Dance parties

Since my maternity leave spilled into summer, I have gotten some serious bonding time in with the kids. I've learned a lot about each of their personalities. 

Andrew walked in from work the other day and all three (BC can't dance yet, she will join in on the fun soon enough) of us were spastically dancing around in the living room. I mean, I would die if anyone (other than Andrew) walked in. Not only were we tearing it up, I am ashamed to admit that it was to the SiriusXM Hits station. I usually listen to cooler music than that. Andrew swears that our kids are going to love bubblegum pop because of me. I hope not, but every once in a while I just can't help myself. It's catchy.  

Addie is much more reserved while dancing (like me in public) but Elle. Oh. My. Gosh. One day I will post a video. This little girl is hilarious. I hope she always remains uber confident because she sure rocks it now. She uses a pivot foot and kicks out like she is riding a scooter. I have no idea how she keeps dancing after spinning around so much but she does. There is also a signature arm move that she has. Maybe we have seen the penguin dance from Mary Poppins one too many times? 

I hope you all have marvelous dance parties in your homes too. 

cabin fever

Do you ever feel like the walls are closing in on you and you just have to get out of the house? No? Maybe I should re-decorate or let some more light in because I get this feeling a lot. I've been like this for as long as I remember.

Being by myself for even 10 minutes a day is so important. I used to get that time on the way to school but now I have a few more passengers that tag along. I end up going to the coffee shop or riding around (listening to my music, not Disney princesses) to re-energize. Sometimes both.

The other day I went to the nearest coffee shop (with Elle because she was extra crazy and Andrew begged me to take her along) dressed in pjs, shoeless, and paci-less. I had a short amount of time to keep her occupied. I ordered as usual, drove through, pulled up to the window and realized I had no money. None. My wallet was sitting on the kitchen counter 5 miles away. Do you think I went back home and parked it like a responsible adult would? No, I did not. I went home, got my wallet, and came back for my Iced Skinny Caramel Latte. I needed it. 

I'm sure they were all like "Oh, she's never coming back" and threw my drink away. I wonder how often that happens? Are there others? The girl was sweet and made me a new drink but if I had gone to Starbucks all along, I wouldn't have needed my wallet. There's an app for that. Just sayin'. My Sbux love has very little to do with the coffee. I may be addicted to earning stars and maintaining my Gold status. If the other coffee shop had an app and a reward system I would go there more. And now you know. I'm not a coffee snob, it all boils back down to my tech nerd status. 

Perspective

Perspective is a humbling thing. While mindlessly perusing Facebook I came across a picture that I had not seen of Elle. Her Mother's Morning Out class was holding up a sign of encouragement for a little boy in her class with cancer. He was cancer free and it came back.

He is Elle's age.

Being thrown up on suddenly didn't seem so bad. I sat and stared and tears welled up at the thought of going through that with a child. 

We have had friends go through tragic, unimaginable things with their children.The worst thing I have been through was an early miscarriage. It was life-changing for us and a very sad time. We learned to trust God's timing and rely on His plan instead of our own. We both grew from the experience yet it seems to pale in comparison. I've volunteered at a children's hospital and know how difficult and draining it can be on the family physically, emotionally, and financially. Those families seem to strap on their superhero capes and do it. They don't spend time dwelling on it. I truly believe that God gives us strength when we don't think we are strong enough. 

It's so easy for me to get caught up in the chaos of whatever and forget about anything outside of my little world. As I fill up another cup of pedialyte I am reminded that it's all about perspective. 

And then there were none

Addie came in our room about 3:30 this morning, climbed in bed and requested water. In my delirium I was like ok, give me a minute. 30 seconds later she threw up on me. It wasn't like full blown throw up, more like a spit up situation. But it was on me and the bed and the floor. You non-moms are all like "Ew, that's disgusting" but it will happen to you one day too. So you have that to look forward to. 

We changed the sheets. I changed. BC woke up hungry from all the commotion so Andrew fed her while I took care of Addie. May I remind you it was 3:30?! 

The only one that got good sleep last night was Elle. She's been dancing like a maniac to Disney Junior. Now if I can keep her from throwing things away in Addie's trashcan.

I guess I'm thankful that this happened before school started instead of my first week back. Silver lining. 

Weekend Update

While I am trapped at home with Elle and her virus, I might as well catch up on some magazine reading. Domino and Real Simple are two of my faves.

Went in the Apple store last night and lusted over the 27 inch iMac #nerdalert

This video gets me pumped up about football season. You can see Sean in the background towards the end of the video. Super cool

I'm really late to this party as usual but if you live in certain areas, you can sign up for free books every month until your child turns 5 or something like that. You can thank Nissan and Dolly Parton (what a team).

Happy Weekend!

Virus shrimus

Have you ever felt like one of those crazy moms that dreams up some rare illness when your child acts sick? Yea, I'm usually not. Today however I was between Elle having West Nile or some crazy side effect from a spider bite. 

We go to the pediatrician a lot with three kids. Everyone's vaccines are on a different schedule and sicknesses don't always coordinate. Elle had an ear infection every month for eight months until we finally got tubes (two weeks before having Bentley Claire). So you do the math, 8 months of ear appointments plus 2 week checkup for BC and then 8 week appointment for shots. That equates to a lot of doctor time. And that's not even including Addie. 

Before Elle's tube surgery

Back to being a crazy mom. I mentioned the other day that Elle got a spider bite when the landscaper was here. Never google 'spider bites on children.' You don't want to see that. Trust me. Yesterday was day three of the bite and she started running fever. According to Google, you should panic if they run fever on the third day. This morning she was ok. No fever and seemed to be feeling fine. She went to school for about 2 1/2 hours while Addie was at ballet. When I went in to pick her up she looked like she had been swimming. She was drenched in sweat and was clearly feeling bad. So I called the doctor. 

He's super laid back and has 4 kids so I always feel at ease when we go. Her arm could be falling off and he would be like "Oh, that's an easy fix. We will just patch that right up." So he said it's probably not West Nile (you crazy lady), her spider bite looks fine, strep test came back negative, it's just a virus. Alternate Motrin and Tylenol. Ok, what a relief, viruses are no big deal right. Oh wait...viruses are miserable. 

Now I have a hot-as-a-firecracker child in my lap that will only stop crying if I hold her, I'm trying to keep from breathing in her sick air and keep the other two from getting this all at the same time. 

Happy Friday everyone. 

Princess Ballet Camp

What can be better than ballet and princesses?! Nothing. Nothing is better to Addie then dancing around in her tutu and hanging out with a different Disney princess everyday. She has absolutely loved Princess Ballet Camp.

So much in fact that after ballet she keeps on her leotard and accessorizes. Dress up skirt, mardi gras beads, flip flops. In public. 

For me, princess camp has been a little trickier. I'm trying to time everything perfectly so no one needs a bottle when I should be dropping off/picking up another child. It's also important to make it everywhere on time. 

Today the plan did not unfold as it should have. Bentley Claire woke up (starving) a little earlier than expected. It threw the whole day off. Breakfast was rushed, we quickly got dressed, I threw on a hat, and Elle was about five minutes late for school. Close enough to on-time. Carpool was still running. 

Well picking up Addie from ballet just happened to coincide perfectly with Bentley Claire's massive meltdown. She has started this scream/cry when she is hungry and the two-room ballet studio would not have been a good place to hang out. I usually carry a spare bottle with me but I went to work on my classroom between pickups today instead of going back home. 

Rather than going in and making everyone miserable, I stayed in my car until it was exactly time for the class to let out while she wailed. Unfortunately, ballet let out a minute or two early so Addie was inside thinking that her mom wasn't there to pick her up. There were parents and kids everywhere because one class ends at the same time another one starts. When I walked in (at exactly 11:15) she was looking all neglected. I had to give the "I've been here the whole time, I would never leave you" spill. What's going to happen when I'm actually late? 

Andrew says I enjoy being late and in some instances I agree. No one is on time for a party. But most of the time I really can't help it. I try my best. Drop-off is much harder than pick-up. So far I've never been late picking my kids up and I would like to continue that streak. I'm sure it's unavoidable but I am busting it to get where I should be. Maybe I will put my pillow and blanket in the car and sleep between my children's events. 

Guilty mom

Yesterday morning was a far cry from normal (pardon the pun) when I dropped Elle off. I had already dropped Addie off at ballet camp so it was just me, Elle and Bentley Claire. As we walked down the hall her little lip started to quiver and I knew a meltdown was coming. She was silent until the door opened then the flood works started. She was reaching for me and crying mommy. She never does that. 

It was heartbreaking. Truly heartbreaking.

I'm sure she was fine by the time I made it to the car but I have never felt so guilty. I accidentally left my phone at home so I had no one to tell me she was going to be fine. I knew it, but just needed someone else to say it too. 

I was making a two hour trip to meet some friends in Oxford to eat dinner and catch up so Andrew was picking her up after nap. Because I haven't seen one of their new babies and she hasn't seen Bentley Claire, I brought BC and Addie tagged along after ballet camp. Post drop-off, I contemplated going back to get her but I knew it would complicate the day. 

So why did I leave Elle? She has to have a nap in order to function and I wasn't sure that would happen. She would not have enjoyed being strapped in the carseat and stroller all day. It was surface of the sun hot and she would have been miserable. I felt like that was plenty of reasons. 

Other than the guilt hanging over my head, we had a great time meeting baby C for the first time, doing a little bit of shopping, catching up with super cool friends, and visiting with the uncles for a little while. 

Future generation minus a few

Addie and Baby C

Visiting the uncles

New fave restaurant on the square is Oxford Grillehouse. It's where Rooster's used to be. Upscale but not unreasonable. The creamed spinach is delish.

I mastered pumping (TMI again, omg I promise I will stop) in the car a long time ago so that came in handy yesterday. Also, Addie has learned to hold BC's bottle so that's a HUGE help. She's only four but she is available to babysit anytime. (Just kidding) Out of guilt I bought Elle several things. That's normal right? 

One pajama change, diaper change, and bottle feeding later we got on the road again and made it home around 10:45. We are anything but dull I can assure you.

Bites

The other day we had a landscaper come by to help us draw out a plan for our backyard. Thank goodness he has small children because our dining room table was covered in laundry when he walked in. Three loads of laundry to be exact.

In the span of 30 minutes that he was here, we had lots of action. I put Elle down for two seconds so I could focus and look over to find her tangled up in a spider web with a red welp on her face. How does this child get into these situations? She didn't cry or even act like it bothered her. Spiders love their playhouse so I knew immediately what it was. I scooped her up, told Andrew and Will to carry on, and ran her inside. 

Did I have a plan? No. I grabbed an ice pack which she wouldn't hold on her face and tried to force it on the spot. Benadryl couldn't be given again because she still had it in her system from her mosquito bites. (Side note: The day before we had a mosquito trapped in our car. When I put her in the car she was mosquito bite free and by the time we made it 5 miles down the road, she had huge puffy mosquito bites all over her.) Cortizone cream was the only thing I could think of that she would keep on and would maybe keep the itching and swelling down. 

Neither of these things were her fault. I mean, you can't help insects biting you, but they seem to always happen to Elle.

While all of this was going down, Addie changed into four princess dresses and insisted that we look at each one. Never a dull moment.

I can't speak for the actions of our kids but the plan was perfect and more than what we asked for. Let's hope we can start going outside more often...

Magnum PI

As we were driving home the other night, a team of police flew by us with their sirens blaring and lights flashing. They were going so fast that debris flew up in the air. Most people would say "Wow," gasp, and keep driving. 

Not me. I go straight into detective mode. 

Little known fact about me, I listen to the police scanner every now and then. If something major is going on in the country, the first thing I do is open up my Cop Radio app. It's intriguing but most of all, distant. 

Remember the Boston marathon car chase that went down in Watertown last year? I listened LIVE all day and all night to the Boston area police scanners. My brothers and I were texting nonstop like we were on the case. I kid you not. The scanner kept getting shut down and then someone did a live video stream of their real scanner. I watched a police scanner box and listened for hours. Could not pry myself away. 

I understand that a lot of you are judging me harshly right now. I have two brothers and this is what we do. Maybe we should be detectives? I don't know. 

Back to the police that we saw in our town. I have a completely and totally irrational fear of crime. I mean, run like a psycho if someone scary looks at me. But...I may have circled back to check out the drama. I dreamed up a thousand posibilities of what could have been going on. 

Crazy? Absolutely. 

I never could figure out what was going on but for about 5 minutes it was really dramatic. As if I needed to add to my crazy status. Now you know.

Guest posts

Who needs Pinterest when you have crafty friends? My friend (who will remain anonymous) has a great idea for anyone who may or may not have burned a hole in their purse.

Step one: Buy a purse or clutch that you really like

Step two: Accidentally put it over a candle until you smell it burning

Step three: Find a decorative pin-on flower and cover it. No one will ever know...

But seriously I am going to start doing guest posts because I have some amazingly crafty friends and it will give y'all a break from the same old stories from me. I may start with a question/answer format and see how that works out. If you are uber crafty or want to supply some laughs email me at closertocrazy@gmail.com

Dress up, anyone?

Yesterday we went to a birthday party and guess who was there? 

Elsa from Frozen. OMG. 

The entire time Addie was staring in shock. She kept asking if she remembered coming to her birthday party but it only came out as a whisper. Bless. 

It's amazing how much of a mix Addie is of both of us. She can be so loud and crazy like Andrew and then shy like me in a new setting. How is that even possible?

Look at this shy little grin. 

She was thrilled about having the "real dress."

Naturally our crew was very close to meltdown time. BC was about to start her relentless "hungry" cry and Elle's snack plate was no longer holding her attention (because she had already eaten everybody else's food). After Elle got in a fight with a balloon we decided it was time to make our exit. 

Addie was devastated to leave her idol but she got over it by the time we got to the car.

Who doesn't go out to eat dressed as a princess? I mean really. All the cool kids are doing it. Sal and Mookie's is always kid friendly and the weather was perfect for eating outside. Weird because it's July and we live in Mississippi. 

Bentley Claire always eats right when our food comes. It helps with my portion control. 

The dress up continued through the weekend. Today Addie was a veterinarian and Elle was the assistant that runs off with the animals. Maybe she was saving them before they had to be put to sleep? Probably not.

In other news, we found Rio 2! Now we can watch it on repeat until we have it memorized. 

Weekend Update

After dinner and a Starbucks run last night we decided to go buy the movie Rio 2. It just so happens that it's not out on DVD yet. I could have looked online before the wild goose chase, but that's no fun.

We love French Macarons by Lauren Bowie

I've always preferred using Aveda products. Shampure is my favorite.

I am a big tech nerd and all things apple. Kind of obsessed with this commercial.

Have a great weekend!

Date nights

Date nights are good for the soul. We don't go on dates often. When we do, they are wonderful. It's easy to get caught up in the chaos of the kids and forget about spending time together. I am always reminded of how badly we need this time.

If we have a babysitter I may end up spending 2 hours getting ready, to get ready, to go on a date. It's very similar to the school routine I talked about here. Luckily we both have our families here and they love (or pretend to love) keeping our kids. The kids would move in with either set of grandparents if they could. I'm pretty sure they love them more than us but that's ok.

There aren't a lot of adventurous things to do here so we end up eating out. This is fine because I enjoy getting dressed up every now and then. It doesn't have to be fancy. We have to think of things to talk about that don't relate to the kids or our household responsibilities. It's a great challenge for me.

Andrew is the talker. He can talk and talk and talk about the most random things. I am more of a listener and don't always have much to offer to the convo. I enjoy listening and he enjoys talking. It works.

On our last date night, we went to the Iron Horse Grill.

Yes, we go a lot.

But we changed locations for dessert and went to Local 463. Another favorite but we rarely get to go there. I had a gift card from a sweet family at school that I had been holding onto. We had bread pudding and it was amazing.

I love this guy.

Aquarium love

Aquariums are in our top 10 favorite things to do as a family. We've done New Orleans a few times because it's fairly close to us. Their aquarium is a decent size and in the Quarter which is always fun. We especially love the Butterfly Garden there.

Last summer we went to Chattanooga's aquarium. I had never been there but Andrew had and he compared every other aquarium to that one. I get it. It's really cool and worth a trip if you've never been. The museum is actually divided into two parts. There is a "river tour" and then an "ocean tour." The greatest thing for us with little people and short attention spans is that they are in two different buildings. We actually did one building, went to lunch, and then came back later for the other part. Another cool thing about the river tour is the layout. You actually start at the top of the museum and wind your way down "the river" until you finish at the bottom. We loved it.

On our little Dallas excursion a couple of weeks ago, we visited the Dallas World Aquarium. They call it an aquarium but it's actually more like being in a rain forest. As you walk up to the building, you wind through a little tropical forest with bamboo and overgrown plants around you. The museum itself is like one huge warehouse.

You start by riding the elevator, or taking the stairs if you don't have a stroller, to the top floor. It opens up into a huge 3 story room. You literally feel like they have taken a chunk out of the rain forest and put it into this building. The entire walkway winds around this open section of the "rain forest" where there are all kinds of animals loose in the middle. Monkeys are climbing in trees, there are animals below in the water, birds are flying around. It's crazy.

We got there right at 9:00 when it opened because I heard that it gets really crowded. This place would be miserable if it was crowded. No joke, I would not go any later than 10 am. The pathways are only wide enough for a gigantic double stroller (which we had). Bentley Claire needed to eat so I toted around a bottle drinking baby while Andrew alternated between pushing the stroller and holding Elle (while pushing the stroller). Can you say trooper? 

Everyone was entertained and it was well worth it. There is an impressive collection of birds and there is an aquarium in the bottom part. There are actually 3 or 4 restaurants in this place too. It would be an awesome place to have an event.  

In the background of this picture is a sloth. There were sloths in a tree napping. We could have touched them but didn't because there was a sign clearly stating "Don't touch the sloths." It was tempting. Penguins, fish, birds, sloths, a jaguar, flamingos, monkeys...fun, fun, fun. Check it out here. 

Stitch Fix #1

Let me just say first how excited I have been about this concept. Here is my post explaining Stitch Fix. Trying on clothes in a dressing room is possibly my least favorite thing in this world. I get frustrated and flustered when things don't fit and I end up in a funky mood. 

This really is a game changer for my closet (and maybe for our bank account) but I am basically building a wardrobe from scratch. I've been pregnant or pumping for the past 5 years. TMI. Sorry. The good news for Andrew is that this is a gradual thing. I can receive a box every week, month, or whenever I have a special event coming up. I selected the "cheaper the better" option so all of these items are around the $50 price point. I also said I didn't want to receive jewelry or accessories. I strictly want clothes. Making a Pinterest board for my stylist really helped them to see what I like also. She referred to it in the enclosed letter. 

I have heard mixed reviews so I was nervous that nothing would work and I would end up sending it all back. I pulled up to find my box sitting at the front door. It was a pretty small box so it made me even more nervous. 

You would think I ran inside and tore into the box but I responsibly fed Elle lunch, cleaned up the kitchen, got a bottle ready for BC and got everyone down for naps. I probably looked at the box 100 times while doing these things but I wanted time to try them all on without being rushed or pulled on. 

They send you a style guide for the 5 items which I love because I need the tips. Style is not my forte. I like to think that I have good taste, I just don't put together outfits well. I'm working on it. 

Item #1 and my new favorite. Just Black brand jeans. Don't be too judgy if I am wearing these every time you see me. They have a little bit of a stretch to them which is helpful in this weird post-baby/pumping phase. Again, TMI. I'm sorry. 

#2 Black Papermoon blouse. This will be great dressed up or down. You can't see the lace detail that well in this picture but it is a great change from wearing just a plain black top. 

#3 is another Papermoon blouse. So far I am loving the brand. It's sheer which is great to wear in the summer or fall. I will wear this often as well.

#4 Fun 2 Fun blouse. LOVE this and would totally wear it except it doesn't exactly fit me in the top right now. In a few months I'm sure it would but I need clothes for the now. 

#5 Market and Spruce maxi. I like the concept of a maxi and the fit of this one but I am not a fan of the print. This would have been perfect in a solid like navy or black. Sending back...

I was really happy with my box and will definitely schedule my next shipment. If you want to just try it out, you can do a one-time style and then go back online anytime you want to schedule another one. That's what is so great. There is no set schedule you have to abide by. There are referral credits of $25 offered. Here is the link again.

I would suggest being very specific and honest in your online profile when you sign up to avoid getting a Stitch Fix fail. My stylist really paid attention to my Pinterest board and the suggestions that I put on my style profile.

Carpool spectacle

I briefly mentioned in another post the process of getting out the door in the mornings. I've got 3 more weeks to get ready for a 7:00 leave time. We made it to school by 10:20 this morning so in fact our time is getting worse.

Having two in diapers presents several challenges in the morning. Once one diaper is changed, someone else needs a change. Realistically I can only change so many diapers before it's time to leave the house. 

The car ride to school is pretty easy because everyone is strapped in and occupied. This has become Addie's telephone time. She has learned to call who she wants BY HERSELF. And FaceTime. It's really entertaining to listen to her conversations.

I imagine the day when I drop all three of my kids off at school in a carpool line will be a glorious one. We are not there yet.

My process looks a little something like this:
Find a parking spot, put on the Baby Bjorn, put Bentley Claire in the Baby Bjorn, wipe away sweat. Walk around to Elle's door, put her socks and shoes back on, make sure everything is in the bag that should be and nothing extra. Hold her hand very tight as she climbs out of her carseat, sits down on the floorboard, and eases her way onto the pavement. Then there's Addie.

She usually brings her socks and shoes in the car and puts them on as we drive. If a movie is playing in the car or she has been on the phone, this does not happen and I don't usually notice until I have the other two kids out of the car and ready to go. We have pulled to the side quite a few times for Addie's own kindergarten carpool for the exact same reason. You might think we would have this figured out by now. Nope.

While I stand there, wearing Bentley Claire, trying to contain Elle, and sweating like I have just run a marathon, Addie takes her time getting dressed. She is my "door holder" so I can't get very far without her. There are some times that I might just take the whole carrier instead of messing with the Baby Bjorn. (That is never wise and we always end up looking like a circus act.)

None of my kids are drop-off criers. Elle waltzes right in the room every time. I try to get a kiss but I'm lucky if I get in a phrase like "Have a fun time" or "Love you, have a great day" before she has walked away.

I kid you not, when I peel off the Baby Bjorn, get BC back in her carrier, and make sure Addie is buckled, I have to take a minute to just sit in my driver's seat. I usually crank the air on Arctic blast and literally sit there.

Today Addie and I played a few rounds of dominoes and go fish before she was missing her buddy. (The only reason Elle has started school already is because her spot opened up early. Use it or lose it. Elle needs the structure and LOVES playing with other kids so I don't feel guilty for taking her for a little while while we run errands or I work.)

We do this whole act over again, in reverse order, when we pick her up. 

Pinterest Perfection

Pinterest is an interesting concept. Everything you have ever wondered about (or not) is in one place. It's a place where you can dream or mindlessly wander. Most of my pins are things that I would never be able to afford or tips that I will likely never use. That's ok. It's all organized accordingly.

Recently I came across a pin for combatting shower mold. I am putting myself out there and admitting that my shower has mold. Gross. I know. Shame on me. I have tried every cleaning agent that I know of. Nothing works on this stuff. The tip says to use those cotton hair spirals that you buy from Sally's Beauty Supply, soak them in bleach, and put them on the mold. Interesting idea but odd. I am going to try this and definitely let you know if it works. I seriously doubt that any of you have mold in your shower but if you do (hypothetically), you would find this review helpful.

I have tried so many recipes that I have pinned. Some were great and some not so great. This recipe for chocolate chip pound cake is my favorite. And it will not help me lose this baby weight.

Here are some of my favorite pins:

This kitchen is dreamy

How to clean toys (that are disgusting and may not have ever been cleaned before)

Teachers signing a book each year and giving as a grad gift would be amazing. I've already failed.

I can't buy these pants because I would wear them everyday

A coffee cup that speaks for me


What are you favorite Pinterest pins? You know you have some.

Fresh...and not so fresh

Elle started "school" today! Anyone with an active toddler knows what this means. I can run errands and start easing my way back into work. Yay! Bentley Claire and Addie pretty much go with the flow so most of the time I just let them tag along. 

School mornings mean we have a lot to do in a short amount of time. (The car is pretty much packed the night before.) I woke up around 6 am to a hungry baby and noticed that it was really hot in the house. No air conditioning in Mississippi might be the equivalent of standing next to a volcano (after it has rained). 

After dealing with the air situation and feeding Bentley Claire, I go in to wake up Elle and she is diaperless and wet in the crib. Looks like we might have to start putting her in the crib AND duck-taping her diapers on. Add it to the list.

I threw her in the bathtub, changed BC's diaper, fed the big girls, got them dressed, and made it to school at 10:00. Yes, 10:00 A.M. I guess when school really starts, the process will begin at 4:00. Sigh.

When we finally dropped Elle off, we went to visit my classroom, hit the farmer's market, made a necessary Starbucks run, and did the grocery store. We were "busy." 

Addie picked out some great fruit and veggies at the farmer's market. 

This is what Elle looked like when we picked her up from school. If you look really hard you will see her bow dangling from the back of her hair. Her mother should be ashamed...

BTW her daily note said that she had a great day. Not that I was worried.

We were home for a glorious 30 minutes until Elle decided to rid herself of her fresh poop diaper. In the living room. 

At this point Elle has had 3 baths in less than 24 hours. 

Andrew walked in the door right as I was getting onto Elle for stepping on Addie's head. Movie + Fort in living room = Too much for some people to handle

And then I left for Bunco...

Better sleep with one eye open

We transitioned Elle into a big girl room really early. One of the main reasons was that I was pregnant and didn't want to buy another crib. But also she is a hard sleeper and doesn't move much. All it took was one (never-ending) bedtime routine and she figured it out. She was officially sleeping in a big girl bed. For months.

Doesn't matter that she slept sideways on top of the bed. She was asleep.

Enters baby. Turns out she doesn't need the crib yet because she prefers to sleep in our room. Another story. 

In one of my on-a-whim, project moods, I had Andrew help me move Addie and Elle in together and made Elle's room into a playroom. Ideal for everyone. Less of a mess for me to clean up. Sounds so fun, right? 

Well currently the crib is on loan to Elle until she gets her act together. She waits until everyone thinks she is asleep, climbs out of her bed, and attacks innocent sleepers (aka Addie). She may pull her hair or jump right on top of her. We have a monitor so we always know when the attacks happen. Poor Addie. 

Elle can't twist doorknobs yet so we are spared. For now. 

This doesn't happen every night but if she gets of out bed we put her in the crib until she falls asleep and then move her to her bed. This could take anywhere from 2 minutes to 20. Elle has a way of babbling one second and falling into a deep sleep the next. It's crazy. 

Addie's a tad dramatic but she also has my sleeping habits. We DO NOT like to be bothered while we are sleeping. Do not come and pull the covers off of us to wake us up, don't fuss at us for still being asleep when we should have gotten out of bed 30 minutes ago, and whatever you do, do not turn all of the lights on. We will turn them on when we get up. All of these things will ruin our morning. You could compare it to bears in hibernation. Don't mess with us. 

Knowing all of that now, I'm sure you can imagine what Addie's reaction is when Elle jumps on her in a deep sleep. Hint: it's similar to a life-threatening emergency. 

Elle has a couple of weeks to figure this out. When school starts, everyone is sleeping in their own beds in their own rooms. 

I love listening to their silliness most nights but we need to start getting back into an early bedtime routine again. Do you have tips for sharing a room? 

Happy

I am slightly obsessed with this video and may have teared up while watching it. Mississippi is such a misunderstood place. Great things are happening here and I'm happy to call it home!

Weekend Update

 

Art means more to me if I know the artist. Two of my faves. Morgan and Raina

Joanna Gaines makes me really want to remodel a house

I sometimes wish I rode my bike everyday...this tip would be helpful

My new favorite Spotify playlist is the Starbucks Store Playlist. You should check it out.

So proud of my friend and her jams

If I can revive my fern, I should be able to grow veggies right?

Day two of Soothe and already loving it


We are planning to hit up the local Farmer's Market today (because we missed Livingston again this week). Hoping to find some good stuff. Have a wonderful weekend!

Iron Horse

One of our favorite places to eat in the Jackson area is the Iron Horse Grill. There are several reasons. It's loud enough to drown out any of the noises our children could possibly make. You never know, right? There is always a band that the kids are mesmerized by and that we enjoy. The food is consistently good (can't get enough of the chips and salsa) and it has that "out of town" feel. Upstairs is my favorite place to sit so that we can watch the trains go by.

The last time we were there Addie noticed a man sitting at a piano upstairs across the balcony. She kept running back to our table telling us that she was watching the man get ready to sing. The band was gearing up so we were like oh ok, neat. Then we heard the lead singer which was a woman...not a man. 

Addie insisted that a man was going to sing. She finally pulled me over there to see what she was talking about. 

Looks legit right? Turns out it's part of a Blues Museum that they are working on. The manager noticed that Addie was interested in this so he came and told us all about who this piano man was and the plans for the museum. Makes me love it even more. 

Notice Momma and Baby Pony came with us to dinner. Pick your battles right? 

Football season

Football season is almost here! Yes, we love the Rebels and are really looking forward to watching my brother play. But our love for football season is not just about football. (I'm known to go to the square instead of the game...most of you know this about me. I'm working on it.)

Oxford is where we dated and got married. It's where we get to relive our date nights and walks through campus. We get to see our college friends almost every weekend during football season. 

There is something magical about sharing our special place with our kids. Let's be real though. On a crowded game day, it's really, really hard to take a double stroller with three kids through the grove. You have to channel your inner MacGyver. Dodge trees and trashcans, break up packs of teens without getting evil stares, wheel through a stranger's tent, find a place to warm up a bottle, the list goes on and on. Making the rounds can be daunting. 

We've done it with kids for 4 football seasons so far. 

First halloween in the grove - Addie wasn't thrilled. 

One child was pretty easy (note the single stroller)

Then we added Elle and it got a little harder

And then she started walking 

The key to a successful Grove Day is to pack everything you own. Oh, your Ole Miss face sticker "accidentally" came off when you peeled it? There's no reason to cry because I have 47 extras. You're hot? Well, I have a fan for you if you can keep it away from your hair. I'm sure there will be balding pom pom issues as well so we will have extras. 

Nevertheless, we will all be there. And we will all be happy about it. You may see us walking around looking for any open space to run around because the stroller can only hold Elle back for so long. Wish us luck. 

Super Fan