Another Lovely Weekend

Lately, we seem to have found our rhythm as a family of four-- particularly when it comes to weekend outings together.  Last weekend, we had a great time exploring a new area and took a long, long family walk with the kids on our backs.  This weekend, we wanted to keep busy so as not to wallow in the neverending chores around the house (and in order to keep the toddler whining to a minimum).  Fortunately, the sun came to visit, if only momentarily.  Evelyn announced that it really looked like daytime.  We needed to get outside, pronto.  She put on her bright yellow boots and played on her own in the backyard for a while.  It was nice to see her playing happily.  Both Evelyn and Henry ran into a minor cold and we had to cancel a potluck we'd been planning for weeks.  It was disappointing, but I certainly didn't want to share our germs with other little ones and I knew it would not be much fun for anyone involved if the kids were whining or crying.  Hopefully, we'll reschedule soon.  I have a very tasty dish in mind!

This weekend held a few happy highlights.  For the first time in years, I went shopping and ended up smiling in the dressing room.  I've actually gone down another size, which is welcome news in my book.  Needless to say, I bought the jeans.  We also decided to head to the lake for a stroll.  Both kids fell asleep on the way and Chris read a book in the car with them while I headed into a nearby cafe to work on a new project.  It was quite lovely-- for a moment, I was an individual again instead of the stereotypical Mama schlepping her overstuffed bag and yelling after a running toddler while wearing a fussing baby.  I eavesdropped (my bad habit) on a few fun conversations while waiting for my latte and then settled down to business.  In other news, I now know way too much about the various relationships and quarrels between a couple of random strangers.

When the kids woke, we did make it down to the lake.  It was very chilly in the wind, but Evelyn enjoyed it.  The fun ended when one of her sneakers got wet and we decided to walk to an Irish Pub we've loved since we moved out to the Pacific Northwest.  The waitress remembered us and commented on how cute Henry looks.  I think the last time we saw each other, I was still pregnant.  Chris and I shared an appetizer and Evelyn marveled at the pool tables and fluttered about in her socks, stopping back at the table for an occasional french fry.  We ended our day at evening Mass.  Now, if we can all get some sleep tonight, we will really be in business!

Snapshot: Evelyn and Samantha

Taking Advice from Toddlers

Evelyn was frustrating me this afternoon.  I planned to introduce the idea of napping in a crib to Henry so I rocked and nursed and bounced him.  I had explained that Evelyn could rest in her bedroom and wait for me (listening to a book on CD) or play quietly in the playroom.  She chose to wail outside Henry's door.  Clearly, he couldn't sleep through the random knocks at the door and the whining of his big sister.  He began to fuss.  Finally, I opened the door and started to tell Evelyn-- in my very unhappy Mommy voice-- that she needed to go elsewhere and be quiet so that Henry could sleep. 

Evelyn peaked out the window and said, "Mama, why don't we just go for a walk?"  I paused.  She repeated, "Let's take Henry for a walk."  Despite my fatigue and the drizzly weather, I couldn't come up with a better solution for the three of us.  I agreed and Evelyn ran to put on her coat and shoes by herself.  I wore Henry (who fell asleep within five minutes) on my back in the Ergo and pushed a very happy toddler in the jogging stroller for about two miles until the rain began to come down quite hard.  It seems Evelyn won't get a nap today, but at least Henry gets to have some rest.

Snapshot: "the best brover for us"

Freestyle Friday

Today has been a bit of a "do whatever we'd like to do" kind of day.  Usually, by the end of the week especially, my anxiety level threatens to rise up like a tsunami.  I decided that it would be best if we didn't just sit at home today.  With nothing on our schedule, Evelyn and Henry played together for a little while this morning and then we decided to visit the library.  Though Henry had just fallen asleep for his morning nap as when we pulled up to the library, he was kind enough to accomodate us.  He snuggled quietly while we enjoyed storytime and checked out books.  By the time we left, Henry was protesting pretty loudly. 

We went grocery shopping and ate lunch while Henry snoozed in the Ergo.  Evelyn was very happy to pick out a box of her new favorite "squeezy yogurt" and helped heave the package onto the conveyer belt at the checkout.  I was nursing Henry in the Ergo as I signed my name on the keypad and the woman behind me smiled and remarked:  "Wow, that's some impressive multi-tasking!"  She smiled at Henry and said "hi" to Evelyn and I think I said something like "Yeah, moms do what they need to do!"  It was actually the first comment regarding nursing I've ever received at the grocery store, so it was certainly nice that it was meant as a compliment of sorts.  I am so glad that we live in such a breastfeeding-friendly area.

After a leisurely (for a toddler) lunch, we dropped our bags at the car and walked across the plaza to get Evelyn's first haircut:  just one and half inches to remove the super fine, straggly ends that so easily get tangled and knotted in the night.  She sat very still and was mostly silent in the stylist's chair.  Haircutting is serious business!  I'm so glad her little waves and curls are still there.  The stylist was actually pretty great with Evelyn, though this was not a kiddie salon (another bonus, the entire haircut cost the same as a bangs trim at the kid's salon we usually visit). 

Month Seven

      Henry

Our little boy is now sitting up all by himself.  He can put the red wooden circle block into the circular hole and he tries to stack our cloth blocks the way Evelyn does.  Henry has just recently decided that he likes to sit in a little booster seat at the table for part of the meal. 

He's enjoyed little tastes of pureed sweet potato, ripe banana, and mushed up avocado so far.  The food is really more of a fun experience for him at this point than a source of calories.  He's happily nursing day and night.  I wish we were getting more than two hours of sleep at a time, but we're otherwise quite happy!

Mama Cooks: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I used this recipe at the gluten-free goddess blog as a starting point.  Her cookies look more photogenic than mine, but rest assured that mine were still very tasty!  I try not overload Evelyn with sugar, so I substituted one cup of agave nectar for the one-and-a-half cups of brown sugar. 

Oats (mine were certified gluten-free) are a galactagogue, so I was able to justify my indulgence in a few more cookies than I might otherwise consume.  They only take about twelve minutes in the oven and it is entirely possible to make these cookies with the "help" of a toddler and with a baby in one arm.