Playing with my phone

Playing In The Sprinkler

I love sprinklers, don't you?

All this pictures were taken like forever ago but I just found them so...here they are.  Surprise!

Slides and Dogs

So, like most days I've been reading, this time it's about N spending time outside, and what to do to help him enjoy his time.  If this is something you would like to research, the books I've fallen for are "I Love Dirt" and "15 Minutes Outside".

Truthfully, N doesn't need any encouragement other than, "shoes and pants first before you go out."

Outside, everything is game. Dirt, rocks, baby slide, big slide, garden, you name it N is fascinated by it.
Today we were playing on the half built swing set, and our real enjoyment came from making PJ, my dog, run up the ladder and down the slide.

No I wasn't lifting PJ, I had something even better...his ball.  PJ will do anything (aside from touching water) to get his tennis ball.  So, I just put the ball in the fort and PJ was soon to follow.  So much fun!

Catching up

There is so much to share!  First on the list is our family vacation. An almost perfect trip to Chicago for a whole week.  Prior to this trip, the longest vacation Steve and I had taken while married was six years ago...our honeymoon!

I felt ill prepared to pack for a whole week and the adventures that might insue.  Plus, Chicago is full of stylish people ( something I was excited and insecure about) "I want to look good but What if it rained? What if it's cold, what if It's hot." That "what if" phrase makes packing light impossible, which was another dellima, we only have one suitecase to share between two adults and a toddler.
The solution to all of this was layers, and multi functional pieces.  Start with tanks then cardigans, then jeans (skinny jeans look cute rolled up or can fit easily in a pair of boots)

Wardrobe aside, Chicago is a ton of fun especially if you get there by train. Traveling with a toddler is one of the most stressful things; between diapers, meals, naps, boredom, and just the need to move traveling with a toddler makes traveling a nightmare with something on It's face, but not so when riding the train. Long wait at the station? Nope. Comfortable and private seats? Oh yeah. Bathrooms on the train? Yep and sleeping areas for an extra price. What about food? They have a dining car or a snack and drink car. Okay, but what about the toddler's energy needs? We took walks up and down the train. There is a viewing car that is mostly windows (something N loved) and we walked there often. When walking was a bore we made up games in our seat. Running in place, jumping (yes there is enough leg room for jumping!), or just find the house, tree, or cow (we saw only a few cows...weird. oh, and when we saw a horse N would go, "moo", and it was hard to convince him otherwise). Yes, we did watch a movie...that we brought, but N and Steve both took naps on the train, and there was no arguing about time, getting lost or whether another bathroom brake is in order. Just picture it and make a sigh of relief.

Here are some more pictures from our trip (note: the Wednesday before we came back on Friday we broke our camera and my cell phone so I don't have as many pictures as I really wanted to share.)

N started posing by the latter part of the trip...still cute though.

Took N to one of the many beaches in Chicago, didn't think we would like the water...we were wrong.

N looking out our hotel window.

N face planted at the beach! He left the sand on till I took it off as we were leaving!

Yup, LOVED the beach and everything about it.

Stopped at a trader joes to pick up snacks and breakfast.  They had some little carts and N suddenly became a manic shopper.

Watched a game at Cellular Field.

Steve was soo stoked about going to a game, and bonus it was discount day so we were super close to the field!

Millennium Park.

N and I at the aquarium's Dolphin show

The man of my dreams in his studdly pose. :)

We walked or took public trans everywhere, this can be tiring on a toddler.

my dad called this my "mommy look."

We took a bike tour which was totally fun!

Every once in a while we would stop at the many play grounds around town to let N blow off some steam.  He loved it and now starts to shout, "slide" when we go by a playground.

Fall Activities For A Toddler

I don't know if your toddler is super active or super reserved either way there is something to be done outside.  N is super active. I was feeling tired one afternoon when I asked N if he wanted to watch TV, "No no." he said and then walked away.  I was proud...but still tired. 

Lately, with the weather N has been outside most days.  We went through the, "Don't put dirt or rocks in your mouth." stage and now he is picking up Daddy Long Legs and bringing them to me (ya...).  All grossness aside, N has really enjoyed his outdoor excursions.  Last night, we found a toad (note to all potential toad holders: they pee) and instead if holding it, like mom, he just watched it hop frantically away from him, me and the dog.  He followed it until it finally disappeared. The toad got me thinking more about planning outdoor activities to help explain and enjoy the world that we live in. 

In the next seven days I would like to:

• Feed the birds (either by making or buying a feeder and setting it up)
• Try to dry up dew 
• Take a paper towel (or regular towel to shows wetness) and see how long it will take to get soaked.  This activity needs to be done in the morning.

Picture from The Peaceful Mom

• Leaf collecting & Display
• This involves going out side and collecting leaves and then clipping or tying them to a string and displaying them in the child's room.  It is also a good time to ask why each leaf is different and how they are the same. 

What plans do you have for this season?

Summer Tomatoes Almost Over

I love fall. It is my favorite of seasons, and after this year's blistering summer it is even more welcome than usual, but there is a new love that is only found in summer that I'm going to miss...tomatoes.
Not just any tomatoes but fresh from the farm tomatoes. Never touched cold storage tomatoes; of whose flesh is as red as strawberries, just as juicy and almost as sweet.  I already shared my first meeting with such fruit, but now I'm using them in everything every chance I get. 
Tonight was no different. I lit the grill for some steaks and on top a simple bruschetta of tomatoes and feta.  So, good! I will miss you tomato but I will savor you.

Yogurt

It happens a lot that I give nolan yogurt with maple syrup and berries. It is so good, that I caught my dad stealing bits from N's bowl.
But today N found a new way to enjoy his snack...painting.

12:27am

Okay it’s midnight and I’m wide awake.  Everything is on my mind, even trying to remember everything that I ate today…”How much Caffeine did I have, did I eat anything later in the day that had caffeine? What did I eat?”  So, without much more thoughts in the depth of child rearing and the amazing outfits worn by Jennifer Aniston in “Marley and Me”, I got out of bed to empty my busy mind with the help of this computer.

Speaking of Marley and Me, there is a part in that movie that totally expressed what I was feeling as a working/ stay at home mom.  It was that, “almost” feeling.  Your “almost” in the moment of what you’re doing at work but not quite.  Your mind still lingers on your child, what he might be doing and you ask yourself why you aren’t there with him.  Then you’re at home with your child and he is crying and has poopy diapers and on top of all the laundry and cooking and things that you would like to do with your child you think of work and what needs to be done there.  Neither place is getting your full attention, and so neither job is done as well as you know you could do it.  But which one? Child? Or work? There is day care, babysitting trading (a wonderful community idea), or there are budget cuts, lonely days, messes that make you laugh, and beauty. 

The thing about Marley and Me was that for the longest time I thought it was just me who felt that way.  Maybe, because I couldn’t help but follow in my mother’s footsteps or maybe because I was not as sober minded as other career women, I just couldn’t be proud of the job I was doing at home or at work.  Like the words I had been reaching for and couldn’t find, suddenly I was hearing them out of Jennifer Aniston’s mouth, and they brought tears to my eyes.  And just like in the movie I get to stay home, a treat I take for granted.  

Now, on the flip side, I chose to stay home when N was first born and then due to some postpartum depression went back into the work force part-part time for some scheduled (and paid) social time (small note on PPD, it's sucks and it's real. Even if you are just tired, go get some help and enjoy a long shower again because no one is winning if your dealing with this).  Once, the mood swings settled a bit, I started to get that feeling of "almost".  There was so much that I wanted to do with my job, and yet N was just starting to walk and discover.   What's a girl to do? Well, I prayed about it and boom! Steve got a new job that kept him from watching N while I was working, meaning I needed to stay home!