Sorry it's been so long. We've been pretty busy. Things are slowing down and we are getting settled into our new home. WE LOVE IT! The kids are so happy! Liam has told me more than once "Me wuv my new house momma." Pictures coming soon!
It is actually slightly bigger than our old house but there are fewer rooms so I have had to make some things work. We used to have a breakfast nook (I called it our cafe) and a dining room. Now we have an "eat-in kitchen." Our cafe table is now in the basement for playing games and doing kids projects. We no longer have a four seasons room so I have to sell my beloved vintage couch :(.
There are other things too, that we just don't need or have a place for. You know what that means...GARAGE SALE! Ugh, I am just so worn out. I thought about selling the big stuff on Craigslist and giving the toys and other small things away but Craigslist is a lot of work too...We can hardly walk through the garage so something has to happen. We shall see.
I am working on getting my etsy shop items ready to list and organizing my new etsy room so that I can take some pictures. I am hoping to have my shop open by the middle of the month. I can't wait!
Liam is getting really creative and has a fantastic imagination. I love to watch him pretend with his toys. He also seems to really enjoy Amelia lately. He always wants her to come play with him and since he's pretty good about sharing, she seems to like playing with him too. They also fight. Liam gets mad and makes her cry and then she gets mad and runs away. Then he begs her to come back and play. It's exhausting.
Amelia is saying a few new things. She been saying momma and dada, but now she says hi, bye and all-done. She can point to different features on her face, her belly button, feet, etc. She also points out different animals in books.
We've had some tough moments in the last couple of months but things are getting back to normal and the kids are doing really well. Luke and I are feeling more relaxed and we are meeting some great people.
Lovin' Iowa!
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Children. Show all posts
Friday, March 4, 2011
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Today
Things are getting more and more interesting every day. Luke got the job in Iowa so we will definitely be moving there and we are very excited! I am ready for something new and challenging. I need a change of scenery.
We are hoping that all goes well with the sale of our house and purchasing a new one. I'm not going to lie - I'm a little nervous. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to get our house ready to be put on the market. Things we have been putting off since we moved in.
We do plan on having a moving sale, maybe in two weeks. We'll see if I can get everything priced by then! I just sold a bunch of stuff this last Spring at my sisters garage sale so I feel like my joints are oiled up and ready to go.
I am also considering having an area of the moving sale for some of my etsy inventory. I have a lot of stuff that has never been listed due to a lack of time. I don't know. People come to moving sales for a good deal $.50 here and $.25 there, maybe a dollar or two. They don't expect to pay etsy prices for vintage but I don't want to give it all away for free!
Luke's job pays for movers to come and pack our stuff and haul it to our destination, but they only pay for so many pounds. We won't know how many pounds of stuff we have until after the fact so...we don't want to pay to move my shop items if we don't have to.
On another note, Liam is potty trained! It didn't take long. I tried my hardest to stay consistent and gave him big hugs and kisses every time he used the potty (I also bribed him with anything I could to get him to try when he didn't think he needed to go). He spent a couple of days with no undies or diapers until he got the hang of going all the way to the bathroom whenever he had to go. Then I put him in undies with the rubber undies over them. After he got the hang of having to pull down his undies every time, I got rid of the rubber undies except for car rides and bedtime. Now he doesn't need the rubber undies at all and only has an accident every couple of days. We are so proud of him!
Amelia is crawling and pulling herself up on furniture, window sills, the dishwasher (while closed), toys and anything else she can. She is taking steps while hanging on and can stand for 3 seconds without falling. She is getting so close to standing and walking! I can't believe how big she's getting. She turns a year old in October already!
We are hoping that all goes well with the sale of our house and purchasing a new one. I'm not going to lie - I'm a little nervous. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to get our house ready to be put on the market. Things we have been putting off since we moved in.
We do plan on having a moving sale, maybe in two weeks. We'll see if I can get everything priced by then! I just sold a bunch of stuff this last Spring at my sisters garage sale so I feel like my joints are oiled up and ready to go.
I am also considering having an area of the moving sale for some of my etsy inventory. I have a lot of stuff that has never been listed due to a lack of time. I don't know. People come to moving sales for a good deal $.50 here and $.25 there, maybe a dollar or two. They don't expect to pay etsy prices for vintage but I don't want to give it all away for free!
Luke's job pays for movers to come and pack our stuff and haul it to our destination, but they only pay for so many pounds. We won't know how many pounds of stuff we have until after the fact so...we don't want to pay to move my shop items if we don't have to.
On another note, Liam is potty trained! It didn't take long. I tried my hardest to stay consistent and gave him big hugs and kisses every time he used the potty (I also bribed him with anything I could to get him to try when he didn't think he needed to go). He spent a couple of days with no undies or diapers until he got the hang of going all the way to the bathroom whenever he had to go. Then I put him in undies with the rubber undies over them. After he got the hang of having to pull down his undies every time, I got rid of the rubber undies except for car rides and bedtime. Now he doesn't need the rubber undies at all and only has an accident every couple of days. We are so proud of him!
Amelia is crawling and pulling herself up on furniture, window sills, the dishwasher (while closed), toys and anything else she can. She is taking steps while hanging on and can stand for 3 seconds without falling. She is getting so close to standing and walking! I can't believe how big she's getting. She turns a year old in October already!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Oh Summer
Here's a visual. Nine grandkids under the age of 5.
Our little family.
Us.
Liam sharing his worm with Amelia. Thanks big brother.
Fisher Price swing-$100. Soothie pacifier-$2.00. Taking a nap in the air conditioning-priceless.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Balance
Ok, so I'm back here again. I have not mastered the see-saw in my playground yet. That is, I still have not found a proper balance between my husband and kids, and my selfish self. Before I was concerned (and I believe, rightfully so) that I was not giving my 2 1/2 year old son and my now 7 1/2 month old daughter the attention they deserved.
I felt that I was putting so much effort into getting my Etsy shop up and running and making it successful that I allowed my babies to be babysat by the boob tube. My goal was to find a balance in the month of May and make sure to give Liam and Amelia the best of me.
Well, now here I am, it's the end of May and I my Etsy teeter-totter is up in the air. I love all the time I have with my kids. I don't feel the guilt I was feeling when I would spend every available second listing a new item or packing up a sold item.
The problem is my sales have dropped significantly. I know that in order to get new traffic in my store I need to list new items almost daily. I'm listing one or two new things a week, tops. I also need to keep up with the Storque (Etsy's blog) and keep shopping and finding new favorites. These things all help to put my store's name out there where buyers or sellers can see it.
I am spending quality time with my children. I know that is important but I love it too. I love spending time with them. I would hate to look back on this time and wish I had given them more.
On the flip side, I love my Etsy shop. I love that on a whim I decided to try it out and found something that feeds my vintage soul. I enjoy finding thing I love and finding them a good home even if it's not my own.
My goal for June is to really find balance. I will ask for more help. I will let my husband know when I need to really focus and I will not spend precious time away frivolously. There is a sort of schedule materializing in my head that should help me to separate my work and family time. I WILL be more productive with my time!
I felt that I was putting so much effort into getting my Etsy shop up and running and making it successful that I allowed my babies to be babysat by the boob tube. My goal was to find a balance in the month of May and make sure to give Liam and Amelia the best of me.
Well, now here I am, it's the end of May and I my Etsy teeter-totter is up in the air. I love all the time I have with my kids. I don't feel the guilt I was feeling when I would spend every available second listing a new item or packing up a sold item.
The problem is my sales have dropped significantly. I know that in order to get new traffic in my store I need to list new items almost daily. I'm listing one or two new things a week, tops. I also need to keep up with the Storque (Etsy's blog) and keep shopping and finding new favorites. These things all help to put my store's name out there where buyers or sellers can see it.
I am spending quality time with my children. I know that is important but I love it too. I love spending time with them. I would hate to look back on this time and wish I had given them more.
On the flip side, I love my Etsy shop. I love that on a whim I decided to try it out and found something that feeds my vintage soul. I enjoy finding thing I love and finding them a good home even if it's not my own.
My goal for June is to really find balance. I will ask for more help. I will let my husband know when I need to really focus and I will not spend precious time away frivolously. There is a sort of schedule materializing in my head that should help me to separate my work and family time. I WILL be more productive with my time!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mother's Day
I hope all you mommies had a great day yesterday. If you're anything like me you don't need much to feel appreciated. A great cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll for breakfast. Big smiles and hugs and kisses. A quiet lunch out to a secret spot...cue the screeching record.
We decided to go to a little place in town where they make this simple but delicious sandwich. They pile warm pastrami high on multigrain bread with a little mayo and call it lunch! My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. They also use eco friendly products like forks and spoons made from vegetable fibers and biodegradable straws so that adds extra incentive to patronize their fine establishment.
We ordered our food at the counter and I used up all my tricks just trying to get Liam to stay with us. He finally took off for the fireplace and immediately flipped the switch to turn it on and started jumping on their leather love seat that sits in front of it.
When I tried to get him to come over to our table he started shouting and kicking and making a scene. Ugh! I just didn't have any fight left in me. I asked him if he was hungry or if he wanted to go home. He just started running and I grabbed him and got down on the floor in his face and said if he didn't stop it right then we were going out to the car.
Apparently he really wanted to go to the car because he tried to pull my hand off his arm and run at the same time saying "NO NO NO WAY!". I picked him up and told Luke we'd be in the car and we weren't coming back in. Liam cried the whole way out. There were a few ladies in there who tried to act like they didn't notice but how could they not!?
I put him in his car seat and told him how disappointed I was that we couldn't have a nice meal in a restaurant anymore because he can't behave. He shook his head. He screamed, that silent scream that comes before the blood curdling one, and then let out the most dramatic howl. His face turned red, spit hung in strings from his top teeth to the bottom ones and he tried with all his might to keep me from buckling his car seat.
I slammed the door (ok so I lost my cool a little too, but at least I took it out on the car!) and went around to the other side and got in the front seat. I crossed my arms and just listened to his nonsense for a couple of minutes until he calmed down.
Luke brought Amelia out while they packed up our food and Liam begged to be rescued. After getting our food Luke got in and we took off for home. We actually had a very nice meal when we got back. Liam apologized for his behavior (not in so many words) and he ate most of his lunch. He was told he was going to bed immediately afterwards and he insisted on daddy putting him to bed. He slept like an angel and the rest of the day was relaxing and peaceful.
I love my little monkey and I know one day I will look back on this time and remember how he was naughty sometimes but it won't seem as bad. His cooky antics, chocolate milk mustaches, the hair in his eyes and the way he giggles when he gets tickled are the things I will remember most. It won't be long and I will long for these days so I will treasure them even if he makes a scene in public. At least he said he was sorry, right?
We decided to go to a little place in town where they make this simple but delicious sandwich. They pile warm pastrami high on multigrain bread with a little mayo and call it lunch! My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it. They also use eco friendly products like forks and spoons made from vegetable fibers and biodegradable straws so that adds extra incentive to patronize their fine establishment.
We ordered our food at the counter and I used up all my tricks just trying to get Liam to stay with us. He finally took off for the fireplace and immediately flipped the switch to turn it on and started jumping on their leather love seat that sits in front of it.
When I tried to get him to come over to our table he started shouting and kicking and making a scene. Ugh! I just didn't have any fight left in me. I asked him if he was hungry or if he wanted to go home. He just started running and I grabbed him and got down on the floor in his face and said if he didn't stop it right then we were going out to the car.
Apparently he really wanted to go to the car because he tried to pull my hand off his arm and run at the same time saying "NO NO NO WAY!". I picked him up and told Luke we'd be in the car and we weren't coming back in. Liam cried the whole way out. There were a few ladies in there who tried to act like they didn't notice but how could they not!?
I put him in his car seat and told him how disappointed I was that we couldn't have a nice meal in a restaurant anymore because he can't behave. He shook his head. He screamed, that silent scream that comes before the blood curdling one, and then let out the most dramatic howl. His face turned red, spit hung in strings from his top teeth to the bottom ones and he tried with all his might to keep me from buckling his car seat.
I slammed the door (ok so I lost my cool a little too, but at least I took it out on the car!) and went around to the other side and got in the front seat. I crossed my arms and just listened to his nonsense for a couple of minutes until he calmed down.
Luke brought Amelia out while they packed up our food and Liam begged to be rescued. After getting our food Luke got in and we took off for home. We actually had a very nice meal when we got back. Liam apologized for his behavior (not in so many words) and he ate most of his lunch. He was told he was going to bed immediately afterwards and he insisted on daddy putting him to bed. He slept like an angel and the rest of the day was relaxing and peaceful.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Balance
Needless to say, I don't usually get all of this done during nap time. I find myself working on these things any time I can sneak away. Our computer is located right next to our living room so I can work while Liam is watching cartoons. That is where I struggle. I am letting Elmo and Tiny, Shiny, and Don babysit Liam and he is very aware of it.
When Liam was in daycare I always felt like he didn't get enough stimulation. When I would go to pick him up he would be in a play pen watching cartoons. Now look! I am doing the same thing! My goal for the month of May is to find a proper balance with my new found activities and the most important job of my life.
Any advice?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Who I am now
I am a 29 year old stay at home mom. I married my husband, Luke almost 3 years ago in a small ceremony in Akumal, Mexico. We welcomed our son, Liam in November 2007. He is a happy, rambunctious little monkey and I love him to pieces.
After 8 weeks of staying home with my then colicky bundle of tears, I returned to work as a receptionist at a plastic surgeon's office. It was 100% the right decision for us at that time and even though it was hard I knew I was doing the right thing. There were good days and bad days. There were times I wanted to pull him out of daycare because I felt he was picking up bad habits and not getting enough attention, but we made it over those humps. After his first birthday I decided I wanted to try for another baby and convinced my husband that having them close together was the best way to raise children.
What did I know?! My parents had 5 kids in 7 years and we were very close growing up and are very close now. I guess I didn't really consider how hard it would be with a little boy going through his terrible twos and an infant. It is the HARDEST thing I have ever experienced. Since I was 27 when we had Liam I felt like we better hurry up and get the show on the road so we wouldn't be the "old parents". Now I realize that's not at all how it will be. Since my mom had her 5th child by the time she was 27, I always felt like I was behind.
Amelia was born in October of 2009 and she has been a breeze compared to Liam as an infant! She is happy and thriving and loves her big brother. Liam mostly ignores her but always gives her her soothie when she spits it out and gives her kisses before bed. He has never shown any jealousy towards her and rarely wants to be on my lap when she is. He isn't much for sitting on laps. He isn't much for sitting, period. He stands while watching Sesame Street. He is always on the go and understands that when I am nursing Amelia he can take off and get into mischief.
I decided not to go back to work while I was still pregnant. I felt like I missed out on a lot of Liam's babyhood and he was getting to a point where he needed more one on one attention so it was the obvious choice for me. I am blessed with the ability to choose whether or not to go back to work and I figured I would regret it if I didn't at least try it.
This winter was hard. I felt like I lost myself. I spent day in and day out cooped up in the house. Amelia was too small to be out in the cold so Liam could play and to be honest, I didn't have the energy to bundle Liam up and pull him through the foot and a half of snow in our backyard. It took a while to get Amelia on a regular sleep schedule so I was with her from the time we got up in the morning (usually Liam would wake us up around 7am) until we both went to bed (around 11pm).
I realized in January that I had 3 choices. Either get a job, go back to school, or find a way to make time for myself. I chose option 3. Luke is very supportive of me cutting out time for myself and even got me a gift certificate to a spa in town just so I could get out of the house. I started going to bed early to read while he took care of Amelia. I joined a group of women that gets together once a month to discuss issues affecting women today. Most recently, I started an Etsy shop selling vintage dishes, clothes etc. and Luke has been very helpful and supportive.
My Etsy shop is a way for me to do what I love while still being home with the kids. I always wanted to open an actual shop with a door but Luke's job requires us to move every seven years so I don't know how I would ever have a real store. Etsy is the next best thing. My shop is called RR 1 Box 80 and if you have ever lived at a rr box you know to say "rural route" and not "rr". It was my address growing up and it is where I became me.
Since I have been searching for myself after being set aside for a while that name seemed appropriate. I am on an exciting journey discovering who I am now.
After 8 weeks of staying home with my then colicky bundle of tears, I returned to work as a receptionist at a plastic surgeon's office. It was 100% the right decision for us at that time and even though it was hard I knew I was doing the right thing. There were good days and bad days. There were times I wanted to pull him out of daycare because I felt he was picking up bad habits and not getting enough attention, but we made it over those humps. After his first birthday I decided I wanted to try for another baby and convinced my husband that having them close together was the best way to raise children.
What did I know?! My parents had 5 kids in 7 years and we were very close growing up and are very close now. I guess I didn't really consider how hard it would be with a little boy going through his terrible twos and an infant. It is the HARDEST thing I have ever experienced. Since I was 27 when we had Liam I felt like we better hurry up and get the show on the road so we wouldn't be the "old parents". Now I realize that's not at all how it will be. Since my mom had her 5th child by the time she was 27, I always felt like I was behind.
Amelia was born in October of 2009 and she has been a breeze compared to Liam as an infant! She is happy and thriving and loves her big brother. Liam mostly ignores her but always gives her her soothie when she spits it out and gives her kisses before bed. He has never shown any jealousy towards her and rarely wants to be on my lap when she is. He isn't much for sitting on laps. He isn't much for sitting, period. He stands while watching Sesame Street. He is always on the go and understands that when I am nursing Amelia he can take off and get into mischief.
I decided not to go back to work while I was still pregnant. I felt like I missed out on a lot of Liam's babyhood and he was getting to a point where he needed more one on one attention so it was the obvious choice for me. I am blessed with the ability to choose whether or not to go back to work and I figured I would regret it if I didn't at least try it.
This winter was hard. I felt like I lost myself. I spent day in and day out cooped up in the house. Amelia was too small to be out in the cold so Liam could play and to be honest, I didn't have the energy to bundle Liam up and pull him through the foot and a half of snow in our backyard. It took a while to get Amelia on a regular sleep schedule so I was with her from the time we got up in the morning (usually Liam would wake us up around 7am) until we both went to bed (around 11pm).
I realized in January that I had 3 choices. Either get a job, go back to school, or find a way to make time for myself. I chose option 3. Luke is very supportive of me cutting out time for myself and even got me a gift certificate to a spa in town just so I could get out of the house. I started going to bed early to read while he took care of Amelia. I joined a group of women that gets together once a month to discuss issues affecting women today. Most recently, I started an Etsy shop selling vintage dishes, clothes etc. and Luke has been very helpful and supportive.
My Etsy shop is a way for me to do what I love while still being home with the kids. I always wanted to open an actual shop with a door but Luke's job requires us to move every seven years so I don't know how I would ever have a real store. Etsy is the next best thing. My shop is called RR 1 Box 80 and if you have ever lived at a rr box you know to say "rural route" and not "rr". It was my address growing up and it is where I became me.
Since I have been searching for myself after being set aside for a while that name seemed appropriate. I am on an exciting journey discovering who I am now.
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