Friday Night Leftovers

• It’s the last Friday of 2012 – can someone tell me how in the hell that is possible? The year, especially since June, has FLOWN past me.
• I realize that we are probably busier than the average family – and I’m sure that has something to do with the way time seems to fly by at warp-speed. But still, I just want a day to breathe!
• Christmas is over, and judging by the ridiculous amount of stuff all over the living room – I’d say we all had a pretty great holiday.  We had the in-laws over for dinner Christmas eve (which was a nice change) and spent Christmas morning at home and the rest of the day with my awesomely growing family.  It was pretty perfect, actually.
• I’ll post pictures from the holidays someday. Maybe. I hope.
• We got some storage items today to try and contain the insane amount of teeny tiny Barbie/my little pony/random itty bitty toys Gianna got for Christmas.  I can only hope this works because she really gets upset when she can’t find that one shoe for that one doll… And you know, it will help to keep those little parts our of the hands of little people.
• Mike and I are going on a date tomorrow. A real life date.  I can’t tell you the last time this happened (seriously, maybe my birthday? in MAY! or mike’s birthday in September?) or the next time it will be able to happen.  Very excited about it.
• Today was the only day all week that I worked in the office the entire day. Next week is going to be similar.  The only perk to being a salaried employee during the holidays, perhaps.  If you don’t count the fact that I have work to do this weekend…. but whatever, I guess.
• It is blowing my mind that in just weeks my little family of three will be officially expanded to a family of four.  I really can’t believe this is happening so soon!
• More on my thoughts and updates on this pregnancy soon. I promise.  I need to document these things before I forget them.
• I am in planning mode now for my sister’s wedding shower.  It’s going to be really fun but I need to get things pretty much settled sooner than later since, you know, baby!
• I have a million things going on this weekend, and a million other things I hope to accomplish. Which means I should try and sleep first….

A letter to my {oldest} daughter: have yourself a very merry christmas

 

Dear Gianna:

The age of 3.5 is pretty tough some days – so many rules to follow, so much to remember, so many things you just don’t quite understand yet.  But I think most days you would agree that the age of 3.5 is pretty awesome – so many fun things to do, toys to play with, people who love on you constantly and best of all – so much that you DO understand and so much you find amazing and just totally awesome.  That has not been more present (except maybe at Disney World!) than the past few weeks as you ask so many great questions about Christmas. And sing us lots of Christmas songs. And cart Krista your elf around with you wherever you go.

I know sometimes I am busy and tired and I am at work a lot, the past few weeks have been no exception to that. But I hope beyond anything else that you know how much I love you always and how much I miss you when I am not home.  So when you ask me to cuddle with you at bedtime and to just snuggle with you until the morning-time, know that I will do whatever I can to make that happen.  No matter how old you are or how big you get.  There is nothing like a Gianna snuggle to make my heart burst into a million smiles.

We have been getting some extra snuggles in lately, probably because we both know that your sister will be here sooner than later, but I’m not complaining.  It’s not always easy to get in the perfect position, but we figure it out.  There is always room on mommy’s lap for you, I promise.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  I don’t know how it got here so quickly, but it did.  And you are really excited for Santa to come.  Something we have been talking about lately is how to act all year long, not just at Christmas time, and how important it is to always listen to your mommy and daddy.  I know you get it and it’s okay to have days where you just don’t feel like it or days when you just want to stay home – and on those days, please just use your words to tell us what you want and how you feel.

This is our last Christmas as a family of 3 – which I think is pretty special and we have tried to make all the days leading up until now a little extra special for you too.  I hear that you are going to be getting all kinds of fun things from your grandma, papa, aunts, uncles and maybe even baby luci too!  Watching you experience Christmas and all the magic and wonder it has to offer has made it that much more fun for me (and daddy too).

My wish for you over the next few days is to just enjoy what the day brings. To enjoy being showered with love (and fun things, too) and to soak up all of the moments of all of the days and things that we do.  It’ll probably be a little overwhelming, and that’s okay too.  It’s tough to be loved so much sometimes – but believe me, it’s the best problem to have.

I love you and can’t wait to watch the next few days through those big blue eyes.

Merry Christmas, big girl

xoxo

Mommy

Wordless Wednesday

Gianna, the social butterfly.

Sleepover with her besties last month:

Hot chocolate party courtesy of her bestie’s mommy two weeks ago:

Threenager Problems #’s 1293 & 2917

I totally have enough material to make this two separate posts, but I have time to write now so one it is, but I’ll break it up.

Threenager Problem #1293 – disappearing listening ears:

Apparently at the age of 3.5, threenagers have outgrown the need to listen to their parents. Or, more obviously, they have matured to the point where they know their parents are full of shit and they don’t need to pay attention anymore. 

We have had the most ridiculous time lately getting Gianna to listen, or rather, reminding Gianna that she does have 2 working ears and is not at all hard of hearing.  It’s been ten kinds of awesome everyday around here.  We have problems with her listening to us about what to wear. And what to eat.  And about when we are doing what. And picking up. And washing her hands after she goes to the bathroom. Then there’s bedtime but we’ll get there… 

Yes – I do realize she is 3.5, so don’t get me wrong – my expectations of her hoover between “don’t hold your breath” and closer to “I’m sure she knows better”.  But she really does know what is expected of her (wash your hands!) and when things are expected of her(pick up your toys before bed).  We know that the more tired she is, the lower we need to set the bar as far as our expectations go, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Or less frustrating.

I am sort of at a loss in this department because not much seems to work as far as consequences/discipline.  lately counting to 3 has resulted in screaming from Gianna that she’s scared of counting; she will willingly assist us in putting her toys in a trash bag when she won’t pick up; she talks over us when we discipline her; the spew of attitude that comes out of her mouth some days is comical, but frustrating as hell.  I didn’t realize the amount of willpower this girl had and the sheer volume of angsty phrases a three year old could muster regularly. 

Mostly, I don’t know how to stand firm and strong and united as a parent all of the time.  How do you not break down and just give in sometimes?  When is it worth it to argue against the threenager and when is it ok to just go with the flow?  It’s such a delicate line to walk, and I know that.  I also know that I am largely pregnant and tired and hormonal which does not help my ability to manage the threenage’s decrease in listening skills at the moment.

Threenager Problem #2917 – nightmare at bedtime:

Which brings us to our next problem. The problem that zaps my energy like nothing else at the end of the day.  Because, in case you didn’t know – at 3 years and 8 months old – you don’t need sleep and are generally just never sleepy.  You are also very obviously well versed and have fine-tuned your ability to stall actually sitting still enough to succumb to the sleep you so desperately need.

When Gianna was a baby we had to put her to bed REALLY early so she would sleep before getting overtired.  She’s always gone to bed pretty early (7/7:30) and lately we have been putting her to bed between 8/8:30.  It worked for a few months without an issue. But lately, as in the past few weekish, it has not been working at all.  In fact – it has been downright awful.

Nothing in our routine has changed.  She just boycotts bedtime at all cost and at the expense of our sanity and ability to remain rational human beings.  Nothing is quite as frustrating at the end of a long day than an even longer, drawn out, painful bedtime.  maybe we need to bump bedtime back up again to 7/7:30 – to avoid the overtired insanity that ensues otherwise.  Again, it can be quite hilarious – the things she comes up with to NOT sleep are very creative – but also frustrating as hell.

I’m sure this is just a phase.  But it’s totally a phase that I need to squash before this baby comes.  Or try to manage better, at the very least.  I am not a yeller, generally speaking, but OHMYGAH I can’t take it some nights because seriously – go the hell to sleep!

We are family

I know I talk about my family a lot – but they deserve a special shout out this week (more than usual) for two reasons.

Reason #1:

My (twin) sister has been so incredibly helpful for my whole life. But the past few weeks she has been extra helpful and using the last of her maternity leave to help us out a ton.  She helped us out a few weeks ago when we needed a stand-in for our preschool parent-helper day (I had to work, mike had the flu) and served as the room aunt.  I think she probably had more fun than Gianna, but it was a HUGE help to us.

And then this past week – she spent the night at our house on Wednesday so she could take Gianna to school (mike had to work, I couldn’t be late for work to take her) which is awesome enough.  But THEN she came back to our house and spent most of the day doing laundry, putting away laundry, and helping get baby girl’s room  closer to being ready.  She cleaned Gianna’s room and her playroom too.  And while it wasn’t how I would do it (because, well, I am super anal about everything) it was done and it was so wonderful to have her help because we have been so busy lately to be able to do much of anything.

She really is the best ever and I am so thankful for her all the time – but especially this week!

Reason #2:

This week was my mom’s 50th birthday! Me, my sisters, and stepdad have been planning a surprise party for her since August and it was this weekend.

And she was SO SURPRISED! Everything was perfect and it wouldn’t have been without everyone’s help and wonderful secret-keeping-abilities!

 

My mom is the best mom in the whole world (I’m probably biased!) – she is always doing everything for everyone and we really wanted to make this day special for her.  There were 40-50 people there to celebrate her awesome-ness and it was perfect.

I love my family to pieces every day, but this week/end was another awesome showing of the love that we all have for each other and the crazy, endless love I have for all of them.

Medical Drama Tuesdays

It’s apparently a new thing around our house.

You see, last Tuesday I got a call from Gianna’s preschool (which I missed. twice. because I was in a very long auditing meeting) saying “don’t worry, but we think she needs stitches”. And I instantly burst into tears – because my baby was just SITTING there crying in the office waiting for her mommy to come and get her. And mommy was at work.  So, we got to her about 40 minutes later and once I saw her – I knew that yes, she did need stitches.

She is quite graceful, my little girl.  Turns out she tripped over another kids foot and hit her eyebrow the wrong way on the table.

So we did the whole ER thing.

(because our Children’s urgent care doesn’t open until 4pm. clearly nothing urgent happens to kids before then.)

((and I got pulled over on the way to the ER. so that was fun.  bleeding children do get you out of tickets though, FYI))

(((Also, I had no band aids or other first aid necessities so I just let her little face bleed all over the waiting room until it was our turn. I did wipe the blood off every once in awhile, I’m not an animal after all.)))

It wasn’t so bad – she took the stitches like a champ and got a purple popsicle that matched her outfit to show for it.  Her stitches are dissolvable, which THANK GOODNESS we don’t have to go through the trauma of having them removed – because removing the band aid off her face was traumatic enough.

Yesterday, Gianna had a dentist appointment. And it turns out we are not so awesome at brushing her teeth and she is also an awesome apple juice guzzler so she has to go back a week from today to have 2 cavities filled.  And I won’t be there to hold her hand because, you know, work.  But daddy will be there and I am sure she will rock that experience out as well.

Which brings us to this Tuesday's medical drama.  Clearly baby sister was feeling a little left out, after all with her pretty medically uneventful gestation process she hasn’t really stirred up any issues like her big sister.  Until today.  I had some spotting over the weekend, but nothing crazy and I really didn’t think anything of it until I noticed some light bleeding/heavier spotting this morning.  Which ended in my OB squeezing me in for an ultrasound (all is good, she is going to have chubby cheeks!) and a really long time in the waiting room for the doctor to say – sometimes these things happen, take it easy, call us if anything changes.

Not any kind of BIG drama, thankfully, but enough to stir up the hormones a little bit. And to get my boss pretty anxious over the whole – well, she really IS going to be having a baby sooner than later and HOLY SHIT we have no idea when that could actually happen. Which, I totally feel his pain on that.  But thankfully, I work for super awesome people who let me go to appointments whenever I need to and offered to give me the rest of the week off (which, was sweet, but impossible considering I need to bank those vacation hours for when the baby does come).

I’m hoping after next weeks cavity filling we are done with this very unfavorable Medical Drama Tuesday trend.

A glimpse into the crazy

I had someone ask me recently how I kept everything straight that is going on in my life. I said, I have no idea except that I have my trusty Google calendar. Organized by person and color.

If I didn’t have it all in here, I certainly would NEVER EVER be able to manage it all in my head. Or at all, probably.  And sometimes, I don’t have everything in here and chaos ensues. Pretty literally.

As you can see, most days are only displaying 1 or 2 of multiple things going on, and I know that Mike’s full schedule isn’t on here yet. Obviously, I am at work all day Monday – Friday, so I am gone from 7:30ish am – 6ish pm or longer as well.

A “normal” week basically goes like this:

Monday: Work, Bradley class, make sure Gianna is with whoever is watching her for the night

Tuesday: Work, Mike works, G has school, Mom takes G to school and her or Mike pick G up

Wed: More of the same, dance for G

Thurs: Work and school for G – usually this is our most “low key” day

Friday: Work, Mike usually has a sporting event to film

Weekend: Madness.

But we don’t usually have a normal week, so add in doctors appointments, meetings, etc. and the whole schedule is up in the air at any point in time.

On top of all that I am planning and/or need to have accomplished before baby girl arrives (in no particular order and probably not all inclusive):

• Christmas and New Years
• My mom’s birthday
• MIL’s birthday
• (step)dad’s birthday
• A very special honorary birthday party and donation event in memory of a special girl
• finishing up the baby stuff (room, shopping, finding a place for everything, organizing)
• organizing our tax documents
• plan my sister’s wedding shower
• getting the invites for said wedding shower printed/ready to mail
• attending a (jewelry) work event one weekend
• spend as much time as possible with G and Mike
• Maternity pictures
• Schedule G for gymnastics and then for swimming when that is over

Also, trying not to worry about how things will be after the baby comes and what will change and all of that because – what does it matter, life changes!?   But I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being a little bit panicked on how exactly we will adapt – I know we will, but my logistical brain is having problems figuring out how it’s all going to go down. 

So, if anyone is finding themselves with some extra time over the next few weeks, come on over, I am sure I have something I could use your help with! 

Also, if you find yourself with extra ice cream, go ahead and bring that over too – I’ll take a break from anything for ice cream right now!

((this is not in any way a whining post, or a post to get attention, or whatever. it’s just something people ask about a lot and also listing out all of the things that need done helps me remember them all!  I would not know what to do with myself if life wasn’t like this, I get bored far too easily and that is not good for anyone!))

((it may be an attempt to get ice cream though, because, seriously, love right now.))

Christmas Cheer

I mentioned before that I wanted to make this holiday season just a little extra magical for G, being her last one as an only child and all. but I also just like to do fun things with my family and there happen to be MANY options this time of year!

I realize it’s only December 2nd but so far this is what we have done:

Visited Santa

She apparently wants a chair. And a baby princess aurora. But a chair? Of which she already has one? She is very serious too.

Brought Krista the elf back. 

She even shares Krista with her baby cousin. She looks thrilled, huh?

Went to see the Nutcracker, just me and her.

She loved it (once she got dressed and out the door…) and said on at least 2 occasions “I just love this mommy”. Which, that right there is why we do things for/with our kids  - right?  She really enjoyed watching the dancers, although she was confused why they weren’t talking. So she talked for them… and asked where the princesses on ice skates were…. and danced at her seat.  But in the end, she sat on my lap most of the time, talked semi-quietly, and fell asleep during the dance of the sugarplum fairy. 

Decorated the tree

Made our yearly Toys for Tots drop off

and visited the decked out blimp hanger that her uncle works at

2010 – petrified of Santa

2011 – became part of the décor:

2012 – big cousin!:

Saturday Randoms

• I intended to do a little photo dump, but I am having technical difficulties. so randomness it is.
• I take a lot of pictures with my phone. Almost 2,000 since I got my phone last October, in fact. I also like to take pictures of G while she sleeps, apparently.  I can’t resist the innocence of those long eyelashes.

• Do you delete the pictures from your phone once you upload them? I feel like I don’t NEED all of these on here for ever and ever, but can’t bring myself to delete them either. 
• Mike is working all day. My plans changed about 29472x today, so right now we are home and G is playing nicely in her playroom after we had a fun morning hanging out, doing laundry, a little lunch, etc. A perfectly normal way to spend a Saturday yet something that we get to do only once or twice every year.
• That is not an exaggeration.  The last time we had NO plans at all for the whole day, well, I have no idea when that was.
• And it’s a good thing because the house has been neglected and with all the holiday things, and other things, going on the next 20482 weeks, we probably won’t have another one of these days for a very long time.
• Also a good thing to have no real plans today because it was a long week and my big old pregnant self is glad to stay in sweats all day.
• I am 31 weeks and 3 days (I think) pregnant and 2 things are official: 1) this little girl is JUST like her sister in utero –highly active. this only makes me slightly nervous for how things will be on the outside. 2) my maternity clothes are shrinking. Or, I am growing out of them. I am measuring exactly on schedule, yet the belly is huge and the hips are preparing themselves for birth leaving me with exactly 3 pairs of pants I can wear to work and a handful of shirts.  And I am too cheap to buy more. Except I have been debating getting a pair of maternity leggings….
• The cord on my computer charger is on its last leg. which is no good since the actual computer battery doesn’t hold a charge at all. must fix this sometime.
• I find all of the pictures of all of the elves highly annoying.  We have an elf, I do take her picture almost every day (am going to put them together in a little book for G, I think. or at least that’s my plan) but does anyone else really give a shit what is going on with her besides G? I didn’t think so….
• Who else is rocking out the Christmas shopping? I am 99% done with G (I can’t say 100% because her stocking isn’t finished and chances are, I’ll buy her something else she really doesn’t need in the next 24 days), and about 70% done with everyone else on our list.
• I realized that we have gone from the only one of our really close friends to have a baby to having 1 of TEN kids! I found some really fun stuff for the little people in our lives, though so I am excited about that!
• I also may or may not have a Christmas excel spreadsheet. Because listen – I can not remember anything and I know I would forget someone otherwise. (& this reminds me I need to update it….)
• Christmas cards are on this weekends agenda also – we didn’t do any specific pictures (maternity pictures aren’t until next month) and that is making it really hard for me to come up with what to use on our cards.  I realize I am WAY over thinking this. 
• Last weekend I got the playroom and that catch all closet organized and cleaned out. It took me 2 days to recover from all that work! (also, separate project post to come, I finally figured out what to do with all that craft stuff!)
• This weekend, I am attempting to tackle our bedroom and office area. Although, it makes me nervous just looking at it! I made a small dent already but I am probably the only person who can tell!
• and that is enough randomness for today. happy Saturday!

Wordless Wednesday

A few random pictures from the past few weeks – because I fail at ACTUALLY blogging lately.

Pumpkin Patch (did I post these ever? I forget)

Some random dress up

Pumpkin Painting

Preschool Play! (also, cutest sweet corn ever!)

Celebrating my oldest BFF, her successfully kicking infertility’s ass and her journey to motherhood – one girl for me, two boys for her!

It’s just an outline

Mike and I have been taking Bradley classes. This was 100% my decision and something that I really really wanted to do.  He, admittedly, went along for the ride even if he really didn’t know what I was thinking.

And I appreciate that. A lot. Because sometimes it’s nice to know your husband will go along with what you want even if he doesn’t “get” it.

He is generally pretty open during our class discussions and our discussions at home in that he listens and sometimes shares his opinion on things. We are at the point now where we need to be actually thinking about what our plan is going to be – what are we/am I comfortable with before, during and after this girl is born.

And here is where I am struggling and we are failing to communicate effectively with each other.  I am a planner, because I know this is shocking news.  I want to feel a little bit in control at all times, and while I know that is pretty much nonsense when it comes to childbirth – having at least an outline of what I want to happen and how I want to handle situations that may or may not come up will just make me feel better.  I don’t even want to call it a birth plan, I like to think of it as just an outline – a place to start and a place to reference throughout the process.

Our birth experience with Gianna was more of what I would call a party experience – there were a lot of family and friends around both in the room with me while I labored and in the waiting room.  and that is exactly what I wanted at that time.  I would not change that part of her labor/delivery story for anything.  There are some aspects though, looking back on it, that I didn’t like and that I do not want to repeat. (hence choosing the Bradley method this time, for one!).  But I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t take any classes or read any books.  I didn’t want to – I knew that I would figure it all out when I needed to. And I did, and it was fine, and a little girl with lots of hair came out in the end and she was showered with love from the very minute she came to the outside world.  But what I missed, and recognized missing from the very beginning, is a chance to just BE with her right after she was born.  Because they literally laid her on me when she came out, and minutes later took her away to be weighed etc. Daddy saw her, I fed her eventually and then the aunts, grandmas and everyone else who was waiting passed her around and I got her back just in time to go to our room.  It all felt very rushed at the time, but I didn’t know any different, but I know that looking back on it, even later that day, I didn’t really like how it all played out. but it was over, and you know – moving on!

I want this birth experience to be more of what I would call an intimate gathering.  Primarily because I just don’t know what to expect with a natural birth and I really don’t want to be distracted from the whole experience.  I want to really be “in the moment” if you will – something that last time, I purposely was distracting myself from because I was scared!  And in my mind, this experience includes after the baby comes out.  I want to experience those first minutes/hours with her & her daddy – without interruption, without passing her around to 15 other people and worrying if so and so is still in the waiting room or if somebody didn’t get to see her yet. Or if someone's feelings are going to be hurt because they haven’t seen her yet.  I want to let the masses in to see our girl when we are ready (or, I am ready, because this is the part that Mike and I are not agreeing on right now) but absolutely not until her big sister gets to meet her first.  I want her to be showered with that same love that Gianna had – I just want to wait for the showering to begin until I am ready for it, so I can enjoy it too and not be frustrated with the process.  This is a part of our birth outline that I would like to be written in permanent marker – because the more I think about it, the more strongly I feel.  Mike feels very strongly in the opposite direction. Which, obviously, is a hurdle we are going to need to work through.

Ideally, I would also like to have someone in the room with us to photograph the labor/birth process and when G meets the baby for the first time.  I don’t even know if anyone in my area DOES birth photography or how this would work, so you know, that part of the outline might be written in pencil. I could name off a bunch of other “ideally I would like” situations too, but I am realistic and also not opposed to medical interventions when I understand why and when they are necessary.  Because while I love a good outline, I appreciate the need to change what happens as things progress. Because in the end, all I care about is seeing a healthy little girl on the outside world. See, I haven’t become a total tree hugging hippie.  Just half a one.

If you went through a similar process, what were your “we must do this” or “we must not do that” items and what questions did you ask of yourselves individually and as a couple to navigate this process of creating your birth outline?  How did you maneuver the roadblocks?  I am especially interested in anyone who has experienced both medicated and planned natural births.

Thankful For Her Humor

Happy gobble gobble day, my friends.

I hope that everyone is able to spend time with those they care about most today. And that everyone is able to eat their weight in turkey, mashed potatoes, pie and whatever else you enjoy shoveling in your mouth in ridiculous increments. 

Of course I am thankful for my family, friends, health, happiness, coffee and cute shoes – but one thing that I am REALLY thankful for is the humor and spunk a certain 3.5 year old brings to our lives every day.  Helps take the edge off of those rough threenager days.

A few recent moments in time with Gianna:

• When told to wash her hands after using the bathroom: “oh but mommy, it is TOO LATE to wash my hands, the sun already went nigh’ nigh’'”
• A really random conversation:
• G:I have 6 Sisters
• M: you do? Where did they come from?
• G: California
• M: oh…
• G: Ya, there was a real cheap bed on sale there….
• A classic night time stall tactic:
• G: I wanna sleep in YOOOOOOUUUR bed
• M: Why?
• G: Because I wuv you
• M: I love you too, but you can sleep in your own bed
• G: But my heartbeat will be really sad if I don’t sleep in your bed
• M: Well… (seriously, HOW do you say no to that one?)
• Having a discussion on cool-ness in the car:
• G: No Mommy, only Daddy’s are cool
• M: Well I want to be cool too.
• G: Well, Mommy’s are sweet because GURLS are the sweetest
• M: good logic…

Just your typical tuesday night randomness

I have so much I want to write about lately but such little time to do it in. So bullet points will have to do for now.

• I may have mentioned how forgetful I am lately before. But it gets worse every single day.  I have recently: went to the bank to deposit checks, without the checks. Left my lunch on the counter for the 29118 time. Put the dinner leftovers in a container and left said container on the counter instead of in the refrigerator. Misplaced a roll of stamps.  left the oven on when I left the house (I remember when I got to the car).
• I am SURE Mike could think of more things I have forgotten, but that’s all I can remember right now.
• Gianna had a sleep over last weekend with her 2 BFF’s in the whole wide world. It was adorable chaos AND I got 3 three-year-olds to bed by 10:30pm. In the same bed.  Of course they were all up by about 5:30am, but whatever. They all had fun.  Pictures to come. Someday.
• I want to talk about my Bradley classes and how much it is helping us grow and learn as a couple. I need to make a point of it, actually.
• The to-do list is sort of, a little tiny bit, shrinking. We at least got 2 major things accomplished with about fourtybillion minor things left to go.
• What do you do with ALLOFTHETHINGS your kid brings home from Preschool? I’m not a keeper. I can’t remember to use the artchive app I downloaded, but I don’t want to toss everything.  There are a ton of cute ideas on pinterest to display your kids artwork – has anyone successfully, and easily, executed any of these?!  What do YOU do with all of your kids crafty things?
• It’s thanksgiving week, and I don’t actually  know how that happened. As in, how in the heck is November almost over? Wasn’t it just May?
• Speaking of ALLOFTHETHINGS we need to do a serious purge of toys to a) make room for whatever crazy stuff G gets for Christmas and b) make room for some baby stuff. But she really does play with everything that she has out right now, which is making it hard.  We just have such a small space for everything to fit in to.
• I haven’t really started any shopping yet for Christmas but this week have scored some awesome deals at Victoria Secret and on a new otterbox phone cover on Amazon.  I am so thankful for sites like Raining Hot Coupons who find out about and post about these awesome deals, it comes in really handy!
• Also handy, Amazon Prime free trial!
• There are some things going down at my work, that will be really good for me in the end – but right now makes me stress a little bit.  Mostly because I want the good things to start now, but I know and understand why they can’t start until after I come back from my maternity leave.  There is also a work from home (and/or work from a closer office)possibility. Which I am trying not to get my hopes up about, but still, would totally rock my world.
• I will be 30 weeks pregnant tomorrow. THIRTY. Unreal.
• Also Unreal: the state of the foot swelling.  It has been really bad this past week. But my wedding rings still fit, so I consider it a win.
• And on that note, I am going to bed.  Because I am tired and I forget what else I wanted to say tonight.

countdown to….. Christmas!

I know that thanksgiving deservers a little respect when it comes to holidays, and believe me, this week I will totally be respecting the turkey, mashed potatoes, pie and all the other goodies that will be served.

I will also be respecting a 4 day weekend (omg, so excited about having 4 days without “work”)

But! BUUUUUUT! Christmas is coming! And if you didn’t know the age of 3.5 is even MORE exciting for celebrations than the age of 2.5.  Gianna is excited for Christmas already, she’s been circling toys in the toy catalogs and talking about all kinds of Christmas stuff already.

Because she is super excited, & super aware o the upcoming festivities, and because this is our last holiday season as a family o’ 3, I really want to make this year that much more special for all of us.

We did elf on the shelf last year (I can’t remember how much I talked about Krista on here, but she was a big hit) on a very mild level.  We would hide her doing silly things and G would look for her in the mornings, that’s about it.  There were no consequences or talk about how Krista was “watching” her.  This year, we may be using that to our advantage. Or not.

One thing that we WILL be doing is having Krista be our messenger for Christmas fun. Sort of like a countdown to Christmas-ish (except, you know, we won’t really be counting anything…. but you get the point).

Some of our holiday activities and special treats include:

• taking Gianna on a mommy date to see the Nutcracker Ballet
• A hot chocolate party with her friends
• a few little Christmas crafts, stickers, coloring books, etc.
• wrapping up all of the holiday books we already for her
• a night to go look at Christmas lights
• a trip to buy small Christmas gifts for her grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousin
• making Christmas ornaments (no idea on this years variety, help?)
• baking cookies (probably sugar, but open to other suggestions here!)
• a girls only holiday slumber party (with my mom, sisters, and our friends)
• possibly going to tuba Christmas
• watching Christmas movies (a’ la Frosty, Rudolph, Miracle on 34th Street)

I am really excited because I think she is totally going to love doing some of these things. And of course, making new memories and starting new traditions is always awesome.

I’m also hoping that incorporating all these little things into Krista’s antics will help me not get so bored with her before Christmas arrives!

We are starting off our Christmas celebration a little bit early though, because today we are going to the local Christmas tree festival.  My apologizes to thanksgiving, but I promise to make it up to you on Thursday. Bring on the turkey.

What are you doing this holiday season? any extra awesome plans or ideas?

Attack of the Pants

Preschool is going awesome for my threenager, she loves it, she is learning a lot and my kitchen counter and refrigerator are forever overflowing with crafts.

But we have one little problem.

Pants.

Getting this girl dressed in the morning is like experiencing the world war of preschool fashion.

We have tried everything – picking clothes out the night before, letting her pick whatever she wants, having her pick from two choices, and everything in between.  Some days it’s a none issue (those are the same days she wears a dress or a skirt).

But it always comes down to the pants.

you would think that every single pair of pants she owns have teeth that try to gnaw her legs off.

a little bit like this (except with less happy faces, more flailing limbs and approximately 28 decibels of ear piercing screeching):

The pink skinny jeans that are FREAKING CUTE? those usually result in the largest amount of outrage even if I am just moving them out of the way to find something else.  I have never witnessed such a fight over pants. She HATES them for some unknown reason.  Jeans? you have got to be kidding me, right?  And all other pants, to be honest.

Getting her to wear anything on her legs that is not tights or leggings turns into a wrestling match 95% of the time.  The tights and leggings only result in a wrestling match about 15% of the time. It is all kinds of intense around these parts before I have even had my coffee.

Obviously all pants posses some type of dangerous property that only Gianna is aware of.

It seriously is bullshit.

Also bullshit that we live in a place where it is now freaking cold and wearing skirts and dresses everyday will possibly result in icicle legs.  Which, is a chance I may or may not be willing to take on any given day.  We try to let her wear dresses, skirts, leggings, tights, etc. most of the time to avoid dealing with the attack of the pants – but sometimes, there are just no more leggings clean! and then? look out.

so, if you hear screams and chants of “NO PANTS, I DON’T LIKE PANTS” from wherever you are, just know there is no harm being done, we are only trying to get the threenager dressed for school.

Gift Time! #alphabetphotography {product review}

I love giving gifts – a lot.

Thinking of, finding, and putting together the perfect gift for someone I care about makes me so happy.  Sometimes it takes me months to execute an idea, and sometimes it just comes to me on a whim.  I know Christmas is coming up, so there will be some gift giving going on, but I also am a fan of the unexpected gift. Something just because I know you’ll like it or because it reminded me of you. 

When the opportunity came along (via the SITS girls) to work with Alphabet Photography, I knew instantly what a great gift this was going to make.  I also knew instantly what an awesome product this was, I’ve seen similar pieces before.

My sister and (almost) brother-in-law just purchased their first home – what an awesome housewarming gift would this be?

I spent a really long time on the website playing with the different letter options to get just the right look, the perfect gift for my sister and brother-in-law.

Once I came up with the right letter arrangement, I chose the frame option that I thought would look best (3” solid wood with a dark Chocolate finish accented with gold leaf matted with museum quality double matt with a V groove).

I couldn’t wait to see the finished product and I was beyond impressed with how the artwork was packaged and shipped. 

Gianna was less than impressed with the packaging, although she totally enjoyed the bubble wrap.

And uncle jimmy beeping her nose

I was so excited to see the finished project I practically ripped the paper off myself.

Look at how awesome the frame is (and my sisters reflection!):

I can’t wait to see this hanging in my sister and brother-in-law’s new house. I am sure they will find the perfect spot for it and I hope every time they look at they smile a little bit.

So if you are searching for the perfect gift for the holidays, or for any time, I can’t recommend Alphabet Photography enough.  I was beyond impressed with the whole process from choosing the letter arrangement, choosing the frame and the ordering process was so simple.  The order was easy to track and when it arrived I knew it was going to be in perfect shape by the way it was packaged. It’s even better than I imagined!

 

The perfect customized gift that includes photographs from all over the world, this is the original Alphabet Photography. Celebrity owners include: Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate, Tyra Banks, Ryan Seacrest, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, John Schneider, Nelly Furtado, and many more!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Alphabet Photography. The opinions and text are all mine.