A Little Red, White, and Blue

Paper plate, red and blue paint, and star cookie cutters makes this super easy Fourth of July craft.

Can you believe that it is almost the Fourth of July? It is sad to say that I realized today that the Fourth is a great learning opportunity for toddlers - easy colors with red, white, and blue and easy shape recognition with the star.

So I quickly got this craft together this morning for Calan to paint. I asked him the colors of the paint and plate and the shape of the cookie cutters. It really was as simple as that and basically was about 15 minutes of activity. Nothing lasts long with him, but little seeds of learning is all that he needs right now. 

What crafts are you doing with your toddler? Share a link in comments. Here is my Pinterest board of some crafts and recipes that might inspire some of you. 

I add soap and water to my paints to make them easier to wash off. 

Talking about the star shape and colors he is using to paint.

Still hates to get things on his hands, but somehow painting his face is just fine. 

I'm Live on Twitter

Just thought I would let you guys know that I joined Twitter. Go ahead and follow me if you like. I post throughout the day favorite blog posts or recipes or stories I come across, as well as extra photos of the kids. 

Happy tweeting!

Treat your first like your second

Mother-2-Mother is a blogging series where I am sharing some advice that I tend to give friends when they ask. Take from it what you will. Parenting is a touchy subject. I am by no means telling you how to parent.

I think that I was pretty lucky that I knew that I was pregnant when Calan was only 4 months old. Basically, I had to start thinking of him as part of a sibling pair from the very start . He was never an only child in my eyes.

This, I believe, was a blessing in learning to parent and making the actual transition to 2 children. 

There is no way to actually prepare your child for a new brother or sister. You can read as many books as you want to him or her, but the fact is until their sibling is here, they have no idea what is in store. I mean, let's be honest, were you prepared for 2? I know I wasn't. I thought I was, but until that little bundle is here, no one can tell you what it is going to be like. 

Trust me, I know that no matter what you do, your first is always going to be treated a bit differently. It is hard not to give your undying attention to that little being that gives you so much joy and happiness. But, the more you think about your first already being a sibling, the more prepared he or she will be when a baby actually comes. 

It is OK to not jump every time your first cries. 

It is OK to let him play by himself for an extended period of time. 

It is OK to set a routine that works for you and not the other way around. 

It is OK to say "not now" when he wants to be held.

I know that in theory we all think these things are OK, but when your little one is crying or wanting to be held it is so hard to not just give in even though you were in the middle of doing something else. 

The fact is we only have 2 hands despite what our husbands (and the world) think. We can only do so much. So, set some presidence before your first is actually a sibling. The more you do early on, the easier it is later on. 

Of course, having my babies so close together, this topic was pretty easy to imagine because it was actually happening. It wasn't pretend. It was very real. But, I can see now why seeing Calan as a sibling from the very beginning was a true blessing. 

Here are some things that I did:

• Pack-and-play time (Independent playtime). I have mentioned this many times before, but it truly is a Godsend. Calan from about 6 months on played in his pack-and-play by himself where he could not see me. The key was him not seeing me. When Maisie was here, there were obviously times that I had to be somewhere else than there with Calan, but because not seeing me was normal by the time Maisie was here, there were no issues. 
• Not attachment parenting. My parenting style is directly different than attachment parenting. I love my children, but I do not, nor will I carry them consistently. Actually, both my kids are the biggest wiggle worms when be held and just want to get down. I know that other mothers swear by this style of parenting, but not me. I want my kids to be independent of me from a very early age. I don't know if I had worn Calan all the time if it would have made a difference when Maisie came, but from not doing it, I know that he was never jealous of her. 
• Sharing is caring. Make sure that you aren't giving into everything your child wants you to do. A sibling will not be that willing. I can already see Calan getting a bit bossy toward Maisie and we are working on it. Part of it is that she doesn't understand what Calan wants her to do, but for me, it is teaching Calan that he can't always have his way. I think firstborns are bossy for a reason. We give into a lot of the things they want to do. It is so easy to switch from reading a book to playing with a train to playing airplane when ever your child wants to. It isn't hurting anyone, so why not? Just remember that won't be true for a sibling. Even though Maisie doesn't care now when Calan takes one of her toys from her, she will soon enough, so being able to teach him early on that he can't have his way or that he has to share and wait his turn have been great life lessons at such an early age. 
• Not first-come, first serve. And remember, whatever you do with your first (special outings, birthday parties, blogs, etc.), you should be doing it for your second. My mom reminded me last year at Calan's first birthday that I would have to do it all again next year for Maisie. And it is so true, I can't make his first birthday so special without also doing it for Maisie. I already do not have a baby book for Maisie and never announced her birth in the newspaper. I also, rarely made Maisie's baby food and Calan rarely ate anythign canned. I know one day that will come back and be thrown in my face, but it reminds me that I need to do things for both all the time. 

Living the life!

Playing in our back yard. Maisie loves the water, but takes a little time to get warmed up to the idea  of it. 

Playing at a friend's house. Now, Calan is a dive-head-first kind of guy when it comes to water.
I am totally not surprised in Calan's recklessness and Maisie's cautiousness when it comes to water. Fits their personalities to a tee.

Get out of the house

As a stay-at-home mom, it is so easy to just stay at home. Everything you need to keep your baby happy is right there and usually within arms reach. It is so easy to fall into a rut where staying home seems like the only option.

You are exhausted and the idea of leaving your comfort space seems like it would take too much energy and effort that you are just not in the mood to give.

However, the truth is being a stay-at-home mom can be very isolating and getting out of the house (just like a shower) can be refreshing for you and your little one.

I am naturally an outgoing person, but I am a homebody as well. I can tell when I need to be home to regroup and when I need to get out to refresh.

Getting out of the house is not as daunting as it seems. Yes, it takes effort and yes, it can be exhausting, but sanity-wise it is totally worth it.

Whenever Calan seems to be having a whining kind of a day, I pack us up and go somewhere. Just a change of scenery seems to take him out of his bad mood and makes it so much easier. On days like that, I am actually less exhausted getting out of the house than if we had just stayed home.

When I am home too much, I feel like I am saying "No" and "Don't touch that" all the the time. Both my kids have curious hands and it zaps the energy right out of me.

When Calan was a newborn, I loved going to my favorite coffee shop for his morning nap. He slept and I read and it was fabulous. Those easy days of going out were short lived, but going out is still a priority for me. They need to learn how to behave when we are out in public and I need to feel like I am doing more than just feeding and changing babies (back to the whole feel-like-a-human kind of thing).

Plus, when you put yourself out there joining mom groups and clubs and playdates, you learn so much about being a mom. I love "mommy" friends. When we can talk about our ups and downs, I feel like I am not alone and I am not on my own mommy planet. I learn from other moms. I learn what kind of mom I want to be. I learn what to prepare for and what I might need to handle in the future.

So, go do something today and enjoy!

Mother-2-Mother is a blogging series where I am sharing some advice that I tend to give friends when they ask. Take from it what you will. Parenting is a touchy subject. I am by no means telling you how to parent. 

The Big 2!

Big 2nd Birthday! 

The Birthday Boy ready for the party.

Presents and cake. One very special and blessed little guy.

Dear Calan, 

My little buddy. You are 2. Can you believe it? I can not begin to tell you how wonderfully blessed we are to have you in our lives. You bring such joy and happiness everywhere you go. Your smile is contagious. 

We celebrated your birthday with family and friends at our home. You spent most of the afternoon completely soaked from your water table and pool. And when you weren't splashing, you were cruising in your Cozy Coupe you got from Grandma Robin or chasing bubbles.

 

You were blessed with so many fun trains and fire engines. You didn't even no where to start. You just wanted mommy and daddy to take the toys out of the boxes, but we were trying to get you to open everything. You were taking the boxes to any adult you thought might help you when you realized we were useless. It was perfectly adorable. It will be something I will remember.

I hope that you felt special. You are my little guy and I love the toddler you have become. This year is probably going to be filled with more craziness, but it will also be filled with plenty of joy and happiness. My wish for you this year is that you continue to grow and learn and feel the love that we have for you. You are amazing and we love you. 

Love, 

Mommy and Daddy

Feeling a bit sentimental these days

I am in full-on birthday-party mode. Calan will be 2 on Sunday. I will be the mother of a 2-year-old. OH MY GOSH. Where did the time go?

I will no longer have 2-under-2. I will have a 1- and 2-year-old. When did that happen?

I look back to Calan's first birthday and can't believe that he was so little when I thought he was so big and can't believe I was so big, when I thought I was so little. I was 9 months pregnant with Maisie and my big little guy wasn't even walking yet.

I am feeling a little sentimental for my newborn babies, my non-moving, sleep-on-you babies. My wiggly, can't sit still babies are all over the place now. Their getting into all kinds of mischief.

I just want to hold on to those little babies for a little longer. Calan now tells me to "Let Go" when I have hugged him too long. I just want to hold him all the time.

I had to buy Maisie some 18 month summer clothes because she is already busting out of her 12 month clothes. She is so tall her shorts barely go over her fluffy butt and her Buddha belly is hanging out of her shirts.

I am now cooking for a family of 4. Maisie is eating basically everything that we are eating during meals. Unless I am being lazy, she rarely has pureed baby food anymore.


Everything feels like it is happening too quickly for me. I want to savor this year for a little longer. I want my babies to be just like they are for just a little longer.


I want Calan to sing at the top of his lungs "Farmer and the Dell" all the time. I want him to count "2, 3, 6, 1, 2, 3, 5" again and again. I want him to mumble prayers and say "Amen" when I am taking too long to say them so he can start eating. I want him to say "Dank you" when I hand him what he wants and "sure" when I finally repeat what he was trying to ask correctly forever.


I want Maisie to smile with her 4-tooth grin all day long. I want her to try and escape out of our family room and smile back at me to only turn and move faster wiggling her little butt. I want her to raise her hands above her head when I enter a room every time because she is so happy to see me. I want her to bee-line to any shoe left in her reachable space forever.


I want to remember it all. I am not ready for this season to be over. I thought I would be, but I am not. I love having 2 babies. I love watching them grow, but growing means one day they won't be babies anymore.

I know that they will always be my babies. I am just feeling a bit sentimental right now. I just want to hold on for a little bit longer. This momma isn't ready to let go.

Love that this little guy made me a mom. 

The picture I used to announce I was pregnant on Facebook.

Calan's first trip to the zoo. 

First birthday

My two babies. 

4-Eyes

Maisie has glasses! These cute pink-framed specs will hopefully strengthen her eyes to fix some cross-eyeing she still does. She is just a little bit far-sighted, but when she focuses, she tends to go cross-eyed favoring her right eye. 

Happy Father's Day

Celebrated with a few gifts, decorations, and homemade cinnamon rolls. 

Calan was not into picture taking. Love toddlers. 

Passed out after church.


Here are the links to items I used to make our Father's Day special: Father's Day decorations printable, picture frame printable, cinnamon roll recipe.

It's OK to shower

It is so easy to loose track of yourself when you have a newborn. It is so easy to start feeling like the feeding machine (or cow) rather than a mother or woman. It is so easy to get stuck in a rut. It is so easy to start feeling less than you are. To me it is a slippery slope that I swear starts with a shower. 

A shower refreshes you. A shower reminds you that you are more than a feeding machine. A shower reminds you that you are still human. 

I swear that taking a shower daily kept me sane during the newborn stage of my children. Lack of sleep, lack of time, lack of a life, it all can feel overwhelming at the time. But by taking a shower, I felt renewed each morning.

It is so hard sometimes to take 30 minutes for ourselves when another human being is completely dependent on us. But I swear to you, that if you take that 30 minutes to get showered and dressed and maybe even a little makeup, you will feel 100% better, more focused, and more in control of your day

Now, don't get me wrong. There are days that I don't shower, but 9 times out of 10, I do. I make time in our schedule for me to do it. If I was a working mother, I would shower and make the time, why shouldn't I do it even though I am staying home? 

Some mothers might love the fact that they get to stay in PJs for as long as they want as a stay-at-home mom and I can respect that. I just choose to shower because of how it makes me feel and I need to get my day started with a shower (and coffee). 

It is OK to put a priority on ourselves especially when dealing with a newborn and all the hormone issues that follow that. 

When I had Maisie, that first week home I tried to shower when I could. It was kind of a joke with me that either I had time to shower and blow-dry my hair or shower and put on makeup, but doing all 3 seemed impossible. However, it got better, we got more on a routine, and I was able to do all 3 in 30 minutes. 

Now, I know that their are babies that cry A LOT, which can make it hard for a mother to make time for a shower. But, I think those mothers need a shower the must just to refresh their spirit and patience. While not ideal, it is OK for your baby to cry. You might not be able to find 30 minutes, but even a 5 minute shower is better than nothing. Don't you think? I do. 

I have never been a mom who could wake up before her children, so I have always had to figure out a time to do it. Here are my tips on how to fit in a shower:

• Pick a safe space for your baby that you know you can let them be for at least 30 minutes. Before my kids were moving, I put them on their play mat or bouncy chair either in the bathroom or outside the door. After that stopped working, I used our pack-and-play and after that I utilized their bedroom. (I think that it is actually good for kids to play by themselves and not be able to see you during that time.)
• Schedule it. If you want to shower in the morning, work it into your daily routine. I usually shower after breakfast. Calan is usually playing in his room and Maisie is either napping if it is later than 9 a.m. or she is playing in her pack-and-play. 
• Let your children know what you are doing. All I have to do is tell Calan that mommy is taking a shower and he needs to play in his room till I am done and he does it. He doesn't try to leave his room or destroy his room. He usually sits in his chair and either reads, looks out the window, or plays with his cars. 
• Stay consistent. Like anything, with repetition it gets easier to figure out. Like I said at first, I couldn't seem to get it all done at once, but soon it all fell into place and I am showered with hair and makeup done usually by 9:30.

Mother-2-Mother is a blogging series where I am sharing some advice that I tend to give friends when they ask. Take from it what you will. Parenting is a touchy subject. I am by no means telling you how to parent. 

Not a normal week

If you are going to be stuck in a hospital room, this is the view you want. 

Well, this week has been anything other than normal. I spent most of the week by myself in a hospital watching my dad sleep on a ventilator. Sounds like fun, right?

Last Wednesday, my father had a heart attack while driving. His heart stopped and he drove straight into a tree. Thank God for the accident. It saved his life. If he had been home alone, he would have died. Thank God, he ran into a tree and not anyone else. Thank God, EMS was actually 2 doors down from the accident helping someone else and were able to get to my dad and get his heart started before it was too late. Praise God.

But, not everything has gone smoothly and because of the way my father lives his life, everything after his quadruple bypass has been anything other than standard. God has kept him a live and given him the most wonderful staff who have been amazing helping my dad get through all of this.

Like maybe some of you, I do not have the best relationship with my father, but when it comes down to it, I know that he is still my father and deserves to be treated like a human being and with compassion. Though, I swore I would not sit by his hospital bed and that is exactly what I ended up doing because it is what needed to be done.

He had his surgery on Friday, but had to remain sedated so he did not hurt himself or others till Tuesday morning. As of this morning, they should be moving him out of ICU and onto the cardiac floor today.

I was with my dad Sunday evening till Wednesday afternoon. He lives 4 hours away; so that left Bob to be a stay-at-home dad. He was amazing and completely supportive.

I missed my babies terribly. It was lonely being up there. I am use to lots of hugs and kisses and a comatose post-op patient isn't the best company. I basically put the pedal to the metal all the way home on Wednesday so I could see them before they went to bed. Calan jumped for joy; Maisie was pretty reserved and a little freaked out, but I was so excited to be home.

My dad has a long way to go, but for right now, he is doing good and I am glad to be home.

Embrace the Craziness

It goes with out saying that there is never a dull moment when you have kids. I remember times when Maisie was still nursing and Calan still needed a lot of foods cut up that I would be feeding the 2 of them and myself all at the same time. I remember sitting back and just thinking how nuts it all was and if anyone else saw me right now, they would think I was nuts too. I felt like I belonged in a zoo. But the fact is life with kids is a zoo, but aren't zoos suppose to be fun?

The more I enjoy the craziness, the less it seems crazy to me. I don't think I will ever feel like I have enough arms and hands to do everything that needs to be done. Life is no doubt full of craziness. But this is all such a short time in my life that if I don't embrace it now, I will miss it.

When Calan is up rocking half the night or Maisie decides to be up at 5:30 a.m., I remind myself how quickly they will be teenagers that won't wake up till noon. I feel like I will miss these times then. That doesn't mean that there aren't nights that I want to strap Calan to his bed so he stops rocking; it just means I try not to dwell on it.

There is no doubt that most of the time I feel like a chicken with its head cutoff. But the more I embrace the craziness, the more peace I have that I didn't have during Calan's first year. I feel like I am enjoying them more.

The more I release control, the more I get to enjoy my kids. And isn't that what we want to do? I want to look back and think that I really did enjoy them as infants and toddlers. I am not just waiting for them to get older and for life to get easier. The fact is that life never gets easier. Life is different, yes, but easier, no. There are always new obstacles and challenges.

There is something to be said about not looking to the past and not looking too much to the future. If we embrace our present craziness, we can actually see the fun in it all.

My kids most definitely keep me on my toes, but they are seriously two of the most amazing people I know (I might be a little bias here of course). I love watching them explore and learn knew things. If I am too concerned with keeping life at a dull hum then I miss out on all the fun craziness and joy that they bring to my life.

So embrace the craziness. Let go of unreal expectations. And go a little nuts.

Mother-2-Mother is a blogging series where I am sharing some advice that I tend to give friends when they ask. Take from it what you will. Parenting is a touchy subject. I am by no means telling you how to parent. 

Mother-2-Mother: You are your child's mother

I have had a few friends asking for a little advice lately, so I thought maybe it would be time for me to start my first series of blogs based on that very topic. I am not a perfect parent, nor do I have perfect children. Over the last year or two, I have just learned a few things that I'd like to share. I don't usually offer up advice unless a friend asks. I just have found a few things that I tend to repeat to my friends who are new mothers. Those things are what I am going to share in this blog series. Take from it what you will. Parenting is a touchy subject, so I am by no means telling you how to parent your child. So here is my first post:

You are Your Child's Mother

I truly believe that God gave me Calan and Maisie as a gift and that he is giving me the knowledge and guidance to be their mother. I am not any other child's mother. I do not know how to parent someone else's child. God did not bless me with someone else's child. I believe that I have the instincts and knowledge to be solely Calan and Maisie's mother.

We have natural instincts and nurturing abilities that are distinctly important to our children. You have to trust that you know how to be a parent to your child. A mother's intuition is nothing to laugh at. It is there and you have it.

I, of course, make mistakes all the time, but, I think, mistakes are necessary obstacles that help me get to where I need to be.

As a new mom, ask for help, advice, and parenting guidance. Let those who have done it help you, but remember that you know your child and what worked for someone else's child may not work for yours. It goes without saying that every child is distinctly different and you are a distinctly different mom. 

Why do I think this point is so important? Because it builds confidence.

If you believe that you know how to be your child's parent, than you can have confidence in the decisions you make for your child.

Every new mother worries. Every new parent wants the best for their child. Every child is a gift we don't want to screw up.

Have confidence that you are your child's mother and that you were designed specifically for that child.

Since this is my first time doing a series, please let me know how I am doing. Suggestions and advice and criticism would be greatly appreciated.  

Wordless Wednesday: Simple Pleasures

A borrowed fire truck, stroller rides and a special donut picnic with dad. Simplicity.

23 month / 10 month update

Well another month has gone by and my kids are getting closer to their birthdays. Can't believe that it was a year ago that I was pregnant taking care of a crawling Calan. My almost 2-year-old is running and climbing and playing and being every bit of the energetic toddler that he is. My almost 1-year-old who once was my fussy newborn is now the most easy going and joyful little girl.

This month was filled with fun events and trips and excitement. We were a family on the go!

Sleeping

• Calan still rocks, of course, but some days I think it is getting better, but then he has a bad night and I feel like it will never end. Luckily Maisie still does sleep through his noise-making, so only he and I are lacking sleep. However, his wakes do not seem to affect his mood. He is pretty happy for the most part. I really think that I need to stop stressing about it, but that is so much easier said than done. I just pray that God helps sooth him and he stops rocking soon. We have moved back his bedtime to 7:30 or 8:00 and that helps some with the winding down and falling asleep, but it has not seemed to help with the night wake ups. As for nap time, he is doing great, and he is still sleeping from 12:30 till at least 3. I usually do not let him sleep past 3:30 or he takes forever to fall asleep at bedtime. 
• Maisie is my sleeping goddess. We had a week there where she was waking early from naps, but I think that seemed to because of a Wonder Week. She seems back to her regular sleeping routine now. She sleeps an hour in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon, but can skip or catnap her morning nap if we are out and about and is totally OK. I try not to make it a habit, but at least twice a week we skip the morning nap. At night she is sleeping from 7:30 till either 7/7:30. I have no complaints there. The are doing great sharing a room. Calan actually asks for her during naps, but I am not ready for them to nap together yet. Maybe soon though. 

Eating

• Calan has really started to eat less. He must not be going through any major growth spurts. He is eating more and more foods without battling me. However, we are still working on him not playing so much with his food. He is doing pretty well with a fork and spoon. Still messy, but definitely way better. 
• I have been trying to give Maisie some type of finger food at every meal. She has been doing great. She has 4 bottles a day (3-8 oz. and 1-6 oz.) and she has solids at 3 meals. Plus, she seems to only be allergic to scramble eggs so far. She has had banana bread and waffles and a few other things that contains eggs and she did not have a reaction. So that is great news. Hopefully, that means she will grow out of the allergy. This month, I will start to introduce her to a a sippy cup, so we shall see how that goes. 

Milestones 

• The kids had their first plane ride! Calan loved it. Both kids traveled pretty well. The plane ride was short, so there weren't any major meltdowns. Plus, Calan got to sit in the cockpit. He was in button heaven. The flight crew thought he was adorable. Luckily, my sister made traveling so easy by having car seats and pack-and-plays already for us once we got to Boston. Calan did not sleep that great and wanted to wake up at 5 each morning, but overall I would say the trip was a success and I would do it again. 
• Calan's vocabulary and independent thoughts have taking a whole new leap. He loves to sing everything and I amazed at how quickly he picks up a tune. Though it does take a mother's ear sometimes to figure out which song he is singing. His favorite by far right now is "Farmer and the Dell." He sounds hilarious when he says "Hi Ho the dairy oh." He loves playing with other children, but still doesn't always understand that he can't be so bossy (Is he my son or what?). The evil-toddler in him is starting to show its face. Lots of time-outs lately, but he is overall still pretty obedient. I can't say enough about how amazing it is to watch him turn into a little boy. 
• Maisie, who once was so fussy, seems to be happy all the time. She is perfectly content pulling herself up and crawling all around exploring everything. Rarely does she like to be held. She doesn't cry, but she wiggles right out of your hands. Maisie has really been developing her vocabulary this month. She has been so quiet for so long (she rarely coo-ed) that it is crazy to here her talk all the time. She has mastered da-da and ba-ba, but I still haven't heard a good ma-ma yet. 

Schedule

• Our regular schedule has been a bit all over the place with so many play dates and events and just being busy, but here is the bare bones schedule we are following:
• 7:30 a.m. - Wake up; Maisie bottle, Calan milk
• 8 a.m. - Breakfast
• 8:30 a.m.- Playing in the family room
• 9 a.m. - Maisie nap; I shower; Calan watches TV
• 10 a.m./10:30 a.m. - Maisie wakes up. 
• 11 a.m. - Maisie bottle
• 11:30 a.m. - lunch
• 12:30 p.m. - Both kids nap
• 3/3:30 p.m. - Wake up / Snack
• 6 p.m. - Dinner
• 6:30 p.m. - Bath time
• 7:30 p.m. - Bedtime

Overall

The kids have been healthy and happy. Calan is pushing limits and Maisie is exploring her boundaries. They are a handful, but such a blessing. I love having two babies. They keep life interesting and me on my toes, but I wouldn't want it any other way. 

Calan testing out the pilot's seat on our plane ride into Boston. 

Calan hanging out at his aunt and uncle's house

Maisie playing on our deck. She has to be contained because she loves to chew on sticks and leaves and rocks and anything else she can get her hands on.

Calan helping me make pizza for dinner. 

Out to lunch with dad

Loves to be standing near her brother. Where ever he is, she must be too.

Calan upset at a local truck event. He did not want to wait in line to touch and drive the trucks. 

He loved driving. It was  great event with trucks of every kind!

My little bug. 

It's just another Monday

How is it Monday already? I don't know about you, but our weekends just fly by. We had a great weekend spending time with friends and family. From BBQs to farmers market and from touching trucks to playing at church, we had a packed weekend at home.

On Saturday, we took Calan to a Tons of Trucks local event. He was in HEAVEN, but unfortunately the toddler in him was in full force. He wanted to drive every truck, but he had to wait his turn. Normally, he is pretty good about waiting, but I think trucks bring out the best and worst in him. Even Maisie was a little fussy because she didn't have a morning nap. While the event was great, it was not one of our better family moments. I think Bob and I were both sweating by the end of it. Calan loved it all, so I am sure we will go to similar events again, but pray that he acts a little lot better.

Plus, all my freezer meals have come in so handy. I love just opening the freezer and having so much to pick from. We ended up having Bob's extended family over on Sunday. Usually this takes a bit more planning than an invite on a whim. But, we made pork tenderloin and asparagus, and to fill out our menu, I just grab some of the chicken and broccoli with rice meal to use as a side dish. It was so stress free feeding 12 adults.

As for this week, we have a bit planned and bit up in the air.

Menu

• Monday: Leftovers (we had a bit of leftovers to use up from the weekend)
• Tuesday: Cheese burgers and sweet potato fries and apple slices
• Wednesday: BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken with broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes
• Thursday: Pork tenderloin and TBD sides
• Friday: Homemade pizza
• Saturday: Leftovers or Broccoli Chicken and Rice 
• Sunday: Family dinner

Events

• Monday: Mom's Club play date in the morning; meeting a friend at a park in the afternoon.
• Tuesday: Maybe a park play date in the morning with the Mom's Club or just sticking around home to get laundry and what not done. Plus, must mail Calan's birthday invites out.
• Wednesday: Maisie has a follow up eye doctor appointment. She was suppose to go in April, but I gave her eggs that morning and you know how that turned out. With the allergic reaction, we did not make the appointment. I think that she is still pretty near-sighted, so we shall see what they recommend for her age.
• Thursday: Maybe going to Kensington Park for Fun on the Farm - Sheep event and storytime
• Friday: CLEANING. It is a must
• Saturday: Finally able to celebrate with friends who got married in December. Bob and I will be gone almost all day. Bob's mom will be watching the kids. It should be a good time for Bob and I spend time together.
• Sunday: It will probably be a pretty regular Sunday for Bob and the kids, but I will be heading to a friend's wedding shower.