Summer Accomplishments, or How I got Nothing Done and Had A Great Time Doing It

I have to be honest, I had an action-packed summer planned, full of pinterest-worthy activities and educational opportunities and tons of other stuff, but it just didn't turn out that way. Life had other plans for me. As of the last week of June, here's what I had planned:

• A Space Camp week, complete with age-appropriate, hands-on activities, adorable snacks (think rocket-shaped fruit pops), and crafts that would make all 3 kids consider becoming astronauts. To be capped off with a trip to liberty science center. (I dedicated a whole entire pinterest board to this, I was so serious)
• Swim lessons every day
• Twice weekly family hikes during which I could teach the kiddies about hiking, orienteering, nature and whatnot
• Trips to local historical points of interest. There are a ton around here.
• Enroll Cua in 3-year-old preschool.
• Summer Reading Program at the Library.
• Sign boys up for soccer.

But guess what we actually did? Well, here's some of it:

• Finished potty training Cua. Finally!
• Went to swim...sometimes. It didn't work out like I had planned. We had some issues that led to me reconsidering preschool for Cua and maybe life in general. He was just not having it, even though Stenni was amazing and a great role model. I'm starting to think that he's just not ready for organized activities, and that's ok. He's got time. But we had fun at the lake anyway.
• Hiked occasionally with no specific itinerary or goal in mind. This was relaxing, and much better than I could have planned. I think the kids got a lot from it. Maybe.
• I won a blue ribbon for these cookies from the state fair (I posted this recipe years ago!). We went to the fair a lot and learned a ton about livestock and agriculture. It was helpful, but hasn't prepared us for all of our chicken-related challenges (see below).
• Lost a few birds to a wild animal of some kind, one outside and one in the coop, within about 12 hours of one another. I'm still not sure what kind of animal did the damage, but I'm guessing it was a fox. But one of the birds was Lemonade, our favorite, who we had raised from about a week old. Some of us are still grieving, hard, and some of us learned a little something about how to shore up a chicken coop a little more thoroughly. Ah, farm life.  
• We actually all did summer reading at the library, and it was amazing! I even joined in this year and read grown-up books. 4 of them!
• Froz started walking! A little late (as in, we already went to the dr, who told us there was nothing wrong, but still started asking around for specialists because he was almost 18 months old late. Dr said he was basically just lazy and big bro and sis did everything for him so he didn't really have to walk), but better than never. We went to the park and played outside a lot to encourage walking and running around.
• I DID NOT sign the boys up for soccer. Maybe I never will. I get the team sports thing, but do the parents really have to suffer? Plus between Cua's absolute refusal to deal with organized activities and the fact that Froz just started walking, I think we'll give it another year (at least).
• Spent a ton of downtime, as I struggled with morning sickness and general exhaustion. Yes, BABY #4 IS ON THE WAY, and I'm more than halfway there at this point. I've used this as an excuse to not get any of my original summer to-do list done.

But now Stenni is back in school, Girl Scouts starts soon, dance starts next week, and everything is getting crazy again. I know that we will eventually fall back into that rhythm for a while, just to be thrown off by Christmas and then a new baby. But it is what it is. I've gotten better at taking things as they come because my plans got torpedoed this summer almost as soon as I made them. I think it worked out better that way.

Two boys at home vs. One girl at home: It's crazy different, y'all

I know that I used to think having kids of any gender was going to be kind of the same either way, at least when they were babies.  Like, aside from the obvious, how different could having a baby boy be from having a baby girl? As babies, they kind of do the same things, right? Eat, sleep, poop, scream, repeat. Most of my family had only had one or the other (boys OR girls), and so no one disabused me of this notion.

I Was Wrong. So Very Wrong.

I try to raise the kids in a pretty gender-neutral fashion. We all cook, we all clean, we all go to the zoo and the aquarium and play with ninja swords and be princesses and dress like pirates at the Renaissance Faire and I don't care if my boys wear dresses or my girl plays football (although I'd be bored to tears, so I hope that she doesn't). That kind of stuff just doesn't matter to me. I'd like Stenni to learn to change her own tires and kick some ass and I'd like Cua to learn to bake bread and someday clean his own toilet. But I was not prepared for how the day-to-day operations and mechanics of having only boys in the house all day differed from having a girl in the house, especially now that she is in school all day long. The boys...they just don't like the same things. I pretty much just run around after them and try to stop them from destroying everything they touch, and then collapse into bed at night.

I look back at this blog and the posts from when Stenni was a baby and a lot has changed. But most glaringly different is the fact that I can't beg, bargain, badger or otherwise convince Cua to do a craft with me, bake with me, or pretty much do anything besides run around throwing rocks and smashing things (ah, boys). And the baby? Well, he's a baby, what can I really expect from him besides cuddles and cuteness?  Stenni could always be persuaded to paint or draw or craft or cook with me but the boys are just not interested.

This means a few things. For starters, I have to find different ways to keep my creative juices flowing, probably on my own. It hasn't happened yet, but I know it has to. Also it means that we spend a lot more time outside enjoying nature (and by enjoying nature I mean throwing rocks and mooing at my neighbor cows).

I mean, there are still things that we can do that we always did. We can:

• play in the yard
• go to the zoo
• hit the library
• go for a hike
• watch a movie
• read books
• mall walk
• go to the playground

But aside from that? I'm kind of at a loss. It's different having a baby and an almost-3-year-old too, because the attention span just isn't there and I do have to keep constant watch on the littler guy, who is just starting to crawl so he isn't always where I put him anymore.

I have to say that I miss having Stenni at home but she likes her school, and I like that she likes it. She needs things of her own to enjoy, without me and the boys. But I do enjoy more outdoor active time.

So that's where I'm at today. What do you guys think? Those of you with both, what differences are there for you and how do you overcome them?

Beating the Winter Doldrums...Maybe?

In the winter, I try to do a lot to keep myself busy but really end up doing very little. Last weekend, the hubs and I made a gallery wall in our red room (which is not red, nor had it been for at least 4 years or so, but old habits die hard), and it came out alright despite me kind of flying by the seat of my pants and not making a plan at all. Well, that's not entirely true. My plan was to take pictures I had laying around and put them on the wall. So, success.

Also since the house is still up for sale, there's a ton cleaning and upkeep, besides just picking up the same toys for the 67th time in a day. But I'm trying to keep busy in other, more personally satisfying ways too. Here are a few:
Today is library day at our house, so I'm starting the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2025 Reading Challenge, and I encourage you to check it out as well. It's only 12 books total for the year. Totally do-able, right? There are 12 categories, and you just pick a book from each and read it. You don't have to do it in any order, and there's no book club, and no pressure. I'm psyched about the "Book by a Favorite Author" and "Book You Should Have Read in High School" categories, and not so much for the "Book Your Mom Loves" one...yeah, we have markedly different tastes, and our interests really no not intersect at all. Any time either of us has recommended a book to the other, we've both kind of regretted it. That said, January is almost done, so I'm a bit behind and I'm excited to go to the library and get started!
I'm also participating in Sarah Mae's 31 Days to Clean, cuz to be honest? The abode could use a little boost this time of year, and so could my spirits. It always helps me when I can look around and not feel like I'm living in the basement of a junk store. So I'm following her steps and hoping that at the end, I have a more comfortable space for everyone. Yesterday I started in the kitchen and today? I need to clean the fridge and the microwave. Just to let you know an embarrassing truth about myself: I store all kinds of crap in my microwave. We so rarely use it to just nuke anything, but I am forever putting open bags of popcorn and other junk in it. See?

Right now there's a bunch of leftover candy canes and Christmas stocking candy in a Halloween candy bin, because obviously that's how I do. Oh, and hot sauce popcorn. And a tin full of Hershey kisses, and about a thousand ring pops (why are ring pops so popular for little kids at Christmas? They drive me nuts). I'm embarrassed, but I'm so much more embarrassed of what the inside of my fridge looks like that I'm not even going to show it to you. It's that bad. I've got my work cut out for me!
Also, I'm trying to get out and walk or run a little more every day. Has it been working? NO. But do I feel better when I do it? Oh hell yes.
What do you do when it feels like winter is never going to end (and you're not even halfway through)? Help a sister out!

What I've Been Doing Lately, and What I HAVEN'T been doing...

So you obviously already know that I haven't been posting...so what else haven't I been doing? Here's a non-exhaustive list:

• running
• Jazzercising
• blogging
• reading
• baking
• sleeping (for the most part until very recently)
• dieting

And here, dear readers, are the things I have been doing:

• hiking a TON, and trail running some
• prepping the house for showings, yes again
• hanging out with the kiddos
• camping
• travelling
• enjoying October, my absolute favorite month
• starting to get some sleep (when Cua sleeps)
• catching up on fall TV shows...in the near future, expect super-nerdy and comic book-y reviews/critiques of Gotham and The Walking Dead, among others

So I haven't hit a ton of goals this year. I haven't really been editing, writing, blogging, crafting, baking, recipe-making, working towards my half-marathon, losing weight, or anything super-productive like that. I've been learning to take it slow with the kids after a very long time of not taking it slow at all and you know what? I like this pace in this season of my life. It just feels right.
You'll hear from me a little more now, because I feel like I finally found that balance I've been looking for for so long and maybe I can handle it a little better now! Hope you're enjoying your fall!

Life: An Adventurous Few Months

Hi all! Bet you didn't think I'd be back, like, ever. It's been a crazy few months. I know that having a new baby is a big adjustment, but I was not expecting this caliber of crazy. Stenni was a terrible eater but a great sleeper. Cuatro? A great eater (well, sometimes too good...I can't possibly nurse him enough), and probably because he's such a good eater and wants at it round the clock, not such a wonderful sleeper. So our household, which was used to a bare minimum of a solid 8 hours of lights-out, lock-down, quiet time awesome sleep, has really taken a hit, this mama especially. I feel like my immune system's really taken a hit by the lack of sleep and the total lack of sunshine, and I've been sick off and on since the end of November, which kind of sucks when you're already a little beat as it is. We've gotten a ton of snow this year (y'know, being in the northeast and all) and winter feels never-ending, and there's really nowhere to get out and exercise, which is kind of another bummer especially in regards to the rapidly-approaching half-marathon I had planned to run at the end of April. All of these things are kind of tricky, but right now it feels like there is enough sweetness in my house to last me right through til all of this ridiculous snow melts and the sun comes back again (which I suspect will be some time around June).
I will be back very soon with the most delicious tea bread recipe that I've ever tasted, some fitness goals and updates, and a post about doing things that scare you, just because you can ( hint/teaser: I'm doing one of them tomorrow and I'm terrified/super-psyched).

Kiddos, cuddling. Is there anything sweeter than siblings who still get along?

Summer Reading Wrap-Up

Yeah, so it's not summer anymore. In fact, the temperatures around my house dipped down into the 40's last night. Hubs had to grab a sweater before he left for work today. I can honestly say though that I didn't mind that because he looks adorable in sweaters and it was so soft and cuddly that I could barely stop hugging him to let him out the door. I totally love sweater weather. But this is not a post about sweaters or the impending (and awesome) early fall weather. It's about the last bit of summer reading that I wanted to update you all on, and how the "Summer of 100 Books" maybe wasn't so much.

Remember a few months ago when I told you what I was reading and what I had hoped to read? Well, done and done. So here's the scoop on those:
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman was really quite dark and depressing. I woke up before everyone else on vacation and wanted to get some reading in and forgot that I had only brought graphic novels with me. I finished like, 1 or 2 a day, and was left reading cereal boxes by the end of the trip. This was the last one I read and I gotta be honest? Not beach (or vacation) reading at all. I suppose I knew that beforehand, but not a good start for me as I've never read any Neil Gaiman before. Good storytelling, but I wasn't prepared to be that bummed out before breakfast. Can anyone recommend any other Neil Gaiman for me?
Before Watchmen Series. If you're a big fan of Watchmen, read these. The Moloch section gave me some context for the events that actually took place in the book, while most of the other ones just gave me background. I didn't particularly care for The Comedian, and The Crimson Corsair was just awful, and silly at that. Silk Spectre was about Laurie, the second Silk Spectre, and honestly I could've done without it. Nite Owl was actually about Rorschach, for the most part, and not the second Nite Owl. The one really stand-out piece was The Minutemen, about the first incarnation of the crimefighting group. I felt like that one could have been released on its own and it would have been a total success. I do plan to re-read Watchmen again this fall, just to try to connect some of the dots. In fact, I'm starting it this afternoon.
The Art of Fielding: A Novel by Chad Harbach. I really enjoyed this novel, but the ending wrapped up a little too cleanly and conveniently for my tastes. You kind of know what to expect from the last third of the book on to the end, and that's a little disappointing. What I can say though is that I enjoyed the story, and I wanted to finish this book whether I knew what was going to happen or not. This was perfect summer reading!
The Queen's Lover: A Novel by Francine Du Plessix Gray, a semi-historical novel about Marie Antoinette and her Swedish lover Axel von Fersen, was something I really thought I'd enjoy since I love historical fiction and more than that I do like a good story about Marie Antoinette. I also thought, hmm, there might be some naughty bits in there! I read the first hundred and fifty pages or so, and then returned it to the library. Why? Well, some of it is a dry history, the naughty bits aren't really naughty (or kind of tastelessly naughty without context). There is also the odd element of memoir by Fersen's sister Sophie. While it does well to capture most of Axel's story, even the bits about the American Revolution, I could not stay interested.  

And the "Summer of 100 Books"? That hit a snag about the time we left for our annual beach vacation in mid-August and Stenni didn't want anything to do with anything that wasn't beach- or boardwalk-related. We did slip in a few more fairy tales and I Spy-type books, but nothing to write home about. I'm just glad that we kept it going for as long as we did! But this was a definite mom-fail on my part for not planning a little better, and knowing that my kid's attention span just can't stay on one thing for too long. 

How did your summer reading go? Anything notable, couldn't-put-downable, or chuck-at-a-wallable? Tell me about it!

One of those days...

Today is just one of those days where I have to ask myself, why is it not a valid life choice to sit around watching 30 Rock and eating Handi-Snacks all day? I can handle all that. It's about on my level.
Is it better for me to take a baby step up and make myself a microwave lunch and research graphic novels on the internet without putting them on hold at the library, knowing that although I want to read them I'll totally forget about them later (I'm looking at you, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman)? No, probably not.
So how is it that I will get myself together and win my battle against the pile of dishes from last night's dinner?
How am I going to get down to the basement and finish the never-ending pile of laundry?
How will I get the floors cleaned and the dog walked and dinner made and the bedroom picked up and the desk straightened up and the baby's room spring cleaned and my seasonal clothes put away?
The truth is, I probably won't do half of it.
And that's my secret. 
If I get the dishes done, the beds made, the floor swept and the dog walked, that's enough for me (some days). Everything else? It can wait. As long as I keep up on the big stuff in the main part of the house, as long as the kitchen table and counters stay pretty clear and the clutter is kept under control and the bathroom is clean, and as long as we all have clean-ish clothes and we aren't starving, I can have my slacking days when I just don't feel like I can do much else. (Like I can have my Handi-Snack days as long as I mostly keep up on my exercise regimen. No need to be extreme.)
Listen, there's no such thing as superwoman, except in the comic books. I certainly don't consider myself super-anything (except maybe super-awesome). So some days, I just need to give myself the license not to try to be her.
As long as it doesn't turn into everyday, it's necessary and healthy to give the routine a rest once in a while. It won't hurt anything in the long run, and these chances to slack off honestly don't come around often. So I'm taking this opportunity to chill out.

afternoon confessional

Ok, so here's what's what: I have a few things to confess to you, dear readers.
First, remember when I said that hubs and I re-did Stenni's room, and I would reveal it the next week? Well, I suppose you may have noticed that I haven't yet. But there's a totes legitimate reason for that: her crib is still in there, and she still sleeps in it every single night. No sleepy-time in the big girl bed yet (though we have had a handful of successful naps up in there). Why not? Because it terrifies me. The bed itself is awesome, and she's ok with it, and even though it's high off the ground there are good-sized railings that run all the way around and I know she can't fall, and even though she knows to call me to get up and down off the bed, it still scares me. I suppose these are first-child problems, but so be it. I am a chicken, and I can't help it. So I won't be posting pictures until I get the crib out of her room so that the easel and toybox can go in that spot. But that might take a while. 
Next confession: I haven't started spring cleaning yet. Usually I'm done with it by the time spring rolls around. This year? Not so much. I barely even have a plan. I say barely because I do have something of an idea what I'll do: clean for spring. I have looked at several pins regarding spring cleaning and read a few blog posts about it though, and I feel like that should really count for something. Since hubs and I pulled the house from the market, doing the dishes and making the bed on the same day has qualified me for awesome person of the century.
And another: the other day, I watched Adam Sandler movies all day. Not even the classics. But guess what? It didn't matter. You can feel free to judge me appropriately, but just remember how awesome That's My Boy was first.
Last one for today: I fed my kid corndogs for lunch. Yeah, I really did. I feel a little better because they were those meatless, Morningstar Farms ones, but it was still a half-assed toaster oven lunch, and I'm honestly not too upset by that. Lately I've been trying to sneak more fruits and veggies into Stenni's diet even though that kid will eat pretty much any healthy (or non-healthy) food that I put in front of her. So I took Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious out of the library, and made a few recipes from it. Overall they came out great, especially the Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins which I will be making for myself at least once a month (or day). Stenni loved them, and even my sister and my mom each ate one (they pretty much hate anything even remotely healthy, so I didn't tell them until after they finished that there were carrots in them, but they didn't seem too upset or shocked). But honestly, I'm not going to puree veggies all the time just so I can sneak them into random foods. I feel like that's total trickery, and I'd rather that she just eat healthy food that she knows are healthy foods so that she can recognize what's healthy herself when I'm not around. Also I'm lazy and it's too much work to do all that. But I will still do it from time to time since a lot of the recipes are awesome.

I'm sure I've got way more to confess, like how I spent all morning playing around on the Dead Yourself Walking Dead app instead of washing my sheets, or how I haven't gone running in three weeks even though I've been over the flu for like a week and a half now, but you guys don't want all the loser-ish details, right? I sure wouldn't. Just be happy knowing that I'm a hot mess right now, and that I just figured out what the Harlem Shake is, like yesterday. And I had to ask my friend, who asked her assistant, who thought it was racist, so then I asked my sister, who told me to look it up on youtube.