holding. Mya laughs and laughs. In her eyes, Claire can do no wrong. Poor thing. Also notice Mya is wearing her dress in the pool. The day was filled with changing from dress to swimsuit and back again. I finally gave up as water is a magnet for this girl. Claire is definitely a water baby too. She was very eager to strip down in plain view of all our shoppers. Luckily, Alison and I were on our toes with that one. Oiy.) My Mom thinks I am a thrower. How surprised she will be to hear of my difficulty preparing for our yard sale. It was such a challenge sifting through our kids' ton of toys and trying to determine what should go and what should stay. Every one had a memory attached and it was so hard to "let go." I actually attempted to back out of our yard sale committment (fear of letting go was probably only half of that mental breakdown, but that's a whole...

How can you look at these pictures and not fall madly deeply in love? These girls are such an awesome gift. I could never have imagined finding such joy and pleasure in the everyday as I have since becoming a Momma. This morning Mya woke to Claire standing by her crib saying in her sweet little voice, "Good morning beautiful girl." I bought Claire a new pink water bottle this morning, to which she replies, "Ooo La La, I love it." In that moment, the world stopped and I took note. I love, love, love these kids. It is going to be a squelcher today, so we got out early. I took them to a great little playground that is nice and peaceful. Mya, the little dare devil that she is, skipped right over the toddler appropriate apparatus and ventured off for the big stuff. Moments later, she has mastered the first step and is onto the next. The little bugger even tackled the huge slide. We visited this park last mother's day and Chris went on the slide, b...