I think I'm officially off my groove of photo taking and writing about life. I'm sad about it, but it's reality.
This past winter, this whole school year, has just felt insane. I feel like it's been forever and a blink of an eye at the same time.
Those 24 inches of snow we got in February are finally melting. We're all out of our winter cocoons enjoying the sun and slush. I almost cried when I saw that there was NO snow on the passenger side of the car so I could actually get Felix out on his side and not have to crawl through the car and get him out on the busy street side for the first tim in over a month. It was glorious.
With the coming of the warm up and the sun I've felt so much better, but not as good as I'd hoped. There is still so much stress in life. The kids have all been sick, one after the other. I'm still not 100% after my sinus horrible cold last week and caring for so many needy little people is just so so hard.
Poor Ainsley had a reaction to her antibiotic for her ear infection and was covered in a head to toe horrible rash. She was home for two days while we tried to figure out what was going on and to help her rash subside enough.
It has been such a tough two days. With the measles scare so many parents worried eyes shot at me when they saw me with her at school drop off for Louise. I kept saying loudly "poor thing has an allergy to penicillin!" and everyone I told was only sympathetic. Still it's hard to feel like those parents I couldn't talk to perhaps judged a bit. We're all just doing our best.
Now my girl is well enough for school and gets to bring a friend home today. She is so excited for a lava lamp experiment, playing outside at the park, and sharing her favorite things. We love having friends over. It's fun as the girls grow to have parent-less playdates where the kids just play. It reminds me how big and independent they're getting.
I'm feeling stressed about this old house. Spring always brings to light so many things that need attention. Simple things like a toilet not filling properly become gigantic when you factor in 100 year old house plumbing problems. Ugh. I don't deal with these things well.
So as usual I'm trying to focus on the fact that these problems can all be fixed and we are lucky for that. Now I'm just hoping for full health for all of the kids (poor Felix seems to have caught the girls' coughs just this morning and then proceeded to face plant on the cement while picking Louise up from school.
The thing I'm realizing over and over again with these kids is that there is always going to be something. It can get overwhelming so fast, but just as easily the panic can be quelled and order and calm restored.
Today I am so thankful for blowing bubbles outside in the sun with my boy while we waited to pick up Louise, clear sidewalks, fun plans for the afternoon, and a glass of wine with my name on it tonight (or an early bedtime, or most likely both). Goodness gracious. What are your stress relieving go to's? I need some help with that today.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Almost Spring Break!
Family has left. It was a fun a very full 5 days. I think we'll all nap well this afternoon!
We're in the final countdown for Florida. It feels like we've been counting down forever! February was pretty hard this year, now that we're all thawed out we're not quite as desperate, but just as excited.
I love this time of year when we ease into the new spring groove. Our afternoons are mostly outside now, bikes and strollers and wagons and ride ons line the side of our house, our backyard looks like a tiny preschool circus. Everything just feels a bit easier without the layers and struggle to get out the door. Now we just need to remember the rules of the road for those confident bikers I have.
Each spring it's so apparent how much my kids have grown and changed. Felix is zooming around on his ride on and scooting on his sisters' scooter all around the cul de sac. Louise is too big for her training wheel bike, we're figuring out what that next step is. Ainsley finally fits well on her big girl two wheeler and is as fast and confident as ever. She REALLY wants roller blades. We're deciding still on that one.
Our schedules have exploded this spring and for once I think I'm ok with that. I've been so unsure about this new having big kids thing that I've decided jumping in with both feet is the answer...I can't fight it forever! We now have something every single day after school which feels insane, but in reality is awesome.
Ainsley's school has after school activities you can sign up for so she's doing a textile/art/sewing class on Mondays, meaning I don't have to pick her up until 4:15 and she gets some extra art time each week. Double win. She's also taking aerial arts (first class last night was awesome!) and our mommy daughter pottery class, and we've decided to conintue her acting class because it's her favorite. Wow! Last night after her aerial class I picked her up and looked into her big brown eyes and told her how proud I was of her. I told her I remembered how hard it was for her for so long to leave me and overcome her fears to try new things and here we are trying new stuff left and right and my big girl is soaring. I'm so so happy.
Louise is all done with gymnastics. Because of her birthday she was grouped with much younger kids and was getting bored. She wanted to take her sports camp class again and an art class and thankfully we have an awesome park district with lots of options so we're booked for her for the spring.
Felix and I are still enjoying musikgarten. He's still pretty chill and calm there. I love our special activity once a week. Now that the snow has melted our other weekday mornings are spent at parks and playing in the yard. I love it so much.
I'm mostly excited to keep things moving along this spring. Most of our activities were ending and I wanted to make sure we keep the groove up through the end of school. I've signed the girls both up for summer camp at Louise's preschool for June but other than that our summer is wide open. It's crazy to already be thinking about all of that, but that's life with kids, always planning, enjoying now, looking ahead, remembering. I'm finally getting used to it all.
We've also officially made the decision to send Louise to kindergarten next fall. It's been so incredibly agonizing for me, mainly because I don't want her to go. I selfishly want her home with me. But that girl, she's ready. Her preschool teacher flat out told us she thought she'd be bored with another year of preschool. I guess that's all I needed to hear to confirm what I knew. So we gave her spot up for next year and are going full steam ahead. It's going to be so great having the girls back to back in school. It'll keep it all fresh in my mind. And they've always been so close. It feels right.
Man parenting is hard!!!
I'm hoping Florida will get me back in the groove of taking photos and posting etc. It's so hard to find the time these days.
Have a wonderful spring break!
We're in the final countdown for Florida. It feels like we've been counting down forever! February was pretty hard this year, now that we're all thawed out we're not quite as desperate, but just as excited.
I love this time of year when we ease into the new spring groove. Our afternoons are mostly outside now, bikes and strollers and wagons and ride ons line the side of our house, our backyard looks like a tiny preschool circus. Everything just feels a bit easier without the layers and struggle to get out the door. Now we just need to remember the rules of the road for those confident bikers I have.
Each spring it's so apparent how much my kids have grown and changed. Felix is zooming around on his ride on and scooting on his sisters' scooter all around the cul de sac. Louise is too big for her training wheel bike, we're figuring out what that next step is. Ainsley finally fits well on her big girl two wheeler and is as fast and confident as ever. She REALLY wants roller blades. We're deciding still on that one.
Our schedules have exploded this spring and for once I think I'm ok with that. I've been so unsure about this new having big kids thing that I've decided jumping in with both feet is the answer...I can't fight it forever! We now have something every single day after school which feels insane, but in reality is awesome.
Ainsley's school has after school activities you can sign up for so she's doing a textile/art/sewing class on Mondays, meaning I don't have to pick her up until 4:15 and she gets some extra art time each week. Double win. She's also taking aerial arts (first class last night was awesome!) and our mommy daughter pottery class, and we've decided to conintue her acting class because it's her favorite. Wow! Last night after her aerial class I picked her up and looked into her big brown eyes and told her how proud I was of her. I told her I remembered how hard it was for her for so long to leave me and overcome her fears to try new things and here we are trying new stuff left and right and my big girl is soaring. I'm so so happy.
Louise is all done with gymnastics. Because of her birthday she was grouped with much younger kids and was getting bored. She wanted to take her sports camp class again and an art class and thankfully we have an awesome park district with lots of options so we're booked for her for the spring.
Felix and I are still enjoying musikgarten. He's still pretty chill and calm there. I love our special activity once a week. Now that the snow has melted our other weekday mornings are spent at parks and playing in the yard. I love it so much.
I'm mostly excited to keep things moving along this spring. Most of our activities were ending and I wanted to make sure we keep the groove up through the end of school. I've signed the girls both up for summer camp at Louise's preschool for June but other than that our summer is wide open. It's crazy to already be thinking about all of that, but that's life with kids, always planning, enjoying now, looking ahead, remembering. I'm finally getting used to it all.
We've also officially made the decision to send Louise to kindergarten next fall. It's been so incredibly agonizing for me, mainly because I don't want her to go. I selfishly want her home with me. But that girl, she's ready. Her preschool teacher flat out told us she thought she'd be bored with another year of preschool. I guess that's all I needed to hear to confirm what I knew. So we gave her spot up for next year and are going full steam ahead. It's going to be so great having the girls back to back in school. It'll keep it all fresh in my mind. And they've always been so close. It feels right.
Man parenting is hard!!!
I'm hoping Florida will get me back in the groove of taking photos and posting etc. It's so hard to find the time these days.
Have a wonderful spring break!
Weekends
Weekends are awesome. I know I'm not alone here.
The weekends this winter were not so much. It got so hard to find things to do out of the house. We're calling this the Costco winter because Ian took the kids to Costco almost every weekend just to get out and for all those samples.
But Spring weekends? Ah. Just what we were hoping for.
Every once in a while I love big plans. A whole day outing or a bigger event. For the most part though I'm happy as a clam hanging out around home.
I have no photos from today. Ian took a few of his morning with Felix. Still I don't want to forget so here it is.
The kids were up early (of course) so coffee at 6:30 it was. Then French Toast. Then Ian headed out to coffee with friends and the kids and I headed out with bikes. Ainsley found her tree and climbed. Felix and Louise climbed too. "Even when I was in Florida I thought of my tree" Ainsley explained. That girl has a climbing heart.
Home to dig in the backyard. Digging in fresh spring soil is one of the best things the season has to offer. Ian home from coffee. Me out the door in neon running shoes in 3 minutes flat. 3.5 mile glorious spring run. Shower on the flip side. New Majamas maxi skirt, still feels new birthday earrings from my mama. Downtown Oak Park with my girls for present shopping for Felix. Louise knew she wanted a stuffed doggie. Found the cutest one I can imagine. Ainsley wanted 17 things for him, typical. Honed in on a bright sensory soccer ball. I encouraged and we purchased. On to the bookshop. SO MANY BOOKS I WANT TO OWN!!!! Settled on this and this for my boy. I let the girls each choose a paper back. A new Usborne Sticker Book for Ainsley, a kids maze book for Louise (no clue she was such a rockstar at mazes).
We had lunch out at our favorite thai noodle shop. We ordered the perfect amount of food.
Headed home to enjoy the books in the backyard. Ian and Felix joined us shortly after (they enjoyed a morning downtown while us girls were out). Ran into neighbors and spent the whole afternoon playing in the backyard. Kids dug and bubbled and sifted through shells and lounged. I'd forgotten how much I love the spontaneity and ease of an outdoor afternoon.
Faces pink we move inside. Run slabs of carrot cake to neighbors because goodness I made too much yesterday. Ian grills the most perfect pork tenderloin. We devour and melt into nighttime.
It's the next morning and I'm still wonderfully relaxed. My whole body hurts from all the fun.
Today it's a morning trip to the arboretum, laundry amundo, dinner at friends.
So thankful for this weekend.
The weekends this winter were not so much. It got so hard to find things to do out of the house. We're calling this the Costco winter because Ian took the kids to Costco almost every weekend just to get out and for all those samples.
But Spring weekends? Ah. Just what we were hoping for.
Every once in a while I love big plans. A whole day outing or a bigger event. For the most part though I'm happy as a clam hanging out around home.
I have no photos from today. Ian took a few of his morning with Felix. Still I don't want to forget so here it is.
The kids were up early (of course) so coffee at 6:30 it was. Then French Toast. Then Ian headed out to coffee with friends and the kids and I headed out with bikes. Ainsley found her tree and climbed. Felix and Louise climbed too. "Even when I was in Florida I thought of my tree" Ainsley explained. That girl has a climbing heart.
Home to dig in the backyard. Digging in fresh spring soil is one of the best things the season has to offer. Ian home from coffee. Me out the door in neon running shoes in 3 minutes flat. 3.5 mile glorious spring run. Shower on the flip side. New Majamas maxi skirt, still feels new birthday earrings from my mama. Downtown Oak Park with my girls for present shopping for Felix. Louise knew she wanted a stuffed doggie. Found the cutest one I can imagine. Ainsley wanted 17 things for him, typical. Honed in on a bright sensory soccer ball. I encouraged and we purchased. On to the bookshop. SO MANY BOOKS I WANT TO OWN!!!! Settled on this and this for my boy. I let the girls each choose a paper back. A new Usborne Sticker Book for Ainsley, a kids maze book for Louise (no clue she was such a rockstar at mazes).
We had lunch out at our favorite thai noodle shop. We ordered the perfect amount of food.
Headed home to enjoy the books in the backyard. Ian and Felix joined us shortly after (they enjoyed a morning downtown while us girls were out). Ran into neighbors and spent the whole afternoon playing in the backyard. Kids dug and bubbled and sifted through shells and lounged. I'd forgotten how much I love the spontaneity and ease of an outdoor afternoon.
Faces pink we move inside. Run slabs of carrot cake to neighbors because goodness I made too much yesterday. Ian grills the most perfect pork tenderloin. We devour and melt into nighttime.
It's the next morning and I'm still wonderfully relaxed. My whole body hurts from all the fun.
Today it's a morning trip to the arboretum, laundry amundo, dinner at friends.
So thankful for this weekend.
Friday, April 10, 2015
I Love Fridays
I love waking up an not having anywhere to be. Once Ainsley's off to school it's my two little kiddos and me, doing whatever we want.
Today it's Costco, quite the treat outing for us. Louise loves making lists for the store. It's a good way to use up these early morning hours before the store opens.
Then we've decided to make a carrot cake. We have so many carrots in the house, clearly that's the only reasonable way to use them up.
I really want to paint our master bedroom. I may motivate to go get paint with the kids. Though I really really dislike extraneous errands with children. I may wait until I can go on my own and truly peruse. I'm thinking almost white light grey. That room needs some major brightening.
Tomorrow I plan to take the girls shopping for Felix's 2nd birthday. How he is turning two in two weeks I have no idea. I haven't told them about the outing yet because they'll be too excited. We'll do a bit of shopping, grab lunch out. It will be quite the big girl day.
The Twins come to Chicago this weekend. Ian's excited to go, perhaps taking a girl or two with him.
I'm hoping for a fun garden this year and planning with the kids. We switched out sand for soil in our water table out back. The sand was ruining our already ruined lawn. Last year we didn't grow much so i'm hoping for a few more successes. Our yard has become so shady though, it's tricky!
I am so looking forward to this weekend. Family time, lounging, warm spring weather.
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Today it's Costco, quite the treat outing for us. Louise loves making lists for the store. It's a good way to use up these early morning hours before the store opens.
Then we've decided to make a carrot cake. We have so many carrots in the house, clearly that's the only reasonable way to use them up.
I really want to paint our master bedroom. I may motivate to go get paint with the kids. Though I really really dislike extraneous errands with children. I may wait until I can go on my own and truly peruse. I'm thinking almost white light grey. That room needs some major brightening.
Tomorrow I plan to take the girls shopping for Felix's 2nd birthday. How he is turning two in two weeks I have no idea. I haven't told them about the outing yet because they'll be too excited. We'll do a bit of shopping, grab lunch out. It will be quite the big girl day.
The Twins come to Chicago this weekend. Ian's excited to go, perhaps taking a girl or two with him.
I'm hoping for a fun garden this year and planning with the kids. We switched out sand for soil in our water table out back. The sand was ruining our already ruined lawn. Last year we didn't grow much so i'm hoping for a few more successes. Our yard has become so shady though, it's tricky!
I am so looking forward to this weekend. Family time, lounging, warm spring weather.
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Start of Spring
Getting a post up has become one of the hardest things in my life. I'm realizing a lot of it is that I've not been taking photos as regularly as I used to. I want to get better about that. I really think it helps me reflect on our days. Thankfully Ian's been taking lots of photos. Now I just need to get on that scary big techie computer of his to figure out how to get some on here.
Seriously, these are all the photos I have from about the past month. Whoops!
I'm doing my best to shake of the winter blues, but this rainy dark weather isn't helping much. I'm still having a love hate relationship with our busy big kid schedule. I do like having places to go most days but I really miss the free unstructured time that's defined my early years of parenting. I'm finding I really love my mornings with Felix, relatively quite and easy, my rest time with Louise, playing games and watching a show or two snuggled on the couch. I'm really striving to find some good one on one time with Ainsley after school. Our ceramics class is still so great, reading time at night too. I just keep trying to focus on the good.
Today is super rainy and we're supposed to get bad thunderstorms this afternoon, of course just in time for school pick up and all of our after school run around. I'm really hoping it's not too bad. Ainsley gets so anxious about the weather, me too if I'm honest. I don't like driving around in lightning storms!
At least there's dinner in the crock pot (chicken tacos) and a safe warm house.
I hope you all are enjoying the start of spring!
Friday, April 3, 2015
Meal Plan Easter Weekend Etc.
Ok, after a full day of travel laze letdown I'm ready to face reality. Yesterday was so great, napping and unpacking and playing with the kids outside then biking walking scooting up to the bakery and Brazilian Cafe to pick up some bread and dinner. We've rekindled our love for the cafe. If you're local and haven't tried it you must! Last night it was lentil soup and their new chicken soup which was awesome, chicken wings and sautéed collard greens and pinto beans. Other favorites are their homemade lemonades and meat filled potato pastries. So cheap and good and the people who work their are fantastic. Yum.
So now that we can officially never eat out again it's time to plan.
Tonight I'm going to make Pasta Primavera. Veggies abound after vacation eating!
Tomorrow it'll be Moosewood's cauliflower cheese pie. A family favorite!
Sunday for brunch I'm going to try a galette with smoked salmon and cream cheese and some monkey bread because monkey bread is awesome.
I'm also going to buy some cans of tuna because we love tuna melts for an easy yummy meal or lunch.
I know I'll have to get more food for next week at some point. Our weekdays are crazy for all of April and I'm kind of loving relying on old standbys and leftovers. Eggs one night for sure as well as lettuce wraps with meat I make earlier in the week should fill in the gaps. I love that I've been doing this long enough that it's not so agonizing anymore. Win!
I've been trying to think of some fun Easter things to do with the kids, aside from eggs dying of course. I found some cute ideas. One is to make little bunnies out of yarn pom poms. Another is to paint big paper egg cut outs with shaving cream and paint. Looks like fun.
We were all up crazy early this morning so I'm hoping we make it happily through lunch. It's a long day when you're up at 5 and two of your three don't nap anymore! Perhaps we can finish up the chapter books we started on vacation, rinse off the shells we brought home (again!) and gear up for some Easter making.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
So now that we can officially never eat out again it's time to plan.
Tonight I'm going to make Pasta Primavera. Veggies abound after vacation eating!
Tomorrow it'll be Moosewood's cauliflower cheese pie. A family favorite!
Sunday for brunch I'm going to try a galette with smoked salmon and cream cheese and some monkey bread because monkey bread is awesome.
I'm also going to buy some cans of tuna because we love tuna melts for an easy yummy meal or lunch.
I know I'll have to get more food for next week at some point. Our weekdays are crazy for all of April and I'm kind of loving relying on old standbys and leftovers. Eggs one night for sure as well as lettuce wraps with meat I make earlier in the week should fill in the gaps. I love that I've been doing this long enough that it's not so agonizing anymore. Win!
I've been trying to think of some fun Easter things to do with the kids, aside from eggs dying of course. I found some cute ideas. One is to make little bunnies out of yarn pom poms. Another is to paint big paper egg cut outs with shaving cream and paint. Looks like fun.
We were all up crazy early this morning so I'm hoping we make it happily through lunch. It's a long day when you're up at 5 and two of your three don't nap anymore! Perhaps we can finish up the chapter books we started on vacation, rinse off the shells we brought home (again!) and gear up for some Easter making.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Florida and Beyond
We just got home from Florida. I was unexpectedly sad yesterday about leaving. I usually get in a funk about the travel with little people but it felt different than that. As Ian put the kids to bed I ran around the condo doing last loads of laundry and cleaning and packing. Last on my list was moving our bikes to the racks for pick up in the morning. As I hopped on the one speed back pedal break robins egg blue number that I rode with the 70 pounds of kids in the back all week I decided to take one last spin around the resort. Tropical breeze on my face, delicious grilling for dinner and tropical floral smells in my nose. Ah.
I'll write more about our trip when I get some photos up. Ian took every single one this year. He got a new camera right before we left and I am SO excited for the photos he's taken. It's an all manual awesome camera and the photos he got of our trip are breathtaking.
I'm astounded that all of the kids napped on the plane AND after lunch. I'm sipping on coffee while Ainsley rocks out to T. Swift in the basement and Louise and Felix watch a post nap show. We haven't made it to the store, and most likely won't until the morning. None of us are feeling the errands right now, or getting back in the car. We had canned peaches and a box of macaroni for lunch. Dinner is either leftover frozen lasagna or lentil soup from the Brazilian cafe up the street. It's hard to care much about food when we ate SO well this past week. I'm still in dreamland.
Today I'm excited about Easter and having three full days to regroup. We're heading up to my Gram's for Easter dinner after church and quiet festivities just us five. I ordered an Easter cake from the bakery to take up there which I am pretty pumped about. Other than that I'm trying to think of a semi healthy brunch idea for us. Some kind of veggie egg bake? As we speak Im looking up craft ideas for the kids so we can at least get something fun up on the walls for the season!
So Easter this weekend, restocking the house with food, bits of laundry here and there, enjoying our last days of break before the zoom of spring takes hold again. I'm thankful for it all right now.
A few trip details for me to remember for trips to come. I packed perfectly for once and don't want to forget. (5 people in two suitcases for 8 days is pretty exciting!)
3 spray suncreens, 1 face stick, 1 tube of 30 for me, 1 of a higher spf for kids and Ian
minimal clothes for us all (yay laundry and wearing swimsuits and clothes all day!)
no need for tennis shoes or water shoes, kids didn't miss them
water bottles are a good thing
lots of snacks for the plane too
Yay for a successful trip! Now to plan food!
I'll write more about our trip when I get some photos up. Ian took every single one this year. He got a new camera right before we left and I am SO excited for the photos he's taken. It's an all manual awesome camera and the photos he got of our trip are breathtaking.
I'm astounded that all of the kids napped on the plane AND after lunch. I'm sipping on coffee while Ainsley rocks out to T. Swift in the basement and Louise and Felix watch a post nap show. We haven't made it to the store, and most likely won't until the morning. None of us are feeling the errands right now, or getting back in the car. We had canned peaches and a box of macaroni for lunch. Dinner is either leftover frozen lasagna or lentil soup from the Brazilian cafe up the street. It's hard to care much about food when we ate SO well this past week. I'm still in dreamland.
Today I'm excited about Easter and having three full days to regroup. We're heading up to my Gram's for Easter dinner after church and quiet festivities just us five. I ordered an Easter cake from the bakery to take up there which I am pretty pumped about. Other than that I'm trying to think of a semi healthy brunch idea for us. Some kind of veggie egg bake? As we speak Im looking up craft ideas for the kids so we can at least get something fun up on the walls for the season!
So Easter this weekend, restocking the house with food, bits of laundry here and there, enjoying our last days of break before the zoom of spring takes hold again. I'm thankful for it all right now.
A few trip details for me to remember for trips to come. I packed perfectly for once and don't want to forget. (5 people in two suitcases for 8 days is pretty exciting!)
3 spray suncreens, 1 face stick, 1 tube of 30 for me, 1 of a higher spf for kids and Ian
minimal clothes for us all (yay laundry and wearing swimsuits and clothes all day!)
no need for tennis shoes or water shoes, kids didn't miss them
water bottles are a good thing
lots of snacks for the plane too
Yay for a successful trip! Now to plan food!
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