Stay away, August!

I am in some serious denial that August is two days away.  WHAT?!  No, August.  Stay away. We are so not ready for you.

In just 3-ish weeks, I go back to work.  Oy.  I am not ready for that, mainly because I had big dreams of getting all this stuff ready for the babies "over the summer" so that when I went back to work, we would just be relaxing and waiting for them to make their appearance.  Well that has SO NOT HAPPENED YET.  I know I will be kicking myself when school starts back up and then I am trying to scramble and get things put together after work every day.  I will say, "Self, why did you not do this when you had those THREE MONTHS OF NO WORK??"

Well, in my defense, we didn't really want to do anything until we knew if we were having boys, girls or a combo deal.  Now that we know it is a boy and a girl, we can really hit the ground running.  Sort of.  Turns out, finding any kid of nursery bedding and decor that tastefully blends boy and girl is...... pretty much impossible.  After weeks of looking, my options were basically as follows:

- Beach theme with plaid in pink for her, blue for him (Eh. I don't want a "theme-y" room that has surfboards and palm trees and ocean waves.  Too much.  Stay away from themes.)

- Solid white bedding with subtle hints of blue for him, pink for her (Eh. I don't even want to mess with solid white crib bedding and blankets.  I spill enough as it is, without adding two babies into the mix, also making their share of messes.)

Annnnnd that was pretty much it.  My Plan B option was to just pick a boy bedding set and mix it with a girl set.  But here's what I'm finding - boy things come in two categories: animals and sports.  With the occasional "western" theme sprinkled in.  So I could do monkeys, giraffes, elephants, birds, fish, zoo animals, circus animals, moose, etc.  Or I could do football, baseball, soccer, basketball....  Again with the themes.  Not working for me.

So Plan C is the always-trendy "gender neutral" nursery, which means tan, gray and/or yellow.  Or even all white (No. See above)  Ducks.  Bees.  Birds.  Things like that. But I knew I wanted more color and something fun.  So after being throughly overwhelmed by all the lackluster options I was finding, I decided I would just have to put together my own design, picking and choosing from all over.  And as I have started to make decisions and even purchase things, I am really getting worried that this room is just going to be an explosion of patterns and colors.  But hey.  These kiddos won't complain, right?

Here's where my basic vision is going, with an update of where we are on the whole Let's-get-the-entire-nursey-set-up-this-summer plan:

- All white furniture.  We have this all picked out, but have only purchased one crib so far (side note: please send any and all Bed, Bath and Beyond/Buy Buy Baby coupons your have our way)

- Mint green/pale aqua walls, with one or two walls accented with white stripes.  This is halfway done. The mint color is on the walls, stripes coming... soonish.

- Navy blue (for him) and coral (for her) throughout.  This was tougher than I thought it would be, and my mom and I ended up buying some cute fabric to make our own crib bedding (which means my mom and mother-in-law will be sewing this... not me!)  Here's what we got:

- I am also wanting to get some of those very Anthropologie-ish ruffled curtains for the window.  So we're talking stripes on the walls, ruffles on the curtains, patterns on the bedding, and then, you know, throw a rug and some art work in there somewhere too.  Oh and we ordered a chair with a geometric print on it.  Uhh.. too much?  Only time will tell.

I'll wrap this up because I know it's more than you probably ever wanted to know about my unborn children's bedroom, but before I do, here are some quick "before" shots of the room that is going to be the nursery:

Cleaning out this room was actually a big part of our June and July.  I lost count of Goodwill trips after our fourth one.  We had to do some serious purging and organizing, so that whatever was going to stay would have a new place in the house.  Like that dresser has moved to the guest room, where it looks so much better than, you know, right in the doorway of the room when you walk in!

This room has always been the place we stashed the things we just didn't know what to do with, or even never really unpacked when we moved almost a year and a half ago.  Some things have found new homes, thanks to our friend Craig ('s List).

This closet was my "dress closet," housing all my dresses.  I am proud to say the closet is now EMPTY for our two little foxes to fill, but that meant giving away a lot of clothes on my part, and then squeezing the remaining stuff into my actual closet (well, the Bridesmaid Dress Hall of Fame was relocated to a guest room...)

That little TV there, I bought with a year's worth of babysitting money when I was in the fourth grade.  I paid for it, in cash, at Best Buy years ago, and even remember handing over baggies of coins to the cashier.  I've never wanted to give it away, but it did finally make it's way to Goodwill.  Not before I gave it a hug though.

And now (finally!), here's where the room is now:

Empty (other than a kitty who still thinks it's his room) and in it's current, mid-paint stage.

Whew!  If you made it this long, congratulations.  I'll save the rest of my rambling for another day.

And now I can eat ice cream whenever I want to

Hello my Loves!

Oh hey, it's been another month since I've posted.  And so it goes.  We'll just move right past that, shall we?

What have we been up to lately?  Well, quite a lot.  On the off chance that you are reading this and I don't actually know you in real life, then boy do I have some news for you.

Yes, that is two babies.  Twins.  We are having twins.  A boy and a girl.  Holy cow.

If you do know me in real life, you likely know that I have ALWAYS WANTED TWINS.  For as long as I can remember, I have had this feeling that I would have twins.  Like I knew it was destined to happen.  So now that it is actually happening, it just feels normal.  I've always told Mark I was going to have twins (ok so maybe not during our early days of dating, but once we got serious/married/somewhere along the line I told him how I knew this was going to happen), so over the years he has even made comments like "well when we have our twins..." or "since we're going to have twins..."  It has sort of been our little joke whenever we would talk about our future family.  When we got married three years ago, our loose plan was always to start a family when I turned 30.  I knew I wanted lots of kids (ok, like 3 or 4), so I always told him once we started, we'd have to have a bunch back to back, so I wouldn't be having babies for an entire decade.  But even he would point out, well we're going to have twins, so that will help.

Well then in November, I turned 30.  So we put the plan into action.  Ok, maybe the plan went more into action sometime in year 29, but now here we are, five months pregnant with two little babies.  When I had my first sonogram around week 6, the doctor leaned over to tell me, "Amanda, there are two."  To which I said, "Okay."  Mark wasn't even there.  He had just started a new job and didn't want to take off, so I went by myself.  I remember the nurse in the room leaning over to see me and saying something like, "Is your husband going to be okay with this news?"  And I was like of course he is!  When I left the appointment, I drove back to work thinking holy cow, it's all really happening.  As cheesy as it might sound, I felt like I was getting everything I had always wanted.  How did I get so lucky?

Since we're just past the 20-week mark, I am definitely already at least halfway through this pregnancy.  Twins come early, so I won't be seeing week 40.  Which blows my mind.  It has been pretty darn easy, so far.  Until recently, I've hardly even felt different, which I know is such a blessing.  In fact, sometimes I think I am not milking this nearly enough, since I'm not getting any sympathy for carrying around two growing humans all day, every day.  As a matter of fact, as I type this, Mark is out buying me ice cream because I pulled the pregnancy card out for the first time EVER tonight.  It went like this:

Amanda: Hubs, I really wish I had some ice cream.

Mark: {silence}

A: Huuuuuubbs, I am pregnant and I want ice cream!  You are supposed to go get me whatever I want, whenever I want it!

M: But it's raining.

A: Even more perfect!  Just like the husbands in the movies who run out to the store to buy whatever their pregnant wives want, even if it's snowing and in the middle of the night!

M: If I go get you ice cream will you make dinner tomorrow night?

A: Su----

M: And it can't be a pizza.

A: Oh. Well what am I supposed to make then?! {wife of the year here}

M: ...

A: Ok!  I will make tacos!  Can you pick up some taco stuff while you are out?

M: {eye roll, but gets up to put his shoes on}

A: {thinking Yes!  This is actually working!}  Oh and can you get some Tums too?  The berry kind?

And so, Mark is currently out buying multiple flavors of Bluebell for yours truly, along with some heartburn medicine.  Pregnancy for the win!

I wouldn't really say we've been in denial about this huge life change that is quickly approaching, but we are definitely very chill about it.  So much so, that until recently, we had not purchased a single thing for the babies.  No booties, cute little toys, not even a single onesie.  Sure we hit up all the baby mega stores quite often to look around, and we always breeze through the baby section at Target now, but we had not spent a single dollar on anything.  Our anniversary was last week and we decided rather than spend money on dinner or presents or even cards for each other, instead we'd actually go out and buy something for the kiddos.  But then that night, after Mark got home from work and I got back form babysitting, we just didn't feel like going out to shop.  So I did some online spending instead and today my order was delivered.  So, these little babies officially own their first articles of clothing:

My two little foxes.

crickets

Well, it's pretty much been crickets over here for the past three months.  Wow!  It doesn't feel like it's been that long since I abandoned the little blog.  This spring flew by and was so busy.  Between finishing up my last two grad school classes and surviving the end of the school year, I did not have time to anything other than come home and take a nap each afternoon.  But!  That doesn't matter now because starting two weeks ago, I am officially on SUMMER VACATION!

It still doesn't really seem real that I won't go back to work until mid-August.  Holy. Cow!  I've spent the start of my time off:

a) being lazy, which is awesome.

b) hanging with the fam {we made a trip to my grandparents' farm last weekend, my sisters have come to stay for a couple nights, my mom came to stay for a couple nights so we could shop (yay) and we've been seeing Mark's parents a lot more lately, because they just moved from OK to a town only 30ish miles away}

c) at the pool. of course.  I got my first summer sunburn today, uh oh.

d) thinking about everything I SHOULD be doing this summer.  things that would be much more productive than all of the above.

But! I think I'm finally in the summer groove and I'm ready to spend these next 2 months making the most of this time off and relishing this time before the fall sneaks back up on us.  Bring it on, summer!

What's up, weekend?

Hello Saturday.

I am currently taking a break from:

* laundry {does anyone else feel like they are ALWAYS doing laundry?!}
* dusting
* clearing out one of our random junk-filled bedrooms (and by clearing out, I mean moving everything out of this room and across the hall into our other random junk-filled bedroom)

Wanna see?  This is the before-but-not-all-the-way-before shot because, well, I forgot to take a picture when it was totally filled with junk.  So picture like, way more junk in this room and way less carpet visible.

This room could loosely be referred to as our Office.  And I saw loosely because neither the Hubs nor I ever does any kind of officing at home, ever.  So this room is really a glorified place to print out things.  Because the computer in here is only ever turned on when one of us wants to print something off and we didn't think ahead enough to actually print it off at work. (shh, don't tell).  We are making a little trip up to see my parents tomorrow because they are giving us some bedroom furniture they don't want anymore, so this room will soon go from a waste-of-space "office" to a full blown Guest Room # 2.  Which means we can have more than one person/couple stay with us and not have to get out the ol' air mattress.  Woo!  And this also means we will soon have only one room left in this house that has no purpose other than holding all the stuff we don't know what to do with.  We are six days away from being in our home for one year, so I don't know if that achievement is really sad or really impressive?

Anyways, I am looking forward to decorating this new space.  I really want to paint the walls but I don't have even an inkling of what color I want them to be.  Gray?  Coral?  Pale blue?  Soft yellow?  What will my potential guests want to see when they come stay in Guest Room #2?  I've looked at Pinterest a little, but that really only makes me more confused, not less.  And I know there is quite possibly nothing more boring than talking about paint colors, so I will move on.

I wish I had something more exciting to write about right now, but all I can really report is that Mark is waxing the cars today, I am transferring junk from one bedroom to another, and I really need to do a little bit of homework today so that I don't end up way behind later this week.  Not too exciting.  Does anyone else feel like every time they talk to someone and they ask "So what's new with you guys?" or "What have you been up to lately?" you have NOTHING to say other than... well, the usual?  It sounds so lame.  Umm.. we get up and go to our jobs every day, and then hang out in the evenings and on weekends, perhaps enjoying a little time with friends and family.  Rather, rinse, repeat.  I don't know what news exactly I wish I had to report, but the lack of anything is making me feel like I missing something.  Does everyone else have big and exciting things happening around them?  Happening to them?  Maybe we need to go on a vacation?  Or quit our jobs?  Or buy new cars?  (Spoiler alert: We are not doing any of those anytime soon.)

Season of LOVE

Hey Friends and Foes on the Internet!

This past weekend was {Winter Break} at school [thankyouverymuch for the four day weekend] and we celebrated the days off with a swanky wedding for one of my coworkers, and some general lay around and be lazy/get stuff done action around the house!

First off, the wedding.  A girl on my team tied the knot with her beau, and then treated us all to a big ol' party at the mansion.  I am so, so lucky to work with some of the greatest people, who are some of my best friends.  So we partied it up together.

In preparation for the weekend's events, I hit up none other that TJMaxx for some shopping.  I bought not one, not two, not three, but FOUR DRESSES for $65.  Two of them were BCBG.  Heck ya.  So getting dressed was extra fun, since I knew what I was going to wear and did not have to try on every dress in the closet.

And now for some photos.  Many of which are ASOI {as seen on Instagram}  So sorry for the repeats.

Love these crazy cats.

Will you accept this rose?

First grade ladies {one being THE BRIDE!}

Our Dates {xoxo}

These two lovelies are getting married in TWO WEEKS and I am so! excited!

The lighting in the reception was awesome, but made us look so red that not even an i-gram filter could fix it.  But hey look at my $25 dress!

A good time was had by all.  And we'll be doing it all over again in two more weeks, with a quick change of the bride.  It was a great weekend of LOVE.  And yes, Mark and I did consider our night out at The Mansion, with an open bar and all you can eat, to be the perfect Valentine's Day date.

Resoluting

Is resoluting not a word?!   Spell check seems to think it is not a real word.  But I am making it one.  Resoluting - the act of following your resolutions, New Year's or not.

My one true resolution this year was to cook more.  I decided on this goal because currently, I pretty much never cook.  I don't know when or why I gave up on preparing meals of any sort, but it's a slump I've been in for a few months now.  This means all of the following:

a) Dinner around here pretty much is whatever Mark or I find to eat on our own.  He might take the time to prepare a sandwich or nachos, or even cook up some chicken or chili, but me?  I just eat whatever is quick and easy.  I am not a patient in the kitchen.  When I am hungry, I want to eat NOW, so it usually means I'll make a Lean Cuisine in the microwave or eat cereal.

b) I never have anything to eat for lunch, so I end up bringing things to work like granola bars, bags of goldfish and a tortilla.  Some days I come to school with nothing at all to eat, and then I have to scavenge around for snacks. (I have zero time to run out and get lunch).  This makes for a hungry afternoon.

c) The above make it pretty obvious: my eating habits are dreadful and far from healthy.

So I am resoluting to COOK MORE and eat less crap.  Following along this same line, I want to be healthy this year.  I have actually lost weight since August {turns out running around all day and having zero break time means that I eat less during the day, who would have thought} but I have not done any type of excercise since this summer, when my work hours were later and I could go for a run before work.  So I headed over to the YMCA last weekend and signed up for a free week's pass.  If I feel like I can actually work trips to the Y into my routine, thus making the membership dues worthwhile, then I'll officially join when my week is up.  So far, so good.  The Y is literally next door to my school (read: SUPER EASY to go to after work) and less than five minutes from my house (read: SUPER EASY to go to all the time), so I'm hoping I can get back in the groove of working out.  Plus, this Y is way nice with fancy TV's on the cardio machines and an indoor {and outdoor} swimming pool.  Way more perks than the McKinney YMCA.

Besides cooking in the kitchen and kicking booty at the gym, I am also back in school again, taking my last two classes this spring {yay!}.  So far, I like them both, but LOVE one of them - a class on Children and Young Adult Literature.  I get to read lots of books and blog about them, which hello, are two of my favorite things to do!  I'm going to have zero free time until May, but hey, I like it that way.  Or at least I am telling myself that now!

Day Three of My Captivity

That's right.  I've been locked away for the past three days.  Quarantined to the bedroom, hardly getting out of bed, all thanks to the FLU.  Ahh.  I got the flu.  If ever there was an initiation into the first year of teaching, the flu must be it.  I even took all the preventative steps to avoid this mishap.  I got my flu shot months ago.  Wash my hands all the time.  Stay away from the coughing kids.  Clorox wipe everything.  But I could not escape it.  Teachers at school were dropping like flies with the flu this week, so when I started to feel like crap on Thursday, I was fearful.  But I obsessively took my temperature all day and never had so much as a tenth of a degree over a glowing 98.6 degrees.  So I figured it was a cold or allergies, which I pretty much have everyday anyways.  But as more and more people went home sick each day, I scheduled a quick appointment at the doctor Friday morning.  The results: The Flu.  So I was banished away from school and told to rest up and take some Tamiflu over the weekend.  Sounds easy enough, right?

Wrong.  I actually felt 95% fine, even as the doc looked me in the eyes and told me it was the flu.  I had the aches and pains for 24 hours the day before, but by then, I was feeling a-ok.  So I figured it would be a nice long weekend at home.  I filled my prescription and went home to bed, ready to watch the entire contents of my DVR.  Well, turns out, those Tamiflu pills that everyone is scrambling around trying to find, well they actually make me THROW UP LIKE CRAZY.  So all day Saturday, I actually did feel lousy.  I thought maybe it really was the flu, showing it's face a day later, but everything on the news and on the official Department of Health websites swear that you don't throw up with the flu.  So I checked the paperwork in the Tamiflu box and there it was.  The one and only side effect: nauseous and vomiting.  Well, call me crazy, but this stuff is supposed to make me feel better, not worse.  So I quit taking it.  And now I'm back to being 95%.  And if anyone wants to buy some Tamiflu on the black market, I am your girl.