He's coming to town...

He is making a list. He is checking it twice. My kids are hoping and praying that they've been not naughty, but nice. :-) Christmas is in full swing around here. The countdown to his arrival is lit up in our front yard. It's beginning to look like Christmas--at least California style. Rain. Rain. Rain. I usually like it. It's kinda starting to annoy me thought because it hasn't stopped for almost three days. In true Harlow fashion we will be making a gingerbread house and decorating cookies this week. We'll sleep in and watch way too much television in our jammies. It'll be perfect. It'll be crazy. It'll be Christmas. It'll be great memories.

Go Cougs!

Just a little bit of Cougar spirit! As Dylan has said from an early age..."Go Cougs! Boo Huskies!" You know--we teach the important stuff around here! True life lessons. :-)

Our Early Bird

My handsome boy, my Dylan. My first born. The "man of the house" when daddy is gone. Our "D." When Emma started to talk she called him "D." The name stuck. Then she started calling him, "D-buddy." Still makes me smile as I type it. :-) When you ask Dylan what his number one job in life is, his response, "To protect Emma and Carly from everything no matter what." So sweet. So sincere. So Dylan.

He started kinder two weeks ago. I can hardly believe it. But, he was so ready. In true Dylan style he took it all in stride. He was excited, but not overly so. Just Dylan. Calm, cool, and collected. He's an early bird. He's a cute bird. He's starting to fly from our nest more. I look at him now and he seems so, well--old! Tall! Handsome! He's my firstborn. I was so nervous bringing him home. So worried about him when he was sick. Sang to him all night so many nights when he had ear infection after ear infection. Cried when he had tubes put in his ears. Cried when I took him to daycare. Fly with him on an airplane by myself when he was 4 months for the first time. Just he and I. He was perfect. Still is. Love his personality. Love him!

And so it begins..again!

So many new beginnings coming up, actually not really new, but new this year. Life around here is kind of like Groundhog's Day, with a few episodes of Freaky Friday thrown in. Many days are the same song and dance with a tantrum about something different, but still a tantrum, sticky hugs, warm cuddles, raised voices, "I'm sorry's" and wonderful, heart melting conversations. Over the past two months though, whoa! Our lives got a little more shaken up than we are usually up for. The kids didn't notice that the shake up was negative, to them it has nothing but positive. Ryan being home all the time. Ryan outside playing every night. Ryan at gymnastics and soccer practice. Ryan home for dinner. Every. Night. The kids love it. Love. It. They think daddy looking for a new job is a regular ole vacation for all of us. Well. To be honest--it has been. I have basked in many of the endless moments of having him around. We went from daddy working 80+ hours, Friday and Saturday nights, and every Saturday and sometimes Sunday, to having him here. Present. And ladies...watch out! He does the laundry each day (even folds it!), vacuums each morning, mops, does ALL the dishes ALL day, and does any and all errands that I need him too. What do I do? Well, I have been working/setting up my classroom for the past 4 weeks. Prior to that, I was living the good life man!

To be completely honest, I really didn't want him to find a job and go back to work. Especially these past two weeks. I've been teaching full time. He goes and picks Dylan up from kindergarten each day. He takes care of Carly each day. He writes her schedule on the fridge each morning. He also writes, "S, V, L, D." This is his take on the guys from Jersey Shore, the very bad reality show on MTV. They say that everyday they have to, "G, T, L."--Gym, Tan, Laundry. Rough life huh? So Ryan came up with S, V, L, D for himself--shower (yes he has to remind himself, we found out early on in his unemployment that he would "forget" to shower unless reminded--the smell finally reminded us after four days), vacuum, dishes, laundry. It's his routine.

Alas, Ryan going back to work is really what is best for all us. Really. It is. As much as it would be dreamy for us all to be home full time, it is not our reality. And I secretly think that even though he says he doesn't mind staying home full time, there is a place inside of him that longs for a career again. Thus, he accepted a job in golf sales. A job he is very excited for. A job that will have him home more, enjoying life more. It's what he does, It's who he is. He works. He's a dad. He needs a balance of both.

And so it begins. Ryan goes back to work tomorrow. Dylan to afterschool care at my school. Em and Carly at our wonderful preschool/daycare, Good Shepherd. And so it begins. Soccer games yesterday. Two of them. NFL on TV today. The age old question in our house in the fall every weekend--"How did the Cougars do?" Go Cougs! And so it begins. Our routine. Once again. As much as I wanted him to stay home and life to stay easy, I want our routine back again too. I long for routines. My kids do too. And so it begins. A new normal for us all. New beginnings bring new excitement and new joys. Here's to my husband and his new journey!

Defining...

What defines you? Me? It is a question that many of us, especially us mommy-types, ask repeatedly throughout our lives. I was reminded on Thursday once again what defines part of me. Teaching. I am a teacher at heart. The first day back on Thursday after six and a half months off on maternity leave. Six great months of pure mommyhood defining moments. Albeit to say that hopefully the marathon of yoga pant wearing, spit up smelling shirts, hair pulled back, make-up less face, and repetivness of the day did not define my mommyhood, I still managed to soak it all up. Every minute. My kids are fabulous. My heart. Teaching is a part of me too. I love working. I love that my kids totally get what I do. How I contribute. How important being a teacher is. We live a lot of life in this house. We are always going. As I dismissed my students on Thursday, I felt rejuvinated. Refueled. Invigorated. Part of me was back. Then I got to come home and relish in endless mommy moments. Hugs, cuddles, kisses. Quality--I am constantly reminded, not quantity. I know who I am. For that I am grateful. Grateful to know my purposes in life--mommy, wife, teacher. friend, sister, daughter. Grateful to not have a void. Grateful to love what I do. Grateful to know that as my children go through different stages in life, and at one point leave our nest, I will still know what defines. What always has. I will always be a teacher. Teacher to my kids, and to many others. It's an awesome feeling. Dylan is going to kindergarten at the school I teach. Holy cow...how many people get to be at the school their child is attending all day? SO lucky! I get to see him (okay spy on him) eating snack, playing outside, hear cute stories from his teacher. What a blessing! Next year, Emma will join him at my school too. Seriously, it doesn't get much better than experiencing school, at the same school, with your oldest child--the first to go to kindergarten. What a moment! At that moment--all that defines who I am--mommy and teacher--came together in a perfect look between Dylan and I as I let go of his hand and sent him on his first day. Defining moment? To say the least.

Miss Carly

Miss Carly Elizabeth was baptized last weekend. A wonderful celebration of life, God, and family. The weekend was one BIG celebration. We were surrounded by AWESOME family...



My aunt, uncle, three teenage cousins, and mom and dad all came in for Carly's big weekend!


Carly's godparents...our best friend Mike and my cousin Megan. Megan was my flowergirl ten years ago when we got married!


The Daniels' family....our family!






Our Carly...







Nothing warms my heart more than having our family and friends over. We had a small reception at our house after the baptismal. My parents got to see our close friends and we all celebrated together. We celebrated Carly, and family, and friendship, and love. We love to celebrate around here! We made smores this weekend, listened to good music, loved on the kids, laughed, drank, and loved on life. BIG TIME!!!! That's the way we do it!

Just a peek...

Life has been, well, let's just say--emotionally draining lately. I have thought about updating this blog daily, buy quite frankly have felt like I have had the life sucked right out of me on numerous occasions. However, life has also been full of moments like this...



I look at these faces or these faces...





And I know that "It's all going to be alright." Because, "In the morning when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes and tell me... everything is going to be alright." And it is. And it will be.

~Liz

I did it

I did it. I have always said I wouldn't. I didn't like it. I didn't need it. I was fine. No problems. Over the past few years, I started doing it here and there for a treat. For fun. Then I started to like it. I had Cary and as soon as I woke up, I was craving it. In the past week I did it. I did it every day. I did it twice, and sometimes three times a day. Now, I can say it..... I am a coffee drinker. There. Done. I crossed over. I admit, I cannot function in the morning without it. I crave it. I don't know if I like the taste of regular coffee with a TON of creamer, but I don't care. It makes my body feel like I didn't just ski downhill three days in a row, every morning when I wake up. Starbucks tastes SO good. And now, so does regular coffee from home. I thought, I am just a White Chocolate Latte or Dark Cherry Mocha drinker. Just the foo-foo stuff. Nothing major. Nope. Not me. Just a treat sometimes. I don't need that silly coffee thing to function. I can do this. Nope. Not me. I can't do it any longer without my new friend. I love my new friend. We met this morning at 5:15 am when I was feeding Carly. A great friend. A friendship that will last a long time. A new friend that my husband and children will learn to accept as a welcomed addition to our family. Every day.

Heaven

This little one is a sweet piece of heaven. Take a look...



I could just eat her up. She thinks her brother and sister are just all that. Laughing and smiling at them all the time. Seriously. She just encourages their crazy behavior. She fits into our family just right. She was always meant to be here. To make us smile. Just a little piece of heaven here on earth. Love it. Love her.

Emma's Pink and Purple Party

Emma wanted a Pink and Purple Birthday Party, with a little princess twist thrown in. So, that is exactly what she got. And me? Well, if I do say so myself, I got a little creative! Emma, and Dylan, helped make many of our wonderful creations, both decoration style and edible treats, for the party. Everything you will see in the pics below food wise, was made by us...well except for the cotton candy. Not that crafty yet! And if a decoration looks homemade...it was! Here we go...