Collide

When I had my children 18 months apart, I knew there would be days (weeks, months!) that would be tough. It’s inevitable when you have two little ones so close in age.  The first months were difficult because I had a brand new walker and a newborn.  Then, there was an awesome period when Daniel was 3 and Annabel was 2. They could finally play together and it felt like I had twins.  It still feels like that sometimes.

But now I’m going through another difficult period.  Daniel has reentered his school worry stage.  And Annabel has started an “I don’t like school anymore” phase.  And let me tell you…Whoa.  Just WHOA.  This morning was an example of the worst of it.

I put Daniel in ASC (After School Care) two days a week on the recommendation of his teacher.  Because Daniel is repeating his Pre- Kindergarten year, he is now one of the older children in his class.  There are a handful of 5-year-olds (like Daniel) and the rest are 4-year-olds.  The teacher is wonderful and has managed to teach to the different skill levels and needs of the kids.  Daniel is starting early reading while other children are in learning centers.   She works with him on his speech which is improving dramatically.  He is doing awesome. She also said we should start extending his day at least a couple times a week so he can start getting used to the longer hours when he starts Kindergarten in the fall.  Also, it would be great for him socially and I know he needs to continue to work that “muscle.”

Well, Daniel does not like change.  He’s very sensitive, like his Mama, and he gets a little nervous.  But he’s been doing the ASC for two weeks now and I thought it was finally just a part of  his new school routine.  No.  I basically have to prepare myself for a torturous morning of  anxiety each day he has ASC.  He over thinks it. He tries to be brave but his sad face makes me feel horrible, like I’m sending him off to some mean place. And it’s just a few extra hours of playtime and eating lunch with his friends.

Annabel might be feeding off Daniel, but she has begun her “I don’t like school anymore” phase.  After I drop Daniel off at his school, we have a 45 minute wait before Annabel goes to her preschool.  It used to be fine. We would pack her lunchbox and backpack, go for a walk, read some books, and then off we went.  She would smile and run into class.  She loved school. But the last two times have been a horrible watching-the-clock wait while she complains and whines about how much she doesn’t want to go. This morning I had to drop her off kicking and screaming.  It was awful. I know it’s another “phase,” but I wonder if something happened.  She won’t give me answers and her lovely teacher says she is a joy.  But the same thing happened with her dance class.  She no longer goes to dance because after three weeks of sitting and crying on the sidelines, it just wasn’t worth it.  I’m not going to force her to do a 30 minute dance class that she is supposed to love!  I was super disappointed because she was my little ballerina girl.  But I’ve moved on.  I didn’t want to make a big deal about it because she’s allowed to change her mind.  She’s allowed to CHANGE.  But she was always my “easy” one.  She was the one who ran in and didn’t look back.  Well, the universe is laughing at me now. Big time.

I’m emotionally exhausted. It’s just hard that these two challenging milestone moments are happening at the exact same time.  You’d think they planned it. Hmmm…anything’s possible with these two.

 

One More Thing Before We Head Full Force Into November

Well, FOUR more things.  Quick things.  Promise.

My last week of October was CRAZY.  Annabel had her very first class party.  It was “Fall” themed and I was one of the moms in charge of the crafts, food, and fun.  It was also my first time observing her in the classroom setting and it was such a joy to see her interacting with her little friends.

Daniel had his Fall “Hoe Down” at school where the kids gathered in the gymnasium for games and DJ dancing.  Daniel did not dance, but he loved the games. He’s a pretty competitive kid.  I think he won about fifteen Halloween themed pencils and slap bracelets.

Then, later that night, my super hot and hip hubbie had a big Halloween bash with his radio station.  He went as rapper Pitbull.  I went as a Mom who stays home to babysit while wearing comfy PJs and watching backlogged episodes of Up All Night.  Here’s a photo of the real Pitbull:

And here’s Hubbie in his costume:

Pretty good, huh?  I’m still getting used to his super shaved head.  He wants to keep it.  We’ll see…

Finally, we hosted a Halloween party at our house for some close friends on Saturday afternoon.  The weather had the perfect Autumn chill so of course we made the kids bob for apples in a bin filled with cool water.  They loved it.  We also had a bounce house, pin the tail on the black cat, a bat pinata, and lots of really good “bad” food.

Okay.  I think I’m ready to say, “Hello, November.”  How about you?

Darren Criss and “Glee” Cast: “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Glee was back last night!  And my favorite cast member, Darren Criss, aka Blaine, sang Katy Perry’s hit song, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Darren makes a cameo in Katy’s music video for this song, but here he is singing lead on the Glee version. Loves!

Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Glee Cast (Darren Criss) from alittlepanda on Vimeo.

A Pumpkin Patch Tradition

It’s when the holidays come around that I realize I’ve been living in Jacksonville for almost five years now. We moved to Florida in February 2007 for Hubbie’s radio gig.  It was an adjustment.  We came down from Maryland where we lived in a suburb about 30 miles outside of Washington, DC.   It was a place where we had all the seasons and most of my favorite childhood memories involved holiday traditions.  We definitely wanted to create those same memories for our children here in Florida. In Maryland, I remember going to Butler’s Orchard every Halloween season to pick out pumpkins and go on a hay ride.  So I wanted a pumpkin patch tradition for my family in Florida.

Daniel was one year old in 2007 when we found a fun pumpkin patch down the street from where we lived.

Then, Annabel was born in 2008 and we went back again.

And then we went again in 2009…

and again in 2010.

And here we are again in 2011.  The pumpkin patch tradition continues.  (We’ll see how much longer the kiddies can fit on that little blue tractor.  Hee.)

 

Happy Halloween ’11

Or should I say, “Happy Kim Kardashian gets a divorce day” or ”Happy Jessica Simpson really is preggers day!”

No, I’ll just say Happy Halloween!  Because it felt like this day was never going to get here.  We have been celebrating all week long. I’m officially exhausted.  But my little UPS truck driver and my adorable pink Minnie Mouse had a blast.  Now I’m going to put my feet up, throw on some mindless television, and sneak a couple of those Reese’s cups from the plastic pumpkins.  See you tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Baby

Happy Birthday to my awesome husband.

We recently celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and I gushed all about this man. And he deserves all the goopy gushing he can get.  He is my one and only.  And it’s because he puts up with me.  He’s my rock.  He’s also the greatest father.  He has that magic touch to always calm my son’s nerves and to bring down my tantruming 3 year old daughter in a single bound.

So, a big happy birthday to our super hero.  You deserve a day that’s all about you for a change.  Thank you for putting up with all us crazies: the tiny drama queen, the worrier, and the one who can’t even bake a birthday cake without reading the directions out loud.

We love you.

Jessica Simpson: Mommy-to-be?

Is she or isn’t she?  Jessica Simpson has not confirmed her pregnancy, but I think this photo taken of the superstar this past weekend at New York’s JFK airport says it all.  Jessica is engaged to Eric Johnson and has been mum about her growing belly.  I think an announcement will be coming soon.  I’m excited for her and I’ve always been a big fan.  We even like the same boy bander. So, come on, Jessica!  Give us a tweet with the happy news!

LEGOLAND Florida

Last weekend was the grand opening of LEGOLAND Florida in Winter Haven, FL. We have been counting down the days because the kiddies are huge fans of everything LEGO.  We were able to score some media passes for a special early park preview on Friday afternoon.

It was a three hour drive from Jacksonville.  The car ride wasn’t bad at all.  The best thing about living in Florida, with children, is the access to fun places like LEGOLAND.  The kiddies were very excited to finally arrive.  I was excited about my new double jogger stroller from Craigslist.  It’s perfect for their height and weight and for the inevitable “I’m tired of walking in this hot sun” moments. The first thing we did was grab a map and make a plan.

The first thing we noticed was that everything really was made out of LEGO!

The coolest area?  Miniland USA which featured every major Florida city as well as Las Vegas, Washington, DC and New York City (Daniel’s favorite!) all made out of hundreds and hundreds of LEGO!

Then, it was time for the rides.  The kiddies did not want to try any of the roller coasters, but there were plenty of other options. There were some strict age and height requirements for everything.  One bummer was that the “FORD Driving School” was for kids ages 6 to 13, so Daniel (who is 5) had to stick to the junior track.

My favorite was the Safari Trek because I loved the LEGO animals.

There was also a Boating School where we could captain our own LEGO boats. It was fun to steer around the water, but I really wanted to jump in because it was so hot that first afternoon.

We ended Day One by touring the Lego Factory (air conditioning, yay!). We got to see how the LEGO bricks are made and the kiddies left with a complimentary grand opening LEGO brick.

We  headed to our hotel for dinner and a good night’s sleep.  Then we were back bright and early Saturday morning.  LEGOLAND Florida was opening their doors for the very first time at 10 AM.   It was crowded and everyone was so excited.  (Oh, and the general manager was super cute!)

It was another day of rides and, look, even more LEGO!

We spent some time in the LEGO Imagination Zone where the kiddies could create skyscrapers and simulate earthquakes.  They also built LEGO cars and raced them on different tracks.

We had lunch at the Fun Town Pizza Pasta Buffet.  And, yes, they served REAL food.  And it was yummy!

Then it was off to buy LEGO!  The store was appropriately called The Big Shop.  We managed to leave with only two boxes of LEGO, which was a huge success.

I would definitely recommend a trip to LEGOLAND Florida, especially if your kids love any and everything LEGO. There is plenty to do between the rides, carnival games, and various “hands-on” attractions.  There is even a super cute Duplo Village for toddlers. We didn’t have time to see any of the shows, but that is definitely on the to-do list for next time. We’ve already promised our kiddies that we’ll go back again next year.   (I think this picture alone was worth the whole trip, don’t you?)

Giuliana Rancic: I Have Breast Cancer

E! correspondent Giuliana Rancic and her husband (Apprentice winner) Bill Rancic are an amazing power couple.  I’ve been watching their Style Network reality show, Giuliana and Bill,  for a couple of years now.

I love their chemistry.  They have openly shared their struggle to have a baby.  It’s been heartbreaking.  And now this.  Giuliana announced on NBC’s Today Show this morning that she has breast cancer.  She will undergo surgery this week followed by another six weeks of radiation therapy.

The amazing thing is she found out she has breast cancer from a mammogram test she was not planning to have until she was 40 years old.  Her doctor basically made her do it in now in order to go through another round of in-vitro fertilization.  She has no history of cancer in her immediate family and she is only 36 years old.  She said her unborn child has saved her life.

The message?  Even if you are scared of the doctor, like me, go and get your mammogram this month.  I’m scheduling mine today.

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The Real Housewives of NJ: Reunion Special Sneak Peek

I love my Real Housewives on Bravo TV. My favorite season used to be Orange County, but I gotta hand it to the ladies of New Jersey.  They have locked me in.  Each week they warm my heart and stress me out.  I’m most fascinated by Teresa Giudice and her princess castle home, four beautiful daughters, meatball husband, and leopard print EVERYTHING.

But now she’s becoming MEAN.  It might be the bankruptcy, her husband’s court battles, or maybe all that Italian cooking. (That would stress ME out.) Teresa has turned on everyone, including her sister-in-law and her one time confidant, Caroline Manzo.  And I’m definitely team Manzo.  She’s the Mama of the group and I love how she’s raised her kids to be “besties.”

Here’s a special sneak peek of part ONE of The Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion special which airs this Sunday 10 PM EST on Bravo.  It looks like lots of new gossip, screams, and tears are in store.

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