Category: see

well, the cold weather here has been peppered with a few gloriously spring-like days lately, and we are so ready for the warmer weather to be an every day occurrence.  i can see the light, and with that, spring clothes!  it’s funny how, in the fall, i can’t wait to get in boots and sweaters, and by march, i’m ready to chuck everything out the window.  anywho, my kids are taking monster naps today – at the same time (can i get a hallelujah!?!), so i had a minute to think about the blogosphere.  and since i’m thinking spring, i thought i’d put together a few outfit ideas for the coming weeks.  now, keep in mind that i’m a full-time mama, and i’m not getting dressed for work each day.  but, i do like to try and put my best foot forward when i can…and have the time.  my mom has the best term that i’ve adopted too – i’d say these looks fit into the ‘casually darling’ realm.  and i must say, i’ve become a little predictable lately with my formula.  i think it helps me get ready faster though – easy top, denim, neutral shoe, statement necklace.  go.

let’s get real for a minute.  i am sleep deprived, in a constant state of frazzle, over-caffeinated, perpetually late, hair in a constant topknot, and not exactly sure who I am anymore.   i am a full time mom.  it’s my dream job, but man, it’s hard work.  sound familiar to anyone?  please please please tell me it does.

beckett challenges me.  he’s not the rule follower i was and to say he’s active would be a crazy understatement. he’s also about thisclose to giving up his nap.  chloe only recently started to appreciate that i like more than 6 hrs if sleep a night and thinks its funny to bite me when she nurses.  i am in a bit of a hard place – mainly a place of exhaustion.

but these kids who exhaust me physically and emotionally also light me up.  i can’t believe i didn’t know about this kind of all-consuming love just a few years ago, and to watch them become who they’re going to be is nothing short of miraculous. they are my everything, and though i’m not exactly sure where they stop and i start, i know i am proud of what i’m doing right now.  even if i’m a mess in the process.

chloe, you are such a mover and a shaker.  you are getting faster and faster at crawling, pulling up on everything, and continue to be a little charmer.  your hair is coming right in, and i feel like your look is going to change considerably in the next few months with more hair and teeth.  you have a smile on your face most of the time, and continue with the scrunched up face when you’re not smiling.  you love beckett’s legos and really anything he likes to play with.  you are super curious, getting under chairs, ottomans, tables, looking for toys…and you usually find them…though i’m not sure what that says about my housekeeping abilities.  you are taking two good naps, though your morning one is often on-the-go and not long enough.  you are a trooper and go with the flow and just take a longer afternoon nap on those days.  by 7 o’clock you. are. done.  most nights you’re asleep by 7.30.  it’s exhausting being a baby – what, with two naps and eating and pooping too!?!   you are still into most foods, yet totally rejected the peach-flavored puffs you tried recently – literally spit them out and even dropped some on the floor.  i can tell you’re getting bored with purees so i’ve introduced a few finger foods – peas, cheese, and the almighty cheerio.  you are just as sweet as can be, chloe-girl.

unfortunately, i cannot take credit for this idea, but i have made these baby leg warmers, and they come out so so cute.  i’ve made 4 pair so far, and i plan to keep ’em coming.  they will be perfect to keep baby’s legs warm and still be able to change one million diapers a day with ease.  here are the diy instructions i used.  i did simplify a bit and didn’t sew the cuff first.  i just stuck the cuff in the leg warmer and did one seam through all three layers.  that’ll make sense after you read the directions.  i used knee socks for mine (all these are from target), so they would last longer than just the newborn stage.   can’t wait for ‘rosebud’ to get here and try these on!

just a little something to leave you with today.  it’s a quote that helped me put a few things into perspective this week.  though  we are facing challenges (like every family), this thanksgiving season, we have a whole lot to be grateful for.

note to self:  moving is a pain in the ass.  and setting up shop at a new house comes with a lot of no fun little things – getting cable and internet after days without, dealing with unforeseen house issues, and tending to projects that need quick resolution – but we are so so happy to be here.

before i go any further, let me pause for a moment and tell you how instrumental our families have been during this process.  we couldn’t possibly say enough thanks for the time, energy, and sweat they have donated to us.  they are amazing, and family, i’m publicly worshipping you for all you have done!

let’s start at the beginning.  we moved 12 days ago, on the only day in months that we have had torrential downpours.  thankfully, mother nature seemed to let up at the right intervals for loading and unloading, but it was a little challenging and messy to work around.  it was so bittersweet to leave a home that we absolutely loved and had put so much into, but we know this next house will be good to us and we will be able to create memories here for many years to come.  we are slowly getting settled in, and while we still have a lot of packed boxes, our main living spaces are somewhat in order.  i’m really looking forward to never seeing a brown box again and getting to a place where we can think more about decorating this new home – the fun part!  as i mentioned before, it’s pretty beige around here right now.  can’t wait to take you along for what we have planned.

the two i was most concerned about, beckett and miller, have adjusted with flying colors.  i think that since their toys have reappeared here, they are fine with the relocation.   miller still has a great yard to romp around in, and beckett (and we) couldn’t be more pleased with the outdoor situation – a swingset that was already here, and a nice flat driveway for bike-riding, basketball-playing, and bug-catching (yes, he is a boy through and through).

here are a few scenes from around the ‘new’ gray house.

{finally got the keys!}

{b pops up over this board and yells, ‘oh hi!’}

{new obsession:  ‘crains’}

{oh, how i love this little monkey}

friends, i’ve been keeping a secret.  i’ve been working on something…really big…but pretty darn small too.

it’s a baby!  i’m growing one!

you’ve probably noticed i’ve pretty much fallen off the face of the earth.  to be perfectly honest, i’ve felt like butt.  i think it’s been a little harder this time since i’m running after a toddler who is 100 mph all the time.  when i was pregnant with b, i was sitting at a desk all day – far different from my current situation.  i feel much better now, but still not quite 100%.  i’ve gotten back to my yoga classes, which has felt so good.  i didn’t even feel up to doing downward dog there for a while.

we are beyond excited to be growing our little family, and this new little person should arrive in late january.  right now, this little booger is the size of an avocado, which seems big already.  things seem to be going much faster this time around.

this is a truly remarkable look at conception to birth, which is a process that never ceases to amaze me.

{i can’t believe we’re going to be doing this…}

{and this again…really soon.}

i recently stumbled onto this blog, and rubyellen has a ton of darling kid’s art projects.  oh my good lord, they’re cute.  she has four little girls, and i love that she’s constantly doing art projects with them.  we are looking for some inside activities considering kc has barely dipped below 100 degrees in what seems like forever.  i think there are even a few projects that b-man could get a kick out of.  here are a handful that i’ve flagged for a test run around here, and here’s the link to all her projects.

{colored tape art}

{no- sew bunting}

{a-frame tent – this is actually the template i used to make beckett the tent we (i mean, santa) gave him for christmas.}

{watercolor bubble art – my favorite, we’ll have to try this one soon}

i was watching a few minutes of the today show this morning and a few stories came on that were just plain disgusting – a school bus monitor reduced to tears by taunting kids, the trial of a suspect in a case of a boy set on fire, and of course, jerry sandusky.  i said outloud to beckett, ‘i’m so glad you’re too little to understand all this.”  he responded with a great big smile, and it just made me want to guard him forever from all the the ugly in our world.  fast forward a few hours and i saw a link to a story online that caught my eye.  i clicked, and it did exactly what the title said it would do – ‘restored my faith in humanity.’  it’s a pretty short little article with some amazing pictures, and i would encourage you to take just a few minutes to go through it.  what a great reminder that there are plenty of good people sharing our planet.  here’s the link to the story – read it, and pass it along.  let’s overwhelm the ugly in our world with a whole lotta good.

{this is the one that brought me to tears}