I love a good schedule.....

Let's just say the last two weeks of August have had me all over the place. Schedule? What schedule? Like most Mom's I'm sure, come August I start itching for a routine, for some order.... a schedule!!!

And it's not just the "back to school routine" I love. I love the fact that we have three holidays slammed back to back, it keeps me in motion, keeps me planning; planning keeps this Mama happy! It's because we're so busy that it gets me itching to organize. Organize our weekly meals, organize our bags, organize our days, organize our lives. It just feels.... good.

 Hubs will be smirking as he reads this post and thinking, "Oh your sooooooo not type A." (sarcastically of course). 

That said, what better way to stay organized than with the PERFECT agenda? Now ladies, let's be clear I am NOT tech savvy. I own an iPhone and I couldn't even begin to tell you all the nifty things I'm sure it can do. I am just not that girl. Call me old fashioned but I LOVE writing stuff down. So at this stage in my life, I think it's safe to call myself an agenda connoisseur of sorts----I've used them all. To list just a few,  I've tried the basic MEAD organizer, the Lilly Pulitzer organizer, the Erin Condren organizer, the Momagenda, etc. While some were better than others, I never found one that covered it all. They were either too big and bulky, the layout didn't work for me, it didn't have something I wanted, etc. etc. Until now.... 

This year I bought myself a May Book. Have you heard of these nifty little babies? 

Let me count the ways I love this thing..... 

1.) It's small and skinny enough to fit inside my purse. 

2.) It's bound like a book so there's no chance of thing's getting caught in a spiral binding!

  (this is important as I tend to plunk jewelry in my purse to throw on when I'm not carrying a "grabby" baby!)

3. You can design your own AND monogram it! 

4.) The pages contain a monthly calendar and weekly pages, large enough to fit everything

5. The pages make Saturday and Sunday just as big as the week days

(which is nice when your weekends are filled with kiddie parties, dinner dates, barbecues etc.) 

6.) Starting at $15, you cannot beat the cost or the quality! 

So any who, I thought I'd share this little lovely with you as it has quickly become my favorite agenda to date! Check them out! So fun! 

Par-TAY in Marcelle's crib, 4AM!

So, let me first start out by saying I am a huge advocate and fan of "Babywise." It worked like a charm with my first. Ford was sleeping twelve hours a night by the time he was two months old. Naps were a litttttttle trickier but eventually, we got him hooked on two consistent naps a day, one cat nap in the AM  and a longer siesta in the afternoon. He was the perfect Babywise kid and I was one happy, well-rested Mama.

Fast forward to my little bug Marcelle and well, this Babywise thing just isn't working out..... First, could someone please explain to me HOW your supposed to do the Babywise method when you've got a thirty pound ball of energy running a muck in your house demanding your attention 24/7? I mean seriously?!? I have to admit, this time around we've been less than structured and well it shows. Right now the bug generally takes one long three/four hour nap smack dab in the middle of the day, in her swing (worst mother ever), then goes down for the night around 630/7PM, waking again at midnight(ish) and then again at 4AM!!!! And the worst part?!?!? Sometimes when she wakes up at 4AM, she is wide awake and READY to par-TAY! You know what this creates????? Two EXTREMELY grumpy parents! Argh....

She's taking in about 6 ounces of formula in one sitting about every four hours so I'm pretty sure my little piggy isn't hungry. And we definitely have a night time routine down pat. Argh. Is she ready for solids? Am I putting her down too early (she is whiney and fussy starting at about 6PM every night) or is this just typical for a poor ole' second child who sometimes isn't given as much "structure" as the first?

I mean, I love the little stinker, she's a cutie isn't she?

BUT this Mama (hah and Dada!) need their sleep. 

I can't F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N!!!!! So all you parents of two, three, and four (gulp!) help this Mama out- ALL suggestions welcome! 

It finally happened....

I've been on a blogging hiatus for more reasons then I could fully explain in one blog entry. Maybe it was the move, the birth of our new baby girl, the remodel of our new home, a gazillion vacations thrown in there, etc. etc. Or if I'm being brutally honest, my inability to blog positively while dealing with some heart wrenching personal drama in 2012.

But I'm back and ready to share my life with ya'll again--- hah, for the two people that may be interested, since I've left everyone hanging for close to a year :)

But all that said, this morning, while perusing the internet, sipping on my morning coffee, and enjoying this few minutes of solitude, I came across this bible verse and it literally stopped me in my tracks. I am living the exact life I have always dreamed and prayed for, it's here, I'm living it. It's been a long road, so long, and so filled with obstacles, drama and heart ache, that it took a bible verse this morning to say- WOW..... I'm here, HELLO, wake up, enjoy it!

My life is not always perfect, in fact, more times often then not, it's utter chaos, but I have what I've worked so hard to achieve- a loving husband, a working marriage, two beautiful kiddos etc. etc.  To date, they are my greatest accomplishment. God is good.

So, without further ado I hope you'll rejoin me as I talk about our REAL lives, the great, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. This blog isn't meant to become a part time job, or to chronicle our photoshopped lives. This blog is my way of sharing my family stories, my take on motherhood, kids, and this crazy thing called life. I hope you'll follow along..... again :).

-Crispin