life with a toddler

weekend wrap up //

April 23, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

I would like to say that we have grand weekends full of fun and adventure. However, that truly is not the case. In fact, a wild weekend for us means an evening at Café O’Play and PJs by 8pm. For serious.

Let’s be real though — this is my life 99.9% of the time… and that .01% of the time? I’m faking being a functioning adult; I’m pretending to be a childless 30-something.

But this past Saturday we went balls to the wall, friends! Chad had to work so Moosh and I took an early morning trip to Columbus to see my sissy and my mama!

Sadly I have like ZERO pictures from our day — because wrangling a sleepy two-year old while flying solo is a LOT of work.

But here’s what we did:

We stopped at Starbucks and Target. Because, first, coffee; and second, because this mama didn’t anticipate 80+ degree weather. Thanks, Mimi, for running into Target and grabbing the first (yet, adorable) shorts/shirt outfit for Moosh. He looked very… dapper!
We checked out my sisters new place. Well, they aren’t moved in yet. In fact, they are in a temporary location because their new home is being built. But it was exciting to see that they had the foundation and basement done. Moosh loved walking around the property. He INSISTED on walking by himself… which made me very nervous. But he did great. Even though he did take a tiny tumble once.
Post-house visit we ventured to the North Market, where we found rockstar parking (thank GOD, cause let’s be real — I wasn’t going to walk a million years to visit this market — awesome as it may be). Here’s what we ate: Pretzel sticks from Brezel; Ari’s favorite bubble tea from Bubbles; lunch from Best of the Wurst; macarons + lavender shortbread from Pistacia Vera; and we rounded it out with a bag of amazing belgian waffles from Taste of Belgium.
It was basically a food coma. And it was LOVELY. PS. I didn’t eat all of the food at once; I definietely brought TONS of food home with me.
… and then I stopped at The Daily Growler, which is my JAM! Thank you for the CBC Bodhi, friends!
Moosh slept for the WHOLE RIDE HOME. That’s TWO WHOLE HOURS. He hadn’t napped in days; but he slept HARD in the car (thanks Mimi, Jimmy, and Shauna!).

Sunday:

We went to Café O’Play on Sunday to get some energy out of the Moosh. Turns out he kinda lost it shortly after we got there (Ohhhh, life with a toddler!). So we all went home for lunch and a nap — and we ALL enjoyed that 2 hour nap. Isn’t that the best thing about Sundays.
Last but not least, I cooked a delicious dinner, courtesy of Plated. Wrapped up a perfect Sunday!
Yes we are totally boring people. But that’s OK. 🙂

weekend wrap up //

April 14, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

Friday //

After a long day at work and a long day at the sitter for Moosh, we wound up at our favorite local indoor play place, Café O’Play, to try and burn off whatever energy he had left.

He had fun, but that quickly turned into a meltdown. So we headed home thinking the dude was just exhausted. And he was. So we put him to bed and Chad and I settled into bed to watch Going Clear on HBO. If you haven’t seen this documentary, go right now and watch it. Totally messed up!

Well Moosh never fell asleep. Like, he really wouldn’t. Three-plus hours of him talking in his crib. Finally at 11 PM, still wide awake and screaming “MOMMY!” from his crib, I ended up bringing that booger into bed with us. He finally fell asleep; we didn’t. That always makes for a fun night.

Saturday //

We slept in for as long as we could. But we had places to be! A couple of months ago I registered us for a visit and tour at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Moosh was ornery, considering he was running on a few hours of sleep. But he was a champ. He sat through a 35-minute “safety” discussion (which was mostly a discussion and powerpoint presentation on the history of aviation).

When we visited the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory — also known as the “Dome of Silence;” where they test noise-reduction methods for aviation. Chad was intrigued, Moosh was bored. Luckily the giant dome was sound resistant so everytime he yelled “MY CHOCOLATE MILK!,” which is his go-to crazy-pants, I’m-so-tired, phrase, very few people were interrupted from the tour.

It was definitely a really cool facility. But nearing the two-hour mark really put Moosh at his limit. We planned on grabbing a real sit-down lunch afterward, but we decided to just hit up Earth Fare. We needed to grocery shop anyway so we grabbed lunch first to calm the beast (aka – Moosh), and then did all of our shopping!

I seriously LOVE family grocery shopping. I love that time we spend time together planning meals and planning for our week. By the time we came home, we were well past a time to actually get Moosh to nap; so we all just relaxed for most of the afternoon. But I had a massage scheduled for 8PM. At first I thought “WHY in the WORLD did I schedule this for a time that is way beyond PJs-o’clock?!” but it really was exactly what I needed.

Sunday //

We slept in, thanks in large part for forgetting to bring the baby monitor to our room! Ha! Woopsie! It was a beautiful morning so we headed out to the Towpath Trail to get in a run/family walk! I ran for a few miles and caught back up with Chad and Moosh in the stroller. And I’d like to say that I made the most of the beautiful day, but in truth I cleaned the whole house and napped in bed for about 2 hours while Chad watched baseball. Perfection!

While Chad and Ari went back outside to play, I finished up the dinner that Chad started — taco salad bowls with Chad’s homemade cilantro slaw and avocado! Delicious!

You would think after a long weekend, short on sleep, Ari would be ready for bed at an early hour. But nope! He wanted to take a late-night trip with me to Target for a few odds and ends. Anyone out there deal with a 2-to-3 year sleep regression?? I’ve read a little about it, but I cannot figure out if that’s what this is!

It really was another fabulous weekend. And I couldn’t be happier. <3

life with a toddler // upgrading to a big boy room!

April 12, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

When we were prepping for Ari’s arrival some 3 years ago, we decided to turn our upstairs spare bedroom — the room right across the hall from us — into his nursery.

We painted, we prepped, we crafted, and we put all of the furniture together. Well, the best laid plans, friends. Cause we used the nursery for all of about 2 months (and those weren’t even the first months of his life) before we decided that his room really should be in the downstairs bedroom. It mostly had to do with it being a room with more airflow — cooler in the summer and easier to keep warm in the winter.

All of the decor and effort I put into his nursery? Well it’s all still in that room. Nothing other than furniture was moved down to his new room. And none of the things I crafted match the new room at all. Not even in the slightest.

So I’ve been slowly but surely making his new(ish) room his own. Ari is actually still sleeping in his crib (cause he hasn’t figured out he can climb out yet!), so the day he realizes he can get out of his crib is the day we officially ‘transition’ his baby room to a big boy room!

I’ve slowly been creating a more toddler themed room. And although I’ve jumped back and forth between Ari’s two favorite themes — choo choo trains and pirates — we’ve decided to stick to what he loves most: trains and transportation! Ha! Well, specifically trains. But this kid loves all forms of transportation. Seriously.

And what better time to make a change to his bedding than when we’re transitioning him to a big boy toddler bed??!! I know I won’t be able to avoid Thomas 100%, but having some train-neutral sheets and blankets would be awesome!

For me the one thing that really makes a room special are all of the little things, those special touches, that bring a room together. First up, I looked at some personalized gifts from Minted.com! Their line of art prints, many of which are customizable, are adorable.

What better way to go with the train & transportation theme than a personalized door sign!

It’s going to be difficult to pick just one or two as a central piece of art for his new room! In addition to the personalized art, Minted.com has adorable home decor prints. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t start planning other projects for around the house just so I can incorporate more art!

Adding other “pieces” in to round out the theme will be fun. I’m hoping to be able to locate some old street signs from one of the unique little shops we have around here!

The key to doing all of this is doing with an element of “surprise” for Ari. I just need ONE weekend away (hint, hint, Mimi and Poppy!) and I’m certain I’ll be able to get it all done!

Thank you to Minted.com for sponsoring todays post.

the art of juggling // TFAWM an update of sorts

April 9, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

Guys. Let’s just cut to the chase: It sucks. Working and being the mom of a toddler sucks the big one. It’s exhausting. And I constantly feel pulled in a thousand different directions. And it is the fault of no one. It just is the life of a mom. Because moms put that kind of pressure on themselves completely on their own. I try to do it all well; but something always suffers. The thing I’ve learned in the last couple of years? The thing that suffers will NOT be my family.

Still, there are people — WOMEN MOSTLY — who say “When you’re at work, 100% focus on work; when you’re at home, 100% focus on home.” Newsflash: It isn’t that easy. For one, being a mom isn’t something you can ‘shut off.’ There’s always a parent-related to-do list that’s ongoing (ie. “Target trip: Pick up diapers after work; Must leave at exactly 5PM to make sure I pick him up from the sitter on time.”). My mind is always juggling these things. And we’re pretty much always on call for an emergency. Sure, when you’re at home with your kids, those things happen. But imagine getting that dreaded call or text from the sitter while you’re in the middle of something important at work… your mind instantly wanders because HOLY CRAP MY KID HAS AN EGG ALLERGY AND NEEDS TO BE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL. (Yes, this actually happened).

And when I pick him up from the sitter my thought process is as follows: “OK, I need to get him exhausted. I’ll take him to the play place for an hour. Then home to eat a super quick dinner. And then maybe a bath? Wait, who am I kidding. We won’t have time for that. It’s straight to bed. Then I have to clean, do laundry and the dishes. Maybe I’ll get to sit down for an hour before bed? Probably not.”

Really the juggling consists of dropping the ball — A LOT. I just pick up the balls and start juggling again. You kind of just have to roll with the punches and imperfections that come along with doing it all.

And for every mom who I hear say “Well I did it with TWO kids.” or “So-and-so is doing it without a problem,” I. Don’t. CARE. They are not me. And I am not them. We are all different. The one thing that binds all of us is motherhood. And that is what should unite us. Whether you are a working mom, a SAHM, a WAHM, a part-time working mom, whatever — we are all juggling.

Some have found their niche. For some that means juggling a mega career. For others that means spending all day everyday at home with little ones. And there is no judgment in which of those paths you choose to take and make your own.

Wherever each of us is on the spectrum, we’re all just doing the best that we can with our personal circumstances. For me? I thought I wanted to be a working mom. Now? Now it’s becoming clear that this path I chose may not be the best for me. Or for our family. Especially if we ever want to expand it further.

And that’s OK. I’m evolving. Perhaps I’m not evolving to everyone standards…. but I don’t need to. I’m evolving based on mine and my families needs. And I’m tired of feeling sorry about it; I’m tired of feeling guilt about not wanting my career to be my main goal; and I’m tired of explaining and/or defending myself. So I’m no longer going to. That’s all.

Sidenote: I recognize that I’m completely lucky to have a partner who is completely supportive. This mommy thing would be a lot harder on my own. But from all of the two-parent mamas I’ve spoken with, the consensus seems to be that moms take the day-to-day child-rearing burden — but fret not dads — we choose that on our own!! And if you tried to steal those things (like making doctors appointments, scheduling swim lessons, etc), we simply WOULD NOT LET YOU. No offense. Moms are just weird like this. 🙂

Additional sidenote: I don’t have ANY idea where this post is/was headed; but I just needed to put it out there. So here you go, universe. Until next time.

weekend wrap up // Easter edition

April 7, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

After last weekend and this past week, we really needed a truly happy and fun weekend. So when Friday arrived we jumped into our weekend with both feet! Ari was hanging with his friend Kayden all day on Friday and when I went to pick him up, I hung out for a while with K’s mom just catching up and chatting. It was SO nice and exactly what I needed to start off the weekend.

By the time Ari and I got home, he was exhausted (life is rough for a toddler); but my little trooper stayed awake until Mimi and Poppy showed up from Kentucky! We visited for a little bit before all heading off to sleep.

Saturday //

We woke up and snuggled with Moosh on the couch before getting started on our busy, busy, day! THIS is exactly what I adore about now having Saturdays off — early morning snuggle sessions! It may have been short-lived but that’s OK. It was great while it lasted.

Aaaand then we were off….

Mimi and Poppy were in town for a wedding; so we were lucky enough to spend an hour or so with some distant relatives that I haven’t seen in a few years. It was a nice visit and Moosh did really well while the adults chatted. He was shy and cute, of course. And then warmed up to everyone and started showing them his trains.

Then the real fun began — we went to meet the Easter Bunny and “hunt” for eggs at the park!

I thought this dude was going to be terrified of the Easter Bunny, but he wasn’t. He was smitten. He had this cheesy grin on his face the whole time. So proud of my little guy for being so brave and just walking up to the bunny!

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit overwhelmed by the whole egg hunt experience. The youngest section was for 3-4 year olds; so we joined these kids who were like a whole foot taller than Moosh to race for eggs.

Everyone gathered in a huge circle on a soccer field and when they said “GO!” kids just went nuts going for the eggs.

Usually Moosh is too timid to race other kids for things, but with a little help from Chad, he successfully snagged about 8 or 9 eggs and a handful of candy (which was MORE than enough!).

After our egg hunt fun, we went back home to squeeze in a suuuuuper short nap (think like 20 minutes) before we headed to Ewan’s 2nd birthday party. My dear friend Gretchen had Ewan just six months after Ari was born; and they’ve been buds ever since!

We laughed, chatted, played, and had a blast celebrating with Ewan and the gang. When we left it was already after 6pm and our normal 2 1/2 hour napper had napped exactly 20 minutes. We were playing with fire when we decided to stop by Earth Fare to pick up some crab legs and other groceries for dinner.

Luckily Moosh was still in a ‘buzzed’ state of deliriousness. I decided to baby-wear him so that he didn’t go nutso in the store… which made for a lot of fun for both of us! Chad was busy shopping and Moosh and I were busy snapping selfies in the produce section! Ha!

By the time we made it home Ari was more than ready for bed. He fought it though. No, we are not blessed with one of those kids who will sleep in the car or just fall asleep on the floor from pure exhaustion. That is not our kid at all. Buuuut we do have a kid who will sleep a solid 12+ hours in his own bed at night. So no complaints.

Once he was in bed we settled in for a ‘date night,’ which consisted of fresh steamed crag legs and a movie. I am completely spoiled by having a husband that loves to cook amazing meals. And this did not disappoint!

Sunday //

I was so excited for Easter. There’s so much less pressure than at Christmas; but still lots of fun involved! I hid eggs filled with M&Ms and pennies throughout the house. However, I did not anticipate that my child would open up the first egg, notice the M&Ms and stop to eat ALL OF THEM before moving on to find more… Sigh. Mom fail.

Sure, he was excited about his Easter basket; but he was most excited about the candy. Until recently he hadn’t had any candy. Now? Now he knows what it is and we are in trouble!

Mimi and Poppy didn’t help. They brought even more candy over with their basket for him. We were lucky to get him to eat anything other than smarties and M&Ms that day. Ha!

After an earlier-than-usual nap (for all of us), Moosh and Chad went to play in the park while this mama cleaned the whole house (I LOVE cleaning when no one is around!!)… before we messed it all up again! Ha!

And then we did something that we never do together — we cooked dinner TOGETHER! We weren’t rushed or hurried, like during the week. And we used our first Blue Apron meal plan to cook up a fantastic Beef Stir Fry!

It should be noted that Chad does not need recipes; I, on the other hand, do NOT feel comfortable in the kitchen. So having this pre-planned/pre-measured mel was awesome for me! Bonus? It was delicious! And the two-person meal plan had generous portions — PLUS we had leftovers to eat for the next night! Even our picky-“I-only-want-candy”-toddler liked it. Hooray for a successful meal!

Honestly, this weekend was the best weekend we have had in a long time. We didn’t do anything extraordinary, but it was filled with family, friends, and lots and lots of love. My heart feels so happy and so full. I’m so lucky to be surrounded with these amazing people — Chad, Ari, my parents, family and our friends.

And I cannot wait to see what this weekend has in store! <3

get crafty // alternative easter crafts

April 3, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Easter in our house is a touchy subject. First of all, we don’t really *do* Easter. I mean, we do; we just don’t the church part. Because — surprise — we’re not churchy people. [PS. Let’s not get into the thick of it. It’s OK if you are; we just aren’t.] Also? Moosh has an egg allergy that definitely puts a damper on Easter related crafts. Dying hard-boiled eggs? That’s scary stuff ’round these parts.

So we found alternative “craffs,” as Moosh likes to call them, to do in our house. Turns out, this kid loves to help bake vegan sugar cookies. Luckily we have an egg cookie cutter and sprinkles. Which is all this kid needed to hold his attention.

PS. These sprinkles ended up ALL OVER the floor about 3 minutes after this photo was taken. Many bloggers wouldn’t be honest about this, but real life happens, y’all. And real life means thousands or sprinkles all over your kitchen floor. (Also? These cookies are incredible.)

I also found other inexpensive things to “craft” (thanks, Target!). Not excluding those silly little capsule-to-sponge animal thingys. We decided to try this “craft” (I’m using the term “craft” lightly here. ‘Cause let’s be real — this wasn’t truly a craft. It was a [welcomed] distraction).

He loved every second of it — which turns out to be lots of seconds. That warm water you’re supposed to use? Well, it doesn’t work. You need scalding hot water. Also? Every single one of these little sponges was affectionately named “Nemo.” Ha!

Our other go-to Easter craft is painting pottery. We are lucky to have not one, but TWO, paint your own pottery studios in close proximity to us.

We painted a LOT of pottery, friends. A lot. See those globs of paint? They do no justice to the actual globs of paint that were used during this paint sesh! 🙂

Besides that Choo Choo Train bank we also painted 2 eggs and a fish. Also named Nemo. Sigh. This kid watches Finding Nemo once and every sea creature is now named Nemo…

So, no, we haven’t seen the Easter bunny (yet). No, we haven’t dyed eggs. But we have celebrated in our own way. And that’s all that matters! 🙂