And on and on

Still working my way through floral classes. Loving it, finding myself inadequate, wishing I had more opportunities to practice....



My teacher said that teaching a 2-session class for 24 students is a flower order equivalent to a wedding for 500 guests. Her wholesaler loves it when she's teaching.

Can I just say...

...that I'm thankful for these lilies?

They were left over from my ikebana class on Tuesday, and they've made themselves at home in the bathroom. They look terribly out of place on the tiny corner of countertop in the most run-down and dated of all our rooms, but they are masking the smell of mystery-misplaced little-boy-pee very nicely. I'm coming to the realization that I'll be living with that smell for a long, long, long time yet. I may need to start buying lilies wholesale.

whelmed

The only time of day my brain churns in an authorly way is after midnight when I'm tossing in bed. Then I think of any number of witty insights to share, and by morning they've vanished and get trampled on by our clunky morning routine. (The one where we try to all be dressed by noon.)

Sighs, all around. There are so many stereotypical young-mom ruts I find myself in that my pre-parenthood-self balked at. I had no.idea.whatsoever.


(Yeah I know - the bink... we're working on it. But the kid's discovered his agency.)

Mr Renn has been given a new church calling with the youth in our stake, and it's proving to be one highly saturated with late evening meetings. What a difference it makes when he's gone - wow.

I've been keeping myself occupied with making baby food, spending 2+ hours in waiting rooms (graham's post-op appointment plus govt aid office), Christmas shopping, purging all the corners of my home of things not worth moving with us in nine months, trying to peel the Captain from my body in the height of his separation-anxiety phase, forever finding the refrigerator and freezer open (despite the multiple child locks on both), and occasionally staring at blank walls for extended periods of time.

I think I need one of those Calgon take me away/Dove moments .... if only they really existed.

On letting the boys play legos with their dad

Mr Chipper

The Captain makes a happy noise when he's so proud for having pulled himself up to standing. It seems to holler, "Mom, Mom, look what I can do! Isn't it wonderful?"
He's also in full-on clingy/moody mode. It's always something, isn't it.

Who says dress-up is for girls?

Costume found at Homegoods for $7.

In which I am a Nerd with a Captial "N"

We are guilty of accruing copious quantities of dried herbs and spices. It has sort of snowballed out of control, but that problem is beside the point.
The problem was how to manage it all. We've tried several methods of organization (alphabetized, sweet/savory, etc.) but with all the different container sizes and shapes you pretty much had to remember what you had and where it was.

After I bought a triplicate of marjoram I decided I had to come up with a better solution.
I ordered uniform glass jars and lids at Container and Packaging Supply
and these spice labels on clearance from MS Crafts.
There is nothing so exhilarating as a box full of clean, new, glass bottles waiting to be filled.

And I filled 2 grocery bags with empty containers to drop in the recycling bin.

It took me about 2 1/2 hours, but we are now well on our way to avoiding duplicate spice purchases. Wahoo!

skimming the surface

Wow - sorry.
Been doing the baby's first ear-infection thing.

Don't you wish you were me?
Luckily it's clearing up just in time for me to not have to miss my ikebana class tonight.
If I can stay awake through it..... I've had 4 very rough nights in a row.

Ciao Buddy

Sir O had his first day of joyschool yesterday.

I have no idea how it went, but I do know that when he was being picked up he was throwing a fit because he wanted to stay home, and that when he was being dropped off her threw a fit because he didn't want to come home. And I know that I sent him off with honey-mustard smeared all over his face from lunch because I'm a space cadet. So there... I can't win. And the Captain's eyes aren't really possessed....

Maybe next week he'll be remotely excited. Maybe we'll have to take 2nd week of school photos instead of first day photos... they're bound to turn out better.

But MOM.....

I seem to be having a lot of those moments where the more work I put into my kids having fun, the less fun they have. I never learn.

Wearing our matching raincoats and going for a late night puddle jumping? - Apparently not fun.


Building a giant spiderweb? Hugely un-fun. (Yawn) Although demolition proved more amenable.


Someone's been watching too much Sid the Science Kid.



So, the mystery ever remains, what WILL they like?

coping

Warning: gross photos ahead.... of my face.

But first, Sir O survived another Dentist appointment, coming away 4 dinky plastic dinosaurs richer.


Potty training is going about like this..... his head was stuck and it took almost 15 minutes to get it off. I suppose this is the part where I quit and try again in a few months?


The Captain has sprouted some more teeth on the top. He likes to bite me with them. He also likes to chew on shoes... that can't be good.


AND.....

I have a huge wacko abscess on my chin. Whenever it gets bumped I am literally blinded by the pain. You wouldn't believe how high-traffic an area the chin of a mommy can be. Antibiotics don't seem to be helping.... I want to curl up in a ball and cry until it goes away. But instead of going away it keeps getting bigger and bigger and more painful. Wah.


Yeah, I thought you'd want to know......

Longwood on Labor day

I am going to miss this place, more than any other out East. Today was a gorgeous mild, overcast gift. Everything smelled lovely, the breeze was like lying on fresh sheets, and there were strolling jazz musicians. Perhaps heaven could take notes?


Gargantuan mums - as big as the Captain's head.


There was a special display/competition for arranging with vegetables going on. - Sir O was all kinds of excited over this corn/chandelier installation.



It was a good day for picking out favorite plants. I took lots of photos and notes. I also let it sink in a little how much Longwood's extensive plant collection must have cost; plus the manpower required to maintain it, wow.




The boys were reasonably well behaved; it's all I can ask.





And yet again the star of the show was the garden railway. I think I sense a "boys and their toys" hobby coming on.



More of our day at Longwood here.

Morris, an out

I'm so behind here, I feel terrible.
But as nearly everyone who sees me with both kids in action comments, I must be busy.
I hate that comment; mostly because it's such a massive understatement.
(And blogger keeps compressing my photos into pixely bits, so I'm trying flickr, which I realize isn't always friendly with all computers)



So, I'm skipping everything I'm behind on and sharing our outing to Morris Arboretum yesterday. (I'd never heard of an arboretum until I moved to PA, {probably because there are about 1.5 species of trees that grow well in Utah} but now they're one of my favorite things) Other than some oppressive heat, worry about the Captain's fair head in the sun (can't keep a hat on him for anything), and a few Sir O biggie-sized tantrums it was lovely.


I consistently have copious amounts of gushing over the Captain wherever we take him. Probably 1 in 5 people who see him stop to comment on his cuteness. I am pleased as punch, but wonder where his fan club is come 3am, when I could put them to work.


Do you think this kid might have issues with pushing limits? I almost wanted him to fall in so he'd learn his lesson. The hard way seems to be the only way he learns lately.


We never have much success with the camera-on-a-timer + small children combo.



The draw of the entire place was the toy garden railway. Sir O just about outdid himself with delight. Keeping him off of the actual displays and keeping his hands off of the trains, well - again I was busy.




Our absolute favorite was the Pennock Garden, the colors and the formal-linearity of it was insanely gorgeous. Lots of ideas churning in our little garden-deprived brains.

See more of our arboretum adventures here.

oops

Didn't quite mean to disappear like that. The way I've been writing lately I doubt I was missed.
I've had a hard time making my brain work during my discretionary time.... plus our internet's been down since Wednesday.

Sir O has started carrying the Captain around by his armpits or ankles. I'm not allowed to blink or he's liable to be dragging him off to some corner. This morning Sir O got the captain out of his highchair while I was doing the dishes. Scared.me.to.death.

I'm learning that I have to be a meaner mom if I'm going to teach this child anything. Bummer. {He "painted his nails" with his watercolors last night... go figure}Gearing up for my Ikebana class next week, continuing the eternal quest for balance in maintaining my home, and just now remembering that I left a load of towels downstairs in the laundry room... ciao!