July 7, 2014
my little lefty
Being a lefty, I've hoped that one of my kiddos would be left handed too. Why, I have no idea. Even though I can't write with a pencil without having lead smeared all over my hand, I still like being a lefty. Ryann teased me a bit when she was younger, being a little ambidextrous, but she switched to being definitely right handed. Elsie however, is showing a very strong preference for her left hand. My fingers are crossed that she sticks with it!
July 2, 2014
a day in {my} life
My ideas for things to blog about are pretty scarce, so I figured I'd throw in another 'day in the life'. It has been four months or so since I did the last one. I didn't take that great of notes, and my pictures are far from my best, but oh well.
It is Wednesday, June 25th. Ryann is 4 years 2 months and Elsie is 16 months old. I'm on day 28 of a Whole30 challenge!
5:50am: I wake up to our door clicking open. And then Ryann is standing next to me. "I'm not tired anymore." Ugh. I send her back to her room to play for a bit and try to wake up. Not more than five minutes later I hear E cry out. Blech. The day is just so dang long when it starts for everyone at 6am. I roll out of bed, go to the bathroom and throw on some running clothes. When I come back out and check the monitor, Elsie isn't making any noise anymore and Ryann seems content in her room, so I lay back down in bed and play on my phone.
6:37am: I decide if I'm going for a run I better just suck it up and do it. I let Chris know I'm leaving (he's still home today since he is working noon-10pm) and attempt to sneak out of the house. My run was meh. I maintained under a 10 minute pace for the most part, and I didn't take any walk breaks, but it just felt hard. Thankfully it was only 66 degrees. It still felt warmish, but I'm much happier when it is under 70 when I start.
7:12am: Back home. I'm surprised to find just Ryann and Chris in the family room, Elsie is apparently still sleeping. Odd, but I'll take it for sure. I head to the kitchen to start making breakfast, and within minutes I hear E. Of course. Ryann eats a couple of muffins, Chris turns on Wild Kratts for her, and then he goes to grab Elsie out of her crib. Her and I share some of my sausage skillet and she has a Vans waffle as well.
8:00am: We pause the morning cartoons to go brush our teeth and get dressed. I fix Ryann's hair, get my clothes on, get the diaper bag ready, and grab the kids.
8:42am: We're in the car on the way to dance. I put Ryann in some classes at a different studio this summer, just to give it a try. Something about where we were rubbed me the wrong way, so I figured why not. I danced with one of the teachers at this new studio and she seemed pretty darn happy with it, so might as well. It is slightly further from home but not too bad. Ry is taking the 'mini company' classes. I'm not sure we're ready to handle all that comes with the company, but I was looking for classes with a little more structure. So far even though it is all a little over her head, Ryann has loved taking the classes, and everyone has been very nice. Which is good because we spend two hours there this morning! (And a little over an hour there on Thursday mornings!) Elsie spends some of the time eating a snack, some time getting in to things she shouldn't and checking out what the other kids are doing, and a good chunk of time coloring with the Color Wonder markers.
11:24am: Back at home and time to make lunch (seriously, I swear I make food and clean the kitchen all day). I have to go between the kitchen and the family room, pulling Elsie off of things she shouldn't and stopping her from tormenting the cat. At one point she smells NASTY so I have to pause the lunch making to deal with that situation. By this point they are both whining because I obviously never feed them and they're starving or something.
11:52am: We all sit down to lunch. Whew, a few moments to relax...
12:14pm: Haha, not really. As soon as I'm finished with my lunch I start working on the disaster of a kitchen. The dishes piled up a little because I needed to run the dishwasher, now it is time to unload it. I attempt to get it done while the girls are finishing their lunch, but it is pretty much one of Elsie's favorite things to do and she starts freaking out in her chair. "Helm pease! Helm pease!" Which is the equivalent of help please. I'm much faster on my own but I'm pretty sure she is going to hurt herself if I don't let her out. Which leads to both girls helping me unload the dishwasher. When it is empty I try to convince them to play elsewhere so I can finish cleaning the kitchen and load up the dirty dishes. It is almost a lost cause because Elsie keeps coming back to try and help unload.
12:31pm: I put Miss Elsie Belsie in her crib for a nap. She always protests, but it isn't long before she quiets down and goes to sleep. I browse instagram while Ryann eats a couple of twizzlers (she gets a sweet treat if she finishes all her food). When she is done we head to the basement (dungeon) to sort some laundry. When we get back upstairs she busies herself playing in her kitchen, so I sit down to read some blogs on my phone. I decide I should try and take a picture of her playing, which of course leads her to request my presence as a playmate. After a little bit she decides she wants to work in her cutting and tracing book. It doesn't last very long because she gets frustrated with the scissors.
2:14pm: I decide to sneak back to the bedroom to get my swimsuit on. Which obviously wakes up Elsie. I quickly put on my suit and grab Elsie. Ryann picks out a swimsuit and gets herself dressed. I sit the two of them down with a snack and finish putting together a bag for the pool. Elsie is taking FOREVER to eat her apple slices, so eventually I sneak one and eat it and take her to get her suit on.
3:09pm: We're in the car and on the way to the pool. Except for just as we reach the end of our neighborhood I realize I left the stupid puddle jumper in the garage. So we loop back, I run in and grab the puddle jumper and we're on our way again. While driving I get a text mentioning cash. Oh lovely, the pool only takes cash and I have approximately none. GAH. Thankfully Steph says she has got me covered. Whew, because we would have been WAY late if I had to stop for cash.
When we finally arrive at the pool and everyone is greased up with sunscreen, the girls have a great time. For the most part anyway. Ryann wanted to do the water slide, but above it was a big giant bucket of water that dumped occasionally. That completely scared the crap out of her. She tried to go up there a couple of times, but freaked out each one. I did convince her to give it one last go, with a promise of Stephanie catching her at the bottom, and me walking her up to the top and shielding her from the bucket if it dumped. Success. She only did it once more, but at least she did it!
5:14pm: Crap, we better get our butts home!
5:41pm: We pull back in the driveway, definitely a little later than I wanted to get home. Ryann is pouting about something and flings herself on the couch. When she sits up her nose is pouring out blood. You have got to be kidding me. I tell her to run to the bathroom while throwing all of our stuff down and getting Elsie in the house. Ryann gets bloody noses a lot, and she is a hot mess every time. She spits the blood and swats at my hands when I try to pinch her nose. I strip her clothes off and turn on the water while trying to stop the bleeding. She tells me her sunglasses smacked her nose. Oy. Looks like she's getting a bath now, both her and the tub are covered with blood.
6:00pm: Ryann is all cleaned up and in pjs so it is time to get dinner going. The two crazies head off to play in the family room. I overhear Ryann talking to Elsie, "Elsie, ELSIE! You want me to teach you to do a tendu?" "Yeah!" Hearing them actually play together is the cutest thing ever. Until they start fighting and I have to sprint in there before Elsie bites Ry, but hey. There is some cute. I've got nuggets in the oven for Ryann (because she eats nuggets every freaking day for dinner #parentingfail), shrimp and mushrooms in the wok, and leftover veggies ready to go in the microwave.
6:25pm: Everyone's plates are finally on the table. Just as I'm sitting down to eat the damn cat pukes on the hardwoods. Seriously. At least it was the hardwood? #(*&%@!*$ Elsie refuses to eat the shrimp, and Ryann turns her nose up at the few pieces I put on her plate. Come on kiddos, I cooked a good meal! I enjoyed it. You should too.
6:55pm: We've all eaten what we're going to, so I take Elsie to put her in some pajamas. Then I get a little snack/sweet treat for the two of them and set them up with a movie so I can wash the dishes.
7:27pm: The dishes are clean and it is time for the littlest to go to bed. We stop in the bathroom to wash her face because apparently she smeared chocolate chips all over it. Teeth brushing is also in order, then we're off to her room to read a couple books. She has picked I Love You Through And Through and Five Little Pumpkins the last several nights. I don't even know how Five Little Pumpkins surfaced, I swear it was packed with the Halloween stuff. Whatever. After books I play a song on my phone while we rock a bit. Some hugs and kisses and I lay her in her bed.
7:45pm: Ryann's turn to get ready for bed. We read a book and watch an educational video on my phone (thanks for that part of the routine Christopher. sarcasm). Then to the bathroom to brush teeth and go potty. Last step of the night is trying to make room in her bed amongst all of her 'buddies' to actually sleep. I snuggle with her until she is snoozin'.
8:30pm: Both girls are sleeping. Huzzah. I head to the basement to switch the laundry again and then I load up So You Think You Can Dance. Love that show so much. Can't believe I've been watching it for what, 10 years? Ever since the first season. You aren't supposed to snack while doing a Whole30, but I've got guacamole in the fridge that isn't going to last much longer, so that and some plantain chips from Trader Joes make their way to the couch with me.
10:11pm: The show is over. I can't decide if I'm thrilled with this season's Top 20 or not, but I'm excited for the actual competition to begin, so who cares. I text Chris and he says he is finishing up at work, so I decide to stay up until he gets home. I play on my computer, check instagram like 12 times, pick up the family room, make myself switch the laundry and turn on HGTV. Oh HGTV. It sucks me in every time. I can't wait until we have a new house. I'm excited to have a new space to decorate (despite the fact that I never really 'finished' the rooms in our current house).
11:24pm: Chris walks in the door. It took him longer than he expected to get out the door, and he stopped to pick up food on his way home. So it is definitely past my bedtime. But we chat about our days in the family room for a little while.
11:55pm: Crawl in to bed and pass out. Morning is going to come way too soon.
It is Wednesday, June 25th. Ryann is 4 years 2 months and Elsie is 16 months old. I'm on day 28 of a Whole30 challenge!
***
5:50am: I wake up to our door clicking open. And then Ryann is standing next to me. "I'm not tired anymore." Ugh. I send her back to her room to play for a bit and try to wake up. Not more than five minutes later I hear E cry out. Blech. The day is just so dang long when it starts for everyone at 6am. I roll out of bed, go to the bathroom and throw on some running clothes. When I come back out and check the monitor, Elsie isn't making any noise anymore and Ryann seems content in her room, so I lay back down in bed and play on my phone.
6:37am: I decide if I'm going for a run I better just suck it up and do it. I let Chris know I'm leaving (he's still home today since he is working noon-10pm) and attempt to sneak out of the house. My run was meh. I maintained under a 10 minute pace for the most part, and I didn't take any walk breaks, but it just felt hard. Thankfully it was only 66 degrees. It still felt warmish, but I'm much happier when it is under 70 when I start.
7:12am: Back home. I'm surprised to find just Ryann and Chris in the family room, Elsie is apparently still sleeping. Odd, but I'll take it for sure. I head to the kitchen to start making breakfast, and within minutes I hear E. Of course. Ryann eats a couple of muffins, Chris turns on Wild Kratts for her, and then he goes to grab Elsie out of her crib. Her and I share some of my sausage skillet and she has a Vans waffle as well.
8:00am: We pause the morning cartoons to go brush our teeth and get dressed. I fix Ryann's hair, get my clothes on, get the diaper bag ready, and grab the kids.
8:42am: We're in the car on the way to dance. I put Ryann in some classes at a different studio this summer, just to give it a try. Something about where we were rubbed me the wrong way, so I figured why not. I danced with one of the teachers at this new studio and she seemed pretty darn happy with it, so might as well. It is slightly further from home but not too bad. Ry is taking the 'mini company' classes. I'm not sure we're ready to handle all that comes with the company, but I was looking for classes with a little more structure. So far even though it is all a little over her head, Ryann has loved taking the classes, and everyone has been very nice. Which is good because we spend two hours there this morning! (And a little over an hour there on Thursday mornings!) Elsie spends some of the time eating a snack, some time getting in to things she shouldn't and checking out what the other kids are doing, and a good chunk of time coloring with the Color Wonder markers.
11:24am: Back at home and time to make lunch (seriously, I swear I make food and clean the kitchen all day). I have to go between the kitchen and the family room, pulling Elsie off of things she shouldn't and stopping her from tormenting the cat. At one point she smells NASTY so I have to pause the lunch making to deal with that situation. By this point they are both whining because I obviously never feed them and they're starving or something.
11:52am: We all sit down to lunch. Whew, a few moments to relax...
12:14pm: Haha, not really. As soon as I'm finished with my lunch I start working on the disaster of a kitchen. The dishes piled up a little because I needed to run the dishwasher, now it is time to unload it. I attempt to get it done while the girls are finishing their lunch, but it is pretty much one of Elsie's favorite things to do and she starts freaking out in her chair. "Helm pease! Helm pease!" Which is the equivalent of help please. I'm much faster on my own but I'm pretty sure she is going to hurt herself if I don't let her out. Which leads to both girls helping me unload the dishwasher. When it is empty I try to convince them to play elsewhere so I can finish cleaning the kitchen and load up the dirty dishes. It is almost a lost cause because Elsie keeps coming back to try and help unload.
12:31pm: I put Miss Elsie Belsie in her crib for a nap. She always protests, but it isn't long before she quiets down and goes to sleep. I browse instagram while Ryann eats a couple of twizzlers (she gets a sweet treat if she finishes all her food). When she is done we head to the basement (dungeon) to sort some laundry. When we get back upstairs she busies herself playing in her kitchen, so I sit down to read some blogs on my phone. I decide I should try and take a picture of her playing, which of course leads her to request my presence as a playmate. After a little bit she decides she wants to work in her cutting and tracing book. It doesn't last very long because she gets frustrated with the scissors.
2:14pm: I decide to sneak back to the bedroom to get my swimsuit on. Which obviously wakes up Elsie. I quickly put on my suit and grab Elsie. Ryann picks out a swimsuit and gets herself dressed. I sit the two of them down with a snack and finish putting together a bag for the pool. Elsie is taking FOREVER to eat her apple slices, so eventually I sneak one and eat it and take her to get her suit on.
3:09pm: We're in the car and on the way to the pool. Except for just as we reach the end of our neighborhood I realize I left the stupid puddle jumper in the garage. So we loop back, I run in and grab the puddle jumper and we're on our way again. While driving I get a text mentioning cash. Oh lovely, the pool only takes cash and I have approximately none. GAH. Thankfully Steph says she has got me covered. Whew, because we would have been WAY late if I had to stop for cash.
When we finally arrive at the pool and everyone is greased up with sunscreen, the girls have a great time. For the most part anyway. Ryann wanted to do the water slide, but above it was a big giant bucket of water that dumped occasionally. That completely scared the crap out of her. She tried to go up there a couple of times, but freaked out each one. I did convince her to give it one last go, with a promise of Stephanie catching her at the bottom, and me walking her up to the top and shielding her from the bucket if it dumped. Success. She only did it once more, but at least she did it!
5:14pm: Crap, we better get our butts home!
5:41pm: We pull back in the driveway, definitely a little later than I wanted to get home. Ryann is pouting about something and flings herself on the couch. When she sits up her nose is pouring out blood. You have got to be kidding me. I tell her to run to the bathroom while throwing all of our stuff down and getting Elsie in the house. Ryann gets bloody noses a lot, and she is a hot mess every time. She spits the blood and swats at my hands when I try to pinch her nose. I strip her clothes off and turn on the water while trying to stop the bleeding. She tells me her sunglasses smacked her nose. Oy. Looks like she's getting a bath now, both her and the tub are covered with blood.
6:00pm: Ryann is all cleaned up and in pjs so it is time to get dinner going. The two crazies head off to play in the family room. I overhear Ryann talking to Elsie, "Elsie, ELSIE! You want me to teach you to do a tendu?" "Yeah!" Hearing them actually play together is the cutest thing ever. Until they start fighting and I have to sprint in there before Elsie bites Ry, but hey. There is some cute. I've got nuggets in the oven for Ryann (because she eats nuggets every freaking day for dinner #parentingfail), shrimp and mushrooms in the wok, and leftover veggies ready to go in the microwave.
6:25pm: Everyone's plates are finally on the table. Just as I'm sitting down to eat the damn cat pukes on the hardwoods. Seriously. At least it was the hardwood? #(*&%@!*$ Elsie refuses to eat the shrimp, and Ryann turns her nose up at the few pieces I put on her plate. Come on kiddos, I cooked a good meal! I enjoyed it. You should too.
6:55pm: We've all eaten what we're going to, so I take Elsie to put her in some pajamas. Then I get a little snack/sweet treat for the two of them and set them up with a movie so I can wash the dishes.
7:27pm: The dishes are clean and it is time for the littlest to go to bed. We stop in the bathroom to wash her face because apparently she smeared chocolate chips all over it. Teeth brushing is also in order, then we're off to her room to read a couple books. She has picked I Love You Through And Through and Five Little Pumpkins the last several nights. I don't even know how Five Little Pumpkins surfaced, I swear it was packed with the Halloween stuff. Whatever. After books I play a song on my phone while we rock a bit. Some hugs and kisses and I lay her in her bed.
7:45pm: Ryann's turn to get ready for bed. We read a book and watch an educational video on my phone (thanks for that part of the routine Christopher. sarcasm). Then to the bathroom to brush teeth and go potty. Last step of the night is trying to make room in her bed amongst all of her 'buddies' to actually sleep. I snuggle with her until she is snoozin'.
8:30pm: Both girls are sleeping. Huzzah. I head to the basement to switch the laundry again and then I load up So You Think You Can Dance. Love that show so much. Can't believe I've been watching it for what, 10 years? Ever since the first season. You aren't supposed to snack while doing a Whole30, but I've got guacamole in the fridge that isn't going to last much longer, so that and some plantain chips from Trader Joes make their way to the couch with me.
10:11pm: The show is over. I can't decide if I'm thrilled with this season's Top 20 or not, but I'm excited for the actual competition to begin, so who cares. I text Chris and he says he is finishing up at work, so I decide to stay up until he gets home. I play on my computer, check instagram like 12 times, pick up the family room, make myself switch the laundry and turn on HGTV. Oh HGTV. It sucks me in every time. I can't wait until we have a new house. I'm excited to have a new space to decorate (despite the fact that I never really 'finished' the rooms in our current house).
11:24pm: Chris walks in the door. It took him longer than he expected to get out the door, and he stopped to pick up food on his way home. So it is definitely past my bedtime. But we chat about our days in the family room for a little while.
11:55pm: Crawl in to bed and pass out. Morning is going to come way too soon.
June 23, 2014
this and that
:: Christopher graduated from residency! Wooo FREAKING HOOOO! I seriously can't believe residency is over. I know compared to other specialties, his residency wasn't all that bad. But let's face it, residency sucks for almost everyone involved. They actually had their graduation a week before their contracts are up, and of course Chris would be the last third year working, but still. Done. Residency is done. Now we just have to survive a year of fellowship.
I'm so proud of Chris and all he has done. He poured a lot into his residency program, constantly striving to make it better. And at the graduation dinner he was given an award for teaching during residency. All the while taking care of his family (even though I bitched about it the entire three years) and being a good man. Truly, Christopher, so very proud of you.
:: Ryann picks out a movie to watch a bit of before bed every night. Last night she wanted Shrek: The Final Chapter, so tonight I just push play for the end of it. BAD FREAKING PLAN. She was epically traumatized by the ending, thinking Shrek was going to disappear. She has watched all sorts of movies and never gets truly attached to it. This is the child that while watching animals attack and kill each other told me "It's just life Mom." But she just could not handle it, and it took me nearly 45 minutes to calm her down, and even then was more or less whimpering in bed as she fell asleep. Fail. Parenting fail.
:: I really wanted the girls to wear red shorts on the fourth, but can't find any anywhere. Come on stores, help a girl out! If you've seen any girls shorts in red (would have to coming in a 4 and a 12-18 month) please oh please let me know. That is, if anyone still comments on blogs. I know I rarely do, so I'm not judging. Still reading though!
:: Speaking of the fourth, I'm super excited for the holiday (festive outfits! family time! hooray!), but terrified of all the tempting foods and wondering if I can handle it. I've finished day 26, only four more days to go, I don't want a holiday to completely derail everything I've put in to the last month. It will definitely be a true test to my will power, whether or not I can reasonably enjoy party food and not go overboard. Not to mention our anniversary is this weekend and I don't want to make Chris stay in (plus I'm down with a break from cooking!). I'll go in to more detail on how the Whole30 has been for me next week, once I'm done, but for now I'd say if you're considering trying it, go for it. It has been empowering and fulfilling. And I've eaten a LOT of good food.
:: E has an awesome new trick (several new tricks actually, such as scaring the shit out of me climbing on top of everything and picking her nose until it bleeds in her crib, those ones aren't awesome). Grabbing your cheeks when she goes in for a smooch. Dead. Every freaking time.
Just excuse the dinosaur and cat bomb, mmmkay?
I'm so proud of Chris and all he has done. He poured a lot into his residency program, constantly striving to make it better. And at the graduation dinner he was given an award for teaching during residency. All the while taking care of his family (even though I bitched about it the entire three years) and being a good man. Truly, Christopher, so very proud of you.
:: Ryann picks out a movie to watch a bit of before bed every night. Last night she wanted Shrek: The Final Chapter, so tonight I just push play for the end of it. BAD FREAKING PLAN. She was epically traumatized by the ending, thinking Shrek was going to disappear. She has watched all sorts of movies and never gets truly attached to it. This is the child that while watching animals attack and kill each other told me "It's just life Mom." But she just could not handle it, and it took me nearly 45 minutes to calm her down, and even then was more or less whimpering in bed as she fell asleep. Fail. Parenting fail.
:: I really wanted the girls to wear red shorts on the fourth, but can't find any anywhere. Come on stores, help a girl out! If you've seen any girls shorts in red (would have to coming in a 4 and a 12-18 month) please oh please let me know. That is, if anyone still comments on blogs. I know I rarely do, so I'm not judging. Still reading though!
:: Speaking of the fourth, I'm super excited for the holiday (festive outfits! family time! hooray!), but terrified of all the tempting foods and wondering if I can handle it. I've finished day 26, only four more days to go, I don't want a holiday to completely derail everything I've put in to the last month. It will definitely be a true test to my will power, whether or not I can reasonably enjoy party food and not go overboard. Not to mention our anniversary is this weekend and I don't want to make Chris stay in (plus I'm down with a break from cooking!). I'll go in to more detail on how the Whole30 has been for me next week, once I'm done, but for now I'd say if you're considering trying it, go for it. It has been empowering and fulfilling. And I've eaten a LOT of good food.
:: E has an awesome new trick (several new tricks actually, such as scaring the shit out of me climbing on top of everything and picking her nose until it bleeds in her crib, those ones aren't awesome). Grabbing your cheeks when she goes in for a smooch. Dead. Every freaking time.
Just excuse the dinosaur and cat bomb, mmmkay?
June 18, 2014
miss elsie belsie
I realized there were a few things I left out of Elsie's monthly post, so I thought I'd just write up a little addition.
:: Elsie is terrified of bugs. Spiders, ants, flies, anything. She hates them. Naturally, our house tends to let in the creepy crawlies through cracks in our doors and such. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner, and she comes running in rambling gibberish, pointing and clings to my legs. She won't move until I go find whatever bug it is and kill it. A fly landed on her high chair at lunch the other day and she about had a panic attack.
:: We had this brief conversation while I was buckling her in to the car the other day...
Elsie: "Nom nom eeew."
Me: "What?"
Elsie: pointing to a wet spot on her car seat "Nom nom eeeeeeeeeew."
Me: "Oh, you bit the carseat and it was yucky?"
Elsie: "Mmm hmm."
Me: "Well yeah, we don't bite the carseat."
Elsie: "Whhhyyy?"
Me: "Because a carseat isn't food."
Elsie: "Whhhyyy?"
:: I think Elsie is going to be a biter. It is driving me insane. If she gets really frustrated or grumpy, or Ryann is trying to keep her from doing something, she definitely goes in for a bit. She's bit my leg once when I wouldn't let her open the kitchen cabinets. She hasn't done it hard enough to hurt anyone, and she goes for it kind of slow like she knows she shouldn't (also giving me time to intervene) but ugh. Biters are so difficult. And I will not bite my child back. Sorry, won't do it. I don't believe in spanking because I think trying to teach a child not to hit and then punishing them by hitting them is wrong, and that is how I feel about biting too. Just my two cents. Hopefully it is just because she is in that frustrating stage where she can't completely communicate, not to mention she is still working on all her molars.
:: On the flip side, E totally uses kisses to get her way or get attention. If I've directed my attention elsewhere, she'll run up and kiss me on the leg, because she knows I can't resist it. Or if she does something she isn't supposed to and I'm starting to get on her about it, she'll lean in and kiss me. Totally distracts me. What a little punk :o).
Sometimes she is so cute I just can't handle it.
:: Elsie is terrified of bugs. Spiders, ants, flies, anything. She hates them. Naturally, our house tends to let in the creepy crawlies through cracks in our doors and such. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner, and she comes running in rambling gibberish, pointing and clings to my legs. She won't move until I go find whatever bug it is and kill it. A fly landed on her high chair at lunch the other day and she about had a panic attack.
:: We had this brief conversation while I was buckling her in to the car the other day...
Elsie: "Nom nom eeew."
Me: "What?"
Elsie: pointing to a wet spot on her car seat "Nom nom eeeeeeeeeew."
Me: "Oh, you bit the carseat and it was yucky?"
Elsie: "Mmm hmm."
Me: "Well yeah, we don't bite the carseat."
Elsie: "Whhhyyy?"
Me: "Because a carseat isn't food."
Elsie: "Whhhyyy?"
:: I think Elsie is going to be a biter. It is driving me insane. If she gets really frustrated or grumpy, or Ryann is trying to keep her from doing something, she definitely goes in for a bit. She's bit my leg once when I wouldn't let her open the kitchen cabinets. She hasn't done it hard enough to hurt anyone, and she goes for it kind of slow like she knows she shouldn't (also giving me time to intervene) but ugh. Biters are so difficult. And I will not bite my child back. Sorry, won't do it. I don't believe in spanking because I think trying to teach a child not to hit and then punishing them by hitting them is wrong, and that is how I feel about biting too. Just my two cents. Hopefully it is just because she is in that frustrating stage where she can't completely communicate, not to mention she is still working on all her molars.
:: On the flip side, E totally uses kisses to get her way or get attention. If I've directed my attention elsewhere, she'll run up and kiss me on the leg, because she knows I can't resist it. Or if she does something she isn't supposed to and I'm starting to get on her about it, she'll lean in and kiss me. Totally distracts me. What a little punk :o).
Sometimes she is so cute I just can't handle it.
June 16, 2014
where's my tiger blood?
And everyone who read my post title is all what the heck is wrong with this girl? No worries, I haven't completely lost my mind. As far as I know anyway.
I'm currently 19 days in to my first Whole30. It has been hard, but not THAT hard. Sure it takes a little extra planning, and some will power (my husband was laying in bed eating animal crackers and m&m's last night... grrr...) but it isn't impossible. I haven't even touched the surface of all the recipes and ideas available. But I have yet to hit that point where I feel like I have 'tigers blood' as they call it in It Starts With Food. I know a lot can happen in 11 days, and maybe my body is still working stuff out, but I honestly don't feel all that wonderful.
That isn't to say I haven't seen any benefits. I lost 5.5 pounds in the first two weeks (you're not supposed to weigh yourself, I don't care, I did anyway). I don't have headaches anymore in the afternoon from too much junk. I can go without snacks between meals and not feel like I want to slap someone (hanger is real people, Elsie and I are both evidence of that). And I don't have an upset stomach as much anymore either. I've discovered that nuts make me extremely bloated, and almond butter makes me feel sick (lame!). But they aren't the only thing bothering me. I just haven't figured it out yet.
My runs have also been pretty miserable. I anticipated the first week being bad, and it was. It was quite horrible, my body was having a very difficult time providing enough energy to keep me going. I felt shaky on runs. I've found that eating a banana or a Larabar before a longer run definitely helps, so some homemade Larabar bites might be in my future to pop before all my runs. But on Friday I went out for a six mile run and it was AWFUL. I walked probably a good mile spread throughout there. My legs felt weak, my stomach was a bit of a mess and my back was killing me. I don't know what is going on. If it's all in my head, if it is just because I need new shoes (I really need new shoes), if I really need to strengthen up my legs more, what. But right now nothing seems to be working.
I feel like it sounds as though I am not enjoying this process and the Whole30. That isn't true. I don't feel deprived, I'm eating lots of good food, I'm never truly hungry. Honestly if the people around me weren't eating off limits foods, I don't think it would be a huge deal at all. But currently the girls get a 'sweet treat' (a few m&m's or chocolate chips) if they finish their meal, and dishing out m&m's without eating a few is kind of agonizing for a few seconds. Or just reminding myself not to eat the crust off Ryann's sandwich, or a handful of whatever snack I'm getting them. Overall the experience has been positive, and I look forward to hopefully moving our family toward a clean eating or paleo lifestyle. It will just take a while to figure out the balance.
If you care what some more of meals have looked like, here you go...
I'm pretty sure some combination of sweet potatoes and chicken apple sausage has become one of my favorite breakfasts. So tasty and so filling. Today I added spinach and it was great. The second photo is an Asian Almond Chicken Salad. I liked the flavor, but wanted more of the sauce. Directly underneath that photo is a Chili Lime Chicken Burger from Trader Joe's. I really liked it on top of a portobello with guac. Chris wasn't as impressed but he said they were good. I don't know what I would do without Trader Joe's. They have some great clean options. To the right of that photo is a Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad. I really liked it, and would eat it more often if I wasn't too cheap to buy the good shrimp. And that very last photo is an example of how much I fail at making omlettes. They taste fine, but I can't figure out how to make a pretty one for the life of me.
I'm challenging myself to make at least two new actual recipes in the next 11 days, instead of just throwing compliant crap together and calling it good. The recipes I've used have been delicious, but I'm not a very good meal planner so we haven't had all the ingredients for stuff.
I'm currently 19 days in to my first Whole30. It has been hard, but not THAT hard. Sure it takes a little extra planning, and some will power (my husband was laying in bed eating animal crackers and m&m's last night... grrr...) but it isn't impossible. I haven't even touched the surface of all the recipes and ideas available. But I have yet to hit that point where I feel like I have 'tigers blood' as they call it in It Starts With Food. I know a lot can happen in 11 days, and maybe my body is still working stuff out, but I honestly don't feel all that wonderful.
That isn't to say I haven't seen any benefits. I lost 5.5 pounds in the first two weeks (you're not supposed to weigh yourself, I don't care, I did anyway). I don't have headaches anymore in the afternoon from too much junk. I can go without snacks between meals and not feel like I want to slap someone (hanger is real people, Elsie and I are both evidence of that). And I don't have an upset stomach as much anymore either. I've discovered that nuts make me extremely bloated, and almond butter makes me feel sick (lame!). But they aren't the only thing bothering me. I just haven't figured it out yet.
My runs have also been pretty miserable. I anticipated the first week being bad, and it was. It was quite horrible, my body was having a very difficult time providing enough energy to keep me going. I felt shaky on runs. I've found that eating a banana or a Larabar before a longer run definitely helps, so some homemade Larabar bites might be in my future to pop before all my runs. But on Friday I went out for a six mile run and it was AWFUL. I walked probably a good mile spread throughout there. My legs felt weak, my stomach was a bit of a mess and my back was killing me. I don't know what is going on. If it's all in my head, if it is just because I need new shoes (I really need new shoes), if I really need to strengthen up my legs more, what. But right now nothing seems to be working.
I feel like it sounds as though I am not enjoying this process and the Whole30. That isn't true. I don't feel deprived, I'm eating lots of good food, I'm never truly hungry. Honestly if the people around me weren't eating off limits foods, I don't think it would be a huge deal at all. But currently the girls get a 'sweet treat' (a few m&m's or chocolate chips) if they finish their meal, and dishing out m&m's without eating a few is kind of agonizing for a few seconds. Or just reminding myself not to eat the crust off Ryann's sandwich, or a handful of whatever snack I'm getting them. Overall the experience has been positive, and I look forward to hopefully moving our family toward a clean eating or paleo lifestyle. It will just take a while to figure out the balance.
If you care what some more of meals have looked like, here you go...
I'm pretty sure some combination of sweet potatoes and chicken apple sausage has become one of my favorite breakfasts. So tasty and so filling. Today I added spinach and it was great. The second photo is an Asian Almond Chicken Salad. I liked the flavor, but wanted more of the sauce. Directly underneath that photo is a Chili Lime Chicken Burger from Trader Joe's. I really liked it on top of a portobello with guac. Chris wasn't as impressed but he said they were good. I don't know what I would do without Trader Joe's. They have some great clean options. To the right of that photo is a Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad. I really liked it, and would eat it more often if I wasn't too cheap to buy the good shrimp. And that very last photo is an example of how much I fail at making omlettes. They taste fine, but I can't figure out how to make a pretty one for the life of me.
I'm challenging myself to make at least two new actual recipes in the next 11 days, instead of just throwing compliant crap together and calling it good. The recipes I've used have been delicious, but I'm not a very good meal planner so we haven't had all the ingredients for stuff.
June 14, 2014
elsie - sixteen months
Sorry E, I'm running a bit late on this. But we've been busy and Daddy is working late and you hate taking pictures anyway. Which is why they're aren't that many this month. Oh well.
Yes, Miss Elsie Jo is sixteen months now. I didn't weigh her, but she doesn't seem like she has grown all that much in the last month. Maybe taller, and maybe her feet are a touch bigger, but overall, pretty much the same. 12-18 month clothes, size four shoes, size four diapers. Her belly is still large and in charge, and her favorite thing to do remains more or less, eating. At least it is the fastest way to cheer her up, get her to do something you want her to do, or redirect her attention away from something you don't want her to do. She isn't as much as a vacuum, vegetables don't get shoveled in quite as quickly. But if she's truly hungry and you refuse to give her anything else, she'll eat them. The other day Grammy made chocolate chip pancakes and eggs and Elsie threw THE BIGGEST fit I have ever seen because we cut her off after more than an adult size portion.
Sleep is pretty much exactly the same as last month. She'll give me a short stretch of sleeping until 6:30 or 6:40, but for the most part she is up by 6:15. I miss quiet mornings. All of her molars seem to be coming in so fingers crossed that after that she sleeps a little better. However I said the same thing with Ryann and that sure as heck NEVER happened.
Elsie's favorite words this month were 'no', 'mine' and 'why'. Yay. She's lucky that her little voice is so darn cute, because those can get annoying real fast. Sometimes no comes out 'mo' and very aggressively. Sheesh! I was surprised she picked up the 'why' so early on, and absolutely uses it correctly. I'll tell her we're not going to do something, or we are going to do something, and she'll respond with a 'why???'. Sometimes she goes on and on. I wonder who she learned that from... cough RYANN cough Other words I've heard her say are raining (unprompted! she pointed outside and said 'ain-ing?'), dude, 'uck' (stuck), 'om-nee!' (help me!), hey, 'ain oo' (thank you), 'ar-wee' (sorry). If I ask 'whose ready to do (whatever we are going to do)' she responds 'me!' She also is doing a good job repeating the letters of the alphabet when I say them to her. My favorite right now though, is where are you? She just yells out "are you?!" Freaking adorable when she is saying "Is-eee (sissy)! Are you?" or "Dad-dee! Are you?"
In the last week or so E has been very intrigued by naming an owner to lots of items. Cups, toys, clothes, etc, she tries to figure out whose it is and tells me. When I was unloading the dishwasher she pointed to a coffee mug "Dad-dee's?" and to a Camelbak, "Is-eee's?" And she can say her own name, though it is hard to distinguish it between Elsie and Sissy.
We started back to the gym this past week. The first day I dropped them off I snuck out before E really knew what was going on. I expected to be paged 15 minutes in to my workout because she was crying, but it didn't happen. 45 minutes later I went downstairs thinking wow, she really didn't mind at all this is awesome! Yeah, nope. They said she cried for maybe 10 minutes and then just passed out on the floor. Sleeping = doing great? I don't know. The second day I again expected her to get us kicked out because she was screaming. She screeched horribly when I left her. But I made it my three miles and then some and no page. When I got down there I could see her and even though she wasn't playing, she wasn't crying, just sitting and watching the other kids. Naturally, the second she spotted me she started all out wailing.
So now stranger danger is at an all time high again. Even towards people we see on a regular basis. I know that it will get better, Ryann quickly grew to love the gym child care center, and I'm pretty sure isn't shy in the least bit because I started leaving her there. But man do I feel guilty knowing that it makes Elsie so upset, and I'm annoyed because on a 1-10 scale her clingyness has returned to about a 12. It is a good thing though, for her to branch out. Right? Right...
E is OBSESSED with her belly button. She constantly has her shirt lifted up, playing with it. She rubs it even when she's in a onesie. And in the morning if she has been sleeping in footed sleeper, she gets all giddy when I unzip them. It is definitely her comfort thing. Haven't had any paci lovers or thumb suckers, nope I got a lip picker and a belly button rubber. I guess I can handle the belly button thing, for now anyway.
Elsie pretty much wants to be just like Ryann. And it already drives Ryann nuts. But that is beside the point :). E follows her around like a little puppy, always needing to see what she is doing. And she mimics Ryann's movements the best she can. Every time Ryann practices any dance moves, Elsie will truly try to copy her, and not just dance around. Well, after a while she usually ends up doing her own thing and spinning in circles, but she sure loves Ryann. They fight, but they have a lot of fun together too.
Elsie has become determined to climb on, over, through and in things. Thankfully she still hasn't mastered getting up on stuff, but I have caught her on a chair in our family room about ready to dive off face first. She loves trying to fit inside boxes, and if she sees any sort of tunnel like object or what not that she thinks she can fit through, she has to give it a try.
E loves being outside, doing chalk, swinging, and going for walks in the stroller. She likes having books read to her, coloring, and when I sing songs (nursery rhymes and what not) in the car. She has been having fun pushing a Pottery Barn doll stroller around the house, and gets this ridiculous little 'oh no' face every time she pushes it in to something. Her play is becoming a little bit more interesting and imaginative. She'll walk a toy horse around saying neigh neigh, or bounce a cat while screaming meow meow! The other day she was pretending to feed a stuffed cat grapes. And I seriously need a video of her dance moves, she is so funny and loves to boogie.
oh, you want me to lay on the blanket? that's nice. i think i'll stay over here...
Yes, Miss Elsie Jo is sixteen months now. I didn't weigh her, but she doesn't seem like she has grown all that much in the last month. Maybe taller, and maybe her feet are a touch bigger, but overall, pretty much the same. 12-18 month clothes, size four shoes, size four diapers. Her belly is still large and in charge, and her favorite thing to do remains more or less, eating. At least it is the fastest way to cheer her up, get her to do something you want her to do, or redirect her attention away from something you don't want her to do. She isn't as much as a vacuum, vegetables don't get shoveled in quite as quickly. But if she's truly hungry and you refuse to give her anything else, she'll eat them. The other day Grammy made chocolate chip pancakes and eggs and Elsie threw THE BIGGEST fit I have ever seen because we cut her off after more than an adult size portion.
Sleep is pretty much exactly the same as last month. She'll give me a short stretch of sleeping until 6:30 or 6:40, but for the most part she is up by 6:15. I miss quiet mornings. All of her molars seem to be coming in so fingers crossed that after that she sleeps a little better. However I said the same thing with Ryann and that sure as heck NEVER happened.
Elsie's favorite words this month were 'no', 'mine' and 'why'. Yay. She's lucky that her little voice is so darn cute, because those can get annoying real fast. Sometimes no comes out 'mo' and very aggressively. Sheesh! I was surprised she picked up the 'why' so early on, and absolutely uses it correctly. I'll tell her we're not going to do something, or we are going to do something, and she'll respond with a 'why???'. Sometimes she goes on and on. I wonder who she learned that from... cough RYANN cough Other words I've heard her say are raining (unprompted! she pointed outside and said 'ain-ing?'), dude, 'uck' (stuck), 'om-nee!' (help me!), hey, 'ain oo' (thank you), 'ar-wee' (sorry). If I ask 'whose ready to do (whatever we are going to do)' she responds 'me!' She also is doing a good job repeating the letters of the alphabet when I say them to her. My favorite right now though, is where are you? She just yells out "are you?!" Freaking adorable when she is saying "Is-eee (sissy)! Are you?" or "Dad-dee! Are you?"
In the last week or so E has been very intrigued by naming an owner to lots of items. Cups, toys, clothes, etc, she tries to figure out whose it is and tells me. When I was unloading the dishwasher she pointed to a coffee mug "Dad-dee's?" and to a Camelbak, "Is-eee's?" And she can say her own name, though it is hard to distinguish it between Elsie and Sissy.
this photo is necessary because of the cat bomb. seriously.
We started back to the gym this past week. The first day I dropped them off I snuck out before E really knew what was going on. I expected to be paged 15 minutes in to my workout because she was crying, but it didn't happen. 45 minutes later I went downstairs thinking wow, she really didn't mind at all this is awesome! Yeah, nope. They said she cried for maybe 10 minutes and then just passed out on the floor. Sleeping = doing great? I don't know. The second day I again expected her to get us kicked out because she was screaming. She screeched horribly when I left her. But I made it my three miles and then some and no page. When I got down there I could see her and even though she wasn't playing, she wasn't crying, just sitting and watching the other kids. Naturally, the second she spotted me she started all out wailing.
So now stranger danger is at an all time high again. Even towards people we see on a regular basis. I know that it will get better, Ryann quickly grew to love the gym child care center, and I'm pretty sure isn't shy in the least bit because I started leaving her there. But man do I feel guilty knowing that it makes Elsie so upset, and I'm annoyed because on a 1-10 scale her clingyness has returned to about a 12. It is a good thing though, for her to branch out. Right? Right...
punk swiped my bribe
E is OBSESSED with her belly button. She constantly has her shirt lifted up, playing with it. She rubs it even when she's in a onesie. And in the morning if she has been sleeping in footed sleeper, she gets all giddy when I unzip them. It is definitely her comfort thing. Haven't had any paci lovers or thumb suckers, nope I got a lip picker and a belly button rubber. I guess I can handle the belly button thing, for now anyway.
Elsie pretty much wants to be just like Ryann. And it already drives Ryann nuts. But that is beside the point :). E follows her around like a little puppy, always needing to see what she is doing. And she mimics Ryann's movements the best she can. Every time Ryann practices any dance moves, Elsie will truly try to copy her, and not just dance around. Well, after a while she usually ends up doing her own thing and spinning in circles, but she sure loves Ryann. They fight, but they have a lot of fun together too.
Elsie has become determined to climb on, over, through and in things. Thankfully she still hasn't mastered getting up on stuff, but I have caught her on a chair in our family room about ready to dive off face first. She loves trying to fit inside boxes, and if she sees any sort of tunnel like object or what not that she thinks she can fit through, she has to give it a try.
E loves being outside, doing chalk, swinging, and going for walks in the stroller. She likes having books read to her, coloring, and when I sing songs (nursery rhymes and what not) in the car. She has been having fun pushing a Pottery Barn doll stroller around the house, and gets this ridiculous little 'oh no' face every time she pushes it in to something. Her play is becoming a little bit more interesting and imaginative. She'll walk a toy horse around saying neigh neigh, or bounce a cat while screaming meow meow! The other day she was pretending to feed a stuffed cat grapes. And I seriously need a video of her dance moves, she is so funny and loves to boogie.
Love you so much Miss Elsie Jo. Can't wait to see what next month brings!
June 11, 2014
ry's first dance recital
The first of June Ryann performed in her first dance recital. Despite the fact that she only kind of knew the dance, it was freaking adorable. Every time I tried to get her to practice she'd tell me, "It's ok Mom. (Two of the girls from her class) are five. They know the dance. I'll just look at them." Oh sweet girl, that isn't how it's supposed to work! But she's right, the oldest two did know the dance.
When we were walking into the building for the recital, Ryann couldn't stop ooogling everyone else's costumes. "Look at her pretty costume! Oh that one has fringe! That one is sparkly! I like that one mommy!" I basically had to drag her along or she would have just stayed on the sidewalk staring at everyone walking in. It was so cute to see her so excited about all of it.
The girls did pretty darn good considering their one stage rehearsal (where they ran through the dance one time) was close to a wee bit of a disaster. Obviously nobody care too much since they're four, but you'd like them to look like they at least kind of know what is going on! The recital was definitely much better. Their song was Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. At one point in the dance they march in a circle, and while facing the back Ryann got completely distracted by the silver mylar backdrop. Chris and I got a good laugh out of that one.
I was so proud of my girl, I think a lot of times we discount how scary getting up on a big stage can be for a little kid (for anyone I suppose). She didn't bat and eye, got right up there with a smile on her face and did her thing. It was so fun to see her dance, and I really hope she continues to love dance as much as I did. Dance was such an incredible outlet for me growing up and I'd love to share that with her.
Great job Ry Ry, I love you!
When we were walking into the building for the recital, Ryann couldn't stop ooogling everyone else's costumes. "Look at her pretty costume! Oh that one has fringe! That one is sparkly! I like that one mommy!" I basically had to drag her along or she would have just stayed on the sidewalk staring at everyone walking in. It was so cute to see her so excited about all of it.
The girls did pretty darn good considering their one stage rehearsal (where they ran through the dance one time) was close to a wee bit of a disaster. Obviously nobody care too much since they're four, but you'd like them to look like they at least kind of know what is going on! The recital was definitely much better. Their song was Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. At one point in the dance they march in a circle, and while facing the back Ryann got completely distracted by the silver mylar backdrop. Chris and I got a good laugh out of that one.
I was so proud of my girl, I think a lot of times we discount how scary getting up on a big stage can be for a little kid (for anyone I suppose). She didn't bat and eye, got right up there with a smile on her face and did her thing. It was so fun to see her dance, and I really hope she continues to love dance as much as I did. Dance was such an incredible outlet for me growing up and I'd love to share that with her.
Great job Ry Ry, I love you!
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