carolina on my mind: March 2015

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Monday, March 30, 2015

Well, it's been almost two months since I returned to work on February 2. Although my heart's desire is to be stay-at-home mom, I have chosen to be a working mom instead. Staying at home with Hadley would require some major life changes, namely moving to a much smaller house and trading in our new vehicle. As a working mom, I try to have a positive attitude and be thankful that my income enables us to live in a safe neighborhood with great schools, save for retirement, and pay off our debt.

I'm also thankful that I work at an excellent school that is only a mile from our house. It's awesome that Savannah attends Kindergarten at my school. I love waving at Savannah in the hallway, eating lunch with her in the cafeteria, and hanging out with her before and after school in my library.

While I'm at work, I have peace of mind knowing that Hadley is in good hands. Hiroko and her daughter-in-law Yu take care Hadley, as well as 4 other teachers' children, in Hiroko's home.

Hadley (4 months old at the time), Yu, and Hiroko

Being a mom is the best and hardest job in the world. Most days I struggle to balance the expectations and demands of work and motherhood, but I strive to be the best mom, wife, and teacher/librarian that I can be.

Our mornings and evenings are hectic, but Tal and I share responsibilities and work as a team. I wake up at 4:30 A.M., so I can pump and get ready before Tal, Savannah, and Hadley get up at 6:00 A.M. I dress the girls, while Tal loads our vehicles. At 6:30 A.M., the girls and I pile into the car. I drop off Hadley at Hiroko's house by 6:50 A.M. and get to school around 7:00 A.M. I open the library for students and staff at 7:15 A.M.

While at work, I prioritize and start working on what needs to done the next day. To make this happen, I work hard. I work smart. I work quickly. I stay on task. My daily goal is to finish my work responsibilities at 2:45 P.M., so I can leave school and spend time with Savannah and Hadley.

The girls and I get home around 3:30 P.M. most afternoons. I make bottles and lunches for the next day. I spend an hour helping Savannah with her homework. Then, if time allows, Savannah and I eat dinner before Tal gets home at 6:30 P.M. When Tal gets home, we all put on our jammies and get ready to put the girls to bed from 7-8 P.M.

As working parents, Tal and I realize that our time with Savannah and Hadley is precious. We make a conscious effort to spend quality time with our girls and give them lots of love and attention.

Sunshine Girls

For some reason, the sisterly photo below melts my heart:

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Pretty in Pink

My 3 loves...all dressed in pink for church this morning!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Hanging Out

This afternoon I'm hanging out with my favorite girls. I'm done making lunches and bottles for tomorrow. Savannah is done with her homework. Now it's time to relax for a few minutes before Daddy gets home!

Hadley started using her walker!

Hadley's crossed feet are precious!

Hadley has two favorite toys right now: Ella the Elephant and Sophie the Giraffe. Ella the Elephant is a soft toy. Hadley likes to chew on the elephant's nose and put the soft blanket her cheek. Sophie is a great teething toy.

Easter Bunny

Over the last several weeks, Savannah has been begging to visit the Easter Bunny. Yesterday Savannah and Hadley (5.5 months old) dressed up in their Easter dresses and had their picture taken with the Easter Bunny at the mall. They did a great job!

Below is a picture of Savannah (at 3 months old) wearing the same dress as Hadley above.

Aunt Angie gave Savannah this pretty pink and green dress 6 years ago:

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Hadley's First Teeth!

Hadley has two bottom teeth! We were excited to see our baby girl's first teeth poke through her bottom gums last week. I snapped these photos of Hadley's pearly whites during bath time tonight when Hadley was smiling at Tal.