Where does the time go?

I've been gone forever!  I didn't mean to, but my life has just been that crazy since we moved to KC.

TWIN UPDATE
The boys will be 4 in a few weeks.  Can you believe it?  FOUR!  They are funny and ornery and testing us most days.  We are learning how to manage their behavior and working at being better parents.  Some days we are exhausted and lazy.  Other days we bake muffins and finger paint and go on adventures outside.  It helps when its nice enough to be outside.  I think we've all had some cabin fever this winter, which we weren't used to in Dallas.

I worry about Will.  He doesn't like to listen to his teachers.  I think he is bored, but that is really no excuse for being a terror.  And by terror, I mean just refusing to obey.  Making lion noises and not staying on his cot during nap time.  We are working on a reward system.  It works right away and we do it for like a week and then get lazy until he starts acting up again!  But I know he is smart, so I hope we can get past this.  He can write his name. He recognizes places we've only been once before, months ago.  Like we went to the mall yesterday - he had only been there once in December - and he asked, "is Santa here?"  And while my mom was here with the boys last week, she told him he couldn't do something and he said, "But momma's not here." Obviously, he knows he can't pull that crap when I'm around, but he was definitely hoping grandma wouldn't know any better!

I do not worry about Jack.  He isn't innocent, but he tends to get back in line sooner.  He is funny. Loves to dance and sing.  He can break dance and hula dance and sing this little song "Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light". He recognizes numbers and announces them, reads clocks.  He laughs and giggles and fights over toys with his brother.  He loves family and our neighbors.  And play doh and the color pink.

They start soccer next Saturday, so I can finally achieve my lifelong dream of becoming a soccer mom.  All I need now is a minivan!  J/K.  But they will be the cutest little soccer players, and we're excited to get them into a club sport and out of the house.

HEALTH UPDATE
Tomorrow I go back on the Low Iodine Diet (LID) for the next three weeks in preparation for a full body scan on Friday, April 5th.  No reason for concern.  Just normal follow up.  My last scan was about 18 months ago, so its time.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my new endocrinologist in KC.  He was a referral from one of our neighbors, Tina, who lives on the cul de sac behind us.  She had her thyroid removed a few weeks before we moved here.  Smaller tumor.  No radiation.  But still a connection right away.

So, today I bought all the low iodine groceries and tonight I started preparing meals.  I am such a picky eater, and not being able to eat anything restaurant prepared for three weeks is difficult for me.  Like tomorrow.  Work luncheon. I will be eating....oh, that's right....I can't risk it.....so....Sprite?!  But I'm just whiney.  I still think I have this totally easy compared to other, "real" cancers.  DH is bringing me some steak fajitas from OTB as my "last supper".  Love that guy.

LIFE IN KC
Things are better at work.  Its still a lot of pressure to do well, and a lot more people stuff than task stuff.  But it really is going well.  Definitely better than I thought it would be when I last posted

I am so lucky to have inherited a really well run company so I can take my time learning and not have to solve any major problems on day 1.  Here is a picture of me on Day 1 in my retro original logo, trying to prove that I was an OG.  Plus, it was windy and it kept the wind out of my hair.

DH has started as a commercial realtor.  No commissions yet, but he has co-workers and is enjoying the job.  And luckily my job pays well enough to support us.

Here is one of our family pics from this fall.  I always wanted to do a photo shoot in our bed.  The boys thought it was a blast.  And then I felt weird doing anything with the pictures, like maybe it was a little too intimate or something.

We have the BEST.NEIGHBORS.EVER!  Every Sunday night the ladies on the cul de sac behind us get together for "wine night" either at one of our houses or in the "hot tub" (not that I'm a hot tub person, but it doesn't suck).  We borrow tables and ski pants from each other.  We shovel each other's driveways.  Its pretty amazing, and something we've never ever had before.  I never even had this my whole life.

Here is a pic of us trick or treating with our neighbors last fall.

I have also joined a scrapbooking club.  They meet every other month and twice a year for an all-day crop.  I hadn't really kept up since the boys were born, so its been nice to get some pages done, but mostly I enjoy the girls in the group.

The best part about being in KC has been all the visitors!  This month, we have visitors Every.Single.Weekend!  My brother here was here for Thanksgiving.  My friend Tara has been to visit twice.  My mom and step-dad just left on Friday.  And when my grandfather passed away in January, I was able to drive up to Iowa in a moment's notice to see him, on a good day, before it was too late.  

KC is not Dallas.  I still miss our life there, and our house there, and the weather.  But it has been good in a lot of ways that Dallas was never going to be.  So, like an old boyfriend that I'll never get over, I still pine for Dallas.  

IF UPDATE

We still have our "totsicles" as I like to call them - embryos frozen for future use.  I can't give up the dream of having another child, no matter how tired I am or how much these dudes fight.  So, I keep paying the annual fee.  

I'm not sure I have enough energy to start from scratch again with diapers and up-all-night and all that, but I also just can't let go just yet.....

KC Month 2

So, I've had a stressful couple of weeks in my job.  I feel like venting.  So, you get an update. 

First, the good.  The boys are doing well.  Jack is pooping in the potty about 10% of the time now which is HUGE improvement.  I had a great day yesterday scrapbooking with some old friends who are also now my employees (cringe) and my husband has passed his MO realtor license.

Now, the bad.  You know how they say Its Lonely at the Top ?  Well, its true.  I miss my old boss in Dallas.  I miss how easy it was there.  I am not that happy during the day.   I have pockets of happy when someone is kind to me, or I feel like I was a part of something.  But overall, its just kind of rough.  I have amazing employees who tell me they're glad I'm here.  I have the guy who wanted my job who .... vascillates between mildly friendly to all out ignoring me.  And he's like the #2 guy in charge after me, so its kind of important that we're partners. 

I'm working on him.  And some other people issues.  People are trying to figure me out.  I'm trying to figure them out.  We'll get there.  We're just in this real uncomfortable stage right now.  And I'm particularly sensitive to it right now because I have this big person issue that I'm dealing with.  On top of 1 or 2 others.

This place basically runs itself, but....the people.  Its always the people.

{big sigh}

All positive energy appreciated.  I want this.  I can do this.  But its hard.

Post Move Update

Well, hello there!

Long time, no blog.

We have settled in our new home in Kansas City.  We are very comfortable here already - the boys can run circles around everything and they do!  They run in circles and they scream they want to live here forever.  As hard as living in an apartment was on me for 4 months, it apparently affected them more than they could tell us at the time.

Here, they ride their bicycles outside, they call the neighbor kids their friends, they can space out and find their own space.  Their elementary school is IN our neighborhood (for 2 years from now when they start). 

We were so wise to have the boys pre-enrolled in pre school when we moved.  After a weekend together in my car and my husband driving separate in his own car, they were done with me and I was done with them.  They love their new school and their new friends. 

I started my new job last Wednesday. Its been a slow start, getting adjusted to being the "boss" and all that goes with it.  Mostly, I just walk around and talk to people and never do any actual work.  Which is apparently my job.  It just feels weird and kinda lazy. 

My husband starts real estate classes next week.  He has been attending sales meetings and some continuining education courses already.  He really seems excited about ths new career, so I'm happy for him.  Hopeful he can do something that will be as rewarding to him as my company has been for me.

Our new house is a little intimidating for me.  For its newness and its niceness - wood floors and granite countertops. Since its brand new, every scar will be put here by us. The place where I ran my laptop into the wall.  The spot where Will spilled his juice on the carpet.  Its like we don't deserve a house this nice with two rambunctious twins. 

I've also been trying to make up for those 4 months of eating cereal for dinner every night by actually cooking for my family.  The downside is that my day seems shorter, because now I have prep time, cooking, eating, and then cleaning up and dishes.  Today, I tried a new recipe from Iowa Girl Eats.  I love her blog - mostly because I myself am an Iowa girl, and I also enjoy her recipes.  She's no Pioneer Woman, but her Trader Joe Knock Off Chili Lime Chicken Burgers are delish (I make mine with turkey)!  Today's recipe was a green monster smoothie.  I was all prepared to dump it down the drain if I caught the slightest whiff of spinach taste, but there is none.  Its filling and apparently healthy. 

I was about to pull my hair out with these wood floors - they are so dark that Every.Little.Speck shows up.  But yesterday, I discovered the Swiffer SweeperVac and I'm not one to give anything a shout out on this blog, but seriously?!  This is going to save my sanity - it picks up all the crumbs the boys drop under their stools and also dusts.  I will probably use it daily - and if you have wood floors, you need this.

Whew?!  There were a lot of links in this post, but I hope you'll enjoy something I've shared.  Now I must go because Jack has pooped in his pants {once again} and my poor DH is rinsing it in the sink and gagging.