growing

Our laptop isn't working... doh! This is such a bummer on a number of levels, one being that I can't get the pictures off of my camera to upload and share with you. I really hate blogging without pictures, and I sort of hate using others' pictures just to pretty it up around here... It feels like cheating.

So, I guess the best thing to do while I wait for the computer to be back in good working order is to post some oldies. That's sort of fun too.

One year ago....

It had just gotten warm enough for a spontaneous trip to Jamison Square for some splashing.




And my little boy had just learned how to feed himself his own soup.


Two years ago...

It had just gotten warm enough for Addison and I to enjoy our first picnic together on the waterfront.


And I was just starting to pay attention to my own photography...


Oh how wonderful it is that each year brings many of the same things so we can see how we've grown....

Blessed and Dreaming

Part of our nightly routine with Addison is that each of us takes a turn to read a bedtime story before lights out (his little 3-year old self included). Last night I read Mercer Mayer's "When I Get Bigger", which led into a great after-story conversation.

"What do you want to do when you get bigger, Addison?"

"I'll drive all by myself and I'll make dinner for you."

"Really?"

*hugs*

"You know what I want to do when I get bigger? Paint furniture." (I want to refinish and restore old cabinets and dressers into unique pieces like these and these and these)

*pause*

"You can do that now, Mommy."

I can't help but smile. *more hugs*

Soon, buddy.... soon.

weekend of sun

Wow. Some sunshine in my life goes a long way toward making me a happy girl.



This weekend felt like a different world. Partly because of the sun and all that it brings out of this city and the people in it who all patiently (or impatiently) waited out the long, grey winter... Barbecues, shorts and short sleeves, mowed lawns and gardening, drinking cold drinks and playing games on the lawn, cats stretched out in windowsills, children riding bikes, frisbees...

Plus, the return of old friends from days when there was less responsibility in our lives, when we spent entire days lazing about together, being silly and talking about nearly nothing important, playing video games late into the night...

And then there are the things that are new in our lives, that combined with the old, just make everything the way its supposed to be, and oh-so-right... precocious, beautiful children, talk about our careers and the things we're experiencing in our diverse lives... and of course, you know you've all grown up a little when the side dishes at your potluck grow up past bags of chips and store-made potato salad into green beans dressed in a white balsamic vinaigrette, strawberry-mango crisp, grilled salmon, and other delectable morsels.

Oh spring, disguised as summer, you have been a blessing this weekend.

garden plot

We spent a good portion of the last two weekends building a raised bed out of cinder blocks in our backyard, filling it with dirt, and planning out what we want to grow. It's really exciting, since all we've had room to grow in the past has been a couple of tomato plants and some herbs. I can't wait to try growing peas, carrots, zucchini, two kinds of onions, shallots, garlic, peppers and greens. Yum!

Of course, when you're married to a graphic designer who loves his job, designing the garden plot becomes a whole new ballgame.



I present to you, our garden plot masterpiece!

He cracks me up. Every time we have moved into a new apartment or done some serious rearranging, he busts out the illustrator files and plots everything out down to the last quarter of an inch. It both drives me crazy, and I love him for it.

This was posted over at beauty that moves. Its such an important topic that I wanted to share it too.

we made butter

We joined the ranks of bloggers who made homemade butter a couple weeks ago... This phenomenon seemed to sweep the blog world like wildfire!



here,
here, and
here... just to name a few.

updated: and here! and here! got any more for me?

I was eager to try this myself since it seemed so easy, and somehow, almost magical. How does it turn yellow all by itself? Amazing!

The butter was amazing, though sadly, turned out to be more than we could eat before it went bad. If I do this again I will probably make half as much, or be much more diligent about "washing" the butter so it lasts longer.

But it was quite fun. We used the old fashioned shake-it-up-in-a-mason-jar method, which left my husband's and my arms nicely tired. I think Addison was a little weirded out by the whole thing, but he gave it a good shake or two in the end.

I used the buttermilk to make blueberry muffins (I have been craving anything with hot, plump, juicy fruit in it for weeks now) which was the perfect place to place a dollop of creamy butter and devour.



If you still haven't tried this, I do recommend it.

enjoying the now

Thanks for the support about the child care situation, everyone. It was a rough day between awaiting news on the school (which hasn't been solidified yet, but is looking promising) and anxiously anticipating an ultrasound to see if our little baby girl is doing alright. I'm so happy and relieved to say, she looks perfect!

Because I can't help myself, here's a picture of her little lips, nose and chin. (look at it sideways)

I'm amazed at how much more detailed the ultrasounds are, even compared with those we had 3 1/2 years ago!

I'm really looking forward to meeting this new little one, but also enjoying now as much as I can. I realize that the days I have one-on-one with Addison are numbered precious. I expect as much as I will embrace the new family dynamic of there being four of us, I will miss the undivided attention I'm able to devote to Addison right now.

So, when I have the chance, I'm trying to pour my energy into our quality time. We took a trip to the library a few weeks ago, which is something we do frequently, but this time I wanted it to be a lesson in using the library to find out about anything you want to know about. Addison chose books on cars, clocks, and stop signs. And, he chose a cookbook dedicated to making all kinds of cookies. (of course!)

We checked out our books, chose a recipe for Chocolate Cat Cookies and went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients we were missing at the house. We brought them home and got right to work.


I have to admit, they weren't the tastiest cookies I've ever had, but seemed to satiate our sweet tooths and went down easily with a cold glass of milk. Plus, they were just the right kind of cookies to make with a toddler that loves to help.







He loved making the ears, putting the chocolate candies on and using the fork tines to make whiskers. We snuck a couple of dogs, an owl and some other unnamed creatures in there too. :)

Oh, these good times...

a different kind of labor

Of all the things that a parent goes through.... pregnancy, labor, sleepless nights, tantrums and more, I had no idea that finding good child care would be such a drain on my energy.

First, I should mention that our family is super fortunate and blessed to have one of Addison's grandmothers, my mother-in-law, Cheryle, living close by and always willing to help out whenever she can. She was his sole care provider for the first two years of his life while I worked part time, and she continues to be available for afternoon pick-ups, sick days and the occasional scheduling snafu. This has been an amazing gift to our family in many many ways, and I have tried to always recognize how lucky we are and show appreciation, but I'm sure I still manage to take it for granted on some level.

After 6+ months of researching daycare facilities and other child care options, we finally found a school for Addison that we felt comfortable with, we could afford, and was fairly close by. He's been here for over a year, and we have been really happy with it. I was so happy we waited for the right place to come into our lives before we finally enrolled him.

Now, a little over a year later, we find ourselves in child care transition again, and the process has been difficult. Researching, open houses, tours, more research, dead-ends, filling out forms, long waitlists, exorbitant fees, turn-offs, let downs, waiting with baited breath, miscommunications, and on and on and on.... I keep thinking to myself, Why does this have to be SO hard?

I don't have answers. I wish I did. My heart goes out to all the other mothers out ther who are having similar experiences... I guarantee I'm not alone in this.

I'm just still waiting and hoping and praying that the school we've got our sight on now comes through for us so we don't have to start this exhaustive process all over again from square one.

Wish us luck.

I'm alive.....really

Just distracted and busy and happy and enjoying life...
I promise I'll be back eventually, and hopefully soon. Sometimes life is just too good to stop and blog about it... But I have some great pictures from the past couple of weeks to share, so stay tuned...

xoxoxox