Hello, my name is Erin, and welcome to my lil corner of the internet.

I blog very infrequently about things that are on my mind, my kids, and, on rare occasions, hot topics. I hate the feeling that I’m forced to publish content here, so I make sure that I only post because I want to, not because anyone thinks that I should. I’m active on Twitter, and read and comment on blogs whenever I can.

However, since darling daughter #2 was born in October, there is only a few minutes every day that I devote to blogging. I spend the majority of my day out and about with the kids, either playing in the backyard, at the YMCA, or at story time. The girls and I are also big shoppers, altho it is pretty difficult to shop with both of them. By the time they’re both in a cart, there’s no room to buy stuff!

Whenever my husband has free time, we’re a Disney family, and recently purchased a pop-up camper to take the kids traveling.

Before I became a SAHM, I worked as a certified pharmacy technician for a local supermarket and am still passionate about pharmacy and nutrition and educating others about these topics, which is why my treatment for gestational diabetes still irks me. I am still labeled as having unresolved gestational diabetes, and when I get that definitively straightened out, I’ll write about it.

In what little spare time I have left after the above activities, I LOVE to read and I also play World of Warcraft and Star Wars The Old Republic.

In the blogging world, I try to participate in 5QF with Mama M, Toddler Talk Thursday, and Wordless Wednesday. I recently posted about, and am still looking for advice on how to deal with a fear my older daughter has.

Leave me a comment saying hi, I’d love to check out some new blogs!

We found a local dealer and bought a 12 foot pop-up camper.

This one, to be exact…

It came with a HUGE Campground & RV Park & Atlas, and, travel geek that I am, have spent the last few days staring at national and state park information, and interesting ways to roam the U.S. For example, did you know you could circle the 48 contiguous states using 4 interstates? In my case, I-10 west, to I-5 north, to I-90 east to I-95 south. Of course, that doesn’t include my drive to get to I-10, that’s just the route.

We’ve already planned 2 weekend camping trips, and are looking for a 3rd weekend. I’d also like to make plans for our first big trip, but I don’t think my husband has enough vacation time available if we keep the other plans we had already in place. I guess we’ll see how everything works out!

I registered both girls for swim lessons. Beginner for DD1, SafeStart for DD2. DD1 is easy, just twice a week for 4 weeks. DD2 goes EVERY WEEKDAY for 6 weeks, just 10 minutes a day. Ridiculousness! However, I’ve seen how well graduates of the program can swim, and since it’s already summer here in FL, this is absolutely necessary for her health and safety. So I’ll deal with the insane schedule and exorbitant cost.

To fill the time until (and, later, after) lessons start, I signed up DD1 for Tumble Time and Music and Movement at the YMCA twice per week. And she still goes to school 2 mornings per week. And there was Easter, a birthday party, I volunteered to do the end of year gifts for the teachers, mine and my husband’s birthdays to prepare for, and Muffins with Mom within the next month. Then there are 2 end of year parties, week long parent/child camp at Sea World, and a weekend at the beach. Somewhere in there I’m hoping to do a few days at Disney, and if we do buy a popup camper, I want to take the whole family on a few camping adventures.

Prior to April 2, I was still plugging along adjusting to being the mom of 2. We’d finally mastered Publix, Target, and both story times. And by mastered, I mean I either shop every other day because there isn’t enough shopping cart space for more groceries than that with both kids, or I pawn off at least one child on my now semi-retired mother to watch for some quasi-peaceful shopping, or wait until DD1 is in school and it’s just DD2 and me. It’s become normal, no matter which way you look at it, and it’s getting comfortable. Which is probably why I mixed up the schedule so mightily by adding in a half dozen activities and vacations.

This is what I’ve been up to and will be up to. Hopefully there will also be more time for the blog, but I won’t commit to it. I want blogging to feel natural, not like a job or another requirement. I want to write because I have something to say, and hopefully there are still readers out there who will read and comment and help me work through whatever it going on.

She’s been sleeping with her bedroom door 98% closed since infancy. But just after Thanksgiving, she decided her door COULD. NOT. BE. CLOSED. The whining and crying if it did close was ridiculous.

At first, I thought, and she kinda said, that it was because she could see the pretty Christmas tree from her bed if her door was left open. And because I remember how happy looking at the tree made me as a child, I was happy to let her see the tree.

But then the tree came down, and yet the door still couldn’t be closed. I didn’t understand, and I kept closing the door as soon as she was asleep so our comings and goings didn’t disturb her. (Her room is at the end of the hall, right across from the bathroom and door to the garage.) But she would wake up and start crying because her door was closed.

About the same time that the tree came down, she started talking about the eyes and pointing to her closet. It took me a couple weeks to figure out what she could possibly be talking about, but I finally did.

How do I convince her that these aren’t eyes, and that they won’t hurt or disturb her in any way? It would be much easier on all of us if her door was closed while she slept.

2. Valentine’s Day cards for your spouse: funny or romantic?
Whichever one doesn’t make me shake my head or gag. I HATE buying cards for any holiday.

3. What are you most looking forward to about spring?
Spring is here already. We’ve only had maybe a half dozen cold days. I’m bummed because I LOVE sweaters and jeans and I haven’t been able to wear them.

4. What’s your favorite way to pamper yourself?
Either a pedicure or uninterrupted time with a book. My mind is so much clearer after a few hours of reading.

5. Does your tax return go into savings or do you spend it instantly?
These days it goes into savings, but it hasn’t been that long since I needed it to dig myself out of a financial hole. Hopefully those days are behind me for good.