Snow!

It's finally starting to feel like winter! And for once the weather forecasters were right on the money. It started snowing right about 8:30 and has been coming down since. I am thankful it started right as we got out the door...it saved having to dig out this morning. I dropped Lily off at school and headed to my doctor's appointment. I was expecting Margie to sleep the enitre time but she was wide awake. Luckily she was happy and smiled at all the ladies gushing over her. As I was driving home she started crying and I couldn't find her paci and I didn't really want to dig around for it while driving since the roads weren't the best. I decided to pull over and totally started to slide as I was pulling into the parking lot. I missed hitting a sign by just a few feet and smacked into a curb. I am pretty sure I jacked up the alignment on the van. Awesome! It was pretty hairy on the way to pick up Lily as I slid through pretty much every intersection. Thank goodness they were all four way stops, though everyone seemed to be sliding. We got home from school, ate lunch, and my SIL came over and brought my Starbucks. We hung out all afternoon and watched the snow and chatted. Lily tried her hardest to steal all the attention. My friend called and asked if she and her son, one of Lily's best buddies, could stop by before she picked up her older son. I am always happy to have my friend over and an added bonus was someone to distract Lily :).
Unfortunately I also got a phone call telling me the soccer class I had signed Lily up for was cancelled due to low enrollment. I had anticipated this because when I checked online a couple weeks ago it showed only two people signed up (Lily and one of her friends). I had been monitoring it, but no one else signed up. I am kind of bummed and so is Lily. She really wants to play soccer, and since my sisters and I all played soccer for most of our youth, I was eager for her to play. Plus, I am always looking for an activity to burn off some of her seemingly boundless energy. I guess we will just have to try again in the spring. Now we will just have to see if the swimming lessons I signed her up for are still on. According to the website, there is only one person (Lily, I assume) signed up.
My evening wrapped up with dinner (I made the chicken lemon soup again that I made on Monday, along with some garlic bread). Lily crashed on the couch and Margie is snoozing in her bouncy seat and I folded some laundry and now I am just kicking back on the couch watching TV. Thursday night is the best night for TV: Bones, The Office (though I am kinda over it now that Michael Scott is gone!), Vampire Diaries. I know it is bad, but I am so happy to have all the shows back on after the winter break. I love ending my evening vegging in front of the TV! Now if I only had some chocolate....

Climate Change

Today it was 55 degrees. In Chicago. In January. It is the third 50+ degree day we've had. Tomorrow we are supposed to get 6 to 8 inches of snow. Lily is so excited. She got dark rosa snow pants for Christmas and has been anxious to wear them. By the way, she says all her colors in Spanish. I'm not sure where she picked it up initially - Dora probably - but I have since added Google Translator to my phone because she is constantly asking me how to say something in Spanish. I kinda wish I remembered more of my high school Spanish. I was pretty proficient my senior year. Sigh...
Today was the first day since before Christmas that actually felt kind of normal. Margie was kind enough to nap while Lily was at school so I took a blissfully hot and long shower. After school we ate lunch and then Lily was being a little mouthy so I sent her to play in her room and Margie and I took a little nap.

We then headed to ballet. Ballet is at 4:15 but for some reason every.single.week I think it is at 4:00 and therefore we get there way before class starts. Today Lily ran around the lounge area outside the dance studio singing at the top of her lungs about how she will protect Margie...from the windows, and the ceiling, and the plant, and the exit sign...It was hilarious. I don't know where that girl gets her energy! When Matt go home we went out for pizza. There is this great little place that sells pizza by the slice and has a nice selection of microbrews. I have been craving pizza for a while, and I am not actually usually a huge fan of pizza, but this place is just that good!



After that we ran by Target. I wanted to get the little book tabs for my Bible and also a devotional to do with Lily, both of which I had been told you can get at Target and neither of which I could find. If the roads aren't too bad tomorrow I think I will be heading to the Christian Book Store. I have been wanting to do a devotional with Lily for a while and just today she was saying I never do anything with her. I don't think that is true, I think she is still adjusting to sharing me, but I think this could be our special time each day. After Target Matt dropped us girls at home and ran by the library to pick up a book for me and a couple movies while I got Lily ready for bed. When Matt got home he got the last few things arranged in the garage so we could pull the van in before the snow. I am all for a little snow. I have really liked the warm weather, but it just doesn't feel like winter. That being said, I have a small window tomorrow where I need to get Lily to school, then to a doctor's appointment a half hour away, and then back to pick Lily up and extra traffic because of crappy road conditions won't help. So if the snow could just hold off until about noon tomorrow I will then gladly welcome it!

Back to Normal

Today, after two weeks off school and activities, which is really more like three weeks since Lily missed most of the week before Christmas due to the plague, we are back to our regular schedule. As nice as our break was, I kinda like knowing what day of the week it is again! We are so off schedule, still, that I actually had to wake Lily up this morning. Luckily she was easily roused with the promise of mini pancakes for breakfast. She actually let me pick out her outfit this morning as well. I got the three of us ready and dropped Lily off at school and then Margie and I headed to Hannah Circle. I really like Hannah Circle and love the ladies in it. We are doing a book/Bible study on Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I had to remember to set my alarm on my phone so I could get Lily in time. Margie was awake the entire time we were there, which isn't really a big deal, but admittedly, I like it when she sleeps and I can really concentrate and enjoy some mommy time. I picked Lily up from school and we came home and ate lunch. I put on some cartoons and fed Margie and tried to get her to nap. The past couple of days she has been doing more cat napping than actual napping. I was in a super crabby mood for some reason. It might have something to do with me totally craving something sweet! I decided I was really going to cut back on sweets and sugar, which if you know me is kinda drastic because I have a major sweet tooth. I want to make some healthy changes to my diet and there is so much conflicting information out there - fats are bad, fat is necessary; carbs are good, carbs are bad; meat is good, meat is bad; you get the idea. The main thing that everyone seems to agree on is that sugar is bad. I have done pretty good, but I was totally craving something sweet. I decided I would have a couple of coffee - I got a Keurig for Christmas and it is my favorite thing ever! I made a cup of decaf and added some half and half and cocoa powder. It was like a mocha, but not sweet.
It didn't totally do the trick, but it was really good and took the edge off!

We had a play date this afternoon at the park district. The childcare area is closed for a couple hours in the afternoon but you can pay and bring your kids to climb around and play and you watch them. A group of us from MOPS have gone a couple times and it is nice for the mommies to visit and the kids to burn off some energy. Lily has this little friend that she is always talking about but when they get together to play they don't always get along. Lily will decide she doesn't want to play with her and there are tears and it is just so funny because she always asks when she can have a playdate with this girl but then doesn't want to play with her when they have the chance. Hanging out with some of my mommy friends totally helped my mood! I love hanging out with people in the same stage of life as myself. We came home from the play date and I made dinner. It was a little tricky because all day Margie has wanted to be held and pretty much screamed if I put her down. I had to let her scream so I could just get dinner started and then as soon as I picked her up she was happy as could be. I can't wait for her to get a little bit bigger and then I can hopefully put her in the carrier on my back when cooking. She loves the Beco, but I can't do much in the kitchen when she is on my front. I made this soup recipe that I found in Cooking Light and it was really good. After I cleaned up for dinner, Margie and I headed out to meet a friend for coffee. It was so nice to have a chance to catch up with my friend and time always flies so quickly. We were sitting there talking and the barista rudely announced to the six or so people in Starbucks "Thanks for stopping by, we're closed, go home." Thankfully this wasn't at my normal Starbucks! And for the record, I just got a latte (decaf of course, since I am nursing!)and wasn't even tempted to get a sweet drink.

And before I forget, I have to add a little Lily funny. It didn't happen today, but I want to write it down before I forget. I was singing (badly)"Joy to the World" before Christmas. I sang the line "Let earth receive her King" and Lily thought I said something about saving the king, so now she always asks me to sing the save the king song. She is just too funny!

Resolutions

Do you make resolutions for the new year? I kinda do, and they kinda last maybe a week. I have very, very poor follow through. I have lots of craft supplies for hobbies I am obsessed with...for a little bit. I work out hard core...for three days. I eat a healthy diet...until I get hungry or my sweet tooth gains control. I save money...until I want something. Do you see where this is going? This year, I am not so much making resolutions as making goals. Resolutions, in my mind, just seem destined for failure. I am kind of an all or nothing gal, so when I have a misstep with my resolution, I just chuck the whole idea. Also, though January 1 comes at the same time each year, I seem to be caught with lots of junk food in the house. Or I'm too tired to work out. Or, or, or...lots of excuses.

Some of my goals for 2012:
1) I want to be a "yes" mom as much as possible. I hate that because of my own selfishness, laziness, and agenda, I tell Lily no when she wants to do a craft, or play hide and seek, or help me with chores. I want to say yes to her more often (within reason...cookies for breakfast...no, not on a daily basis!)
2) I need to stop taking out my bad mood on my husband. He is my partner, my best friend. If I am crabby, I should look to him for support, not b*tch at him (there is no better word for what I do, sorry!)as though it is his fault. Taking out my crabbiness at him doesn't solve anything and doesn't make me feel better.
3) I want to eat real. I want to lose weight, but I am not going all fat free, low fat, etc. I want to cut out sugar and processed foods and not worry about eating a little butter.
4) I want to work out a little most days. So what if it is just some push ups and crunches in the living room? Anything is better than nothing and Lily and I had a good time doing "exercises" the other day. I need to get it out of my head that I need to do a video or go to the gym or whatever. Whatever I do at home is a step in the right direction.
5) I want to save up money. I need to make sure I am not buying things on impulse.
6) Better around the home! I need to get on a better cleaning schedule. I need to make sure I make a menu plan. Cooking at home will go a long way to a couple of my goals. And I love to cook. And I get huge satisfaction out of making a meal for my family, even if Chickie isn't always interested in what I make.
7) I just want to relax and be more chill.

What about you? Any goals for the New Year?

And oh yeah, I am not necessarily waiting until January 1 to start these changes. I figure might as well ease myself in...

One of Those Days

I am hoping a nice cup of tea corrects my mood today. Today, well today is one of those days. I am tired. My head hurts. My nose is stuffy. I don't feel like wiping bums or changing diapers. I don't feel like fixing lunch. Why oh why won't the baby nap? She usually sleeps all day. Why is today the one day in the history of ever that the pre-schooler doesn't want to watch cartoons? All I want to do is lay on the couch and take a nap. Is that so much to ask? Sometimes, as a mom, it is.

Today I am throwing myself a pity party. The thing about pity parties is that they can get out of control and turn into real ragers pretty fast. They can turn into the type of parties that, if they were actual parties, the neighbors would call the cops. It started with a little stress. When I stress, I eat. I eat cookies. Like a whole bag. And then I feel like a pig (which, kinda I am - it is pigly behavior!) I think how I wish I was still pregnant. But only for one very vain reason. I liked my appearance when I was pregnant. My hair was awesome. My skin was the clearest and brightest it has ever been. My clothes were comfortable and fit appropriately. I was expected that I would have a large tummy. And full panel maternity pants give that big ol' belly a nice smooth appearance. Sure, I was as big as a house, but that was a given. I was growing a life. Now, well now I am just flabby and mushy and ick! My skin is broken out and I have begun the lovely postpartum shedding.

There are so many things I want to get done today. I want to clean the house and put away the laundry. I want to finish a project with Lily. I would like to start wrapping gifts for under the tree. I want to look forward to making dinner tonight instead of dreading the task. Today, however, I am choosing to give myself grace. I am accepting that I have a two month old baby, that I am fighting a little cold, that I am sleep deprived. I am accepting that pigging out on cookies won't make my clothes fit better, but beating myself up about it won't help either. Today I am going to sip my tea and try to take a nap before we have to rush off to ballet. I am going to remember tomorrow is another day and that it is okay to push off today's chores every once in a while. I am going to remind myself that everyone has, from time to time, one of those days.

The ABC's of Me

The other day my sister asked me if I was going to start blogging more again once the baby was born. I think she thinks I have been neglecting my poor little blog. One of my favorite bloggers – Frugal Babe – recently posted an “ABCs of Me” post. I figured it was an easy way to blog without having to actually think. So here we go!

A – Age. I’m 31.

B – Bed Size. Queen.

C – Chore I dislike. Is all of them an acceptable answer? I really dislike dusting the most, followed closely by cleaning the bathroom.

D – Dogs. We have 2 crazy mutts. At the moment, we actually have three as we are dog sitting my inlaws pup. As my husband likes to say, we are rich in dogs.

E – Essential start to my day. Cuddles with Lily. And coffee. Except when pregnant and nursing, the decaf isn't quite the same.

F – Favorite Colors. Neutrals. People tell me I look good in blue.

G – Gold or silver? Silver, or white gold.

H – Height. I’m 5’4″ish.

I – Instruments I play(ed). I briefly played the clarinet in 5th grade. I am not what you would call musically talented. At all!

J – Job title. Stay at home mom and homemaker.

K – Kids. One crazy three year old girl and another little girl "popping out" in a little over three weeks!

L – Live. A cozy (read: small) house in the suburbs of a big city. We have all four seasons and are entering my fav!!

M - Money tip I like best. Live like no one else so you can live like no one else.

N – Never plan to… hmmm, go fake tanning again.

O – Overnight hospital stays. I had a three night stay when Lily was born and am probably looking at the same when Apple Dumpling arrives.

P - Pet Peeves. When NFL announcers describe a player as athletic. As in "Jay Cutler is an athletic quarterback." No kidding. He is a professional athlete that makes millions a year. I sure hope he is athletic!

Q - Quote from a movie. We're gonna need a bigger boat. I love Jaws!!

R – Righty or lefty? Righty

S - Siblings. Two sisters who are two of my best friends.

T - Time I wake up. For the day, I am usually up by 7:30. However this is a cruel question because I have some fierce pregnancy insomnia right now, so I am pretty much up all night and only start to really get into a good sleep about 6:30 am!

U – Underwear. Yes, I wear underwear.

V - Vegetables I don’t like. Mushrooms. Are they even an veggie? I don't like cauliflower or raw onions or cooked peppers (but I love them raw!)

W – What makes me run late. Other people, namely my husband and daughter!

X – X-rays I’ve had. Dental, and when I threw out my back. Probably more, but my brain isn't working right now.

Y – Yummy food I make. I like to make soups. And I like to cook Indian food. I make a mean Indian chickpeas!

Z – Zoo animals I like. I like the penguins and the condors.

Do you have a blog? If you do, consider yourself tagged!

A Day at the Park

Okay, it was more like a couple hours at the park. The weather was so nice today! I don't think it even reached 80, which is my kind of weather. The sun was shining, a breeze was blowing...it was just perfect. I know Lily has been itching to get out, and to be honest, so have I! I feel like I have been a bad mommy this summer. My three year old is actually sick of cartoons. I mean, what kid doesn't want to watch more cartoons? It is just that it has been super hot, super humid, super rainy, and super mosquito-y. Add in a pregnant mommy and a house under construction, and you get a lot of PBS and Sprout watching. Anyway, I knew we needed to get out. I really wanted to go to the Arboretum or something more exciting, but the mosquitos have been so bad and Lily just gets eaten alive, despite bug spray. And then she reacts very badly to the bites, swelling up and miserably itchy. I decided that a park nearby seemed the best bet. It was cool enough that it didn't unreasonable to dress us both in long pants, socks and tennis shoes. I sprayed her with bug spray before we even left. This park has a big sand area, which she loves (I figured less bugs in sand?) and isn't all that shady, so I thought it would be perfect. It was! I didn't notice any bugs at all. And I don't think Lily has any new bites besides the two she woke up with this morning. There must have been a mosquito in her room. I would say she looked like a happy girl at the park!

After we got home from the park, I parked the van in the street and Lily rode her bike and drew with chalk while I sat and watched her and read a book. Really, the park is close enough to walk to, but I tend to have a lot of back pain if I do much physical activity. My pain is exactly where I hurt my back when I threw it out in January and I am hoping that it feels better after I deliver. I had started seeing a chiropractor and felt much better, but then I found out I was pregnant and stopped treatment. I really hope the pain resolves after the baby is born. It kind of sucks that too much walking, like a day at the zoo, or even a trip to the park, has me almost unable to move the next day! Enough complaining! I am so blessed to be pregnant and I know that, but I guess I am a complainer by nature! Anyway, we came in and had some lunch and I cleaned up the kitchen while Lily played a bit. I put on some cartoons and Lily was so good to let me doze on the couch for a bit. She has been pretty good about letting me get in a little rest on the couch each afternoon, even though she doesn't nap anymore. I started dinner (two nights in a row!) and we went back outside to play and wait for Matt to get home. I am bound and determined this week to make dinner since Matt is home. He has been out of town a lot and we have been eating out a lot, or Matt has been cooking. I hate that I don't have the energy to be my normal domestic goddess! And since there is little point in cleaning since the house is a construction zone with sanding done each night, I figure at least I can make a home cooked meal and not feel like a total slacker!

10 Weeks to Go!!

I officially have ten weeks left in this pregnancy. I am not sure if I can get much bigger. I can't really compare how big I am this pregnancy as opposed to my pregnancy with Lily because there are almost no pictures. One of the nice things about having a scheduled c-section is I know when this baby will be here. Ten weeks from now at the latest I should be holding my new baby, my second daughter, in my arms. I am so excited.
We have to put up a wall to make the babies room. My husband and dad are going to do that in a week and a half. My mom is going to come with that day and we are going to go shopping for anything I need for Apple Dumpling. I shouldn't need too much, but at the moment I am having a hard time remembering what you need for newborns. Since we are having another girl, I shouldn't need much in the way of clothes. I think I am good on onesies and jammies. Unfortunately I can't really go through all the stuff we have in the attic saved from Lily until we have a place to put it all. But now that we have a date set for putting up the wall, I feel a lot more relaxed that things will get done. I want to do a decent size purge of the house to make more room for all the baby stuff that will be coming out of retirement. Since we will essentially be rearranging three rooms, a couple things will definitely need to go.
I am also going to try to get a couple meals in the freezer for after the baby is born. Matt is a good cook, so it isn't like we won't eat if I don't, but I still think it is a good idea. Maybe a couple soups or some meatballs. Too bad I hardly feel like cooking right now.

Lily is getting very excited for her baby sister to pop out. We have her registered for a big sister class at the hospital I will be delivering at and she is very excited about it. It is rather inexpensive and I've had a lot of friends tell me that they found it a helpful way for their older children to feel involved, even if the class was a bit cheesy. Lily is also starting preschool in less that a month, which is crazy to me! I can't believe it. We bought her a princess backpack the other day and she can't wait to go. Last week she had VBS and she was so disappointed that there isn't any this week. It was nice to have some time to myself last week, even though I didn't do anything terribly useful. One Sunday all the VBS kids sang at church and it was adorable. I was so proud of Lily. She sings all the time but wouldn't really sing the songs with me at home. But as soon as she got up with all the little kids she was singing and doing all the movements.

With Lily starting school in just a month, it is really starting to hit me that summer is almost over. Everything will be starting up again. I always feel the start of a school year is more of the beginning of a new year than January 1. Fall is right around the corner, even if it doesn't feel like it outside. I just hope we are able to enjoy some of our normal fall activities with a newborn. I am hoping we can still make a trip to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard.

Well, off to get the house straightened up a bit. I think I am going to start purging....

Untitled

You know what's tricky? Trying to blog with a laptop on your lap when you no longer really have a lap. But I am lazy and don't feel like moving to the table, so I will persevere.
I am home alone for three blissful hours. Lily is at Vacation Bible School all week. It is very, very strange. Yesterday I dropped her off and had to run to a doctors appointment, which was nice. I didn't really have time to dwell on the fact that I was leaving my baby someplace for the first time. Sure, I have left her with family, and rarely, friends. And she has been in the childcare at MOPS, the gym, Hannah Circle, but I was always in the same building. Really, I have nothing to worry about. For starters, Little Miss Independent could care less. She has never really had a problem with me leaving. And her VBS teachers are all my friends from MOPS and Hannah Circle, so it was actually like leaving her with 4 friends that know and love her. So here I sit, home alone with three hours to myself for the next four days. What to do, what to do...
I could take a shower, ALONE, for as long as I want until the hot water runs out, without someone requesting a juice box or informing me Mickey is over or that the dog is on the couch (where they sleep all day...why is this news?). I could take a nap. I am still considering this...someone was up a little earlier than I would like. I could clean, uninterrupted. But I have the rest of the week for that. Today I plan to blog, watch a DVR'd show or two, eat some chocolate chips (I AM pregnant, remember)and perhaps take a nap.

So what have we been up to the past couple days? I had one mission on Saturday. I wanted to get a new diaper bag and the Vera Bradley outlet was having a sale. 25% off...couldn't pass it up. We headed to the outlet mall. Lily actually loves the outlet mall. As does Matt. First stop is always Starbucks...for Matt! I joke with him that after years of loving myself some coffee, Matt embraced the craze just as I had to start making do with decaf. We hit VB and the place was a zoo. I was looking at the baby bags, which are way too small for me, and Lily was helping a worker stock lunch bags. I picked out the bag that looked perfect for me and as we were checking out, the worker Lily was helping came over and asked to borrow her. I waited in line and Matt and Lily went with the worker. She asked Lily which one was her favorite and GAVE IT TO HER! I walked out of the store with a bag that will be perfect for my new diaper bag, and Lily walked out with a free, $20 value lunch tote. Score!


I know the bag looks enormous. It is! BUT! I am a bag person. I always over pack. And with cloth diapers, a nursing cover, plus all the stuff for a baby and a three year old, and my stuff so I don't have to carry a purse...well, it is perfect. Not to mention will probably be toting my big camera around a bit more when I am out and about with a subject that actually sits still for a picture!

On Sunday we took Lily to see her first movie in the theater. We went and saw Winnie the Pooh. Lily loved it and Matt and I loved the watching her excitement. She particularly loved the popcorn. It was the perfect way to spend a hot afternoon. We are in the midst of a heat wave here. It is super hot and humid, even for summer in Chicago. Thank goodness for airconditioning. I am not a fan of heat anyway, and add in the preggo-ness and it makes for a not so happy mommy.

Yesterday we had a pretty busy day as well. I dropped Lily off for her first day of VBS, resisted the urge to scoop her up and take her with me, and headed to a doctor's appointment. I am 28 weeks and officially in my third trimester, which means I will see my doctor every two weeks for the next eight weeks, and then every week. My c-section is scheduled and I can't believe our new little one will be here in 11 weeks! There is so much to do and time is just flying. Buying the diaper bag is probably the first thing we have done on a list that just keeps getting longer. There are a couple major things we need to do, like put up a wall to make the baby's room and buy a crib. The crib we used for Lily was awesome, but it is a drop side and they are banned now and I am just not comfortable with a little baby sleeping in it. Since we are having another girl, I don't think I need to buy much in the way of clothing, though I am sure there will be some since Lily is a March baby and Apple Dumpling will be an October birthday...seasonally I will probably need to fill in the gaps a bit. Anyway, yesterday I had an ultrasound. She was being super shy and I didn't even get a glimpse of her face, let alone a printed picture. She is head down and 2 pounds, 12 ounces. I can't wait to meet her! After I picked Lily up from VBS, we stopped home for 2 minutes to change her into her ballet clothes and headed out to ballet. After ballet we hit up McDonald's (which I had been promising her for about a week) and quickly ate lunch. A friend stopped by to drop something off and then another friend came over so we could do a little transition on MOPS stuff. Last year I was the financial coordinator for MOPS, but with a new baby on the way, I decided doing steering this year would probably be too much. I am sad not to be doing steering this year, but a bit relieved to have one less responsibility. Not to mention extra space on my book shelves after handing off my finance stuff.
Well there you have it. My first hour home alone has passed quickly. Better get to my recorded shows and nap :)

Lily is going to have.....

A BABY SISTER!!!!

We had our 20 week (okay, 19 week, 1 day) ultrasound yesterday and found out the gender of our new little one. Another girl. I would say I was surprised, but I started getting a really strong girl vibe a couple days ago, despite the fact that this pregnancy is soo different that my pregnancy with Lily. I was sick for the first trimester, and still am sometimes. Heartburn, check. Digestive issues, check. I was so sure for the first 18 or so weeks that we were having a boy, but all of a sudden last Thursday I just started feeling like this baby was a girl. Matt admitted that he started to get that feeling a little bit too. If I am going to be honest, initially I was a bit disappointed. I would love to have a son. But then I got to thinking about how much fun Lily is. And I already have tons and tons of clothes. I quickly got over any disappointment. Lily has already named her little sister Apple Dumpling (from Strawberry Shortcake). She is excited and sings to my belly and hugs my belly and gets up every morning and asks me if the baby popped out yet. She is such a hoot!

Speaking of Lily, she is currently in swimming lessons and while she isn't exactly a little fish, she sure loves the water. She is getting more brave each week and now puts her head under water. She is also signed up for "ballerina class" which starts in a couple weeks and she is so excited. She loves to do her ballerina dances for us all the time. Lily is every bit girl, which is so funny because I am totally not a girly girl. She loves princesses and sparkly crayons and is obsessed with putting lipstick (chapstick) on. She insists on wearing a dress every day, so she can do her ballerina dances, and loves to play dress up. She is very nurturing to all her babies. She has a million stuffed animals and I never know which one will be baby of the day. I think she is going to be such a wonderful big sister. She already tells me all the things she is going to do to help, like get diapers and wipes for me.

Lily is also very 3 lately. While the really rough patch seems to have subsided a bit, she is still very strong willed. I know this will serve her well in her life, but right now it can be frustrating! She is also a bit of a picky eater. I am constantly at a loss what to feed her. Something she loves one day she won't touch the next. She is almost completely done with naps, although sometimes if I put cartoons on around dinner time while I make dinner I find her conked out on the couch. She is a total bear to wake up. Seriously, it is scary. She gets that from me :)

I will try to be better on updating. I don't want to miss things and I can't seem to remember what I did 20 minutes ago most days.

Toodles!

My Top Ten....Books

We love to read in our house. I should say Lily and I love to read. Matt has been reading more lately, but he certainly doesn't devour a book the way I do. Of course, he tends toward historical non fiction, which is a bit harder to just fly through. Anyway, this year I decided to go through some of the classics. In my queue at the library are Wuthering Heights, Emma, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. Once I work through these, I will decide on another vein of "the classics". Any suggestions?

Anyway, in no particular order, here are my top 10 all time favorite books:
1) Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (the whole series is great!)
2) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (not included in my above because it is already sitting on my night stand)
3) Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (actually, I really like all the Little House books and can't wait until Lily is old enough for us to read them!)
4) A Time to Kill by John Grisham (his first book and in my opinion his best, though I enjoy most of his books)
5) Stones into Schools by Greg Mortensen. This is the follow up to Three Cups of Tea, which is also excellent.
6) Better Times Than These by Winston Groom (the author of Forrest Gump)
7) A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway is a toughy to read, but just an amazing author. In fact, I think I am going to add For Whom the Bell Tolls to my to read list this year. I have gotten about halfway through it, but never finished it, which is quite unlike me.
8) East of Eden by John Steinbeck
9) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
10) The Help by Kathryn Stockett

What about you? What are your favorites?

Hello dear bloggy, I have missed you!

Alternately titled "Potty Training Hell and Other Stuff"

Since this blog is supposed to record our normal every day happenings, I have about 9 posts I am hoping to write this afternoon if a little person cooperates and takes a nap. I have to get caught up! Chickie only naps every couple days, maybe 2 or 3 times a week now. It frees up our schedule but at the same time the "witching hour" has taken on a whole new meaning. If she naps, even for only an hour, we are still fighting to get her to bed at 10 pm. If she doesn't nap, the hours between about 4 and 8 are brutal! Mommy's hair is turning gray at an alarming rate!

Today Chickie decided she wanted to wear big girl panties. I thought that since it was her idea, perhaps we would have more success than we have been having. I changed her out of a wet diaper, put her on the potty, where she went, and put her in some princess panties. Not even ten minutes later she had an accident. I told her it was okay, but let's try to keep the princesses dry and to tell me if she needs to go. I put her on the potty, cleaned her up and put on a fresh pair of panties. Five minutes later she came crying that the princesses were wet again. We then put on a third pair of panties and she has thus far kept them dry for an hour. I would actually be surprised if they ended up wet since she has told me every 2 minutes that she needs to go potty. Wanting to encourage her to tell me, I have taken her every time, and she has indeed peed a little every time. How to you explain to an almost three year old she needs to completely empty her bladder?
I even stopped giving the M&M rewards after the first 5 times. I told her now we are going to set the timer on my phone and she should try to hold it until the timer goes off. Is that wrong? I thought the idea of the child being potty trained as opposed to being mommy trained was that they realize when they have to go and listen to their body's cues as opposed to just "performing" on a schedule?!?!?! Any advice any one has would be GREATLY appreciated!

Okay, moving on to other topics...we had a lovely break with Matt home the week between Christmas and New Years. We kept it pretty low key, going to the gym, visiting with our families, just hanging out. It was awesome, but by Monday I was ready for our "regular" routine, which isn't all that structured, but just enough. However, it has been hard for me, the stay at home mommy, to get back to the routine, so I can only imagine how hard it is for those with school aged children (or my dear hubby!) to get back in the swing of things. To top it off, Lily and I, and Matt a little too, all seem to have colds. Which is pretty much par for the course, because every time I get back into going to the gym, which I so desperately need, I get sick. Blah!

Alright, this post is a little bit all over the place, but then again, so is my brain! I hope to get caught up this afternoon on the holidays and such!

Random Thoughts

I know I keep promising to post about things and then not doing it. I really do intend to post about Halloween, Lily's first sleep over, my new love of scrapbooking, and all the other things that have been happening lately. It is just that life has seemed a bit out of control and crazy lately. Do you ever feel like that?

It is already the middle of November, which means the holidays are already right around the corner. I actually feel pretty good about the holidays this year. I have some lists made, and I just need ideas from family members. I am totally taking advantage of Lily's age and use the "let's ask Santa" line frequently. I am also a really big fan of "Santa's watching, better be good!"

Speaking of Lily's age, we moved her to her big girl bed on Wednesday. So far she has done really well. I don't think she realizes she can get out of bed on her own. I am hoping this lasts a while. We have been working on potty training. While she seems to have no problem with the concept, she just totally lacks interest in it. I know she will come around eventually, but it is frustrating! Lily can be quite a handful. She is smart and funny and polite...except to me! She has been telling me lately that she wants to get a new mommy from the mommy store. I have no idea where she came up with that notion and am trying not to take it personally! My little girl has a mind like a steel trap. If you make a promise or suggestion, you better be prepared to come through with it, because I guarantee she will remember! It is really remarkable.

My house is threatening to swallow me up, which is really not a good sign as we are heading into winter! I have the itch to majorly purge! I would love to get rid of our desk top computer and computer desk and just get a laptop. However, since our desktop is working just fine, I can't actually justify doing that. I hope the economy turns around and housing prices rebound because we really need more room! I know that our house is just fine and that it is a good size house for many parts of the country and more than many, many people in this world have to call home, but I still desire something bigger! It leaves me feeling conflicted!

There finally seems to be a hint of a real chill in the air. I think we may even get some snow flurries this week. The daytime temps are supposed to be in the 50s, but overnight the temps are supposed to be below freezing. I love snow. I love a good snow storm, particularly on a Friday night, when we have know place to go the next day. Lily is in bed, the snow is falling, and I am curled up on the couch with my sweetie, watching a movie, enjoying a glass of wine, or maybe hot chocolate. The world just feels cozy and still. Of course, the reality usually is more like a child who refuses to go to sleep, we have no food in the house and a million things planned for the next day and the cable is out. But a girl can dream, right?

I really have been lacking motivation and direction lately. I have been horrible about grocery shopping, meal planning, cleaning, etc. It bugs me. I am never a super motivated person. I am the biggest slacker I know. However, I try to remind myself that my job, in this season of my life, is to be a homemaker. If I was shirking my duties in any other profession, I would be fired. And just because I can't actually be fired from my job doesn't mean I can just slack off. Hopefully I will pull myself out of this funk and join productive society again soon. I am probably driving my husband nuts!

Okay, I need to go change around a load of wash. That's productive, right? Until next time friends!

Doing Fall Stuff

I big puffy heart love fall! It is my favorite time of year. After a long, hot, mosquito-y summer, we are trying to get out and do as many outside fall things as we can.
A couple weeks ago we hit up Blackberry Farm.



This past weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and apple patch. Lily insists it is an apple patch, not apple orchard. We were lucky to be able to pick our own apples. The very next day after we were there they were done with u-pick apples for the season. Because of the weather we had this summer, all the apples were maturing 8-10 days earlier than normal.













And now if you'll excuse me, Chickie and I have some applesauce to make and an apple pie to bake!

A Post About Wind and Insomnia

I can't sleep so I am sitting here listening to the wind. Don't get me wrong, it is not the wind that is keeping me up, rather my chronic insomnia. I was lying in bed for a bit, listening to my husband snore, but thought rather than smother him with a pillow, I would get up and blog, out where it is quiet and I can hear the wind better. I jest...I would never hurt my husband. But those of you who share a bed with a snorer know the itch is there some nights! Anyway, insomnia sucks. There are a multitude of factors contributing to my insomnia. Motherhood comes to mind. Even though Chickie has slept through the night pretty much for the past 18 months, in the past two and a half years (on Saturday!) I have not slept as well as I did before becoming pregnant. Or in that first trimester when I slept like the dead. Oh bliss, to sleep like that again! The temperature is another factor. Even with the A/C totally jamming, I still find I don't sleep as well if the outdoor temp is above about 50. And I have my alarm set because I have Bible study in the morning. It is almost guaranteed that if I need a good night sleep, I won't get one. I need one tonight. I have a busy day, topped off with a concert tomorrow night. Sleep. At least I can listen to the wind as I wish for sleep.

I love the wind. Convenient since I live in The Windy City. Okay, I actually live in a suburb 40 miles away. Coincidentally, Chicago is not nicknamed The Windy City for its wind. At least not entirely. It's position on Lake Michigan does indeed make it a windy city. However the actual nickname is attributed to Chicago politicians and there propensity to "blow a lot of wind." There are a couple other theories on the origin of the nickname as well. Don't believe me? Google it! Betcha didn't actually think you would ever learn anything on this little blog, did ya! Anyway, I love the wind. I love listening to it, feeling it. I love the rustle of leaves and the jangling of wind chimes. I really should be more leery of the wind, considering I have an enormous 40 foot maple tree in my front yard. Of minor concern and annoyance is that fact that every time the wind blows it rains little sticks (and in the spring, helicopters) all over my lawn. Of more significance is that fact that the tree towers over my humble one story abode. If a limb were to come down, it would likely land right where I am sitting. Or on the van in the driveway. Or Matt's car in the street. Or on my neighbors garage. But nonetheless, I love the wind. It's magical to me.

Now if it could only blow some sleep my way!

A Perfectly Stinky Afternoon

Lily was in quite a mood when she woke up from her nap today. She had been making noise for a bit, but every time I went in to check on her, she was still asleep. Finally, though, I decided she needed to get up. I have been trying to limit her naps in an attempt to get her in bed before 10 pm. We had a big morning today, she went down a half hour later than normal, and I was relaxing and reading a book, but at 4:30 I just needed to get her up. She wasn't all that happy about it. Her hair was all over her face, sweat gluing it to her forehead and cheeks. She was yelling at me to go away. I picked her up and she started punching and hitting at me. I don't blame her really, I don't like to be woken up either. I held her and rocked her and rubbed her back. I asked her if she wanted me to sing her some songs. She wasn't having it. I carried Lily into the other room and sat down in the rocking chair. I started rubbing her back while she laid with her head on my chest. She started calming down as I talked gently to her. It was quiet and there was a gentle breeze coming in. This was bliss! My baby isn't so much of a cuddler anymore. She is busy with little girl with toys to play with, dances to do, dogs to chase and books to read. Sitting on my lap, rocking with me while I sing her songs doesn't usually fit into her schedule.
And then, all of a sudden, she relaxed completely. Immediately my nose told me why. But you know what, my little stinker asked me to sing her a song. And then another. And another. All the while with her little head rested on my chest, me stroking her hair. I was happy to oblige her. I asked her if we could go change her diaper, and she said tomorrow. I decided to sing her "Tomorrow". I don't really know the words in the right order or anything, but she doesn't know that. When I finished she told me it was a beautiful song.
And that is why, for a half an hour this afternoon, with a stinky, sweaty little girl on my lap, I was in Heaven.

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FOR TODAY…

Outside my window...it is cool and feels like fall! I am sure that it will warm up this afternoon, but this my perfect weather!

I am thinking...about all the things I have on my to do list. For starters, calling Com Ed...yuck!

I am thankful for...finally feeling better.

From the kitchen...tonight I am making one of my favorite blogger's, Notes from the Frugal Trenches "Poor Man/Lazy Man Cabbage Rolls". I am excited to try them out because I love cabbage rolls from my favorite German restaurant.

I am wearing...jeans and a sweatshirt! Yay sweatshirt weather!

I am creating...still working on a plan to simplify my life!

I am going...to the zoo tomorrow with Lily and our friends! The weather should be great, hopefully it won't be too crowded, and we need to get out!

I am reading...In theory, I am still reading The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. However I haven't picked it up in a while.

I am hoping...that a friend's critically ill son responds to treatment.

I am hearing...Lily singing and "tap dancing".

Around the house...not much going on. I have some laundry to put away.

A few plans for the rest of the week...errands today, zoo tomorrow, BBQ at my aunt's on Saturday, and the first Bears game on Sunday!

From my picture journal...

This was taken about 6 years ago on vacation for our first anniversary. It was taken with our first digital camera.

Where Has the Time Gone?

I was reading back through my blog while Lily was napping. All the way back. Back to the beginning, when I had a three month old and had just started cloth diapering. Back to when in each post I lamented the lack of sleep I was receiving each night because of my poor-sleeping-baby. She is a better sleeper now. She has slept through the night since she was about one. She naps. Getting her to bed is a whole different story. I was celebrating milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, her first tooth. Now I am anticipating potty training and a big girl bed. Instead of playing with her toes and jumping in her exersaucer, she is "reading" to the dogs and telling knock knock jokes*.

I can't believe how big my little Chickie is getting. Sure, everyone says they grow up so fast. I am well aware of this day in and day out. Reading back through the past two years really drives that point home. The little baby that slept in my bed every night for nearly six months has very little interest in taking a rest with momma. Yet at the same time we seem to have circled back in some respects. I once again wake up to my baby in my bed. Daddy gets her out of her crib most mornings and she comes in to see me. I lift her on to the bed and we read stories for a while. I no longer have a nursling snuggling up, but rather a little person eager for some Dr. Seuss. It is honestly the best way to start my day.

Some days I find myself wishing away the tantrums, the picky eating, the refusal to go to bed. I wish Lily would just potty train already, or take off her shoes when I ask her to (she has no problem doing it in the car!) instead of telling me she can't and asking me to do it. And then I get so mad at myself. She still accepts help more often then not. She still needs me now. I know a girl always needs her momma, but right now she still understands that she needs me. Before I can blink my eyes she will be a teenager and think she doesn't need me anymore.

When I have trying days with Lily (and today has been a bit of one!) I just need to remember, time goes too fast!

*Lily: Knock knock.
Me: Who's there?
Lily: Peach.
Me: Peach who?
Lily: Peach yogurt (falls on floor laughing)

Lunch

YUM!

Coffee With Grandma and LuLu

Last Thursday my mom and aunt, two of Lily's favorite people (and mine!), were coming out our way to have lunch with my Grandma's best friend and visit the outlet mall. Since the outlet mall is just a few short miles from us, they invited Lily and I to have coffee with them. We were happy to oblige! Lily loves having coffee (actually chocolate milk!) with the girls! And I love going out for coffee, especially since my husband is just now coming around to the coffee, so my dreams of sitting in a coffee shop with my honey have yet to become reality. Unfortunately we were just a few days too early for Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes! But believe me, I did ask about them! The barista was holding out on me. He didn't tell me that they would be back in less than a week!

We enjoyed our coffee and then walked around the mall. It was a beautiful day to walk around outside (even though I was dying...I had a doctor's appointment later that day!). My mom and aunt are crazy addicted to Vera Bradley. They sell cute quilted bags and purses. Of course we had to go in. Heaven help me! Why oh why did I, an admitted purse and bag addict, go in?!? I know better! I loved all the styles of bags and cute patterns. I couldn't justify a new bag, but I really and truly did need a new wallet (honestly! There was a hole in the change part of my old one and I was losing change everywhere!). LuLu and Grandma decided Lily needed a little purse, so they were so sweet to buy her one. She looked adorable walking around with her little Vera Bradley shopping bag.


Of course we had to hit up the Eddie Bauer Outlet. It is probably my all time favorite store, and I had a $10 off coupon! Yippee! I bought two cardigan sweaters and an off white T-shirt to go under one of them. In true Kelly fashion, I am considering returning one. I will have to get Matt's opinion. My mom approved of both of them, so I know I don't look like a frumpy dork wearing them, but sometimes Matt thinks otherwise. Besides, I don't know that I need two sweaters. I mean, I love sweaters, but lets face it, I already have a couple and spend most of my fall and winter in fleeces and sweatshirts. Still mulling it over though...I am sure if I return one I will regret it later...

I ventured to the mailbox this morning (to gather two days worth of mail) and there was a lovely card for Lily from LuLu. Enclosed were the above photos. I love the pics, and Lily LOVES the card! She loves cards. She has all the cards she has received this year in her little desk and plays with them daily! Thanks LuLu! And thanks for coffee and shopping ladies! We are happy to meet up with you any time! We love you and love spending time with you!!!