Playdates, Outings and Community

So....next week I go back to work. I really feel like I had a nice "sabbatical" from the routines of work and feel like I got into a nice non-working routine with my girls! It feels much more natural to stay home and play with the kids than the first time I stayed home for an extended period of time with Annabelle. When I was on maternity leave with Annabelle, I was quite overwhelmed with the demands of adjusting to a newborn baby. Trying to get used to the idea of your life no longer being your own, is a hard concept for a 30+ person to deal with. I remember one day when I was trying to take care of Annabelle early on, being floored by the idea that I could not go to the restroom when I wanted to unless it was "ok" with Annabelle. I could not believe how completely this new person changed my life, my routines, my desires and my day to day activities. Annabelle had to make me "Mommy" and it was not an overnight transition. In fact, I think it must have been sometime after her 1st birthday that I felt like I had a clue how to really manage all of that change. 2 years later, I love my role as a mommy and feel like I know what I am doing most of the time. Maggie's arrival has been a challenge, but not as overwhelming as the first time around.

One of the things that have made my time at home so wonderful this time around is the fact that we have lots of friends with kiddos now! When Annabelle was born, Landen was the only little guy we had to play with and his mommy was at work so we could not get together very often. This time around, I have been able to get together with mommies and let Annabelle play with them while Maggie slept! We have gone to the galleria to play, a very fun bounce house called Pump it Up, Open Gym, Going Bonkers and this week we are having tons of fun at Music Camp! Annabelle wakes up each day asking for her friends, and I LOVE the days when I can tell her that, yes you are going to see Ryland, Avery or Landen! She loves them and looks forward to seeing them-the activities we do are probably not very important, but the time with them makes everything fun! For me, it has been priceless to get out of the house and talk with mommies while Annabelle is entertained and not running around the house getting into trouble!

We have also been so blessed to be fed by some of the best cooks around! Our friends and family completely spoiled us by bringing us yummy dinners for 6 weeks!!! Several times, our friends and family stayed to eat with us....which we love....and we got to visit and get to know them better in the process. EVERYTIME someone spend the evening with us, Italo and I would walk them to the door and Italo would look at me and say "That was so fun"! When you have 2 little kids, making your way out of the house is a CHORE and trying to entertain them in non kid friendly places is near impossible so it makes getting together with friends very hard. But having folks come to YOUR house and talking or playing games is wonderful because the kids are happy and we can actually visit! Such a wonderful treat! And not to mention getting a break from cooking, cleaning pots and pans and planning meals has been wonderful as well. THANKS!!!!


During this time at home, Annabelle has been going to daycare most days for at least some of the day, but at least once a week, she has stayed home with me to go on a playdate or play with me. However, the first week of June Ms Jane, the daycare provider, took a trip to see her grandson graduate from High School and take a vacation to the beach. So, Annabelle stayed home with me all week. We went on an adventure each day and had a wonderful time together! That Monday, we went to the Galleria and let her play on her favorite climbing toys. I met an older lady who was there with her grandson and enjoyed learning about her life while I held Maggie and let Annabelle run and play. We then had the pleasure of meeting up with Daddy for lunch at McDonalds! YAY! On Tuesday, we went to the Science and Nature Museum and Annabelle had a great time digging for dinosaurs, driving a firetruck, playing on a farm and discovering all kinds of new things. Maggie was content to sleep in the carrier and just went along for the ride! Wednesday we FINALLY figured out where Open Gym was and had a great time letting Annabelle bounce and run. She loved it! And finally on Friday we meet lots of fun folks at Going Bonkers and Grace and Annabelle run around on all of the fun levels with slides, swings and bouncy areas. It was lots of fun and I really appreciate Grace for helping Annabelle make her way around the maze of fun! We then had an adventure at Chick-Fil-A. 3 adults trying to fed 8 kids was quite a sight!!!

It has a been a WONDERFUL and full 9 weeks and I will miss all the fun activities and time with the girls, but it is time to get back to REALITY!