Have you heard the saying, "If you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life,". It always makes me roll my eyes. Isn't that awful? I'm not a cynical person at all. But let's face it work is work.
I'm thinking a lot about going back to work... the countdown is on. It's been a good ride for over 2 years now and I know it's time... but I'm nervous. I'm nervous in that way that I always get when things are about to change. I don't like waiting. I wish the change would just get here already.
Then Brad Pitt said something stupid. I don't even remember what it was, but I was watching E! in the middle of the night (because that's what you do in the middle of the night if you can't sleep) and he said something stupid. I don't even remember what it was now... but it really irritated me at the time and led me to my epiphany.
I really like teaching. I really do. I find it fun and interesting. I enjoy being a part of the lives of these little people. I really like it. (But it is definitely work.)
So, anyway, Brad helped me figure out my dream job. I want to be a nanny... but, here's the kicker, I want to be a nanny for my own kids. Think about it for a minute. It's brilliant.
I was a nanny in college. I loved it. My job was to play. To sit on the floor and sing and play. To give my undivided attention to two tiny people. I got paid for it.
If I won the lottery the last thing in the world I would do would be to hire a nanny! I want to hire someone to be me. I want someone to pay the bills, plan the meals, do the shopping, clean the house, fold the laundry... you get the picture. I want my only responsibily to be sitting on the floor playing with my children. I want my job to be laughing with them and soaking them up.
So, I guess I'll probably never be one of those people who will "never work a day in your life" but I'd like to thank Brad Pitt for saying something stupid and helping me put things into perspective... I'm going to make an effort to "play" nanny more. I need more moments of just soaking them up. I'm going to pretend that's my job... because really it is. Everything else will wait. (Seriously, it will. My dirty dishes are not going anywhere) ...and I'd like to put my nanny resume out there... if anyone would like to pay me to play with my children while they do my cooking and cleaning please let me know :)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Vacation!!
We just got back from our family vacation to Orlando. We are exhausted and tan (well, at least Kirsten is... I'm pink). It was a really fun trip. The packing and planning was intense and I came home with no voice and serious sleep deprivation... but it was worth every minute :)
In addition to the Ward/Taylor crew the Maloneys were with us as well. I'm very bummed that I didn't get a picture of the whole group. Kirsten had a wonderful time with Erin and Brenna. They are such beautiful, sweet girls. ...And Danny had a great time taunting and chasing Uncle John. Good times.
There wasn't much rest... I think this may have been the only restful moment of the week. It's good I have proof that at least once I had a sleepy child :)
I snuck in a nap Sunday afternoon while my little ones sang "Rain, rain go away" 500 times.
When the sun came back out, so did the dimples.
We had a great time visiting with Baby Luke. Since we've been home Danny keeps asking "Where Baby Luke? Baby Luke? Baby Luke and Maureen?". My crazy ones sure love that baby!
Grandpa is so funny
I like this shot of me and my wild ones. They are so silly. This was during one of our many trips to the resort's playcenter.
This playcenter was awesome. It was very, very clean and very well run. The big kids were measured when the arrived and had to be under 52 inches to play. It was never too crowded or too wild.
As always, Kirsten was a great help with the boys. She was very helpful during the first run-through... after that the boys were off on their own!
Kirsten showed off her karaoke skills in a poolside contest
Her cheering section got a little rowdy ;)
Here are a few more pictures of our poolside fun!
...And my favorite picture of the week. I snapped this picture of my view pushing the stroller. My sweet boys love each other so much. It makes my heart smile.
In addition to the Ward/Taylor crew the Maloneys were with us as well. I'm very bummed that I didn't get a picture of the whole group. Kirsten had a wonderful time with Erin and Brenna. They are such beautiful, sweet girls. ...And Danny had a great time taunting and chasing Uncle John. Good times.
There wasn't much rest... I think this may have been the only restful moment of the week. It's good I have proof that at least once I had a sleepy child :)
I snuck in a nap Sunday afternoon while my little ones sang "Rain, rain go away" 500 times.
When the sun came back out, so did the dimples.
We had a great time visiting with Baby Luke. Since we've been home Danny keeps asking "Where Baby Luke? Baby Luke? Baby Luke and Maureen?". My crazy ones sure love that baby!
Grandpa is so funny
I like this shot of me and my wild ones. They are so silly. This was during one of our many trips to the resort's playcenter.
This playcenter was awesome. It was very, very clean and very well run. The big kids were measured when the arrived and had to be under 52 inches to play. It was never too crowded or too wild.
As always, Kirsten was a great help with the boys. She was very helpful during the first run-through... after that the boys were off on their own!
Kirsten showed off her karaoke skills in a poolside contest
Her cheering section got a little rowdy ;)
Here are a few more pictures of our poolside fun!
...And my favorite picture of the week. I snapped this picture of my view pushing the stroller. My sweet boys love each other so much. It makes my heart smile.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
More Summer Fun
Last week (while my parents were in Orlando) I had a spur of the moment pool party at their house. My "go to the beach every Friday" plan hasn't been working out. Last Friday Kirsten had an afternoon swim meet and there were some very dark clouds... this made a pool date seem like a better idea. Corrie and her little cuties joined us and we played until all the kids were cranky and ready for naps :)
My dad likes to call Danny a "mad scientist". He LOVES to pour, fill, and empty his little bowls and pails. He does it for so long and is so content (until Matt steals one of his bowls and throws it across the pool. He does NOT like that.)
Corrie with Malia and Noah
Snack time... a huge hit and the perfect ending to a fun morning in the sun!
My dad likes to call Danny a "mad scientist". He LOVES to pour, fill, and empty his little bowls and pails. He does it for so long and is so content (until Matt steals one of his bowls and throws it across the pool. He does NOT like that.)
Corrie with Malia and Noah
Snack time... a huge hit and the perfect ending to a fun morning in the sun!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
My Best Friend Has Cancer
...how's that for jumping right in? That's a weird, awful name for a post... but there is no other way to start.
7 weeks ago Sarah was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. She went to the doctor because she thought she had a sinus infection. She had one swollen lymph node.
Thank God the cure rate is excellent. She is going to be okay. In the long run it's all going to be okay. But this is my BEST friend. My college roomate, my sorority sister, my road-trip buddy, my bridesmaid, my son's Godmother. My BEST friend.
I can't write this without asking everyone who reads it to pray for her. I know she'll be okay but prayers always help. That's not why I'm writing this though. I'm writing this because my best friend has cancer and she is hilarious, amazing, and inspirational. That's the part I want to remember about all this.
Since being diagnosed her Facebook statuses have included:
"I have cancer. That toooootally beats your case of the Mondays."
"When life gives you Lymphoma make Lymphonaide"
"Port was "installed" today. Unfortunatley it does not charge my Ipod."
"Bulking up for chemo... one slice of pizza at a time."
"Round 1 of chemo today. Hey cancer are your ready to ruuuuuumble?"
"Sarah - 1, Cancer - 0"
"I hope I beat the other teams in trivia tonight as good as I beat cancer today."
She let me sit with her for the entire 8 hours of her first chemo treatment. She texted, teased her sweet nurse, and ate cookies.She laughed, gossiped, and told jokes. During chemo. She's my hero :)
Last Friday night she celebrated the first step toward her recovery with a "Chemo Crawl" through several South Tampa pubs. She got a huge group of people together to dress up, dance, drink too much, and "show cancer who's boss." It was AWESOME.
No one loves a costume more than Sarah. The disappointment of the night was that the monogrammed scrubs she ordered didn't arrived in time. She had to settle for "generic" scrubs. Poor girl.
The pre-party
Me and my BFF (I'm not so into costumes...)
I was the only one though... even the beer dressed up. Ace bandages served as coozies for the night.
Who knew cancer could be so fun?
There is no better excuse to air-guitar at 2 am than kicking cancer's a**
I'll always be your back-up girl. I love you!
7 weeks ago Sarah was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. She went to the doctor because she thought she had a sinus infection. She had one swollen lymph node.
Thank God the cure rate is excellent. She is going to be okay. In the long run it's all going to be okay. But this is my BEST friend. My college roomate, my sorority sister, my road-trip buddy, my bridesmaid, my son's Godmother. My BEST friend.
I can't write this without asking everyone who reads it to pray for her. I know she'll be okay but prayers always help. That's not why I'm writing this though. I'm writing this because my best friend has cancer and she is hilarious, amazing, and inspirational. That's the part I want to remember about all this.
Since being diagnosed her Facebook statuses have included:
"I have cancer. That toooootally beats your case of the Mondays."
"When life gives you Lymphoma make Lymphonaide"
"Port was "installed" today. Unfortunatley it does not charge my Ipod."
"Bulking up for chemo... one slice of pizza at a time."
"Round 1 of chemo today. Hey cancer are your ready to ruuuuuumble?"
"Sarah - 1, Cancer - 0"
"I hope I beat the other teams in trivia tonight as good as I beat cancer today."
She let me sit with her for the entire 8 hours of her first chemo treatment. She texted, teased her sweet nurse, and ate cookies.She laughed, gossiped, and told jokes. During chemo. She's my hero :)
Last Friday night she celebrated the first step toward her recovery with a "Chemo Crawl" through several South Tampa pubs. She got a huge group of people together to dress up, dance, drink too much, and "show cancer who's boss." It was AWESOME.
No one loves a costume more than Sarah. The disappointment of the night was that the monogrammed scrubs she ordered didn't arrived in time. She had to settle for "generic" scrubs. Poor girl.
The pre-party
Me and my BFF (I'm not so into costumes...)
I was the only one though... even the beer dressed up. Ace bandages served as coozies for the night.
Who knew cancer could be so fun?
There is no better excuse to air-guitar at 2 am than kicking cancer's a**
I'll always be your back-up girl. I love you!
You'd Expect Me to Be Skinny...
because all three of my children are so tiny! All 3 kids had their annual physicals this week. They are all very healthy and very, very tiny!
Here are the Team Taylor Summer '09 Stats:
Kirsten: 48.5" (20th percentile) and 42 lbs (1st percentile)
Matthew: 32" (1st percentile) and 22.5 lbs (1st percentile)
...And the Chunky Monkey of the group
Daniel: 32.5" (4th percentile) and 23.5 lbs (3rd percentile) Ha!
You sure wouldn't guess how much these kiddos eat! They never stop eating! For breakfast today Kirsten had a breakfast protien shake, a scooop of peanutbutter and some crackers. Matt and Danny each had an adult-sized bowl of oatmeal, a bananna, 1/2 a cup of blueberries, and crackers. I would KILL for that kind of metabolism!!
The doctor assured us that, while they are all "officially" underweight, they are all perfectly healthy and perfectly proportional. She commented that they twins' language skills seemed very advanced and that they seemed "very smart"... but I could have told you that ;)
Here are the Team Taylor Summer '09 Stats:
Kirsten: 48.5" (20th percentile) and 42 lbs (1st percentile)
Matthew: 32" (1st percentile) and 22.5 lbs (1st percentile)
...And the Chunky Monkey of the group
Daniel: 32.5" (4th percentile) and 23.5 lbs (3rd percentile) Ha!
You sure wouldn't guess how much these kiddos eat! They never stop eating! For breakfast today Kirsten had a breakfast protien shake, a scooop of peanutbutter and some crackers. Matt and Danny each had an adult-sized bowl of oatmeal, a bananna, 1/2 a cup of blueberries, and crackers. I would KILL for that kind of metabolism!!
The doctor assured us that, while they are all "officially" underweight, they are all perfectly healthy and perfectly proportional. She commented that they twins' language skills seemed very advanced and that they seemed "very smart"... but I could have told you that ;)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Party Like A Rock Star
Since eight year olds are "too old for princesses" (how sad is that??), Kirsten celebrated her birthday with a Disney Rock N' Roll party. It was the perfect way to combine Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers, and High School Musical into one group!
The girls started their celebration with a toast of pink Sprite. Cheers!
The girls each had a rock 'n roll makeover (which they LOVED). They covered themselves with body glitter and lip gloss, were given manicures by Grammy, and had their hair colored pink, purple, and blue.
Danny LOVED watching the hair coloring. He kept saying "Me too! Me too hair!" It was so cute :)
After his coloring one of the girls gave him a "Baby Hawk". ...Nothing says happy birthday like a blue Mohawk!
The girls came up with some very unique costumes and performed a show for us using Kirsten's new karaoke machine.
For weeks Kirsten has been talking about a Jonas Brothers cake. However, when she saw this Hannah Montana cake at Publix she was sold. It was so cute and so delicious.
Because I'm a little neurotic and because the main ingredient in the hair color is propane I had all the girls help Kirsten blow out her candles and made them all stay far away from the fire.
Kirsten's friend Haylie stayed for awhile after the party. I love Haylie. She is so so sweet. I like all the little girls that Kirsten is friends with but Haylie is the PERFECT match for Kirsten. She is very calm and patient. She brings out the best in Kirsten. I just love when they spend time together!
I also love this photo of the sweet, snuggling that went on at the after-party.
The girls started their celebration with a toast of pink Sprite. Cheers!
The girls each had a rock 'n roll makeover (which they LOVED). They covered themselves with body glitter and lip gloss, were given manicures by Grammy, and had their hair colored pink, purple, and blue.
Danny LOVED watching the hair coloring. He kept saying "Me too! Me too hair!" It was so cute :)
After his coloring one of the girls gave him a "Baby Hawk". ...Nothing says happy birthday like a blue Mohawk!
The girls came up with some very unique costumes and performed a show for us using Kirsten's new karaoke machine.
For weeks Kirsten has been talking about a Jonas Brothers cake. However, when she saw this Hannah Montana cake at Publix she was sold. It was so cute and so delicious.
Because I'm a little neurotic and because the main ingredient in the hair color is propane I had all the girls help Kirsten blow out her candles and made them all stay far away from the fire.
Kirsten's friend Haylie stayed for awhile after the party. I love Haylie. She is so so sweet. I like all the little girls that Kirsten is friends with but Haylie is the PERFECT match for Kirsten. She is very calm and patient. She brings out the best in Kirsten. I just love when they spend time together!
I also love this photo of the sweet, snuggling that went on at the after-party.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
I LOVE being 29! (again)
My family is so sweet. I had a wonderful 29th birthday! (Maybe because I've practiced it a few years in a row now ;) Brian got me the greatest chocolate, chocolate cake. Mmmmmm. I got to sleep in, woke up to breakfast, beautiful flowers and gifts, and a packed car! We headed out for family day at the beach, cake at my parents house, and date night at my favorite restaurant. Perfect, perfect day.
What's a girl to wish for when she has such a wonderful family?
(... a housekeeper. I wished for a housekeeper.)
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