Happenings

Worst. Blogger. Ever.  Thank God, I don't blog as means to make income or I would starve.

I thought I would stop by my space here and update life. It's kindly crazy at the moment. Who's ready for winter to end? Everybody? Yeah, me too, we're just coming off of 20 inches of snow last week and it is snowed a couple inches twice since then.

Home: We are in the process of getting our house ready to go on the market. We have been meaning to do this for 4 years now but are fantastic at procrastination. It is time now. My daughter starts kindergarten in a couple years and we need to be settled in our new place by then. We just arranged to have every single floor (except for one closet) in our house replaced. It was not cheap but after years of living, and kids, and pets, it was not an option. We are replacing the carpet and vinyl on our main living area (kitchen, living room, dining room) with hardwood and I can't wait. We're working on a few other improvements too, Naturally, we are kicking ourselves for not doing this stuff sooner so we could actually enjoy it. The new kitchen faucet that my husband installed yesterday, cheap and easy. Why did we wait?

I don't know,
but things are moving and we hope to get it on the market at the beginning of April. Hopefully, it will sell quickly and we can start on the fun part,  house shopping.

Family: My son, who has a parylized nerve in his left eye that limits it's movements, is starting to favor his good eye and is at risk for losing accuity in his weak eye. So, we get the lovely task of patching his good eye for two hours a day to make him use his weak eye. Ha. Ha. Hahahahahahhahahah. I don't know if you have ever tried to patch a 2 year old's eye, but I don't recommend it as a good time. So far the longest we have managed to get him to wear it is about 20 seconds. If anyone has any experience with this and knows a good trick, I am all ears.

Health: Very quietly, I will mention that I have been on a weight loss path and have dropped 7 pounds since mid-January. That is all I will say for now.

Career: Nothing to report here. All of my focus is on the first three things.

Tin Can Knits Barley

Life: I was on a knitting kick for a while and worked my way through several of the patterns in the Tin Can Knits Simple series. Including the hat pictured. I am very much a novice knitter but I enjoy it and it will be something I can do when my sewing machine goes into storage. Speaking of, I am back on a sewing kick now and just completed Style Arc's Slip-on Suzie (sorry about the bathroom selfie) and am currently working on a muslin for McCall's 6696.

Style Arc Slip-on Suzie in ITY knit from G-street fabrics

I have sewn quite a few items in my current wardrobe but the craptastic winter with it's early sunsets, have hindered my photo shoots.

Anyway that's what I am up to. I'll be posting before and after shots of the home improvements. Should be fun!

18 months

Oh my goodness, my little Landry, I cannot believe you are 18 months old. I know that every parent says that of every milestone but it is always true. The time simply speeds by in a blur with children. I can't believe it's been a year and half since you came into the world and changed it for the better.

You are 100% adorable and at least 50% evil. That biting thing is going to have to stop. Your love of trains can be exhausting but the smile on your face while you play means that I will assemble that bridge another time as you knock down, again and again. You are such a stereotypical boy. I've tried to not press the idea of boy or girl toys and lord, knows you have access to all the pink toys you can handle. But you always go straight for the trains, the cars, the tractors and bulldozers. I guess some things are just ingrained.

I love hearing you speak. And although, I want you to improve, I love that right now, it's a language only a few understand. "Dowa", OK, I'll get you an orange. "Bink?" Here's our special blankey. "Car?" Sissy is still sleeping. "Tom?" Yeah, you and Thomas the Train are tight like that.

Landry, I know you have to grow up. I want you to grow up. I can't wait to see who you become. How you harness your size and strength into something great. But right now, I am savoring
every last snuggle, because you are a world class love bug.

Wordless Wednesday: Tiny Dancer

Potty Training Success

Last fall, my then 21 month old daughter sat on the potty and peed. A few days later she did it again. And again a few days later. I was getting smug. My little prodigy was going to be using the potty by the time she was 2. What a wonderful mother I am.

And then she didn't pee on it anymore. Oh, she sat on the potty. Played on the potty. Sang songs on the potty. But she didn't pee in it.

Until now!! 8 months later!!!

Last Wednesday, as part of his "exhaust the children" summer program, he took them to the library for Wiggle, Giggle Story time and to pick out a few books. He brought this book home

It's the story of Ashley, a little girl learning to use the potty. I don't think there is anything more special about this book than a lot of other potty books but for some reason it spoke to Caroline. She wanted to read it over and over. That is the case with a lot of books though.

On Thursday morning we were reading it and Caroline announced, "I have to pee pee on the potty" and then she did.

Conquered!

On Friday morning, I got a call from my husband informing me that she had independently taken herself to the potty and used it. She walked out, announced what she had done and demanded 3 gummies (the reward for potty pees. yes, we bribe). And that was that. She has peed and pooped on the potty during waking hours every since.

Oh she still wears diapers at naps and at night, though she does wake up dry sometimes. And she wants nothing to do with the big toilet. But I know that we are at the place where there will be no going back. There may be accidents. There may be resistance sometime. But we're done with full time diapers on this girl.

I wish I could pat myself on the back for my great PTing skills or that I could tell you there was a trick but really, we just kinda dumbed into it. When they're ready they're ready and all that.

Lest I get too happy about it, this morning Landry peed all over the bed, the changing table and my husband as a reminder that I still have many days ahead of me dealing with the excrement of small humans.

The kid

I don't know how it happened. It was so subtle, but a change has occured. Somehow she has gone from this:

to this:

She's not a baby. She's a little girl who walks and talks and can tell stories. She remembers things that happened months ago, she has ideas and an imagination ("I'm a ballerina and you are princess" is our favorite game).

And as of yesterday:

She no longer sleeps in a crib.

Bittersweet.

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly

I live for weekends

There was a time in my life when weekends were relaxing and unhurried. I woke when I wanted and left the house (or didn't leave the house) as I pleased. Getting out of the house was as simple as picking up my purse and walking out the door.

Those days ended the minute my daughter was born. Now sleeping in on the weekends means 6:00 AM and getting out of the house requires military style planning. And relaxing? Ha. ha, ha.

But, I still live for the weekends. It's when I get to spend time with my favorite people without worrying about whether the diapers or bottles are clean, if I have food for Caroline's lunch or if my commute is going to be straight out of hell that day.

So HOORAY for weekends! Highlights from this weekend.

Dinner with friends. The WHOLE family. Four adults, a twelve year old, two 2 y/o's and two infants. They loved seeing us coming.

Bathing Suit Shopping.  For months Caroline has been telling me that she wants a bathing suit with a matching hat and I just couldn't resist giving in to her desire. So Saturday we took a special Mommy and daughter shopping trip to buy a bathing suit. She wore the hat for most of the day. We finished up the outing by going downtown to try out the new cupcakery. Caroline was very excited to order her cupcake "with sprinkles" and hold and talk about her cupcake. But under no circumstances would she dare eat such a thing.

Girls' Night. I'm a girls' girl so spending time with my girlfriends is heaven for me. While my wonderful hubby took care of our babies, my friends and I went to see What to Expect When You're Expecting. It was better that I was expecting (ha ha). Really quite funny. And I loved getting catch up and laugh with my girls. And there was popcorn.

This weekend will be even better. 1) It is a long weekend! 2) We're heading my in-laws house in historic Chestertown, Maryland for the Chestertown Tea Party. We go every year and always have a wonderful time. I can't wait. It will be Landry's first time away from home.

A touch of spring

It has been amazingly, fantastically, unseasonable warm this week on the east coast. That makes a mama who is home on maternity leave with two little kids very, very happy! We can go outside!!!

Any mother of a toddler knows just how fantastic that is. When you have two hours until nap time and your two year old is bouncing off the walls- what is better than a nice long walk outside. 

She can run!

 Find the tiniest wildflower amazing.

 Help push her baby brother.

Take the time to look at a winter-bare tree

 And of course, "SLIDE!!!!"

 All with Mommy and baby brother in tow.

Great naps were had by all!