"the dishes will always be there..."

the after-effects of "spiderman ice cream" on the tongue (i was also informed this morning that it makes "green poop")

if you're on facebook at all, i'm sure you've seen a ton of those little, witty quotes typeset in boxes, sometimes with the little vintage illustrations? yeah? well, there are a specific bunch that always drive me bonkers, the ones that have sayings to the tune of "the dirty dishes will still be there, your kids won't." arrgh. 
as if i don't have enough guilt while working from home (and letting my kids watch a few too many episodes of power rangers), or for taking the time to peruse facebook (and instagram, oh instragram how i adore thee) while the kids are scarfing down their meals, now i have to feel guilty for cleaning? that's just...crazy talk. seriously.
it's not like i'm little miss clean-y pants with my spotless house that i don't let anyone make messes in. on the contrary, the kids are constantly eating "meals on the go" as they run around the house spreading crumbs like a plague. but once they're done (okay, maybe a few days later, that's AFTER), yeah, i totally go around with my broom and dustpan and do my best to, at the very least, keep the house from being a total shambles (also, we have an ant problem, and double also, i hate the feeling of dirt stuck to the bottoms of my feet).
so to those who post all that kind of nonsense about my kids are growing up and i should be enjoying them, thanks for the reminder to appreciate my kids, BUT (and this is a big, fat but) i think my kids are learning at least two valuable lessons from seeing me tiding up around the house (yes, despite the look of it, i actually do clean):
1) everyone has responsibilities. when i'm doing dishes (or laundry, or sweeping the floor, or putting things away), i hope my kids don't see that as "gee, mom really likes to clean. look at her go!", but that people (grown-ups and kids) have to do a lot of things that aren't fun, but that need doing. laundry is not my greatest joy, vacuuming toast crumbs out of the living room rug is not my definition of a good time, but like a lot of things in life, they need to be done. and though it looks like a small thing (though you should have SEEN the dirt that came out of the rug by the side door, it was impressive, people), if all these small, boring things didn't get done, the house would soon be a much less pleasant place to wreak havoc.
2) sometimes we need to be patient. i totally want my kids to know that they're important to me, much more important than things (like the walls they keep trying to put holes in), but to a certain degree they need to realize that life isn't all about them. sometimes i need them to color by themselves or push the pause button on the thirteenth diatribe about power rangers ("but not jungle fury power rangers, but the other kind, and i'm the gold one and my friend is the green one..."), because sometimes, just sometimes, other things need to be my priority. 
and this is where those those sayings about "the dishes will always be there..." really get to me, because, yes, the dishes WILL be there, and heck if i'm going to take space out of the two hours after the kids go to bed that i get for "my own" to do that kind of stuff. no way. most of the time that's dedicated to working on freelance anyway, so it's already taken, yo. so thanks for the guilt. thanks for the reminders about childhood is fleeting (yes, i know that, and that's why i spend an extra ten minutes after lu falls asleep to hold her and give her a few kisses on her "only little once" cheeks), but i can't always let the passage of time be like some rabid beast chasing me into stressing that i'm missing every precious moment. not all moments are precious, or at least, not all moments need to be witnessed and appreciated by me to be precious. stop trying to make me crazy. unless you haven't noticed, i'm already there.

back at it—the new addition

after a little break (or a big break, whatever, let's not judge), i've decided that i really need to make time for doing this blog thing. not because anyone out in the world really needs to read my ramblings, but because i need to put them here. 
i've totally realized that i miss having a spot to go back and look at what was going on in our family life, what the kids were up to, what kind of projects i was working on (or more likely, that sam was working on), etc. i missed all that stuff and nonsense. i also realized that a lot of times, i was trying to compose blog posts in my head, but was never making the time to put them somewhere for keeps. they need to be somewhere for keeps. i need this.
so, i might as well get back to it. even in my regularly irregular way. because it's okay to be messy, particularly if all this is supposed to be a reflection of myself and what life is like right now, it's messy and cluttered. but it's also good, and totally worth remembering.
it's all okay. it'll be okay. and let's get on with it, already.

to start off with, last friday we finally signed the platt and paid for the empty lot on the south side of our house. right now it's basically a big patch of weeds with two large trees in it, but we've basically just doubled the size of our property. it seemed like it took forever to get to this point (lots of submitting of papers to the city, lots of waiting, needing to get surveys done, and mike attending several city planning meetings of one kind and another). but now it's basically ours, and we can get on with the actual, physical doing involved.
step one is going to be getting the trees checked out and having two trees removed from the back property line. i've always been a little wary of the big trees on the lot for the simple reason that they seemed to be constantly dropping large branches all over the place, and since i've never in my life been responsible for a large tree (or really anything bigger than a shrub), i assumed this wasn't exactly a good sign. so mike contacted a company that's going to check and trim the trees, and hopefully will determine that they're sound enough to leave in place. the trees at the back of the property seem to be fine, but they're right on the property line, and so are an issue when it comes to the fence we want to build around our new, bigger yard. once we have our tree issues resolved, we'll move on to step two, (hopefully) regrading.

to do list, the second time around

we are getting ready to leave for Oglebay. We're a few days late because of our unexpected arrival, but also thrilled that we can all go as a family instead of someone (me) being either left alone waiting for the baby or here with a newborn on my own (and bored out of my mind). i'm particularly glad that i won't be sending sam off on his own. not because i don't think he can handle it (i heard about what happened with gramma and grampa while we were at the hospital—he saw gramma when he came down in the morning and said, "where's grampa?" not "where's mommy?" or "where's daddy?" but "where's grampa?" apparently he waited until after breakfast to wonder where his parents were. way to knock mom down a few pegs kiddo) but because i'm not sure i can. it was hard enough to be in the hospital without my favorite sidekick.

anywho, so i've got lists and lists going on—what to pack (we're packing for two kids now!), what needs to be done before we leave (the trash needs to be OUT, we learned that the hard way one year. oh, the fruit flies!). but a lot of my thinking has had to do with what i want to remember about this tiny, new sibling we've got in the house. how there are things i didn't do when sam was born, and now i'm wishing i had.

first on the list—take pictures of the WHOLE baby. with sam i was totally focused on that adorable little face and barely took any photos of his whole body. no tiny feet were saved for posterity in those first few days, and i still regret it. so yesterday i set up a spot on the couch and took lots of photos of little lucy. she's even tinier than i could've imagined, and though my photography skills are utterly limited, i think i got enough good ones that i will be satiated later on.

second—write down her "birth story". i didn't do this with sam, but this time around everything went about as well as i could've hoped for and i want to remember that, if only to feel better about how unhappy i was the first time. i sat down earlier and typed out what i can remember of those few hours pre-lucy. i already feel like it was time well spent.

third—enjoy that baby! though i'm already missing being pregnant (it was nice to have a reason to move slowly, to eat an extra helping of melon knowing i was growing a baby, to have people wanting to help me with this and that, plus i didn't have to worry about sucking in my gut—there's no sucking in a bump that big!) i know now that everyone is right when they say "they grow up so fast!" sam now seems huge in comparison (though still my adorable baby boy, i gotta say). so i'm doing my best to enjoy this tiny little person who's little bottom is barely holding up her premie pants (goodness help us if she was any earlier!)

now off to finish that packing. we've got a car to load up and a doctor's visit scheduled for right after lunch. we need to be on our way to get to oglebay by dinner, and we're looking forward to it!

making—people drawings

yesterday was the first time i've ever seen sam draw people. last week he was drawing monsters (which was definitely a change after so many months/years of his "truck period"), but yesterday he was definitely making people. he draws them like most kids (one big floating head with arms and legs), but there were hands and feet and all that scribbling in the middle was the "shirt". for some reason mommy's shirt also went all over her face, but that's okay, sam was using his artistic license.

i guess this is what i should be expecting from a boy who's about to turn three, but every time he does something new like this, it's super exciting to me. i can't believe how many skills he's racked up in a measly three years.

a post for auntie margy

a day or so after sam's second birthday party, we lost my aunt (my dad's sister). today i am drinking my coffee from one of her pretty cups and thinking about my memories of auntie margy:

- auntie liked to chat, and boy could she. if auntie called on the phone, you had to clear the next 30-90 minutes. she didn't call me all that often, but when she did it was a marathon of a talk (especially for me, as i tend to do anything in my power to avoid the phone).

- auntie enjoyed family traditions. she always brought breakfast on christmas (oh the strudel!), and potato salad for easter. i'll always remember having to find room in our little fridge for a very large container of potato salad.

- i remember auntie and her camera taking pictures. when i was little, her big camera with all its attachments and large flash seemed huge, and it made a huge impression on me (i've noticed that i'm now the aunt with the big camera chasing people around).

- auntie enjoyed having things be "just so" (i remember this about my grandma henderson as well—she always seemed a little frustrated when things weren't picture perfect, and i think auntie had a lot of that in her too). when i was younger i remember visiting and admiring her "purple bathroom" where everything was color coordinated (my favorite color at the time was purple). she also had a yellow bathroom and a "citrus" kitchen with shades of yellow, orange, and green—with coordinating appliances, no less.

- auntie enjoyed her nieces and nephews, and especially their children (her grand-nieces and grand-nephews). we had many a chat about how fascinating it was to watch us all growing, and i will never forget the famous "peek" episode that sam had with auntie last fall while visiting dad in the hospital. it was something that auntie particularly remembered about sam (and he remembered about her). in fact, during our last visit she recapped many of the stories she had collected about her surrogate grandchildren, and we talked about what kind of personality the newest addition (little alice, just brand new ten days before) would turn out to have.

i am remembering all these things and making a note to clear a space in my next life, because i'm sure that when i see auntie we will have a nice, long chat, and there will be a lot of catching up to do.

on my list - notes to self, the 2010 edition

so it seems like all the bloggers are posting up a storm of resolutions (or goals or whatnot) for 2010, and i thought i might as well jump on the bandwagon, as i'm certainly hoping to do a little self-improving this year. maybe if i post them on here, i might actually accomplish one or two (or at least my collossal failures will make good post-fodder, eh?)

here they are, in no particular order:

• buy a new calendar and remember to write things down on it
• try more new foods/new recipes (ideally one a week -- realizing that life sometimes doesn't allow for such things - quick'n'easy/tried'n'true meals are called such for a reason)
• remember to set aside time for excercise (preferrably before 10pm)
• find more time to be creative and make things with my own two hands (this includes finishing the scarf i've been working on for nearly a year now, and various other projects in multiple stages of not-finishedness -- this does not include random messes and piles of unwashed dishes)
• fill up one sketchbook
• buy pretty/fun stamps and send real letters
• teach sam how to use a sippy cup
• buy less "stuff" (in particluar, do not buy more things for more projects that i have no hope of finishing before i'm able to finish all the projects i've already bought materials for)
• feel better about my post-sam body
• get more organized (especially when it comes to papers/magazines/etc.) and learn how to use the new back-up drive we got for christmas
• clean the bathroom before it becomes atrocious (this is a big one. it's always atrocious.)
• make a genuine effort to market myself (which includes setting up some kind of portfolio site)

*whew* i think this is enough to begin with.

p.s. that cute planner can be found here.

many thanks

there are so many things i am thankful for: my fabulous family (including all the ones that i acquired when i married mike), a house that i'm so happy to come home to, a job where i work with some of the nicest people i know, and the chance to spend a holiday eating delicious food with some of that wonderful family, are just a few of the leaves on my "thankfulness tree."
thanks to missy for the gift of the tree. i hope to make it a tradition to fill it up with leaves each year. what a great reminder to think about all the blessings i/we have received.
tomorrow we're off to columbus to visit mike's family, and extending this first thanksgiving for the boy (the biggest blessing of all).
incidentally, i was hoping to get everyone on my christmas list this boy-in-a-box. it's the coolest thing ever. but unfortunately, i haven't found another one quite like this one, and i'm just not ready to part with mine.

ps - sammy is thankful for puffs and pie and a box to play in.

8 months old

it's almost been a full week since sammy turned 8 months old, and i've finally gotten around to taking his photo. he may not look all that different in pictures, but he's definitely growing (and the box of clothes that he's grown out of is also growing). he's been trying lots of new foods and putting his teeth to good use, and is now getting around quite easily by crawling. he likes to stand whenever he gets the chance, and is on the move before i can get a clean diaper or a pair of socks on him. he's definitely keeping me on my toes.

as much as i hate to leave behind his little baby phase, i'm definitely enjoying "big kid sammy" and all that he can do, and games he can play, and things that he laughs about, and i'm looking forward to what's next on this boy's agenda.

wednesday morning, train stop

in general, i would say that i very much dislike getting up while it's still dark. but when there's a sky like this waiting with me at the train stop, it's not so bad.

happy friday!

it's another grey day here, but there's no way it's going to get me down today. there are just too many nice things today to let the rain make my smiles soggy:

• it's friday, which means mike will be home this afternoon. yay!
• we get to go to columbus tonight for football and visiting tomorrow.
• yesterday i was able to find both a new pair of black flats and a pair of convertible mittens to replace those that are showing signs of extreme wear (i.e. filled with holes). if you know me and my tiny feet, you'll understand how happy i am to find shoes in a store that are the right size (and are from the grown-up section! woot!)
• today mom and dad (or grandma and grandpa h) are celebrating their 38th anniversary! congrats you two! we're so glad you survived four kids to make it this far!
• tomorrow sammy celebrates his 8-month-iversary
• a week from today we (i, sammy, and g&g h) will be on our way down to mississippi to visit my favorite sister and her family! we're so excited, we can hardly stand it!

whoa. i blinked.

and my blog turned one year old. happy belated birthday, blog!

here's to another year of this, that, and lots more sammy (because we all know that he's the star of this show, afterall).

image via martha.

6 months old

here he is. six months old with a laundry list of accomplishments which include rolling over (and over and over), nearly sitting up on his own (he's so close he can taste it), eating several kinds of foods (pears, carrots, sweet potatoes, and this week he gets squash), getting in four teeth (the two top middle ones have poked through in the last week!), giving kisses, talking and singing to himself, and really having hair to be reckoned with among them. however, holding still for his photo session was not one of them.
he certainly has his tough times (tonight's bedtime being one of them), but overall, he's such a sweet and happy little guy. i'm so glad he's here so that i can kiss every inch of his adorable face, his little hands, and those sweet little feet and piggies.

fabulous 5

today marks 5 fabulous years of being married to the bestest boy ever. to mark the occasion, sam and i went shopping. five is the "wood" anniversary, so we decided on these wood building blocks. sam seemed to think they'd be fun for the whole family. i think he's right.
here's to many more happy years! thanks, mike, for being my better half!

the most important thing i learned this week

i can handle the major head-to-toe poopy diaper blow-out, the kind that requires scrubbing down the changing table and a bath for both me and sam (not just an outfit change), and still be able to smile for sammy and not lose my patience. still, i have to say...hooray for disposable wipes!

sweet day

i had a wonderful day on saturday. we got the regular shopping chores done, and then drove out to the outlet mall for a few hours. it was such a nice day to be out that the crowds were more intense than i had anticipated, but it was nice to get out and window shop. i got a new summer jacket and mike got a couple pairs of jeans. after our traditional pizza saturday, we went out to cold stone creamery for dessert. i got "cheesecake fantasy" and mike got "apple pie a la cold stone" and we shared. it was deee-licious. a stellar, sweet, happy birthday to me :)

image via.

1 month old

it's hard for me to believe, but sammy is a whole month old today! one month of ginormous blue eyes and loud cries, and all the new things that come with having a new little ninja in the house. i still feel like i'm learning how to do the mom thing, but now that he's broken us in a little, i can't wait to see what he's got cooked up for the next month.

1 week

it's hard to believe sam's been here a whole week. he's already settling in and starting to take in his new surroundings. right now he's sitting looking at our big bay window with big blue eyes and not fussing. there haven't been a whole lot of awake times yet where he wasn't fussing, so this is a very good thing.
we're still wondering what he dreams about when he's sleeping. it looks like something very deep...

perhaps the last

today may be the last day with my big ol' baby belly, and the last day for mike and i to be a two-some. i go to be induced tomorrow and am really hoping for a safe journey for ninja into our family. it's not exactly the situation i was hoping for, as i really wanted him to show up on his own, but i'm considering this my first parenting lesson in flexibility. safe travels, kiddo! we can't wait to see you on the other side.

not so patiently

my mind is overflowing with thoughts of baby. i'm trying to be patient, to enjoy the last few days of kicks and rolls and other combat practice, but it's hard. i feel like we're ever so close to this special birthday, but knowing the when is still out of reach. mike described it perfectly when he said "its like bizzaro christmas. you know what your present is, you just don't know when christmas is."
whatever day it turns out to be will certainly be a day to remember.

(image via martha)

in the midst of week 38

so technically i'm not a full 38 weeks, but i'm posting the belly photo anyway.

lately, as i'm getting ready for bed, i think about the fact that in a few weeks i'll be getting two people ready for bed, and both of us will get our own pajamas. it's exciting and scary all at once, but i think mike and i can fake being grown-ups well enough that ninja won't really know it's all an act. or at least, it will take him a little while to figure it out, especially if i'm distracting him with toys and ticklings and stories and other things. that's my plan anyway. the trick will be getting the nieces and nephews not to give up our secret - i'm pretty sure they're aware of the fact that we're not really all that mature.