Big day after the Big Move!

I'm finally making this blog public and figured I'd start off with our big day yesterday. Both Eric and Caroline had their first day of school. Caroline started kindergarten and Eric started language training. Eric took a couple of tests and finished early, so there's not much to report for him. Caroline only had an hour of class yesterday and today, they're REALLY easing them into it. Tomorrow through next week, she has half days, BUT she'll ride the bus for the first time tomorrow! Then she'll start full time.
I was completely unaware of this strange new schedule and had her lunch packed, ready to drop her off for the day yesterday. Not so fast! It was more of a meet and greet the teacher, explore the classroom (find the potty) and practice the fire drill. Meanwhile, the PTA sponsored a coffee for those of us that didn't want to make the trek home, only to turn right back around and pick up the munchkins. It was the same drill today. Fortunately, both days, she left school very excited to return the next day, in fact, disappointed to be leaving so early.
She's admitted being a little nervous about the bus tomorrow, but she jumps up and down every time we bring it up. Molly and I are looking forward to a quiet morning, exploring the laundry process here and maybe some time in the activity center.
I'll try to post an update on the bus and Eric's schooling tomorrow!

Hello, My name is Jenn and I'm addicted to Guitar Hero

Molly finally enjoying some fresh air on a balmy 40 degree day!

Caroline and Grandma Pat on a scooter ride.

See! This is what they do while I play guitar hero! They wear diapers on their heads!
BAD MOMMY!!

And this is what I look like if you interrupt me playing guitar hero!

I am a neglectful mother. I can't seem to put down the fake guitar. I mastered the easy level weeks ago. Thankfully, I haven't dedicated as much time to it since moving on to the medium level, so it's taking a bit longer. However, the devil challenged me today. And beat me twice.

I realize that everyone needs hobbies or down time to relax. But my hobby has become an obsession. It wasn't until we were at our local grocery store this week and Pat Benatar was belting "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" over the store's speakers and C shouted "Hey Mommy, it's your guitar hero song!" that I realized my recreational toy was starting to warp her young, impressionable mind. Then tonight, she repeated "I wanna rock and roll, all night. And Party everyday!" at least 247 times in the tub, until my husband was whistling along with her.

I've corrupted the entire family! I must find a 12-step program to free me from this terrible habit. OR Lou must suffer the wrath of my whammy bar!

Eric's Night Out

Seeing as no one, besides me, reads this, I'm going to vent a little. Eric is out with my brother, Jeff and several guys from work and their wives tonight. They all went to Rockford for the John Cougar Melancamp concert. Eric and his colleagues worked with Elaine Melancamp when they were in Bloomington a few weeks ago. She offered them tickets and VIP passes for the show tonight.
Eric of course asked me to go, however there was no way we could get a sitter that would be able to stay late enough for us to watch a concert and return from Rockford. So, I'm at home with the girls...again. He's out with the boys and a former Victoria's Secret model and I'm home. He's watching the concert from the sound board, and I'm home.
He gets lots of perks with his job, some are even passed down to me. And he spreads the wealth whenever he can, so I can't be too upset. But this one is a little hard to swallow. I have essentially given up my career so I can raise our kids and follow him around the globe. A career in music and engineering. And now he gets to sit where I can only dream of. Ugh.
That's all, I just needed to vent a bit. Get it out there so I can get over it.

You have no idea how long it took to post this simple video! First, getting the girls dressed in something we all agreed on, then getting them to 'perform' - actually that wasn't that difficult-and of course figuring out how to get it from the camcorder to the computer and then online. Whew! It was actually kind of fun doing something somewhat 'techish' so I won't complain. However it did take almost three hours. Doesn't say much for my brain power these days. Anyway, I'm uploading it to see how it looks in a blog. There is really no other point to this post!

I haven't blogged in awhile, so I might as well now. I love the colors in this picture, they just make me happy. We finally took Mimi and Bob over to Brookfield Zoo and we did it all! The butterflies, the carousel, the monkeys, even the penquins! It was the last week the butterflies were on exhibit so we took full advantage and really appreciated their beauty.
We're now recovering from a virus Caroline had for three days. She's still a little funky, but starting to come around. I sent her to school more for me than her today. Now she's on the couch recooping. Eric is NYC for a couple of weeks, so I have to do whatever it takes to stay sane, even if that means infecting countless other children with an unknown illness.
Molly is doing well, walking like a pro and she'll tell you where your eyes are while she sticks her finger right into yours. It's pleasant.
Well, the sick one requires attention. She's just announced that she's going to take her clothes off.

Girls Week In

The ladies have decided to test me. They've found all of my buttons, and are successfully pushing them simultaneously!Still, Molly has found her belly button and enjoys showing it to anyone who asks her where it is, and will even occasionally include a "Choo Choo" to go with it. She also shushes me while pressing her nose. It makes up for the pure evilness that has reared it's ugly face this week.
She wound up and hit Caroline in the face the other day when Caroline was fairly defending her fort (literally her fort made from the parachute). When the argument continued, Molly yanked on Caroline's hair. Poor Caroline was just in shock and didn't respond thankfully. I got to step in and give Molly her first time out. I put her in her crib while I changed the laundry and when I went to save her, I got the biggest "I'm so sorry Mom, I'll never do that again, I promise!" hug. I made her hug Caroline and say she was sorry. She actually seemed to get it, although today, she pulled out a huge handful of Caroline's hair while we were driving home from Grandma Ruth's and Grandpa Erv's.
Caroline isn't entirely innocent. She refuses to listen to anything I say the first time I say (can you say Eric?) and thinks time outs are fun. I need to come up with a better method of discipline but I'm too tired right now. She was adorable in her class play today, she was the keeper of the picnic basket. When she extracted an item from the basket, the class sang about it. Then we had a lovely picnic with the rest of the class and their families on the playground.
That's about it. Eric is back tomorrow, so it should be a little easier, that and a Blue Moon will start the weekend well ;)

They're Driving me CRAZY!!!

I am so out of practice. Eric is gone this week, leaving me with the two angels and a moody dog. They of course wait for him to leave to town to turn into complete shits.
Molly, who is usually the best sleeper. I can put her in her crib and she'll roll over, stick her tush in the air, and she's out. Not this week! Oh no. For three nights running now, as soon as her body crosses the crib's threshold, she's screaming like someone is poking her with a hot iron. Then she thrashes around in the crib until she's completely sweaty and tangled in the blankets and 'friends' she's collected in there.
Caroline has decided this is a good time to forget about potty training, let's just go when the need arises. Like yesterday in the car on the way home from school. She screams "I have to go Potty!!" two blocks from her school, so I tell her to hang on, we'll hurry home, let's think about other things. "No mommy. I want to think about going potty." Then we get stopped by a train. Of course. Her little bladder couldn't handle it and just let lose. Oh joy. Then she decided it was a good idea to color on the pantry door in the kitchen when we got home. Fortunately, it was with a yellow crayon and two of the lights are out, so I can pretty much ignore it.
Fun, fun, fun.