Quiet Time

I wanted to come on here and write.  It's a very quiet and kid free day for me.  My parents took the kids for a few nights and I will be picking them up tomorrow.  I feel so grateful that my parents are always willing to take them, even though my dad has a lot to deal with taking care of my mother.  I know having the kids with him brings him some excitement and he enjoys it.  As much as I miss the kids I am enjoying the quiet time.  I have been getting things done around the house without any interruptions.  My husband and I are going out to dinner tonight.  It's nice when we have time for just the two of us. 

On Monday when I dropped the kids off for the start of their grandparent vacation I joined them for some fishing and a swim in the pool.  Fishing is something my dad has enjoyed since he was a little boy.  I was surprised to see just how much my son enjoys it as well.  I guess it helped that he kept reeling in one catfish after another, and one time he had two on one hook. It was a great day.  I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my parents.  My mother is over 70 and my dad will be 70 at the end of the summer so the years with them are growing shorter and shorter. 

Speaking of time, I just realized that I have had this blog for 5 years.  I haven't really told anyone about this blog so I know it doesn't have much traffic coming through and that's okay.  I love having a place to write and share my current events.  I started another blog Running With Sunshine that is for more formal writings just like many other blogs out there.  However, I love blogging the old fashion way.  Instead of the How To's and stuff like that I more enjoy those blogs where people are sharing their day to day experiences.  Social media and blogging has definitely changed the way we are and opens the door for lots of judgement and criticism; pointing out when another mothers or someone is doing something wrong.  It's silly.  I like blogging because it gives me a place to keep track of our events.  A lot of times I go back and read something and realize it was something I had forgotten about.  When I was on Xanga I ended up meeting a lot of other bloggers from all over the country and it was so cool reading what was going on in their lives and reading the comments they left on my page.  I miss that part a lot.  I miss Xanga.  Blogger has been fun but nothing will ever compare to Xanga. 

I am going to enjoy a few more hours of this quiet time before hubby gets home.  I might do something special to mark this 5 year on Blogger anniversary. 

Delaware Vacation

A few weeks ago we enjoyed a short three day vacation to the beach.  My husband came up with the idea to try Dewey Beach in Delaware.  None of us have ever been to the Delaware beaches but have heard so much about them.  I was born on Long Island, surrounded by beaches, so I guess you can say I was born with salt water in my veins.  I love the beach.  I know it's not for everyone.  Some complain about sand getting into places ... ha ha.  It doesn't bother me.  There's truly something about being at the ocean that gives me a feeling of peace.  I feel such a closeness to heaven there.

We arrived at Dewey Beach and stayed at this hotel here:

I wouldn't say it was as great as the reviews said it was but we were able to get the rooms for a great price and it was a decent place to stay.  To be honest, I don't like hotels.  No matter how cheap or how fancy I hate staying at hotels.  Sleeping in a bed that was shared with many strangers before me and imagining all that they were doing on that bed ... gross.  Even with clean sheets ... gross.  I don't like hotels but I deal with it.

Once we arrived it was too early to check in so we sat on the beach and ate our packed lunch and dipped our feet into the waves.  The kids LOVED the water.  Throughout the vacation all they wanted to do was splash and play in the waves.  They went in as far as I would let them.

Once we received the okay that our room was ready we checked out the room, unpacked our things, put on the swim suits and headed back to the beach.

We also spent some time at the hotel pool.  My daughter loved it because it was on the roof.  I don't enjoy public pools as much as I don't enjoy hotel beds.

We ate dinner at Grotto's Pizza.  We heard so many good things about that pizza place and it was our first experience.  My husband loved it so much he insisted on going back the next day for dinner.

Wednesday was a bit chilly and windy.  It wasn't beach weather at all.  We drove one mile over to Rehobeth Beach and spent some time there.  Rehobeth is much more crowded then Dewey.  There's a boardwalk filled with shops and restaurants.  We checked out some shops.  Bought some taffy and t-shirts for the kids.  My kids really couldn't wait to go to Fun Land, a little amusement park for kids right on the boardwalk.  We bought some tickets and let them ride some rides.

Then we headed back to Dewey.  The water was too cold and my daughter was starting to get sick but we made the best of it.

On our last day we spent the morning at the beach, walking around with our bare feet in the sand and splashed a little in the water.  As much as I enjoyed the beach there was a part of me that couldn't wait to get home.

I believe we will be back to both Dewey and Rehobeth Beaches.  It was a great, relaxing vacation that we all needed.

Another Season Over

We are officially into summer vacation.  School ended a few weeks ago but this weekend was the last of baseball and dance.  My son had also finished cub scouts.  So, we can all take a deep breath and relax for a few months.  I can have a break from rushing to get dinner done early and my husband can take a break from having to hurry home from work and eat dinner as quickly as possible.  I love, love, love that my kids are so involved in after school activities but it can definitely wear you out! 

I am proud of my kids.  They are doing so well in their lives.  My son's grades could have been better but I won't complain about them.  Hey, he's better at school than I was.  He received an award from our State Representative.  In scouts he bridged over to Webelos and has two more years until he can become a boy scout.  I'm not sure if he will continue but he is willing to finish up the cub scouts.  He also finished his first year in kid pitch baseball.  He did very well with it.  It seems each season he gets better and better and his attitude and enjoyment towards the game improves as well.  He wants to keep going with baseball. 

Yesterday my daughter had her second recital.  It was titled "From Ballet to Broadway" and it was her dance school's 20th anniversary.  The first act was "Belle's Enchanted Garden" and she was a butterfly. 

She loves dancing and wants to keep going.  I would love to see her do so and even though it's going to get even more expensive I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we can afford to allow her to do so.  It's already clear to see she has both the passion and the feet for dancing. 

I am looking forward to a relaxing summer filled with vacations, outings and plenty of fun.  First vacation - the beach!  Yay! 

20 Years Later

It was June of 1997 when I walked down the aisle towards the superintendent and high school principal wearing that hideous yellow cap and gown.  As a lot of people did, the superintendent mispronounced my large Polish last name, but without hesitation I stood up and received my diploma.  I did it.  Somehow I did it.  School wasn't something I was ever interested in.  I hated it (sshhh ... don't tell my kids).  I missed a lot of school my senior year and I didn't try academically as much as I know I could have.  I just wasn't into it.  But, nonetheless, I did it.  I passed.  I graduated.

That was 20 years ago!

It truly is hard to believe that two decades have gone by already.  Time does fly.  I am definitely not the same person I was then.  18 years old, depressed, clueless, unmotivated and unsure of what the future was going to be like.  Wow.  I can't believe I was ever that type of person.  What was I thinking?  Those four years of high school went by so fast and I didn't enjoy any of it.  As I look back and think about those years I really do wish I would have had a different attitude.  Sure, there are some things I wouldn't have changed but there's a lot I wish I could change.  It's too late for that but it's not too late for me to make sure my children do better.

Facebook has allowed me the opportunity to get in touch with all of my friends from school and I'm thankful for that.  Everyone has changed and it's nice to see how far everyone has come in their lives.  I'm happy for all of them, even those that weren't very nice to me.  I wish them all well.  I have no grudges.  I wasn't bullied in high school and I did have a lot of friends but I wasn't what's considered "popular" either.  My attitude was awful.  I just didn't care.  My grades were C average.  My attendance was horrible because there were so many days when I woke up too depressed and too unmotivated.

Life in high school wasn't all that bad though.  For two years, both sophomore and junior years, I was part of the colorguard in the band.  It was a fun experience to dance and toss flags around the football field every game and for the competitions.  We took a trip to Toronto, Canada with the band.  During my senior year I decided to stop doing colorguard and got a job instead.  My dad told me it was one or the other.  I had babysat my neighbor kids for a few years but becoming a server at a retirement home was my first official job.  It wasn't the best job but it was money.

Then came graduation.

sporting that hideous gold cap and gown with my awesome grandparents

I was so happy to be finished with school and I went on to spend one semester in community college.  I wanted to study journalism but after one semester I changed to business school.  Ahh, business school.  That is when life got better!  

I just cannot believe it's been 20 years since the last time I walked down the hallway of high school.  

Congratulations to the new graduates, Class of 2017!

Mother's Day 2017

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all" -- Proverbs 31

These were two moments when I learned that love at first sight does exist.  I will never forget those times of seeing my babies for the first time.  After carrying them for 40 weeks I couldn't wait to see their faces and to hold them.  Motherhood is quite an adventure and it's all worth it.  I wake up early, get them ready for school, make sure they go to every doctor and dentist appointment, make sure they understand the importance of good hygiene, help them with school work and celebrate in all of their accomplishments, rush one to dance class and cheer on the other during baseball games.  Even when it's' cold and rainy I make sure I can get a good view of my son while he's at bat or playing on the field.  All the whining, crying, runny noses and complaining of boredom.  The fights between the two that I have to break up but then the times I see them sharing and helping one another.  Making sure there is a warm meal for them every evening and plenty of snacks and treats to fill their hungry bellies in between meals.  Everything I do as a mother is worth it.  I do believe in teaching my kids how to be independent and I won't do stuff for them that they can do for themselves.  When I see them accomplish a task without asking for help I feel like that part of my job is fulfilled.  As Dr. Phil always says, "You aren't raising kids, you are raising adults."  I want to make sure that my children grow up to be independent, self-sufficient, responsible, respectful adults.  It takes a lot of work, doesn't it?

Yesterday was probably the best Mothers Day I have experienced.  I was told I could sleep in but, of course, I woke up early.  I stayed in bed and waited until the kids came in to get me.  My son prepared a delicious strawberry pancake and bacon breakfast.  I was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers that my daughter picked out, presents from my husband and handmade cards from the kids.  Then my son helped with lunch and also dinner.  My parents came over to spend most of the day with us.  After my mom's stroke 5 years ago each year with her is a blessing.  My husband cleaned up.  I didn't have to lift a finger yesterday.  It was nice.  My husband and kids did an excellent job at making me feel special.  I love them so much.

Becoming a mother has been the greatest gift and I am so honored that God chose me to be the mom of these two.  They make me smile and laugh all the time.  Since they have been born I can't imagine what my life would be like without them.  They have given me a purpose and drive me to be the best person I can be.  It's an amazing thing.  I am blessed!

A day late but wishing all you beautiful mommies out there a Happy Mother's Day.  You are all awesome! 

Drowning In Housework

 This is me drowning in housework!

I have been spending my days cleaning and organizing and getting ready for a yard sale in a few weeks.  My ultimate goal is to declutter this house and have a better storage system for everything we decide to keep.  It's just too much.

In a few weeks the kids will be finished with school so I'm trying to get through it all.

Hooked on Instagram ... and now Snapchat

Oh my goodness!  For years I avoided Twitter but when I found out my dad has a Twitter account I joined.  It's all basically just political blah and I'm not really impressed with it.  Then I decided to join Instagram and I love it.  I know it sounds silly but I followed a bunch of singers and celebrities that I like.  It's fun to be able to take a glance into their everyday lives.  I have become hooked on it ... but not in a freaky stalkerish kind of way.  As a housewife I spend my entire day cleaning the house so it's nice to be able to take a random break here and there to jump on my phone and check for the updates.  I also have some family and friends on there and it's really nice to see their updates.  I have been on Facebook for many years and that has been a great way to keep in touch with everyone; however, lately it seems to have turned into a platform where people can post their political views and share false information.  It's so annoying.  I keep going back and forth with whether or not I want to stick with Facebook.  I like it.  I do.  But I decided I'm going to go back to taking a break from it.  It's not worth jumping on there to see something that's going to put me in a bad mood.  Instagram is just pictures and videos that people post without the drama.  I like it that way.

And if having all that wasn't enough, I also discovered Snapchat a few days ago.  All the Snapchat filters are so cute and my kids enjoy taking pictures and vidoes of themselves.  They laugh at themselves but they also fight over my phone with it.  So, we'll have to work on that.

Yes, I'm a 38 year old mother who plays with Snapchat.  Welcome to my world ha ha.

I absolutely think my daughter is so cute in this video.  She came up with it all on her own.  "I have lost my mother."