I'm a Mom...

I am a mom. God made me to be a mom. At least that is how I feel about 99% of the time. I love my girls. I love lying on the floor in the playroom building towers to be knocked down. I love watching Kaelin’s staged ‘concerts’. I love folding tiny clothes, bath time, reading stories and snuggles. (I will admit I don’t like wiping noses, changing diapers or cleaning up food off the floor!)

This being said I decided to go back to work – part time. I am going to be working on Mondays and Saturdays (with an occasional extra shift here and there) at Something New (a florist/event shop in Canfield). Sometimes I need adult conversation, and to feel like I am contributing to our family.

Monday was my first day at work. The girls are going to be staying with their Auntie Amy while I am at work on Mondays and their daddy on Saturdays. I knew this first day would be hard, but not how hard it would be. Sunday I started feeling sick to my stomach and nervous – not about work – but about leaving my girls. I knew Kaelin would be fine and that at the worst she wouldn’t want to take a nap and would be tired at the end of the day.

Hailey is a totally different story. She is the most sensitive little one I know. She started clinging to me the minute we got to Amy’s and I could still hear her screaming as I backed the car down the driveway. The day was rough for her (and in turn rough on Amy). I know they can adjust after a few weeks. Though, I feel guilty for forcing them into this situation. I am grateful for Amy being willing to watch them (3 kids ages 3 & under are a handful!), but I feel bad that Mondays are going to be crazy for her!

Yesterday evening we got home (after dinner and playtime at the park) with two very tired and stressed girls. I spent part of the night just crying; partially due to guilt and partially due to being overwhelmed and anxious.

Today they are both very clingy and whiny. Question is – is a bit of time out of the house for me and some ‘grocery’ money worth putting them (& me) through this? I believe that I can do it for a few months and see how things go, however I fear that every Monday will be like yesterday. In sticking with it – I am hoping that in a month or two I will drop the kids off on Monday and both will smile and wave goodbye to me. (Of course then I will probably cry because they don’t need me anymoreJ)

Please pray for all of us during this transition.

Fall Festival

Our family has been trying new churches for the past few months. Lately we have been attending Greenford Christian Church in Greenford, Ohio. We really love the teaching and Kaelin loves the children's program.

On Sunday they held a fall festival. It was amazing! There were like 2000-3000 people there! There were fair concessions you could buy, but they provided free hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn and games for the kids

They had several bounce arounds/mazes, a mechanical bull, a bungee/trampoline thing, animals to pet, a rock wall and Foam Fun! This an enclosed area of bubbles - they say it is the fun of a bath without the water! Luckily they warned parents to bring a change of clothes, because Kaelin needed them!

They had a motorcycle/car show as well. And- they did several give a ways - flat screen tv, gift cards etc. They also set off fireworks at 9:30 - but we didn't make it that late.

Here are some pictures I took with my phone (I forgot the camera!)The mass chaos of Foam Fun.

Kaelin - she had so much fun!

Kaelin after Foam Fun - yep she needed to change. She was soaked!
Hailey - testing the overflow bubbles. She played for a minute, before she started eating them!

Hailey Loved the cotton candy Daddy was sneaking her!

Ok - moving onto Monday...

Monday evening we took the girls to the park to get rid of some nervous energy. Boardman Park is amazing. It has a huge big kids wooden maze/park, and a younger Tot's Town. Tot's Town is filled with 4 different climbing/slide structures, baby swings and a bike area - where they provide tot bikes! Our kids LOVE Boardman Park and it is only 15 minutes from our house- we go OFTEN.

Usually Hailey will climb up on the structures and one of us will go down tube slides with her, or hold her hand if it is an open slide. This time she climbed in and did it herself! She went down backward and on her belly --- and LOVED it! She did this repeatedly, I think I lost count around slide number 10. Here are 2 pics we got - not great, but they give you an idea.

from the top of the slide

from the bottom of the slide

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Labor Day Weekend

This is going to be a long post! We have had a very busy last few days (and I don't feel like doing several separate posts).

First off, Hailey had a virus about two weeks ago, the doctor said it looked like a second round of Roseola (yuck)! Then earlier this week she fell and hit the stove and managed to cut through her upper lip. No, she didn't bite through, the stove actually cut through from the outside. No stitches were needed, and she is healing well. Unfortunately, she also seems to have caught the fall ick (much like the rest of us), her version just seems to be lasting longer, and her nose is running horribly!

Even through all of that we have had a great weekend! Kaelin spent Friday at Papa Tom's and Grandma Barb's, so Justin and I took Hailey to our first night of the year at the Canfield Fair!
Here are some pictures from Friday:

Dominic only likes the Merry Go Round in short bursts, then Amy has to move to sit on a bench with him. He did very well this time!
I think she was happy to have all the attention to herself that night.

Isn't he cute?! Oh yeah, his mom is cute too.

Hailey was ADORABLE in her hot pink cowboy boots!

Riding with Daddy, waving to me!

Saturday we headed to the fair again! Kaelin is big enough to ride the kiddie rides this year! Most of them she could do herself. The first one she rode alone (a mini roller coaster) she loved! I will admit, I shed a tear or two! She is getting so grown up already!

Here are some pictures from Saturday:

Dominic going down the slide with Amy - he thought it was just ok.

Kaelin going down the slide with Daddy - she loved it!

Hailey went down the slide with Papa - she was not a fan at all!

Hailey is a fan of the Merry go Round though!

Kaelin's first big girl ride - all by herself! The Dragon Rollercoaster!

She even threw her arms up and yelled! She had so much fun!

Then she rode this ride that spun around. By the end she was looking a little green, but still smiling!

Dominic gave up on the horse on this Merry Go Round ride, and moved to the bench instead.

Kaelin on the swings. She wasn't all that impressed. We think she got bored. She did give me a cheesy grin though.

It was tractor pull night! Kaelin's favorite! So we had to stop for a few minutes and watch. Daddy promised her that next year we would get tickets for the Grandstand on tractor pull night. I think it is so funny that she loves the tractor pull. She new they were happening by the sounds she heard!

Sunday we headed to Grove City. We spent the afternoon at Grandpa and Grandma Trezona's and then the evening at Big Papa and Grandma Magee's. There we had homemade ice cream with the rest of the Magee clan, and Kaelin got to spend some time at the Pond. She has a pink princess fishing pole, but the paddle boat called her name that night!

Kaelin with her second cousins' Carlee and Randee.

Today we spend the day cleaning and mowing the yard. Unfortunately we also spent part of the evening visiting the emergency room. Our nephew, Dominic, fell this evening and got a pretty good gash on his left eyebrow. He ended up needing 5 or 6 stiches. He was tough and will heal quickly we think. It is so hard to see the little ones in pain though! Please pray for quick healing and that his mom and dad will recover from the experience. I think these things affect the parents more than the kids sometimes!

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!