Homemade Fun

Tim had to work a lot this weekend, and I admit, I was a little afraid of a wide open day from dawn until bedtime of just me and the kids. That's a lot of hours to fill, especially because I don't always feel up to a trip out. It is a lot of lifting, we are on a budget, and the kids usually want to buy something, so every conversation devolves into a debate about now much allowance they have and ends in tears. My anxiety was upped when I realized the block yard sale was the same day. Mac has been waiting for it all year. But as we found stuff around the house to sell, I started to get excited. This could be a lot of fun!

And it was! The kids hung out with their friends from across the street and we made @ $90. It was a lot of lugging and set up, but also a lot of fun. It was gratifying to see Oli get along with the other boys on the block, and even Mac was able to play without much conflict (she and the other kids have a love/hate relationship). They also bartered for some DVDs, so we were able to score Spider-Man 3 and fantastic 4. Not high on my list, but better than another round of Disney shows.

After that, we got u-swirl (my obsession) and got oli's haircut. Although I was ridiculously attached to it long, it is cuter than I could have hoped.

Yes, minor tantrums were had and some attitude was thrown around. But all in all, a fun and conflict free day!

Holy Geez!

These are some delicious balls! We are close to food shopping day, which means we are low on everything, and completely out of sweet snacks for school lunches. So I raided the pantry to see what we had in hand for some homemade treats. While I've done this before, it doesn't usually go well. Even when I follow directions exactly, the treats just don't come out quite right. But when I saw the recipe for these no bake cookie balls, a) the kids got excited, b) there were only 4 ingredients, and c)

I didn't have to bake them. So I figured it was a go!

Surprisingly (to everyone), they came out really well. They are relatively healthy, if not low calorie, and delicious. Just cashews, oatmeal, agave, and chocolate chips. They are even better after being in the fridge for a while.

I got the recipe here. It is a blog that I often read. Although most of her recent recipes are deserts, her site also contains a lot of healthy dinner/snack ideas, too.

I love finding a new recipe that is a keeper!

7 Months and Growing!

Little man hit seven months this week! I don't really have any new stats - we go to the pediatrician this week. However, in the last month or so:

- he had his first cold. I thought it was teething, but it lasted quite a while without any teeth coming in. I do think they will pop through any day!

- he started sitting in a Highchair. But he still isn't eating much food. Neither baby led weaning nor puréed baby food seems to hold his interest. I'm glad he likes his milk, but I'm also looking forward to him getting into real food. 

- he moved out of his infant carseat and into his convertible carseat. I was tired of lugging the infant seat around, but it is still weird to have him in a new seat.

- he naps in his pack n play. The swing went to Harry, so Miles has taken to napping in "bed." It doesn't always work, but he is on his way!

He has gotten cuter. It seems impossible, but is true :)

The Sweet Spot

I have been joking with Tim lately that we had better get all of our alone time in now, because once school is over in a few weeks, we won't be alone for 3 months.

Because Tim works nights and all day Saturday until 3, we don't get to see a lot of him. However, I have an advantage over the kids in that he and I get to spend a few hours together each morning. I get up early and nurse Miles, work/work out, then make breakfasts and lunches. Tim gets up around 8:15 and dresses Oli, then takes the kids to school. Then, when he gets back, we enjoy waffles (yes, waffles. I bought a waffle iron this winter thinking it would be great for the kids, and now Tim and I are the only ones who really use it. Mac is on and off with it, and [big surprise] Oli refuses) and watch whatever show we missed the night before while he was at work. Sometimes, we watch two. I nurse Miles, we watch TV, and talk. Then, I either work or work out (whichever I didn't do/didn't get a chance to do when I woke up), and then we eat lunch. Especially now that the semester is over and I don't have to run off to office hours, it is a really nice schedule. We don't get a lot of date nights, but we do get a lot of date mornings and lunches.

Starting June 17, that will all change (dun, dun duuun...) -- summer recess. And while I am looking forward to more time with the kids (I have BIG plans for this summer), I realize that Tim and I are in a sweet spot right now. I have less work because I am between the semester and summer classes starting, and the kids are at school. Some mornings, I actually have anxiety because I feel like I should be doing MORE. That said, I can definitely get used to this pace :) It is glorious! We have blown through our eating out budget, because we can't resist using this extra time to run errands that always end in getting a bite to eat while we are out. And I love it! I suppose it is a good thing that this sweet spot can only last so long, or we would be broke (and full!).

Don't get me wrong. It will be very sweet when the kids are home from school. They are at a great age, and I really want to make this summer one filled with play and educational field trips. But being able to focus on Tim, and myself, and to just hang out is a privilege that I won't have when we are all home together in the morning, and then he is off at work at night. And with our 10 year anniversary coming up this week (shameless anniversary plug), I know how important it is to focus on each other. And, I am so blessed that I enjoy spending time with him now more than ever. He provides a relaxing counterpoint to my stress over disciplining the kids on my own while he is at work, and we seem to have more in common now than ever before. I guess that happens as you spend the years together. Hopefully, this will be a continuing trend :)

So I will savor this sweet spot, fully acknowledging that it is both wonderful and fleeting, and then I will embrace our extra time as a family unit once the summer starts. My hope is that it will be filled with fun, outings, learning, love, and ice cream.

Not Quite 9:30 am

4 breakfasts made (5 if you count Sniper)

2x nursed the baby

2 superhero bears drawn

1 Dunkin half caff devoured

3 huge schmears of snot on my shirt (no, not mine!)

2 diapers changed

1 husband at work

1 swim meet in 1 1/2 hours

1 school carnival scheduled for this afternoon (am seriously hoping for rain)