Friday faves

So. I'm a day late. I started this on a Friday, so it still counts right?
Better late than pregnant.

This weather.
On my goodness we were ready for a break from the indoors! We've been outside all week. Riding bikes and trikes. Tearing up the backyard. Going on long walks. Walking everywhere actually. I've been so anxious to be outside I even picked up the girls from school with G loaded in the stroller and we walked home one day.
That being said, I'd appreciate one day of snow while we are gone on vacation so our friends and family can be a tad bit envious of our amazingly warm weather.

Old stuff.
I love old stuff. Apparently my affair with old things has been going on for awhile because back in middle school I found a wedding picture of my dad's parents and had it up in my room. 
Yep, I was clearly the trendiest 6th grader.
I like doing that around our house too. Instead of switching out for the newest photos of everyone, I like to display my favorites from over the years. It will be even more meaningful as the kids grow bigger and bigger. 

So while at my parents' house last weekend, I decided I wanted to reclaim that old wedding photo I so proudly displayed in my tween years. And after digging through boxes in the closet housing all my and my sisters' old stuff, I found it.

Exactly as I remembered.

And while I was digging, I came across other old photos I'd found years ago and since forgotten about. They were carefully preserved in my tacky childhood jewelry box.

A photo of my grandmother addressed to her future husband.

Ronald, I'll love you always.  Love, Joyce

Seriously, isn't that the sweetest?!

Fifty-five plus years later and I know that statement has been proven true day in and day out.

And this is why I love old stuff.

And to my jealous sister Justina who claims the oldest child always gets all the cool stuff, I am making copies for y'all. You're welcome. 

Love Me Like You Do
I saw 50 Shades of Grey a couple weeks ago with Justy. I am definitely not a prude, but I couldn't help but giggle like a school girl on a few occasions and share an embarrassed glance with my sister.
But this song. 
I'm obsessed.
I'm also a chronic new-song-over-player. Sorry Jare.
He'll be hating it in no time, I assure you.


Kids in workout clothes

Bailey received this outfit from Aunt Beaner for her birthday. 

She refuses to wear it unless some physical activity is planned.

Unlike her mom who just lives in workout pants.

Travel prep
I love to make lists. 
And believe me, packing lists were made a month ago. 
Obsessive? Yes.
For weeks I've had a dedicated shelf in the closet for things I don't want to forget. I have an organized calendar on the fridge for whoever is watching our kids on each day. Copies of our passports are made. Cameras are charged. Beach books are purchased. Music playlists are finished.
So to sum it up: I'm ready.
I'm coming for you, Mexico!

Friday Faves

1. Blankie has been found!
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
all that.

He had been M.I.A. for the past four days. Things were getting serious. We last saw him (yes, the blanket is referred to as a person around these parts) on Sunday when Graham went down for a nap. And then that night he was no where to be found. 
We. tore. this. place. apart.
Nothing.

I was on the fence about full-on accusing Jared of taking care of him Chicago mob boss style. See, Jared started to despise Blankie about 6 months ago when Graham figured out how to tear tiny bits of the fleece/cotton/whatever mixture off of it and roll it into balls. It's like a weird OCD thing he does when he is falling asleep. Whatever. Point is, there are tiny blue clumps of cottony fabric all over his room. So there was possible motive there...

But yesterday Bailey came running up the stairs yelling, "I found him! I found him!" The him, of course, being Blankie. The blanket had been stuffed into a small nightstand drawer in the spare bedroom. Clearly I owe Jared an apology. He did not shove him in the garbage and hustle it out to the curb Monday morning to cover his tracks.

Now that Blankie has returned, nap times are bound to go much more smoothly again.


2. Christmas decorations! 
We spent a large chunk of last Friday unpacking tub after tub of Christmas decor. 
The Pandora Christmas station was playing.
The tree went up.
Lights were hung.
Decorations are now in almost every room.

I particularly love our buffet in the dining room that helps spread more of the Christmas spirit around the house.

Jared even put up a couple strands of white lights on the girls' bunk beds. It's a fun substitute for a lamp for a few weeks, plus Bailey and Avery think it's pretty special.


3. And speaking of Christmas decorations, if you have a fake tree, you definitely need to purchase these bad boys.

Scentsicles. 

Jared hates that we have a fake tree. But I like to have the tree up for a month, plus live trees are more work, as well as being more costly since as we got a good after-Christmas deal on our fake one. Jared mostly misses the fresh tree scent.
So we bought some Scentsicles on Amazon.
Under 9 bucks. 
Problem solved. 
It makes the whole room smell amaaaazing!
Totally worth it to buy a pack every December.

4. The girls' school pictures came in yesterday. I tried to scan them, but it made the quality of the already not-exactly-high-quality photos even less. 
But I was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out. Bailey as always did fine. 
With Avery, I had to go in with her after school got out. Her teachers tried and tried during her scheduled time, but she refused and wouldn't stop crying/freaking out. In the end I had to jump around acting crazy while bouncing her Hello Kitty backpack above the photographer for her to grimace smile at the camera. So considering all that went into them, they work for me.

And $80 later we have two somewhat okay photos that we could have taken ourselves in our own living room. But it's like a childhood rite of passage, right? You need these sometimes-good/sometimes-extremely-awkward photos to fully commemorate your school experience. Or they are just good for a laugh when it comes to making fun of your grown siblings. Either way.
Fe - your 7th grade v-ball photo. 
Nuff said.
(And you're welcome for not posting that photo here!)


5. Tonight I get to hang out with Sarah, one of my oldest friends. We've been friends since 3rd grade. 

us, 15 years ago

She is definitely one of the few people who will tell it to me straight no matter what the consequences, and that is one of the things I appreciate most in a friend. I can't wait for the laughs and over-sharing that is about to occur in a few hours!

Things I love

1) How much my girls love going to the library to check out new books. I sincerely hope all my children love to read as much as Jared and I do.


2) Graham pulling himself up on Avery's chair after mealtime because he knows she will have dropped some tasty morsels and that they fell under her booster seat. Clever boy.

3) Not having to mow. Because it is all dead. Like dead-dead.

4) That my grandma Joyce did well after her first round of chemo. She is a stubborn lady and that is going to serve her well during her treatment.
Love you, Grandma!

5) My newest grocery shopping trick: pick up some grapes first thing. One grape an aisle did the trick to help Avery behave. The entire time. 
Why didn't someone share this tip of parenting brilliance with me before?! How did I just now figure this out?!

6) Bailey practicing writing her name. She struggles with B and Y. She was able to do a B for the first time all by herself. She was so proud! And it feels good as her mama to know that she is learning from all the activities we do at home.

7) Way less used-diapers. Avery is now going #1 and #2 on the potty even when she has pants on. And because she leaves her pants on, there is much less of a chance of the mailman getting mooned. Progress!

8) Being able to supplement our income by watching two extra children. They are good kids. Plus, the girls love having another playmate the same age around (even if Graham does not) and Avery loves babies. 
Just today she sighed and said, "Mom, I just love babies."
She has the baby-love of her Aunt Fe, the blonde look of her Aunt Justy, and the temper of her Aunt Beaner. Quite the combo. 

9) That my parents celebrated 30 years of marriage yesterday. Wedded bliss, right Mom? :)

10) That it's bedtime and I am going to go lay down and pass out. The leap from 3 kids to 5 during the day tires a person out!

Things I love...

*  Finally having living room furniture after 3 weeks of using only a recliner and a midget-sized loveseat. Hallelujah for a reupholstered couch!

* Avery waking me up in the middle of the night to use the potty. Progress!

* Tomatoes that are finally turning red.

* Sleeping in until almost 9 AM. Thanks honey!

* Delicious margaritas (in excess) and chatting with a friend last night.


Not lovin' so much....

* Moving aforementioned couch. No matter what Jared and I are moving, we are at each other's throats within 30 seconds, critiquing how the other is lifting or turning it. It's hell.

* Avery using the backyard like the puppy. Not sure how to convince her that she can also use the toilet for #2. It's never a good sign when flies start circling your child.

Things I love

cooking supper with Jared

 

clean baby scent

 

Avery's pigtails

 

one less kid using diapers

 

Downton Abbey (just finished Season One)

 

breastfeeding Graham

 

peach yogurt

 

a 6-hour stretch of sleep

 

the feeling of accomplishment after a workout

 

 



So God Made a Farmer...

Watching the Super Bowl last night, I thought this was hands-down

 the best commercial.

Immediately it grabbed my attention.
Jared stopped what he was doing and looked up from his Ipad.
We sat there in complete silence for the full two minutes, just watching and listening.

So God Made a Farmer

Paul Harvey

Dodge Ram commercial

 



I am probably a bit biased. I do have a few farmers in my life.
 

Love you Dad.  Thanks for all you do.

Things I love

     Desperately needed afternoon naps

     Supper waiting for me when I get home from work {chili - Yum!}

     Fetal hiccups

     60-degree days

     reruns of The Newlywed Game  - the oblivious people on that show crack me up


Things I hate 
         {because it all can't be roses, right?}

     Sick kids

     Feeling exhausted (see above)

     a constant birage of overly-rude opinions regarding the upcoming election on
     Facebook
     (Don't we get enough from the tv ads?!)

     Pregnancy-induced forgetfulness

Things I love

bedtime tickle sessions

the nest of itty-bitty baby bunnies in our yard

15 minute power naps on the couch

salads with bacon. lots of bacon

Bailey and Avery chasing bubbles

baby kicks

Things I love...

Long chats in the car with my mama. Love, politics, irritable bowel syndrome... Nothing is off limits.

 

Snuggling on the couch

Flattering pictures free of double-chins

Sisters

My littlest baby walking toward me

New {cheap} jewelry

what makes me happy today

* bunches of lilacs gathered in vases around our house. the best smell in the world.

* this song   It's on eternal repeat in my head. (and wow, what a different video...)


* a toy-strewn living room

...because that means our girls are happy and healthy enough to destroy the order in our house on a daily basis. Some parents would love to be able to say that.

* bacon

* Reese's peanut butter eggs that an anonymous Easter bunny left on my dining room table  {oh how my mom knows the way to my heart}

* the smell of rain

* hearing the girls talk and laugh back in forth after I've put them to bed.

 Apparently Bailey is quite the comedienne.

* and finally.... ahhhh....silence.