back to life, back to reality

Our cruise was awesome!! It was so much fun to get away with each other and with great friends without the kids. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was able to live life according to my own schedule, eating and sleeping whenever I want....and it was great to have a few days of living selfishly :) By the time we got back, we were definately ready to see the girls...it seemed like forever that we were gone. When I saw Claire, I was shocked-she didn't even look like the same baby to me. It's amazing how much they change so quickly. I think I stared at her for a half hour straight saying to Ryan "I swear I've never seen this baby before. I don't even recognize her." Her hair was longer, she was fatter, she was clapping her hands and talking up a storm. She even trys to dance and sing along to Hannah Montana in the car. It's hysterical. I feel like she went from an infant to a toddler in just a few days.

The downfall to going away is that everyone is always a little out of whack while we are trying to get life back to normal. Madeline and Claire who have both always been champion sleepers have been wreaking havoc around here all week. They have both been flipping out at bedtime (Mad just lays in her bed crying and screaming "I want mommy to hug me") and then they wake up inconsolable throughout the night. Ugh!!!! Naptime has pretty much been going the same way. Thankfully, Emma is old enough to not be phased by any of this. She just keeps complaining that Madeline keeps waking her up and ruining her sleep. Ha! At least one out of the three is not giving us a hard time :) We have several trips planned this summer and I have a feeling that we are gonna be in a continuous cycle of getting adjusted and readjusted to our schedules between trips. I'm sure by the fall I'll be ready for school to start and a new routine to keep us grounded!