Winter Fun with Goldfish Swim School

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

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Thank you Goldfish for sponsoring this post. As always, content is 100% honest and my own.


This whole Winter thing is new for us.  We moved to the Indianapolis area from Florida and we are pretty much in shock right now.  Not being around water 24/7 is new to us too.  My girls haven't been swimming since July and we were so happy to find out about Goldfish Swim School!

We are learning quickly that the Winter Blues is actually real and we love that we can get out of the house for some (90 degree water) fun at Goldfish.  Having 4 month old twins at home, a four year old and a three year old, we have to get out of the house at least once a week to burn off some energy and for this mama's sanity.  Swimming is a great way to do that!



My oldest girls started swim lessons last week and were more than eager to get started and be back in water, a place they are familiar with and love.  Even so, Goldfish makes sure that every child feels comfortable and safe in the water and their 4:1 ratio definitely allows them to do that.  Charlotte didn't want to go under the water when she first got there and was able to blow bubbles instead.  I love how patient and understanding they were with her.  She warmed up fast though!



With the weather being below 0 right now, it's always a concern that "it's too cold out" to go swimming.  Not at Goldfish!  I love that we now have a place to go year round and the girls never have to give up being in the water that they love so much.  Goldfish is prepared with blow dryers and plenty of stations to change out of your swimsuits.  The girls loved this part!


BEFORE
AFTER

Seriously, there is so much fun to be had this Winter at Goldfish from family swim nights to parties and they even have swim meets!  This is definitely an investment that you want for your child.  Emma jumped right in (pun intended) and swam by herself under water at her first lesson.  I had no idea she could do that and I love that she is learning water safety along with having fun!  I'm so excited to see my girls' weekly progress.


*Find a Goldfish Swim School location near you and enroll your kids for a fun-filled winter (and spring, summer and fall, too!). We have programs for kids ages 4 months and older, so sign up the whole family!





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To the mom who just wants to drink her coffee, I See You

Friday, January 18, 2019

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To the mom who just wanted to drink her coffee hot (or at all), I see you.

To the mom who had a bad day which was not good for anyone, I see you.

To the mom who washed her sheets because her toddler peed on them when they couldn't use your bathroom, I see you.

To the mom who cleaned pee (again) off the floor moments later because said toddler needed attention, I see you.

To the mom who tries to make dinner but instead manages to get cereal on the table, I see you.

To the mom who hasn’t brushed her hair in weeks and can’t remember if she brushed her teeth #Guilty, I see you.

To the mom who hasn’t left the house in days maybe weeks and just needs five minutes to herself, I see you.

To the mom who let her baby "cry it out" and feels guilty, I see you.

To the mom who let her kids watch Paw Patrol on repeat just to survive the day, I see you.

To the mom who can't seem to get it together, I see you and YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Yesterday was rough.  Yesterday I had one of those days.  One of those days where you want to hide in a closet and cry.  One of those days where you think you can't do it; this thing called motherhood.  I literally just wanted to drink my coffee. I am in deep right now with an almost 5 year old, a 3 year who takes the stereotypical three year old memes to another level (Google it...they are hilarious) and 4 month old twin girls.  I know it seems hard now, but just know you are not alone and I went to bed knowing that when I woke up to four beautiful little girls today, that they wouldn't even remember the day before and that they would love me regardless of my flaws as a mother and as a human.  

Take a breath. Tomorrow is a new day.  Love on those babies even on your worst days.  Cry if you need to cry and laugh if you need to laugh about it.  I mean, you could have been cleaning up poop off the floor, am I right?  It will get better and it will go by so fast.  

"You're always going to wonder if you're doing things wrong, but that's what it means to be a mom, to care so much about someone else that you just want to be as perfect as possible."
-Naya Rivera

Share your messiest mom moments with me in the comments.


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This is Us; 2018 Review and What to look Forward to in 2019

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

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And just like that another year has come and gone.  It is so true that time seems to go by so much quicker when you have kids and we brought TWO more home in 2018.  What an incredible and bittersweet year it was for our family.



In early January we found out we were expecting.  We were excited and scared to add another little one to the family, only to find out that we were actually adding two.  It was one of the many memories from the year that I will never forget.  We didn't announce until March and then had a fun gender reveal party to find out they were both girls!

The first half of our year was very busy.  We got to partner with ZooTampa, Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe Live and so much more.  We went honeybell picking for the first time, we went to Busch Gardens (a lot) and had a lot of play dates and fun with our friends in Florida.  Seriously, way too many to mention it all here ;)

I enjoyed another year of MOPs and continued Bible study with a wonderful group of women. I met new bloggers and grew my blog.  I also got into photography more last year, photographing some parties for friends, a close friend's newborn and even a Mommy and Me photo shoot!  I even had the chance to get away on a girl's trip with some great friends.

My husband and I enjoyed 2 years of marriage and probable one of my favorite moments of being a mom was taking our girls to Disney World for the first time.  Magical is an understatement of what that weekend was like for us....and exhausting since I was in my third trimester.

We found out that we would be moving to Indiana over the Summer for my husband's job.  It was something that we asked for since we wanted to be closer to family when the twins arrived.  It was hard to say goodbye to Florida and the people that had made it so wonderful for us.

We officially bought our new home in late July and waited patiently for our twins to arrive.  We spent most of August adjusting to our new place, getting moved in and enjoying the last few days of being a family of four.

Our twins arrived mid-September and things have been pretty crazy since then.  If you have been following us for a while then you know what I'm talking about.  Also, it's mid-January and I'm posting for the first time in over a month.  As much as I enjoy this outlet and I plan to start writing consistently again, I have enjoyed my new journey as a mom of four and twins much more right now.  

I can't thank you all enough for the love and support we have been shown and continue to see.  Thank you all for continuing to follow our lives and this little space of ours.

I plan to spend 2019 adjusting to our new normal with four kids, sharing a lot about motherhood (everything has changed for me), real life moments and all the fun adventuring in our new state of Indiana!



TOP BLOG POSTS of 2018

#10 23 + 24 Weeks | Twins Bumpdate

#9 #FunkPartyofSIX

#8 25 + 26 Weeks | Twins Bumpdate

#7 How We Found Out Our Big News | Part 2

#6 19 + 20 Weeks | Twins Bumpdate

#5 Twins Gender Reveal (YouTube Video here)

#4 The Carnival Came to Town | Charlotte's 2nd Birthday

#3 Hooked on Trophy Fish | St. Pete's First Fresh Fish House

#2 Roaring Springs at ZooTampa!

#1 The New Baby Pygmy Hippo's Name is.... (YouTube Video here)


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