Asbury Adventures

This Kid Is Giving Me a Headache....

2012-03-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

... It's a good thing he is so darn cute!

An Asbury Adventures First: Book Review

2012-02-29T01:15:00.002-05:00

In my ideal life, I would be a reader. A person who reads for enjoyment, could quote the classics, could match books to authors, and tell you about the intricacies of plot and moral. Alas, such is not my lot in life, at least not at this current season or any season prior. I sometimes blame it on an eye strain problem, and I sometimes simply pass it off as a side effect of enjoying other past times more within a fixed amount of "spare" time, but whatever the reason, I haven't picked up a whole lot of books in my lifetime that were not assigned, required reading.

Again, it's not because I don't enjoy reading. Perhaps the opposite, in fact, is true. I quite enjoy reading so much so that the characters and setting and drama become a full-fledged production in my mind. I hear the voices of the characters and play it all out in real time. (Yes... I just said I hear voices. As if you didn't think I'm crazy enough. =) And as a result, reading even the shortest and simplest of tales can take for-freaking-ever and be quite an exhausting pursuit.

But because I truly do enjoy reading and want so very much to be "well read," I was super excited when my parents bought me a Kindle for Christmas a couple of years ago. And when Briggs was born, I suddenly had lots and lots of time sitting quietly by myself. How do I accomplish such a feat with three small children, you might ask? It's called nursing a baby who refuses to eat without complete silence or outside of the four walls of his own bedroom. And so, instead of staring mindlessly into space, I whipped out the ol' Kindle, and whattaya know, I've actually accomplished a decent amount of reading these past few months. I've decided they should hand out Kindles upon hospital discharge instead of formula samples.

I started out on fire, and even I was impressed by the number of books I was able to finish at first. I read fourteen books in about four months. Not bad for a mediocre reader, eh? Alas, as Briggs has gotten older, he has gotten much faster about the whole eating business, has dropped down to only four feedings per day (and I'm usually too sleepy at the first and last feedings to read, anyway,) and much more interested in the Kindle that I try to sneak in behind his head once he's latched on. As a result, my reading time and abilities have been greatly diminished, and the last book took me nearly as long to read as the first fourteen.

And so, with my stint as a reader drawing to a close (or at least a serious slow-down), I thought I'd pass along my thoughts and opinions about the books I've read. There are many quite good summaries of these books available around the internet (and I've provided the amazon links to the titles in case you want to read any such summaries... and no, I don't get paid a dime for such promotion!), so I'm going to mostly skip the synopses and go straight to my personal feelings about the books. So without further ado, an Asbury Adventures first... Book Review!

** A very familiar scene... Briggs ready to eat with the Kindle tucked in behind his head between the boppy and my knee.... Not to mention the other all-too-familiar scenes in this picture of an overflowing box of out-grown baby clothes and a bulging trash bag of dirty diapers! **

1 & 2. Catching Fire and Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins): The second and third books in the Hunger Games trilogy were my first Kindle reads. I'd read the first book a year or so prior, and was really excited to move on to the rest of the series. It seems like everyone I know (or at least everyone I am friends with on facebook) was disappointed with the third book. And either I really disagree with most of my friends, or I enjoyed the ending only as a result of being set up for disappointment and then was pleasantly surprised, but I thought both books were fantastic. The heroine is strong and smart, yet sensitive and relatable. The books are fast-paced, easy reads, but with some depth, thought, and questioning about the world in which we live today. I am actually quite curious as to what other people expected and/or wanted out of Mockingjay, because I really thought it had the best possible ending; for me it wrapped up the plot drama, resolved the characters' dilemmas within the moral/social commentary set forth in the book, and even threw in a bit of drama and romance just to make it a little more fun to read. I definitely enjoyed these books and would highly recommend them.

3. Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back (Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo, and Lynn Vincent): Now before I review this book, I'll have you know I'm a total sucker for near-death experience stories. I love them and eat up every word. So I probably liked this book even before I started reading it, so I'm a little bit biased in that regard. This book describes the near-death experience of a little boy (Colton Burpo,) with his adventures in heaven, his discussions with Jesus, and the resulting affect on his life after his return. Sure, the writing isn't amazing, the story reads a bit choppily, and I don't even totally agree with how the Burpos coaxed the story from their son (don't worry, that sounds like he confessed under coercion-- if anything I think they erred too much on the side of caution to the point of faining disinterest in an effort not to scare their son and/or disturb his memories of the experience.) But luckily the literary prestige of this book is not its core purpose. On the other hand, the emotion of the book, the "realness" of the experience, and the testimony of Christ they hope to share are more than apparent, and it hits a home run in those categories. Again, I'd highly recommend this book.

4. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas): This is probably one of the best books I have read ever, ever. Now before you discount my review because, well, I haven't read a huge number of books, and therefore being at the top of a short list sounds unimpressive, hear me out. It was amazing from start to finish. A holy moly long book for one who does not consider herself a reader, but it was totally worth it, and I felt 100% invested and captivated the entire time. This book has just about everything you could be looking for-- drama, romance, revenge, action, suspense.... Short of little green aliens coming down to attack, I don't think Dumas could have packed in one more device or genre to excite the reader. I had seen the movie several years ago, and remembered liking it. I watched it again after I finished the book and was appalled by the comparison. The movie doesn't even begin to touch the plot twists and turns of the book. It is truly a masterpiece, and I would highly recommend this book.

5. Every Last One (Anna Quindlen): After reading the lengthy and deeply intricate Count of Monte Cristo, I wanted a bit of a quicker, easier read for my next pick, and I found it in this book. The descriptive, narrative style of writing in this book is pleasant to read, though somewhat cliche and uninspiring at times. I thought the first half of the book was fine, though I kept waiting for something to happen. When "the something" finally did happen, it was so dramatic that it seemed a bit contrived and even a bit out of place. I felt like the incident was more something to move the story along. The characters didn't seem to evolve in profound ways, and the book seemed to simply "stop" instead of end. This book was okay. I didn't particularly like or dislike it, and I don't know that it made me want to look up other Anna Quindlen titles, but it was a fine, easy read.

6. Shanghai Girls (Lisa See): This book describes the story of two sisters whose modern, opulent lives in China are devastated, and their journey as they are sold as brides and forced to forge new, foreign, and humble lives in America. I loved the rich description in this book and the use of actual, historical events and places and their affect on the lives of the fictional characters. I was profoundly impressed by the author's ability to create such believable and diverse characters, who are not completely caught up in any certain "tone" of the book, but who seem very unique and true to their own selves. A couple of parts are somewhat disturbing to read, particularly while in the gentle and intimate environment of nursing a baby, but even those parts were true to the story. I'm not rushing out to buy the sequel to this book, but I did quite enjoy it.

7. The Killer Angels (Michael Shaara): I had resolved to only download and read the free ebooks for awhile (darn you, instant purchasing power of the Kindle!), but after hearing such raving reviews of this Pulitzer Prize winner, I decided to splurge for one more, and it was well worth it. While I am neither much of a reader nor a history buff on any level or meaning of the term, I loooooved this book. It's not simply a book about the civil war. This book puts you in the civil war. Actually, strike that. I don't think even the soldiers on the fields had such an intimate picture of the people and events of this war as are offered by the author. This book lets you into the hearts and minds of the officers in a way that is revealing, touching, shocking, charming, and thought-provoking all at the same time. Incredible. I would highly recommend this book!

8. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte): Sticking to my resolution to download only free books, I returned to my love of the classics and finally rectified an embarrassing literary oversight in my life. I think I have always confused Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights in my mind, and it wasn't until I started reading Jane Eyre that I realized I didn't remember the plot because I had never read the book before. And I will never know how I managed to evade this book until now, because it is right up my alley, with the classics (especially Pride and Prejudice) being among my most favorite books. I feel half sad I didn't know the joy of Jane Eyre until now, and half delighted that I was able to read it with all the zeal and engrossment of a first-time discovery while in my thirties. This book was beautiful and romantic and purely delightful, and of course I would highly recommend it.

9. Persuasion (Jane Austen): Sticking with my classics theme, I went for another tried and true book I had neglected to read up until this point in my life, and I can say I'm very glad I was able to have the time to read this one. I can't say I immediately fell in love with the story or the characters as I did Jane Eyre, and I was almost 40% of the way through it before I felt fully committed to finishing it, but it picked up speed and engaged me quite a bit more in the second half. I enjoyed it and was glad to have read it when I was done, and would recommend it to you, as well.

10. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens): Again, a classic and an embarrassing, glaring hole in my life's library up to this point. I love Dickens' "Great Expectations," and so, I suppose you could say I had great expectations to love this novel of his as well, though I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I had hoped. I really had to plow through the first half and only got to the final, interesting last quarter of the book by sheer determination to complete it. (I had started it a couple of other times in my life, but never got very far. I had decided that if I picked it up again, I wouldn't do so unless I was 100% committed to reading every last word.) The plot was admittedly a bit dull in the beginning, the wording was difficult to follow and understand at times, and I felt the characters were hugely inconsistent. I am glad to have read this book, not only for its inherent value as a classic but also for some poignant commentary of Dickens' (though I feel he sacrificed the believability and depth of his characters to make these story/social points.) I did feel engaged by the end, and I'm glad to have read it, but then again, I feel a little sheepish to be critiquing Dickens at all, so let's move on....

11. Raising Your Spirited Child (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka): I departed from my typical fiction choices and went over to the parenting section on this one, and I loved this book. Love, love, loved it. I have been wanting to read it for quite some time, and I was not disappointed. This book discusses principles, strategies, and techniques for parenting children who are "more;" children who fall into a normal spectrum of behaviors, but who are simply MORE intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, energetic, and uncomfortable with change (i.e. all three of my children!) Her style really resonated with my own convictions about parenting, and I appreciated her unusually profound understanding of my own parenting situation and her useful advice. The book really highlights the benefits of parenting such children, focuses on the positive, and gives both over-arching goals and perspectives, as well as nitty-gritty, day-to-day (moment-to-moment) techniques. I wish everyone who comes into contact with my children could read this first. Seriously. I loved it, and would highly recommend it to anyone with children who are "more," and especially those for whom traditional parenting methods have proven ineffective.

12. The Mill River Recluse (Darcie Chan): After a little foray into the self-help section, I was admittedly excited to get back to the literary fiction, and I found this one as a well-rated free download on amazon. The writing was good, but not amazing. The story was nice, but not incredible, and somewhat predictable. But it was an easy read and a sweet story, and it pretty much fit the bill of what I was looking for at the time. I generally enjoyed the read, liked the tale of redemption, and particularly appreciated the message of avoiding judgment.

13. Far Away Home (Susan Denning): This was the first book in this list that I really didn't care for. It sounded interesting from the descriptions on amazon-- a young woman goes west seeking adventure and a new life-- but unfortunately, it just fell flat for me. The main character is brash and not always likeable. The author introduces new characters in the book, only to kill them off a page or two later. The love triangle she creates is not particularly believable or exciting. And as if it needed another down side for me, the main character travels with a band of Mormon pioneers, which she does not exactly paint in a very kindly light. I'm sure there were individuals who were not ideal saints, and she may explain this depiction of the pioneers as part of her character's rude/judgmental attitude (other characters in the story do at times try to mitigate the main character's negative perception and narrative,) but it seemed both unfair and unnecessary. Again, this definitely wasn't my only reason for not particularly enjoying this book, but it certainly didn't help. Actually, as I started to write this post and went through my Kindle list of books, I realized I'd forgotten about this book; just wasn't much of a stand-out in my mind. So no, I would not really recommend this book.

14. The Help (Kathryn Stockett): Loved, loved, loved this one! There must be a million (okay, way more than that) raving reviews of this book, so just chalk mine up to one more. I'm a huge fan. I got on the bandwagon a bit late, I think, but boy am I glad I did! I just wanted this book to go on and on. I actually miss spending afternoons with the ladies and hearing their sweet southern accents. Law, Miss Stockett sure can write one amazing novel! This book was the perfect mix of humor, drama, and social commentary. I'd highly, highly recommend this one.

15. Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner): I went for another classic here (and another Pulitzer Prize winner), but I admit this one took a little time to really grab my full attention. It probably didn't help that by this time Briggs was getting quite fast at eating, and I was reading the book in one- or two-page stints, and it took me a few months to finish the book. I'm glad I stayed with it, though, because by the end I really felt quite invested-- in the characters, in the story, in the message-- and I found myself thinking about the book long after the feedings were done. I enjoyed Stegner's exploration of the theme of families and the ties that bind, especially in this era of ever-eroding family values and marital commitment. The first half felt a little dry to my untrained mind, but once I was hooked it held me to the finish, and I quite enjoyed the thoughtfulness of this book. I would definitely recommend it.

And that concludes the first-ever Asbury Adventures book review! I hope this might help in picking out your next reading adventure. And if you have any suggestions for my next pick, be sure to let me know in the comments!

** Love this sweet face. Yes, yes, Briggs, I know the camera and Kindle are much more interesting and way too distracting for nursing time. But don't worry-- you'll always take priority over the book. Now get back to eating... mama's got some reading to do! **

Would Ya Believe??

2012-02-11T23:40:00.000-05:00

If you came to my house and saw this from the front door...

... would you believe I'd just spent SIX HOURS cleaning??

All you prospective parents out there, consider yourself warned. It's not that mothers of busy little children don't clean, and hence, have dirty, cluttered houses. Quite to the contrary, we clean constantly. Toys on the floor, crumbs on the table, dishes in the sink, food across faces, stains on the clothes... don't even get me started on the diapers! And that's just the day-to-day (or more realistically, minute-to-minute) stuff.

But should one dare to attempt a more thorough cleaning project like, say, straightening a cupboard or scrubbing the bathtub, be prepared for your house to look ten times dirtier and more cluttered when you're done. Because according to Newton's Third Law of Childhood Behavior, for every organizational attempt on the parent's behalf, there will be an equal and opposite dis-organizational reaction on the child's behalf. (And be sure to multiply the disorganizational quotient by both the number of children in the home and the minutes they were left to their own devices for a true representation of the expected mess.) Because while you're tidying up, they are "entertaining" themselves. While you sanitize the bathroom, they dump the pieces of every puzzle in the middle of their bedroom floor for a puzzle piece stew. While you rub the jello stains out of your dining room rug, they play dress-up with the (used-to-be) folded basket of clothes at the end of your bed. Should you brave the living room dust bunnies, they will inevitably discover your secret stash of glitter, the permanent markers, and/or all of the toys you cleared out of their closet and slated for donation to the Salvation Army the last time they were gleefully distracted.

So, dear friends, the next time you arrive at a mother's home and her living room looks like mine, please, please withhold judgment. Simply take a large step over the blocks and side-step around the tupperware tower in the middle of the entryway, smile a kindly, knowing smile, and say, "I see you've been cleaning."

You're Welcome: Baby Chunk

2012-02-08T07:09:00.000-05:00

There are few things in this world so wonderful as chunky, chubby baby rolls. And I am one lucky mom because as it turns out, Briggs has a few rolls to spare.

The other day I was changing Briggs' diaper and thought it was probably time to bump him up a size because his thigh was bulging out the side like the velcro was too tight.

Upon further investigation, however, I realized the diaper was not to blame for the fat bulge... velcro on or off, that's just the shape of his leg!

This is what happens when mom gets a little behind on the laundry, and there are no onesies available, which snap to keep his shirt down. No snaps + round belly = a shirt that rides up to the arm pits and flashes a cute little belly button.

Ignore the crazy mom smile that is me trying to get Briggs to smile in the mirror, but check out Briggs grabbing his own fat roll. I love it!

I would call this a neck roll, but really... is there a neck in there??? Hard to tell.

Leg rolls galore!

And lest you think the rolls are merely there due to the bend in his leg, don't worry-- he's still got 'em even when his leg is stretched out completely straight.

How can you deny the cuteness of the ripple in the middle of that calf sticking down below his exersaucer? I know, you can't. I can't either! (The fat roll ready to spill over the edge of his sock is pretty divine, too, don't ya think?)

Fat rolls... heavenly! Hunky, chunky baby who insists on being carried around 24/7? Heavenly on my heart, not so heavenly on my back and arms. My biceps often feel like jello at the end of the day. In an attempt to give them some reprieve at times throughout the day, I often put him in the bjorn, but as you can see from the red mark across my shoulder from the strap, the bjorn isn't much of a break, either!

Luckily, I wouldn't trade the baby chub for anything. Hopefully this kid learns to crawl before my chiropractic bills start piling up, but until then... bring it on. I love my chunky baby!

When Dad Takes The Girls To Costco

2012-02-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

I think the title says it all.

Gingerbread Houses

2012-02-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

This Christmas we tried out another fun tradition of making Gingerbread Houses! We went the easy route and made them with graham crackers. I don't think the foundational materials mattered much, however, since they were hardly visible by the end of decorating anyway.

Libby hard at work on her masterpiece.

As her house's theme, Libby said she wanted to make Fancy Nancy's house.

I'd say mission accomplished!

Reeve hard at work on her gingerbread house.

Also going for the "more is more" theme.

The proud designer with her finished product. (Only minor help from mom with the window and door.)

Mom's house seems positively drab by comparison.

While nursing Briggs a few days later I heard Reeve's blood-curdling scream coming from the dining room, and I came running. Through her sobs, I finally ascertained that Reeve's gingerbread roof had "mysteriously" sustained some structural damage.

Luckily, gingerbread roofs are easily patched with more frosting and candy, and all was right in the world once more.

We had so much fun decorating our gingerbread houses, I'd say another Asbury Christmas tradition has been born!

Our Merry Christmas Elves

2012-01-31T16:39:00.000-05:00

After Thanksgiving, the Asbury household received a very special visit from two of Santa's helpers who really brought the Christmas spirit into our home: Brian's mom, Sharon, and our dear family friend Jan!

After a day of sightseeing, they "happened" to drive home with a Christmas tree strapped to the roof of their car and several bags of ornaments and decorations! The girls were so excited to help them set up and decorate everything. I especially loved the delicious pine scent.

Even the fireplace mantle received the deluxe Christmas treatment, and was decked with pine boughs, manger scenes, and cute decorations.

Sharon and Jan thought of everything, and even took the girls shopping for Christmas presents. Apparently mom and dad have been pretty good this year, because when asked what present they wanted to buy for us, Libby and Reeve replied, "Their very favorite things!" When further questioned about what exactly should be purchased, they continued with, "The things they've aaaaaaaalways wanted!!" I don't think they were super helpful in narrowing down the field of options, but they were very thoughtful in wanting our presents to be the best!

Soon the tree was filled with presents for parents and kiddos alike! I think they must've been pretty good this year, too. =)

Sharon and Jan spent the week helping Libby and Reeve learn "Away in a Manger," which the girls then performed before opening their presents. They did a great job!

There was baking and cooking....

They read Christmas stories, old and new.

Most of all, they filled our home with the wonderful joy and warmth of love, the true spirit of Christmas!

We sure felt lucky to get Santa's two best helpers to turn our home into a Christmas wonderland. We loved having our very own Christmas elves and hope they come again soon in the "off-season!"

Thank You, Costco

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

As you might recall, we found ourselves without a Christmas tree last year when Costco dragged their feet over whether or not they would be able to fix the glitch in their pre-lit trees in time for the holiday. Alas, they never did, but we were able to make do with our own crafted substitutes.

When it came time to decorate for Christmas this year, the girls could not have been more excited to make their own trees again. So, I suppose I have Costco to thank for my girls' new favorite Christmas tradition! Tree or no tree, fake or real, these girls had their hearts set on making their own.

And so we watercolored...

We sponge painted...

We painted over white crayon swirls...

And we finger-painted.

We even glued and glittered. (And vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed. Glitter projects with toddlers have a way of involving the vacuum.)

Then we let the papers dry overnight, the patience for which just about required a Christmas miracle! They could hardly wait to get those trees decorated!! When they were primed and ready, we cut out circles to make the ornaments.

Finally, it was time for the main event: tree decorating!!

They loved putting their very own ornaments on their very own trees.

The proud artists (and princesses!) enjoyed showing off their work.

And were more than happy to share an ornament or two each to decorate a tree for baby brother.

I'd say the project was a smashing success once again, and no doubt a new family Christmas tradition.

In fact, the girls had so much fun, the project has now spilled over its holiday bounds. Reeve has taken to cutting out shapes from any and all paper scraps and using her "ornaments" to decorate her bed. So I suppose the festivities can continue year-round.

Thank you, Costco, for brightening our holiday with a new Christmas tradition!

You're Welcome

2011-12-02T22:31:00.007-05:00

Reeve has been known to have some pretty awesome morning hair, but the other day she really out-did herself. No one does insane but endearing quite like Reeve. If these don't make you smile, then I'm sorry, but I just don't know what will.

To temper your jealousy at not being able to wake up to this sweet face each day, I will provide you with the fact that this breakfast involved a serious tantrum over the color and shape of her plasticware. (There were tan and orange round bowls and a pink oval bowl, but the round pink bowl was currently unavailable for her cereal consumption, an apparently unacceptable standard for her high-minded expectations.) But it's hard to be upset at one with hair as awesome as this. Tantrum or not, seeing this girl in the morning makes waking up just a little bit easier.

Libby and the Primary Program, Year Two

2011-11-29T15:41:00.000-05:00

Libby worked really hard to prepare for the Primary Program at church this year, completing her song practice chart and memorizing her individual part.

Her lines for the program, which she wrote herself, were, "Heavenly Father sent us to earth in families so that we wouldn't be lonely. My mommy and daddy help me by playing with me, reading me scriptures, and teaching me about Jesus. And they help me reach the treats when I'm not tall enough." (We keep our treat stash in a basket on top of the fridge. Glad we can be of such service!)

She practiced and practiced, and had her part down pat. (As did Reeve!)

On the big day, she did a great job singing along with all of the songs (with Reeve singing along in the audience, as well. We've had the Primary Program CD of songs on repeat in our house for a few months, and Libby's not the only one who has them all memorized now!)

When her moment in the spotlight came, she stood up to the microphone and began, "My mommy and daddy help me by playing with me...."

Uh oh. She immediately froze, and I saw the look of momentary panic come across her face that she had skipped the first line. I could see her mind racing, searching, and then I started to worry about what would happen next. She's a simultaneously sensitive and outgoing kid, and such a mistake could easily reduce her to tears or induce a moment of wild improvisation.

Suddenly, I saw a look of clarity come over her face, and with a slight smirk she pronounced, "I was just teasing you!" After which she completed her part from beginning to end.

As she hopped down from the podium, Reeve cheered and shouted, "Good job, Libby!"

Yep, good job, Libby indeed.

He's With Us

2011-11-26T14:08:00.015-05:00

Besides how cute (and squirmy!) he is, I think the top comment I get about Briggs is how much he looks like Libby. I have to say I quite agree. I see so much of Libby in him, even in a lot of his expressions and mannerisms.

Briggs, about 3 months:

Libby, about 3 months:

Briggs, about 4 months:

Libby, about 4 months:

(Sadly, I think Libby is clearly winning in the hair department in the above picture. And I've mentioned before her lack of hair growth. I guess that's good news for my abilities to keep up with a short boy cut!)

Perhaps this resemblance has something to do with the reason 99.9% of people used to guess that Libby was a boy, even when she was in pink, frills, and hair bows galore, yet I've only had one person mistake Briggs for a girl, and she quickly corrected herself about one second later.

I see a little bit of baby Reeve in him, too, but not as much.

Reeve, about 3 months:

The chin(s!) are similar, but I see the resemblance in them mostly in the eyes, and the expressions they both make that's a mix of wonder and bewilderment.

Reeve, about 3 months:

Briggs, about 3 months:

Either way, I can definitely see the "Asbury" in him. I'd say he's a keeper!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-10T23:20:00.011-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Sadly, this Halloween was marked by some seriously nasty head colds among the family ranks, so we took it pretty easy for most of the day. But we did manage to get in the most traditional celebrations, starting with pumpkin carving.

The girls were having a hard time making a final decision on what kind of face they wanted for the family pumpkin (spooky face... no, wait-- a sad face... no, wait-- a happy face! NO! Wait-- a ghost!... no, wait-- just a spooky face....) Round and round we went, so I decided it would be much better to just leave the artistic work up to them, and I would carve it out.

I admit I sorta love this picture. Notice the stinkeye being given by Miss Precision in the background at being forced to let Reeve scribble all over her masterpiece for mom-mandated sharing. Maybe next year we will have to actually get them their own pumpkins to carve....

Since they are still pretty little, I didn't get them their own carving pumpkins, but I did get them each two of their very own pumpkins to decorate with stickers while I carved the big pumpkin, so luckily that smoothed things over.

Hopefully Briggs won't be offended in the years to come that Libby said she was going for a portrait of Baby Brother. =) We love you, handsome!

Next up on the Halloween docket: dressing up! The girls insisted they wanted to be ghosts this year, and I was sorta proud of them of wanting to be classic, spooky Halloween characters. It seemed fairly out of character for them to go against their typically bright and girly grain, but they consistently claimed they wanted to be ghosts and the costumes certainly seemed like they'd be easy enough to make, so we went for it.

Then it was on to trick-or-treating. Of course they thoroughly enjoyed this part, and were very excited despite their horrible colds, especially since the ward Trunk or Treat that had been scheduled for a couple of days prior had been cancelled because of a ridiculous early snowstorm. Boo!

Briggs had fallen asleep about 10 minutes before we planned to go trick-or-treating, so he stayed home with dad for a little nap, and then I had to feed him when he woke up, and once we were all done it was getting pretty late and the girls were already back home. But since I'd put a whopping, oh, 10 minutes into making him a ghost costume, too, and since it was his first Halloween and all, we dressed him up, too, for a quick photo op. I didn't get one of all my ghosties together because I didn't want to put Briggs with the girls and all their sickly germs. Sadly, poor little buddy caught it a few days later anyway. =(

Luckily all the head colds are beginning to clear (or at least move on to the chests, so there is a symphony of hacking coughs around here), and we are now moving on to sugar comas. A happy Halloween, indeed.

Reeve is Three!

2011-10-30T21:49:00.012-04:00

Reeve knows her birthday comes after Libby's, so pretty much every day for nearly a month, Reeve would wake up saying, "Is today my birthday?" Helping her count down to her big day not only failed to help her grasp the time frame, but also fueled her fire to ask constantly. After lunch, after her quiet time, when daddy got home from school. (As if I would have failed to mention her birthday until, say, 4 pm!)

So earlier this month we were so excited to wake Reeve up with a "GOOD MORNING! TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!"

We started the day off right with some gooey cinnamon rolls.

Her birthday fell on General Conference, which was sorta great and sorta a bummer. I love General Conference, but I did feel a little bad that we spent most of the day watching church on TV. Luckily, she didn't seem to mind, and was quite excited to get her General Conference packet of coloring pages and activities. (This coloring and watching lasted, oh, about 2.1 seconds before degrading into running around, playing with toys, etc. Oh well. We tried. Maybe for her 17th birthday we'll enjoy a nice, quiet, spiritual Conference??)

For her birthday, one of Reeve's top priorities was to make party hats, so of course we obliged this request with pink paper hats, glue, and oodles of preschool-friendly decorations.

Reeve's only other request for her birthday were the "letter candles." She had found these candles that spell out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" in the cupboard a few weeks before her birthday, and latched onto them. She would seriously hoard them and hide the package in different places around the house to be sure no one else would use them. When I asked her what kind of theme she wanted for her birthday, she replied she wanted the letter candles. I explained she could still have any theme she wanted (pink? Dora and Diego? Princesses?) plus the letter candles on her cake, but she would not be swayed and replied she wanted a "letter party" so she could have her candles. The girl knew what she wanted, and couldn't have been happier to blow them out.

She was quite pleased with how the cake tasted, too. =)

After cake it was on to the other best part of birthdays: presents!

What a lucky little girl!

Reeve is one of those kids who is such a joy to have in a family, and we feel so blessed to have her in ours. She is fun and happy and knows how to get out of trouble with a charming smile and a few well-timed declarations of love and adoration. She follows her big sister around like a little shadow, and dotes on her baby brother. She is imaginative, funny, and just an all-around great kid.

We always welcome the chance to celebrate this girl of ours. Happy birthday, big girl!

Reconsidering My Position

2011-10-18T21:49:00.003-04:00

Back when I was a perfect parent (you know-- before I actually was one), I decided I'd never let my children suck their thumbs. It can be such a difficult habit to break, and besides, when you can simply stick a binky in their mouth and then take it away when they're older, there's no point in sucking on fingers. Marrying an orthodontist only solidified this opinion... you know, back when I was a perfect, childless parent.

Well, chalk it up to the long, looooooooooong list of parenting opinions that bit the dust when I became a mother. My girls sucked their binkies like they were sugar-coated and necessary for life and happiness. Briggs, on the other hand, will take one for about 2.1 seconds before it pops right back out of his mouth.

But he started to do this...

And this new trick magically coincided with an ability to sleep through the night.

So yeah, I'm pretty much converted. Sleep, glorious sleep, wins out once again. And besides, if there are some teeth that need a little fixing in this family, well, luckily I happen to know a pretty great orthodontist.

I Wasn't Kidding

2011-10-03T15:52:00.015-04:00

Remember when I announced we were expecting our third baby by parading our crazy pictures on the blog and saying how tricky it is to get decent family photos... and how that difficulty would multiply exponentially with the addition of a third child? Well, I wasn't kidding.

When Brian started his orthodontics residency, he was required to buy a nice camera to take pictures of his patients' teeth and track their progress. It seems sad to me, actually, that with such cute children at home, the nice camera sits at school and takes pictures of the insides of strangers' mouths.

So when Brian was headed off to a dental conference for two weeks recently, I asked him to bring the camera home for me while he was gone so I could take a few pictures of the kiddos. I'm no photographer, but I like to try my hand at getting a decent group shot every once in awhile, and I figure a good camera can only increase my chances of getting a quality picture.

After several rainy days, the clouds finally parted and gave us one of the most idyllic days we'd seen for awhile. We headed out to a gorgeous local park, and with such a setting, you'd think the perfect shots might come easily and plentifully. I mean, with backgrounds like this, how could one go wrong???

First attempt... hmmmm... This might be more difficult than I had anticipated. Fussy baby. Children complaining that it's too bright. Strained smiles. Disinterest.... Time to re-group.

When there's three to deal with, there's always gotta be someone making a crazy kid face.

Or someone with a crazy forced smile plus someone caught in a blink.

There's the "I'm-so-over-this" expression, combined with the mid-sniffle look, with the crying baby cherry on top.

Then there's always the risk one runs in outdoor shots of the distracting scenery, also known as the stick in Reeve's hand that is not only distracting but also sure to poke someone's eye out at any moment. I'm amazed we've managed to avoid major/visible grass and dirt stains so far, especially considering the frog they caught and despite a close call with Libby filling her shoe with gunky pond mud at the water's edge, though gratefully avoiding a full-body fall into the drink. (And I do have to laugh at Libby's saccharine smile below-- she was slowly melting down and threatened within an inch of her life-- and simultaneously bribed with an official Disneyland Mickey Mouse lollypop-- to smile and look at the camera or so.help.me!)

The meltdown x3 is winding up. Wait for it... wait for it....

And my personal favorite. I think we're all down for the count on this one. Time to call it a day.

And while I did get one good shot, of course the location involved a three-way compromise, in which we moved spots no less than twenty times to a place Libby deemed shady enough to open her eyes, Reeve found suitable for joining the group, and Briggs decided to settle down.

Of course this one mostly misses out on the background I'd specifically chosen, and I might have just as easily taken the picture in our backyard, but I'll take it. In the end it's those three I care about anyway. And maybe one day I can learn to not only take pictures with the nice camera, but also to use the fancy Photoshop.

Finally

2011-09-27T14:36:00.009-04:00

There are a lot of "firsts" in the beginning years of a child's life that are wrapped up in quite a bit of sentimentality. First foods, first words, first steps... first haircuts.

So as it turns out, I'm a little slow getting around to that last one. It was simultaneously sentimental and unnecessary for so many years, that waiting until she had enough hair to cut only made the event more sentimental. And the recent premier of Rapunzel sure didn't help her desire to have her hair cut, either!

Hair length hasn't exactly been Libby's forte in life. Even at her first birthday, you can see besides a small whiff above her ear, there wasn't even much there for the cutting had I wanted to go for her first 'do.

At her second birthday, I was just barely able to get a little barrette into the top, and wasn't about to take off any of her length.

So here we are at birthday number five, and what do you know, the girl needs a haircut. Adorable, no doubt, but admittedly a little scraggly.

The main problem comes from the fact that 90% of her hair length was from a small section of hair right at the crown of her head. Other than that it was hardly past her shoulders. And while it's nice to have a little length wherever she can get it, one long tail down the back is not exactly a hairstyle she will look back and thank me for in later years.

I had wanted to take her to a real salon because, well, when you only get a haircut once in five years, it's not exactly something you want to screw up. But then showing up on time for appointments is not exactly my strong suit right now with a small baby, so I decided to just go for it, and we turned the living room into Salon De Mama.

She was a good sport, sitting mostly pretty still. She was excited to have her hair cut, and was not at all sad or scared. It's hardly perfect, but luckily the curls in her hair help to blend it all in. But I think it turned out pretty cute.

It certainly looks more fresh, anyway. Out with the ragamuffin look!

As she sat coloring that night, her hair dried into cute little waves that fell lightly over her shoulders, and I was so happy we went for it. As I cut her hair I tried to repeatedly emphasize the point that MOM and ONLY MOM is allowed to take scissors to her (or anyone else's) hair, so hopefully we won't have any more blog-worthy hair cutting posts for quite awhile!

Libby Is Five!

2011-09-25T23:25:00.000-04:00

My little Libby is five. FIVE!! I can hardly believe it. I remember things from when I was five. Lots of things. Guess I'd better start getting on top of my game in this motherhood thing.

She woke up in the morning to the traditional decorated bedroom door and balloons.

For the day's activities, it's still been a bit tricky to get out of the house and off on grand adventures with a little baby, so we hit up one of our favorite parks. Luckily, it was the first beautiful day after almost a week of rain, and the girls had a great time.

We even found one of Libby's very favorite things, a caterpillar, so she was quite happy.

When we got home and put Briggs down for a nap, it was time for a little pampering via manicure by mom. She requested hot pink with yellow polka dots on one hand, and yellow with hot pink polka dots on the other. Definitely a very Libby-esque style!

Reeve wanted in on that action, too.

I had been asking for a few days what "theme" Libby wanted to have for her birthday cake. Well, she'd celebrated one of her friend's birthdays just a few days earlier and requested a similar Rapunzel cake, but alas, there was nothing I could create that wouldn't be a sad, sorry disappointment compared to that awesome creation, so I set off to help her brainstorm some other ideas. Luckily, she was quite happy to settle on having a "space" theme instead.

In honor of her space party, I thought I could make some cupcakes resembling the various planets. Fortunately, my sister-in-law, cook and baker-extraordinaire recently came to live with us and offered to bake and decorate these goodies for us, and she did an awesome job!

Don't worry-- Julianne's cupcakes looked like planets; the cupcakes in the foreground of the above picture were decorated by her two little helpers!

After dinner, it was time to blow out the candles. And as luck would have it, she wished for some birthday presents!

I'd say her wish came true. =)

She was very spoiled by her grandparents and aunts and uncles. What a luckily little five-year-old!

After eating her dinner on a Tinkerbell plate and receiving a few Tinkerbell-themed gifts, Libby wanted to watch the Tinkerbell movie. And well, when it's your birthday, I guess that's what you get to do. (Even when the clock says it's after 10 pm!)

I feel so blessed to have this little girl in my life. She is not quite like any other person I've ever met, and I love so very many things about her. She is vivacious, smart, and out-going. Libby never met a roll of tape, bottle of glue, tube of glitter, or pair of scissors she didn't like. She is not easily deterred once she has set her mind to something, and she could out-curious even Mr. Inquisitive himself, Curious George. She loves her baby brother to the point of smothering, is quick to show and share affection, and has a tender, innocent soul. These past five years have been a wild ride, but I'm so proud to call this girl mine. Happy birthday, Lib!

Shots

2011-09-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

Shots stink.

They make babies go from this

To this

Saved!

2011-09-21T17:35:00.000-04:00

Overall, I'd say the transition from two to three kids has been going pretty smoothly. The girls have been champs, and Briggs has been a welcome addition. Our normal routine has been altered and my motherly standards of quality in more than one category (nutrition, acceptable amounts of television watching, etc) have momentarily slackened, but we've all made it through the last couple of months alive and happy.

But we've had our days. More specifically, I've had my "what-the-heck-happened-to-my-nice-little-life" days.

Babies are wonderful. They are sweet and innocent and endearingly helpless. Their cheeks squish when you kiss them, and the soles of their feet are gloriously un-calloused.

But the thing about babies is that they come when pregnancy has brought you to the very brink of your emotional, physical, and mental abilities. And if labor doesn't give you the final kick you need to push you over the edge, you just might plunge happily head-first in the following weeks of sleep-, downtime-, and general sanity-deprivation.

It wasn't that things were going horribly. In fact, I felt things had been going pretty well. But I'd just been treading water for too long. The endless cycle of feeding, diapering, and soothing was wearing me down. While we did manage to miss the colic train this time around, Briggs can be the Fuss Master 3000, requiring a constant song and dance to keep him happy... or semi-happy or "not screaming" or screaming for only moderate amounts of time. (Which, don't get me wrong, is much, much better than 24/7 screaming no matter what you do, but can still be frustrating and tiresome, nonetheless.) My lack of attention towards the girls was wearing on their nerves, resulting in a mixture of naughty behavior and a constant flow of "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!! MommyMommyMommyMommyMommy! MOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMY....!" which, of course, was wearing on my nerves. The house was a constant mess of toy clutter, though I hesitate to even list this among the casualties of life because I was happy my kids were playing with the toys in an effort to entertain themselves. Brian was probably the most neglected, because of all the members of our family, he's obviously the most capable of carrying on by himself. And to top it off, I hadn't really had a decent night of sleep for nearly a year, when figuring in the discomforts of pregnancy (first-trimester midnight barfing... second- and third-trimester discomforts.) And I caught a cold. And I hadn't been able to get outside much, and the ugly doom of winter has been cruelly looming over my head.

And no matter what I did, it didn't seem like enough. Even giving the majority of my time and sanity to Briggs, it will never equal the time and attention a mother can give to her first baby. If I gave attention to the girls, not only did I feel guilty for ignoring Briggs, but also the girls didn't even want the attention because they were more annoyed by his crying than my lack of attention towards them. If there was a minute of peace, I felt I should spend it with the girls, but I do have to take a shower at some point, and I admittedly wanted to hoard the minute to try to recoup a little sanity where I could. I was treading water, but going to bed with a feeling of, "Holy crap, I have to do that ALL OVER AGAIN tomorrow!" I was sinking fast.

So my mom came to save me. Hallelujah! And hallelujah AMEN! She stayed for a little over a week and played with the girls, held Briggs to let me have my hands free for a bit, and held down the fort while I took a few naps. Basically threw me a life preserver to pull my head back up above water. And it is now. Things are still crazy and hectic and unsettled and imperfect, but now they're not only getting better, but also I'm feeling better equipped to deal with them. There is color in the world and hope in the future again. Hooray! Thank heavens for mothers. Thank heavens for my mother.

Heavenly Father Knows What He's Doing

2011-09-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

Of all the things in life that seem random, but are in actuality very organized and divinely directed, I'd bet the composition of our families ranks pretty close to the top. I've always said that having kids is such a lottery-- you could be getting an angelic baby straight from the dews of heaven, or a grumpy little whipper-snapper who dares you to find the joy in that little "bundle of joy;" a babe more calm and content than the glassy surface of a lake at sunrise or a finicky little bugger who would protest any nurturing efforts even if the very embodiment of Mother Nature could be his caregiver; a sleeper or a not-so-sleeper... with any combination of characteristics and anywhere in between on the scale from welcome to downright putrid if it weren't wrapped up in such a cute, needy, chubby little package. Even the "50/50 chance" of having a boy or a girl, which seems as random as a coin turning in the air, waiting to land on heads or tails, seems to be a random happenstance, merely determined by the first place finisher in the XX vs XY race to the egg.

But I'm thinking it's all much less random than it might appear on the surface.

And to substantiate my argument, let me give you Exhibit A:

That's right, two little girls in one family whose only screams at the sight of wriggling, slimy worms are squeals of delight.

Two little girls who spend three hours harvesting a whole vat of worms.

Who wash them off, feed them flowers, and make little leaf beds for them.

And then we had a boy... who I can only imagine is chomping at the bit to squish those chubby little fingers into a vat of worm-filled mud.

Yep, I think Heavenly Father's got this whole family thing under control. And though I sometimes wonder how these three came to be mine, I'm sure glad they are.

Irene

2011-09-16T16:00:00.000-04:00

Since moving to Boston, we've had the pleasure of experiencing a blizzard, several floods, an earthquake, a tornado, and now... a hurricane!

Luckily we weren't in the worst of Hurricane Irene, but we definitely still felt its effects. All train and bus services were cancelled for the day, as well as our church services, in anticipation of her arrival. I was fairly underwhelmed for most of the morning with what seemed like no more than a regular rain storm, but then things got a little crazy for a good twenty minutes or so, and I felt like Irene had finally come knocking.

Here is Reeve showing you a bin in our backyard, which had been completely empty prior to the storm!

We were very fortunate to have escaped any damage from Irene, and even maintained power (while many of our close friends were without power for several days!) Mostly there were downed trees, branches, and power lines around the neighborhood as evidence of her visit.

We felt very blessed to not have any damage or even inconvenience ourselves, and I have once again been impressed by the power of Mother Nature.

And I have to say, with the humidity she brought, Irene is a pretty good hair stylist. =)

Thirty

2011-09-15T18:30:00.000-04:00

Someone was not too happy about this particular birthday...

...but I'd have to say thirty is lookin' migh-ty fine.

Thanks for joining us old geezers in this decade of life, Love. I promise you'll love it. Happy birthday!!!

Pre-Baby Projects

2011-09-14T16:01:00.000-04:00

Before Briggs was born, I was sorta on a crafting high. Nesting, I suppose. I had so many little sewing projects I wanted to accomplish, and while I wasn't able to finish everything I wanted to do, I was able to complete a few.

First I made a crib bumper. I was actually excited to start looking at boy things, but was disappointingly underwhelmed by the selection. Even if I wanted to spend a bazillion dollars (which I didn't!) I really couldn't find what I was looking for. I wanted something masculine and simple. No vehicles of transportation, no furry animals, no sports equipment. It's surprisingly difficult to find a simple blue geometric pattern in baby bedding! So I decided to go ahead and make it myself. How hard could it be??? (Famous last words, right?)

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised to realize it wasn't so tough to put together. I only ran into two minor problems, which were 100% my own fault in fabric selection. First of all, the seersucker (both the light blue and striped materials) is lumpy and bumpy (as it's meant to be,) which was fine for the big blocks but a little bit tricky when trying to sew the ties. Not terribly difficult, but a few of them came out a little funky. Secondly, the velvety material (the dark blue) worked fine for the big blocks, but was a beast for my little machine to sew through for the trim. One or two layers? No problem. Six layers of the thickest material, rolled over on itself? Needle-bending, thread-breaking nightmare. Live and learn. No thick velvety materials for the binding! (Until I buy a professional machine, anyway, and since I'm no professional, I think I'll stick to the regular-weight fabrics.)

But overall, I think it came out quite cute, if I do say so myself.

Of course, the best part is seeing him asleep in it! (I know... I'm obsessive with the positioning, swaddling blankets. Whatever keeps them asleep!)

Next I also made a car seat cover. Now... before you remind me of my promise to never make another one of these, let me restate that last sentence... I finished a car seat cover. Important distinction.

When I made the last car seat cover, I had started to make one to fit ours, mostly to make a pattern and to be sure I could actually do it. So I had this car seat cover 95% completed (everything except the strap holes and the edges of the canopy) and it was in boy-appropriate colors and fit our car seat. As much as I feared returning to this project, I knew it would be lame to leave the last little bit unfinished. And it was now or never, so I hunkered down and finished it up.

Bringing the little guy home in it even made it kinda worth it, but now I am officially done with the car seat cover business!

Finally, I made a few burp cloths. These were a fun and quick project that helped me remember how much I enjoy sewing. And hey-- he's an Asbury baby, so there was little doubt that this was a project that would be not only cute but very useful. And nothing says, "Mommy loves me" quite like something cute to spit-up on. =)

(And nothing says, "I'm a rock star!" quite like powder blue pop-pom trim! Though I think the cookies and milk pattern might be my personal favorite.)

And luckily for you, I will spare you a picture of Briggs putting this sewing project to good use.

I miss my projects, my sewing machine, and, admittedly, the free time I had to do such things, but my current hobbies include feeding, burping, diapering, soothing, carrying, bathing, and all things nurturing.

And I think that project is turning out quite nicely, too.

7.23.11

2011-08-17T15:54:00.000-04:00

7 years of marriage we are celebrating!
6 places we've lived
5 years of our marriage I've spent pregnant or nursing
4 jobs we've held
3 kids we have
2 graduations so far
1 happy life

Happy anniversary, love! Can't wait for an eternity more.

The Girls

2011-08-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

It's admittedly quite strange now that I can't simply say "the girls" when referring to my children. Poor Briggs. It's such a habit that he'll no doubt be grouped in with the female children in reference to this family more than a few times over the coming months, if not years. But I'm thinking that's not the only girly thing he'll have to put up with in his lifetime, so I guess he'd better start getting used to it.

But as far as these girlies go with having a new baby brother, I have to say they have pretty much been all-stars. I expected crankiness. I expected tantrums. I expected clinginess. But they've been amazing. They follow him around the house saying, "I love you, baby brother!" and "He looked at me! He likes me! I like him, too!!" They really do love him and have been so sweet and extremely patient. Sure, they're not huge fans of his crying. Particularly Reeve.

But overall they have been champs.

I think I may have prepped them a bit too much before his arrival about how they would be great big sisters, teaching him everything they know. The moment he arrived home they started bringing him anything and everything in the house to "teach" him about things. Here they are "teaching" Briggs about some of their toys.

He'll need to learn about sunglasses sometime in his life, so, you know, why not at two days old?

Libby enjoys reading him books.

And even serenading him with Primary songs.

Reeve likes to prance before him, one foot slowly in front of the other, proclaiming, "And that's how you walk, Briggs!"

It's sometimes hard to even take his picture without a blur of curly blond hair obstructing the view in an attempt to give a quick kiss to his head, tummy, or toes.

There are so many things wrong with posting this picture below (Hello pajama-clad backside just a few days postpartum!), but there a just a few too-precious things about it not to share. My girls try to be such helpers and love to run and get things for me, offer various suggestions (I think he wants his binky. He wants to sit in the bouncy chair now. Why don't you put him down now, mom?? I think he's sleepy. He wants to look at me. He wants me to touch his head. Can I hold him???...), and even just follow me around all day while I take care of him. Here is Reeve helping me at the changing table... with a post-it note stuck to her bum. =)

They are definitely craving time and attention from me. I fear I may have lowered their SAT scores by a few hundred points with the amount of TV and macaroni and cheese upon which they have subsisted these past few weeks, but I'm doing my best. Luckily Grammy and Popi showed up a few days after he was born, and they are all too happy to play along with the antics of the girlies.

There was even a Duck tour,

an Aquarium visit,

and a day at the Children's Museum. Thanks, Grammy and Popi for saving them... and us all!

So far, the girls just can't seem to get enough of their baby brother. Guess we'll see what happens once he starts stealing their toys, but for now, he's a welcome addition all around!

If Only For Today

2011-07-16T19:01:00.000-04:00

Turning my son into a mama's boy, one delicious snuggle at a time!

My baby is two weeks old today, and I have been slightly holding my breath to see if the colic train will come roaring into Asbury station, or if it will decide to pass us on by this time. (Please, please pass us by! I promise to wave and send my regards. I'll even buy a first-class ticket if you promise not to stop!) Colic tends to hit around the two- to four-week mark, but I'm really holding onto hope that this third time could be the charm.

Because these last two weeks have been divine. Di-vine. I didn't even know my life was missing my little Briggs until he arrived and things felt just as they should be. The first night we were home from the hospital I put Briggs down for a nap while the rest of us ate dinner. As the four of us sat eating, I just looked at Brian and said, "Doesn't it just feel like someone is missing?!" to which he replied, "I know. Isn't it weird that this is how it usually is?" Our baby boy was just sleeping in the other room, and already our family felt incomplete without his presence.

Because my boy is just delightful. I admit I am in love with two men now. One is Brian, and the other is Briggs. He steals my heart in a way I didn't know was possible or available. When I found out I was having a boy I was half thrilled, half terrified. Growing up with no brothers and then having two little girls, a little boy seemed somehow so far outside my comfort zone. And now he's all I know and everything I've ever wanted. I keep thinking, "THIS is what having a baby is supposed to be like!"

Perhaps it's the reward after the trial, but I feel so happy this time around. It's not the anxiety and major life overhaul of a first baby. It's not the juggling act of figuring out life with more than one child. It's just pure enjoyment. His arrival doesn't feel like it has brought a burden of extra chores, and I don't resent my new responsibilities. I love that it's my voice, my touch, and my scent that soothe him. I love that it's my body that provides his nourishment and feeds his adorable little chub. I love that my delivery went so great and that I feel well enough to care for him without cringing through the pain.

The colicy scream-fest of 2011 might start tomorrow. And my world might implode when all of my help goes home. And there will be teething and sleep set-backs and grocery store checkout tantrums. He will probably break his arm jumping off the backyard wall I will tell him a thousand times not to jump from. He will chase his sisters with spiders to hear them squeal, will ruin his Sunday shoes running in the mud, and will no doubt break a valuable or two dozen. He will probably date someone who is not good enough for him (will anyone ever be???), and he'll move away from home without a thought of how it breaks his poor mother's heart who has spent the last 18 years pouring her heart and soul into his very being. But that is for tomorrow. Because today he can do no wrong. Today he is wonderful and sweet and full of newborn, heaven-sent purity. Come what may, today, and even if only for today, he is mine and he is perfect.

Introducing...

2011-07-06T13:08:00.000-04:00

BRIGGS BRIAN ASBURY
Born July 2, 2011
8 pounds 15 ounces, 21 inches long

Hooray! Our little boy decided to arrive this weekend, a full 16 days ahead of schedule. No wonder I was feeling like I was in the last few days of pregnancy (or beyond)... I was! And judging by his weight and length, I'm thinking he arrived at just the right time. (And by the way, even more than two weeks early, he's still a full pound bigger than either of the girls were, even though they were born at full term and late!)

I had been contracting here and there for probably the last month or more, with contractions slowly getting closer and stronger over the past two weeks. In fact, I had been in the hospital for monitoring a couple of days this week (just some mildly high blood pressure and a few concerns about the baby's heart rate), and when they decided to do a contraction stress test (they induce contractions to see what his heart rate would do under stress), they realized my resting state actually qualified as a contraction stress test without giving me any pitocin because I was contracting so much on my own.

So I didn't think too much about it when I started contracting Friday night. That was pretty much the norm for me, though they did start to get a bit stronger and more regular than usual around 11:30 pm, so I started actually timing them. While they got stronger and stronger as the night wore on, they were still somewhat erratic, coming anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes apart, so even though I was pretty sure this was it by the strength of the contractions, I was having a hard time deciding when to leave for the hospital. I didn't want to repeat the drama and trauma of my last labor, so finally around 4 am I decided enough was enough, I'd better just go in. My parents had planned to come nearly a week before my due date, which seemed plenty adequate at the time, but our neighbors had offered to serve as a backup plan, so I woke up Brian and asked him to please call the neighbors to come watch our girls so we could go to the hospital.

The only problem was, our neighbors were not answering their phone. And when we peeked out our window at their driveway, we noticed their car was not there, but instead the car of the girl who watches over their house and feeds their dogs when they go out of town. Hmmmmmm.... So pretty much anyone and everyone who had offered help in the last few weeks crossed my mind, and I decided to call my wonderful friend Kristin. She picked up right away and said she would be over asap. So I think she pretty much deserves friend of the year award not only for coming over at 4 am, but also for getting here so quickly! I wish I'd timed her because I honestly believe she was at my house within three or four minutes of hanging up. It was awesome.

When we got checked in at the hospital, I found out I was 6 to 7 cm dilated. Then the nurse asked the all-important question, "Do you want an epidural?" Because my last labor had happened so quickly and I'd missed the epidural, I had been preparing myself these last several weeks for another natural delivery. This was a hotly debated topic in our house because, while I will go to my grave saying it was definitely worse for me than it was for Brian, it was still a very traumatic experience for us both last time around, and he had no interest in repeating the situation.

I was still managing the contractions very well, just quietly resting through them, and the nurse told me that it would probably be all over by the time I got checked in, had anesthesia paged, and got the epidural placed, so I decided to hunker down for another natural delivery. Again, I was dealing with the contractions just fine, but I was concerned about the actual delivery part. With Reeve's delivery I had also been dealing well with the contractions, but those last 10 minutes of crowning and delivery took about a full year of mental and physical recovery. It was bad. Not to mention that in all of the monitoring of the baby over the past week, I'd gotten an ultrasound that estimated his weight at 9 pounds 3 ounces. But thinking I was better prepared this time and likely to not have a choice, I decided to forge ahead.

I was still doing well as I got checked into labor and delivery... and still doing well over an hour later. But as time wore on, Brian mentioned that looming epidural again, and I caved. My contractions were stronger than ever, but still erratic. I was dealing with them well, but had not slept at all that night and was worried about repeating my last horrible birth experience, so I went for comfort. In the end, I was happy with my decision. I was able to rest for a bit before delivery, and when my doctor came to check me even after the epidural was placed, I was still at 7 cm. I had been worried for 9 months about repeating the crazy fast delivery, and now I was worried about it taking forever! I had figured Kristin could sleep on our couch for an hour or two, and Brian would be back before the girls even woke up. Fortunately I have a saint for a friend, and she not only took care of my kiddos and some apparent shenanigans at her own house, but also she took them all to the beach for the day!

When I was fully dilated, they still wanted me to rest for a bit to let the baby's head come down as far as possible and to allow my body to slowly adjust to the big baby in an effort to avoid or at least reduce the horrible tearing I'd experienced last time. I was able to rest for awhile, but finally the pain was mounting with very little relief from the epidural, and my nurse suggested I simply grunt at the end of long, slow breaths during contractions to help relieve some of the pain and pressure I was feeling. When she saw that this was helping, she took it as a sign that I was probably ready to start pushing, and decided to set things up... but when she pulled back the sheets to get me ready to push, she started yelling, "Wait! Wait! His head is coming out!" She frantically threw on gloves and had the other nurse in the room run for the doctor, who was luckily just outside in the hall. So without even really ever pushing, our nearly 9-pound baby entered the world just before noon on Saturday, with our doctor barely making it in time to catch him (and giving him a fun shoe-full of amniotic fluid and blood due to the quick birth without the bed and room set up for delivery! Sorry again, Doctor Richer!)

My sweet boy was perfect and pink, and placed immediately on my chest. I was able to hold him and nurse him for almost an hour before he was taken over to the warmer to be checked out and weighed. This experience alone made me so happy I'd gone for the epidural, seeing as Reeve went straight to a waiting NICU team due to my fast delivery without a doctor present, and then I hadn't gotten to hold her until almost an hour later because of the extensive repairs required. This time it was just pure bliss and bonding, and I soaked in every minute!

Just can't get enough of his sweet face! We have had multiple requests from friends and family members for pictures, and I am just all too happy to oblige. We are so proud of our new little man!

The girls came by for a quick visit that night to meet their new brother, and then for a little longer visit the next day after church. It was so good to see them. It was mad chaos with them there (Where is baby brother? Can I hold him? Can I touch his head? Can I touch his feet? Why is he here already? Can I hold him? Why is he crying? Is he hungry? Why don't you feed him? Can I hold him??), but I missed them like mad, too.

We love our newest little family member!

Does he not have the cutest profile ever?!

I loved snuggling him up! My two days in the hospital with him were such a treat. I was feeling pretty great considering I'd just had a 9-pound baby, and it was wonderful to just relax and focus on getting to know my son.

We're hoping there's not too much of this headed our way in the coming months. =) But look at that face... we'd still keep him!

Aren't baby feet just divine? Love 'em!

The girls watched some fireworks out the hospital room window. I felt bad for once again being a July 4th party pooper (we moved here right before July 4th two years ago and I was just so overwhelmed in the cross-country move and the house renovations that we pretty much skipped the holiday entirely), but it looks like we'll have plenty of partying to do in the beginning of July from here on out!

And just a few more because we think he's kinda cute...

We are now home, happy and healthy, and adjusting to life as a family of five. No doubt this is when the real Asbury Adventures begin!

Ripe

2011-06-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

This week we went strawberry picking at Ward's Berry Farm with a group of friends from church. I've somehow managed to miss the berry picking seasons for the past two years, and I vowed to rectify that oversight this year.

We were almost derailed by a series of unfortunate events, including the over-picking and subsequent closing of our originally-intended destination that required last-minute changes to a different farm, spilled breakfasts and poopy diapers that seriously delayed our departure from the house, and the general malaise that is known as the third trimester. When we were buried under 6 feet of snow I actually thought the middle of July would be a great time to have a baby so I could get a little summer in with the girls before we become more house-bound with a newborn. Unfortunately, I greatly overestimated my propensity for fun field trips when 9-months pregnant, not to mention the ridiculously lackluster spring/summer we've been having, filled with clouds, rain, and very few days of sunshine. This day, however, was a beauty, and I talked myself into persevering the escalating exhaustion and whining, and we arrived to the farm a mere two hours late.

We ran inside the general store and purchased our berry-picking baskets. And yes, I'm that mom that makes my kids hold hands for pictures sometimes just because I can.

Evidence we made it out to the field. Luckily there were a few troopers among our friends who were picking much larger flats of strawberries, so we got to spend some time with them, too.

A berry or two or five hundred might have been consumed straight off the vine. They were delicious!

Sweaty, dirty, tired, and strawberry-juice-mustached, our baskets were finally filled!

We brought these beauties home and couldn't wait to dive in for more! Though I had no intention of doing anything with these strawberries other than washing and eating them, I was inspired by my fellow friends to attempt to make some freezer jam. When I heard how easy it really was, I just couldn't resist, so half of our take was set aside for jam.

I used this recipe, and it really couldn't have been easier. The amount of sugar that goes into it is shocking, really, but it does make for some quite tasty jam!

In an effort to get the girls involved I had them each mash a bowl of strawberries... which lasted about 2.4 seconds before they got bored and tired, I dumped it all into our blender, and carried on.

In no time we had 5 beautiful jars of homemade jelly made from strawberries picked with our own hands. (Now if we'd grown the strawberries ourselves you could really be impressed, but alas, I think the squirrels have eaten all but 5 of our strawberries. We'll leave the growing part to the professionals.)

Our taste-testers definitely approved! It really is quite scrumptious, and considering we've already plowed through a jar and a half in under a week, I'm wondering if perhaps I should've made another batch with the other half of our berries. Alas, they were too ripe and yummy to last for long, and they were quickly devoured over the next day or two, so we'll just have to enjoy the few jars of jelly while supplies last!

And in all internet honesty, lest you should be impressed by my domestic prowess (not that you were... seriously, did you read that recipe? Making the jam was probably just as easy as driving to the grocery store to buy some), this is what my living room floor looked like before, during, and after the jam making, and how it looked when I went to bed that night promising to deal with it in the morning.

And speaking of being ripe for the picking, I think it's officially my turn. For the love, this belly is out of control. I think it has started taking on artificial intelligence in an undercover plot geared for world domination. My wonderful friend lent me some maternity clothes to help me get through summer and the last few weeks of pregnancy. As I was trying some of them on I came across this cute top (which I think might actually be intended as a dress, though the sheer size of my belly puts the hemline nowhere near my knees, so I was hoping for more of a tunic look.) It has an elastic band where one's pregnant belly begins, thereby clearly delineating the protruding abdomen and emphasizing the sheer size and shape of this poor pregnant body. Noticing this silhouette I took it upon myself to further caricature-ize myself by pulling in the fullness of the shirt (dress?) at the bottom to get the belly's full effect. Let's just say I had a good laugh, took a picture, and folded this article of clothing neatly back into the bag.

I'm feeling more ripe than ever. I don't feel like I hit this wall with the girls. Even when Libby was overdue and people were asking me left and right when that baby was finally going to come?!, I honestly thought, "She'll come when she's good and ready! Stop vicariously rushing things!" When I worked as a labor & delivery nurse, I could never really understand the women who begged to stay and be induced despite their obvious signs of false labor and/or the signs of early labor that seemed to convince only me that delivery was not too far distant. They pleaded with puppy-dog eyes as I held the phone and their doctor's pager number in my hand like I was the last link between them and sanity. I had patients demand they be allowed to talk to their doctor should s/he want to send them home... and even had a few of those transferred phone calls result in the doctor's decision to induce labor on the spot.

But this time I get it. I have hit the proverbial wall of pregnancy these past few days, and I'm just ready to be D-O-N-E! Even beyond the huge and uncomfortable belly, the swollen ankles, the backaches, and everything else, I am done feeling like a human spectacle. I seriously cannot leave my house without constant comments on the sheer size of my pregnant belly. I don't know exactly what it is about pregnancy that somehow unlocks the social phobias of total strangers and releases all inhibitions about commenting on the size of another's body, but there is an apparent release from the social graces of normal life when one has a bun in the oven.

Now, I generally don't mind comments about the shape of my belly. In fact, it's a little endearing when someone comments about my little (okay, massive) beach ball. When they say it looks like I've shoved a basketball under my shirt to pretend to be pregnant, or that they couldn't even tell I was pregnant from the back, that makes me smile and gives me hope that my body has maintained some sort of normalcy through this whole thing. (Anybody remember those '80s "My Buddy" commercials?? Comments about my beach ball belly somehow make me think of that little jingle... with a slight variation... "My belly and me!")

Comments about the sheer SIZE of my belly, on the other hand, are not always as welcomed. Seriously, what woman wants to be called HUGE. Because I have... been called huge... by a total stranger... posing as a "customer service" representative. I don't care if it's a woman bulking up for the international body building championship. Call her muscular, call her ready, but don't call her huge. (Especially if she really is huge because then she can probably beat you up. And you'd deserve it.) I have been asked if my pregnant belly feels heavy. I have been asked how much weight I've gained. There have been slightly-joking references to twins and other multiples rivaling the Octomom. People have ceased to simply ask when my due date is and instead ask with projected impatience and exasperation, "WHEN are you DUE?!?!" with great emphasis as if to say, "I have never seen someone so HUGE! You can't possibly have any more time left until delivery or you might positively rupture right here on the spot!" I have been asked if my doctor has estimated the baby's size (she hasn't), how much the girls weighed (about 8 pounds), and if I think I'm bigger this time around (I do, but your asking doesn't exactly help in my intentional efforts at denial or in the self-consciousness department.) In fact, I have been asked when my due date "was", and if I had tried the traditional means of natural labor induction, from long walks and trampoline bouncing, to castor oil and spicy peppers. (Trust me-- if this kid goes overdue, I think there's nothing short of a jack hammer that I won't try to get him out.) And so help me, should this boy ever turn up at our house in the back of a police car, I will have no shame in blowing up the above picture to poster proportions and plastering it all over his room and perhaps his high school. You see what I did to get you here, don't you?? Don't even THINK about making me second-guess that effort!

So just in case you were wondering after this rant, yes, I'm ready to have this baby. Ripe as can be. I'm ready to meet him. I'm ready to be done being pregnant. And by "ready" I don't exactly mean that my hospital bag is completely packed, our house is all clean and ready to receive a newborn, and I'm all geared up to face the wonders of sleep deprivation and colic again. I just mean I'm ready to move on. I'm trying not to hold onto any hope of an early delivery, seeing as the girls ranged from 5 days late to right on time, and I still have a little while to go. So for the next three weeks until my due date I think I'll try to avoid strangers and crowded places in general... and eat a little more bread with jam.

31

2011-06-22T02:15:00.000-04:00

I celebrated my 31st birthday last week, and you know what? I've decided 31 is pretty darn great.

This is how I exist in our family history/documentation. If I didn't take a few pictures of myself and/or have my parents visit once in awhile and take pictures, I'm pretty sure I would be the family absentee. Even on my birthday!

There was no major decade shift. I'm not only used to being "in my thirties," but I'm quite happy to be there.

Also, as a great friend reminded me, this year has a lot of excitement in store. The birth of our third child, our first boy, Brian's graduation and first career job (it will be really weird to not be students anymore!), and a potential move associated with getting a job. Lots of good things seem to be awaiting me at 31, and I'm excited to live up to our blog name of Asbury Adventures!

Our Little Ballerina

2011-06-16T00:28:00.000-04:00

This first picture pretty much sums up Libby's attitude towards her dance class for about the past six months. A little indifferent, a little begrudging, a little sassy. It's sad, really, because it's something that we did purely for her benefit and enjoyment, and something she agreed at the beginning of the year that she did, indeed, want to do, but it has pretty much been pulling teeth to get her to class each week for the last little while. We've talked about the fun things she does like about the class, we've practiced politely declining to do the moves she doesn't like, and we've had the "Asburys aren't quitters" talk more times than I'd like to admit.

This is also a fairly good representation of her dance class attitude-- dressed, ready, and present... but really just doing whatever the heck she wants to do. This little person sure has a mind of her own!

But at least this is a good depiction of what usually happens in the end-- a few good moments of cooperation after some lengthy discussion and sometimes a small bit of bribery.

But then there was the recital.

(Alas, pictures and video were not allowed during the actual performance, a policy which I thought was totally lame. The Boston Ballet I could totally understand. My 4-year-old daughter's recital? Seems like I should be able to snap a picture or two from my seat-- which was along the side of the auditorium in ROW U, by the way. Apparently if you miss opening morning of ticket sales there isn't much left! Anyway, a few in-class rehearsal pictures will have to suffice in place of actual recital performance pictures.)

Well, seems my little girl loves to perform. She performed her two dances the very best I've ever seen, with a big smile and lots of personality infused with all the dance steps she's apparently been pretending not to know all along. She loved it. Every single second. She loved dancing on the stage, she loved getting all dressed up and being allowed to wear makeup, and she loved sitting backstage coloring ballerina pictures and watching Barbie ballerina movies. She ate it up and now claims that she does want to do dance again next year.

Reeve, for her part, did pretty well. I'd considered getting someone to watch her for me during the recital, but I figured she'd earned a ticket having gone with Libby all year long and waited patiently during the hour-long class, not getting to do the activity herself.

Unfortunately I was informed by an usher about 10 acts into the show that there had been complaints about her being too noisy. Who, our daughter? Noisy? Nooooo.... Okay, so she wasn't exactly silent, but I think she was actually quite well behaved for a two-year-old, sitting in the back of an auditorium, watching and waiting for her sister's moment in the spotlight. So she liked announcing the various shades of the ever-changing lighting colors once in awhile. I still think our seat neighbors could have chilled a bit. She wasn't obstructing anyone's view or otherwise interfering with the ability of anyone to see or even hear the performances. Nevertheless, I tried to oblige the grumpers and took her into the hall for a bulk of the show between Libby's two dances.

(She had a little bit of costume jealousy, so when we got home Reeve got to put on one of Libby's old Halloween costumes, with which she was totally pleased. Chicken suit saves the day!)

Libby, for her part, was beaming ear to ear pretty much the rest of the day. I told her how proud I was of her for sticking it out and doing her best, and that the recital was her reward for working so hard all year long. "But the lollipop is my reward!" She was just as happy with the lollipop they handed out at the door as she was with the entire experience, I think.

Another highlight was getting her own flower. (She looks so serious only because the camera flash was washing her out completely and the previous 9 pictures without the flash were a blur of aqua/lavender tulle. She was so excited she simply couldn't keep still! Begging and bribery finally turned out a focused picture, but also a very deceptively docile expression.)

And the "real" ballerina bun. She's hardly stopped talking about it. None of this looped-ponytail stuff being pawned off as the real deal. I guess the hairdo made her feel very authentic and brought out her secret dancing super powers!

The glow of the recital has not yet worn off, and she still claims she's up for another year of dance class. We'll see if her new-found dance enthusiasm lasts the summer and how it all plays out in the Fall. Whatever she decides, I sure am proud of everything she accomplished this year and happy that she enjoyed the fruits of her labors so much. Way to go, Libby!

We Are A Non-Discriminatory Housing Lender

2011-06-08T14:58:00.000-04:00

FAIRIS

ULALD

And just in case you don't speak 4-year-old phonics, let me translate:

"Fairies Are Allowed"

The Upside

2011-06-06T15:34:00.000-04:00

Boston's humidity is not one of my favorite things. I have to say, however, it does do some quite wonderful things for my kids' curly hair. Like making it look like I've actually attempted to give them a cute hairstyle, when in actuality they rolled out of bed and I threw a barrette in the top.

If only it would make my hair curlier and cuter instead of crazier and frizzier. But we'll take what we can get!

Preschool: Ocean

2011-06-05T17:54:00.000-04:00

I taught my last preschool day for the year a couple of weeks ago. The girls were all very attentive and interested in the activities, so I'd say things went well. We sure are going to miss our wonderful preschool group!

We started out with a fish dot-to-dot worksheet to introduce the topic. They were pretty good about following the numbers in order and were really excited to color their fish once they completed the outline.

Next we read "Ten Little Fish" (which counts down fish from 10 to 1, and then the last little fish meets a friend and they have 10 baby fish.) They really enjoyed this little book, and loved to help count down the fish as the story went along.

Next we sang "Slippery Fish." I was worried they might think the song was a little "baby-ish", but they were all really into it, and helped sing along and do all the actions. Then we read Dr. Seuss' "One Fish, Two Fish."

Next I pretended I was going on vacation to the beach and needed their help with what to pack. I had a bunch of items in a basket, hidden under a blanket, and we took them out one at a time and discussed whether we would or would not bring it to the beach. We packed a beach towel, bathing suit, sunglasses, flip flops, swimming goggles, sunscreen, and sand toys. (Of course the moment Reeve saw her bathing suit she neeeeeeded to strip down in the middle of preschool and put it on!)

The "reject" items we didn't pack were a winter hat, winter coat, mittens, scarf, flashlight, apron, muffin tin, a trick-or-treating pumpkin, and a bottle of Windex. They had a lot of fun with this and were very adept at vocalizing their opinions and giving the rationale for their decisions.

Then we all pretended to travel to the beach and we build a "sandcastle" out of blocks. I expected them all to take a few blocks and build their own, but they worked together and build one big tower. It was great!

After that we talked about how there are lots of different kinds of animals living in the ocean. We read "Seamore, the Very Forgetful Porpoise" (about a porpoise who thinks he finds a big porpoise friend, but it's actually a killer whale; his friends laugh at him for the mix-up, but it turns out the killer whale is quite nice and is a good friend.)

Then I taped up the names of several different kinds of ocean animals, and we took turns picking out pictures of each of these animals and taping their pictures next to their names. (We found a fish, whale, crab, lobster, starfish, octopus, sea horse, orca/killer whale, jellyfish, shark, sea turtle, sting ray, and a dolphin.)

We talked about how some sea animals need to breathe air at the surface and how others can use the oxygen in the water. We also talked about how some have thick coats of blubber so they can live in the icy water or in the very deep, cold water. Next we tried a little experiment that didn't go so great. I'd found the idea online but didn't get to test it out beforehand. We were trying to see how hot water rises to the surface and cold water sinks to the bottom. So we got a glass of cold water and dumped in a glass of hot water that I'd dyed blue. The blue dye was slightly more concentrated at the top, but it mixed a lot into the cold water. Maybe this would've worked better with a bigger tank of water? Or some technique other than just dumping one into the other to minimize mixing? I don't know. Guess there's always gotta be at least one preschool blooper.

Next we tried an experiment that went much better. We made "fish" (raisins) "swim" (float up and down) in a pitcher of water. We mixed baking soda and vinegar in a large pitcher of water, then dumped in a bunch of raisins. The bubbles from the baking soda/vinegar reaction carry the raisins to the top, where they pop and let the raisins sink down again, making them appear to "swim" in the pitcher. They really enjoyed watching this.

While our "fish" continued to "swim", we made our own ocean scenes with foam sea-creature stickers. They were supposed to draw the rocks, seaweed, coral, etc first, but got a little too excited about the foam stickers, so they mostly did the stickers and skipped the coloring, which was fine.

While they were making their pictures I read "Commotion in the Ocean" to them (a book that has a little poem about several different kinds of sea animals.)

When they were done we read one of my favorite kids' books, "A Fish Out of Water" (a story about a little boy who feeds his fish too much and he keeps growing and growing.) They were very engrossed in this story. It was cute!

We then played a game of sink or float and used charts to make predictions about whether we thought the various items would sink or float, and then to record what actually happened. It was a little tricky for some to figure out how to use a chart, but most of them got it. We had fun taking turns throwing things into our bucket of water to see if they would sink or float. (We tried out a rubber duck, metal fork, plastic fork, toothbrush, plastic dish, rubber band, pencil, balloon, sunglasses, cookie, toy clown, barrette, crayon, and marshmallow!)

After that we made some colorful fish, using paper hole punches and sequin sparkles for the scales.

Then we read another one of my favorite kids' books, "Imogene's Antlers" (about a girl who wakes up with antlers and how she adapts throughout the day, until she wakes up the next morning with a peacock tail.)

We then talked about what if we turned into fish, and we all pretended to swim around the room. I turned on the song "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid and used a bubble gun to blow lots of bubbles, which of course they loved popping.

After a few minutes of free play time, we came back together for an ocean-themed lunch of "seashell" macaroni and cheese, some goldfish crackers, and a fish-shaped jello jiggler.

While they ate I read them "Fidgety Fish" (about a fish who is so fidgety his mom sends him to play to get his energy out, until he is swallowed by a big fish... but his wiggles/fidgeting in that fish's belly gets him burped back out, all the way back home! =)

We also tried an experiment I'd seen on PBS, where you cut out fish shapes from paper, put them in some water, and then drip dish soap or oil on them to make them scoot across the water like they are swimming. We also got to talk a little bit about how oil and water don't mix and how we need to keep the oceans clean for the animals living there.

So that was our day of preschool. I had a good time teaching and the girls were all great about participating and being enthusiastic, so I hope they enjoyed it, too!

Easter

2011-06-05T16:37:00.000-04:00

As usual, I'm playing a little blog catch-up. Some day I will be on top of things. But that will probably be a very boring day when I have nothing better to do than keep my house spick and span and blog. But then there won't be so much to blog about, anyway, so it won't be very hard to keep things up to date. So I guess I'm not looking forward to being on top of things too much.

We had a really wonderful Easter full of family and sugary goodness. I had hoped to start the day off with a special breakfast treat, so I searched online for an egg-less cinnamon roll recipe. (I used this one with this frosting recipe.) I wasn't sure how they were going to turn out, being egg-less and all, but I thought it was worth a shot. I made them the night before, baked them in the morning, and set them out on the table before jumping in the shower to get ready for church. When I returned the pan looked like this:

And there was frosting dripping from Libby's mouth. Yep, they were a hit, and I think the recipe is a keeper!

We had a wonderful church service with some amazing musical contributions and insightful lessons, perfect for a holiday devoted to the resurrected Lord.

Much like Santa, we don't really "do" the Easter Bunny here. We are happy to read stories or do coloring pages, but he's not discussed as a real person coming to our house. It's a slight attempt to keep us focused on the real purpose of the holiday, but we try not to ruin the fun of it, either. Plus, with Libby's egg allergy we don't dye eggs, so my kids were happy to wait until after dinner for their Easter egg hunt.

But they were very excited! Most of my pictures from "the hunt" involve blurriness, the backs of heads, and crazy facial expressions. The girls were on the move looking for treasures, and not at all interested in posing for photos.

Taking inventory post hunt.

As a special Easter treat, our first tulip bloomed, as well! It was a happy sign that Spring really had sprung!

And don't worry, Mother Nature, my tulips survived just fine, so your little April Fool's joke is forgiven.

Happy Easter!

Home Renovation: The Bathroom

2011-05-27T14:13:00.000-04:00

Remember this little beauty of a bathroom? Fluorescent lights, plastic 3M towel hangers, tiled everything, and all?

Well, my friends, it's a thing of the past. More like a pile of rubble that moved from the bathroom to our driveway and on to its final resting place at the city dump... where it belongs!

We took it down to the studs and started over. Even put in new studs in several places. It's new as new can be!

One great discovery of hollowing out the room was that the wall against the kitchen was made extra wide to allow space for some old ventilation pipes. But since we completely remodeled the kitchen, we were able to take out those old, unused pipes and move the wall back, widening the bathroom by another 6 inches or so.

Having a handy husband (and handy father-in-law and uncle-in-law) really does come in quite handy!

We've been planning this project since we first started our home renovations two years ago, and we're so happy with the result!

One of the crowning features of the new bathroom: the jacuzzi tub! This is amazing. Amazing, I tell you. In fact, I'm not a big bath person. I can't remember the last time I took a bath. Probably high school? But the jacuzzi tub is an experience! It's even got an inline heater to keep your bath water warm. The people who come up with this stuff are genius! It's seriously giving me more motivation to be a good person because I'm pretty sure every house in heaven is going to be outfitted with one of these babies. Because it's pure heaven!!

Love that I can post a picture of the kiddos in the bathtub without it being a naked picture! These two love the jacuzzi tub as much as I do (okay, probably even more), and the bath time ritual has become a bit extended these days. We've had to set limits on the number of jacuzzi baths per week for them, though they ask daily if it's "jet bath day!"

Detail of the shower wall accent tile. We really like how everything turned out, but I think Brian and I wouldn't mind not seeing another tile sample as long as we both shall live. It's easy to judge others' design choices, but when you're starting from scratch and calling the shots, it's actually quite difficult to make it all come together. Some stressful times over tile!

The new vanity-- two sinks and drawers! Another little slice of heaven in my life right now.

And electrical outlets! Hooray for life in the twenty-first century! I can now blow dry my hair without unplugging (and resetting) Brian's razor. And I can pull out my electrical toothbrush that has been in storage for the last two years. Yay!

We're so happy with how everything turned out and immensely grateful to Brian's dad and uncle who came to help and make this happen. They are amazing, and we truly couldn't do it without them.

In fact, they did such an amazing job and managed to work a bit ahead of schedule, so they even started our garage-to-family room conversion! Apparently that's how we roll these days... one project down means another one begins.

It's great to get so many things accomplished, and we're falling in love with our house all over again. We don't know how we're ever going to leave! I guess for now we're just trying to enjoy the fruits of our labors while they're still ours... especially the jacuzzi tub!

A Project Two Years In The Making

2011-05-13T14:46:00.000-04:00

Can I get a "Hallelujah, Amen!"? Yes, I finally finished Reeve's "big girl bed" quilt that I've been working on for, oh, just about three years! Luckily I haven't been sewing it for that long, but it's been in the works. When I was about this point in my pregnancy with Reeve, you might recall I was sorta freaking out about what to with the crib/bed situation and debating about keeping Libby in her crib and just putting Reeve in a second crib, so I went and bought fabric to make another crib bedding set. But in the end we ended up moving Libby to a twin and using the crib (and same crib bedding) for Reeve. So I still had all the fabric, and I was determined to turn it into a twin sized quilt for Reeve when she moved to her "big girl bed." I mean, two-plus years should be sufficient time for one to accomplish such a task... right?!

Well, the next time I say to myself, "How hard can it be?" I will respond with an emphatic, "Really dang hard!" Not that I wouldn't do it again. I'm happy with how it turned out and I'm grateful for the experience. But it was quite the project and a lot harder than I imagined it would be!

When I was first thinking about making a crib set, I found a pattern I really liked and looked pretty easy in this book:

But then of course when I scrapped the crib set idea and decided to use the fabric for the new baby's eventual big girl bed, I realized I would have to convert it into a twin size. Luckily that wasn't too difficult, and I was able to make my own pattern based on the crib-sized one in the book. I should've had a slight hint as to the extent of this project after I counted up the number of pieces I'd need for each color, and there turned out to be nearly a thousand. That's a lot of cutting, ironing, and sewing!

Also, I'd picked the pattern thinking it looked rather simple, even though it was labeled as "intermediate" in the book. (Again, "How hard can it really be?") Even though I'd never machine quilted before, I could sew and I'd done hand-tied quilts. And really, how much different is a diamond than the basic square blocks I'd done before?

Well, let me tell you, the diamond shape is a lot different than a square! First of all, all of the seams have to be off-set during sewing, so that when you open them flat the edges come out straight. Secondly, because of the diagonal cut, the shapes are now cut on the bias and they twist and stretch like crazy, making it nearly impossible to get anything to lay flat.

There are places the corners all came together perfectly.

Then there are others that are a little more skiwompus. (Yes, that's an official sewing term. You can quote me.)

There are lots of places that got sewn in tucked and twisted and pulling due to that crazy bias cut (and my own sewing abilities... or inabilities, actually.) I ripped out more seams than I care to remember, and others I simply left either because the mistakes were too minor to face my seam ripper or because I just didn't think I could sew it any better a second time.

Then there are other places for which I won't provide evidence that look like a blind, drunken, arthritic rat sewed them. Oh well. Again, you may recall I am no Amish quilter, and I make mistakes just fine on my own.

I even added a little weave pattern around the boarder, and though it's really uneven, I still like it and am proud of the attempt.

It has the overall effect I was going for, and I am pretty dang proud of the result. It was a lot of work and I stuck it out and learned a lot, and I even quite like the quilt, if I do say so myself.

I finished the quilt the night before my parents arrived, and when I put it on her bed Reeve immediately stacked it up with all of her favorite stuffed animals and jumped right in! To finish the project I'd set up camp on the dining room table and pretty much worked on the quilt in every spare second I had, so the quilt had quite the build-up as she had been watching and anticipating for a long time as I made it. Nothing like a huge smile from the little one to feel the appreciation. Thanks, Reeve! (And yes, I still let her sleep with a binky. Don't judge me. Or judge me all you want, but I just won't care.)

With the craziness of all the visitors coming to town, I thought that might not be the best time to transition to the new bed, so even though it was all ready to go, I still had Reeve sleep in her crib while my parents were here for two weeks.

However, we just didn't want to put off the transition any longer, so in the one night in April with no visitors, the day my parents left and the day before Brian's dad and uncle arrived to help us with the bathroom remodel, we set up her bed and went for it! Here it is all ready to go!

Like I said before, this bed had quite the extended period of build-up, so she was more than happy to jump right in that night.

And luckily, it worked like a charm. ;)

Naps were a different story, however this could've had more to do with the constant hammering, drilling, etc that was occurring at all hours in our house with the remodel. It was not unusual for her to be in and out of bed during nap time, with playing the norm and sleeping pretty much an impossibility, but at least she stayed in her room, so I was happy. And with the missed naps I think it actually helped her to be more tired out and ready for sleep at night, making it a fairly easy transition to sleeping in the bed.

And since our visitors have gone she has actually mostly gone back to her normal napping schedule (a few days a week yes, a few days a week no), so I'd mark this one up as a success.

All in all it was a lot more difficult of a project than I expected, but it was truly a labor of love. It's not perfect, but it's good and it keeps my little girl warm and she loves it, so I'm more than happy with the result. And also I'm quite glad it's done!

The Haps

2011-05-08T15:51:00.000-04:00

We had a very busy April (as evidenced by my serious blog neglect), with visitors here for pretty much the whole month! It was great to have them all here, and we had a lot of fun.

First my parents came to visit for a couple of weeks, and we were able to do some cool things while they were here.

We went to the Franklin Park Zoo and had an amazing day!

The gorillas were out and about in their habitat, and not only were we able to see them be fed, but also they were very fond of coming right up to the glass to hang out with us. There was even a tiny baby gorilla riding around on its mother's leg, which was crazy adorable.

They had a special giant anteater on display, which was pretty cool. But watch out for giant pregnant bellies also on display!

The lion was awake and even roaring up a storm, which was pretty awesome!

We also got to celebrate my mom's birthday while she was here. Happy birthday to Grammy!

Libby's dance class had a "parents' week" where we were invited in to view their class. That's always entertaining! (Libby is in the back corner. Sorry, kiddo, but that will probably be your spot for the rest of your life. Us tall girls get immediately delegated to the back row. But you will be able to reach things on high shelves and shoot a basketball way over their heads, so don't worry, love, you've still got the best deal goin'.)

It was also costume week, in which they received their costumes for the upcoming dance recital, so that was a fun and motivating treat for Libby. Here she is modeling the costume and giving you her best arabesque.

We also headed over to one of our favorite spots, The Butterfly Place.

I spot a Blue Morpho Libbyfly!

Yep, that's my girl!

We were also able to make it to one of my very favorite Boston events, The Boston Marathon. It is an AMAZING sight, and the girls and I have been looking forward to it since we went last year. We set up camp a little after mile 19, right at the start of "Heartbreak Hill." (Gotta love Lib's sassafras pose.)

The wheelchair racers are so inspiring! I can only imagine how difficult it must be to live normal life in a wheelchair, and I simply can't imagine how grueling it must be to train for and race in a marathon in a wheelchair. It's quite an emotional experience to watch them speed by.

The "elite" runners are quite a sight, too. I was able to snap a picture right as the first of them came by, and I was lucky enough to get a shot of this year's winner, Geoffrey Mutai. He actually set a course and world record for his amazing time of 2:03:02, though some lame record snobs are refusing to officially give him the record title because they say he was helped by a tailwind that was blowing that day. I say tailwind, shmailwind. Does the man in this picture look like he's getting help from anything other than his own gazelle stride and sheer will?! Recall this is mile nineteen!!

We made a few signs the night before the race to encourage the runners, which was very serious business for Libby and Reeve. They were excited to get them out and start cheering.

In fact, we believed they could do it even when some members of our party were too cold and/or tired to watch. But the cheering section endured!

It's pretty amazing to see the sea of racers and realize they all had to qualify for the race, and that even more people who wanted to run were turned away due to limited space. I'm already excited to watch again next year!

We had a great time with Grammy and Popi and hope they had as much fun as we did!

Around Here

2011-04-14T15:31:00.000-04:00

In my house...

... Batman rappels from pink princess castles.

... One can find Tinkerbell sitting down to a nice Thanksgiving dinner

... or added to an afternoon snack.

... The princesses often go on parade

... or adorn the tops of towers.

... Lunch can turn into arts and crafts time

... and laundry day always includes a pink load.

... The dinosaurs hug it out after an afternoon of play,

... breakfast may be shared with any number of stuffed animal friends,

... and mom's high heels are coveted items.

... Basketballs are pushed around in pink butterfly strollers.

... The toys powwow in thrones around the castle table

... and doorknobs are often decorated with fluffy feather boas.

... Most everything is pink, from the sippy cups

... to the blankets

... and even the previously assumed "gender neutral" toys, like books, are very girl-ified.

Piles of blue decorated with trucks and cowboys are very foreign. Yep. Things are gonna chaaaaaaaaaaaaange around here!

Mother Nature Thinks She Is SO Funny

2011-04-02T00:26:00.000-04:00

Mother Nature decided to play a little joke on us for April Fool's Day and gave us a nice snow storm. The weather has been quite pleasant the last couple of weeks, and we'd been hoping for a full-fledged welcome to Spring, but there were other plans in store for us.

The funny thing is that when I told my kids in the morning that it had snowed, they were so excited. Libby literally couldn't wait to get outside. Can we go outside right now? No, we have to eat breakfast first. So I ate one bite of cereal, can we go outside now?? No, you have to actually eat until you are full. I am completely done with breakfast can we go outside now?! It's very cold outside and we need to put on our winter clothes. I put on my gloves all by myself! Can we go outside noooooow?!?! Still missing real clothes (no jammies in the snow!), boots, snow pants, and a hat.... I think you get the idea.

When we were finally ready you'd think I'd told Libby we were going to Disneyland for the day. She was truly giddy with joy. Even Reeve was chomping at the bit and totally happy to play outside. Seriously, where was this enthusiasm for the snow two months ago?!?!

It was probably the "stickiest" snow I've ever seen. I honestly just had to grab a handful of the stuff and roll it around a few times and it was a huge ball without hardly even trying. So of course a snowman was our first priority order of business.

It was fairly slushy in areas, and the kiddos were pretty cumbered by their bulky snow suits, but bikes were still in order for the day. They enjoyed the snow, but they weren't about to give up the Springtime activities!

There were snow angels...

snow chairs...

snow boogers...

and snowball fights....

I love when I'd tell Reeve, "I'm going to get you!" she'd just freeze and brace herself for the oncoming snowball attack. No attempt to run whatsoever. It was so cute, and I admit I took full advantage to pelt her with a few!

One snowman just wasn't enough, so we build Frosty II in the front yard!

I was having a good time outside with the kiddos and not even bemoaning the snow too much because warmer temperatures really do seem to be on their way. It's somehow easier to deal with winter when you know it's in its final throws. I really am ready for Spring. The bulbs I planted in fall even started sprouting and I was so excited to see them popping up around the house this week. I can take Mother Nature's little joke for the day, but if the snow kills my little flowers off someone will have some serious explaining to do. It's all fun and games until my tulips get hurt!

I admit I do love the puddle of winter clothes in the mudroom after a long morning of playing in the snow. I just enjoy seeing how we played outside together until we were frozen and all tuckered out, and then got to melt into the wonderful warmth of our home. Nothing quite like peeling off a million dirty, soaking layers and cuddling up in PJs and sweats!

Of course our favorite tradition of post-snow playing hot chocolate was upheld.

All in all we really did enjoy this late little snow storm. But we are hoping winter has now had its last laugh. We do have a whole summer to fit into the next few months before baby brother arrives mid-July and keeps us tied to home a bit more. So thanks, winter, for reminding us that you might not be so bad after all, but feel free to show yourself out now. We're ready for Spring!!

Preschool: Getting Along With Others/Friendship

2011-03-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

I was excited to teach this week's preschool session about "getting along with others." Although I typically love the book we've been working with, and I thought it was a great topic, I wasn't a super fan of the suggested activities (peace doves and circle of harmony crafts sounded like no fun and way too symbolic for preschoolers), so I sorta morphed the topic into a more generalized "how to be a good friend"/friendship preschool, and I think it turned out pretty well. Here's what we did:

We started off reading "Purplicious." (Pinkalicious' friends tease her and don't want to play with her because they all like the color black now and think she is being "babyish", but she meets a friend who likes purple, which she makes with pink, so it all turns out okay!) We talked about how the teasing and unkind words from the other kids made her feel. We also talked about some nice things they could've said, and how we can all be friends even though we are all different and like different things.

I then had each girl draw a picture of herself on a large piece of paper. We then clipped each picture up one at a time on our easel and thought of nice things to say about each other. They seemed a little stumped at first-- I think they're so used to being friends they haven't really stopped to think about what, in particular, they like about each other, but I gave them some ideas and they seemed to get the hang of it. I was impressed that all of their ideas about why they like each other were personality traits (sharing, nice, etc) rather than physical attributes, possessions/clothes, etc. Good job, moms!! I wrote down the ideas they gave for each person on their paper. (I enjoyed that Libby came up with "She is true" (I think that means honest) and "She is smart" for her own paper!)

Next we read "Not Norman" (about a boy who gets a pet fish but really wants a dog or cat, but learns to love his fish in the end after he realizes all the good things about him.) We talked about how seeing the positives in others can help us be good friends. We talked about how we are all different, and we might even look for different things in our friends at first, but that we should look for the best in people. We then played a "Friend Like Me" game. We sat in a circle and as I called out different things (who has brown hair, who has a brother, who is wearing purple, etc) and the girls stood up if it applied to them. We learned that even though we are all a little bit different and a little bit similar, we are all still friends.

Then we read "Fancy Nancy: Pajama Day." (When it's pajama day at school, Nancy's two other friends wear the same PJs and play with each other all day, and she feels excluded until they work it out and all play together at the end.) We talked about how everyone likes to feel included.

I then drew the book's characters (as stick figures, of course!) on the dry erase board and we did some very simple math together. (If the two friends are nice and play with Nancy, how many friends will there be all together? What if they add their teacher, too? Which group of friends is more? etc.)

Then we read "The Crayon Box That Talked" (about a box of crayons that doesn't get along with each other until a little girl colors a picture using all of them, and they realize they are all unique and important.)

We then played a game of "musical crayons!" I gave them each a paper and one crayon. When the music played, they colored a picture. When the music stopped, they had to pass their crayon to the friend to their right. They all did a great job and had some cute, colorful pictures!

Next we talked about how we are all different/unique. We talked about how each zebra's stripes are unique, and how our fingerprints are unique. We then stamped our fingerprints on a paper and passed around a magnifying glass to get a closer look.

Next we read "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" (which I'm sure we've all read, but it's just about a kid who feels like everything is going wrong and has, well, a very bad day!) We talked about whether his brothers and friends were kind to him, and how these things made him feel when he was having a bad day. We talked about the things that make us feel better when we're having a bad day. We talked about how we can be good friends by doing nice things for other people. We also talked about how doing nice things for other people also makes us feel good and happy, and how we feel sad when we are mean.

For this theme we wanted to do something nice for someone else. I have a friend who works with an organization taking some blankets over to some very needy and deserving kids in Ethiopia, so we made a blanket to donate. We talked about how some kids don't have blankets to keep warm at night, and then we finished the edges of a no-sew fleece blanket.

I thought tying might be a bit too tricky for the four-year-old crowd, so we finished the edges with a simple loop technique. Just cut the sides into strips, like you would if you were going to tie the edges. Now cut a small slit just under each of the strips. (You can see this on the one strip not yet looped on the far left in the picture.) Then simply push the strip through the slit and pull it out the other side. Voila! Cute and very simple edge which can be done by preschoolers!

As we worked on the blanket we talked about how when we are snuggled warm in our beds tonight we will feel good/happy knowing we helped someone else to be happy and comfortable, too.

Then we read "Snow Friends" (about a bear who wakes up early from hibernation and has no friends to play with so he decides to build a snowman to be his friend. As he works he is joined and helped by an otter and a bunny, who then of course become his friends.) We talked about how we can be good friends by working and playing together, listening to each other, and again, by including everyone.

We then played a little game of "bean bag freeze." We all put a bean bag on our heads and when I called out a command (stand on one foot, turn around, etc), they tried to do it without letting the bean bag fall. If it did, they would have to stay frozen until another friend came and helped them put the bean bag back on top of their head. They really had fun with this! We then tried a little game of bean bag toss, but they may need a little more practice on tossing vs. throwing so we moved on quickly!

Finally, I blew up a balloon and they all worked together to keep it from hitting the ground. I then blew up a second balloon and they worked together to keep both of them up. They loved this, too! I had thought about adding in a three-legged race, but I was worried it was a little too tricky and we didn't have much time left, so I just let them go to free play at this point.

When we came back together at the table for lunch we first made a "friendship fruit salad." I had each fruit cut and divided into separate bowls, so they each got an ingredient (i.e. one girl had a bowl of apples, one had a bowl of grapes, one had a bowl of watermelon, etc.) We talked about how we are all different, but how all of our unique characteristics are needed and that we are better together. They each got to take a turn dumping their fruit ingredient into the big bowl and we mixed it all up and then scooped some out to each girl.

We also had grilled cheese sandwiches. I made them with one side white bread and one side wheat bread, then cut out the middle with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and flipped the middle (so that one side had a white border and a wheat heart middle, and the other side had a wheat border and a white heart middle. Just to see a heart in the middle of the sandwich.) We talked about how being a good friend is loving other people!

Lunch was devoured by all, and the moms arrived shortly to pick up their wonderful daughters!

It was another great day of preschool and truly a pleasure to teach these cute, smart, fun girls all about being good friends!

Projects... and Lessons in Home Renovation Part I

2011-03-27T16:00:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhhh, projects. As I mentioned before, I feel like I have so many projects going on at once right now. Operation "Finish Reeve's Quilt ASAP So I Can Move Her Into A Big Girl Bed and Open Up The Crib For Little Brother Coming Soon" is in full swing and moving along slowly but surely. Hopefully Operation "Potty Training Reeve" will also happen in the next month or so.

Another big one we've got underway is our bathroom remodel. It's a fairly small room, but this may actually end up being one of our biggest/most difficult remodels of the whole house. Now I know what you're thinking... "Why on earth would they want to remodel this fabulous gem???"

The abundance of aqua tile is quite stunning, really. (And yes, by "stunning" I actually mean "atrocious.") And you might notice it covers every square inch of the bathroom. Even the vanity! Our tile-happy predecessors even tiled the ceiling for heaven's sake!

Our quality lighting is also a quaint feature. And you see that nice little outlet sorta hanging off the side of the light fixture? We actually had to add that when we moved in because the bathroom had no plugs! And the 3M plastic hooks that now serve as towel hangers? Also added by us as a temporary solution to the fact that there are no towel racks in this bathroom! (Now a lack of electrical outlets in a 1930's home seems reasonable, but towel racks? I'm pretty sure it was still necessary to dry one's self after a shower or bath in 1930!)

Well, my generous father-in-law and his brother are coming in about three weeks to help rescue us from this tiled monstrosity. We hope to help them hit the ground running, so we've been working on getting some of the demolition done before they arrive. So, like most projects in my life right now, we're in that crazy "it has to get worse/uglier/more disorganized before it gets better" phase.

And this is no easy task. All that tile needs some serious support. Behind the tile there is a thick layer of mortar, behind which is a thick layer of cement, behind which is a sturdy metal backing nailed and cemented to all of the studs.

For now the bathroom is still usable (i.e. the plumbing is functional for use of the toilet, hand washing, and teeth brushing, even though showers have been delegated to the basement bathroom because we don't want all the steam in a room with no walls), but we are very much looking forward to the completion of this project. So you can look forward to some (hopefully) spectacular "after" pictures of our completed work in a little over a month!

And as long as we're on the subject of home renovation, I thought I'd do a few posts about some of the other rooms we've renovated and the lessons we've learned along the way. And so, for lesson number one:

Home Renovation is LOUD!!!

There's just no escaping this one. Whether it's pounding out tile during demo, drilling screws into place, or firing up the saw, noise is a constant companion in home renovation. Forget about your baby's nap schedule or the quiet Saturday afternoon. Sensitive ears beware... tearing out walls and building new ones in their place is not a dainty job.

Luckily we have some pretty proficient ear mufflers around here.

Spring... My New Favorite Season!

2011-03-24T15:38:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, this was a particularly bad/snowy winter in Boston. I think we'd reached our average annual snowfall by mid January. It was ridiculous there for awhile. There ceased to be space to put any new snowfall. I mean, getting in and out of the driveway can be tricky when it becomes a snow tunnel. And even shoveling the driveway and sidewalks of all the snow wouldn't have been so bad if we didn't have to heave every shovelful to the top of the 5-ft walls of snow.

Growing up in California, winters were generally pretty mild and Spring usually just meant a lot of rain. Or at least more rain than we had at other times during the year. I didn't get what was so great about Spring.

But now I get it. Thanks, Boston-- lesson learned. Spring is G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S!!!! About a month ago it warmed up to 50 degrees and it seriously felt like a heat wave. My kids took one step outside and asked if we could go swimming. I cleared a path of snow in our backyard and my kids rode their bikes back and forth on that narrow strip for over an hour.

I cleared some snow from beneath the swings and we re-inaugurated our swing set. I think Reeve's smile says it all.

Costco had bathing suits on sale a couple of weeks ago, so we bought a couple. They needed to put them on the moment we got home. (There had been multiple requests to strip down in the shopping cart and try them on in the middle of Costco.) There were then multiple requests to fill up the kiddie pool and go swimming in the backyard immediately. Sorry, gals, but as long as there is still snow on the ground, swimming is pretty much out. Immediate ground snow status checks were in order.

Last week brought some gorgeous days. Torrential rains the previous week had melted most of the snow, and it actually hit seventy degrees one day. Seventy! We played outside for almost four hours until our growling tummies begged for lunch. We brought out the bikes, the sidewalk chalk, the bubbles, the gardening shovels and water guns. We swung on the swings, rode down the slide, and took a walk around the neighborhood. There's something magical about the sunshine. I wasn't feeling particularly down and didn't think I had even reached the point of winteritis. But a little sunshine and fresh air made me feel like a new woman! It was magical.

We've been back to the cold and even snow this past week. But even just a taste of Spring was pretty divine. It really feels like it's right around the corner now. And we couldn't be happier about it!

So I Guess This Means I'm Officially Thirty

2011-03-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

When I turned thirty last summer, I mentioned a little "time capsule" envelope I'd prepared for myself several years ago. "Several years ago" as in a time when I wrote "19__" and had to scratch it out because the twenty-first century seemed too distant. As in when turning thirty seemed like a long time to wait to open a time capsule.

Well, I finally cracked the seals.

Inside I found a letter, a collage I'd made, and a few random items. The letter was surprisingly and uncharacteristically short and unsentimental. I admit I was a bit disappointed in that. I'd written the letter at the age of fifteen, which oddly doesn't seem so long ago until I realize that it was half of my age now. I remember the general characteristics of my life as a sophomore in high school, but I wanted the juicy details. I wanted to hear about my latest crush, the juiciest gossip, my greatest anxiety of the moment. I wanted myself to describe how I imagined my life at age 30. I wanted to squirm and bask in the awkwardness that was Jacy at fifteen.

Alas, the letter was a short-and-sweet "I'm fifteen and making this time capsule" kind of a deal with a quick explanation of the included items. I put in a Mary Engelbreit sticker (just something I liked at the time), a friendship bracelet made by my sister, a recent fortune cookie fortune ("You will always have good luck in your personal affairs"), a card with a spray of my current favorite perfume (CK1 - very 90's appropriate, wouldn't you say?), and ten dollars with the assurance that it had no sentimental value but was "just for fun." I actually remember including that ten dollars, thinking both that I would use it to take my brood of children out for ice cream and that it would probably seem like such a small amount when I finally opened the time capsule that I'd laugh at my fifteen-year-old self for even thinking it would cover the cost of ice cream.

Fortunately for your viewing and chuckling pleasure, I also included my school picture. Here I am in all of my sophomore year glory.

And the collage I made for myself. I think I intended this to be the more sentimental part of the time capsule, and I noted in my letter that I'd made it with "descriptions of what I think I'll be like, words of inspiration/advice, and some other odds and ends" in mind. I do also remember including this collage in my time capsule, and it's funny that this little paper was part of my trepidation to open the envelope for so long. I remember I imagined framing it and putting it on the wall of my home where it would sit over my children as they ate their breakfast Cheerios and completed their spelling lists and math homework. I remember imagining myself with five or six children (obviously I hadn't done the math in my head of how I would have five or six children by the age of thirty, but again, I think it's just more proof that thirty seemed "all grown up.") I thought of myself at this age of thirty as an organized homemaker, as a woman of grace, as a person of thought, creativity, and productivity. I know life is a journey, but I imagined myself much further progressed in the journey by this point; more advanced in my thoughts, more purposeful in my actions, more spiritual in my mission, more centered and confident in my role.

Perhaps Pandora's box was actually an envelope she'd made for herself at the age of fifteen. Because the thing is, I do feel inspired by the words I wrote (well, glued) for myself half a lifetime ago. They are simplistic and idealistic, and in a way, that's what makes them great. "Family," "make time for important stuff," "try," "always grateful," "get up, get busy," "beautiful," "remember the Savior," "exercise," "dream," "care".... They aren't earth-shattering words or ideas, but they have, even in a small way, reminded me of what I saw within myself. I'm going to be thinking this week about what I saw for myself at this point in my life, what it is that hasn't allowed me to fully reach it, what I believe my true potential to be, and how I can work to reach it. I hope to come up with a few specific goals and personal challenges, but for this week I think I'm just going to try to work it out a bit more in my mind as to what exactly I'm working towards and what I need to do to get there. Feel free to open your own "Pandora's box" and join me!

General Updates and Pathetic Excuses

2011-03-15T16:06:00.000-04:00

Things I have been very good at doing this month:

1. Being pregnant.
2. Being profoundly exhausted. (See #1.)
3. Quadrupling my belly size. (Again, see #1.) In fact, I feel slightly embarrassed sometimes when people ask my due date. July seems ridiculously close for how much I want/need to do before then, but ridiculously far for how big this baby and belly already feel.

Things I have been moderately good at doing this month:

1. Catching a case of the project crazies. When I am able to muster a pinch of energy here and there, I tend to freak out that I have about 9,438,621 projects I want to accomplish before this baby gets here. You may or may not recall I tend not to have the easiest babies on the planet, and my due date sorta feels like a deadline for everything I've ever wanted to do for the next year and a half. Like, oh, actually print and scrapbook every picture of our family I have taken for the last six-plus years (I'm a teensy bit behind), organize all those family videos that have been piling up for the last four and a half years, finish the gazillion house renovation projects I need to do, move Reeve from her crib to a "big girl bed" (which requires the completion of a quilt that has only been about two years in the making), move the girls into a shared room to make way for baby brother, etc, etc....

Things I have been terrible at doing this month:

1. Blogging! I do actually have a pageful of blog titles and ideas I've been meaning to compose, but alas, thinking of the blog does not actually produce published posts.
2. Attending to domestic duties, like cooking and laundry. My husband and children really do deserve major shout-outs here for their patience, love, and general good will. The messes are constant and there has been lots of eating out alternated with spaghetti, but they have taken it all in stride. I promise to be a real human being again someday, family. Don't give up on me! Just get me beyond pregnancy... and past the first few months of sleep deprivation and colic... and the first year of general craziness with a new baby... and then Brian's graduation from orthodontics.... Hmmmm. Looks like I'd better start upping my game or it's gonna be awhile until normal human-ness returns!

At least I have been getting a little help with the laundry =)

So thanks for your patience and love. I'm vowing to be a better blogger... and hopefully the projects, cooking, and laundry will follow.

Preschool: Dinosaurs

2011-03-02T21:36:00.000-05:00

To start off our day, I read one of our family's favorite books, "The Super Hungry Dinosaur." (Seriously, I think my kids have the entire thing memorized. Libby asked if she could read it to her friends, not because she can actually read it, but because she knows every page word-for-word.) It's a funny story about a little boy who stops a dinosaur from eating his family by feeding him some spaghetti.

Next we looked at a couple of Eyewitness books (Dinosaurs and Fossils) and used some dinosaur puppets to talk about some of the different types of dinosaurs. We talked about how they lived millions of years ago, and that the earth's landscape was quite different then, there were no people, etc. We talked about how various characteristics of the dinosaurs helped them to live (long necks = eating leaves out of the trees, spiky tail = good weapon for protection, light/nimble body = good at running and able to hunt/catch prey, etc.) I then introduced the concept of carnivore, herbivore, omnivore. Next, I introduced the concept of becoming "extinct" and discussed a couple of theories of how the dinosaurs may have died. To reinforce the carnivore/herbivore topic, we talked about how if a meteor hit the earth and the dust, etc blocked all the sun and killed the plants, the herbivores would have nothing to eat and would die, and if the animals started to die then the meat-eaters would have nothing to hunt and they would die, too. We also talked a bit about how fossilization occurs. I tried to keep it simple (after the dinosaur dies the mud covers them, water leaks through the mud and deposits minerals into the animal's bones to make them hard like rocks, etc), but I'm not sure they were entirely following. We then talked about how modern-day scientists called "paleontologists" come to dig up and study the fossils to learn more about the dinosaurs.

We talked a little bit about how scientists can learn about the dinosaurs by looking at their bones and by looking at similar animals that are still alive today (like reptiles). We watched a short video clip to show what some people think it was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth. (I originally was looking for a video of a team at a dig site but there wasn't much-- either too "dumbed down" for them and not really showing very much, or waaaaaaaay over their heads, like college lectures. But in this quest I did find lots of "walking with dinosaurs" clips from some BBC broadcasts on YouTube that were pretty incredible. Some were too long, some too specific for what I was looking for, and some a little graphic for the audience, but if you or your preschooler are interested by the topic, you might want to take a look at some of them. They were pretty amazing!)

Next we talked about how while the fossils and current animals can give the scientists good clues, no one has ever seen a living dinosaur and sometimes we have to make our best guess about what they looked and acted like. We then painted some pictures of dinosaurs how we thought they might look. They did great and were really into this! I loved the creativity here, too-- even some rainbow-striped dinosaurs!

Next we all became junior paleontologists. I had hidden 3 dinosaur pictures cut into simple puzzles at the bottom of shoe boxes and covered the pieces with Cocoa Krispies (to resemble dirt, of course!) They each got their own box to sift through the "dirt" and uncover the dinosaur "fossils" (puzzle pieces.) They then put the puzzles together just like paleontologists work to put the bones together once they are dug up. They did a great job on this, too.

It seems like dioramas are the classic dinosaur learning activity, but that seemed too labor-intensive and bulky for our purposes, so I modified the idea by making our own 2D versions. We talked again about how the earth was a little different at the time of dinosaurs (no buildings/roads/people, swamps, volcanoes... trees and ferns but no grass-- something I learned while watching those "Walking With Dinosaurs" clips on YouTube!) and I had them draw their own dinosaur landscapes. There were lots of erupting volcanoes! I then gave them each a few dinosaur stickers to put into their landscape.

Next we read a cute book, "Brontorina" about a dinosaur who wants to be a ballerina. We talked about how the dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes... even ballerina?? I gave them each a paper and put a bunch of cut-out shapes on the table so they could make their own "shape-a-sauruses." They did a great job and were very creative making their own dinosaurs from the shapes.

Finally, I showed them some pictures and figurines of a few different types of dinosaurs (we mostly talked about the tyrannosaurus rex, the stegosaurus, the triceratops, the allosaurus, and the pterodactyl). They then got to pick out a color of playdoh and try to shape it into one of the dinosaurs. I also had a few playdoh dinosaur molds and an erupting playdoh volcano that they loved.

After playing for awhile we came back to the table for lunch. We were all "super hungry dinosaurs" (from the book I'd read at the beginning of the day) and so I fed them spaghetti and meatballs to fill them up. They totally ate it up! (I love that two of the kids are slurping the noodles in the picture. Most of them really did come back for 2nd or 3rd helpings!)

I also remembered I had this dinosaur-shape sandwich cutout, so I made them dinosaur-shaped garlic toast to go along with their spaghetti.

When they were done I passed out a dinosaur-shaped mini cake to each of them to decorate, thanks to an awesome dinosaur baking pan one of the other moms let me borrow. (Hooray for egg-free pound cake!) They were supposed to have a glaze on them to help the candies stick, but I ran out of time making lunch and just lined them all with a little green frosting, then added a few frosting "spots" to help the candies stick. (Oh, and I forgot to color the dough green before baking it, like I had planned. Seriously, I have pregnancy brain already.) But they enjoyed decorating them and only stole a few bites of m&m's and nerds before I wrapped them up and made them promise to ask their moms before eating them.

Libby had a bit of a dinosaur obsession going even before our preschool day, which is why I wanted to teach the topic, so she was definitely in dinosaur heaven. She now often says she wants to be a paleontologist (along with dentist, nurse, and super hero!) The girls were all wonderful and enthusiastic, so it was another great day of preschool!

A Valentine's Day Surprise

2011-02-16T17:53:00.000-05:00

We had a great Valentine's Day this year, with each family member getting in on something they love. (Besides our top favorite of spending time with each other, of course!)

Brian got one of his favorite meals, porterhouse steaks cooked on the grill with potatoes and brown gravy.

Libby got some french bread included in the dinner (she could seriously eat the whole loaf... if I didn't eat it first =) and the cutest new socks sent in a special V-day package from Grammy and Popi (cute pictures not to be included here because they required the immediate stripping of the footed jammies to try on!)

Reeve got squeezes from mom and also got to share in the spoils of the grandparent package with new socks, window stickers, and the perfect heart-shaped plate.

I got to watch a romantic movie with my Valentine, thanks to several of my facebook friends for their great suggestions! We watched "Young Victoria" and have several more lined up in our queue! (Sadly, I have no pictures of myself unless the self-timer is set, so in my very limited selection for your viewing pleasure you get the 16-week pregnancy shot I took of myself two weeks ago, though I am pretty sure my belly has at least doubled in size since then.)

But on a day devoted to all things pink and girly, we started thinking a little blue...

... because we found out this one's going to be a BOY!!!

Summer vs. Winter: A Mudroom Perspective

2011-02-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

MUDROOM -- SUMMER
Contents: bathing suits hung to dry, sun hats, sunglasses, Ergo baby carrier for outdoor walks and field trips, cotton hoodie sweaters, water shoes and flip flops, towel drying on bench.

MUDROOM -- WINTER
Contents: parkas, coats, fleece jackets, snow pants/jumpsuits, snow hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, and/or pretty much every body-warming device ever invented or known to man, baby shower gift that is about three months overdue owing to the fact that simply getting outside is ridiculously cumbersome, overflowing recycling bin that no one wants to freeze their hiney off taking outside while risking life and limb on the slick ice paving the way to our trash/recycling receptacles, salt-crusted floor from tracking in our ice-melting attempts.

A Good Dilemma to Have

2011-01-26T15:17:00.000-05:00

It's hard to get a good picture of a child.

Sure, they're cute and endearing... but they're also squirmy, impatient, and prone to any number of photo-ruining behaviors.

There's the classic "monstrous booger on the cheek" trick, for example.

And there's almost always something more interesting to look at than the camera.

Even the normal perils of toddler-hood (i.e. faceplants down the park stairs and a raging, snotty head cold) can make a sweet photo a little more gruesome.

Add another child to the mix, and the photography issues multiply exponentially.

There's always someone with the goofy, unnatural smile.

Or the itch of the nose right as the shutter clicks.

Often someone is blinking. (And who knows what expression that is Reeve is making!)

Commonly someone is sniffling. (Usually poor Libby in our house!)

The "squishing my sibling while flashing my diaper and/or undies" is also a common technique.

Someone will no doubt be squirming and/or getting a little bit strangled.

The parade of funny faces is pretty much inevitable. (Thank heavens for digital cameras!)

And once you get to the point of tears, that's usually the signal that any and all decent photo opportunities have passed.

Looking at the camera? Anyone? Anyone???

Even mom photographer tricks to get them to look and smile (a game of peek-a-boo anyone?) can backfire.

Every once in a while there will be a magical moment on a random afternoon walk when the windows of heaven open and the angels smile down upon you, and both children miraculously look at the camera, smile happy, natural smiles, pose nicely together, keep their eyes open and their hands to themselves. And you think, "Heck, I'll take it but if I'd known you were going to do this I'd have put you in your Sunday best!"

Decent holiday pictures with the cousins? Forget about it.

Decent family pictures? Rarely.

But it's a problem I'll take with open arms.

Because I can only imagine things are going to get trickier when we add this little one to the mix in July!

Preschool: Outer Space

2011-01-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

We recently hosted another day of preschool, and our theme for the day was outer space! I was really excited about this topic, as Libby has been particularly curious lately about stars, planets, and basically how things in the world work, so I was looking forward to delving a bit more into the subject for her.

The day went a little more "rough around the edges" than I had envisioned, but overall I felt we were successful. We had a few elements working against us from the very start, including being the first preschool back after the Christmas break/being out of preschool mode and the monster blizzard that hit on our originally scheduled date (see previous post about that!) and having to reschedule for the very end of the week. Also, I had a few blunders in my lesson plans, which didn't really help things. But we made it. And after such an introduction you're probably wondering why I'm bothering to post about it, but really, we did have a lot of fun. So here's what we did....

My biggest failure of the day came right off the bat with my introductory activity, so I'm sure this was not a good way to set the tone for the day. I was hoping to help them create their own colorful starry night skies. I was going for this:

Unfortunately, I was remembering the activity from a first grade project and didn't try it out myself before the actual day. What you are supposed to do is color an "under" layer using multiple bright crayon colors in any type of pattern, as long as it covers the entire paper. You then create an "over" layer, darkening the entire paper with a black crayon. Finally, you can use almost any type of tool (a bent paperclip, a blunt pencil, etc) to scrape away shapes and designs in the over layer, revealing the colorful shades beneath to make a picture.

This initially proved to be a bit more difficult than I had imagined. First of all, the kids had a very difficult time understanding the concept of covering the entire paper. They mostly drew pictures and letters on their papers, like any other coloring project. I definitely should've had an example for them of the under layer, and I think they would've gotten it. And I definitely should've cut the regular 8.5 x 11 size paper into quarters, making it much easier for a preschooler to cover the entire paper. The under layer should look a little something like this:

Finally, Libby pronounced her under layer done, and even though it wasn't completely covered, it was close enough and I wanted to move on, so I helped her black it all out. Then I got our scraping tool for the big reveal...and...nothing. Unfortunately in my preparations I forgot the under layer had to be crayon. I had them use markers for the under layer, thinking the crayon was just on top that you would need to scrape off, but let me tell you, it doesn't work that way. Not one iota of the black scraped off. I'd just blacked out Libby's entire picture without being able to scrape one bit of it off. EPIC FAIL!

At least I did it to my own child's picture, and the others just got to keep their papers that had nothing to do with space without the whole over layer scratch-off technique. Oh well. I didn't have any more time or energy to waste on this project, so we moved on!

At this point we gathered together on the couches and introduced the real topic for the day, outer space. One girl proclaimed she wants to be an astronaut when she grows up, so that was a bonus! We then sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." I think some girls thought the song was a little "babyish," but it was one to which they knew the words and could sing along easily, so we sang along anyway. And they are four-year-olds, so I just don't think such a song is beneath them. But Reeve definitely loved it!

Next we read "Fancy Nancy Sees Stars," an awesome book that introduced a lot of the outer space vocabulary in a fun setting. I'd highly recommend that one.

In the book, Fancy Nancy talks a bit about finding constellations, so after we finished reading we did our own constellation hunt. I handed out a little "constellation guide" I'd made and we talked about how sometimes if we "connect the dots" between stars in the sky, they can look like various pictures. We also talked about how these stars and constellations acted like a map or even a GPS in ancient days, helping people orient themselves and find their way.

Before the girls had arrived for the day, I'd posted pictures of the various constellations on our ceiling (plus the north star!), so we set out to find them. As you can imagine, some of them proved to be quite simple, while others were a little more tricky. But they did a great job! After identifying them on the ceiling, we took them down and used a white pencil to "connect the dots" to make sure everyone identified the picture in the group of stars.

Next, we sang the Primary song, "I Am Like a Star Shining Brightly" and talked about how stars are often used as symbols because of their bright qualities, ability to lead and guide people, and so forth. I showed them an American flag and pictures of the star and sun carvings on the Salt Lake temple to show examples of stars used as symbols. After that we sang another Primary song, "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam" and talked about how we can be bright leaders just like the stars.

Next we headed to the computer room to watch two video clips. First we watched about a minute of this clip of a rocket taking off. This was probably the best part of the entire day. They got sooooooo excited as the countdown came closer. It was genuine anticipation and amazement at its best. There were actual shouts for joy, clapping, pointing, and jumping up and down when the rocket took off. It really was tender to watch their reactions. Next we watched this clip of the first moon landing. It didn't have footage of the actual stepping off from the space shuttle to the moon, but it's the best one I found with images of the surface of the moon, pictures of the moon landing, and great video of what it's like to walk on the moon.

After watching the videos we talked about the first people to walk on the moon (Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) and talked about the effects of gravity on the earth versus the moon. We then sang a little chanting song about going to the moon. (Zoom, zoom, zoom... We're going to the moon!) At the end we counted backwards from 10 to blastoff the rocket, so we practiced counting backwards. This was a bit tricky for most of them, but I'd put the numbers on the wall as a reference, which proved to be quite helpful. After we blasted off to the moon we bounced around pretending to be astronauts walking on the moon, which they loved!

Next we headed over to the table to work on a couple of crafts. For our first project, I handed out pictures of each planet one at a time for them to paint while I used my space books to read them a few facts about each planet. (i.e. Venus is red and very hot, Earth is just the right distance from the sun for life, Mars is red but very cold, Jupiter has the "Great Red Spot," Saturn is surrounded by large rings, Neptune is a gaseous planet that doesn't have a hard surface like Earth, etc.)

When we were done, I handed out some solar system depictions I'd pre-made, and we took turns gluing their painted planets into the correct places. We discussed order a bit here (i.e. first, second, third, and so forth.) FYI, the order of the planets, beginning with the one closest to the sun and going outward, is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Our final project for the day was to make rockets. I simply gave them 12x12 pieces of paper, markers, and star stickers and let them decorate them however they wanted. (I was pretty proud, I must admit, when Libby decided, totally unprompted by me, to decorate her rocket with the Big Dipper we'd talked about earlier!) When they were done I had them flip their papers over, and I put a line of glue on the bottom of the paper so they could tack on strips of orange, red, and yellow papers. After that, I hot glued their papers into the tube shape and attached the aluminum foil cone top, and voila, rockets!

After some free play time we got back together for lunch. We had quesedillas which I cut into wedges and turned outward to make a star for each girl, banana slice "planets," and clementine crescent "moons." They totally gobbled these up, and luckily I had tons more of each item, and I think several of the kids went back for third and fourth helpings!

After lunch I handed out their assembled rockets and they played for a few minutes before their moms came to pick them up! Overall it was a great day. With such a group of smarties I totally wouldn't doubt if we have a future astronaut or two in the bunch, so I hope I got them off to the right start in their careers! Despite a few setbacks and blunders, I think the girls had fun and learned a thing or two about outer space!

"I Looked Out The Window And What Did I See?"...

2011-01-22T15:35:00.000-05:00

...Well, it certainly wasn't popcorn popping on the apricot tree.

We kept hearing about the blizzard coming our way, and I have to say, it didn't disappoint.

Ummm.... Excuse me.... I think I ordered the LARGE blizzard??

It was a bit strange the day before the blizzard, running to the grocery store to pick up extra supplies despite the clear blue skies. I knew the thing coming had to be pretty big when Brian's school was canceled even before the first snowflake fell.

Knowing Brian had the next day off we tried to stay up watching Netflix to see the storm hit, but fortunately we were all tucked in bed before it began at 3 am. I woke up the next morning to a silent house and had to double-dog-dare myself to look out the window.

I finally shuffled out to the kitchen and got my first glimpse:

I think there used to be a driveway somewhere out there. I mean, look at the accumulation on top of my backyard table... from one storm!

When everyone was awake we ate breakfast, bundled up, and headed out to play and shovel. Good thing Brian had the day off of school! I'm pretty good with a snow shovel these days, but this was definitely a two person job. (Actually, it was more like a 12 person job, but the two of us managed to tackle it!) We do have a small snow blower, but it really was no match for this kind of weather, and it kept giving up. This wasn't fluffy powder piling up. Nope. More like two feet of the densest, wettest, heaviest snow you can imagine. One shovel full of this stuff felt like I had a toddler sitting in the scoop!

Brian and Lib headed out to buy a little more gas to help the snow blower along. (She was eventually carried most of the way, and the gas didn't help the snow blower too much, but at least we will be prepared for the next powdery snow storm!)

Reeve was looking mighty cute all bundled up in her snow gear.

She managed for about, oh, two minutes before she quickly crumbled to this:

The girl wanted nothing to do with the snow. She was over it and didn't want to play in it, sled in it, be forced to take cute pictures in it, or even really look at it.

Libby, on the other hand, took at least a slight interest. She wanted to try sledding, though the really good hills were quite inaccessible at the time, and our first priority was to simply clear a path to our house. She loved eating the monstrous chunks of snow and offering bites to us between shovelfuls. However, after about 5 minutes she realized Reeve was inside watching a movie and decided to join her. Definitely California girls.

This was much more their style:

Watching movies with a ridiculously large handful of crackers to keep her occupied while mom and dad finish the snow-clearing.

Coloring

Sipping hot chocolate

And playing with the Christmas toys while lounging in thermals.

We did manage to find our sidewalks, amazingly enough, and the next couple of days brought a fun display of icicles.

My poor frozen plants and I (and especially my littlest snow wimp) are hoping Spring comes quickly!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-18T16:11:00.000-05:00

"To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable and it becomes the Spirit of Christ." - Thomas S. Monson

* * *

Phew! Finally back. Here's a little recap of our Christmas vacation...

Mostly to conserve suitcase space, we went ahead and opened Christmas presents with the girls before our trip. (You might recall I don't "do" Santa, so luckily presents showing up early was no problem!) They loved the dress-ups and few other small toys, and were mostly ready to head to grandma and grandpa's house in the (very bright and early) morning!

The flight out to California was mostly uneventful (no delays or cancellations, thank goodness), other than the west coast storms which caused strong headwinds making a loooooooong flight even longer and bumpier. We were all pretty airsick by the end, and Libby even got to use an in-flight barf bag for the first time, which Brian had the privilege of handling as her seat partner. Poor things. But we were definitely happy to have made it!

We arrived in California at the tail end of the huge rain storms and flooding, so things were pretty wet and cloudy when we got there. Libby, our true California girl (who usually asks multiple times per day if we can move back to California... as in right now) took one look at the dumping rain and announced, "Welcome to sunny California!" Just being in the state was a ray of sunshine for that girl.

We started out at Brian's parents' house, where his siblings had already arrived. It was fun for the girls to see their aunts, uncles, and Utah cousins, one of whom was having a birthday and we were only too happy to celebrate. Egg-less dinosaur cake and all!

The grandparents are definitely at the heart of Libby's love for California. No doubt she would beg to move to Uganda if that's where the grandmas and grandpas lived. There are always fun things going on at their houses, and they are only too happy to oblige our little girl's constant curiosity. So of course the chickens were a big hit with her this trip. She had grandpa constantly chasing them down, catching them, holding them, feeding them, etc. I really do feel bad that Brian and I just aren't pet people. The poor girl will probably have to beg for so much as a goldfish, though her love of animals has been quite clear from the beginning. Luckily the grandparents keep the animal fun coming for her!

On day two of vacation Libby woke up and immediately put on her bathing suit and refused to be persuaded otherwise. She had been promised a spa, and she would not be dissuaded from fulfilling this objective at any later time. Unfortunately, the spa was malfunctioning and would not warm up, but never fear, grandpa to the rescue! He filled up grandma's jetted spa tub with bubbles and it was Libby heaven. I think she played in here for four hours or something that day. Yep, definitely a California girl. Putting swimming lessons on my to-do list for this summer right now....

We had a wonderful family-filled Christmas eve party and woke up Christmas morning to a beautifully clear sky. (Knowing Boston was getting hit with its first major snow storm of the season made the blue skies all the more lovely.)

Christmas morning was filled with present pandemonium, and I think we have about 102 pictures that look almost exactly like this:

Turns out the beautifully sunny day was just in time, and the girls spent the rest of the morning getting lots of use out of their new Christmas presents. (Yes, we actually fit the scooter in the suitcase back to Boston, and Libby has been riding it up and down the hall. She's in love! If only the snow would melt so she could ride outside.... Reeve is a little jealous and keeps asking for her plasma car, but it didn't exactly fold up as a carry on. Her new wheels will have to wait for later shipment.)

Another warm, sunny day was in order and we spent the afternoon feeding the ducks at the local park.

All the recent rains left us a *tad* muddy, but luckily new Twinkle Toes were in order for Christmas from Grammy and Popi. Just breaking them in as the perfect don't-worry-about-ruining-them-in-the-muddy-snow-sludge-for-the-next-several-months-in-Boston shoes.

And lunch at In N Out, of course. (A true rendering of our vacation would have this same picture scattered several times throughout the post. =) Aaaaah, California.

We were able to spend another nice afternoon at Brian's brother's house. It's funny the things you notice after living in Boston in the wintertime. Like doors left gleefully wide open in the middle of December. Love it. And though the water was freeeeeeeeeezing, my two bathing beauties stripped down to their birthday suits for a little playing and wading in the pool just outside. They were in California and they were NOT going to miss out on a pool opportunity. They were so cute all goose-bumped and pale with bare bums and wide smiles. I am tempted to break my personal rule of no-bare-kid-photos-on-the-blog because they were so darn adorable, but I will refrain and suffice it to say they had a very jolly holiday skinny dipping in their uncle's pool.

All snuggled up and reading one of our favorites, "The Super Hungry Dinosaur" with grandma and grandpa.

One last huge and delicious meal before leaving grandma and grandpa's house. And while Brian's sister is a fabulous cook, it is only one of the many reasons we are really looking forward to her moving in with us at the end of this summer. Personal chef (and hopefully sometimes babysitter?!) aside, she is an even better sister, friend, and person, and we just can't wait to get her here.

Halfway through the trip we headed out to my parents' house, and, of course, the girls were only too excited to repeat the whole fun process over again with another set of grandparents! (I'm losing track... is this now Christmas morning number three???!)

The girls were so excited about all the playing and presents, it was hard to get them away from all the fun for anything... even eating! (This is often how we still find Libby. She loves her new Leapster Explorer, and we love it, too! Of course we are now entering the new world of balancing electronics time with other activities, but the games really are quite fun and educational, so it's hard to pull her away... though we do insist she put it away at mealtimes now!)

We did have a bit of a cold spell and even got what I considered to be a slightly rude dusting of snow. Where is our sunny California paradise, hmmmmm? It hadn't snowed at my parents' house since 1989, a day I can vividly remember from my childhood. And quite similar to the snow over 20 years ago (momentary pause for heart attack that I was 9 over twenty years ago...), all the neighborhood kids came out to play. My kids, on the other hand, couldn't have cared less, of course. It hardly qualified as snow in their books, and even if it did, that made them all the less interested. Plenty more where that came from.

Luckily, Grammy and Popi had lots of other fun things planned, like a pirate party complete with costumes and a treasure hunt! Definitely a huge hit.

We built block castles and, even better, knocked them down. (Note sole of shoe having been flung at said castle, about two-thirds from the top, mere nanoseconds away from complete demolition.)

Luckily, the weather improved once again, and (unlike what won't happen in Boston for sadly many, many more months) the snow melted, and we headed out to LA and Santa Monica. Bad news: Libby got her first bee sting, right on her cheek! Good news: After getting the stinger out, a Hello Kitty bandaid and Diddy Riese ice cream cone made it all better. (And glory hallelujah for Diddy Riese egg-free ice cream. Saved the day!)

We also headed out to the Santa Monica Pier. We do love Boston, but I have to admit as a California girl, it just doesn't seem right unless the sun sets over the ocean. I do miss the Pacific.

The girls were a little sad that the "big" pier rides were closed for the season, but luckily the discovery of the kiddie rides and a few quarters more than made up for it.

Sadly, we did have to get back to real life, but we came home with lots of great memories (and several suitcases of fun Christmas presents!)

And, of course, one last ice cream stop on the way to the airport with all the grandparents sure doesn't hurt, either. ;)

Fortunately, the flight home was much faster and smoother, a blessing for which I was immensely grateful. Libby watched her Jet Blue personal TV almost the entire 5 hours, and Reeve, well, she found ways of staying amused, too.

We had such a wonderful time and are so grateful we were able to spend this Christmas season with our families. In all of our adventures, above all, we have been grateful to see the Lord's hand in our lives and especially to celebrate his birth and life during this season. We hope your Christmas was just as merry as ours. And here's to hoping for a very happy 2011 for us all!

Take That, Costco!

2010-12-17T15:58:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows the Asburys knows we are some serious Costco fanatics around here. Okay, mostly Brian. But I have to agree, their return policy is pretty amazing.

Last year we bought a pre-lit Christmas tree at Costco, but one branch of lights was out. Since it was a crazy hassle to bring it home (by myself with the two kids, *barely* squeezing the two-ton tree into our trunk without folding the seats down for the car seats, in what might have been Boston's only hurricane on record), I simply turned the broken branch to the back and took advantage of the aforementioned return policy, taking the tree back after the holiday.

So this year I could hardly contain myself pre-Thanksgiving (though I did), and Brian headed out to Costco shortly after the holiday to get our new tree. Much to my disappointment, all the the trees had been recalled for a faulty branch of lights!! Sad. "But don't worry," they assured. "Don't dismay! We will be getting new trees in the next week."

Okay, I could probably handle a week of waiting. Even though the girls were asking nearly every minute about the tree. We put up the few other Christmas decorations we have, but they clearly were not filling the need. Every outing, every errand, Libby asked if we were on our way to get the Christmas tree. "Don't worry, love," I assured. "We'll get that tree soon enough."

Brian checked Costco a week later, and still no trees. Another week after that, and I took the matter up with Customer Service, where the sad truth I was dreading was revealed:

No Christmas trees were coming!

So sad! What was I going to do? I didn't want to get a tree from somewhere else for this exact reason-- in case something went wrong, I wanted to be able to return it! But we didn't have a tree stand and we're going out of town for the holidays, so a fresh tree wasn't really an option, either. But breaking my little girls' hearts that were set on a Christmas tree? Also not an option.

So we improvised. =)

First we bought a roll of green wrapping paper and cut out a couple of tree shapes.

Then we set to work painting...

...and gluing...

... and glittering....

(Reeve suspiciously had quite a bit of paint on her fingers and up both nostrils at the end of this crafting day!)

After a day of letting the projects dry, we set to cutting circles (a.k.a. "ornaments") out of our well-decorated papers...

We "hung" them on our trees with scotch tape...

And VOILA!

Two perfectly Christmasy trees!

They don't smell like pine (not that our fake one would anyway) and they don't light up (which apparently the recalled ones didn't do either!), but they sure are doing the trick. The girls are so proud of their trees, and even happy with having two trees instead of just one!

So don't worry, Costco, we can be friends again. No harm done, and all is well in the Asbury household.