Saturday, December 20, 2008

Shouted at a Resturaunt

"Grandma, I just went through your crotch!"

We were finished eating and what better fun than to play under the table and crawl under a chair and between your grandmother's legs. 

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Let's Talk Baby Products

If I could only choose three baby items, this would be my list:

1. A comfortable baby carrier. I love wearing my babies. It keeps them close, is easy on the arms and makes getting things done easier. I have tried several different carriers and have a few favorites. The best carrier for brand new babies, for me anyway, is an Angelpack mei tai. For babies six months and older I like to use a Babyhawk mei tai. When Maeve was a toddler, I use my Ergo a lot, but I have since sold it because I have fallen in love with mei tais. I have been told to try a carrier made by a local mom at Wallypop, but her store is closed for now and I can't link to a picture or description. Anyway, if I am picking only one carrier, it's the Babyhawk brand mei tai...at least until I try a new one. 

2. A stroller. I adore strollers. The funniest part about that statement though is that I love baby wearing so much that don't even use a stroller until the kid is at least six months or older. I've tried a whole slew of strollers (at one time I had eight) and my favorite so far out of ones that I have owned is a Quinny Buzz. The seat is reversible and made of a memory foam type of material. The stroller unfolds by itself and it has a one handed push which is important to me because I almost always only have one hand or finger free. I use a double stroller for walks and I love it because it has an optional third seat and riding board so it could potentially hold four kids. Not like I'm planning ahead or anything. The next stroller on my radar is a Musty 4Rider because you can get a fun seat for it. Finn would love the fun seat and I would love containing him in public if only for a moment. And, if you are falling out of your seat looking at those stroller prices, rest assured that I have never paid full price for any of my strollers. I am cheap and love bargains. 

3. The third baby product that I love using and shopping for is cloth diapers. I have used cloth for almost four years now and think they are wonderful. I have moments every now and again when I have no desire to do any more laundry, but all in all, cloth is great. I have tried many different types of diapers and my favorites are called pocket diapers. They have a waterproof outer, microfleece inner and can be stuff with whatever you want to make them absorbent. Cloth diapers are my next sewing endeavor and I'm excited about it. My favorite diaper is no longer made so I made a pattern from one I own and can now make as many as I want for not too much money. 

As a side note, car seats are fun to shop for too, but boring to use so they were not included in my list. 

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Eeek!

Some people are not phased by a mouse scurrying across their dining room floor. 

I am not one of those people. 

I had to be brave, but it wasn't without a lot of screaming. 

In the end, my trusty black lab took care of the mouse. It took her 45 minutes of chasing, pointing and corning, but she killed it. And, much to my surprise, she didn't eat it or bring it to me. 

Like every other once living thing smaller than the dog, we are storing the dead mouse in a canning jar with the lid screwed on very tightly. 

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Johnny Be Good


Advent Calender

I've always wanted an Advent Calender and thought the kids would have fun with it. Well, they did have fun for about two seconds until they lost all of the little pieces. 

Bunny Ladybug Princess Maeve

She posed for this picture. I think she looks like a bad ass. 

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Tease

I just made super cute (and functional) cloth diaper, but the picture will have to wait until after Christmas. 

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

A Moment of Silence

Winter is not my favorite season.

There are, however, a few moments when I am grateful for snow. 

The best, most peaceful and serene moments happen just after a big snow. School has been cancelled for the day, people haven't yet left for work and everything outside is silent. Completely silent. But if you stand outside for a minute you can hear bits of snow dropping from roof tops or tree branches creaking under the weight of the new fallen snow. 

To me, that is beauty.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Behold, the Ghetto Tree

Homemade ornaments. Rainbow lights. And it leans a little to the right.

Isn't she beautiful?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Can't a Girl Poop?

Yes, I wrote "poop". 

Prior to children, pooping was a relaxing act. I took my time. I got caught up with my latest magazines. It was a generally peaceful experience and left me feeling better.

Fast forward to today. I sat down and heard Maeve screaming. The dog was eating something that belonged to her so I got up to inspect. Dog licked my butt cheeck. Gross. 

Sat back down only to have Finnegan come into the bathroom and shove a huge wad of toilet paper into his mouth. I had to get up to take it out and then kicked him out of the bathroom. I shut the door and sat down again.

Both Finnegan and Maeve came into the bathroom. The dog joined them and got stuck behind the bathtub in an effort to eat soap. I was happy to leave the dog there until I was finished with my business, but the children were very concerned. They tried to pull her out, they turned on the shower (not sure what that was going to accomplish) and Finn decided to go in after her. 

To prevent my son from getting stuck, I got up again, moved Finn, lifted the dog out from behind the tub and kicked everyone out of the bathroom. I was smart that time though and turned the tv on to give myself a few moments of peace. 

Monday, December 1, 2008

Overheard

Mathew: Did you cut Finn's hair?

Me: Yeah, does it look bad?

Mathew: Well, I noticed didn't I?

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The First Snow


Finnegan was horrified at having to wear layers of winter gear. It took him several minutes to take just one step in snow. In no time, though, he was throwing clumps of snow with great gusto.

Maeve loves the snow and would have stayed outside until she couldn't feel her face. 

And, yes it does bother me that none of their snow gear matches, but most of it was purchased second-hand so I'm trying to let go. 

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

O Christmas Tree

Typically I am the person making fun of everyone decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Not this year though. I just couldn't help myself. 

Holidays are so much fun with kids. I love hearing them squeal with delight as I get out their little Christmas trees. When I told Maeve that we were going to get a tree after dinner she shouted "oh JOY!" and took off down the hallway on her scooter. It's worth noting that she happened to be Scooter Girl at the time and was wearing a much too small Strawberry Shortcake stocking cap, a ladybug backpack and sunglasses. 

We headed to Lowe's and it took Mathew what seemed like two hours to decided what kind of rainbow lights to get for the tree. I have always been adamantly opposed to the ghetto looking rainbow lights, but Maeve loves them and I won't have to listen to her complain about how boring it is to look at plain white lights

The kids ran up and down the tree isles shrieking and pointing to all of the perfect trees. Then Maeve found "the ONE". It actually happened to be a series of "the ONE" because once Mathew picked up the tree she found a few more that seemed to fit the bill. Thankfully, we were able to avoid a Christmas tree tantrum because Maeve was distracted by the "smoke" coming out of her mouth each time she spoke. The tree fit nicely in the van (which I love, by the way) and we headed home.

It is a tradition in our household to listen to Christmas music as we put up the tree. Unfortunately, DJ Finn hid our only Christmas CD. Our substitution? Johnny Cash. Folsom Prison Blues didn't exactly put me in the Christmas mood, but Finn danced regardless and it didn't deter Maeve from asking Mathew every two seconds if it was time to put on the star.

The star was eventually put on and the ghetto lights looked fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that we couldn't help but sit around the tree and sing Christmas songs. Maeve's singing Cookie Monster stocking also joined us for his rendition of Jingle Bells. 

Every night when we tuck Maeve into bed we tell her "sweet dreams". Tonight she corrected us and said, "sweet Merry Christmas dreams". 

Co-Sleeping

If you would have told me prior to having children that I would be sleeping with both of them in spite of having a four bedroom house, I would have laughed in your face. 

It baffles me now to think that a new mother is expected to place her brand new child, one that she's been nurturing in her womb for nine months, in a separate bed and room. Here baby, you won't be able to see or smell the only people you've known your entire life, but this is a very expensive crib and a nice firm mattress and see the lovely paint on the walls? All in the name of safety, of course. Because new parents will inadvertently suffocate their child or forget they are there and roll over on them. Please. *

I do agree that there are safety precautions involved with co-sleeping. Obviously, it's a bad idea to come to bed highly intoxicated or on any kind of illicit drug. Covering your baby's head with a think blanket is also not advisable. And letting them sleep face down on a very soft mattress is not very smart.

Co-sleeping, at least for me, has mostly been a matter of convenience. I like sleep. I like being warm. I despise having to get out of bed in the middle of the night. There's nothing easier than having the baby right next to me while I sleep. It makes breastfeeding easy and I love knowing that our baby is safe. No need for weird propping devices, cribs, thick sleepers, or expensive baby monitors. 

Granted sharing a bed with children isn't for everyone, but we are all happy and there's nothing better than waking up together and watching the kids jump on Mathew's head. 

*I do want to acknowledge bassinets and co-sleepers as good options for those who don't want to co-sleep. A co-sleeper was still too far away from me though. 

Thursday, November 20, 2008

A Housewife in the Making

When asked what she wanted to do today, Maeve replied, "I just want to sit on the couch, eat fudge and watch some tv."

Disgusting, but True

When Finnegan was born, I became lazy and stopped washing my face before crawling into bed. I never got back into the habit and have noticed that my face is not greasy. In fact, my skin looks great. 

If my face is feeling exceptionally dry, I rub in some olive oil and wipe it off with a damp cloth. 

I should probably mention (for those who haven't read all of my posts) that I don't wear make-up. 

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Best Friends


An amazing thing has happened recently in our household. My children are friends. They have finally joined forces and are united against me. 

The instigator is almost always Finnegan. 

Maeve, by nature, is peaceful. She doesn't like to upset people, behaves poorly only when she needs more attention and doesn't think about doing something just for the sake of getting in trouble. 

Finn, on the other hand, is a trouble maker. He climbs, he eats dog food, he dumps markers, crayons, etc all over the floor and he loves every minute of it. Yes, some of it may be attributed to his age, but he has a "look" and that look is called trouble.

Now that my children are friends, Maeve will often times join in on Finn's "fun". And while I don't like having the entire contents of my potted plants all over the floor, I love seeing them enjoy one another.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Sewing

I just finished two patchwork skirts for Maeve. I was going to save them for Christmas, but she'll have five other skirts to open so I'm going to surprise her with them tomorrow. The skirts would have been less time consuming if I would have used my serger, but I'm still in the getting to know you phase.

When I first got my sewing machine, it sat in the box for over a year. My mother would often ask if I was planning to use it and I would always answer "yes". One day I was finally ready and opened the box and started sewing. It was as simple as that. 

My serger looks more complicated than my sewing machine. I read the instruction manual and plan to look at it up on my shelf for a little bit longer. I have a million projects planned so I doubt it will be on the shelf for too long, but for now I am still taking it in. I am fully confident that when I decide to start using it I will be a serging pro. 


Friday, November 14, 2008

It Will Never Be Clean

The kids were happily playing and behaving themselves so I snuck into the office to check my email. Just as I was sitting down, I heard this high pitched screech coming out of both of them. The screech is the newest thing they do to drive me insane and usually means they are up to no good.

I was in the office for maybe a minute and when I came out there was dirt all over the floor. The kids were digging in my bird of paradise plant. I threatened and swept. 

Then Finn threw more dirt on the floor. I removed him and swept. 

I turned around and Finn threw more dirt on the floor. I removed and swept. 

In the time it took me to wash my hands, Finn dumped his bowl of popcorn, peed all over them on the floor and then ate some of the popcorn. 

I have no idea how people with small children have clean houses. 


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Baby Making

A book that every woman (well, possibly everyone because there are men who might benefit from knowing more about female anatomy and reproduction) should read is called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It is a fabulous book and full of useful information. 

Another good tool to use if you are trying to conceive (or avoid conceiving) is fertilityfriend.com. It's an online chart and helps you determine your most fertile days. 

My last recommendation is Preseed. Their logo is to "replenish your moisture without harming sperm". I don't think that needs any explaination. 

I told you I had baby on the brain. And no, I am not pregnant.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Two Down...


Yesterday I decided that two kids is my limit.

But look at that face. 

I can probably handle one more. 

Boy Gone Wild


I asked Finnegan if I could take his picture and this is what he did.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Tie One On


I made my mother an early Christmas present. 

Yes, those are pajama pants I am wearing and yes, I am aware of the fact that they are hideous. You may also want to note the stockings on the wall. We got an ever so slight dusting of snow so we decorated a wee bit early.

Speaking of Christmas, this year we are making all of the ornaments for our tree. We've made two batches with this recipe and the kids have been having a ton of fun. A ton of messy fun, but is there any other kind?

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Update

For those who are deeply interested in the state of my drains, they have been fixed. However, I am not allowed to use the garbage disposal until spring, or so says my husband. 

A Tutu for You Too, Take Two


These tutus need a name. Preferably something fun and with two syllables. Leave me a suggestion and if I use it, I'll send your little girl a twirly skirt. You're out of luck if you have boys, unless you want rainbow flannel pants or maybe fleece pants. 

This is my next project and I'm very excited. What little girl doesn't want one of these?

I is for Ice Cream

Puffy paint ice cream cones. Surprisingly, Finn's turned out better than Maeve's. 

 
Maeve has taken an interest in writing her name this week. I told her that the letters in her name need to go in order and this is how she wrote them. She then asked how to spell Finn so that she could write his name as well. 

 
Prior to this week, we reviewed all of the letters we've talked about so far. Maeve had fun turning the letters into art and just so you know...
A is for apple tree
B is for bumblebee
C is for caterpillar
D is for dog
E is for everything (we used glitter, I couldn't figure out how to make an elephant and we had new glitter we hadn't used yet)
F is for flower
G is for Gus (Maeve's favorite dog that we had to find a new home for, I still feel guilty)
H is for Halloween 
I is for insect (she made a grasshopper)

Monday, November 3, 2008

Downward Spiral


I have a habit of clogging the kitchen pipes. Mathew could shove a week's worth of food down the garbage disposal and have no problems. I, on the other hand, put two noodles down there and the whole thing backs up. 

I loaded the dishwasher today and decided to finally clean out the sink since it was starting to take on a life of it's own.  Then Finn vomited all over the floor. Fine. Lots of vinegar and some new clothes took care of the mess. 

As I went to wash my hands in the kitchen sink I noticed that there was standing water in the sink. I ran the water and garbage disposal. Nothing. Still water. Fine. I called Mathew to see if he'd be coming home for lunch to take a look at the sink. 

I went into the bathroom to wash my hands and what did I see? Disgusting sink water in the bathtub. So disgusting, in fact, that the dog had to sneak behind the tub to lap up the bit of nastiness that had leaked onto the floor. Normally I wouldn't have let her go back there, but I was busy plunging the bathtub and trying to prevent Finnegan from climbing into the oh so disgustingly fun water. 

The dog was stuck. It's happened before, but this time was problematic because a) Bridget has stitches on her belly and b) the tub was filled with shit. I called Mathew again, but he was nowhere close to home and probably not coming home for lunch. Fine. 

I tried to coax the dog to jump into the tub. Doesn't that look good, Brigdet? No luck. The stubborn bitch was still stuck. I gathered all of the strength that I had and  lifted the 66 lb dog up like I lift Finnegan and got her out. 

The dog was freed, but the sink and tub are still clogged. I'm a shower person anyway.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Baby Stuff

Nothing gets me more excited than baby products. I especially love strollers. At one point earlier this year I had eight. I am now down to just two (a Quinny Buzz and Valco Twin TriMode for those who share my passion), but have had baby on my mind and have started looking at strollers again. 

The irony of it all is that I also love baby carriers (mei tais in particular) and don't even use a stroller for an infant until they are at least six months old.

Blah


This is how we have all been feeling this week. 

Mathew and I were sick last weekend and the kids have been sick all week long. I am not quite sure I am strong enough to take another day of whining and vomit, although it does make for interesting conversations.

Maeve: "Mom, did you see my huge vomit? It looked like that alphabet soup except the letters were all mixed in."

"Yes, Maeve, I had to clean it up and you haven't eaten any alphabet soup. Can we talk about something else?"

"Well, then it was probably apple juice and grape juice."

"You haven't had either of those in a very long time"

"That's okay. There was water in there too."

"Yeah, it was gross."

Maeve smiles proudly.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Lesson in Sharing

After all of the crap I've been through this week I decided to treat myself to a much deserved new pillow. I've been using the same once since my first year of college and it has lost all of it's once desirable traits. 

Finn was with me in the pillow isle and upon choosing my new pillow, Finn promptly took it and started running. Well, it was probably more of a waddle since the pillow was bigger than him. When he couldn't run anymore, he threw the pillow to the floor and tested it out for himself. 

We got home and got the kids upstairs to start bedtime. I tossed my new pillow onto the bed so I could go find a clean case. Finn once again claims it as his own. Mathew remarks at how comfortable it looks and steals it from Finn. 

I then hear, "This is a good pillow."

"I know. That's why I bought it."

"You can never have too many good pillows."

"You want one? I'll go get one tomorrow."

"You better make that three."

"Three more pillows? Do we really need that many?" 

I get my pillow covered and lie down to nurse Finn. Maeve snuggles up next to me and says "Mom, my pillow is too bumpy."

Never mind the fact that Maeve never sleeps on a pillow or that Mathew sleeps on a $100 pillow. 

Maeve is currently asleep on my new pillow and Mathew is headed to Target to buy three more. 


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Nevermind

Kids are sick. This sucks.

Monday, October 27, 2008

A Birthday to Forget

I want to preface this by saying that my mother is a wonderful cook. I have never in my life gotten sick from her cooking. That is, until Saturday.

I turned 29 on Saturday. To celebrate, my mom, step dad, sister and brother-in-law drove two hours to visit. My mom made lasagna and garlic bread and cooked them when she got here. The day was decent. Maeve, for the first time in her life, adored her Aunt Katie and the two of them spent a great deal of time searching for ladybugs and woolly caterpillars. 

I was frustrated with Mathew because while he bought me a card, he neglected to sign it, put it in an envelope or even give it to me on my actual birthday. He also didn't have the kids do anything special for me. It wasn't a huge deal, but I only get two days every year where I get to be the center of attention. Pay me my dues please. 

So we eat the lasagna. The kids won't touch anything pasta-ish except spaghetti so they didn't eat it. Thank goodness. 

Late evening Mathew started getting violently ill. Mine started in the middle of the night. It was awful. I have never been so sick and my stomach still isn't very accepting of food. The kids watched TV all day on Sunday because neither Mathew nor I had the energy to do anything except walk into the bathroom. 

The odd thing about it all is that no one else got sick. Just Mathew and me. Did my mother poison us? She was, after all, the person who cooked and served the food. She maintains that there is no possible way we could have gotten food poisoning from her lasagna. We will probably never know the culprit. But I can tell one thing, I won't be eating lasagna anytime soon.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Thankful

I have been in a reflective mood the past couple of days. 

I am thankful for the food in my belly, the clothes on my back, a roof over my head, a husband who loves me and healthy children. We aren't rich, but we have everything we need and I am greatful. 

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Alone?

While running errands today I asked Maeve if she wanted to go to the thrift store with me or if she and Finn wanted to stay with Daddy tomorrow while I went to the thrift store. 

Maeve's response, "Would Daddy go to the thrift store too?"

"No. You and Finn would stay with Dad and I would go by myself."

"Why?"

"Because some moms like to go places by themselves. Alone."

Looking perplexed Maeve said, "Why would they want to do that?"

"I don't know, Maeve."

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Toilet Talk

My son loves to sit on the toilet. Even more so, he loves wiping while sitting on the toilet. 

I made the mistake once at bedtime to ask him if he had to poop. He immediately said "poop", got off of my lap and walked me into the bathroom. He then proceeded to "wipe" using half the roll of toilet paper. 

Now at bedtime Finn will pop up out of my arms and with a devilish grin say, "poop."   

Mexico vs. Heather

My birthday is this Saturday and to celebrate, my in laws are leaving for Mexico. 

My mother-in-law, laden with the guilt of missing her favorite daughter-in-law's birthday, bought me a serger for my birthday. 

As far as I'm concerned, they can go on another vacation the day before Christmas. 

Seriously though, I am very excited to serge. 

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Life in a Grub House

My daughter adores grubs and has created a grub house next to our bed. What is a grub house, you ask?

A grub house is the narrow space between the bed and the wall. It is filled with pillows and blankets so that Big Sister Grub and Little Brother Grub can burrow.

Tonight Mathew, being the thoughtful father that he is, brought home two grubs. Maeve was very excited and wanted to hold them immediately. She then went to find a jar. As she was looking for a suitable death chamber, she screamed and threw the grubs in the kitchen. At me. 

Have I mentioned that I'm not really a bug person? I mean I'll touch them for my daughter and pretend that they're neat, but I prefer to not know they exist. 

The grubs had bitten Maeve's finger. She stomped towards her father, hands on her hips, and exclaimed, "Daddy, don't ever bring me those kinds of grubs again!" She was so mad at him for bringing her bad grubs that she stomped her foot numerous times and yelled at him for a good five minutes. 

Why I Love the Internet

I found this for free and it works beautifully.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Getting Organized

Where does the time go? Last I checked, it was Sunday and now, all of a sudden, it's almost Friday. We've had a busy week with lots of play time with friends. The dog, however, has been neglected and is behaving accordingly. 

I am in the mood to get organized. This is not such an easy task since we a) have lots of stuff b) don't have a basement and c) tend to pile things everywhere. We have sold a lot that was just taking up space, but what remains is usable and unfortunately still takes up space. 

Life would be much more organized if my children didn't have to keep everything. There is currently a dead fly, a very special dead fly, in a jar on my kitchen counter top. Another counter top is holding three plastic baggies full of melted ice cubes. 

Then there's the art work. Piles of post-it notes, half-colored pieces of paper, paper and tape creations...you get the picture. I've sent some of the art work to Grandma's house, but perhaps I should send more. 

Nothing says "I love you" more than a mound of clear tape on a white piece of paper.

Monday, October 13, 2008

In the Eye of the Beholder


Maeve was my hair cutter today. She wrapped ribbons around my neck and head and used several headbands to keep both my hair and ears in place. I found five or so barrettes in there too. When she was finished with her masterpiece she said, "Mom, you look beautiful." 

I kept my hair that way until I started losing feeling in my ears from the headbands being so tight.  

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Nothing's Better

Every morning my daughter pops out of a seemingly deep sleep and says with great enthusiasm, "It's wake up time!" She then bounces onto my bed and I make every effort possible to keep her from sitting on her brother. This morning, however, Finnegan, who is not normally a morning person, popped up with Maeve like they had planned it the night before. 

The best part about the weekend, at least for me, is that for three days when they wake up they immediately go over to bother Mathew. I'm guaranteed at least five more minutes of pillow time when this happens so I'm willing to let Mathew take one for the team. 

Their morning assault on their father lately has consisted of shouting "dadada" in a very high pitched sort of scream and poking him on the side of the face. Sometimes Finn lays over his face while Maeve bounces on his stomach. I will occasionally blurt out a "stop bothering your dad" or "be nice" just so that Mathew thinks I'm paying attention.  

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Photography

My dear husband and I had a conversation tonight about my photography business (which, by the way, I plan to start early next year). He became very passionate about something he has no control over and started droning on about copyright laws and jpegs. Because I am just as stubborn as he is, I had to disagree with everything he said. 

Mathew, bless his heart, was getting so frustrated that he eventually had to leave the room for a cigarette and another beer. 




Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Proof


Here are the skirts I've been working on for Maeve. I have enough fabric to make three more patchwork skirts, but those will be a pain to do without a serger. Please excuse the poor photo. My office chair is currently the only clean spot in the house.

So Cho, Take 2


I guess Maeve has a So Cho outfit and must make So Cho when she is wearing it. Granted, she's been wearing the outfit for two days now, but she has been requesting ingredients for her special concoction since getting dressed.

I was in a good mood today and the house was already a disaster, so why not dump flour, water and oats all over the counter and floor?

The best part about So Cho is that Maeve thinks it's disgusting, but has been talking it up so much that she can't admit that she hates it. It gives me great pleasure to see her shoveling that crap into her mouth, having it turn into a thick paste and then watching her try to talk.

Alone

Dinner time in our household is loud, full of whining and crying and generally crazy. As I was preparing the last bit of dinner, I turned on Dan Zanes to keep the peace and get the kids dancing instead of whining. 

The kids happily started dancing so I decided to do a load of dishes. I noticed after some time, while singing and dancing myself, that I was alone in the kitchen. Alone. And dancing to children's music. 

Yes, this is what my life has become. For what's it's worth, I saw Dan Zanes in concert too, but the kids were definintely with me. 

Monday, October 6, 2008

I Love My Minivan

Yes, I drive a minivan. I have no idea why people hate them so much. It's like having a living room, purse and closet on wheels. We can fold the backseat into the floor and have ample space for the dog's kennel, the stroller and a full trip to Costco. 

As an aside, I love Costco. They have delicious preservative free hams. I made one of the hams yesterday and told Maeve that I could eat ham all day. She told me that I shouldn't do that because it's not healthy. She said that I needed other healthy foods like cinnamon toast, green beans and carrots. Two out of three isn't bad. 

Anyway, my van is great. Maeve has told me several times that she can't wait until she's old enough to drive Finnegan around in the van. They will be driving on just the two back wheels and will listen to Smashing Pumpkins really, really loud. I guess that's one way to make a van look cool. 



They Call Me Betty Crocker

I made pumpkin puree today. I had planned to make a pumpkin pie, but we are out of evaporated milk and I didn't get the chance to go get some. 

I have no idea when I became domestic. It's a little frightening, really. 

My only saving grace is that I hate cleaning and will never wear an apron.

Delighting in His Awfulness


Do you see what I see (other than an out of focus picture)? This kind of face can only be blamed on his father and grandfather. 


Friday, October 3, 2008

Sweaters and Paper and Tulle, oh My!

I have been feeling rather crafty lately. I like being crafty and having something tangible to show for my efforts. So far, I have made Maeve three tierd skirts (pictures to come as soon as I have time) and have two more cut and ready to be sewn. 

Tonight I plan to start working on some sweater balls. I realize these probably sound like odd gifts, but my kids are obsessed with pillows and balls so what's better than combining them to make one super cool ball? Admittedly, the idea is not my own. I found these on Etsy and love them. I don't know how to do the fancy stitching on the ends so we'll see what I end up doing. 

Anyway, I'm feeling very inspired and ready to create.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Who Needs Sleep When You Have a Dad?

Mathew was home all last week and I couldn't get anything done because Finnegan refused to nap. Or sleep. I could not figure out what was interfering with his sleep. Teeth? Perhaps. Getting sick? No. Developmental milestone? Nope. Trying his best to ruin my life? Maybe...

Mathew went back to work on Monday and just like that, Finnegan has almost returned to being a good sleeper. Yesterday he slept until 9:30am and today he slept in until 10:20am. He is still staying up way past his usual evening bedtime (which, by the way, majorly cuts into my internet surfing and craft time), but he at least is finally getting enough sleep. 

My final diagnosis? Daddy. Finn just wanted Daddy. 

UPDATE: Nope. Not Daddy either. The good sleeping was short lived. 

Friday, September 26, 2008

Right Again

I use vinegar to clean everything. It's cheap, safe and very effective (for cleaning tips and uses go here). 

However, my husband loves bleach. It's more of an obsession, really, but he uses the stuff all the time in the kitchen. I tell him frequently that vinegar does the same thing without filling our house with fumes, but he wanted me to prove it. 

Hubby, here you go. 

Does vinegar kill bacteria? According to WikiAnswers, 

"Yes, vinegar DOES kill many bacteria and viruses, including many very dangerous ones that can be in food such as E. Coli O157:H7 (see for example scholarly research that shows this http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iafp/jfp/1998/00000061/00000008/art00005 ). It is probably good to use in the kitchen and other places that you may be worried about harsher chemicals like bleach getting into food."


Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Wacky Wednesday

I wish I could say that what I am about to describe is not a normal evening in my household. 

It all started with the dry erase marker on the wall. I guess it was boring to just color on the marker board. Maeve even stood on a pile of stuff so that she could write higher and blame it on someone else. Right. It's a shame that her brother is shorter than she is.

Maeve then decided to take her creative endevors to her brother's neck and head. And butt and leg. And one little dab on his hand. 

So we headed upstairs for bath time. Our dog, a full blooded labrador who fits the description of the breed to a tee, came upstairs with us. As the tub was filling, Bridget, our dog, got excited. Afterall, the bath was for her, right? I was distracted for a few seconds because Finn was (again) trying to throw something into the toilet and Maeve was singing Cherub Rock so loud that the neighbors could hear her. I believe it was at this point that I was also wiping pee off of the floor. Anyway, Bridget jumped into the tub. 

After convincing our 60 lb dog to remove herself, all the while holding Finnegan so he wouldn't climb over the side of the tub, I attempted to drain the dirty water. Except the drain is sort of plugged (note to self: never dump dirty steam vac water into the bath tub) and it took forever for the water to drain out. More pee on the floor, wet dog, slippery tile, anxious kids and finally...BATH.  


Tweaking

I figured out how to change the template, but it still needs work. The picture of the heels needs to go and some margins will be adjusted. All in good time.

The Problem with Sheets

Clean sheets attract pee. At least in my house.

Last week Finn peed on his sister's bed. I put on a clean mattress protector, clean mattress pad and clean sheets. Maeve peed. She has been potty trained for a long while now. 

The next night I put on a clean mattress protector and mattress pad. I hate making beds so I skipped the sheets. She peed again. 

The third night, I was fed up with changing sheets so I put a comforter over Maeve's mattress. Guess what? No pee. 

Do I tempt fate and give her sheets? Only if they're already dirty. 

Sunday, September 21, 2008

I Cannot Settle

There are a few things that get me riled up. Settling for less is one of them. And not knowing you are settling for less really gets me going. 

As stated in a previous post, my sister was recently married. Her wedding photos are finally available for viewing online. I know there are people who will rave about the photos and then ask for my opinion. My answer? The content is good, but the quality is not. 

From a personal stand point, her photographer is great. A long time family friend who is bubbly, friendly and genuine. Professionally, however, she has a little work to do.  Photography is one area in my life where I require perfection and I'm irked about my sister's pictures.

First, the white balance is off. My sister's dress is blown in almost all of the pictures. You can't see the gorgeous details in her dress or see that it is gold instead of white and there is way too much contrast between her face, dress and background. 

Second, the photographer didn't use the rule of thirds. Every picture is centered and while the people in the photograph look nice, the photo is relatively uninteresting. I don't like being distracted by background when there's so much more happening at a wedding. 

Last, the photographer used Shutterfly. I have nothing against Shutterfly, but with something as special as a wedding, there are better, more professional options available. You get what you pay for and now my sister will have low quality pictures on low quality paper. 

After discussing all of this with my husband and ranting about people settling for less, I may be about to embark on a new adventure. Details to come, but let me just say that I will specialize in maternity, infants and children. 

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Man Cold

Man Stroke Woman is a hilarious sketch comedy on BBC. We purchased the first season and this is one of the clips. It makes me laugh every time.  

Monday, September 15, 2008

Expecting Puppies?

We have a black lab name Bridget and yesterday morning Maeve spent several minutes talking about Bridget's puppies. Their names are going to be:

Pie
Whipped Cream
Soy Milk
Water
Apple Juice 
Cherry Juice
Green
Blue
Rainbow
Balloon

Maeve also informed me that we will be keeping three of the puppies; Blue, Green and Rainbow. I explained that three puppies is too many and that we can only keep one. She chose Green. 

All of this may be amusing so far, but it should be known that Bridget is not pregnant. 

Friday, September 12, 2008

I Don't Own Make-up

The last time I wore make-up was in 2003. At my wedding. 

I like my face the way it is and am not big into putting on bunch of weird chemicals only to be kissed off later by my children. Well, I suppose eye make-up isn't kissed off, but I can't stand to have my eye lashes coated in goo.

My sister got married at the beginning of August and I was a bridesmaid. I decided to get a little crazy and wear make-up. I laughed and told the girl applying my make-up that the last time I wore any was at my own wedding. She stopped what she was doing and said, "Aww, hon, you should take some time for yourself. You deserve it." 

I thought that was hilarious and really, if I were to take some time for myself, I would do something like shower. Daily and without the help of a 17 month old.

Moral Responsibility

We were in one of our favorite thrift stores today when I started wondering about how morally responsible it is for a religiously based ministry to sell expired, off the market infant car seats.

Car seats, in general, expire six years after their date of manufacturer. Upon expiration, you are to cut the harness straps and do everything possible to destroy the seat. I think I remember reading somewhere that they can be recycled too. 

I am thrifty about a lot of things, but I don't cut corners with car seats. 

The customer in the thrift store was looking at two infant car seats for her newborn grandchild. When asked about the price, the employee explained that since the car seats only had three point harnesses the price was donation only. The customer had no idea there was a difference between a three point and five point harness and was encouraged by the employee to look at another infant seat in the front of the store for comparison. 

I stood there and watched the whole thing, trying to think of what to say. It occurred to me, however, that perhaps an expired car seat is better than no car seat at all. 

As we were leaving the store, I saw the customer load the two expired seats into the back of her very new car. And I have to wonder if she was just trying to save a buck at the expense of her new grandchild or if she truly could not afford anything else. 

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

A Tutu for You Too?

I've made three tutus so far and it's kind of fun. They don't take very long to make and I feel very crafty when they are finished. I made Maeve a white tutu with rainbow star ribbons, but it got rejected because it was white. 

Maeve only wears green and blue. How could I have forgotten? 

On a seperate, but somewhat related note....

We were at Pottery Barn Kids today and saw pretty butterfly and peacock costumes. Both costumes would be very simple to make, but I checked the price anyway to maybe save myself some time. The cost? A whopping $119!! The materials would cost no where near that. Seriously, who pays that much for tulle, some wool felt and a leotard? 

On the other hand, if anyone wants to pay $119 for a darling hand-made tutu, I'll throw in free shipping. 

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Watermelon

I hopped on the treadmill tonight in an effort to lose the last bit of baby weight (as a side note, my baby is now 17 mo old). I survived. Admittedly, I was only on the treadmill for 15 minutes, but had I not had a prior commitment to my huband (who proposed to me six years ago today, by the way), I would have probably stayed at it at least another minute. 

The impressive part, at least for me, is that I actually ran for awhile. And broke into a sweat. If my boobs weren't the size of the watermelons we have growing in our garden, I might enjoy running. I guess that's both a perk and drawback to breastfeeding. 

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

B is for Butterfly


A couple of days ago, our cable, phone and internet weren't working so my husband went outside to see what was wrong. I'm so glad he did because he came back with this:

Saturday, September 6, 2008

So Cho


Maeve helped me make cherry crisp a couple of night ago. By "help" I mean tossing the butter in the bowl and then moving on to her own little project.

So Cho.

So Cho is a wonderful combination of uncooked oats, flour and water. It varies in texture and can either be a thick paste or a beige colored watery substance. Maeve says it's delicious and I must say it was unlike anything I've ever tasted.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Gotta Love Allergy Season

The cruel thing about the mild temperatures lately is that when I have the windows open, I sneeze like a mad woman. I have been taking my allergy medicine religiously for two weeks now and it seems to be taking the season off in terms of effectiveness. 

So I was standing in the kitchen this evening making dinner when I started having a sneeze attack. It was one sneeze after another after another and if any of you have had children, you know where I'm going with this. The last and most powerful sneeze was the one that broke the camel's back, so to speak. 

Yes, I peed my pants. 

I wish I could say that it was just a few drops, but I haven't been so great about doing kegel exercises. I laughed myself all the way into the bathroom.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Everything Tastes Better with Ranch

Seriously. 

My favorite is called Litehouse Ranch.

I was introduced to this brand a long time ago by a friend who has recently gone dairy free. More for me.

A is for Art

We kicked off "preschool" this week with an art project. A very messy art project. 

The kids each had an 11x16 canvas. At one point, Maeve said she was making herself (as in, on her body instead of on her canvas) look like Frankenstein. Unfortunately, the camera battery only allowed for one picture. 

The big success of the project is that not once did Finn try to eat the paint.

The Sweetest Thing


"Mom, I wish I could be wrapped in ooodles and ooodles of paper and be your present."

"You already are my present, Maeve."

Saturday, August 30, 2008

A Tribute to my Husband


My husband, Mathew, is the most ridiculous man I know. 

We were eating dinner one evening and Mathew had finished before the rest of us (as always) and got up from the table. The kids were tired and whiny and the dog was going crazy. I asked Mathew if he would help me clear the table before leaving the room. Do you know what he said?

"Okay. I guess I'll just poop my pants." 

And the kicker is that he would have too, just to prove a point.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Too Much Stuff

According to Target and Craigslist postings, it's almost Halloween so I thought I'd share our Christmas plans. 

I love Christmas. I love buying presents, I love giving presents and I love opening presents. I love seeing all of our relatives and spending time together as a family. When we started having children, we went a little crazy with the present buying. 

Christmas this year is going to be different. We are going to make presents. I'm not talking about the cheesy homemade bookmarks or can pencil holders (although watch out grandparents). My daughter is going to get some skirts, a couple of tutus, felt food, rainbow pillows and a play mat. My son is going to get a yo yo elephant, pillows (seriously, he lugs his sister's precious pillows around the house and says "night, night"), an eye spy bag and Mathew is going to make him some wooden stuff. 

I'm looking forward to giving handmade things to everyone in our family. In past years, we've gotten so caught up in the spirit of spending that we lost sight of the fact that our kids prefer the cardboard box over the actual toy.

Five Year Amendment

In an effort to be happy with what we have, I think we are going to try to stay here. My mind has this wonderful picture of five acres, an orchard, chickens and bees, but added into my already hectic life and I have no idea how I'd take care of all of that. My husband, bless his heart (isn't that what you say when you're about to say something nasty?), barely has time to mow our current half acre and I'm allergic to grass. 

We have started moving things around in our house and I am already happy with the arrangement. We have more than enough space outside to plant a few fruit trees and while the idea of fresh eggs from our chickens is appealing, I suppose we could just join a CSA (community support agriculture). 

Thursday, August 28, 2008

On a Roll

Our house was built in 1856. We gutted most of it when we moved in (think yellow walls from cigarettes and a kitchen the size of a closet) and have also added a very nice addition. All of the remodeling has left us with a beautiful house, although not the most functional in terms of space layout, at least on the main floor. I have come up with a plan that will solve it and am feeling quite brilliant. 

Now all we need is $15,000. Damn.

Fitting In

Honestly, I don't care much for play groups. Or maybe I just haven't found my niche. In any event, I usually feel out of place. My kids always have fun playing and I can typically find something to talk about with the other moms, but most of the moms don't share the same life philosophies as me. 

Almost all of the people I've met through play groups, with the exception of one, become just acquaintances. Meeting other moms and their kids is like dating and I didn't care much for that either. 

Ah, the problems of a stay at home mom....

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bug Joke

As I was sitting in the arm chair breastfeeding my son, my daughter exclaimed, "Mom! There are big, black bugs all over the back of your chair!"

Imagining bugs crawling up the chair and into my hair, I ended the nursing session to take a look. 

What did I find?

Spit bubbles. And a very ornery three year old. 

Sunday, August 24, 2008

New Words

This conversation took place on our way home from Costco.

"Mom. let's go to Pottery Barn Kids."

"No, we can't right now because the soy milk in the back would go bad and would not be able to be drinkin. Wait, drunk, drank, how would I say that?"

Mathew, "How about saying you would not be able to drink the soy milk."

"Mom, can we please go to Pottery Barn Kids?"

"No, we have soy milk in the back and it would not be able to be drinkin'."

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I Am Awesome


I was able to sew a functional fitted pocket diaper. I even used elastic. Be jealous. 

Friday, August 22, 2008

Life Happens

Ask any of my friends from college what my parenting philosophy was and they will laugh and tell you that I was excited to send my kids to daycare. 

I loved college and loved learning (still do actually) and was accepted into three graduate schools. I was ready to become a professional and although I wanted to get married and have children, they weren't exactly priorities. 

Then I fell in love and life changed. 

A little over a year after we were married, I became pregnant. Every notion I had about parenting went out the window after our daughter was born. Much to my surprise, we co-slept (still do), I nursed way past a year, I made my own baby food, I wore her or carried her for the better part of the day and I certainly could not have imagine anyone else caring for our child. Call it instincts, call it overbearing, call it whatever, but that little baby that was created out of love and grew in my womb for nine months (and then some since she was late...) changed my life. 

I don't regret never going to graduate school. I am looking forward to homeschooling our children (another thing I never thought I'd consider) and watching life happen.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

One of a Kind


My daughter has been dressing herself for quite sometime now. At first, I was reluctant to allow her to express herself through clothing. As time has passed though, I have let go of all requirements (clean, matching, season appropriate and unstained) except that all important areas of the body must be covered.

So True

A Mother's Prayer:
Dear Lord, 

So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or very indulgent. I'm very grateful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help. Amen. 

Taken from The Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner

Back to Basics

I have a five year plan...of sorts. 

Five years from now I hope to be living on an acreage. I want chickens, an orchard, a beehive, a massive garden and a compost bin. I want my children to be able to explore the world around them and have a deep respect for nature. I want them to know where their food comes from and how it grows. I want to teach them lost arts like sewing and baking bread from scratch.  My kids will be proud to wear secondhand clothes and to do their part to reuse and recycle. They will be confident, respectful, reflective, inquisitive and compassionate children.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Teething

"Mom, why is Finn eating chocolate?"

"It's not chocolate. It's dirt."

Everything but Her

Current list of things in my daughter's bed:
-blue and green loofa
-green pillow
-blue blanket
-green blanket
-Tyrone stuffed animal
-Pablo stuffed animal
-beauty mask
-singing Blue
-Good Luck Care Bear

What's missing from this list, you ask? My daughter.