Category: being a mom

{update} play-tree-house

7 Comments

Along with some major spring cleaning, purging and organizing that has been going on inside the house we are making progress on the play-tree-house for the kids!

You can read about how we came up with the idea here and here.

We got the playhouse put together about a month ago and have been working on the platform the last couple of days here and there.

I say “we”, but it has really been my husband doing all of the manual labor and me supervising or barking orders like I know what I am doing.

The kids seem excited about it and have been pretty good helping and staying out of the way when needed.

Here are a few photos…

Ryan got the decking boards attached while I put the kids to bed to night, but it is now too dark to take anymore photos.

This weekend we will work on the step ladders and the railing.

The kids are going to love it!

home is…progress being made.

pretty, but lonely

2 Comments

My kids (husband) bought me a beautiful silk shirt from Anthropologie for Mother’s Day.

Really, it was beautiful.

I tried it on and really, really liked it, but I couldn’t think of a time when I would wear it.

Yeah, for the rare times that my husband and I get to go out, but for the most part it would just sit in my closet and look pretty.

Pretty, but lonely.

I don’t want my clothes to be lonely.

I want them to be loved.

Worn.

So, I got this dress from Boden instead.

Remember the flower wallpaper I mentioned in this post last Friday?

This dress reminds me of it.

I can still wear it out for a date night, but can also wear it with the kids or for a night out with my girl friends!

It will be loved.

Worn.

home is…finding a happy medium.

*btw, the formatting is all messed up on this post and i am not going to try to fix it. sorry!

mother’s day tea

1 Comment

I got to spend a couple of hours alone with the little guy this morning.

The little guy is the one who is doing all the talking and not much of the singing…

He is so much fun!

We had tea and punch afterwards.

home is…having a kid with lots of personality.

technology is cool

2 Comments

So, my last two posts were written from my iPhone.

From my bed.

After I remembered that I hadn’t written a blog post for the day.

Technology is pretty cool.

I like writing blog posts.

I don’t want to back down from the challenge.

I am doing this challenge for me.

I know I won’t disappoint any of you if I miss a day here and there.

I also know that I won’t disappoint myself.

But, I’m not backing down from the challenge.

I am more than 33% done.

The good news is that there are some days that I have posted more than once…and in my mind, those extra posts make up for a missed day here and there.

It’s no big deal.

Moving on…

There’s lots going on in our lives.

Some of it I can’t write about on my blog…yet.

But I will.

When the time is right.

For now, we are  doing things around the house.

A little spring cleaning.

Getting ready for a visit from Ryan’s parents and a getaway to the Oregon Coast.

The end of the school year is approaching.

The little guy is almost done with his first year of preschool!

He’s gonna be in the pre-k class next year.

Baby girl is starting to use her words.

She is really good at “NO!”

Summer plans are being made.

The yard is being prepped for playing outside…lots!

It’s gonna be in the 70’s and sunny today, so I am going to hit publish and get ready to go outside.

The little guy is sick, but I think some vitamin D and playing in the warm air will do him some good.

home is…hitting publish.

{tuesdays with lola} lunch with the girls

2 Comments

This week it was actually a Wednesday with Lola.

I only took one photo.

We met a girl I knew in college who has recently moved to Portland for lunch in the Pearl.

Baby girl sat for 2 hours while my friend and I chatted.

2 HOURS!

In a high chair.

She was amazing.

Besides the 3 or 4 sugar packets that she poured out all over the table and the crayons on the floor she was an absolute angel.

She was just one of the girls out for lunch.

It was fun.

home is…lunch with the girls.

the little guy said…

3 Comments

Just when I thought I had written the cutest thing he said today (which was first thing this morning) he goes and knocks my socks off…

Mommy: “Did you have a good day at school today?”

Little Guy: “Yes.”

M: “What was your favorite part?”

LG: “Seeing you. I missed you.”

home is…some of the sweetest words I have heard.

there is nothing like spring skiing

1 Comment

Today the family headed up to the mountain for fun in the snow (and sun)!

The little guy and I skied while Ryan and baby girl people watched and cheered us on.

The little guy did awesome!

We took lots of runs down the slope next to the Ballroom Carpet at Mt. Hood Meadows.

He didn’t want to stop.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In fact, we finally took a break for lunch and then he wanted to go ski some more!

He did not want me to hold on to him at all. Each time, at the top of the “Magic Carpet” he would say, “Mommy, hold off!”

He likes to go fast and is not afraid to fall. I tried to teach him the wedge to slow down and he said that he did not want to slow down. I told him he would have to stop at the bottom of the hill or if he thought he might hit someone…he told me he would just fall to stop.

There was a beautiful blue sky, sun, awesome snow, live music and the people I love the most in this world. A perfect spring skiing day in my book! It was probably our last day to ski this season. I am already excited for next season and can’t wait until baby girl (and Ryan) can ski with us!

By the way, today was the first day that I have spent on the mountain and actually been able to see the top of the mountain. It’s majestic.

home is…a family day up on the mountain.

turns out she has both

8 Comments

This is a follow up to the {milestones} post from almost a month ago.

As I mentioned in that post, we had baby girl tested for food sensitivities to see if that may be what causes her eczema. The doctor thought that she may have a wheat (gluten) or dairy sensitivity.

Turns out she has both.

Specifically, a high whole wheat sensitivity, but her gluten sensitivity is pretty high as well. As for the dairy, milk was the highest followed by cheddar cheese.

The good news is that she does not currently drink milk. She never did. By that I mean she never drank cows milk. She was breast fed until she was 14 months old, but would never take a bottle of milk. So, we don’t need to cut that out of her diet.

I will have to start to cut out wheat and cut down on her dairy from cows (it looked like she will be okay with goats milk products).

My aunt and uncle, who we visited in Vail, have cut dairy and gluten out of their family’s diet and they are a wealth of knowledge, but it all seems daunting to me.

Does anybody have any experience with this? Do you know of any good resources for me?

I am just hoping that I can give my children the best upbringing possible and that includes their diet. If I can help baby girl feel better by changing her (and our whole family’s) eating habits then I am all for it!

home is…making changes for all of us even if it is just needed by one of us.

baby girl’s new bestie

3 Comments

This funny little thing is showing up all over our house these days.

No, we are not potty training.

Baby girl figured out how useful a stool is for a toddler and started using one at Meme and Topher’s house in Colorado.

When we got home she quickly learned how to pick up and carry this “potty stool” all over the house.

She brings it in the kitchen to stand next to me while I do dishes or make a meal.

She uses it to climb up on the big stools at the breakfast bar.

She uses it for things I didn’t know you would need to use a stool for…just because she can.

We also have one in the kids bathroom upstairs.

She carries that one all over, too.

It’s adorable…

When you’re not tripping over it in unexpected places.

home is…baby girl trying to be so big.