seriously.

Can I just take a moment to point out how incredibly blessed I am? Yes? Thanks. It doesn't always feel that way, but look at those faces. It is undeniable.  

this moment.

inspired by SouleMama

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

it's a beautiful life

Isn't it funny how whether you're ready or not, life just happens? You can be thrown into an experience and you have two choices about how to look at it.

You can embrace life as a learning experience. Find ways to learn and grow and improve yourself so you can help others.

Or you can feel victim to circumstance.

I like to believe that I choose the prior. I want to set an example to my amazing children that we are here to learn and grow. We are here to see the beauty in our circumstances and our surroundings. 

We are here to improve ourselves and each other.

We are here to learn from the past and enjoy the present moment.

And to see the beauty all around us. Even when life is messy, there is plenty of beauty to be seen.

It all just depends on where you look.

Don't forget about the giveaway. 

:)

baby mullet

It's official. My baby has a mullet, and I'm the guilty party. He's been in need of a haircut for quite some time, and I finally bit the bullet and grabbed the scissors. He did so amazingly well and sat super still the whole time, but I just couldn't make myself cut those curls! They stretch down past his shoulder blades when he takes a bath, and then boing back up when they dry. Neither Mad nor Max had curls like that. Now excuse me while I post 600 of basically the same photo to show how cute he is.

:)

an old post

I just found this draft I had written back in early November and never got around to posting. Figured I'd share. We kept this up for a while, and it did really improve the attitude of my little miss. Hoping that after we move we can fit this back into our routine. Also important to note: this is definitely not the first or the last time I was highly inspired by my children to get crafty. ;)

Madelynn is in first grade. FIRST GRADE! I can hardly believe how fast the time goes, and I am amazed at how lovingly this girl has been in her role big sister to two little brothers. There are times when her life is unfair and she has to show what feels like too much patience. At the very beginning of the school year, she had had it. Being the only one in the house who had to get up early for school, meant we held her to her bed time more strictly, reminding her that when she was a baby sometimes she stayed up too late, too. And when she was a baby, she shared the bed with mommy and daddy, too. And when she was three.... yada, yada, yada. Those reminders didn't seem to help, and I noticed that my girly was losing patience more quickly with her brothers. Then, at the perfect timing I got an idea from a blog post I read (written by a wise mama), and I decided to start letting my little miss stay up one night a week to have some special time with just her and myself while the boys were put to bed by Daddy. The first night, she decided she wanted to revisit embroidery and together we drew up a pattern directly onto the fabric. Turns out, she really rocks the floss!

I was immediately inspired. The very next day I got online and purchased some embroidery patterns I'd had my eye on for quite some time (so fun, I also purchased the Ryan Berkley patterns. LOVE his work!), and got to work on this huge canvas tote I scored for a few bucks from the thrift store. It is still only half finished, even though I've been using it as my knitting bag. Oops!

this moment.

from SouleMama:
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Maximus and I having a gelato date last February at our fav restaurant.

The whole family has had the pleasure of being at home all week so far, with school being canceled and Karl's work on hold until the weather clears up. Can you say cabin fever?! It's much colder and way more snowy than usual, so we're not quite used to it around here. The kids want to play outside, but we lack adequate snow gear, so our ventures out to play are cut short by cold, wet pants (Maximus outgrew last year's snow pants and I didn't think he'd need new ones this year until it was too late!) and frozen cheeks. Speaking of the boy, it seems like little Maxi has been pushing my buttons and trying our patience in general lately, but then when we're worn out and about to be pushed over the edge he has little ways of making us laugh and putting things into perspective for us. Last night it was when he kept getting out of bed. He's a persistent little guy, that's for sure! Finally he started to settle down and called for Karl to come in there, asking Daddy if he would sleep with him. Karl walked in and I heard him ask Max to scoot over in his bed, followed by Max's response (in his sweetest voice), "No, Daddy, you can sleep on the floor. I'll get you a pillow." And then Max pranced out to the couch for a pillow and tucked his daddy in on the floor of his room. It completely cracked me up. He's in a funny place, having just turned three and beginning to really enjoy his role as Big Brother and his capabilities toward being independent, yet still sometimes wanting to have special time to snuggle with just Mommy or Daddy. He has never been much of a cuddler, the way his sister is, which means I really enjoy the special moments when he stops running long enough for a long hug, or insists that I read "just three" books to him at bedtime. I hope these last.

back to work!

sweet baby M helping mama knit.

Oh my, life sure has been busy with three babes! We are now back in school, and back at work. This is the first time I have ever worked right after having a baby. Mad was 5 months old when I went back to work at the school, but then I just worked a few months and the school year was over. after that I taught preschool for a year before having Maxi, and have stayed home up until last January. I had the summer off, then worked up until the end of October and am back to work already from my maternity leave. It's CRAZY hard to leave the kiddos everyday, but I can at least find peace in knowing I'm doing what's best for my family for now. I also find peace in knowing that the school year is over in June and I'll have the whole summer to spend with my three beautiful babes. :) Two of my children's grandmas (they have LOTS of grandmas!) spent time with the boys this first week I was back at work (THANK YOU!!), and next week is the start of going to Uncle Zach's house everyday to play with him and sweet Gavin, their one and a half year old cousin. What fun! I feel like the next six months are going to go by in a flash, which is bittersweet. I can't wait for summertime, but to think about tiny Milo being eight months old by the time I get to be at home everyday does make me a little sad, so for now I'll just concentrate on the fact that I will, in fact, get to be home with him (and the other two!) everyday in just six short months. Hopefully that will preserve my sanity. :)

the boy needs blocks.

dear santa, 

please bring blocks for my boy.

belly shots.

I'm not sure why I want to publicly document this. Other than the fact that it makes me laugh. 

Here is my belly a few days before Mad was born. 

Here it is a few weeks (I swear it got even bigger!) before Max was born.

And here's a photo, taken just days before Little No. 3 makes his grand entrance.

Man, I was tiny with my first! Not only do first pregnancies seem to be held in tighter, but sweet Mad was only just over 7lbs at birth, while Max was just over 9. I'm hoping the growth trend does not continue with this one, and that my LARGE belly is simply a product of old, worn out abs. 

(Eww, did I just say I hope that's why?!) Ha!

:)

long time gone

Wowza! I can't believe I've nearly let the whole month of September fly by without a single post. We've been having computer issues, and though my mom generously loaned us an extra laptop, it's slower than I'm used to and doesn't have the same photo editing software I've been using... and since it's not my computer, I've been reluctant to upload photos from my camera onto it... but mostly I've been l a z y. I'll do my best to catch us all up since beginning of August. And then maybe I'll start posting regularly again. :)

First, Little No. 3 is still in my belly, as you can see. Yet, that fact doesn't stop me from "trying on" the latest knits he'll be forced to wear. It's funny to me when I think about the differences between my first and third pregnancies. With Mad, I couldn't wait to be DONE being pregnant. I just wanted to meet the little being growing inside of me. Whenever I was asked how far along I was, I could tell you down to the hour (haha!) how much time I thought I had left. This time around, though I am equally excited to meet this little guy, I have my other two keeping me so busy that I feel like the end of my pregnancy is beginning to sneak up on me! We have the crib set up in Maxi's room, but have yet to do much else to prepare for this sweet one's arrival. And for some reason the list seems to be growing as time is running out (set up the cradle in our room, sort out all the newborn baby clothes, get cloth diapers ready, buy baby wipes in order to avoid running in a panic to the store when we run out, sew diaper pail liner, sew more nursing pads, finish baby's crib quilt... and the list goes on!). Whenever I get started on the list, my brain automatically inserts "take nap" between each item. Good for my body, not so good for productivity.

Mad turned 5 since my last post. She also started school. Kindergarten. All day. I am absolutely amazed to see all that she has already learned and the amount of social growth that has taken place in just a few weeks since she started. Five years ago, this stage in our lives hadn't yet crossed my mind, so it feels weird to say I'm surprised by how much I am enjoying it. Watching these babes grow and seeing what comes next is such a blessing and a learning process, and I'm honestly loving every step.

And last but not least, my big guy is getting bigger. And more stylish, obviously. I have fixed his hair cut and put away the too small "horsey boots" since this photo was taken. I'm thinking these ones might have to show up under the Chrstimas tree this year, since my kiddlets have such round little foot-tops, and owning a nice pair of "horsey boots" is as close as they'll ever get to their dream of someday owning a horse (how do I make them understand we must first own a farm?!). And by the way, that Mtn Dew bottle became a cowboy pistol, which apparently makes a "pew-pew" sound and is useful for shooting sisters, bugs, and chalk grafitti.

reflection

We have been so blessed with sunshine over the last few days and enjoyed every minute of it. It has given this mama lots of time to sit in the sun with yarn in hand, while being surrounded by the sounds of littles enjoying the summer. Knitting (and crocheting!) for this babe in my belly reminds me that I first learned to knit the summer I was pregnant with little Maximus, which doesn't seem that long ago, but oh just look at him now! I have been doing an awful lot of reflecting lately, with one kiddo about to go to school for the first time, one completely out of diapers, and another new life on the way, and am coming to realize how quickly time flies. I am so thankful for where and what life has brought us and for who I am sharing it with.

:)

what a lovely week!

This weekend marks the end of a busy, but fantastic week. We welcomed some family members "home" after living in Germany for the last three and a half years, though they won't actually be to their new home until their drive over to the mid-west in a few weeks. My kiddos played with (second) cousins they didn't even know they had, and Mad got her wish for a sleepover (finally!!) for three nights in a row. We came to the realization that we'll have to begin to prepare for this babe growing inside me sometime in the next few months, otherwise it will end up sleeping in a drawer somewhere. ;) (The bigger my belly grows, the older my babes on the outside seem too.) Maxi has started speaking in full sentences (mostly about robots and robot-bunnies), and Mad has learned to ride a bike (without training wheels!). She then proceeded to ride a a whole mile the same day and has since earned some pretty sweet "bike-riding blisters" on her thumbs to show for it (we credit the "balance bike" method for her quick learning). 

But it turns out baby-growing requires more energy than I have left, so I'm going to follow this lovely week with a weekend full of nothing but knitting and napping. Hope you have a restful one, too! 

:)

my funny girl.

This girl, who loves to smother her brother with love, is growing up much too fast! She is far beyond her years in so many ways, that I love to savor the moments in which I am really reminded she is still just my little girl. Madelynn has recently (as in the last six months or so) taken interest in telling jokes. Knock-knock jokes are her favorite. So we told her an old joke that I figured would be easy to remember. This is the joke she told my mom a few days later. 

Mad: "Knock knock!!"

Grandma: "Who's there?"

Mad: "Salad"

(By now I was already trying not to laugh!)

Grandma: "Salad who?"

Mad: "Let me in, it's cold out here!!"

Of course, Lettuce is the one that was supposed to be knocking, as in "Lettuce in, it's cold out here!" I'm sure she'll start to catch on to punch lines soon, but for now her jokes are funny for other reasons. Another funny was just today when she ran into my room with her nose plugged and was frantically telling me that "Max ran out of gas!!" it took me much too long (I hadn't yet had my morning coffee) to realize she meant that Max had passed gas, which was definitely important information to pass along since Maxi has been working on potty training. I think she feels more let down by accidents than he does (though she's careful not to show it), since it was Mad who first started potty training him by sitting him down on the potty and sternly instructing him to "get busy!" just as Aunt Sami does with her guide dog puppy in training.

Oh my, am I ever blessed to be the mama of these sweet little ones! 

this moment.

inspired by SouleMama.

cooking soup.

I'm not exactly sure why I didn't think of this FOREVER ago. Lately Mad has been super in to cooking. She wants to help with everything, which is nice. However, I usually like to keep the cooking to myself. I feel terrible about it sometimes, but honestly, when Karl gets home he usually plays with the kiddies while I go into the kitchen by myself and try to just relax. I usually just tune everyone out and bask in the fact that I can make all the decisions while I'm cooking. It's the one thing I do where I don't have to try to negotiate with unruly kiddos, and (luckily) everyone usually eats whatever I make without complaining. However, lately I've been trying to let go and be more carefree when the kiddies want to help or get involved (notice the photo in my last post!). So when Mad came to me donning her apron and asking if she could cook the other day I said, "sure" and then I proceeded to give her a mixing bowl with water, a spoon, and few small shakers with inexpensive spices inside--the 'back up' salt and pepper shakers, and some candy sprinkle containers I filled with Italian seasoning and garlic powder, which I usually buy in bulk. She was busy "cooking" in the middle of the kitchen floor for hours. Maxi even got involved for quite awhile. It was the perfect quiet activity that day. A few days later she got the urge to 'cook' again, this time making 'unicorn soup' using up the rest of our cake sprinkles. After carefully measuring out the correct amounts of rainbows, moons and stars, she put it out on the porch, occasionally going out to check whether or not the local unicorns were stopping by for meals. What an imagination! I think my letting go is paying off.

:)

my funny girl.

I have to start by pointing out how fantastic her Cinderella costume is. Don't most little girls who play "Cinderella" pretend to be the glamorous version from the end of the story? Not mine. She'd rather suds up the floor and sing (loudly!) some of her own melodic tunes.

Then, when she realized I was taking her pictures, she stood up and curtsied, and then in no time flat broke out in the craziest and most carefree dance I've ever seen.

I was completely cracking up! Which I'm positive was her intention.

Obviously, she cracks herself up too.

Nothing is taken too seriously in her world, and boy does she know how to cut loose!

I could learn a thing or two from her.

:)

this moment.

I am playing along with SouleMama's "this moment" posts.


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

:)

for a new mom.

i recently decided to make my sister in law, who just had a baby, a super chic nursing cover (i actually much prefer the term i read once on a blog, "hooter hider"). though there are lots of great tutorials out there (here, here, and here), i thought i might play around and come up with a design which addressed my own insecurities needs as a nursing mama. it is similar to one i used, but with many improvements.

i made this one go around the back of your torso. that way, if you're not wearing a nursing top, you can just hike up your shirt and not worry about showing off your muffin top (not that my super fit sister in law will have to worry about that).  plus, not having the edge be right next to baby's head makes it less likely that he'll be able to expose you. i left one side open, however, so that mom can still hone in on her mad multitasking skills. although, if you wanted to, you could easily turn the slit to the back.

another thing i thought about was fabric choice. as my babe got older, i hated throwing a cover on that blocked out all the light, and he didn't like it either. especially since at home, i just flopped out my milk makers and he ate in broad daylight. so for this one i used a really light weight jersey material that lets in plenty of light, but still blocks your booby from popping into the public's view. because this fabric was so light weight, i thought that it could use a little bit of a heavier fabric around the bottom to keep it from just floating around should there be a draft. it also happened to cuten it up a bit!

most of the nursing covers i've seen out there have boning in the front, so the nursing mom can easily peer down and check on her sweet infant, which is sweet. however, in my experience, the boning was a great handle for a slightly older infant to grasp onto and pull the cover down, defeating its entire purpose. so instead, i stitched in a line of elastic thread (first time using it--awesome!), which made a sweet little ruffle right up around the top.

lastly, i stuck a little pocket on the inside of each bottom corner to stash things like binkies, nursing pads, or a tiny tube of lansinoh.

this is the first time i've ever really sewn something without following some sort of pattern, tutorial, or at least general guidelines. maybe if i ever get another good excuse to make more, i'll go ahead and write up a tutorial.

:)