Purging

I find it very hard to believe that it has been ten years since I graduated college and seven years since I taught special education. Those three years of teaching were a great learning experience for me and I met some lifelong friends. But when I decided to move with Kevin and end the "long distance," I knew it meant I would have to give up teaching. I wasn't 100% sure how long I would be giving it up though...weeks, months, years. 

Since there was always that uncertainty of whether or not I would be teaching again, I held onto my stuff. For years, its home was in my parents' garage. And for the last year, it has sat in our basement collecting dust. Honestly, I had no idea what was in there. I used a few things when I was nannying, but most of it sat untouched for years.

A few weeks ago, I decided to take on the daunting task of going through it. Initially, I just wanted to see what I had kept. There were books, binders, worksheets, crayons, games, stickers...all things you would expect teachers to have. I realized some of the items could be used at the house (stapler, hole punch, tape, markers), some things Kevin would use (magnets, binders, tabs), and a majority of the items Alessia could use either now or one day. It took about a week (here and there) to go through the six bins. And after it was all said and done, I still had six bins...they were just organized a bit better.


This weekend I headed back downstairs. What was I holding onto all this for? I'm not a collector, I hate clutter, and I have always honored my motto 'if it doesn't serve me a purpose right now, then I have no need for it.' So, this morning, I purged. I now have one bin of decorations, one bin of games, and one bin of 'teacher stuff' that can be used with Alessia down the road.

The profession of teaching is changing every year. Those math and reading manuals from 2006 are out of date. The name plates that have bends in them aren't ever getting used. And I'm pretty sure no one needs documentation of my clocked minutes from seven years ago.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. And ten years ago, I was a teacher. Now, I don't know if I'll ever be a teacher again. My place in life might not be in the classroom. And six bins of teaching supplies have no place in my basement.

Summer Family Fun

It is hard to believe that summer is over and that fall is officially here. We couldn't have asked for a better summer though. The weather was perfect, we got some traveling in, and we took care of some things around the house.

We started things off by tagging along with Kevin to Columbus in May. We discovered downtown, enjoyed some delicious barbeque, and hit up the farmer's market.

Next up, but only for Kevin and me, was Mexico. A few days of friends, relaxing, drinking, and eating was exactly what we needed. Add a wedding to the mix and it was an vacation that we'll always remember.

 

For me, no summer is complete without a visit to Chicago...and this summer was no different. This visit was a little more tame than the usual visits though. We met up with friends, visited Shedd Aquarium, took pictures at the Bean, and ate our weight in pizza.

Since Kevin spent almost a month working in Buffalo, we met him for the 4th of July up at his family's cottages. The weather was great, Alessia got to play with her cousins, and we took our first family quad ride. 

 

While Detroit isn't far, we haven't been able to take advantage of all it has to offer. We were able to fit in a Tiger's game this summer. It was SO hot....like the hottest day of the year. Alessia lasted about 4 innings, which was a lot longer than I ever imagined she would last. 

Our visit to Springfield was cut a bit short due to Alessia getting a summer cold, but we were still able to enjoy ourselves for a few days. And we got to go to the Illinois State Fair. 

Vegas was up next. Our trip involved no gambling or drinking. Rather, it involved catching up with great friends and watching our kids play together. Kevin also had the amazing opportunity to present at the National Hockey Coaches Symposium alongside some pretty impressive coaches. 

 

 

We wrapped up the summer with a weekend trip to Minneapolis with my mom.  Kevin worked and us girls shopped, shopped, and shopped some more. There was also some eating, a trip to the hotel pool, and a few rides at Nickelodeon Universe...but mostly shopping. 

My Baby Must Haves

This summer my mailbox has been filling up with invites...birthdays, bridal showers, weddings, and baby showers. And while I haven't been able to make most of them, I have been sending plenty of gifts...just ask my bank account. For weddings and bridal showers, I typically give money because it is easy and I'm pretty sure all newlyweds like money. For baby showers, I LOVE to give gifts though, but sometimes I have a really hard time sticking to the registry.  In my head, I have what I think are the essential, must have items. And here they are.

1. White short sleeve onesies- You can honestly never have too many. They are perfect under pajamas or outfits and by themselves. In Alessia's first few months of life, she pretty much lived in a white onesie...and mostly because she pooped up her back constantly.

What baby doesn't look cute in a white onesie?

2. Nosefrida- Nothing clears a baby's nose like a Nosefrida. Bulb aspirators are the worst and the battery operated ones aren't much better. With the Nosefrida, you do the sucking, but don't worry, there is no way for it to get in your mouth.

3. Cloud b Gentle Giraffe- This travel white noise maker is AMAZING! It comes in a few different animals (sheep, monkey, bunny, fox), but we think the giraffe is the cutest. Ours stays attached to Alessia's car seat most of the time and we turn it on whenever she falls asleep or when we are trying to get her to sleep. It is battery operated and we have had the same batteries in it for over a year and we use it a lot.

Alessia is even willing to share Mr. Giraffe.

4. Zipper footed pajamas- Whoever invented the button up ones did not have children because those things suck. I remember trying to match up the buttons at 4am in the dark when Alessia was a newborn. Then as she got older and started rolling, I had to fight her to get them all buttoned. DO NOT BUY THEM for yourself or for anyone else...no matter how cute they are.

5. Muslin blankets- I was lucky enough to get some hand me downs and some new ones. My favorite are the classic muslin swaddles by aden + anais. They are so soft and breathable. Alessia was never swaddled so I can't comment on how effective they perform as swaddles, but they make amazing blankets. The aden + anais classic issie blankets are great too. They are small security blankets that are perfect for throwing in the diaper bag or stroller. Whenever we going out of town, I always pack one.

6. Trumpette socks- I cannot tell you how much money I wasted buy socks that would not stay on. Luckily, a friend of mine recommended trumpette socks and that is all Alessia wore from about 6-12 months.

Socks that look like shoes are adorable.

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

When we decided to actually get a 'home' and stay in the States, I thought my packing days were over. But it seems like all I've done lately is pack, unpack, and repeat. In the last month I have done the following...
-packed for Cancun
-unpacked from Cancun
-packed Kevin to go to Colorado
-unpacked Kevin from Colorado
-packed Kevin to go to Colorado...AGAIN
-unpacked Kevin from Colorado
-packed to go to Chicago
-unpacked from Chicago
-packed Kevin to go to Buffalo...for 25 days
-and now I'm in the process of packing up for Alessia and I to go to Kevin's family's cottage next week.

And besides packing and unpacking suitcases, there is also the matter of unpacking the totes that we still haven't tackled since moving in this past September. After sitting in our garage for the last 9 months, I was really hoping they would unpack themselves...not likely.

Before Kevin left this past week, I asked him to move the totes downstairs and my goal is to have them sorted through before Kevin gets home in a few weeks. The big question is what to keep and what to throw away. As sad as it is to think about throwing away the paddles from my sorority, what am I going to do with them? And I am pretty sure we don't need to keep all the cheesy things Kevin and I made for each other over the years.

Truth be told, I should be in the basement now instead of blogging...so here I go.

Back to Reality

It's been a little over a week since we got back from Mexico...a whole 10 days since I drank mojitos all day, ate and slept when I wanted, and got pretty every night. I'm back to my reality of changing poop diapers, eating in record time, and drinking cold coffee (and I'm not talking about iced coffee). It is also safe to say that I haven't done my hair or put on makeup since we got back. I'm okay with all of this though because I love my reality.  

Our vacation was definitely much needed. Kevin needed some time away from the constant hustle and bustle at work, I needed some 'me' time, and Alessia needed some time away from me to learn that I can't always be with her. Spending time with our amazing friends and meeting new people only made the vacation better.

The memories we made on the trip will forever be with us and, of course, the pictures. Those will always be there too, even the questionable ones. I'll remember the crazy rain storm we tried to wait out, but instead got stuck running through.  And those raindrops felt like bullets when they hit you. I'll cherish the memory of helping Jana get ready for her wedding and watching her and Rob say 'I do". I'll unfortunately remember doing the Wobble dance more times than I can count...apparently the music in Mexico is a few years dated.

It is amazing how refreshed five days away can make you feel. I'm pretty sure it is the only way I have been able to deal with my ultra clingy girl (who obviously had a little separation anxiety while I was gone).

I'd love to make our 'vacation with friends' a trend. So, friends, start saving. And, until then, I'll have these to look at.

Even though we don't get to see each other that often, I am so lucky to call these two ladies my best friends. 

 

 

The love of my life

Five days of paradise

My Shows

Kevin is gone for three weeks so I have an hour or two of 'me' time every night.  When he is home, he refuses to watch my shows...which is completely understandable. But the last two nights, I have been catching up on Teen Moms 2, Basketball Wives LA, and Preachers' Daughters.  While my addiction to bad TV continues, I have branched out to bigger and better things.

I've watched a few episodes of The Mindy Project in the past, but never really got into it.  It is HILARIOUS! I am so mad that I haven't been watching it the past few years. All the character are great and I seriously laugh until I cry every time I watch it.

My newest addiction that I cannot wait to watch every week is Chicago PD. I love anything Law and Orderish...which I think this is. I loved Sophia Bush on One Tree Hill way back when and I apparently love her still. Plus, there is a little bit of eye candy to look at every week.  Thank goodness for hot cops.

When all else fails, I usually turn on the Food Network. I've been obsessed with Chopped for years, but now there is Chopped Canada and damn, if I'm not hooked on that too. Also add Cutthroat Kitchen and Guy's Grocery Games to the list.  I always pretend I am on the show and try to think of what I would make.  Let's me honest...I would definitely get cut first. 

Is One Enough?

When Kevin and I were dating, which was a long time, everyone constantly questioned us about when we were going to get engaged.  Then, we got engaged and people wanted to know immediately when the wedding was going to happen.  The wedding took place and you would think people would be content with that, but 'no' because they wanted to know when we were going to start having children.  One year after getting married, I got pregnant, and nine months later Alessia entered the world.  So, now everyone is happy...right?  Absolutely not!  For months now people have been asking us when we are going to have another kid.  I give up.  I have determined that people are just never going to be content.

To be honest, some days I think one child is enough for us.  I never wanted to have an only child, but I would be perfectly content if that was all we ever had.  In the same respect, I am not saying that we won't have more kids.

Being a mother is hard work and I will admit that it is a lot harder than I expected.  Alessia hasn't been a difficult child, but I wouldn't say she is an easy one.  She has never been much of a crier...AMEN to that.  She adjusted well to our hectic lifestyle (especially at the beginning of her life), she is an amazing eater, and she has never had attachment issues with anything (no pacifier, blankie, toy, bottle).  On the other hand, she won't take a bottle, didn't sleep well until she was about 11 months old, doesn't like to nap, and still dislikes the car.  Wonder if our second child has colic, never sleeps through the night, loves his/her pacifier, refuses to nurse, or is a picky eater?

While Kevin is a HUGE help when he is around, he works a lot and travels a great deal for his job (but because of that job, I am able to stay at home with her). Taking care of Alessia is left solely up to me when he is gone.  We don't have family around for assistance and she doesn't go to daycare or a babysitters. We seriously spend every waking moment together...even when I'm using the bathroom or taking a shower.  We have this unbelievable bond and I seriously am scared that I might not ever be able to have that with another child.

There are night when I go to bed thinking one may be enough.  But then there are times when I think maybe it's time for #2.  Only time will tell, but for now, I will laugh (and roll my eyes) every time someone asks when #2 is coming.