tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51111419075099572542024-03-13T12:24:07.254-07:00This Quirky FamilyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-62686467441787820232015-10-01T12:41:00.001-07:002015-10-01T12:42:29.583-07:00I've Moved!I wanted to continue blogging, but I was looking for a different platform. I've got a new website <a href="http://www.softsoledshoeshop.com/">www.softsoledshoeshop.com</a>. Come check it out! I've also opened an Etsy shop you can visit at <a href="http://www.softsoledshoes.etsy.com/">www.softsoledshoes.etsy.com</a> to peruse the baby and toddler shoes I'm making. Thanks so much!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-41590299197221257522015-05-13T11:36:00.000-07:002015-05-13T11:36:04.763-07:00Goals and KittensI think I'll write a blog post about goals, soon. I'd like to write about how they've helped me, and when they don't. I'll probably share some of my goals. I might write about why I disappear from this space sometimes, and how I feel about that. I don't know that I could be called a goal-oriented person, but I <i>do have goals</i> and hey- goals is a funny word, isn't it? <br />
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Now isn't the time for that post. Right now I'm teetering on the far edge of a nap time, and I'm struggling to regain my motivation and productivity. It's not that I haven't had ANY free time this past week, it's just that I've spent what little I've had watching Big Love. What can I say, I'm only human- and I just got a subscription to HBO Now. Fifteen bucks a month, guys= worth it.<br />
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Anyway, NOW feels like the perfect time to dump the inordinate amount of kitten pictures I compulsively take every day. She is <i>adorable,</i> after all, but I don't want my instagram account to be ONLY pictures of cats.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-25019702375575487802015-05-05T10:30:00.000-07:002015-05-05T10:30:45.667-07:005 SentencesNot too long ago, I wrote about how <a href="http://thisquirkyfamily.blogspot.com/2015/04/ah-my-unique-little-humans.html">all of my children are different</a>. As I mentioned in the post, there are many perks to having four unique individuals running around your house- but there are downfalls, too.<br />
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We've had one particularly bad attitude knocking around here for <i>months</i>. None of our methods for squashing it were working. The things we'd tried before on other kids only made things worse for this one. We tried all the positive reinforcement, praise and special attention- but nothing was enough for this kid. It was frustrating, and beginning to feel a little hopeless. My inner dialogue started to go something like, <i>"Maybe we're just going to have to live with a jerk for the next several years and hope by the time they're an adult they will have grown out of it?" </i>My outer dialogue (to Chris) went something like, "I can't live like this for the next several years and just hope by the time they're an adult they grow out of it!"<br />
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So you know as a parent how sometimes, when your kid is having a problem, you consult with people you trust- a doctor, a teacher, maybe just a close friend- you make a plan with your partner, and you commit to trying some recommended strategy that seems designed for your child, directed toward your goals and in line with your parenting philosophy? <br />
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And then, you know how sometimes you're at the end of your rope and instead of doing <i>any</i> of those things you just BLURT something out and then cross your fingers it doesn't TOTALLY backfire?<br />
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I did the second one.<br />
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And it's been working, friends! <br />
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Every time something snotty, rude, or disrespectful pops out of my kid's mouth I say "5 sentences!" and they have to write 5 sentences on 'fill in the blank.' Sometimes they're writing about why they shouldn't speak rudely to people, sometimes they're writing about why we all do chores or homework- the assignment can be easily adjusted to fit any scenario. It completely deescalates the situation. The worst we get is a low breathy <i>"fine!" </i>and a slap as the paper hits the table. By the time they are done writing, they're not angry any more. I'm not angry any more, because I feel like I've reacted appropriately. And slowly but surely the <i>attitude </i>has started to fade. I know for a fact this wouldn't work on all {of my} kids, but it works for this one and I LOVE it. <br />
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As a bonus, my kid gets to practice their writing skills and I get to find 'mess ups' in the art cabinet, which I think are adorable:<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-63498938884528424782015-05-04T10:39:00.000-07:002015-05-04T10:39:00.007-07:00WeekendingOn Monday, the fewer words the better...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-3796273983355266842015-05-01T09:42:00.000-07:002015-05-01T09:42:13.898-07:00Out With the OldI had a routine going that I was quite fond of. It included exercise, healthy eating, and time to pursue creative endeavors that fill my bucket (like writing and sewing). All of these things were worked into the schedule of non optional things like spending time with my kids, taking care of the baby, and <i>some</i> household chores. The house/yard wasn't quite up to par, but hey you can't do EVERYTHING right? <br />
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Over the past two (maybe three?) weeks, it's completely disintegrated and that makes me sad. A lot of different factors contributed to the destruction of my routine, the two most powerful being my getting sick (twice) and the baby switching up her nap schedule. She was napping three times a day and it seems she's ready to drop that to two, but babies aren't <i>rational</i> so what she's tried to do over the past few weeks is NEVER SLEEP EVER AGAIN.<br />
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The madness isn't working for anyone in the house, so we came up with a new plan for a new routine and we'll spend the next week working on implementing that. I'm looking forward to getting back to some of the activities I enjoy that I've been neglecting (and wrapping up one big project I was <i>really</i> hoping to have finished by the end of April but THAT'S not happening (can you believe tomorrow is May 1st?!)) When it comes to exercise/healthy eating I'm viewing this as just a hiccup that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. <br />
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Anyway, happy weekend all- and wish us luck getting our tiny terrorist <ahem> I mean <i>beautiful precious angel</i> on a new schedule.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-873337689289240292015-04-28T09:31:00.002-07:002015-04-28T09:31:34.662-07:00Baby Gear Round UpWe're 8 months into this baby gig, and I've been thinking about what I would invest in if we ever opt for a round 2. <br />
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<i>(We are not embarking on a round 2 ANY TIME SOON! I loved the newborn days, I pine over how quickly babyhood is passing by, but when I hear other people with babies talking about how they want another newborn, an involuntary voice in my head shouts ALREADY?!? To each his own- if that's you then good for you! Not for me, thanks!)</i><br />
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We're far enough along that I don't want to invest in any expensive items now- I feel like we can live without them just fine, and they would end up in storage in a few months anyway. Still, it has occurred to me that if we have another baby in the future we'll already have everything we <i>need</i>, so it might be worth it to splurge on a few luxuries we skipped the first time around.<br />
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Here's a round up of the things we've loved the most this time around:<br />
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<li>Charlie Banana cloth diapers- I know cloth diapering isn't for everybody, but we love it. We've been using disposables for 6 weeks and counting as we battle <i>the yeast infection that will not die!</i> And contrary to feeling like a vacation or making the cloth seem like a wasted investment, it's making me appreciate our cloth diapers that much more and I can't WAIT until we can go back to them. That being said, we have had some minor issues, primarily with pee leaks. I'm thinking of going back and trying some prefolds with covers, and if they work I'll slowly trade them out as I can afford it.</li>
<li>Simple knit hats- we had a few homemade knit hats that were sentimental and <i>adorable, </i>but none of them ever fit or stayed on as well as the basic store-bought knit hat.</li>
<li>Sleep and plays- I had picked out a bunch of sweet pants and onesies- and they were really cute- but the first 3 months or so my favorite outfits were the sleep and plays.</li>
<li>Side sleeper- Anxiety, hormones, whatever. The point is I needed my baby as close as possible while I slept, without her actually being next to my body because I was terrified of smothering her in her sleep. This worked great in our king bed, but I don't think it would fit in a smaller bed with 2 adults.</li>
<li>Bob stroller- I hedged on the stroller dilemma for months. I didn't want to waste my money, but even the cheapest strollers (aside from umbrella strollers which are just too short to use comfortably) cost around $100, and I didn't want to drop that on something that may or may not actually suit us. I wanted a jogging stroller because I knew I <i>needed </i>exercise, but what if I didn't follow through and that expensive stroller sat in our garage unused, <i>taunting me</i>? Well this stroller has paid for itself a thousand times over in convenience and utility, and I HAVE been jogging, for 4 months now, so take that past-me!</li>
<li>Chico Keyfit 30 infant carseat- this carseat was a hand-me-down, but it's great. It's touted around the internet as one of the safest, and I have no complaints as far as comfort and ease of use.</li>
<li>Aden and Anais muslin swaddling blankets- I know I'm so cliche, but they really are delightful and adorable. Since our baby was born in August, we used these blankets almost exclusively for the first 3 months or so. We used them to swaddle, to shield the baby from the sun, and occasionally to clean up drool, spit up, or milk dribble. We used heavier blankets when the weather got cold, but now that it's getting warm we often throw them in the carseat with her to give her something to cuddle, or pack one in the diaper bag to drape over the stroller if she needs to nap on the go.</li>
<li>A swing- My in-laws bought this for her a few days after she was born. I didn't use it much for the first month, (because let's face it, I never put her down), but for 3 or 4 months she used it daily. We only just finally packed it away, because I was still putting her in it occasionally as a novelty to entertain her if she was feeling crabby and I really needed to eat or something.</li>
<li>Ergo (not pictured because I forgot about it, but too good not to mention anyway)- I've used the Ergo for basketball games, school functions, family outings, around the house, and every shopping trip ever. The baby never liked her carseat so we couldn't just put the carseat in the shopping cart. When I'm alone I can't push a stroller and a shopping cart, and even when we're out shopping together it's easier to carry her in the Ergo than it is to push around the stroller. When she was tiny I used a k'taan because the infant insert for the Ergo sounded way too hot for an August baby. I liked the k'taan, but the nice thing about the Ergo is it's adjustable- so Chris can wear it, too. The Ergo also allows us to put her on our backs, which is definitely preferable sometimes.</li>
</ol>
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<i>This list isn't comprehensive, but it includes the items we liked and used the most. It also doesn't include any of the handmade items that we truly love, because that wouldn't be particularly useful to anybody else. </i></div>
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Here's what I would splurge on next time:<br />
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<li>A video monitor- You DON'T need one of these, and I thought it was a good thing to skip to save some money. For the first few months she rarely napped away from us. She was always sleeping in the cradle, in the swing or on our chests, so we didn't use a monitor at all. Once she got too 'aware' to sleep around light and noise we had to teach her to sleep in her crib. I know that she's fine and I still don't need a video monitor, but I want one so bad! I really wish I could see what she was up to in there.</li>
<li>An electric breast pump- These are expensive, and since I wouldn't be going to work after the baby was born I really wasn't sure what I would need. My mom bought me a $30 hand pump, and that worked pretty well in the beginning. I wanted to pump so Chris could feed her, so we could occasionally leave her with a sitter, and so I could occasionally have a drink without worrying about my breastmilk. The hand pump is small and convenient in many ways, but I don't think it's meant for daily use. For her to take a bottle, she needed one just about every day. Otherwise she wasn't used to it and wanted to nurse. I just couldn't keep up with a hand pump, and it only got worse as the months went by. I got stressed out and frustrated, I thought my milk wouldn't let down for a pump- I was getting <i>nothing</i>. I finally figured out it was the pump- not me. I don't know if it's garbage or if it just needs a new membrane or something, but it definitely doesn't work anymore as it is. For the sake of my sanity we decided it would be smarter just to use formula in a bottle once a day for the next 4 months, rather than buying an expensive pump and pressuring me to find time during the day to use it. Next time around though I think I'll buy an electric pump and make it more of a priority from the beginning. She nursed so often for the first 4 or 5 months of her life that it was pretty hard on me. I accepted it and tried to be thankful she was a good eater, and it wasn't too bad- but there were times when I really felt like I needed a break but I couldn't have one, and that's not ideal. It didn't even occur to me at the time, but in hindsight I'm pretty confident an electric breast pump would have made a big difference.</li>
<li>Full body pregnancy pillow- Or maybe a wedge or maybe both, I don't know! All I know is I was terribly uncomfortable when I was pregnant, <i>especially</i> in the third trimester. I was way more interested in buying baby stuff than pregnancy stuff, though, so the only special pillow I bought was a $20 body pillow from Target and it was crap. I don't know if any of the pricier options would make a difference, but I've heard great things and I think it'd be worth the cash to try them out!</li>
</ol>
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In case you were curious, the only real dud around here was the bouncy chair. We got some use out of it, but she never really cared for it and could definitely have lived without it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-36527864321985304992015-04-27T10:39:00.008-07:002015-04-27T10:39:57.433-07:00WeekendingOn Monday, the fewer words the better.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-64554755360255551182015-04-24T06:00:00.000-07:002015-04-24T06:00:10.390-07:00Joke's on You!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Ohhhhh so YOU thought since I was happily playing with that big basket of toys over there, you might try to get some work done?</i><br />
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<i>HAHAHA, good one Mama!</i></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-68898003574303008192015-04-23T06:00:00.000-07:002015-04-23T06:00:09.470-07:00Baby ProofingWe didn't rush to baby proof our house. It's already pretty kid friendly- no expensive crystal or sharp knives lying around. We knew it wouldn't be necessary until she was mobile, and hadn't decided exactly what we'd need to do. Then time just sort of snuck away from us, and as she began to roll and crawl we've found ourselves pulling her away from cords and books and shelves over and over again. We finally decided that for her safety and our sanity it needed to be done <i>now</i>, so we baby proofed the living room last weekend.<br />
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We gated her in. I was on the fence about this one, <i>(ha no pun intended).</i> It was the most expensive and <i>ugliest</i> step, but I finally decided it would be worth it to be able to keep her out of the dining room when need be. That's where many of our books are that she is attempting to eat, and that's where my ironing board is usually set up- I am super paranoid about my iron falling on her, even when it's not hot. We bought a cheap-o gate for one doorway, but had to get a nicer one (more than twice as expensive) for the other doorway because of its width.<br />
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Chris tied up all the cords tight behind the TV stand, and then put a piece of plywood in front of them for good measure.<br />
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We plugged all the outlets. This is an obvious and easy one, but she demonstrated over and over again just how specifically important it was <i>for her</i> by trying her hardest to jam her pointer finger into those outlets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bonus prize in this picture: A sneak peak of my bedhead in the dirty mirror above the outlet.</i></td></tr>
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We tethered the bookshelf [that she totally climbs on] to the wall, as well as the lamp in the corner.<br />
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We took the pallets out from under the couch. She kept trying to climb up on the couch and bumping her face on them when she fell. Once she gets better at climbing we'll put these back in. In the meantime we're finally going to stain and varnish them.<br />
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I just took out the fireplace screen and tools. We won't need them in the summer anyway, and I didn't want them to fall on her. In a few months she may figure out how to climb up here and then I don't know what we'll do, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.<br />
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So, what did we miss? Did we hit anything you forgot about in your home? I'm sure we'll have some issues to face with the TV stand as she gets a little bigger. I've heard of people using double sided tape to stick their flat-screen TVs down and prevent their kids from knocking them over. Of course we could also mount it to the wall. How to keep her away from the computer and the Xbox I'm a little less certain. We may have to get creative!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-71473097269434984442015-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:002015-04-22T06:00:01.066-07:00Science for KidsI loved the school science fair when I was a kid. I also participated in Science Olympiad and Odyssey of the Mind. I met my husband at science camp in high school, and his version of "me time" is still reading science blogs or listening to science podcasts (<a href="http://theskepticsguide.org/">The Skeptics Guide to the Universe</a> anybody?) So it's no wonder that we had hoped our kids would <i>love</i> the science fair themselves, and every year doing their projects would be a massive fun educational family undertaking.<br />
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Well our girls hate it. They're ambivalent about science in general. They tend to be interested any time we have discussions on new theories or discoveries at home, or lead them through just-for-fun experiments, but often complain about science class at school. (Sometimes because it's boring and sometimes because it talks about the human reproductive system and <i>OMG how embarrassing!!</i>)<br />
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We've tried for years to make it fun and exciting. BUT we are also adamant they do it right- no baking soda volcanoes here, folks! Only one variable allowed! Can this experiment be replicated? How large is your data set? We've done our best to keep it reasonable and developmentally appropriate for each of them, but we think it's really important that our {all} children learn a few basic fundamental facts about the scientific method- so they can recognize bad information as they get older.<br />
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I think we've made a few mistakes along the way though. First of all, we <i>never</i> start soon enough. If we want it to be fun AND done correctly, it can't be rushed. So we always start talking about it weeks ahead of time, but no one ever actually does anything until the weekend before the projects are due. Second of all, they need more help coming up with ideas for what to do their projects on. It's difficult for <i>me</i> to come up with a simple, testable and controllable experiment, and I understand the scientific method. For someone who doesn't, it's nearly impossible. It certainly doesn't help that many of the "science for kids" websites out there are packed with <i>demonstrations </i>rather than experiments. Demonstrations are great ways to get kids excited about science, teach them a lesson, and pass the time during endless summer vacation days. They are NOT experiments, do not teach the scientific method, and are not what the science fair is all about.<br />
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Anyway, our bickering over projects in the past has cemented our daughters' hatred for the whole thing, and every year when it comes up there are a lot of heavy sighs and groaning in anticipation. This year, however, we totally nailed it. It helped that our oldest finally seemed to understand the assignment, accomplished most of the prep work at school, and needed very little help at all. We provided a lot more direct guidance to the younger two, who still seemed very confused. Our son doesn't have to do one at all until he's in the 4th grade, but he wanted to and we (obviously) think that's great, so we do it with him every year, too.<br />
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We don't want to be the parents who do the projects for the kids, but if the goal is for them to learn something, then too much "Well what do you think?" doesn't work either, and ultimately just leads to tears. It took us 4 years to figure out the balance between the two, but this weekend we arrived! In case you are looking for an experiment to do with your kids, for a science fair or just for fun, this is what our kids did:<br />
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For the 13 year old, How much salt has to be added to water to make an egg float?<br />
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For the 12 year old, How much weight can 3 eggs bear before they crack?<br />
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For the 8 year old, Which of my toy cars is faster- the blue RC car or the red wind-up car?<br />
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Are any of these projects perfect? Of course not. There will be no papers published in any scientific journals on these experiments any time soon (or ever). But my kids had fun! They learned about the scientific method! They won't get failing grades at school! No body cried! Winner!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-46924684406343733072015-04-21T06:00:00.000-07:002015-04-21T06:00:00.040-07:008 Months OldThe weather seems to have taken its final turn toward summer. The mercury has risen and it's unlikely to drop again until the fall. It's strangely liberating, the first time you can comfortably walk around the house with bare feet in the morning. I feel like I've been cold constantly for months without even realizing it, and now I'm beginning to thaw. Saturday morning we sat around the breakfast table with bare knees bouncing, naked toes dangling and swaying as we ate waffles and chatted about our plans for the day. The baby was already down for her first nap. Just as I finished my last bite, we heard her let out a squawk over the baby monitor.<br />
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I walked upstairs to collect her. When I came in the room she wasn't in her typical happy post-nap mood- instead she fussed and rubbed her eyes. I scooped her out of the crib and she burrowed into my chest. I sat on my bed to nurse. She melted in my lap and nursed quietly for several minutes, her eyes closed and body calm, until she was completely asleep. I readjusted my shirt and sank back into the pillows, gazing at the sleeping baby in my arms.<br />
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Her head rested in the crook of my right arm, and she lay across my belly with her long legs extending all the way down my left side. I remembered when she was a newborn, she was so tiny I had to tuck her little body down by my side with her head poking out front so she could breastfeed and breathe at the same time. She ate a lot and filled out quick, so soon she was this <i>adorable</i> little ball of dough- so squishy with rolls that went on for days. Then she learned to roll and scoot, and now she's crawling and climbing, so her body is changing again.<br />
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I don't often get to snuggle her while she sleeps in the light of day anymore. When she was first born that's <i>all </i>we did, but now she's active and observant and smart, and she needs a nice quiet, dark room to take a nap in. For some reason that morning was different though, and all she needed was her momma's warm chest to snuggle up to. I sat on the bed, light streaming through the open door, and I noticed how strong she looks now. She still has little thigh rolls, thank goodness. She still has creases on her wrists and ankles, and dimples where her elbows and knuckles are supposed to be. Her face is perfect and round with cubby little cheeks framing her pursed baby lips. <br />
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She's getting <i>long</i> though. Looking at her little legs and arms I could see how able she is becoming. Within a couple months I imagine she'll be walking, if not independently at least along the furniture. I saw that morning the first hints of the kid that my baby is going to be.<br />
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I stroked the soft downy hair grown thick over her head and felt the weight of her sleeping on my chest. I did my best to memorize every detail of her precious face, her chubby fingers, her <i>amazingly </i>adorable little toes. I will miss this, I know. Every new step is SO exciting and it is SO MUCH FUN watching her learn and grow, but I am unbelievably grateful to have my tiny babe for <i>just</i> a little longer.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-23030861531337827562015-04-20T10:48:00.000-07:002015-04-20T10:48:52.535-07:00WeekendingOn Monday mornings, the fewer words the better.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Played with clay at a friend's house Sunday evening- I'm hooked.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Baby Groot hiding in my dying Trader Joe's basil.</i></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-83202215697850842912015-04-17T08:42:00.000-07:002015-04-17T08:42:49.087-07:00To Do'sThis weekend went from two big empty white squares on the calendar on the fridge to a <i>monster</i> of a to-do list in one afternoon. <div>
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I've got to finish up our menu plan and make a grocery list, and then we have to do a month's worth of grocery shopping this weekend. We spend a few hours once a month going to 2 or 3 different grocery stores and stock up on everything we can eat or freeze in the next 30 days, and then once a week after that we do a quick trip for perishables, (mostly fruit and vegetables). We also restock personal hygiene items and household supplies once a month (think toothpaste, hand soap, toilet paper). </div>
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The wee one has made it clear baby proofing can NOT wait any longer. She's climbing on everything, trying to eat our books, and is <i>completely</i> fascinated by electrical outlets- so we need to take care of that this weekend. </div>
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Our oldest is going to a sleepover tonight and has to get picked up at noon tomorrow. Our son has baseball pictures tomorrow afternoon, and our middle daughter is having a friend over to spend the night tomorrow night because they're working on their science fair project together. And finally, all 3 kids need to finish their science fair projects, which they <i>obviously</i> haven't started yet, despite the fact that they're due Wednesday morning. </div>
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We also have some serious yard work and spring cleaning that needs to be attended to, but I mean... <i>sigh.</i></div>
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I think it's safe to say we'll be busy. Earlier this week I was thinking I might invite some friends over tonight to hang out and play ping pong, but now I'm thinking we might need to knock out some of the grocery shopping. That sounds like a lot less fun...</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-48776744793843272442015-04-16T11:30:00.000-07:002015-04-16T11:30:26.905-07:00Ah My Unique Little HumansThe tricky thing about kids is they are complete human beings. They each have unique wants and needs, coping mechanisms, learning strategies, senses of humor. Being a parent isn't a job, it's a relationship- and you only get to control half. There are no clearly defined parameters and the end goal is undecided. The big picture is still fuzzy. You know you want them to be happy, but life's more complicated than that right? Nobody is happy all the time, so it's more like they need to learn to navigate through the good and the bad, and how that's going to look for them is unclear because they're not even old enough to know what they want yet.<br />
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There are plenty of people out there who want to tell you what to do, but you learn pretty quickly that if you try to play by someone else's rules <i>everybody</i> in your house loses. You've got to figure out what works for you and your family, and it <i>changes</i> because PEOPLE change. The kid, sure- but you too. It's time's fault really, but there's no use in playing the blame game now.<br />
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Then the next kid comes along and they're completely different and you're like <i>what the fuck?!</i> I THOUGHT I knew what to do here, but that's not working for you! God forbid you have different genders, too, because then you get this comment, "Oh it's because he's a <i>boy."</i> Because he's a boy my ass! I've got a nephew the same age as my son and their personalities are like night and day. They get in trouble about the same amount, but always for <i>completely</i> different reasons. Not to mention the fact that my girls are just as different from each other as they are from my son. It's not that boys and girls are different- it's that HUMANS are different.<br />
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So this is a good thing though, yes? A blessing and a curse, as they say. I mean, I could just drop the kids off at the fire station and get a really expensive doll collection. It would be a lot easier, but infinitely less rewarding. No, I'm in it for the long haul. This is definitely the life for me.<br />
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I must be crazy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-84053049866537369792015-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:002015-04-15T10:30:53.779-07:00A Detailed Account...<i>I wrote this yesterday (Tuesday), so it is referencing the day's events from Monday. I didn't publish it yesterday because I wasn't quite able to finish it. It's not my best work, guys. It was supposed to be a basic 'what does a day with 4 kids look like for you?' post, but I got hung up in the details. It's LONG. It changes from past to present tense, like, a FEW times. In some areas it's pretty boring. I almost scrapped the whole thing. But then I thought- it's true, it's real, it happened, so it has value right? If nothing else I know I'll enjoy looking back on it one day and reminiscing over it like an old picture: ahh remember when... </i><br />
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After a night of not much sleep for either of us, (thanks to the tiny sleep terrorist we share a room with) Chris got up at 6:30 and got in the shower. I'm pretty confident the girls got up around the same time to the sound of the alarm clock in their room, but I can't say for sure because I was still snoring. At 7 Chris took the baby downstairs, woke up our son and refused to leave the room until he was standing (because the kid <i>will not</i> get out of bed in the morning), and then made coffee. I got up at 7:30. <br />
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The kids eat breakfast and clean up after themselves, brush their teeth, and our oldest wipes down the counter in the bathroom after everyone is done. They do this every morning- have for the past 3 years- but they still need cajoling and encouragement and reminders to <i>"quit bugging each other and get ready for school!"</i> Chris gets ready for work, the baby plays on the floor, I eat breakfast, drink coffee, and remind and cajole. <br />
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He leaves at 8 to take the big kids to school. Our little love is ready for her first nap by now, (yes even though she's only been up an hour). So, I take her upstairs and put her down. I check her diaper, give her medicine for thrush, darken the room, turn on the rain machine and the fan that blows her mobile around, and sit on the bed and nurse her. When she's finished I give her a pacifier and stand up and cradle her in my arms, swaying back and forth and singing "You Are My Sunshine" [off key]. Then I lay her down in her bed, tuck her stuffed raccoon under her arm and walk out. Sometimes she's already asleep, sometimes she squawks once <i>(literally once)</i>, but 99% of the time this works like a charm. Yesterday at 8am it totally worked.<br />
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I go down stairs and finish my cup of coffee while I do some sewing for The 100 Day Project. I listen to This American Life while I sew. I made a bandana bib and a bow, and posted a picture on Instagram. <br />
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Chris came home from dropping the kids off at school for a short time before heading off to work. He isn't able to do that every day, and the only reason I'm sure he came home yesterday is because I have this picture of a smoothie I was drinking around 9:30, and I'm certain I didn't make it for myself. I'm way too lazy to make such a complicated morning snack. It was delicious. Thanks Chris!<br />
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After I finished sewing, I paused my podcast and wrote yesterday's quick little blog post. While I was uploading the pictures I heard the baby on the monitor. She woke up but was cooing happily, so I finished what I was doing and then shut down my computer before I went to get her. It was almost 10.<br />
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She smiles so big when I walk in the room after a nap- I love it. I picked her up and snuggled her, changed her diaper, and then set her on the floor with a couple of toys while I changed out of pajamas and into work out clothes. I brushed my teeth <i>(finally, right?!) </i>and we were off. <br />
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I've been using the '10k Runner' app on my iPhone to help build strength and stamina and I'm REALLY happy with it. It tells me when to walk and when to run, and when I've hit the halfway point. This was my run yesterday.<br />
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I play a podcast or pandora at the same time, and my run is over in no time. Yesterday I skipped the headphones, plopped my phone into one of the cupholders on the stroller and played my workout and This American Life through the speakers. The baby likes to listen, too.<br />
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When we got home, I did my sit ups and squats, using apps by the same developer. Normally this is no big deal and the baby plays on the floor next to me while I finish up, but yesterday she <i>would not</i> leave me alone. I tried nursing her first, but she still climbed all over me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ya know how some girls look cute while they exercise? Yeah... no. My work out partner is ADORABLE though.</i></td></tr>
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I squeezed out my sit ups and then put her in her high chair with some boiled pear slices I'd made the day before. I did my squats right next to her so I could watch for choking, but didn't really get to stretch at the end because she was already getting grumpy. I tried feeding her some pea puree, but after 2 bites she was done. It was about 11:30.<br />
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Normally at this time I would take her in the shower with me. When we were done, I'd put her down for a nap at about 12, and she would sleep until around 1:30. However she already seemed really tired, and we were going to have to leave the house at 12:30 to get the big kids from school anyway, so I thought an early nap would be a good thing. I really needed a shower, so I did the normal nap routine, but instead of walking out I walked into the bathroom and hopped in the shower. <br />
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This did not go well. She screamed. The door was closed, but she knew damn well where I was. Luckily about 3 minutes into my shower Chris came home during a break between appointments and texted me, "Shit did I wake her up?" He tried to put her to sleep but it wasn't happening, so she didn't get a nap. I finished my shower, Chris had to leave for work at 12:15, and I hurriedly scarfed down a Trader Joe's prepared salad before I had to pick the kids up from school. The baby amused herself by jabbering loudly and pulling all the big books off the bottom shelf in the dining room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You were delicious, you just weren't enough for me!</i></td></tr>
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Out of the 25 minute drive out to the school, my best estimate is the baby slept about 15 minutes. As soon as the kids get in the car, she's awake. My son hands me a behavior chart the teacher fills out every day to hold him accountable- he had an excellent day! (He usually does, but she was afraid if we stopped the charts he might slide back into his clowning ways). My daughter tells me her friend started her period that day and it totally freaked her out. I chuckle sympathetically.<br />
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We stop by Target on the way home to get a pack of diapers, because we are <i>still</i> battling a yeast infection and can't use our cloth diapers until it's gone. (It's just the faintest whisper of an itchy red spot that <i>will not go away</i>, it's driving me crazy. Of course I say it's itchy but she can't tell me that and doesn't actually act like it bothers her so maybe it's not- but it LOOKS itchy.) Still, I'm feeling optimistic, so I buy the small pack and cross my fingers I won't be back by the end of the week.<br />
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We get home and only have an hour before we'll need to leave again for my oldest daughter's baseball game. My son wants a snack but he just had lunch, so I tell him to get his homework going and he can have a snack before we leave. The baby is a hot mess by now, so I bring her upstairs to put her down for a nap. When I walk out she screams. I sit for a minute to see if she'll stop. Meanwhile, I hear my other children ignoring my instructions and loudly rummaging around the kitchen for food. My 12-year-old and 8-year-old are arguing, but I can't even tell you over what because it's already deteriorated into obnoxious sarcasm and name calling. <br />
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So I sit on the floor in the hall, with my baby screaming... <i>SCREAMING</i> on the other side of the door behind me and 2 kids fighting downstairs. I'm <i>starving</i>- all that exercise and then just a hastily half-eaten salad for lunch? No bueno. <br />
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My mind wanders for a minute and I think to myself, thank god I don't have to do it all at once. I ignore the big kids. I take a deep breath and go back into the bedroom. I snuggle the baby but it becomes clear she's not taking a nap. I bring her downstairs and plop her on the floor and suddenly she's not a hot mess anymore. Maybe all she wanted was to nurse? I knew she would be tired during the baseball game, but there was nothing I could do about it then and I needed a snack. <br />
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The kids were done arguing and done eating already. I sit and eat an apple and a <i>giant</i> spoonful of Nutella while they do homework. Mister is sitting on the bean bag chair doing his reading, and the baby won't stop climbing all over him. I think it's hilarious and take some video. I move her off him once, but then I give up because I'm eating, and he obviously doesn't mind the distraction from his homework. <br />
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Chris gets home at about 2:20. We decide to take 2 cars to the game so one of us can leave early to take our other daughter to dance class. Since we're doing that, only one of us has to leave right away to get our kid there for warm ups- everyone else can meet us at 3:30 when the game actually starts. Chris doesn't care either way so I opt to leave first and he stays home with the baby and the other 2 kids. I tell him I was going to make Smitten Kitchen's mushroom pate and put it in the fridge for dinner but I ran out of time, in the vain hope that maybe he can pull it off. He doesn't have enough time, but he does chop up all the vegetables we were going to roast and eat with it.<br />
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I get to the baseball park and my daughter runs off to join her team. I go inside and buy a black coffee <i>(for $2.50, geez)</i> and sit in one of those stadium chairs, in the shade. Alone. Warm air, pleasant breeze. Quiet. For a FULL 30 minutes. Again, A-L-O-N-E. I read blogs on my phone and sip my coffee, and it was like a friggen' vacation.<br />
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The game goes well, our kid plays first base and bats 4th. The team is really coming together and makes some good plays. The game has a hard 2 hour time limit, which means they have to stop in the middle of the last inning- the other team's parents are <i>pissed</i> because they were catching up. This is not a very competitive league, I didn't even know what the score was, those parents were being completely obnoxious. <br />
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For the duration our 8-year-old played on the playground with some other kids- it's a really nice baseball park. They've got multiple baseball stadiums, batting cages, a hockey rink, a restaurant with all the classic baseball food and coffee and beer (baseball makes me wish I liked beer, but I don't.) The baby was tired but she nursed, ate puffs, and rode around in her stroller and she was good. <br />
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Our middle daughter coincidentally got caught in a lie while we were there. Serious offenses mean serious consequences, so no dance class for her last night.<br />
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By the end of the game I was getting <i>really </i>hungry. By the time we got home I felt weak and shaky. After the holiday I was trying to get back to eating healthy, and time (or lack there of) was definitely a factor, but I need to make sure and eat a heartier lunch on the days I work out. I was so hungry there was no way I was waiting the hour minimum it would take to make the dinner we'd planned. The baby <i>finally</i> went to sleep, and Chris left to get fast food. (So there goes my healthy day, huh). <br />
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My brother-in-law came by and dropped off his baby boy for a couple hours, as he had a hockey game but his fiancé wasn't back from an out-of-town work thing yet. Our peanut woke up after a half an hour, but it was pretty clear she was still exhausted. We inhaled our gross food and took care of the babies. I didn't feel full, but I thought if I waited my body would catch up and I'd feel it eventually. <br />
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Our son dragged the garbage can across the kitchen, down the hall and out the front door with some nasty black sludge on the bottom of it, so <i>that</i> was a giant mess. He deteriorated quickly after that. He's one of those kids who you can tell is tired just by looking at his face, and last night he was TIRED. He <i>kind of</i> cleaned up the mess, took a shower, and we put him in bed early. It was around 8pm. Our exhausted baby was finally soundly asleep in her crib by then, so we just hung out with our nephew for an hour until his mom picked him up. He's a sweet baby and pretty low maintenance, but we're so busy with our own brood we don't get much time with him, so that was nice.<br />
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At 9 the big girls went to bed, and we did, too. I was still hungry, but too tired to care. It was insanely windy, (insane for northern California anyway). We live in a two story house that sticks out of the surrounding landscape like a sore thumb, so when the wind blows you can <i>feel</i> the house brace against it. To top it off there's a giant tree that scrapes and thumps the other side of our bedroom wall incessantly. Ever since I had the baby I'm far more paranoid than I used to be, so I laid in bed for 3 hours imagining that tree bursting through the roof at any second. At one point I woke Chris up just so I could say "Can you <i>hear</i> that? It's <i>crazy!" </i> (I'm a really annoying wife). <br />
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He stayed awake, at first just in solidarity, but then because he couldn't sleep either. I fell asleep and woke up to loud noises a couple times. The baby woke up a few times in that short period. Eventually we were all asleep at the same time and our day was over. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-69731988883414447582015-04-13T10:05:00.003-07:002015-04-13T10:05:32.642-07:00Break's OverI have found that my productivity level relies heavily on my routine. Some people thrive on freedom and chaos, creating in dramatic energetic spurts and then pulling back to recharge. I'm more of a structure person. I like to have a 'system' or a strategy, and once I find something that works I get into a rhythm and build momentum. This tends to mean that the busier I am, the <i>more</i> I get done. <br />
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Then, the last two weeks happen and totally gum up the works. First the baby got sick, and then I got sick. Then the kids began spring break- which meant a myriad of sleepovers, family activities (read: reasons to stay up too late), and little human beings wandering around my house at all hours of the day when they're normally at school. We had a good time, and it flew by, but I ate like crap, didn't get enough sleep, and didn't get much work done at all.<br />
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All of these poorly structured sentences are only meant to say, thank god it's Monday morning. Too bad it's a minimum day...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-46119881190127235922015-04-07T10:33:00.000-07:002015-04-07T10:33:39.007-07:00Easter Recap and a New ProjectWe had a nice Easter celebration with family on Sunday afternoon. My middle daughter was off with her Aunt and Grandma. Part of the adoption agreement includes allowing the kids to choose (once they're 11 or older) whether or not they want to spend certain holidays at their biological aunt's house. This was one of those occasions, and my oldest chose to stay home but her sister wanted to go. This is only the second time we've done it and it still feels weird, but I'll get used to it. I try to think of it as one day out of 365 days I get them every year- it's not such a raw deal. I'm trying to set up another Easter celebration later this week with my family members that had to work on Sunday, anyway, so she'll be here for one out of the two. <br />
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I've been itching to make cupcakes for a few weeks now and it just hadn't happened yet, (it's weird I know- maybe even weirder that I hadn't just done it already.) I decided I was going to make some for Easter, so I hauled 2 kids and a baby to target by myself the day before to buy some candy for decorating. It was <i>madness</i> I tell you. The seasonal section was nearly bare, completely disheveled, and still packed with people that looked exhausted, frustrated and angry. Nonetheless, <i>(or perhaps 'consequently') </i> we left with WAY too much candy. I made approximately one billion cupcakes, had 3 bowls of candy left and an entire platter of peeps. The kicker is it wasn't even my job to provide the dessert. So now, two days later, there is more dessert left in my house than I started with.<br />
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The cupcakes came out cute though.<br />
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So on Sunday we made a bunch of food and people came over and ate and visited, and played ping pong- it was a good time. Since I couldn't find my plastic eggs, (and only had 2 potential hunters and 2 babies far too young), we skipped the egg hunt. We'll probably have one with the older cousins later this week, though the girls are starting to get too old to care either way. <br />
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Our tiniest love had a cold, as she seems to for every holiday, so I opted to skip the adorable Easter dress I bought her. It just seemed like too much tulle to really be comfortable. For warmth I had bought a little jean jacket which is <i>adorable, </i>but denim doesn't really scream 'comfy'. Instead she wore the bunny onesie she got in her Easter basket and some warm polar bear pants.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's First Easter.</td></tr>
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In other news, on Saturday I heard about the 100 Day Project and decided at the last minute to participate. I toyed with a lot of different ideas, including picking a goal as broad as "making" for 100 days, but I really felt like I wanted something more specific. I finally landed on sewing, it should be fun. I was thinking that 100 days was a long time, and it would be really cool to do something cumulative so at the end I could compile a time lapse of photos to watch it grow, but sewing just made a lot more sense with the other goals I have right now. I thought that committing to an entirely separate project would be overwhelming and ultimately unproductive. So keep an eye on my Instagram account @thisquirkyfamily to see pictures of my daily projects!<br />
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P.S. If you're wondering what blogging looks like when the kids are home on spring break, here's a sneak peek.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-7921639645106842872015-03-30T12:12:00.001-07:002015-03-30T12:12:24.799-07:00A Few Pictures From the Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The words just don't come on Monday mornings. The weekend passes in a blurry frenzy, the routine gets thrown out the window, we eat what we shouldn't, never get enough sleep, and Mondays are best left to pictures and second (or third) cups of coffee.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-59905644310839821582015-03-27T09:46:00.000-07:002015-03-27T09:46:21.471-07:00Post Nap SelfiesMy baby girl slept for 2 hours and 15 minutes yesterday afternoon.<br />
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I went in to get her because we had stuff to do, and because on her typical schedule 2 hours per nap is more than enough. While I was holding her and giving her a chance to wake up, I decided to snap a post nap selfie. </div>
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She was making some pretty funny faces.</div>
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Right about at this point I was inspired to play my <i>favorite </i>game: copy the face the kid makes.</div>
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Some are pretty accurate! Some are way off, and most are blurry- but all are hilarious. (To me anyway!) Happy weekend everybody.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-66865197387019958682015-03-25T11:53:00.000-07:002015-03-25T11:53:00.757-07:00A Lovely Way to BeginWhen my baby was born I spent most of the night staring into her little face. I loved her fiercely right from the very beginning. I never shared her birth story here. I wrote it in her make-shift baby book, and when it was finished it felt so personal, I decided against even letting friends and family read it. <div>
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I will share this bit, though, because it was on my mind again last night. Last night, when the older children had gone to bed and our tiny wonder had woken up after an hour and <i>adamantly</i> declared she would not be peacefully returning to her slumber just yet. Chris and I sat sleepy eyed in the softly lit living room and watched her happily roll around on our old beige carpet. In low voices we talked about nothing much and soaked up the opportunity to peacefully wind down at the end of the day. Clad in blue striped footy pajamas and sheer determination, our little babe focused her eyes on a piece of colorful twisted rope about three feet in front of her. She clenched her muscles and pulled her dimpled knees up below her body, rising up off the floor and balancing on her elbows. She inched forward one limb at a time, her belly falling the inch and a half back to the floor in between every stride. In about five seconds flat she'd successfully traversed the three feet, having crawled for the very first time. We clapped and cheered and she smiled proudly, and I wondered if we'd taught her playing with dog toys was a great achievement that would be awarded with much celebration and praise in the future. </div>
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In my joy I thought of my older children, and I thought of the night just over seven months ago when my daughter was born. I was utterly exhausted and, quite literally, deliriously happy. I gazed into her beautiful face and was completely overwhelmed with gratitude for how <i>lucky</i> I was. I had waited a long time for that moment, and worried uselessly needlessly endlessly about whether or not it would ever come. As I lay in my hospital bed tired battered and worn, I held my baby and I thought about this tiny little human who was only just beginning: I pictured this moment in time where she rested in someone's arms who was <i>so wholly thankful</i> simply that she lived and breathed, and I thought... what a lovely way to begin.</div>
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I thought of the nights my older children were born. I imagined their mother. I wondered if she held them close and breathed them in, and felt lucky they were alive. I watched my husband look at our baby and I wondered if their father had looked at them that way. I desperately hoped so. I desperately <i>hope</i> so. I wept. I kept my eyes open and stared at my baby through the tears that rolled down my cheeks. </div>
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I was overcome by the power of the story I'd written in my head- about the moment a baby is born and how the way it is received affects the rest of its life. I imagined the unconditional love I felt for my daughter on that first night, before I knew almost anything about her, being both anchor and buoy for her for the rest of her life. I thought of it like a karmic well she could tap into later when she was hurt or struggling. I briefly imagined becoming a doctor or a nurse just so I could be there for as many births as possible, as if I could somehow ensure that <i>those</i> babies were well loved. </div>
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Delirious, I told you.</div>
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I know this is all a fairy tale. A beautiful fairy tale perhaps, lit by love and happiness and deepened by the tragedy that not all babies are born wanted. It's only a story, though. It's the result of a very tired mama whose body had just done a lot of big things, with a newborn in her arms and three babies sleeping on the floor at a friends house not far away. A mama facing the monumental task of raising four children and marveling over the significance of a single moment.</div>
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Life however, <i>real </i>life, is much <i>much</i> more complicated than that. If nothing else life is LONGER than that, which thankfully means it is also much more forgiving. Birth is only a moment in time. There are so many different factors that can affect the relationship between a newborn and its mother, and we are fortunate enough to live in a time when we know all about them and there are systems in place to help. We now know that birth moms*, foster moms, adoptive moms, moms with post-pardum depression, and moms that just need a little time to bond with their babies <i>all</i> will have an entire lifetime of opportunities for precious moments. The length of time between your child's first breath and the first time you gaze adoringly into her eyes is <i>not</i> by itself a measure of how fulfilling your relationship will be, nor how happy and successful your child will be.</div>
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I know this is true. </div>
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Yet here I sit, mother of four children, the night after my baby crawled for the first time, and I think of my oldest daughter. When did she learn to crawl?</div>
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I missed it. </div>
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First foods first teeth first steps first words, and all the days in between. The drool, the chunky thighs, the babbling. Holidays, naps, missed naps, buckling babies into car seats over and over and over again. Wiping noses and butts and checking temperatures and sending them off to the first day of kindergarten and crying because it all happens so fast. I missed a lot.</div>
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So you see how this is more than a fairy tale for me, because it's personal. Once you strip away the grandiose proclamations about <i>all the babies</i> and drop the dramatic implications of some sort of predetermined destiny, you are left with just me and my feelings.</div>
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Sometimes I get the impression that people think since I've procreated the old fashioned way now, I'll no longer lament the fact that I missed the beginning of my older children's lives. It's not so. I've come to terms with the fact that my children had a life before me- a life without me. I respect that time as valuable and important, and I fully appreciate the fact that I am not nor will I ever be the only mom in their lives. It's no longer a source of anger or frustration. I feel no inner turmoil, and most days I don't think about it at all.</div>
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Mostly, I just wish I could have been there. Every time we reach a new milestone with our fourth, I feel a twinge of grief that I missed it with the first three. When I make a note in her baby book about the way the weeks have been going and what she's learned, I long for these days with the others. I don't feel robbed or jaded, nor do I feel like the sweetness of our moments with the baby are at all embittered by wishes about the past. I only mean to say that, far from being some sort of consolation prize, our baby is a precious and beautiful gift, the perfect addition to our family, and occasionally a quiet reminder that I know very little about the early years of my older kids' lives.</div>
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I love them all, I am grateful for them all, and I know that no matter when you get them they grow up too fast. Even on my worst days, when all I want is a baby sitter and a hot tub and maybe a margarita, I will tell you that I am thankful for this time in my life when they fill my house with noise and shoes and never-ending requests. I just might follow it up with a '<i>but OH MY GOD when will they stop...'</i> whatever annoying thing has got me all tied up in knots that day.</div>
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<i>*Please note that when I say 'mom' I also mean dad, it would just be cumbersome to write both every single time.</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-90918792908289385032015-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:002015-03-23T10:28:48.396-07:00New Life for Old Shirts, Meal Times Just Got a Whole Lot Cooler, and Other Verbose Blog Post Titles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've had <i>piles</i> of t-shirts tucked away for years, all too small/worn/stretched/stained to wear any more, but far too precious to throw away. They're mostly band shirts, and they're waiting for me to give them new life as something else. </div>
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I've had a baby eating solids for a month and wearing tiny newborn milk-dribble bibs while doing so. I know bibs are pretty cheap and there are like <i>a billion</i> options out there, but I've held off on buying them because I really wanted to see some of my favorite old t-shirts catching globs of green beans as they fall from my baby's perfect little chin. I'm a weirdo, I know.</div>
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It was a pretty simple process. I made a paper bag template the size and shape I wanted, and laid it over the part of the pattern on the shirt I wanted to see.</div>
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I pinned it in place and cut it out. Since knit fabrics can be kind of tricky to cut without bunches and jagged edges, I found it easiest to use my quilters mat and rolly cutter (I'm <i>sure </i>that's the official name).<br />
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Sorry for the crappy cell phone pictures, but you get the idea.<br />
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I did not have enough fabric from this particular t-shirt to do the back as well, so I substituted some plain blue from one of Chris's old shirts. I pinned them together, right sides facing in, and sewed them up, leaving just enough space to flip it right side out.<br />
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Not pictured is the snap I applied to the neck straps using snappy pliers (again, the official name for sure.)<br />
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Meal time has never been cooler.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-19855276818477820282015-03-21T09:12:00.000-07:002015-03-21T09:12:53.731-07:007 Months Old (Yesterday) In the last 7 months my precious little newborn has grown from this...<br />
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to this:</div>
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She has gained more than eleven pounds and six and a half inches. Another set of pictures, for comparison:</div>
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She has lost a lot of hair, and slowly grown it back. I want to hire a professional photographer just to capture the mop on this kid's head- it is <i>epic.</i> I am looking forward to barrettes and braids and fine little locks tickling the back of her neck, but I will always miss this doo.<br />
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I find myself compulsively taking fuzzy pictures of her sleeping in the dark. She simultaneously looks so big, and so small.<br />
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We cuddled for the last half of her nap the other day, and I waxed nostalgia for the newborn days when all I did was hold her. Still, I love the way she snuggles now. It's so intentional it melts my heart. She cuddles like she means it! As she was waking up I took out my phone to snap a few pictures. She would look right at it and then hide her face behind mine- "No mom, I've got sleepy eyes!"<br />
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She eats now, and she loves it. She prefers chunks to purees and her favorite seems to be green beans, though broccoli is a strong contender. Giant cold hard slices of fresh apple make great teethers, but she doesn't actually eat it (no teeth!) and cold cucumber spears will do in a pinch.<br />
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She sits up independently but only for a couple minutes at a time. She rolls everywhere she goes, and has gotten so proficient that she can turn to make it where she wants. In the last few days she's begun to try to get up on her hands and knees, but she's not there yet.<br />
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She <i>loves</i> people and people-watching. Assuming she's fed and well rested, she smiles at pretty much everyone that stops to talk to her. She'll often give them a big open mouth grin and stick out her pointy tongue to boot. Just recently she's been adorably bashful- she'll smile and then turn her head and bury it in my chest, only to peek out and smile again. It's definitely my favorite new thing she's done this month.<br />
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She likes to play peek a boo and to share her binky with her mommy and daddy. She thinks her siblings are amazing, and she laughs every time the dog walks in the room. His mere existence is hilarious to her. She waves, she rubs her eyes when she's sleepy, and she babbles a wide variety of tones and sounds- so right now it's really a toss up as to what her first word will be. Bets are on dada, mama, or hi.<br />
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It never ceases to amaze me how quickly she is learning and growing. She has brought such joy to our family, I can't believe how lucky we are. I am soaking up every minute, and look forward to finding out what the future will bring. Happy 7 months, baby girl.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-42416012433818895692015-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:002015-03-19T08:45:22.110-07:00Potty TalkI love talking about my kids. I love small talk about their current interests and activities or telling stories about that funny thing they did the other day. <br />
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<i>But</i> I also like to complain about whatever challenges we're currently facing. <br />
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After all there's always something, and it always feels like <i>this </i>is the thing that's never going to stop. <i>This</i> one will end me. I will <i>definitely</i> be the ONE person with a 38-year-old son or daughter that <i>still </i>spits on the floor, chews on their feet when they're nervous, or sticks the wad of gum on their face- because they're done chewing it but they can't find a garbage can.<br />
<br />
I will happily talk about my children to almost anybody, but my <i>favorite </i>thing to do is to talk to someone who has children around the same age who can <i>totally relate</i> because 'that same thing happened to them last week!'<br />
<br />
So yesterday, when one of my kids (not the one in diapers) PEED IN THE GARAGE- like on purpose- like it was behind a tree on a hiking trail miles away from the nearest bathroom- but it wasn't because it was MY GARAGE- like they PEED in the GARAGE- I knew what to do. <br />
<br />
I texted my friend about it, and you know what she said? <br />
<br />
"Both of mine have pooped on the floor inside the house."<br />
<br />
Hahahaha it's good to have someone to talk to. And kids are the worst.<br />
<br />
I mean they're the best, really truly. <br />
<br />
But they're <i>the worst </i>aren't they? <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0OfMKYmTFxM/VQrugG8Jv9I/AAAAAAAADVA/M-2-w3jh8nY/s1600/IMG_6473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0OfMKYmTFxM/VQrugG8Jv9I/AAAAAAAADVA/M-2-w3jh8nY/s1600/IMG_6473.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her reaction to finding out one of her <i>dearest</i> role models peed in the garage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-21671133385280676072015-03-16T10:39:00.000-07:002015-03-16T10:39:30.304-07:00Good Morning Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My brain is feeling pretty foggy on this dreary Monday morning. I'm not complaining about the weather- God knows California <i>needs</i> the rain. It's just that I didn't sleep well last night. So, despite my second cup of coffee, all I really feel like doing right now is curling up on the couch with a blanket and staring out the window at the dark gray skies until I quietly drift off to sleep for- oh I don't know- maybe 6 or 7 hours. <br />
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I blame Mindy Kaling's audiobook "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" for keeping me up. When the baby went to bed at 8pm I was wiped out, so I figured I'd lay down in bed and listen to that book for a while, and then go to sleep early. <i>Yeah right, me! </i>Yeah right. Good books keep me awake, and that's a good book. Maybe not as deliciously amazing as Tina Fey's book "Bossypants" or Amy Poehler's "Yes Please!" but I don't think that's due to any fault on Mindy Kaling's part. I think she's just written her book a little earlier in her story than them. I don't know, maybe it's just me and my love for intelligent creative female role models, but I think <i>everybody </i>should read all three of these books. EVERYBODY. Go! Now!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've got a few projects stewing around that I was planning on starting. I don't want to lose my momentum by procrastinating, but I might just give myself today. I'm thinking I'll take it slow, cuddle my baby, watch some {kid} baseball, and finish up some errands and laundry that got pushed aside the last couple of days in favor of an admittedly delightful weekend. The word 'delightful' sounds so corny, but I had a delightfully corny weekend. We had some friends over for a few hours, we went to a family barbecue, and there were many moments at home when I thought "Aww this is my life, how sweet." <br />
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On Sunday morning, (after a breakfast of pancakes with homemade strawberry syrup and whipped cream all cooked by Chris while I slept until 9), I returned from a jog with the baby to find my son playing out front with the two neighbor boys (remind me to talk about how awesome THAT is later because it is <i>awesome</i>), my middlest daughter baking cookies, and my oldest daughter sitting on the couch <i>writing her fan fiction. </i>Baking cookies I get to eat and writing for fun? Be still my beating heart.<br />
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So corny? Absolutely. But oh man, completely amazing. Lovely. Downright delightful.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111141907509957254.post-49749143821492503442015-03-13T08:19:00.000-07:002015-03-13T08:19:26.316-07:00Around Here...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Hours and hours spent at baseball fields...</i><br />
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<i>Naps have been interrupted... </i><br />
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<i>Giving pitching a shot...</i><br />
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<i>Getting stuff done/ playing ping pong in the garage because she loooves her pack and play...</i><br />
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<i>Watching baseball in the rain...</i><br />
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<i>Spotted in the wild...</i><br />
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<i>Holding mom's hand for a minute before falling asleep.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862770883576539740noreply@blogger.com0