Horse back riding

Grace's field trip has come and gone, and in true Gretchen form it didn't go perfect. IN FACT i learned i have a slight fear of horses. I know, I know, a horse you might say, but let me tell you, those are some BIG, strong, and powerful animals. They are only being led or controlled because they choose to be, and I know!

It started with us meeting at the school. Where Presley had to go potty so we ran to the bathroom and I thought it would be a good idea if EVERYBODY went potty just to be safe. So we did but as we were in there I could hear... nothing, and before there was A LOT of talking. We head back to the lobby and one of the mom's says "they are getting ready to leave" So the girls and I RUN outside and jump in the car as all the cars start to pull away. We make it in time and become part of a 12 car caravan.

Once we went threw the military check we drove the short distance to the stables. Both of my girls were SO excited at this point they could hardly wait long enough to jump out of the car and down toward the horses. Once we were at the stables and we were all given instructions on how to handle the horses they started to bring them out. People could ride solo, or double up and take the short 10 min walk on the pony trail. Each child would be accompanied by their parent who, would handle the horse and lead them in the proper direction.

Of course my girls rode together and we ended up getting a BIG MIGHTY horse named Joan. Once they were on Joan we headed for our pony trail. Not even 10 steps into the walk Joan stopped. The horse handler instructed me on how to make her go and she did.. so things were looking good. The girls were REALLY high up and I was a little afraid that the two of them didn't fit so well on this horse. But we headed on our way. Once we rounded the first corner, the first corner where i could see NOBODY from our group, the only people i could see were just down below where there were some private horse back riding lessons going on, Joan stopped. I stood there and pulled on her rope as instructed.. leaning into it to try to get her moving. Joan however didn't like this and pulled her head back with some gusto and neighed at me.... okay, okay I thought... She obviously didn't like that. So we stopped. Which did give me time to take a picture of the girls on Joan.

As we stood there doing nothing, waiting and hoping for somebody to come by I tried a few other times to pull on joans rope, but just like before she wasn't having any of it, and I could feel her looking at me with hate in her eyes. I had an awful fear that she would buck the girls off of her or kick me. So I just kinda let her do her own thing. After about 10 min of doing nothing I decided it was time to inturupt the horse back riding lesson. I felt bad, but really.. how long could I wait. So I yelled down for help.. "HELP.. THIS HORSE WONT MOVE" The instructor looked up and said "ohh Joan..." what? what? you can tell who she is just because of her attitude.. good lord why did they give ME this horse.The instructor sent up a gal who wasn't riding a horse but HAS ridden them before and was the parent to one of the students she was teaching. She told me to move the rope back and forth and she patted Joan on the bum while making that clicking sound with her mouth. FINALLY Joan moved, and we were on our way again.

After about 20 feet Joan stopped again, I swayed her rop back and forth like instructed and it worked!! VICTORY!!! So we continuned on our way. I wasn't sure if I should talk to Joan or just keep quiet. I was told already to NOT make eye contact so as hard as it was, I risisted looking the very teprimental horse in the face. Once we were at the highest point of our trail, higher than I could yell for help Joan stopped again. GREAT! there I stood like a sitting duck, a few times I tried the swaying the rope back and forth till she did start going but she turned right at me and started towards the cliff.. GOOD GOD! I pushed her and said "NO!" So she just stopped again and looked at me with a twinkle in her eye. I decied to just hang out, to just wait for help to arrive because lets face it, EVENTUALLY somebody would notice we were still gone. But the whole time we sate there waiting I was hoping and praying that this horse didn't get so pissed that she would decide to take off with my kids towards the road or down the trail knocking them both off her back and unconsouse. But because we stoped I had another oppertunity to take another picture.

Finally the nice lady who helped me before and another young man came running up this hill to my rescue. The women instructed the young man how to keep Joan going and he accompanied me the rest of the way back to the stables. In our conversation he addmites that he is actually VERY scared of horses but that he only came to watch his friend during her lessons. Great I thought.. two people who are scared, Joan probably knows that. Once back at the stables i told the guy who gave us Joan how testy she was and he ended up putting her away and bringing out Harry who I guess was just WONDERFUL.


WE survived!!

Once the girls each rode together, Grace wanted to go alone. So another mom took her on another trip around the pony trail and Presley and I doubled up with Lola and her mommy for one last trip. I will say it was WAY funner for ME having another mom to talk to and a lot less scary with a horse that wasn't as big as Ms.Joan. Velvet was a wonderful old gal, she is 30 years old and I could see over her body, which made her less attemidating. Presley wasn't as high up and Velvet just didn't seem as mighty. Although I'm sure, if she wanted she could have been.

Presley on Velvet

Velvet, Presley and mommy

Doesn't she TINY here?

Grace and Velvet

with mommy too!!

The whole darn group of them!

After everybody got to ride the horses they had the chance to feed them. Boy oh boy did the girls LOVE that. I think it made them a littler nervous, but I can't blame them. When Grace first dropped her carrot I said "No Grace you have to hold it for them" So I picked it up and held it for a horse who I thought was EXTRA gummy, he moved so fast that I even screamed and dropped the carrot. Grace looks at me and I said "oh well.. it's okay, he'll get it"

One of the horses had this heart on her and I thought it was SO cool. Then one of the dads told me that she was branded and once they are branded their hair grows back white. I guess i felt bad for her that she was burned with a heart shape, but I think if your going to be branded this is a pretty cute one (it beats a number). Plus how many awful things happen to us when we're young that we don't remember? So I pretend this brand happend a LONG time ago, when she was just a baby and she doesn't remember a thing.

I thought about getting the girls horse back riding lessons after this, since they just LOVED it. But WOWZA it's expensive. Oh well, once a year with a school field trip is good for me.

Just a note.. the world does not stop for you.

I took the girls to subway today for lunch, and while we were sitting there eating a man walked in and started to order a sandwich. In the middle of his order he told the young man making his lunch to "hold on" then he proceeded to talk on his cell phone. Not only was he being rude to the man making his sandwich he was being rude to the line building up behind him. While he sat there on his phone with everybody waited... I shook my head in disgust and thought "what's wrong with people"

It's like techknowlagy has made us so rude and oblivious to other people around us. Did this man think that HE or his phone call was more important than the group of people standing there, or the young man that was waiting to make his sandwich. What ever happened to manners and being polite to people. Was that phone call SO important the it couldn't wait? NO it wasn't.... i heard him say "did you hang up on me or did I hang up on you??" WHAT?? WHAT?? seriously? Hang up the phone ass and get your order finished, then make your phone call. It seems like such a simple concept, one that even a child wouldn't need to be taught.

People thinking the world revolving around them doesn't have to be because of a cell phone. The other day I was driving down the road when the car in front of me practically STOPPED while looking at street signs.. SERIOUSLY?? Did this guy think that everybody around him, the cars behind him were less important than him missing his turn. It was the most aggravating thing!! Not to mention dangerous.

I wish people would just take time to think about those around them and how their actions at any given moment may effect others. Is that so hard?

Ms. Fill your name in here

Do you have your children refer to other adults with the added MS or MR? Like Ms. Gretchen?

I don't, but I as wondering why some parents do, and why other parents don't. Personally I don't. I think the added MR or MS is a sign of authority, and for me... my friends don't have any authority over my child. They are our friends. But is that disrespectful? Is it just how one is raised?

Do you think parents that DO have their children refer to others with MR or MS are offended when I don't have my child refer to them in the same manor?

Is it crossing a line to say to somebody else's child who just referred to you as MR.Whoever or Ms.Whoever to just call you by your first name? Is that not allowed? I mean if somebody called you a name you didn't like you would tell them so, so why not tell a child to not call you Ms.Gretchen if you really don't like it??

Field trip..

The kids and i ready to go on Grace field trip to Camp Pendalton (hmm I have NO idea how to spell that) so then kids can ride horses. I must say I'm not excited but hopefully it will be fun.. pictures to come! Yippy for field trips!!!

Enjoy your kids while they are still little.

"Enjoy your kids while they are still little." People say this constantly while you have small children, and I even find myself saying it to other parents who have children younger than mine. But I wonder if people ever actually take that advise. I think we all have moments where we look at our children and just adore them. Moments when we actually take them all in, and everything they give to US. But what does that mean..."Enjoy them while they are still little?" I'm not sure I really understand that. How do I enjoy them? What counts as enjoying them? They make me smile, they make me laugh and every once in a while I'll play with them. But does that mean I'm enjoying them enough?

When I'm doing the dishes, switching around or folding laundry, picking up the house or making dinner.. I'm not enjoying them. Actually.. during those times they tend to be rather annoying. I find myself telling them to "GO AWAY! Go play.. leave me alone while I finish this." After moments of shewing them I feel guilty. That isn't enjoying them while they are little. So.... it poses the question, how do i FULLY enjoy them? Do i sit on the floor and play barbie with them, do I play kitty cat? (one of Grace FAVORITE games.. which to this day I just have a hard time getting into) Do I set up a craft and sit with them while THEY do the craft.. because I got to be honest with you, I'm not much of a craft mom. I hate glue, glitter, cutting paper, paint, or anything that would require glue like cotton balls. For me, a fun craft is paper and crayons AND if I'm feeling crazy stickers. Does this mean I'm not enjoying my children? Does this mean I'm going to have regret when they are older? Sometimes I think it does. I look at pictures of them when they were smaller and i almost ache for those moments again, those precious little moments when they were so small. I think "where has the time gone?" So it's a constant back and forth of "Stop buggin me" to wanting to hold on to where they are now, because I know in 2 short years I'll look back and think "where did the time go?"

I try not to beat my self up over it. But from time to time it gets to me.. how will my children remember me? How do they perceive me now? Do they think I'm a good mom who spends enough time with them? Or am I a mom who shews them more often and spends to much time on the Internet? I guess time will only tell, but I don't know how my kids went from

THIS... (6 months and 2 years old)

TO THIS...(5 and 3) sitting in BIG kid car seats which require using the seat BELT! No long in a harness car seat. That BLOWS my mind and freaks my freak!

I think maybe the balance isn't perfect, I think maybe the balance is to vague to actually see, not clear cut. It's a true balancing act of daily life, managing the kids, the house, if you work your job, your spouse and yourself all while Enjoying them while they are still little. Sometimes it's all just so over whelming, but in those moments I think we just need to step back and count our blessings because as all of us mom's know..... how blessed we are can sometimes get lost in life, and it's good to come back and find that every once in a while.

Just a simple trip to Kohl's

Today I was really excited to go to Kohl's and spend some Kohl's cash my mom gave me which she received from buying a birthday present for me from my girls. I was also going to look into exchanging the bathing suit the girls picked out for me, because it wasn't very me... it was such a mom suit. Big purple flowers with a side knot. It was sweet that the girls picked it out, but.. yea, I for sure didn't want to wear it in public.

I was excited to go, and got the girls ready. I packed the diabetes supplies, had my bathing suit, bathing suit cover and receipt ready to hit the store. The girls were excited to ride in their new BIG girl car seats (blog to come) and to be honest.. I was a little excited to see them sitting in their new seats as well. So we hopped in the car, buckled up, turned up our PINK CD and started rocking our way to Kohl's.

Once there I grabbed my stuff for exchange from the trunk and headed in. If you've never been to Kohl's they have little shopping carts, or shopping bags if you will... they are on wheels but it's more of a bag than a cart, and a few of them have seats for children. I was scanning the rows of shopping carts for one that had seats for two. While i was looking Presley was so excited she jumped into the first one available. I finally spotted seats for two and went to push the other carts out of my way so I could mussel this ONE out. While I'm doing this Presley starts whining and crying about how she wants to sit down... as I'm musseling the cart I want from the row I'm trying to explain to her that she WILL get to sit down, but she has to sit in this one stupid cart that i need so I can contain BOTH children. Because she was busy making a fuss, and was drawing attention to us is why I'm SURE the cart that I needed caught onto every other cart on the way out which just prolonged my torture of trying to get the cart and trying to get Presley to shush up. FINALLY Victory was mine and the blessed seats for two was free. They both rushed and pushed each other to get the front seat, to which I knew was going to be a loosing battle. It didn't matter WHICH kid was going to get the front seat because the other was surly going to make my life miserable. So I thought who would make the least amount of noise.. and that was Grace.. So unfortunately for her she was in the back. I placed both kids in their seats, my purse, the diabetes bag and my return in the cart.

As I'm walking towards the clothing section Grace is kicking the bottom of the cart, and pouting about how SHE wanted the front seat. "Yea yea" I think. As we get to the clothes Grace started to pull on the racks of clothes to make it very clear that she wasn't happy. I finally parked the cart and started going threw clearance racks. By this time Grace was being impossible and I told Presley that threw out this trip they would be taking turns up front. As I'm sifting and searching for the latest bargains and kind of wondering where the bathing suits were, the girls were being them self's.. talking none stop, asking a million questions, and touching everything they could reach. Finally I thought "Okay, Gretchen... find the bathing suits and wrap this trip up" So we go searching for the suits which we eventually found and yuck! there was NOTHING that even remotely looked like something I would want to wear, and at this point Presley had been saying for about 10 min that she "has to go potty" (and really.. when a 3 year old Diabetic has to go potty.. you SHOULD listen) So I think to myself... your not in bathing suit condition anyways, your thighs are awful, your stomach is a mess and bathing suit shopping is not my idea of a good time. SO I thought... return the suit, get store credit, and buy some clothes and maybe even jewelry! (Yes jewelry is a MAJOR luxury, i don't so much as buy a bra for myself but once a year so the thought of spending money on fashion jewelry never crosses my mind.. but I do love it so what the hell!)

I go to customer service and park my cart right by the family Bathroom door, I tell Grace to stand right at the cart and then I open the door for Presley to go into the bathroom and go potty. She walks in and I shut the door (it's a single bathroom, only one door no stall) I look at Grace and tell her stay right there, then I peek in at Presley and she's walking around the bathroom with her skirt and panties around her ankles saying "I can't do it" OYE! A quick glance at Grace with a firm "Don't move and don't talk to anybody" I go into the bathroom assist the little one then help her wash her hands. Now we're out the door and returning the awful suit they picked out for me. As I waited to have my transaction completed the girls started to get drinks from the drinking fountain. Now Presley doesn't quite get the idea of a drinking fountain, so she just stands there with her tounge out letting water drip down the front of her. So after about 1 min she was totally soaked and looking at me saying "mommy.. I all wet!" Whatever, I was SO STOKED to hear that I got a store credit of 55 dollars and some change PLUS I got to keep my Kohl's cash. 70.00 to spend on ME!!! I didn't even care she was all wet "See.. you need to CLOSE your mouth not just stand there, that's what happens"

We turn to walk back to clothes and the girls start hugging EVERY manikan we passed saying "oh mommy!!" Followed with a big hug. It was cute at first but after about the 5th manikan it wasn't cute anymore.. it was annoying "Get back in the cart!" Once they were wrangled back into a manageable position I went back to clothing to look for some new tops. After some rummaging the girls both start with "this is boring... it's taking to long.. I'm hungry" over, and over again. I promise them we're almost done,and if they are good I'll take them to Chick Fil A for lunch. On our way to fashion jewelry the cart jams up and Grace screams. I walk to the front of the cart where she starts crying that she hurt her ankle. "well, that's what happens when you drag your feet in the front of the cart.. your suppose to keep them up, not drag them while it's being pushed" after a little comfort I tell her to basically get over it. We look at fashion jewelry for a little while when I decide on cute pair of rose earrings and a stunning necklace. Finally.. we can go.

We get to check out and put all my great buys on the cashiers table. I grab two books for each of the girls and start ringing it all up. Unfortunately the stunning necklace i just loved rang up at 27.00 WHAT!!! for a necklace..?? like I said, Jewelry is a SPECIAL thing, and there was no way in hell i was going to pay that for a necklace. But on a more exciting note, I found a great shirt/blouse that had a price tag of 54.00, i knew I wasn't going to pay that much for it but I was unsure how much it really was... (drum roll please) 5.40 WHAT A BARGIN! After being very pleased with myself and the 5 shirts, earrings, and jacket i bought for myself we were off to Chik Fil A.

Taking the kids to a fast food joint is never easy, and I wonder why i ever do it to myself. Once we ordered our food we went to find a seat which in itself is a task. Kids can never just move forward, they have to pause, look sideways, upside down, and all around. I'm trying to get them moving in a direction without bumping into somebody or helping me spill the food. Once seated Presley spills her soda.. great...I go get napkins to pick up the spill, check her blood sugar then open their chicken, and pour out their fries for them. Once their food was served they both requested Ranch, so up again i go to get ranch. When i get back with their beloved sauce Grace is mangling the box her chicken is in and drops one of her chicken on the floor "oops, i lost some chicken..." umm "oh well.." I don't understand why they can't just sit, and eat, why they insist on making it the most difficult function ever. Once i give Presley her shot and make sure nobody needs anything else I finally get to enjoy my lunch as well.....finally peace...well, for at least the next 5min.

I watched a Oprah that has been on my DVR for weeks now the other night and it made me laugh, it was about the secret life's of mom's. With true mom confessions and just a group of mom's talking about how hard it is. I laughed because I felt like this day was a perfect example of that. Can you imagine if I didn't have kids. I would have just gone to Kohl's, gone threw the clearance racks, tried clothes on with out so much of a single incident. There would have been no blog to write. No story to tell. Just.... went to Kohl's. Got some great stuff and THE END. No hurt ankle, no whining about who is in front, no mommy manikans, no potty emergency just... quite.

Uh OH!!

I've lost my camera!!! hmmmmm