#reallife

Last Thursday a package was delivered to our house. Here it is now:

This is what happens when you order something before you need it (in this case, a bike helmet and curtains for the basement, which we currently don't have rods for). And what happens when you rarely--if ever--use your whole couch. Miraculously, the boys have paid little to no attention to the box, which is a lot of the reason why it has been allowed to take up residence on our couch. Fingers crossed for some nice weather soon so we have an excuse to get the bike helmet out of the box... And at least move the curtains downstairs (given the rate with which we complete home improvement projects, I would be surprised if the curtains are hung before June).

Weekend Review

Do you ever get to the end of the weekend and wonder where in the heck the weekend went? Because that is pretty much what it feels like in this house Every.Weekend. And I usually end up feeling like nothing got accomplished, which puts me in a sour mood, which is not the way I like to start my Mondays. So, as attempt to remedy that, I'm going to start sharing with you what we did over the weekend (because I am sure you are all just dying to know) so I can remind myself of everything we did get accomplished instead of focusing on the items still left on our to-do list. And maybe I'll even remember to take a picture or two (since that whole "Wordless Wednesday" thing kind of disappeared. Whoops). Of course, this will also be a test of my memory... Because Friday night was seriously so.long.ago.

Off to a good start--I already had to check my phone to remember what we did on Friday. I worked that day, which typically makes the evenings a little more chaotic because I'm not home to get dinner started. However, when I went to pick up the boys from my mom's house, they were both still sleeping, so Darrell actually ended up being the first one home--and by the time I got home with the boys he had dinner pretty much on the table! My mom joined us for dinner because after dinner she and William headed out to a carnival at my sister's school. Darrell had to leave shortly thereafter to go pick up our produce basket (I know I've talked about Bountiful Basket on here a time or two--we still love using that program!), which left me home to put Garrett to bed--normally a pretty easy task, but because of his late (and long) nap, he was a little feistier than usual. About the time I got him settled down, my mom got back to the house with William, and although all of the "prizes" he brought home were toys, I'm convinced there had to be some candy consumption during the course of the night because he was pretty wound up. While I was putting him to bed, Darrell got home with our basket and started getting the produce prepped and stored (as well as figuring out what the heck one does with three bunches of cilantro). By the time we got William settled down and the kitchen cleaned up, we had enough time to crash on the couch for a little bit of Netflix before bed

Saturday was the first day of swimming lessons for the boys (William's third time, Garrett's first). Both boys did pretty well, so we're excited for the next few weeks (and summer, of course!). We came home and played for a little bit while Darrell hung some décor downstairs (you know, only two years after we moved in...). After lunch I headed out to a local consignment sale (which was a major bust) while Darrell put the boys down for their naps, and then headed home so I could get some food prepped for Sunday (Easter with my mom's family) and make the pizza crust for supper. We skyped with Darrell's parents after naps, and I then I headed up to church for the night. Our youth put on a dinner theater every year, and I volunteered to help in the kitchen--which basically meant I spent three hours on a Saturday night doing dishes that weren't even mine. It was still pretty fun though (we have a pretty great church if I do say so myself) and The Cookie Jar (a totally awesome local establishment) did the catering, so I got some excellent food out of the deal as well.

Sunday was madness. Darrell is pretty much the official narrator for the choir when they do their Palm Sunday cantata (as well as their Christmas program), so he was at church by 7:30 for that. I brought the boys with me at 9:30 for breakfast between services, and then we went to the 10:30 service with my parents (and my brother and his wife even showed up!). After church we rushed home to get everything ready (including the crockpot potatoes that we had started at 7:00 that morning!) to head to Mitchell to celebrate Easter with my mom's family. I'm not sure how much I've said about my mom's family on here, but, well, they are a unique bunch. Gatherings with them are always unpredictable at best. And while it's always good to see family, Darrell and I were definitely ready to load our boys up and head home by 5:30. Bedtimes were a little bit of a struggle again because the boys had spent pretty much all day grazing on junk food, but we finally got them settled and then turned our attention to the kitchen, which had not really seen a lick of cleaning in over twenty-four hours, despite being pretty heavily used. After we got all that done (and cried over the results of some of the March Madness games), it was a repeat of Friday night: crash on the couch for a little bit of Netflix and then off to bed.

See what I mean? Our weekends go by in a poof, and while we are constantly busy doing stuff to keep ourselves afloat, it can be really hard to find the time (or energy) to chip away at some of the bigger, less "mandatory" tasks on our lists. Thankfully, we're home most every night this week, and aside from swim lessons on Saturday and Easter with my immediate family Sunday evening this next weekend is looking pretty open... So fingers crossed it actually stays that way!

On Not Being "Greedy"

So I don't do this very often, but I'm going to have a little bit of a soapbox moment about being a stay-at-home mom. Because this post has been years in the making--and I'm finally getting up the courage to write about it.

Last night at church, I was chatting with a father of two elementary school aged girls, and he asked if I work or if I stay home with my boys. I told him that I've been able to stay home, and he responded "That's great. We always wanted to do that, but we could never make it work. I guess we're too greedy". I don't exactly remember what I mumbled as a response, and I had to make a quick exit because Garrett started wandering out of my sight (like he enjoys to do), but the honesty of his words stuck with me. I've had a lot of people tell me that they wish they could stay home like I do, but that they just can't afford it. Now, I know there are certainly times when this is true... But I also know there are plenty of times where this isn't exactly the whole truth. Because I've been in their houses. I've seen what kinds of cars they drive, what kind of clothes they wear. I've heard them talk about the vacations they go on, the nights they spend eating out at restaurants. And I want to ask them "Really? You really can't afford to stay home? Or is it that you are not willing to alter the lifestyle you are living in order to be able to stay home?" Because Darrell and I are proof that it is doable. It isn't always easy--and trust me, we've had to make plenty of sacrifices--but it can be done. And, with careful budgeting and minimalistic spending, it can be done enjoyably and even allow for occasional "big" expenses--like our twice-yearly trips out east to visit Darrell's family.

I know staying at home isn't the right choice for every family--and for some families, it isn't even an option, no matter how tightly you budget. I get that. But when you hear that I stay home, don't tell me you "wish" you could too when the only thing holding you back is (as the person from church put it) greediness. Because trust me, I wish I could buy new clothes more often (for me and the boys!). I wish we could go out to eat more often (Sioux Falls actually has some pretty great restaurants that we just never get a chance to visit). I wish we could get through more of the house projects on our list (repaint/replace the siding, redo the kitchen, fix up the landscaping, to name a few). I wish we had upgraded to a larger car months ago (instead of holding out as long as we can before picking up a car payment). I wish lots of things that just aren't in the cards right now as we live off one salary--but would I give up the opportunities I have during the day with my boys to make those wishes come true? Absolutely not. So please, next time you hear that someone stays at home, don't get envious and wish that you could trade places with them--acknowledge (even if it's just mentally) that they are probably making some pretty serious sacrifices that you just aren't willing to make.

A New Normal

A few days after we returned from some of the craziness that was our traveling over Christmas, Darrell made the comment about looking forward to getting back to our "normal" routine. But then William got sick, and "normal" got delayed. And then I found out that I was going to be working for two weeks longer than I thought, delaying "normal" some more. Finally, a few days ago, Darrell had an epiphany: Even once William gets over his cold and FINALLY starts sleeping through the night again, and even once I'm done working, we will never return to the same "normal" we were at before Christmas. Because inevitably, Garrett will start teething (again). And he'll be walking in no time. And sooner or later we're going to have to bite the bullet and start getting serious about potty training William. There will never be a "normal"--at least not one that lasts for more than a week--for a long, long time. And while I was mulling over this concept, and slowly coming to terms with it, I had a realization of my own. The concept of "normal" has been what has made some of Garrett's infancy difficult for me. Even though things have, for the most part, gone more smoothly than they did with William, I still found myself getting unnecessarily stressed and frustrated at times--and I realize in hindsight that most of that stress was self-inflicted. I was stressing over getting our lives back into a "normal" routine--and in my head, the normal routine that I was aiming for was the one that we had before Garrett was born. Sure, I knew that having a second kid would be a huge change and adjustment, but I just assumed that after we settled in to life with two we would settle right back to where we had been. And since that definitely isn't the case, I'd been feeling like we were still unsettled, and feeling unsettled makes me feel stressed. But if I leave behind the notion of "normalcy" that we had pre-Garrett, and let myself focus on just the present, I realize that things actually are going really well. And, arguably, we've settled quite comfortably into life with two kids. There's still a few pieces out of place, and I'm not sure how they will fit into our life as a family of four (this blog being one of them), but I'm giving myself some time and grace to figure that stuff out.

Every Now and Then

Truth: Before I went to college I NEVER listened to country music. Kids from Sioux Falls like to think of themselves as being from the "big city", and country music was for, well, the country folk (aka everyone who didn't live in Sioux Falls). However, going to college in a town that is pretty much in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa and full of small-town Iowa kids, country music became a pretty big part of my life (and I'm not ashamed to admit it). In fact, one of my favorite artists--of any genre--is a country musician--Garth Brooks. I probably know more of his songs than any other artist (of course--he also has more songs than most other artists, but that's beside the point) and my country Pandora station cycles through his hits pretty frequently.

So it was no surprise the other day when his song "Every Now and Then" started playing. Lyrics aside, I've always liked this song for its melody and sound, but for some reason the lyrics really stood out to me this particular time. Long after the song ended I found myself singing these lyrics in my head:

I love my life and I'd never trade
Between what you and me had and the life I've made
She's here and she's real, but you were too
And every once in a while I think about you

 

 And while the song is clearly about a former flame, the message within these lyrics struck me as being really relevant to where I am in life right now. I love my boys to pieces and honestly can't imagine my life without them, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't days that I miss our life before kids. I miss the days when we did crazy things like drive to Maine for a weekend just because we wanted some (good) fresh lobster. I miss some of our financial freedom--I wouldn't give up being a stay-at-home-mom for anything, but tracking every penny of spending gets exhausting. And it means that lots (and lots!) of purchases get pushed off to "someday" instead of "now" (remember when Darrell randomly surprised me with my mixer?  Those days are long gone). And heck--right now especially--I really, really miss being able to sleep through the night. Sure, thanks to the wonderful "village" we have to help with our kids we get breaks once in a while, and we still prioritize having a date night at least once a month, but it isn't the same. Because once you have kids, you are forever changed. You are forever a parent. Even if you aren't having to be a parent in that very moment. Yes, we lost some freedom and spontaneity and carefreeness by becoming parents, but what we gained is so much more valuable. And when the day comes that our kids are grown and we're able to reclaim some of those freedoms, I know we'll end up looking back on our days with little ones and wishing for them back. So I'll let myself have those moments where I long for our pre-kid days, and I'll smile as I think about the memories, but then I'll wrap my boys in a great big bear hug and give thanks for all the blessings parenthood has brought into our lives. And I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Rest for the Weary

A miraculous thing happened yesterday morning (no, Garrett didn't sleep through the night. I wish). For only the second time in six weeks, we woke up in our own house on a Sunday morning. Even more exciting was the fact that for the first time in seven weeks, we had a Saturday with absolutely nothing going on. No traveling, no being out of town, nothing. Of course, being gone and busy that many weekends in a row meant that we had some majorly neglected projects to work on at the house, so we stayed plenty busy, but it was still nice to be home. And I even got to go grocery shopping by myself!

I'd like to say things are starting to slow down, but that just doesn't seem to be the case. Thankfully, most of our busyness in the next few months is local, so I'm done worrying about embarking on massive trips with two little ones. Which will (hopefully) mean that I'll be less busy during the week (hello no more packing or ridiculous amount of laundry) and I should be able to actually get a few posts up here. You know, maybe fill in some details of all the crazy traveling we've been doing. But that's probably just a pipe dream since I've very nearly got two mobile boys to worry about. Sigh. Such is life.

What Every Woman Wants to Hear

After some recent online shopping (because let's face it--corralling two kids does not a pleasant shopping experience make), Darrell uttered the four words every women loves to hear: Just Keep Them Both.

You see, I have been on the hunt for a new swimsuit. I'd go so far as to say that I need a new swimsuit, but that's a little bit of an exaggeration. I needed new swimsuit after William was born--the girls no longer fit into the skimpy swimsuits of my youth--but an additional new swimsuit was mostly for convenience. I can only assume that at the beach this year William will be "forcing" us to spend much more time in the water, and since I absolutely hate putting on a wet swimsuit, it is only logical for me to have two suits that I can rotate (we plan to have two suits for William, so it's only fair for Mommy to have two as well, right?). So after multiple purchases--and subsequent returns--I finally hit the jackpot. And found not one, but TWO suits that I adored. Thankfully, before I had spent too much time deliberating the pros and cons of each suit, Darrell perceived my dilemma and solved it for me by allowing me to keep both.

So without further ado, allow me to introduce the two newest swimsuits to my collection--and probably the last two that I'll be adding for a long, long time!

Adidas Swimsuit at Kohls

Liz Claiborne Swimsuit at JCPennys

 

So technically (technically) these could count as four new swimsuits since each "suit" is a three-piece ensemble: a tankini top, a bikini top, and a bottom, but I've officially decided this is the only way to go when buying suits anymore and that each ensemble only counts as one (the other suit I have is also a three-piece set). I do not like one-piece suits (see note about pulling on wet suit), so the tankini is a great option for when I'm feeling the need to be a little more covered up (or when I know that I'll need to be super active chasing around children), but I still have a nice bikini top option when I want to go that route. So really, doing it this way is saving money, because if I didn't buy the three-piece set I'd need a suit with a tankini top AND a suit with a bikini top. At least that's what I'm telling myself (and Darrell).

If the Shoe Fits...

While making a quick stop at the grocery store this morning, I took advantage of a special parking spot:

Granted, I would much rather be the former than the latter, but I'm pretty sure I fit the "expecting" criteria without any issue (plus I had William with me, although I don't think I can consider myself a "new" mother with a 22-month old). Normally I avoid these kind of parking spots; my stubborness (which apparntly WEBS inherited) makes me disinclined to accept accommodations like this "just" because I'm pregnant. Plus these spots tend to be conveniently located near the entrance to the store, which is great, except for the fact that if you need to take a cart out to the parking lot with you the place to return the cart is halfway down the aisle anyway. So you still end up doing the walking. But I figured today, in all my 40+ week pregnant glory, was as good a day as any to utilize this spot. Of course, it was totally anti-climatic because the spot next to me was open, and I could have parked there regardless of my "condition", but whatever. Here's to hoping next time I'm at the store I have the option of utilizing this spot because I'm a "new" mother, not an expecting one. Fingers crossed!

A Day in the Life

So I've seen lots of other people do posts like this and have always thought that it would be fun to document what a "typical" day looks like for us. And since WEBS will be here shortly I figured I should do one sooner than later so I can look back on this in a few months and realize just how easy I had it with only one kiddo :-)  So, just for fun, here's what our day on Friday looked like. And I apologize for the lack of pictures; it didn't dawn on me until halfway through the day to document with some photos, and even then I still forgot to take pictures for most things.

(For the record, "typical" is used very loosely, especially while I've been pregnant. This particular day happened to be a pretty good energy wise, so I was able to be fairly productive. That certainly has not been the case every day. Also--be warned that this post is super long. As Darrell will attest, I tend to be long winded and don't always know how to tell the "short" version of things #sorrynotsorry)

5:00--Nature calls. Considering this is the first time I've been up all night, I'm not too upset.
6:30--Alarm is off to start the morning. I need some alone time in the morning to casually eat my breakfast, putz around online, and just enjoy some peace and quiet before embracing the day. Darrell has usually left for work by this point too, so I truly get the house to myself. And I relish these morning minutes.
7:00--Since William is still sleeping, I decide to finish getting dinner prepped. We're having crockpot chicken noodle soup and I chopped all the vegetables last night, so all I need to do this morning is trim the chicken and dump all the ingredients into the crockpot (my favorite kind of meal!)
7:30--William starts to stir, but I don't get him until closer to 7:40. I'm trying to get him used to the idea that Mommy won't always be able to respond to him immediately. William is being particularly lazy this morning, so it takes awhile to get him changed and ready for the day
8:20--William is ready for breakfast. Today it's yogurt, blueberries, and Cheerios
8:45--William (finally) finishes breakfast and goes to play with his toys while I get ready for the day. I have a doctor's appointment, so I actually take a little bit of time to get presentable
9:00--I'm ready for the day and William is still playing contentedly, so I take advantage of the opportunity to pay some bills and tidy some stuff up in the kitchen
9:25--I need to leave for my appointment soon, so I check William's diaper before I go, and end up having to change it. Teething (or something) has really been messing with his bowels lately--not fun.
9:35--My mom shows up to watch William so I can go to my appointment
10:00--In and out at my doctor's appointment in less than ten minutes (have I mentioned how much I love my OB/GYN?). I take advantage of the free babysitting and run a quick errand on the way home
10:30--I get home and William immediately decides he needs to eat, because of course he didn't want to take a break from playing with Grandma to have his morning snack. Since it's so close to lunch I give him just a banana and hope that will keep him content for awhile. It doesn't. By 10:50 he is demanding more food, and even though it's 30 minutes before he usually eats, I relent and give him lunch. Today he is having leftover Panko Pork and potatoes, and his favorite part is the dipping sauce. He is a very delicate dipper, so it takes him awhile to eat lunch (plus Mr. Clean needs his hands wiped after every third or fourth bite; dipping is messy, after all). He wants more to eat after finishing up his leftovers, so I give him some cheese to keep him satisfied while I steam up some peas (peas = candy to William. He's weird).

Such patience and concentration while dipping!

11:30--William is finally done with lunch. We sit down to play together, which is short-lived because William decides he'd rather read stories by himself instead of playing with me. I take advantage of the opportunity to rest on the couch for a few minutes
12:00--William brings me a story to read. As I help him onto my lap, I stick my hand into a slimy wet spot on his pants. Diaper blowout--swell.
12:15--Blowout has been cleaned up, outfit has been changed. I locate the spot he was sitting when it happened, and it appears a book absorbed most of the blow. While his clothing will be salvageable, I can't say the same for the book
12:30--Nap time. We read a few stories, say our prayers, and down he goes
12:45--I eat my lunch, leftover tater tot casserole and a clementine. I've learned that it's easiest to eat my lunch while William is napping because A) I can finish it before it gets cold and B) William typically gets very unhappy if I am feeding him something different from what he is eating (regardless of how much he may like what his food option is)

Since I try to limit screen time while William is awake, I usually spend most of nap time doing stuff online. Most days I just end up putzing around on Facebook, blogs, and Craigslist, but today I'm also shopping for a new winter hat for William (Mr. Big Head is going to outgrow the one he has before the weather warms up) and trying to find a few recipes for Super Bowl Sunday. I also get a few chores done--emptying the dishwasher and taking out his diaper genie trash--because I don't want to do those while he is awake (our dishwasher is super old and gross and rusty and I don't like him playing in it. And it is tantrum central in this house if you try to go outside without him, especially since we've had a few nice days lately and he has been reminded how fun outside is).

2:30--William starts pounding on his door to let me know naptime is over. After another diaper change, we're good to go
2:45--William has a clementine for a snack
3:00--I consider heading to the library, but laziness wins out, especially since William is playing well with his toys and doesn't seem to need the change of scenery. I try to get a few more things cleaned up and put away around the house
3:15--William decides he needs more to eat. It's still two hours until dinner, so we pull out some Ritz crackers and peanut butter. I break open my jar of Jif Salted Caramel Hazelnut spread--have you seen this stuff? It's amazing
3:45--More play time. He plays with me for a little bit, but then wanders off on his own again. I don't force the issue; he's going to need to be able to play independently once WEBS arrives
4:30--Best time of day: Daddy gets home! William immediately wants to play with him and fusses until Darrell gets his clothes changed (this happens Every.Day.). I enjoy watching them play for a bit and then finish up stuff for dinner
5:20--Dinner time!
5:45--William is done eating, which usually means that it's time for Darrell to be done eating too (can you tell he's a daddy's boy much?). They play while I clean up and put away leftovers
6:00--I decide that since it was pretty evident from my doctor's appointment that baby won't be coming this weekend (or probably any time in the next week) that I deserve some homemade cinnamon rolls. We tried a new recipe over Christmas that was insanely good and I've been dying to make it again
6:15--I finish up the first step of the rolls and play with my boys (and try to squeeze in a little adult conversation with Darrell) while they proof
6:45--Time for the next step of my rolls, which basically just means measuring flour and letting my mixer do all the kneading (love my mixer!)
7:15--It's almost bath time for William, so we start cleaning up his toys. He decides to be cooperative and help out tonight, so it goes pretty quickly
7:20--I supervise bath time while Darrell works out

This is William's new "surprised" face. Not sure where he picked it up, but it's adorable

7:45--Darrell comes to get William out of the tub (way easier for him than me at this point). Time for pajamas, teeth brushing, stories, and prayers
8:00--William is down for the night. I change into workout clothes to do some yoga
9:15--I finish up my yoga (I love my DVD and the way I feel when I'm done, but it's definitely a time investment). The cinnamon rolls are ready to be rolled out and filled with cinnamon sugar deliciousness
9:45--Cinnamon rolls are done and in the fridge. I do a little bit of cleanup, but decide to leave most of it for tomorrow

A little time-consuming, but seriously the best cinnamon roll recipe I've tried

10:00--WEBS decides that we need a bedtime snack. I bat my eyes sweetly at Darrell and convince him to make a batch of smoothies (a tall order considering he is digging through the pantry to find a snack for himself)
10:15--We cuddle up in bed with our smoothies to watch an episode of "House" on Netflix
11:00--Show is over, so we brush teeth and head to bed. It's a little later than I like bedtime to be, but hey, that's what weekends are for, right?

Congrats! You made it to the end of our day. Just imagine how long one of these posts will be if I ever do one with two kids!!

Defying Gravity

Because Darrell and I are cheap lazy, we never installed a guard rail on William's big boy bed, even though we put him into a full-sized bed from the get-go. Instead, we've been using a foam pool noodle tucked under the fitted sheet, and aside from one incident the first night, it seems to be getting the job done. Well, a few days ago we washed his sheets, and realized at bedtime that we had forgotten to put the noodle back under the sheet. Since he thinks the noodles are the greatest toys ever, we really didn't want to pull it out right before bedtime and cause a major disruption, so we decided to forgo the noodle. After all, things had been going just fine and it seemed that he rarely drifted to the edge of the bed (except, of course, when intentionally crawling out during naptime), so what was there to be worried about? Apparently plenty.

How he didn't manage to fall all the way out is beyond us. We also have no idea if he had been trying to intentionally crawl out of bed and fell asleep partway through his efforts, or if he was just moving around in his sleep and managed to slide partway off the bed. Either way, we tucked the pool noodle back in first thing the next morning and haven't had any more gravity-defying stunts since then. Which I think we can all agree is a good thing. 

Friday Fun

 

Fingers crossed that this works; I've never tried uploading a video before! Hope this brings a few smiles for your Friday--and hope you are having as nice of a Friday as we are here--we're loving all this sun and temperatures in the seventies!

 

Mom Confession

Fact: My son is a better eater than I am. Probably because he doesn't quite have the element of choice that I do--he's pretty much limited to eating the food I put in front of him--but still. I intentionally make an effort to offer him healthy choices and a wide variety of fruits and veggies, but then don't really follow through myself (even though most of the time it would be super easy to). For example: Breakfast. I always have a bowl of cereal. Always. Even on days we have pancakes or something I usually end up sneaking a bowl sometime mid-morning. And while I'm not eating the super sugary stuff like Lucky Charms (although I totally would), it's still cereal. Pretty much just carbohydrates and milk. William, however, has a bowl of yogurt with fresh fruit, sometimes served with crushed cereal on top, sometimes served with an egg, sometimes served with a slice a bread. Just depends on what we have--and how hungry he is. And when he is inevitably hungry again by 9:30, I usually offer him more fresh fruit (and typically something different than what he had for breakfast) or string cheese or raisins and Cheerios if pickings are really slim. I, however, usually don't join him in that "healthy" snack, because I have typically spent most of the morning grazing on whatever goodies we have in the house--Oreos, gummy worms, goldfish crackers, even spoonfuls of Nutella straight out of the jar if I'm really desparate and we have no other snacks left in the house. I know that I'm growing another child and I know that I should probably better regulate what I'm feeding him/her, but at least I do a good job of offering William healthy options (at least most of the time). That counts for something, right?

Back... Barely

So we just got back from a ten-day vacation to North Carolina and the beach with Darrell's family. I feel like I need at least as many days to recouperate and get back into the swing of things... But of course, life doesn't exactly work like that. Because coming up in the next ten days we have a wedding, bridal shower, bachelorette party, state baseball tournament, the start of soccer season, and plenty of other things I'm sure I'm forgetting. Not to mention the fact that we still haven't gotten any repairs done in our basement from the flooding (which was almost two months ago), our lawn appears to be dying (guess it didn't rain at all while we were gone), and William's nursery is still painted with lovely pink accents from the previous owners. Nothing wrong with a little feminism, right? Sigh. One of these days I'll feel like I have life back under control. Maybe.

Behind the Lens

I had a very eye-opening experience happen to me earlier this week. We were up in Minneapolis for a Shriner's event, and although Darrell often does photography work for the Shrine, as of late he has been marching in the parades and is therefore unable to take pictures. My mom and sister were going to be at the parade and could help watch William, so I decided to take his camera and take a few pictures of his unit and the other units from the El Riad temple for the El Riad's monthly newsletter. Not that I am skilled in the least with Darrell's camera, but I figured something was better than nothing and he could always edit the pictures to make them better.

Fast forward to after the parade--Darrell was asking how his unit had sounded, and although my gut reaction was (and always is) to answer "You sounded great", I hesitated because I realized I couldn't actually answer the question. You see, I'd been so focused on taking pictures and trying to get good angles and lighting and everything else that I hadn't actually paid attention to what they were doing. I couldn't have even told you what song they were playing. I didn't wave and blow a kiss to Darrell, and he couldn't find me to wink at me because I was too busy running around with the camera. And it made me sad. The one part of the parade that I was most excited for--the whole reason I was at the parade--I had essentially missed because I'd been too busy behind the camera lens. Maybe if I had gotten a good picture (and/or if I was more comfortable with his camera) I'd feel differently about my time behind the lens, but in retrospect I regret having the camera with me.

When I shared my feelings with Darrell, he reaffirmed my thoughts, admitting that that very reason is why he hasn't taken as many pictures of William as people thought that he would. Sure, he has a nice camera, and sure, our son is super photogenic (don't worry, we're not biased), but experiences behind the lens pale in comparison to those that go on in front of it. Maybe someday we'll regret the pictures that we don't have, but for right now we're too busy creating memories and enjoying the experiences to care.

Never Done That Before...

Well, I have officially used a lint roller on a door and the ceiling in our (not-so-new) house. Why, you may ask?? Because they were disgusting and covered in dust. We noticed the dust on the ceiling first, and because we have popcorn ceilings (boo!!) Darrell thought a lint roller would make less of a mess than trying to wipe with a dust rag. Today I noticed the same buildup on a door, and because the lint roller seemed to work so well last time I just went with it. Weirdly, though, it is only the ceiling and door in the master bedroom with this dust-accumulation issue, and only the top half of the door at that. Best explanation I can come up with is that they had their dog sleep in the master bedroom with them, although that wouldn't explain why dust covered only half the door. Who knows. And who knows where else I'll find places to use my lint roller--it's a nifty little gadget!

Moved!

Well, we're here, we're moved, we're in. We are far (FAR!) from settled, but I suspect that will be the case for quite some time. Except for our kitchen. That room is pretty much already running like a well-oiled machine. If there was ever any doubt that Darrell and I are cooking/baking people, this should pretty well cement that fact: our kitchen was the last room we packed in our old house and the first room (and so far only room!) we unpacked in our new house. We're still sleeping in sleeping bags (on our mattress though--we were only on the floor for one night!), but just about everything in our kitchen is unpacked. Which was no small feat--we had more boxes for our kitchen than we had for any other room in the house! And I'm already excited about baking my first goodies in this house--who cares if my clothes are in a suitcase for a few more days?!?

Still Here!

Life = crazy. There are no other words. But it's all good and I promise that I'm working on getting some intelligent, note-worthy posts put together, but I can't promise how soon I'll get them out. But, things are going so well that I got to break these out today for the first time this year:

And now it's thunderstorming!! Hopefully the week stays this good!

Just a Little Bit Crazy

Here's a recap of the past two weeks:

Saturday, March 8th: Meet with my aunt Janelle, who is our realtor. Signed some paperwork to formally begin the process of selling our house, but didn't go so far as to put the house on the market (because it was no where near clean enough for showings and/or open houses).

Monday, March 10th: I had my first day back at work since William was born. Definitely a bit of a transition, but one I'm enjoying.

Tuesday, March 11th: My second day back at work. My aunt came down to the house to take a few pictures for a flyer to pass around to the other realtors at her office (but still no formal listing). My good friend got induced.

Thursday, March 13th: Go to the hospital to visit the newest, sweetest little girl I know. Darrell and I began tackling a list of things to get done around the house before we would be ready to list it.

Friday, March 14th: Get a call from my aunt in the evening that one of the realtors in her office has some clients who are very interested in our house. Wants to know if we can have it ready to show Sunday at noon. We agree, and then begin some mad cleaning/packing.

Saturday, March 15th: Mad packing/cleaning continues, but in shifts. I spend the late morning/early afternoon at the Shriner's Mosque at their annual beer pong tournament; Darrell brings William down after his nap and works at the event until after midnight.

Sunday, March 16th: Darrell, William, and I evacuate our house for the afternoon. We joke about how it doesn't feel like a "real" showing because A) it happened so quickly and B) we don't expect anything to come from it.

Monday, March 17th: Day three at work--still going well! We get a call from my aunt. The people who looked at the house have made an offer. Darrell and I panic slightly, and then stay up until 11:30 looking at houses online (plus we fill out like four March Madness brackets because, you know, why not?).

Tuesday, March 18th: We meet with our realtor and come up with a counter offer. By 10:00 that night the counter offer has been accepted and signed. (The only catch is that the buyers need to sell their house before they can close on ours). Darrell spends most of the night working on his "sermon" for the Lenten service on Wednesday.

Wednesday, March 19th: William and I have our last Kindermusik class (sad day!) Darrell gives his (fantastic!) Lenten message, although wishes things hadn't gotten so busy and he had spent more time preparing.

Thursday, March 20th: William wakes up SUPER early and is unusually fussy. Plus he naps for three hours in the morning--VERY uncharacteristic of him. I take his temperature before lunch--one hundred degrees. Head to the doctor's office that afternoon--double ear infection. We decide to postpone Book Club because other members are under the weather/have sick kiddos, so I get to lay low for the evening and cuddle up on my sick little guy. (Plus watch some crazy basketball games!)

Friday, March 21st: William is feeling much better (yay drugs!). Which is good, because there is no relief from the madness tonight (and I'm not just talking about the basketball games!). We are meeting with our realtor for round one of house shopping. Round two commences tomorrow morning (after William's first swimming lesson!), and, if necessary, round three is Sunday afternoon. Because we kind of need a place to live since our house is as good as sold.

Consider this my formal apology for my absence from the blog. Also consider this fair warning that there may be additional absences in the next two months (which will include William's birthday party, three bridal showers--two of which I'm helping to host--and a likely move).

Part Falcon

I am convinced that William is not fully human. The only explanation for the razor-sharp fingernails talons that grow on his hands is that he is part falcon. Because no matter how often I trim them or what "strategy" I use to trim them, they always grow back in as weapons of mass destruction. And since one of his favorite past-times is playing with faces and the insides of mouths/noses, anything with even the tiniest amount of sharpness is unacceptable. I seriously wish I could hire out someone to take care of his nails--do they do manicures for infants?

Now, I'm not usually one to point the finger of blame, but I'm pretty sure the falcon traits do not come from my side of the family. I've researched my lineage fairly extensively, and there are no traces of any birds of prey. But Darrell, on the other hand... Well, he has lots of family that hail from the Atlanta, GA area (he himself was born there!), and it also happens to be the home of the Atlanta Falcons. Coincidence? I think not.

Baby Must Have

I've started like two different drafts of "must-have" and "please skip" purchases for baby, and hopefully someday I'll get around to finishing them and posting them, but for the time being I at least want to get this one out there. Because we have loved every penny put into this purchase (which, for the record, wasn't even very many because we found it on Craigslist!)

I know you may be thinking "I'm not a runner", but trust me, you should still seriously consider getting a jogging stroller. It handles so much better and rides so much smoother than any other "traditional" stroller I've ever used, especially if you'll be using it on any surface besides flat, level pavement. We initially decided to get a stroller like this because we knew that in the summer we'd be trekking through grass and gravel frequently at my brother's baseball games and our soccer games. But what we hadn't considered? Navigating the stroller through this:

There may be city ordinances requiring people to clear their sidewalks so many days after a snowfall, but that doesn't always mean that it happens. And by golly, when we get a day with temperatures above twenty thirty you can bet I'm going to want to get us outside and get some fresh air--snow-covered sidewalks or not (and yes, I know the road is clear in this picture and that we could have walked on that, but they aren't always cleared--and definitely not as safe).

Yes, the stroller may be a little bulkier than other varieties, and yes, Darrell and I can barely get it in the trunk of our cars, but that doesn't matter in the least. The fact that I could enjoy a walk with William today without cursing out the snow-covered sidewalks has more than made up for the negatives.