You read that right, today is my first blogiversary! I've been writing on here for a year and although it's far from consistent - I feel like I've managed to document part of my life. Therapeutic writing and keeping my sanity through the process of sharing all the crazy things that life brings... that was my goal.
Who knew a year ago that I'd be expecting baby #3 and we'd still be waiting on Gregory's prospective job with the FAA. Just like wedding anniversaries, birthdays and other milestones - looking back on how much as happened in a span of twelve months is always overwhelming.
To readers and followers - I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that someone out there is interested enough to read what goes on in my suburban life. I love the comments and suggestions and support.
Now I'm off to celebrate with a tall, icy glass of... oh, water.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Bedtime, anyone?
Transitions.
I might understand why as we get older, many of us tend to become less willing to change. Or transition. Or alter from routine. From a parenting perspective, change can be daunting - especially when it comes to a bedtime sequence. We get used to what works and shy away from the necessary changes that come with growing up.
This is why binkies and bottles go on longer than they should. I began to feel like a bad mother about six months ago, because I was sometimes putting Jackson in his bed with a bottle. I tackle bedtime alone most nights a week (while Gregory is at work) and it's always a challenge to get them both peacefully in bed. It's not a good excuse, but it was just easier to get him in his crib that way.
I was so worried about changing that routine. 10 pm is not my most patient hour of the day. But it literally took one night to transition. We now have our bottles (yeah, say what you want, but it's really just like a drink of milk) and then we all brush our teeth. No dental foul, no problem!
Now we're in the thick of transitioning both Jackson out of his crib and into a toddler bed AND having the two crazies share a room. At this moment, I can hear them both getting out of bed, throwing toys, giggling, yelling and making some sort of hellish mess.
I've already scolded once tonight and told them both to lay down... and even if one of them is dead tired, the excitement of being together keeps them up way later than they want to be. The night either ends well with Jackson asleep on a pile of books on the floor or badly with Ayla freaking out because he has turned out her night light.
I know they're having a great time up there. I, as an exhausted short-tempered preggers pseudo-mom-monster, am not.
(Real time update: I went upstairs to yell a second time. They have thrown their play kitchen items all over the room and Ayla has somehow "hurt her back").
Better now than in two months when we have a newborn trying to sleep two doors away from them. Bedtime with three? Now, that's going to be interesting.
I might understand why as we get older, many of us tend to become less willing to change. Or transition. Or alter from routine. From a parenting perspective, change can be daunting - especially when it comes to a bedtime sequence. We get used to what works and shy away from the necessary changes that come with growing up.
This is why binkies and bottles go on longer than they should. I began to feel like a bad mother about six months ago, because I was sometimes putting Jackson in his bed with a bottle. I tackle bedtime alone most nights a week (while Gregory is at work) and it's always a challenge to get them both peacefully in bed. It's not a good excuse, but it was just easier to get him in his crib that way.
I was so worried about changing that routine. 10 pm is not my most patient hour of the day. But it literally took one night to transition. We now have our bottles (yeah, say what you want, but it's really just like a drink of milk) and then we all brush our teeth. No dental foul, no problem!
Now we're in the thick of transitioning both Jackson out of his crib and into a toddler bed AND having the two crazies share a room. At this moment, I can hear them both getting out of bed, throwing toys, giggling, yelling and making some sort of hellish mess.
I've already scolded once tonight and told them both to lay down... and even if one of them is dead tired, the excitement of being together keeps them up way later than they want to be. The night either ends well with Jackson asleep on a pile of books on the floor or badly with Ayla freaking out because he has turned out her night light.
I know they're having a great time up there. I, as an exhausted short-tempered preggers pseudo-mom-monster, am not.
(Real time update: I went upstairs to yell a second time. They have thrown their play kitchen items all over the room and Ayla has somehow "hurt her back").
Better now than in two months when we have a newborn trying to sleep two doors away from them. Bedtime with three? Now, that's going to be interesting.
Monday, June 14, 2010
June in the Garden
Oh! There's so much to catch up on: Ayla's dance recital (and the true performance that finally came out), our Babymoon trip to Boston and Rhode Island, the new fence, excellent books to share, etc. The problem is that when I finally sit down at the end of the night to share anything - I'm exhausted. I'm sticking to a simple post tonight.
Part of the reason I've been so tired is all of the work going into the garden. My green thumb has been pretty weak lately - I can plant only a few items at a time before my legs get all tingly and I have to park it in one of the lawn chairs. My body is just not keeping up with my brain.
But we've made a lot of progress and almost all of the available garden space is growing new plant life! Things aren't as perfect as I'd hoped after Baxter tore up more than half of the broccoli sprouts. But Gregory built a beautiful new raised garden bed AND a cucumber trellis - man of my dreams! And I'm not kidding, he knows what really makes me happy.
This is the June garden update: look forward to a month from now when the zucchini plant is threatening to take over and we have tons of berries to pick!
Part of the reason I've been so tired is all of the work going into the garden. My green thumb has been pretty weak lately - I can plant only a few items at a time before my legs get all tingly and I have to park it in one of the lawn chairs. My body is just not keeping up with my brain.
But we've made a lot of progress and almost all of the available garden space is growing new plant life! Things aren't as perfect as I'd hoped after Baxter tore up more than half of the broccoli sprouts. But Gregory built a beautiful new raised garden bed AND a cucumber trellis - man of my dreams! And I'm not kidding, he knows what really makes me happy.
This is the June garden update: look forward to a month from now when the zucchini plant is threatening to take over and we have tons of berries to pick!
The strawberry patch takes over
You can see the grapes are going to be out of control.
A delicious snap pea.
Heirloom tomato plants from Construction Junction
A japanese eggplant (Ayla asked if it was going to lay eggs).
The old fence which Baxter totally ignored... as he does the NEW higher fence we put in later. My poor broccoli.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Enough about the Chile Rellenos
"We've run out of chile rellenos for the day."
I say this a lot. I say it because I have to - certainly not because I want to. This particular dish is really labor intensive and really delicious. This means that we don't make a lot, they're popular and we run out on nearly a daily basis.
I'm going to announce a restaurant industry insider secret: servers/bartenders do not control the kitchen. We have no investment in whether a certain menu item is available or not. We don't like having to tell people that we are out of any item because it draws us into two annoying scenarios.
Annoying guest option #1:
Complain loudly and over-dramatically about the restaurant being out of chile rellenos. Act like this is a life threatening situation and you're beyond devastated. Blame the server and pout for at least ten minutes. Consult the owners as if you believe there is some elaborate conspiracy to keep you from your beloved chile rellenos. Then punish your server even further by leaving a terrible tip - as if this was a personal affront to you.
Annoying option #2:
Make a stupid joke that you are "going to get up and leave", thus making your server pretend that s/he hasn't heard the joke ten thousand times before. It's not original.
It's very rare that I encounter a normal person who can just say "okay" and move on without either acting like a huge baby or trying to make a bad joke about it.
And since I'm ranting, what is it with customers who obsess about the television when they are out to eat? People sometimes refuse tables because they won't have a good view of Sports Center. God forbid you socialize with your family and stop staring at the same highlights for one hour! And other people will literally flag you down (while you are carrying 10 drinks or someone else's food) to ask that you change the channel. If I'm busy - my last concern is making sure you can stare at the tv screen.
I say this a lot. I say it because I have to - certainly not because I want to. This particular dish is really labor intensive and really delicious. This means that we don't make a lot, they're popular and we run out on nearly a daily basis.
I'm going to announce a restaurant industry insider secret: servers/bartenders do not control the kitchen. We have no investment in whether a certain menu item is available or not. We don't like having to tell people that we are out of any item because it draws us into two annoying scenarios.
Annoying guest option #1:
Complain loudly and over-dramatically about the restaurant being out of chile rellenos. Act like this is a life threatening situation and you're beyond devastated. Blame the server and pout for at least ten minutes. Consult the owners as if you believe there is some elaborate conspiracy to keep you from your beloved chile rellenos. Then punish your server even further by leaving a terrible tip - as if this was a personal affront to you.
Annoying option #2:
Make a stupid joke that you are "going to get up and leave", thus making your server pretend that s/he hasn't heard the joke ten thousand times before. It's not original.
It's very rare that I encounter a normal person who can just say "okay" and move on without either acting like a huge baby or trying to make a bad joke about it.
And since I'm ranting, what is it with customers who obsess about the television when they are out to eat? People sometimes refuse tables because they won't have a good view of Sports Center. God forbid you socialize with your family and stop staring at the same highlights for one hour! And other people will literally flag you down (while you are carrying 10 drinks or someone else's food) to ask that you change the channel. If I'm busy - my last concern is making sure you can stare at the tv screen.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Toddlers and Tutus
I swear I'm not a pageant Mom. Really. Anyone looking at this rehearsal video could say that it's pointless and silly and I shouldn't be pushing Ayla into dance if she doesn't like it. But up until a few weeks ago, I thought she did!
She has gotten very strange lately about attending any sort of class. Gregory has taken her to dance class consistently and she always rants and raves about not wanting to go, fights it like hell and then comes out an hour later smiling and happy. It doesn't make any sense. We've also been attending the library story time and it used to be a happy 45 minutes singing songs and listening to stories. She even coaxed other hesitant children to come in the room. But my last attempt to take her ending in screaming and many, many tears - and this was with the FUN librarian!
Just check out today's experience at the rehearsal:
So - needless to say, I've been anxious about her upcoming dance recital this weekend. I have serious doubts that she will do anything while on the stage. I just want her to have a good time! I'm not smearing on the lipstick or sending her to the tanning salon. However, I did buy her the ridiculously pouffy and cute tutu to fit the occasion.
I won't be angry with her if she doesn't dance or even look at the audience. (I won't have a pageant mom temper tantrum, for sure.) But I will continue to be perplexed as to why she is extremely outgoing one minute and then tucking into a virtual turtle shell the next.
She has gotten very strange lately about attending any sort of class. Gregory has taken her to dance class consistently and she always rants and raves about not wanting to go, fights it like hell and then comes out an hour later smiling and happy. It doesn't make any sense. We've also been attending the library story time and it used to be a happy 45 minutes singing songs and listening to stories. She even coaxed other hesitant children to come in the room. But my last attempt to take her ending in screaming and many, many tears - and this was with the FUN librarian!
Just check out today's experience at the rehearsal:
So - needless to say, I've been anxious about her upcoming dance recital this weekend. I have serious doubts that she will do anything while on the stage. I just want her to have a good time! I'm not smearing on the lipstick or sending her to the tanning salon. However, I did buy her the ridiculously pouffy and cute tutu to fit the occasion.
I won't be angry with her if she doesn't dance or even look at the audience. (I won't have a pageant mom temper tantrum, for sure.) But I will continue to be perplexed as to why she is extremely outgoing one minute and then tucking into a virtual turtle shell the next.
Can Composting be considered a Hobby?
I've been doing this all wrong!
For the past couple of years, we've had a corner of the yard set aside as the compost area. Gregory put up chicken wire & burlap to contain the mess and it's been the place to throw any compost items. It's done the job, but I really wasn't doing it justice. Because the area was about 15 feet long and 2 feet deep, completely uncovered - it was virtually impossible to turn the soil and create wonderful fertilizer for the yard. We've dug out rocks and attacked the dirt pile with many different spiky garden tools.
The big plus is that we've had a space to throw all of those leftover food items, weeds, grass cuttings, coffee filters, etc. It's just in my yard and not a landfill. It doesn't break down at the rate it should and it's very difficult to access the good soil buried underneath everything.
It was time for an upgrade. I've been drooling over all sorts of composters in gardening catalogs and trying to rationalize spending upwards of $150. (This is my type of splurge - forget shoes and handbags.) Luckily, I found my dreamboat composter at Construction Junction last week. And it didn't cost even close to that much money.
Hello Mr. Earth Machine. It's truly a pleasure. He is now sitting in a corner of the yard, inconspicuously baking all of the dirt and vegetable scraps that will make my garden amazing. I was so excited to set it up and start loading in all that I could find. Dryer lint from the basement, lemon/lime rinds cut at work, all the stuff I've let get moldy in the vegetable drawers in the refrigerator. It all now has a place to go!
I am still a person impressed with simplicity. At this point, if it makes my life just a miniscule amount easier - it's a thrill. Which will lead into my next post about the new fence. Small miracles, seriously!
For the past couple of years, we've had a corner of the yard set aside as the compost area. Gregory put up chicken wire & burlap to contain the mess and it's been the place to throw any compost items. It's done the job, but I really wasn't doing it justice. Because the area was about 15 feet long and 2 feet deep, completely uncovered - it was virtually impossible to turn the soil and create wonderful fertilizer for the yard. We've dug out rocks and attacked the dirt pile with many different spiky garden tools.
The big plus is that we've had a space to throw all of those leftover food items, weeds, grass cuttings, coffee filters, etc. It's just in my yard and not a landfill. It doesn't break down at the rate it should and it's very difficult to access the good soil buried underneath everything.
It was time for an upgrade. I've been drooling over all sorts of composters in gardening catalogs and trying to rationalize spending upwards of $150. (This is my type of splurge - forget shoes and handbags.) Luckily, I found my dreamboat composter at Construction Junction last week. And it didn't cost even close to that much money.
Hello Mr. Earth Machine. It's truly a pleasure. He is now sitting in a corner of the yard, inconspicuously baking all of the dirt and vegetable scraps that will make my garden amazing. I was so excited to set it up and start loading in all that I could find. Dryer lint from the basement, lemon/lime rinds cut at work, all the stuff I've let get moldy in the vegetable drawers in the refrigerator. It all now has a place to go!
I am still a person impressed with simplicity. At this point, if it makes my life just a miniscule amount easier - it's a thrill. Which will lead into my next post about the new fence. Small miracles, seriously!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
I just can't win
I need to stop measuring my daily "success" as a parent based on my childrens opinions. It is a steep and very slippery slope. For example...
We've recently joined the YMCA because it's time to start getting involved in camps, preschool sports and swimming lessons. I'm sure I'll also take advantage of the free babysitting so I can work out too. I was super-excited to take Ayla swimming the other day. I bought goggles so we could play underwater and we trekked out to the warm water pool. We play and giggle and splash for about an hour, until it's finally time to go home. Huge temper tantrum. Then, later, I'm reminding her what a good time we had swimming together.
Ms. Debbie Downer replied, "But I didn't have fun when we were leaving!"
Yeah, I remember.
And in celebration of Jackson's 2nd birthday, I bought him a used tricycle on Craigslist. It is faded from the sun and missing some of the stickers, but these shortcomings are balanced out with all of the cool buttons that make revving sounds and play music. There have already been violent fights between Ayla and Jackson over HIS bike. I was trying to talk up Ayla's birthday and that we could get her a "big girl" bike with training wheels.
She says, "I don't want a big girl bike, I want a little boy bike."
Of course.
I know that deep down they enjoy the little things we try to do for them. ALL of this is to be expected, yet it always catches me by surprise. It's just like the constant effort to keep the house clean and the foolishness of making them dinner from scratch when all they desire is Ramen noodles. If I use their reactions as a litmus test, I really won't ever win.
We've recently joined the YMCA because it's time to start getting involved in camps, preschool sports and swimming lessons. I'm sure I'll also take advantage of the free babysitting so I can work out too. I was super-excited to take Ayla swimming the other day. I bought goggles so we could play underwater and we trekked out to the warm water pool. We play and giggle and splash for about an hour, until it's finally time to go home. Huge temper tantrum. Then, later, I'm reminding her what a good time we had swimming together.
Ms. Debbie Downer replied, "But I didn't have fun when we were leaving!"
Yeah, I remember.
And in celebration of Jackson's 2nd birthday, I bought him a used tricycle on Craigslist. It is faded from the sun and missing some of the stickers, but these shortcomings are balanced out with all of the cool buttons that make revving sounds and play music. There have already been violent fights between Ayla and Jackson over HIS bike. I was trying to talk up Ayla's birthday and that we could get her a "big girl" bike with training wheels.
She says, "I don't want a big girl bike, I want a little boy bike."
Of course.
I know that deep down they enjoy the little things we try to do for them. ALL of this is to be expected, yet it always catches me by surprise. It's just like the constant effort to keep the house clean and the foolishness of making them dinner from scratch when all they desire is Ramen noodles. If I use their reactions as a litmus test, I really won't ever win.
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