favorite christmas memories

In no particular order, some of the fun memories I swim in every now and then while getting ready for Christmas:

1. The Christmas Eve midnight mass we went to in Cleveland with my grandmother many years ago. When we came out, it had started to snow.

2. All the funny ornaments on my family tree, including a pair of my dad's baby shoes and a red elf ornament with peeling paint that looks more like a little devil.

3. My first Christmas married to Andy, spending it in our tiny apartment with hand-me-down furniture and a giant tree. Not much else.

4. Last Christmas, Levi's first. That morning was the first morning where he was able to find his binky on his own in the crib and put it back into his mouth. What kid sleeps in on Christmas morning, we asked ourselves.

5. My first Christmas spent in South Florida in sixth grade. It was so hot, I was wearing shorts. That just seemed wrong to me. Now I love Christmas in Florida when I can wear capris and a t-shirt.

6. The Christmas when I seemed to get nothing but stuffed animals. It was an amazing year for a little girl.

7. The Christmas Eve when I had a dream that the entire family room was covered in presents, including the walls and ceilings.

Less than one week until we make some more memories!

then and now

I keep wondering who pulled a fast one on me. How can just one year make such a huge difference? How could it possibly have only been one year between this Christmas and last one? SO MUCH has changed in my little guy, one year just doesn't seem enough. Some of the most notable progressions:

2010, pudge baby being propped up

2011, big boy, standing up

1. Levi wasn't even eating solid foods last Christmas when he turned five months old. Today, he can eat a whole sandwich (one piece of bread) and bowl of fruit and slice of cheese for lunch. That's in addition to two snacks, breakfast and dinner each day.

2. Last year we were just getting excited that Levi was rolling. He'd end up a few feet away from his play mat. Now, he's a stealthy walker/trotter who can get wherever the heck he wants. I'm currently trying to discourage him from climbing things around the house.

3. Last year we were still carting Levi around in the infant car seat. Shortly after Christmas we started to leave the seat in the car all the time instead of snapping it in and out of the base. Now, he is in a big boy car seat. With arm rests.

4. Last year we were just beginning to put Levi straight into a stroller. He kinda slumped a little, especially when bundled up. Now, he is rarely content in a stoller and would prefer to be walking around.

5. Last year, no words (obviously). There was babbling, but now he's really building his vocabulary of words and sounds. Mama, dada, up, yeah, no-no, nana (for banana), din-din (dinner), lalalaa (llama), baaa (sheep), moo (cow), meaooow (cat), ooof (dog), choo-choo (train and any car), ball, keys, nose, Aa-oo (Elmo)...

One of my favorite questions to ask parents of young kids is "what's been your favorite age?" I like asking this questions because the answer is usually "this one, right now." And while I feel a little nostalgic for the rolly-polly pudge baby of last Christmas, I think my favorite Levi is this one, right now.

sweetie petey

Sweety Petey, that's what I call Levi when, well, he's being sweet. Today he was definitely a Sweety Petey. With my MOPS group -- Mothers of Preschoolers -- we visited a nursing home today to do a Christmas craft with some of the residents. Levi and I sat next to a nice 90-year-old lady with macular degeneration while we stuck stickers onto foam Christmas trees. Being in a new place, Levi was very quiet and serious. Eventually he wanted to get out of my lap, but just stood between my chair and the lady's chair. He put his little hand on her knee and looked up at her so sweetly. She petted his hair and rubbed her finger under his chin, cooing about how cute he was. He just stood there and stared at her, reached out to touch her diamond ring, and put his chin out for more tickles. I was so proud of him for being such sweet little boy and I hope that as he grows up, he learns how to be compassionate toward others who aren't as fortunate as he is.

a nice place to visit...

And maybe I could live there.* I'm talking about New York City. For my past several visits, I've looked upon the harried parents, dragging their kids to and fro, silently loving my live as a Northern Virginian suburban. But on this last visit, for Thanksgiving, I found myself really seeing how awesome NYC could be for kids. There were so many parks to choose from near my brother's apartment!

The Hudson River Park, easy walking distance, was so nice! Of course, it was about 65 degrees that day and everyone was thrilled to be outside on a November day, but still. The organization of all the little areas --  even a place for skateboarders, who sometimes I feel get the shaft -- was amazing.

The kiddie playground was amazing. The play equipment must have been so expensive. This was no Little Tikes stuff. I bet it was European or something.

This is Levi, trying to fit in with the other cool New Yorkers. Of course, he would have had to trade in his Stride Rites for something a little higher class, but we're from out of town.

*Disclaimer: This is totally make-believe talk. After having lived in a house five years and amassed a houseful of large furniture, I think that -- and my dependence on free parking, closet space, shopping malls, etc. -- has firmly ensconced me in suburban life. And I'm good with that.

my lists

I love lists. I don't know how I'd get anything done without them. Grocery lists, daily to-do lists, master to-do lists, honey-do lists, packing lists... I'm particularly thankful for my packing lists. I type all my lists and save them, which then saves me a TON of time later on. Now, whenever it's time to start packing, I open up my most recent list (or the most similar one based on type of trip) and resave and revise.

Once I have the list perfected (which I do by mentally running through each day and writing down everything -- and I mean everything -- that we need), I print it out. I'll then cut the list into sections according to where I need to use it. Levi's list goes in his bedroom, the travel bag/car bag/purse list stays in the kitchen, my list goes to my bedroom. If I remember something as I go, I'll write it down on the list and then later input that change into my document so I have it correct for next time. When I'm finished packing, but there are still things left to put in at the last minute (toothbrush, Levi's sleeping buddy 'Raffe the giraffe), I write that on a piece of yellow notepaper and put it on top of the bag to be checked off in the morning.

I've also recently started writing up the "big things in car" portion of my list, so I know how many big items to account for when loading up the car. Mommy/Daddy suitcase, Levi backpack, Chloe backpack, stroller, diaper bag, etc. It helps keep things sane, especially for air travel. We should have seven things, do we have seven things?

It might seem a little over the top, but ask my hubby... ever since I started using this method for packing, he says it's so stress free and he appreciates it so much. Oh, and he knows not to cross anything off the list without my permission. That's my job. ;)

crossing bridges

Motherhood is about one step at a time. I feel that there are a lot of new firsts coming up in the next 6 months or so that I have a hard time fathoming. Some examples:

1. Getting rid of the binky. Levi only uses it for nap and bedtimes now. I think we've gotten rid of it in the car, except maybe the long road trips. I'd like to get rid of it around 18 months, though. How will that work??

2. Transitioning to a big boy bed. Granted, I think we have a little while for this one, but the thought of Levi being free to move around in his room at night? What will he get into? What if he leaves his room? I know I can't keep him in a crib until he's in high school, but still!

3. Watching him get on a school bus with a total stranger and drive away from me. How is that going to go down?

4. Letting him play outside with friends down the street and ride his bike or walk to the pool by himself. Many, many years from now. Many.

I try to make myself feel better about these things by thinking of all the bridges we have successfully crossed that seemed insurmountable at the time.

1. Taking naps in his crib. There was a time I never thought he'd sleep anywhere but in his bouncy seat. That lasted all of, oh, five months.

2. Keeping him "entertained" all day. When he started growing out of that newborn phase where he'd be eating or sleeping at all times, I freaked out about "what am I supposed to do with him when he's just... awake??"

3. Grocery shopping with him. It's not always pleasant, but we manage!

We've come a long way, buddy!

Levi's first ride on the D.C. metro.

the observer

Today I took Levi to a playdate at a local Chick-fil-A play zone. Of course he's still a little too small to go up and around all the tunnels and down the big tube slide, but there were plenty of little things for him to do on the ground level. His favorites were playing with the steering wheel type things and standing at the bottom of the slide, running away in laughter whenever someone would come down.

However, before he began playing, he had to take it all in. Levi has always been the observant type. He must always assess a situation before diving in. That's not to say that he hides behind my legs in fear of the unknown. No, he genuinely wants to take it all in first. Today he stood stock still, watching all the other boys zipping around him, for a full ten minutes. Ten minutes is an eternity to toddlers. When his ten minutes was up, he walked off and started to play. I love my little observer!

taking a break

So we thought we found the perfect house. Five bedrooms, hardwood floors, nice back yard, good neighborhood, etc. Then we did the inspection and spent some more time in the house. It's hard to really put a finger on the biggest reason, but we decided that it was not the right house for us after all.

I wasn't excited about the house. I didn't want to share pictures with people. I was mourning the loss of my house more than dreaming about the new house. And trust me, I tried to get excited! I know I'm not the best person when it comes to accepting change, but after lots of discussion, we know it wasn't the right house for us.

So next steps: we are taking our house off the market until early spring. That might be late January or sometime in February, depending on what our realtor suggests. We really love the team we are working with and trust that they'll steer us in the right direction.

Things that make me happy about waiting until spring:

1. Better inventory of houses for sale.
2. Better crop of interested buyers.
3. We get to spend our holidays without the stress of home buying/selling/moving.
4. When we do go back on the market, we'll already be ready for our staging since we've painted and installed our new granite. It'll just take a good weekend of cleaning and putting a few things away, and we'll be ready.

Real estate, we will meet again soon.

lunchtime conversations

This is how conversations go during lunch at our house:

Levi [pushing finger on his nose]: Nuh?
Me: Yes, that's your nose.
Levi: Nuh! Nuh!

Sometimes I'm tempted to draw out the conversation further by asking him where his hair is, but I stop myself when I remember that his fingers are covered in some type of food. I'll ask him again later.

not the first time we've done this

Happy Halloween! I think the scariest thing about this year is that... it's not Levi's first Halloween! It's his second. Second?! It's so hard to believe that this year is all about Levi's seconds.

Rather than be nostalgic and sad that all those first holidays are over, I'm really excited. I had a similar feeling after Andy and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We finished all the first holidays and now we were free to just start enjoying, no pressure to make The First of anything extra special.

So to celebrate Levi's second Halloween -- since he's still too little to understand or benefit from real trick-or-treating -- today I will dress him up in his fireman costume and take him to the library to read books about spiders and pumpkins, then we'll go to the grocery store for a snack and shopping, then I'll make pumpkin bread for Levi's sweet treat. I'll let Levi help us answer the doorbell since he loves the sound of the doorbell. I think it'll be a good Halloween.

daydreams

The house hunt is either so very close to being complete, or it's so very close to falling through and resuming in March. Who knows! But that's beside the point. I feel like we're so close, my mind keeps wandering off, decorating and DIYing and being creative in our new house, making it our own. In particular, I keep thinking of how I'll make the basement the most awesome, coolest, cutest, funnest (you get the point) place for my kid(s).

First I'll find some comfy little pouf chairs (like this one from Pier 1, but better) that'll be the base for a really fun, whimsical color palette:

And then I'll get really creative and assemble my own play kitchen using really inexpensive materials, like they do on Ikea Hackers:

And I'll find the cutest little accent rugs and fun bins for the built-in bookshelves, and I'll use a really great paint color that makes the basement feel bright and cozy at the same time, and... and...

And then I start thinking about the little office with the built-in bookshelves and fireplace that'll be my office/craft room and how I'll paint it that beautiful coral melon color I've always loved and get a white desk and put up some beautiful black and white photos of all my favorite things and I'll finally get a paper shredder like I know I should have, and... and...

It's fun to daydream, isn't it?

Oh, right, and I'll also get that sewing machine that'll I'll learn how to use so I can make my kid(s)' Halloween costume and my own drapes and pillows, and... and...

getting to know you

Something I love about being a mom: knowing all the little things about Levi that I take for granted that others might not know.

• He doesn't scare easily and will only really cry if he bonks his head hard or smashes his fingers. Little trips or falls don't faze him.
• He loves food and sometimes laughs when he tries a new texture.
• If there's a plug, cord or small choking hazard somewhere in a room, he will find it. I'm trying to figure out how to partner up with a babyproofing company to hire him as a consultant.
• He really wants to learn how to snap his fingers to music like I do. I think it'll be a few years.

And so many more things I can't think of, but I love them all!

it was a pancake kind of morning

The Simpsons wanted a pancake Saturday morning, but not the clean-up it takes, so we went out to the Jukebox Diner. Andy ended up with a waffle and I got French toast, so no actual pancakes were consumed, but it was definitely a pancake memory. Call me crazy, but we actually had a relaxing breakfast out with a toddler. There were no loud noises, no fits over too-slow food (which is surprising since he had to wait almost an hour from wake-up moment to eating moment), no throwing food or sippy cups. But it wasn't just what didn't happen, it was what Levi did do. He made his so-completely-happy-I-can't-stand-it faces of joy when the food arrived. He waved and said bye-bye to a group of patrons leaving the restaurant. He ate so neatly he didn't require a bib. And when we left and walked past the juke box, he pointed to the bubbly lights and said bubbles.

Great pancake memory.

yes, indeed, i'm walkin'

I've had so many parents tell me "Watch out. When they start walking, it's all over." I respectfully disagree. Yes, I know Levi isn't running away from me in a parking lot yet or squirming his little hand out of my grasp at inopportune times, but I'm so excited he has started walking. I finally got the day I was hoping for when we went to Frying Pan Farm Park this week. I actually forgot the stroller by accident, but I'm so glad. Levi got to walk all over the place.

He's not 100% steady on his feet yet, but his newfound ability to stand up without using something (a wall or piece of furniture) made a huge difference. I could really see how much he was enjoying himself as he stood around, swinging his arms by his sides and taking in all his surroundings. We played on the playground, visited the animals, pet a sheep, looked at baby pigs and took a tractor wagon ride. It was such a quintessential kid day -- the kind that seems so far away when your baby is a lumpy little thing with no head control -- I couldn't help but smile.

a wonderful weekend

Every now and then, everybody's entitled to too much perfection.

A quote from "Bed of Roses," one of my all-time-favorite guilty pleasure movies, kept popping in my head as I spent three days in NYC with just my mom. Levi stayed home for an all-daddy weekend (which I think both parties thoroughly enjoyed), and I got to travel sans-diaper bag. We had such a wonderful time, and everything just seemed to line up. In no particular order, points from our perfect weekend:

1. We arrived at exactly the same time. Mom flew from Florida and took a cab, I took the Amtrak and then the Subway, but we walked to the front door of my brother's apartment at the same moment. A sign of things to come!

2. Lovely lunches with sort of slow service. That gave us just the right amount of time to recharge from all our walking and get in all our talking. Not to mention the fact that we got to eat outdoors for one of our lunches, probably one of the last weekends that will be possible this fall.

3. Cream puff. Need I say more? Yes? Ok, it was delicious. The cream custard was so light yet rich, sweet but not too, slightly cool and perfectly smooth. We later find out that Beard Papa's is a chain of cream puff stores located anywhere from Russia to California to Sanford, Florida, about 15 minutes from my parents' house. Hmmm...

4. Billy Elliot, the musical. Despite all the times we've visited the city together, we've never seen a show.  Man, could that kid dance!! I couldn't believe a pre-teen could dance and sing and remember all those lines for such a long show.

5. The movies. My mom and I have always gone to the movies together. I even remember very specifically when we saw Sleepless in Seattle together when I was 10. I can remember where in the theater we sat (toward the back, on the right side of the aisle). So it's only right that we went to a movie together. We saw 50/50, a little uncertain as to how depressing it would be. Spoiler alert if you don't want to know the ending... the guy doesn't die and he gets the girl. I think there's enough sorrow and drama in the world, so I'm glad this movie took the high road.

6. Shopping. No one can power shop like my mom! And without any obligations to keep to a baby schedule, we were on cloud nine. I've added a pair of boots (the perfect kind), a ring from a SoHo street vendor, a hat, a jacket and a new wallet to my collection. And a bright orange NYC taxi t-shirt to Levi's. Me and my loot:

7. Missing Levi. It was fun to watch all the other babies of NYC being strolled and carted around. It gave me a chance to miss Levi and talk about him. I found myself saying these two phrases over and over: He's so funny. He's so cute. Hearing him kiss me through the phone was adorable.

The list could go on, but for now that's my story of too much perfection. Until next time!

cooling off

Houses, houses everywhere, and not an offer in sight. Yesterday, Andy, Levi and I visited 6 houses that I've already seen to show Andy and see if there are any we absolutely love. There are two or three that keep running through our heads, and we see-saw between...

Oh this is perfect!! Look where I can set up a little reading library for the kids. And isn't this yard great?


And then back to this...

I don't know, it feels kind of closed in. Maybe dark? Or maybe that's just their paint color. Or the furniture. Or maybe the ceilings are too low. We can't change that.


All I know is that we're not ready to put in an offer anywhere, and we haven't received any offers on our house either. Andy says this is a "cooling off" period of a few days where we try our hardest not to let our minds dart back and forth. I'm not going to click on any house pictures today (especially not ones I've already committed to memory). And I'm definitely going to attempt to sleep without dreaming that I'm wandering from room to room in a strange, cobbled-together version of every house we've hunted.

unexpected fun on a monday night

Don't you love it when a day turns around from kind of crazy and muddy to fun and easy? Yesterday was the perfect example.


Morning and afternoon: Running around trying to keep the house "show ready" for three separate showings, one of which arrived thirty minutes ahead of schedule. Dragging the baby and dog to the park for lunch and playing since it was such a nice day, but dealing with the confused barking dog who didn't want to be tied to the stroller while Levi played at the playground. We left the playground all three covered in dirt/mud and mosquito bites. Weren't mosquitos supposed to be gone by now? October?!

Evening: Go over to Ian and Nicky's house in Leesburg to help them retrieve a large (300 pound!) vanity for their bathroom remodel. Not only did I not have to do any of the work (someone's gotta keep the baby out of the way), but we were also handsomely rewarded with homemade lasagna, fudge for dessert and time to reconnect. Levi had a wonderful time, too, and even helped put away things in the fridge. Seeing him carry a large container of salad and put it away was hilarious. Levi and Andy went home and I stopped in the nice, quiet Leesburg Wegman's to do some much needed grocery shopping all by myself.

I love it when simple surprises sneak up on me like that and make a Monday feel like a Friday.

heart of the home

A good kitchen is near the top of our house hunt criteria list. It's one of the reasons that Andy and I loved the house we live in now. The kitchen is where everyone gathers and sits at the big island (now bigger even because we added a few inches when they installed the new granite). Speaking of the new granite, here's a picture the realtor took for our brochure:

Pretty, isn't it? I'm enjoying it, and the nice deep single sink and new faucet, while I can. I chose the color that I would want, hoping that the new homeowner likes it too.

Here's an example of what I want in my next kitchen:

Hah! Just kidding. Or am I? This is from the Hillwood Estate in D.C. that I toured last weekend with my dear friend Anna, a fellow Delta Zeta and former roommate. What a beautiful home! This was the kitchen, which I of course loved. The linoleum floor and formica type counters were so funny to see in a mansion, when now people seem to turn up their noses at it. There were NO dishwashers, either, but three really huge sinks.

I think one way I'll be able to tell we've found the right house is when I feel at home in the kitchen. That happened with this townhouse for me five years ago. I walked in and pulled out the chair at the counter and sat down. I don't know what possessed me to do that! You never think to sit down when you're house hunting, but it just felt right. Here's hoping someone has that feeling when they walk into this house and that we find that feeling somewhere else, too.

Jake Gyllenhaal explains "separate"

Thanks for the illustration, Sesame Street. I found this video amusing and quite topical for me as a stay-at-home mom who sometimes finds it difficult to separate from Levi.

The first time I ever felt separate from him was a few weeks after he was born. Andy, Levi and I went to Target to pick up some who-knows-what. Right when we got in the store, Levi decided it was snack time and daddy offered to take him back to the car and feed him a bottle of pumped milk. I'd take care of the shopping. When they walked away and left me by the shopping carts, I just stood there. I didn't know what I was doing, where I was going, what I was looking for. I realized it was the first time in almost a year that I was in a public place without my baby either inside me or next to me.

Fast-forward another year, I'm still learning to separate from him more easily. Yesterday was one of the few times Levi has left the house without me or his daddy. My mother-in-law whisked him off for lunch and some play while I caught up on work and finished some house-selling business. It was wonderful to see him excited to see her, have him go get buckled in the car without me and go to a new place without me. And yet, when they left, I stood at the door and didn't know what to do. What's he doing right now? Is he fussing? Is he having fun? Is he walking or crawling? Is he getting into things he shouldn't be doing?

I know there will come a day when he'll be separate from me more often than not. He'll go play with his friend across the street or he'll get on a school bus without me. He'll go to high school and college without me, and I won't know what he's doing every minute. This must be another one of those things that other mothers don't warn you about! Or maybe they figure it'll make sense once you get there. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the time I have my boy all to myself.

staging

There's a breakable vase sitting on the floor in my basement rec room. My grandmother's cookie jar was placed (very, very temporarily) on the bottom shelf in my kitchen. There are lots of green and wispy plant type things scattered around. There is fake fruit and a decorative plate in my kitchen. None of these things look at all like something I'd have in my home, but I think this "staging" is all part of the process to get us thinking about our next home and detaching us a little from this one.

The house goes on the market in two days. In the meantime, we'll just keep telling Levi not to touch things and not to make too much of a mess with his toys, all buried out of sight. It'll be all worth it! It'll be all worth it! This is what I tell myself as I accidentally squirt Kaboom bathroom cleaner in my eye while getting the master bathroom all shiny and ready for buyers. Hmm...

the first rainy fall weekend

My favorite season is summer. I love the heat, the humidity, the air conditioning, the smell of grass, the way our neighborhood comes alive. So to me fall is the end of my favorite time. The days are shorter and I already start thinking of the time they will get longer again. The weather is really confusing, like this weekend when it started in the seventies on Friday and dropped twenty degrees by Saturday morning. It also rained all weekend long, the cold, drizzly kind that makes you want to hibernate. But I try to think of all the good that comes with fall. My list:

1. Sweater Andy. I met Andy in the fall of 2002, and he always wore sweaters. Dark greens ones that made his eyes look green, then stormy blue ones that made his eyes look blue. I am glad to see Sweater Andy come back and remind me of those early days.

2. Food. There's no denying that fall food is wonderful. Soon we'll break out the crock pot again, and I will again misjudge its capacity and make an overflowing pot of beef stew just the way I like it.

3. Pumpkin things. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are self-explanatory.

4. Thanksgiving. We're packing up and heading back to NYC for Thanksgiving again. It's one of the biggest organizational/listing/scheduling challenges of the year, and I love it.

5. Puffy vests. Not only do I love wearing puffy vests, but now Levi has a puffy vest! In orange! Like a little pumpkin. I cannot wait to put it on him.

I'm sure there are more reasons to love fall, but I think that's a pretty good start.

reason #863 (and #864)

Every day I find new reasons to love my husband. Today I found a piece of crumpled paper behind the drawer in our desk, the one that Andy's dad used as a child to do his homework. This is what I found:

Do you have pets? Just call and ask for Andy! Andy has always been a hard worker, from the time he was given a broken lawnmower, fixed it and started to mow lawns in his neighborhood. The summer after his senior year in high school, he took a summer job working in an real office and wearing button down shirts, like a grown up or something. He works so hard at his job now, but works just as hard to maintain a good work-life balance. 

Oh, and reason #864 why I love my husband... he loves dogs so much that he only charges 1$ to walk one. Best business plan? Maybe not, but I'm alright with that.

(probably) the last paint job

Andy and I just finished what we think will be the last paint job in our current home. Ta da!

We first painted this living room in October 2006, shortly after we bought the house. It was originally a lovely mint and hunter green...

So we have put four coats of paint in this room since 2006. It was the first painting project, and the last. It was also the first time we've painted since Levi came into our lives, so that changed the game a little. We prepped during nap times and painted after bedtime, officially finishing the project at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. Our conversations went something like this:

J: How long do you want to paint tonight? Should we just see how we feel at 11?

A: That sounds good.

20 minutes later...

A: I think we can finish this tonight!

J: Yes! Wouldn't that be great?

Another 20 minutes later...

A: I'm so tired. I think my feet are going to fall off.

J: I can't feel my knees anymore. My hands are cramping up. Oopsies...

A: What?

J: I just dropped the paint brush.

Another 20 minutes and a few cookies later...

A: I'm riding a cookie wave! I think we can do this!

J: Yes! We're almost done! I need another cookie!

Yes, it was a long night, but I will forever cherish the time I spent working side by side with Andy, listening to music that reminded us of different points in our relationship, strategizing how we'd tackle the wall (you take the high road, and I'll take the low road...), dabbing paint on Andy's nose as payback for him moving my chair while I was standing on it. I also spent a lot of time thinking of the people who would hopefully buy our house, whoever they are, that they too would feel love and happiness in this home.

you never know

There are some things we can predict or at least imagine in our future. Like having a kid or two, or maybe moving to a new house.  I never thought I'd do what I did today...

called my dog over and asked her to lick 

some smashed food crumbs off my child's pant leg. 

Yes, seriously.

Like they say, a dog is a man's best friend. And vacuum.

on the move

When life starts getting easy, that's the time to throw everything up in the air again! Back in early, early spring, a little seed was planted in our minds that we should consider selling our townhouse and move into a single family home with more bedrooms. Andy and I decided to wait until summer was over before we did any real thinking. This week we chose a realtor and have our list of improvement and staging things to do. I love a good list, and this one is a doozy! The main items:

1. Paint. Fortunately, the realtor only wants us to paint our living room. That was one of the first rooms we painted, and we never really loved the color, so I'm ok with this. Goodbye, Winthrop Peach. Hello, Home Sweet Home. (Those are Benjamin Moore colors.)

2. Granite. I hate the idea of sinking money into the house, but we're supposed to get that money back on the sale price. I know I'll be sad to put in a nice countertop and new sink, then leave it all behind.

3. Moving furniture. We have a list of musical furniture items to move from room to room or into the garage for storage. Good thing she isn't telling us to move our piano or our bedroom furniture. Way too heavy.


4. Cleaning. Obviously, we'll polish up the stove, appliances, etc. Give the floor a good steaming. I'd like to think we don't have a crazy overabundance of baby toys laying around, so that should be easy enough to contain in a toy box when we start showing the house.

Deep breaths! I think we can do this! Above all, we are keeping our goals in mind and praying that if this is not the right timing for us, then we will know it.

the germ pit

Levi and I went to the mall play place today, what I lovingly refer to as the germ pit. I'm not a hyper germaphobe, but I still cringe when I see a snotty kid running around in shared spaced like that. But I digress...


Today at the germ pit, this is what we learned:


1. Levi likes his personal space. Whenever a kid would get in his bubble, he'd put his arms out and sometimes make a monster face.


2. You don't have to be perfect to be happy. This lovely looking mother joined the pit with her three kids, 3.5 years, 17 months and 6 weeks. She had her infant strapped to her chest and kept having to pick up the runaway 17-month-old by his overalls, but she looked so put together and calm, smiling at her adorable kiddos. I thought to myself "wow, she really has it together!" even as she nursed her little baby under a cover while walking around, patrolling her kids. Then I realized her oldest daughter was wearing her jeans backwards. Perfect doesn't necessarily mean your clothes are on straight!


3. I am a mama bear. When some older (and should-have-known-better) kid started tromping on Levi and practically sitting on him, smushing him into a corner, it took all my restraint to not give that kid a real talking to. 


4. My son is part boy, part Swiss clock. He's playing, having fun, enjoying the commotion, then precisely at 3:00 he crawls to me, whines and starts digging at the diaper bag. Snack time! You'd think he'd forget about it with all the fun going on, but nope. We take a 15-minute break for strawberries and a graham cracker, then he's back in the game. "I'm ready for round two, coach."

up, up and away

My little guy Levi, now almost 14 months old, has flown with me 7 times. (Once was a one-way back from a family Christmas road-trip, thus the odd number.) The longest trip was from D.C. to Oregon, with a stop in Chicago, and it's amazing how easy a 2-hour flight now seems! This -- in list form, because I love lists and you will be reading many lists from me -- is how we survived, maybe even thrived, on our most recent trip.


1. Check in. This is the least graceful part, with me lugging the car seat (giant, convertible carseat) in its carrier bag with strap, pushing the wheely suitcase and pushing the stroller. I'd scooch Levi and the carseat up a few steps, then drag the suitcase behind me. I figured the line wasn't going anywhere fast, so if I took my time and looked calm, I'd look competent.


2. Security. Somehow I managed to score the special line for wheely people, which had no line and no harried business people breathing down your neck. Excellent. I'm able to keep Levi on my hip while I collapse the stroller and hoist it onto the belt. I collect my stuff, strap the boy back in his seat and I'm on my way before the guy in front of me has finished putting his belt back on!


3. Waiting to board. This is the worst part, I think. Levi just wants to get out of the stroller and push it (which I won't allow because I don't want him running over people or things). He settles for just being able to squat near the wheels and inspect the brakes. A nice lady talks to me a little, tells me about her grandkids and generally makes the world seems like a more friendly place.


4. Boarding. So much for pre-boarding! By the time they announce that, they've already called for the first group of passengers. I collapse the stroller for gate check and tie it up with a bungee cord since it pops open sometimes and I don't want it to be mangled. 


5. Getting settled. I stash the diaper bag (filled with toys), lunch box (attached to diaper bag, filled with food) and my bag (filled with my wallet, etc. and the magical iPad) all under the seat in front of me. I wait patiently for my seat neighbor to join. Phew, it's a nice, narrow man who actually says hello when I say hello! Much better than the business men who pretend you don't exist in hopes that it'll keep your kid quiet.


6. Take-off. Levi has his binky (usually only for car and nap), and he alternates that with some sweet potato baby puffs. All of a sudden, I notice the puff eating has slowed down and he's closing his little eyes. What?! He's going to sleep in my lap? A rare occurrence that I do not take for granted. That lasts the first 45 minutes while he does that twitchy thing people do when they are in a deep sleep. I watch HGTV without headphones.


7. Mid-air. Once he wakes from his power-nap, I immediately get out the lunch. I've cut up Levi's sandwich (hummus and turkey on whole wheat bread) and smushed it into a little lunch container. Not an attractive presentation, but he goes with the flow. Follows that with a bag of strawberries. Cries when all the food is gone. I distract with books/toys/etc., but really he just wants more food and then somehow we're almost ready to land!


8. Landing. Uneventful, but I realize I didn't even have to break out the iPad. Levi doesn't understand the concept of headphones yet, but he can be entertained with it anyway if necessary.


9. Daddy! Daddy parked the car and waited for us at baggage claim, even though I thought he'd just pull around like normal. That was a nice surprise. Made me feel special. ;)


No one is handing out medals for successful air travel with a baby or toddler, but it sure does feel good when it all works!

why pancakes?

Two years ago, my husband and I had a meeting as we often do when we have something important to discuss. It was a celebration of sorts. We were ready to Start Trying (for a baby). And because I love lists, we created a list of rules for our journey to parenthood. The very last item on the list was:

Remember the pancakes.

Honestly, we did not know what lay ahead. This could be the most crazy, the most challenging, sleep deprived ride, that we ever boarded. I had a vision of us crying out “Oh why are we doing this?!” as we attempted to soothe a red-faced baby in the middle of the night. So we decided to just remember this: Someday soon, there will be a lazy Saturday when the house is a calm mess, little shoes are scattered underfoot, and our family – however big it gets – will be munching on pancakes, reading the comics together. That’s why, in the good and the bad, we remember the pancakes.