Last Night

Last night...Boo made up a song titled "Archenemies" it was about...well...archenemies. And it was hilarious.

Last night...Sister cried for about fifteen minutes because she had hopes of playing with the girl down the street. And the tears weren't as much about not getting to play with said girl as they were about the fact that Sister got dressed in a "real cute outfit" that was then wasted on just going to the pool.

Last night...Tess-a-Bess had a cupcake for dessert which she continually called a "cuppycake" over and over. I couldn't get enough of that cuppycake.

Last night...Tess-a-Bess woke up crying in the middle of the night and after an hour of rocking and cajoling I convinced her to return to bed because her "babies" were crying and she needed to hug them.

This morning...I am sleepy.

Mom

If I had to describe myself it one word, it might be Mom. Yes, I have three wonderful kids, and love taking care of them. Nothing makes me happier than spending a fun day with my kids, making sure they are well fed, clean and dressed. I love hanging out with Tess-a-Bess reading a book while we rock in the rocking chair. Building Legos with Boo allows me to spend some quality time with my boy. And shopping with Sister makes me realize why I am so lucky to have a daughter like her.



Now, granted, I never said I was the world's greatest mom. I am notoriously a bad housekeeper. I can't count the number of papers I forgot to turn into school or the snacks I forgot to pack. And, yes, I do occasionally lose my temper and yell at my kids with insane proclamations such as, "If you don't behave I will pop that balloon you just got!" (Seriously, I did say that. Mother of the Year, I know). But nobody is perfect, and no one wants a sickly sweet, do-it-all supermom, do they?



My "Mom" title doesn't just apply to the kids, I kind of think it is how I approach many situations in life. I always seem to be the one my friends come to at work for advice and maybe even a hug or two. When I deal with patients I always want to be sure they feel cared for and secure. And I always seem to jump when some random kid falls at the playground or seems to be lost in the mall. When I see a situation that needs someone to take care of it, I just jump right in.



One year ago my "Mom" title served me well. After seeing a 47yo runner, Carolyn, collapsed on the running trail, I just jumped right in, knowing something needed to be done about the situation immediately. Now what I did was probably the most laughable, non-textbook version of CPR. But after having a massive heart attack, Carolyn just needed something to make sure she was here to mother her two children. I'm happy to say that whatever I did that day, with the help of a few other bystanders, was enough to ensure that Carolyn was here for her children, her husband, her life. Now, I'm not proud of my CPR abilities, because they suck. But I am proud of my ability to jump right into a situation and take care of what needed to be taken care of. I am proud of my ability to be a "Mom" and make bad situations okay.



Now, this post would be amiss without mentioning my own mother. My Mom - who raised a set Irish twins by herself, working two jobs, sending us to 12 years of Catholic school, and ensuring that we became strong, independent, loving women. Today on her 62nd birthday, I can say she is one of the reasons I am such a good Mom.



Tonight, we celebrated my mom with a nice dinner and an ice cream cake. And after the party was over, Tess-a-Bess fell and split her lip. I picked my little girl up, kissed her lip, and made everything okay.

Love

Things that I love:

- I love that it snowed one of those wet, heavy snows where you can make a snowman in seven minutes flat.


- I also love the smile that Tess-a-Bess had developed recently in pictures. Extreme version above, here just a hilarious version.


- And here a toned down version, but still adorable (as are her sister and brother)


- I love that after taking Tess-a-Bess in a public restroom with me today, she insisted on giving me a high five when I finished, and we haven't even started potty training yet - she was just proud of me.

- I love that when my Dad sees a light bulb out in my house, he brings over the replacement the next time he comes over.

- I love that my kids play so damn well together, and play equally as well independently.

- I love (now, though it wasn't as lovable last night) that Boo got up in the middle of the night and peed in the tub instead of the toilet.

-I love that Sister dances and sings so much that she has passed that love on to her baby sister.

-I love that whenever my mom comes over she empties the dishwasher, even though she never puts things in the right place.

- I love that Boo proclaimed today opposite day and then said, "I don't love you Mom, not one tiny bit!"

- I love when the hubby says I'm cute even when I'm unshowered, crazy-haired and dowdy.

-I love when one word spoken simultaneously by me and my best friend can send us into obnoxious, uproarious laughter that embarrasses the hell out of both our husbands while we're in a fancy restaurant.

- I love that mention of the previous incident a few days later will again send me and my friend into uncontrollable laughter.

- I love how Tess-a-Bess hugs everything from pencils to baby dolls to bananas, she's just real excited about everything.

- I love how friends think of me when buying makeup.

- I love how Sister and Boo can spend hours making up wild scenarios when they are playing with something as simple as Japanese erasers.

- I love coming up with a blog idea in the last days of February so I can have at least one post for this month!!

Time for a Change

2009 was a banner year. Yes, yes, some serious crap happened to us, but we are living, surviving, thriving, and probably better for it. Often when people ring in the new year, they want to throw last year away and start anew. I, on the other hand, loved last year - my baby turned one, Boo started Kindergarten, Sister suddenly became a little lady instead of a little girl, we took some fun trips (including an awesome trip to NYC with the hubby), and I got an iPhone! Seriously though, throwing away last year would be like throwing away all the wonderful things, even if it meant throwing away some of the crap with it.

That being said, it's time to look forward and begin a new decade. We all make resolutions, but do we all have a whole support group behind us to help us stick to those resolutions? This year, I do. My lovely and dear friend Miss K is organizing a small community of people who want to help each other make a change in 2010. She dubbed it The Plan 2010. You can follow @ThePlan2010 on Twitter.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty, my actual plan:

Physical Health:

- Lose these 8+lbs that have been plaguing me for the last year
- Exercise more often
- Run at least four races, one being the Shamrock Shuffle
- Eat healthier, paying attention to portion control
- Take a daily vitamin

Self Improvement:

- Stop procrastinating so much
- Strive to eliminate clutter and waste
- Stop biting my nails so much (I know, petty, but something to work on)
- Strive to be a better house cleaner

Relationships

- Be more patient with the kids
- Stop yelling at the kids so much
- Find ways to spend more quality family time together
- Find ways to spend more quality time with the hubby

For me getting things done are all about accountability and support and I am hoping that this year The Plan 2010 will help me make these changes.