Month: June 2014

A Nice Saturday

Lily woke up early to go to school where she made chicken and pork sausage, which she thought was disgusting.  She did, however, manage to enjoy being there.  At home, the girls slept-in until 9:00 which was great for me because I’ve been feeling very fatigued with my allergies kicking in.  When they woke up I fed them and then we played around the house and I fed them again. Abou that time Lily came home and we all ate together.  Mary then went down for her nap and Lily and Lydia plugged into their respective Ipads.

Lily has been absolutely hooked to Downton Abbey and Lydia wathes kids’ shows on netflix (Thanks Clark and Swathi!).  I can see why Lily is so hooked because I’ve watched some of it with her and it is really engaging.  I particularly like the character Mr. Bates.  Lily announced this evenening that she has watched a whole season of Downton Abbey in one day, which is true, although each seaon only has about six or seven episodes.

While Mary napped I made great progress on a personal writing project I’m working on and then we all got up and went to Costco.  We’ve wanted to go for months and we finally made it!  My favorite thing we got was our four pound case of strawberries, Yum!

Back at home we ate chicken, blueberries and chips outside for dinner.   Afterwords I took the girls to the park while Lily rested and watched more Downton Abbey.  I’m really glad she got to kick back today. She has so many demands during the week that she didn’t have any chance to recover from being sick. I hope the R&R she got today will help her get over her bug and be ready for the week ahead.

Pictures!

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Lydia has been eating at least three bannanas. This is the stash we bought to get us through the week!
Lydia has been eating at least three bannanas. This is the stash we bought to get us through the week!

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Discouraged by organized

I felt kind of discouraged today. I’ve been keeping track, and I went on antibiotics at the end of April/beginning of May because I had had a stuffy nose since January. After barely a month of reprieve, it feels like my sinus infection is back for good. I am trying not to feel depressed, especially since I know as trials go, this is pretty minor.

Abe didn’t have a great day either, and his allergies are hitting pretty hard.

I baked muffins with Lydia this morning and then it felt like we spent a lot of time eating outside at various times throughout the day. In the afternoon, Lydia begged to paint, so I took the girls to the basement so Lydia could paint. After that, I collapsed on the couch with the girls and watched Peter Rabbit until Abe came home–an hour early! Hooray!

We foraged for dinner and I disappeared to the basement to iron and get laundry done. When I emerged, I found Lydia sulking in her room after her seventh tantrum today (I counted), Mary playing with her binkies in her pack’n play, and Abe passed out on the floor. He mumbled that he’d hit a wall, and I took that as my cue to lie down (again) until we all decided it was time to do something with our lives.

Abe and I spent the rest of the evening organizing the girls’ clothes and sorting old/seasonally-inappropriate clothing into bins. We have been on an organizing kick lately, and it felt sooooooooo good to have that done.

When that project was done, it was already 9:40pm, and so we thought it wise to send our tired children to bed.

After Fablehaven, I am in the mood to get addicted to something again, so I think we’re going to watch Downtown Abbey now. I’ve never watched it and am really excited.

Here are a few pictures I took of Mary encroaching on Lydia’s territory:

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Fablehaven frenzy

I just finished the Fablehaven series, and I have to say, the author got better and better with each book. In the afterward, he says that himself. My mind is currently racing with the end-of-the-world battle, fairies, dragons, and all sorts of fun fantasy things, so it’s hard transitioning to what actually happened today.

Let’s see. I took the girls to the library for baby book club, and afterward the librarians gave all the kids ice cream. The girls ate theirs outside under the waterfall/fountain. I should have brought my camera because they were both pretty dainty about eating. Mary climbed on a chair, crossed her ankles, and licked pretty evenly. Every couple minutes she would extend a hand for me to wipe because the ice cream kept dripping down. Lydia loved being wiped down too, and I was so focused on them eating as cleanly as possible that I expended half a package of wipes to that almost impossible end.

After our library excursion, Mary took a nap while Lydia and I ate lunch. During her quiet time, I started finishing the last book of Fablehaven. Abe bought it for me yesterday when I found out that every single library copy in the entire system was checked out.

I struggled to control my temper again today with Lydia, but I keep praying for help. I feel like that’s helped me do a bit better on the front end and make faster, more effective repairs on the latter end, too. Today I definitely had repair work to do, but with God’s help (and with the frank forgiveness only three-year-olds can offer), it turned out okay.

After dinner, Abe took the girls on a walk to the playground while I read my book. Here are the pictures he sent me:

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HUGE thank-you’s to Candace, Clark and Swathi (after the mundane).

This is going to be a quick post because I am addicted to Fablehaven and am currently on the last book in the series. I want to get in as much as possible before Abe’s bedtime hits and we turn into pumpkins for the night, so a quick recap:

I took the girls to the library and grocery store. Lydia and I baked brownies and made lasagna. Ina came over for dinner, and we ate outside. I’m still sick.

Abe had another great day at work.

Here are the pictures:

Our air conditioning is not working again. I hope Mary doesn't get too hot in those leggings (I need to do laundry and sort her clothes to find her summer pj's!).
Our air conditioning is not working again. I hope Mary doesn’t get too hot in those leggings (I need to do laundry and sort her clothes to find her summer pj’s!).
Mid-chew, apparently.
Mid-chew, apparently.
After dinner I walked into Lydia riding her horsey who also happened to be singing "Step in Time."
After dinner I walked into Lydia riding her horsey who also happened to be singing “Step in Time.”
Mary got new squeaker sandals and is in love. She wears them all around--her favorite is to jump in them and make big squeaks!
Mary got new squeaker sandals and is in love. She wears them all around–her favorite is to jump in them and make big squeaks!

Also, I am officially the luckiest person in the world. My friend, Candace, (who, coincidentally should get a part-time job as a fairy godmother, or at least earn an official title like World’s Most Generous Friend) got me this amazing genealogy game her mother-in-law invented! I am working on gathering info on the ancestors we want to include. I can’t wait to play it! If you ever read this, thank-you and I love you, Candace!

As if that weren’t enough to put me over the moon, Clark called tonight and told me that for my birthday, he and Swathi are flying the girls and me out to New York the same weekend my mom is visiting them!! And it just happens to be the weekend Abe is flying solo to Puerto Rico to hang out with his college friends for a wedding. I was planning on staying at home to mope, but those plans just got happily interrupted. Another title that needs to be bestowed: World’s Best Brother and World’s Best Sister-in-Law. I love you, Clark and Swathi!!

….and back to the fate of the world (according to Fablehaven).

Sibling Rivalry

Abe blogging here trying to make things a little easier on Lily since she is still very sick.  She is so sick that she drove to school tonight before her class to take care of a financial aid appointment and tell her teacher she would have to miss due to illness.  Apparently her teacher was not so forgiving during their conversation because she ended up staying for all of class.  She definitely has less flexibility because of all the class she missed due to our trip.  But, she just got home and I’m happy to report she made it through!

During the day, Lily read book 3 of Fablehaven, ate cupcakes with the girls outside for breakfast (reminding her of a Bill Cosby skit about chocolate cake) and babysat for Sarah (who has the most well-behaved kids in the world).  During class she had her knife skills test and she passed!

As far as my day, work is going very well, but the pace is very dizzying.  It’s not just my pace, it’s the company’s pace.  We are trying to double revenue and staff every year.  I started 5 months ago when the company had 400 people and now they have about 500 people.  Everyone everywhere is running around working as fast as possible to try to make history at building an extremely successful tech company.  Our quotas are aggressive and there is literally no time to come up for air.  I absolutely love it, but today I felt the strain of the pace a little more than usual, I think possibly because my allergies were kicking in.

At home I played with the girls.  Lily and I have put a lot of thought and prayer into Lydia because she has been such an emotional and behavioral mess lately.  She cries all the time and refuses to do anything we ask.  The challenge for Lily and I is to know how to respond (and to have the strength to respond the ways we think we should).  Well, tonight I didn’t get any major epiphanies about how to help Lydia, but I think I learned what all of her distress centers around.  Do you remember a few blog entries ago when Lily mentioned how with Mary’s new rule that she only gets binkies in her crib, she climbs in there multiple times a day sometimes for hours?  Well she did that tonight.  She climbed in and proceeded to read a book for twently minutes while she joyfully sucked her binky.  At that point (with Mary effectively removed from existence, trapped in her crib), Lydia became the most angelic well behaved girl.  She’d say please and thank you and oblige any time I told her we had to do something else or that play time was over.  I couldn’t believe it!  As soon as I retrieved Mary from her crib (she can climb in, but not out) Lydia resumed her screaming, crying and throwing toys.

I think I’m going to try to give Lydia a little Mary-free time each day.  I think she needs a little space!

Pictures!!!

 

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Lydia told me that she had a playdate with Nathan and he was very nice and she (Lydia) was super sweet
Lydia told me that she had a play date with Nathan and he was very nice and she (Lydia) was super sweet
Hannah talks really well just like Lydia and she's not even 2 yet!
Hannah talks really well just like Lydia and she’s not even 2 yet!

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Lily made the salad towards the front and spent the rest of the time on her knife cuts mid-term
Lily made the salad towards the front and spent the rest of the time on her knife cuts mid-term

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sick day and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!!!

Another sick day for me. I decided to skip school tonight in the hopes that by tomorrow, I’ll be a little better. I was better today than yesterday, so at least we’re headed in the right direction!

Because I was sick, we did not leave the house today. Thank goodness Mary took two naps! When she was awake, I spent a lot of time doing the usual: feeding the girls, reading to the girls, cooking with Lydia, baking with Lydia, and letting them play outside.

Well, Lydia didn’t play outside. She stayed in the front hall and screamed while Mary and I sat on the front stoop and examined ants and flower petals. I told Lydia she had to go potty before going outside, and she just didn’t want to. I probably should have relented, but I was not in the mood to clean up accidents, and she had gone so long without taking a trip to the bathroom that I felt sure she would have an accident if she didn’t go soon. Sometimes, I just don’t know how to handle Lydia–or I do know, but I don’t always make the most patient choice. It’s something I’m constantly praying on.

After Abe came home, we ate dinner outside, and then I retreated back to bed. The best thing about being sick is that I have recently become addicted to the Fablehaven  series, and even though I’m having trouble breathing and feel feverish, I forget all that while reading. The first book wasn’t great, but each book seems vastly better than the last.

I only took one picture today:

The girls spent quite a bit of time watching the garbage trucks this morning. There was also construction on the street, so that occupied them while I devoured Fablehaven (and took a picture). When I was little, we lived in Rome, and my dad made a big deal about the garbage trucks. We used to gather on the porch and cheer "refuti!" at the trucks whenever they came by. This felt kind of full circle--the girls thought the garbage trucks were some kind of parade.
The girls spent quite a bit of time watching the garbage trucks this morning. There was also construction on the street, so that occupied them while I devoured Fablehaven (and took a picture). When I was little, we lived in Rome, and my dad made a big deal about the garbage trucks. We used to gather on the porch and cheer “refuti!” at the trucks whenever they came by. This felt kind of full circle–the girls thought the garbage trucks were some kind of parade.

Also: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!!! My dearest, sweetest grandmother turned 96 today. We love you so much, Grandma! Sloppies!!!! (That’s an inside joke…)

Sunny Sunday

If I have to be sick, I want every day to be like this. It was sunny and glorious, and even though I spent most of church feeling miserable and so sorry for myself, the rest of the day was terrific. Thanks to Abe’s efforts and the kids’ long naps, there was lots of down-time. I even started reading the next Fablehaven book, and it’s proving to be much better than the first one.

Here are today’s pictures:

We ate dinner outside again. It was so nice I forgot I was sick for a little bit.
We ate dinner outside again. It was so nice I forgot I was sick for a little bit.

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I was sitting at the table eating and marveling at how green everything is. I just love, love, love verdant scenes.
I was sitting at the table eating and marveling at how green everything is. I just love, love, love verdant scenes.
Lydia still has not figured out how to glide on her balance bike, but that doesn't stop her from walking around on it.
Lydia still has not figured out how to glide on her balance bike, but that doesn’t stop her from walking around on it.
Abe was dying to trace the girls' outlines and color them in, but the girls were scared. So he finally begged us to trace him. Here's Lydia coloring Abe's outline.
Abe was dying to trace the girls’ outlines and color them in, but the girls were scared. So he finally begged us to trace him. Here’s Lydia coloring Abe’s outline.
And then she danced on it.
And then she danced on it.
Abe felt proud.
Abe felt proud.
Whenever Mary wants praise, she just folds her arms like she's going to pray. We all go nuts.
Whenever Mary wants praise, she just folds her arms like she’s going to pray. We all go nuts.
After all the fun with Daddy's outline, Mary wanted in.
After all the fun with Daddy’s outline, Mary wanted in.
And, of course, so did Lydia.
And, of course, so did Lydia.
Then it was chase outside.
Then it was chase outside.

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Then we returned inside and wondered how to spend the rest of the evening. At that very moment, who should call but Clark and Swathi! We Skyped with them for an hour. That’s always a highlight of my week. As soon as we said good-bye to them, the doorbell rang. It was Suzanne!

Suzanne came over for a visit.
Suzanne came over for a visit.
The girls both wanted turns on her lap.
The girls both wanted turns on her lap.
Mary spent approximately an hour picking out cards from our various piles, sorting them, and handing them to all of us.
Mary spent approximately an hour picking out cards from our various piles, sorting them, and handing them to all of us.
Handing Suzanne a card.
Handing Suzanne a card.
Returning from card distribution duty with a sense of satisfaction.
Returning from card distribution duty with a sense of satisfaction.

And I have Suzanne to thank for the decongestants I am about to take. Here’s hoping for a great night’s sleep!

Tofu nuggets and more Saturday adventures

Today I dragged myself to cooking school, only to discover I was the only one there (at first). That meant I got to choose what I wanted to do, so I opted to make tofu nuggets. I love the kind that Trader Joe’s makes, but I’ve always assumed they were so synthetically crafted that they’d be impossible to reproduce. After today, I’m encouraged! My nuggets weren’t at all what you get at Trader Joe’s, but I think if I add some things (quinoa flakes? different kind of miso? Extra firm tofu?) they might taste a bit closer.

Here are mine:

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When I got home, the girls ran to meet me.
When I got home, the girls ran to meet me. It was so sweet! I just loved coming home to these people/this picture.
I think I startled them by whipping out my ready camera. Next time I think I'll just run to them and give them hugs instead.
I think I startled them by whipping out my ready camera. Next time I think I’ll just run to them and give them hugs instead.
Eating the garbanzo beans I brought home from school.
Eating the garbanzo beans I brought home from school.
Again, Mary ran to me to give me a hug, and I pulled out the camera on the poor thing. I need to stop doing that, but she's just so cute!
Again, Mary ran to me to give me a hug, and I pulled out the camera on the poor thing. I need to stop doing that, but she’s just so cute!
We had an Amazon Local deal to The Blue Nile, and Ethiopian restaurant. Since we were out and about, we ate there for dinner.
We had an Amazon Local deal to The Blue Nile, an Ethiopian restaurant. Since we were out and about, we ate there for dinner.
Mary was so hungry she started eating the menu.
Mary was so hungry she started eating the menu.
Um, YUM.
Um, YUM.
Beets are a Darais family favorite. We had to order the kids extra.
Beets are a Darais family favorite. We had to order the kids extra. (Good thing they happened to be wearing pink!)
More beets!
More beets!
We are going through a Christian rock phase. Abe came home a couple months ago and wanted me to listen to "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus. I pulled up the YouTube video and was so appalled that we let that kind of garbage into our house that Abe swore off pop music completely. In its wake, he has listened to nothing but Christian rock. It has been the greatest thing ever for all of us! I feel the same kind of evangelical enthusiasm I felt when I was a teenager--a kind of high on God that is, at times, hard to recapture.
We are going through a Christian rock phase. Abe came home a couple months ago and wanted me to listen to “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus. I pulled up the YouTube video and was so appalled that we let that kind of garbage into our house (we have young girls in our home!!!) that Abe swore off pop music completely. In its wake, he has listened to nothing but Christian rock. It has been the greatest thing ever for all of us! I feel the same kind of evangelical enthusiasm I felt when I was a teenager–a kind of high on God that is, at times, hard to recapture.

Also, a HUGE shout-out to Abe for organizing the whole house today, top to bottom. We’ve been team-tagging this project ever since we got back from our trip, but yesterday and today I’ve been out of commission. Abe did an amazing job organizing everything, and the house looks absolutely incredible. Thanks, Honey! You are the bestest best best!!