Just Sayin'

A Commune Thing

2017-08-19T20:09:00.004-07:00

You guys, I have a confession to make.

We live in a commune.

Yes, it's just like you're imagining. This:

Okay, no. Not really. Although Nick wears some plaid occasionally and he has a beard...

It's actually more like this:

We live in my grandparent's house. Their house is quite large and we've been able to live in our own corner of the house. Well, more like top of the house since we're pretty much the attic. BUT, we have our own living room area, bathroom, bedroom, and two summers ago we built a small closet-size room for Oliver, and built a wall on Ellie's room so we technically have 3 bedrooms upstairs. Everyone has their own room! Hooray for personal space!

My aunt and uncle also moved in a couple summers ago (this is basically when the name "commune" came up). I say aunt and uncle, but they're really only 5 and 10 years older than me. One of those mixed families thing. Anyways, they converted the indoor pool building into an adorable 2 bed/1 bath apartment. An insane DIY remodel complete with 3 dump truck loads of sand to fill the pool, but fun!

To add to this, my great-grandparents moved in in the spring, followed by my brother. So, my Oma and Opa live in a basement area with a bedroom, living space, and bathroom and my brother gets a single room.

So, we have 9 adults and 4 kids under 4 living under the same roof. And somehow we all still have our sanity in tact!

...mostly!

Ellie and Oliver were born into this house and I think it has saved my sanity more times than I'll admit. They're always loved on, have live-in babysitters (sometimes), and we eat pretty dang good (except for the hoards of bacon we devour each month and the lazy pizza nights. Oh, and the fact that we live 3 blocks away from $1 delicious ice cream cones). My aunt and uncle also had both of their babies (now 2 and 11 months) while living here. Our kids are quite fond of each other and we have some great dance parties after dinner. Seriously. It's pretty dang cute.

Some questions people usually ask us when we tell them we're living with so many people under the same roof:

Q: Do you all eat meals together? How does that work?
A: We usually make our own breakfasts and lunches (sometimes we're nice and make extra pancakes for others), but dinners are usually done by one person or it's a last-minute group effort. We do occasionally buy pizza! The nice thing about cooking dinner is that you usually don't have to do dishes if you cooked. I like this arrangement.

Q: Do you all get along? Are you stressed?
A: Most of the time we get along well. It helps that we all have our own living quarters to retreat to when we need it most. I feel like I just have different stresses than if we were living on our own.

Q: Wow! How big is the house?
I actually don't know the square feet and it's not THAT big, but it's enough for everyone to have their own room(s), bathroom, and personal living area. So, that's big right?

Well, now that our secret's out, can we still be friends?

Currently

2017-02-10T21:51:00.001-08:00

Reading :: I JUST finished the Harry Potter series!! Yeesssss! I'm sad that I missed it when it first came out. It would've been my era, but being able to read them all now was a lot of fun. I loved watching J.K. Rowling's writing develop with each book, the story just get more complex and awesome, and the books growing with the characters. Ah, so good. Now I need a new book to read...or maybe I'll just take a break for awhile. That was a lot to read in just 3 months.

Loving :: Being free from the snow! We had 4 snow days in a row. Because (1) the snow and ice that came were terrible and unstoppable and (2) we aren't allowed to use salt on the roads. So, just 10 minutes across the Canadian border the roads were passable, but on our roads? Chaos, disaster, and ice EVERYWHERE. So, that meant we were stuck in our house from Saturday morning til today. That's almost a week! We did make it outside to sled and throw snowballs, but you can only take that nasty NE wind for so long.

And, our county even declared it a state of emergency. I guess this means that we can get out of our snow days and not have to add them to the end of the year.

Feeling :: Frustrated. I just got a new iPhone and there is no Blogger app!! What am I supposed to do? I blame this for my lack of blogging.

Watching :: Too many things. I haven't caught up on This is Us, Grey's Anatomy (I'm unable to stop watching even though it's terrible), and the 2nd season of Man in the High Castle. We did just finish Lemony Snicket's show on Netflix. That was brilliant. And we just started watching Sherlock from the beginning because while I've seen it, Nick hasn't and he's just now discovering how incredible it is.

Thinking :: About coffee. I could use some right now. Especially one that involves going outside of the house and not making it myself.

Wishing :: That I could have a getaway trip about once a month. Just one night of nobody yelling "moooomm! I'm all alone in my room!" and one morning of eating my warm breakfast with my warm coffee with my warm husband.

Wearing :: Boots because 1 ft.+ of snow + rain + 50 degree weather = puddles and slush EVERYWHERE. It took me about 10 tries to get out of the driveway this morning.

Wanting :: Screaming children to stop and little boys to listen to the word "no" and realize that it's probably for their own safety. Maybe there's a reason why mom doesn't want you pulling off all the outlet covers, jumping on the couch next to the edge, and standing on chairs at the dinner table. *sigh*

Wanting :: To magically get an infinite amount of motivation to workout each week. Nick is too good with this. He works out at least 5 times a week. I think he stole all of my motivation. That's my excuse for the day. Ha!

Planning :: 3 more school concerts + a plan to take my middle school band marching in the parade. All that til the end of the school year (if we don't get 20 more snow days put on the end of the year..)!

2016

2017-01-25T10:01:00.002-08:00

Anna posted a great blog reflecting on her year and it got me thinking about our year. A year that included very little blogging, sadly. But, I was thinking this could be a good way to start again. Maybe a way to reset? Like, a start to a goal? Ha, just kidding. I'm not going to talk about New Year's resolutions.

2016 was a busy year for us.

+ Nick started his first year of nursing school. It's the first start to his dream of being a nurse practitioner. It's great, but it means that we're juggling my job, Nick's job, Nick's new class schedule, and our kids. I'm glad we live in a house with other family members (more on that someday).

+ Nick also became a vegan (by choice). This was a big deal at the beginning, but now that we're about 6 months into it, it's not that bad. I eat less meat and dairy because of it, which is something that I've been wanting to do anyways. But, I can't get over some of the foods he eats now. Cooked spinach...lentils...seitan...yeah. They're not my favorite.

+ Oliver did all of his firsts. He turned one, went from crawling to running, and has been the first child to get into EVERYTHING. Seriously. He's figured out how to pull off the outlet covers - baby-proofing fail. He gets into everything he shouldn't, even after being told no 43 times AND being put in time out. And, he's the most persistent little boy I know. You can move him away from the potted plant and he'll pretend to walk away, but after about 5 steps he'll turn around and run back for it. Every. Time. Can I just say that I'm incredibly nervous to go camping over the summer? That's not being over-cautious, right?

+ Ellie started dance class and she has been rocking it. Okay, she was the worst jumper, leaper, and tip-toer, but after 3 months she can now jump with BOTH feet off the ground and is starting to run and jump over things. This is huge! Her gross motor skills weren't very coordinated before. We'll see what happens when we make her try out soccer.

Yes, we are the parents that are planning to let our kids try a little bit of everything. Why not? Maybe she'll find something she's really into. And if she hates everything, that's fine too. She's a bookworm already so she's got that going for her.

+ Speaking of bookworms, I read a lot this year. I read a great handful of historical fiction and finally jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon. Yup. I don't know why i didn't to jump into those books when they were first popular. I enjoyed the movies, but man do the movies get better when you read the books. I know everyone says it, but the books are so much better. There's just so much more there! And each book is better than the previous. I'm just finishing book 6 and it's probably one of my favorites so far.

+ We binged on some great shows this year. WestWorld, House of Cards, Stranger Things, Mozart in the Jungle, Vikings, This is Us (okay, Nick didn't watch that one), and we just started Lemony Snicket's show on Netflix. All of those were so good.

+ I finally got myself to the gym and even joined The Sisterhood (no, that's not a cult). It's taken awhile to get back at it because my kids don't like to really sleep in or sleep at the same time AND I work during the day, but, one step at a time, right?

Maybe this year I'll write a blog post not written with bullet points. Goals, right?

Oh, hello...

2016-11-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to jump back into the blogging world. I'm lagging in adult conversations and I miss rambling through my fingers.

Every time I start a blog post or think of a good topic to write about, something comes up. One of my 2 kids is in need of something, my teaching job requires lesson planning (weird, huh?) or I'm just wanting to sit and watch House of Cards or Westworld with Nick because we're too exhausted to do anything else.

So, let's get caught up.

+ Ellie is 3 and a complete three-nager. Occasional attitude and sass, non stop talking, and random unexplainable crying. I don't know whether to fear the teenage years or pray that all emotions will be gone from all the crying that happens over wanting to do things herself.

+ Oliver is 1. I now have two toddlers. And one is much crazier than the other. Actually, I take that back. Ellie is crazy emotional and Oliver is a crazy explorer. He puts anything and everything into his mouth, opens all cupboards and drawers, senses open doors and baby gates and will cheetah crawl his way to it (seriously, he's too fast) and never closes his mouth. But, he loves his sister, books, and laughs a lot. It's awesome and tiring.

+ Nick is in nursing school. It's actually quite nice, despite the mass amounts of homework and studying. He no longer works the awful night shift at the hospital, is awake during the day (!), and gets to have dinner with us almost every night!

+ I drink coffee now. Okay, I did before BUT I have advanced from frappuchinos-only, to mochas, and now to lattes and straight coffee with creamer. We have a coffee maker in our kitchen that gets used a lot. What's next?!

+ Toddler dance classes are adorable. Watching a bunch of toddlers in leotards jump around a room is pretty darn cute. It's even more cute when your daughter is an expert leaper. Just watch.

+ I can't stop reading. Technically I'm listening because you have to have something productive to do when your commute is 25 minutes both ways, right? I've been on a WWII kick lately. Ruta Sepetys' books, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly are a few of my recent favorites.

I did, however, decide to take a break and am FINALLY starting the Harry Potter series. I've watched the movies, but never read the books. I know. I'm getting on it!

+ I can't stand Facebook and social media right now. I'm not getting political on here, but every side and then some is being shoved into my face and I'm done.

+ I can stand LuLaRoe. I absolutely love their clothes. The leggings are like wearing clouds all day and the shirts are all pretty flattering - which is a big selling point when you are a mom fighting the terrible post-2 kids body. The only problem is that it's so expensive! I can only justify buying one thing every few months so I don't go broke. But I want them all!!

+ Each month I post a joke of the month on my bulletin board outside of the music room. Enjoy this one from last year:

Life x2

2016-01-16T21:02:00.002-08:00

Life with two kids is a whole 'nother beast. I thought just one was crazy and exhausting. I also thought I'd never give into the whole TV thing. Let me tell you, when you're trying to put a 2 month old to sleep and the 2 year old sister is being noisy... you play an episode of something just for a little peace and ease. It's also such a great relaxing activity when all you want to do is melt into the couch at the end of the day, but bedtime is still an hour away. Yes. I've become a TV allowing mom. At least my daughter is watching educational shows. Little Einsteins is probably the best. And Super Why. She's even started learning her alphabet sounds! Yes, we have a child genius on our hands. Ok, maybe not, but at least she'll be somewhat ready for preschool.

Speaking of preschool, we're thinking of doing it next year. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?! We're potty training right now (60% success rate right now and going on day 7) and we're talking about gymnastics class in the summer and preschool in the fall *cue mommy sobs and grown-up baby wails*

But really, preschool is expensive. I could buy two round trip tickets to Hawaii for the price of preschool. Ellie needs some good socializing though. That's our only reason for putting her in preschool this next year and not the year after. Somehow we created a book-loving introvert. Well, hyuk hyuk, the acorn doesn't fall very far from the tree. So it makes complete sense. But, we're pretty set on making sure that she at least has the chance to not be a super introvert. Only slightly introverted. We'll see. Oliver may just take over for her and be the crazy one.

Oliver is adorable and so much different than Ellie. He has the cutest smiles and coos. Ellie didn't smile as much as he did at this age or at least I'm pretty sure she didn't. Seriously, everything just blends together because it's all a phase and then that turns into another phase. The whole first year is a blur and just a phase. It's hard to remember most of Ellie's first year. Even Oliver's first few weeks are starting to blur together.

Oliver is taking a bottle like a champ, growing into 6 month clothes (thanks to his long bodied relatives), and sleeping better than his sister. He only wakes up, on average, twice a night. It's a miracle! Ellie woke up at least 3-4 times. It drove me crazy. Bonus: I can get both kids nap at the same time in the middle of the day. It's pure mommy bliss and I love it.

I get the chance to binge-watch something (before I head to work in a month), read a book, or...SLEEP! I've seriously enjoyed reading some good books (check out my goodreads) and watching some new shows. The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime) was an awesome show and now Mozart in the Jungle is winning me over. I love the silly musician puns. I may have watched the Office and Parks and Rec all over again. Totes awesome sauce.

Now I need to put in time to exercise. Post-natal body is killing me. I forgot how terrible and annoying it is to wait for the jell-o stomach to become "normal" and the stretch marks to not feel like weird ripples. Also, that c-section scar is killing me. I did a 15 minute Pilates workout and my wound hurt afterwards. Ugh. AND shopping afterwards is amazing and terrible all at once. I may have bought 2 pairs of yoga pants just so I didn't have to wear uncomfortable jeans. Maternity jeans sag like no other and pre-pregnancy jeans won't button. What an awkward time. /endrant

I think it's time I left to eat my 2nd dinner. Breastfeeding stomach is 10 times bigger than pregnant stomach. True story. At least I get to eat whatever and not worry about it not liking me.

Oliver

2015-11-23T12:50:00.001-08:00

Oliver came to join us on November 8th.

He weighed 10 lbs and was 23 in long.

This is his story.

It may get a bit wordy and long, but a lot can happen on the 9 months of pregnancy.

The original plan with Oliver was to deliver at a birth center with a midwife. Instead he was born via c-section at the hospital.

Ellie was a big baby. She weighed 10 lbs 6 oz when she was born and had her shoulders stuck for about a minute before she graced us all with her presence. Knowing all of that, it makes sense that the doctors and midwives wanted to monitor me a little more closely.

I started out seeing a midwife at a private clinic and it was awesome. I got personalized care and we focused on diet and exercise for the pregnancy. But, while camping in June my arm and half of my face went numb for about 2 whole minutes. It was one of the most terrifying 2 minutes of my life. We ended up going to the ER, had a million tests done (including an MRI), and saw too many doctors/specialists. What it came down to was a possible TIA or "mini stroke". No one really knew what or why it happened. Apparently some people can have it as a migraine symptom, which sounds like a terrifying migraine to me.

After that episode I was told to see an OB instead of a midwife.

Nothing else happened throughout the pregnancy except I was labeled as a high-risk pregnancy because of it. Which really threw my emotions. I did some ugly crying when I found out that I was going to be labeled that. Hormones...

Anyways, they wanted me to do an ultrasound at 38/39 weeks to check on his size because of his sister being so big. At the ultrasound it showed that he was 10 lbs 6 oz and three different doctors wanted me to do a c-section. They were worried that he would just continue to grow and get his shoulders stuck worse than Ellie because boys typically have broader shoulders. I told them that I knew my body and wanted to try it on my own. Or at least until 40 weeks came along, then we could talk about it. I mean, I already delivered a big baby! Plus, I was terrified of having a c-section.

Fast forward 3 days...

Nick was working the night shift at the hospital (new job!) and Ellie was at her grammy's when I went to pee at 2 am and my water broke.

I hitched a ride with my grandparents and told Nick to meet me there. I was so excited to get the chance to prove that I could deliver another big, healthy baby.

I was only 3 cm dilated when I went to the hospital. I had some contractions at the hospital, but nothing too intense. At around 8 am the OB came in a talked to us about a c-section and all of the risks involved with delivering a big baby - if I still wanted to do it naturally. I decided that I wanted to wait until the afternoon to see if labor progressed at all before I made a decision. I was sure my body could handle it. I'm also a pretty stubborn person, so my mind was made up.

Contractions got stronger, but they were still irregular by 2 pm. The doctor came back in and I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Nick wanted to do the c-section. He was worried about our safety ever since he heard about the ultrasound. My stubborn self wanted to try, but in the moment I decided that we should do a c-section. Oliver still wasn't ready, we couldn't go home, and I was exhausted from not sleeping.

Well, after saying the word Oliver was in the world 30 minutes later!

It's amazing how fast everything went. In the moment it felt like forever. The operating room was freezing (purposefully), my nerves were everywhere during the procedure - so I had the shakes like crazy, and after taking him out they had to stitch me up (which took about 20 minutes).

The incredible thing about the c-section was that when they went in the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, twice! We don't know if I could have delivered him safely or not, but now I don't regret my decision at all. I think God was playing a little part in pushing me just a little bit to choose the c-section. For that, I'm so grateful.

We now have a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Ellie adored him from the first moment she saw him and now smothers him with hugs and kisses anytime she can. I couldn't ask for a sweeter big sister and a wonderful family!

Here I am

2015-09-23T21:16:00.002-07:00

Actually, that should probably say here we ~~am.~~ are.

Here we are. Baby boy and my gigantic belly circa 33 weeks. And today, the struggle is real.

Ever since dinnertime I've had intense pressure down in the pelvic area. It is hard. What's even more difficult is having to deal with it while having a 2 year old running around. Thankfully she isn't too much of a handful all the time and we live in a house with my grandparents who are such an awesome support system. More on that a different day.

The second time around has been so different than the first. I feel like I'm diving into the uncomfortable stage headfirst, while with Ellie I didn't really get there until the last few weeks. Maybe it's a boy thing and maybe it's a weird second child thing. I don't know, but this little man loves to do acrobatics in there and push the heartburn button all day long.

So tonight I have decided to put off my maternity-leave sub planning and bounce on my yoga ball. Yoga balls are amazing when you're pregnant. I still haven't used it for anything BUT. Maybe I'll play a video game... am I the only one who still does that?

The second time around may be a little more difficult because I'm teaching. Teaching music to antsy kindergartners is so hard while 30+ weeks pregnant. I want to play with them and be crazy, but my body says "sit down woman!" I hate sitting while teaching.

Also, Nick has taken a whole career change. He has become a certified nursing assistant and is getting experience at a nursing home/rehabilitation center with terrible hours. 2-10 is such a terrible shift. Not to mention that he's taking 2-3 classes a quarter for pre-requisites because he's applying to PA schools in the spring/summer. He's decided to go back to school to become a physician assistant mostly because of a great opportunity that arose. Life is busy and a little stressful. Thankfully he's now applying for hospital jobs with the goal of working only day or night shift. No more evening shift. Hallelujah.

Somehow with all of this going on I've been able to do some serious reading. It has been awesome. I just finished Gone Girl on audiobook and it was so intense and so good (be warned, it's a little graphic). But, really, I could have had a different ending...

I also had a chance to read the Life of Pi (pretty awesome), Coming Clean (incredibly interesting and well-written), We Are Called to Rise (good), Orphan Train (very good), and The Fault in Our Stars (cheesy and an easy read).

Other than Ellie turning 2 and becoming this talking machine (she says 'yes' to everything instead of 'uh-huh' or 'yeah'. We've trained her well. Ha) that's all that's going on in our lives. So, how are you?

Stuff and Things (a day late): 7/3

2015-07-03T14:39:00.003-07:00

It's still legal to write a blog post for a linkup a day late, right?

Linking up with Kristin and Joey

+ First things first, we found out last week that this little acrobat is going to be a boy!

I'm pretty excited. One of each? We're going to be the ultimate perfect family. Yes. But also because, well, we've decided that we're going to stop here at two for now. At least for planned little ones.

+ Ellie is starting to talk in full sentences and she's not even 2. Little girl is eating her Wheaties and drinking her milk. Okay, she actually doesn't like milk, but society says that Wheaties and milk are the key to being strong and smart, right?

She walks, runs, talks, pouts, shouts, screams, and knows what she wants. She loves doing things if she's not forced to. Put her in the lake without her instigating it? No way, but let her splash herself and go in on her own? She's all over it.

She still has her awesome curls and blue blue eyes. Some say that their kids had curly hair and it went away when they cut it. I'm never cutting it

+ I got a book from Blogging for Books in February and I STILL haven't finished it. It just isn't that good. Can I write that as a review? I've read 4 other books since receiving this book. I read The Book Thief (great), Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (hilarious), Yes Please by Amy Poeller (also good), and The Girl on the Train (awesome). I've also just started reading Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin. Books are fun when you have time to read them and actually ENJOY them.

+ I'm currently putting off school planning, but I know it's going to bite me in the butt. I have to plan a maternity leave (which includes planning out a Christmas concert for the sub while I'm gone) and I'm stalling because I know it's going to be a lot of work. Yuck. I think I'll just keep bouncing on my yoga ball and drinking iced tea. That sounds more fun and productive.

On that note, nap time is over. Until next time...

Still here

2015-06-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I took an unpredicted hiatus.

Yes, I am still alive.

Yes, Ellie is still growing way too fast. I'll get into all of THAT goodness at a later date.

I finally feel like I have the time and motivation to blog. I've missed it terribly. I've missed the connections that were made and the feeling that someone cares about my ramblings.

In a nutshell, this is what has been happening in our lives the past few months:

(1) I have been going full force with teaching this year. It was my first full year teaching K-8 and a lot of my time was spent figuring out just what I wanted to do with everyone. I mean, if I had a curriculum it may have been better, but since that didn't exist before I stepped in I had to create my own from hours and hours of scavenging on the internet and Pinterest.

(2) Nick has gone back to school. Some opportunities came up for Nick to be able to go back to school and he chose the medical field. Currently, he works at an electronic recycling/re-selling place and he felt that it wasn't what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. So, since he has recently been intrigued by science and new discoveries, he figured out that going to PA school (Physician Assistant) was where he wanted to go. I'm very excited for his career change and I'm glad that he found something that he wants to spend the rest of his doing.

He's becoming a CNA (nursing assistant), will take part-time classes to build up his per-requisites for PA school, and then spend two years at some school for his certification as a PA. The next few years are going to be insane, probably a bit stressful, and definitely busy.

(3) Ellie is a legit toddler. Too legit.

She talks all the time, throws mini tantrums, purposefully makes messes, and loves getting attention.

(4) #2 is on his/her way.

That bump is not a joke. #2 will explode in your belly and cause you to look much more pregnant than you actually are. I'm really only 17 weeks along, not 25.

Yup. It's happening! Due mid-November and sure to be different than Ellie (I assume). This pregnancy has been quite different from Ellie's, so that's why I'm sure this kiddo will be very different.

Stuff and Things: 2/19

2015-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Kristin and Joey

+Whistler. Guys, Whistler was awesome. Okay, it wasn't as awesome as it could have been because there wasn't very much snow so we didn't get to use our free snowshoe rentals, BUT it was still fun for our first trip out there. We stayed in an adorable log cabin, spent WAY too much money on incredibly delicious steaks, and went to a Scandinavian spa. Oh. My. Gosh. There must be something to hydrotherapy because Nick and I felt SO good afterwards. They tell you to spend 10-15 minutes in a hot bath, 10 seconds in a cold bath (60 degrees cold), and then 10-15 minutes of relaxing to get your core temperature back up, and repeat for about 2 hours. All of the baths were outside AND it was raining. It was magical.

Also, everyone in Whistler has an accent. Our lunch waiter had an Italian accent, our spa lady had an Australian accent, our fro-yo guy had an English accent, and I heard about 10 other languages/accents. I think I might have melted about 20 times. Something about accents, I don't know what it is. Even Canadian accents are cute.

+ Speaking of our Whistler trip, the cabin had labels for all of their light switches. Awesome, but I'm not quite sure I understand the need for "quotation marks".

+ I love cloth diapering. It's been a fun adventure, but diarrhea with cloth diapers is just not fun. No. I'll let that sink in a bit...

+ I've just started trying out some Pilates last week. It's been quite fun! I'm surprised with how much I like it. I'm pretty sure I thought that it would consist of not doing much for too long, but it's pretty tough. I was inspired by Kristin's post that had a few websites to try so I jumped on it.

+ I started The Book Thief on audiobook for my commute to work last week. It's amazing. I forgot how much I love books regarding WWII and how wonderful a good book is. I'm still trying to get through my Blogging for Books book. We're actually taking a break right now. I just can't get into it and my free time is so limited. So, The Book Thief trumps all.

+ I ordered my contacts two weeks ago from Vision Direct and my order is STILL processing. I'm on my last set. It's terrible. Why must it take so long?!

+ Toddler tantrums are terrible. I'm always conflicted. Is she old enough to understand the consequences? To actually GET why we're ignoring her screaming for no good reason? I don't know. It makes things very difficult. We're getting into serious parenting territories. I'm not looking forward to it.

Ellie Mae

2015-02-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

Every stage is my favorite. It's funny how as a parent you say "this is my favorite stage" over and over again. I loved when Ellie was a newborn. I loved when Ellie was starting to babble and laugh. I loved when she started liking the swing and going for walks. I loved when Ellie was crawling. I loved when Ellie was talking. I loved when Ellie was just walking.

Now, there a few things that I don't want to forget about this stage before it's gone.

-- Ellie always greets you in the morning with a "mo-ning".

-- She has a routine now of always picking out her PJs before bed. I've started letting her pick out certain parts of her outfit (i.e. just pants and I'll pick the shirt to match). It's fun to watch her brain work, pick up one pair of pants, say "noww" (no) and then pick four different pairs until she finds the right one.

-- She talks ALL the time. Okay, not when strangers are around, but if it's people she knows she will talk on and on and on. She is very good at play-by-plays. She will see grandma coming up the steps to take her boots off from getting chicken eggs and Ellie will proceed to say "Mama (grandma) up, up, up. Eggs? Booss (boots) off. Uggghhh (sympathy grunt). Pussshhh (door opening). Ah. Hi!

It's adorable. Sometimes, though, I swear she's speaking a different language. She'll just start talking and it'll sound like full sentences, but just not English.

-- I love that she understands things now. She knows what all done means. She knows what wait means. She knows so much. It amazes me sometimes.

-- On that note, she is VERY aware. My grandparents have a family picture on their desktop that Ellie loves to look at and point out certain people. Well, one day she went in there to look at the picture. The screen was off so she wiggled the mouse to turn it on. It still didn't turn on so she went down below to push the button on the computer to turn it on. It's pretty impressive how much she retains.

-- She is an outdoor baby. Anything that involves being outside she will instantly be a part of. Going for a walk around the yard, getting eggs from the chickens, going on a run with mom and dad, hanging up laundry to dry, etc. If she's out there for less than 10 minutes it usually ends up in a meltdown because why would we go inside too early?!

-- She can really communicate with us now. It's wonderful and frustrating all at once. She will tell you if she does or doesn't want something, what she wants to do at that current moment, and what she's thinking. Example: she may go to the couch, bang on it, and say "sit!". Obviously, you know what she wants. Sometimes, though, she knows what she wants and she won't take no for an answer. Thankfully, we're still in this very short attention span phase so we can easily distract her mind if that happens.

She loves to be chased, to play on our keyboard, to read books, to snuggle with her blanket, to throw the ball around, to find sticks outside, to look for ay-panes (airplanes) and eat any fruit she can get her hands on.

I love her tickle spots, her belly laugh (it cures all), her snuggl-y side that comes out before and after bed, her curly hair, her hip-swinging dance, and her love of animals (except bugs. She saw a ladybug crawling on grandma's hand and did not like it one bit).

Stuff and Things: 2/5

2015-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Kristin and Joey

+ Winter? Are you real? No. I don't think so.

+ Apparently we over here in Washington may get to vote on keeping or not keeping daylight savings time. This better happen. Do you know how much fun it will be to NOT have to change clocks and change my daughter's sleep schedule? Too much.

+ You guys blog too much. I can't keep up. I want to comment all the time. Keep up the relationship-building, but man if I try to at least once a week I have about 30 blog posts to go through! How do you make time for it all?!

+ I know I'm late, but Mad Men has me. I'm sucked in. I'm still trying to decide if I like Don or hate him. I keep going back and forth. Sometimes he lets a little sweet side slip, but most of the time he's kind of a jerk. Betty, on the other hand, is crazy and she drives ME crazy.

+ Speaking of shows, Parenthood's finale killed me. That show brings my hormonal girl side out. I can't help the tears that swell up at least once an episode.

+ Ellie is ...sigh... growing too fast. She's developing a personality and quirks. I love it! So far she has shown that she has her mother's OCD tendencies. She cleans up and LIKES it. Yes, you heard me right. My 17 month old likes to clean up! I don't know how this happened, but she will do it even when she's not asked to. Sometimes she'll see a toy or kitchen item (best toys around) and she'll put it back. Even if it's not what she was playing with at the time.

She also will lay out her stacking buckets so that they are all facing the same way. It's amazing. I don't know if this is something I should be celebrating or fearing. What if I've created a crazy OCD child? I don't know if I can handle myself and my daughter. Poor Nick...

+ I'm attempting to wake myself early in the morning to workout before Ellie wakes up. No one told her that she needs to sleep past 7. Can you tell her that that's what good kids do? Anyways, I'm debating trying out a video service thing like Daily Burn. Anybody use that or something similar? I get so bored using the same workout video all the time.

+ I'm slowly, slowly, slowly getting through my Blogging for Books book. It's slow and just not peaking my interest. Maybe I should just write that as a review...

+ I wish is was Friday. Friday means that it's only one more day until our Whistler getaway.

Happy day before Friday!

Raising a Hipster Baby: Tip #32

2015-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

As a Washingtonian - more importantly a NW Washingtonian - I feel it's my duty to tell you all how to raise proper hipster babies.

Tip #32:

Listen to hipster baby music.

Your baby doesn't need any of that mainstream "This Old Man" junk. That's for normal babies. We're raising original and unique children here. What your baby needs are artists like: Charlie Hope, Raffi, Frances England, and Elizabeth Mitchell.

These artists provide a new and refreshing sound for your babies. Soon, they will be dawning flannel shirts, beards, wide-rim glasses, and a love of all locally sourced craft beer.

One way of doing this: set up a Pandora station with Raffi and Charlie Hope. I add a little Jack Johnson (children's), but that's just to add a little variety to the mix. It provides a nice break for the ears.

You will probably come across a few popular tunes like: Old MacDonald Had a... nope. Thumbs it down. You don't need that poisoning your child with pop-y sounds and high-pitched kid voices. That's so '90s.

This is what you want:

These artists will make you a happy and satisfied parent while ensuring a future for your child in local brewing (both coffee and beer).

Hello, Goodbye

2015-01-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

2014 was quite a year.

+ Ellie had her first birthday. Along with her first teeth, first crawls, first steps, first words, first kisses (giving), first swings, first slides, first camping trip, first self-feedings with a spoon, and a million more. I can't keep track!

+ I started a part-time job teaching music at a K-8 christian school. It took awhile to get used to, but I absolutely love it. And by "it" I mean the kids, the staff, and the community. I get to have fun being a teacher part-time and I also get to be home with my daughter the rest of the time. Definitely a win-win for us.

+ I had the amazing opportunity to fly to Japan for my friend's wedding in Tokyo. Amazing.

+ I was able to NOT give up blogging. Something that I was worried would happen for awhile, but alas. I miss the conversations and people way too much.

And here's to 2015. A year that...

...is starting off debt-free! Aww yeah. We paid off the last of our car loan yesterday. I don't think it has fully sunk in yet, but what fun this is going to be! We've been following the Dave Ramsey method for the most part and now the rest of our adulthood is going to be debt-free, except for a mortgage, but that's a different story. Here's to saving up for a house!

...is beginning with a very talkative and toddling toddler.

...includes our FIRST ever weekend getaway sans baby to Whistler!! My Christmas present from Nick and I'm BEYOND excited! Did I mention that we are going in February, have free snowshoes, AND I've never been to Whistler before.

...will allow us to see our favorite band, Punch Brothers, in Seattle! Yeeesssss!

...will be another crazy journey with each new thing that goes on, including Nick going back to school to become a surgical tech!

Currently...on a Sunday

2015-01-04T14:10:00.001-08:00

Reading :: J: A Novel, by Howard Jacobson. It's my Blogging for Books book. Different than what I usually read, but I think I'm slowly starting to get the hang of the writing and style. Should be quite the adventure.

Watching :: The Holiday. I'm watching it now because (1) my husband is off having fun playing music and rock climbing and (2) we didn't really watch any Christmas-y movies this year. Very sad. The days just slipped away. And Mad Men is just the right amount of time between Ellie's bedtime and our brain's bedtime.

Listening to :: The purr of the baby monitor, which is absolutely wonderful when your teething and slightly-feverish daughter is sleeping.

Thinking :: About the mass amounts of chocolate I still have sitting around since school got out. Apparently all teachers love chocolate and coffee because that's what was being handed out by all the kiddos. Alright, alright, it's probably true.

Smelling :: Nothing. Nothing is baking, nothing is cooking, nothing is burning. Just normal house smells. I would love to smell some Starbucks in my hands, though.

Eating :: Tapioca pudding. Yum. I used to think it was for old people. Or maybe this is a sign that I'm getting old....

Wishing :: For a little of bit snow to fall down instead of puddles of rain. Ellie had an awesome time at the mountain New Year's Day. It would be so awesome to recreate that fun in our own yard instead of driving an hour both ways.

Wearing :: a maxi skirt and sweatshirt. One of the best outfits for being comfortable while still looking like you dressed up.

Loving :: Into the Woods. We saw it after Christmas and I LOVED it. I've been listening to the soundtrack lately. Nick and his family grew up watching the original broadway version and were a little skeptical of the movie, obviously. BUT, they all liked it and I got to indulge in a pretty sweet musical. It helps to have new ones every so often to feed my addiction of great musicals.

Hating :: The end of break. I love these lazy days with Ellie. Now I'm just looking forward to spring break... only 4 months away!

Creating :: A million things and nothing all at once. I have been slowly, and I mean S.L.O.W.L.Y, putting together a felt quiet book for Ellie. That and a cross stitch for her room. Once again, my time management between watching things and planning for school needs some major improvement.

Wanting :: More outfits. Why is it that when you go shopping to buy clothes you feel satisfied for awhile and then you start going through your clothes and feel unsatisfied with your wardrobe? It's such a terrible thing.

A new phone. I have an iPhone 4 and I think it's time for an upgrade. Android or Apple?

Needing :: More and more sleep. Ellie has been waking up in the middle of the night (probably because of teething) and it's been taking us 30-60 minutes just to get her back to sleep. Plus, after that she wakes up at 6:30. I would love to sleep a little longer if she decides to wake us up in the middle of the night!

Feeling :: Comfortable and cold. I should probably just get un-lazy and grab a blanket for my cold feet. It's just.. so far away...

Planning :: School, school, and.... more school stuff. There's too much to plan when you don't have a curriculum. Here's to the next six months!

Merry Christmas

2014-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

I was tempted to not make a card this year.

I had a glorious idea with all of us holding signs and whatnot, but no. It was a disaster. Tears MAY have been shed... Babies make picture taking so difficult. Unless you pay $$$$$ for family pictures. We don't have $$$$$. Just $$.

Anyways, Ellie is adorable enough on her own. Most people want to see her anyways.

Merry Christmas everyone.

If you have snow, dance in it for me! We just have rain...

Mommy's Wishlist

2014-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's only fitting that I post my own wishlist, right? Ellie can't have ALL the fun.
I also didn't realize that I went on an Etsy rampage while making this. But handmade things really are the best.

Etsy
I don't own any boot cuffs or leg warmers. This needs to be fixed.

Etsy
I have a current love of infinity scarves. A scarf with birds?! My Portlandia loving heart accepts.

Etsy

I need more art on my walls.

Etsy
Again, more art!

Etsy

This is just awesome. No explanation.

Etsy

Again, no explanation needed. It's just cute!

Etsy

It should be known that I'm one of THOSE crafters. I love pallets. Currently, we don't have pallet-y things, but soon. Patience my love, patience.

West Elm
times 2, of course. Actually, I just want more storage space and cute ways to do it!

Ellie's Wishlist

2014-12-20T13:35:00.001-08:00

Sure it's only 5 days 'til Christmas, but hey! Someone has to know what to get Ellie for Christmas. And so, here it is.

These are the things that Ellie wants for Christmas (she told me):

Etsy

She can't fully talk yet, so this shirt will talk for her on Christmas.

Etsy

This just explains life. Need it say anything more?

Etsy

I haven't put many things in her hair. It doesn't seem fair compared to all the other babies with huge bows and flowers. We'll start small then see how we feel.

Land of Nod
Everybody else is reading and sleeping in adorable teepees.

Amazon
Yes, she wants this. Scratch that. She NEEDS it. How else will she learn to be a proper housewife?
Okay, okay... I really want this. WHO WOULDN'T?!

Freshly Picked
She was never given adorable fringe moccasins. She's incredibly mad at me for not splurging.

Etsy
No explaining here. She loves turtles, glasses, and all things cute and geeky.

Plus, turtles are one of her daddy's favorite animals. She can't help but swoon him with a cute turtle of her own.

Etsy

How else will she stay cute and festive over the holidays?

Babiators

She doesn't have cool shades like mom and dad. Lost and found guarantee? Yes. We need them.

Stuff and Things: December 11th

2014-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Kristin and Joey

It's only 5 days until my school's Christmas concert (which means I'm pulling my hair and holding my breath until then), 7 days until Christmas break, 14 days until Christmas, and 24 days until Christmas break is over and it's back to school. Sheesh!

I wasn't planning on blogging tonight, but I was inspired by Angi and Kristin. And the fact that these types of surveys bring me back to my middle school/high school years.

4 names people call you other than your real name:
1. Mrs. Sokol
2. Mrs. Circle
3. Ali (all the time in HS, hardly ever now)
4. Mama

4 jobs I've had:
1. Pea combine driver. Oh yes, a gigantic harvesting machine.
2. Nanny
3. Berry sorter (hard not to do in my neck of the woods growing up)
4. Teacher (including substitute)

4 movies you've seen more than once:
1. The Holiday
2. Lord of the Rings
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Les Miserables

4 Books I'd Recommend:
1. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
2. Anything by Sherman Alexie
3. Room by Emma Donoghue (incredibly crazy, but well done!)
4. Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Honestly though, I haven't read many books since becoming a mom and teacher. It's quite sad, actually.

4 places I've lived:
1. Washington
2. Washington
3. Washington
4. Washington

Okay, but seriously?
1. Ellensburg, WA
2. Lynden, WA

I'm a VERY diverse person you know.

4 places you've visited:
1. Portland, OR
2. Mazatlan, Mexico
3. Disneyland - yes.
4. Kaua'i, Hawaii

4 places you'd rather be right now:
1. Kaua'i
2. Anywhere where I can sleep in past 7. That'd be nice.
3. Hiking, but in summer weather
4. Europe

4 things I don't eat:
1. Sauerkraut
2. Pickles
3. Sushi
4. Clams - or really any of those mollusk-y raw seafoods

4 of my favorite foods:
1. Really good burgers
2. Pizza from Goat Mountain Pizza. The BEST pizza ever.
3. Strawberries - and all fruits that go well with strawberries
4. Ice cream. It will always have a place in my heart, no matter how much I loathe it for being unhealthy.

4 TV shows I watch:
1. Mad Men
2. Downton Abbey
3. The Walking Dead
4. Parenthood (I'm a sucker for cheesy dramas when I start them)

4 Things I'm looking forward to this year:
1. Christmas break!
2. Ellie walking - her record is about 10 steps!!
3. Many family vacations this summer
4. Experiencing new things with a toddler! I'm incredibly excited to take her places where she can walk and explore herself.

4 Things I'm always saying:
1. Any sound my daughter makes/says (it's hard not to when she's the only one around sometimes)
2. I really like how [insert student's name] is [insert good behavior] (always to my students. Always.)
3. Awesome (I say it wherever it fits. Maybe a little too often)
4. Whatever song fits with the situation (i.e. driving home the long way and I'll sing "Take the Long Way Home..")

The Problem with Kids' Books

2014-12-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

When I get books for my daughter, I like to get books that I actually enjoy reading to her. Ones that aren't incredibly ridiculous, rude (farting jokes, seriously?!), or annoyingly monotonous.

Books like: Brown Bear Brown Bear, Goodnight Moon, and Moo Baa La La La! are some of the best.

But, there are books that somehow slip into our collection. They either come from family or my super-speedy shopping trip where I read the first and last page and assumed it was good - plus, it was on sale (or used)!

I'm here to share with you one book that slipped into our library. My daughter likes it for the crazy graphics. I despise it for it's terrible grammar.

Take a look. I'll start a new line where there is a new page.

Here is a stripy tiger and a zebra, too,

a family of monkeys, one eating a banana,

a fat grey hippo and a thin pink flamingo,

a green parrot flying, a red parrot climbing,

there is a giraffe, so very tall,

a crocodile so very long,

and an elephant, the biggest of all,

all together in the jolly jungle.

First off, no. That's not a mistake. There is only ONE capitalization and ONE period. The rest is written as-is. One beautiful run-on sentence. The best I've seen.

So, what do you think? Maybe I'm being over-analytical - it is a kid's book after all...but come on!