Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Spring Fever



Lately I have been in a real mood.  I am generally someone who sees the light at the end of that dark winter tunnel and doesn't complain but this winter won't quit.  We set our clocks ahead, the calendar says spring, time hop is showing me pictures of last year where we already had Easter and the ground was snow less.  Mother nature didn't get the memo and is killing my vibe.  

A gal pal of mine was saying she had been shopping more than normal and I realized I had been taking advantage of all this indoor time by online shopping for spring outfits.  Trying to stay optimistic warmer and brighter days are ahead with retail therapy is apparently how you avoid seasonal depression around these parts.  Give me all the white denim, chambray, off the shoulder, ruffles, and blush a closet can hold.  

It's not just my wardrobe I am sick of and shaking up.  I have been struggling with decisions about what next school year will look like for our family.  He currently goes to a private school - because he is still too young for public options - I decided to complicate my life and try to choose between part time, full time, christian, and non faith based options.  You know because I don't have enough on my plate.  While we take his education seriously, we are adamant our kids be encourage first and foremost in these precious young years in their wonder and self confidence.  I am more inclined to encourage his love of fishing and his love of family than I am to push a competitive educational agenda.  I am definitely airing to the side of "let them be little" - but the temptation to give him the academic edge is still taunting me a little.   


I am also becoming a little bitter with time.  While the weather is in a holding pattern, the growth of my new precious baby  is not.  We have weathered sickness after sickness, and I am beyond anxious to get him outside in fresh air, exploring this world he lives in.  I can't wait to experience all of those great Maine firsts with him.  Quite frankly I am growing impatient and a little pissed off we are cooped up still.  I can't wait to get him downeast, toes in the Atlantic for the first time... you know a good old Maine baby baptism.  OK, I might be taking this a little far, but as he grows more, and more into his personality I am impatient to start the adventures of being a mom all over again.  Leavitt and I adventure so much during the summer months, and we are so pumped to have another buddy to bring along!  I can't help but think that if Leavitt does attend a full time school schedule next year that I need to make the most of our time this summer.

So spring, show your face or I am moving back to Florida and taking this Maine brood with me!

Photos are from last year by Danielle Brady Photography 

Monday, March 20, 2017

Spring Snacks with SkinnyPop



While we have been recovering from yet another blizzard, I am filling our house will all things spring.  As most of you know I am not the crafty type so when I want to create with my little man we head to the kitchen.  I was asked by SkinnyPop popcorn to come up with a spring recipe for you guys and decided I would let my favorite helper in on the action, after all he can't get enough of all things popcorn.


This is the simplest little snack that your kids will love helping you make, and they will definitely enjoy.  The good news is zero measuring, so they can take the lead if you set all the ingredients out.  Even better there is no baking time so those impatient little ones will only have to wait a few minutes for the white chocolate drizzle to dry!


We warmed some white chocolate up in the microwave, and while we waited we grabbed a bag of SkinnyPop popcorn, vanilla cupcake goldfish, pastel citrus marshmallows, and some sprinkles - of course.  I laid a small section of parchment paper out, and scattered small hand fulls of each snack on to the paper.  We used small rubber spatulas to drizzle the melted chocolate, and added some sprinkles for a finishing touch.


I love the bonding time in the kitchen with Leavitt, and he loves snacking so this was the perfect little activity for a cold almost spring morning.  We had so much fun drizzling the chocolate and snacking on the finished product while we watched movies to dodge the cold.  


I wanted to make this super easy for you so below is a picture of your shopping list to make our spring sweet and salty snack mix!  I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do, I also hope you make some memories in the process!


Monday, March 6, 2017

You lose some

 I am in full blown survival mode right now.  Friday I took Preston to the doctor for the second time last week.  The night before his nebulizer had stopped working so I called the doctor to get a RX for the parts I needed.  I set up an appointment to have him seen again before the weekend.  Confirmed with my husband sitting next to me that he or his dad could get Leavitt from daycare because I couldn't be in both places at once.  He of course said he could.  Friday rolls around and we discuss his dad getting Leavitt again... everything seems a go.  I spoke with him, then the daycare, about this.  Nick called his dad and his dad said he was in the woods and didn't know he was supposed to pick him up.  Called me, and said his dad felt bad he missed my text.  If you see where this is going, my husband never asked his dad he simply said he did and never got around to it, then assumed I had taken care of it.  Luckily we hit the daycare lottery and she was sweet about it, even told my husband she hadn't called to worry me.  I had to grab some last minute items at Target and what do you know I get a phone call that Leavitt pooped everywhere.  Never happens on my watch but whatever.  Stressed he puts a swim diaper on him instead of a pull-up despite Leavitt's protesting that's not the right one.  I get home in time to watch Leavitt pee all over his socks.  Have mercy.  


Weekends are pretty hit or miss on the mom front over here.  We are either planned to the max, or end up a bunch of vegetables which creates anxiety beyond belief for me.  This weekend was no different we had plans all day Saturday.  Babysitters lined up for a funeral in the morning and an engagement party that night.  Sunday I just hoped wouldn't leave us taking up residence on the couches, because it is just too much work to actually relax for me.  Preston has been battling a cough all week.  No fever, no runny nose, just a really nasty cough.  We forged on all week with the reassurance from the doctor he wasn't contagious.  Fast forward a week to Saturday Preston woke up worse than I had heard him all week.  Despite being seen at his doctors office twice that week,  like a crazy person when I found his hands freezing, legs a speckled purple color and feet in the same condition I panicked and called my mom who brought over an oximeter my sister has.  Of course his tiny fingers too small for it, and freezing gave us an alarming result which caused me to take him to the ER.  Let me just stop here and say, a rational side of me knew he was fine, the panicked mom in me wasn't sure.  Turns out my precious Preston will be fine in a few days.  Phew.  I also have been banned by his doctor and the ER doc to never use one of those things on a baby again for my own sanity... noted.  


As I sit here, coffee in hand, staring at my reflection in the oven - I pray I don't have to use today, I am fairly certain we are in over our heads in this parenting gig.  My husband and I have a good sense of humor to keep our marriage afloat during these total WTF moments, but really what the.... are we doing? I hope we aren't alone in the wandering in the dark hallows of parenthood, but sometimes I expect strangers to high five me I have it so together, and other days one kid gets left at daycare, another is unnecessarily take to the ER, and there is a poop smell from dad poop-gate I can't get out of my bathroom.  You win some, you lose some.  I just hope the boys aren't sitting on a couch someday talking about these cringe worthy parenting moments to a therapist.  

The upside to this weekend was we made it to the engagement party, there was wine, adult conversations, and my mom is a rock star had both kids in bed by their bedtimes and cleaned my house and did my laundry!  Meme, you're the real MVP! 

Photos are by the lovely Danielle Brady Photography who keeps it real documenting life's perfect moments and bloopers for me.