Morning at home

The kids have the beginnings of colds, so we are taking it easy. I doubt it will be gone by tomorrow, but hopefully they don't get any worse.

Calan's new favorite game: Pretending to sleep, complete with
snoring noises. 

Maisie was being quite the ham this morning and not sitting still
for a second. The girl is just all over the place. 

Do you ever feel like the day before Thanksgiving is the last day of normal till the New Year? I hope today is as normal as possible and we enjoy and feel grateful for the time we get to spend together.

Let the holiday fun begin.

Turkey Feeders

My finished turkey feeder that I used to show the boys what to do.
I found almost all my supplies at our local Dollar Tree. I got the bird seed
at our local grocery store.

In order to keep busy this winter and to keep from spending too much money on class after class, my friend and I have decided to host a craft play date for our boys twice a month alternating at each other's homes.

My friend hosted the first one at the beginning of the month where the boys put together pumpkins and decorated with stickers. We played and ate lunch together heading home just in time for naps.

Yesterday was my day and we made very simple turkey bird feeders. I just kind of took a few ideas from different blogs and came up with something that was easy and not a huge mess. Our boys are almost 2 1/2 years old. I pre-cut everything the night before so the boys just had to stick it all together.

Here is what I did:

Supplies

• Plastic container
• Different color foam sheets
• Brown contact paper
• Googly eyes
• Double stick tape and/or glue
• Scissors
• Corn syrup
• Wild bird seed

Directions

Here are the finished feeders that the boys made.

• Take the different colored foam sheets and cutout feather shapes, beak, wattle, and feet
• Take plastic container and place two strips of double sided tape or add glue along one side of the container and stick feathers to container.
• Take the brown contact paper and cutout a circle for the turkey's face. Stick to front of container. 
• Add googly eyes, beak, and the turkey's wattle (the red thing).
• Stick feet to the bottom of the container. 
• In a mixing bowl combine some bird seed and corn syrup to make the bird seed stick together. I did this so in case a squirrel tips it over, which I am sure will happen, I won't have a huge bird seed mess to clean up. 
• Place bird seed in plastic container. 

We found a nice spot for the bird feeder on our deck that Calan can watch from our family room. I'm pretty sure the squirrels will destroy the feeder, but it will be interesting to see if any birds stop by this late in the season. 

We did not get reading done, but here are a couple books that Calan
has enjoyed reading about Thanksgiving:
1. "Thanks for Thanksgiving" by Julie Markes
2. "Five Silly Turkeys" by Salina Yoon
3. "This is Thanksgiving" by Harriet Ziefert

My meal go-tos

I am by no means a great cook. I am by no means a chef. I am by no means original when it comes to meal planning, but there a few staples in my kitchen that make any dinner easy and ready to go.

I have gotten a lot better over the last year about planning ahead of time of what we are going to have for dinner, but there are just some days where either 1) I don't feel like cooking or 2) There weren't as many leftovers as I thought there would be.

So, I have learned to have a few things always on hand to make life just easier on myself.

Here are my easy go-tos that can make any meal easy:

1. Bell Peppers: I always make sure that I have peppers on hand. They are to me one of the easiest foods to make into a meal. They add an extra touch to any spaghetti sauce, or they easily make an easy stir fry in a pinch. Plus, it is one of the few vegetables that I don't have to argue with Calan to eat. 
2. Lemon Pepper & Rosemary: I swear any chicken or fish seasoned with a little lemon pepper and rosemary tastes amazing. I love throwing a whole chicken into our Crock-pot for 3 hours on low seasoned with lemon pepper and rosemary with a cup of chicken broth. Then put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to crisp-up the skin for the perfect tasting chicken. We eat it for dinner and then it makes great sandwiches for the week. 
3. Italian Sausage: I always try to keep bulk Italian sausage in my freezer to be used in spaghetti sauce. Adding browned Italian sausage instead of ground beef makes the spaghetti 100% better. I can not tell you how often I get asked for my spaghetti sauce and all I do is by whatever sauce is on sale and add Italian sausage to it. If I have them on hand, I also will throw in drained canned diced tomatoes to it as well. Instant amazing spaghetti sauce. 

4. 

   Homemade pizza has become an easy family favorite. 

   Yeast packets: Ever since learning how to make my own pizza dough, it has become a regular meal in our house. Calan loves helping me make the pizza from the dough to the toppings. I always make enough for 2 pizzas, so that we can cook one that night and freeze the extra dough for the next time I need a meal in a pinch. 
5. Tacos: I swear tacos is the meal that keeps giving. One night it could be tacos for dinner, then taco salad for lunch, and then maybe quesadillas another day that week. When I know that we are going to have a busy week, I include tacos so that I have an easy go-to leftover meal if I did not have time to make a new meal. 

So those are just a few things that I keep on hand that definitely help making meals for my family 100% easier. Having two toddlers running around does not give me a lot of time to prepare meals, so having some easy tricks makes dinner possible on a daily basis. 

What are your tricks?

Keeping it together

I have been pretty proud of myself lately. Life just seems so much more relaxed and it's been such smooth sailing lately. Not only are the kids doing great, I have also been doing such a better job keeping my household together.

During my first trimester, I thought I would never get it all together that the house was just a disaster and it was going to stay that way till this new little one was sleeping through the night. But then like clockwork, my second trimester kicked in and life has hit a fantastic stride.

Keeping a clean and decluttered household is important to me. But, my standards have changed since having children. My idea of clean is a little different than what it once was when it was just my husband and I and my idea of clean is different than someone else's idea of clean. Everyone has their own ideas and standards.

Reading through different blogs and talking to friends and a little trial and error, I have learned a few simple lifestyle changes that have really helped keep things together with 2 crazy little ones running around.

Our family room that is full of toys that you can't see. The
kids have toys in 2 of the built-in cabinets, in the white trunk,
in baskets under the side tables, and a few larger toys hidden
between the couch and the built-in. 

• Don't put down, put away. I can easily feel when I have let this simple rule slide. My "hotspot" piles start to become overwhelming and clutter starts to seem to appear everywhere. Taking a few minutes here and few minutes there to clear out the piles and to put things where they belong helps keep my house in easy cleaning order. When I don't have to spend the time running things back to where they belong, I can quickly vacuum or dust or sweep or whatever when I can. 
• Little bit goes along way. On the same theme as the first tip, the days of cleaning my house top to bottom in one day are long gone. Doing a little bit here and there is the only way I get it done. I just don't have hours at a time to clean my house. I know moms who clean during nap times, but with 2 little ones, I have found that I need to rest too during that time. If I exhaust myself cleaning, than I am tired with little patience in the afternoon. It just doesn't work for me, but doing a little at a time does.
• Hide the toys. Our kids do not have free range with their toys. Are they allowed to play with their toys? ABSOLUTELY! However, there is a limit to how many toys they are allowed to play with at once. We also clean up the toys before we move on to the next thing like lunch, naps, etc. If we are playing downstairs, we clean up those toys before we head upstairs. Calan's room time isn't over till he cleans up most of his toys (I help a little). This also keeps their toys interesting to them. There is a steady rotation, so they aren't getting bored. 
• A load a day keeps mountains at bay. This goes for laundry and dishes. If I keep to doing at least one to two loads of laundry a day, it makes the task so much easier for me to manage. I usually will do my load first thing in the morning. Now, I don't always get everything put away in drawers (that is something I am working on), but it keeps the laundry piles low and my hampers empty.
  This rule also goes for dishes. If I run my dishwasher every night and unload it first thing in the morning, than all I have to do is load my dishes through out the day with little fuss or frustration. Unless the dishwasher is really empty at night, I run it. It is OK to run a not full load of dishes if it means it will keep you sane the next day.
• Perfection is impossible. Would I be embarrassed to have friends over to my house? If the answer is no, than my house is clean enough. With two little ones, there will always be a mess somewhere in my house. This is where my standard has changed since having kids. If I feel like my house is 90% clean, than I am happy. I want my home to be a welcoming place that guests feel at home. Keeping my house organized is a part of that.  
• Plan ahead. This seems easy, but in reality figuring out everything going on that week and what meals we are going to have isn't always as easy as it seems. There are times where I just don't feel like cooking, so coming up with a meal plan for the week is pretty difficult. The less I have to think about on the fly, the easier it is to keep life organized. 
• When all else fails, plan a playdate. I don't know if it is my journalism background or procrastination tendencies (probably both), but if I have fallen off the cleaning and organizing wagon, having a deadline like a playdate helps get me back on track. Knowing that I am going to have company gets me motivated to clean up. It gives me the push I need to get my life back on track, plus it is fun for myself and the kids. It is just a win-win situation. 

What are some of your keeping it all together tips?

What does it mean to be a Wilson?

Over the last few months, I have been attending the MOPS program at our church and it has been a wonderful outlet for myself and the kids. I get time with adults and they get plenty of playtime with kids.

Some of this year's talks focused on who your family is and finding your family's identity. Bob and I have always thought that a family identity is so important. It keeps our kids rooted in who they are and helps them to grow into the people God designed them to be.

But what does it mean to be a Wilson?

So, Bob and I came up with some rules using our last name to help define who we are. (I stole the idea from a friend.)

Willing to help

Inspire and encourage each other

Love God, love others

Speak nicely

Obey mom and dad

Never hurt one another

While being a Wilson means so much more, this is just a start to help define our family and who we want ourselves and our kids to be.

How do you define your family?

16-week update

Time is flying by here in pregnancy world. I am finally feeling good and feeling like I have my life back a little.

It was pretty hard this first trimester. While I was only minimally sick, any type of morning sickness was new to me. And, then add on the fact that I was exhausted and that Bob has had to work a ton over the last 2 months, life was feeling pretty horrible.

I'm not sure exactly when this pregnancy turned all rose-colored and beautiful, but I am definitely in the second trimester bliss.

I had a few headaches when I transitioned into the second trimester, but nothing horrible or as bad as when I was pregnant with Maisie. This time I knew what was causing them and I think that helped to know when they would be over with too.

I am up 5 pounds, which with the rate that I am eating sweets, I think is pretty reasonable. It should be a lot worse.

I can once again drink coffee, but not black. As long as I dillute it with milk or cream, I am good. I just love drinking a warm beverage in the morning. It is nice to have my coffee back.

I am still in non-maternity clothes, but they are starting to get tighter. I am starting to get into the phase where my clothes don't fit and maternity clothes fall off. It is a rough patch that I think just leaves a pregnant lady feeling fat.

I have a regular doctor appointment next Thursday and we should be scheduling my 20-week ultrasound then.

We have decided to find out what we are having this time. We didn't with Calan and we did with Maisie and to us there really wasn't a huge difference partly because I had such strong feelings of what we were having both times that I wasn't shocked when I was right. We decided to find out for 2 main reasons. The first being that I'm impatient and the second being that I want to connect the kids to whether they are having a little brother or sister joining them.

Since Calan was so young during my last pregnancy, I didn't even worry about trying to connect him with it. I knew no matter how I tried, it was going to go in one ear and out the other without a care in the world. He was too young to understand. And even though they are still pretty young, I think they will relate better if I talk about it being a boy or girl and being able to give the baby a name before it gets here.

Long overdue update: 2 years 4 months / 1 year 3 months

We've had our ups and downs over the last few months, but right now (today, this week, etc.) we are on an incredible up. The kids are doing great and being great. It is just simply great.

I am pretty sure it has something to do with second trimester bliss, but the last 10 days have been so great. I am not tired. I am engaging with my little ones and I am really seeing how much this affects their good moods. I hope I am not jinxing myself here.

Here's their latest update:

Eating

Calan: He is doing so much better with eating. He isn't perfect and definitely eats around vegetables if he can avoid them, but he will always take at least 3 bites when told, which is good for me. I know that their will always be foods that he prefers over others, but as long as he is eating some of the rest, I am a happy mom. Meal times have been going so much better. There is way less struggle, fighting, and time outs. We have hit a happy groove that I hope maintains.
Calan is doing well with forks and spoons. He still uses his fingers often, but will use his spoon and fork often. Over the next month, I hope to start introducing a regular drinking cup at meals. Hopefully, he picks up quickly with little spills (a mom can hope right).

Maisie: She is my amazing eater. She loves food and likes lots of it. We were struggling for a little while where she was tossing food and screeching loudly during meals. We had one horrible eating out experience that left both Bob and I wondering where our sweet innocent little girl went and this loud, disobdient monster had come from. Luckily it seems to be a short lived phase. We discovered that she likes to have her whole plate on her high chair tray so that the food supply is all right there in front of her. Discovering that really helped with the loud noises. We also realized that when she is done, she is done, which is why she was throwing food off her tray. So, we quickly taught her the all done sign and when we see it, we quickly (and I mean quickly) take her plate a leftovers away.
Maisie is finally drinking well from several sippy cups. She hasn't figured out straws yet, but she is at least drinking from cups instead of bottles. It was a slow process, but she finally got there.

Sleeping

Calan: He is doing so much better with his rocking. His still has bad days, but overall the rocking is minimal. He rocks mainly as he is waking up. He rocks very little has he is going to sleep. Dare I say that I can see a light at the end of the body-rocking tunnel? I have not taken him to see a neuroligist about it and not sure if I am going to waste my time. He is getting better and sooner rather than later we will be moving to a twin bed, and hopefully that will stop the rest of the rocking. If it doesn't then maybe then I will go see someone.
He is still napping from 12:30 till about 3 or 3:30. Every once in awhile he has a bad nap that takes him awhile to go down, but overall napping has been the smoothest it has ever been.
He is also sleeping better at night. Though I still hear him sometimes in the middle of the night, overall he has been sleeping from about 8:15 at night till about 7 in the morning. He still takes a little time to fall asleep at night (bedtime is 7:30), but he isn't rocking. We leave a book or a few small toys in with him and he usually sets down in about 40 minutes.

Maisie: I have been truly blessed with a perfect sleeper when it comes to Maisie. I rarely have any issues with her. However, while her molars where coming through there were several nights where she would only sleep with me. It wasn't every night, but it was probably 2 weeks of off and on sleeping with us. Since, I knew it wasn't a habit and that she just need some extra love, I was fine with it.
We have dropped her morning nap, so she is just sleeping in the afternoon usually from noon till 3:30. She still sleeps in a pack-and-play in our room. Naps are just easier in different rooms. While both kids are napping perfectly lately, I don't want one bad nap to wreck the other. It just isn't worth 2 cranky babies.
Maisie still uses a pacifier to sleep, but only uses it in her crib or pack-and-play. Since her use of it is already limited, not sure when we will actually tackle that habit. I am just going to play that one by ear. Good sleep is just too hard to let go of.

Activites

Halloween: The kids had a great time on Halloween. Calan went up to about 20 houses and loved running with older kids in the neighborhood although he couldn't keep up. Maisie went to a few houses and then just hung out in the wagon while we walked around. Kids really do make these holidays come alive again for adults. It was nice night spent with family.

Classes: We joined a play class at our local community center. Calan took the same class last year at this time. It is crazy to see how much more into he is. He pays attention to directions, participates in the craft, and loves shaking the parachute. Maisie is hit or miss. She is one of the youngest in the class that is for 1- to 3-year-olds. However, she does listen to the story and like singing songs with the group. I don't expect her to do everything, but I am happy with what she has been doing.
I also joined MOPS this fall at our church. It is for 2 hours every Tuesday. The kids play in childcare while I get 2 hours of child-free learning and talking with other moms. Both kids have done great. Maisie, who cried every time we dropped her off at MOPS or our church nursery on Sundays, has now become a happy baby ready to go play when she gets dropped off. Calan for the most part still runs to play. Every once in awhile he has a freak out being dropped off, but overall he has very little seperation anxiety.

Friends: To say Calan loves his friend Gavin might be an understatement. He has really learned to play with other kids nicely, but no child compares to Gavin. I probably get asks 40 times a day if Gavin can play. We do see each other often, but it seems to never be enough. It is sweet to me to watch him develop little relationships. He is really becoming a little boy who loves to play and explore.
He has not hit or hurt any children in a long time. I think we solved that issue quickly. I think prepping him before he goes to play with others has helped a ton. Before we go somewhere to play like church, we talk about how we play nicely with friends and he usually tells me how to play nicely with friends that includes "no hit, no pull hair, share toys, take turns." We have not had a bad report in about a month.

Milestones

Maisie: Maisie is FINALLY WALKING! She still crawls, but is walking probably about 40% of the time. She still crawls more quickly than walking so if she needs to get somewhere quickly, she crawls. But, we are finally getting somewhere. 

She is saying a few words like Doggie, Momma, Dadda, Hi, and Banana. 

Maisie loves getting kisses. She loves walking or crawling over to me and and saying "mmmmm" with her lips together to get a kiss. She also blows tons of kisses if I am too far away. It is pretty sweet. 

Calan: Not much is new with him in terms of milestones. We are starting to consider potty training, but with the holidays on their way, I think we are going to hold off till January. But over the next month or so, I am going to start prepping him, so hopefully it all goes smoothly. Am I crazy that I am not looking forward to this? Diapers seem so much easier than potty training. I obviously keep you posted on how it goes. 

Schedule

7/7:30 - wake up

8 - breakfast

8:30 - TV time (Dinosaur Train)

9 - Room time / pack-and-play time

9:45 - Sibling time / learning time* 

10:30 - blanket time

11 - free time 

11:30 - lunch

12 - Maisie nap / Calan TV time (Caillou)

12:30 - Calan nap

3:30 - wake up / snack

4 - afternoon errands / playing downstairs (building toys, train table) / learning time*

5 - Free time / TV time

6 - Dinner

6:30 - Bathtime

7 - Daddy time / story time

7:30 - Bedtime

*I am starting to try to get some learning time in for Calan. He doesn't sit for the longest time, so get through my lesson or craft or story or song or whatever we are doing, I break it up into shorter time periods. We don't do it every day, but probably 2 days a week. 

Overall

Getting through my first trimester left us a little off track, but slowly but surely I am getting us back on track. I am trying to keep us active and engaged as much as I can. I am not perfect, but I am trying. I can see over the last 2 weeks my efforts are playing off. I seem to be way less at the end of my imaginary rope. I feel more at peace and the kids are just happy and growing right along. It is still fun to have 2 babies. I love being with them and wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything, ever. 

The TV Gremlin

Man do I get mom jealousy. I get envious of the moms who can stay away from technology like their phone or computer or the TV. I get frustrated with myself with how much TV I allow my children to watch every day. I let the TV gremlin sneak into our house and it is basically impossible to get rid of. I depend on it now.

I am not saying that I am against TV watching. I am just ashamed at how much we watch. It isn't on all day, but it is on for about an hour in the morning and probably 2 at night, which if you read any study of TV and toddlers is completely frowned upon.

Even knowing that much TV watching is bad for my kids, I still turn it on to keep peace in my house. It is a useful tool that I am not strong enough to get rid of completely.

So, I have at least trying to limit it. I am trying to keep us out of the house doing things that keep us away from the TV. I am not strong enough to not give in, so just not being home helps a ton.

I try to be specific on the shows that they are allowed to watch, so when they are over, the TV gets turned off.

We are reading more library books. I found that Calan was getting bored with the books that we have, even though we have a ton. Some how the idea of a new library book gets his attention and excitement.

I am trying to put my phone and computer down, which is why blogging has become way less. I need to set a better example and looking at my phone every 5 seconds doesn't help them in anyway.

Wouldn't we all love to be the Pinterest Mommy? The one who has it all together and is teaching their children so many fun things in so many fun ways, or at least that is the way it seems to me.

It was so much easier to do more with just one child. Calan did get a little gypped since he only had a year of my full attention. The fact is I only have so much patience, hands, and time. Some times the TV is a little bit of a sanctuary. It does restore some peace in my household when the whiny, destructive monster attacks my son.

I wish I could be the mom who says my kids never watch TV. I am so jealous of those moms. But, I know that I am a good mom. I know that TV is not necessarily going to kill my kids. But, I know that we could be better. So that is what I am going to strive for. We are going to try and be better.

Yep, they're watching TV. I was trying to get a picture of
them looking at me and smiling and all I got was Calan smiling at the TV. 

A blur of a week

How is it already Friday? I feel fried. I feel tired. I feel like I need to do something to get me out of this slump.

We have been busy this week. I can't exactly remember what we did Monday, but every other day has been full of fun things. From MOPS on Tuesdays, Playaway (activities class) and trick-or-treating at a local nursing home on Wednesday, and a Moms Club Halloween party plus my car battery dying and our parenting class on Thursday, it has been a full week.

It is finally Friday and I am trying to catch up on everything. I'm cleaning. This pregnancy zaps most of my energy, so cleaning has not been a high priority in my life and you can tell. My house is a disaster most of the time. I would really like to start the weekend off with a clean house, so that is my focus and goal today. So far so good. A few loads of laundry done, bedding changed, and rooms dusted. It is not always easy to get things done around my two toddlers, but a momma's got to do what a momma's got to do. And it WILL get done.

It is finally nap time and once Calan is asleep I will tackle my bathroom including my tub, which is a disaster and needs a good ole fashion scrub down. How do things get so bad so quickly?

Still in my pajamas. Probably should shower at some point as well. How is it already 12:45? This day is flying by. Thank goodness.

The kids have been pretty good today. Though this week has been full of ups and downs with Mr. Calan. Our wonderful toddler flushed an object down our toilet costing us quite a bit to have a plumber come out on a Saturday to fix it (when you only have one bathroom, there really isn't an option). He destroyed his room during a room time this week dumping over his diaper pail with dirty diapers and dumping baking soda all around it. Plus, he has been biting his sister. It has been a trying week to say the least.

But there have been some great moments as well. Maisie is FINALLY starting to walk. She is about a 60/40 right now, walking about 40 percent of the time. I really was starting to give up hope, but she is getting there. Calan has been pretty obsessed with playing with his good friend Gavin that he has started to pray for Gavin and to be able to play trains with him. It is so stinking cute.

The kids are filled with fun and craziness. I am tired a lot of the time, but their smiles do make life a lot better. Love being a mom to these 2 babies. Oh baby number 3, you have know idea what you are in for.

The kids a local farm for our church's family night. The both loved the hay pile and Maisie did not freak out at the farm animals. 

A little Halloween preview from this weeks trick-or-treating and party. 

Pinkalicious

I turned pink 5 years ago today. I swear my face was pink, my hands were pink, and my belly was the color of a sunset. I cried I was so beautiful. I even had pink tears.

Five years ago today, I did not feel beautiful, but at that point, I had no idea how beautiful life would be. I needed to turn pink to change my life. 

I never know how to feel on today. The day marks a not-so happy day, but yet the joy that I feel to pass it every year makes me smile and cheer "I'm still here."

When I was told at 26 that I had breast cancer, I was a bit naive about what I was really facing. I was naive at how much I was dealing with at that moment. Everything happens so quickly. You are diagnosed, you are sent through a million tests, and then treatment starts. The beginning is such a whirlwind there is no time to really digest what is happening. I remember thinking that during some test or at some point they would tell me they had it all wrong that I was fine and that I could leave. That never happened. 

Then as treatment continued you get this fighter spirit that damn it, nothing is going to take you down. You go through it all like a warrior. 

Then treatment stops and for the rest of your life you wait. I still wait. 

But waiting and stopping are two totally different things. I have never stopped. 

I love and appreciate the life I have now. I still have many faults and I still have many selfish tendencies, but I do believe that I am a different person than I was 5 years ago. The small stuff, the joyful stuff, the simple things matter beyond words. 

I have had so many friends and family support me through my journey and friendships blossom because of my diagnosis. My gratitude toward all of them is immeasurable. I live life more open-handedly because of the support and love others showed me. 

I like the person I have become. I look back on my before-cancer self and I really look at such disappointment. I was missing it. I was missing the small stuff. I was taking too much for granted. I was not the person I dreamed or desired to be. 

I see myself differently now. I am be no means perfect. I have many many flaws, but I like me. I like my life. 

Then I look at my children. The babies that came so easy and without effort. The ones some told me might not happen. The ones I know were meant to be ours. And my heart grows tenfold. I like that I am better a mom and wife than I would have ever been if I had not turned pink. 

When I was diagnosed, I knew what I had to do. I had to hold my nose and take what they gave me. I had to choke down pills, gag on chemo, and burp up radiation. But the next thing I knew, my arms tickled, my ears tingled, and my feet twitched. I was no longer pink. I was (a better) me and I was beautiful. 

Thanks to my husband, family, and friends. I love you all. Five years and counting.