Snapshot

Us

Steve (30)
Jamie (29)
Gracie (6)
Charlie (3)
Juliette (12 mos)


Eating (Breakfast)

Corn or Rice Chex
Honey Nut Cheerios
Oatmeal
Toast
Banana-berry smoothies


Eating (Dinner)

"Crockos" (Crock pot burritos)
Lasagna
Pasta

...and lots more veggies now that I'm on an eat-more-veggies kick. Trying to have two veggie sides at meals now. Ugh. I don't love veggies. :)

and when we eat out...
Papa John's pineapple pizza


Eating (Dessert)

Ghiradelli brownies
Too much Halloween candy :/


Music

Taylor Swift
James Taylor
Stolen Dance - Milky Chance (Charlie's fav)

Watching (TV on TV/Hulu/Netflix)

Kiddos
Sesame Street
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

Jamie + Steve
Harry Potter (slowly working through all the movies)
Portlandia, season 4 (Netflix)


Bedtime

Kids
7:00/7:30ish

Jamie + Steve
10:30 or 11:00


Waketime

Kids
Awake around 6:30, allowed to get up at 7:00a :)

Steve
Varies between 6a and 8a depending on work schedule & level of exhaustiong

Jamie
6:40a -- I never thought I would willingly get up before 7am, but now I wake up early to read scriptures or Conference talks before the kids' day begins. It is a very sweet, slow, peaceful way to wake up, and it gets my wheels turning. I also check email and get dressed before they're up, and that is just a game changer as far as efficiency goes. :)


Reading

Jamie
The Shivering Sands - Victoria Holt (3rd or 4th time)
The 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferris
Happier at Home - Gretchen Rubin
If I Have to Tell You One More Time... - Amy McReady (2nd time)

Steve
Collected works of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


Outside Our Window

Bright orange leaves and the white-fingered branches of lots of already-bare trees, blue sky, sunshine, 58 degrees.


Habits-in-Learning

Eating more vegetables
Making lunches the day before (wonderful)
Keeping up with my Mind Organization for Moms routine (love)
Budgeting with YNAB (also looooove)


Pass Times

Juliette
Putting smaller things in larger containers (crayons in their case, magnets in kitchen drawers, etc.)
Crawling around with animal magnets clenched in her teeth
Climbing the stairs (when we leave the baby gate open)
Looking at books
Exploring the house

Charlie
Building with LEGOs and DUPLOs
Playing pretend with cars/trucks/stuffed animals
Drawing smiley faces with highlighter
Preschool twice a week
Playing with floss containers pilfered from the master bathroom
Riding his scooter

Gracie
Drawing pictures
Singing/making up songs
First grade!
Writing and illustrating books (many about Hello Kitty)
Learning needlepoint
Bike/scooter riding

Steve
xBox (lately, Lego Marvel Superheroes)
Running (he did a Tough Mudder on 10/25!)
Listening to EMRAP podcasts
Reading
Organizing residents & going to interview dinners for new applicants to his program

Jamie
Reading
Obsessively de-cluttering, streamlining, and organizing the house/finances
Learning Circle
Planning a capsule wardrobe
Slowly styling our bedroom
Coloring with the kiddos

Together (all of us)
Read stories
Have dance parties in the car/kitchen
Movie night on Fridays
Talk about Juliette
Laundry folding parties


Best Parts of the Day

Reading in bed (we all like this--the kids take books to bed for nap)
Making things
Holding hands
Coloring
Baby (& big kid!) snuggles
"Mommy Time"
Gracie's 2-minute post-school hug on the couch
Cuddling up to watch a movie
Kids' quiet time, when I can be a blur of uninterrupted productivity (or sometimes just sit and watch TV on my iPad)
Happy kids playing & imagining together
Successful trips to the "fighting step" or (even better) hearing them work things out on their own
Dancing
Belly laughs
Scriptures over breakfast
Everyone watching/cheering as Juliette climbs the stairs with us at bedtime
Waking up early to have my alone time
Hearing Gracie & Charlie chatting across the hallway after bedtime

2013 in Facebook Statuses

First, let me preface this by saying that I do NOT expect you, loyal blog reader, to read this. But I found a cool little website in March that would store all my statuses on a Google doc for me, and I thought it would be a fun way to document the year for myself. Sort of like a mini-recap of our life.

Also, I really want to remember that 2013 was the monumental year in which Facebook #finally got onboard with #hashtags.

(#justkidding)

March 15, 2013 at 08:33AM Just hours left. HOURS!

March 15, 2013 at 03:03PM No moving van for us--matched for three more years at Wake, and this time Steven is a DOCTOR!!! Congrats hubs!

March 17, 2013 at 10:07AM What's as exciting as match day but even cuter? How about a third Walton baby? :)

March 18, 2013 at 02:32PM Anybody done a cruise or all-inclusive resort? We're thinking of doing a mini-vacation and I'm not sure where to start!

March 22, 2013 at 01:46PM I miss California a lot today. :(

March 24, 2013 at 03:07PM I love love love love my couch and my pajamas and a rainy day.

March 24, 2013 at 05:25PM Gracie has been thinking a lot about our baby's Halloween due date. Today: "Mom, if you go trick or treating with me, and you get some Reese's, then you can just hand the baby to Daddy so you can have the Reese's." This girl's always got my back.

March 25, 2013 at 10:43AM It worries me that sometimes I can't figure out Blue's Clues. That dog can be surprisingly obscure.

March 25, 2013 at 04:25PM Today I opened up a diaper I expected to be filled with poop, and it was instead filled with poop AND A MATCHBOX CAR. Charlie.

March 27, 2013 at 08:28PM I took an epic nap today. It was the best.

April 03, 2013 at 12:31PM Somehow it just hit me that I will have a KINDERGARTENER in autumn. Holy cow!!!

April 05, 2013 at 04:45PM I had some honey bbq chicken wings yesterday and now that is all I want to eat. Oh life.

April 08, 2013 at 01:44PM Thank you anonymous Frogurt groupon giver! I am so excited!! And I can only partly blame pregnancy hormones for the fact that I almost cried. Thanks for making me feel special.

April 12, 2013 at 10:57AM Ordered a purple Dyson. Stalking its travels on UPS. :)

April 15, 2013 at 11:22AM There's an ad for a fertility test in the sidebar of my facebook. Think that ship has sailed, ad-guys.

April 23, 2013 at 08:47AM Sometimes I add things to my to do list after I finish them just so I can check off another box. :)

April 23, 2013 at 11:55AM My favorite Charlie words: "pinkabutter" for peanut butter, and "apple goose" for apple juice.

April 24, 2013 at 03:51PM Anyone had a kid do summer camp in WS? I'm looking for something fun for Grace to do when preschool ends. :)

April 25, 2013 at 03:43PM I wanted a nap, but Charlie did not. And it is NOT safe to sleep when he is awake. :)

April 29, 2013 at 08:38AM The moment when I HAVE to get dressed in the morning often comes too soon. :/

April 30, 2013 at 01:13PM Okay Winston people, what fun freebies/deals do you love around here? We like kids-eat-free at Firehouse Subs on Saturdays, and free cake squares at Dewey's on Mondays! Nicole Madeline Kerry Christie Danielle Melissa

May 02, 2013 at 08:40AM Charlie started out calling me "Mommy Pommy" as a joke, and it morphed into "Mommy Palm Tree." :)

May 03, 2013 at 01:33PM Best date restaurants in Winston Salem? I'm almost over the morning sickness and I need to take my man on a date!

May 03, 2013 at 06:57PM Baby kicks!!!

May 04, 2013 at 01:21PM The more I think about it, the more I want to eat a Cinnabon.

May 05, 2013 at 07:18PM Has anybody tried one of those copycat Cafe Rio recipes that are all over Pinterest?

May 07, 2013 at 03:09PM I wonder what the ratio is for how often autocorrect makes me look like a numbskull versus how often it actually corrects me correctly?

May 14, 2013 at 08:15AM Does anybody have an air mattress (or two) we can borrow for the weekend? Parents are coming to visit for graduation!!!

May 15, 2013 at 09:11PM So far my most intense pregnancy cravings have been: Cinnabon, m&ms, and, currently, Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies. I guess this baby is going to be sweet. ;)

May 26, 2013 at 03:42PM Steve and I are sitting outside Charlie's door taking turns plopping him back in bed over and over again. He didn't get the memo about nap time. #Sunday #parenthood #norestforthetired

June 08, 2013 at 01:18PM Need more donuts.

June 11, 2013 at 08:31AM So, do you think baby #3 is a boy or a girl? We find out tomorrow!

June 12, 2013 at 02:25PM Pretty excited to get all the pink stuff out again--we're having another little GIRL!

June 14, 2013 at 02:45PM Winston peeps: Anybody have a copy of Parenting with Love and Logic I could borrow?

June 16, 2013 at 05:14PM Can't beat a day dedicated to celebrating three of my most beloved people. Dads and best friends are my faves.

June 26, 2013 at 07:43AM Tried to have a conversation with the kids during breakfast. Me: How did you guys sleep? Gracie: (hears a random noise) What was that? Charlie: Aaaaaay B C D E F G! #ConversationFail

June 28, 2013 at 08:52AM Though most kids like being outdoors, Charlie is currently screaming, crying, and baby-swearing (yelling the worst word he can think of "nothing!!!") at me because I am making him play in the backyard with Grace and he is "messyyyyyyy!!!" #hardknocklife

July 03, 2013 at 09:25AM Steve left for work at 5am yesterday, got home at 10pm (exhausted) and still took the trash can out for me when he started it all over again this morning. #residency #hubsftw

July 05, 2013 at 07:35AM Gearing up to potty train Charlie... Any tips on training a boy? And on carpet???!

July 08, 2013 at 08:09AM Potty training day one... Wish me luck!

July 08, 2013 at 10:35AM A PORCUPINE totally just walked up to our sliding glass door! I'm not sure I've ever seen one in real life before?! So far since we've moved here we've seen a fox and had two deer sightings. So fun!

July 12, 2013 at 06:17PM Charlie just changed our printer language to Japanese.

July 13, 2013 at 09:21AM When you get to the end if your rope, tie a knot and hang on. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

July 13, 2013 at 03:24PM Winston peeps, anybody in (or know someone in) the MBA program at Wake? I have a friend who's looking into it. :)

July 13, 2013 at 06:36PM Gracie, in response to Phil Collins singing (in Tarzan), "I'll be there, always and alwaaays," said, "He won't be there ALWAYS. Sometimes he'll have to go to a store."

July 14, 2013 at 08:36PM Saw a picture of a donut. Now baby girl thinks we NEED a donut. Hopefully ice cream will do. :)

July 16, 2013 at 09:28PM 25 weeks pregnant and facebook is listing "Trendy Plus Size Clothing" in my sidebar ads. :/

July 17, 2013 at 08:56AM My minivan has some pretty sick bass.

July 18, 2013 at 11:38AM Japanese printer update: searched forever for how to factory reset it, and HP had noooo solution. Finally googled how to write "language" in Japanese and searched the preferences panel for a character match. Fixed! What did parents of curious two year olds do before Google translate?

July 19, 2013 at 07:20PM Bedtime: Me: Goodnight, little buddy. Charlie: Goodnight, little Mommy.

July 22, 2013 at 09:37PM Unsafely ejecting memory cards like a boss. Take that Macbook: I do what I want. #thuglife

July 24, 2013 at 10:05AM Gracie: "Dragons aren't real, so you don't have to be afraid of them. You can just imagine them. Imagine Dragons."

July 24, 2013 at 09:55PM Kind of wish the ice maker would shout out a warning before it starts making ice. Something along the lines of, "HEY! It's just me! I'm going to make some ice now, and I wanted you to know that I'm NOT a murderer/thief/crazy person banging on your door!"

August 01, 2013 at 10:01PM Why why why whyyyy didn't I buy something for dessert when I was at Target today? Should have had hindsight.

August 02, 2013 at 03:57PM Your kids might watch too much PBS if: when reading a book to her little brother, your oldest finishes not with "the end" but with "This book brought to you by the (made up word) Foundation."

August 06, 2013 at 01:34PM Gracie, when confronted with a third blueberry pancake: "Oh no! I really wanted to share this with you (Mom) but I really like it so I can't!"

August 21, 2013 at 06:40PM Anybody use SwagBucks?

August 23, 2013 at 11:56AM Charlie just told Gracie where he wants to go on a "date": "Airport first, then hospital, then HOME DEPOT!!!"

August 28, 2013 at 03:29PM 1st day of Kindergarten was on Monday! Since then she has reportedly played in a giant parachute, gotten mud on her shoe, hopped on one foot for a WHOLE song during "E.P." (PE), and met the boy she wants to marry. :) Love this girl.

August 31, 2013 at 03:48PM So my height/weight has my body mass index at 31 weeks pregnant at 29.3... So 4 more pounds and I will officially be considered obese! Ha!

September 04, 2013 at 09:35AM Gracie's kindergarten teacher has taught her to say "Yes, sir" and "Yes, ma'am." She's even ma'am-ed me a couple times! #lifeinthesouth #yesmaam

September 04, 2013 at 01:09PM $70 diaper bag for $31. Yay!

September 05, 2013 at 04:53PM Had to make cupcakes so I would have an excuse to eat the rest of the frosting eyeballing me from the fridge. (Steve gives me weird looks if I eat it by itself.)

September 06, 2013 at 01:26PM We're a little over 7 weeks out, and Juliette has no middle name. Suggestions? :)

September 06, 2013 at 01:47PM I must be pretty awesome to be a UPS guy. He's basically Santa Claus for grown ups.

September 08, 2013 at 08:58PM In Charlie's bedtime prayer tonight he asked (with no prompting) "...and please bless baby Juliette to be safe." This kid melts my heart.

September 09, 2013 at 07:22PM Snuggled up on Gracie's twin bed with her tonight to check in about kindergarten happenings and talk about dealing with new situations on her own. She listened carefully and then looked at me kindly and counseled, "But you know who's watching me when you're not? Jesus. So its going to be okay." Kind of just the thing I've been needing to hear since the first day of school. Love this sweet, sassy, brilliant girl.

September 20, 2013 at 01:29PM I miss sleep.

September 20, 2013 at 05:50PM Enjoying this brief but magical moment of motherhood during which nobody poops at the dinner table! #momwin #diaperbreak #smallvictories

September 21, 2013 at 04:11PM Charlie heard me worrying over Gracie's cough and now he keeps running over to her asking, "You okay, my lamb?"

September 23, 2013 at 11:34AM Just had a woman at the grocery store survey my pregnant belly and then offer to "explain how to keep that (pregnancy) from happening." Stay classy, awkward old lady.

September 24, 2013 at 08:48AM Does anybody have a baby bouncer we could borrow for baby girl? 5 weeks left!

September 24, 2013 at 05:22PM Better shopping experience: out with Charlie and Gracie and an old man behind me in line insisted on unloading my cart for me. Adorbs!

September 27, 2013 at 07:14AM How can kids start the day being horrible to each other? You guys just slept for twelve hours! How about some high fives and a dance number?

September 27, 2013 at 01:31PM Height: 4'10"; Weight: 147lbs; BMI: 30.7. I'm officially OBESE!

September 28, 2013 at 08:32AM Mom (to Gracie): You're a big girl. Charlie: I'm a backhoe!

September 30, 2013 at 08:33PM Pregnancy (me) + MICU rotation (Steve) = two night owls ready to sleep by 8:30.

October 07, 2013 at 06:59AM Soooo sad when someone wakes me up ten minutes before my alarm is set to go off. #monday

October 07, 2013 at 10:34AM Amazon.com has the best customer service. Turned my Monday around. :)

October 21, 2013 at 10:38AM Baby's coming tomorrow! (One perk of delivering a ten-pound Charlie: doctors who are suuuuper willing to schedule an elective induction.) Getting excited/nervous, working on my to-do list, and eating a LOT of mini Oreos. :)

October 22, 2013 at 08:49PM Juliette is here! 8lb 10oz and 21.5 inches long. Love love love her sweet self! And I need a really long nap. :)

October 30, 2013 at 07:36PM Charlie's dream came true today: He charmed some construction workers on our street and got invited to ride in a bulldozer. He was OVER THE MOON. He literally didn't speak for several minutes afterward. (And that is a big deal for him!)

November 01, 2013 at 01:44PM The USPS charges $1.25 shipping to send one sheet of stamps...! It seems like if anyone could swing a free shipping deal it should be them, right? Like couldn't they just hand them to my mailman? He's coming here anyway.

November 05, 2013 at 05:41PM Favorite podcasts???

November 09, 2013 at 05:43PM “If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived." -Jeffrey R. Holland

November 16, 2013 at 01:15PM Has anyone had an potty-trained big sibling regress after a baby comes along (or some other big change happens)? Charlie was golden--totally trained for months--but he's been struggling again since Juliette was born and I don't know what to do.

November 17, 2013 at 07:32PM Things parents say aloud: "No! No jumping while I'm wiping you!"

November 20, 2013 at 03:11PM Friends, which one of you left anonymous cookies on my porch yesterday? :)

November 22, 2013 at 03:33AM One perk of being awake at 3am: scouting Xbox Ones for Steve.

November 22, 2013 at 11:57AM Who wants to babysit cute (and/or sleeping!) kids some night so I can take my hubs on a post-baby date?

November 23, 2013 at 07:11PM Things parents say: Please don't floss your teeth with your hair.

December 04, 2013 at 12:00PM My baby girl has the stomach flu! So sad! :(

December 05, 2013 at 12:46PM Charlie, talking to himself in the other room: "I am altering the deal. PRAY I don't alter it any further..."

December 07, 2013 at 03:17AM Sitting in the dark feeding my pretty baby and listening to the rain outside. #blessed

December 11, 2013 at 11:38AM Charlie: When I'm a grown-up, I can have a MANGO! Glad he's got reasonable expectations of adulthood. :)

December 11, 2013 at 01:55PM Finally figured out a gift for the toughest person on my Christmas list! (I'm looking at you, Rick Rampton.)

December 12, 2013 at 09:15AM Okay Winston girls, who's planning to watch Season 4 of Downton in January?

December 15, 2013 at 06:14PM Charlie, checking out the Pooh bear picture on Juliette's diaper: "Oh. It's Sham the Pooh!"

December 16, 2013 at 10:58AM Has anyone done a Disney Cruise?

December 17, 2013 at 04:23PM So sad when the kids are in the middle of something fun and somebody decides to do something that warrants big time discipline. :( Maybe the worst part of parenting.

December 18, 2013 at 01:35PM Charlie, reaching to close a book I'd left open: "Let me 'The End' this."

December 21, 2013 at 08:35AM Just heard Gracie correct Charlie's pronunciation: "Charlie, it's not 'Haaaan' Solo it's 'Hahn' Solo." #parentingftw

December 21, 2013 at 10:11AM Before Juliette was born I bought a box of fifty thank you notes. Two months later I only have eighteen left! Thank you to everyone who has helped us with food, gifts, babysitting, and everything else! We are so lucky and blessed to have such generous and wonderful people in our lives!

December 27, 2013 at 05:18PM Juliette smells like my Dad's aftershave from being snuggled. He, my mama, and my "baby" brother just left on an airplane and I already feel a little homesick. :(

December 29, 2013 at 07:55PM Charlie: "When I'm a little grown-up, I can have a SUITCASE!" #CharlieOnAdulthood

Lately.

Love him.

When one of us is out of commission, things tend to slow down. It was a little rough, at first, dealing with the nausea of the first trimester, but I'm starting to feel better now (11 weeks on Thursday) and able to pitch in a little more, just with more breaks for laying down than I was previously used to. But life goes on.

Charlie has had an ear infection (and we think he is also teething) so he has been needing extra cuddle time. (Yesterday he said, pathetically, "I want yay down wif Mommy." And once I laid down with him he went from hysterical and unconsolable to perfectly happy.) And he has been taking crazy long naps in the afternoon (he hasn't napped for months now). So we know he's uncomfortable.

But with Steve out of school until residency bootcamp in a few weeks, we've taken some time to just take it easy. It's been nice. We each read a book over the weekend, even spending some evening hours on opposite couches soaking up words. We've been watching an episode or two of Law & Order: Criminal Intent together every day (love Goren & Eames, and make lots of Jeff Goldbloom jokes--Chaos theory!) and since the weather has turned nice, we've been picnicking on the front lawn with the kiddos for lunchtime.

Other than that, we've been just coping with whatever my hormones throw at us, and slowly packing up the house in preparation to move (not far, just 10 minutes away) which is exciting and makes me feel even more grown-up. I'm trying to get Gracie registered for kindergarten (!!!) which is surprisingly complex in NC, and figure out my Medicaid for this pregnancy (also complicated) and some other paperwork stuff.

My book has been on hold. I'm okay with it. It has been a nice respite, actually, and I just think about what I'd like to do with the plot and work out little storyline kinks in my mind, casually instead of harriedly. I will get back into intense and daily writing soon, when I'm feeling more 100% (and back to the gym, too--Steve is getting much more use out of our membership lately) but for now I'm happy to let things rest.

Med school is almost over. So much has changed. We are so much better, I think. I am, at least. It feels like the blink of an eye. We've been happy in this phase of life, and are looking forward to the new things on our horizon. Steve a doctor! Not unbelievable at all, but I can't figure out how we got here so quickly. It has been challenging and very worthwhile, and he has done so well in all his roles. Graduation in May.

And a baby ultrasound in a couple weeks--our first sighting of baby Walton the third. :) Looking forward to that.

Right now Steve is out teaching with the missionaries for the evening, Gracie is humming a song to herself in bed, Charlie is quiet (and I suspect already asleep--rare for him, poor sickie), and I can hear an airplane overhead, and the birds singing spring-songs outside our window as the sun goes down.

And that's what's been going on around here lately.

Goofy photos of me and Steve.

I remember a while back seeing a little post on someone's blog about how this couple took the same picture in a bunch of different places. I think it was a picture of their feet or something. (Ew?) And I was kind of sad, because it had never occurred to me to do something cute like that with Steve.

Then I scrolled through our almost-eight-years-worth of pictures, and realized we DO have a thing. We have a couple, actually. And since I promised you some goofy photos if you participated in that poll, and since you did, I'm going to show you.

Be warned--some are more attractive than others.

(Most of them... are not attractive at all.)

(...but those are the best kind.)

So without further monologuing, here are our standard photos:

The Kiss on the Cheek

In my old civic, 2006. (Dating for about 5 months.)

La Jolla Cove, 2007. (Married 1 year + 3 months.)

Kiss waiting for the elevator at our Costa Verde apartment, January 1, 2008. (The day we found out we were pregnant with Gracie!) (Sorry this one isn't on the cheek.)

At home on Kildeer Court, December 2008.

Disneyland, April 2011. (Charlie's Baby Blessing weekend.)

Braves Game, Atlanta, August 2012. (With a Charlie photobomb.)

Ghetto with an emphasis on PEACE.

The Spot--also where we had our first date--April 2006. (Dating.)

Our wedding, September 2006.

Halloween 2008. (With baby Gracie.)

Dance Central Party/Competition, August 2011.

Being Weird

Imitating an awkward engagement photo, 2007. (Married 1 year.)

Emily & Rick's wedding, Arizona, 2008.

Point Loma, CA. March, 2009.

Christmas Gingerbread Party, Winston-Salem, 2009.

One of my first successfully cooked dinners (Steve cooked everything before med school), 2010.

October 2010 (pregnant with Charlie), taken by Gracie.

August, 2012 @ FlipBurger Boutique in Atlanta.

Being weird in a mirror, Dana Point, CA, March, 2008. (Babymoon--preggo w/ Grace)

Being weird in a mirror, Kev & Rach's house, Christmas, 2012.

Snapshot

In case you don't know what this is, it's just a little freeze-frame of daily life. I do one of these little snapshots once or twice every year. :)



Us

Steve (27-alllllmost-28)
Jamie (27)
Gracie (4 yrs)
Charlie (20-allllmost-21 mos)

Eating (Breakfast)

Gracie
Frosted Mini Wheats

Charlie
Banana (his favorite fruit--he would eat this for every meal) and cereal or a graham cracker

Jamie + Steve
Cinnamon Life cereal (a big treat--this kind is never on sale but it was last weekend! $1.87.)


Eating (Dinner)

Penne with chicken, sautéed grape tomatoes, and creamy pesto sauce (my latest favorite)
Chicken quesadillas with peach salsa and sour cream
Hamburger sliders with grilled pineapple on Kings Hawaiian rolls
Homemade pizza (chicken/avocado/mozzarella/feta/bbq sauce - hers; marinara, mozzarella, pineapple - his)

and when the kids eat alone and we want them to eat meat...
Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nuggets (they hate meat... we are desperate)

and when we eat out...
Firehouse Subs for kids-eat-free Saturdays
Chipotle


Eating (Dessert)

Ghiradelli brownies with chocolate-brownie ice cream (We decided last night that this. must. stop.)
or... Ben + Jerry's Phish Food (hers) or Chocolate Fudge Brownie (his) ice cream

with the kiddos...
On occasion we do a family night at Frogurt for their $3.50 all-you-can-eat frozen yogurt + toppings cups. Charlie and Gracie share one--froyo and candy for her, and fruit for him.


Music

fun.
Foster the People
Muppets: The Green Album (this is a bunch of amazing covers of Muppet songs by artists like Weezer and Matt Nathanson)
Soundtrack to The Muppets (the new-er movie--super fun music and the kids adore it)


Watching (TV on TV/Hulu/Netflix)

Kiddos
Sesame Street
Sid the Science Kid
Word World
Super Why
(not all on the same day, don't worry)
sometimes an episode of Duck Tales for a tired-parenting night :)

Jamie + Steve
Top Chef Masters (on iTunes)
Doc Martin, season 5 (Netflix)
Parks + Rec, season 3 (Netflix)
just finished White Collar, seasons 1-3 (Netflix)
(looking forward to season premieres coming up in a couple weeks)
and an episode of the Office before bed, as always.


Watching (Movies)

with the kiddos...
The Muppets

(in San Antonio on our vacay, our most recent foray to the movie theater)
Brave
Moonrise Kingdom (quirky. loved.)


Bedtime

Kids
7:00/7:30ish

Jamie + Steve
We climb in bed around 10:30ish but usually watch something on the laptop and eat dessert... We're asleep by 11 or 12, and Steve miraculously gets up at 5 for Trauma ICU shifts.


Reading

Jamie
The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley (not that great so far)

just finished...
Sisterhood Everlasting - Ann Brashares (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants girls all grown up! Surprisingly engaging, I got through it pretty quickly.)

and on deck...
The Lantern - Deborah Lawrenson
The Widow's Season - Laura Brodie

Steve
just finished
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Poirot #1) - Agatha Christie


Outside Our Window

Green leaves (the back of our house feels like living in a treehouse!), blue sky with a few big, fat, delightful thunderheads (we've been having great storms lately!) and copious amounts of mosquitos


Habits-in-Learning


Cleaning one room a day for 15 minutes (this is working better than anything else I've tried)
Healthy eating (but we're good at going to the gym now!)
2 hours of writing daily (for me)
Picking up our toys (all of us.)
Sweeping the kitchen floor (hard floors + kiddos = lots of sweeping)



Pass Times

Charlie
Pretending to go to work at the hospital (running out of rooms saying "work" or "hoh-bih-toh!")
Slamming doors/drawers and then opening them again and again
Playing with the fan in our bedroom
Trying to eat chapstick/deodorant
Sitting in the corner of the playroom or on his chair in his room "reading" books
Running around yelling his catch phrases, Hello nudie! ("Hedoh, noonie!" after bathtime, to himself I guess?), Let's go, baby! ("Geh-go, beh-beh!"), No thanks! ("Doh dank!!!" to almost all food/bedtime/sharing activities)
Singing "We Will Rock You"

Gracie
Playing "Super Why" with a cape and a flashlight
Coloring princess/Strawberry Shortcake coloring books
Drawing pictures
Playing mommy to Baby and Elephant (a.k.a. Ellie-Brons)
Making forts with blankets, pillows, and a side table
Singing/making up songs
Baking/cooking whenever we will let her help
Preschool
Playing nest in her closet with a giant duvet on the floor

Steve
xBox (lately, Batman Arkham City)
Prepping residency applications (poor guy)
Reading
Dice With Friends on his iPod haha
Finding awesome music for us all to listen to (he makes fabulous Pandora stations)

Jamie
Thrifting cute clothes + tailoring my finds!
Writing
Gym-ing
Reading
Compiling home movies
Working on Project Life
Pinterest-ing things to make :)
Better Halves stuff (book club, dessert nights, etc.)

Together (all of us)
Fancy Pants Man (a silly + fun video game) on xBox (just J + S)
Eat frozen yogurt/subs
Lay on the floor exhausted while the kids climb on us/jump/bounce on our stomachs
Read stories
Have dance parties in the car/kitchen
Watch the Muppets cuddled up on the couch or on pillows on the floor (this is the only movie Charlie will watch all the way through, so we watch it almost any time we watch a movie with the kids)


Best Parts of the Day

Laying on the floor after Steve gets home from work while the kids climb on us and laugh
Cuddling up just the two of us to watch a show on the couch after the kids are in bed
Holding hands
Reading in bed (we all like this--the kids take books to bed for nap)
Making things
When Steve gets to come home for lunch! The best surprise.
Dessert with my cute hubs (perfect combination)
Watching the kids play together, run up and down the halls, and share with or hug each other
Dancing together
When the kids laugh their belly laughs
Singing to the kids at bedtime
Peaking in at my sleeping babies before I go to bed

Snapshot

Eating (Breakfast)

Gracie
Honey Nut Cheerios

Charlie
Carrots + green beans (it is his happiest time of day so we give him a double dose of veggies!)

Jamie + Steve
Lucky Charms
Trix
(I know, I know... Great examples.)

Eating (Dinner)

Enchiladas
Chipotle, too often (we're bad, huh?)
Costco ravioli + cesar salad/veggies

Music

Taylor Swift
One Republic

Watching (TV on TV/Hulu/Netflix)

Gracie
Sesame Street
Sid the Science Kid
Word World

Jamie & Steve
LOST! (Steve & I are rewatching the whole series on Netflix instant... It is pretty much all we are watching together right now)
HGTV Design Star (just me--did you know you can watch it for free online?! Yay!)

Watching (Movies)

The Help (just me, with my BH girls)

Bedtime


Kids
7:00

Jamie & Steve
We climb in bed around 10:30ish but usually watch one more episode of LOST on the laptop before sleep... I know we're addicted.


Reading


Jamie
The House at Riverton - Kate Morton (I have just one chapter left but I keep saving it for the perfect quiet moment :) It is so good!)
SuperFoods Rx - Steven Pratt, M.D.

Steve
just finished another Dean Koontz and Gideon's Sword - Preston & Child (underwhelmed by both)


Outside Our Window


Stormy weather: clouds, trees blowing, dark streets


Habits-in-Learning


Sweeping a lot. Hardwood floors are the worst for lazy sweepers.
Doing a load of laundry start to finish every day
Hitting the gym 3x/week
Writing every night (for me)


Pass Times


Charlie
Chewing on things
Sitting up on his own
Banging on things
Playing "So Big"

Gracie
Playing with her Ariel toys
Coloring & drawing pictures
Practicing writing her name
Putting her animals down for naps

Steve
Building things
xBox with his "Broos"
Reading

Jamie
Building things (with LOTS of help from Steve)
Writing
Blogging
Pinterest (oh no!)


Together
Partying with our friends (most recently, cards with the Pearsons & ice cream+Hot Rod with the Baileys)
Dance Central on the Kinect


Best Parts of the Day


Feeding Charlie in the morning
Cuddling up just the two of us to watch a show on the couch
Reading
Making things
When Steve gets to come home for lunch
When Gracie tells us she loves us :)
Charlie playing "So Big" or being cuddly
Watching the kids laugh and play together

photobooth

I know you loved seeing those photos of my freezer, so I'm sorry to remove that from the top of the page. I hope you can forgive me. Feel free to scroll down a bit if you still want to gaze lovingly at it.

Now. On to more important matters. Did you all know that I have a Mac? (If you read that as "Did you all know that I am a geek?" that is probably equally accurate.) Well Macs have this cute little program called photobooth, and when I remember about it I play with it with my kids. And then I forget about it. So today I found a bunch of pictures that I didn't know I had!

 (Charlie trying to eat the dust buster.)

blast from the past

I just found this post, drafted January of 2009. Grace was almost exactly Charlie's age! I think this was originally a photo challenge from one of my friends, to post what your house really looked like at exactly that moment. Apparently I chickened out since this never got put up, but I am so glad to see the pictures now!

At the time we lived with Steve's cousin Erin, her husband Chris, and their baby boy Mason (who is now 3!) in a house in San Diego. We shared the common areas and all had our own bedrooms, and each family had a bathroom. We had so much fun being new parents with the Carrs--there was lots of Mario Kart playing and making s'mores in the fireplace in the evenings, watching the Office together on Thursdays, and of course, discussing the merits of Hot Rod and motocross.

Anyway here's a blast from our past: what home looked a little over 2 years ago.

The living room/kitchen area. My laptop on the counter, Mason's high chair in the corner, Gracie's Boppy on the couch, a basket of laundry waiting to be folded, and a blanket one of the babies had been playing on.



My almost-six-month-old baby Gracie sound asleep in her crib. Her bedroom was a nook by the stairs (like Harry Potter?) that had no door on it. Which we think is why she is such a good sleeper. Look at that cute little baby head.

The contents of our shared fridge/freezer. The Carrs had the upper shelves, we had the lower shelves, and we each had a veggie crisper. Notable foods: Lactaid (after Charlie was born, I was suddenly able to eat dairy again... so odd), Martinelli's sparkling cider (probably leftover from New Years), Dole juice (still a big treat), Yoplait, chocolate frosting, giant jar of jam, and Sara Lee chocolate cake.

Our bathroom (do you LOVE the sweet wallpaper? Also, the toilet seat was shaped like a shell.). The writing on the mirror says I LUV U2 (not the band) and Beware of Alligator!!! Very wary!!! (of gator). You can see the alligator in question in a pie tin at the lower left of the photo. I don't know what our excuse was for growing this, considering Grace was a baby. I remember it was very slimy.


This was our room--it was pretty tight. We borrowed the bedframe, which was already there, and with that squished in the corner we could fit our dressers and a chair where I would sit to nurse Grace and read. I slept on the inside, so you can see I've used the window sill as a nightstand--it has my lotion, a tissue, and a glass of water. Not sure why the pack-n-play is in there, unless maybe Steve had been out of town for an interview or something. You can see I didn't make the bed, and Steve had been reading a Grisham novel.

Washer/dryer and storage in the garage.

The kitchen sink, where both babies got their baths (we shared the baby tub, which was Mason's--Charlie has his own now). Mason's bottle by the baby tub, and Gracie's bottle rack to the right, as well as the little green tub they gave us to wash her bottles in at the hospital. And off to the left is the tiny blue tub they gave us to use for her sponge baths. She still plays with that in the tub. I wonder how that made its way all the way from California?

Snapshot

Right now...

Eating (Breakfast)


Special K (Jamie)
Frosted Mini-Wheats
Honey Nut Cheerios

Eating (Dinner)


Crock pot chicken tacos
Margherita pizza
Enchiladas

Music


Brad Paisley
Jason Mraz
Billy Joel
Ben Folds
Taylor Swift
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Michael Buble

Watching (TV on TV/Hulu/Netflix)


The Office
Community
The Biggest Loser
Fringe
Jeopardy!
Bones: Season 5
The X-Files
Pawn Stars (History channel show about a pawn shop)
Sesame Street
Sid the Science Kid

Watching (Movies)

Outsourced (dumb)
Amadeus
Lord of the Rings

Bedtime


Elevenish? Sometimes earlier/later

Reading


Jamie
The Happiness Project

Steve
various Dean Koontz books
most recently Your Heart Belongs to Me


Gracie
Barnyard Dance
Sesame Street Seek and Find
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
Are You My Mother

Outside Our Window


Butterfly bush shedding leaves
Nighttime
Crickets
Fall wreath

earlier... Lots of cars because we hosted a Better Halves pot luck :)

Habits-in-Learning


Filing mail as soon as it comes in
Going to bed earlier
Making the bed
Doing the dishes every morning

Pass Times


Steve
Building things... chairs, playhouse, picnic table, play kitchen
xBox parties with guys from school
Studying

Jamie
Sewing/painting/preparing things for Charlie's room
Compiling family videos

Gracie
Putting stuffed animals in time out (or other fun pretend)
Co-op with her girlfriends on Wednesdays
Drawing

Best Parts of the Day


Any time Daddy comes home--lunchtime, 5pm, anytime
Quesadilla picnics
Jeopardy competitions after Gracie goes to bed
Eating breakfast and/or dinner together
Dance parties in the kitchen (sometimes while doing dishes) or family room
Charlie bamps

Snapshot

Did one of these back in October, too. I like remembering the "right now" tidbits of life. So...

Right now:

Eating (breakfasts):

Mom's Best Natural Cereals (super cheap at Walmart, and Steve loves the cinammon + sugar ones)
Toast
Cheerios

Eating (dinners):

Steve's amazing tacos
Margherita pizza (on Fat Tuesdays)
Things with avocados! Like chicken with avocado salsa

Music (for listening):

Lily Allen
Ingrid Michaelson
Fiest

Music (for writing):

Coldplay
The Fray

Watching (TV on TV/Hulu/Netflix):

LOST
Celebrity Apprentice
Fringe
The Biggest Loser
Project Runway
The Office (+ Community & Parks + Rec)
The X-Files (Season 1)
Planet Earth (with Gracie as a pre-bedtime treat)
Sometimes: 24, V

Watching (Movies):

Sphere
Much Ado About Nothing

Jamie, while sick at home:
Wall-E
Julie & Julia
The Sound of Music

Bedtime:
Eleven....ish

Reading:

Jamie
Belong to Me (audiobook, just finished)
The Lost Symbol

Steve

Agatha Christie mysteries (just finished)

Gracie
Best Friends Search and Find ("Nemo Book" according to G)
Go, Dog, Go
Hop on Pop
Dr. Suess's ABCs
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Outside our window:

Newly budding bright green spring leaves
Dusk

Habits in-learning:

Cleaning up the kitchen before I start a new meal
Working out 5x per week (more like 3, but I shoot for 5 to get there)
Scriptures together before bedtime

Pass times:

Steve
Studying
FailBlog
Swapping YouTube videos with study buddy James

Jamie
Writing
Reading
Blogging
Sewing

Together
Cooking
Jeopardy competition ;)
Cards with the Pearsons
Bonanza
Walking at Silas Creek park

Best parts of the day:

Conversations with Gracie
5pm--when Steve walks in the door
Gracie's bedtime routine, especially when she comes to fetch me for family prayer with a carefully selected toy companion
Snuggling on the couch to a TV show or as we fall asleep
Dinner with all three of us together at the table
Warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert
The feel of warm sun on our backs/hair when we go for a walk

Snapshot

Right now:

Eating (breakfasts):

Granola + yogurt

Toast

Toaster streudle

Eating (dinners):

Margherita pizza

Pasta + chicken caesar salad

French toast

Music (for listening):

Feist

Ingrid Michaelson

Yael Naim

Taylor Swift
Regina Spektor

Music (for writing):

Coldplay

The Fray

Matt Nathanson

& Mexico by Jump, Little Children

Watching (TV):

Fringe

Top Chef

The Biggest Loser

Project Runway

The Office (+ Community & Parks + Rec)

Watching (Movies):

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999)

Bedtime:

Midnight... should be earlier

Reading:

Just finished

The Zookeeper's Wife

Heading in to

Rebecca

finishing The Host

Steve's reading

1776

Gracie's reading

Babies from Baby Einstein

Toes, Fingers, Nose

Outside our window:

Nighttime

Pouring

Leaves changing from green to gold, dripping with raindrops

Habits in-learning:

Writing everyday

Running ( :p ) or yoga every weeknight

Scripture study every day

Keeping up the house REALLY well (learning, I said!!!)

Pass times:

Steve's:

Studying

Facebook

Zombie game (Left for Dead?)

Jamie's:

iPhoto/iMovie/Mac anything

Reading

Mikey Show on podcast

Together:

Sorry/Boggle

Puzzle (occasionally)

Playing with Gracie

Best parts of the day:

Gracie learning new words and pointing things out (knees, trees, wreath)

Cuddling with Steven before we fall asleep :)

Dinner all three of us together at the table

Cookies
That Gracie wants to take a "baa!" after every meal (not just dinner)

Collapsing on a squishy pillow and being cold enough to get under more blankets