Every Little Thing

December 13, 2012

Pardon me while I just fade off into blogland and disappear for a couple weeks. This is what happens when you become ‘of a certain age’ and a 7 and 3 year old come to visit. EXHAUSTION SETS IN.

Allow me to take a moment and bow down to parents everywhere.

Particularly those who are plugged into the lives of their children. You know: taking them to dance classes, gymnastics, skating lessons, karate, singing lessons and all the other essons that kids partake in.  Because you know what happens before and after those things take place? THOSE KIDS STILL HAVE ENERGY. They still want to interact with you.  And you better be ready to color in coloring books (or they’ll just color on your computer screen if you turn your back for a second…true story), make a game out of emptying the dishwasher, feed the cat 17x to make sure each kid gets a turn, use your listening ears so each kid gets heard, go to the beach and run in the birds, tiptoe into the water and ‘accidentally’ fall in, watch a movie, watch Phineas and Ferb, plant some plants, wash the cat bed, dry the cat bed, dry the cat bed again because one corner feels damp even though it’s drier than a popcorn fart…I mean they mean business.

That being said, I AM SO GRATEFUL my niece and nephew came to visit. They made my failed summer come to life! We went to LegoLand and Disneyland and the beach and some pirate dinner theatre thing. We walked and walked and talked and talked and barely got any rest. It was awesome.  

I learned that I can survive on 5 hours of sleep and have 28 winds a day. I also learned that I shower way too much, a couple times a week really does suffice, and I won’t get struck by lightning if I wear the same clothes 3 days in a row. Hair combing doesn’t really make a difference either. A quick rake of the fingers through slept on wet hair actually produces nice waves.  Food? You don’t need that much when you’re trying to make sure they’re eating more than 5lbs of the sour gummy candy you got puppy-dog eye’d into getting because you only see them a couple times a year (and truth be told ate 3/4’s of the bag yourself anyway). I love my family. Even though I’ve never seen myself as a parent, they help me understand why people do become parents. Love Love Love.

Making friends with my neighbor turned new family member…more on that later.
Don’t mess with pirate making. This is serious business.
Beach hopscotch, anyone?
5 second nap…no one even noticed.

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22 Comments

  • Reply She Wore It Well December 20, 2012 at 4:00 am

    so so cute

    best aunty ever

  • Reply Miss Caitlin S. December 19, 2012 at 6:42 am

    oh the life lessons from kids! there is nothing better. love the labels for this post- hahaha.

    and I shower way too much too. at least twice a day, sometimes 3 times. I just love the way it feels!

  • Reply MerciBlahBlah December 17, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    Carrie – it was not until I had kids that I realized the most important thing in life – I could get by with washing my hair only 2 times a week. True story. Oh, and the nap on the sly? I do it All. The. Time. Typically when we’re watching Nick Jr. on TV. There is only so much Dora one woman can stand.

  • Reply Tracy D December 17, 2012 at 12:54 am

    Could they be any cuter? I’ve learned that parent’s ‘parent’ and Aunties entertain. HUGE & exhausting difference..but so worth it.

  • Reply Ana December 15, 2012 at 9:05 am

    Lovely photos!

  • Reply Johanna December 14, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Yes! to the beach hopscotch!

    And 5 second naps…I feel like I take 20 of those a day!

  • Reply Marie a la Mode December 14, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    That last photo is precious and hilarious at the same time! And oh my God “Drier than a popcorn fart” made me laugh ; )Glad you had such a great time with your niece and nephew!!

  • Reply Alyssa December 14, 2012 at 3:47 am

    Sounds like such a blast! I want you to be my auntie!

  • Reply Lena at A Crimson Kiss December 13, 2012 at 10:00 pm

    What a perfect visit! And now it’s time for a big glass of booze and a nap!

  • Reply BonBon Rose Girls Kristin December 13, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    Kids sure have a way of putting things in perspective don’t they? I type this as the lady bean tries to get some typing in of her own. Haha!

  • Reply Polly December 13, 2012 at 8:56 pm

    They are the cutest things. Yep kids are challenging that’s for sure, but such joy.

  • Reply Grace - Stripes and Sequins December 13, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    they are precious!!! no sleep will kill you but it’s worth it, right? PS – I spy Aviator Nation!!

  • Reply Josie December 13, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    Carrie, they’re gorgeous! Kids that age are a handful but SO MUCH FUN. Oh, and PS, those five-second naps on sunny benches while wearing sunglasses are how I spent my lunch breaks all summer… Got me through.
    xo Josie
    http://www.winksmilestyle.com

  • Reply Erika @ ~TiptoeButterfly~ December 13, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    WELL said!!!! – during Sandy my Niece stayed with me for 2 weeks (long story – but i was always able to use extension cords from different neighbors so i had power) – ANYWAY back to the topic – my SIL is one of those DO IT ALL MOM’s (my bro and SIL are totally checked in) – i sometimes really don’t know how she does it – well she also retired to be a Mom – so i guess that helps a bit – but she’s ALWAYS on the move .. i wonder how the ‘Mommy bloggers’ do it – i couldn’t imagine having ‘free time’ – PROPS tho! xoxox

  • Reply jen December 13, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Great post! I have a theory, which is that people who never envisioned themselves as a parent make the BEST parents, because they just just go with the flow, instead of trying to make the actual parent experience match all those expectations they created in their cray cray little heads beforehand while they were dreaming of the day they become a mommy. It’s like the ladies who spend their life planning their wedding day…it creates disappointment, and truly, nothing is worse and more wrong than when a kid feels like they’ve somehow let down their folks simply by not being what they had envisioned.

    Glad you had a great time. Kids and family are the most fun!!

  • Reply Courtney Erin December 13, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    That last picture is just gold! And now I think you need to rest up a little…seriously, I don’t think I would have lasted.

    Courtney ~ https://sartorialsidelines.com

  • Reply Lori December 13, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    Love love love ~ they are adorable and I knew you would have a blast ~ after all ~ they are littles and they are so much fun!!

  • Reply Closet Fashionista December 13, 2012 at 11:12 am

    So so soooo cute!!! And wow, yes yo must be super tired! Even just babysitting kids for a night I am exhausted, haha
    https://www.closet-fashionista.com/

  • Reply Katie December 13, 2012 at 9:17 am

    They are adorable. And I have no doubt that you are exhausted. Sleep until New Years.

  • Reply Corey Thompson December 13, 2012 at 7:20 am

    THis one seriously made me tear up a little, damn being a parent has melted my cold little heart just a little!!

  • Reply Dancing Branflake December 13, 2012 at 7:06 am

    Well freak. You’re even gorgeous when you’re napping.

    No advice on kids only to feed them often. They’re like goldfish, you know.

  • Reply ChrisRobinson December 13, 2012 at 5:36 am

    simply perfect. thanks for this window into your perfect time with them. through hearing about all the fun you had, I can’t even imagine all the things they said about you on their way home…. you are probably their most epic of peoples.

    also, the ‘more on this later’ is beyond intriguing.

    and, popcorn fart.
    x
    C

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