Thank Goodness it’s Brecanday

Like most people these days, we Doyle’s are busy. We are going non-stop from the time we get up to when we finally collapse on to the couch for a little time until it’s time for bed. A typical day for us? Well, we both get up around 5am. Kevin is out the door to meet up with Art for a run and I try to get in a little strength training. Then we both get ready for work. I’m out the door first. Mad props to my husband who gets both kids up and ready for their day. Then it’s a long day at work. I usually get home first and try to get out the door on my run as quickly as I can. While I am out, Kevin and the kids get home and he gets them settled. I get home a short time later and we start on dinner. After dinner, we spend as much time as we can with Maddie and Miles. Then it’s time for the tag-team. One person cleans up the kitchen and the other starts getting the kids ready for bed. By the time both kids are down, it’s 8 PM at the earliest. I can’t even imagine the lives of people who work more than one job or what it’s going to be like when the kids have activities to participate it!

You would think we could get some reprieve on the weekend, but we would need some free ones! Look at our August –

• the first weekend (8/7-8) was Miles and Maelan’s baptism so we tried to finish up a few projects and clean up the house and backyard. At least we were home…

• the second weekend (8/14-15) we were away for a family reunion

• the third weekend (8/21-22) I was away for a bridal shower/bachelorette party, so Kevin was home with both kids by himself

• the fourth & last weekend(8/28-29) is finally a free weekend!

The same thing is going to happen in a couple weeks time again. We have 4 weekends in a row with travel or guests or something going on so we won’t have time to stop moving.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I couldn’t imagine a place without Kevin and my kids. I enjoy working. I also love to spend time with our families and friends. I just wish there was more time for it all. Ideally I could work a modified work schedule like a 9-80 or 4-10s, but that doesn’t seem like it will be a possibility any time soon. So, to help with the lack of time, I have decided that scientists need to come up with a way to add an extra day in the week. I’m thinking it could be between Wednesday and Thursday and should be called Brecanday. That’s from the Old English word for break...I was trying to be somewhat consistent on how the days of the week were named. It would be a day when you get a break from the craziness in your life and you can use it to do what you normally don’t find the time to. I would use it to clean my house and do the hobbies that I don’t have time for now or spend time with my family. I’m sure you are thinking, “why would you spend your free day cleaning the house?” Well, a dirty and cluttered house just causes me to stress out. Having 2 kids and a husband means my house is constantly a mess. Even my fortune cookie yesterday was telling me my house needed to be cleaned. I was hoping to insert a picture of the fortune, but can't find it. In any case it said, There are domestic matters that need your attention. Having the extra time to clean and organize it would mean less stress during the week. Then I would use the rest of the day for whatever would make me happy that day. So if it means I do something fun with the kids and Kevin, I curl up on the couch and read a book, I bake cookies, or I do something crafty, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s something that makes me happy.

Next year, hopefully I’ll have some vacation days to spare. So when I need a break from the craziness in my life, I can declare it to be Brecanday.

By George I think she's got it, well mostly anyway

Three weeks ago we took the big plunge into potty training Maddie. Up to that point we hadn't really put a lot of effort into it. If Maddie wanted to sit on the potty she would, but never did anything. I finally decided I was sick of changing diapers on two kids so it was about time Maddie was potty trained. The first few days were a trial, but it got continually better. This past week she only had 2-3 accidents in 7 days. 

It all started with what I called Potty Training Boot Camp. It was a very intense 3 days of getting Maddie used to using the potty and wearing big girl underwear. On a Friday we said good bye to diapers and hello to underwear. That first day was pretty stressful for both Maddie and me. There were way more accidents than successes, but we did have a few successes so that gave us enough encouragement to keep going. The program said the child would be completely trained by the end of the third day. That didn't happen for us, but the change from Friday to Sunday was pretty dramatic. To go from a kid who wouldn't do anything to one who finally sit and go on the potty was a huge step.

So we used the 3 days as a starting point and kept going from there. We have all come to realize the signs that she needs to go to the potty and get her there in time. In fact, this past week she consistently told us when she needed to use the potty!.Giving her special treats for each success has also helped get her trained too. I'm hoping to start weaning that system because she has had way more candy/sugar in the past 3 weeks than in her whole life.

Maddie still have a little ways to go, but we are so proud of how well she has done!

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age...

Well, it's finally upon me...my 30th birthday. I'm good with turning 30. How could I not be? When I look at my life I just get a big smile on my face. I have so much to be thankful for so I shall reflect on that.

I am married to a man who I love more than almost anything (he and the kids are neck and neck), who makes me incredibly happy, supports me in everything I do, puts up with my idiosyncrasies, and is just an all around amazing Dad and person. It's almost unbelievable that we started dating when we were mere children of 15/16 and now, almost 15 years later ,see where our lives have taken us. I have two beautiful kids who love to laugh and play. Maddie has such a personality. It's so much fun to be around her and see what she'll do or say next.  Even if you can't always understand her. Like Will said last night, "Maddie was saying, well I couldn't really understand her because her voice is so high." Miles is just a happy and pleasant baby (even if he is crying right now and doesn't want to go to sleep). It's so fun to watch him reach milestones and discover all the new things the world has to offer.

I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for my parents. They showed me that I can do anything I put my mind too. They too have supported me with all of my decisions (even if that meant going to PSU). They set a wonderful example of parenting that I now use with my own kids. I didn't have sisters, but I am lucky to have two incredible brothers. I enjoy  spending time with them and seeing where their lives have taken them. I am so proud of the men they have become. 

When you get married or your family members get married, you get all sorts of new family. Many times that doesn't work out so well. I think I struck the in-law lottery many times over! My parents-in-law, in addition to raising an amazing son, love me like a daughter. I know that whenever we are with them, it will always be a good time. While I don't have any sisters, I have 4 sisters-in-law who I would have picked, if I had the choice, to have as sisters. I can't forget about my brother-in-law. He's definitely quirky, but a great guy who brings a fun perspective to everyday life.

I am also blessed with many friends. Missy and I can go weeks and even months without talking. But when we get together or talk, it's like a day hasn't passed since we last spoke. We have so many fun memories together she is also like the sister I never had. (Man, for someone who had no sisters, I seem to be up to 5 now!) I miss my PSU girls, but I love our yearly girls trips and how they put up with my innate inability to talk on the phone. We are lucky to now have all our running club friends who make life in Eburg a ton of fun!

In addition to all the wonderful people in my life, I have a job that I like, hobbies I enjoy, sports I love to watch, and so many other things I am thankful for. If it all gets to be too much (and even when it's all good), I can get out and go for a run to think and clear my head. 

So yeah, this post is kind of a love fest, but I love my life! I thank God everyday for all the blessings I have been given (or worked for). Here's to my next 30 years (and hopefully many more after that too). I hope they are as incredible as my first 30 years!

What's up with the Doyles?

It's been a while since I posted anything. I figured that would happen when I went back to work. With work/my commute taking up 10+ hours a day, then running and spending time with my family, it doesn't leave time for much else. So what have we been up to the past month or so? 

The Doyle's are enjoying the summer. We are spending a lot of time outside in our backyard on our patio or porch. We are still planning to do the 30 day project. The first one was going to be do 30 days with no TV, mostly because I thought we watched too much. Well, since coming back from vacation we have really cut back on the amount of TV we watch. So, since we aren't watching as much and we don't want to have to pay for TV we aren't going to watch, we are putting this off. So the first 30 day project will be from Bonnie's suggestion to buy locally. The farmers market in E-burg starts at the end of July so we are going to start this after that...don't want to make this too complicated! Onto the the family members...

Miles - He is almost 4 months old now. It's amazing how the time flies. He is still a big boy and keeps growing and growing. Miles recently discovered his feet, so now he keeps trying to eat them. He has transitioned well to day care and they just love him (I don't see how they couldn't)! Miles is just a happy guy who is always smiling and laughing.

Maddie - Her vocabulary continues to grow! Maddie also loves to repeat everything, so it's a good thing it isn't hockey season. She continually cracks us up with her keen insight into the world around her. We are working on potty training..but that's a story for another blog post. Mad is loving summer and playing and running around outside. 

Kevin - He is still doing the software engineering gig in Altoona. He isn't working the 9-80 work schedule anymore which is a bummer for both him and the kids. But he is home earlier week nights which we like. Kev has started to run more and even ran in a few races, but lately has been dealing with a nagging calf injury. Hopefully he takes care of himself so he can make his Half Marathon debut in October.

Julie - You can tell I write this because mine is the longest! The transition back to work wasn't too bad. I do miss getting to sleep in later than 5 am. I have lots of projects on, so there isn't time to spend missing the kids. I will say that it was easier to go back to work after Maddie in March. Going back in June when the weather is nice and we had just started to spend a lot of time outside was rough. I am running 5 days a week and just started to train for the Buffalo Creek Half Marathon in October. I decided to change my target race since Kevin and a few people in our running club said they would do it. This time I have a training buddy (yeah Sarah!), so that will make the long runs much easier! I am also really into Harry Potter right now. I have all 7 books, but never read 6 or 7. About a month ago, I decided that before the movie for part 1 of the 7th book came out, I should finish reading all the books. Since I couldn't really remember everything I thought it would be good to re-read the first 5 books. I am almost done with book 5. So, I think I will be able to finish the books in time.

Doppelgangers

For many people there is someone out there that looks a lot like them. In today's society, this has become known as a doppelganger. Usually the doppelganger is some celebrity, but Maddie has some ideas of her own on doppelgangers. 

 

Look-a-like 1:

My mom and I both love the brand Life is good. The store Kitty Hawk Kites in the Outer Banks usually has a section in each of their stores that sells Life is good things. Inevitably, we will go to the store and buy t-shirts, hats, or other items. The tag on each of these items has a picture of the Life is good mascot, Jake. A tag from a shirt my mom had purchased was sitting in her room at our beach house. Maddie picked up the tag, looked at it and said..."It's Daddy." What do you think?

Look-a-like 2:

Today I was finishing up the dinner for father's day (we had Beer Butt Chicken, broccoli, and potatoes if you cared). As I was working, Maddie was playing in the living room with some of her toys. After a while, she came running into the kitchen saying something I couldn't quite make out. I turned around, looked at the toy she was holding and realized she was saying, "It's Grandad." I think she was a little closer with this one. 

30 days until I'm 30

I realized yesterday that it was only 30 days until my 30th birthday. I have no fears and am not dreading turning 30. Maybe I'll reflect on that later. So what to do to celebrate my 30th? A trip to Vegas? Maybe a night out on the town? What about a big rockin' party in Crestwood? While all of those sound fun, what I really want to do is spend the day with my family (Kevin and the kids, my parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, etc). What could we do that would be fun for the whole crowd? 

Go to the Pittsburgh Zoo of course! It's been quite a while since we have been there and Maddie has never been to the Zoo. She loves animals so it should be a very fun day. Then we plan to top it off with dinner at a place that is great for a big family...Buca di Beppo! We are also going to celebrate Kevin's 30th too since we didn't really celebrate it because we were  waiting (impatiently) for Miles to arrive. It should be a very fun day to celebrate this milestone in our life!

One chapter ends and another begins

This past Wednesday was my first day back to work after Maternity leave. One of the best pieces of advice I got before Maddie was born was to start back to work in the middle of the week. My new advice for anyone about to go on maternity leave is to spend 2 weeks at the beach just before going back to work. Being a parent, especially when you have more than 1 kid, can be stressful so there is nothing like a nice relaxing vacation to help get you ready for the grind again.

I really enjoyed my leave. It was amazing to see Miles transform from a lump (as Kevin calls him) into a little boy who smiles, coos, and laughs. Maddie was home 3 days a week. It was wonderful to spend so much time with her. We got to do all sorts of crafts, read books, color, and blow bubbles.

When I first opened up Outlook on my first day, I had 1137 unread emails in my inbox, which is a bit ridiculous, but I only checked email once when off so that was to be expected. I have been able to whittle that number to under 50. Other than checking emails, I spent most of my time catching up with people and showing off pictures of the kids. The real fun starts next week when I learn what projects I will be working on and setting my objectives for the year.

Now that I am back to work, I suspect that I will have fewer posts. Hopefully I'll update soon on how my running/getting back into shape is going. I also have a few ideas to share related to our trip to the beach.

Have a wonderful weekend!