Come on, Weekend!

Posted on November 9, 2012 by lauren

The weekend is upon us again! We are in store for some beautiful weather on Saturday, so I am trying to figure out how best to enjoy it with the boys. Andrew is working all weekend but will at least be around in the early morning for some relief. After a grouchy start to our morning, I am hoping to get on his good side again (oops- bad mama). But today has shaped up to be beautiful! It’s warm and pleasant, and I was reminded of just how lucky I am to be able to stay at home and live my everyday life with these three little rascals– especially when we have pizza picnics and play in the yard all day!

Actual things that were said to me today:

Mama, please hold this cricket. – Milo

A centipede weighs 60 pounds. Weewy! It’s tw-ooo! -Oliver

Happy weekend.

DIY Fun: Alphabet Leaf Project

Posted on October 4, 2012 by lauren

The leaves have just started turning their beautiful fall colors (most are still green, as evidenced by the below picture of Oliver) but there are enough fallen leaves on the sidewalks to notice. I figure in about a week or two, it will be spectacular.

Earlier this week, we went for an after-dinner walk and I took along a little plastic bag to collect some of the prettier leaves we encountered. Oliver was very into the collecting, and tried to find leaves that were not too crunchy and nice and flat, just as his mama said! We had a serious goal in mind, you see!

Not only did he collect lots of pretty leaves, he also found some grass that had gone to seed, some berries, and some pebbles to use for our project! It was too dark by the time we got home that evening to complete our task, so we set aside the leaves for the next day… (and an important tip: if you try this at home, try to gather the leaves the same day you plan on doing this project, as many of ours had dried and wrinkled and curled up too much to use for this activity). But no worry. We collected more the next day while walking home from preschool:

I had come across this cool craft while browsing Martha Stewart’s website (and of course, she came up with a solution to the curling leaf problem: press the leaves in a book first- duh). Anyway, I decided to try it, as Oliver loves every art project he has ever set eyes on, and Milo is way into building and constructing things. They loved it! Here’s what we did.

Collect a bunch of leaves of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. If you are planning to use them later, make sure to press them in a heavy book for a few days to keep them extra flat. We used them the same day, so we chose leaves that were still rather malleable.

Using pre-cut card stock (anything thinner will curl up and distort once you apply glue), arrange your leaves any way you imagine. We decided to make alphabet creatures. Once you decide on your design, glue or modpodge the back of the leaf down to the card stock, then cover the front with a thin layer of glue (we used our fingers) to protect the leaf’s surface and preserve the colors. Allow to dry for several hours.

Milo was super creative: his letter was “P” and he made a person holding a popsicle! Do you see it?

His lucky person somehow ended up with TWO popsicles– the color doesn’t show well, but that leaf is bright purple, so he ended up with a purple person and two popsicles. I give up. He wins the alphabet game.

Oliver helped create this turtle. When I asked him what it was, he said, “It’s an alligator snapping turtle, Mom!” And you know what? There is such a thing- we’ve seen it at the zoo, and this really looks like one! He’s such a bright little guy!

And while we were nowhere near attempting a card for every letter of the alphabet, I know I will be pressing some of the unused leaves for a rainy day. It was a great activity for kids of all ages!

When Grandma Comes to Town

Posted on September 24, 2012 by lauren

Last week was horrendous for me. I have no idea why, but I was on the verge of tears most of the time, feeling completely overwhelmed and just not like myself. I called a friend in tears, yelled at my boys (and felt so terrible and guilty afterwards), and finally completely broke down to Andrew on Thursday evening. But Friday, my mom arrived (completely unrelated to the crazy-town I was experiencing). And the shift was monumental.

It had been a while since we have seen Grandma. She is super busy with work and had a lot of complicated family matters to tend to on the East Coast all summer long, so we hadn’t seen her in many months. But, as usual, she brought laughter and lightheartedness and gratefulness to our home just when we needed it the most. I think that’s the thing about my mom. She is super dramatic about everything, but in the funniest way. Like, she will make you feel like the BEST cook in the world, the most BEAUTIFUL daughter in the universe, and like you live in THE MOST AMAZING neighborhood that ever was. And then you think, ha ha ha, right. Oh, yeah. I do have it pretty great.

But it’s not the actual reminder to be grateful, it’s just that she is so grateful, it wears off on you when you’re around her. And then there’s the silliness. Let me tell you, none of us had laughed so hard in months. We sang ridiculous songs and popped air packaging in our living room until we could barely stand up we were laughing so hard. Especially Milo.

And I didn’t take many pictures because frankly I just needed to put the camera down for a weekend and focus on laughing instead of documenting. And it was so so good.

And not to reduce my mom to this in any way, but it was so amazing to have an extra set of hands around. An extra adult to wrangle kids, chop veggies, do dishes, clear the table. The things that Andrew and I busy ourselves with throughout the day were done with my mom around. I’m not sure how much rest she got, but I can tell you that I feel ready to start the week fresh today. The sky looks bluer, my house feels cozier, and all is well. Though I do miss that mama. Love you, Mom.

***P.s.- Thank you for the beautiful teacups, Mom. I had my first spot of tea last night and I swear it tasted better in that cup!***

Weekend Shenanigans

Posted on August 27, 2012 by lauren

Isabelle the Hedgehog (just another friendly neighbor)

We enjoyed another very restful, laid-back weekend. No plans, just a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants kind of time. Andrew grilled fish two nights in a row– yummy! and also climbed our apple tree much to the boys’ delight to get to some of the bigger ripe apples (I will be making pie this week for sure). We went through a major toy purge, which felt awesome, and walked to Kaldi’s on Sunday morning, taking our time and enjoying the weather before the storms rolled in. I baked pumpkin cheesecake bread (will share the recipe if you’d like) and we harvested a ton of kale, which we’re finding all sorts of things to throw into!

We walked so far that my darn sandals broke!

Tomorrow is my lovey Andrew’s birthday and I can’t wait to take him out to dinner! Can you believe we have not been out on a date since this time 9 months ago?! Long overdue? Just a bit!

Reality

Posted on August 20, 2012 by lauren

Recently, I received a comment from someone who had visited the blog relaying something about feeling envious after reading. And it got me thinking… that is so not what I want people to feel after visiting us here. Yet, I am guilty of feeling envy when I visit certain other blogs. You know, the ones where life comes across as so perfect and wholesome.

The truth is, I started this blog with some encouragement from Andrew after I had gone through some major life changes (I quit my job as a school social worker to stay home with our newborn Milo, plus we had just gotten married and moved to a brand new city where we knew absolutely no one) and was feeling really lonely and a little neurotic. It was also a way to reach out to family and friends who were scattered across the country (and in different countries) so that they could stay updated on happenings with the “young bum,” as we used to call Milo.

As time wore on, the blog became my main creative outlet. Posting daily not only helps me keep in contact with family and friends, but also reminds me about what is important in my life right now: creating memories and coming up with fun activities for the kids; finding awesome places to discover and rediscover; exploring new recipes and sharing our favorites; and feeling good about myself as an individual person, not just as someone’s mama. But the main reason is to look back and remember that life really is beautiful, even through the rough patches. Plus, it turns out I really, really enjoy taking pictures. So, of course, life on a blog is supposed to look a little nicer than real life. And so it does. If I took pictures of my dirty bathroom and piles of laundry and stacks of mail to be sorted through, I don’t think I would enjoy looking back at those things as much, you know? Because those things are inevitable, but they are not life-defining.

And so, here are some pictures and tales from our weekend, the first of which you will not envy: we woke up Saturday morning to a ransacked car and a stolen GPS because I had left the van unlocked overnight. Boo.

Ice cream at Snarf’s

…cold

Staying up late: the reward for actual naps!

Breakfast: figs with goat cheese and honey

Time-out

Time-in

Trip to a farm– only so, so

Almost one!

Tomorrow we celebrate Emil’s first birthday and I’m choosing not to deal with it quite yet because how it has already been a year is beyond my comprehension right now. Have a wonderful Monday.

The Revelation

Posted on August 6, 2012 by lauren

Several pounds of apples from our apple tree — score!

Something interesting happened over the past 4 days. I had a complete zen-parent moment. I mean, it was a moment that changed my entire weekend. The first two days of Andrew’s absence was really rough. I was exhausted after two nights in a row of all three boys waking up at staggered times, only to wake up for good at 5:30am. So, while they endured maybe 2 wake-ups apiece, I had been up 6 or 7 times (no exaggeration) between the hours of 10pm and 5am and knowing that there would be no naps from the big boys made me dread those two days. I know, it’s so horrible to wake up dreading anything, especially spending the day with three awesome little people. But that’s where my mindset was, and I don’t want to paint the picture on here that everything is all lollipops and cupcakes all the time. It’s not. I’m not. Frankly, I think I’ve always been one to need a decent amount of sleep, and when it’s cut down to 5 or 6 crappy, interrupted hours, it wears me down really fast. Especially on the attitude front.

The difference happened on Saturday. Day three of all kids, all by myself, all the time. Friday night was another rough sleep night, but on Saturday morning, I just came to expect it, and I decided to pretend that I was well-rested! I made a pact with myself that included the treat of a coffee, then to not attempt to sit down or lie down for the rest of the day until it was bedtime. Crazy, right? My reasoning was that when I do sit down or try to take a nap (which never happens unless someone takes my kids), the exhaustion hits me like a ton of bricks. If I kept going, I would not have the chance to feel depleted until I collapsed in a heap at the end of the day. And… it worked!

The other interesting thing about this plan? I had a really, really good time with my kids, kept my attitude positive, encouraged curiosity and teaching moments, and didn’t feel disappointment about missing sleep. It’s kind of a big revelation for me because lately I’ve been kind of snarky and not as upbeat as I would like to be. So here’s to revelations!

What we did this weekend:

Grabbed a cup of coffee and a cookie at Winslow’s Home (and yes, Emil always wears these pants because I love them so much and frankly, he doesn’t own a lot of clothing that isn’t stained or beat up!)

Added to Milo’s insect collection (it’s in a drawer on our front porch with two dead cicadas and a smashed honeybee, if you must know)

Talked to Papa about Milo getting stung by a bee! And Oliver being a good boy!

Picked a whole bushel of apples from our apple tree (Milo took this picture!)

Baked chocolate chip pumpkin bread (and froze two loaves)

Made homemade salsa from our garden tomatoes and jalapeños (and cleaned up after it all! Whew, what a mess!) — recipe to follow tomorrow.

Made homemade applesauce from all the apples we picked (I know, it doesn’t feel like apple season yet, but it sure is around here!)

We stayed really busy — including trips to the playground, the grocery store, the zoo, a playdate with water fun in our backyard, a pizza picnic at the playground, and a trip to an incredible pool with some friends. Andrew will come home mid-week, but I’m glad I’m not just counting down the days until he returns. I think I would miss out on a lot of fun mama-boy bonding if I did that.

P.s.- I can’t wait for DIY Fun Thursday this week– we have a really good one for you!

July Garden 2012

Posted on July 31, 2012 by lauren

This garden business is crazy-town. I have no idea why we had never planted greens before this year, because apparently greens love our garden. The boys came in with this truckload of kale and chard last week.

And a green bell pepper!

… and more tomatoes and jalapeño peppers!

Ridiculous.

We ate an insane amount of kale sautéed in olive oil and garlic with lemon juice and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Milo ate a fair amount of the kale since he helped pick it! But we gave most of it away to neighbors with little recipe cards attached. And Milo and Oliver had so much fun delivering it! There’s nothing like teaching generosity and thoughtfulness towards neighbors. Don’t you think?

P.s.- Guess who got to wash it all?

Neighborhood Popsicle Party 2012

Posted on July 23, 2012 by lauren

Last year, we were invited to a neighborhood popsicle party hosted by our friend/neighbor Keely and her family. She had made this awesome giant popsicle and hung it from the tree in her family’s front yard to signal the event. The kids ran around, red popsicle juice streaming down the front of their arms, chests, and shins while the adults drank beer and laughed and shared stories about the kids and the neighborhood goings-on. Then they had to go and move (sad face). BUT on moving day, I opened my front door to find the giant popsicle with a note attached encouraging the tradition to be carried on.

And so, with great excitement, we held our first annual neighborhood popsicle party!

With sangria! (Yes, I am currently hungover)

I think the best part of the party was forcing everyone to get out of their houses and brave the heat (it was significantly cooler on Friday, thank goodness, only in the 90′s). This whole summer, our street has been a ghost town; people only leaving their houses to get to their cars or turn on the sprinklers. Kids peeking out from inside air-conditioned houses like it’s the dead of winter.

Seeing the neighborhood kids together warmed my heart. When Milo busted out his guitar, all the kids ran back to their houses to bring out their instruments. Who knew we could start our own neighborhood band? (If you look closely, you can see Emil clapping for them in the background. Big surprise.)

I took this picture of our neighbor friend with the giant popsicle only to later see Milo jumping off the 4-ft tall wall (see left) on our front porch. (Big surprise #2).

Hat full of apples*, belly full of bread

The fairies came out with the fairy lights!

We had a fantastic time and think our neighbors did too (though we definitely missed Keely and family)! Oh, and we will be keeping those lights up for the rest of the summer for sure. Apple tree, climbing tree, fairy tree!

Captain America approves this message.

*Several apples were harmed in the making of this party.

Playground Adventures

Posted on July 9, 2012 by lauren

The following pictures were taken exactly one month ago. Hard to believe it was cool enough for us to be wearing sweaters, long sleeves, pants, and even a hat for nearly-bald Emil!

But the essence of the beginning of summer is within these shots. The constant motion, the adventure, the childhood that is happening right before our very eyes. Sometimes I catch glimpses of my own girlhood in my boys: the tree-climbing in bare feet, sweaty breathlessness of constant running through cool grass, dirt up to the elbows and blisters on each palm from monkey bars and climbing fences. It is magical when that happens, and I finally understand what other parents used to tell me before I was a parent. The part about your kids keeping you young.

Before the boys went on their summer nap strike (way back in May and early June), we ventured to the playground half a block away from our house every night after dinner. Usually with popsicles and a banjo or guitar in hand, we pushed or pulled or made the little guys walk down the hill to the new playground behind the elementary school where we plan to send all three of our boys.

And as soon as the wagon stopped (and many times before it stopped), these boys were off like wild bandits, running and jumping and climbing to their hearts’ delight. Shoes never stay on, though we always bring them, for some reason.

Milo is off like a flash, feet barely touching the ground…

… While Emil finds the slide to climb and Oliver finds playground treasures to fill his wagon.

… or hitch a wild wild ride.

And I miss those evenings at the playground, because now those boys are so exhausted by 6:30 that there is no way we can drag them there, even if it’s what Andrew and I really want after all.

My Head Just May Explode…

Posted on June 26, 2012 by lauren

This is the post where I complain. So if you’re not into it, take off now. Or, join me. Because misery loves company. Except when it doesn’t.

A few things have been making me feel like I might fly into a murderous rage.

Thing number one:

What’s this, you say? Oh, a pile of cat shit. Again. Last year, after I had Emil (I had to wait until I was no longer pregnant so I didn’t risk contracting toxoplasmosis), I dug all the dirt out of our side garden because it smelled like cat urine and feces from the neighborhood cats. Then I spent a ridiculous amount of time adding new dirt and 8 new boxwoods to this area, as well as spraying it with an eco-friendly cat repellant twice daily in order to break them of the habit. It worked for a while. But only when I saturated the area with the repellant. This got expensive, so we stopped buying the repellant. And sure enough, the damn cat (s?) came back. And now, every two days, I have a pile of cat crap to pick up on top of the dog poop from our own dog and all the tushie-wiping I have to do on a daily basis.

But the mind-blowing part?

THIS is the sign that I have to walk past every day, which just so happens to be in the cat-owner’s yard who comes over and uses our garden as a litter box (and the only cat I have actually watched poop in our garden):

It says, “Be a good neighbor, pick up after your pet.”

I couldn’t make this stuff up.

Oh, and yes. These neighbors actually know about their cat doing this. They have apologized, but have not taken any steps to rectify the situation. What would you do?

Thing number two:

The sleep situation around here. Sheer torture. I will not go into every detail suffice to say that these kids don’t sleep. Not naps. Up at 5:30am. Up several times throughout the night. The result is an exhaustion I cannot begin to explain. My eyes are dropping shut at 7:30pm every night, and so I would otherwise just go to bed. But someone is always up. Needing something, crying something. It makes me crazy beyond comprehension. Oh, and I have a constant headache from lack of sleep. Andrew is going out of town for three days this weekend. So I have decided to duct tape all three kids into their beds for a few hours for some real shut-eye. Is that frowned upon?

Okay. Those are my top two. That’s all. Good night. Ahahahahaha! Just kidding!!!

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