Check it Off the List

Just in the nick of time earlier this week as the calendar indicated winter was leaving and spring was beginning, we checked off the last of our Winter Fun List. You wouldn't know it by the super cold temps and occasional snow flurries around here, but it is officially Spring so we were excited to finish our Winter list with a trip to the ice skating rink.  Milo did great on the ice for the first time!  Leo had to stay in the stroller although he kept putting his feet out wondering when he would get skates, too.

It was a fun afternoon of exercise, a few falls and lots of smiles.

Now we are on the Spring list and hoping the weather cooperates soon!

Back to It

After the loveliness of Christmas with our family, Leo's birthday and my birthday we were almost all celebrated out and ready to get back to our more usual routine.  Plans didn't quite work out that way though because Chris had a conference to attend out of town.  I had the boys for two nights on my own.  I am proud to say I survived and also found a refreshed respect of single parents.

To cap off the fun winter season, the boys and I joined Chris in Sandusky for one night and two super fun days at Great Wolf Lodge.  I wasn't sure if our boys would fully enjoy the water park and hotel, but oh my did they ever.  We all had a wonderful time splashing, sliding, kicking and turning into little prunes.  Both boys loved the water and all the sprayers, pools and fountains in the water park.  Milo also really liked the onsite arcade where (with a little help from the kind employees) he won a Space Angry Bird.  We all enjoyed story time with the talking tree and exploring the resort.  Every detail at Great Wolf is set up in mind for families with young children - our waitress at dinner went out of her way to locate a fruit cup for Leo (okay, so there could be healthier food options) and every other employee we encountered was also helpful.  Best of all, it was a sweet time of reconnecting with our little family in the midst of a busy season of life.  I can't wait to go back!

It's time for back to reality though - back to the gym, back to cleaning the house, back to eating good for us foods at home.  Less special events, fewer cookies with every meal.  More scheduled naps.  And just as much love to share.

Catching Up

It seems like this fall has flown right by. There are a couple of reasons for that:

• I am pregnant (right now 34 weeks so). I had forgotten how pregnancy is a kind of time warp of keeping track of weeks, frequent doctor's appointments and lots of glorious naps. We're (baby and I) both doing well. Baby is measuring right on target and has been head down for the last several appointments. I might be in a little bit of denial about just HOW pregnant I am. For the longest time and still occasionally I keep thinking, but I'm not all that far along. Now, I'm that far along - we only have six weeks to go!
• During this time I completed my yoga training. This has long been a goal of mine and I am so proud of myself for finishing it. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow as a teacher, but the first major step is done. The year-long training experience was amazing - a wonderful opportunity for personal growth and reflection. I had moments of doubt throughout, but I am so glad I did it.
• We have done several really fun family things this fall - hiking in southeast Ohio, pumpkin picking, apple picking, days at various parks and fall festivals. Milo is such a joy right now. He's easy going and fun. He can communicate and reason. It's been a great season together.

So that has been our fall - it's been a beautiful season in both the literal sense and the this time of our life sense.

Labor Day Thoughts

This Labor Day has dawned cool and cloudy, which is a big change from just Saturday where we were happily splashing in the water on a 90+ degree day. I guess summer really is giving up her fight and moving on out. I usually love Autumn - the cool days, fun activities and sweet tastes are right up my alley. This year, however, I feel myself holding on a little more to summer and not quite ready for it to end.

We've had a great season of vacation and play dates in the park. Of family walks in the evening and ice cream cones on the playground. We've blown bubbles and played in the sand and just enjoyed the time spent together.

I know summer will come again and we'll find new delights, but this is the end of this summer, this season marked by just one toddler boy. I'm not totally sure what our life next summer will look like - we'll have a three-year old getting ready for preschool and an infant just learning to sit up. I'm sure it will be sweet, but it won't be quite the same.

So tonight, we'll pull our camp chairs around the backyard fire pit and talk about our favorite things of this summer and what we're looking forward to doing in the next season.

Summer, Summer, Summer

Although it's not technically summer yet, we have been so enjoying some of the best the season has to offer. An early heat wave brought plenty of opportunity for wet fun. We visited fountains and played in the sprinkles. Some of Milo's buddies came over for a fun morning of baby pools and Popsicles.

We've also been riding our bikes quite a bit this summer. We finally decided on and bought a bike seat to attach to Chris' bike and Milo has been enjoying our rides. Last Sunday was such a nice day that we kept riding past our usual park destination and rode downtown for a trip to the Santa Maria and lunch at Tip Top. Totally unplanned fun!

I just realized today is the 16th! So here are some quick Milo things:

• Milo adores both of our phones. He plays some counting games on them as well as the light saber app. I also often find him pretending to talk to people on the phone - usually Pa. He will say Hallo. How you today? Good. Bye.
• Our radio listening in the car is typically NPR news. So Milo wanders around saying: Milo with NPR news. I kind of love this.
• Although Milo is for the most part a pretty adventorous eater, he did tell me "no eat kohlrabi, it yucky" the other day. His favorite food continues to be French fries. Preferably from Wendy's. Oye.

Free Range Spring

Last week the bright pansies Milo and I planted on Monday were covered in a surprisingly large amount of snow by Wednesday.

Today there was rain and thunderstorms. In between showers we pulled on rain boots and headed out back for puddle jumping and splashing. As long as Milo holds my hand, I let him play in the alley that runs behind and beside our house. The best puddles are there.

A woman walked by with a disapproving look and muttered how brave I was. Brave for letting my son play in the rain? For letting him be a kid and jump in water to see how it splashes around his feet? I don't think that qualifies as brave, just as a fun way to pass the hours on a rainy Spring morning.

Wanted: Spring

As we're fighting off what feels like the one billionth cold of the winter and I'm listening to the pitiful sounds of Milo coughing his way through nap time, I am hoping that Spring is really coming and coming soon.

Yesterday, it was warmish (still cloudy and wet) and we headed out back for some much needed fresh air. We took two walks around the neighborhood enjoying the feel of muscles stretching further than the typical walk from car to front door. In the midst of the walking and breathing, we took some time to survey our yard. Storms this winter brought large branches crashing down and there are sticks and dead leaves everywhere. We will have a lot of cleanup to do before we start our garden.

Just as I was sinking back into a winter funk, I discovered a lively little clump of cheerful white flowers. And then I found another and another.

Sometimes I need to be reminded there are positives out there to be found if you just keep looking.

On a Brighter Note

I've come to the conclusion that summer is the golden time of being a stay at home. Summer means baby with a farmer's tan toddling toward a sprinkler. Summer is meeting friends at the park and taking long evening walks. Summer is climbing on playgrounds and going down the slide as many times as possible. Summer tastes like a popsicle melting in the warm sun. Summer is an icy drink to keep cool. Summer is weeds to pull, gardens to water and mud to play in. And all of these delightful activities result in long afternoon naps and mama reading a book in the back under a tree. Ah summer.

Springtime Thoughts

As much as I enjoy the activities, tastes and smells of Autumn, I tend to crave the renewal of Spring each year. I find motivation and meaning in the annual rebirth of nature. Watching the birds come back and hearing them proclaim the season is always such a mood lifter for me. With each brave little crocus shoot coming out of the earth, my heart soars with promise. The daffodils, hyacinths and tulips never fail to bring a smile of my face. I even relish in the smell of Spring - that wet, boggy and new scent promising the summer to come.

After a long winter, I have this response each year and I've said all this before, but this year it is a little different. In addition to all the experiences I typically look forward to, this time around I get to see the outdoor world though a new set of eyes. Milo has really been enjoying the Spring weather and we have both enjoyed visiting parks and exploring the backyard. Each stick, piece of mulch and blade of grass is new to him.

As he grows up, I hope to keep instilling in him this wonder of nature and the change of seasons. This built in marker of time and change has always been an important influence on me and I look forward to sharing that with Milo.

The Sun Came Out

Oh, there is nothing like being in Ohio in the middle of January when snow covers the ground, it's been gray for weeks and suddenly the bright rays of sun peek out. I go digging for my sunglasses and open all the blinds. While I probably don't have full-fledged SAD, I do feel so much better when the sun shines. My inner dialogue switches from being punctuated with gloomy ellipses to perky explanation points. I start to do things again - vacuum, write, repot all the plants in my house, cook, smile and otherwise enjoy my life.

Resolution Time: Looking Ahead

Earlier this week I took the time to assess where I was in terms of annual resolutions. Now it is time to look ahead and talk about the goals for 2010...not only a new year, but a new decade. So here goes:

Schedule, schedule, schedule. Ugh, I've been talking about implementing a schedule since I stopped working (more than three months ago). I know it would help both Milo and me to have more structure to our days. The thing is though, I don't like being on a schedule. If I feel like working out on a Tuesday afternoon rather than a Thursday morning, I want that freedom. However, babies aren't so much into giving mom too much freedom, so a schedule it is.

Better nutrition for me and my boys. Which for me means less sugar and for all of us, more veggies. I'm a little bit of a sugar addict and once I start I have a tough time stopping. So it is better to just not get started. A healthy fruit and or vegetable will be involved at every meal.

Exercise. I'm bringing back the goal from 2008 to actually run a 5k. I'll pick a race, train and run it. This will be good me time and also good for my cardiovascular fitness (which is the part of fitness I usually ignore in favor of flexibility).

My word for keeping all this in mind will be mindfulness. I'll be mindful of my schedule, of what I am putting in my body and how I am treating myself. I'll also be mindful of being present in the moment with Chris and Milo and enjoying this coming year.

2009 in Review

I've been thinking about '09 for a few days now and trying to remember just what happened that made it so much of a blur. Oh, yeah, there was that baby I had in March. And the subsequent lack of sleep accompanying said baby has much contributed to that blurry factor of not quite knowing where a year went. I'll try my best to recount it (the '08 wrap up might be more coherent), but I sure am glad now that I have the monthly Milo updates. I think mommy brain has finally caught up with me.

In January and February we were busily preparing for the birth of Olive. I was getting bigger (and bigger) and the nursery was done. We were showered with gifts at an absolutely lovely baby shower with friends and family. I continued to yoga with an ever growing belly and overall just nested, trying to journey within to prepare for the birth of the baby.

March brought Milo! The birth was a shock. The first few weeks home were a shock. Thankfully by April things started to click into place. We were getting to know our little guy and he was getting to know us. We started having fun family days in the spring weather. May brought lots and lots of walks as I started in on that baby weight and came to terms with returning to work.

On June 8 I headed back to work and Milo headed to and from daycare with Daddy each day. It was an adjustment for all of us and by the end of summer, we had decided that the best place for me was at home. September 18 marked my last day at work which was bittersweet. I really liked the people I worked with and found great satisfaction in the organization. However, after the stress and blur of the summer I was confident I was making the right decision in staying home. I was starting to notice the twinkle leaving from Milo's eyes and although me being home has been an adjustment for us all, I'm glad to see that twinkle is back and brighter than ever.

The fall months featured lots of walks (finally lost all the baby weight plus some!) and fall traditions such as apple picking, pumpkin carving and trick or treating. We started eating many more dinners at home and I was able to incorporate a weekly yoga night into the mix. For Thanksgiving we traveled to Atlanta to visit Chris' family. Milo did great in the car, but not so great at night. Christmas was spent here in Columbus and we all enjoyed the day through Milo's eyes.

New Year's Eve tonight will be an early dinner with Milo at one of our favorite wine bars and then home for bed time and games. I'm looking forward to 2010, but will always think fondly of 2009 as the year I became a mom.

Happy New Year!

Wrapped

Year after year I experience a rough Christmas hangover. I used to think it was an actual hangover, but since I've barely imbibed these last two years I can't blame alcohol for the general feeling of malaise that haunts the days after Christmas. Maybe all the sugar is the culprit? Although fictional, Bridget Jones said it best when she remarked how unfair it is that just when you get used to the holidays they are rudely snatched away.

Compounding this feeling is that I just don't think we got Christmas right this year. Chris and I were still decorating and rushing around gift buying on Christmas Eve. We missed attending church due to out-of-whack nap schedules. All in all it was a little bit of a disaster in the traditional Christmas sense, but there were also some shining moments of brightness. So before I sink any further into this Christmas hangover of despair, let's reflect on some of the great moments of this holiday.

• Waiting in line with Milo to meet Santa. Although he had not a clue what was happening, this was really fun. I was whispering in his ear explaining to him who the guy in the red suit was and why we would be placing Milo on his lap. Milo had just woken up from a long nap in the car and was in a great mood. He liked watching the other kids and was all smiles. After meeting Santa we walked around the Zoo lights and had a nice time being out in the cold winter night.



• Waking up at my parent's house on Christmas morning with Chris and a smiling Milo between us. Due to Milo's aversion to sleeping anywhere but his own crib or car seat plus a couple more teeth coming in, we had a rough night. There was much crying and flailing of body parts (mine and Milo's) before we all cuddled into bed together. Although this isn't the most restful of sleep for me, it did make for a very nice waking up.



• Watching Milo play with his new toys and best of all his grandparents and uncle. Fun times to be sure. Truthfully Milo wasn't all that interested in the new toys, but he sure does love the Christmas tree idea.


• Hosting Christmas dinner at our house for the first time. Our house is a bit small to be a good place for entertaining, so it was certainly cozy. And I forgot to make the broccoli dish I had on the menu. Otherwise it was nice to give my parents a break from always having us over for dinners. I also really like the idea of Milo being in his own home for Christmas.
  
  Hoping you all formed some great memories of this past Christmas!

My Favorite Things

With Halloween officially being so yesterday, it seems the consumer driven culture is ready for Christmas. There are already holiday ads in the paper and the decorations are in stores. Along with all this comes the music. Although inexplicable to me how a song from The Sound of Music made it's way into the holiday genre, I've already hear A Few of my Favorite Things three times. With all due reverence to girls in blue satin sashes and snowflakes that stay on noses and eye lashes (sounds cold to me), here are some of my favorite things.

• Coconut Milk Body Lotion from The Body Shop. Made with actual coconut milk, it's like a mini-vacation after each shower (well, when I remember and have time to apply). Plus, it's eco-friendly and not made with parabens and other nasty things.
• Le Creuset cookware. Colorful and strong, this stuff makes cooking a joy. Plus Milo loves to chew on the silicon spatulas (see the colorful and strong note above).
• Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Yes, they're overly sweet, priced above the other drinks, and one has more calories and fat than you need from a beverage; but oh it's like an autumn day in a recycled cardboard cup.
• Babies in footed pjs. I don't think this needs an explanation.
• Burt's Bees lip gloss and balm. Love this stuff. Not overly sticky and made without petroleum products so they don't dry out lips.
• Hand-made wooden toys. Simple lines, made out of a renewable resource rather than obnoxious colored plastic, and knowing where these were created make me happy to hand them to Milo so he can promptly put one his mouth.
• Freshly laundered 100% cotton sheets. I don't even mind making the bed when it is fresh sheet day.
• Snowville Milk. This is a suggestion from Chris and I agree it should make the list because it is the only milk we buy now. We have even changed out preferred grocery because one store carries it and the other doesn't. Apart from liking the local aspect of the milk and the fact that it isn't homogenized, it just tastes better.
• Basic tees from Old Navy. Clearly there is nothing sustainable about this product. I don't want to think about where the cotton comes from or who pieces the material together. The tees are inexpensive and come in a variety of colors and shapes. This jeans and tee shirt girl goes through several a season.

So there is my incomplete list of things that make me feel not so sad after a bee sting or a dog bite. Or after another sleepless night, but that one didn't make the song for some reason. Do you have any favorite things to share?

Boo!

After Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday. Halloween gets major points for the costumes, adorably scary decorations and candy. It also helps that it is in one of my favorite seasons. I've long been a fan of Halloween, holding great memories of marathon trick or treating sessions in our old neighborhood with my Dad and godfather (really). My Mom has made me some great costumes over the years with some memorable ones being a really colorful felt parrot mask and a more grown-up cosmopolitan / martini glass. Attending college at OU where Halloween shuts down the street, there were even more fun fright-night memories formed.



All of this, though, just seemed to be leading up to Halloween with a child of my own. I even bought his first costume be he was born. While I was really looking forward to Halloween with a Milo, let's face it trick or treating with a 7 month old is going to be a little anti-climatic (as the only treat he was really interested in was his bottle).

So we decided to start some new Halloween traditions. I made soup and invited some of Milo's favorite people over a simple dinner and handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. We also hit a couple of houses on our street with our little monkey in tow, but the real trick or treating will have to wait until next year. Now what should he be?

Spring

Each year, I tend to jump the gun on the spring season. I was reminded of this when for some reason I received a magazine from the American Horticultural Society at work the other day. It featured veg gardening tips and I immediately got excited until my boss reminded me to wait until at least two weeks after I want to to actually start planting. I know that is the best thing to do, I just get so anxious to get out there and start the garden.

This morning as I was gazing out the window, trying to balance a 9 month pregnant belly in tree pose and focusing on the real trees for inspiration, I noticed buds on our Tulip Poplar. Then I remembered that the spring equinox is only four weeks away...it's March 20, the same day as Olive's expected due date. And suddenly I am even more excited for spring this year.

2008

One of the things I really like about writing this blog is that I can glance back and read about what I was thinking, doing, or eating on a random day or reflect on what I was doing last year at this time. Otherwise, for me, life just kind of gets all jumbled up and even the things I really want to remember get lost in the haze and pattern of everyday life and the details disappear. It's good to have the reminder and makes me think I should do a better job of keeping the blog updated, if not for the 10 of you who regularly check in, but for me in five years.

With that in mind, let's take a look back at 2008, before we look ahead to 2009:

In January, I traveled to Seattle for work where I seriously fell for the Pike Place Market. Upon returning home, Chris and I decided to decorate our bedroom with new grown-up furniture (that all matches!) and soothing painting colors. Chris refinished the original hardwood floors and the room came together to create a soothing oasis (if only laundry would put itself away).

February featured lots of cozy nights at home and an expansion of my yoga practice. I would continue to teach a yoga class through May, but this was the time I really hit my stride. The class I planned for Valentine's Day was one of my favorites.

March brought a freak snowstorm that blanketed the city and found us drinking way too much wine. Good times there.

In May we celebrated our 6 month wedding anniversary and at some point in June we got pregnant. I then slept through most of July and August. I briefly woke up for a few days in August to take a family trip with Chris, my parents and my brothers to New York City. We had a great time exploring the city and being together. It was special to attend a Yankees game with my Dad and to meet my brother Joe's now wife. This was also the trip where the Olive earned the nickname Olive.

All the excitement of the trip wore me out, so I continued to sleep through most of September. This, unfortunately, had a poor effect on our garden because we harvested almost nothing out of this year. We might have picked a few tomatoes, but sadly everything else rotted or was taken over by weeds.

By October, I was more awake and ready for wedding mania. This was a good time to see old friends and family. Plus, these wedding dates were so close to our own first year wedding anniversary that it was very meaningful to sit in the congregations and watch others take their vows. October also marked feeling the Olive move for the first time and beginning to get ready for the arrival by purchasing nursery furniture.


In between all of the baby excitement during the Autumn months, I taught a class at the local community college. This was a good experience for me, but it was surely a learning one and if I did it again I would be better next time.

Along with the rest of the country, I was eagerly awaiting election results on November 4 and I was so happy to know that change would be coming to the White House. Throughout November we watched my belly get bigger until at this point in December, I can't even see my toes.

Christmas 2008 was a relaxing affair full of good food and fun times spent with close family. Really that might of been the theme for 2008: family. I will look back on this year as one full of almost weekly Sunday dinners spent laughing around the table. It will also be remembered as the year Chris and I started our journey as a family of our own. I can't think of anything better to frame the year around than love of a family.

And the Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care...

After skipping 2007, Chris and I have fully embraced decorating for Christmas this year. I even talked him into a real tree, despite his fire safety concerns. The tree is adorable in a not too big, not too little way. It's a local Frasier Fir, and is Prada approved for both taste and smell.

We also decked out the mantle. I can't wait to see what Santa brings for the stockings! They are always my favorite part of Christmas gifts. Good things really do come in small packages.

The Olive is, of course, represented with a specially selected ornament. I know the shamrock snowman will be a favorite each year as we decorate a tree, but this year it is the only ornament not like the others on the tree. I love it!

Decorating has been a lot of fun this year. Our front room is so cheery and bright. It just makes me want to bake and start that shopping list, so I can spend time in my living room with a mug of warm cider, brightly wrapped gifts and fresh cookies.

More Thanksgiving

This morning as we cuddled on the couch watching the splendor of the parade, with a cat sleeping on my toes and The Olive steadily squirming inside me, I couldn't help but to think again how much I have to be thankful for this year. I know this feeling will continue to hit me throughout the day as the family gathers and the food is served.

Last night making cranberry sauce I was even blown away by how thankful I am for colors. I guess these pregnancy hormones are not letting me take anything for granted and I'm enjoying that feeling. Enjoy my Thanksgiving colors and your whatever your own little are things to give thanks over.

A Time to Give Thanks

Last year around this time, I was finishing up last minute wedding details and trying to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. And although I am in a totally different place this year, I am still enjoying the Thanksgiving season. I love that Thanksgiving centers on food and family. Really, those are two of my favorite things.

On Monday of this week, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary with traditional paper gifts and a fancy schmancy dinner out. This year has gone so fast, and I'm so thankful for everything that has transpired in it. The little Olive who is steadily growing inside of me is a testament to the love we share and the life we are building together. And that is a lot to be thankful for this year.