just hatched

When I discovered this on my back deck, Google told me that in about two weeks I could expect baby birds, but I was still shocked when I peered in the nest today and saw this.





I will admit that when I first saw these guys I thought they were down right creepy. But this guy sleeping on the egg? I think maybe he is a little cute.



I was not sure if the small crack in the fourth egg meant it was hatching or just broken. I got my answer a few hours later when we had four babies.

a good day in this job

Today was a good day for this mom.

7:30 Wake up in a silent house and jump in the shower.

7:45 Dry my hair, put on makeup and get dressed, since the house is still quiet. This day is starting off well.

8:00 The house is still quiet. Both kids are still sleeping, which never happens. With giddy excitement I make my tea and log on to my computer.

8:30 Abby rolls out of bed, forages around the fridge and finds some leftover pizza she desperately wants to eat for breakfast. I do a quick mental review of her last few meals (pizza at ballet rehearsal, lunch at Friendly's). Nope, pizza for breakfast is not happening.

9:00 Claire rolls out of the crib and is quickly kissed all over, changed, dressed and feed.

9:30 Friends arrive to pick us up for a trip to the Aquarium.

10:30 We arrive at an Aquarium packed with kids on school field trips. Note to self: Next year do not forget that the end of May is field trip season.



11:30 Give up on the Aquarium and take the kids to the park for a picnic lunch. I do not have either sunscreen or a lunch for my kids but luckily the other mom has all this covered. Yay for organized friends!



1:00 The kids bore of the playground for various reasons, so we move on to Faneuil Hall for a snack. My four year old is doing lots of whining about having to walk. I am not carrying a forty pound child around the city, so I decide a rare treat of caffeine and sugar is in order.



1:30 Return to a much calmer Aquarium with energized kids and enjoy some fish and seal watching.

2:30 Kids bore of the Aquarium and are packed up and brought home where they play outside until dinner time.

5:00 I begin the dinner, bedtime and bathtime routine in giddy anticipation of opening a bottle of wine and doing whatever I want tonight since the husband is out late and I have the house to myself.

8:00 As bedtime drags on, I review all of things I still have to do to prepare for tomorrows ballet recital (by myself since my husband is out late) before I get to that bottle of wine. No, there will be no extra bedtime books from Mommy tonight.

10:00 Food has been prepared. The house is clean and filled with fresh lilacs. Finally, I sit down with that glass of wine, answer some emails finalizing weekend plans (Sex and the City, the movie!!) and debate what to do with this delicious bit of free time in my quiet, clean house: edit photos from today's trip, watch DVRed Real Housewives of NYC bonus footage or blog.

Yup, a very good day in this job.

Childless friends, be very, very afraid.

a friday haiku

My beautiful girls,
their little legs are all bruised,
their faces filthy.

Grass strains and skinned knees,
Kate Gosselin would not approve
of the way they play.

But for this Mommy
this is what summer should be,
just play, play, play play.

They run and tumble,
full of such laughter and life,
a heartwarming sight.

And ahead of us?
Countless days of summer sun.
What could be sweeter?

time, time, time see what's become of me

I want to stop time. I want to savor every last minute of my girls being young. Somehow my baby, my second and last baby, just turned two. This just does not seem possible. I remember her birth and her baby days so clearly, yet they seem so far away.

Every day both girls are a little more independent. Everyday they need and want me a little less. Abby and her friends tumble around the house in their own imaginary world, speaking a secret language of shrieks that only they understand. Claire still enjoys hanging out with me as long as I follow her commands- read this, draw that, put this dress on this doll. But in her sister I see the future.

I want to remember every detail. I want to fill every moment with joy and laughter. I want to make the absolute most of every precious moment. I want to be the best mother to them that I can in this short time that I am given.

But at the same time, at the very same time, I struggle to pass the days. I look forward to my precious nap time, then dinner time, then the moment when Daddy comes home and then finally, finally the magical bedtime hour. My spirits lift as we successfully near the end of another day. I look forward to another day done. To a few precious moments spent relaxing with my husband. A few precious moments of not having to watch anyone or play anything or fetch anything.

Even worse, in those exceedingly precious moments with my children I struggle. I struggle to find the energy and enthusiasm to be the mom I want to be. I struggle to find the patience. I struggle with my own boredom. I struggle with my desire for more time to myself, for myself. I struggle to block out the stress of the adult world- the bills, the things that need fixing and cleaning and buying.

Will they remember the times I get it right or the times I get it wrong?

And what, exactly, is it that I want? More time in the day? Less time in the day? More time with the kids? Less time with the kids? How can I want more and less of them at the same time?

Time, it would seem, is not this mother's friend.

our weekend in pictures

Claire finally takes the plunge!!


Abby "helps" daddy in the yard

Abby the bug hunter

Claire enjoys a quiet moment

ICE CREAM!!

Ready for a Memorial Day Parade!

Claire in the flower garden

and finally... more ICE CREAM!!

what type of mother are you?

I read about this quiz here and again here and decided to see what it had to say about me.

Apparently, I am an “Action Adventure” Mother:

Active and spontaneous, the ESTP mother can turn ordinary life into a fun-filled adventure. She makes dull routines exciting and chores a “let’s do it again” kind of game. Her best times are those spent with her children actively doing, particularly if it’s spur of the moment, innovative, and unconventional.

Full of energy and enthusiasm for living in the moment, the ESTP mother gives her children every opportunity to experience all that life has to offer — touching, seeing, moving, doing ... and meeting people. She’s interested in stimulating their senses so they can take life in and live it.

The ESTP mother is matter-of-fact—“what you see is what you get.” She mothers without hidden agendas and takes life and people as they are. Her children know where they stand. She is able to develop a close relationship with them based on honesty and a strong family orientation as well as sharing a wide variety of experiences.

I would not describe myself as an Action/Adventure person (that sounds like someone who does lots of rock climbing and mountain biking, which is sooo not me), but this is a fairly accurate description of the kind of mother I am on a good day, the kind of mother I strive to be. Other days I am lazy, irritable mother in need of more sleep but this quiz did not seem to have a category for that. So Action Adventure Mother it is!

got milk?

Claire is not a milk drinker. She likes it on her cereal, but give her a cup of milk instead of her beloved Tropicana and the cup is getting thrown on the floor or back at you. Yes, I have tried flavored milk. No, she is not fooled. However, she does eat other dairy products and in general her diet is good.

At every checkup the doctor and I discuss her weight, and today's two year checkup was no exception. Claire is average height but her weight is low. Not off the charts low, but barely on the chart low. Really nothing either of us is worried about at this point, but for some reason we still feel the need to talk about it.

The doctor asked how Claire was eating and I replied that she eats very well, except for the fact that she does not like milk.

Does she drink orange juice with calcium? Yes. Other sources of protein? Definitely, yes.

Then don't worry about it at all, he advised.

He went on to point out that while we, as humans, have chosen to drink the breast milk of other animals (put that way eewwww) we are really designed to only drink milk for the first year or so of life. In some cultures, this is still the norm. In others, like ours, we pour the breast milk of other animals over our cereal and turn it into cheese and ice cream.

Have I mentioned I love my pediatrician?

I have decided give up buying fabulous (expensive) organic milk, fighting over it and then pouring it down the drain. If baby girl prefers Tropicana in her cup instead of the breast milk of other animals, so be it.

girls and shopping

Today in Gymboree:

Abby: Oh, look at this dress mommy.

Me: I think it is actually a night gown.

Abby: Can I have it pleeease???

Me: Honey, you don't need new nightgowns today.

Abby: But Mommy, I need this nightgown because tomorrow is pajama day at school and all of my pajamas are old and nubby.

Four years old and this is what she came up with. The very same reasoning used by women everywhere as they buy new clothes. Is this genetically programed behavior? Some sort of female shopping gene?

She is four. I am screwed.

And for the record I did not buy the nightgown, but to be honest I feel a little bad because it was cute and her reasoning was pretty impressive for a four year old. Not to mention the fact that I can so relate to the feeling of "needing" something new for a special occasion.

I did, however, treat the girls to cupcakes for being such good shoppers.

In addition to Gymboree, we went in five non-kid stores and they told me I looked fancy beautiful in everything I tried on.

What more could a Mom ask for?

the birthday weekend, part 2

Claire's big birthday bash was on Sunday. Last year, for her first birthday, I invited every friend, family member and neighborhood kid we knew. This year I kept the guest list a bit smaller in the hope of 1) not spending an insane amount of money and 2) actually being able to spend some time with Claire at her party.

Like every event I host, I managed to get myself all stressed out trying to do too many things in too little time. Of course, I planned the girls outfits but not my own. Of course, it was much hotter than I expected. Of course, I have not bought myself any new summer clothes yet which means I ended up wearing a sleeveless top at my daughters second birthday party that was in fact a maternity/nursing top.

The good news is, I think Claire enjoyed every minute of her party. All of her favorite people were there- mommy, daddy, big sis, the grandparents, the god parents, the uncles, the aunties and her neighborhood friend.

She happily ran around, played and ate. We opened presents and she successfully blew out the candles on her much anticipated Ariel cake.





We wish you a great year baby girl!

the birthday weekend, part 1

Each year, to celebrate the girl's birthdays we try to plan a special family day in addition to the traditional birthday party. Claire's actual birthday was on Saturday and her birthday party was scheduled for Sunday, so we made this weekend a full weekend of birthday fun for her.

On Saturday morning we all enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and Claire got to open her presents from Mommy, Daddy and Abby.


Then came her afternoon of birthday fun. First was a trip to the candy store for anything she wanted ($1.47 well spent).

Next was a trip to Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary, a small local animal farm that houses rescue animals. They do not have the more exotic zoo animals, but we got to see horses, ponies, emus, llamas, all kids of beautiful birds, rabbits and dozens of cats. All the animals play freely together on a beautiful historic farm surrounded by acres of wooded land. It was all very relaxing and refreshingly uncommercial. Just a nice little place to get some fresh air and see some animals.







Then it was out to dinner at one of those decidedly commercial chain restaurants where they sing to you when they bring the cake, don't especially mind if your kids yell or trash the place and have yummy margaritas available to dull the pain.


Good times.

more eggs!

We are up to four eggs!

Highlights from the big weekend of birthday fun to follow...

happy birthday clarie!

My Sweet Little Claire,

Today you are two. So hard to believe that two whole years have passed since the bright sunny spring day that your father brought me to the hospital for your scheduled arrival.

It has been a big year for you. You were slow to bother with the whole walking thing. This was fine since I was happy to hold you and your big sister was happy to bring you toy after toy. But at 15 months you took off running. The first steps you took were in pursuit of your sister and you continue to follow her often, just to make sure you do not miss out on any action.

Overnight, you transformed from a plump baby to a slim toddler on the go. You worried us a bit with your weight loss and lack of weight gain for a few months, but you are a healthy eater and it appears you will just be a petite little thing.

You have loved books since you were just a few months old. Now, you drag over book after book and eagerly climb into the lap of anyone willing to read to you. You love your letters. You recognize them all and excitedly point them out everywhere: signs, shirts, cereal boxes. You also know your letter sounds and often when you see a word you name each letter. I am not sure, my baby genius, but I think you may be teaching yourself to read.

You are a very happy, agreeable little thing. You wake up happy and whatever we do, you are happy. You want to do the right thing. You put trash in the trash. You put things back where you found them. When I ask you to stop, generally you stop. You also accept compromises. If you want one thing and I suggest another, you pause, consider the situation and exclaim "OKAY!".

To be honest, I did not know kids like you existed until we had you.

You do not particularly like conflict. When Abby gets in trouble you are very emphatic. You rarely get in trouble yourself, but when you do your little face crumbles.

You are not a thrill seeker. You are very cautious on the playground and avoid the slide entirely. Too scary, you say. You are very friendly and interested in other kids, but mostly you tend to stick close to me. You are not overly needy and you are good at amusing yourself, but you do like to stay close.

You are my little buddy. You happily accompany me on errands, cheerful even when I get grumpy. You make me smile. You brighten my life. You point out the little things that I miss like balloons outside a store or a flower in the grass. You remind me what is important and you teach me patience.

You have been looking forward to your birthday party for a couple of months now. You have no memory of your first birthday party, but you have attended several birthday parties recently and you are thrilled by the idea of a party for you. Almost every night at bedtime you ask about your party. You confirm that there will be an Ariel cake. And that you will get to blow the candles. Then you spend a few moments practicing candle blowing. From there your excitement grows as you image the color of the candles and the possibility of balloons. I can not wait to watch you enjoy your big day.

Happy Birthday, my little sunshine. I am grateful that I got the opportunity to be with you for this year.

I love you much,

Mommy

look what we've got

The girls and I found this on our back deck today. The egg watch begins.

my girls

Today I happened to capture pictures of both girls at the park that pretty much sum up who they are.

Here is my little monkey, up in a tree.



Here is my little buddy, minus a hair ribbon, sitting by my side watching the action.

works for me wednesday- easy peanut butter cookies

I love kids cooking projects, so when I came across this recipe for peanut butter cookies that called for only three ingredients, we had to give it a try.

This recipe is so simple that my four year old could do all the measuring and mixing on her own. She was thrilled. I got out the ingredients and let Abby do the rest.

I will admit I was skeptical of how these would come out. Cookies with no flour? It just does not seem possible. When they baked up just like cookies I was amazed.

Warm from the oven I thought they tasted fine and the girls ate them enthusiastically, which was good enough for me. I was not sure what they would be like when they cooled, but to my surprise they were actually even better. They were really good cookies. With only three ingredients. Who knew? Works for me.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of peanut butter
1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Mix all ingredients together and drop one inch spoonfuls onto a cookie tray (15-18 cookies).

Dip a fork in sugar and press down on the cookie dough to flatten and then repeat on the other side so you have intersecting fork marks. Repeat for each cookie.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. I found I preferred mine slightly under done.


And just because she is cute, here is my little chef at work:





More Works For Me Wednesday

the day after

My Mother's Day was a mix of disappointments and unexpected surprises. An emotional day, because I am an emotional person and motherhood is a very emotional thing for me.

Today, the girls and I spent a quiet day at home. We stayed in our pajamas all day. We baked cookies. We watched movies. I caught up on laundry. We snuggled. I made one of everyone's favorite dinners. I wore my new cherry blossom lotion and the girls told me how wonderful I smelled.

Then for some real excitement, we played "Where is Claire?". The pictures may not be perfect, but the smiles are real.











Today was a good day.

where are the daily pictures?

Over here.

I am enjoying and learning from my project 365, but I have decided to track it only in Flickr.

I feel like the daily picture posting is distracting from other things I want to write about. Sometimes I want to post and write about pictures. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I want to post more than one picture. It was all getting too confusing.

So I will continue to take lots of pictures. I will continue to post many of them here. And I will continue to post a daily photo over there. Easy enough?

she loves me, she really loves me

I know Abby loves me. She knows I love her. But our daily life is not exactly filled with loving mother daughter moments.

Abby is strong willed. Intense. Not the most patient. Determined to do things her way. Somewhat like, um, me actually.

Ours is not an easy relationship.

Our days are filled with negotiation and compromise. She has to wait for things. She has to wear clothes. She has to eat healthy food. She has to say please. She has to be nice to her sister. She has to go places she does not want to go. The list of demands put on her is endless and the daily job of being her mother is rather thankless.

Today was the Mother's Day tea party at Abby's preschool. A fun filled tribute to Mom including singing, art work and baked goods.

I was one of the last mothers to walk into the classroom, but when Abby saw me she was the first of all the kids to jump up and run over.

"Mommy!! "she cried, a grinning blur of ribbons and white dress flying towards me.

She really does love me. Really.

I thanked her for the tea and the plant and the picture she made of me, but that one hug was the best Mother's Day gift of all.

it's a party!

It is McMommy's birthday and she is having a party!


Since every party needs some chocolate, I am making my famous(okay, Ina Garten's famous) Outrageous Brownies.

Head on over and check out the party shoes and all the delicious food and drink at McMommy's place.

at the farm

Near our house is a wonderful farm. They host all sorts of seasonal events like Halloween hayrides and a strawberry festival. They sell local produce and plants. And just to keep things exciting for the kids they also have a few farm animals- some goats, turkeys, chickens and a rabbit.

Today on the way home the girls wanted to stop and see the animals. We had a few hours to kill until dinner so why not? The animal area is quite cute, with some pretty little benches for tired moms. The girls checked out the baby goats, then moved over to the rabbit house. I took a few pictures. All seemed well. I sat down for a minute and enjoyed the sun.


The next thing I hear?

Um, excuse me, but I think your kids are playing with rabbit poop.

Mother of the year, that's me.

a perfect moment

As I drove home today in my station wagon filled with cases of Pampers and gallons of Tide, I thought about the post I was going to write today. I was going to write about all of the un-funness of being an adult.

I was going to write about our seemingly constant need for stuff. Not fun stuff, just stuff we need in our daily life like orange juice, diapers, deodorant and toothpaste. Stupid stuff that costs lots of money when you add it all up. Money that we have a lot less of since I quit the job that brought in almost half of the money.

I was going to write about ridiculously expensive car maintaince and how depressing it can be to go from one kind of life to another. From one way of seeing yourself to another. How hard it can be to adjust your thinking. How hard it can be to say I can not afford that now, even though I could before. How I accidentally threw out the receipt with all of my CVS Extra Care dollars ($15 of them!!) and how my bread was moldy.

But then something wonderful happened that I want to write about much more.

After picking Abby up from school I decided to let the girls play on the school playground. It is a small, completely fenced in playground so rather than being right with the girls as I normally am at a playground, I stood outside the gate chatting with some other moms.

At first Abby played with one of her friends while Claire dug in the sand by herself in the corner. The warm sun felt wonderful and everyone seemed happy. Good enough.

Then I noticed Abby go over to Claire and invite her to play on the teeter totter. I smiled as I watched them laugh and bounce together, like perfect siblings. I waited for one of them to fall or otherwise annoy the other since this is normally how these brief moments of sibling harmony end.

But instead they got off of the teeter totter and Abby very patiently helped Claire climb up the playhouse and over to the slide.

Claire is very cautious by nature and she is afraid of the slide. She will climb up but she refuses to slide down. No matter how much we encourage her, she screams and cries until she is rescued. As I continued to watch from a distance, I thought surely this would not end well.

But this time, with her sister's loving encouragement, Claire climbed on to Abby's lap and went down the slide. They landed together in the sand, a happy laughing heap of girl in the warm spring sun.

Instead of playing with her friends, Abby choose to be with her sister and to take care of her sister. And Claire conquered her fear of the slide. She was so proud of herself. I have never seen her smile wider.

This parenting thing, this adult thing, is depressing and un-fun but every now and then it does have its perfect moments.

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chicka chicka BOOM BOOM

By Claire, inspired by one of her favorite books, chicka chicka boom boom

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Baby with Stuff

One baby, one fresh lambie, one stinky lambie, one blankie and one letter O.

We have officially entered the "must be carrying several random things at all times" phase.

100 things about me

Apparently, it is tradition that your 100th blog post should be 100 things about you. I am a bit late on this (posting a picture a day adds up quickly), but here are 100 fascinating things about me:

1. I have lived in Massachusetts all my life, including college.
2. I have one younger brother. He lives in Rhode Island.
3. As a child I liked ballet, swimming and tennis.
4. I was a very shy, quiet kid.
5. I am not so shy now, but I still prefer small groups of friends to big parties with lots of strangers.
6. I love people watching. I could spend a whole day at the beach or in the city just watching the people.
7. I hoped I would have a daughter. I am thrilled beyond belief to have two daughters.
8. I do wonder what it would be like to have a son.
9. My birthday is December 31.
10. I meet my husband at UMass.
11. We dated on and off for 6 years before we got married.
12. We lived together before we got married.
13. I was 25 when I got married.
14. I can not imagine anyone else more perfect for me.
15. In addition to a wonderful husband, I also have wonderful in-laws.
16. On our honeymoon we went to Jamaica and then Paris.
17. Places I have been (in no particular order): New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Iceland, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice, Cannes, Vienna, Munich, Monaco, Jamaica
18. Places I have been since having my first daughter: London, Miami
19. Places I have been since having my second daughter: Cape Cod
20. Someday, my husband and I would like to buy a small apartment in Paris.
21. We live in a house we built 6 years ago in a small, quiet suburb south of Boston.
22. We choose our neighborhood because it looked like a good place for kids to run and play.
23. I have found some wonderful friends here.
24. I drive a station wagon.
25. I love the ocean. I find the sound and smell of the ocean deeply comforting.
26. I love New York City. For a few years I was even a Yankees fan.
27. I am now back to being a Red Sox fan. My husband would not have married me otherwise.
28. I enjoy cooking.
29. The first meal I cooked my husband after we got married gave him food poisoning.
30. My cooking is now much better. I write about it here.
31. I have a cat named Mokey. He is licking his ass right now.
32. I enjoyed being pregnant
33. I felt sexy when I was pregnant.
34. I would love to be pregnant again. I am just not so sure about my ability to be the kind of mother I want to be to three children.
35. I often struggle to be the kind of mother I want to be to the two children I already have.
36. I loved nursing my babies. I found it relaxing. It was even easier the second time.
37. I planned to try the nursing thing for a few weeks. I ended up weaning my daughter at 20 months old.
38. Not so long ago, I was a suit wearing professional girl with a fancy office in the big city.
39. The thought of leaving terrified me.
40. The thought have having to work again terrifies me now.
41. I have an unhealthily love for Frederic Fekkai hair products.
42. My favorite store is Sephora.
43. My dream day would involve the beach with my kids, an afternoon at the spa and a fancy dinner with my husband.
44. I like getting dressed up. I think I dress up pretty well.
45. My dream man? Patrick Dempsey/Dr. McDreamy
46. I have a degree in Psychology, which does not actually qualify me to do anything.
47. I like red wine.
48. I have a Nikon D70 camera.
49. My kids are really sick of me taking pictures of them.
50. One of these days, I want to learn how to really use my camera and Photoshop.
51. I was raised sort of Catholic
52. I am raising my children as Catholics.
53. I am working on being a better Catholic.
54. I love the way my husband smells.
55. I appreciate good shoes even though I spend most of my life in sneakers or flip flops.
56. I like to dress my girls in matching dresses.
57. I am a woman registered to vote in the state of Massachusetts as a Republican.
58. I have a terrible memory when it comes to people and events.
59. I do not hold grudges simply because forget what most fights were about.
60. My husband is the neat, organized one in the house. I am the less organized one.
61. I do not make my bed. It seems like a waste of time since I am just going to jump back in it the first chance I get.
62. See number #61 for an indication of my general housekeeping philosophy.
63. I did not have big Princess Diana type fantasies about my wedding day. I was most excited about the actual getting married part.
64. My wedding day was the best day of my life.
65. I love watching my kids sleep. I feel like a perfect parent when my kids are sleeping.
66. I am a dark chocolate girl- the darker the better.
67. I have pretty hands- long skinny fingers and nicely shaped nails that grow really well.
68. I have no musical ability whatsoever. My husband tells me I am tone deaf.
69. I love spa treatments- I could spend all day getting rubbed and painted and waxed.
70. I do not like canned soup.
71. Fake butter products scare me. Only the old fashion, full fat stuff for me.
72. I am 5’10’’. As a kid, I was taller than most of the boys.
73. I am not especially athletic.
74. I enjoy yoga and pilates, but it has been months since I have done either.
75. Peonies are my favorite flower.
76. I was a good student. I tested well.
77. I spend too much time on my computer.
78. I like tea better than coffee.
79. I love the smell of tomato vines.
80. What animal would I choose to be? A dolphin.
81. Clearly, I am running out of things to say.
82. I follow the rules. I hate people who think that the rules do not apply to them.
83. My favorite book is Gone with the Wind.
84. I was once on a plane with Brad Pitt. It was during his long hair phase and he did not look nearly as good in real life.
85. I have worn glasses (or contacts) since the 5th grade. I thought I was sooo cool in my red Sally Jesse glasses and braces.
86. I am afraid of heights. More specifically, I am afraid of falling. Ferris wheels terrify me. Strangely, I love airplanes.
87. I do not like reality TV.
88. My favorite TV shows are currently Grey’s Anatomy and Jon & Kate Plus 8.
89. I am a loyal friend and a good neighbor.
90. As a mother, I think I do a good job making my kids feel loved and letting them be themselves.
91. As a mother, I would like to have more patience. I often get frustrated and say things I regret.
92. My best qualities, according to my husband? I am honest, intelligent, caring and trustworthy.
93. My worst qualities, according to my husband? I am not the best driver and I spend too much time blogging.
94. I always knew I wanted to have kids.
95. Having kids is harder than I expected.
96. Some days it is really hard. Some days I feel that my kids deserve a better mother than me.
97. Having kids has changed me in ways I never expected.
98. I think I am a good mom. I try my best every day.
99. I love my kids more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone.
100. I can not imagine my life without my kids.

If you actually made it though this list, congratulations!

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Baby Abby

All swaddled up with a binky, playing baby.

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Baby in the Oven

a picture is worth a thousand words

Motherhood means being there with open arms

Share what motherhood means to you and enter to win a $1000 Amex gift card over at 5minutesformom.

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Play Doh!!

The advantage of hiding away your children's Play Doh for months because you are tired of finding it in the baby's mouth or ground into the carpet? When you do bring it out on a rainy Friday, it is like Christmas morning.

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Teddy Bear Tea Party

Abby and Olivia making teddy bear toast at the Children's Museum.