18/52: A Weekly Photo Series

I took lots of photos of our junk gently-used items for sale this week, and not nearly enough of anything else -- my adorable kids! wonderous nature! delicious food! anything! Since I'm sick to death of looking at sale stuff, let's talk cabin life last weekend.

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The beginning of May is a tricky time of year. I can clearly remember years of looking out the big cabin windows facing the lake on May 1st (-ish) and watching snow falling from the sky. Last year, the big chatter around town was whether the ice would come off the lake in time for fishing opener (aka: brrrr!). This May we're enjoying boat rides, kite flying and bonfires. People are busy tiding up their yards and putting in their docks -- the awesome energy of summer approaching is in the air!

Last weekend was Wisconsin's fishing opener, so our family spent a lot of time gone fishin'. It warmed my heart seeing so many boats on the water with a mom, dad and and their kids fishing together. I have to say, fishing really is a nice family activity -- quality time together in nature.

It's interesting what a difference a year makes in the life of a child. Last year, Tory loved catching fish off the dock and took her job handing Andi wax worms bait very seriously. Last weekend, she'd fish for a few minutes and then whine she was hungry or bored. She freaked out when Andi caught a bass because she thought he would make her touch it (he wasn't even near her). I hope it was only a bad mood and not the tone of Tory's attitude about fishing the summer!

A happy moment Sunday morning when fishing was still interesting:

Aden relishes in the freedom to roam the boat, and loves playing in the minnow bucket even more. I can't keep him out of there so after a while I just stopped trying. First kid: all things organic / natural / cage-free / sugar-free, etc.; Second kid: Eh, drink minnow water. Whatever. I can't wait until it's warm enough to dress Aden in board shorts and a sun shirt. Right now, I'm changing his clothes a minimum of 3x a day because he's constantly wet and filthy.
 

I'm truly surprised how much I enjoy fishing this year. Andi taught me how to bait my own hook this past weekend (aka: I held a slippery minnow in my hand and pierced its back through a sharp hook --eek!) I think he not-so-secretly wanted me to learn how so he doesn't have to do it for me all summer. If I can change diapers and wipe boogers all day, I suppose I can touch slippery little fish bait!

One morning after Tory's whining had become too much to bear, we switched gears and flew a kite on the lake. I saw this idea somewhere last year and thought it was a perfect chance to use one of the many kites we have collecting dust in the closet. Kite flying from a boat = open air, no trees and ready-made wind.

Fun times! She loved it.

Quick Takes: Purging All The Things; Sleep; Hair; Summer & Milestones

1. I've devoted every ounce of my free time this week to The Great Purge of 2015. A huge spring cleaning bug bit me hard and nothing in our house is safe. I was tired of cringing each time I opened the storage room door, or my bedroom closet for that matter. Now, I'm riding the high of organization in our home.

Purging *stuff* comes easy for me. Don't need it. TOSS. Haven't worn this in a while. GONE. I purged at least 50% of the clothes in my closet, cleaned the refrigerator top-to-bottom and spent an entire afternoon sorting through 16 totes of girl's clothing in the past two weeks. (I still have 10 totes of boy's clothes to go through.) It feels amazing to see a space once cluttered with items now clean and orderly.

Though, I'm quickly learning finding a new home for all our unwanted clothing, household items and baby gadgets takes devotion. I equate it to doing laundry: washing, drying and even folding aren't the hard parts for me; it's the actual putting away of the laundry that takes the most effort. I could do load after load of laundry during the day but unless I put the clothes away in their correct places, it's only transferring chaos from the hamper to the top of the bedroom dresser.

Of course, dropping items off at a donation center is easy enough -- just drive up and toss everything in a bin -- but for some reason, knowing someone else would benefit and enjoy our gently used items (specifically baby things) made liquidating items a much easier pill to swallow.

First, I decided to give consignment stores and the local Facebook garage sale site a try and I'm here to proclaim -- those venues are a true test of time and patience. It's no easy feat loading up the car and driving to a consignment store, then hauling everything inside with two little kids in tow. Some stores let you come back the same day to collect your items and/or money earned, but that means 2+ trips in one day. As any parent knows, it's asking a lot to make multiple stops anywhere in one day with kids along. I can't decide if the Facebook garage sale site is much better. I can meet someone in a parking lot and transfer my sale items without removing the kids from their car seats, but all the back and forth with buyers about meeting times, price haggling and no-shows are quite maddening. A friend on Instagram suggested donating baby items to a pregnancy and family resource center in South Minneapolis, so I finally did. I love that my gently-used baby things will breathe new life with someone who really needs them. A much better solution than being piled up in our basement, that's for sure.

2. News flash -- Aden still wakes up most nights. Not breaking news? It's been on-going for 17 months now? Heh. Typically, he wakes up around 2:00am every night and if I give him a few ounces of milk he'll go right back to sleep. I know he's capable of sleeping through the night at his age, but it hurts my heart to hear him cry ... especially when I can so easily make him stop and everyone can go back to sleep.

Two nights ago, Aden cried at 9:30pm, 12:30am and 2:00am. Tory called out shortly thereafter to use the restroom. I'd set my phone's alarm for 3:30am when I mistakenly thought Andi requested the wake-up time for his 6:00am flight. The alarm woke us both up at 3:30am and Andi asked me to reset it again for his correct wake-up time of 4:30am. I woke up when the alarm went off at 4:30am, and once more when Andi left the house at 5:00am. I couldn't fall back asleep after that, so I finally got up for the day at 5:45am. I AM TIRED.

That night was my breaking point. This has got to stop! It's time to sleep train Aden. His poor sleep habits are wreaking havoc on our entire family's daily life. I'm wide awake after his "usual" 2:00am wake-up many nights, and I cannot keep functioning on such broken sleep. I mean I can, I've been doing it for years now, but I no longer want to. My husband's been singing that tune for years...

Andi dangled a trip to Paris (all the heart emojis! and croissants! and wine!) in front of me if I'll sleep training Aden while he's traveling one week. It sounds dramatic, but I think he's serious. And, I mean, Paris! For that, I guess I can do anything. (If only Andi had realized sooner I was so easily motivated by carbs and wine).

So, Operation: Teach Aden to Sleep starts now.

3. Semi-related -- Aden's walking! He's really, truly walking now! Aden's known how to walk for a while now (for 6 weeks at least?), but always defaulted to moving around on his knees. It was the safer and reliable choice, I think. In the last two days though, Aden's been standing up and actually walking from place to place. Indoors and outdoors; in public places like down the hallway of Tory's preschool and between furniture in the comforts of home. I'm so proud of him! (And secretly wiping the sweat off my brow; looks like he won't be knee-walking off to college someday.)

4. I started running outside again. It's only been two days so I'm not demanding a gold star or anything, but I'm proud of myself for getting out there and doing it. It's no small feat pushing 54 pounds of children + a 32 pound stroller while I do it! I never thought I'd say this, but I actually enjoy running outdoors. It's refreshing to be in the sunshine and fresh air, and it gives Tory, Aden and I something to do together. Tory calls them "fun runs" and we stop at the park afterwards so they can run off some wiggles of their own, and I can catch my breath (ha!). It's a win/win for everyone.

5. I got a haircut last week, and I hate it.

My hair was the longest it'd been in a while, dusting past my shoulders. I scheduled a cut and color at the same salon I've gone to for years, but with a new-to-me stylist. She was the only slot available in the window of time I had available and how terrible could she really be I wondered?

I settled into the salon chair and showed her a picture of my vision. I asked for a new shade of color similar to my own, just a bit warmer, and an inverted bob haircut. It's a bit edgier than my usual style, but since my hair was longer than normal I thought it'd be a good time to go for it.

The lady worked on my hair forever. "A little bit more," I kept telling her. "No, more inverted like the picture," I repeated. Finally after a full three hours at the salon, I told her to wrap it up because I needed to relieve my babysitter. I knew the minute I walked out of the salon it wasn't my best cut, and that's an awful feeling when you a) spent a sizable chunk of money, and b) should walk out of any salon after an appointment feeling beautiful.

Later at home, I noticed an entire section of hair below my left ear was longer than the rest of the bob. I attempted to brush and style it a few different ways to see if the piece was truly longer or just some weird crimp. Nope - longer. A few days passed, real mom-life kicked in, and I went bug-eyed in the mirror every time I'd catch a glimpse of my hair. Not only was my hair a little longer in one spot, but the tips of the inverted bob looked like wings sticking out from my ears when I'd tuck my hair behind them. That was to no fault of the stylist; just the nature of the haircut I'd requested. I called the salon and asked for another appointment to fix the stylist's mistake in missing a section of my hair, and thought she could even out my inverted bob during the same visit.

She did, and now I have a regular / average / nothing special / short bob haircut. This Jenny McCarthy style is the cut I usually wear, but now my hair's length is too short to achieve it. Sigh. I think what I really wanted was an edgy, textured bob and now I have to wait a few weeks until my hair grows enough to get there.

Alright -- it doesn't look that bad in this photo, but trust me. It's very meh.

6. Summer's a few weeks away, and I'm excited! I know some parents stress about having their kids home every day, but I love the un-structure. I signed Tory and Aden up for swimming classes one weekday morning. Otherwise, I'm keeping our calendar open for plenty of play dates at the park, picnics, free summer concerts and trips to the zoo. The kids and I are traveling to Nebraska to visit my family one week, and I'd love to squeeze in a trip to Kentucky to visit my friend Lindsey if time allows. Andi's traveling a bunch this summer and even that isn't getting me down. Bring on the sunshine, warm weather and cabin life! It's my favorite time of the year.

May Day Baskets

Friday was May Day and Andi, Tory, Aden and I celebrated by delivering May baskets to our friends at the lake. I modified tradition a bit and mailed some goodies to loved ones living out of state, too.

It's fun memories like May Day when I truly appreciate how special my childhood was. I remember my mom standing in the kitchen of our 28th Street house helping my sister and I fashion toilet paper rolls and disposable cups into handmade May Day baskets. Then, we walked to houses in the neighborhood and left the baskets on front porches for our friends to discover. We'd ring the bell and run away, hoping the recipient wouldn't catch us (or kiss us!), as true May Day tradition dictates.

Delivering May Day baskets this year went a little differently. Most of our cabin neighbors were home, so we capitalized on the opportunity and stayed for a beer. It was Friday at 5 o'clock, after all!

Tory helped me make two types of May Day baskets this year. For our out-of-town friends and family, we used empty toilet paper rolls, wrapping paper, ribbon and treats to assemble cute "candy" baskets.

At first, I had Tory stuff Tootsie Rolls and taffy into the toilet paper rolls, but the candies kept falling out when we tried to wrap the rolls in paper. We quickly learned it was easier to wrap the empty toilet paper rolls first, tie one end closed, drop the candies inside, then close it with a second tie.

I printed free Happy May Day tags from Pinterest, cut them out, and had Tory write her name on the back side of each one. Nothing fancy; just a homemade treat to say SPRING IS HERE!

We used disposable cups, stickers, pipe cleaners and construction paper to make May Day baskets for the cabin neighbors. I let Tory decorate the outsides of the plastic cups with stickers, and I glued the Happy May Day printable tags onto each one. Next, I used a hole punch in the tops of each cup to make openings for a pipe cleaner handle. Tory and I cut out flower shapes from construction paper and poked Dum Dums suckers through the center of each one. Finally, we filled each cup with white cheddar popcorn and stuck the flower suckers into the center. 

Our cabin neighbors were so surprised by our May Day baskets deliveries. One neighbor posted a picture on Facebook saying how appreciative she was of our thoughtfulness and good memories of years gone by.

My heart sings with happiness as I carry on my childhood traditions with Tory and Aden. I hope they'll always remember the fun times we had sitting around the dining room table doing projects together, and how simple acts of kindness can brighten the days of others. Happy May Day!

17/52: A Weekly Photo Series

We discussed sibling relationships in the parent portion of Tory's preschool class this week, and it made me thank my lucky stars for having children who get along so well with one another. Several parents asked for recommendations on ways to combat sibling rivalry while I sat idly by having nothing to contribute and feeling thankful I have yet to tackle that particular parenting hurdle. (Yet is the operative word; I'm sure my time is coming.)

Tory and Aden play really well together, and I think Tory is a big reason why. She welcomes Aden into her imaginative play, and doesn't get upset when he knocks over her elaborate dollhouse set-ups or messes up toys in her room. It'll be interesting to see how the dynamic changes as Aden grows older. Will he share his toys with Tory as nicely as she shares with him? Will he be more of a biter / hitter / kicker / pusher when Tory was never any of those things? Only time will tell, I suppose.

I'd like to think their loving behavior toward one another has something to do with my superior parenting techniques, but I doubt that's the case. Tory has always played well with others. I'm hoping Aden takes cues from his big sister.

This photo of the two of them snuggled up on the couch together was completely unprompted. Tory was quietly watching a show, and Aden crawled up and laid his head on her belly. It's so sweet how much these two love one another.

And, I am just over the moon about them.

Life Before Blogging: How We Met

I came across some old photos, and thought it might be fun to write about my favorite memories in the days before Live Inside My Bubble blog. I can't count the number of times I've looked back in my archives to remember what I did for my birthday last year, or to relive amazing vacations of the past. I love how my blog is the living diary of our life -- from a newly engaged couple in 2009, to new parents in 2011, to a family of four in 2013. I have only my memories and a few books of photographs to help me recall the 20+ years of life before I started writing everything down. So like everything these days, I want to document those old memories here to 'preserve them' in diary form. My brain is fuzzy on many of the details, but time marches on and that won't get any better. If nothing else, trips down memory lane are fun to remember.

Here's the story of how Andi and I met:

It was 2004, and Andi and I both worked for the same energy drink company. He was a marketing manager in Minnesota, and I held the same position for North & South Dakota. We were both in our early 20's and living the dream really, with little responsibility and awesome (super easy!) careers to boot. At the time we thought parts of our jobs were tedious or difficult, but looking back OMG we had it made in the shade. Most of our co-workers were also in their 20's and 30's, and the company culture breathed excitement.

In August of that year, managers from our regional area traveled to Denver for business meetings. I was fairly new to the position and hadn't met many of the out-of-state managers yet. Andi introduced himself to me on the 16th Street trolley as we both rode the bus to our downtown Denver office. I'm not sure how he identified me as a manager in the company and not some random girl on a bus, but I do remember exactly what he was wearing (white button-down shirt, light wash boot-cut jeans) and how easy it was to talk with him. Of course, part of our conversation was about my then-boyfriend which Andi teases me about to this day. If only fate would've jumped out and slugged me in the arm when it was clear I'd be embarrassing my future self!

During those few days of meetings in Denver, I watched as Andi lead our peers through his presence. He was the first one to step up and take charge of any situation -- from coordinating taxis at dinner to herding our group through the airport. When Andi spoke, people listened. He was smart and witty and genuine. I make him sound like some sort of work celebrity, but he really was inspiring! I completely adored him from the beginning.

This is one of my most treasured photographs of Andi from the first time we met. Flip phone, crisp white shirt, crazy long (for Andi) hair -- I love it all. Is it strange I want to reach out and touch that man in the photo? He gives me instant butterflies with so much anticipation for the wonderful times ahead.

One of our first photos together - August 2004

Andi and I were friends, teaming up for occasionally projects and events as we managed territories in bordering states. About a year later in the summer of 2005, we co-hosted a team-builidng event for our employees in Stillwater, MN. I think it may have been my first time visiting the Twin Cities.

It's funny to think about a time we didn't snap a million photos of the training exercises, our group dinners, the parties after hours. I wish I'd done a better job of transferring files between work computers back then as there has to be more photographs of those times.

Anyway... late one night during that meeting in Stillwater, Andi and I sat in the hallway between our two hotel rooms and talked into the early morning hours. He told me years later that he'd liked me then and I teased him for not making a move. Of course, we were both in relationships with other people at the time. 

That meeting sparked a deeper relationship between Andi and I. He mailed me burned CDs of Gavin DeGraw and Jack Johnson music to listen to in my home office, and our work conversations over the phone quickly transpired into multiple-hour personal chats.

By Halloween, Andi broke up with his then-girlfriend and by Thanksgiving I'd dumped my then-boyfriend. We didn't immediately start dating each other, but deep down Andi and I both knew there was something special between us.

Letters to Aden: 17 Months

Aden Boy,

You're 17 months old now! Nearly half-way to two years and gah!, your babyhood is flying by far too quickly. Though as bittersweet as it is to see you grow up, it's incredibly fun to watch you become a little boy.

So many all-boy characteristics are emerging, like your fascination with trucks and balls. Give you a truck and you're happy to push it around seemingly forever. You continue to love balls, and can spot one from any distance at the park or in those grocery store pens. "Ball! Ball!" you'll shout, until someone places it in your hards. You also love throwing things (balls, food; you name it) and say "throw" or "catch" before letting it fly.

You're quite the talker, and say about 20 words now. New words this month: catch, roll, eat, see, peek, Chlo (for Chloe the dog), poop, two, three, bubble and throw. Perhaps your favorite word these days is "see!" as you point to various objects. You love songs and sort-of hum the tunes to ABC's, the hello song from swimming class and Pat-A-Cake (that's where the word "roll" comes into play). You also love Tory's toy jukebox, and started dancing to the music by twisting from side to side. I'm afraid you may have inherited my (very uncoordinated) dance moves, buddy!

Still not officially walking, though you are becoming more confident in the skill. You're able to take 10-20 steps at a time when you want to, but would rather knee-walk from place to place as it's a safer and faster mode of transportation. I hope you start walking before summer or I'll need to purchase stock in pants and shoes! After an afternoon playing at the park, the knees of your pants and the tops of your shoes are super worn and dirty.

This month, you discovered how to climb things you shouldn't. Tory uses step stools and kid's chairs to reach items on the countertops, and you'll piggy-back onto her like a koala bear to get in on the action. You've also learned to pull yourself up onto the toilets and push the water spigot on the refrigerator door. Silly boy! Everyone tells me boys are more physical, so I'm certain this is only the beginning of your antics.

Lately, you've begun to express your opinion when something doesn't go your way (said otherwise, throw tantrums like it's your job!). You stiffen your body when you don't want to sit in your car seat, and do the body flop when I pull you away from somewhere you shouldn't be. It's hard not to laugh when you grunt like a bear with anger or frustration.

Never a dull moment with you, Aden. You hold the key to my heart and keep me on my toes. Love you with everything I've got.

XOXO,

Mom

Sunday Funday

What a fun, low-key weekend at the lake cabin. So very thankful for our family's little slice of paradise in Northwest Wisconsin.

Sunday was an especially lovely day as the sun shined brightly and temperatures warmed into the 60's. Andi completed several projects on our to-do list Saturday, so Sunday was all about family time.  After breakfast, the four of us hopped into the Ranger ATV for a long morning ride in the countryside. I suggested we scope out an area we don't normally explore near Horseshoe Lake, so that's just what we did. Andi spotted the most beautiful view of a bald eagle perched on top of a lone tree in the middle of a field. I teased him he wouldn't be able to capture the photo in an attempt to convince him to go back to the cabin and get the camera, but no such luck. It seems my reverse psychology tactics aren't as effective on my 34-year-old husband as they are on my three-year-old daughter.

Back at the cabin, Andi put the canoe in the lake for our inaugural ride of the season. The good news is, Aden is much more tolerant of his life jacket this year. The bad news is, he literally tried to jump out of the canoe and into the frigid lake water. The boy has no fear! When Aden discovered I wasn't going to let him plunge into the lake head-first, he screamed bloody murder all the way around the bay. I promptly asked Andi to drop Aden and I off at our dock, thankyouverymuch, while he and Tory enjoyed a nice, peaceful canoe ride around the lake.

I wanted to snap a photo of Aden throwing rocks off the dock while we waited for Andi and Tory to return, but I couldn't let go of his life jacket for even a second. He's going to be such a handful this summer. I'm counting down the days until the water's warm enough to let him play in it.

Thankfully, pontoon rides are much more enjoyable. The rails of the boat act like a pseudo-play pen for Aden. I have to be near him at all times, of course, but at least he's content to scope out the view and play captain on Andi's lap.

Tory's been a dream at the lake this spring. At 3 1/2, she's old enough to listen to and follow directions (like, staying clear of the water unless an adult is with her) and she's excited about anything and everything the season brings -- exploring the woods, first boat rides, hunting frogs, watering the grass, etc. She's going to have an awesome summer!

Slinging rocks into the lake with Dad -

Popsicles were a mandatory treat on such a warm spring day. Aden's cutting his top molars, so he especially loved the cold ice on his chompers. I had to laugh when the liquid stained his fair skin blue. 

  

It's increasingly difficult to drive home to the Twin Cities on Sunday afternoons. Love our little lake place so much, and counting down the days until we're back again.