Adventures Await

Wow! it has almost been a month since a post!!!! We have been busy and just needed to take a break from our busy schedule. After my trip to NJ I came home to being much appreciated. Cameron did a terrific job while I was away. I know my girls are loved!!! I do have a new dryer and a new blackberry that I am still learning how to use with all of its great features. Cameron insisted on the new phone with the calendar and contact lists etc... So I am using it all!!!! Carley is doing fine and gearing up for a new Disney adventure with her cousin Cody. She had a cold the week after I returned and we stayed home a couple of days to get well and let me regroup. Some times it is just plain hard to do what we do everyday. it is not fun to have an appointment almost nearly everyday!!!! I know it is life, but still hard sometimes. Caroline is well and learning to sign little by little. She is funny to watch and tries to imitate us. I am pretty sure she understands, but those little hands have trouble forming the detailed signs. Tuesday she is starting Occupational Therapy in home - yeah!!! Just so you all know I have not been totally hiding out in a cave for a month , I also have been computer less for over a week. It was hard, but good to have a forced break form the computer. Cameron is staying busy at work and is also looking forward to our Disney trip. Caroline and Lucy will be at home with MIMI.
My new adventure includes starting the teacher certification process in Fl to teach. I will have a current license by next January. I have 3 tests to take and pass. I will take the first test in April. I do not plan to go back to teach next year, but want to keep my license current for anything that could happen. I also am working on getting an Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist certification which will allow me to work part time with other delayed children and children with special needs and their families a couple hours a week. My goal is to have that certification by next fall. Carley will be attending her pre-school 5 days a week and Caroline will attend MMO on Wednesdays while I try working on Wednesdays a couple of hours. I am excited and wondering what God has in store for us as we embark on new adventures.
Caroline will stay in her Early Steps Program until close to three years before we transition her to a special needs school program. She is also awaiting her stander. We will be changing health insurance and ordering the stander again in March. We hope this will allow her to stand and walk someday!!!!! She is still very weak in her upper body and has regressed in her desire to roll and push up on her hands. Please pray her muscle tone will increase. we also will be getting an MRI in the next month or so to check on brain development and any possible seizure activity. Keep us on your mind and pray for daily strength and encouragement!!!!

Talked to the MOTHER SHIP

I called and talked to Kim earlier today to find out if her plane was scheduled to leave on time today. The weather forcast for Newark New Jersey is calling for snow and 21 degrees. Kim said that the plane was scheduled to take off on time and I have not heard from her since. I assume she made it on her flight and that the plane if in route to Charlotte. She has a 3 hour layover in Charlotte then its on to Jacksonville.

I am about to wake the kids up and get ready for dance. Tonights plans are dance at 4pm, dinner following, then pick Mimi and Mommy up from the airport. Then baths and bedtime.

Day #4 Feels like 40

HAPPY Thursday!!

Well today is the 4th and final day that I will be staying at home with the girls.

Kim gave me a schedule and on the to of the Thursday schedule it said "Good Luck" this is going to be your toughest day yet.

And that it is....

The morning started out great. Pop Tart wake up call at 6:58AM from Carley, followed by the announcement over the monitor from Caroline "My Momma" at 7:05AM.

I went ahead and got out of the bed to begin my day because I realized if I did not get in the shower then there may be no chance for the rest of the day.

After breakfast and a few morning cartoons I got everyone dressed to begin our day.

Angela invited Carley over to play with her daughter Grace this morning while I took Caroline to therapy.

So I drove Carley to Grace's house and dropped her off for a two hour play date. (that is such the stay at home mom phrase: "Play date")

Caroline and I then went to Physical Therapy. I was instructed by Kim to go to the therapy office and sit in the waiting room and someone would come and get us. That is exactly what the instructions on the sheet said. So that's what I did.

I was somewhat embarrassed by the pleasant lady who sat beside me in the waiting room. She leaned over to me and said you may want to take the tags off your children's clothes before they wear them. Not having any idea what she was talking about, I lifted up Caroline's arm and there on the sleeve was a brand name sticker and that plastic wire that holds the tag on the clothes. She help me undo the tags and then said its OK I am sure it happens all the time.

That was her way of saying Dad next time look at the clothes your placing on your child so you don't look stupid in public again.

After waiting about 15 minutes in the waiting room I realized that everyone was getting called back for their therapy appointments except me and Caroline.

I then walked up to the window and the ladies at the counter said oh Hi Caroline, not even acknowledging that I was in existence. I then asked if I was supposed to sign in or something because no one had called our name. So she said yes your supposed to sign in but usually when we see Kim we go ahead and call her therapist and she comes back. Next time I will know to go to the window and allow Caroline to greet the nice ladies there and well get called back right away.

Therapy was a little rough today. Caroline cried almost the entire time. All she kept saying was DADDA, DADDA. When the therapist would hold her she cried big alligator tears and she would then hand her back to me and she would smile and say DADDA.

After therapy we were off to pick up Carley from Mrs. Angela.

We then made a few quick stops at the post office, the bank, oh and Wendy's because Carley and I wanted a frosty.

You can make those impulse type stops when your in charge....

We soon arrived home for Caroline to eat her lunch and down for a nap she goes.

Now Carley had no interest in a nap today I guess because there is so much going on. Its OK I guess because we have to leave for dance around 3:30 and we started the nap attempts at 2:15pm.

I let Carley play in the back yard and sand box for a while because she need to work off some of that energy.

See the below picture of Carley playing in the sand box and notice the nice kitchen silverware in the top of the picture. I asked Carley where she got those from and she said the kitchen drawer.

You have got to be kidding me, she was playing with our nice silverware in the sand box. If mommy saw that she would have a fit.....

Its now 2:45 and this is the first time I have had all day to sit down all day. I have to go now its time to pack the dinner bag, dance bag, unload the garbage from the car, and re-load for round #2.

Stay at home Dad Emergency Car Kit

I have created a new product that every stay at home Dad needs in his vehicle.

Its the Car Emergency Kit.

Everything I placed in this kit is function and has been tested over the last 4 day.

~Disclaimer~

"The details in this post may or may not be representative of this stay at home dad. They are to be used strictly for example purposes and assistance to all the naive stay at home dads out there who have yet to pack their emergency car kit. Just because items are shown hear does not mean that this stay at home dad forgot them or failed to pack his diaper bag properly at all times."

Items I included in my Emergency Car Kit

-5 Diapers

-underwear in case of an accident

-baby wipes are great for any type of spill

-plastic fork, spoon, knife, cup, and napkins- We ordered mandarin oranges but we didn't get a fork or spoon to eat them with.

-Capri Sun because the 4 year old gets hungry after playing hard

-Snacks cookies, fruit snacks, and cereal bars

-Hair Clips and Rubber Bands- This will be a life saver when your 4 year old pulls her bow out and you can't find it prior to school (In theory)

-Infant spoons

-Bibs

-And the most important item of all. A roll of Toilet Paper!!! (See I survived another day post)

Having all these things in your car will make life a lot easier. Saved on multiple trips home or to Publixs

Tools for your Job

I finally realized today that if your going to do this job as a stay at home Mom or Dad you have to have the proper tools.
Kim has been telling me for a while that we needed a new dryer.
I saw that for myself last night. I had to run the towels in the dryer 5 times. You have got to be kidding me. 5 Times. No wonder our electric bill has been so high. I went to Sears today and researched dryers so that when Kim gets home we can go get her a new dryer.

In order to be effective at this job you have to have the proper tools. I realized that the hard way.

Well I survived another day

Well I haven't posted on the blog all day because I have been trying to keep up with this busy schedule.

I didn't finish the post from yesterday because the day was off the charts busy. I was going stir crazy inside all day. The girls and I played all kinds of games and toys and then we needed to get out of the house. The weather forecast called for Heavy Rain...

"Lesson Learned" In the pouring down rain it is not a good idea to take your kids out to an outdoor shopping center.

We went to the town center to develop some pictures for Mommy to scrapbook when she gets home. Kim has been asking for these pictures for quite some time. I took the girls to Wolf Camera because on Tuesday and Wednesday digital prints at 6 Cents a print.

The girls were great at Wolf Camera for a minute... Then Carley had to use the bathroom.
No big deal right. WRONG~! I asked the manager if we could use the restroom and he said no problem. When we finally got all ready to go to the bathroom there was no toilet paper. Are you kidding me. I am in the bathroom tripped over 3 boxes in the stock room, drove my limo sized double stroller in the back hallway of this store and they don't have any toilet paper. Maybe there is some in a box somewhere I thought. I went back out into the front of the store and said do you have any toilet paper for the restroom. The girl looked at my funny and said were out. You can use paper towels.
GREAT!!! By now I am in panic mode.
BIG PROBLEM.
Gotta go quick because were about to have a major problem on our hands. I realized that Toy R US is just across the street and its brand new and probably has nice restrooms. So away we went. I had to put the girls back into their car seats in the pouring down rain and hustle over to the Toys R Us to get Carley to the bathroom.

We finally get to the bathroom and Carley says to me. Daddy its OK I didn't really have to go that bad. ARE YOU Kidding Me. I was about to have cardiac arrest and get the Worst Stay at home dad awarded because my child wet her pants in a retail store.

Anyways long story short the Toys R US restroom saved the day.

"Lesson Learned" Don't take it for granted that all public restrooms have toilet paper.

More about this in a later post...
"See Emergency Kit Post"

When we arrived home from the Town Center I tried my hardest to get the girls to take naps...
No success...

I ended my night by remembering that I put towels in the washing machine at 8am and did not put them in the dryer all day.
So guess what, they smelled like... Well they smelled so I had to re-wash them and put them back into the dryer.
I had to run them in the dryer 5 times, to get them completely dry. I finally got them finished at 12:15AM!!!!!!!!

Day #2 Raining outside

Well so far Day #2 has started out pretty good.

Caroline woke me up at 7AM as she was ready for her morning bottle.

I made strawberry muffins this morning for breakfast.

It is now 11Am and I still have not had a shower and the girls are still in their pajamas.

I guess its time to start out day...

More posts to come....