Completely Unrelated

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

But two photos that make me happy:
 
 
 
Rich was out of town twice last week. On Saturday we visited the cousins and watched Toy Story 2. Lucy told me everything that was going to happy right before it did. Isaac wedged himself between Abby and Mercy so that he could keep his hand in the popcorn bowl the entire time. Thankfully, the girls didn't seem to mind.
 
On Sunday, we picked up Rich from the airport and celebrated a half-day weekend together. I hadn't made banana bread since Isaac was born (not from scratch anyway). This one turned out better than my last. I used 4 ripe bananas instead of three, which helped with the flavor. It always takes longer than an hour to cook through for me though. Everything else turned out beautifully. Isaac enjoyed it.
 

Read More

Someone Loves His Stickers

Sunday, April 28, 2013


Read More

Week in Bullets

Friday, April 26, 2013

  • Did not do the 5K because of some walking-related uterus pressure. I'm fine with that because this totally would have been my view had I gone:
  •  
  •  
  • Made some progress on the kitchen remodel front. We do not have lead-based paint in the kitchen. This expands our pool of potential installers. Results for asbestos return on Wednesday.
  •  
  • We also discovered that a slew of geniuses, who owned this unit before us, put down THREE layers of flooring in the kitchen. Really, I would have expected at least the third guy to scrape up the others floors first. Our kitchen floor is like a game of "hot potato." Each owner did something as fast as he possibly could and then passed the spud to someone else. Then we bought it and they immediately stopped the music. (Anyway, it's only 7x10, so it's not the end of the world.) But I am amazed at what people are willing to do to their homes. Fixing it may reduce our remodeling budget elsewhere in that space, but at least we'll have the peace of mind that comes with doing the job correctly.
  •  
  •  
  •  The best find of this week has been Angie's List, a consumer reports-type site on contractors. It has been a HUGE help so far! Otherwise, I've felt like I was playing darts in the dark.
  •  
  •  
  • We are pretty sure of what we want:
    • white, raised-panel, easy-to-wash cabinets with a decent warranty
    • a microwave with a light over the stove and circulating vent
    • a stand-in-place dishwasher
    • an L-shaped design with corner cabinets for maximum storage
    • resilient vinyl flooring
    • decent countertops
  •  
  • We are keeping the electrical and water lines in place and all of the walls intact. The current variables are: asbestos and square-ness of the room. Those questions will be answered next week.
  •  
  • So, as you can probably tell, this is my form of nesting this pregnancy. :)
Read More

The Playground That Has No End

Sunday, April 21, 2013

We've been meaning to take Isaac to this huge playground for a while. As you can see, it was probably the highlight of his life:
 

Read More

Best Part About Spring

So glad we can do this again!
 










 
Read More

Future Communications Major?

 
As we approached the self-check line at the grocery store this afternoon, Isaac shouted out to everyone in the next line over, "Hi, Guys!" Mind you, we didn't actually know any of the people in the line. But it made everyone smile. One gentleman said that Isaac would be a communications major. Regardless, he does this kind of thing all the time. At this volume:
 
 
 
When we see dogs pass, he says, "Hi, Doggie!" When we see people pass, he says, "Hi, Friends!" and "Good bye, Friends!" He is really into other people. So far, he has a very social side and a very physically active side. He frequently makes us laugh out loud with the things he says and does.
Read More

All Better

Friday, April 19, 2013

We've been employing some new parenting strategies over here, which have helped with the length, frequency, and intensity of meltdowns. Thanks for the suggestions. We are doing our best to make this transition into the twos as smooth as it can be. Overall, Isaac is a pleasant child. He needs a lot of outdoor time and lots of field trips to be calm and to sleep well.
 
 
 
All that is fine, except that his parents have needs too. Sometimes those needs conflict with his needs. So someone has to bend. Often it's the parents, which is good (I'm sure it's how we learn to be selfless). Sometimes it's Isaac. (We can't constantly provide stimulating situations or he won't learn how to make his own fun.)
 
 
 
The weather this week has really helped the situation. It's totally delightful to be outside. Most of the trees have leaves now. The grass is super-thick and green. The landscaping crew has been here twice already to cut it. Birds are out constantly -- especially in the morning. We can keep our windows open most of the day and throughout the night.
 
He's shouting here because he discovered something -- not because he's hurt. He uses his "outdoor voice" inside too.
 
Waking up to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh spring air reminds me of all of our camping days as kids -- and makes me happy.
 
 
 
Isaac gets a little rush when he is outside too. He talks about it from the time I tell him we are going out until the day ends. "Playground! Slide! Swing!" It really makes his day.
 
 
 
 
 
Discovered a "DOG!"
 
 
 On the parenting side, I've been using "do NOT" instead of "don't" because I keep hearing that 19-months olds can't process contractions. It makes sense. He seems to understand "do not." In fact, yesterday I heard him say several time while playing with his toys, "Do NOT kick mommy!"
 
 
While I was making dinner, I heard a distressed young man shout, "Help! Stuck!" I came out to discover that he wedged himself between the chairs and convinced himself that he couldn't get out on his own. I told him he could come out after I took a picture because I'm an awesome mom like that.
 
 
 
This is another place he frequently gets "stuck." He's smiling here because I was laughing at him.
 
 
 
The gerbera daisies are still going strong. :)
 
 
 
Recently, Isaac's discovered how to tip over his work bench. Now he can't stop. He prefers working with it while it's on it's side.  
 
 
 
Here's a little project that he really gets into: sticker placing! He sits still for a while with me while I work on the laptop. It's a win-win! :)
 
 
 
 
 
[Please excuse the blur of some of the photos. I can't hold still very easily with Andre in tow. Plus my subject is almost perpetually in motion. Very challenging photo situation!]
Read More

Surprise!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Rich bought me these after a mom meltdown, which I completely blame on a certain small child who's taken to testing all of the rules and limits lately. Constantly. Testing. Them. It's been one of those phases that inspired me to run a search of local day school programs, their costs, requirements, and earliest possible admittance ages. Yes. One of those phases. I may need 2-3 mornings a week in order to remain mentally stable. (Not kidding.)
 
On a positive note, I found this post yesterday, which made me smile and think of life with two small boys.
 
Read More

Your Nineteen-Month-Old

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Your toddler is not yet 2, and still he's acquired so many new skills.
 
 
 
 
He walks with confidence, perhaps even outrunning you on the playground and adding a hop here and there.
 
 
 
He can push and pull his toys and discovers that he doesn't have to crawl up the stairs because he can reach the railing and walk up or down them like you do.
 
 
 
He's becoming a master climber, too, which means he can get into almost anything, even if he has to use the stool in the kitchen to get to the forbidden object.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In fact, by day's end you might be ready to crash on the couch with a magazine, but your toddler is still on the go. Sometimes you can't help but wish he had an off switch!
 
 
 
Read More

Life 'Round Here

 
Firstly, the weather has completely changed. It is "all done snowing."
 
 
We jumped from the 50's to the 90's last week. I turned on the air conditioner mid-week. This week will be much more mild -- hanging out around 70 degrees.
 
 
We are also working on a kitchen remodel plan. I have poured way too many hours into the project. We have a beautiful plan, but are still waiting on some prices. If we go ahead with it, we are debating whether or not to do it before Andre comes. If we do it later -- it will be pushed off for quite a bit. At this stage, we have 1950's cabinets, cracked linoleum, cracked countertops, a roll away dishwasher and no microwave. There is very little countertop space, which has worked fine for a year and a half. So, we could just keep using it the way it is. But, as the housing market returns, it appears that a modest remodel would, in fact, pay for itself. Most of the items of the quote have come in lower than expected so far. Here is one of about six countertop displays I looked at, which really made my head spin. These are quartz, which is supposed to be maintenance-free (unlike granite). Of course, like granite, it is much more expensive than laminate. Getting it would, however, put our order in a larger discount category. So, there's that debate. Right about now, I don't want to think about it. I have spent hours and hours this week making lists, calling vendors, and running searches.
 
 
 
 
Theresa was kind enough to watch Isaac for me for five hours while I went to the cabinet manufacturer to see products, discuss warranty, and edit plans. Isaac was fascinated by the dogs. I'm grateful that he can get his dog binge in without us actually having to get a dog.
 
 
 
Here I am at 33 weeks. So this pregnancy could be 5-9 more weeks. (Rich is praying for Memorial Day weekend, though I'm hoping for the non-weekend hospital staff.) I'm still within the recommended weight gain range of 22-28 pounds, even after the Easter binging. We are supposed to do a 5K next weekend. So, we'll see how that goes...
 
 
 
This little man has become super-active. He needs an activity constantly or he gets bored. We've been trying to get him out every day for more than just grocery shopping or laundry or errands. He really likes running around in open spaces and discovering nature.
 
 
 
He's holding a "ball" from one of our trees. His favorite thing to do is throw them into the creek.
 
 
 
He has twelve teeth now -- still waiting on the incisors -- including four molars. So, he can eat pretty much anything. He often makes this face, which reminds me of the dramatic overbite I have.
 
 
 
Last week we discovered these steps (thanks to Heidi), which have been a huge hit with Isaac. He spends 20 minutes at a time running up and down them. They are far away from hazards like roads, water, and train tracks. Here he decided to sit down like Ms. Holly.
 
 
 
Recently I had a "wow" moment. I realized that Isaac really was learning what I repeated at him over and over. He was on the slide with Rich and repeated "butt down" several times. Not the most amazing phrase ever, but I do tell him that every time he's at the top of the slide. And he knows what it means. And he normally does it. This was nice to see. I often feel like simply a broken record.

 
 
Coming down from the top slide.
 
 

Read More

Coming Off of the 9-Day Solemnity High

 
We are recovering from our Easter ham binge. I think it's safe to say that I don't care if I never eat ham again for the rest of my life. Here are some good foods we've been eating. Thanks to Cooking Light's April Issue, we've found some really tasty (and fast!) salad and veggie recipes.
 
Maibock -- Gordon Biersch's seasonal beer.

Panko-Crusted Cod with Tomato-Basil Relish and Walnut and Blue (or Feta for me) Cheese Salad.

This beer is really good! We filled up Rich's growler of this malty goodness.

Warm Potato & Steak Salad.

Read More