forget cookie dough!

Right now Abigail is obsessed with eating seeds (sunflower and pumpkin are her favorites; we're roasting butternut squash this afternoon to see if those make the cut as well).

So I suppose I really shouldn't have been surprised to see her eagerly licking out the "soaking bowl" in search of those last few flax seeds. Funny kid.

project-planning and daily life

Saturday's mission: get ideas for project-building from Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, and Restoration Hardware. Seriously. So. Fun.

Abigail wanted to be in every picture, of course.

After a couple hours of photographing and sketching, we headed over to the Children's Museum (our good-behavior reward for the kids).

And then we came home and spent a couple of days recovering from our outing--we had some tired grumpies around here the last couple of days (mostly me, to be perfectly honest).

This morning we had nothing on the schedule, so we lounged around in our pajamas for quite awhile playing with toys, shaping and baking pretzels for snack (a craft AND a snack, how delightful! Jules had so much fun with her "ginger-baby-mans" and eating off their feet and heads first), and going on a walk in the very blustery and delightfully crisp fall weather.

Right now Abigail and I are making seeded foccacia for dinner--we're using it as the base for grilled zucchini, mushroom, eggplant, and provolone panini. And I have my first yoga class tonight, for which I'm super excited!

it seems, and it may undoubtedly feels, and it will undoubtedly looks, like a rather blustery day...

today's looking to be fantastic--so, so, so nice not to have to go anywhere!! (although Neil got to go to the dentist at 7 am and I got to go running--definitely got the better end of that one!), I had a thought-provoking chat with my visiting teacher about homeschooling, the kids and I happily folded laundry and talked and played away the rest of the morning. after-nap plans include baking cookies (Abigail's choice), going to the grocery store (we are out of fruit, having already (!)devoured all the farmer's market goodies from Wednesday, which is pretty much the end of Juliet's world), and general snuggling (Isaac's choice, judging from giggles and coos).

and best of all, it's one of those perfect blustery rainy days that makes you want to snuggle down with a good book and a pot of hot soup on the stove. perhaps made from the butternut squash that took over the rest of the garden. love love love fall.

la maisonette du coteau

if you've been following (or even if you haven't!) stephmodo's renovation of a charming French cottage, it's finished!

check out the before and after pics on design*sponge. so, so, so beautiful.

on the upswing

image

Yesterday we spent all morning visiting teaching (super fun, but not conduicive to getting anything done at home). Juliet didn't nap again (so far, one nap in the last five days) but did wet her pants. Isaac fussed all afternoon. I gave myself a second-degree burn (complete with enormous blisters) making dinner. Neil left right after dinner to go run TA sessions, leaving me with 5 children (we were babysitting for a friend) and a sinkful of dishes.

After I finally got the kids in bed, put every toy in the house back in its right place (Abigail was a huge help here!), and vacuumed up all the crumbs, I went to go nurse Isaac again. The poor kid was so distraught from all the yelling and noise that he just really wanted to cuddle. So we sat there for awhile. I closed my eyes and tried to think happy thoughts.

Then I opened my eyes and saw Neil there with a huge bouquet of flowers, a box of Junior Mints, a carton of chocolate ice cream, two bags of grapes, and a couple of mangoes.

It's true that money can't buy love, but those little tokens of appreciation sure mean a lot, don't they?

discuss: friends

My sister had a post today that got me thinking about something I've been thinking about a lot lately...I am not a very good friend lately. Or good at making new friends, and it shows in how lonely I've been feeling these days.

When we first moved here and Abigail was just barely a year old, I had a friend that I went to the gym with three times a week, a group of 6 friends for playgroup (where we all brought our one child and sat and talked while the kids played), three friends that I went walking and biking with at least once a week, 3 friends that I traded babysitting with once a week, and I went to our ward's weekly mothers' group. Plus library storytimes, which at that point were well-attended by a lot of people I knew, and I was pretty good at talking to the ones I didn't. I usually met friends at the playground at least once a week. Fairly regularly, I would go to a girls' night out with friends at a local restaurant or someone's house. When new people moved into our ward, I would make a point of inviting them over for dinner or getting our kids together to play, because I wanted them to feel as welcome as I had when I first moved in.

Fast forward three and a half years and add two more kids--we still do a lot of playdates, but they're the drop-off variety. Most of the people I was close to when we first moved here have moved, my workout buddy and I have both had 2 more children and no longer have the 5:45 am gym time together, and I can't remember the last time I went to mothers' group or the playground (although we still go to the library constantly). I feel like I'm incredibly busy, and most of my conversations begin with, "Wow, haven't talked to you in forever!" and end thirty seconds later as I dart after a runaway child.

What I miss most is just the time sitting around laughing and talking and troubleshooting our lives. I always feel like parenting is so much guesswork, and I remember I would always leave our Wednesday playgroups full of new ideas and tricks and motivation. Girls' nights would refresh and rejuvenate me, reminding me that I was still a fun and interesting person to people over the age of three or my husband.

So this is my goal for the next few months--to create new opportunities for friendships, both old and new. To spend more time reaching out rather than just feeling lonely. To make friendship a priority along with home and family.

What are your best strategies for nurturing old friendships and starting new ones? What are your favorite things to do with friends?

Isaac update

The Isaac stats at ten weeks (since they didn't actually get us in on time for the 2-month visit last week):

14 lbs 12.2 oz (96th percentile)

24.25 inches long (90th percentile)

Say it with me, people--that is one growing kid!!! The nurse measuring him told me, "Wow, this kid is going to be really tall," but the pediatrician commented later that a baby growing like this is just what they like to see--not too chubby or too skinny, but well-proportioned.

Except this well-proportioned baby looks to outgrow his carseat in another two or three months. Guess I better start shopping...

As a sidenote, have you ever noticed how male babies seem invariably to have lush hair, thick long eyelashes, and perfect lips? What's up with that?



Oh, I just love this guy's smiles and giggles.

Today I was reading a little booklet that came in my issue of This Old House about all the different options for wood flooring.

And then mid-read I had to turn off the treadmill to go feed a violently howling Isaac (I swear, that kid doesn't cry often, but he can go from 0 to 60 in nothing flat). So while I was feeding Isaac, Juliet (who was supposed to be napping) appeared with dripping pants (despite being put down for naps with a Pull-up, which she promptly removed, apparently), and so while I was holding Isaac and cleaning up Juliet, Isaac threw up all over my shoulder and onto the floor. And I stood there on my damp carpet and fervently wished I could go on vacation right this second all by myself.

And then I thought, "If we had wood floors, this would not matter."

I used to think carpet was great because it was so kid-friendly. I'm starting to think otherwise.

What do you think?

my Isaac

There are few woes that can't be lightened by the weight of a chubby little body snuggled up next to yours, so closely that his little downy baby hair grows slightly damp. It's virtually impossible to resist kissing those soft fat cheeks when that little head nestles into the curve of your neck with soft contented little coos.

So on a day that includes taking kids to the dentist and the pediatrician (with shots all 'round!), I'm sure grateful for baby cuddles.

musical tastes

at lunch today, Abigail and I were discussing our favorite composers. I said I liked Beethoven, she preferred Mozart.

Then Juliet chimed in, "Pretty Pink Ribbon [by Cake] my favorite!"

I should also note that the kids have a little place behind one of the couches that Abigail refers to as "the octopus garden in the shade" [the Beatles], and that when we were at dinner the other night with some friends, who mentioned the phrase "county roads," in passing, Juliet began singing, "West Virginia--mountain mama--take me home, country roads" [John Denver].

Always a delight to watch these little personalities unfolding!

can't think of anything witty

Ahoy there, matey! Did ye be knowin' it's National Talk Like A Pirate Day?



Come on, then--give me your best "Arrrghh!"



That's more like it.



And if you want to celebrate National Cook Half-Naked Day, we've got that one covered too.



We've been getting back into our regular routine of Saturday morning family time (ten to noon is playtime, my friends!) now that Isaac's settling into a more predictable routine. Last Saturday we went on a hike and took a picnic lunch. The girls were ecstatic to discover Winnie-the-Pooh's house, pictured above (a high point of my own childhood--I always felt sorry for all those other kids who didn't have Pooh living in their woods, so I was excited to recreate this for my kids).

So here's a few images from today's woods walk and last week's.








and now it's 11 pm and I'm going to get offline, hope that Isaac sleeps a bit longer, and wish fervently for Neil to get home soon (he's at the lab, hard-working man that he is. And sympathetic too, since he postponed going in until the kids were in bed).

a heartfelt plea for your considered opinions

Dear blogosphere,

What do you do when you feel like all the things you're trying to teach your children just aren't getting through? Really, I want to know--I'm all out of strategies and tricks and feeling wrung out and worn out. How do you effectively teach obedience and honesty when you also want to promote self-thinking and decision-making? How do you differentiate between "do this because Mommy says, right now!" and free agency? And how do you appropriately respond when the disobedience also comes with a side of dishonesty about the disobedience?

A little context: we no longer let the kids pick tomatoes from the garden unless they are wearing "garden clothes," since too many shirts have been ruined by tomato juice and seeds. (This is a somewhat tense topic in our house right now, since Abigail yesterday destroyed a brand-new shirt, then coolly informed me after I'd been scrubbing at the stain for 25 minutes that she "didn't care and you can just buy some new shirts" (note: the stain did not come out)). Hence, the order to not eat tomatoes, and the stipulation that playing outside was conditional upon no tomatoes, and if tomatoes were consumed, the perpetrators would have to come right back inside. All parties vocally agreed to this condition.

So of course, 30 seconds later I spotted Abigail running from the garden with full cheeks, and standing with her back to me while I yelled, "Abigail, COME HERE NOW!" While she chewed, I marched over, asked, "Did you eat any tomatoes," received a "No, I didn't eat any tomatoes," in response, and then when I asked her to open her mouth, it was of course crammed with tomatoes.

Not a big deal in the scheme of things, but honestly, I am really just at a loss with how to deal with this. I feel like we've tried so many strategies for encouraging obedience, and it just seems like nothing is getting through--if anything, it seems like she's getting more deceptive about the disobedience. Lately, I've really been trying to give the kids a lot more of my undivided attention in an effort to discourage disobedience as a ploy for negative attention, but that doesn't seem to be working either. And, of course, Juliet imitates anything she sees Abigail do, so the problem multiplies...

So please, please, please, please give me some advice. What do you do? What would you do? What did your parents do? I'm not concerned about punishing this type of behavior so much as I am about preventing it (although if you have any ideas for effective punishments, please share. So far we've discovered that spankings, time-outs, etc. have no effect on Miss Abigail; it's slightly distressing to her to have skirts taken away, but really...she just doesn't seem to care. Which makes punishing the behavior very difficult).

And don't even get me started on mealtimes.

**I should clarify that I'm not horribly depressed. Yes, it's been a rough morning, but there have been bright spots in the last couple of days--Juliet's potty-training is going well, I actually got to go to aerobics this morning (so nice to be able to do that for an hour rather than trying to wedge a run in during afternoon "naps," aka crazy time), and last night my best friend/sometime boyfriend from high school came over for a few hours to visit with us--he was here recruiting at the university for Boeing, so it was so great to catch up with him--kind of amused me to see that even after 8 years we were still able to talk for 3 hours nonstop. And it was cool to introduce him to Neil, and listen to those two engineers talk shop about lasers and design and programming. And plus Neil made his famous chocolate-chip cookies and peach and strawberry shakes, so that was pretty awesome.**

But really, I would really really really like some advice. And prayers.

two months old (yesterday)

if today hasn't been such a great day, we've got the cure for you right here: a good cuddle with Isaac (whose latest nickname, bestowed by Abigail, is "Mr. Wiggles." Last month's was "Mini-Wheat," for no reason that I could divine).

oh...and with the cuddle package comes Curious George the Elephant.

and a side of Juliet tummy (notice the pink fingernails? she started those herself, to the dismay of my much-abused bedroom carpet).

just love this little man.

naptime

1 pm: Jules requests an early nap, since she wants to sleep in her new sheets (Target via USPS)

1:10: finish putting Juliet down

1:20: Abigail finishes a very long lunch (can you make a PBJ and pear last for an hour?) and I finish the lunch clean-up

1:21: began work on editing project

1:34: Juliet requests a potty break

1:36: resume editing project

1:44: Juliet requests another potty break

1:46: resume editing project

1:52: remove baked sweet potatoes from oven (part of advance dinner prep)

1:54: Isaac wakes up

1:57: Juliet requests another potty break

2:00: begin feeding Isaac

2:04: Juliet begins yelling for the potty. Ignore and continue feeding Isaac.

2:06: Juliet's yells change to inform me that she had an accident in her "chicken panties" (a pull-up)

2:09: halfway through feeding Isaac, stop to check on Juliet

**Juliet has been fingerpainting with the contents of her diaper.**

2:20: finish Juliet cleanup, try to start feeding Isaac again, who is not pleased.

2:35: finish feeding Isaac

2:37: Juliet requests another potty break

2:42: change Isaac's diaper

2:44: Isaac gets hiccups from inadequate burping, due to Juliet painting emergency

2:45: read a chapter of Farmer Boy to Abigail

3:00: Juliet requests another potty break

3:05: debate whether to put her back down for nap. Realize that Neil will not be home for another 3 hours at the earliest.

3:06: Juliet is back in her room. Start folding laundry.

3:11: Juliet wants to go potty again

3:13: Juliet is back in her room. Fold laundry again.

3: 21 (now): Juliet is banging on the door, Abigail is saying, "JULIET GO TO BED!" Isaac is wiggling around on the floor and making, "I am tired and want to nap now noises," and the half-folded laundry has been abandoned for the Internet.

3:25: naps are officially over. the stupid potty is singing again from its meager teaspoon of liquid. Isaac is crying and needs to be tucked up in his crib.

And you wonder why young mothers are exhausted...after all, don't their kids take naps?

die zauberflote

favorite moment thus far today: hearing Abigail singing the Queen of the Night's aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute.


always good to know the classical music brainwashing is working!

in the kitchen

The ratatouille recipe is finally up. Enjoy!! Yes, it will take you a bit of time to make it, but I promise you, it is SO worth it. Make it for someone you love this week while the summer vegetables are at their best!

library help!

So one of the things I've been doing lately is cataloguing my library in Excel. I know that sounds a little dorky--and obviously I'm going a little nuts here at home so much--but since one of the things I LOVE to do is go to book sales, it's sometimes hard to remember if I already have a particular volume (witness the multiple duplicates on my shelves!)

Here's my dilemma: now that I'm about 750 books in, with lots more to go, I'm having trouble appropriately categorizing things. So far I'm breaking it down into music, poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction, classics, anthologies, young adult, sci-fi/fantasy, cooking, home and garden, and children's. The problem is deciding exactly what is what.

For instance.

What counts as a classic? Milton, Dante, Homer, and Virgil are obvious. But what about Hemingway, Faulkner, Tolstoy, and Twain? I've thought about using the discrimination of "you would be assigned this in a class," or "this was not originally written in English," or "this was written at least 100 years ago," or "you would probably not just pick this up and read it for fun." But all of those fall apart based on personal opinion, or mood, etc. And then I thought about asking, "Is it canon?" but then that would get problematic too.

And where do you draw the line between young adult fiction and "older" fiction? How would you characterize Alice in Wonderland or The Jungle Book or Harry Potter, for instance? Is The Lord of the Rings fantasy or classic? Should the complete works of Shakespeare be filed under drama, classic, or anthology?

I think I need to develop a more sophisticated cross-referencing system. Hmm.

Any thoughts? What are your categorization breakdowns? (English majors and avid readers, are you reading this?!?)

anger management

I'm having one of those really guilty angry days. It started off with Isaac dyeing my bedroom carpet a lovely shade of yellow, and spiraled downward from there with Abigail's diagnosis of swine flu, which means we're quarantined for at least a week, assuming Abigail is the only one who gets it. I also got to listen to the doctor digress about all the dangers of infants contracting the virus, which was super fun.


Since I've spent the last two days doing everything I can to keep Abigail from infecting the other two kids, being ultra-paranoid about Isaac getting her illness even before I knew what it was, I am dreading the next few days. I feel like a terrible parent for being so selfish about the negative impacts on me, but honestly, I just need to gripe a bit about this--I HATE being confined to my house anyway, and potty-training has about done me in, so I was looking forward to actually leaving the house next week. Plus it's frustrating to see Abigail missing preschool day after preschool day (kind of like flushing tuition money down the toilet), and playdates and having to reschedule the rest of my month to accommodate the week of nothing. And I admit it's frustrating that a lot of the things we're missing are the things that allow me free time without the girls to do things like go to the grocery store or exercise. It's just been a lousy week all around--I haven't been able to run because of my stitches, I haven't been able to leave the house because of potty-training (or leave Juliet alone at all), and I'm constantly on edge and trying not to yell at everyone. Plus I'm sick of cooking, which is a real low point for me.


And I'm also irritated at Abigail, whether irrational or not, for her thumb-sucking and habit of putting EVERYTHING SHE SEES in her mouth, because I can pretty much guarantee that's how she contracted the virus. I have tried so many times to break her of these habits--we're actually going to see a pediatric dentist now--and it drives me crazy that no matter what strategies I try, I still see her walk up to the counter and bite it casually (two minutes ago), run to her room, hide behind her bed, and suck her thumb where I can't see her (five minutes ago), or bite the edges of books she's carrying over for storytime (ten minutes ago).


So there you have it--I'm mad at my kids for kid things that I know I shouldn't be mad about, but seriously, the idea of everyone in my family being sick and unable to go anywhere for the next month feels like a death sentence right now. Cue the violins.

Isaac chunkerton

Look at me! I can outgrow a size per week. In this picture I am wearing a 3-6 month onesie. Pretty impressive, eh?

Juliet calls this my "hodgehigs shirt." Mommy thinks it's adorable, but I usually only wear it for an hour before I do my specialty: spitting up down the back of Mommy's shirts and onto the floor. Try catching that with a burp cloth!



After my sisters are in bed, Mommy likes to cuddle with me after I eat so we have some one-on-one time. I like to spend our special time either smiling, cooing, kicking my feet rapturously, or trying to eat Mommy's face. Then I go to bed and sleep for about six or seven hours before I want to eat again. Sometimes Mommy worries about whether I am getting enough to eat, since I only like to nurse for a few minutes. But I tell her to just scroll back up to that top picture again and relax.

****

"Other things" update by request: Abigail is still feverish and Juliet is taking a brief hiatus in potty-training (to relieve stress of all concerned, since she has been violently protesting today after much enthusiasm over the last three days--said protest took the form of Puddle Dancing (followed by dismayed sobbing after the novelty of the splashing waned and all that was left were wet Tinkerbell panties and very wet feet) in the kitchen while I was nursing, and after I had refused to give her "a bumGenius NOW, Mommy!" For the most part, she's doing well, so I'm hoping a day or two off will renew her enthusiasm later. And it will be REALLY nice to not be tied quite so closely to that singing toilet, and even nicer to be able to nurse Isaac without having to set him down halfway through to go hose off Juliet. And even nicer than that not to nurse sitting on the floor next to the toilet. And I suppose at this point I should say yes, I really am grateful to be a mother. One high point lately: Abigail's princess obsession shows signs of turning towards pioneers, and I am encouraging this in every way I know how. We've been reading Little House books in our Abigail-and-Mommy time, and last night we cleaned out the library's stock of pioneer picture books. On the crafting schedule: sewing a couple of sunbonnets and ruffly aprons).

Harvest Kitchen, part II

don't forget to check out the second harvest kitchen post today over at Bloom! (and please feel free to comment!!!!!! It's always a little sad to see no comments).

Sorry I haven't posted the recipes yet (ratatouille and dried tomato pesto--any other requests?)Abigail is running a fever (and devastated at missing her first day of preschool--poor kid!) and we're still in the intensive potty-training stage with Juliet, so it's been pretty busy. Hopefully those recipes will be up soon, and I'll be sure to post a link here when they are. Thanks for your patience!

loving the south of France

On Saturday when my parents and sister were visiting, we enjoyed a little dinner in Provence:

• homemade ratatouille, topped with feta and loaded with tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini
• freshly-baked baguettes
• fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil salad

It was indescribably heavenly--we had to postpone dessert (crepes filled with fresh peaches and whipped cream) to the next day because we were too full. oh yum!

ps--the baguette recipe is on my recipe blog; I'll try to post the ratatouille there later today!

harvest goodies

Today (and tomorrow) I'm posting over here. Stop on by for tips on preserving all those garden goodies!

labor day indeed

Today I'm potty-training Juliet.

And my dryer quit (of course, on the day when I have six loads of laundry to do--we had houseguests this weekend and I just enjoyed myself without bothering about laundry. Oops.)

Wish me luck!!

sleepy chickens

I love sleeping children. They look so innocent and sweet--not to mention being quiet and well-behaved. :-)

This is what I found when I came back after setting Isaac down outside the laundry room, sorted out the laundry, and started the washer. Apparently the noise from the washer was quite soothing.



And what I found last night when I went in to check on the girls--apparently they decided to cuddle up together in Abigail's bed.



So darling--and we also get a shot of their very characteristic sleep styles--Juliet ALWAYS has Hippo Hippo in her arms and curls up in a little ball with her blanket pulled up right under her chin, while Abigail is a total sprawler and usually has to be covered back up (and sometimes dressed again).

ow!

Today I discovered a new way to get children to sit still at the doctor's office: get stitches. A lot. And bleed. A lot. Apparently, everything they say about scalp wounds gushing blood is true. At one point, I was honestly worried that Abigail was going to pass out. And the doctor and nurses kept commenting on how well-behaved the girls were...little did they know the cause!

Here is something else I discovered today--if you have a mole removed, you have to wear the dressing for a week. Which means the following are verboten: running, washing my hair in the shower, and going to the dentist. Also, smiling hurts. And the antiseptic smell of the dressing is giving me a headache.

Bah. I am SO tired of doctor visits! (although on the plus side, Juliet's eardrums are healing beautifully).

mom jeans

image via Lands' End--ps I have this skirt and I love it!

This is random, but I've been thinking about it off and on for years now--has anyone else found that motherhood requires a completely different wardrobe? Before I had kids, my clothes were either a) mostly from Banana Republic and of the dry-clean-only variety or b) workout clothes, mostly old T-shirts from EFY and the like. I did not wear jeans. At all. Ever. (and if you think I'm kidding on this, ask someone who knew me in college).

Needless to say, this kind of wardrobe doesn't cut it when you're spending your days burping babies, digging around in the garden, and rolling Play-Doh snakes. It's kind of fun to wear my "nice" clothes when I'm teaching, but I have to admit, it's nice to change back into my mom clothes when I get home. And whereas I once used to lay out my jewelry with my outfits every night, that's kind of fallen by the side of the road too for similar reasons--i.e. on Sunday my necklace ended up completely tangled with my French braid from small admiring girls who wanted to wear it themselves. Ouch!

So here's what I've discovered about mom clothes:

• pants must have very sturdy knees to accommodate lots of crawling around on the floor (and praying for help!!)
• shirts need well-cut necklines that are not easily stretched out by little hands.
  
• longer shirts are lovely once your body has been redesigned by childbirth--you don't want anything that stops at your belt loops
• everything must be washable
  
• everything has to fit right without being constantly adjusted, because you can't fix yourself before walking into a store when you're holding hands with two small children and carrying a carseat
• all this aside, you need to feel good about yourself when you glance in the mirror as you're scrubbing the toothpaste off

I have one friend with 7 children who always looks absolutely fabulous. Once she told me, "I decided that I never wanted people to say, 'Wow, you can definitely tell she has seven kids...' and so I try to take care of myself." I love that.

So here's my question for you mothers out there--what are your favorite places to shop for a wardrobe that accommodates all the demands of motherhood and still gets an appreciative smile from your husband at the end of the day? (note: as I'm typing this I'm wearing jeans and an old youth conference T-shirt, since I haven't had time to exercise yet and therefore have not showered.) Do you still accessorize the way you used to? What are your favorite strategies for looking and feeling good about yourself as a mother?

why I am happy today

photo by the magnificent Kayli, who is moving to Switzerland, the lucky girl!

• the first day of September is my official "give myself license to bring out the harvest things" day. expect a mantle full of pumpkins if you visit anytime soon
• on that note, fall is my favorite time of year. period.
• my parents are visiting this weekend. lucky me!!
• both editing projects that have been hanging over my head and haunting my every free moment have been submitted (I'm sure there will be revisions and a few more conference calls, but the agony bit is mostly over!)
• there is a package from Lands' End sitting outside my door. I promised myself I would open it as soon as I finished that last storyboard. A few new pretties are calling my name.
• I finally had time to sit down and write out the schedule that I wish we were on, and I'm starting tomorrow...
• ...on this note, I moved Isaac's things back to the nursery (although he still has one crib in our room, where he is sleeping right now). Much as I love having him in with us and not having to walk across the whole house in the middle of the night, I'm excited to have that quiet space back without the diapers, rocker, crib, swing, etc.
• this morning I ran 3 miles in 30 minutes and 15 seconds.
• it is almost dinner-time, and we are having this.
• and we are having bread, because guess what!!!!!!! Juliet is NOT gluten-intolerant. thank goodness for the "let's just be sure" second round of lab tests (even if it did involve another blood draw, poor kid!)

bloom!

I am so happy to spread the word that Bloom, a joint collaboration between Emily and Anne, is up and running. Check it out! Knowing these two ladies, I'm sure it's going to be jam-packed with inspiration of all sorts.

ps--keep your eyes peeled for a guest post there by yours truly in a week or so!! I am SO excited to share this!!