How Sick Am I?

This year I have been reminded of my travel to India several times. Whether it was a friend inviting me to have Indian food, a discussion with my mom about friends I made there or the inner strength I have had to call on while being a single parent for a few weeks.  It was an amazing trip and everyone should go at least once in their life. Many lessons were learned there. Here's one of them I thought I would share.

My first day on the ground in Dehli I visited a museum. My tummy hadn't been feeling great after a 26 hour plane ride, 11 hour time change and not being able to speak with my hubby back in the states (who was going through a hurricane in our home as I travelled). I thought an air conditioned museum would be a great relief to the August heat.  Much to my surprise the museum was not air conditioned. Relics were out where you could touch them with no protection. I saw many amazing things however I can't remember most as I was feeling more and more queasy as I walked. I finally succumbed and asked where the restroom was. As I hurriedly opened the door I had already begun to unbuckle my belt. (I promise there is no bathroom humor or yuckiness as you read on!)

 I threw the stall door open.....time stopped.

 I stood looking in the stall with my hand at my throat and kept asking myself, "how sick am I?"  I was stuck there a few minutes as I wrestled with the idea. In front of me was a tiled stall with simply a hole in the floor.  "How sick am I?"  I kept rubbing my throat. I splashed some water on my face making sure not to get it near my mouth. 

And then it came to me...The answer, "not that sick!"  I exited the bathroom and finished the museum. The inner strength I felt was incredible. When things in my life get difficult I often find myself staring into that stall and asking how bad things are. Somehow in those moments of desperation I am just not that sick and it helps me overcome whatever is happening.  Do you have a place that you go to draw your inner strength?  Would love to hear about it. 

PS I wasn't in the right frame of mind to get a picture of this bathroom.  If I ever get the chance to return to Dehli you can bet I will revisit this place, but it will be with a camera in my hand!  In the meantime enjoy this pic I took while there of a child in the marketplace.

 

Celebrating the Lasts of the Firsts

There comes a time when you know you are done procreating.  Maybe for some you never know, but for me I knew before I started that 2 was it.  My husband and I met 20 years ago and really from the moment we started dating and discussed children it was always 2. Always.  And so it seems the moment I got pregnant with our second we were celebrating and the last of the first...last time pregnant, last time with morning sickness, last delivery, last first ride home from the hospital, last first week nursing, last newborn clothes, last newborn smell, last newborn touch, etc...oh and the list will continue until we are old and gray.

And so quickly, as everyone said it would, we have arrived to the last first birthday party!I love planning parties, those who know me well know this about me.  I LOVE parties.  I love the details and I work hard to make it as perfect as it can be.  I also realize nothing is perfect and there's always new learnings to apply to the next.  But a First Birthday Party is like a right of passage...that time to celebrate that we made it...we had our doubts some days that we would make it...so we celebrate that we did it!!

As a fan of Pinterest these days I set out to make the most beautiful music themed party I could for my little dude.  I will try to outline here all that transpired to make his party special.  Great things to think about when planning your own. I will also tell you what didn't work great...some great learnings along the way!

The Theme

I am personally not a fan of character defined themes at parties.  I am always looking for themes that are part of the kids' everyday life and not tied to a commercial outfit.  Our kids have been in a music class since very early on.  Our son absolutely loves music and starts dancing the moment the first beat hits the drum.  It's what spawned the music theme at the party and got us into the spirit of planning.  Find a theme that fits your child's personality and build your party around it. 

His Outfit

Oh what to wear, what to wear!  I believe in making that child feel and look special on their day.  While maybe we couldn't afford a custom outfit this year I could afford a beautifully appliqued (or is it monogrammed I can't remember) shirt especially for him!

Food

Sticking with all things musical I combed the internet looking for help with his party.  I came across this site which had a really gorgeous setup and I loved the names of the food all tying with the theme!  So we had our own variation:
Musical Munchies -- were Bugles corn chips
Jammin' Triangles -- Fresh watermelon triangles
Thumpin' Drumsticks -- mini marshmallows on pretzel sticks
Party Animals -- Animal Crackers
Guitar Strings -- skinny licorice strings (Note: if you have a lot of kids these were a nightmare!)

Dessert was a smash cake for the birthday boy as a drum and cupcakes for everyone else.  No forks needed!  Worked out fantastically!  I made the cupcake toppers with a graphic design set I bought through Etsy and printed on my home computer.  Really helped tie everything together. Oh and while hard to see the cupcake holder is also decorated like the drum.  Yep, that's how I roll!

Location

Ain't at my house!  HAHA  With 2 small children I don't know about you but no way I could do it at my house.  We have always had parties at our house, but I just could not manage cleaning and prepping and recleaning and reprepping...too much for this momma in this moment.  And that's okay.  So we have a beautiful park near our home with a pavilion and splash pad.  Really a perfect spot for a great party.  We just made sure we took a few items to make setup more of a breeze...broom, hammer, nails, staple gun, step stool and lots of tape.

With our theme being music we knew we would do a little music class inspired time with the kids and so I tried to borrow some yoga mats from friends...let's just say no one wanted to admit they weren't using theirs, so plan B.  We used alphabet tiles to cover the pavilion floor and give room for the kids to sit and play without getting dirty or hurt on the concrete.  This was a DREAM!!!  Fantastic, totally recommended!!!  Oh and please notice the words in the letters...that took work people!

 

 I also made balloon topiaries.  These were so easy and I was able to make them a few nights before the party without issues with them deflating.  Put them in big black trash bags to carry to the location...double bonus we now had extra trash bags!  And stuck them to dowel rods with 2 sided tape and into the ground.  They were so colorful and bright and really made the place look festive...looking back I should have made a few more.  Note: I used an air compressor to blow them up which took literally 30 minutes to get all the balloons done!  Fantastic!  Also, the kids enjoyed taking the balloons into the splash pad later in the party and doing who knows what with them in the water...they were so funny!

Entertainment

I tried hiring our music teacher to do a mini class and she was not able to do it.  So, I sucked it up and took one for the team!!!  Heck I love to teach and I know the music, how hard could this be...right??  I earned my badge of courage.  I will admit the parents, whom are my peers, staring at me made me more frightened and vulnerable than the 15 or so little ones that had no clue what we were doing.  All told, it was FUN!!  I got maracas, tambourines, bell shakers and scarves to use during different songs.  I also borrowed a giant parachute for a song or 2.  The instruments were their party favors as well.  So they got to see them in action before taking them home.  My dear, sweet husband also cut and painted rhythm sticks for all the kids to take home.  My idea, his execution (of which he gets extra points).  They were cute, but a whole lot of work and I would skip it next time.  Here are some pics:

Here are some bonus pics of the smash cake and my little dude and his big sister.  The floor tiles worked out great for this too...didn't have to bring his high chair or decorate anything else and they washed off like a breeze after I carried them home in the giant black trash bags (wink).

To my boy who is my perfect last first boy.  You make me laugh more than I ever thought possible.  You make your sister more outgoing than I ever saw coming.  You make your Daddy work harder than I ever imaged.  You are loved beyond measure little dude!

I want to thank Fleeting Moments Photography for taking some pics of the day for me as I had my hands full in other areas!!!  Also a thanks to my mom who took pics as well.

If you need some help planning a party or just an extra opinion feel free to leave me a comment!  Would love to help!!  And next year I have a feeling will be just as fun, after all we will be celebrating the last 2nd birthday, right?

Where is the Panic Button?

3:15am 2 year old daughter wakes up and starts whine/crying
3:16am Mom wakes up hearing daughter
3:17am Little brother (1 year old) wakes up

Dad is out of town so Mom is single parenting...this is the start of day 4 of her excellent adventure. 


Yep!!  That was me this morning.  Thoughts of who do I choose first and how do I console 2 babies at once echoed loudly as the cries seemed to turn to chants.  In the end both babies were back asleep...at about 4:30am.  Niiiceee.  I know, I know a little sarcastic.  But if you are reading with a little nod on your face you know what I am talking about.  The grateful part of me takes over and says, "you aren't a single parent" or "can you imagine having 3" and the spirit calms. 

I need my sleep.  I am one of those people that needs sleep to thrive.  I didn't get my sleep.  I am allergic to caffeine.  It was a rough day. 

My 2 year old tried so hard today to be good...in between the 900 times she was told to 'stop' this or 'no' to that.  She gave it her best today.  She knew I was having a rough day.  The one year old...well he's one. 

Tonight as I tried so hard to be patient and it wasn't working all I could think was, where did they put the panic button?  "They" are hiding it from me.  Or maybe it's that we could pretty much qualify for an episode of Hoarders right this second as I am surrounded by a mountain of toys.  Eh, I will pick them up tomorrow...after they play with them again. 

So let me end with this tidbit of sassy humor...when those bells ring in the morning for round 5,  I am gonna jump up and stand in my best warrior pose and let the kids eat out of the Cheerios box for breakfast.  Maybe one less dish to wash! 

Blueberry Monsters Abound!

We are fully in peak season of blueberry picking.  I love blueberry picking. I love that they are trees and I can stand to pick my berries instead of laboriously bending or squatting to pick.  I love that there are no thorns to be mindful of.  I love that we have the luxury of having several organic farms around us to pick from. 

I love how my almost 3 year old picks enough for an army, but none make it to her bucket.  And I love how she comes over and steals from my bucket instead of picking off a tree.  Food tastes better when you don't have to do the work for it, right?  I love how she feeds them to her almost 1 year old brother to entertain him. 

Blueberry monsters abound!!!  We so far have been picking 3 times.  Each time coming home with 1 - 2 gallons of berries and there is exactly 2 gallons in my freezer at this moment. The rest ingested quickly by the monsters, okay I admit I am a monster too, as quick snacks.  5 at a time or 1 snuck out at a time.  Breakfast is a free for all at the table...if any make it back to the fridge it's a miracle! 

So today I share my almost 1 year old boy hanging on to the bucket while we picked and eating way too many and not caring!  So grateful they don't charge us by our weight!  Hi sweet monster!

Pork and apples. It's what's for dinner!

Wow, how time flies when you have 2 little ones!!!  Last night I was anxious about what to cook for dinner and for the first time in my life I actually cooked an awesome meal off the cuff!!!  Thinking maybe God was showing me how far I have come in exactly a year since I quit my job to tend to my family.  Wow how times have changed!

Thought I would share it here in case you have some of these items around to use...

Pork Chops and Apples
2 sweet onions (any onions you have are fine) chopped
olive oil -- as much or little as you like personally
6 porkchops (thick, boneless is what I used)
1 Sam Adams Caramel Stout beer
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Red Delicious Apple
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 - 2 tsp Thyme

Get out a 12 inch skillet that can go into the oven and heat some oil on medium high.  Throw in your onions and let them cook a few minutes till their translucent.  Then put in your pork.  Let them sit for 5 - 7 minutes ....its tempting to move them after a minute or 2, DON'T touch!!!  Flip them over, move the onions around so they don't burn and let them all sit again for 3 minutes or so.  You should now have a nicely braised meat and crusties on your pan.  Pour in the beer -- as much or little as you want.  I probably put 1/2 the bottle, although I was too busy drinking the other half to really pay attention!  Move the meat and onions around a bit to get the crusties off the bottom.
Turn oven on to 350
Cut your apples while the meat stays on the heat and throw them in.  Sprinkle with salt and thyme.  Once it's cooked for a minute or 2 throw it in the oven for 15 minutes.  I probably could have covered, but I didn't and it turned out just fine!

Take it out of the oven and eat!!!  Keep in mind the handle to the pan will be HOT...I forgot and went for it, what a mistake!!

I should have taken pictures, but didn't have time!  Enjoy and feel free to share.  And for those exhausted mommas out there...I hear you and feel your pain...try to find 3 minutes today to close your eyes just breathe.  Feel free to leave me a comment, I am happy to respond!!

October is Here!!

So far, outside of my son's birth, the past few days have been the best all year!  The weather has been cool enough to open the windows during the day, make grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner and warm brownies for dessert.  I have accomplished a lot as well!  Cleaned my bathroom top to bottom, cleaned out my closet and got a whole box of clothes to donate.  Also got all of my maternity clothes out of my closet and feeling good getting back to my 'old self'.  Does that self still exist??  Oh I am hoping so.

On Sunday I went to a huge kids consignment sale for the kids.  I love getting a quality, gently used wardrobe for a fraction of the new prices.  It was my first time away from my sweet boy.  I cried when my husband left with him and I was so worried I wasn't going to finish shopping before he needed to be fed again.  The joys (and worries) of nursing!  Needless to say, he made it 3.5 hours and I was thrilled!!!!  It was some well needed mommy time, even if it was shopping FOR the kids!

My boy is 3 months old today!  I am excited and almost sad.  I am wondering where these past few months have gone.  When my daughter was this big I just remember holding her all the time and thinking she was growing at the perfect pace.  I guess it's because my daughter keeps me on the move as a vibrant 2 year old does and so I haven't had that perfect quiet time to sit and hold him as much.  One of my regrets for him.  I love being with him and just talking to him, reading books to him and looking at him.  The gaze of an infant is powerful and deep, like they can see into your soul.  Oh the love I have for these children!

Another accomplishment these past few days is the completion of Halloween costumes for the kids!  Woohoo!!  Just in time for the photo shoot on Sunday.  Oh how exciting!  I heard a comedian recently (I can't remember who to credit, although I think it was Jeff Dunham) talk about Halloween and how much of an oxymoron this is for parents. Taking your kids to strangers' homes and letting them get candy...hmmmm.  That's something to chew on!  He's so right!  I had never thought of it that way.  So maybe the photo shoot will be it!  Dress them up and have a fun time together!  Oh I can't wait to get behind the lens again, it's been so long!  Our last big photo shoot was before Easter and I am craving the challenge!

Outstanding projects:  Fall wreath - still on the list!  Maybe it will be done by the end of fall.  Bread has been made, brownies are made.  I have added bow holder (for my daughter) and fall treats (for the photo shoot) to my list!  Wish me well on my excellent adventure!

Put the Oxygen Mask on the Mommy First!

We've all heard the phrase I am sure that you should put the oxygen mask on your first before helping others.  I think this is ringing true for me right now.  Up all day, up half the night and my sole focus has been the kids.  Even my poor husband hasn't made my list lately.  And since I am focusing on calm parenting, that requires me to take care of me first. 

So I have thought about these projects on my list and I think the shear accomplishment of them is for ME...they may be for the house or the kids, but I do love accomplishing something, having something to show for my time besides the repeatable cleaning chores and never ending stream of laundry.  I read somewhere to get up early so you have peace and quiet for a little while.  Whomever wrote that has not met me...so maybe they meant stay up late.  Anyway, I stayed up and worked on my daughters costume hat again last night and feeling like it's coming together.  I have one and half weeks to get it completed, along with a costume for my son which i have yet to start for our fall picture shoot.  The picture shoot is totally for me.  A place to play with my camera and really get some good pics of the kids to share with the family.  Definitely something to look forward to! 

Yesterday I actually made it out of the house for a playdate.  While it was stressful I did it and my daughter had a blast playing with someone else's toys.  I truly got re-energized talking with a fellow mommy.  When we returned home and I put my daughter down for a nap, I took my baby boy and let him nurse while I got some sleep too.  I soooooo needed it.  In the process I totally missed the opportunity to make dinner, but I have to say I wasn't over the moon disappointed about it.  I realized the nap was more important.  Sometimes you just have to choose you.

So today I already have meat out to make dinner (lesson learned from yesterday).  An old Pampered Chef recipe my family loves called Three Bean Casserole.  And thinking maybe brownies for dessert tonight...who doesn't like brownies.  In my house I still use a brownie mix and then add Ghiradelli dark chocolate morsels to make it more scrumptious.  Someday I will make my own brownie mix too...I need to add that to my to do list. 

The fall wreath has been started...but no where close to finishing.  And I still haven't made my bread.  Hoping to find time for that this week.  Well have a great day out there, wherever you are.  And put on that oxygen mask!!