Hump Day Nuggets: Multitasking, Focusing, GO GO GO

Now that the last of the heat waves have passed (right Midwest? you promised!) we're truly settling into the season. I find I can be so focused on winter in the fall, on Christmas, and woolies, and sub zero temps, that I all but miss out on the beauty that is THIS season, right now, in all her 55 degree high glory. I'm out to change that this time around.

Nuggets::

It's occured to me that I have project ADD. I've started about 10 projects and finished NONE (well except for Louise's baby mittens, but those are so quick they don't really count). Clearly I need a new plan of attack.

In college I was one of those diligent students who ALWAYS did my homework right away. It was rare for me to leave something to the last minute becuse a. I don't work well under pressure and b. I can't function knowing that I have SO much on my plate. Now here I am as a mom with about amillion things on the docket at any given moment, the holidays are no exception. So I have to learn how to make it work.

The good news is that I know the important stuff will get done. The weather has turned and the girls needed wool mittens NOW so I knit a pair a half in one day. Ian's sweater is his ONLY gift so I know that will get done too. Ainsley will be just as happy with a 5 page quiet book as she will a 10 pager...and any extraneous winter crafting/sewing/knitting can wait until the holidays have passed.

So I'm taking it one thing at a time, trying to focus on what needs to happen NOW and letting the rest fall into place, because thankfully, it usually does.

::despite my best efforts our buffet has turned into a storage area...

just too many projects that need attention RIGHT NOW::

::toddler mittens and Ian's sweater, all in the works::

::quilt strips, curtain fabric washed and ironed, first page of Ainsley's quiet book DONE!::

Nuggets::

Ainsley's new favorite tool is her pumpkin knife. We have yet to carve our pumpkins, but celery ribs, carrots, potatoes, leek shoots...she's got that all down pat. She could spend hours cutting, and almost did this weekend while we chopped and cooked side by side making soup for our neighborhood Halloween chili pot luck. She was so proud of her soup. Even if it was inedible (she loves to sprinkle salt that one does).

Miss Louise was quite the helper in the kitchen too. She rinsed and chucked (yes CHUCKED) our potatoes for dinner, made sure each one was in it's place and in tact before dumping them all back in the sink for a second rinse. I love watching my two girls vie for position on the top step of the ladder, desperate to help and cook.

Nuggets::

Crafting has been diluted to the basics. I simply have not been able to fathom paint related projects lately, I'm hoping I'll get the courage up again soon. Until then? Cutting and collaging is still Ainsley's favorite, we made nana's chocolate play dough which was a HUGE success, did rice sensory again and again and made our first Aiken Drum. I'd forgotten about this deliciously toddler appropriate activity and we did three in a row last night. "And his head was made of...CHEESE, cheese, cheese. His head was made of CHEESE! and his name was Aiken Drum!" Ainsley could sing it all day long.

::cooked noodle sensory, add a splash of oil in while cooking to prevent sticking, cool slightly, dump and ENJOY!::

::Louise loved shmooshing and dumping, throwing and eating,

I got a great video of her with her hand out front saying "dop i!"

(stop it!) and laughing herself silly

::Ainsley loved cutting and stirring her noodles

and liked trying to make letters with me out of the wiggly worms::

Nuggets::

Candles have become a new prescence in our house. I LOVE candles, not so much for smell but ambiance and warmth. IT's been hard to NOT have candles around for so long with little ones underfoot. This season I thought I'd try it out again and so far, so good!

Ainsley LOVES to eat by candlelight, craft by candlelight, even read by candleight. It helps us signify a quiet time (not to metion keep the electrictity bill down on a dark blustery day!). As Ainsley says, "Candyuls are for special times mama, happy times, yike right now!" (during lunch)

::making an "ankul bwacet mama! My ankul yooks SO fancy!"

Nuggets::

Ainsley has FINALLY started to smile on command for photos. No, I take that back, now she demands that I take photos of her smiling. That's more like it. I love seeing her cheesy 2 year old grin and capturing moment with my sweet happy girl.

:: Ainsley and "Yammy" the toy she stole, I mean TRADED, with Louise::

::A genuinely proud happy grin, after scaling a really crazy high rainbow ladder.

If she had fallen there was very little I would have been able to do to break her fall, so proud of my nimble little lady for conquering it over and over again::

::Ian and Ainsley, watching the Vikings (or baseball) nearly every night they can, she roots for the team, and beams in comraderie with her happy daddy, it's pretty adorable::

Nuggets::

My girls. Ever playing, ever conspiring against me. This week they...

::snuck a cheetos snack in between normal snack time and lunch,

I was folding laundry in the next room while they

watched Peter and the Wolf for the umpteenth time.

Ainsey told me that louise told her to do it,

Louise just grinned her orange grin and shoved more cheetos in her mouth::

::but she looks so innocent, doesn't she?::

::Louise got into the wagon on Ainsley command, squealed, and then Ainsley BOOKED it for the park, like all out running with her 23 pound sister in tow. I stopped to commemorate the moment and then had to sprint to catch them::

::Louise THIS moment,

new funny face in action,

shoving WHOLE grapes (her new favorite food) in her mouth

and sitting on top of the laundry basket

(she is happiest when on top of or in something, preferably a basket)::

We're having a great week, a bit slower than normal thanks to Louise continued sniffles, faucet nose and mega naps, but really enjoying our home, our friends, our activites and each other.

Happy Hump Day out there!