Missing Daddy

Everyday this week when Lilly wakes up she wines "I want my Daddy!" When I tell her that he's not here and remind her that he is out of town, she wines a little more. Big girl is sick and she wants her Daddy!

This is a picture of her right after she woke up and I broke the news to her that he was still gone!

On the Mend

What does Trevor do when he needs to mend his heart with a little extra lovin'? He sleeps with his Mama!

With Todd out of town and Trevor in the dumps, he found the perfect way to end a hard day. This is a picture that I took of him and James when I came to get in the bed tonight. No matter how big he gets, he'll always be Mama's Boy!

Heartbroken and Hurting

This was a difficult day in the Gann house.

Hurting: Lilly has been sick for the past few days. Since Saturday, she has had a fever, runny nose, swollen eyes, and just been miserable. She had gotten better on Monday but last night took a turn for the worst. She woke up around 2 AM and never really went back to sleep. She would dose off for about 30 mins at a time and wake up in pain. She finally told me that her ear was hurting. I took her to the doctor and she has an ear infection. She cried and wined all day. All she wanted was for me to hold her. I don't think she ate a bite all day or drank more than 6 ounces of fluid. The doctor gave her some antibiotics so she should be better in a few days. Lilly is so pleasant and such a joy to be around. You can really tell when she is sick!

Heartbroken: My poor dearest Trevor had a terrible day, too. He found out today that his best friend, Josh, will be moving back to Florida in the near future. He is devastated. When I picked him up from school this afternoon, I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong. When he got in the car, he told me the news as he stared out the side window. He couldn't even look at me when he was talking about it. I feel so sorry for him. As a parent, one of the most difficult things to deal with is the fact that you know your child is hurting and there is nothing that you can do about it. I tried to be positive for him and say encouraging words. He is just now at the age that he is making bonding, meaningful friendships. I know that when the day comes that Josh actually leaves, Trevor will be crushed.

Gone Again

Central Park

New York, New York

Todd left this afternoon....again! This week, he will be in New York City for some business meetings. This weekend, he will be headed to Lake Placid, New York for some "team building" with some guys he works with. What that boils down to, is that he is going snowboarding (again) with some friends from work! He is scheduled to be back home next Monday evening.

Babysitting

Lilly and Grace

Our friend, Shelly, has 2 little girls. She needed a babysitter for a few hours today, so I volunteered. James loves playing with Grace, who is a little older than him. Lilly likes playing with Grace, too. But, she loves taking care of Addison, who is 9 months old. After lunch, Todd took James and Trevor to get haircuts. So, the girls decided that they wanted their fingernails and toenails painted. They had a ball getting prettied up and couldn't wait to show all the boys when they got back home!

Back Home

Todd & Trevor riding the lift at Heavenly Ski Resort

Lake Tahoe, California

Trevor heading down the mountain

The boys made it back from California last night. We were so happy to see them. When James and Lilly heard the garage open, they threw down their toys and took off towards the door. Trevor told us all about his trip and showed us their pictures and videos. When I asked what they did, he answered, "Eat, sleep, and snowboard!" He said that it snowed on them a couple of days, at times it was a blizzard, and that there was about 5 feet of snow on the side of the road. He enjoyed snowboarding and spending time with his Dad. He was happy to be back home. He said that he missed James and Lilly, and of course, his Mama!

Weekend with Family

Lilly blows out her candles

While Todd and Trevor are in California, I decided to drive to Georgia and visit with family for a few days. We spent Saturday with Grandma and Papa and we went to Nanny's on Sunday. Wanda had ordered Lilly a birthday cake and we had a birthday party for her at Nanny's. She was excited about being the birthday girl and getting to blow out her candles. We opened our Christmas gifts along with her birthday gifts since we didn't go for a visit at Christmas this year. The kids enjoyed seeing their cousins and playing for a while. After the party, we headed to Nana's house to spend the night and see her. We went out to dinner and made a stop at Target for more toys! Monday, we went to lunch with Grandma Phipps and she spent the rest of the afternoon with us at Nana's house. The kids enjoyed her company and she enjoyed watching them play. Tuesday morning, we woke up and packed the car. We were ready for our journey home and couldn't wait to see Daddy and Trevor.

As always, we enjoyed our visit with family and friends. Our time there was short and we weren't able to see everyone that I would have liked to see. But, we are thankful that our trip is an easy drive and that it isn't very long. The kids couldn't handle much more than 4 hours in the car at a time!

Quality Time

Lake Tahoe, California

Todd and Trevor left this morning for a long 5 day trip to Lake Tahoe, California. Since they both enjoy snowboarding, we always take a trip out west the week of MLK holiday. Last year, we visited Beaver Creek/Vail, Colorado and everyone went. James and Lilly are too small to ski and it is brutally cold this time of the year. This year, I decided to give them the trip as a Christmas gift so that they could spend some quality time together. I often think that Trevor doesn't get as much of our attention as the babies, only because he is older and more self sufficient. I find myself trying to compensate and make it up to him. He and Todd are two peas in a pod and he loves to have all of his Dad's attention. This will be a great bonding experience for them both and they will make memories that will be cherished a lifetime.

Snow Day

It actually snowed here last night. Well, if you can call it that! It wasn't alot, but it was enough to close school for the day! We took advantage of it by sledding down some hills and hitting each other with snow balls.

Babysitting

James and Pup

Nana came up this past weekend for a short trip. She is going to Colorado this week to visit a friend and we are going to Atlanta this weekend to visit family. We had the perfect opportunity to babysit Pup, so we took advantage of it! James and Lilly love Pup. She is so playful and sweet. She will run and chase them and they get the biggest kick out of it. Whenever they talk to Nana on the phone, the first thing that they say is "Where's Pup?" She has been having fun staying with us this week. She sleeps with Trevor at night and takes naps with James. I think they are going to be sad to see her go back home this weekend. She will be missed!

Kids

Funny story: Let me start by saying that about a week ago, I found a red Power Ranger that had no arms. I have been looking for those arms daily as I clean up James and Lilly's mess and put toys back in the toy box, books back on the shelf, etc.

On another note, I try to take a long, hot, quiet bubble bath a few times a week for relaxation. What usually happens is after the kids are in the bed, I make my way into the bath and stay for about 30 mins. Last night while I was filling up the tub and waiting to turn on the jacuzzi, I noticed something strange about the jets coming from the tub. After further investigation, it turns out that 2 of the jets have something lodged into them. I took my finger and started digging in there and what comes out? A red Power Ranger arm! Jet # 2....same story! I started laughing to myself at what I had just discovered!

As I took my bath, I thought about our children and all of the things that make them so special. The joys that I get from watching them play, the happiness that overcomes me when I hear their sweet little voices, and the smile that comes to my face everytime I think of them. They are each special and precious is their own, unique way. To top it off, the things that they do........they keep me on my feet and keep me sharp. I wouldn't trade them for a million dollars!

One last thing, Lilly was the guilty party in this one. I know you all were thinking it was James!!! She is actually the sneaky one!

Afternoon at Blythe Landing

We had fun this afternoon at Blythe Landing. We took a picnic lunch and headed to the lake. We ate, played on the playground, and walked along the shore of the lake. James and Lilly had a ball throwing rocks into the water. Of course, James ended up (very) wet! It's ok....we only live about a mile away!

Lilly's 1st day of preschool

Yesterday was Lilly's first day at preschool! She is going to be in the Montessori program at the school where I work. She will be attending 3 days a week, 3 hours a day. On her first day, she participated in a 2 hour introductory class that allowed her to watch the other children and see how the class is structured. She did wonderful. She was very excited to be going to "school". She thinks she's as big as her 2 brothers!

New Year, New Opportunities

The time has come for me to go back to work. I have accepted a job at a Montessori school as their Business Manager. I will be part of the school administration and responsible for the entire financial aspect of the school. I will only be working in the office 15 hours a week right now and I will work at home as needed. I am very excited about getting back to work. This position fits perfect with my skill set and is flexible with the hours that I am able to work and my family schedule. The school is less than a mile from my house.

I wasn't looking for a job, however, I ran across this opportunity and it was just too good to pass up. I have always known that I am not a "stay at home" kind of person. I have enjoyed, more than anything, staying at home with my children the past 4 years. However, I need something that is going to challenge me. I have always known that when I went back to work that I wanted something that would allow me the flexibility to be there for my family and work the hours that they were in school. This position literally just fell into place. I don't know if I am quite ready to enter back into the workforce, but I have to give it a try. If I can make this work, it will be a win-win for everyone involved.

I am taking this job with an easy heart. I am fortunate that I don't have to work, so if it doesn't work out, then so be it. I will at least know that I tried to make it work and that I didn't let this wonderful opportunity pass me up.

www.christianmontessorischool.org

Sleeping late

Daddy and Lilly sleep late

Lilly woke up early this morning. After staying up late, no one wanted to get up and play with her. I laid her in the bed with me and Todd and as of 9:00 AM, they were still sleeping. This is what happens when you stay up all night partying!