TryItMom

We Didn't Forget Valentine's Day

2012-02-22T17:01:00.001-05:00

I know this post is a week late, but the boys and I had such a fun Valentine's Day that I really want to document it here. And "VDay Post" has been on my to-do list for a week. I can't start a new list until I cross everything off the old one. Issues -I know.

I started the night before by filling their hallway with heart shaped helium balloons for them to see when they woke up. I also made a new batch of heart-shaped snacks for JD's class.

I threaded doilies on the ribbons.

Heart-shaped strawberry pancakes were on the menu for breakfast. I made the batter the night before because I knew I wasn't going to feel like it at 6am.

O was a little confused.

By lunch, we were on to heart-shaped pb&j.

I gave them the pretty ones, and my lunch was made up of all the crusts. Add it to the list of sacrifices.

O thought this was AMAZING.

JD played it cool.

I had them in bibs so as to not stain their adorable, matching Valentine's Day shirts, and now I realize I don't have a single good pic of them in the shirts. Oh well. Can't have it all.

By dinner, I was all hearted-out. And heart-shaped chicken cutlets seemed like a step too far.

Preschool-Approved Valentine's Day Treat

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

As class mom, I've been stressing about what to send in for JD's class on Valentine's Day. It has to be fun, healthy, and easy- which, of course, is not easy. I found this granola bar recipe at Joyful Abode and tweaked it to include more fruit and no nuts or seeds. Then, instead of cutting them into bars, I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make them a little more festive.

It took me .5 seconds to realize that I was not going to be pushing the cookie cutter through it with my bare hands. A wooden spoon worked out great!

My plan was to save the scraps to sprinkle over yogurt. JD had other plans.

1 batch made 19 medium-ish hearts.

I'm going to send them in wrapped in cupcake wrappers, but you could also seal them in plastic wrap with a heart sticker or put them all in a container separated by wax paper.

Sweet & Healthy

You could make them even more festive with heart shaped sprinkles on top (I went to 2 stores but couldn't find them) or more of a "treat" with chocolate chips. My mind started to wander with the pretty possibilities of wrapping them, but I didn't want to be cursing myself and my over ambitious ideas the night before Valentine's Day, so I am keeping it simple!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Toddler

2012-02-08T13:59:00.000-05:00

Last week we took a quick trip in to the city, and JD has not stopped talking about the "booty truck" and the ICE CREAM CONE!

(Did you miss me? I know I've been MIA around here lately, but I have been busy interviewing mompreneurs for New York Mom's World, talking about our transition to a toddler bed and must-have sleep products at sleep.com, reviewing aps, theater productions and wine tasting rooms for LIParentSource, and kicking off the DiaperBuds blog with tips about getting through the airport with ease. Now that I'm getting into a schedule with the other sites, I will be posting regularly here again.)

(Oh, and our NYMomsWorld facebook page is getting close to 1000 fans! We'd really appreciate it if you gave us a like!)

Vacations are Happy

2012-01-22T22:13:00.002-05:00

In keeping with the "happy things in 2012" theme, vacations definitely make me happy. And now that we're back (we've been back for a week, but, you know, it totally takes 7 days to recover from a 5 day vacation with toddlers), I'm so happy to look back at all the fun we had!

I'm also excited to be getting the hang of our new DSLR. I've taken a class and flipped through the manual, but please pass on any simple tutorials that will turn me into the next Annie Leibovitz. haha

Things that make me happy:

iPads make traveling with toddlers 1 billion times easier. "Oh, you're worried about sitting next to my kid on the plane? Don't worry. He'll be better behaved than my husband." = something I really wanted to say to the obnoxious woman who told my 14-month-old to be quiet because they can hear him "all the way up front". Because telling him that would do anything other than make him proud of himself.

My baby is not afraid of PDAs.

watch out Mickey

I really beat myself up over forgetting the rain cover for the stroller (and it only drizzled for a couple hours of our trip). But then I realized it didn't bother anybody but me, and it wasn't really a HUGE deal. Happiness = realizing you don't have to be on top of ALL THE THINGS all the time. Also- Disney really needs to construct some covered stroller parking. It rains a lot in Florida.

a little rain didn't keep them from their stroller nap

There is very little to be upset about at Disney World. Except your brother stealing your goldfish. And your parent doing nothing but taking pictures.

Don't worry. He got more.

Meeting Pooh really IS that exciting.

This is him turning to me after a LONG cuddle.

And being a nerd makes me happy.

Happiness to JD is finally being tall enough to ride a "real" roller coaster- one Grandma was scared to go on.

And happiness is also 5 minute wait times.

I love that my kids are thrill seekers- as long as they don't eventually do something crazy like ride a motorcycle or jump out of a perfectly good plane. They immediately asked for "next ride" or "more ride" as soon as we finished one.

"I can squeeze through there. We don't have to wait."

We had never been to Sea World, and I was a little nervous about how it would follow Disney & Universal. It was definitely lacking enthusiasm from it's employees ("What? You're not cheering for me after riding the Swishy Fishies?"), but the roller coasters were AMAZING and the dolphin show was worth the price of admission alone.

And again, I'm a nerd.

If you were wondering, the chocolate frog was nothing special as far as chocolate goes, but the card inside was fun. I was a little disappointed to see that you could pay extra for a "Special Edition Chocolate Frog" that guaranteed you got a Dumbledore card. (I did not.) If you care that much about a Dumbledore card, wouldn't you also care about the card being a surprise? I haven't been brave enough to crack open the Every Flavour Beans yet.

What's making you happy today?

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-30T15:11:00.003-05:00

Right now, it's easy for me to focus on all the crappy things that happened in 2011, but I'm making a conscious effort to spend the next day remembering all of the awesomeness.

At this time last year, I made a resolution to take my blogging a bit more seriously. Since then, I've posted 187 times (which is especially remarkable since I only posted 30 times in the two years before that), made some inspiring new friends, and also started writing for NY Mom's World and LI Parent Source. I posted my first week in Droid pics (and then many more), chronicled our incredible CA trip during an entire month of travel-related posts, spent many days exploring NYC, and had a lot of fun with my boys.

This year, I'm going to look at things differently. I am going to make 2012 the year of Happy, and in this space I'm going to focus on the things that are bringing me happiness (don't worry- there will be no shortage of cute toddler pics). There will be a lot of changes- one being that I will be preparing to go back to work after being home with the boys for three years.

So to start, here are the things that made me happy the past couple weeks:

We had the most gorgeous Christmas tree filled with sooo many great memories (our ornaments have been collected from all our travels over the years).

I made an absolutely insane amount of candy-covered pretzels.

Just one of dozens of designs involving sprinkles, cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, & candy pieces.

I woke up each morning (before Christmas & a couple confused mornings after) to a sweet voice saying, "Timmmmmmmmmy...where ARE you?"

We're missing him!

JD has been hanging out under the mistletoe waiting for kisses.

wishin' & hopin'...

We took one last trip to Sesame Place until next spring.

I copied Suzanne, and made a kick-ass hot cocoa bar.

I think I will keep this out all year.

I made stirring spoons with melted Ghirardelli chocolates and candy.

We got prettied up for Christmas Mass and made it through the entire service all sitting together (first time in at least a year we haven't had to take at least one of them out).

I had a nice holiday filled with family, friends, and way too many gifts, and I'm really looking forward to a peaceful and positive New Year. I hope you are all enjoying extra time with your friends and family and have a safe & joyful celebration this weekend!

Friday Favorite: The Best Christmas Card

2011-12-23T12:02:00.001-05:00

Christmas cards are one of my favorite things about the holidays, and I get extra excited whenever I see photo cards from friends and family. You can't help smiling when you see such adorable faces smiling back. This year, however, we got a card that was so awesome, I have to share it!

Our friends, Jen, Jay, and Brody (& Paisley & Waddles), sent a card that succeeded at being creative, adorable, and funny. And believe me, I need all the laughs I can get with all the added holiday stress. Thanks, Jen, for letting me share it here & for being so awesome :)

"Just wait till Santa finds out! Something tells me only one of us is getting gifts!"

My 48th Week in Droid Pics

2011-12-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

I must start by saying that if you are not stalking the entries of Baby Rabies' Inappropriate Elf contest, you must go there now. And while you're there, vote for Timmy! He's #36.

It was another busy week around here, and every free minute was spent decorating and getting the cards done. Now I'm realizing that I have less than 2 weeks to shop, wrap, and plan a huge meal. I should really get on that...

Tuesday

I caught JD checking out his bed head in the mirror.

Wednesday

A ridiculous number of Christmas cards to send.

Thursday

I promise that O really enjoys wrestling. Especially in the ball pit.

peek-a-boo brothers

Friday

We got our biggest tree ever. 10ft!

My new drink of choice tastes like rice pudding.

Saturday

The boys and I attended the most adorable music-themed party. Toddlers with violins are cute.

And Santa came by on a fire truck. All the kids were waving to Santa, but JD ran to the front to check out the truck.

O can wiggle with the best of them.

Sunday

I put the boys to work at Hubby's gym.

We finally decorated the tree.

And so did Timmy.

How was your week? Did you take phone pics? You really should link up with Amy if you aren't already!

Our Inappropriate Elf

2011-12-09T22:34:00.001-05:00

Jill at Baby Rabies' Inappropriate Elf Contest is exactly what I needed to get excited about the holidays. Here is our elf, Timmy, up to no good.

'Twas the night before XXXmas...

(FYI: Do not google "elf porn". Trust me.)

Super Easy Craft for Displaying Holiday Cards

2011-12-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas tree-shaped card holder seems to shrink every year, and each year I say that next year I will come up with another way. Our friends and family send such adorable photo cards, and I need to see those smiling faces as much as possible!

While wandering the aisles of Michael's for inspiration, I saw these adorable teensy tiny clothespins. Just the perfect size for holding a card. I brought them home and used Mod Podge to stick a piece of skinny ribbon to one side (and keep the edges of the ribbon from fraying. You could also use tiny pieces of card stock, but I liked the texture of the ribbon)

They are about the length of a quarter & too cute!

Then I used a long piece of ribbon as a clothesline, and voila! I spent more time arranging the cards than I did putting it all together.

I hung it across our patio doors and will probably need to hang more across our front windows as we get more cards.

How do you display your holiday cards?

Wordless Wednesday: Brotherly Love

2011-12-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Tip: If You Want the Perfect Santa Picture...

2011-12-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

...take it after your Christmas cards have been ordered and shipped!

My 47th Week in Droid Pics

2011-12-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

This was a super busy week! I am so happy that it is raining today, so I have an excuse to stay home and recuperate.

Monday

First day in underpants!

Tuesday

Our elf, Timmy, arrived.

Wednesday

"Please don't make me get out."

Hubby brought me a McDonalds sundae. Putting my feet up never felt so good.

Thursday

Chasing all of the squirrels out of the playground.

They kept trying to climb under the stroller. Maybe I should clean out the crumbs.

There was no line at the Shake Shack, so we felt obligated to get some fries (and a strawberry shake for Mommy)

Friday

The boys were really good, so Timmy brought them slinkies.

Checking out the Statue of Liberty from a distance. JD was much more interested in all the BOATS around her.

Swinging in the shadow of the Freedom Tower.

He may be using the potty as a way to get out of his seat during long car rides, but telling him to just go in his diaper feels wrong.

JD went to a classmates' birthday party at a place with bouncers. He was SO EXCITED.

Saturday

A ton of Christmas sprinkles but no time to make cookies = candy covered pretzels.

Sunday

O demands Gatorade.

The boys were in awe of the Sesame Place Christmas decorations.

O had a little trouble with the mittens.

And he looked a little queasy on the teacups.

JD was in heaven.

Monday

Back in Madison Square Park & enjoying a squeezy pouch.

JD insisted on being carried, but he kissed me the entire time, so it was okay.

I'm linking up (a little late) with Amy. Go check out her week :)

I Have 2 Toddlers

2011-12-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

Ever since O left the wonderful put-him-down-and-he-stays-there phase, I dreaded the walking. I didn't worry about when he would take steps on his own the way I did with JD. I knew he was strong and healthy and happy. And I didn't want to think of MY BABY as a toddler. We cheered his hesitant first steps, but didn't initiate the "practice". I was scared of two toddlers. I had visions of them taking off in different directions, and it didn't look fun.

But... the walking has been freaking awesome. I can put him down! Basically anywhere! And he walks way slower than he crawls! (I do know that will probably change by the time I hit publish.) It makes it easier for the boys to play together, and JD can't just take a toy and run. O is hot on his heels!

Give that back!

And wobbly new toddler steps are adorable :)

My 45th & 46th Weeks in Droid Pics

2011-11-27T20:45:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the massive photo dump below, but I really didn't want to miss a week of phone pics. We are SO CLOSE to a year!

Monday

My boys love to read. They also love to pull every book off the shelf.

I see a table like this in our future.

More nice weather & more picnics.

Tuesday

Preschool crafts are the best.

Wednesday

O sat on the bench like a big boy at story time.

And then he shook his booty at a music class.

Thursday

I attended New York Mom's World's Baby & Toddler Expo and saw this adorable presentation by BabyGanics.

Friday

Lining up the Little People kept him busy most of the morning.

It took O 2.5 seconds to realize he could walk around the table & knock them all down. He loves terrorizing his brother.

Saturday

Best toy ever.

Sunday

Hangin' at the playground.

Monday

Enjoying a little "time off" at Starbucks

O insisted on eating with the wooden spoon.

Tuesday

JD had a feast (at 9am) at preschool.

O stuffed his little face.

Wednesday

Our pre-Thanksgiving tradition: Get to my parents' house a day early & hit up the outlet mall. We get most of the black Friday sales without having to get up at 2am.

The Cozy Coupe just keeps getting smaller.

Thursday

A Pinterest-inspired appetizer.

so thankful!

Friday

Worst part about not hosting Thanksgiving? No leftovers! At least the grocery store was empty.

Taking in the view from the front steps.

Saturday

We started decorating the front yard. Whenever I wear a headband, so does JD.

Sunday

I'm not a fan of ladders, but I got it done.

Did you take phone pics this week? I hope you post them & link up at Amy's!

Small Business Saturday Gift Ideas

2011-11-24T09:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is enjoying time with their loved ones and indulging in some extra pie. We're rushing through preparations here so we can relax and watch the parade before the crowd arrives. My mom has already cooked & carved 2 smaller turkeys and is getting the BIG guy ready to go in the oven. I look forward to the chaos of this day all year.
And as you're browsing through the crazy amount of sale flyers that came with today's newspaper, please keep Small Business Saturday in mind.

My car was in the shop this past week, and when I went to pick it up, I ended up in a conversation with the owner about how times have changed in the 30 years since he opened his business. And it got me thinking.

I had planned to support Small Business Saturday, but by "support" I meant shop at my favorite little gift boutiques in town. I will still be doing this, but I am also thinking outside the box to include other small, local, family-run businesses in my community. Gifts don't have to come from shops that traditionally cater to holiday shoppers (and my friend at the auto body shop would be ecstatic to set you up with a gift card! And no lines!)

Here are some ideas I came up with to satisfy my shopping list. Please add your own in the comments.

Gift certificates
lessons (swimming, ballet, piano, baseball, painting, sewing, etc.)
barber
car wash or detailing
gym, stroller strides, or zumba classes
paintball or laser tag
local hardware store
computer repair or tune-up
salon or spa
cleaning service
local theater or art gallery
bed & breakfast or small inn
landscaper/snow shoveler
handyman/carpentry work
favorite diner or breakfast spot
carpet cleaning
pet grooming
florist
furniture or home decor

If you don't want to just hand somebody a gift card (I'm all about having something to unwrap.), most of these businesses sell something to pair up- fancy shampoo with the salon gift certificate, or a new flash drive with a computer tune-up.

Shop for your treats at the local bakery instead of the super store, and remember the family-owned drug store when you need wrapping paper or a bottle of perfume.

And if you're looking for something even more personal, ask around about local artists, craftspeople, and musicians. Or search etsy.

It may be more time consuming than ordering everything from Amazon, and I'm not looking forward to all of the in-and-out of the car with the boys, but I know this will make gift giving feel even better this year.

Wordless Wednesday: Puckering Up

2011-11-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

(and a bonus walking video)

My 44th Week in Droid Pics

2011-11-15T23:35:00.000-05:00

So I was bummed that I missed posting a Tuesday Tip idea I had for today and logged in tonight with the intention of making up for it by putting together a fun Wordless Wednesday. Then I realized I never even posted my week in pics from last week. I'm a hot mess. What can I say?

So here's our week!

Monday

O and I had a lunch date on the High Line.

Tuesday

And a playground date while JD was in school.

We've been having some awesome weather & a lot of picnics.

Wednesday

I finally surrendered the infant carseat and set up the new big boy seat. And he's pointing at ELMO on JD's PJ shorts. But he also says ELMO at anything red.

Thursday

We were trapped outside waiting for this guy to creep away from the handle. This picture doesn't do him justice. He was HUGE.

Fun with the produce stickers.

I found my baby in the newspaper.

Friday

JD can climb the rock wall by himself.

The only way I could get him to nap was to make a pile of pillows on the floor & stay with him.

We hosted a play doh playdate for our Moms Club.

Saturday

We saw a Sesame Street puppet show at the library.

My best friend & I spent the night in Atlantic City finally celebrating our 30th birthdays. We are now closer to 31.

Sunday

It was my very first night away from O, but it sure felt good to sleep in & spend the afternoon at the spa!

I'm linking up with Amy. Head over there and check out everyone else's weeks!

6 Great Gift Ideas for a One-Year-Old

2011-11-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year where everyone starts asking me for gift ideas for the boys. Everybody wants to get them something fun, but I need to save some special gifts for us & Santa, so it's alway a struggle. This year I'm really at a loss because O just had a birthday, and he has a ton of hand-me-down stuff from JD.

In an effort to help you, I'm sharing some of the cool gifts that O received from our awesome friends & family.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Dance And Play Puppy

Both O and JD LOVE this one! The mechanics are noisy, but you can still hear all the things he says/sings, and the hand clapping excites O every time. There are over 25 songs & phrases, and he has our favorites: "If You're Happy and You Know It" and the ABCs. JD is quick to point out, however, that he sings "Do Your Ears Hang Low" & "Pat-a-Cake" WRONG. You don't throw the cake in the air! You mark it with a "B"!

Mwwahhhhh! There is an adorable video of him kissing it as soon as he unwrapped it, but it's buried in a ton of unedited party footage.

Here's a video of O playing so you can hear how loud the motor is. And see how cute he is.

Little People Peek n Discover Backyard

We love all the Little People toys. They are still JD's favorite thing to play with, and they keep him busy for big chunks of time every day. For his birthday, we got O a bunch of his own since it really pisses JD off when O messes with his organization of the people. And JD totally knows which little person goes with one of his sets or with one of O's. He's a funny little man.

We like this backyard set because it comes with a DOG and a TRIKE- two things O is very into!

LeapFrog My First Book

O really likes things that talk to him. And he likes pushing buttons- especially when his brother isn't tackling him to do it first. These talking books are great for the car and for when I'm trying to occupy O at one of JD's doctor appointments.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Screen Laptop

JD has the LeapFrog Leaptop, but I like this one better for O because the buttons are bigger and more baby-friendly. And it has O's dog friend. It has a dozen different songs and many more educational phrases in English and Spanish. For under $20, you can't beat it!

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case

My favorite! This is a drool-proof, drop-proof playful case for my iTouch. The boys love playing games, but they are constantly pushing the circle button and losing where they were. Not only does this keep the iTouch safe, but they can't get to the home button. This way I can hand it to them in the back seat with a video or game set up, and they can't mess it up. Sometimes the touch screen doesn't work properly through the case, but we have been using the iTouch 20x more now that I can hand it to them and not worry.
It also has a mirror on the back and teething rings around it. I can't wait to bring this along on our next road trip!

Vtech - Explore and Learn Helicopter

One more education toy. This one also has songs and phrases about colors & shapes, but it has one thing the other don't. BALLS. I didn't even have to explain this one to O. He'll pop the balls in over & over & over. And it has a string so he can drag it around the house.
JD has been OBSESSED with helicopters lately, so it is just killing him that this is O's toy. Good thing O likes to share.

The only decent ideas I have for Christmas gifts are a tiny toddler table for in the kitchen (our table is bar hight, and the chairs are just a bit tall for my wiggle worms) and those inflatable toddler beds for when we travel. I'm looking at the ones that are a full tent, since it's hell to get JD to stay in a bed in a hotel room.

What ideas do you have for your kids for the holidays?

*The links go through my Amazon Associates account.

My 43rd Week in Droid Pics

2011-11-06T23:33:00.000-05:00

On top of everything this week, JD was on steroids to try to drain some stubborn fluid from his ear. Steroids + normally super active toddler = one tired mommy. There are no other words to describe this week, so here it is.

Monday

trick or treat

"Why does he get all the candy?"

Tuesday

Hubby and I went to a benefit for Let All the Children Play, and we danced the night away to an awesome Billy Joel cover band.

Wednesday

I'm choreographing a HS production of Pippin, and the kids are awesome :)

Everybody loves hoodies.

Thursday

some crazy table dancing

JD chose this cart over the car cart & then was sad about it.

I don't have any pics from Friday.

Saturday

O passed out HARD at the library.

Sunday

We went to the Big Apple Circus & were thisclose to the ring.

I couldn't stop staring at their little faces. They were so amazed.

Then we walked over to do a little cheering for the NYC Marathon runners.

Did you take phone pics this week? Head over to Amy's, grab the code, & link up!

O's 1st Birthday Costume Party

2011-11-01T12:47:00.000-04:00

Every time we have a party, I tell myself that I am going to be ready early so I can take fabulous pictures of everything before the party starts. I am now just going to accept that it will not happen. I try to do too much, I wait too long to start putting it all together, and I will never have pretty pictures of a food table because my guests are already here when it comes out of the oven. (If you ever get to my house ~~early~~ right on time, you will be frosting cookies or plating food.)

But I refuse to be disappointed about the ribbons that were never tied around the centerpieces, the chocolate covered pretzels that didn't happen, or the nasty storm that kept us all inside. We had a great time! Our friends & family all arrived with some awesome costumes, we enjoyed too many treats, and everyone had a blast at O's first birthday party!

Here are some of the highlights:

I have to share the adorable invites from Kottage on 5th. I got a ton of compliments on them.

I wrote about some of the treats here & here, and you can see details about a lot of the others on my "O's 1st Bday Ideas" Pinterest board. Pictured here are the favor pails and lollipop spiders on web fabric, hanging decorations & my mantle decorated with mummy lights & containers of candy, goblin brownies, pumpkin pie dip, chocolate covered marshmallow pumpkins, and the centerpieces.

The favor pails included a mini pumpkin, spider rings, a ring pop with a silly mouth, a monster finger puppet, and Halloween rubber ducky, lollipops, pencils, stickers, & bubbles. I also put some of the chocolate covered marshmallow pumpkins in take-away bags and offered lollipop spiders to the grownups.

Way too many adorable costumes, and I'm so sad I didn't think to get a group pic of the dozen munchkins we had.

The big kids got in on the fun, too!

The craft table was a hit, and they also entertained themselves by running in circles & showing off their muscles.

Happy birthday to my baby! I am still in denial that you are one. (And I have no idea why Hubby wanted to wear his mustache on his chin.)

Whew! That was a lot of pics. Now that that is all done, I'm going to go get out the leftover cake & brownies (Leftovers are THE BEST part of hosting a party. Besides all our fun family & friends of course!) and enjoy the rest of nap time!

Did you have a great Halloween? If you posted about your Halloween celebrations, leave a link in the comments!

My 42 Week in Droid Pics!

2011-10-31T14:21:00.000-04:00

I need to stop calling each week's pics "late" and just accept that I post them after the weekend. Then when I actually do it on time, it's "early".

This week was a huge blur. I took on way too many projects, and I'm trying hard not to be sad about the ones that I ran out of time for. But at least we had a lot of fun!

Sunday

Our local pumpkin patches suffered a lot of damage after the hurricane, but we enjoyed a hay ride & some roasted corn!

Monday

O's 1st birthday! He got a lot of fun toys, and JD even let him play with one!

My boy loves to eat, but he loves flirting with waitresses even more.

Peaceful playtime while JD napped

His 1st cake. He was a little confused at first, but he dove right in after his first taste.

Tuesday

Everybody is helping get the house ready for the party.

Wednesday

My day off! And I cut my hair again.

O had his well visit, and both boys got flu shots. O ended up with 3 shots total (no tears at all), but Hubby had to take JD to the car because he was screaming so loud & scaring the other kids.

Thursday

JD's Halloween party at school was the cutest thing ever. I hope to get video of his performance of "5 Little Pumpkins" up soon.

We are nearing the weight/height limit, and I'm really going to miss this convenience.

Friday

We put finishing touches on our front steps.

Painting & carving didn't happen this year because the pumpkins were rotting already.

Saturday

aka PartyDay

I turned these

into these.

One hour before your guests arrive is a great time to put cookies in the oven.

Sunday

We were up with the sun & enjoyed a snowy day at Sesame Place.

Did you take phone pics? Head over to Amy's & link up!

I plan to have a post up tonight or tomorrow with pics form O's party. I hope everyone is enjoying Halloween!

Flashback Friday: Vintage Halloween

2011-10-27T23:37:00.003-04:00

This is the time before a party when I should be scrubbing toilets or something, so when I heard Suzanne & Amy were hosting a Vintage Halloween Blog Hop, I jumped at the opportunity to spend too much time digging through old photo albums.

Growing up, our Halloween costumes were usually pieced together from dance costumes & random accessories. Mom didn't sew- she was known for stapling our girl scout badges on (which is genius by the way). My sister and I played dress-up a lot, so my memories of Halloween costumes are all mixed up with dance recitals & dress-up.

But one of my favorite Halloween memories (which I unfortunately don't have a picture of) is from a church youth group costume contest. I think I was in 5th or 6th grade. A friend & I made our own Mickey & Minnie costumes and won a free large pizza... which we then ate entirely by ourselves. We were very proud- which is the opposite of how I would feel now if I ate 4 slices of pizza in one sitting.

Anyway, here are the pics I found.

I'm pretty sure I wore these ears later as Minnie.

I have no idea what I was supposed to be. Some kind of angel/fairy/princess? But my sister, the bumble bee, is adorable.

Mom, please tell me the bangs were a part of my costume. At least they weren't crimped. I remember puff painting all over that sweatshirt. It's a shame you can't see it in the pic. I'm sure it was a work of art. And again- the adorable little sister. Her bangs are straight.

This is fun. Go visit Suzanne & Amy, read everybody's cool Halloween memories, and link up your own!

Halloween Party Crafts

2011-10-25T22:13:00.000-04:00

Now that we know Saturday is going to be FREEZING and possibly rainy, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how we're going to keep all of these toddlers occupied in a crowded house. I'm hoping most of them hang out in the playroom (with the babysitter & a parent or two of course), and to keep them there once the toys lose their luster, I bought some crafty stuff today and set up a station.

JD "helped" set it up. He couldn't tear himself away from the stickers. Stickers! Sparkly! I was actually impressed with his ability to sort the colors & shapes.

On our old coffee table, I set out craft paper, googly eyes, streamers, random shapes cut out of construction paper, a glue stick, paper plates, and glittery foam stickers.

JD created this mummy & friendly ghost. We're going to make them some friends to decorate the room & inspire our guests.

Please share your easy, not-too-messy ideas!

Reflecting

2011-10-24T20:59:00.000-04:00

O turned one today.

Every time I look at this pic, I can't get over how much he looks like Hubby.

We I have spent a lot of time over the past few months thinking about today. Aside from the party this weekend totally taking over my life, I have also been losing sleep over the idea of my baby becoming more "toddler" than "baby". I've been feeling the baby fever creep back (which isn't helped by the fact that I had to buy JD new sneakers AGAIN this weekend- in a size NINE! I have no idea how I can possibly have a kid old enough to have feet that big.)

What I did not spend enough time thinking about was how hard today would be for JD. Looking back, I guess I should have realized he would be jealous and wouldn't really understand, but he made the day difficult, and I was so torn between feeling bad for him and feeling bad for O and feeling like I just wanted him to stop screaming so I could get one peaceful snippet of video.

For the last couple months, JD fooled me into believing he was genuinely excited about his brother's birthday. He practiced singing to him, talked about what he wanted to give him, and screamed "for O's birthday!" every time he saw a Halloween decoration. He helped me wrap the gifts yesterday, and woke up this morning happy to help carry them all into O's room. Then it all fell apart.

"All for me?"

"Back up brother."

O fights back.

sobbing toddler

Hubby holding him down so O could tear one piece of wrapping paper without being tackled.

Some peaceful playing (because O wasn't touching this one- the Little People Halloween House scares him. For real. After I put the batteries in and showed him how the ghost pops up from the chimney, he FREAKED OUT and speed crawled out of the room.)

When I tucked JD into bed tonight, we talked about the day and what we were looking forward to tomorrow. I told him that after school we could all play with O's new toys together. I pointed out how O shares his toys with JD, just like JD shares his, and he said in his sweetest little voice, "O share nice".

I wanted to give O a special day that was all about the things he likes: playing, following the dog, flirting with waitresses, eating yogurt melts, and snuggling with mommy. I just didn't factor in how to balance that with the demands of a toddler. As I look back, O did get to do all of those things, it just didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would. I guess that's a part of having more than one child that I hadn't really thought about before. Nobody's special day will ever be all about them.

And this is the part where I ask for tips on how to keep JD from melting down at O's party. (I just had an image of O 20 years from now telling his therapist about how we had to sing Happy Birthday to JD at all of O's birthday parties.) How do you handle this in your family?

My 41st Week in Droid Pics

2011-10-22T19:30:00.001-04:00

I want to write something interesting here, but all I can think about is how my baby will be 1 in just 2 days. ONE. As in an entire year. A year ago today, I was 5 days overdue and dancing at a wedding that I would have bet a million bucks I wasn't going to. This week is going to be rough- and not just because O's big party is a week from today. O is getting more & more independent and opinionated by the hour. He already has a very convincing NONONONO. Lord, help me!

Monday

O helped JD with the motor skills (AKA poking coffee stirrers through little holes).

Tuesday

JD had his first field trip.

He wanted to feed the animals one tiny piece of food at a time, but we finally convinced him to just offer up the cone by telling him it was time to go to the playground.

"Show Mommy your cider donut."

And then we took O to buy more pumpkins. BIG pumpkins.

Wednesday

It was my "day off", so I treated myself to a mani/pedi.

The boy who has ALL the blankets doesn't like to use them.

The boy who gets one little blankie likes to snuggle.

Thursday

JD got himself dressed this morning- including socks & shoes! He was so proud he actually stood still, posed, and smiled for the picture.

O practiced the stairs at My Gym.

Got the proofs for JD's school portrait. Wonder which pose I'm going to choose... Can I have head #2 on the body of #1?

O loved dinner. Or making out with his Elmo plate.

Friday

Racing down the slide.

O LOVES the ball pit. And every time he's in there he only grabs the orange balls.

rattles at storytime

Our Moms Club had a cupcake decorating playdate.

mmmmmm (He licked the decorations off & left the cake behind.)

Saturday

Today consisted of thinking about all the things we need to do & doing everything else.

like rearranging kitchen drawers

and finally doing that Ikea spice rack/bookshelf thing.

Did you take phone pics this week? I'd love for everyone to get on board. Visit Amy for the code & link up!