ten on tuesday - 8 march edition

a grouping of thoughts swirling around in my head this tuesday evening. no semblance of order...just the randomness of my brain at the end of a long day...

1. i am so "sarcastically" excited that it's 8:30pm and lucy is still singing in her crib. c'mon baby! just go to sleep already! though it is rather cute to hear her singing away...

2. i am "authentically" excited that i'm hearing the sounds of john doing the dishes downstairs. wahoo! one less thing for this mama to do tonight. though i will probably still have a couple pots to do, seeing as he seems to forget any and all dishes that aren't in the immediate vicinity of the sink...

3. i am hearing the sounds of my hard drive uploading even MORE images from last sunday's wedding. the image count is almost at 1000 and i still have one card left. whoa. literal image overload. i'm feeling overwhelmed just thinking about it. i just need to remind myself: one image at a time...one image at a time...

4. i served salmon burgers for dinner tonight and no one complained! not even john! (i'm only slightly joking) that must be a first. also a first, elijah ate all his asparagus. without protest. i was shocked.

5. i just took the flannel sheets off our bed and am mourning the loss. i was hoping to keep them on through march but seeing as though it's sixty nine degrees upstairs without the aid of the heater...it was time. the fleece blanket is still on the bed, just in case...but i truly doubt we'll be using it. 

6. i spent several (actually, more than several...ahem) minutes looking at vintage fisher price toys on etsy.com tonight. thinking i need to add a few more to my collection. hmmm...

7. i ransacked my "office" today looking for the two eldest kids' social security cards this afternoon to no avail. we need them so we can put in their passport applications asap. we're headed to mexico in april! and while i'm definitely excited about that, i'm decidedly not as excited about the missing cards. if you were a social security card, where would you be?

8. i need to made a decision about this year's garden. to be or not to be? that is the question. i want to start digging...but then i start thinking about all the ants that live back there, all the weeds that need to be vanquished and i get exhausted just thinking about it. maybe i'll just grow some sugar snap peas along the fence...

9. i really need to get back into a good workout routine. my body is aching from too many nights spent sleeping in an upright position...and though that needs to be remedied in and of itself, i know i would feel better if i was getting consistent exercise...

10. i have served these three different versions of pancakes for breakfast over the past week or so and every single one of them was gobbled up. just thought i'd share some yummy recipes! (just as an aside: i did add cinnamon, vanilla and blueberries to the honey whole wheat ones...so i guess that was kind of cheating. no wonder they were gobbled up!) i plan to try this one as well, but seeing as it needs a food processor and i like to keep my children sleeping as long as absolutely possible, i think i'll save it for a "sleepy start" kind of morning or a "breakfast for dinner" kind of evening. OR...maybe i'll be a really cool mom and serve them for lunch tomorrow. hmmm...

the "to done" list...

so many evenings find me sighing, lamenting all that didn't get done that day. the list is forever endless; i find myself continually adding tasks to the list rather than checking any off. i look around me and cannot help but to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, under-qualified. most days, i head to bed thinking, "maybe tomorrow... maybe next week... maybe someday..."...a discouraging mindset at best. i was beginning to wonder if this was my destiny...was i to be forever shackled by an unending to do list? when i stumbled across a status update on facebook bemoaning the very same thing. a comment below it exhorted the writer of the update to make a "to done" list instead of the traditional "to do" list. and novel thought. a brilliant thought. a genius thought. so...here i am...at the end of a seemingly very unproductive day...and i am making a "to done" list.

1. i made and served three meals (plus two snacks). they weren't anything exciting but at least they were made and my family was fed.
2. i cleaned up said meals. dishes put into the dishwasher and the very same dishes taken out of the dishwasher. table wiped. highchair wiped. floor under highchair wiped. counters washed down. etc. etc. etc.
3. i actually cleaned the kitchen sink. this doesn't happen very often as i only seem to do it when the perfect storm occurs: the drying rack is mostly empty, the kids are playing happily and there's not a meal being prepared. like i said, it doesn't happen very often.
4. i changed at least five diapers, three of which were poopy (when they're cloth diapers, you always remember the number of poopies...the total number, not so much).
5. i nursed a little one at least four times...but maybe more than that, depending on when you consider the day actually starting...
6. i took a shower!!! this is phenomenal, seeing as it doesn't happen as often as it should...
7. i talked to my sweet mother on the phone...several times. ;o)
8. i read two chapters of my book (while nursing, of course)
9. i cleaned the upstairs toilet and sinks (floor, counters and tub to come tomorrow)
10. i read three bearenstain bear books (one twice), one curious george book, and several other miscellaneous stories
11. i drew a really awesome castle and some very cute birdies for a budding artist to color
12. i started the process of moving the playroom out of the playroom and into what was, up until now, the catch-all room, moving the guest room/office into the old playroom and moving naomi's things into the old guest room. i didn't get very far on that project but i really wasn't expecting to...

and finally, i'll make an even baker's dozen:

13. i doled out innumerable hugs and kisses, sung countless rounds of "baby beluga", "moon, moon, moon" (lu's favorite song), "twinkle, twinkle", "joy to the world" (e's favorite song...) and the "a b c's", nibbled on several tummies and soaked up an unending stream of smiles, gummy and tooth-filled.

i did a lot today. never mind that the laundry didn't get started, the beds didn't get made and there's still a sticky spot on the kitchen floor where elijah dropped a half eaten orange. there's always tomorrow...right?

scenes from daily life...

the scene this morning:
       i was chasing lucy around downstairs, trying to change a poopy. we were having a bit of a laugh when all of a sudden she stopped right in the middle of being chased, put her finger up to her lips and says, "shhh, i seeping". she shut her eyes while standing up and pretended to sleep. fake snore and everything. that lasted about two seconds...her eyes popped open, she laughed a hysterical fake laugh and ran off again, saying, "i funny, mama! i funny!". this happened more than once...and let me tell you, i was dying of laughter! i haven't laughed that hard in a long time...

can't get enough of the orchards...

...this time of year, i just can't get enough of the orchards. they are amazing! so beautiful...
i just had to get my kiddos out in them this year to grab some pictures.
of course, neither my children nor the sun cooperated very much.
but...we did what we could.
thankfully, my wonderful friend, shannon, came along to help corral the littles. i grabbed some shots of her kids too...

my sweet baby girl.
four months old.
still so tiny.
barely fitting into three month clothes...her sister had already graduated to the six month size at this point.
at her appointment on tuesday, she only weighed 11 pounds.
she's healthy...but teeny.
love it.
love her.
love her abundant smile (though not so much at 3 am...)
and her contagious giggle.
she is sweet.
so sweet...but strong.
so strong.
already rolling herself all over the place...and standing up in my arms any chance she gets.
she won't sit contentedly anymore, no...she wants to be standing...to see the action.
she loves books and bathtime.
she watches faces with delight and intention.
she will be inquisitive...she already is.

one word wednesday : 2 march 2011

sparkle.

boy.

these days he can be found...
       ...kicking dirt with a snot streaked shirt sleeve.
       ...ripping holes in the knees of his jeans with surprising speed.
       ...shooting the "bad guys" with any weapon he can find, real or imaginary.
       ...tackling his sister for no reason at all.
       ...refusing to take a nap even though he's beyond tired.
       ...asking questions that require research before answering.
       ...counting to twenty but skipping 15-19 because he doesn't "like those ones".
oh boy...he is four.