Well, as expected, since the beginning of August our lives have been a complete whirlwind. Brandon is literally working or studying every second that he is not asleep, and his sleep time is in short supply as well. I wouldn't say Brandon is having trouble understanding his 3 new subjects, but there is so much to do and there is just not enough time in the day to do it.
I try my best to help, but the girls are keeping me on my toes as well. Caroline tracked out of school for 3 weeks starting last Monday. The first few days of 3 little ones getting used to being with each other all day long was enough to wish I had other people's toilets to clean as long as it took me away from this house. By the end of the week we settled into our new routine and only a few tears are shed each day now. To keep Caroline active while she is out of school I booked her in tennis lessons twice a week and she is still continuing her violin lessons each week. So Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays we are either sprinting out the door the second Brandon walks through it or popping some casserole in the oven so when we return home right at dinner time we have the chance to all have a meal together before Brandon heads off to a Toastmasters meeting or to pack for school. I actually even considered signing Caroline up for youth choir and Brandon gave me a look like I had suggested we rob a bank or something.
Summer started preschool last Thursday. She only goes twice a week, but wakes up each morning asking if this is the day she gets to go to school and play with her friends. I'm so glad she is enjoying being on her own. She's my 1st girl that has been home with me the entire time since the day she has been born. She is so excited every morning she walks in to class and is so proud of herself each afternoon when she hands me her craft for the day. I think in Caroline's absence she has learned how to fill the dead air. She can talk your ear off, and now with Caroline home to compete with available talk time there is not a single quiet moment in our house.
Bella is probably the one that is keeping me the busiest. She waited until she was 10 months old to get any teeth and now she is working on #3,4,5,6,7 and 8 all at the same time. Needless to say she is not a happy girl. If she's not sleeping, moving or eating then she's crying. She has developed a new way to tell us she wants more food by screaming at the top of her lungs. Our efforts to stop this behavior only results in total meltdown. She also is taking her first steps and is into everything. She pulls things off tables and can crawl to the top of the stairs within seconds. She still has a smile that can melt your heart though. Every time I see that sweet gummy grin it just makes it all worth it.
Poor Brandon has become a visitor in our lives. He tries his absolute best to spend every free second with us, but there just aren't many to share. The other day after a few minutes of spending time with Daddy the girls and I had to leave him to study and go on with our day. Driving down the road Summer told me, "That Brandon sure is nice!" It's important for the girls to spend time with their Dad so we sneak it in whenever we can, but it is equally important for Brandon and I to spend time alone together as well. Lately most of our conversation is via email. The other day he actually IMed me from the office. Thanks to my Dad we got a few hours together last Sunday night. It totally recharged our batteries and we learned those moments are totally necessary to get us through these times. I wonder if Duke will let us work babysitter's fees into our student loans?!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Weighty Issue
Most know that I had to have my gallbladder removed at the end of July. The weekend before it happened Brandon was at school so I took the girls out on the town and we just ate where the wind took us. Of course that mostly meant pizza and chicken nuggets. By the time Brandon got home I was already feeling sick to my stomach from all the junk I had consumed. In the middle of the night on Sunday I woke up with a terrible pain in my stomach. I figured it was from my poor diet and I was paying for it now. I tried everything I could think of to make the pain go away. Finally I fell asleep in the bathtub (scary!), so I went to bed with a heating pad on my stomach for the next 2 nights. Brandon convinced me to go to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon. They fit me in right away and started blood tests. By Wednesday I was having an ultrasound, and Thursday I was on the operating table. It all happened so quickly, but it was an entire week of no workouts and eating whatever sounded like it wouldn't hurt. The recovery was also quick; by the following Thursday I was released by the doctor to get back to my normal routine.
Unfortunately the damage had already been done. During this week "off" we celebrated Caroline's 6th birthday. We had a cooking party and made all kinds of yummy kid-friendly foods. I made each girl an individual cake, 3 batches of different kinds of icing and homemade fondant. I, of course, had to try everything and developed a craving for these sweets well after the party was over. Do you ever not buy things knowing you'll eat them if they are in the house? I was surrounded by all the goodies I had made and couldn't help myself each evening. When all was said and done I ended up gaining 8 pounds in 3 weeks. Pretty sad considering I was still working out the last one, so the problem was obviously caused by the things I chose to put in my mouth.
My pants starting feeling a little snug so I decided it was time to buckle down and get back to my diet. I knew if I just kept track of what I ate and continued to work out the way I should I would be back down and on my way to my goal weight in no time. I lost a few pounds, but then found myself snacking too much in the evenings. I could make it all day on track and then blow it in the last hour or two. What happened to my self-control?!
I realized in the evenings I used to sit and talk with Brandon. We may watch a show or play a game and would always head to bed at 10 PM if not a little sooner. My mouth was busy because I was chatting away not on my treat of choice. Now I'm on my own. I sit and watch TV or work on a project and have a snack, or two, or three. I try my best to stay up until Brandon is done with his work and that just gives me more time for snacking. I have to make a change or I'm going to be up 50 pounds before Brandon finishes his MBA. For now on I'm limiting myself to one snack in the evenings and if I want more I'll just send myself to bed. I could use the sleep!
Unfortunately the damage had already been done. During this week "off" we celebrated Caroline's 6th birthday. We had a cooking party and made all kinds of yummy kid-friendly foods. I made each girl an individual cake, 3 batches of different kinds of icing and homemade fondant. I, of course, had to try everything and developed a craving for these sweets well after the party was over. Do you ever not buy things knowing you'll eat them if they are in the house? I was surrounded by all the goodies I had made and couldn't help myself each evening. When all was said and done I ended up gaining 8 pounds in 3 weeks. Pretty sad considering I was still working out the last one, so the problem was obviously caused by the things I chose to put in my mouth.
My pants starting feeling a little snug so I decided it was time to buckle down and get back to my diet. I knew if I just kept track of what I ate and continued to work out the way I should I would be back down and on my way to my goal weight in no time. I lost a few pounds, but then found myself snacking too much in the evenings. I could make it all day on track and then blow it in the last hour or two. What happened to my self-control?!
I realized in the evenings I used to sit and talk with Brandon. We may watch a show or play a game and would always head to bed at 10 PM if not a little sooner. My mouth was busy because I was chatting away not on my treat of choice. Now I'm on my own. I sit and watch TV or work on a project and have a snack, or two, or three. I try my best to stay up until Brandon is done with his work and that just gives me more time for snacking. I have to make a change or I'm going to be up 50 pounds before Brandon finishes his MBA. For now on I'm limiting myself to one snack in the evenings and if I want more I'll just send myself to bed. I could use the sleep!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Calm Before the Storm
Brandon (and our family) have completed term 1 of the Duke MBA program! I would say it was not the easiest 3 months of our lives, but we were able to manage. Brandon had some late nights and weekends away from me and the kids, but we tried to sneak in as much family time as we could. Brandon really is enjoying what he is studying and believes he has done well in the classes he has completed.
To celebrate Brandon finishing his first term and try to catch our breath before the second one begins we decided to take a quick trip to Greensboro. It was a great time to visit with family, have some good food, get a little help with the kids, and just escape our normal lives for a day or two. Brandon's only request was that we ate at Yum Yum's hotdogs for lunch one day, which we did, but most of our time in our hometown was just to relax and actually get to talk to one another.
We enjoyed our time so much we decided to stay an extra day and make the quick drive over to Stone Mountain to enjoy the beautiful weather. We have hiked to the waterfalls and the overlook many times, but never made it to the summit with all the kids (or any kids for that matter). If you've never been before, in order to reach the top from the front of the mountain you must climb hundreds of steps and at the very top literally climb on your hands and knees up the rock to reach the summit. It is quite a feeling of accomplishment to look over the edge from the top. To reach the summit from the backside you just walk up a paved trail with just a bit of an incline the last 1/4 mile. It was quite fun to see the faces of a few that climbed up the stairs, pulling themselves to the top for the first time only to see Brandon and I in our flip flops with 3 kids and a double stroller waiting for them at the top.
.
We made it back to Apex just in time to make a quick late dinner and rush the kids off to bed. It was good to be home, but we both knew what waited for us when we got there. Term 2. Duke has warned us that this is going to be the worst term of the entire program. The next 4 months are meant to break the students down to nothing so they can build them up to be the Duke MBA students they expect. I've heard horror stories of men crying by just reading the schedule. So until it's over all we are requiring of Brandon is to go to work and get through this program. Well, and probably attend Bella's first birthday party and maybe join us at the table for Thanksgiving dinner. The rest of us will man the fort and support him in any way we can. Some days the best way for us to do that is to just NOT be here for him. Ever studied for an MBA with a baby crying, a toddler breaking into your office to show you her boo boo, and a 1st grader playing twinkle twinkle on the violin for the millionth time? It's not for the faint of heart. Anyone interested in a visit from me and the girls while we are escaping?! Bring on December 6th!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Duke Weekend and a recovering Mom
This weekend I was lucky enough to tag along with Brandon while he was on campus for classes at Duke. It was a great time meeting some of the other partners that were there supporting the students in their family and talking with others that I had already met at another social or two. It was a small taste of what the students really goes through after a full week of work and then still having to continue on strong through the weekend.
Friday we had to be up early so we had time to pack and be on campus before Brandon's (and my) first class. I had a hard time sleeping thinking about how all the girls did at each place we had dropped them off the night before that by the time the alarm went off I jumped out of bed and was ready to go. We made it to campus with plenty of time to check into our room and have breakfast with some of the other students. I listened with Brandon to the Ambassador of the UN speak (don't ask me what about) and then headed to my own classroom with the other partners. We had a great time talking with one another and learning more about the program and the school. I had the chance to tour the Duke chapel before dinner. It was a great tour. Did you know that if you would like to be married there you 1. have a have a tie to Duke as being a student or have a family member on staff, 2. have to be there the exact day 1 year prior to the day you would like to be married, and 3. It is first come, first serve, so yes, could possibly need to campout. If you thought camping out for basketball tickets was bad with a bunch of other kids drinking beer and planning on going to the game with you, can you imagine camping out with a bunch of bridezillas trying to outwit you for the their timeslot?! That evening was the part I was looking forward to the most since it was a cocktail party and dinner with my husband. Although he had to get pulled away for a team meeting an hour into it that lasted 3.5 hours and passed my bedtime it was still nice to be among adults.
Saturday on campus was pretty much the same. Great food, great conversation, and plenty of time to just sit and listen to the great faculty of Duke. The second class was over I'm sure most rush home to relax and unwind. Brandon and I finally rounded up all our kids and returned home by 9:30 PM only to pass out the second after we got all of them in the bed.
Sunday, finally the first day in a long while where Brandon had no studying to do, no team meetings, no work. We had big plans for the day, but most were wiped out by the rainy day. We were both introduced back into life with 3 children that had been spoiled for 2 days straight and we were stuck in the house. I was only away from them for a little less than 48 hours, but it was like I forgot how to handle the things that seemed so simple to me before. Brandon and I always say we have to reprogram our children when we get them back from the grandparents, but I had to be reprogrammed myself. I had been so focused on school, making friends, and getting done what I needed to do while on campus that everything else had escaped me. It was strange to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start in getting things done. It made me think about how Brandon has to do it every day. His life is not all about the Herndon women all of the time. He works, he studies, and he is building a great network to advance his career. I can't imagine what it must feel like to walk in on our crazy life each day at 6 PM. It makes me remember how difficult it was to have a career and children. Sure the nonstop action of being a stay-at-home mom is tough, but it is nothing compared to a full-time job, followed by being a full-time mommy, chores still needing to be done, and errands handled during the evenings and on the weekend. My hats go off to those that make it work for their family!
Friday we had to be up early so we had time to pack and be on campus before Brandon's (and my) first class. I had a hard time sleeping thinking about how all the girls did at each place we had dropped them off the night before that by the time the alarm went off I jumped out of bed and was ready to go. We made it to campus with plenty of time to check into our room and have breakfast with some of the other students. I listened with Brandon to the Ambassador of the UN speak (don't ask me what about) and then headed to my own classroom with the other partners. We had a great time talking with one another and learning more about the program and the school. I had the chance to tour the Duke chapel before dinner. It was a great tour. Did you know that if you would like to be married there you 1. have a have a tie to Duke as being a student or have a family member on staff, 2. have to be there the exact day 1 year prior to the day you would like to be married, and 3. It is first come, first serve, so yes, could possibly need to campout. If you thought camping out for basketball tickets was bad with a bunch of other kids drinking beer and planning on going to the game with you, can you imagine camping out with a bunch of bridezillas trying to outwit you for the their timeslot?! That evening was the part I was looking forward to the most since it was a cocktail party and dinner with my husband. Although he had to get pulled away for a team meeting an hour into it that lasted 3.5 hours and passed my bedtime it was still nice to be among adults.
Saturday on campus was pretty much the same. Great food, great conversation, and plenty of time to just sit and listen to the great faculty of Duke. The second class was over I'm sure most rush home to relax and unwind. Brandon and I finally rounded up all our kids and returned home by 9:30 PM only to pass out the second after we got all of them in the bed.
Sunday, finally the first day in a long while where Brandon had no studying to do, no team meetings, no work. We had big plans for the day, but most were wiped out by the rainy day. We were both introduced back into life with 3 children that had been spoiled for 2 days straight and we were stuck in the house. I was only away from them for a little less than 48 hours, but it was like I forgot how to handle the things that seemed so simple to me before. Brandon and I always say we have to reprogram our children when we get them back from the grandparents, but I had to be reprogrammed myself. I had been so focused on school, making friends, and getting done what I needed to do while on campus that everything else had escaped me. It was strange to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start in getting things done. It made me think about how Brandon has to do it every day. His life is not all about the Herndon women all of the time. He works, he studies, and he is building a great network to advance his career. I can't imagine what it must feel like to walk in on our crazy life each day at 6 PM. It makes me remember how difficult it was to have a career and children. Sure the nonstop action of being a stay-at-home mom is tough, but it is nothing compared to a full-time job, followed by being a full-time mommy, chores still needing to be done, and errands handled during the evenings and on the weekend. My hats go off to those that make it work for their family!
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