Time IS NOT on my side

Man, you would think since I've got this stay-at-home mom gig, I would have all kinds of blog time and whatnot.

WRONG.

Hubs and I made the MUTUAL decision that I will not go back to work/school until our kids are in school.* 'Mutual' being very important since the last big decision I made (quitting my job) caused a little turmoil on the home front.

Anywho, like any new job it's exciting and I'm learning so many things. I love being with the kids even though I thought I would be insane by now. I know them better. Sounds strange, but until recently I was only around my kids on the weekend a few hours in the evening. I think the caregivers in their classes at the daycare knew them better than I did. It's been eye-opening. I'm more tolerant of them and I appreciate them so much more. I have more patience. I'm more relaxed. I laugh more. I'm constantly busy, but I'm busy doing things that used to feel like chores. Now laundry, errands, phone calls, etc. are all part of my daily routine and the kicker is I don't mind them at all.

The house is coming along quite well. If you would like to check out the progress of the construction, you can always stop over to The Steinbauer Homestead blog. I try to update it frequently. Now that the outside of our home is all shiny and new, we are feeling the pressure to finish up the projects we've got going on indoors. It's nice to see our home finally come together. EIGHT YEARS IN THE MAKING FOLKS! If I had any advice to a young couple wanting to buy a fixer-upper I would say go for it. However, make the renovations before you move in. Tanner and I had so many ideas for our home when we bought it, but after years have passed we have gotten so accustomed to seeing things a certain way, our visions have faded. I find myself bringing in friends and family and asking for their ideas often, just for a fresh perspective. It would have been much easier to have been able to attack everything all at one time and the make subtle updates if we found it necessary. One last piece of advice? Double what you think the renovations will cost. Seriously. Do you know how much simple window treatments cost these days? Holy Mother that shit is expensive! And don't leave out the rods and hardware, gotta have that stuff to hang the drapes. It's insane what simple household items cost. No wonder my Grandmother filled her home with stuff from the Dollar General store. Social Security isn't exactly supporting a Crate and Barrel shopping list.

I haven't been reading much lately but I am really looking forward the the chill of Autumn, sipping warm cider, wearing fleece everything, and curling up with a good book. I have a 'to-read' list that continues to grow. I was shopping the other day and in the fall display at the front of the store they were melting a pumpkin tart. The scent has had me longing for fall ever since. Hubs and I also love football. We can't wait for the seasons to officially begin. Maybe we'll get to take in a game at the stadium again this year. That would be nice.

Know what else is nice? Date night. Friday night Hubs and I will be doing our best to be trendy and fun and carefree. We'll be out and about for a bit and then back home to our comfy clothes, responsibilities, and our babies. I'm really looking forward to all of it.

We finally watched the VMA's tonight. Lady Gaga certainly keeps things interesting. Love her! I'm happy that Beyonce is preggo but am I the only one that was totally weirded out by the whole belly rub display at the end of her performance? I just realized I accepted Gaga's transgender alter-ego but was quick to criticize Beyonce for outing her pregnancy on stage. . . I might have underlying issues.

Good news of the week: Turner's surgery went well. He did great going into the operating room and kind of freaked out after his surgery. Understandable. The kid goes to sleep feeling good and being held by his Dad only to wake up with pain in a room full of strangers. Not good. They had to sedate him to calm him down. Twice. The surgery took 45 minutes but we were at the hospital for 3 extra hours because his recovery took so long. At least the sedation allowed him to rest. At the last minute, Turner's surgeon decided to only operate on the top and bottom muscles of each eye. The original plan was to operate on top, bottom, right, and left muscles of each eye. The doc didn't think it was necessary after giving him a quick eye test before his surgery. Turner didn't seem to have much pain, but his eyes watered constantly for about 4 days. More of an irritation to him than anything.

Bad news of the week: Lauren is showing signs of having Strabismus as well.  Her left eye is starting to turn in more and more. We'll keep watching it and see what can be done. It definitely doesn't seem as severe as Turner's so we are hoping maybe she'll be able to get by with patching or glasses and avoid surgery. We know that if a child has strabismus, there is a 60% chance of a sibling having it as well. We knew this before Lauren was born and hoped for the best. Hopefully, with early detection and treatment, it won't be an issue for her as she gets older. Tanner and I count our blessings. Our children are both happy and healthy kids. We couldn't ask for more than that.

My mom is getting married this weekend. My sister and I took her dress shopping. It was actually fun. I say it that way because it could have been really awkward but we made the most of it. My mom is really happy. I am happy to say that she has met a really great guy and I wish them the best.

We have a nephew due in October and another niece or nephew due in February. Nothing like babies having babies to make you feel old. Kidding. The babies having babies are our younger siblings. Siblings that never seem to age in our eyes, yet we've watched them mature into adults with each passing year. Our parents are going to have 3 grand kids all under the age of 5. I hope they are taking their multi-vitamins and doing their stretches; their asses are about to be taken over by our little heathens.

Well, I've got more to say but I really should be getting some shut eye. Good night everyone and I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!

*or I go crazy, hence proving to be an unfit parent.