I'm a Work in Progress

It's Progress Party time at Serenity Now!

I wish I could show you some major before and after photos of my home. But I can't, because not much has changed around here. Today I did order some art to hang over the piano, though...so that's a little progress.

The biggest project at the moment is me. I'm not changing dramatically, but I'm trying to make sure I don't lose myself in all the wonderful-ness of motherhood. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. You see, back in 2008, after Peanut was born I was not very happy.

I was ecstatic that I was a mother (Peanut's arrival answered many years worth of prayers), but I felt lost and lonely. Looking back I'm sure I had at least a touch of PPD, and it was very easy to forget about myself (which made everything worse). Now that I have two boys I don;t have time to be sad; so while taking care of them is my number one priority, I am working on taking care of me, too.

The first thing I did was promise myself that if I felt sad to tell my OB - and to do it right away (thankfully I have been so HAPPY!). I realize PPD doesn't necessarily surface in the first few weeks after baby is born, so I'll continue to monitor my feelings.

Then I had my hair cut :) It had gotten ridiculously long, and the ends were super-straggly.

pay no attention to my double chin

There was a silver lining to the long-hair-due-to-neglect -- I had enough length taken off (and the ends weren't really very bad) that my hair was donated to Locks of Love. So I felt pretty good about that (although, after doing some research, if I donate again, it won't be to LoL). I feel much sassier now.

omg - I got bangs!

Last night (wait for it) I went to the gym. I have a secret plan (which I guess is now public) to run a 5K in the fall with Hubs. I'll be pushing the double jogging stroller, so we'll see how long I can actually run for, but it's a goal :) I plan on starting the Couch to 5K plan within the next two weeks.

The next part is going to take a real leap for me, I'm seriously thinking about going back to school in January. That would mean putting the kids in day care, and taking out a student loan, and probably cutting back on some of my volunteering. But I know the longer I put it off, the harder it will be to go back. I'm not sure if I'm going to finish the STC degree I started at Tech, or if I will switch to Interior Design (that's what I really want to do) - either way it's going to be slow going. Not to mention I will be a "non-traditional student." Ugh. But I need to earn a degree.

The last bit is far less important and way more fun. I'm updating our master bedroom!

This is how it looks today (the bassinet will be gone within a few weeks, but it's a pain to move):






Right now I'm thinking - new dresser for me (the one pictured is Hubs, he found it at a farm auction and I love it!). Possibly this one from IKEA, I love it in grey. Maybe a stencil (similar to this) on the wall behind the bed. New bedside lamps. Finally do something about that awful bedskirt (a remnant from bedding which was replaced 2 years ago). And a new sitting area in front of the window - I would love two rattan chairs, but would really need to luck out and find them at the thrift store or on CL.

So that's my "progress," my totally selfish, all about me progress :)

A Good Weekend

We had a great weekend!

We were able to relax and play with the boys, and I was able to finish a few small projects. Hooray!

Also, I realized that since Bun is 8 weeks old, it had been 8 weeks since we'd had freshly baked cookies in the house. Tragic, isn't it?

So I decided to make a quick batch of bar cookies. I used a recipe handed down to me from my French Aunt, Nestle Toll House ;) (remember that episode of Friends?)

But the butter was frozen, so I set it outside in the heat to thaw faster.

butter, noms.

And pretty soon we had cookies!

that's a large cookie

It was a good weekend!

still alive

just super busy (at least I am)

keeping up with the boys (all three of them!) is quite the job

but I love it :)

On the Subject of Books

My friend Amanda is hosting one of her fabulous "Dishing it!" parties today - and I'm excited to participate. :)

Summer reading has always been a passion of mine. Growing up we had an awesome library, with a really great summer reading program. I think that's why I always think of books when I think of summer. In the past few years the books have turned into magazines (unfortunately, maybe one of these days I'll have enough time to get involved in a book - I've always wanted to read War and Peace), but when I was younger it was always books, books, books.

I love a good book series, getting involved in the characters and lost in a fictional place; perfect for daydreaming about while relaxing at the beach or in the backyard. The first series I fell in love with was Beatrix Potter's amazing children's books; I think my favorite parts were how teeny tiny the books were, and the dreaminess of the watercolor illustrations. Many more series
followed, and some have become some of my favorite books to re-read as an adult.

Of course, I also love books that aren't associated with a series so I've added some of those, too :)

My Top Five Summer Re-reads

1. The Little House Series - I find something new every time I read these books. As an adult I am especially aware of the way Laura writes about food. I'm pretty sure that as a child, her stomach was never full.

2. The Anne of Green Gables Series -Another classic. And the number one reason I want to visit Prince Edward Island.

3. The Story of the Trapp Family Singers - The real story behind The Sound of Music, written by Maria. I love this book, it's not the movie, but I think it's great. Plus my copy came from my Grandma, and she taped an envelope in the front with a newspaper clipping from the 60's (which is just SO Grandma) - I'm happy just to hold it :)

4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - I have vivid memories of devouring this book at a cottage in Northern Michigan one summer. If you somehow missed this book as a child, you must read it. Francie's story is wonderful and will stick with you forever.

5. The Dollmaker - This one is not light reading, it can be very depressing - I'm not sure a book has ever made me cry harder than this one did. But it's an excellent book, detailing the life of an Appalachian woman who moves to Detroit with her family during WWII. I'm not sure I would take this book to the beach, but it would fit right in during a summer thunderstorm.

Leftover Magic

We've been eating a lot of leftovers around here.

Like, a WHOLE lot.

And then I realized that I can turn leftovers into quesadillas. Hooray! Dinner has been rescued, by these magical wraps (13 g of fiber in each one!).

we've been eating the "traditional" variety - not tomato basil

I just heat up a pan, throw in the tortilla, some cheese and leftovers, and dinner is ready!

Lately we've been munching on:
mozzarella cheese and Italian shredded beef
hummus, feta and cucumbers (vegetarian)
banana slices and chocolate chips (desert!)

And here's the funniest part - hubs is the one who purchased these tortillas. I sent him to the store to buy some tortillas for our Fourth of July Mexican Fiesta. He came back with these and I was a little skeptical, they weren't what I had asked for. But I was so happily surprised! And they taste ten thousand times better than most whole wheat tortillas.

**This is the part where I promise that no one paid me to write this, or review this product. I just wanted to save all of you from super-boring leftovers.**

What's your favorite way to eat leftovers?

My Favorite Project

I'm slowly getting more accomplished around here. Sometimes it's hard to find the balance, to let it be alright when you can't finish a single project and you have to have your husband bring home a $5 pizza for dinner ($5 pizzas are my favorite, it's my inner Detroiter coming out).

So while I don't have the time to document every project, I thought that maybe I can stick with sharing my favorite project from the week every Friday.

Baby steps. I'm all about baby steps right now.

So here's my favorite finished project from this week:

A Spaceship for Buzz

This morning I ran around for far too long searching for Buzz Lightyear. I decided that if he had a spaceship to sleep in every night he would be a *little* bit easier to find.

Peanut was pretty excited to do a craft project.


Materials:
1 Wheat Thins box (rescued from the recycling bin)
white scrap paper
clear packing tape
scissors
markers

markers are magical

I sat my little crafter down with some markers and the scrap paper, he turned the paper into masterpieces in no time. While he colored I reassembled the box and cut out a window.

I saved the window scraps to make "wings."

Then I used a liberal amount of packing tape to wrap the box with the paper, cutting around the window and taping down all of the paper seams. After that I wrapped and taped the wings, and then attached them to the sides of the rocket. (in all fairness this whole process took a long time, we had a few tantrums, someone needed to be nursed, and diapers were changed - but I finished it!)

Buzz loves his "Rocket Space"

opinionated

This morning I was watching the Today Show and JJ was playing (Max was doing what he does best - nursing!), then Lady Gaga began to perform.

JJ immediately says "I no yike dis song. Is garbage."

Future music critic?

little helper

JJ loves Max.

He loves to hold him, and read to him, bring him trucks and "Super Guys." He always knows where Max's binky is hiding and when he fusses JJ will tell him "It OK, I right here!"

Today he helped with bath time.

splashing in the tub

The floor was wet, JJ was wet, I was wet and Max was clean.

We were all happy :)

My To-Do List

Everyday I make myself a list, it keeps me motivated, yada yada yada.

I really just adore lists.

But I have a question: if your list looks like this, can you automatically cross everything off?

a list for Thursday, modified by Peanut

*yep - I had a load of laundry labeled "poop" - we had multiple diaper-fails this morning, so I am taking myself to the drive-thru for coffee therapy this afternoon

The Old College Try

I've not done very much with my little home lately.

I've been busy ;)

I decided that today was my day to jump back into pursuits of home beatification, at least temporarily - okay, so for like 20 minutes I could do something around here.

I chose the front door.

incredibly boring people live here

Earlier this week my mom was in town and I jumped on the opportunity to visit Hobby Lobby by myself. It was fabulous, and all of the silk plants were half off.

This is where you all recoil in horror - Silk plants! The shame! - they aren't my first choice, either. But after a few years of trying to get something to grow in my worse-than-full-shade planting box, I decided to just go faux. I needed some color!

color! better than a spray tan

I haphazardly threw the "arrangement" together. I don't get many front door visitor - the UPS man does not count because he ignores the little "please don't ring the bell."sign I put out during nap time - so I'm looking for some impact from the street.

I threw the floral foam into the bottom of my planter, and then literally jammed the floral stems into it. I didn't even take the time to cut the stems apart or anything (I might do that later, but probably not).

don't tell Martha

Then I swapped out my spring wreath for my summer one, pulled out a little table I've had in storage for years and plunked a giant pinwheel in the planter box.

a bit more summery

I now realize that my summer wreath is incredibly faded - the bright colors have turned almost autumnal - so I'll be on the lookout for a fresh replacement. The little table obviously needs something, I think it would look cheerful with a potted fern on top (which might not die in such a shaded spot) and a garden statue at the base. And I'm undecided on the pinwheel (I think it might be too big?). I'd also like to add a smaller planter full of more silk flowers and maybe a few real live ivy plants trailing out of the planter box.

Who has some feedback for me?

figuring it out

It's been three weeks since we brought Max home. He's growing like a weed! And he is making about 2 thousand dirty diapers every day ;)

I'm figuring out how to take care of both boys, take care of the house (a little, totally comes second or third on the list), and try to eek out a little time for myself so that I remain sane.

JJ and Max are not on the same page concerning naps. It would be so nice if they napped at same time, but they don't (at least not yet). I can look at this in a negative way ( no nap for mommy!), or I can see it as a positive thing. I'm choosing positive - how great is it that even though I have two boys, I can get uninterrupted alone time with each of them? Looking at it this way makes me feel much more positive :)

House work is sliding, I'm trying to be okay with it. Actually, I have so much more energy than I did towards the end of my pregnancy, that I am definitely accomplishing more than I was - so I at least feel like I am gaining ground. So far I've been able to make sure we all have clean clothes and are fed each night. Sometimes the dishes get done before bed, but not always. Today I vacuumed and swept! Woohoo!

I have one golden rule, I get a shower every day. It might not happen until 10:30 PM, but I get a few minutes of peace and quiet once a day :)

a helicopter story

Watching JJ communicate is very entertaining.

This evening, while playing with his blue helicopter (blue 'copter) he suddenly stopped, raised his index finger (this is his "I have an idea!" pose) and said "Yellow 'copter!!" I asked him where it was and he responded (finger up) "In the car!" It was, he remembered he had left it in the car after running errands this morning.

I told him that Daddy would help him get it from the car in just a few minutes. He responded by clasping his little hands together and saying "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" because we are all about DRAMA.

Then he turns away and says "Yellow copter, in the car?" and in a deep voice responds "Yes. I stuck."

I couldn;t help but laugh :)

A Completed "Project"

Last Wednesday I finished a little project I've been working on for about...40 weeks ;)

Our little Bun arrived on Wed. May 26 at 10:50 AM, he was 8lbs. 2 oz. and 20.5 inches long.

Big brother Peanut already loves him to pieces :)

it's a boy!

Maxwell Mason arrived at 10:50 AM Wednesday, May 26th.

He was 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 20.5 inches long.

We all love our little Max!

almost 39 weeks

I am still pregnant.

I am huge, there will be no more belly shots.

Every time I lay down I have lower back pain and contractions, so I'm not really sleeping.

I have four friends who were all due after me. They have all had their babies.

I am jealous. But at the same time I am happy that Bun is full term and not a premie.

I like to torture myself by watching Baby Story and Birth Day on TLC.

oy.

A nugget from the local docket:

"An inebriated person who crawled into a dumpster near 1207 Chateau Court was cited for disorderly conduct. "I'm just so drunk," he told police."

Just to clarify, Chateau Court is within the most "exclusive" of our many local trailer parks.

So proud.

Mother's Day Cheesecake! aka NOMS!

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

I certainly did :) - my little sister came to visit and we put her to work on Fri. night and headed out for a fan-cee dinner and charity event. I even dressed up - squee! Sat. and Sun. were relaxed and nice, and my parents came down for Mother's Day. Mom brought most of dinner (steaks on the grill!) and I provided corn on the cob and dessert.

At first I was going to buy something, maybe a fruit pie, but while flipping through a very random copy of Ladies' Home Journal (pretty sure it accidentally came home from the Dr.'s office) I spotted a cream cheese ad with super yummy pictures. The recipe was EASY and although not my usual style of baking, I decided to give it a whirl.

Peanut loved it!

You can find the recipe here by searching for "Philadelphia Vanilla Mousse Cheesecake." (Sorry there's no direct link!)

I served it with a bowl of fresh strawberries, and while it was great on Sun, we all agreed it was even better after sitting in the fridge overnight.

I was originally a little hesitant about the recipe because the topping uses Cool Whip, and I'm not a huge fan of fake whipped cream (although there are some recipes it works great in). In the future I think I'll play around with using real whipped cream and stabilizer. The cheesecake itself was super easy and really good, I think it would also taste great made with a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice and served with a simple blob of freshly whipped cream. I also think a sweet pretzel crust would be a great trade for the Nilla Wafer crust.

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

my first marigold

JJ gave me my first Mother's Day marigold this year.

Lovingly potted in a plastic cup he decorated with stickers.

Oh, and he broke the only bloom off and shoved it in the dirt.

That's my boy :) I love him!

belly by jj

35 weeks, 6 days
by JJ

baby pool

Time to place your bets!

Who do you think Bun will be?

Guess here.