Although my life has been less than boring the past couple of weeks, I have not found the time to keep up on this blog.  My life, lately, has taken on some skills in arguing with my toddler.  Apprently this "terrible twos" phase is no joke.  I don't know if I really believed there was a phase called the "terrible twos" before having children, but I certainly do now.  My patience and sanity have been in jeporady for the past week and a half.  I have developed strong arguing and bartering skills to deal with my daughter. So, if a trip to the Carribean would be in my future, I would be able to come back with some awesome treasures for a very low cost. 
Ava, my sweet Ava, has been runnig around here yelling, screaming, kicking and throwing toys around.  Sometimes I ask myself "what the hell is going  on?"  I just sit and look at her in amazement and wondering when her head is going to spin around and spew green stuff.  Yes, it is that bad.....I don't remember signing up for this song and dance and apprently I have missed a few rehearsals in this parenting skit. 
Nothing is better when your almost 3 year old daughter throws your own one-liners back at you.  To hear her say "driving me crazy, mommy, driving me crazy," or "working on my nerves, working on my nerves," or "not playing this game no more mommy, no play games with you," can be kind of humorous and it is hard to hold back some laughs. But then I ask myself, "is she mocking me?" Yes, yes, she is. Sassy and Ava go hand in hand right now.  So then, I again, question myself wondering how my child became so sassy and then I remember she is mine.  Not that any of my questions are answered but there is some clarity.  The latest shannigans was the other day walking in a parking lot. Ava proceeds to say "look mommy, flowers!"  I respond by telling her those flowers are called tulips to which she responds "yes, mommy I have two lips." I stopped right where we were and laughed hysterically.  Only my kid, only my kid.
The other day we were going to a play group.  One, to get Ava out of the house and two, for me to have a grown up conversation. This was Tuesday morning.  It really took all I had to get a shower and changed in the morning with a crying and fussy baby Owen and into everything, refusing to listen to me Ava. So I at least showered and dressed in yoga pants and long sleeve shirt, not my usual outfit to leave the house in but I really had no choice.  So, here we go to play group dressed in lounge-wear and no make up (which is very unusual, I at least have to have face powder and blush on to give my face some life and color).  We walk into play group and apprently I looked stressed and tired.  I figured this out because 1 mom and the 2 play group orgainzers asked if everything is ok.  I respond by telling them "Yes, everything is good, I woke up breathing this morning." I don't think they really knew how to respond.  So after the songs and story the social worker from the military base sits down and asks "Kathleen, would you like me to set up an appointment for one of us to come to your house?"  "For what?" I ask.  Apprently, I look like I need help. I continue telling her what we are doing with Ava when she throws her fits and I guess we are doing everything right, at least that is what she said. Keep on truckin'

Ahhh, there's nothing like a good, unplanned yet graceful slide down the stairs at 5:00 in the morning to get you going.  Let me paint the picture for you......
Lying in bed and Owen wakes for an early breakfast while Ava is bouncing around on the pillows repeatedly stating "I woke up, I woke up!" Later followed by "I have to pee mommy!"  I tell Ava, "Let's go downstairs because I have to make your brother a bottle anyway." So here we go.....
(do not worry, no children were hurt in this incident)

Ava gets a head start down the stairs, holding the railing like she has been instructed because I don't want her falling, rolling or tumbling down the stairs. I should follow my own instructions sometimes.....
So, as I am trying to walk beside her I can feel myself start to loose my footing. Owen in my arms and Ava now at the landing. Now, we have a split staircase in our lovely townhome. So, this was not a fall, slide, what ever you would classify it as, down a long staircase, only about a good 10 steps. I am not even sure how this happened and I can not recall the entire thing because the only thought in my mind is to protect defenseless and innocent Owen in my arms. So as I am trying to grab anything with my right hand (the railing is on the left, the arm Owen is in) before I know it, I am at the bottom of the staircase trying to figure out what the hell just happened.  Owen starts crying, he apparently just had the bouncing ride of his life and did not enjoy it. So here I am with a crying baby in my arms, a toddler standing at the landing repeatedly saying "mommy, I sorry, mommy, I sorry."  For what, I do not know, this was no fault of hers. And my husband yelling from our bedroom "What in the heck just happened, are you OK?" I don't think I even answered because I was still trying to figure out if my legs were going to work and why my pants were wet.  Yes, embarrassing as this is, I think this entire incident jolted the pee out of me. Sean rushes down the stairs and I think he is surprised to find me sitting at the bottom of the staircase. I don't think he really knew what to do at this moment. I raise Owen up to him so I can gather myself up of the floor and get Ava to the potty and apparently myself there also.
If I wasn't awake before, I should definitely be awake now, one would think that anyway.  I find myself in the kitchen walking in a circle, trying to assess myself and saying to Sean, "I am going to have a huge bruise on my entire left side" followed by "I think I have a rug burn on my right elbow and the top of my foot." Owen is screaming his head off in the  background probably pissed because his breakfast is now delayed and diaper is wet. And Ava repeatedly asking me for marshmallows. Me, in my confused state and priorities all mixed up, Ava gets a green bowl of marshmallows at 5:05AM.  Breakfast of champions. The milk she is drinking will counteract the sugar rush, right?  Oh well.
Now, my day begins.  I am sitting on the couch feeding Owen.  Ava is sitting on the living room floor finishing her marshmallows and then proceeds to retrieve her alphabet books and dump them on the floor followed by the pillows from the love seat.  She then reaches for her xylophone stating "I want my vylophone" (her pronunciation). Yes, that is just what I need at now 5:15 AM, my toddler banging on her metal xylophone. I take no hesitation in telling her "No! It is way too early in the morning for that!"  Ear drums saved, amateur band of one postponed, for now. Let the day continue, hopefully it can only get better!

*Sigh* There is nothing like a delicious cup of coffee and a quiet house early in the morning until my little monster wakes from sleeping.

 So, this weekend was somewhat calm and relaxed until I had the bright idea to load my children in the car and venture to the craft store for some crafting supplies for my new sewing hobby.  Huge mistake.  Trying to keep a toddler in the shopping cart, quiet and happy is a challenge. Needless to say, Ava was running around the store picking up and touching just about anything that was at her eye level stating "I need this".  No, my sweet girl, you don't need styrofoam cones and circles or 3 boxes of play dough.  It was somewhat relieving to me that a fellow shopper, a woman with 3 girls, was having the same issue except her children were a bit older than Ava.  So I thought silently to myself, "great, it doesn't get easier taking kids to the store especially when soon enough I will have 2 that will be mobile, running around telling me they need random, miscellaneous item." Fantastic, can't wait for that.

Today marks my new work out regimen.  I am starting the Couch to 5K excerise program.  Seeing how I haven't really done much over the last year and half due to ACL surgery and pregnancy, I think I will be proactive and start icing my body down now.  Too bad I don't have any tequila on hand, a shot of that after working out will heal my body and soul.  This is obviously a joke, the shot thing not the working out thing.  I feel that if I post this and make it public knowledge, a friend or stranger out in cyber world will be my motivation and perhaps my conscious to keep me focused. I am determined and dedicated to fitting into my jeans again without the aid of Spanx smoothing me out.

Today I have decided to try out this blog thing.  We will see how far or how long this lasts. I decided to blog because I feel the need for a connection to the "outside world" beyond the mommy world.  A little about me.....

At the moment I am unemployed and seem to have extra time on my hands so why not start a blog? I sometimes have a lot to say and feel that others should enjoy the craziness that incorporates my life at times. I told my husband I am going to start a blog and call it Homemade Chaos. His response to this: "it's not that bad around here."  My response to him: "you are not home all day!" So here we are.  We have two beautful children. Our spunky and sassy toddler, Ava and our newborn Owen.

I love a lot of things. I love playing with our toddler, Ava, and watch her grow and explore the simple world in which she lives. I love snuggling with our little Owen, well not so little, but I love to snuggle.  I love  to cook, eat, bake, eat, attempt crafts (which I feel I am improving), drink coffee. I couldn't live without coffee, I do have an addiction to it. And don't forget the wine! I love wine and beer and margaritas and sangria and.....well I won't go on.  I don't have a problem though, this is just for recreation.

My latest activity is attempting to learn how to use a sewing machine.  I feel that it is my motherly duty to know how to use a sewing machine.  People say "practice makes perfect", so in my spare time, and apperently I have a lot of it even with a toddler and newborn, I will get this sewing thing down pat. I have a feeling that my husband may think I am a little nuts at times with all these different ideas and creations I have lined up but what keeps me happy, keeps him happy. Perhaps I will post some of my new creations at some point. Once I figure this blog thing out.