Product Review: Aiden & Anais blankets

Greg's aunt and uncle gave us a set of Aiden & Anais blankets for Alice and I am in LOVE.  First, they are huge.  I copy my friend Taya, and slug one over BOTH shoulders to nurse.  You can't even see my throat.  Second they are super cute.  I have a giraffe and a bird one.  I love them.  I have the more gender neutral set, which is good because I don't really like pink and I plan to have more boys (and girls)...or maybe I should make that singular, I'm not sure.  Anyway, back to my review.  My favorite thing about them is this:

They are muslin, so super light weight and breathable.  I think they are meant for swaddling so that babies don't over heat, but I use them for the above instead.  If we are out and it's Alice's nap time, I can just nurse her to sleep and then without disturbing her, wrap her up, face and all, and put her back in the stroller to rest.  It's amazing.  It keep out light, some noise, and most importantly, mosquitoes. I highly recommend finding one if you intend to ever have children.  Or just get one for yourself.

3.22.12

Rex had his first no-mom play date today.  So it was just me and Alice.  The other mom encouraged me to enjoy.  So I did the most enjoyable thing I could think of--play with Alice.   I tried to read stories with her, but she wasn't too into that.  So we played eat everything we can get our hands on instead.  Then I remembered why I was so bored all the time when Rex was this age and tried to remember what I did with Rex.  And then I did: take pictures of Rex.  So I took pictures of Alice.  And, Mom, notice her blue eyes.

ps Did I mention that I think Alice is just about the prettiest baby ever?
pps I will get to Rex's birthday eventually (Hannah), but it's going to take more than the three minutes this post took because, let's be honest, Rex's birthday is more like a birthweek at our house.

3.20.12

It's been almost 10 months.  Ten long months.  Ten months of having no way of getting out my frustrations.  Of using up excess energy.  Of having no excuses for eating  two cupcakes for dessert.  Of watching everyone else themselves on a cool spring day.  Ten months.  

But my wait is over.  That's right friends, just one week and a day short of Alice's 6 month mark, I went running for the first time.  I even bought new shoes and wore my new running clothes that Mom got me for my birthday way back in August.  

I may have made a few risking calls while driving to the park (don't get me started on how ridiculous that is).  It was almost like going to Disneyland I was so giddy.  

I got the stroller out.  Got the kids out.  Loaded the stroller up with food and blankets and diapers and left the parking lot.  It was amazing.  It was like I'd never stopped running.  For the first quarter mile. 

And it was like the first day of cross country practice way back when.

As you can see, I didn't get too far.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow.  And tomorrow, I found a flat, paved trail to run.  I am so excited and only a little bit sore.

St. Patrick's Day Eve/Things I hate

I hate productive mothers.  The ones who are always 'getting things done.'  They make me look bad, which is fine.  I get plenty of things done.  And whatever I don't get done...I don't really care.  But worse is they make non-stay-at-home-moms and even some stay-at-homes-moms think that I should be getting more things done and when I don't have things to get done, I should watch their kids so they can get things done.  I didn't end my lucrative career (as an 8th grade teacher) to get things done.  I ended my (2 year) long career to raise my children.  Not get things done and not to be productive.  I (hopefully) only have 18 precious years with my children before they're off on their own--I'll spend all the time after that getting things done, whatever that means.

So last Friday, instead of getting things done, we had a little leprechaun visit our house.  He left Rex this note:

 Then he turned Alice's cereal green (and Rex's milk, but he refused to drink it)

 Then he sent Rex on a search around the house to find his treasure.  At each stop Rex had to perform a task and collect the gold coins (pennies because Wal-Mart stops selling gold coins the first of March) to give to Patrick and get a prize.  Rex had to arrange these shamrock in order of size.

 Pick up pieces of cloud (marshmallows) with tongs for Patrick to put his treasure on.

 Alice watched.

 He had to follow instructions to build a house.

 Alice watched the pot of gold for us.

 He had to match letters.

He had to put the correct number of coins in labeled buckets.

 When he put Patrick's treasure under his bed, Rex found his prize--pieces of a rainbow and a ticket to McDonald's with Grandma.

 But Rex wanted to do more tasks.  So we mixed colors using baking soda and vinegar.

Alice got her work out in.

Then we did a bean bag toss, matched shades of green, and a few other things until I completely ran out of ideas.

It was fun and very not productive and we didn't get a single thing done.  We didn't even dress Alice or brush Rex's hair.  We will repeat next year.

3.10.12

So we went on a little impromptu adventure last Saturday.  The weather was close to perfect--I could've handled a few degrees warmer, but as it was standing in the sun sufficed.

Rex dug in a little sand bar by the creek.

 I had not planned to attend--this was intended to be a father & son adventure, but I finished painting (the part I had planned to paint) and Alice woke up from her nap so we went along too.  Notice I am still in my painting sweats.

 Greg impressed us all with his rock skipping abilities.  I flirted with him so he would ask me out.

 Alice was in love with the Bjorn.  She is discovering the world outside her car seat-stroller and LOVING it.  Who cares that the Bjorn cuts off the circulation to her legs?

 Greg also brought a sling shot.

 We found this cool looking cold building.

 some deer tracks

 And of course, lots of peeing outside because that's why little boys are little boys--so they can pee outside.

Where was our little adventure?  I'll give you a minute to think.




Got it yet?  How much would you put on your answer?

Ready?  Not yet?  Ok, I'll give you a few more minutes...

The back field.  That's right, we were never more than 400 feet from the house.  Pretty rad.  But also explains why Rex isn't allowed outside by himself.

2.29.12

I dedicate this post to Hannah.  She was my inspiration.  I've been more than a little down since we moved and was on a low point again when Hannah sent me a picture of her little green frog cookies she made for Leap Day.  I didn't have a single thing planned for the day and I remembered my New Year's resolution to play preschool with Rex.  So we spent Leap Day learning about frogs and then made disgusting frosting-covered Oreos for dessert.  Way too much sugar.  But, after a nice long chat with Greg a few days later, we're up again.  So here's to you Hannah.

Rex is such a ham...I can never get a good picture of him.

3.8.12

Today's is Greg's 27th birthday.  I think he must be dying because for the first time in all the years I've known him (9 birthdays now), he did not beg to open his gifts or remind me in his 12-year-old voice that it's his birthday.  Nonetheless, we tried to make it special.

Looking oh-so-professional.

 We decorated.  Thank you Pinterest for the fun/cheap ideas.  We used plastic table clothes from Wal-Mart to create a draped/dropped ceiling.  I didn't get a picture of the whole thing.  Greg came home on-time and I was running late.


Rex helped Greg open his gifts.  ("Dad share his birthday with me").

We ate dinner.

I did the dishes.

We had dark chocolate brownies and lactose-free vannilla ice cream for dessert.

The birthday boy and his brownie cake.

Have I mentioned how much Alice loves people food?  Oh, and yes, I'm a bad mom.  Get over it.

Watched wipe out.  Put kids to bed.  Played video games/updated blog.  Put Rex back to bed.  Continue updating blog...and we are now caught up to the present and since I can't see the future...

Sometimes I worry about Rex

A few days ago, the kiddos and I headed to the mall.  We left too early and I knew it, but I didn't want to wait until after Alice's second nap.  I hadn't left the house for a few days and was anxious to get out.  I also wanted to try out Alice in the stroller sans carseat.  We packed up and away we went.

And it went poorly from the start.

I had planned to buy Rex a super cute sear-sucker vest from The Children's Place for Easter.  In fact, that's one of the reasons why we went to the mall instead of the park.  I had been pondering on this purchase for about a week.  I wanted that vest.  But Rex refused to try it on.  I bribed him.  He put it on just to tear it right back off.  I didn't buy it.

Next we hit up the play place.  Rex enjoyed himself but then he had to pee so we left.

Since we'd already put shoes and such back on, I decided to venture the quarter mile around this riduculous mall looking for my final birthday gift for Greg.  Rex decided he wanted to help and kept jumping off the stroller to do so.  We are like a circus I swear.  After several stores, we locate gift.  Purchase gift and leave.

I decide to try one more store for a cute something or other for Rex for Easter.  As soon as we walk in, he hoppes off the stroller and grabs some sunglasses.  I look around bit and decide there's nothing there for us.  I tell Rex that he already has sunglasses the he just got for Christmas and that I will not be buying him anymore.  I  put him back in the stroller and we leave.

We are just about to walk out of the mall when I stop one last time to look at a shirt for Rex when I notice them.  The sunglasses.  I immediately turn around and we head back to the store to return them.  Now this is not the first time we've walked out of a store with an extra pair of sunglasses, but this is the first time Rex was older to know better.  Usually I just stick them back on the counter and leave.  But this time, I have a million Conference talks running through my head so I decide to do the good-mother thing and make him apologize.  I stop half way back to explain to Rex what he'd done wrong.  He refused to make eye contact.

and a picture just for Hannah

We go back to the store and wait in line 20 minutes.  Finally, we're at the checkout counter. I try to give Rex the sunglasses but he refuses to open his hand.  I give them to the cashier.  I tell Rex to apologize for stealing.  He breaks down and started bawling.  The cashier, who obviously doesn't have any children, gets all nervous and fidgety.  She accepts Rex's crying as an apology and we leave.  I am, meanwhile, secretly thinking to myself  (how's that for redundant), "Good let him cry.  At least he feels bad."  He screams through the whole mall.

We get to the car.  He stops crying.  I buckle in Alice.  Rex looks at me and says, "But I need new sunglasses!"

I prayed for his little spoiled, thieving soul that night.

DC with Am

So Amber just so happened to be on the East coast this weekend, so I met up with her at my aunt and uncle's house in Virginia.  Greg told me it would take 8 hours to drive up there; Google told me 7; my GSP said 6.  So I packed enough food to last three days and left.  We stopped for an hour after driving one.  Drove another hour stopped for 30 minutes.  Drove an hour and half, stopped for on hour.  Drove until we got there.

Rex at our second stop.  Stretching his legs at the Virginia border.

Trying to take a picture of Alice while holding her

Saturday night (arrival night), we just hung out and took pictures.  Autumn was sad she couldn't control her arms and get back at Alice who was all about Autumn's face.

Maybe one day they'll be friends.

 Who doesn't love cousin's bathing together?  Rex.  He dropped Autumn into the water 5 seconds before we took this picture.

Sunday morning, we went to the temple.  Amber fed the slow-eating Autumn while the kiddos and I looked around.  Rex didn't want to be in any pictures.  

Rex was our photographer

Set the self-timer--straight up Brian style.  Who needs friends?

Monday, we ventured into DC.  I must admit, I was a bit underwhelmed.  I was expecting good-looking buildings surrounding a mostly empty mall--you know Soviet or Communist China style.  Show the power of the state.  Nope.  The Mall was so unassuming that Amber led us about a mile out of our way looking for it. I started to think we'd never get there (we were walking parallel to it about a block away the whole time), so I took this picture of Am and Autumn so we could say that we at least saw something.  And the buildings were...well they looked liked BYU campus minus the beautiful mountains and well-maintained lawns and landscaping.  

 It was pretty cold.   Nearly freezing I'd say.  We got caught in a few snow flurries as we walked.  But I couldn't find Rex's gloves.  I thought for sure there would be a million vendors out and about trying to sell me crap for a million dollars just because it says DC on it.   I was willing to pay the million dollars to get Rex some gloves.  His poor little hands.  But nothing.  No one.  For the first several blocks, we were the only tourists.  Everyone else: business people at lunch.

 We finally got to the Mall, just to look more closely at the map and notice that the museums we had planned to go to were literally 4 blocks from where we parked--we are awesome at reading a map (actually, we didn't read the map at all.  We already had a super full stroller; I didn't want to add to the disoriented look by holding out a map freshman style).  We didn't feel like walking any closet to the Washington Monument.  Notice how I'm holding it up?

 I thought Amber was trying to look pensive.  She was telling me to the get the camera out of her backpack.

 Once inside the Air and Space Museum, Alice wanted to see what was going on so I took the stroller apart so she could be a big girl.

This one's for you Dad.

 We paid $12 for one meal at MacDonald's.  It was almost like Disneyland, minus Splash Mountain, and Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain, and It's a Small World, and...

Alice all ready for a nap and venture across the Mall to the Museum of Natural History

Autumn...I just thought this was funny

Rex flying a jet

Trying to take a picture of Alice while holding her again

 Next stop: The Museum of Natural History.  Mostly we just looked at the dinosaurs.

Rex in front of a T-Rex wearing his Rexcellent shirt.

The super over loaded embarrassing stroller.  

 Last (attempted) stop: National Archives to see the Constitution.  We were 5 minutes too late to make the last group in so we took some pictures outside instead.  All (including Rex) the kids were asleep anyway.  So we closely studied the map to be sure we went straight back to the car, and then proceeded to walk in the wrong direction for 4 blocks only to have to double back.  I was carrying Rex the whole way because he fell asleep on his little bench on the stroller.

Rex is asleep--he's doing the church bob.

Rex asleep in front of the capitol building.

 After only 1 wrong turn, we got back to Mark and Gail's and hung out.  We spent the rest of our trip just hanging out.  One day in DC was enough for us.

3 generations--I'm so funny.

We drove home Wednesday.

Despite Alice's poop face, the drive wasn't too bad.  I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Mark and Gail.