When we got home from a play date this morning, I was excited to hear a message from Kelly at Cooks Methodist Playschool letting us know she had 2 spots for the fall session. Whew! If all goes well, they will be at Cook's on Tuesday/Thursday from 9:30am-1:00pm. We already know at least 3 of the other kids that will be in their class of 10 kids total.
We are also going to enroll Luke and Olivia in a 3 week, 2 days a week, summer program so they can see the school, classroom, playground, etc and start to get used to their new surroundings. I know they will have fun as Cooks plans lots of great activities and they will definitely learn a lot. But I will still miss them!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
CMOM sale
It's that time again. Time for the bi-annual Moms of Multiples sale. I love this sale because I am usually able to get all of Luke and Olivia's clothes for the next season and find a few new toys as well. Thankfully this time I didn't have a lot of things I was looking.
I always start in the "big item" section to see if there are any good deals on table/chair sets, etc. We are pretty set in those areas for now, so it was onto the smaller toys,books, puzzles, etc. I could spend hours just looking at the books and DVD's, but these sales are all about moving fast :) I found a new Thomas the Train puzzle (their current favorite, along with Elmo and Mickey) and a few new books.
Then it was onto the shoes and clothes. There are always LOTS of girl clothes, so I started looking for Luke first. The selection didn't seem to be as big this time, but it's also because I am no longer looking in the "baby" section where clothes in good shape are plentiful. Sigh...our babies are growing up! I found some great play shirts for the summer and a few pairs of shorts as well, along with some new swim trunks. I had hoped to find some tennis shoes in good shape, but no luck this time.
Then I moved onto Olivia's section. I always have a hard time shopping for her because a)girls clothes are just so darn cute b)she is tall-ish but skinny so 18 mth pants are too short but 24 mths are too big in the waist c)there are LOTS of clothes to look through and d)girls can wear skirts, shorts, capris, shirts, one piece outfits...it's endless! For boys, it's pretty much a polo, a button down shirt or a t-shirt with shorts. I managed to narrow it down to just a few things that should work for all summer.
After I was done, I made one more quick trip around just to make sure I didn't miss anything and then it was time to head for home. I got to the sale at 6:30pm and didn't end up leaving until almost 10:30pm. Thanks, babe, for making sure Luke and Olivia got fed, bathed and in bed while I was out. Love you!
I always start in the "big item" section to see if there are any good deals on table/chair sets, etc. We are pretty set in those areas for now, so it was onto the smaller toys,books, puzzles, etc. I could spend hours just looking at the books and DVD's, but these sales are all about moving fast :) I found a new Thomas the Train puzzle (their current favorite, along with Elmo and Mickey) and a few new books.
Then it was onto the shoes and clothes. There are always LOTS of girl clothes, so I started looking for Luke first. The selection didn't seem to be as big this time, but it's also because I am no longer looking in the "baby" section where clothes in good shape are plentiful. Sigh...our babies are growing up! I found some great play shirts for the summer and a few pairs of shorts as well, along with some new swim trunks. I had hoped to find some tennis shoes in good shape, but no luck this time.
Then I moved onto Olivia's section. I always have a hard time shopping for her because a)girls clothes are just so darn cute b)she is tall-ish but skinny so 18 mth pants are too short but 24 mths are too big in the waist c)there are LOTS of clothes to look through and d)girls can wear skirts, shorts, capris, shirts, one piece outfits...it's endless! For boys, it's pretty much a polo, a button down shirt or a t-shirt with shorts. I managed to narrow it down to just a few things that should work for all summer.
After I was done, I made one more quick trip around just to make sure I didn't miss anything and then it was time to head for home. I got to the sale at 6:30pm and didn't end up leaving until almost 10:30pm. Thanks, babe, for making sure Luke and Olivia got fed, bathed and in bed while I was out. Love you!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Olivia's first haircut
The time has come to get Olivia's first haircut. It's more like time for a trim, but nonetheless it's enough to save for her scrapbook!
We took Olivia to Snip-it's in Birkdale, the same place we took Luke to get his haircut. As luck would have it, the same person who cut Luke's hair for the first time (Mallory) was there and was going to cut Olivia's hair for the first time. I asked Mallory how many "first haircut" pictures she has been a part of and she said too many to count.
Olivia did great! She got to choose a sucker and watch something on TV...two of her favorite things to do. :) She didn't seem to mind the scissors and Mallory even gave her a cute little sassy braid at the end. She said "Mommy, I'm pretty." Tiny diva!
For an after first haircut treat, we had ice cream (just like we did for Luke's). Unfortunately Cold Stone Creamery was closed so we went to Jason's Deli for lunch and ice cream. Such fun memories!
We took Olivia to Snip-it's in Birkdale, the same place we took Luke to get his haircut. As luck would have it, the same person who cut Luke's hair for the first time (Mallory) was there and was going to cut Olivia's hair for the first time. I asked Mallory how many "first haircut" pictures she has been a part of and she said too many to count.
Olivia did great! She got to choose a sucker and watch something on TV...two of her favorite things to do. :) She didn't seem to mind the scissors and Mallory even gave her a cute little sassy braid at the end. She said "Mommy, I'm pretty." Tiny diva!
For an after first haircut treat, we had ice cream (just like we did for Luke's). Unfortunately Cold Stone Creamery was closed so we went to Jason's Deli for lunch and ice cream. Such fun memories!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Changes ahead
Well, it's official. No, we are not adding another Bartlett to our family. Dan just took a new job with Bank of America. Congratulations, Dan. We are SO proud of you!
Dan wasn't actively looking for a new position, but he was always talking with folks about their companies to see what else was out there. Oracle has always treated Dan well, but the travel was starting to get to him a little. He hated missing special days with Luke, Olivia, and me. He counted that he was gone 13 weekends last year (not to mention weekly travel) and missed Mother's Day, Father's Day, and most importantly Luke & Olivia's birthday. He also was starting to feel that he was kind of "stuck" without much opportunity for advancement. He did, however, have the benefit of working from home so he never had to worry about a daily commute. For me, it was a great time to grocery shop, etc while the kids napped because he was in his office at home. That will definitely change! But if he is going to make a career change, now is the time in our lives to take the leap of faith.
Along comes Bank of America. Our good friend Dave works for BOA and has been talking to Dan about a new team they are putting together. They asked Dan to come in for an interview a few weeks ago and he instantly clicked with everyone. They made him an offer a couple of days later and after much soul searching, we decided it was the right time for him to make a change. He gave his 2 week notice to Oracle and his last day will be next Friday. Oracle tried to counter the offer but weren't able to match it. Probably all for the best in the end.
Dan will start his new role on Monday, February 13th. This means wearing a suit and commuting to uptown Charlotte everyday. This also means he will be able to eat dinner with us every night and spend time with us on the weekends without wondering when the next trip will arise.
It will be an adjustment for everyone all around, but we are optimistic this is the best decision for our family. We will keep you updated as we adjust to our new lifestyle!
Dan wasn't actively looking for a new position, but he was always talking with folks about their companies to see what else was out there. Oracle has always treated Dan well, but the travel was starting to get to him a little. He hated missing special days with Luke, Olivia, and me. He counted that he was gone 13 weekends last year (not to mention weekly travel) and missed Mother's Day, Father's Day, and most importantly Luke & Olivia's birthday. He also was starting to feel that he was kind of "stuck" without much opportunity for advancement. He did, however, have the benefit of working from home so he never had to worry about a daily commute. For me, it was a great time to grocery shop, etc while the kids napped because he was in his office at home. That will definitely change! But if he is going to make a career change, now is the time in our lives to take the leap of faith.
Along comes Bank of America. Our good friend Dave works for BOA and has been talking to Dan about a new team they are putting together. They asked Dan to come in for an interview a few weeks ago and he instantly clicked with everyone. They made him an offer a couple of days later and after much soul searching, we decided it was the right time for him to make a change. He gave his 2 week notice to Oracle and his last day will be next Friday. Oracle tried to counter the offer but weren't able to match it. Probably all for the best in the end.
Dan will start his new role on Monday, February 13th. This means wearing a suit and commuting to uptown Charlotte everyday. This also means he will be able to eat dinner with us every night and spend time with us on the weekends without wondering when the next trip will arise.
It will be an adjustment for everyone all around, but we are optimistic this is the best decision for our family. We will keep you updated as we adjust to our new lifestyle!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Let the potty training begin!
While Luke and Olivia aren't ready to fully potty train yet (ok, maybe it's us who isn't ready to train them yet!), we are trying to get them comfortable with the idea of sitting on the potty when they need to go. Sometimes they just sit on the potty with their diaper on so they can get used to what it feels like to "pee" in the potty. Olivia has peed in the potty, Luke not quite yet and neither one has done more than that yet. But they like to sit on them and they think it's fun to wash their hands afterward. Check out Luke's pic as he took off down the hall once he was done. How can you not smile at that face? Love me some Luke and Olivia!!!
We will probably start fully potty training them this summer, or sooner if they show signs of being ready. I hear it's one of the hardest things to do. We'll let you know!
We will probably start fully potty training them this summer, or sooner if they show signs of being ready. I hear it's one of the hardest things to do. We'll let you know!
Princess in training
Uh, oh! Could Olivia have any more pink on? Thankfully she loves to play in the dirt with trucks, too. A girly tomboy...love it!
My first wedding
This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a wedding for a great couple. The couple reunited at their high school reunion and haven't left each other's side since. Dan put on his daddy hat for the day and kept Luke and Olivia entertained while I was gone for most of the afternoon/evening. MauMaw and PauPaw kept them company as well. I got home just in time to help with baths and put them in bed...one of my favorite times of the day. I LOVE that I can spend most of my days with them and work on editing, etc (for the most part) while they nap/sleep at night. I only miss time with them for shoots, which usually don't last more than 2 hours or so. And it's great for them (and me) to have a little break and learn new things from other people. The best of both worlds!
Lil' Chefs
Recently Luke and Olivia have become interested in helping us "cook" in the kitchen. They stand across from one another on step stools with a cookie sheet, mixing bowl, a bowl of cheerios and various cooking utensils. They absolutely love it! Look out food network...we have 2 potential chefs in training!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Parent Date Day
Now that it's January and things have settled down a bit, we decided it would be a good time to start our "date days." Unfortunately, a trip to urgent care on Saturday night derailed our plans just a bit, but we were still able to make it happen.
Poor lil' Luke has pneumonia. Yikes! Luckily it is pretty mild and the medicine seems to be working. He isn't napping well but sleeping ok at night and his fever is finally down. We think he is finally on the mend and Olivia seems to be immune to it so far. Fingers crossed! We are staying inside lots and letting him heal as much as possible.
So, my "date" with Luke included a trip to the urgent care on Saturday. We got there around 5pm, after calling all afternoon for wait times...which were running 2 hours. They finally hit a slow time and we decided to go up there. Once we arrived, there was an emergency with an elderly lady that had fallen so Luke and I kept busy playing hide and seek in the waiting room. We also watched a little football together. Poor thing hates going to the doctor and gets upset as soon as they take us into a room. They did a strep test and flu test after ruling out ear infections. He had a fever of 102, so there was an infection of some sort. The doctor decided to do a chest xray and that is where she saw the pneumonia. He didn't have the standard symptoms of coughing and sneezing bu the did have the high fever. He got a shot of rocephin and she sent us home with a prescription to get filled. We got home at 7:15pm and little guy was so tired he went straight to bed. Although this wasn't the time together we had planned, I enjoyed having some one on one time with Luke.
Meanwhile, Daddy and Olivia were spending time together at home, including eating dinner...just the two of them. We talked about how different is it to just have one child at a time yet odd at the same time because we are so used to having them together. Luke and Olivia did great at being apart and seemed to enjoy the one on one time.
Sunday morning I took Olivia with me to WalMart to get Luke's prescription while Luke stayed home with Daddy. I have never been out with Olivia one on one and it was fun to have that time together. She did great sitting in the shopping cart all by herself and talked the entire time. Meanwhile, Daddy played with Luke at home and they took a short nap together. Luke and Olivia were happy to see one another, though, and they definitely prefer to be together. Twins...what a wonderful bond!
Poor lil' Luke has pneumonia. Yikes! Luckily it is pretty mild and the medicine seems to be working. He isn't napping well but sleeping ok at night and his fever is finally down. We think he is finally on the mend and Olivia seems to be immune to it so far. Fingers crossed! We are staying inside lots and letting him heal as much as possible.
So, my "date" with Luke included a trip to the urgent care on Saturday. We got there around 5pm, after calling all afternoon for wait times...which were running 2 hours. They finally hit a slow time and we decided to go up there. Once we arrived, there was an emergency with an elderly lady that had fallen so Luke and I kept busy playing hide and seek in the waiting room. We also watched a little football together. Poor thing hates going to the doctor and gets upset as soon as they take us into a room. They did a strep test and flu test after ruling out ear infections. He had a fever of 102, so there was an infection of some sort. The doctor decided to do a chest xray and that is where she saw the pneumonia. He didn't have the standard symptoms of coughing and sneezing bu the did have the high fever. He got a shot of rocephin and she sent us home with a prescription to get filled. We got home at 7:15pm and little guy was so tired he went straight to bed. Although this wasn't the time together we had planned, I enjoyed having some one on one time with Luke.
Meanwhile, Daddy and Olivia were spending time together at home, including eating dinner...just the two of them. We talked about how different is it to just have one child at a time yet odd at the same time because we are so used to having them together. Luke and Olivia did great at being apart and seemed to enjoy the one on one time.
Sunday morning I took Olivia with me to WalMart to get Luke's prescription while Luke stayed home with Daddy. I have never been out with Olivia one on one and it was fun to have that time together. She did great sitting in the shopping cart all by herself and talked the entire time. Meanwhile, Daddy played with Luke at home and they took a short nap together. Luke and Olivia were happy to see one another, though, and they definitely prefer to be together. Twins...what a wonderful bond!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Preschool
Today I toured a local preschool that we are thinking about enrolling Luke and Olivia in this fall. It will only be 2 days a week from 9:30-1pm, but it still makes me teary eyed at the thought of them starting on the road to school full time. Luke and Olivia both wanted to get out of the stroller and check things out, which I took as a good sign. I was worried they would be fearful of a new place, but they jumped right in the mix and probably would have stayed the entire time if they were able to! Just seeing that gave me comfort, and solidified the fact that it will be MUCH harder on me than them as this next transition happens!
There are two other places we want to check out, but a lot of Luke and Olivia's friends are at this preschool so I know that will make it more comfortable for them. Enrollment starts in Feb/March so we will be making a decision soon. Man, time is going by much too quickly!!!
There are two other places we want to check out, but a lot of Luke and Olivia's friends are at this preschool so I know that will make it more comfortable for them. Enrollment starts in Feb/March so we will be making a decision soon. Man, time is going by much too quickly!!!
Off to Atlanta
Even though we were just in Atlanta in November, we had a couple of reasons to make another trip back this month. Dan had a meeting on Thursday that he really needed to be there for in person, our good friends twins were turning 2, and I wanted to meet my friends new little boy Carter. Time to pack up the car once again!
We headed out just after 5pm on Wednesday with the hopes of stopping for dinner around 6:30pm. Thankfully we didn't hit any traffic or accidents this time so it was smooth sailing. We had dinner and a little playtime before putting L and O in their pajamas for the rest of the ride to Atlanta. We got to our hotel around 10pm and thank goodness they already had 2 cribs set up for us. Once we got Luke and Olivia settled (they fell back asleep quickly...yay!) we unloaded just a few things we needed for the night.
We got up Thursday morning, had breakfast and checked out of the hotel. Dan headed off to work and I headed over to my friend Joni's house for a playdate with Charlotte and to meet her 5 week old little boy. What a cutie! We had a great morning playing and then it was time for naptime. I had the pack and plays with me and set them up in two different rooms. Olivia napped but Luke was having nothing of it-which is quite to opposite of things at home. Usually Olivia stays awake and Luke falls fast asleep. Go figure! So we had some nice mommy/son time while the rest of the house napped. Once Olivia woke up, I got the car all packed up and picked Dan up for work.
Then it was off to our friend Lisa and Dan's house for the next few nights. We were glad to get there so we could finally get a little settled. Luke and Olivia were happy to see their friend Anderson and to have new toys to play with as well. On Friday, I headed back over to Joni's house while I took Dan to Starbucks so he could work for the morning. Joni and I took all of the kids to the park and had such a fun time seeing everyone one the swings and slides. It's still hard to believe all of our babies are toddlers now! Around lunchtime I headed off to pick up Dan so I could get back to Lisa and Dan's for naptime. Thankfully both kids took a much needed nap and woke up much happier campers!
Our good friend Billy D came over for dinner on Friday. He hasn't seen Luke and Olivia in over a year and he couldn't believe how much they have changed. It was nice to catch up with him and have so many old friends together at once.
Saturday morning was relaxed and we just spent some time outdoors. All of the kids had to take an early nap since we had Ethan and Maddox's birthday party at 2:30pm. Olivia stayed in her pack and play for over an hour and never did sleep; she just talked and played the entire time. She is so funny! Luke took a short nap and wasn't happy to be woken up but was ok after about 5 minutes. Who like to be woken up from a nap? No one!!!
The birthday party was at Gymboree and it was lots of fun. Luke and Olivia had the best time playing with all of the other 2 year olds and checking out all of the equipment. They were great at the "organized activities" and are listening really well (for the most part!). Then it was time for their favorite part--CAKE! Olivia just eats the frosting while Luke delves into the cake part. The party went by really fast and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Jen and Marica were having family and close friends over to their house after the party for dinner and presents, so we went to their house for awhile. We left around 7:30pm and by the time we got to Lisa and Dan's house it was time for L and O to go to bed. It was nice to sit and just chit chat once the kids were all asleep, although we all ended up staying way past our usual bedtime!
Sunday morning we got the car all packed up and headed to my Grandma's house in Gainesville. We were going to spend the day with her for a "late" Christmas. We arrived at her house around 11:30am and by the time we got a few things unloaded, it was time for them to eat lunch. Then we opened some presents and they laid down for a nap. It was wonderful to sit and talk with my Grandma; she is an amazing lady with so many stories to share. Once L and O woke up, more playtime, dinner together, and pj time. We hit the road around 8pm and arrived home around midnight, totally exhausted!
They really were troopers while we traveled, especially having to nap/sleep/play at so many different places. They are so resilient and we're glad we are able to travel with them. We hope to get back to Atlanta this summer for a Braves game and to see friends again. For now, there really is no place like home.
We headed out just after 5pm on Wednesday with the hopes of stopping for dinner around 6:30pm. Thankfully we didn't hit any traffic or accidents this time so it was smooth sailing. We had dinner and a little playtime before putting L and O in their pajamas for the rest of the ride to Atlanta. We got to our hotel around 10pm and thank goodness they already had 2 cribs set up for us. Once we got Luke and Olivia settled (they fell back asleep quickly...yay!) we unloaded just a few things we needed for the night.
We got up Thursday morning, had breakfast and checked out of the hotel. Dan headed off to work and I headed over to my friend Joni's house for a playdate with Charlotte and to meet her 5 week old little boy. What a cutie! We had a great morning playing and then it was time for naptime. I had the pack and plays with me and set them up in two different rooms. Olivia napped but Luke was having nothing of it-which is quite to opposite of things at home. Usually Olivia stays awake and Luke falls fast asleep. Go figure! So we had some nice mommy/son time while the rest of the house napped. Once Olivia woke up, I got the car all packed up and picked Dan up for work.
Then it was off to our friend Lisa and Dan's house for the next few nights. We were glad to get there so we could finally get a little settled. Luke and Olivia were happy to see their friend Anderson and to have new toys to play with as well. On Friday, I headed back over to Joni's house while I took Dan to Starbucks so he could work for the morning. Joni and I took all of the kids to the park and had such a fun time seeing everyone one the swings and slides. It's still hard to believe all of our babies are toddlers now! Around lunchtime I headed off to pick up Dan so I could get back to Lisa and Dan's for naptime. Thankfully both kids took a much needed nap and woke up much happier campers!
Our good friend Billy D came over for dinner on Friday. He hasn't seen Luke and Olivia in over a year and he couldn't believe how much they have changed. It was nice to catch up with him and have so many old friends together at once.
Saturday morning was relaxed and we just spent some time outdoors. All of the kids had to take an early nap since we had Ethan and Maddox's birthday party at 2:30pm. Olivia stayed in her pack and play for over an hour and never did sleep; she just talked and played the entire time. She is so funny! Luke took a short nap and wasn't happy to be woken up but was ok after about 5 minutes. Who like to be woken up from a nap? No one!!!
The birthday party was at Gymboree and it was lots of fun. Luke and Olivia had the best time playing with all of the other 2 year olds and checking out all of the equipment. They were great at the "organized activities" and are listening really well (for the most part!). Then it was time for their favorite part--CAKE! Olivia just eats the frosting while Luke delves into the cake part. The party went by really fast and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Jen and Marica were having family and close friends over to their house after the party for dinner and presents, so we went to their house for awhile. We left around 7:30pm and by the time we got to Lisa and Dan's house it was time for L and O to go to bed. It was nice to sit and just chit chat once the kids were all asleep, although we all ended up staying way past our usual bedtime!
Sunday morning we got the car all packed up and headed to my Grandma's house in Gainesville. We were going to spend the day with her for a "late" Christmas. We arrived at her house around 11:30am and by the time we got a few things unloaded, it was time for them to eat lunch. Then we opened some presents and they laid down for a nap. It was wonderful to sit and talk with my Grandma; she is an amazing lady with so many stories to share. Once L and O woke up, more playtime, dinner together, and pj time. We hit the road around 8pm and arrived home around midnight, totally exhausted!
They really were troopers while we traveled, especially having to nap/sleep/play at so many different places. They are so resilient and we're glad we are able to travel with them. We hope to get back to Atlanta this summer for a Braves game and to see friends again. For now, there really is no place like home.
Back to normal
The decorations are down and packed away, and it's time to get back to our normal routine. Dan is back to work and back to traveling (although nothing in the near future right now). I am back to playdates and story times at the local library with Luke and Olivia. I am staying busy with my photography business and we always have projects going on around the house. We hope to get a new table for the kitchen and hopefully get some rooms painted this year. Only time will tell what we actually get accomplished!
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