skip to main |
skip to sidebar
We had a busy weekend! It was so much to have dinner with the Corrigan's on Friday. We had yummy pizza and salad. Homemade brownies made for a delicious dessert. Our kids had so much fun playing. Christian asked to hold Henry and was so excited that Henry smiled at him. So sweet! I wonder what is going through Henry's mind when he is around all these big kids. He sure seemed to enjoy himself and even tried pizza for the first time. Of course, that was a hit! We had so much fun that we did not want to leave. Evie told me that she wanted to sleep over there.
Henry woke up about 6:00 on Saturday so I took off in the stroller since we were already awake. I have learned that with two kids, exercise is much harder to fit in so early morning works best to make sure it happens. Evie and Carl slept late and we had a nice quiet house which is rare these days. I ran out to the grocery store while Henry slept. Evie helped Carl wash his truck and then we all played outside after Carl got back from his run with Henry. Henry's naps have been super short for the last few days. I hope that he will get back on track this week. He goes back this week to make sure his ear infection has cleared up.
We left around 5:00 for our small group dinner. A new family joined our group and they are very friendly. They just moved here from Oregon because they thought Nashville would be a cool place to live. Evie really liked their son, Phoenix, until he became a little too friendly with Henry. Evie continues to be so protective of Henry. She warmed up though and allowed Phoenix to roll a ball with Henry. She was quick to throw in lots of "That's my brother. I love him so much." We had to leave before dessert because it was way past Henry's bedtime. Torrential rain began right as we made it home around 8:00. Henry was so tired that it was difficult to get him to sleep and he woke up twice in the night. He was down for his nap again by 8 since he woke up so early. We made it to late church just in the nick of time. It was much more relaxing not to rush out the door. I had time to do a few things around the house and Evie went jogging with Carl.
Evie was not interested in wearing her blue dress because blue is NOT her favorite! I tried to take a few pictures before church but it was not happening.
Evie squeezed Henry a little too hard and he does not like to sit still anymore. It's a rare picture of Henry being unhappy but he perked right back up. I was so surprised to see Henry sitting at a table and chairs when I picked him up from the nursery. My little boy is growing up too fast. It was a special table for babies but it was still a chair with no buckles. He looked so BIG sitting there eating his cheerios with his little friends. We stopped to pick up some chips and salsa on the way home. Church and lunch out is just too much for us. Then, Carl grilled hotdogs for lunch and we had a picnic outside. It was such gorgeous weather!
Our kids napped and I left to meet Courtney for a little shopping. She was so sweet to share her coupon with me and I got two new shirts at Loft. It was so good to get out for a little bit myself. I try to take a little time for myself every Sunday to help me prepare for another week. Our house is literally a disaster so I have my work cut out for me this week.
Evie wanted to go to the park so I took her for a little Mommy time. She was so happy and easy! Now, that I have two kids, it seems like a breeze to have just one with me. Henry is almost always content so it's funny that Evie is my easy one when it's just her with me. She feels special to have extra-attention and I am more relaxed without the extra stuff that Henry needs for an outing. Carl and Henry were playing outside when we got back soaking up that nice warm sun. I put Henry to bed early and then Evie and I went for a walk. She seems so much heavier than Henry that I spend much more time walking than running.
Hope you had a fun weekend too!
Every week, I vow to write this post at the end of every day rather than waiting until Friday afternoon. Maybe, next week will be the week!
Monday: It seems like forever ago! We stayed home. Evie painted and played. Henry fussed and cried. I sorted spring clothes for Evie. At 5:00, I decided that something must be wrong and took him to the pediatrician's walk in clinic. The nurse asked me what I brought us in and I told her that Henry was just fussing a lot and not sleeping so I thought he might have an ear infection. That really seemed to perplex her that his only symptom was crying and not sleeping. Mother intuition was right again and he did have an ear infection. I'm glad that I took him in because sleep training was way too hard to repeat. Carl got home right after us and he held down the fort while I went to pick up the medication. I definitely got the good end of that deal because both kids were tired and fussing at this point. Henry and Evie both went to bed late. We were shocked when Henry slept all night even with an ear infection. Carl and I ate turkey sandwiches and watched TV before going to bed ourselves.
Tuesday: Evie went to school and Henry fell asleep in the car so I decided to run to Franklin. I need to return an outfit that was too big for Henry. Then, we walked around downtown and enjoyed the gorgeous weather! Henry was the perfect companion for window shopping and scones. Sometimes, it's fun to drop all the "have to" things and do the "fun" things. We came home and did a few things around the house before picking up Evie. Henry napped while Evie and I played outside together. It was my Mom's birthday and Evie treated her to a wonderful rendition of Happy Birthday by phone. Carl had fun playing lincoln logs with Evie. I am pretty sure that Carl enjoys them more than Evie. Then, Evie and Henry went to bed early and we grilled chicken for dinner. I love this weather!
Wednesday: We went for a long walk with Courtney and Campbell. It was fun to get for a little exercise with our sweet friends. Courtney is like Mary Poppins with her endless bag of tricks. Evie and Campbell snacked the entire walk - yogurt covered strawberries, grapes, apples and Cheez-its. We played outside after the walk and I was just convinced that Evie would take a nice, long nap. Nope! We went to a St. Patrick's Day party and had fun. Evie was a mess by the end between being tired, dropping her cupcake and stepping on a thorn - it was time to come home. Mandy saved the day when she retrieved another cupcake for Evie. Rainbow cupcakes make everything better! We got home just in time because there was a HUGE hail storm. Evie was impressed and Carl decided to record it for posterity.
Thursday: Evie had school and Henry had his sitter. I headed to Nashville to get some fabric samples, spring clothes for Henry and to run by Trader Joe's. It was a successful trip and much easier done solo. I came back to our town to finish my errands before picking up Evie from school. Henry was asleep when we got home so that gave me some time to play with Evie. It was a rainy afternoon and Evie was not thrilled about the thunder. Carl was out of town so it was just me and everything went fine. Everyone is tired by Thursday night so bedtime was appealing to us all.
Friday: We stayed home in our pj's watching the rain come down. Monday's might be painting and projects but Friday it's independent playtime and movies. Henry has not been sleeping well again today so I hope his ears are not getting worse. Most of the afternoon was spent trying to get Henry to sleep and then Evie woke up early. Sarah Denley wrote the best post and it came at the perfect time. Motherhood is certainly a challenge. I look back at my life when it was just Evie and wonder why I thought that was hard. Life was easier with one kid but it a lot richer with two kids. I miss having time to do everything that is on my to-do list. But know, that one day all too soon, there will be plenty of time to cross of my to-do's. Now is the time to fully embrace my chaotic life and just celebrate the little things like getting the dishwasher unloaded or the sheets changed on the beds. Carl will be home soon and then we will walk over to our neighbors for pizza and basketball.
I ask this question so many times a day! Evie knows the correct answer but she sure does not always act accordingly. She has an opinion on every single thing from the color of her socks to the the amount of milk in her cereal bowl. I am so proud to be raising such a confident and assertive daughter but wish that she could tone it down just a bit. Most of my day is spent reminding her and redirecting her from thinking that she is the boss!
Evie has excellent intuition and is quick to change the direction of her conversation just in time. I ask her to do something and she usually has to tell me something first. Now, I just say, "it's yes or no." So, now she likes to say, "yes or no, Mommy. Yes or No?" It can be horrifying to hear her mimic me so well with her intonation and her expression. YIKES! Motherhood is serious business.
Here are a few examples of my sweet and sassy little one.
Mommy: Evie, please put on your shoes.
Evie: Um, maybe tomorrow not right now. I busy - that's my job.
or
Mommy: Evie, brush your teeth before bed.
Evie: Shhh, my baby is sleeping. I'll do that next year.
or
Mommy: Evie, you need to listen right now!
Evie: Mommy, you need a hug. I give you two hugs that make you feel it better.
My personal favorite but I do try not to laugh!
Mommy: Evie (said in my exasperated voice)
Evie: Claire (said in her most cheerful voice)
It makes me feel better that it's not just me that she tries to boss. Carl and Henry are targets too.
Evie: Brother, it's time to talk to me. I said talk. Do you know any words?
Henry: just stares blankly at her
or
Evie: Brother, you need to put your listening ears on. You are NOT listening to me. I said, you stay there.
Evie directs Carl with constant instructions too:
Daddy put me on your head. Daddy, two books, not that book - this book. Pink cup, not the blue cup. That's not my favorite.
Evie is quickly learning that she does not rule the roost! Sometimes, she is pretty cute but it will not be cute later. That, makes now the time to nip this behavior in the bud. That's why, I have a large, growing stack of discipline books next to my bed, my most frequent Google search is taming my tornado toddler and I am constantly chatting with other moms about their best tactics. Evie, is a doll and her behavior is well within the range of normal for a three-year old. Our expectations are high because parenting is our most important job.
We had a great weekend. Evie and I had a fun date except for the our short visit to Stride Rite. Why in the world did I take her there on a Saturday morning? I thought it'd be easier than taking her and Henry so we went while I just had Evie. I am pretty sure that Evie touched every shoe in the store and requested every shoe in the store. We had her foot measured and hit the road. I will order her shoes from Stride Rite this week while they are having a sale.
Campbell's party was so much fun! Evie had a blast and I even had a chance to chat with some other moms which was an added bonus. Evie obviosly enjoyed the cupcakes. I was just sure that she'd take a good nap after our busy morning but she decided to skip her nap to play outside. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed soaking up the sun with Evie and her boys.
Carl grilled burgers for us. They were delicious. We put the kids to bed early and went to bed ourselves. Henry is still sleeping so much better. He woke up a little early this morning about 6:30 but he did sleep all night. I'll take early mornings over late nights any day of the week. Carl was sweet enough to let me sleep in and Evie slept late too. Henry is still coughing a bit so we opted out of the church nursery.
Carl and Henry went for a jog and Evie stayed home with me. Henry and Evie went down for their naps and I went out to run a few errands. I stopped by a Stella and Dot party and bought a cute necklace. Can't wait to get it this week. Evie greeted me upon my return with "I have been looking for you all day." I love my wild girl so much!
Henry and I went on a walk to the park while Evie stayed with Carl. It sure is a good thing that Henry likes the stroller because he spends a lot of time in it. We all played outside and then came in for an early dinner. Henry went right to sleep. Evie is still chatting. Time changes always mess me up for a few days but it's way easier in the spring than the fall. It's so wonderful to have more light in the evenings. Can't wait for spring to get here!
We have had the best week in quite some time. Henry is sleeping so much better. Sleep training was hard but worth it for 12 glorious hours of uninterrupted sleep. I feel so much better and am able to accomplish so much more during my day since I am no longer exhausted. Sleep makes all the difference!
Monday: We stayed home playing and getting some things done around the house. It was so fun to have lots of time to play with Evie since Henry is back to napping for extended periods of time. We took a walk to the park and played Three Billy Goats Gruff on the bridge. Evie played the part so well, "who is that walking on my bridge" as runners worked their way over "her" bridge. We got a few looks until I explained that Evie was involved in a literary interpretation of her favorite book. Evie really wanted us to read her that book at bedtime but I could not locate it since we have so many books. She settled for watching it on the iPad.
Tuesday: Evie went to school. Henry took an early nap before school so we ran a few errands to Whole Foods, Target and the mall. Evie had requested some scones for a play date and Henry picked out some delicious chocolate chip cookies for his sister. I told Evie that Henry selected them just for her. She was so cute, "Oh, that's nice Henry. Thank you so much." It was a gorgeous day so I took the kids to the park after school. We met a nice family and Evie made friends with Claire. They had a ball playing together.
Wednesday: It was our turn to host our Wednesday Wildcats playgroup. We had five moms and 7 kids. I am really enjoying these smaller playgroups and it's so wonderful to get know people on a more meaningful level. Evie spent the entire morning looking out the door for Campbell and was so happy to see him. We all took long naps after our busy morning. Evie went running with Carl and then to the park. Carl and I went on a double date with Courtney and Christian to Wild Iris. It was delicious but we had a little buyers remorse that we could have bought our kids Easter outfits for the price of the dinner. YIKES! It sure was good though. I had pecan encrusted salmon, rice pilaf and green beans along with a salad with goat cheese and apples. Carl had a fillet with macaroni and cheese along with a side of brussel sprout slaw. We split a peanut butter cup dessert that was spectacular. Check this place out if you are local. It's trendy and quaint at the same time and it's locally owned which is the best -type of restaurant to frequent for a meal worth spending the money. Carl and I had a blast with our sweet friends and neighbors. Can't wait for our next double date.
Thursday: Henry woke up sick. He was wheezing pretty badly and was having trouble napping. I decided to take him to the doctor. Our doctor does not work on Thursdays so we had to see another pediatrician. She said that Henry had bronchiolitis again and that we may be back with an ear infection within a few days. Henry seems to catch every bug and Evie literally never gets sick. It rained all day so Evie and I spent the afternoon cuddling on the couch. I was not feeling so great myself so it was nice to relax with my cuddle bug. Evie and Henry are really having fun together now that he can crawl all over the place. They love to hide and Evie enjoys reprimanding Henry for standing up on the things. She pulls him down and says, "no, Henry, you a baby that might hurt you." She pulls him down just a tad too hard but at least she is trying to keep him from getting hurt. Sweet Henry climbed his first step! Henry did not have a fabulous night but since he was sick I cut him a little slack. I went in twice to comfort him and then he was fine sleeping from midnight to 7:30. YEAH for sleep!
Friday: We had the Onello's over for a play date this morning. Evie was excited to see her friend Abby although perhaps a little too excited. Evie definitely seems like a Tennessee Tornado around Abby. We had fun visiting with our friends. Henry stared at Victoria and Sydney during lunch. I wonder if he was thinking more girls were about to join his household. We took the kids out for Mexican for dinner. It was our first time taking our kids out to dinner this year. Eating out is not quite as relaxing as it used to be but they did great. Evie decided that the bathroom was a fun place to frequent and Henry munched on Evie's quesadilla like it was his job. We had a really good time and will go again soon. It was our first time at this place and we thought it was really good food with excellent service at a good price.
We are looking forward to a fun, relaxing weekend. Not much on our agenda except for Campbell's birthday party. Evie and I are going and the boys will stay home since Henry needs to nap. I am looking forward to spending the morning with just my girl. Happy Friday, Y'all!
