The Adventures of Ingrid and Otis

A Face Only a Mother Would Kiss

2012-01-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Otis digs into his food, with GUSTO. He loves to eat! And now he knows how to play peek-a-boo, which is cute. Except when he has food all over his hands, which means then he has food all over his face, his hair, his eyelashes. Last night we had enchiladas. This is what enchiladas look like after a game of peek-a-boo:

Ugh, good thing bathtime is right after dinner. Geez.

So Dramatic

2012-01-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

That's Ingrid. Sooooo dramatic. I don't know if it's because she's a girl, almost four, or just because, but she can be so emotional and the emotions are quick to change. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with her...

Life Pictures

2012-01-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

Random shots from everyday life.

Daddy play time:

Fabulous boys:

Mama and her mini-me:

A dog says what?

We took Otis to his year checkup and found that Fat Man is now bigger than Ingrid was at this age. He's almost 23 lbs and 31" long. Big kid.

Play Time

2012-01-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

We went to a friend's house yesterday and hung out with their kids. I used to nanny for the boys, they are so big now!! We reminisced about how I used to take naps with Peter when I was pregnant with Ingrid. That was by far the best part of being a nanny while being pregnant--nap time!

But now the boys are huge and they have a baby sister added in the mix! Greta and Otis are exactly a week apart!

It's interesting talking with Sally about developmental differences in Down's kids. Greta is getting her first tooth just now. She is sitting but not crawling. Just little things that I take for granted with Otis getting bigger and getting mobile! But oh, she is the sweetest thing. And her brothers just love her so much! We had so much fun, I hope to see them again soon!

Big Stuff Happening!

2012-01-16T05:29:00.000-08:00

First of all, look at this guy:

Standing like a pro! He refuses to move his legs, but he's got the whole balance thing down pretty well. I remember how strange it was with Ingrid to see her upright with no one holding her, and it's the same with Otis. He doesn't seem big enough for this, but he's 13 months today, so I guess he is. Some kids are honest to god walking at this age, so...I'm in for it.

Speaking of in for it, I got out of the shower the other day to find the roll of toilet paper shredded, a box of tampons strewn about, and a babbling baby doing this:

First the cat box, now this. He is going to HATE me for these pictures later in life!

The other big thing around here is my new Etsy shop! For awhile now I've been buying things when I find them and sending them to my pal Heather at 3Ring Circus. But, she also finds a ton of stuff, and I'm not always the best at sending them out to her. So, Toadstool Vintage was born! I now have a vintage kid's clothes shop on Etsy, and I love it! I've had it open two days and already sold three things, it's so fun. There are so many supportive vintage sellers, I love it. Instead of thinking of another shop as competition, all these lovely ladies have completely welcomed me into the fold. I love it!

Gross.

2012-01-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Brendan called out to me, "Honey, get your camera, NOW!" I ran over to where he stood to find this:

Ewww...

Besties

2012-01-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ingrid and Otis have been having a lot of fun together. I got some cute pictures of them over the past couple days and thought I'd share.

Not that she's always pleased, but they have fun.

Otis likes to climb.

ridiculously LOUD ball toy, they love it so I can't get rid of it.

Homeschooling After All

2012-01-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ingrid is home right now, playing with fabric and her stuffed animals. We just did puzzles together and read in bed while Otis is napping. She's not sick, it's not a day off. We just didn't send her back to school after the holiday break. I couldn't be happier.

The past month or so has been very trying. Lots of temper tantrums and crying, lots and lots of yelling on all of our parts. I felt a real disconnect and was just not happy. I didn't understand why my daughter was acting out, why our house felt so stressful, why my life felt like nothing was getting done.

And then we had the holiday break, and after our travels to MI and the kids getting over sickness (more or less) things calmed down. We had our nice slow mornings of coffee, breakfast, playing, reading, games, and happiness. Otis' naptime was time for Ingrid and I to spend together, or for her to have rest time and me to get things done. There was peace in the house, there were so few temper tantrums I've almost forgotten how horrible they were. Tears are still there sometimes, but only when it's time to eat or rest.

So when school started back up again, we just decided not to send her back. Instead, we painted.

And then threw the kids in the bath with some shaving cream to "paint" with.

And did more puzzles.

And went to story time, which Otis LOVED! He thought singing songs and clapping hands was pretty okay.

We'll try again in the fall, but if it gets back to being that stressful, forget it. I used to wonder if I could be a homeschooler, if I had the patience, or could follow through with it, but now I know I can do it if it's what's right for us.

New Year's Eve, Mom Style

2012-01-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

We had such a great New Year's Eve this year, and we didn't leave our house! The kids took naps until five pm, so they were ready to stay up and party. I walked over to Walgreens to get snacks and came home with some noisemakers, carmel corn, Dots, Pringles, and chocolate covered peanuts. Which we ate all of that night! Ingrid thought it was so cool to be allowed to stay up, and she did so well, too. Otis was in bed at the normal time, which gave us plenty of one on one time with the girl. We had pjs on, sleeping bags and pillows all over the floor, and we just hung out. Junk food, tv, games on the ipad, just hanging out together. Much better than spending a ton of money at a bar getting drunk and then coming home to crash in your smelly clothes. Seriously.

Year In Pictures

2011-12-31T06:45:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the end of another year. Let's see what's happened in 365 days, shall we?

Ingrid the Photographer

2011-12-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

My inlaws got Ingrid a really cool digital camera for Christmas. It was the favorite thing she's gotten, by far!! Today she kept going around the house taking pictures, and I have to say, I really love seeing life through her eyes.

Today she played fabric store with my scraps, and then took pictures for a couple hours. She is totally my daughter...

Here are a couple shots from her little camera. Who knows, someday maybe she'll get one of my old ones to use for real!

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

We drove five hours to Gramma's house for Christmas this year. It could not have gone much better, except the fact that Ingrid got sick and Otis refused to sleep. But other than that, it was awesome! It snowed so we got a white Christmas!

We got to see lots of family.

We got some fun stuff (like a Dustbuster for me, seriously the highlight of my day!)

My siblings and I chipped in for a Kindle Fire for my mom. She was amazed, although she cried at getting a calendar with pictures of her grandkids, so I guess family wins out over technology.

It was just so cozy, sitting by the fire, watching the kids go sledding, eating crap food, and relaxing. Thank you to my mom for letting us all crash and for feeding us. It was fun!

Whew!

2011-12-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

What a long, draining week or so it's been! I'm glad that it's officially Christmas vacation, no more school runs for a couple weeks, and we leave for my mom's on Friday. I am so ready to relax and eat junk food!

So the Fat Man turned one. He is a year old, it's amazing. He started out so wee and quiet.

And now he is huge, hard to hold for too long without a carrier, as loud as his sister (LOUD) and he is the biggest flirt. Seriously, this kid turns on the charm for anyone and everyone. All the nurses in the hospital were in love with him. We were at the fabric store the other day and he was waving and smiling and clapping his hands for all the people in line at the cutting counter. He is a ham.

He is still around the 21lb mark, he is cruising on furniture and will walk with anything that moves. He still loves his sister, although she is starting to get sick of him following her around. Get used to it, Ingrid, he isn't going anywhere...He now models my bibs for Applesauce Crafts, and look how well he does it! Of course, when I actually feed him, I never put a bib on him, despite the drawer full of them. It never crosses my mind.

As the year comes to a close, I think back to what our life was like last year and how much has changed in a year. We are back in Milwaukee, our son is not a tiny little thing we're scared to hold, Ingrid is in school full time (her choosing-she can go half days but doesn't want to!) Brendan is in a job that is stable and not a two year thing. We have come a long way this year! Can't wait to see what next year brings!

The Party, and the Hospital.

2011-12-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

I posted more pictures of the party here on my Applesauce Crafts blog. Feel free to check them out. The party was a hit, I think it looked cute, Otis had fun and got some really cute books for presents :) We got a music/play table for him and he loves it.

But, to overshadow a party, Otis ended up in the hospital a couple days ago with pneumonia. Boo! I took him to the doctor Tuesday morning because he was having a hard time breathing. They sent us home with a nebulizer but he didn't get any better and was really laboring to breathe. So we went to the ER and were admitted right away.

That poor little guy, he has had such a rough start to the world. To think of how much he's been in the hospital in a year just breaks my heart. He was put on oxygen, had an iv of fluids and antibiotics, has a monitor to check his pulse ox. It was all so reminiscent of the NICU and all the wires hanging from him. He really was conked out and didn't do much but lay on me all through the first night. He had to get suctioned, which is horrible to watch. And horrible to hear him scream and watch his little legs flail around as he fights the nurse holding him. I hate it.

Yesterday he did better. Brendan was with him all day so I could come home and shower and sleep. Funny, but being in a hard rocking chair with a wheezy kid laying on you and nurses and doctors coming in every twenty minutes does not make for a restful night of slumber...He was up playing and flirting with all the ladies yesterday, though, so he seems to be on the mend. He got his oxygen down to almost nothing, and when I left this morning he was on room air, yay! They'd unhooked his IV but he has to go back on more fluids because he's not eating. He is getting steroids and nebulizer treatments and an inhaler every three or four hours, so his airways are opening and he's coughing up some lung junk.

It is so hard to see your child this way. I absolutely hate thinking of him being sick. But what really got me was bringing Ingrid to see him yesterday and she was so nonchalant about it, it didn't scare her at all, she was so used to it. Gah! She got so used to being in the hospital with me being there and then visiting Otis in the NICU. I think that's enough hospital time for us, except my upcoming throat surgery. Then 2012 is going to be hospital free!!

The Weekend is OVER!

2011-12-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

Oh my god, this weekend has taken forever to get done! I am exhausted. My mom came yesterday, dear lord, was that only yesterday?? She got here just before Ingrid got home from ballet, and it was a non-stop play fest until bedtime.

I've been putting these bandanas on Otis to catch all the droooooool he's been producing. I think one year molars are starting their trek upward. Joy. He looks like such a little bandit with this on! And a lot like Ingrid did when she wore them :)

And then today was the gnome and toadstool party. It was super fun, and super crazy, and we all had fun. But it's been a long day and I'll get to that tomorrow.

Crazy Hair Day

2011-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Otis woke up with a crazy do going on yesterday. The whole day was a bit crazy--lots of wheezing, snot, chapped cheeks, whining and crying. I am already over winter and it hasn't even started yet.

It's December?

2011-12-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

I still can't get over the fact it's December. Otis' birthday party is in a few day, his actual birthday a few days after that. It's snowed a couple times, but nothing to write home about. It's December, I am amazed.

We have been bunkering down in the house most of the time. I took Otis out for a walk to the post office yesterday and realized we haven't been outside for a long time, other than walking to and from the car. Sad, isn't it?

Things are gearing up for Otis' party--I have all the goodies, made a couple tablecloths, ordered the cupcakes and food, have the favor bags ready. I can't wait! Now if only my camera will work...It's doing its thing again. *sigh* I have to send it in after all. Just please please please, camera gods, let it work for my son's first birthday party!!

Well, off to make a Christmas garland for a custom order. And I'm already planning ahead to Valentine colors, too! How's that for thinkin' ahead? Get all my garlands for the holidays made right now, then next year I'll be all set. It's not just a hat-rack, folks!

Camera Debacle, and Ballet

2011-12-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

So last week after Art Vs Craft, when I had a ton of stuff I hadn't sold that I had to take pictures of so I could list them in the shop in time for Christmas, my camera bites the dust. Just up and refuses to take any pictures. How frustrating! This weekend I took it into a local camera place and they told me I would have to send it in and it would be around $300 to get it fixed. Damn! Instead I got a used body since my lens still worked. I took it home, played around with it, then hooked it up to my computer to see how the pictures turned out. My computer gave me some BS about installing drivers, which I HAD, and how there weren't any installed, which there WERE. I was nearly in tears--do you know how many things I missed taking pictures of because I didn't have my camera?? Tons! Otis in the cutest vintage shirt, Ingrid in her ballet outfit!

I was about to give up, but luckily my friend is a professional photographer who uses Canon products and she said their service people were excellent. This morning I called to talk to a lovely man who walked me through the steps to get my camera working again. It still might need to get looked at but as for now IT IS WORKING! No $300 spent, just a little toggle of a few buttons and a reset of the autofocus and I'm back in business. Then I asked him, out of curiosity, how to get the 20D working with my computer, and again, it was a simple task of changing something in the menu. Viola! Both cameras working, no money spent, a fifteen minute phone call.

Suck it, local camera place!

Anyway, I did manage to get some pics from the iPad, which are crappy! How does this thing not take good pictures?? With all the technology from Apple, you'd think they would manage to put a decent camera on their iPad...But, I needed photographic evidence of Ingrid's first ballet class, so here are some grainy shots of her in leotard, tights, slippers, and her hair pulled back. You have no idea how hard it is for me to get her to pull her freakin' hair back, so this is major!

She loved her class, by the way. I didn't. The gym it was in was split in half and the other side had a basketball game going on. A very LOUD basketball game, complete with cheers, buzzers, etc. You couldn't hear a thing going on in the ballet class, not even the music coming out of the huge speakers. I complained and they told me they had limited capacity and this was all they could do. No other rooms available. Well here's a thought: don't schedule basketball and ballet at the same time!! It's hard enough for 3 and 4 year olds to listen in a quiet setting, and much harder when there is a roaring basketball game five feet away...

Hopefully we will have no more troubles with my camera, since Otis' first birthday party is next weekend!! Gnomes and toadstools, it's gonna be a rager!

Art Vs Craft

2011-11-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday I had my first craft show. It was so much fun! I had been stressed because I had no idea what it would be like, if I would be totally amateur or just fine, how much to make, how to price my stuff. Turns out everything was fine.

I had a great time with an old friend, we just sat and chatted, saw more old friends, sold some stuff, drank coffee, ate popcorn. It was a wonderful day!

Brendan brought the kids to visit and Ingrid thought she was going to stay the whole day. She was very intent on "helping" which consisted of shoving an item in someone's face and saying "you gonna buy this?" She knows how to do it!

So now it's back to the somewhat leisurely life of an etsy shop, where I list as I please, I make a few sales here and there, and I do it on my own schedule. It's nice not to have a deadline hanging over me, I prefer a more laid back atmosphere! But I will definitely do this again, maybe two or three shows a year if I can find good ones. It was so fun!

Thankful

2011-11-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for these guys right here!

Once upon a time I was a single gal that was often bored and wondering what I was going to do with my life. Now I have a great husband, a sassy little girl, and the cuddliest baby boy. I'm thankful that everyone's healthy (minus some snot) and that Brendan has a job and we don't have to move this winter. I'm thankful that this December I won't be in the hospital on bedrest! I'm thankful that I got into Art Vs Craft this year and I can hopefully sell a buncha junk and use the money to get my family nice presents for Christmas (something we haven't had money to do in a few years!)

I'm thankful all year long, but today I'll take a break and tell the world. I love my family.

The Italian Invasion

2011-11-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

My friend Brandy and her family came to visit us Monday night. They drove all the way from North Carolina and made it just in time for dinner. The kids went wild. Hers because they'd been in a car for hours on end, mine because, well, there were other kids here!

Brandy married an Italian named Fabio, and now they are the cutest little Italian family in the world! L is 5, F is 3 ("just like me, Mama!" squealed Ingrid) and S is 1.5. And they are adorable.

We pretty much just let the kids run wild while here. Ingrid has a huge closet full of toys we stash away for a rainy day, so they were in the closet playing with forgotten toys. And the cupcake set they brought. I love Melissa and Doug toys, but beware of this set. The markers get everywhere. Ingrid had a green and blue mouth all night.

In the morning we went to Honeypie for breakfast. Yum. The great thing about this place is they are very kid friendly. I knew two of the workers and know for a fact they have kids this age, so I didn't feel too horrible about the noise and the mess.

After stuffing our faces with French toast, eggs, and fruit, we saw these amazing cupcakes. Of course we HAD to get some. Yum. I think I might order some for Otis' birthday party. Oh my god they were amazing!

Ingrid had so much fun playing with the kids, and I had a great time seeing a friend I haven't seen in forEVER. Seriously, we were like 17 last time we saw each other. Now we're planning a road trip to NC for spring break, if they aren't going to be in Italy then. Hooray for reconnecting! And hooray for cute kids speaking Italian (and then leaning over and explaining "that's Italian!")

Birthday Party!

2011-11-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to a birthday party for a little one year old named Milo. His mom and I used to work together and we ended up having our sons (Milo and Otis, ha!) exactly a month apart. Here's what they looked like together when we first moved here:

Remember, these guys are ONE MONTH apart!

Here's what they look like now, I think Otis is doing a good job of catching up!

We had a good time playing with toys, including a little ball pit. Kids LOVE ball pits, what a great idea to have at a party!

They had all kinds of fun things, like curvy straws. Ingrid was in heaven!

Happy First Birthday, Milo!

Paper Dolls and Baby Butts.

2011-11-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time when I worked at Borders, I bought a book of paper dolls. Ingrid found them and loves to play with them! They are so amazing, a family from the 1950s. The fashions are great.

I also have a couple random shots of the Fat Man standing up. He loves to stand up to everything! Both Brendan and I were saying how he is way more mobile and has better balance than Ingrid did at this age. He is exactly 11 months old today and I think he might be walking by his birthday!! He takes the rolling office chair and walks behind it, it's suuper cute.

A Visit with Cody

2011-11-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

Our wonderful dog Cody has been living with Brendan's parents for the past year and a half. While I was pregnant and especially on bedrest, it was nice not to have a pacing old dog to have to deal with. Then we moved and our new place did not allow dogs. So, it's been awhile since we've had him. But he had to go to the vet yesterday, so Brendan and Ingrid brought him and then brought him to our house to spend the weekend. We're hoping that our landlord will see what a gentle giant we have and let us keep him here.

Otis loves Cody, which surprised me. Our friends have two big labs and when they ran up to Otis, he cried. But Cody comes in the room and Otis is all over him. And of course Ingrid loves her original big brother. And it was a lovely day out so we got to spend lots of time out in the backyard throwing a tennis ball.

Can I just say that my wee little baby is really starting to look like a little boy? His four top teeth are starting to show when he smiles and he just isn't that gummy little man anymore. It is about a month until he turns one. Where oh where did that year go??

Li'l Troublemaker

2011-11-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Otis is really getting into stuff now. It's exhausting. We just got our desktop computer fixed and put it back in the same place. But lit up buttons are exciting and little sausage fingers just love to push them!! Our power button used to not work, you had to fiddle with wires to get the computer to turn on or off. I'm sort of wishing it were still like that, as Otis has turned off the computer twice today while I was in the midst of something...I got him a new baby doll at the thrift store yesterday, and I keep trying to get him interested in "Gus" instead.

He also found the recycling. When Ingrid was this age we put all the tupperware things down under the sink so she had things she could explore. I guess it's time we did that here, too. Time to find a new place for our recycling!

Please excuse the boogers, but check out all these teeth! It's so funny to see him smile now, he looks like such a little boy instead of a baby.

It's amazing that he will be one in a matter of weeks! I just started planning the party--gnomes and toadstools. I found some cute invites on etsy, some cupcake toppers, party favors, and of course I will be making a felt bunting and birthday crown. If time allows, big sister might even get a new dress with this fabric. Exciting!

I like Friends

2011-11-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday was super fun, all because of friends and family. The Packers were playing, which is always a good reason to make food and invite people over. I called my dad and he brought my sister in law and my niece over. Our friends Jess and Ben brought Oscar over. We made food and the kids ran around wild. It was so fun!

Love those smiley, drooley boys!!

A Beautiful Sunny Afternoon.

2011-11-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

The other day after picking up Ingrid from school, we stayed outside instead of going in and turning on the tv like we usually do. It was gorgeous out! Sunny and warm, and one of those days you know you have to take advantage of before it snows. Thank god we did, it's been rainy and cold ever since. We brought a blanket and snacks out and got some much needed fresh air. We've all been sick for ages and ages...

And now here we sit inside again. It's windy and cold and we have blocks strewn about, two stains soaking in the living room rug (forgot Otis can grab stuff off the coffee table now, dang it!) I'm so needing a nap but Otis hasn't slept more than 20 minutes in about a week. I'm trying to be patient with Ingrid as she jumps on the couch, runs back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, scaring the bejeezus out of the cats. She has energy and I do not. I just want to lay here on the couch and cut out felt circles. Actually, really what I want to do is have someone, anyone, come over and take my kids out of the house for a few hours so I can curl up in my bed and just nap. Any takers? Anyone? No? Okay, then I guess it's time to go build block towers...

Halloween and a Dr. Checkup

2011-11-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

Guess who weighs 21 pounds!!

We went to the doctor yesterday and Fat Man checked out completely fine. He is right on target for everything he's supposed to be doing and has gained a ton of weight and grown crazy big. Who was born six weeks early?

Our Halloween was pretty fun, even though we had it early. Saturday we got dressed up to go Trick or Treating and we had a blast!! Ingrid was jumping up and down from excitement for the entire afternoon. She does not need candy to be over excited!

Two streets away from our house was insane. Every house was completely decorated and there were about a million and half people there. It was a madhouse, and it was so fun! We came back to our house to find our candy bowl empty and decided to call it a night. People were still knocking even though we closed our door and turned off our porch light and blew out the candles in our pumpkins. Hello? Take a hint! We're out of candy! Definitely going to buy two big bags next year!

Dressing Up!

2011-10-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we braved the children's museum for what I thought was going to be a fun time of trick or treating, Halloween fun. They advertised this thing like crazy, so I thought for sure it would be awesome! Trick or treat stations! Fall crafts! Yay!

So even though we all have colds and I had to shove a full box of tissue in my purse, we dressed up and went. Otis in his giraffe costume:

And Ingrid as Little Red Riding Hood.

We got there and there were dressed up workers signing people in, giving them fliers and bags for their treats. I was so excited! How fun for Ingrid! Then we went upstairs to the museum, where there were four thousand kids running around because it was a day off school. It seemed like every mom had a double stroller that they conveniently left completely in the way (empty strollers just there to carry all their junk. I HATE THAT!!) I searched for the trick or treat stations. Nothing. As we walked around I saw a big basket of Smarties. Just sitting there. No one near it. Was this a trick or treat station? Apparently so. And there were a whopping TWO of them. TWO! In the whole effing children's museum, there were two trick or treat stations. My goodness, how overwhelmingly fun...

Luckily Ingrid didn't care. She just likes the museum so much she was having fun playing with everything and forgot about the Halloween part of it anyway. And tonight is trick or treating in our neighborhood, where they close off the street on our block and we can partay and trick or treat for real. Yay!

Lumberjack Brunch and Other Weekend Goings On.

2011-10-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

There's this awesome place my friend's husband works at--Hubbard Park Lodge. It has the best all you can eat brunch on Sundays, so we decided to go this weekend. We went last year right about this time of year, too. It's just so pretty. You park your car, walk through this tunnel:

And when you come out the other side of the tunnel you're here:

River birds making river bird noises, lots of trees and pretty fall foliage, so peaceful, and right in the city. Plus, they have homemade donuts. Yum.

Also this weekend, Otis fits into these adorable pants we bought a long time ago from little reader vintage. Love them! Little guy with wooden shoes on them, ric rac trim. Oh man, cuteness.

And...the kitten. She's a kitten. She gets into everything. Do not leave water glasses hanging out anywhere, you do not know whose head will be shoved into the glass to get a lick...

My Otis

2011-10-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

I just could not love this kid any more than I do. He just makes me smile so much, he is such a good baby! He loves his kitten, he giggles at every little thing, he falls asleep in two seconds (snoring already as you lay him in his bed). Now that he's crawling it's harder to keep up with him. Even so, he's still pretty good. His new favorite thing is to get into Ingrid's Duplos. He just dumps them all out and makes as much noise with them as possible. Or he likes to crawl after me when I go to the kitchen. I can hear him grunting and making funny noises as he makes his way across the dining room. And then suddenly there he is, staring up at me with his big blue eyes and drooling everywhere. Love him!

Ten Months Old!

2011-10-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

Fat Man is getting so big! He actually has rolls on his legs! He is now crawling like he's been a pro forever. He loves Zoey. He still lights up whenever I say Ingrid's name. He is a great sleeper. He has two teeth on bottom and four about to pop through on top. And possibly one or two more on bottom, he's been a real bear lately, but who can blame him?

Kid Free Vacation!

2011-10-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Brendan and I flew off to Washington DC for a long weekend. WITHOUT KIDS. Holy cow, it was amazing! We saw other parents wrangling strollers, babies and toddlers, diaper bags, toys, snacks, and we just sighed and went back to drinking our coffee and enjoying staring off into space.

We stayed at the Westin Alexandria, which was...okay. It was pretty close to the Metro station so it was easy to get around, and the beds were awesome so that made up for the fact they charge for wifi. Am I crazy to think you should just include that as an amenity in a hotel catered to business people??

We ate lots of good food, took the Metro everywhere, saw the sights. The first night we got there we brilliantly decided to brave the rain and see the monuments lit up. Of course as soon as we were in the middle of the park, with absolutely nowhere to run for cover, it started monsooning on us. We were soaked! And cold. And in the middle of a park. We had to run to the nearest street, found a small doorway to cover us until the rain slowed down, and then sloshed back to the Metro. I could wring out water from my sweatshirt.

We saw the White House one day and look off to the left--it's the white house dog!

The fun thing about our trip was that we were in Alexandria, where my blog friend Becky lives! She also went through a preemie situation around the same time Otis was born. Water broke at 31 wks, was supposed to stay on bedrest, but her little guy wanted out, so he came right at 31 wks. She found this blog and contacted me, and we've kept in contact ever since. We decided to meet up one night while we were there. It was so fun! The misters talked non stop, we talked nonstop, we had good beer and good food. It was so nice to have a night out with another couple.

Saturday finally cleared up and we had gorgeous weather to go see the monuments. It was breezy and warm and not a cloud in the sky. Perfect for trekking around the entire day!

It was amazing to take naps and eat whenever we wanted and not have to worry about diaper changes or tantrums. It's fun to have family time with the kids, but man, did we need this vacation!!

Growing up: Crawling and School Pictures

2011-10-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yep, Otis is crawling now. Like full on, hands and knees, makes it across the room in 0.3 seconds crawling! It's so strange to think that he was so tiny and I worried so much about him and now he's just like any other little nine month old, crawling and teething and drooling and being cute.

Today Ingrid has her school pictures so she didn't have to wear her uniform. I, of course, had to use this opportunity to bust out her new vintage dress we just got from Fuzzymama Vintage. When I saw this dress on her facebook page, I had to snatch it up pronto. So glad I did!! It is adorable and fits her like a glove. When I went to take pictures of Ingrid, she couldn't just smile normally, could she? Oh no, she had to jump and give me coy little looks and dramatic faces...

Pumpkin Farm!

2011-10-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again, isn't it? Time for apples and pumpkins and farms. We had a gorgeous day yesterday to head up to the Family Farm. We went there when Ingrid was a baby, too. Not much has changed!

We saw animals. Ingrid loved the goats. Otis cried just looking at them.

We jumped around on some hay bales. Otis was not too sure if he enjoyed it or not.

It was really hot and kind of smelly, but we had fun.

Busy Week, No Pictures.

2011-10-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

I realize if I don't have pictures I tend not to post. We have been doing lots this week! Ingrid loves her school still, although I am a little tired of having to do the drive every day. Just one year, then we can go to the neighborhood school and walk every day. I cannot wait!

Otis is teething. Again? Still? He has two bottom teeth and it looks like he's getting two more bottom teeth. And the snot. Oh my god, the snot. Will it ever end, or is it just going to hang on all fall and winter? Good thing we use cloth wipes as tissues, otherwise we'd probably be going through a forest worth of trees for kleenex.

I participated in a blog hop baby shower for Lishyloo this week! Today was actually my day, over on my Applesauce Crafts blog. It was great to contribute to such a fun thing with such talented women. I felt a little out of my league, their blogs are so fancy, mine are just basic! Check out day one here, and you'll find the schedule for the week with links to the other blogs. Cute stuff!!

I have been trying to get tons of work done for Art Vs. Craft. I just have no idea how much stock to bring to a craft show, how big it really is, and I feel like it's better to just way overshoot and then sell whatever's left over in the etsy shop. But between the school run, nap schedules, crabby babies, and I don't know, sleep--it's hard to get anything done. I got four blankets done yesterday and today, which is awesome. I just wish I could get a babysitter one or two days to just get shit done.

Brendan and I are leaving next week for DC!! I am so excited to fly again, it's been like two years. And I am way excited to be without kids for a few days. And nights. To be with my husband, no football on tv, no computer games being played, no distractions from actually spending time together. Bliss.

We went to the zoo today and I got some really cute pictures on my phone. I can't figure out how to get them anywhere but my phone, so once I figure that out...what is the point of having a camera on your phone if you can't do anything with the pictures?? Sheesh!

A Lovely Weekend

2011-10-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

It was a perfect weekend of sun and family. Otis has been crawling...backward. He ended up under the couch and got mad. Ingrid got new tennis shoes and wore them to bed Friday night. Silly.

Otis decided not to take a nap Saturday morning, so we walked over to soccer with Brendan and Ingrid. That is hilarious-- tons of preschoolers running around, a coach trying to get them to listen. Ingrid is so social, just runs right up to the other kids and starts talking. She loves it!

We had a good day yesterday, too. A sunny afternoon outside with the family when we know the sun is going to go away soon, we have to take advantage of it! Otis was having fun chewing on leaves and sticks. And snotting everywhere. Still. Are we destined to have runny noses all fall and winter?? He was on a no nap streak and stayed up all afternoon, which does not make for the happiest baby around.

And now it's back to school, and back to sewing. My halloween felt garland got onto the front page of etsy yesterday morning so I've had orders for them like crazy! I will be spending Otis' naptime watching last night's Breaking Bad and cutting out orange and black felt circles!

Silly Boy

2011-09-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have the funniest picture of Otis to share with you. We were playing in Ingrid's bedroom with Zoey and he reached out to grab at her. I happened to catch this look:

Ha!

And another cute picture of him in his birthday suit last night before bath time. Why do I have such skinny kids?? Both of them love to eat and yet have no rolls on them whatsoever. They must get that from the Liddle side of the family, I was a chunk as a baby. (Still am, haha!)

One last picture--a girl and her cat. I can already tell this is going to be Ingrid's pet. She is in love with Zoey! She wants to play with her, cuddle with her, pet her, and tonight she even had to include her in the good night hugs.

Kittens

2011-09-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Oh man, Zoey is amazing. She is tiny and cute and squeaks a little meow when she's near you. She instantly purrs. My favorite thing is that Ingrid and Otis both can reach out to her and she just rubs up against them instead of hissing and clawing. Today I fondly watched as Otis sat on the floor playing with his toys and Zoey would come up and purr at him and he'd reach down and pet her. She'd prance away and come back again and he'd reach down and giggle and she'd purr. They are going to love each other and be friends and she's not going to be a psycho cat like Frances is. Hooray!

The Newest Liddle

2011-09-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

We have a cat, her name is Frances. She is psychotic. For real. She loves Brendan and I (most of the time) but anyone else she hates. She will come into a room, sit and stare, and then hiss whenever you look in her general direction. She is declawed, and yet has given Ingrid huge gashes on her arms when she was silly enough to try to pet the kitty. I'm guessing she's learned how to use her teeth...In our old apartment we had stairs up to the bedrooms and bathroom. My mom swore when she'd go upstairs to use the bathroom that Frances would sit at the bottom and just stare up at her and hiss. She can be a little scary sometimes.

So, obviously with kids this is not ideal. We want them to have a pet they can actually, I don't know, PET? We had another cat but he ran away. Of course, the nice one ran away...So we went to the Humane Society yesterday and adopted a kitten! Her name is Zoey (Ingrid's choice, good, right?) and she is two months old. She's a calico with white paws and she is the squeakiest little thing.

We have no idea what kind of personality she'll have, but we're hoping for a mellow cat that loves kids. And we're also hoping the cat we already have does not hate her. They are in seperate rooms right now and will be introduced later this week, if I can remember to keep the door to our bedroom closed. Super fun! I'm so happy to see the kids grow with this little kitten and have her be a part of their childhood.

Sickly

2011-09-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today Otis was not having a good day. He was all snotty, cried at the drop of a hat (which is really unlike him) and just did not feel well. I was so tired by the afternoon, all I wanted to do was take a nap. Ingrid went to sleep right away. Otis, however, got a second wind as I changed his diaper. He was blowing raspberries, kicking his legs, yelling and screeching. Good lord.

I worked on him, though, fed him and rocked him and sang to him, and lo and behold he fell asleep. I got up gently, put him in his crib ever so softly, where he stiffened out and started screaming at the top of his lungs. So I got him back in my arms, he immediately calmed down again, we rocked and he was snoring wee baby snores. Again, go put him in his crib and he freaked out.

*sigh*

It was one of those afternoons. I even tried to lay down with him in my bed but he was not having it. So after two hours of this b.s. we went back into the living room. He sat on his blanket with his toys and looked up at me with the saddest teary-eyed, snotty nosed face and I just had to take pictures. My poor sickly. Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight and take naps tomorrow.

Why Am I So Boring?

2011-09-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

I want to have something interesting to say, but I feel like there isn't much going on lately. Ingrid was sick and now Otis is, too. Sleep has been hard to come by, and I have felt completely unmotivated. Blah.

But I have an awesome family!

This dress is from Fuzzymama Vintage. Is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen? I love it!!

Sunday we went to the birthday party of a little girl I used to nanny for. It was great to see the family again, it's been a few years. I whipped up a fall fairy crown for the birthday girl and I love how it turned out. I'm amazed Ingrid gave it up so quickly, she really liked it!

Okay, that's it. Not much else. I'll be back next time anything moderately interesting happens.

9 Months!

2011-09-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today Otis turned nine months old. He has one tooth and one that's almost there. He is really close to crawling--he gets from sitting position to all fours and then doesn't know what to do. He tries though, he gets up on his tiptoes and sticks his butt up in the air. It's hilarious.

He is our smiley guy. This kid is like mellow goodness 85% of the time. He loves sitting on the living room floor with his basket of toys. He just sits and talks and chews on things.

He can wave. His whole arm goes flapping around, it's pretty funny. When he's falling asleep sometimes he'll start to do that while I'm nursing him. I've gotten a few baby fists to the face...

Love love love love. He brings so much joy to our family!

Little Helper

2011-09-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Ingrid helped feed Otis his dinner last night. It was a messy adventure.

Otis did not seem to mind the mess.

And in other news, Ingrid being in school during one of Otis' naps is amazing. Yesterday I put on Mad Men (streaming through Netflix, yay!) and sewed up some of these little owls. I haven't made any in a long time but I thought they would be a good fall thing to put in the shop. I love the light blue and orange one, I may have to keep him for Otis' room...

First Day of K3!

2011-09-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ingrid got into a local Montessori school and she started today. She was pretty excited to go, although I'm not sure she understood that it wasn't the same place she went to this summer. She has to wear a uniform, red top/dark pants, and she has this huge backpack that is bigger than she is. I feel pretty torn if I'm excited for her or wondering how she got so big?

We went and signed papers and there were three other girls her age in the office. She immediately jumped in their pictures their gramma was taking (lol, photo bomb!) and started chatting away with them like she'd known them all her life. I love how gregarious she is! After signing papers, we headed into the maze of halls and corridors to find her room. I don't know what it is about these big city schools, but they intimidate me like nothing else! Everything looks the same, lockers on the wall, doors here and there. My elementary school was small and had three grades in it, and seriously had one hallway. No upstairs or downstairs, just a hallway with rooms, a gym, an office, and a library.

We found the room, and all the kids were already seated in a circle around the teacher. Ingrid just sat herself right down and said hi, I'm Ingrid! She didn't even look back to see me leaving. And when I picked her up she was bouncing around talking about how fun it had been. I think she likes school.

I'm so amazed at my fearless little girl. She just takes an unknown situation and puts herself right in the middle of it with complete confidence and a cheerful smile. Day one down, let's see what the rest of the week brings us!

My Weekend With Otis

2011-09-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend Brendan took Ingrid camping with his parents. I stayed home with Otis since he's getting another tooth and was not sleeping very well the few nights prior to them leaving. Truth be told, I was looking forward to a weekend of relaxation, which I knew I would get with only one baby. Who naps twice for two hours. And goes to bed at 6:30pm.

I got so much done this weekend! Sewing, cutting out other things, hanging out with Otis, catching up on sleep. It was amazing! It was so strange how quiet our house was without Ingrid in it! Seriously made me realize how loud and talkative she is.

We got some homeopathic stuff for Otis' teeth, which helped. I am still going to get an Amber necklace, I just need to see if I can find one locally. But whatever it was I gave him seemed to work. My my, aren't I a great mom? I don't even know what the hell I squeezed into his mouth--I just know it worked to calm him down! He slept marvelously and it was wonderful to have one on one time with him. He is so drooly and smiley and chatty and rolly and man, I'm so glad he's part of our family!

Teething Babies and Big Sisters

2011-09-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

Otis has a tooth. It's sharp. Another one is on its way in, so he has been a basket case lately. Nothing seems to work except nursing 24/7 and sleeping thisclose to me all night long. Which means I am awoken by many little fists and feet thrusting their way into my face all night long. Tired mama. TIRED. But to wake up to this is almost worth it.

Yesterday we went over to H&M to check out their kid's section. I have gotten hand me downs from there that I really liked, but I have to say, I was not impressed. They had some sweaters that were okay but nothing too great. And the girl section sucked big time--tons of Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse, not my cup o' tea...But they did have this hat for Otis. He is such a little Irishman!

We went to the park yesterday morning, and it was freezing! I am simply amazed how quickly our weather turned this past week! Ingrid had fun on the swings and these little seats that spin around. She looked so big on them, she's so lanky and tall and just not a baby anymore...

Today we are headed to the store to get goodies for camping!! I'm so excited, totally not nervous like I was last time. Well, maybe a little nervous, as Otis is having trouble sleeping. But the fresh air will knock him right out, right? Right?

Labor Day

2011-09-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

We took another trip to the cottage this weekend to see Brendan's cousin and his family. It was COLD! I loved it! The kids played, I sat around and read the Help, we all enjoyed each others company. Another lovely weekend with family. Ingrid loves her other set of cousins.

Otis was awesome and just sat there playing with toys, watching all the big kids run around. He got a tooth (finally) so his tongue is constantly running over it. He looks so silly.

And now this week is another short one, as we've decided to leave Friday to go join Brendan's parents up in Door County for another camping trip! So three days of finishing up laundry, packing, and sending out Etsy orders. Yay!

Bath Time

2011-08-31T18:32:00.000-07:00

Every night after dinner is bath time. This summer, both kids have been especially filthy by 6pm, so a bath is necessary. But even if it weren't, we'd still give them one. They just have so much fun! Otis splashes and chews on plastic fish, and Ingrid makes "magic potions" with her bubbles and some measuring cups. She would sit for an hour if we'd let her, letting the water get cold and turning pruney and purple. I got this picture of them tonight and it just made me so happy we decided to have another kid!

The Cottage

2011-08-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely weekend at the cottage. It was sunny and gorgeous, the kids were in good moods, Brendan and I were having a great time. We went to parks, the beach, the backyard. It was so quiet and peaceful.

Ingrid went on her first kayak ride! She liked it okay, but was a little uncomfortable so the ride wasn't long. Brendan will make a kayaker out of her before too long, though.

Otis had fun eating grass.

He started clapping this weekend! Tried to get a video but of course the camera was kaput. That stupid thing never works when you want it to!

Ingrid had fun doing all sorts of things, including play dough, swimming, and naked peanut butter and jelly eating.

Last year we had to drive six or seven hours to get there, I am SO glad it's now a 45 minute drive!!

The Week Our Roof Got Redone

2011-08-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

Ho boy, this week has been a doozy. We have had roofers here all week, from 7:30am until sometimes 7pm. Making noise, a huge mess, listening to the most god awful music at full blast.

Monday we escaped and headed to the cottage for the day. It was glorious. The sun was shining, we went swimming, we ate lunch, we played at the park.

Tuesday we signed up Ingrid for school (crossing fingers the wait list at our first choice school dwindles away to nothing so we get in soon!) then took a walk to the park. Another sunny beautiful day we couldn't spend in our own backyard because there is a dumpster full of dangerous roofing materials there. I stepped on a nail while going to throw the garbage out and am now deathly afraid of what will be left over after they leave...

Wednesday we met with friends at the park. The kids ran around, the moms drank coffee. Then we went to Target and spent a fortune and forgot the two things we had gone for. How does that always happen?? We got new bedding for Ingrid's bed. Target clearance section, how I love you. A whole bed set for $30! Not too shabby.

Yesterday was the best day of all. We packed snacks and took a nice long walk. There's a trail that goes along the lake but higher, so you look down on the beach and trees. Then there's a cross back that goes down to the beach and a trail right by the lake. It is a good hour long walk through nature and with awesome views of the lake and city. I wish I'd had my camera, it was so sparkly yesterday! Otis took a nap while we walked, Ingrid at a snack and just sat back and enjoyed the ride. We ended up at the park, where we played happily until Ingrid got knocked on her ass...twice...because she walked right behind a girl on a swing. How many times have I told her you have to walk around the swings? And how many times has she gotten knocked down? I felt bad, she really took a hit. But she's tough, she just popped back up, cried a few tears, and went back to playing. After the park we went to throw rocks in the water, and as I had my back turned to sit Otis down, Ingrid ran in the lake with all her clothes on. Hmmm, guess we're going swimming today! She took off her pants and shoes and just played in the water while I tried to get Otis to stop eating rocks and sand. We just had the best morning, enjoying being outside, away from the noise, horrible grammar and swearing of the roofers.

Today should be the last day. Here's hoping. And when we buy a house, if it needs a new roof, we're getting it done before we move in.

Busy Weekend

2011-08-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our block party. I love that we live on a block where most of the neighbors know each other and they would go to so much trouble to set up a block party like this! The neighborhood firefighters came with a huge ladder truck and handed out sticker badges, plastic fireman hats, and bracelets to all the kids.

They were supposed to have a bike decorating contest but I never did see that happen. The kids had fun riding bikes in the street anyway.

One of the neighbors plays the guitar, so he set up and Ingrid another little girl danced their hearts out.

There was food, beer, chatting, getting to know the neighbors, and of course everyone commented on what a cute and mellow baby Otis is. He's a hit wherever he goes.

Yesterday was, in my opinion, the best day EVER. Brendan took the kids to Irish Fest for the whole day! I was alone at home for hours and hours! I cut out 24 bibs and have finished them all except for the Velcro. It was so awesome to get so much done! The reason I had 24 bibs cut out was for Art Vs. Craft, which I realized I haven't said anything about yet! (I started an Applesauce Crafts blog so I posted there.) It's my first craft show and I'm super excited about it! It's the weekend after Thanksgiving and there are tons of people hungry for DIY gifts for Christmas!

Anyway, at Irish Fest, Brendan entered Otis in the Red Hair Contest. Sadly, he did not win, but how funny! Brendan used to get entered in the Freckle Contest when he was a kid!

Living our Life

2011-08-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's been pretty mellow around here lately. Ingrid finished up her summer Montessori program. The weather has been nice, not too hot. Otis is growing and learning new things. He loves cold carrots to chew on. They make him insanely happy. His teeth have still not shown themselves.

He no longer needs the baby tub, thank god. I am all for getting rid of large plastic baby items! He's also starting to wave. It's adorable.

Pre-season football has started. Unfortunately. I hate football. Brendan watches it all the time. I am left with no TV and no husband. Curses to you, NFL! Although Ingrid looks pretty cute in her Packer's jersey...

She got a double bed this week! A friend was giving their guest bed away to make room for baby #2, so we snatched it up. Ingrid looks so small in her huge bed! And how lucky of her to have all that room. I didn't have any larger than a twin bed until I was 19! A friend said she and her husband had a twin bed for a year after they moved in together! And here is my little 3 year old, spread out in all the luxury. Lucky lucky.

Oh Yeah, 8 Months Old!

2011-08-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

He is nearly 20 pounds, and compared to a girl the same age today, he does not look small or like he came early. His drool is astounding, he has ZERO teeth yet, and he just started to use his pincer grasp. Which means teeny bits of avocado and cooked carrots!

His biggest love is still his sister. She can make him smile when no one else can, just by jumping up and down in front of him. He likes to sit and chew on whatever is nearby, and is the best sleeper in the world. I can put him down totally awake and he'll just smile and roll over and go to sleep. I didn't think those babies existed!

Our Friends Are Pretty Nice.

2011-08-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got a big ol' box of goodies from our friend Lish. This was my favorite item by far:

Scooters! So cute!

Then today Ingrid went into her drawer and pulled out this gem that our friend Brooke got us on her trip to Jordan a couple years ago. It finally fits her and she loved it. She said "look, mom! There's camouflages all over it!"

And then when going to dress Otis this morning, I pulled a random tshirt out and it happened to be this one from our friends in Germany. They have a cute little tshirt shop and when I saw this I asked if they'd send one for us. Super cute!

We are just so lucky to have great friends that share things with us. They're pretty nice.

Family

2011-08-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend my family came into town. We stayed at the cottage and Ingrid got tons of cousin time. We were joking that if we were the Duggars, we'd still be ten kids short! Nine kids is plenty, thank you very much!
Otis had fun bathing in the sink. Ingrid did this when she was a baby, too. I just love sink baths!

Ingrid colored with her cousins. They got along super well, and my nephew just loved Otis! He was all over him!

The reason we all got together was for my mom's birthday. We had a little party for her at my brother's house, and I got this picture of her blowing out her candles. With a lot of help from her grandkids!

We had a good time just hanging out, playing, swimming, going to the park, and being sleep deprived. With all the beds the cottage had, for some reason there was always a scramble to figure out who was sleeping where! Otis had no problems, though, even sleep deprived he was a happy kid. And those are lipstick marks, not bruises. Gramma has done this to all the grandkids! I wish I had all the pictures of various babies with Gramma kisses all over them!

We ended up leaving a day early, though, since it was so overwhelming for Ingrid. She was ready to get back to her house and sleep in her own bed. Or was that me? I love my family but there are so many of us, it's hard to spend too much time together!

State Fair!

2011-08-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Wisconsin State Fair. I have never been there, in all my time living in Milwaukee! It just never occured to me to go. I don't care about cows and pigs, I get sick on carnival rides, and I don't really need to eat deep fried butter. (Although deep fried oreos and smores sounded kind of tempting.)

But...with kids comes a change of heart. Ingrid just loves carnivals, so we met up with friends and braved the crowds with our double stroller.

We ate corn.

We posed at silly cutout things.

Ingrid kept talking the whole time about riding the tea cups. Luckily, there were tea cups!

And rocket ships.

And a kiddie roller coaster, which she bravely went on. She even raised her hands up a couple times!

And meanwhile, Otis sat in the stroller, took a nap, refused to nurse, and just chewed on his straps. He's such a sweet kid.

Ah, Life

2011-08-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

Life is good. Otis is loving his room. He seriously is just the most relaxed baby, he could care less where he sleeps, as long as he has room to stretch and a blanket to chew on. A couple weeks ago I found this vintage mobile and was going to send it to Heather at 3RingCircus, but then Brendan said he wanted to keep it. I'm glad we did, Otis loves it!

We have done a buncha hangin' out lately. The weather got hot and sticky again and it just drains us of all motivation...

Ooh, another vintage thing we got: these playing cards with a circus theme! (They are from this etsy shop.) I got some cheap frames from Joann Fabrics and put two to a frame. I hung them up along the wall by Otis' crib, they look so cute!

And one last random thing. Today I was doing something in another room and came into the living room to find this:

Big sister wanted to put her baby brother in jail. He actually didn't seem to mind too much!

Big Red Gets His Own Room.

2011-08-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Fat Man just keeps getting bigger! Last night he slept in his crib in his OWN ROOM! For the first time ever, it's been almost 8 months of him being in our room. It felt so strange to go into my room and turn on a light! I read in bed! It was awesome.

Otis really likes his crib. We put up a vintage mobile and played some music for him, he has a nice fan blowing on him. He slept just as well in his own room as he ever did in our room, hooray! I was expecting it to be a hard transition, but he hasn't really noticed or cared that he's in a different room and different bed. Honestly I have to think the crib is way more comfortable than that travel thing he was sleeping in...

Yesterday he wore another vintage thing that he will wear once before outgrowing it. Dang it, he's just growing too fast!

He's sitting on our new chair. I love this chair. I just thrifted it a couple days ago. It feels good to be able to thrift things again without having to worry about packing them up and moving them in a few months. We are here to stay, folks!!

My Girl

2011-08-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ingrid just amazes me. I love her. Even with all the whining and craziness, she's my girl. She definitely has her own personality and knows what she likes. Take the heat--you'd think a kid without air conditioning would want to have as little clothing on as possible and have a fan on her while she sleeps. Not this kid! She saw some pjs I'd thrifted and immediately wanted to wear them, even though I'd gotten them for the fall. When it's cooler. And then she asked for socks. And then she put her fleece blanket on. And then she said she didn't want the fan in her room.

Ugh, it makes me sweat just thinking about it...And those pjs on her Cabbage Patch Kid? Those are Otis' preemie pjs! They actually used to be big on him. My how he's grown.

Ingrid's favorite thing to do now is to draw. She goes through so much paper just making all kinds of little guys and telling herself a story as she draws. I love it, it's when she's the easiest to deal with.

She is almost done with her summer Montessori program, which she's loved. Hopefully we'll get into a K3 program. If I ever get off my ass and figure out who to call to sign her up! I keep thinking of it at odd times, like 6am or 9pm, never during the day when I could actually get a hold of someone! Of course.

Why I Shouldn't Clean

2011-08-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

The other day I went on a cleaning rampage. I took everything that was piled up around our computer and put it away, supposedly where it belonged. However, in the process, I ended up misplacing my battery charger for my camera. It's nowhere! Not in the junk drawer, not in the drawer with batteries, not in the camera bag, not in the drawer with phone chargers (where it usually is). What the hell??

This is why I should never clean. I would know exactly which pile my charger was in if I hadn't "organized." Blah.

Baby Birds

2011-07-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

We have two hanging baskets on our porch. The other day I heard a ton of little cheeps coming from one of them, and when I looked in, sure enough there was a nest of baby birds!

What's funny is that every time I would go water those flowers, a bird would fly out and scare the crap out of me. EVERY TIME. I was like man, that bird is crazy! Why does she like that basket so much? Now I know, her babies were in there!

I tried to get Ingrid up to see them, but she is totally blind when it comes to looking at things. She could have a car right in front of her and you'd say look at the car and she'd look up in the sky and say "where?" No, right in front of you. She'd look behind her, "where?" It's so frustrating!

So the past couple days we have been listening to them chirp and cheep and we know it's mama and daddy coming to bring them food. We can't go anywhere near them while the big birds are there, but when the babies are alone I usually go peek in and see them. They are so fluffy and, honestly, kind of ugly. But it's nature! On my front porch!

Big Red Gets a High Chair

2011-07-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

We have been using our Bumbo to feed Otis, but his ability to arch his back and almost get out of it is becoming too great. So, a high chair was needed. But oh, how ugly those things are. Why, oh why, do they make such ugly things for baby? And why, oh why, if they aren't ugly, do they cost so much? I would have loved a Tripp Trapp or similar, and they do seem to be worth it since the child can use it for more than a few months. But my husband would never forgive me for spending so much on our double stroller and then turning around and buying a $250 high chair. So...that leaves us with a plastic monstrosity. Oh well.

Actually, the one we got isn't so bad. It's at least cuteish. Not all animal print or plaid or something navy blue, which all the ones on craigslist were. And it was cheap. And it was at Target so I could run to get it instead of ordering online and having to wait.

Otis enjoyed his first try. He sat and banged his toys on the tray. He looked so big. *sigh* They grow up fast.

My Family--I'll Keep 'Em.

2011-07-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

Look how cute those goobers are! And they're all mine.

Today we had a lovely family day. We played with Ingrid in the morning, then after Otis' nap we went to the children's museum. We came home to eat lunch and nap. I dressed Otis up in some vintage overalls that were hanging up. As with other things I've had forever, they are almost too small and it's a good thing I got some pics of him looking so dapper in them.

The afternoon was spent outside, where it was actually cooler than inside our house. There was a nice breeze, we did chalk and Ingrid played her jumpy version of hopscotch.

That would be ketchup all over her face. She's my kid, she's messy. All the time.

We had friends over for a cookout, and then it was bedtime. It was just the best example of fine summer fun!

The Heat Wave, Part 2

2011-07-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday got up to 100!! We are fragile folk here in Wisconsin, when it comes to the heat. Give us the ice and snow and we're fine, but a hundred degrees?? Living by the lake doesn't even help that one. So, after Ingrid's doctor's appointment in the morning, we camped out in the air conditioned bedroom. Quite literally: I made Ingrid a tent out of the comforter and brought in her library books.

Otis and I just hung out staying cool, we had a bedroom picnic for lunch, I put a dvd on the laptop for Ingrid. I took some pictures.

That was our whole afternoon. Every time we had to go to the bathroom or get a fresh diaper for Otis, we opened the door to a wall of heat. It's been about 86 in our house for days. Days! Gross. Have I mentioned I don't particularly like this heat? I'd much rather have a summer full of sunny, 73 degrees, light breeze. Anyone know where I can find that?

Heat Wave

2011-07-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Ugh, it's been SO hot the past few days! In the 90s with full on humidity, it's sticky and gross and makes me extremely crabby. The doors won't shut, or won't open, because the wood swells, there are ants galore in our bathroom, Ingrid wants juice pops and then lets them drip all over, so there are sticky messes all over. It's just disgusting.

So, today we left the house to go to the air conditioning. We took advantage of the free day at the museum and looked at dinosaurs, butterflies, and fake fish. Then we walked to the downtown library. We signed up for a cool program they have in the summer where you read for a certain amount of time and get coupons for area attractions. Just for signing up we got a summer pass to the art museum. Awesome!

When we got home, we all stripped down and ran in the sprinklers. It felt so good, I did not care at all that Ingrid's slip'n'slide actually says on it that it's not for adults. It's not for children under five either, so I guess we're just breaking all the rules!

Tonight before dinner we went to get our window A/C unit from Brendan's parent's house. I put Otis to bed and will be joining him in the nice cool bedroom to read until my bedtime. I felt bad that Ingrid is in the 88degree heat, but then she asked to put on socks because her feet were cold. Huh?? Tomorrow after we drop her off at school, I have a feeling Otis and I will be hanging out in the A/C, cutting out felt circles for a garland order, reading, napping. Whatever we can do while sitting by that sweet sweet box in the window!

Seven Months

2011-07-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Guess who turned seven months this weekend?

The Zoo! Again!

2011-07-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

I love having a membership to the zoo. Actually, memberships to anything are awesome because any time we are bored or thinking of something to do that day, I always have a couple free options. Or should I say "free." I thought yesterday would be "free" but we forgot our packed lunches in the fridge and then we just had to have ice cream at the park...

Regardless, we had fun. We met our friends Katie and Poppy there. Look at this muffin, she's so stinkin' cute!

First thing Ingrid wanted to do was ride the carousel. We get two free rides with our zoo pass, so again, this could have been a free day. Ingrid LOVES the carousel. I do not. I will seriously throw up if I go on one, especially after eating a Chicago dog. Luckily Katie is a good sport and went with her.

Ingrid's favorite thing to see is the fish. Of all the amazing things at the zoo, all she cares about is the fish and the goats. Totally not wild animals at all.

Speaking of goats, we had an extra quarter to buy goat pellets, so Ingrid fed the goats. I had Otis in one hand, along with the goat pellets, and the camera in the other hand. I would give Ingrid a few pellets and as I was doing so, greedy little goats would come up and try to steal all the food from my hand! Otis thought they were pretty neat, he kept trying to grab them when they came near.

Have I mentioned before how much I love goats? Seriously, look at them! They are so cute!

After goats it was ice cream, and then home. Of course I was exhausted and wanting a nap but the kids had other ideas. They had a quick snooze in the car and then were ready for more action when we got home. Where do they get all this energy?

Last Minute Road Trip!

2011-07-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

Monday morning was dreary and stormy. I looked at our calendar and realized we had nothing going on the whole week. My friend Jami and I have been discussing when I should come visit her in Michigan. No time like the present, huh? So I called her, packed a bag, and took off on a 6hr. road trip with the kids! We had so much fun, even though it was about a hundred degrees and we didn't have air conditioning.

We all piled on a futon mattress in the play room. I brought Otis' bed with us but of course he didn't want to be left out of the sleepover! This is what I woke up to in the morning.

Ahhh!! So sweet!

Ingrid had fun playing with her best bud Ben, and Jami and I got to hang out like old times. Man, I miss her. I wish she and her husband would move to Milwaukee :) We had other friends over yesterday and got the three wee ones together. Jami and I and our friend Heather were all pregnant at the same time. And now we all have little chubs!

After tons of playing, lots of juice boxes, and not so much sleep, we drove back home yesterday afternoon. It was so much fun and I'm so glad we went. Six hour drives are not fun, though, so it will be awhile before I'll do that drive again! Stupid Chicago, if it weren't for dealing with that traffic, the drive probably wouldn't be that bad...

Pool Time

2011-07-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

Oh man, we had fun yesterday! We put on our bathing suits, slathered on the sunscreen, and headed off to the new pool in town. They just redid the whole thing and it's amazing! And it's only a couple blocks away from my friend's parent's house, so we met for a picnic at their house first, and then walked over.

The pool is zero depth entry, there are fountains and sprayers, but the best thing is the play area. It looks like a playground, only the slides are little kiddie water slides, and instead of, say, a steering wheel, there's a fire hose that squirts water on the poor moms trying to stay dry-ish. Ha!

Ingrid ran right up the stairs to go down the water slides about a million times. She was thoroughly enjoying herself!

Otis was also enjoying himself. He just sat there and splashed a little when he wasn't chewing on his hand. (When are those teeth going to make their appearance???)

It was really nice because our friend's mom came with us and watched Otis while I played with Ingrid, then took Ingrid to the sandbox while I fed Otis, then got Ingrid a huge ice cream cone! Thanks, Mimi Carol! Ingrid was in heaven.

On the short walk home, all the kids fell asleep, and honestly, I could've done the same. It was so fun, and I'm sure we'll be back again sometime this summer.

Smiley Guy in Rompers.

2011-07-08T04:52:00.000-07:00

So I've realized that for a baby boy, vintage is hard to come by unless it's a romper. Which is fine, they're super cute. But I think of all the adorable dresses I had for Ingrid and I can't believe how boring vintage boy can be! I do have some cute Health Tex overalls and tshirts for when he's a toddler, but for now, it's rompers. Yesterday we put on the bear fishing romper. We also have a baseball romper, a plaid romper, and I'm sure I'm forgetting at least one other one.

But look how smiley this little dude is! He is seriously in a good mood about 90% of the time. He is officially sitting with only minimal help. He eats three bowls of food a day, and still nurses all the time. He has exploded in size, for real. We went to get Ingrid's hair cut yesterday by a friend and she was amazed at how big he looked. Just a month ago he still looked like a wee baby, and now he's this chattering ball of drool. His favorite things are his sister, his Exersaucer, and his feet. So easily pleased.

Feeding Olga

2011-07-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ingrid fed her doll Olga today. After swimming, she took off her bathing suit, only put on shorts, and found her nipples. She was very concerned she only had one! "Where's the other one?? I have to feed my baby!" Some things she said I know she gets from me, such as "Oh! I got milk all over! Do you want the other side? Here, let's give you a burp." But others came purely from a 3 year old's imagination--"She wants baby pears from my nipples!"

Our Busy 4th Weekend

2011-07-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Brendan doesn't have a lot of extended family, and those he does have live far away. But each year they get together at the cottage for the 4th of July. For some reason we haven't gone in a long time, but this year we made sure we did. I'm so glad we did! We had a blast.

Ingrid was in love with the kids. Brendan's cousin has four kids and their youngest is six. Calvin and Ingrid had fun chasing each other around the house. Over and over and over. Never lost its charm.

Otis was awesome and slept wherever. He took a nap in a bed one day, he fell asleep outside another day. All that fresh air and activity wore both kids out and they slept like logs.

We did lots of swimming. We did lots of hanging out in the backyard.

Otis practiced sitting.

The weather was perfect.

And when we came home we took baths and put on new summer pjs and lit sparklers.

I'm exhausted and I still have four loads of laundry to do. Back to reality.

Our Days

2011-07-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

New things in our lives:

Exersaucer. These things are monstrous pieces of ugly plastic and I hate them. But kids love them and they give me time to take a shower, so I'm not complaining. Too much. My friend gave us hers to use for Otis so we didn't have to spend any money on one.

Drawing. Not really new but Ingrid is definitely getting better at it. She draws these little guys all over the place. She said this picture was a family and they were dancing.

Wading Pool. Our local park, which we go to at least three times a week, has a wading pool. It's not chlorinated, they refill it every day, so it's easy on the skin and nose. It's free, and it's open 10-2, which is great. I hate pools that don't open until noon. That's naptime, dummies! Yesterday after we picked up Ingrid from school we went over there. She loved it! So today we packed a picnic and a blanket and spent the morning there. This little squirrel kept sneaking up on us, causing Ingrid to shriek in half delight, half terror.

Both kids fell asleep on the way home. I felt like a freakin' pack mule--I had Ingrid in the stroller along with towels, a bucket, our lunch, the diaper bag and a bag of misc. pool stuff. Then I had Otis on me in the Moby. It is time for a double stroller, my friends. I cannot take lugging around an extra 15 lbs. this summer. It was fun while he was a baby, but he's getting to big and squirmy for it to be his only form of transportation. I swore I would never get a double stroller but that's why you never say never. I'm hoping to find one that isn't too unbearable.

And now we're off for a three day weekend, hooray! Cookouts and family and Summerfest and fireworks and sun! Happy 4th everyone!

Hanging Out in the SUN!

2011-06-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the sun. How glad I am it's been around for the past few days! We have had plenty of good outdoors time, without shoes, without coats, without umbrellas. Awesome.

Ingrid has been getting really good at her tricycle. We were thinking of getting her a balance bike. Anyone have one? What do you think of them? Worth the money?

Otis is growing like nonstop, I swear. I had gone through to get his six month clothes out of the bin in his closet and now he's into 9 month clothes as well. Our friends Jess and Ben brought over a bag of the CUTEST clothes for him last weekend. He sported this plaid number today, which really brought out the blue eyes. Dang, he's cute.

He's been eating oatmeal with various baby food mixed in. I wasn't sure I was going to feed him solids yet but that kid was ready. He stares at our food when we're eating like a begging puppy dog, and if you get anywhere near him, he'll grab your spoon. Every feeding he eats a whole bowl, he's a pig. Which is good, he has to catch up!

I got a ton of new bibs ready for the shop. I took advantage of the nice day outside and had Ingrid model them. She gave me this lovely fake smile after I kept saying "Come on, smile! Look at the camera! Cheese and crackers! Smile!" She was not having it, so she gave me this.

I guess I asked for it.

Today Otis and I went to the park while Ingrid was at school and we saw that the wading pool is open!! So we are headed there tomorrow with a picnic and lots of sunscreen and we're gonna get our summer on. Finally.

First Week of School

2011-06-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

Ingrid has now had two days at her Montessori. She has loved both days and I'm sure will enjoy the rest of the summer. Yesterday was her second day and she was so excited to bring her ladybug lunch bag and go see Miss Carrie and Miss Jamie. When we got there, she ran up the stairs, ready to show me where she washed her apples and carrots! I just love seeing her so excited and having so much fun while learning things. And I'm really enjoying what little I know of Montessori, it seems like such a good match for Ingrid.

Yesterday she wore two of my favorite things together, a vintage Mexican top and a pair of green polyester slacks. Seriously, they are slacks. Crease down the middle of the legs, a little bell to them, they are soooo cute!

Once again I got so much done while she was gone. I love having five hours with just Otis! He has taken long naps while she's gone (imagine being able to sleep better without a screaming three year old in the house. Strange.) and I get to get things done without hearing "will you color with me? Oops, I spilled. I have to go to the bathroom. Play with me, Mama." I got the whole house cleaned, four loads of laundry done, and I sewed the top of a baby quilt.

Otis is growing like a weed, seriously. He started eating cereal and fruit and veg and will down the whole bowl in about five minutes. He's off his nursing strike mostly, so we don't have to feed him that many bottles anymore, hooray! I had to go through his box of clothes and find more that would fit, since he was busting out of his 3-6 mo. tshirts. I found this one at the thrift store awhile ago and couldn't wait to put it on him.

But his favorite is still to just be naked. Whenever he's upset, we strip off his clothes and lay him on the bed. He immediately calms down, grabs his feet and starts talking.

So Much Going on!

2011-06-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, today marks the start of Ingrid's formal education. After much debating whether or not to send her to preschool, we found a great starter program for the summer. It's a Montessori program run out of a teacher's house, very small "class" size (I think there were three kids today) and flexible hours. So we signed up for two mornings a week and today is her first day.

We got a backpack and lunch bag for her, which was so so exciting for Ingrid! She has been wearing the backpack around since we got it yesterday. She bounded out of bed asking when she was going to school. From 6am to 8am, she kept asking "Is it time yet?"

When we got there, she ran right over to the materials and one of the teachers started working with her. I had to say good bye to her four times before she finally called out bye over her shoulder! I think she's ready for school, but I guess we'll see how she did when I pick her up this afternoon. I found a public Montessori school with spots open in K3, so if she does well at this class, we'll be sending her off to real school in the fall. Gulp.

Meanwhile, Otis and I have been hanging out. He is napping right now, I'm about to watch the DVRed 16 and Pregnant and fold laundry, and I already had a chance to list more washcloths in the shop!

One last thing: We got this ridiculous clown onesie in the mail yesterday. I got it from Hart and Sew and it is the most adorable thing in the world. It just fits Otis, though, and it's still only 60degrees, so I had to put him in it and take pictures now, since he may not get a chance to show off his chicken legs in it for real before it doesn't fit anymore. Where is our summer? It was here for awhile, now it's MIA.

Oh my god, I'm dying at how freakin' cute he is!

The Cottage

2011-06-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

The cottage is getting a new kitchen, so it's been kind of a war zone around there. Hence, we have not been there in awhile. Today we had to go look at refrigerators so we braved it with the kids. Luckily it was nice out so we could stay outside. Hopefully the next week or so will see the end of remodeling and a return to calm. It sucks when the place to which you go for relaxation is not relaxing...

Is there anything better than a drooly baby in a classic white Gerber tee?

Perhaps it's a muddy girl planting seeds with her Grandma.

They drive me crazy, but I guess I'll keep 'em.

Washcloths

2011-06-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

I made a couple sets of washcloths for the shop this week. I love how they turned out! It's awesome that you can take some cool fabric and put it with something really absorbent and ta-da! It's a washcloth. I had some terry cloth I'd found in the remnant bin at Joann and I made these robot ones.

I also made some for friends having babies. I love friends having babies, they keep me busy! But alas, I ran out of terry cloth and started to look through my scrap bin. I have a ton of odd shaped pieces of minky leftover from making bibs. I love that fabric so I never wanted to throw it away, but what to do with it? Cut it in squares and make the softest washcloths you'll ever use. Seriously, these are awesome, I'm making myself some! They are sooooo soft and absorbent. I made these for the shop:

And I have lots of new fabric I haven't done anything with yet, so methinks I will make a couple more sets this weekend!

Six Months Old!

2011-06-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Otis turns one half year old. I cannot believe he started as a wee peanut, scaring the crap out of me by coming so early, and now he's this giggling little cherub.

His last doctor's appointment he was 13lbs 4oz, on the small side even if you go by the scale he'd be on if he were born on his due date. Oh well, Ingrid was always small too. He's catching up though. Little mister went on a nursing strike and scared me that he was going to stop nursing but luckily we've made it through. He is teething like a mad man but no teeth in sight yet. We just supplement with bottles when he gets so fussy he won't nurse. It seems to be working fine.

Today we had a little photo shoot. Ingrid couldn't understand why I wasn't taking pictures of her! She was seriously perplexed "Mama, I'm right here! Take a picture of me!"

We also tried some cereal with Otis today. I'm not too gung ho about starting food, but I thought we'd give it a try. He seemed to like it. Ingrid did not her first time! It took her awhile to eat it, but we started way early with her.

After looking at pictures and videos, it seems Otis is doing things at six months that Ingrid was doing at four months. I think she grew up so fast! I'll go slow with Otis, I'm in no hurry with him.

Parkin' It.

2011-06-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect day. The weather was breezy and in the high sixties, which I would take over the scorchers any day. If I could have a summer filled with this weather, I'd be a happy camper. We packed up the stroller with food, drinks, a package to mail out at the post office, and the diaper bag. Otis napped in the Moby, Ingrid talked about all sorts of nonsense in the stroller, and we made our way to the park.

This park is awesome, I'm hoping we can find a house pretty close by when we go to buy one. It's got a playground, an amphitheater where they do live music in the summer, a lagoon with lots of ducks and people fishing, and tons of trails to wander on. Also, the trees are ancient and enormous, which I love. I love to look at big gnarly tree trunks and marvel at the fact they are so old.

Ingrid was pleased that there were other kids there. She ran around chasing them, but not really playing with them. She hasn't gotten to that point yet, I guess!

Otis layed on a blanket and put his toes in the grass.

I sat back and enjoyed some coffee and we stayed until lunchtime. We came back to eat lunch and take naps, but Ingrid suddenly got a second wind so only Otis got to nap, lucky dog. He is finally taking naps on his own, he slept for three hours! Good kid! Then we went back outside to the backyard, did some weeding and sweeping, and stayed out until dinnertime. I love summer!

Summer Came With a Vengeance.

2011-06-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

Dang! We never thought summer would come and all the sudden BAM! Here it is. Brendan said he saw it was 102 degrees by his work yesterday? Crazy. It's usually a lot cooler by the lake and it was still in the high 80s yesterday. It's 7:30am and 80 right now.

I don't want to complain because it is better than snow, but I hate heat. Why can't our summers be breezy and 72? I really hate sweating before 8am.

Yesterday we got a Slip'n'slide. And then got home to find there was a broken piece on the hose that made it impossible to hook it up. Blah. Ingrid was so happy when Brendan came home and fixed it!

Otis was pretty much naked or in just a diaper all day long. Favorite part of summer, seeing all those squishy baby parts unearthed!

All the bugs are out, too. Ingrid is still slightly unsure of them. They gross her out but she knows they're really not going to hurt her. So she has to tell herself how cool they are. "I can be friends with the ants, right Mom?" We saw this huge dragonfly on our rosebush. He stayed there forever, sometimes flitting away if we got too close, but always coming back. We got to really look at him, it was pretty cool.

Today is supposed to be a scorcher, too, so we're off to find something water related or in the air conditioning. I would love to just be outside but it's so hard when it just makes everyone sticky and crabby...

Camping with Kids

2011-06-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

We are home. We survived! It was fun! But man, am I tired.

We had a great time. The weather was beautiful, the kids both slept pretty well, and we just had a good time being together.

I was so worried about how Ingrid would do at night, but she was great. She had a hard time getting to sleep the first night, but once she slept, she slept hard. Until 5am when the sun came up and she was up chattering away to herself, waking us all up. Sigh...

She did so well, though. She loved to putter around the campsite and play with sticks, sing songs, dance, and of course, eat. Marshmallows are the best camp treat!

Otis was also great. He hates the car so he was more than happy to get out of it and enjoy the nature. We layed him on a blanket amidst all the bugs and he just stared at the trees and babbled. He recently found his feet so most of the time he was just sitting there eating his toes.

We played at the park, threw rocks in the lake, Brendan took Ingrid for a nice long bike ride through the park, and he took Otis on a couple hikes. I just enjoyed being outside in the nice weather. I had packed for cold weather, since a couple of our camping trips we ended up with frigid weather and not enough warm clothes, but this time we had a sunny 80 degree day. Ingrid ended up swimming in her shorts!

It was fun to be in this state park. Brendan has been going there since he was a little kid, so he had lots of fun memories. We went there for our honeymoon and first wedding anniversary, so we had lots of fun memories of that. And now we are making our own family memories with our kids. Yay!

Since this was such a great trip, we are really excited to go camping a lot more this summer. And thank god we're in Wisconsin, there are a ton of places we can go to without having to drive a long way. Another reason we're so thankful to be back home!

One thing I did realize is that it is a LOT less relaxing to camp with kids. A couple sites away from ours was a young couple. I walked by one afternoon and they were both sitting around the picnic table eating, talking, looking very relaxed. I realized if I didn't have my kids with me I would have taken naps, slept in past 5am, gone hiking, gone to the drive in theater, and I definitely would have enjoyed nights around the campfire more. Instead I was constantly yelling at Ingrid not to fall in the fire (which she totally would do, if you know her you know how clumsy she is...) and getting up at the butt crack of dawn, and wanting so badly to take a nap in the sunshine but was denied by a crying baby. Oh well, we had an amazing time anyway!

And We're Off!

2011-06-03T04:34:00.000-07:00

We leave today for our camping trip! We're going up to Door County, the site of our honeymoon and our one year anniversary trip. Every year since he can remember, Brendan's family has taken a camping trip to Peninsula State Park, so he's excited to start the tradition with our crew.

Wish us luck with our five month old and three year old. I know people go camping with their kids all the time, but I honestly don't know how! I'm hoping all the fresh air will make Ingrid pass out and that Otis' teeth don't decide to bother him all weekend. Crossing fingers!

New Toys for the Shop!

2011-06-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love it when I think I have absolutely no time to get anything done, but at the end of the day I realize I actually did quite a bit. That's how today went. It definitely is easier to accomplish things when you start your day at 5:30 AM, thank you very much, Ingrid.

I had three giraffes I'd made awhile ago, my post-Easter stuffed animal for the shop. Somehow I never got around to sewing the little hole shut. Stupid things like that always keep me from finishing something! But today I found ten minutes to close both guys up and managed to take pictures and post them on Etsy. Hurray!

So here they are:

Cute, huh? Ingrid thought so, she kept trying to steal them from me! I also finished up a sensory toy. I made a couple of these for friends and had been thinking about making them for the shop but, because I have two kids and move a lot, I never got around to it. But alas, one got done today!

I love that Alexander Henry fabric!

I hope to get more finished soon, but Friday we leave for our camping trip. Ha! I am both excited and terrified by that idea. When we took Ingrid before, it was awful. I asked Brendan about twenty times if this campsite was level. It is. Phew.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the sun has finally shown its yellow face around here! After weeks of rain and cold, we had a nice, hot, sunny day yesterday! Perhaps summer really is coming? We packed up some snacks and took a nice long walk by the lake yesterday morning, ending up at the rock beach where we sat and threw rocks in the water for a good half hour.

When we got home, we went straight out in the backyard. Ingrid got a new basketball hoop for her birthday, so she and Brendan played with that. And the tball set from last year. I sat on a blanket with Otis and marveled at how hot it was.

As soon as we stepped back inside, Ingrid passed out. Her little cheeks were all rosy and she was just sooo tired from all that fresh air! She slept for almost three hours, totally unlike her! I took a nap with Otis, Brendan watched baseball, we hung out quietly, it was amazing. I love breaks from all the chaos!

I decided to make summery things for dinner. We grilled burgers and I made potato salad. I also made a graham cracker crust pudding pie. It was delish. Ingrid has already asked for some this morning! Otis' new spot for dinner time is his Bumbo which we set on the table. He loves to be a part of things!

All in all a great Memorial Day. I really love that Brendan works in industry now instead of academia. School people don't take holidays. They just work, work, work. Now Brendan's job is closed on holidays! He can't go in! And he doesn't feel guilty about it. Phew. I hated holidays before because it was like pulling teeth to convince him to stay home and relax.

My First Funeral (Sort of)

2011-05-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

That's right, I'm 34 and I've never been to a funeral before this week. How does that happen?? My grandpa passed away on Ingrid's birthday. I wrote this about him on my other blog. I love that guy.

I took both kids with me on a five hour drive to my sister's. Thank god they were good and slept! Ingrid read books and sang to herself while she was awake. We stopped for pancakes. I had a Harry Potter book on cd to listen to. It was a nice day.

We ended up going to stay at a hotel when my sister's air bed broke. I didn't want to sleep on the floor and I knew Ingrid was tired and overwhelmed with traveling, so it would be better for everyone if we contained her in a room where she couldn't bother anyone but me! Otis was a dream--he nursed to sleep at 8pm and didn't wake up until we woke him up at 7:30am to go get breakfast. This is the picture of a truly relaxed baby:

The next day we had a get together with my brothers. It is so rare all four of us kids and all our kids can get together! Ingrid just loves to play with all her cousins!

Ingrid decided to slide down the slide face first into a pile of mud pies they'd been making. Add a snotty nose and this is what you get. Ha!

The next day was the memorial service for my Grandpa. It was sad but also a chance to see everyone and reminisce about him. My cousin from Indiana was there, she has the same kids as me--a three year old girl and a baby boy. Her son Max is five weeks old. Otis is five months, remember? God he's so tiny! I always think he is so big, but then he gets put in his place by a sleepy newborn...

It sucks to have a death in the family, but it's nice to see everyone. Especially with our enormous family that's spread all over the country--it's pretty hard to get us all together. It's nice when we finally do. I would prefer a family reunion next time, though.