Family Vacation Photo Dump Pt. 3

From the Family Farm in Ohio we headed just a little further east to stay with Alex's sister in Pittsburgh, where Johnny got some extra time with his cousins "Bictor, Hemby, and Belo" (Leo). And Alex and I even got out for dinner one night sans la babies.

On our way home the AC went out on our car and with temps in the high 80's and two babies in the backseat, no AC was not an option. We took a long lunch break somewhere in the middle of Ohio to get it repaired, and Alex and I may or may not have gotten margaritas with our Chipotle. We spent tht night in downtown Chicago where we met up with another one of my cousins for lunch the next day.

All the driving was starting to be a little too much for our kids by the end. But I think they did pretty well considering they are 3 and not quite 1. When we finally made it home and I think we were all very happy to sleep in our own beds. But Johnny keeps asking for all his out-of-state cousins.

a recipe, a song, a photo, a quote.

R E C I P E: We made these spicy Asian noodles last week, and the week before. I love them! Before I had kids I stayed away from recipes that advertised themselves as being "quick and easy" because I thought good food needed to be slaved over. But now I'm all about it, and have happily found many "quick and easy" recipes that are really really tasty and have become new favorites. This dish is one of them.  The second time I made it I added broccoli and beef and it was A-O-K!


S O N G: I heard this song on a Spotify playlist (accoustic winter, or something like that). Then a few days later I heard it on The Current. Now I can't stop singing it. Sometimes we sub in Trixie's name. "Oh, oh, Trixie Belle...."

P H O T O: I feel like if I were a baby I would not like Johnny's attention.  But Trixie doesn't seem to mind his intense affection.  She actually seems to like it.

Q U O T E: From a reflection I read in the February Magnificat, by Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet:

"He is very near....He awaits you.. Run. Fly. Break you chains; break all the bonds that tie you down to flesh and blood."

// 

I'm making this post a link-up.  If you'd like to join in just share a recipe you've been chowing on (link so we can try it), a song you've been digging (link so we can listen), a recent photo from your life, and a quote, from your kid, a book, whatever, just as long as you love it.

1. Catholic Again: a recipe, a song, a photo, a quote

2. Mary Virginia at CouchofRed

The collection has closed. Let other people know about it through twitter.

Adventures with Strollers

Thanks to my mother-in-law we now have a double stroller at our disposal. And it has opened up all sorts of new possibilities for us.

Like going to Crate & Barrel to shop my sister's wedding registry.

But let me back up. Crate & Barrel was not our maiden voyage with the double. We used it at Trader Joe's on Tuesday after speech therapy. Trader Joe's seemed like a good place to try something new. We're used to them and I think they're pretty used to us, or at least people like us. 

I don't know if you've noticed this but the shopping carts at TJ's are just a little too small to accommodate the infant car seat. It's too precarious in the front, and yes, it fits in the basket of the cart, but then there is zero room for groceries. I also still need to strap Johnny into something, he's not trust worthy enough to walk around in the store. I could put Trixie in the sling and Johnny in the cart, but it's winter and I'd have to take my coat off to put the sling on, and the Trader Joe's by speech therapy doesn't have underground parking like the one by my house, so I'd have to be outside without a coat and I'm pretty wimpy about the cold. And yes, the agonizing details of how we are going to go to the grocery store are what I lay awake thinking about at night. (That and new knitting projects.)

So anyway, the cart was out, the double stroller was in, and it worked great. Johnny was tickled by the idea of Trixie riding next to him, and Trixie liked being able to see the sights. I took a basket and stuck on top of the stroller and while we probably looked a little out of place ambling through Trader Joe's with that giant stroller, just using the basket prevented me from making too many impulse buys and the children remained quite happy. Win, win. 

Crate & Barrel was a much more serious endeavor. I normally would not have even bothered with carting my children across town to a fancy home furnishings store like that, because what is internet shopping for if not too keep us moms from having to take our kids out in public. But my procrastination in getting a shower gift paired with Alex's dire need for quiet study drove me to this desperate measure. 

It went pretty well, aside from the handicapped entrance being out of order, leaving me to fumble my way through the door. And then when chatting with the sales person I referred to us as the "elephant in the china shop", then realized on the drive home that I confused my expressions. It's "a BULL in a china shop." But I think my sentiment still got across. 

We made it through rows and rows of stemware and dinner plates without anything bad happening. I crammed the double stroller, 2 kids, and 4 Crate & Barrel boxes into my Honda Civic (I'm already seeing the appeal of a minivan) nursed Trixie in the passenger seat, and we headed home. Alex met us in the garage to help carry in all the things. Then I poured myself a nice glass of ice water. Because it's lent. 

All in all, a success. 

You probably didn't expect you'd hear that much about using that double stroller. But you did. Those who stuck with me to the end, I hope it was worth it. 

behind the photo

Shortly after Beatrix was born we had my amazing friends come over and take some family pictures for us. I wanted to have some professional photos of Trixie has a baby, as well as family pictures for my picture wall and for Christmas cards.

When I got the disc back and eagerly stuck it in the computer to see the pictures, my first thought was "We look AMAZING!" which I guess is why people hire professionals to take their pictures.

But it also made me laugh, because looking at those pictures you'd never guess that not 30 minutes before our photographer friends arrived we were literally cleaning poop off of almost everything in our bathroom. I'm not joking.

We had given both of the babes baths that morning so that everyone would be freshly clean and without bedhead. After Trixie's bath, while Alex was getting ready to re-diaper her, she fired one at him while he was unawares. I had my backed turned, so I didn't see it, but I heard it, and it sounded pretty high velocity. It was all over the changing table pad and all over Alex's arm, which thankfully was not in picture clothes yet.  Yes, we learned while Johnny was a baby that you don't get dressed in good clothes until babies have their diapers on.

Then it was Johnny's turn for a bath.  He did a good poop on the potty chair right before going in.  Then he pooped in the tub. Then he pooped in the towel after getting out of the tub.  Then he got his foot in it. And then he walked all over the carpet. It. Was. Awesome.

By the time we had everything and everyone sufficiently sterilized I had about 4 minutes to get myself ready.  I half blow-dried my hair, frantically put on some make-up, and then was running around looking for my Spanx because, you know, 3 weeks postpartum.  And I could not find them anywhere! I knew that I had 2 pairs, I knew exactly where I had last seen them, and they were no where to be found.  I still haven't found them.  It's a complete mystery. So I was fuming and stomping around trying to come up with a plan B.

But the pictures don't show you any of that. The pictures show you two fairly put together parents being all googly-eyed over their cute kids who don't look at all like they could have just fouled up a bathroom, or do any of the other inconvenient or annoying things that regularly happen around here.

Well, except for this one. Johnny looks pretty capable of naughtiness in this picture.

But it got me thinking about the over-saturation of our social media networks with beautifully curated, perfectly posed pictures. Sometimes it seems unrealistic and disingenuous. Because we all know that  life is far from perfect. I'm guilty of it too. I tend to only post pictures of myself after I've put on my make up, or the corners of my house that I've managed to keep tidy. It doesn't mean my life perfect though. It just means that all the messy stuff, well, I tend to keep that to myself. 

So why do I do it? I certainly hope it's not to dupe you into thinking my life is beautiful. 

But wait, my life IS beautiful! Maybe I'm the one who needs to be reminded of that.

I'm glad my pictures are beautiful. I'm glad I have an Instagram feed full of tranquil moments and super cute pictures of my kids. That way when the going gets tough (which you know it does. Often.) I have over 700 (yikes!) photos to remind how beautiful life- my life- is! It's amazing.  My children and my husband are amazing! They're the greatest things that have ever happened to me. They are enlarging my heart, teaching me virtues, and preparing me for heaven. 

 I just love those little poop machines. 

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Where's My Village?

Have you seen Call the Midwife yet? I've watched all three season more times than I care to admit here. I love the birth stories, I love the self-sacrificial work of the midwives, and I really love seeing the close knit community of the East End of London.

Sometimes I even feel a little jealous of the women whose stories are told in this BBC mini series. Not jealous of the poverty, crowded living conditions, and shared toilets. But jealous of the community. To step outside and always have another woman to talk to during the day, to always have a extra set of eyes to watch out for your family, to always have other kids for your kids to play with - that's what I get a jealous of.

Motherhood in the 21st century can get a little lonely. As far as I know there are no other stay-at-home moms on my block; I don't think there are even kids younger than high-school-aged.  I often go from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm without interacting with another adult, unless we've gone to Target, but then it's just the check out person who I'm sure doesn't feel like discussing the intricate nuances of baby sleep with me. 

The old adage says that it takes a village to raise a baby and sometimes I wonder, where's my village? 

My village doesn't look the same as it would have in the 1950's. And how could it? Culture has changed so much. 

Sometimes my village looks like this:

Ah, the group texts, it's like your friends are right there with you. A nice way to vent about the nap that never was, a nice way to have a little laugh during the day, a nice way to know you're not the only one doing this right now. 

Or sometimes my village looks like this:

A big part of why I blog is the online community. Reading what other women are going through and thinking about lets me share in their lives and make friends. And hearing feedback on what I write, either in the comments or on Facebook, means a lot to me.  It says I'm not doing this alone.

Sometimes my village looks like my sister coming over to do laundry and then playing with Johnny so that I can put my makeup on in peace.

Sometimes my village looks like my husband taking Johnny for a walk so that I can have alone time to read, or write this blog post! 

Sometimes my village looks like me bringing a meal to girlfriend who just had a baby. Because my village isn't just about people helping me. I'm a part of someone else's village and they need my help just like I need theirs. 

And sometimes my village looks exactly the way I want it to look, four or five girlfriends and their kids and babies all crammed in my house, with noise and mess and chaos. And community. 

This is the hardest kind of village-building to do. Everyone one is so busy, everyone's schedules are so different, sometimes it feels like it's not worth it pack up and put on shoes and buckle car seats and maybe I should just stay home. 

But I say it is worth it. I say that nothing replaces face to face conversations. I say that nothing ministers to a bruised soul like the presence of a true friend. 

And I say all these things because I am at the end of a very long week. I'm over-tired, a little stressed, and a little crabby.  But I got to spend some time with some girlfriends this morning and it made my soul ten times lighter. It was loud and crazy and chaotic, but it was laughing together, sharing stories, sharing motherhood. And that kind of community, that kind of village, makes motherhood feel more doable and more enjoyable. 

So go find your village, wherever it is, whatever it may look like, even if it's takes effort. Because doing motherhood all alone is not how it's meant to be done. We were made for community. We were made first for God, and second for each other. 

//

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Sheenazing!

Last night I got an email from Bonnie of A Knotted Life informing me that my blog has been nominated for a Sheenazing Award! I have been hearing about the Sheenazing Blogger Awards, named for Venerable Fulton Sheen, a very holy guy who used the latest in technology to share his Catholic faith, (and very dear to Bonnie's family) but I never thought my little corner of the Internet would garner any nominations. So thanks to whoever nominated me! I'm tickled, thrilled, honored, that you even read.

I think the Sheenazing Awards are a great idea and am so thankful that Bonnie organizes them every year; it's a great chance to highlight so many great blogs and spread some blog love around the blogosphere. I love blogging but often times there is this nagging in the back of my mind as to how to share about my life without becoming narcissistic. After all, a blog is all about me, me, me. It's easy to start thinking you're the bees knees, when in fact, as Bonnie so greatly summed it up a while back, you're not a big deal, and that's ok. The Sheenazing Awards are a great opportunity to step outside of my little world for a bit and say, hey! there's a ton a great blogs out there, you should check them out! 

Speaking of great blogs: So many great blogs being nominated.

My friends Jacqui of Mexican Domestic Goddess and Nell from Whole Parenting Family in the Best Lifestyle Blog category. Can I vote for two, please?

Passionate Perseverance and Molly Makes Do for Most Inspiring Blogs

The Fike Life and The Rhodes Log for Funniest Blogs.

And then there's The Heart's Overflow nominated for Best Under-Appreciated Blog. If you'd go and vote for me, I'd love you forever. Thanks!

Voting goes until Friday! So go! Vote! And discover some new favorite blogs!

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What I Learned From 31 Days of Blogging

It's been one week since I posted my last 31 days post.  While it's been really nice to take a breather and have time away from my blog and from the computer screen, I couldn't stay away as a long as I originally planned (2 weeks).  I've been thinking about what I learned from the October blogging challenge and how it will influence my blog in the future and I wanted to get it all out there in a post before I lose my momentum.

So Here goes.

I really really like blogging! 31 days was hard at times, but over all I had a lot of fun. I liked having a theme. I liked planning out my posts in advance. I liked working on multiple posts at a time. I really like writing and I really love sharing stories.  Blogging is a nice hobby to have along side the stay-at-home-mom gig because it's something separate from being a SAHM. I love being a mom! But I have other interests and abilities and blogging is a way to make sure those things don't get rusty during this season of my life

I don't like blogging EVERY day. If I didn't have a baby, and if I wasn't married, and if I didn't have a house to keep clean, and if I didn't have 20 piano/violin students to teach every week, then I might like blogging everyday. But I have a lot going on in my life and blogging everyday meant that those other things didn't get as much attention as they need and deserve (Sorry Johnny and Alex!) I had a goal before 31 days to post once a week.  Now that I have pushed myself to the max on getting posts up I think I would like to aim for two posts a week. Which brings me to my next point:

I perform well when under pressure. I didn't need a 31 day blogging challenge to learn that about myself.  I've known that for years. When I was in college and had 2 piano lessons a week and was preparing recitals I practiced for HOURS everyday. Now I don't practice at all.  I really really wish that I did and every once in a while I put Johnny in his exersaucer with some crackers and try to play for 15 minutes while he snacks. But the sad reality is that unless I have some pressure- playing for mass or a wedding or something, I just don't practice. I need the pressure, not so much that it becomes stifling, but just enough to keep me from getting lazy.

While I may need a little pressure to keep me writing, I don't need or want any pressure when it comes to content.  I write first and foremost for myself. That may sound a little selfish, but it's my blog, and my blog is a place for me to share my heart, and to catalog my memories. I love the idea of making connections with people over the things I share. Maybe there's another mom out there with a kid with hearing loss, or a husband who's going back to school and we can relate. That's great. But I'm not going to tailor what I write to what I think might get me the most hits. I write first for my own cathartic experience, and if you follow along and feel that we are kindred spirits that just makes it all the better!

31 things I Learned from my parents didn't get as many reads as most of my other other posts. Maybe that's because I didn't share every single post to Facebook and Instagram like I usually do.  Or maybe a post every single day was just a little too much for my readers to keep up with. Maybe people found it boring. Whatever the reason, it's OK! I loved writing and reliving all those memories. I know a lot of my family loved reading them too. So to me, it was a success.

As I began publishing my 31 Things, some discrepancies in some of our memories. I had to fess up to my mom that I may have used a little poetic license when retelling our family history. Not because I was trying to make things sound better or worse than they really were, but to better convey to you how something felt or appeared to me when I was 6, or 16. Sometimes it's hard to keep blog posts from turning into tall tales. But don't all stories change a little bit each time we tell them? That's just a natural part of the art of story telling.

That being said, I do feel frustrated that life tends to look more perfect through the lens of a blog than it does in real life. After reading 31 Thing I Learned From My Parents, you may have this image in your head of my family all holding hands and skipping through a field of flowers, or sitting around the breakfast table together in our bathrobes, smiling and eating cinnamon rolls (ok, that one could happen, but just on Christmas). The reality is we get grumpy and angry and have arguments just like any other family. But when I share stories and memories that belong to other people, and not just myself, I have to think about what they may or may not want out there on the world wide web. I don't have a problem telling you about the time I had a meltdown and was a hot mess, but my mom or sister may not want me to tell you about the time they had a meltdown and were hot messes. You may find a blog post here about when I was being a terrible person, but you won't find any about Alex and I having a fight.

Sometimes it's hard to strike a balance between trying to present life with honesty and respecting the privacy of those I do life with. I hope my life doesn't come across as perfect and idyllic, because it's not. Sometimes things are great, and sometimes things are really hard. But all of the little imperfect moments of my life come together to make something that is real and beautiful.  It's a life I really love living.

And in case you thought all our pictures turn out great, I give you: Family Outtakes!

Not perfect. But we love each other anyway!