Sore

Hello, dear blog readers! I have completely flaked out on the blog. Mostly it's because our electronic devices have been buries under plastic sheets for a week or two.

"Lemons:" yes, we are still battling the bed bugs. Daily laundering and spraying of rubbing alcohol are part of our regimen. Much to my consternation, I found a live one a couple of nights ago on the floor, and now our "baby" is waking up with bite marks. The upside is that the apartment management has sent a contractor to seal the wall where we think they have been hiding out and/or getting in. Clearly improvements have been made, but the Insect Populace is not yet gone.

And our bed broke in the middle of the night. We slept on the floor in the living room for a week. Wes don't mind this setup, but I kept poor Hubby awake with all of my itching going on.

And today, Lemmy thought it would be GREAT fun to leap out in front of me as I was walking to the kitchen and grab my leg. Result? I tripped. To do otherwise with a toddler hanging on my leg would have been worthy of a comic strip hero. Broken toe (or at least very badly sprained), I'm fairly certain. I've had broken toes before. I just worry that this might be bothersome right before I'm supposed to start my new job (where I'm required to be on my feet for hours).

In other (happier) news, the plants on my porch have turned a corner and are actually doing BETTER! The basil is now 4.5 inches tall (instead of 3). The mint has new growth. Honestly, I thought that if I could kill mint, I must accept the fact that I'm the first in three generations of amazing gardeners to have to give up gardening, but since I have not yet killed it off, I'm going to persist in my porch gardening efforts. My geraniums also have blossoms again. What happened? I moved them to bigger pots with more water! The upside? Since they were so "sickly" all summer long, the insect populace hasn't laid eggs/there have been no larvae yet to consume the yummy goodness. (That'll be next week's post. I just know it.)

AND, dear blog readers, after three particularly difficult days, Lemmy is completely potty trained! I could hardly believe that he transitioned so quickly.

AND, dear blog readers, Blossom (my "baby") started walking eight days ago! Hasn't walked since, but she DID walk. She can also climb onto kitchen counters, so she clearly has deft maneuvering abilities. And she's talking more: "peach, get down, hi daddy, no mommy," and several other such words and phrases are peppering her new vocabulary.

So that's what's new. I hope that YOU, dear blog readers, enjoy your weekend and are faring well!

Musical Promotions

Hello, dear blog readers! It has been a while since I've discussed anything related to my musical interests (other that then difficulties in selling my piano, of course). I won't wax on about this, but I DO want to post about what other folks in the world are doing with their musical gifts. Tonight on Facebook I watched two inspiring videos. The links are posted below. Even if you don't like the musical stylings, the sheer talent alone is worth watching both.

The Wizard of Ahhhhhhs: Todrick Hall and Pentatonix

Okay, I will openly admit I'm NOT a fan of hip-hop, but I DO love vocal percussion and thrift stores. This. Made. Me. Laugh. Thrift Shop Video. (I added this in after I originally posted, so technically this makes THREE videos worth watching.)

http://www.landfillharmonicmovie.com/

Happy Sunday, dear blog readers! We hope your weekend went well!

Blog Inhibitors

Hello, dear blog readers! Tonight for about the first time in well over a year, I painted my nails. Only after did such a whim occur to me that I decided I should blog. Oh, the wait time for paint to dry! I think between getting a glass of water and a couple of other seemingly harmless tasks, I managed to smear off most of the topcoats. Oh well. There's always tomorrow!

In other news, I sold our piano that I've had for over twelve years. I realize that to have such sentimental attachment to any one particular object is a little absurd, but I'll admit this particular thing for me was a tough one to let go. Financially, the cheque couldn't have come in the mail at a better time considering our car repairs and extermination bills/bedding/certain household losses due to infestation. I'm just glad the little insects didn't get the chance to lay eggs on the piano!

Anyway, dear blog readers, no new cooking tips or finds here, but I did watch you tube and learn some things about painting fingernails, which can be a little bit fun if you let it.

Happy Saturday (now Sunday), dear blog readers!

Speaking of Pests

Hello, dear blog readers! I've been SO very bad about not watering or transplanting my few herbs/flowers into larger pots this summer. As a result, my mint (which I thought almost anyone can grow with minimal effort), basil, and rosemary are still only about 3 inches high and very anemic.

We apparently got a visit from a squirrel or other digging rodent during the night. I found all the plants and pots lying on their sides this morning with dirt strewn all over the balcony. I'm hoping my neighbors below don't think I'm showering their patio furniture on purpose! Since it was high time to take care of my plants and put them into larger containers anyway, I did that while the kids were napping. Hopefully The Outdoor Pest won't return. I have enough going on with the indoor pest variety.

Happy Friday, dear blog readers!

Reprieve at the Park

Hello, dear blog readers! After the kids spent the afternoon trying to make their own fun (and ultimately battling boredom without toys out and about), we packed a picnic dinner and went to the park. I tried to get some good photos on our camera, but I couldn't figure out what F stop to use (I probably even got that term wrong!) and the pictures turned out really dark. As a result, you get phone photos from Instagram. (I LOVE this app!)

Blossom has decided that she doesn't mind grass after all. This is a first. She usually cries when we put her down on the ground. This was the only picture I got of Lem's face. Every other photo either depicted a blur or the back of his head, but that's pretty normal for a three-year-old boy. Climber of logs, swinger of sticks large and small, and runner of great toddler speeds, he keeps us on our toes.

This girl has really started to get busy. While Blossom is still not walking, she nevertheless loves to climb on things and this week has mastered climbing on/off the furniture, kitchen chairs, and the stroller. She would love to be a connoisseur of the best pebbles that the park has to offer, but Mom got in the way of her taste testing. She settled for sampling a few wood chips instead.

Choking hazards, heat, and gnats aside, they had a great time and came home sweaty, tired, and fairly ready for bed. Thank goodness for trees, grass, and shade on a hot day.

Happy Thursday, dear blog readers!

Holding Pattern

Hello, dear blog readers! I find myself in the strange position of wondering what to do with ourselves for the rest of the afternoon. I currently have some belongings "cooking" in sealed bags in the car so as to kill off any unwanted house guests. Another hour or two ought to do it.

The kids are amazing with the house being turned upside-down. They have been playing with kitchen bowls and empty boxes destined for the recycling bin. They have been doing a great job of making their own fun. The dryer has been fixed and is running again.

Having vacuumed and "dusted" the place with diatomaceous earth, I'm thinking getting out of the house with a picnic dinner is looking like a good idea. I found some delicious hummus from The Fresh Hummus Co. We particularly like their roasted red pepper variety. We also went to Potomac Vegetable Farms the other day. I have to admit that while I'm willing to pay a higher price for great fresh produce, sometimes it's hard to know where to start and where to stop when the cash is finite. We came away with some amazing cherry tomatoes (some of the best tomatoes I've tasted in YEARS) that will go really well with hummus and a picnic dinner!

To anyone looking for a great CSA, they do that too.

Potomac Vegetable Farms

Happy Wednesday, dear blog readers, whatever life may be throwing at you at the moment!

Dusting and Then Some

Hello, dear blog readers! I'm currently sitting on a bed sheet covering the couch since I spent a good part of the day "dusting" the apartment for creepy crawlies. There is something a little bit humbling when one wanders down the aisle of the local grocery/home goods store and one's toddler starts screaming at the top of his voice: "Bed bugs! BED BUGS!!! Look, Mommy, BED BUUUUUUGS!" Yes, folks, your attention may now be drawn to the strange family in the Pest Control section of Aisle 5. Avoid them and whatever you do, don't make eye contact, or you too may suffer from this massive inconvenience.

All of this makes me crave chocolate. No joke. I don't often find myself craving chocolate, but I'm there today. I think I might try a chocolate graham cracker crust that I happen to have in my pantry and some fresh fruit.

Disappearing Act

Hello, dear blog readers! Where have we been, you might ask? Well, as our history of "interesting things encountered while renting our living space" continues, we have had an unsavory and aggressive insect infestation. Our days have been filled cleaning every day with gallons of rubbing alcohol, boxes of garbage bags being put to use, laundry, more laundry, and MORE laundry. At least now I can rule out that I was suffering from some sort of unknown food allergy and perhaps I can cut back on the Benadryl.

I have to say that as Americans, we're not used to this sort of thing. I can say that there is a bright side. 1) As far as we know, bed bugs don't carry disease (yet--that we know of). 2) My kids are happy and very healthy. 3) Hubby has a GREAT job. It helps to keep these things in perspective. While this event in our lives have included the largest hassle factor, we don't have health scares and financial stress on top of it.

In other news, I managed (before and between these events) to get about 22-24 pints of raspberries frozen, not including what we've eaten or given away. Hooray for summer fruit!

Happy Monday, dear blog readers!

Goodies

Hello, dear blog readers! Fruit season continues to keep us busy these days. We've been picking raspberries and happily freezing them about every 48 hours it seems. This weekend while I was picking early one morning, I even had the privilege of surprising a 6-point buck with the velvet still on his antlers--something I haven't seen in a number of years. Since we live in a rather wooded metropolitan area, we see deer pretty regularly,  just not the males. He eyed me, I pretended not to see him. He ate his grass with a wary eye and I went about picking the berries.

I don't bake much these days since it gets hot in the apartment, but I couldn't resist making raspberry muffins. The baby loved them. (I think Lem secretly liked them, but was contrary just for the sake of argument as most toddlers are want to do at his age.)

In other news, dear blog readers, I have a job interview tomorrow. I have to admit that I am actually *nervous* about this one. It was for a position I hadn't even applied for, but somehow the nurse recruiter passed it onto this hospital. They want a nurse for full-time nights. That would be a real challenge with our two little kids, so I'm hoping that is negotiable.

Here's hoping you had a blessed, relaxing, and enjoyable weekend, dear blog readers!

These were terrible. We couldn't eat any of them. Ha, I say! There is nothing quite like a warm home-baked breakfast. I used almond flavoring instead of vanilla, and it gave a very nice taste to the muffins.

Ohhhh, Weathermen.

Hello, dear blog readers! I have to say that there is a large amount of irony in the way a day can sometimes turn out, especially if you're planning your day based on the weather reports.

I have to say that I respect the profession of weather prediction, but we all know they don't get it right all the time. As a result, here's how my day went.

Morning: Checked the weather report. Scattered clouds and a small chance of rain. I got the kids ready to go to the pool in our complex. While changing them into swimming gear and getting the sunscreen ready, it rained. We went to the playground instead and let Lem play in the dirt. It was a good way to make use of the sunscreen.

Afternoon: Checked the weather report. It said 60% chance of rain. I put off transplanting my bedraggled herbs and geraniums and did indoor cleaning and laundry instead. No rain.

After the kids woke up from naps: I decided to forget about the weather report. The sun was shining. I got the cooler and a few plastic containers out in order to go berry picking. As I was loading stuff down to the car, THEN it decided to rain. (Again.)

I gave up on getting berries today.

But then, my dear wonderful hubby came home from work shortly before the kids' bedtime. Even though the weather report said that there was a good chance of rain, I decided to chance a visit to my friend's raspberry patch sans children.

I can't recall the last time I was so happy to have the weathermen be wrong. It was a perfect night. The bushes were loaded with ripe berries, and since the temperature had dropped, they weren't getting mushy during picking. The mosquitos weren't out in full force, either.

I'm curious as to what these particular plants are. I've never seen them before. They were scattered around the raspberry patch and look as though they might be a relative. The berries are just starting to turn an orange color. Time to get online and figure these out...Unless you, dear blog readers, can tell me what they are, of course! (And more importantly, is it something that I can eat/freeze/use to make jam?)

Happy Thursday to you all, dear blog readers, and here's hoping your weekend plans are not thwarted by the weather!

Learning by Parenting

Hello, dear blog readers! I have found that since I've become a parent, I often find myself (re)learning life's lessons as often as I am trying to teach them to The Toddlers in our house.

For example, we took Lemmy's "commission" (AKA "allowance") money to the store to start teaching him that the green paper bills are finite. I was thoroughly pleased with him for spying colored pencils that are meant for kids his age. Frankly, they don't leave a waxy residue like crayons on the furniture.

We went through the store and I had him hand the clerk his few dollars. I was explaining to him that he just bought his pencils when I looked at the box and realized that there was only *ONE* pencil left in the box. Of course I started looking around on the floor thinking that Lem had emptied all of his wares.

Lesson 1 that came to mind right then: don't let your kids play with things at the store. Wait 'til you get home or in the car.

Lesson 2: Wait until you get home or in the car to lecture your child about losing his or her toy. As it turned out, when the clerk put the pencils in our grocery bag, most of them came out of the box. It turned out to NOT be the fault of Lem.

After all is said and done, we have a little boy who is thrilled to have some colors and some scratch paper.

Raspberry Season

Hello, dear blog readers! We had the opportunity yesterday afternoon to get together with a new friend who graciously allowed us to pick raspberries in her yard! I cam prepared for all but the rain that hit during the picking time, but we still managed to get somewhere between two-three quarts, despite a certain Lem getting his mitts involved to squash, eat, and otherwise mangle the berries we were picking. Blossom sat on a blanket and was determined that grass was for The Boy only.

 No little lady picnics without a Cheerio snack and Mr. Potato Head parts.

 Lem: Explorer of Jungles Local and Otherwise

Tired...But Good

Hello, dear blog readers! I just looked over this blog and realized that I have been incredibly remiss about reporting on our summer. I guess that since the last two summers have entailed pregnancy/morning sickness/moving to another state, having some laid-back fun has been something that is taking me by surprise.

A few weeks ago, we picked strawberries. Now the cherries and a few raspberries are coming upon us, although there is (at least the locals tell me) a delay from a colder-than-usual spring. (I can't vouch for this not having lived here for most of the spring.) I am THRILLED to be picking raspberries tomorrow in the yard of a friend!

In other news, Grammy came to visit us this past week while Hubby was in Canada. Lemmy got a toy vacuum for his upcoming birthday, and I have to say: I don't remember the last time I've seen a child so excited about a piece of plastic. If would be right on par with a girl getting a new pair of coveted shoes or a doll, but for him, it's a vacuum. He loves to take mine apart and lost the attachments, so now he has his own!

Happy Sunday evening, dear blog readers! Here's hoping the strange weather and summer activities are treating you well.

New Treats

Hello, dear blog readers! I attempted to make homemade frozen strawberry yogurt. I have to say it turned out a lot like the flavored yogurts one can buy at the store, and didn't particularly freeze very well. But, the kids LOVED it and keep begging for more, so that's something.

I love the fact that fresh fruit is in season. I went to Delaplane last weekend and picked two very full flats of strawberries. I'll admit it was such a beautiful day that I felt a small twinge of guilt for not taking the Toodlers (aka Toddlers) with me, but in the end, I got so many berries prepped for the freezer that I think they'll thank me later. One can hope, anyway. I'm looking forward to taking them next year.

 

Experiencing the Fair

Hello, dear blog readers! I have to admit that this past week, I have fallen (a bit) into the "After Move Blues." I feel like part of this may or may not be brought on by the fact that the kiddies are now waking up at 5:30-6:00 in the morning. (Don't worry, dear blog readers, we have ordered blackout shades, which will hopefully be coming tomorrow!)

A few weeks ago, we attended the Delaplane Strawberry Festival. It was a lot like the state and county fairs I remember attending when I was a kid. The day was sunny, but windy and cold. We were hoping for strawberries at the time, but since they came a bit later this spring, we didn't procure any that particular day.

What we DID procure was the mistress of sticky temptations of all fairs, Cotton Candy. The kids loved it. It was yummy and messy and fun was had.

 The eternal optimist hoping to be (someday) the Climber-of-Tall-Trees-With-No-Low-Branches.

There were even farm animals for the kids to pet. We kept them in strollers since they weren't keen on the wind and WERE keen on making good their escape into the crowd.

Happy Thursday, dear blog readers! I hope that you are all enjoying your summer!

Yummy Yummy Goodness

Hello, dear blog readers!

I had LOTS of help with preparing our farmer's market produce. I have never made beet greens before. (I tried collard greens years ago without a recipe, and as you can imagine, disaster ensued.) Due to the poor lighting from the fluorescent lights in my kitchen, most of my photos didn't turn out well, but even Lemmy was excited to "help" with mise en place.

 Here is a link to the recipe we used. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beet_greens/

Another dish we tried with the green onions and some organic broccoli we picked up was a vegetarian pad thai. (The recipe was from the Engine 2 Diet cookbook. The website doesn't have the recipe listed, but they have some other great dishes on this link: Engine 2 Diet.)

I inadvertently bough the wrong noodles. When I tried to cook the vermicelli noodles the same way that the directions called for soba noodles, I was fairly convinced that I was about to have another "flop" on my hands. However, after some extra soaking in hot water and further stovetop cooking, the dish turned out surprisingly well. Oh, that I should be so lucky as to have the rest of my dishes turn out ok!

Happy Tuesday to you all, dear blog readers!

Back from Writer's Block

Hello, dear blog readers! Now that we have dealt with yet another round of illness in our household as well as several nights of poor sleep, I have to say that I am out of the doldrums and back into writing mode! What have we suburbanites been up to when not thinking about illness, you ask? Well, here are a few things we enjoyed on our weekends out of the house.

We sampled the wares of the Reston Farmers' Market. It was FABULOUS. The day was overcast (it actually started to rain on use as we were leaving), there were several vendors and artists, and there was music! The kids weren't entirely excited about it, but Hubby and I were very glad we went. I have to say: the excursion forced me to get creative with my recipes regarding cooking with what I had on hand and from the market. The variety of tastes and recipes was fun, and works especially well for a kid like Lem, who can't decide from day to day whether he loves food or hates it.

The skeptics. The facial expressions are similar enough that one might think these two kids are related.

 For anyone who has kids (or, even if you don't have kids) and has seen the collection of Pixar short films, "The Music Man" comes to mind. This guy was a very talented one-man band and, as a result, the market was filled with great sounds of guitar and percussion. Even The Skeptics wanted to stop and watch.

A cautiously optimistic beggar. (The goose, that is. Not the girl.)

This booth was way too cute to walk past and not take a photo. Of course, pictures by my hand rarely do anyone justice, but they had wonderful cookies and treats! (Notice that our treats purchased here did not last long enough to get a photo op.)

 The lighting in my kitchen is terrible, but here were the finds of the day (minus the cookies).

Coming soon: postings of recipes made with said produce.

Happy Friday to you all, dear blog readers!

Shopping Adventures

Hello, dear blog readers! Yesterday Hubby got home a little early from work, so we decided to "risk" crabby kiddies and go to the store as a family outing. I think we may have discovered a new Friday Evening Fun Activity! We went to our local Wegmans and discovered that they do little tastings in each department throughout the store.

When I was growing up, we used to joke that we could go to Costco and get a free meal by wandering around and eating various samples. Last night was a similar experience, except that those little samples kept our kids sated and happy (for the most part) while we looked through the produce, meats, fish, and breads. We even got to sample some hand-massaged, grass-fed beef. Now I don't know about you, but if you're on a budget, getting to taste a little sample of that sort of meat is the next best thing to going to a very fancy restaurant or steakhouse. We shamelessly tried all sorts of meats, fruit, cheeses, and homemade salsas. I have to say I came away a little bit inspired to start looking for new recipes for our produce.

One of the most fun things we got to see was the lobster/fish department. Someone had live lobsters and crabs on ice. One of the lobsters on top of the pile had worked his way out of the ice and was trying desperately to get away. This provided at least 5 minutes of wonder for Lem, who couldn't decide if the creature was a threat or an interesting variety of spider.

I do have to add a disclaimer that we DID buy some great organic produce while we were there. We weren't at the store solely to get free snacks.

And then, since we were there way longer than we planned to be, we went and had a very UNhealthy, non-organic meal at one of my favorite sandwich shops. The kids were thrilled!

Fresh Ideas

Hello, dear blog readers! Last night Hubby and I watched an episode Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. While I can't say I always appreciate the TV "reality drama" of cooking, I DO appreciate certain nuances--like, for example, using ingredients that are fresh and in season.

While I can't make the claim that I have rotten food in my fridge, I certainly have an overabundance of cheaply produced, highly processed foods. Actually...I should say we DID earlier this week. Today the fridge is empty-ish and the cupboards are pretty bare. I made an extremely creative fruit salad of the last of our banana, some apples, peanuts, and tofu. Sounds maybe a little disgusting, but my kids loved it, especially with a pinch of salt and some honey to bring out the flavor and juices of the apples.

All of that being said, this is the PERFECT time of year to start visiting farmer's markets and getting ideas for using seasonal foods. Today's project: after the kiddies wake up from naps, we will be heading off to one of our local stores who incorporates produce grown locally. Time to come up with something aside from the odds and ends in the fridge for dinner!

In the spirit of kicking off with spring and summer produce, here is a link that I found last night that has me really excited: http://www.pickyourown.org/. This website is fantastic because it's not specific to a local area--most states have links on this page! Since we are new to the area of Northern Virginia, I wanted to find out more or less when certain fruits and veggies are available in our area, and where to get them. Another link that I found: http://smartmarkets.org/ has a listing of several local farmer's markets that run throughout the week. So, if you're like me and you fully intend to visit a market on a certain day and don't get the chance, you can still visit a similar market (with some of the same vendors) on a different day.

Happy Friday to you all, dear blog readers!

Some Days You Gotta....

Hello, dear blog readers. Today was one of those days. I started out having the dishes done. Most of the toys were picked up. By the end of the day, there are dishes everywhere. Toys everywhere. Clutter. Everywhere.

At times as a mom, I have to admit I get discouraged at the never-ending cycle of cleaning and picking up. I know that having toddlers means that when you clean one room, the rest of the house will look like a tornado has visited other areas. The cost-benefit analysis sometimes seems to indicate that it might work better to not clean at all for another day or two if it makes the living room a little more presentable.

And then I was reminded that parenting isn't about me, it's about them. Some days after standing a lot, cleaning, or attempting to organize, it's tempting to collapse on the couch and put those dishes and toys off until tomorrow. (Which, since I'm in full-disclosure mode now, I'm only too happy to do in order to blog before going to bed.) I gave up some of that cleaning time today since Blossom must be getting more teeth and spent a good part of the afternoon fussing. When she wasn't, Lem picked up the fussy baton and ran with it. And there was frequent disciplining and trips to their room all around.

At the end of the day, my house is far from spotless. I'd love to hire a personal organizer right about now to help me figure out where to unpack those last six boxes that are floating around. But, at the end of the day, my kids are fed, and have been loved and hugged through their tears and tantrums, and didn't manage to exterminate themselves.

Some days ya gotta cut yourself some slack.

Good night, dear blog readers, and Happy Thursday.

Kitchen "Helpfuls"

Hello, dear blog readers! Today I managed to make a loaf of bread--in spite of the best efforts of toddler sabotage. Of course, in HIS mind, Lem was being EXTREMELY helpful. After I made the first batch, I went to check on Blossom as she was supposed to be napping. I returned to find Lem adding about a half of a bottle of olive oil and some soy sauce to the bread machine. Miraculously, he managed to get it all inside of the bread basin and not into the guts of the machine itself. I have to admit I felt a little bit like an octopus trying to a) add the ingredients one at a time and b) keeping Lem from either tasting said ingredients or adding superfluous odds and ends. It took three tries before I had the right amount of ingredients.

At the end of the morning, we had a fine loaf of bread!

"Smelling" the ingredients prior to mixing

Silly

Hello, dear blog readers!

Mondays are long. Mondays aren't great. There's a reason why a lot of people here Stateside resent Mondays. For us, it means cleaning up stuff that has been strewn around by kids over the weekend, doing laundry that has accumulated over the weekend, etc.

Hubby and I were talking tonight about the connotations of "silly." For him, the answer was anything having to do with the height of stupidity. "Silly" equates "dumb."

When he asked me what the first thing that came to mind about "silly," I honestly had to answer "balloons." For me, "silly" entails my children laughing for no apparent reason. It means chasing the kiddies around the apartment while they squeal with laughter. There is no "good reason" for this behavior; we all just need a good laugh.

Watching a "silly" movie: does it really serve a functional purpose? I may not be a huge fan of modern comedians, but generally-speaking, if I can find a light-hearted (and clean-content) movie that even my kids can enjoy, I think "silly" has its place in this world. It teaches us that there is still a place for laughter, despite whatever pain comes our way. It gives us hope that one day, we might be able to laugh again, despite our hardships. It's not just a stupid, mindless activity. "Silliness" helps us release tension for the time being.

I'm writing this to in order to remind myself that laughs are needed more than for any other reason. While I have had mixed reviews on the subject of "being silly" recently, I hope that you, dear blog readers, find a good reason to laugh today, especially if you don't have an obvious reason for doing so.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hello, dear blog readers! I was giving Mother's Day a thought or two today, because...well, it's Mother's Day! And I do now qualify as a mother.

My day began as a frantic search for kiddie clothes. For the first time in weeks, our kids were virus-free and healthy. I was getting the kids ready for church. As I was looking for Blossom's clothes, I realized that sometime in the last one or two days, Lem put ALL of Blossom's clean clothes in the hamper with the dirty clothes. Mind you, he didn't just put them on top. He put them in and mixed them up. (I for one am not going to admit to how I got creative with her outfits. Let's just say that 2/3 of her outfit was from the "clean" bin, and I had to pull a sniff test on the other third. I was that or wearing a diaper and no pants in public.)

I find it interesting to see how people think about Mother's Day and how Mother's Day is marketed in the media and among various vendors. And, of course, I find it interesting to see how Mother's Day is marketed among other bloggers.

So far, my favorite impression of Mother's Day gifts were posted by a friend on Facebook. It was a blog post from a blog that (I think?) was called Parenting: Illustrated by Crappy Pictures. (For those of you who already offended by the word "crappy," I apologize in advance. For those of you who have been struggling parents who will ignore the word and continue on into the solidarity and humor offered within this blog, continue.)

http://crappypictures.com/

While in a number of years I might appreciate things like flowers, chocolates, and spa dates, what I really appreciated today (or yesterday!) were the simple and (FREE!) things: Hubby tended to the Toddlers yesterday morning so that I could sleep in. Today I got to take a successful afternoon nap, despite the fact that Lemmy was trying to poke his head in the room to see if I still existed in his realm. I got to take a shower, brush my teeth, and (MOST IMPORTANTLY!) use the john without a single audience! Here is the picture from the author of the afore-mentioned blog:

This evening, we ate sandwiches and went for an exploratory tour of our historic downtown area. The breeeze was bordering on cold, but the flowers were in bloom and clearly Lem was desperate to get out of the house and hop up and down the street holding my hand. (I've never been a two-year-old boy so I can't say that getting out of the house is a need, but I think it's definitely good for him.) We looked at an old train, at old buildings containing restaurants, and at old houses with old yards with flowers in full bloom.

The simplicity of these "gifts" and activities were, in my humble opinion, the BEST Mother's Day gifts! Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers out there, dear blog readers! It is a (mostly) thankless job. I hereby salute you!

Delicious Spaces

Hello, dear blog readers!

I think I may (or may not) have previously linked the following blog as a post, but I LOVE looking at other people's ideas for organizing. As renters who have moved around a lot, sometimes it's difficult not to fling various items into closets (AKA "Black Holes") never to be seen again (at least until the next move), but it helps to see what other people are doing. I didn't even know until the other day how many varieties of laminate/oil cloth existed out there. (What would we do without the invention of the Internet?)

Anyway, dear blog readers, here are some great ideas for pantries, closets, etc. I love the colors!

Delicious Spaces

Happy Saturday!

Splat!

Hello, dear blog readers! Now that the settling in process is finally getting somewhere, I'm looking for something functional to put under the table since we have carpeting in the dining room. Up until now I've been feeding the kids basically one at a time over the linoleum in the kitchen. We like to joke that it's a "one butt" kitchen, and having one adult and two kids in there at the same time (one being bed, one howling) just isn't ideal.

The thing that occurs during "Happy Hour" (aka Feeding Time) is that glint in the eyes of both kids where try to sneak food that they don't particularly like out of the chair and onto the floor. I think toddlers are equal opportunity "flingers:" one day they'll like something and the next day they won't. They might be celebrating their favorite meal by clapping their hands and having food fly everywhere, or they might be stealthily trying to sneak it onto the floor in hopes that a pet or other sibling might come along and hoover it up before it makes it onto the bottom of a parental shoe and tracked across the light-colored carpet. (I sometimes question why apartment managers often put in light-colored carpets into their units, especially when a lot of renters here have small children.)

Now that the boxes in the dining room have been dismantled, I've decided to look into getting splat mats to go under the kids' chairs. I'm just going to postulate that I'm not the world's greatest online research individual. That said, I found some GREAT tips and oil cloth/laminated fabrics on Etsy.com. I'm going to try to cut some fabric of my own and put on borders if the cloth isn't too thick.

Since I haven't actually purchased any fabric yet, if any of you readers out there have had a particular brand or type of splat mat in the past that you have really liked (or DISliked), I would love to hear further ideas and thoughts on the subject!

Happy Thursday, dear blog readers!

Store Reactions

Hello, dear blog readers! I was thinking today about how I used to react to people who had screaming children before I had my own. I now feel very differently than I did then. I find myself far more patient and sympathetic of those moms at the grocery store who are just trying to get some things and check out before the child goes into complete meltdown.

When I didn't have children of my own, I used to keep my thoughts to myself--at least, I did in front of the parents or in public. I'm completely amazed at the responses I get sometimes from complete strangers.

For example: we were shopping at a local grocery store. The checkout lanes are designed to be very narrow so that your child can actually reach those items on the shelf that you might not normally buy--everything from chewing gum to chocolate. We had been through the store and were handed a free sample of a chocolate truffle. I thought I would be the Really Cool Mom and split said chocolate between my kids while we were waiting in a very slow-processing line to check out. That was mistake number one.

Mistake number two was getting into a line where the Mother's Day Chocolate Boxes were in Grabbing Distance for small children. When Blossom tried to grab a box and it plummeted to the floor, she burst into tears. I put it back on the shelf. Lem noticed the boxes and immediately commenced begging. I was not amused.

Mistake number three: right then and there I told them that if they continued to whine, they would not get the remaining free sample I had in the cart. This resulted in the complete meltdown of Lem, who was crying so loudly that Blossom joined in the chaotic ruckus.

An older gentleman approached and tried to joke and tease with the kids, asking if they were getting teeth. Mistake number four: I should have just nodded my head and smiled, but I told him they were mad that they weren't getting more chocolate. I don't know why I felt the need to be so completely honest, but I did. As I was conversing with him, the lady in front of us shook her head at the noise. The clerk mumbled something under his breath to her. As we put our items into the que, he said to me, "No one cries at this store! Just buy them the chocolate!"

I know that a lot of people believe that moms and dads should just do whatever it takes in the heat of the moment to quiet their children, but I have to say that in the moment (while I was SORELY tempted), I smiled and thanked them for their advice, which I completely ignored. I used to think that parenting was a little more black-and-white than it really is. I was reminded recently that parenting is making judgments for the sakes of the children, NOT for the sakes of our own convenience.

They went to bed without any Mother's Day (or more sample) chocolates, not to mention the disciplining that occurred when we got home. And at the end of the day, Lemmy sat on the couch, cuddled up to his sister and me, and stated, "I love you, Mommy." I guess I'm not ruining him entirely after all.

Happy Wednesday, dear blog readers!

Sharing

Hello, dear blog readers! Not much new to report here, so I thought I'd share some thoughts/quotes for the week.

I LOVE rain. It's pouring rain. While I can't very well take out more empty boxes to the recycling bin, I'm thrilled that it's raining.

From Lem: "Oh, WOWWWWW! Look at the red crab!" I informed him he was looking at a cardinal in the yard. After a pause, "Oh WOWWWW! Look at the red chicken!"'

Since it has been overcast and/or rainy for the last two days, I made a vegan thai red chili recipe that two friends made for me and/or gave me the recipe after Blossom was born. (You know who you are!! Thank you!) This is a surprisingly filling recipe that is FULL of great healthiness. The rest of the blog is fun to see too if you're looking at making any dietary changes for the better. Refer to the link before for the recipe. I'd love to have taken some great photos of said chili, but my cilantro from my potted garden was...well, let's just say it's starting to look a bit anemic.

Post Punk Kitchen

Lastly, I thought I'd share that I started reading Start. by Jon Acuff. I don't usually read self-motivation books, but since I've been reading other books lately on parenting/leadership, I thought I'd give it a try since I heard about it on the radio. I have to say: I tend to read at a glacial pace due to the kids and the slow, SLOW process of settling in/getting organized, so I haven't made it past the first chapter yet. That said, this guy is FUNNY! I'm looking forward to what the rest of the book has to offer.

The Start Book

Happy Tuesday, dear blog readers!

The Art of Organizing (And It IS an Art!)

Hello, dear blog readers! As we're settling glacially but steadily into our apartment, I have been researching some organization techniques to maximize our space while not looking like a tornado has struck. The reality is that while I have made some great progress in the closets, the kids have been VERY busy in the living room. I guess that since hubby has to work late tonight, I'll be picking up toys and household objects!

In other organizing news, I've been looking for blogs/articles and ideas in general. I think it's fairly safe to say that I am NOT naturally organized. For me, it's definitely a skill I need to build.

I was recently at a dentist appointment, and while I was in the waiting room, I came across this magazine article in Woman's Day. I can appreciate that the authoress is also a renter (I believe), and I LOVE this idea for a desk in small spaces! It's so classy-looking!

http://www.womansday.com/home/organizing/home-armoire#slide-1

Here is currently how our organization process is going. I aspire to eventually look like someone on the Woman's Day blogs. This is what my living room looks like now:

Hey, I can dream, right? If anyone has any suggestions of organizing-related blogs or books, I would be happy to hear/read some tips! Happy Friday to you all, dear blog readers!

Getting Inspired

Hello, dear blog readers! While I'm sitting here snuffling away on my couch with the latest cold/flu bug, I've been doing some looking around online for "chic" storage solutions that don't completely break the budget. (For those of us who have been pretty much broke our entire married existence, a budget for storage is a bit tight.)

I'm going to sound like a poster or paid-ad for IKEA, but I just have to say: I LOVE this store! Since we sold a lot of our (busted-by-prior-movers) furniture, we now have a dining room that consists of a small card table and four chairs. The metal shelves from the garage have been set up in the dining room to accommodate pantry storage, miscellaneous storage, and kitchen items that don't actually fit in the kitchen.

We managed to make what we call a "do-or-die" trip with the kids on Saturday to our closest IKEA store. We got up early, fed and changed the kids, and headed out the door as soon as we were able in order to beat most of the morning traffic. The kids LOVED the experience. Lem in particular is of the age where playing in the kid-friendly areas is a draw. We stopped at the food court and had an early lunch consisting of breakfast food, which allowed us to look around like tourists. I swear that I could drop an entire paycheck in the store if I didn't go in with a set amount of budget in mind.

All of that being said, I'm now in the phase of looking for ways to conserve space and store various household items--anything from laundry detergent and organizing canned food goods, clothing, etc. If any of you household organizing types have any suggestions of how to go about organizing (or household tips for cleaning etc.) that you have found helpful, I'm open to suggestions! It can be from a blog, a book, your own experience...

Happy Thursday to you all, dear blog readers!

Have We Seen You Before?

Hello, dear blog readers! Well, we are surviving yet another round of colds and flu. I figure at this point, if one of our kids gets sick, we might as well all cough and breathe on each other. That way we can all suffer and be over it at the same time instead of having the germs linger for weeks.

Anyway, in other news, we have had two more visits from confused maintenance guys. I feel like I've seen enough of them in the last couple of weeks that I had a strange dream this morning that two people showed up and were trying to move into our apartment, and only after they had brought in about 10 boxes did they realize that someone else is living here. I wonder what Freud would have to say about that sort of dream.

Moving along, dear blog readers, it's another beautiful day! Since we're laying low amongst our germs so as to not "spread the love" to the rest of the general public, I thought I'd start looking for local farmers markets in the area.

Any suggestions for those of you fresh food lovers out there on how to find local markets?

Happy Wednesday!

Taking the Plunge

Hello, dear blog readers! Tonight we decided to make the (permanent) switch for Lem to sleep in a small bed (crib with side removed) and to move Blossom into his old crib since he's been climbing of it. We anticipated much playing around and getting out of bed on his part, but he was actually SO excited to behaving like a "big boy" that he was thrilled to stay in bed all night. We only had to discipline him once for getting out of bed a few minutes after we put him down (he was trying to remove his sister's blankets).

The real surprise is that Blossom wasn't happy at ALL to be moved into his crib from her old setting, which was a pack-and-play that we've been using since the move. She cried. She pooped. She cried some more. She woke up, cried, pooped, and cried again. Poor baby.

Well, anyway, dear blog readers, that concludes today's adventures with sick children and small victories that are part of the eventual territory.

Happy Sunday to you all, dear blog readers!

Relaxation Time!

Hello, dear blog readers! After finishing out the day by finding Blossom playing in the toilet while I tended Lem, and after finding evidence of rodent "left-behinds" on top of the kitchen cabinets, I do think it's time to say I've had enough of cleaning and unpacking and organizing today. Hubby is out running errands, the kids are asleep, and I'm open to suggestions for what any of you readers recommend for a good beverage that I can make at home!

I received a new book in the mail today, and I'm thinking I might start reading it tonight while I'm awake and it's quiet. I don't often buy non-fiction books since our two bookshelves are already double-stacked, but I've been thinking about ways I can hone some at-home skills in order to eventually start a business. I don't know what that looks like yet....If I ever figure it out, I will let you know! The book is Start by Jon Acuff, a member of the Dave Ramsey financial and business team. I'm trying to decide between that book and another historical fiction called The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. This was sent to me by a family member and has been on my "to read" list for quite some time.

Given the week we've had, now I'm starting to lean in the direction of the historical fiction. Time for a coin toss! And the winner is....The American Heiress! What sorts of books to you like to read when relaxing, dear blog readers, and why?

Happy Friday to you all, dear blog readers!

Strange....

Hello, dear blog readers!

Have you ever had days that seem downright strange when you stop to think about them? Today was definitely one of those days.

Event 1) Both kids are sick (again!). At least we had a good solid week of being illness-free.

Event 2) I put the kids down for their afternoon naps. Blossom had already foregone her morning nap after loading her diaper while trying to go to sleep. Right about the time I put them down, the lawnmower folks began their landscaping outside. Lem was thrilled: he loves all things mechanical, but alas...They both had a difficult time getting to sleep.

Event 3) After they DID go to sleep, I took the opportunity to take a quick shower. As I turned off the water, I heard male voices. This was unexpected, let me just tell you. I very quickly skirted into the closet hoping that no one was wandering around in places they shouldn't be. I got dressed, marched into the living room, and found.....no one. The front door was locked. I opened the door, and saw a mail sticker on the front door across the hall. I just figured that perhaps someone was talking outside and that I must have better hearing (or thinner walls) than I originally thought.

I went back into the bathroom and finished putting on makeup. As I opened the bedroom door to enter the living room, I about had a heart attack in finding that there were indeed males standing in my kitchen/living room. They were very apologetic and clearly felt as awkward as I did. Apparently in the lease agreement, there is a statement that says that the maintenance team can enter at any time as long as they knock and announce themselves first. (I would like to think that if you enter an apartment when the water from the shower is running, you might think about coming back at a later time unless the maintenance is a dire emergency.)

At the end of the day, all we can really do is laugh about it. The good news? The kids have been successfully bathed, medicated for their colds, and put to bed with little fuss. Hubby also (without knowing about our day) surprised me by stopping at the store for a few essential groceries and dark chocolate. He must have had a gut feeling I would need it.

Did you know, dear blog readers, that citrus rind enhances the flavor of chocolate? Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Happy Thursday to you all, dear blog readers!

Awkward Moments

Hello, dear blog readers! I'm starting to think that perhaps our apartment management is a little bit understaffed or a bit disorganized....Probably both. We had to pay a "new tenant preparation fee" for the apartment when we moved in. At the time, I thought this was for painting and/or touch ups, carpet cleaning, etc. Well, when we got here, that wasn't the case. (We are STILL working on unpacking AND cleaning as we go!)

This morning promptly at 8:00, three painters arrived to paint the apartment. When they noticed the boxes strewn around the apartment, they looked a little confused. Their timing was good, though: I had them touch up some spots around the kitchen and sink where someone previously had gotten water through a coat of wet paint, as well as a few spots where paint had peeled off of the wall due to (apparently) not having any primer under it.

After they came and went, I noticed that my "helpful" toddler had gotten into the laundry basket, and a few of my personal garments were lined up on the back of the couch. It was one of those days where my hair was standing straight up in front. (Personally, I was thankful that Lemmy didn't choose the opportunity to take off his clothes in an attempt to clothe himself prior to their arrival!) No wonder they looked a little awkward when they came in and were trying to figure out what they were supposed to do.

Well, dear blog readers, on THAT note, I'm going to find some recipes involving lemon juice and fresh produce! Happy Wednesday!

Watching the Changes

Hello, dear blog readers! We are on the brink of some changes in this household, namely that Lem is going to need to potty-train, and also that we are going to have to convert his crib into a toddler bed. Earlier tonight I heard him having a noise-making match with his sister. Both were laughing uproariously. I thought I might try to sneak in with a camera to catch them laughing, but when I sneaked my camera through the door, I caught Lem straddling the railing and nearly falling onto the floor. He has the capability of climbing out of the crib. The only thing keeping him in there this long has been a "fear of heights" from the crib to the floor.

Tips or suggestions, anyone, on how to keep an extremely busy toddler in bed after the conversion? I know there will be many disciplinary instances ahead of us, and that he will probably pick on his younger sister a bit. I'm working on getting either really thick curtains or black-out shades to help with the sunshine issue.

In other news, my basil has made a half-hearted comeback with lots of water and a new position on the balcony where it gets more sunlight. This makes me very happy indeed. Dreams of homemade pesto will hopefully plague me tonight!

On that note, good night to you all, dear blog readers!

Whoa, HELLO!

Hi, dear blog readers! This may or may not be a topic of interest, but I bring it up in light of something that took me off guard yesterday.

In exiting a public restroom stall, I was shocked to see a boy of about 10-11 years of age waiting his turn in line. I'd like to add: this is a women's restroom.

This is not the first time this has happened recently, either. The last time I went to IKEA, I encountered a young man in the 12-14 years of age (gauging by his size and...well, shall we say "maturity" level) with his mother. I was wondering why someone might invite their male child into the restroom of the opposite gender, and while I can understand not wanting your child to venture into a public bathroom where something bad might happen to them on a slim chance, at some point a line should probably be drawn and parents should just stand outside the door and let their kids go it alone. I don't know what that age should be, but if your child is snickering outside your stall, I daresay it's time, if for no other reason than to save some embarrassment for other pour souls in the loo.

Anyway, dear blog readers, I hope you are all having a lovely Monday.

Gardening Adventures

Hello, dear blog readers! This past week I managed here and there to get most of our plants put into larger pots. I have to say I love gardening on a small scale after having a large yard to tend. It helps also that everything outside is a radiant green as the leaves are now coming out in full force.

 The blossoms as they were starting to show from across the parking lot

 It was perhaps a little to challenging for me to try to take pictures as the sun was going down, but I had to try to catch these blooms.

I found this enamel dish in some boxes I'd forgotten I had. It works great for containing dirt! Note to self: Make sure that when you plant your stuff next year, having "dirt containment" keeps you from accidentally dropping dirt between the cracks onto your neighbors below.

 Ok. I just have to say that as of today, this is probably the best that this basil is going to look. When I went out to do some watering today, about 80% of the leaves were almost completely limp. I watered as if I knew nothing was wrong and am hoping that they will improve overnight. Otherwise, it's back to buying basil at the store for me until I can get a new plant. Everything else wasn't wilted, so I am not entirely sure it was a lack-of-watering problem, although that (most often) is the case when I get busy and forget.

I don't know about you, dear blog readers, but every time I see these plants, I get the subliminal itch to go open a bottle of merlot or sangiovese. Or anything red, for that matter.

Happy spring to you all, dear blog readers, and to all a good night!

Uses for Lemons

Hello, dear blog readers! In the last couple of days, I have re-implemented the use of lemons around the household. Here are some great uses if you have never tried these before:

1) Cleaning the kitchen sink and throwing the rind down the garbage disposal. (In our case, when we moved in, the garbage disposal smelled like wet dog, so lemon rind is a VAST improvement!)

2) Making fruit sweeter. If you squeeze lemon juice onto apple slices (or other such snack fruits), it actually will make the fruit taste sweeter.

3) Enhancing your water. I personally have had a difficult time drinking tap water. I read an article on adding fruits and herbs (i.e. mint) into water to make it more palatable, and I have had much more fun drinking water!

A repurposed Classico Pasta jar and a dish from a yard sale. The lighting in my kitchen is not great (florescent lighting with no natural light), so I am certainly open to suggestions from all of you photography buffs out there!

 This particular jar contains filtered water, cucumber slices, lemon wedges, strawberries, and fresh mint.

A certain two-year-old sneaking the lemon off of the plate. He is by FAR the biggest lemon-lover of the household.

It got put back on the plate for photos before a certain Lemmy could gnaw the end off of the rind, which he was all too happy to do after I finished practicing my camera shots.

Happy Wednesday to you all, dear blog readers! I hope you all have had a chance to get out and enjoy some spring weather. I'm going to sign off and drink some (more) lemon-infused water.