And he's OFF! John took off for his motorcycle trip this afternoon...later than he'd hoped but ready, I hope, to have a grand adventure with his dad.
I'm here with the girls ready to: clean, pack, sleep, swim, play with friends, and take off to the Great Pacific Northwest on Sunday! Woo-hoo!
My obligations have been taken care of so now it's house prep and trip prep. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. It will be surreal to travel with my girls and not my husband. But it will be empowering as well, if we survive! (and of course we will)
I've got my route mapped and my hotel booked, with the (by now) obligitory "You're a busy mom" comment from the booking agent. I guess they get few requests for a room for one adult and three small children.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
A Few Good Things
I've been whining.
So the following is a random list of some very good things that have happened recently:
1. Saw Death Cab for Cutie with John at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. I have loved the band for a long time but this was the first time seeing them live. We managed to squeeze into some great "seats" (general admission we were standing) and the show was great. Lots of good music, some fun banter and a good crowd. A lovely evening...we would like to go to some more live shows in the future. Also, best "sing along" I've been a part of at a concert. The crowd added to the depth of feeling in the song and it was just...perfect. So happy.
2. I have reached a new low in my quest for weight loss. I broke into the 150's and am currently a bit loose in my size 12's. These are numbers I have never seen in my adult life. Also so happy.
3. I spent a weekend in Hollywood with a good friend of mine. I went alone and got silly, slept in, went to a Farmer's Market that served drinks, made trailer cupcakes, danced at a goth club, ate yummy food and so awful-it-was-addictive food came home to a sparkling clean house, dinner, clean children and a happy husband. Very happy.
4. Elise can crawl like nobody's business.
5. Maia knows how to swim. And loves the water--on her own terms.
6. I found the perfect all-butter sugar cookie recipe. The one I've been looking for. No fuss, delicious cookies. Soft, crunchy, buttery but not shortbread-y. I'm happy. My waist line might not be.
7. Stella is a snuggle baby. I love that.
8. We are going on a date tomorrow night. We are hiring a babysitter (our first paid one) and going out for some one-on-one adult time. I think I will even go out and buy a new dress for the occasion. Or a skirt. Because all my skirts are too big. :)
So the following is a random list of some very good things that have happened recently:
1. Saw Death Cab for Cutie with John at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. I have loved the band for a long time but this was the first time seeing them live. We managed to squeeze into some great "seats" (general admission we were standing) and the show was great. Lots of good music, some fun banter and a good crowd. A lovely evening...we would like to go to some more live shows in the future. Also, best "sing along" I've been a part of at a concert. The crowd added to the depth of feeling in the song and it was just...perfect. So happy.
2. I have reached a new low in my quest for weight loss. I broke into the 150's and am currently a bit loose in my size 12's. These are numbers I have never seen in my adult life. Also so happy.
3. I spent a weekend in Hollywood with a good friend of mine. I went alone and got silly, slept in, went to a Farmer's Market that served drinks, made trailer cupcakes, danced at a goth club, ate yummy food and so awful-it-was-addictive food came home to a sparkling clean house, dinner, clean children and a happy husband. Very happy.
4. Elise can crawl like nobody's business.
5. Maia knows how to swim. And loves the water--on her own terms.
6. I found the perfect all-butter sugar cookie recipe. The one I've been looking for. No fuss, delicious cookies. Soft, crunchy, buttery but not shortbread-y. I'm happy. My waist line might not be.
7. Stella is a snuggle baby. I love that.
8. We are going on a date tomorrow night. We are hiring a babysitter (our first paid one) and going out for some one-on-one adult time. I think I will even go out and buy a new dress for the occasion. Or a skirt. Because all my skirts are too big. :)
Restless
We've been busy. Very busy. Maia just finished up five weeks of swim lessons--which is wonderful but scheduled activities always take more time than I suppose. I love to watch her in the water. She has so much confidence, and if she would gain just a bit more she would be swimming laps in no time. We spent most of this week at the pool. I love it. I wish I had my own, I think I'd never leave the house. So maybe it's a good thing we don't. ;)
But in between the fun we've been having is a nagging sense of restlessness on my part. I'm not comfortable in my own skin right now. I'm feeling disconnected and out of sorts. I want some time alone, or maybe I just want some child-free time. John has been working up a storm and I am feeling the weight of parental responsibility. Yea, I know. I signed up for it, but everybody needs a lunch break every now and then.
I have this crazy fantasy of showing up at John's office and sweeping him away for an evening of delicious food and good conversation. It involves a new dress and a babysitter and the look of surprise on John's face. But I'm afraid that's to remain a fantasy. The logistics are too overwhelming in this case to actually make something like that happen.
Second plan? None.
We need to get ready for our trip...which is currently in a state of flux. So I don't want to make too many plans until I know if John is coming with us or heading on his own adventure. I'm kind nervous about taking all the kids on my own. I'm trying to think about how I will unload the car, and haul all of them through rest stops, restaurants and hotels. Where will we all sleep? And three meals on the road? One will be in the car, but still. I have to figure how I can keep the stroller assembled and still fit in the babies pack-n-plays and a large suitcase for all of our goods. So far the best plan I've come up with involves packing an overnight bag separately so I don't have to unload the entire back of the car for one overnight stay.
That's something at least.
Maia is now up and I must begin my day in earnest. Good morning.
But in between the fun we've been having is a nagging sense of restlessness on my part. I'm not comfortable in my own skin right now. I'm feeling disconnected and out of sorts. I want some time alone, or maybe I just want some child-free time. John has been working up a storm and I am feeling the weight of parental responsibility. Yea, I know. I signed up for it, but everybody needs a lunch break every now and then.
I have this crazy fantasy of showing up at John's office and sweeping him away for an evening of delicious food and good conversation. It involves a new dress and a babysitter and the look of surprise on John's face. But I'm afraid that's to remain a fantasy. The logistics are too overwhelming in this case to actually make something like that happen.
Second plan? None.
We need to get ready for our trip...which is currently in a state of flux. So I don't want to make too many plans until I know if John is coming with us or heading on his own adventure. I'm kind nervous about taking all the kids on my own. I'm trying to think about how I will unload the car, and haul all of them through rest stops, restaurants and hotels. Where will we all sleep? And three meals on the road? One will be in the car, but still. I have to figure how I can keep the stroller assembled and still fit in the babies pack-n-plays and a large suitcase for all of our goods. So far the best plan I've come up with involves packing an overnight bag separately so I don't have to unload the entire back of the car for one overnight stay.
That's something at least.
Maia is now up and I must begin my day in earnest. Good morning.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Open to the World
Alright, big news! Maia, Stella and Elise each have their own on-line "baby books" now live and ready for viewing.
Stories and pictures of Maia can be found at: http://maiaevelyn.com/
Stories and pictures of Stella can be found at: http://stellamadeline.com/
Stories and pictures of Elsie can be found at: http://elisecarolyn.com/
The blogs are still a work in progress with John hard at work updating pictures and layouts, but we thought we'd go ahead and open them up for the world to see.
Have fun coming along on the adventures of our three little ones.
Stories and pictures of Maia can be found at: http://maiaevelyn.com/
Stories and pictures of Stella can be found at: http://stellamadeline.com/
Stories and pictures of Elsie can be found at: http://elisecarolyn.com/
The blogs are still a work in progress with John hard at work updating pictures and layouts, but we thought we'd go ahead and open them up for the world to see.
Have fun coming along on the adventures of our three little ones.
Night and the Sitting Baby
John and I employ a whole lot of ignoring when it comes to night-time wake ups with the girls. We let them fuss for a few and usually they settle right down again. Stella and Elise are big enough at this point that they do not need a night feeding and small wake-ups from teething or just the normal cycle of sleep-wake aren't made a big deal of because then those wakings will turn to habits.
Last night was a crazy night, sleep wise, for everyone. We were at a Fourth of July celebration and though we said we weren't going to stay late, of course we did. We ended up putting Stella and Elise down at our friend's house and then packing them home around 9 PM. So "bed" in their own beds didn't happen until after 10 PM. They seemed to be fine until we heard the wail at 2 AM. Stella was agitated. Very much so. We chalked it up to the strange night and let her fuss for about 5 minutes. Then she was quiet and we dozed off again. Around 2:30 she was at it again, just kind of fussing and moaning and then quiet. At 3 when she began wailing in earnest I decided it was time to get her out of bed, feed her something and get her to sleep again before all her sisters were up in the middle of the night.
I stumbled sleepily into the bedroom and there was Stella. Sitting in bed. I've never seem her sitting (on her own from a prone position) before and it was kind of strange. I brushed it off, picked her up and proceeded to feed, cuddle and get her back into bed with a minimum of thinking.
As I turned off the kitchen light and headed back to my own bed a thought fluttered into my addled brain. Stella doesn't like to go from a sitting position to the ground. She doesn't like to fall and has yet to figure out the controlled way to get herself down. How she got up by herself is a mystery....but she did manage it somehow. But, I wondered, was her fussing because she simply didn't know how to get down again?
I really hope she wasn't sitting in bed for an hour just waiting for someone to put her down. If she wakes up tonight, I'm checking out the night vision camera and then...we'll be working on Stella's dismount.
Last night was a crazy night, sleep wise, for everyone. We were at a Fourth of July celebration and though we said we weren't going to stay late, of course we did. We ended up putting Stella and Elise down at our friend's house and then packing them home around 9 PM. So "bed" in their own beds didn't happen until after 10 PM. They seemed to be fine until we heard the wail at 2 AM. Stella was agitated. Very much so. We chalked it up to the strange night and let her fuss for about 5 minutes. Then she was quiet and we dozed off again. Around 2:30 she was at it again, just kind of fussing and moaning and then quiet. At 3 when she began wailing in earnest I decided it was time to get her out of bed, feed her something and get her to sleep again before all her sisters were up in the middle of the night.
I stumbled sleepily into the bedroom and there was Stella. Sitting in bed. I've never seem her sitting (on her own from a prone position) before and it was kind of strange. I brushed it off, picked her up and proceeded to feed, cuddle and get her back into bed with a minimum of thinking.
As I turned off the kitchen light and headed back to my own bed a thought fluttered into my addled brain. Stella doesn't like to go from a sitting position to the ground. She doesn't like to fall and has yet to figure out the controlled way to get herself down. How she got up by herself is a mystery....but she did manage it somehow. But, I wondered, was her fussing because she simply didn't know how to get down again?
I really hope she wasn't sitting in bed for an hour just waiting for someone to put her down. If she wakes up tonight, I'm checking out the night vision camera and then...we'll be working on Stella's dismount.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Nine Fourteen PM (PDT)
It's 9:14 and I am too tired to clean, cook, pack a lunch for tomorrow or bake. This sucks and I finished the book I was reading.
Sigh. I should motivate.
Sigh. I should motivate.
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