Friday

I promise I have some awesome recipes and stories and even giveaways coming your way.  It's just that I'm busy sitting here in my husband's basketball shorts and my largest T-shirt trying to keep our life together and catch a breath now and again.  Nag me next week if I don't come through, will ya?

Happy Weekend!

xo
anne

Friday morning

I just love this kid's morning mug.

Other things on my mind this morning:
The cherry tree in the backyard is blossoming. Can hardly wait for the fruit. I think the 2nd trimester 'I feel mostly human again' has finally come. Better late than never. Could I ever be a legitimate blogger? On my mind a lot lately. I think tonight I'll make shrimp risotto at Blaine's request. He deserves it. He awoke at 6:30, dressed himself, made a lunch, and had his backpack on before the rest of us emerged from our beds! Then I think I'll paint my nails mint green. I'm dreaming of a baby bike seat for Cart now that it's warming up. I want to cruise the neighborhood all spring and summer long. I need to clean the boy's bathroom today. Their aim is sketchy at best. I think today when I go downtown I'll take some pics of my favorite spots so I can continue my If You Come to Visit series.

Have a lovely spring weekend...
Anne

Happy Birthday, Monkey!

When Blaine arrived home from school Thursday he asked, "Mom, can you make some banana bread?"

"Not today," I replied.

Then, in an angry, oppressed, you-are-a-terrible-person tone of voice he yelled back, "WHAT?! But it's monkey's birthday!!!!"

Like every one should have known that.

"Oh," I said, surprised. "You didn't tell me it was his birthday."

"Well it is!"

"OK then, we'd better make him some banana bread!"

We spent the rest of the afternoon in party preparations. Thankfully, monkey had a long nap so we were able to keep it a surprise. The boys wrapped up several presents all by themselves (some books and a banana, of course). I worked on the bread and party hats.

It was one of the best afternoons I can remember.

Behold: Monk's birthday party...

Peekaboo

Where's Carter?

I am so outnumbered.

There are so many more boys than girls in this house! The other day Blaine said, 'Mom, can you get down the Dangerous Book for Boys for me? And then can you please leave my room? It's got secret stuff just for boys.'

Awesome.

I'm predicting all boys. Hopefully they'll turn out as strapping as Mitt's.

Pictured: what it looks like when I go to the mall. And now that I'm feeling sooooo much better, the mall sounds pretty fun. Shall we, Mom?

Friday

The heavens smiled down on us. By Friday evening I felt really pretty good. And Carter, who'd been barfing, etcetera, was back to normal as well.

We celebrated with Rio and pizza and togetherness.

And then Taylor carried the boys to bed like he does every night.

The hardest thing for me about being sick isn't how I feel physically, but what a nutcase I become as I stress over what I'm not accomplishing. By the end I was able to be calm and say, "I've been forced to slow down, so what should I be reflecting on?" Which is huge progress.

I really appreciate everyone's well wishes. Thanks for being so kind.

On another note, do you read My Sparkle? You should. Danielle is my creative hero. And you should vote for her on Project Run and Play. Wwwwwwoooooowwwwww.

Happy weekend!
anne

Back to School

I'm sad it's taken me so long to record some of the special things we've been doing this fall. Ever since Em and I walked away from Bloom, I feel like I've had a lot more time and energy to focus on actually blooming as a mother and homemaker. More time to make and do quality things and memories for my children. More time to just be with them. But, though my home is cleaner, I am less stressed, and my children are happier, it's been hard to find the time to post about it all. It's true. I can't do it all. It is so freeing to admit that.

After our coast trip, we wanted to start the school year off with something special. I've always loved reading about Stephanie Nielson's Back to School Feast, so we decided to adopt it as a family tradition. (Living so near our extended families, it is really important to Taylor and me that we have some nuclear family traditions).

So, the Sunday before Kindergarten began, we held our First Annual Back to School Feast. Blaine kept saying, "It's my special day."

Taylor made us his ummmmazing Shepherd's pie (I keep begging him to blog about it!) and broccoli.

We had fancy dishes and goblets filled with bubbly.

(Love the red around his lips from the shepherd's pie!)

After dinner the boys hunted for letters that I had printed up (from here).
Blaine put the letters together to spell:
That's the theme for the year. Blaine is miles and miles ahead of where he used to be in terms of this, but it still needs attention.

After our little discussion on the theme for the year, Blaine got to open his presents.

We gave him a little alarm clock and a lap quilt I made him out of fabric he had begged and begged for at the fabric store once. It is garish and gaudy and dragon-tastic. Barf. But, for once, I decided to let him choose.
We finished up the celebration with a father's blessing.

I love this tradition, and I can't wait to have the whole table filled with children, off to conquer another year. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the idea of more children, but most often, I hope to be so lucky to have a whole gaggle to share this life and home with. (I'm not sure how many are in a gaggle, but you get the point.)

Classic first day photo:

Awesome.

Jared Carter pumpkin eater

Shucks I love this little boy. Look at him on his first swing ride. Can you see his little teeth?! And here he is eating pureed pumpkin. I mean, heck, we cooked and pureed those pumpkins ourselves last fall, and now all is safely gathered in our little babe's belly. How's that for provident living? ;)

Helping

Taylor and I made killer Eggplant Parmesan for dinner yesterday. Rog helped. That's the story of Rog. Every day Blaine goes to Kindergarten and Rog doesn't know what to do with himself. He refuses to play with toys, even if I offer to go up to the playroom with him. He just wants to help. He gets baby wipes and dusts the furniture (and everything else he can think of). He runs with a bowl out to the garden and picks tomatoes. He sprays 409 all over the kitchen floor and wipes it with a cloth. He chops celery with a butter knife for the soup I'm making. And on. And on.

It is precious. I love it.

Week at the coast

We spent the first week of September up North.

Our schedule:
Monday--drive to Portland, swim in hotel pool
Tuesday--Oregon Zoo, Taylor take boys swimming while I shop frantically during final business hours of the day
Wednesday--Return almost everything I bought the night before (never shop with a deadline), drive to Newport, swim in hotel pool
Thursday--Newport Aquarium (definite highlight! amazing, amazing place--way better than the zoo!), beach, swim in hotel pool
Friday--Beach, tidepools, drive home

This was a great family trip. It was a little tough with Carter--there were times when it was just better for me to stay in the car or hotel room with a sleeping or nursing babe (rather than try to sit on sharp rocks at the tidepools with him!), but I was resigned to that. Taylor got to have tons of quality time with the boys. Plus I have an iphone. Hours of entertainment, reading, shopping, and instagram--which I put to good use on the trip:

Rog at the tidepools near Yachats.

Blaine with some of his ocean treasures

One of many meals out. Even with all the 'sights' we saw, some of my most tender memories of the trip are just these little moments eating fluffy pancakes together.

cutest image ever

in the shark tunnel. awesome!

The touching tide pools at the aquarium. We went back 3 times--probably spent half the day there! We're pretty much experts by now.

Simple Superhero capes

This spring I made some quick and easy capes for Blaine and Rog. I wanted something non-specific, partly because I don't love all the character commercialization in the world but mostly because a more neutral cape= more diverse imaginative play. I settled on a soft brown fabric with chocolate grosgrain ribbon for ties and a first initial appliqued on the back.

This was a really satisfying project for an amateur seamstress like me. They were simple and quick, and turned out just how I'd envisioned.

You can make one, too. Here's how:

***Unfamiliar with applique? Try this
(she taught me everything I know on the subject).
***Not into sewing but like this idea? You could make the whole thing out of felt and a hot glue gun and never touch a needle and thread!

Happy Monday!
xoxo
anne