This and That!

Mr. M is back to working a lot, so I have been managing things here at home by myself a lot - and wow, I am busy!  I really am going from morning to the wee hours with no breaks, and I always feel like I am constantly moving - picking up things, making food, changing diapers, averting disaster.  ;-)  It's good - don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining at all.

 I'm just trying to remember what happened in the last week and I can't remember.  Then I stop for a minute and remember:  Oh yes, we went to Disneyland on Sunday.  (Pictures soon - they're still on my camera).

So, two Saturdays ago, I was supposed to get my hair cut locally.  But then Mr. M had to work last minute, so I was home all day with the girls and had to cancel the appointment.  I was desperately in need of a haircut and color (it had been almost a YEAR!) - but no time to do it. 

I could have made another appointment but instead I took matters into my own hands (literally) and lopped off six inches of hair and colored it.  For the haircut, I used a YouTube tutorial on how to cut your own hair.  It was pretty fun (and a little scary).  But, it's just hair.  It grows back.

I also decided to color my hair bright red - but thankfully it didn't work out, and my hair stayed the exact same color it was before.  Mr. M thought this might be divine intervention (not really) so I didn't end up looking like Ronald McDonald.

Anyhoo- here are the results (taken with my cell phone camera the next day):




In other news, we bunked the girls' beds when my Indiana family was visiting.  Paprika is on the top bunk and loves it.  We took away the ladder because Violet would climb it - so Paprika and Ginger just climb the sides of the bed.

There is this hook up in the ceiling and they have been using it to play "magic tricks" - they have probably put one hundred different things on the hooks, and I only took a few pictures.

They will come get me and tell me they got this or that to suspend in mid-air.  See the amazing feats right here:











Amazing, right?!  Haha.

Paprika is still doing piano.  Her teacher did a little recording for us on CD with four songs, one of which Paprika sings while she plays.  Adorable.



Swim Team started up last week, but we've only gone to one practice so far!  It's very difficult because the practice is right at the same time as piano on Mondays, and it is also at the same time of Violet's ONE nap of the day.  Every Monday, I wake Violet up from her nap for piano lessons.  But the rest of the week, I just can't do it for swimming.  I just can't bear to wake her up and take her and Ginger out in the cold to watch Paprika swim for an hour.

The downside is that we already paid for swimming for the Spring (non-refundable) and Paprika loves swimming.  On the other side, I feel like there is a balance in the family and when you have three children, you can't always have two waiting around at one child's activities.  In the Fall, when Ginger had lessons at the same time, it was working out to take them all to the pool.  Right now, it's a little tougher call.

The thing is, I know Violet's nap time will change in a few weeks (because it is always changing!) and then swimming will work again.  But, especially when I am on my own so much with all the girls, I need Violet to be happy and well-rested.  ;-)




I guess I am just trying to cut myself some slack and add margins to our life so I don't feel like we are always running here and there.  All the girls go with me every day to drop off and pick up Paprika at school - we have to meet her at the door, so we park and walk to school.  Just that alone is kind of an ordeal!  So, I am sure that swimming will come back into our lives on a more regular basis at some point - but for now, I am kind of just giving myself a pass on the days when Violet is deep in slumber at swim time. 




The funny thing is that they are so happy just being home and doing things around the house.  Every day when Paprika is at school, we either go to the park or Ginger and Violet play in the backyard.  Then, when Paprika is home, they often play out in back together.  Or Paprika and Ginger conduct science experiments.  Or read books.  Or play kitchen.  They are so happy to have that downtime, I don't want to schedule every moment of their lives and have them miss out on spontaneous play and bonding.



Because if I did that, they would miss out on their cute little impromptu picnics in the backyard:




It's all a balance, and I am figuring it out as I go!  But in the meantime, as long as we're all happy, I think it's working out pretty well.  :-)



The End.