Girls weekend in Charleston, SC

As I mentioned here, I recently spent a girls weekend in Charleston, SC celebrating one of my longest and dearest friends who is getting married soon!  We rented an adorable house a couple blocks from King St. and sadly I didn't get a single picture of it!  This was my first time ever away from either kiddo so it was more than overdue.  My trip began at 2:00am Friday morning driving to the Syracuse airport for a 6:00am departure.  Why leave so early?  It was snowing and I had to drive 30-35mph the first half of the trip.  When I got to the airport I was SO happy to take off the snowboots, put on my Tom's and run into the airport leaving the snow behind me.  I had a 4 hour layover at Laguardia so I got coffee and a pedicure.  Yes, in the airport!  The shop wasn't busy so I was told I could sit and enjoy the massage chair as long as I wanted.  I didn't object.

I finally landed in Charlotte at 2:30pm where I met up with Em and we shared a rental car for the drive to Charleston.  It was a long trip but SO worth it.  The food, oh the food!  Chris and I honeymooned in Charleston many years ago and I think our entire trip was planned around each meal. 

The first night we ordered pizza and relaxed as everyone arrived.  Cheers to the bride!

 

Did I mention the three of us have been friends for 27 years?  I love these girls!  There were 10 of us total on the trip but I failed to get a picture of us all together.

Now on to the food and beautiful Charleston. Breakfast was at Poogan's Porch. Mimosa's and Crabcake Benedict...

 

 

Here are a couple pictures down by the battery and Rainbow Row.

 

 

It was much colder than any of us were expecting and even rained a little but we had a wonderful time.  I thought I would be much more worried being away from the kids, but I was surprisingly relaxed.  It was nice to be able to walk at my own pace and actually take time to get ready! 

 

To start our night out we had dinner at Virginia's on King.  Fried ocra and She crab soup.  It had been FAR too long since I've enjoyed She Crab soup.  I have to admit that was my first time eating fried ocra - I was a bit of a picky eater as a kid, but YUM!

 

For dinner?  Southern Fried Chicken, Mac n Cheese, and Sweet Potato fries.  Yes, yes I did.

 

 

My journey home was nearly as long as my trip there but I had a wonderful time celebrating a great friend with a fun group of girls!  If you ever get the chance to visit Charleston...GO!  And prepare to have a tummy ache from all of the delicious food!

 

It's not a bad day. It's parenthood.

I just want to go to the grocery store.  Hop in the car, in and out, easy peasy grocery shopping. 

I woke up yesterday morning with those plans.  I gave up on going to the gym first since the past two nights Emmilyn had slept (or not slept) like a newborn, up every hour or two and I seemed to be getting some sort of crud...again.  I don't have a grocery list because the day before went a little bit like this.

  So I get the kids dressed and go outside to start the truck, excited because we finally cleared out the garage enough to put the truck in it!  I forgot truck in garage means more driveway covered in snow.  Bummer!  We only got a couple of inches overnight but the wind blows all of the nicely shoveled/plowed snow back onto the driveway, sometimes with a 1-2 foot drifts. Sooo I start shoveling and shoveled just enough to get out of the driveway because it's 9 degrees. my fingers were about to fall off, and I was huffing like I had just run 3 miles. (Who needs the gym anyways?)
 

 In what feels like 2 hours later, I get the kids in the car and drive to the commissary.  I do the usual - put Emmilyn in the Ergo and in one swift motion get Landon out of the car and put his coat on.  I get to the checkout just as Landon is reaching his 2 year old limit and when we get to the truck he does the body drop (ohhh how I hate the body drop) right in the middle of the parking lot snow/mud/salt mixture.  I get him in the car and take his boots off so he's not kicking mud everywhere, decide to deal with the muddy pants when we get home, and feed Emmilyn before we head home.  I leave the car running while I unload groceries and let Tucker out (except he won't come because, well, it's 9 degrees.)  I get the kids in the house and start taking off our layers and find this:

...which I can only assume means Tucker ate an ENTIRE LOAF of bread.  Plastic and all.

 While I clean up Tucker's mess, Landon is 'helping' me by putting cereal boxes, lotion, and plastic bags in the refridgerator, and I realize I forgot a Brita filter for the fifth time in a row.  The more I try to clean things up the messier they seem to become.  I'm thinking about the realtor coming in a few hours, how exhausted and sick I feel, and
                                                                                                                                  
     I. Feel. Defeated.

I stand in the kitchen for a couple minutes staring at the groceries, willing them to put themselves away.  I'm ready to throw in the towel, curl up on the couch and sleep the day away. 

And then I hear Emmilyn blowing bubbles (aka glorified fart noises), I laugh, and remind myself that people have much worse days then this.  I'VE even had much worse days than this.  Why am I letting myself get defeated by such small, normal things that are probably occuring in many households everyday. 

It's not a bad day.  It's parenthood.

I'm a Mom.  I can handle this.  It's just snow.  It's just muddy boots.  It's just a loaf of bread.  And Landon is just trying to help.

So I put on my big girl pants, put the groceries away letting Landon 'help' me, and got chili cooking for dinner.  I hiked outside in a knee deep snow drift to retrieve our trashcan that blew away last night, come back inside and have to chuckle at Landon cleaning with an entire pack of wipes...sans pants because, well, they're still muddy...

 

...hurry Tucker into his crate because one of his toenails is slightly bleeding, and cross my fingers that the loaf of bread doesn't it show itself until after the realtor has left.

When you're home with your kids all day everyday, it's easy to get caught up in the little things and long for your former life where you could come and go as you please. 

I just wanted to go to the grocery store, easy peasy.  But I want to be a good Mom  even more.  And being a good Mom means realizing I can't wake up and control every detail of how the day will progress.  That evening after Chris got home, the realtor had left, and I put Emmilyn down for the night I came downstairs to this...

Ahhhh, I love this kid! 

And today?  I woke up more congested and sick feeling than yesterday but I know it will pass.  How can I feel but so bad when I have the most beautiful babies in the world to take care of. (Because all Mommies have the most beautiful babies in the world.  It's true, just ask them!)  And they happen to be napping right now...at the same time.

This Mommy Brain is on fire

The good news is that my kids are fed, clothed, and happy.

The bad news...I clearly can't function in society beyond those basics.

We had a low-key weekend as we waited for Nemo to come and leave up trapped in our house with 6 feet of snow (kidding) but the snow was no more than usual.  Since we were planning to hibernate all weekend we did just that.  We watched lots of Word World and Chris & I caught up on Scandal (O.M.G!)  We ate lots of way-too-indulgent food, shoveled snow, drank hot chocolate, then we even brought the snow indoors! 

After a long weekend of hibernation and not an ounce of working out, I was anxious to get to the gym Monday.  As I was getting ready to leave the house Chris asked if I could bring his fleece to him at work.  Sure!  So I packed up the diaper bag, kids, hopped in the car and drove up to his office. 

- Enter Mommy Brain -

Our text conversation went a little like this...

Me - I seriously have issues, I don't have you fleece!!!  I'll go back home and get it then text you when I'm back.

Chris - Lol, don't worry I'll drive home and get it so you can go to the gym.

Me - Don't bother I forgot my gym shoes too!!

** There may have been a few expletitives in there. :)


Mind you it's 30ish minutes one way to Chris's office so my morning was spent driving for over 2 hours trying to accomplish what should have taken 30 minutes tops. And I still didn't make it to the gym. A couple weeks ago I drove 45 minutes one way to the gym just to realize I didn't have my sneakers. Sigh, do I get an A for effort? Do other Mom's have this problem?  I feel like if it involves something other than changing a diaper, fixing a bottle, or nursing a booboo I just. can't. do it. 

So far today I haven't forgotten anything but Mother Nature has me trapped in the house once again.  Maybe that's my problem...cabin fever? Lack of vitamin D?  Perhaps my girls bachelorette get-away this weekend will help.  I haven't spent a single night without feedings or changing diapers in over two years.  The thought of hanging out with just adults for 3 whole days has me equally excited and terrified!   I'll get to go to the bathroom by myself, shower when I want, sleep in, maybe even shop?!  Hopefully I don't start a conversation about poop.  That would be awkward.  I'm sure this first time (ever) away from my babies will provide plenty to to write about so stay tuned! 

In the mean time I'll be here trying to locate my brain so I can pack and prepare for the weekend.  Share your Mommy Brain blunders!

Operation Get Fit - one week check-in

I meant to write this post yesterday but I was so zonked from the Superbowl party we hosted that even after 3 cups of coffee I took a two hour nap.  That's a small miracle because 1) I never take naps and 2) my 2 year old and 3 month old were napping too!  Honestly I felt worse when I woke up but obviously I needed it, so yes...I did nothing yesterday.  As for the rest of the week I feel like I did pretty good.

Monday - this DVD workout I bought after I had Landon but hadn't yet embraced home workouts.
Wednesday - ran 2 miles outside! (it was oddly warm enough) and tried to tag along with a friend for  a functional fitness class.
Friday - oh, whoops?!  I forgot to workout.
Saturday - I started a February Burpee Challenge -

 

Monday - like I said.  Nothing.
Tuesday - I just did my 20 burpees and this workout posted on youngmarriedchic.com today.

I'm pretty sure if similar workouts are posted every week, youngmarriedchic.com will be my go-to for Tuesday workouts.

I mentioned above learning to embrace working out at home.  Honestly I've always hated working out at home.  This past week has reminded me that is why it took me until Spring to start working after Landon was born.  Now with two little ones and these frigid temps it's VERY likely that at least one day a week sickness or mother nature are going to prevent me from going to the gym.  Darn you North Country Weather!  Sooo...I'm learning to embrace home workouts.  I think if I can try something new then I don't mind so much where before I tried to do the same DVD workout over and over.  BOR-ING!  I haven't weighed in yet because right now the focus is getting myself to workout.  Period. 

Here's to many positive workouts for the rest of the week!