Hot Mess Mommy Express

Last weekend, I stood by my Dad's side as we laid his Grandma, my Great Grandma Curfman to rest. It is one of the phases of life, that never gets easier, no matter the age of the person that you are saying goodbye to. She was 94, which to me is worth celebrating. And I like to think that she would like it that way.  Sylvia Curfman was a huge part of my Dad's life. And I know that it was a tough situation for him, even with her being 94. One of the worst experiences for me is when my Dad cries. It absolutely tears me up inside. At the same time, I felt my little family growing closer in that moment. It really puts the importance of family into perspective. After the funeral, I felt myself wanting to stay close to my family, my Dad in particular. So we decided to go to lunch and do a bit of Super Bowl Sunday shopping, but first....  Anyone who knows or knew Sylvia Curfman knows that Hull, IL was where a big part of her life unfolded. She operated restaurants there,...

I've been trying to figure out how to put my thoughts into words over the past few days. 2016 has started by throwing us a curveball. Without going into too much detail, after spending a week in pain and unable to function, my husband ended up having to have surgery. I am so thankful to have him home and recovering and really this blog is a shout out to the man, that I know I've taken for granted from time to time.  Now that my husband is on a weight restriction until further notice, I've come to realize just how much my husband really does for myself and the kids. I've been holding down our fort for the past week and I didn't realize just how much he does. He has a job that requires a lot of his time, yet he still finds time to help me with the kids, take out the trash, fix things around the house, maintain the yard work, etc. Now that I'm doing it all on my own as well as taking care of him as he recovers, I have reali...

Nebraska.....that's where this Mommy has escaped to for the weekend. Catching up with family friends, no agenda, drinking coffee, watching movies, vegging out is what's in-store. And don't get me wrong as I absolutely adore my little family and though I miss them terribly right now, I truly did need this. I don't think I realized it, but it's only been one day and I already feel so refreshed and rejuvenated.  Most people wouldn't think of a road trip to Nebraska when they think of getting away, but the opportunity presented itself to spend some quality time with my mom and hit the road, I couldn't say no. The five hour journey flew by among the conversation with my mom. As I sit here waiting for the girls to get ready (for shopping, of course), I can't help but feel strange as I don't have to lift a finger. I don't have to say "No don't do that" or hop up and chase any toddlers. It's a bittersweet feeling, because I almost fe...

I'm going to call 2015, the fastest year of our lives thus far! We made so many amazing memories and we are looking forward to 2016 and what's to come!  Last January, I returned to work at Melrose after an amazing fourteen week leave to take care of my babies. I thought that returning to work was going to be incredibly difficult, but honestly, the work/family balance just fell into place. It also helps to be in a field that I enjoy. My Grandma jumped right in to her role as full-time caregiver for the twins and Rhylan. Knowing that we have her support and my girls are being taken care of by her made the transition easy as well.  Last February, we celebrated the 90th birthday of my Great Grandma Vincent! It's hard to believe that she's 90 and will soon be 91. Events like that really put things into perspective for you. It's so important to never take things for granted and I'm thankful that my kids have gotten to meet their Great Great Grandma. N...

My husband and I were eating dinner the other night, with our two lively girls and big brother too. To this day, I still find myself staring at my precious baby girls in absolute awe. I always wonder what God had in mind when he gave me these two baby girls. The memory of the day we discovered that we were having twins still replays in my mind. And with that, I turned to my husband and said "What was I so afraid of?" He wondered the same thing. There was never a doubt in his mind that we could do this and I'm so thankful for his confidence.  Part of my fear was financial and the fact that I couldn't imagine myself caring for two newborns at once. I might be bragging a little bit, but I feel like my husband and I are twin parent rockstars. The best way to describe caring for twins when someone asks is that you just do it. What choice do you have? These two little babies are counting on you and you do your best.  Having two toddlers now is the norm at the...

Sometimes I ask myself how I keep it together. To be frank, how on earth do I keep from losing my sh*t on daily basis? Life is chaotic right now to say the least. Try two one year olds who are into everything while always going in opposite directions plus a super active five year old! Add in a full-time job, meals to be prepped and cleaned up, never ending laundry piles, dishes and the constant repetitive motions of picking up toys and you'll gain an idea of why I'm so tired!  That is until....8:00. Is it awful that I find myself looking forward to the 8:00 bedtime? It's at that moment, that I usually find myself again. I take a deep breath, sit down and just relax. Yes there is laundry to be done, floors to be swept and toys to pick up (again), but sometimes I just let all of those things escape my mind and recharge.  The crazy thing is that no matter how crazy my little ones make me, I still find myself missing them when I'm away. I never want to...

For the love of God, my twins are GIRLS! I've come to the conclusion that most of the general public is color blind. Or do they do it on purpose? The girls are 14 months old and I've gotten use to the twin  "celebrity" status that comes along with taking twins out in public. Some days it can be a lot to handle, especially if I'm by myself with them. But most of time, I am fine with it.  What I am not fine with is the 90% assumption that my girls are boys. My girls are most of time dressed in some shade of pink or purple, often sporting the girliest of attire, in a pink stroller and accompanied by a large PINK diaper bag! Sometimes I have to stop and look at the person to see if they are serious. And as they stand there waiting for my response, it's hard not to snap at them. Luckily I'm a pretty patient person and have learned to handle it, but I almost think we need to carry a sign that says, "Before you ask my mom, we are girls. Now what is your ne...