Save it for Sunday | 8.26.18

My first week of many upcoming that I am running the circus solo. As the icing on the cake, my annual bout of allergy induced laryngitis has struck. Thanks a lot ragweed for my barely there voice. It makes communicating with Eloise and Harvey a real hoot. As it turns out my mom voice is a lot less effective at a whisper level. Eloise told me I sound like a sick mouse. Next week brings three of our most favorite things in the world: fall (I bust out all the pumpkins on the first of September), Michigan State football, and Grandma Sue! I think I can, I think I can...

Real life Sunday

The Highlights

In college I nannied in the summer full time for a fabulous family. Madelyn, Lilly, and Gloria were 6, 9, and 11 when we first met. My summers were never short on laughs, and thanks to their dad Larry, we have stayed very close. He moved mountains to make sure they could be at our wedding, and he is always rearranging schedules to see us during every Michigan visit. We were thrilled that they decided to spend their end-of-summer vacation with us in Colorado. We hiked, we brunched, we explored the zoo. We saw Garden of the Gods, shopped in Manitou Springs, and dined at the Broadmoor. The standard Colorado Springs tourism was great, but above all I loved our down time together at home. I got to sleep in every morning. Madi got up to play with my early bird Harvey before I even heard him wiggling in his crib. Larry spoiled Eloise with some late night cookie baking. Then he spoiled me by baking another batch the night before they left to make sure I was well stocked. It was glorious to have so many hands willing to wipe snotty noses, buckle car seats, cut restaurant food into bite sized pieces, fill my gas tank, etc. The list could go on forever. I am endlessly grateful when guests are not only easy to host, they are truly helpful. At dinner one night we got to talking about what the girls have been up to and what they have going on this fall. We talked about Madi's upcoming trip to Africa to teach. She will be spending Christmas Day there and does not know anyone going. We watched videos of Lilly's routine on the uneven bars on the gymnastics team. She didn't have a spring sport so she decided why not try something she had never done before? And Gloria talked about her nervous excitement starting her freshman year of high school. She has already been voted class president. These are some badass women! I am so proud of them and thankful for this time together. Just as I always hoped to serve as a positive role model in their young lives, I pray the three of them will continue to set the standard high and guide Eloise and Harvey to become as caring, intelligent, strong, and brave as they are.

Eloise had her last day of soccer on Friday, and it was parent participation day too. Once I got over the loss of my hour of relaxation sitting in the shade chatting with my friend with only one kid to corral, it was actually a blast. We played foxes and farmers and lava monster. I chased my little fox with a scrimmage jersey tail tucked into her shorts from one goal to another, all the while thinking, does this count as my cardio for the day? Eloise squealed with glee having me out on the field with her. Soccer truly was the perfect summer activity, but we are excited for our fall routine with scheduled school, dance, and library storytime to kick in after Labor Day weekend.

The Small Moments

Right before Brad deployed in 2014 we went on a little babymoon to Seaside, Florida. A seashell we found together on the beach sits now next to our bathtub as a perfect reminder of simpler times. Well this week Eloise discovered said shell. I told her of its importance and showed her how you can hear the ocean if you hold it to your ear. Life made. She is completely enamored and carries it around everywhere to tell anyone who will listen that I found it when she was just a tiny baby in my belly. It is really sweet, and love seeing her eyes sparkle with wonder when she has it held up to her ear. 

Quite by accident I have created a little side profit for myself. I started creating personalized onesies for friends as baby gifts after the one I made for Harvey turned out so cute. Now every time one of them posts a homecoming picture I have a handful of their friends messaging me about making and selling them. This week I finished and mailed out a few onesies as well as two sibling sets of shirts headed to Georgia, Texas, and Ohio. I am grateful people love what I make, and it is fun to see my creativity blossom from a hobby into something more. I am feeling kind of torn about it though. Brad and I had a big discussion about turning it into a real small business since the demand is there, but in all honesty, I already have a career I love. A few mom friends have opened up Etsy shops, and I see them working through every single naptime and spare waking hour to make them as successful as they are. If I wanted to make some extra money I would go back to a nursing job. I am choosing to stay home and appreciate my growing babies right now, and I think that is what I want to continue doing rather than adding in the stress and logistics of a small business. It is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. For now I think I will appreciate making them as gifts and on a small scale for friends of friends. Thoughts?

Our TV remote control of all things created some laughs around here this week. Whenever Harvey gets his hands on it he holds it up like he is taking a picture and says "CHEESE". Monkey see monkey do I guess? And then Eloise accidentally pressed the button that allows you to use voice control. We don't ever use this function, so she was surprised when a Siri-like woman's voice came through the speakers asking how she could assist us. Facing the TV as if she were greeting a new friend, here is what came next: "Oh! Hi! How are you? I'm Eloise. I'm three. What is your name? Are you having a good day?" I scooped my girl up into the biggest hug. She blows me away daily with her kind heart in the smallest, silliest, most random ways. 

The Ways We Grew

This week was full of exciting baby magic as our circle of friends here grew. On Friday afternoon Ashley brought over her anatomy ultrasound envelope with top secret gender news sealed inside. I did a little happy dance in my kitchen as the first to know their third baby will round out a tiny girl tribe for their family. All the bows and sparkles! I filled cupcakes with pink icing and delivered them back in time for a Facebook live gender reveal that evening. Literally as I was watching them bite into their cupcakes, my friend Sondra texted to say her husband was on his way over. Plans had been made for me to take care of her two oldest kids while she was in labor. Thundercats are go! Certainly not ideal timing as I was completely on my own after a busy week of company with FOUR crazy kids, and obviously Harvey decided it was the perfect time to spike a fever too. But I did it. We all lived to tell the tale. It was not pretty at times, I may have bribed everyone with donuts, but a picture text of brand new baby Theo at 4 am made up for it. That and Stephanie showing up at my door with an extra large iced latte. All in all I am thrilled to have been able to help. I predict an enormous amount of baby snuggles in my near future!

New favorite Harvey words: zoom, bath bomb, lunch, zebra, 'side (said over and over at the back door -- his request to go outside and play), Ruby.

The Eloise-isms

"A snoot is when you sneeze and a toot came out."

"Mom, that shirt is too wrinkly to wear to girls night." -- She wasn't wrong. Probably because my clean clothes sat in a heap for three days before I could get to folding them. I wore it anyways. After all, these are the friends who would just celebrate me for having clean clothes to wear. Period. 

 

One second after this was taken Harvey whipped me in the face with his pacifier. Ah yes, motherhood.