First day of school

So, summer vacation has officially ended and we are back in the ho-hum routine of school. This includes me constantly asking the girls to get out of bed in the morning, asking them to eat, get dressed, brush their hair, brush their teeth, get shoes on, get in the car...it's never ending in the morning.

Then the nights are no longer lackadaisical, but are filled with more routine and more requests: sit down and do your homework, eat dinner, take a bath, get your pj's on, get into bed...and then, go to sleep girls, no more talking, you are gonna lose play time, tv time, friend time, etc...

And so the routine begins all over again. Will it get easier as the years pass? I'm not wishing them to pass too quickly, but am done with the badgering all morning and all night.

Having said that, the girls were sooo excited to go to school this morning. They got new backpacks, but no new clothes yet as the summer clothes are still good enough for school!

Gracie was so excited to see her BFF Ale at school this morning. They ran to each other and hugged each other like they hadn't seen each other for years, squealing with delight the whole time!

Even though they aren't in the same class this year, they are right next door and found each other at lunch time today!

So happy the girls got good teachers. We were worried about that but lucked out with two good ones! WooHoo!

Next up, Gracie's bday!

Ah, summer

We are full swing into summer and the girls are already asking why it's going by so quickly! Only 4 more weeks until the first day of school....URGH!

The girls have been busy with swim lessons, a trip to Baltimore to visit their aunt, uncle, and cousins, went on Safari, strawberry picking...and the list goes on and on.

 At church today, they helped take care of 3 yr old McKenzie as she went down the slide. And then made sure she got a cookie and drink after church. A few days ago, someone asked me why I go to church. I didn't really have a good answer at the time, so I said I didn't know. But after thinking about it and after hearing how Gracie and Emma helped this little girl down the slide, I came to this conclusion: I go to be Present in Life. It's a peaceful hour where I let go of the past week and let myself live in the present, not worrying about the future.

 Strawberry picking at Swanton's on the coast near Ano Nuevo. Nothing better than eating fresh picked strawberries while sitting on the beach watching the waves crash in.


On Safara at Safari West in Santa Rosa. If you haven't gone, go. It's pretty amazing and fun, too. 

We still have a short trip planned for Lake Tahoe. I've never been in the summer (except to ski) so it'll be a new adventure for all of us. I think bikes will be involved somehow, as will water. Can't wait.

I love spending time with the girls, hearing their laughter and seeing their smiles. Nothing better in the world than that. Recently, I was asked why I don't have a significant other. Those of you that know me know that it's not that I haven't thought about it or tried dating, because I have. But if having a significant other means I spend even less time with my girls, I'm content being on my own.

I want to share a website that I recently found. If you happen to have a look, let me know what you think.

Living life for today

Happy Mom's Day!

I never thought I'd be a mom...heck I didn't want to be a mom for the longest time. There are a lot of reasons why, but I'm glad I didn't listen to my head and instead listened to my heart because now I have two of the most precious gifts a woman could possible have: Emma and Grace.

I didn't have a lot of practice with babies or kids before having these two beautiful girls, but they were easy babies and so easy to love that having experience wasn't really necessary.

They've become great little skiers and willingly follow me down any path whether it's an easy green, hard black, and anything in between. I hope as they get older and face life's ups and downs, that they will still follow my lead and take my advice!



Where you see one, you will inevitably see the other. Sometimes I think they are twins because they are together so much.

My girls have taught me so much about life, love, and being a mother. Without them in my life, I would be truly lost. I am thankful every day I wake up and see their smiles, hear their laughter, and feel their love. So, to my girls...I am so honored to by your mom, mama, your moomoo....Love you to the moon and back again. :)

It's been awhile!

Hi there!

I keep telling myself I need to blog, I need to blog. But something always comes up and I don't get to it and I feel bad. So, here I am blogging, but this blog isn't about Emma and Gracie....

This blog is about Victoria, my babysitter. She is an amazing young girl with a lot of strength and courage for such a young person. We met her last summer just before school started.

As soon as the girls and I met her, we knew she was going to be part of our family. She is 20, a tiny little thing about 5'2'' and full of energy and happiness. (I don't have a picture...will get one!) The girls took to her immediately as did Marc and I. You can't help but like her. 

Victoria is an amazing girl at her age, in this time, and environment. She comes from a troubled family: her mother is an addict who she hasn't seen in years. Her father is not in her life very much with a troubled life of his own. So Victoria and her 17 year old brother, Victor, live with their uncle and his girlfriend. 

Victoria works mornings and afternoons at the community center in Almaden. At 3 pm each day, she picks up Emma and Grace from school. She leaves at 5:30 pm so she can be at night-school by 6pm and stays in classes until 10 pm each night. Weekends are full of more jobs at the community center. I don't know how she does it! Whew...I'm tired just thinking of her schedule.

Even with this hectic schedule, she always has a smile and a kind word. And she takes on the responsibility of her younger brother, supporting him, encouraging him, and trying to set an example for him so that he can do something with his life. Both kids have excellent grades in school. Victor wants to go to Stanford....Victoria has been accepted at every school she has applied to but has decided to go to UC Santa Cruz so she can be close to home to keep an eye on Victor.

She obviously doesn't have a lot of money and is relying heavily on student loans, financial aid, and scholarships. She recently got news that she received a $20,000 scholarship that will help her immensely but won't pay all her tuition for the next two years, or any of her living expenses.

So, I'd like to try and do something to ease some of that financial burden so that she can concentrate on school and being 20! That's where all of you come in! :) I hate asking for money, but in this case, I'm not going to be so shy. She deserves all the help she can get.

If you would like to help, (or think maybe your company could help), please let me know. Anything will do: money, gift cards, a place to stay, even words of encouragement. I know she will truly appreciate it. Thanking you in advance!

Next time I will post about the girls, and hopefully it's not too far in the future. But until then, here is a picture of us skiing at Sierra at Tahoe in February.