The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives (Insert Forboding Drums Here)
He just wants to do the back nine today.
We had a wedding to go to yesterday. An outdoor wedding that was at this great little place on Monte Sano Mountain that had roosters and goats and horses and cows. It was loads of fun, although insanely hot. We all got dressed up (sans LilZ who was with his Dad this weekend) and put on makeup (maybe that was just me) and socialized with people outside our own family. I was quite proud of all of us! NikkiZ and I even danced for awhile. It was a change of pace that we needed desperately. Or at least I did – if for no other reason that for the WEDDING CAKE. OMG. BEST CAKE EVER. Yum.
I survived my solo grocery shopping experience yesterday! Two small kids and a buggy full of groceries! And I lived to tell about it. I didn’t get as much as I normally would have, because NikkiZ wanted to ride in the big part of the buggy for awhile. But, that may be the system that works best. Several small trips instead of one BIG trip and a few quick stops throughout the week. Or, just plan the trips for when MrZ is home and can watch at least one of the kids so I can fill up a cart. Either way – I accomplished one task I had been fearing for awhile. GIVE ME MORE CAKE.
Today is my first day home alone with the kids. I think I’m going to take MrZ to work so I can have his car during the day (we’ve decided that putting a newborn in my non-air conditioned vehicle is NOT an option) just so we can get out of the house if we need to. Outings used to break up stressful days, but with three kids outings tend to become the thing that makes a day stressful. So, I’m not sure if we’ll leave or not. Either way – it would be nice to have the option with a car that will keep us cool.
My goal for today: Make Thank You cards and work on making our baby announcements. That is, of course, on top of just keeping everyone alive. I’m trying to give myself small goals every day, something to focus on besides just the daily maintenance routine. I think it’s a good way to keep me from falling into a lost spiral of mundane. Nurse the baby. Play a Dora episode. Cook lunch. Do laundry. Wash dishes. Etc. I need to throw in atypical activities in there, even if it means laundry gets ignored, just to keep things a little interesting.
Oh, Dear Lord. If that’s the best I can do for “interesting” – I need to up my standards a bit.
Congratulations on surviving the first shopping trip! Hopefully once you get into a routine it will become easier.
Will be thinking of you today and hoping that the day goes well and gives you the courage to get through something even scarier then Monday….yes, Tuesday!
Happy to hear the shopping trip went well. Oh, and your kids make the BEST faces for pictures.
You earned more cake. The small trips to the grocer would help break up your day.
You know, this will all get easier…
Holy crap – you mean someone might expect me to still do things like grocery shop when the second child arrives? I was planning on not leaving the house until Christmas. And thank you cards and announcements? You are a wild woman. I’ll be lucky to shower let alone acknowledge that anyone outside of my 2 children exist.
He’s sooo cute! Does your Target have the carts with the extra seating for bigger kids? The carts are bigger and harder to drive but great for bigger kids.
I was so afraid to go into a store and load a cart when Andrew was a newborn. I was just sure I’d have to abandon the cart and leave. Turns out, it was my 4 year old that made it a hassle.
Please tell me you had more than one piece of cake, because you totally deserve it!
Yay, you survived the first shopping trip! I have a 4yr old and a 2yr old and when the youngest was small, I did what you did–more trips with less in the cart because I had to put the older one somewhere. Now they BOTH want to sit in the big part of the cart, which is fine until the cart gets too full and then the oldest gets out and the youngest sits in the cart seat. But I don’t like doing that very often by myself because the oldest gets a taste of freedom and *blink* she’s gone…
It’ll get easier, you’ll find what works best for you!
Sweet. I’m so happy that you survived your first shopping experience. Another “atypical” think I used to do was bring the little mini shopping cart (you know the plastic play ones) and I would designate my eldest to be in charge of all of the “items”. That way, she would follow me around and I didn’t have to worry about her. You still might not be able to get all you want because NikkiZ might not have that long of an attention span but it would be a way to get out of the house and help NikkiZ feel a part of things. I’m not sure if she’s old enough but I thought I would throw it out there.
Great pics! Those plaid shorts are hysterical!
I especially like the last pic in which MrZ looks a bit like a giant b/c I keep forgetting just how small newborns (not to mention toddlers) really are. Hey, I have cats, not babies – what do you expect? 
AndyZ has the very best baby expressions EVER.
As for surviving, I’m pretty sure you’ll be okay. And if not, the kids are cute and you could sell them for LOTS of beer.
man what you need is a sling, do you know anyone who makes them? I used that at the grocery store alot, one in the sling one in the ‘buggy’….it worked great because I was actually able to put things in my cart…
I love all the pictures of AndyZ, but the one of him just above the one of NikkiZ is the best one yet! What an expression!!
Congratulations on surviving the first grocery store trip with two little ones. It wears me out just thinking about trying that. There is a grocery store in our little town that lets you do on-line ordering. You pick a time to get the food, then just drive up and they bring it out and put it in your car for you. Do any stores near you offer that service?
AndyZ looks like such a little man in those pics! Love it!
Glad you had a successful trip to the grocery store.
Oh man, the grocery store was a tough one when no. 2 came along. My kiddos are now nearly 1 and 2.5 years old. Here’s a tried and true solution that worked well for me. I’d park my car close to the carts in the parking lot and get the kiddos loaded up. I would put my toddler in the seat and my baby in his infant seat in the big part of the cart. As soon as I got into the store I would grab two of the hand baskets and tuck them both under the cart. First I would fill up the cart basket (around my babe) and then I’d fill up the hand baskets underneath. You can get A LOT of groceries this way and still keep your sanity.
By the time my baby outgrew the car seat, he was ready for sitting up in the cart. Now we “drive” the big clunky car carts, which I loath and love at the same time.
Anyhow, hope that helps you or others. It took my pregnancy-brain a few months to work it out! Heh.
Oh what sweet pictures! I miss those days. My youngest is going on 7 now. My oldest is 14 and going into high school. It goes by so fast! They are beautiful.