Mommy Time-Out

For Mother's Day this year I've decided all I want is a time-out.

A time-out is:

• Being sent to my room.
• Reading something in more than sentence intervals before someone needs something.
• Reading something that doesn't involve talking animals, anything Disney, or Dora.
• Eating. All of my food. Without sharing.
• Not having to break up any fights or talk about sharing. 
• Watch what I want to watch on TV.
• Uninterrupted sleep.

Oh, and one other thing--something the kids make me that I don't help with.

So really it's three things: a little time to read, eat and sleep. Best of all? It's all free! Second best of all? I'll return the "gift" on Father's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there--and moms-to-be and anyone who's been "like a mom" to someone.

Don't forget to "Thank a Mom" on Sunday. 

This has been a public service announcement.

xo Sara

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Sock it to Me

Yesterday a hole in a sock made me cry.

Well, not cry like I was a sobbing mess, but I teared up. 

It really wasn't the hole in the sock that made me cry (is it ever?). It was all the things that led up to the discovery of the hole in the sock.

Last week was my son's birthday. For his birthday he got a toddler bed. So we spent Sunday reorganizing his room, taking down the crib, and setting up his new "big boy" bed.

This started me down the path of tears.

No more crib means no more babies. And no more babies is hard to imagine. Having two babies so close together made me feel like the baby stage would never be over.

But then, over the span of just a couple of hours, it was.

So, that was Sunday.

A couple of days later I was doing laundry. And I found it. The hole in my daughter's sock.

It wasn't the first hole, and won't be the last, but it hit me harder than the previous holes. It was another sign. My babies are growing up. 

I spent the first years of their lives just waiting for the next phase. Waiting for things to calm down a little, waiting for the chaos to lessen. First it was waiting for them to sleep better. Then it was waiting for them to be done with the bottle. Waiting for them be out of diapers. Waiting for them to get along and play together better (that I am still waiting for). Just waiting and always wanting the next phase, because it must be better.

Well,  another "new" phase is here. And suddenly I'm yearning for the bottle-feeding, diaper-wearing, little nuggets that I could hold whenever I wanted. 

So, today I will try to appreciate the phase we are in...the phase with two 3-year-olds.

Lord, help me.

xo Sara

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B's Birthday Survey

There are so many great ideas out there for ways to commemorate birthdays and one that's really stuck with me is a "Birthday Survey." It's a survey with 20 questions that you ask your kids every year. My plan is to compile E and B's answers over the years and put them into a book to give them when they turn 18. It'll be fun for them to see how they've changed over the years and maybe help them remember some things from their childhood better. This article (that includes printables!) from Twin Cities Moms Blog was the main influence for the questions I chose--I changed up a few, to better suit B and our family. 

Age three might be a little young to try this survey for my boy, but we gave it a whirl. It was about 1/2 his answers, 1/4 influenced by his sister, and the rest was my input. But it's ok, I do know him pretty well.

• Age: 3
• Favorite Color: Cars {Mom input: not quite understanding colors but I'm not stressing about it, remember? We'll go with "Lightning McQueen" red.}
• Best Friend: Daddy (in background, E asks, "B, isn't your best friend your sister?")
• Favorite Snack/Treat: Cookies
• What do you want to be when you grow up: {Mom answer: something that involves screaming.}
• Favorite Song(s): Beauty & the Beast Song "Belle" {Mom input: he loves the "Bonjour!" part} or Cars Song "Life is a Highway" {More Mom input: If this question had been asked between the months of October through February the answer would have been "Froppy de Snowman." He sang it all. the. time.}
• Favorite TV Show: Super Why
• Favorite thing to do with family: Run outside
• Favorite Book: Cars
• What do you like for breakfast: Cereal (once again, in the background, E pipes up: "good answer, B!")
• Most important thing learned so far: {Mom Answer: Saying Please, Thank-You, Excuse Me, & Bless You; Counting and ABC song}
• Favorite Toy: Brandon proceeds to go and pick out a baby rattle. He has never played with it.
• Are you afraid of anything: {Mom answer: Goldy Gopher terrifies him.}
• Mom's favorite thing to do with you: Cuddling and looking at pictures/books.
• Dad's favorite thing to do with you: Running outside--B chasing Daddy!
• Favorite thing for dinner: Pizza (E: "I like all foods that start with a 'p'--pizza, pasta, pancakes!")
• Favorite thing to do outside: Play with balls
• Favorite place to visit: Elena's School or Milwaukee ("B watch Cars and E watch Rapunzel in car!")
• What is one thing you want for your birthday: Cake (after E screamed, "we get caaaaaaake!")
• How are you celebrating your birthday this year: {Mom answer: MOA--dinner and fun!}

{My absolute, hands-down, favorite picture of B in the past 12 months.}

So, my baby boy, this has been a crazy year. 

You went from barely talking to talking nonstop.

You went from inhaling your food and being a constant choking hazard to still doing that but somehow becoming an incredibly picky eater. (Who doesn't like bacon???)

You went from being pretty easy-going to having very strong opinions about things (typically expressed through screams and throwing your body around on the ground).

You went from being constantly under siege by your older sister to taking her down any time you have a chance.

You went from being somewhat interested in your sister to needing to be by her at all times. You want anything she has. You want to do anything she is doing. You imitate everything she does. You love Disney princesses as much as she does. You sing "Let it Go" together and ask her to sing "The Snowman Song." You adore your sister. I hope that never changes. (We just need to work on the constant wrestling.)

But one thing that hasn't changed, you will always be my baby. Happy birthday.

{This is what I wrote last year for B's birthday.}

xo Sara

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Crazy for Coral Cay

I love it when every three months Stella & Dot comes out with a new line. The Fall and Spring lines are the biggest, but they have "capsule" collections for Holiday and Summer. Regardless, it's like Christmas comes four times a year. (Just another reason to consider becoming a stylist...good mail days happen a LOT!)

With the Summer Capsule collection just being released a few weeks ago, I have a few new pieces that I've been styling and loving. My favorite is this beauty--the Coral Cay Necklace.

Also pictured: Nancy Studs

This piece has a beautiful color, a nice weight and a fun design. And, believe it or not, it works with a lot: different necklines, colors, styles.

Here I wore it with a gray sweater.

Here with a navy button down shirt.

Also pictured: Tia Cross Body Bag (Midnight Black, used as clutch) and Jackie Link Bracelet

And here with a peach v-neck blouse. 

Also pictured: On the Mark Necklace

Feeling fun, fashionable and fabulous--what more could you ask for in a necklace?

xo Sara

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Social Faux Pas

Sometimes I wonder if it's necessary to have an opinion on everything. And to make sure that opinion is heard by anyone within earshot (and with social media, that's far).

I also wonder if everyone's first reaction to things is to be mean. 

I'm opinionated. And I've had times when I rant a little (a lot?). Especially things involving women and children. 

But I'm not talking about the big things. I'm talking about the little things. The things that are merely annoyances and really don't warrant outright anger and hostility.

I recently posted something on Facebook. Something little, something I was proud of. I then watched as a friend of a friend posted about the stupidity of that accomplishment on our mutual friend's page. It was done in an indirect way, my name was never mentioned, but the specifics of the rant could not be denied. I'm sure this person didn't think I...someone who he/she had never met and is not friends with...would see it, but lovely Facebook popped that little conversation right in my News Feed (thanks FB, I can't find the things I'm looking for but so grateful I got to see that conversation).

I wasn't upset about what I saw (well, I wasn't happy either) but it made me think. 

Why is it our first reaction to be mean? To judge?
Why are minor annoyances broadcasted as though they are major problems with humanity?

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'm not perfect. But I try to at least be nice.

Perhaps I'll leave with one piece of advice. If you are going to mean about someone maybe do it in a more private way than social media. 

Or maybe just don't .

Thanks for letting me rant.

xo Sara

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Make a Splash

writingwithbangles.com

This was from a couple of weeks ago when our snow was (slowly) melting away.

I watched my daughter jump so freely in puddle after puddle. Filled with so much happiness. Freedom. Not thinking about getting messy or wet or falling down. Just focused on making the biggest splash. And not stopping.

The lessons we can learn from preschoolers. 

Happiness can be found anywhere, even among mountains of snow in April.

Keep jumping, no matter how wet or messy you get. The biggest splash might be next!

Don't be afraid to fall, that will just stop you from trying.

And sometimes you have to get a little messy to truly enjoy yourself.

Today I'll focus on making my own splash. Do you want to join?

xo Sara

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A Mommy Miss

Being a parent is hard.

You get through one stage and then another is thrust upon you with such immediacy that you are struggling to understand how you went from being ahead of the game to suddenly having no idea what is going on. 

This happens a lot during the first couple of years of parenting. Those years contain so much growth and change (physical, emotional, verbal, etc), it is nearly impossible to keep up. At least once you move on to your second child you have some idea of what to expect, right?

Ha!

I spent the weekend annoyed at how whiney my son was being (my second born). It was constant. I was going crazy. After almost three days of non-stop whining I looked in his mouth. He has his last set of molars coming in. 

How could I miss all the signs? He didn't like his normal snacks (goldfish, granola bar, even Cheerios). He was chewing on his hands and toys more than he's done in months. He was extra clingy. He wasn't just whining for no reason. He was in pain.

And, I've been here before. I knew it was time. He's turning 3 in a couple of weeks. My daughter went through it. 

An upset B at an event this weekend. If I only knew then what I know now...

Being a parent is hard. And filled with guilt.

But there's nothing I can do about the past. Once I realized what was going on I gave him some medicine...and lots of love. 

I might not always know what's going on but I can promise to be better. 

I promise.

xo Sara

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