Over The River And Through The Woods

To grandmothers house he went

After Reece decided to pants me in front of the Dr. I decided to send him to grandmothers house for a sleepover. It is really a win win, he gets 100% of his grandmothers undivided attention, cookies, pizza and anything else he could ever want and Celine, Sophia and I get a clean house and some peace and quiet.

Last night when Craig got home we were eating dinner talking about how quiet our house was. We were both in shock that removing Reece would make our house feel so still. Honestly it felt like someone else's house. It was meticulously clean and we actually were eating and talking to each other, so weird. Oh the days when we did not have a toddler. Celine feels like a dream. 

Now I know lately Reece has been getting a bad rap on this blog I don't want anyone to think I don't appreciate my spirited toddler, I do I promise. He is hilarious and his smile melts my heart. He is my first born and will always be my sunshine. I myself was spirited as a child so I appreciate his fire.

Reece likes to play secrets, you whisper things back and forth to each other. Usually they are things like "You don't eat feet silly you eat pancakes". Then we giggle and it is the other persons turn. Well two nights ago after the whole "situation" Craig and Reece were playing secrets. Reece drew Craig in and whispered in his ear "Mommy tells me to clean up and I say no Mommy I don't clean up you do". He then looked at Craig with a mischievous grin and laughed.

Spirit I tell you

I love that little rascal, someday I am going to be happy he has all this personality and passion.

Eating Orange Smiles 

Playing Superhero's

Being a Great Big Brother

Growing Magic Beans

I love you my spirited little boy, I thank God for the gift he gave me in you. 

Baby Book Comparison

For each of our children I have started a baby book, being the third child whose baby book was never filled out it is important to me  that they both have one. I do my best to keep it updated but I will admit I have guesstimated some of their milestones, shh don't tell. 

For Reece we bought him an album from Fresh Outtakes. 

For Celine we bought her an album from Ruby Love

Between the two I like the one from Ruby Love better, I can't really tell you why...I just do. 

Much Better

Carpets in, house is clean, we are ready to go!

Today kicked my ass

• Two sick kids
• One fever
• One case of croup
• Two nights of four hours of sleep
• Carpet installation so the cleaners can come and we can take pictures for our home sale.

That's what I was working with at 3:45AM when my day started...

• 3:45AM: Reece starts calling for Craig and I, crying, coughing telling us he sounds like a sea otter.

• 4:30AM: Reece is back to sleep, I lay my head on the pillow.

• 4:45AM: Celine wakes up, she's hungry.

• 5:45AM: I lay my head back down on the pillow.

• 6:00AM: Alarm goes off, Craig's in the shower, Reece wakes back up. He's now up for the day.

• 8:00AM: I had the mobile Dr. come to the house today to check both kids out. Reece threw the monster of tantrums, I had to hold him down so the Dr. could listen to his lungs. Celine was screaming her head off in the background. After the tantrum the Dr. looked at me and said Wow...two seconds later as the Dr. was checking Celine Reece started feeding Sophia our dog cheddar bunnies, she bit him. My dog bit my child in front of a doctor and was now screaming his head off. We quickly checked, she didn't break skin so we went back to checking on Celine. Reece is a snotty mess crying holding onto my legs while I hold Celine. The Dr. gives me all the instructions, writes a prescription and as I am thanking him for coming Reece pulls my pants down to my knees. The Dr. said he would let himself out, I think he left the room and started running. I put Celine down and pull my pants back up. It is 8:30AM.

• 10:00AM: Feeding Celine, Reece ran outside. He does this sometimes and runs around on our deck so I waited a couple minutes kept feeding Celine. Finally I go outside he is naked in the front yard spraying himself and his clothes with the hose. He sprays me, laughs I grab him and bring he back to the house kicking and screaming. He wakes the sleeping baby up who starts screaming.

• 10:30AM-5:30PM: The carpet installers were supposed to call between 8-10, 10:30 I call them. Confirmed the guy has the carpet and is on his way. Side note this is the forth time they have come out, this has been going on since November. Previous errors on their part (no show installers, incorrect carpet, damaged furniture) today was supposed to be the day it was going to finally be over. 12:30 haven't heard from anyone call them back, oops when I called early they messed up they weren't on their way we weren't even on the books? This continued on for several hours, finally the guy is on his way it is going to happen today! Nope, he gets here and tells me he doesn't know why they sent him he can't get the job done alone. They will be back tomorrow morning at 6:45AM so they can get it installed and be out of the cleaners way by the time they get here at 10:00AM.

• 6:00PM: Craig walks in the door and asks me what's for dinner. I just laugh and pour the wine...

Focus: the people you love have life, you have wine, the bachelors on tonight.

Oh how bad I wish my today looked like this instead.

Everyday Beauty Line Up

I have a handful of products I use almost everyday. Some are drugstore some are pricey but they are pretty tried and true. I often try other things out but all of these have been a top favorite for at least a couple years.

Pangea Organics Chapstick

This chapstick is a little pricer then your average blistex but is is twice the size and super mousterizing. If you are someone who uses chapstick daily buy one you will love it. It is also made a high quality ingrediants which I appriciate.

Clarisonic Skincare Brush

If you dont have one save your money, ask for it as a gift, buy one. It is an investment in your skin and your future and hands down one of the best beauty investments I have made.

Mabeline Great Lash

I have been using this since I started wearing mascara, I simply love it. The pink and green packaging was originally created in 1971 by then up-and-coming designer Lilly Pulitzer. Great Lash is still the #1 selling mascara in America with over 20 million tubes sold each year. To break that down even further a tube of Great Lash is sold every 1.7 seconds in the U.S.

Vanicream Sunscreen

I have been wearing sunscreen daily for about seven years and only use vanicream on my face. My dermatologists recommended it to me, it is cheep and works great.

Laura Mercier Eyelash Curler

This eyelash curler is super compact, I used to travel alot and hated jamming my old curler into my bag. This one keeps your lashes curled all day long, is tiny and has a storage spot for your backup pads. Another good investment at only $16.00

La Mer Moisterizing Cream

I will be the first to tell you I have a love hate relationship with this cream. It is literally the only face cream that doesnt make my skin break out in dry patches. I think they secretly put something in it that makes you skin addicted to it so you can't quit it. I always go back, its been going on for almost a decade.

Kerastase Masquintense

I have been using Kerastase on my hair for about six years, I also use brands I pick up at PCC with minimal ingrediants in them. I switch back and forth every couple washes. I also only wash my hair every three days or so, you have to trian your hair to need less washes but once you do it is well worth it. Kerastase's products are pricey but they last forever and I can honestly tell the difference in my hair when I haven't used them in a while. When I use their products I dont have to get my hair cut as often so I save money there. If I was going to only buy one product from the line it would be the Masquintense, it is super mousterizing and conditions your hair really well. I usually buy their products when Gene Juarez is having their buy three products for the price of two, they do this every couple months.

Deborah Lipmann Nail File

Love this file, it lasts forever and does a great job.

Cetaphil Skin Cleanser

The only skin cleanser any skin type needs, my dermatologist and the kids peditrician have both suggested it to me. Been using it for years, you can pick it up at costco.

So there you have it, no links I am a lazy blogger but you can find them all with a quick bing search if you are intrested. Happy Friday

Milk Man

Reece quote "I am making you good milk baby sis, chocolate".

40% off

I love Gap for both Celine and Reece, good quality, decent price and practical. I never pay full price, NEVER, no need to there is always a sale. Gap will often do a thing where you get a surprise % off 10,20,30,40,etc. Usually 40% off is the jackpot, well I hit it this week and I am willing to share. Enter GAPSHOP at checkout and you can too (if it won't let you just call in your order). Ends 2/25 and is also good on sale.

How cute is their spring/summer stuff?! Now we just need some warmer weather...

You're welcome!

Intuition

Before I had Celine I had a lot of Moms with two little ones at home tell me I was crazy to pull Reece out of 3 day a week daycare. They scared me, I started doubting thinking he should stay home with us. But then I said the hell with their advice I could put him back in if I needed to. I felt like having him home was our new reality, things would get crazy but it would be fine. Well here we are half way through my leave 10 weeks and I don't regret keeping him home one second. Trust me it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows but we have figured it out and so far been just fine. I know I would have regretted sending him and honestly been bored. I forgot how much newborns sleep and as a second time Mom don't know what I do with just a baby (super annoying comment to first time Moms I know I get it and first time around I felt VERY busy, no offense meant).

Moral of the story:

Listen to your voice, trust your intuition and instincts. You can always fix things later if you need to.

Side notes:

T minus 5 days till our house goes on the market!

I need to hire a nanny, start date mid April, let me know if you know any good ones.

Day Date

This morning when Reece woke up I showed him on our iPad where we were going for the day, Twirl Cafe. He smiled and got excited then I told him we were going to meet Landin and her Momma, he jumped out of bed and said lets go. Just before we were heading out the door I told him to grab his hat (meaning his winter hat), he walked out of his room with his cowboy hat on. When we were driving there he told me Landin was going to like his hat. First crush, he tried to hug and kiss her before they even sat down for lunch.

Happy Love Day

Our First Dance as Husband and Wife

Be Mine: David Grey

From the very first moment I saw you
That's when I knew
All the dreams I held in my heart
Had suddenly come true
Knock me over stone cold sober
Not a thing I could say or do
'Cos baby when I'm walking with you now
My eyes are so wide
Like you reached right into my head
And turned on the light inside
Turning on the light
Inside my mind hey

Come on baby it's all right
Sunday Monday day or night
Written blue on white it's plain to see
That rainy shiny night or day
What's the difference anyway
Baby till your heart belongs to me

If I had some influence girl
With the powers that be
I'd have them fire that arrow at you
Like they fired it right at me
And maybe when your heart and soul are burning
You might see
That everytime I'm talking with you
It's always over too soon
That everyday feels so incomplete
Till you walk into the room
Say the word now girl I'll jump that moon hey

Come on baby it's ok
Rainy shiny night or day
There's nothing in the way now
Don't you see
Winter summer day or night
Centigrade or fahrenheit
Baby till your heart belongs to me
Thursday Friday short or long
When you got a love so strong
How can it be wrong now mercy me
Jumpin' Jesus holy cow !
What's the difference anyhow
Baby till your heart belongs to me

For Sale

Home is where you can say anything you like cause nobody listens to you anyway. ~Author Unknown

Home is where the heart can laugh without shyness. Home is where the heart's tears can dry at their own pace. ~Vernon Baker

A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless. ~May Sarton


We are putting our house on the market at the end of the month, we are ready to head to the suburbs and have more space. We will miss this place lots, over the last six years it has really turned into our home. Six years ago when we moved in we we're in our first year of marriage, we had no kids, traveled a lot and lived carefree. We bought our Seattle dream home by the water, we had lots of big ideas about what we were going to do to it. Six years later we have basically redone the entire house top to bottom. This home will always hold a very special place in my heart, I brought both babies home to it.

We have spent the last month preparing to put the house on the market. We have been spending every free second finishing up the last 5% of all of our projects we have done over the years, hiring contractors, window washers, landscapers, moving stuff to storage, staging. We are in the home stretch, still have lots to do but we are getting close. Things have been a little stressful trying to get all this done with a toddler and a newborn, I am trying to keep my eye on the prize, my list of next house must haves....

Our next home will be the third property we will have purchased, my list of musts is pretty particular this time. But first we have to sell this place which will be bittersweet.

Seattle Gymnastics Academy - Toddler Activity

We have started going to the Seattle Gymnastics academy in Columbia City weekly. It is by far the best toddler activity I have been to in Seattle (I feel like we have been to them all). If you haven't gone, go today I swear you and your child will love it. The Columbia City location is sparkly new, super safe and clean. Open gym is daily, yes daily Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 12:30 and 2:15 to 3:15 and Saturday s from 1:30 to 2:30. Best $6.00 I have spent on Reece. Age range for the open gym is 1-5.

Couple tips I have learned:

Bring a lunch for afterwards, my first time I noticed all the non-rookie Moms had done this. After playing so hard and finishing right at lunch time left Reece starving. I also now use it as a bribe to get him to leave without a tantrum and let him eat it in the car which also keeps him awake till we get home.

If you have two kids wear the younger one. You walk around with you toddler so wearing the younger one makes this easier.

Leave you cell phone in the car, pet peeve of mine. Don't be the person on their phone the whole time. Those people's kids always look so sad to me as their Moms/Dads/Nanny's are looking at Facebook updates on their phones.

Have something fun planned for nap time for yourself, this activity guarantees you a good nap. So be prepared for toddler free bliss afterwards.

Your first time buy a punch card, you will be back.

Your first time go early, it is kind of hard to find but my navigation took me right there. You also have to show them a copy of your child's insurance and fill out some quick paperwork.

Go: http://www.seattlegymnastics.com/columbiacity

Happy Two Months

You are still a pretty content little girl, you share lots of smiles with us, have started to coo quite a bit and have laughed a couple times.

Your brother is convinced that you smell like coconuts (I think this is from watching to much Jake and the Pirates) and that you need to be pat on your belly belly as he calls it all day long.

You love your swing and ergo still as well as your pacifier.

You HATE the car, which Reece and I have learned to ignore because we love to go on outings. 

You are sleeping through the night pretty consistently, you close your eyes at 8:00PM and usually wake up at 5:30AM! We are thankful that so far you are a good sleeper, knock on wood. You are particular about your sleep set up but we have it figured out for now. 

You require your Sleepmate 

and the swaddle combination of your Aden + Anais Swaddle

and your Summer Infant Swaddlepod

Sweet dreams little sis and happy two month birthday. 

Magical dishwasher

I have a special song I sing when I find little messes around the house. It goes a little something like this.

Magical dishwasher, I leave my dishes on the counter or in the sink and they magically get cleaned and put away. It's magic!

You can really insert any item in place of dishwasher: clothes, toilet paper roll, garbage, wet towel - you get the idea.

However my song doesn't seem to work? I think I need these little post it's.