It's a busy house!

Things have been very busy in the Ford household lately!  It feels like we have officially turned into real parents... ones who are never home because we're taking our kids to all of their activities.  I have a calendar on my kitchen wall, and it has more activities on it than I ever thought would be possible with 2 kids under 2!    To be fair, it's not just their activities... mom and dad have made sure to keep their own activities up to stave off the craziness!  So throw in our stuff too, and planning an evening at home hardly seems possible anymore!

We signed Gracie up for swimming lessons.  This is her first real activity, and so far she loves it!  Our first day was Monday morning.  We dropped Ella off at the sitters and headed to the pool.  Gracie didn't even mind when I told her she couldn't stay at Nancy's, because she was so excited about swimming at the pool.  Have I ever mentioned that when Gracie speaks, she's kind of William Shatner about it? "Swim. At. The. Pool?"  It's really kind of funny, and cute too!  So we headed over to the pool, got on our swimsuits (because off course I had to be in the water with her... it's just not responsible to throw them in and see how they do!), and headed into the kiddy pool.  Apparently that's the warm one.  All the kids smiled... all the parents cringed.  That's not the temperature I would keep my bathtub!!  We started off by just pulling the kids around on their bellies, then their backs.  Then we got some floaty toys and they had to lay on their bellies and kick their way over to them.  Then we blew bubbles in the water.  Then all the kids got to stand on the edge of the pool and jump in.  This was Gracie's favourite part.  She laughed and laughed, and yelled "Again. Mommy. Again."  It was fun for me too... until like the 10th jump.  She may only weigh 25 pounds, but hefting that out of the water and up onto the side of the pool a couple dozen times showed me how far I need to go before I acquire true "mommy muscles!"  When it was time to go, Gracie was quite sad!  She really didn't want to get out of the pool.  She was even sadder when we reached the change room where they keep the temperature at -5 degrees with fans blowing.  That was one crying infant!!  But she can't wait to go back on Monday!

We've also started going to the library.  Gracie loves books.  Loooooves them!  We could read all day and she would never get bored.  She has most of her books memorized, and I was feeling like it was time to get her some new ones.  Did you know that kids books can cost upwards of $10.00 per book? For 6 or 7 pages?!?!  That's crazy!  It's a good thing I remembered this place where you can get all the free books you want, without the hassle of trying to find a place to store them in an already overcrowded house!  We went last Tuesday morning, and happened to wander in in the middle of story time.  There is a lovely woman who reads and sings to the kids.  Gracie didn't know quite what to make of her, but she seemed to enjoy herself, so now we go every week and she gets to bring home three exciting new stories every time! 

Another thing we've started doing is going to the gym.  Before I had Gracie, I went quite often.  Okay, so that's not completely true... but I did used to go every now and then!  I thought that would be impossible with two little kids, but we've started going most afternoons.  I put Ella in the strollers they have there and run the track and Danny takes Gracie in the gym and kicks or throws the balls around.  Sometimes they run with me too (with Gracie in the other stroller).  Ella is very cooperative throughout her gym time, and loves the wind blowing through her hair as I run around the track.  Gracie also enjoys it, but isn't a fan of what it does to mom and dad:  "Ewwww... sweaty daddy!!"  I'm starting Zumba again on Tuesday.  The last time I went, I was 37 weeks pregnant with Gracie.  I'm not going to lie... I'm not looking forward to going back.  Because I'm lazy! :)  But I know once I get there, I'll enjoy it again!  I'm taking my sister along for the ride... if I'm going to look ridiculous, I may as well have a partner! :)

Add in Dad's jujitsu classes and university courses, and my never-ending obligations with Sunday School, and we are one busy household!  All of it put together is enough to make me want to go crazy, but we have a little secret to keeping sane and keeping moving... our crazy, energetic children!  When we're tired, or cranky, or just in a funk, all it takes is one of Gracie's priceless outbursts (remember, "oh fuck, my shooooes!") or a new trick that Ella has learned (this week it's laughing!), and we're back to laughing and loving life!

I have to say, as crazy and hectic as our lives are... we've got it pretty damn good! :)