Life Lately

"Joke," Nolan says, "Joke!" It started with our Google Home. Caden and Brooklyn discovered they could walk over, "Hey Google. Tell me a joke!", and it went from there. Then Tyson told them the classic "Why did the chicken cross the road?". Since then they come up with their own versions, all ending with the punchline "to get to the other side." Caden's are usually something like "Why did the chicken cross the road and fight the car and then fall into a tree?" If you ask Nolan what his joke is, though, he responds with, "Cross...tree!" or "Cross...cheese!" or "Cross...water!" or "Cross...*insert noun of something in his immediate vicinity here*!" He thinks it's just hilarious. 

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At the end of January - a mere month ago, though it seems much longer - we traveled to Arizona to visit Tyson's brother and his family. It was the first time we flew with the kids and they did great! We filled their backpacks up with snacks, Target dollar section goodies, and, most importantly, their tablets. Caden and Brooklyn did just fine on our 3+ hour flights, though Nolan tended to bounce around between Tyson and I, to Tyson's mom, to Tyson's dad, who traveled with us. 

Our flight back home was late, we didn't land until 11:00 at night, and while everyone was certain the kids would fall asleep on the plane I knew better. Caden conked out during the last hour, Brooklyn literally fell asleep as we touched down on the runway, but Nolan was active on his tablet until the bitter end, until we were taxiing to the runway and he gave up while I rocked him on my shoulder. "Bed! Go to bed!" he sobbed and the entire airplane laughed in solidarity.

It was nice to escape to the sunshine for a few days in the midst of this long, cold winter. We visited the beautiful and amazing Phoenix Zoo, explored the concrete structures and fed the ducks at the Riparian Preserve, and ate some delicious, local food at Joe's Farm Grill. We also learned that Tyson's brother and his family will be moving this summer to join us up here in Minnesota! We're very excited to have them nearby, and glad we took what was probably our last chance to visit them in the Arizona sunshine.

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I'm sure you've seen that we celebrated a slew of birthdays recently. First the twins', then Nolan's. I curse February every year, especially birthday week since it all feels like just so much, but as soon as it's all over I think, "Hey, that wasn't so bad. And now we're done for the year!" Basically I spend two weeks in February overwhelmed with all things birthday and am thrilled about it for the other 11 1/2 months out of the year. 

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Something less fun during our mega-super-birthday week was getting rear-ended while we were sitting at a red light. On Caden and Brooklyn's birthday. We're all just fine, but our van...

not so much. Caden was more curious about it all than anything else ("It was really loud and then our window broke.") while Brooklyn was upset once the police showed up ("Are we going to jail?") but they really haven't talked about it since, so I guess they're over it? We're waiting to hear back from the repair shop before moving forward with anything (And at just what point do they total out the car? Seriously, how much does an entire rear power door to a van, and then some, cost, anyway?) but since the driver who hit us was charged with a DWI, well, they're in a lot more trouble than we are right now.

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The Parkland shooting has been weighing heavy on my mind. I plan to join the Minnesota March for Our Lives taking place on Saturday, March 24th (Local? Join me!) and have been waiting for our local Moms Demand Action group to have a chapter meeting near me (South and East metros...you're just not doing it for me). 

I've toned down my news consumption and social media usage since the 2016 election had me reading ALL THE THINGS for too many months and I found it obsessive and ultimately not good for me. Of the few things I have read, Emma Gonzalez and her fellow students are giving me life, this article by Washington Post's editorial board was both direct and insightful, and these parents are my heroes for standing up and asking the intense, direct, right questions of both their senators and the NRA.

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We've had quite the winter this year. Some years are cold, some years are snowy, this year we've had more than our fair share of BOTH. As I type this it's snowing and we're in the midst of yet another Winter Storm Warning. We've had snow since before Halloween, making this our fourth month of full-blown actual winter. It's safe to say I'm over it. 

Except when it's pretty.

One way I've been tackling the winter blahs is to really create a schedule for us. Not only for activities outside the house but also for when we're at home. Art Time has been a major life saver these past few months. At 4 or 4:30 or so we put everything away for the day. I pull out some sort of art supplies or project, (as well as my own coloring book and pencils), turn on some music, and we wind down.

Caden has been working on this piece for weeks now. He calls it his "beast's castle" (we have a slight Beauty and the Beast obsession) and it's something he pulls out almost every day to work on. He usually values quantity over quality, cranking out page after page after page in his coloring book, construction paper, etc., but this is something he continues to come back to. I'm impressed by his attention span and the level of detail he's put into it. I also can't recommend ginormous pieces of paper enough, since the sheer size keeps them occupied far longer than your average piece of construction paper.

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Nolan has hit full-blown two-year old independence in recent weeks. "I do it" has become his life verse. Except he says, "I did it!", even before he's even done anything. Garbage to throw away? "I did it!" Me grabbing the remote to turn the TV off? "I did it!" Putting the lid on his sippy cup? "I did it!" This is often accompanied by lots of jumping up and down and stamping of feet, of course, for sheer emphasis.

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We've also been about all things OLYMPICS! The kids have gotten into it a little this year and you better BELIEVE the birthday party theme four years from now will be a winter Olympics one. Nolan cries out "Hockey!" whenever we turn the TV on, whether hockey is actually playing or not. (That's my boy.) I've been particularly into the women's skating events, the pairs free skate, skeleton (y'all are bananas), bobsledding, and the snowboard cross racing. I didn't watch, but I'm also thrilled the women's hockey team picked up the gold medal. Now that everything is all wrapped up, our lives can go back to normal, and we can resume catching up on everything from the shows to the podcasts to the household cleaning we've missed from being camped out in front of the TV from 7-10:00 pm (at least) for the past two+ weeks.

A Dinosaur Princess Birthday Party

You know I can't resist posting about the kids' birthday party each year. My inner creative goes nuts as I research everything that has to do with anything connected to the party theme. And I think this every year, but this time, I mean it: This was my favorite birthday party yet!

The theme? A dinosaur princess one, of course.

Brooklyn's dress. Tiara headbands.

I'll say it was easier to come up with dinosaur-themed things than princess ones. Taking to Google for a "princess party" search ends up with a billion results featuring Disney princesses, but what if you just want a generic princess theme? I settled on lots of gold, sparkles, and crowns, and hoped the shiny dinosaurs were enough. (According to the two birthday kids above, they were.)

Stomp, sparkle, roar, we're turning two and four! Clever...right?

Cupcake wrappers. Pearlized dinosaurs. Gold dinosaurs. Dinosaur sprinkles.

I praised myself last year for the genius move of ordering out for all the cakes. This year? Well, it got away from me. I lost January to guests, work travel for Tyson, and family travel for us all. By the time I was thinking - really thinking -- about all things dinosaur and princess and party it was really too late to order anything from a bakery. I tackled all three cakes and 36 cupcakes the day before the party. My cake decorating skills may be mediocre, but it was nothing some sparkles, sprinkles, and gold dinosaurs couldn't save.

(And if you're interested: Layer cake recipe. Buttercream frosting recipe. Chocolate cupcake recipe. Apple spice cupcake recipe. Cream cheese frosting recipe. Everything turned out yummy and I will be using all of these recipes again and again. Especially that chocolate cupcake one - yum!)

Definitely my favorite one. That pterodactylis giving me life.

I create a photo banner every year with pictures from the past twelve months. It's one of my favorite (and most difficult) tasks. We leave it to hang for a few weeks even once the birthday festivities are over, and then I tuck the photos away in a box upstairs. It guarantees that I've at least printed out some photos each year instead of leaving them all to the digital confines of my computer.

Dinosaur banners. Gold balloons.

Mostly, it was dinosaurs, dinosaurs everywhere.

Literally everywhere.

Dinosaur necklace.

Brooklyn is shaking her groove thing with one of these dinosaur tails. Foam crown craft. Ginormous giraffe courtesy of my brother. That's what uncles are for, right?

This was also probably the most relaxing birthday party we've ever had. I toned down the guest list to a more manageable size this year and the kids were all old enough to fend for themselves. I didn't have to worry about nursing a baby or hovering over six tiny hands trying to reach the cupcakes. (Only two tiny hands... *cough* Nolan *cough*) 

Everyone had fun with all things "dine-a-sord" (that's a Nolan-ism) and princess. Caden asked me if we can have another party after quiet time today. I'm enjoying the last few chocolate cupcakes. Also prepping for actual birthdays around here on Tuesday (the twins') and Thursday (Nolan's). There's a chance that our current snowstorm may be keeping us snowed-in tomorrow, but at least our house is decorated appropriately.

If you're interested:

Candy first and third birthday party
Barnyard second birthday party
Ties and Tutus first birthday party

Date Your Kids

With three kids under four, my days tend to blur together. Mornings into afternoons, tantrums into snuggles. I frequently float through my days feeling I haven’t done much beyond prepare food, clean up food, straighten up the house, and, mostly, wrangle small children.

The background can become a blur of noise and chaos. Someone screaming, another singing, a third crying, with the din of Super Why and the vacuum in the background. It can be difficult to differentiate between each sound, each emotion, each kid clamoring for attention. Wait, who’s tugging on my hand right now? Which one of you stole a toy from who? Who are you again?

Enter date night. But not with my husband.

Read the rest over at the Twin Cities Moms Blog.

Read, Watched, Listened

I love reading just about everything, watching comedy and documentary-type things, and wholeheartedly embrace the podcast. I also enjoy hearing about what other people are reading, watching, and listening. Here's my two cents worth.

READ

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
My brother and sister-in-law gifted me a subscription to the Book of the Month Club for Christmas. This was my first pick. I'm so used to reading ebooks on my tablet it was nice to page through an actual real-life paper book again! I wasn't sure I was going to finish this book until I was nearly halfway through. Eleanor Oliphant herself was actually completely neurotic, pretentious, and annoying to me at first. But as I learned more and more about her and got into the story, I ended up loving her and the other characters. I'm glad I kept on and gave it a chance.

Born A Crime
So, so good. Even better because I read the entire thing in Trevor Noah's voice. It's a memoir but also a commentary on South African and our own American society. He's had quite the life and it was fascinating to delve more into his background and explore what it really means to be black, white, and biracial.

Promise Me, Dad
Joe Biden's memoir of the year his son was diagnosed with cancer and his concurrent time in the White House. I have to say this one was truly a labor of love to finish. I kept on because I like Biden, but found the writing dry and journalistic. It was very much a "this happened and then this happened" telling of the story. It was interesting to read about his travels and work as Vice President and about his son's diagnosis and treatment, but I longed for more of the emotion behind it all instead of just an account of what happened.

Love Does
Fell in love with this book. Bob Goff's memoir/faith journey/whimsical examination of life was beautiful, funny, shocking, and touching to read, often all at the same time. I appreciated that it's not a theological tome - at one point he talks about starting a "Bible doing" group instead of a "Bible study". It's real, authentic, and motivates me to find out just what love can do in my own life. I already know I will be coming back to this one again and again.

Little Fires Everywhere
I saw this one everywhere last year and made the purchase before we left for Arizona. I zipped through most of it on the flight back and am so close to being finished. The mark of a good novel to me is the depth of its character development, which this book has in spades. I love all the characters, their good sides and their bad. There's a strain of mystery and discovery throughout, which keeps me thinking about it throughout the day. Is it too soon to say it's my favorite novel of the year?

WATCHED

The Crown
Does a large part of me watch this show solely for the design porn of everything from the clothing to the various palace sets? Yes. It's also clever, fascinating, and sends us down a Wikipedia wormhole after (if not during) each episode. Now to wait for season three...

Top Chef
We're Top Chef junkies. We're loving the cast, based in Colorado, this year. Everyone is talented but more importantly nice. For the most part people get along and it's so interesting to see how everyone works together (or sometimes don't). I have a trip to Denver planned in August, so I'm also keeping my eyes open for things to check out while I'm there!

LISTENED

Nothing new here. January was such a busy month (a birthday, Tyson gone for a week, our trip to Arizona) that I didn't much keep up with the ones already in my queue. Despite the business, hardly a week goes by that I don't check in with One Bad Mother, Pantsuit Politics, and Risen Motherhood, so be sure to check those out if you haven't already!

Note: any links to Amazon in this post are affiliate links.

Rocking My Baby

I still rock Nolan to sleep.

He’s going to be two next month. I’d worry that I’ve instilled some terrible sleep habits except he goes down at night just fine. Nighttime is easy. Diaper change, clothes off, pajamas on, read two books in the rocking chair, sing the Daniel Tiger goodnight song, “fissy” (read: fishy) projection on the ceiling, sound of rain on the sound machine, plop him in bed and goodnight goodbye see you in the morning.

Naptime is another story.

I plop him in bed and he does just fine flipping through (or occasionally ripping apart) some books for a while. But it doesn’t take long before I hear, “Mommy! Mommmmeeee! Mom-MEEEE!”. Mommy, mommy, mommy on repeat. I’m not sure exactly how long he would keep it up if I let him. I cave after a few minutes since I have three others to worry about in rooms nearby: two three-year olds in separate rooms and a husband in the bedroom-turned-office that shares a wall with Nolan’s room, all attempting their own version of work and quiet time. So I give in, go upstairs, open the door, peek my head in. “Up,” he demands with that serious little look, chin tucked down, big blue eyes looking up at me. “Rock,” he says, and so I do.

Part of the reason I’ve kept it up this long is that it’s quick. It takes no longer than five minutes and usually less than two. The second his head hits my shoulder and I start to move around the room his body relaxes. I make a couple of laps around the bedroom and stop in front of his door to do the side-to-side bounce that does him in every time. Right-left-right-left-right-left and it doesn’t take much before he’s a goner.

Part of it is that I’m lazy. It’s the easy thing to do, the why-fix-what-ain’t-broken route. After a full morning of carrying, feeding, changing, driving, playing, disciplining, and plain old interacting with three little ones, I’m over it. It’s naptime. Just go to sleep. Whatever it takes. A quick rock, drop him in the crib where he immediately rolls over to his right side, V for victory arms as I walk out of the room, and done.

Part of me enjoys it. I didn’t enjoy the rocking all that much when they were babies, when I could walk and rock and pace the room for half an hour and still not know if they were really asleep, if they would stay asleep, if they would ever for the love of God please just sleep. But this two minutes and done rocking session is right up my alley. I put in my time, he does his thing, and see you later. It’s a remnant of his babyhood. He still curls his hand up right against his cheek. I have pictures of him with the same face, the same hand, the same droopy-lipped position when he was a real baby, not the boy-giant he is now.

It’s a connection to this babyhood, I suppose. Really the last fragment of it from an almost-two year old who is ahead of the game in nearly every other area, one who is talking in full sentences, counting to ten, who could climb up to the top of the tallest part of our neighborhood playground at 14-months old, and often eats more at a meal than his brother and sister combined. (Well, the naptime rocking and the diapers. Though the diapers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. He asks for the potty and then runs away screaming, “I don’t like it!” *sigh* Someday…)

My right shoulder is often tense and sore. I’m sure it’s from these rocking sessions, every day at naptime. They may last mere minutes, but my “baby” is now 30+ pounds. My right shoulder is exactly the spot where he curls up, and has curled up, nearly every day for the past two years. (Somehow “fit in monthly massage therapy appointments” hasn’t quite made it into the budget in the past 24 months.)

I don’t have any real plans to drop our daily rocking session in the near future. I’ve made arbitrary deadlines before...when he’s 15 months old...when he’s a year and a half...sometime this fall...but I clearly haven’t followed through. It’s the one time a day, just me and him, that I don’t mind it being just me and him. The rest of the time he’s so loud, so active, so wiggly, so squirmy, so fast, so much. He relaxes for a couple of minutes in my arms and so do I. Now if he could just get the hang of that whole nap thing for more than an hour and fifteen minutes at a time...

Photo credit: Prall Photography.