One of those days

Have you ever had one of those days? The kind where you keep finding yourself sighing and saying, "are you kidding me?" because it's just one thing after another?

The day started out fine, with plans to bake a crumb cake, meet a group of friends at a park in the morning, and meet up with another friend to hit a farmer's market in the afternoon.

So after getting out of bed at 5:30 I took the girls downstairs to get started on breakfast and preparing for the day. Yesterday morning I had mixed up the dough for the crumb cake - made with sourdough starter - and covered it with a dish towel for the 24 hour ferment/rise. When I pulled the towel off this morning I noticed something moving...a little bug running along the surface. Figuring he probably wasn't traveling alone and feeling really grossed out I threw the dough away, bummed because I was wasting it and wouldn't have the tasty treat for breakfast. "Oh well," I thought, "we have vanilla yogurt, homemade granola with walnuts, and fresh strawberries and blueberries; that sounds really good!" So we ate that.

After breakfast I tended to the chicken stock that had been simmering on the stove all night. I carefully took all of the pieces out of the liquid, and separated the meat from the bones (a tedious process, but oh so worth it! I love making chicken salad, enchiladas, and other meals from the meat, and the stock always comes in handy while cooking.) I packed a picnic lunch, got myself and Claire ready, and somehow it was almost 9:00.

The plan was to leave at 9, so I nursed Arden and then laid her down on my bed so I could throw my hair into a ponytail. As soon as I did she started projectile spitting up - it was as if she had a hose in her mouth, turned on high, spewing a steady stream of liquid. This is unusual for Arden, so I was a little alarmed. I grabbed her to keep her upright, and it kept flowing. In all it must have been 2 or 2.5 cups of breastmilk (how did she get that much in there in the first place?!) that drenched her, me, and the bed. I quickly mopped it up and changed her outfit and diaper. We were 30 minutes late to the park, which isn't a huge deal, but it certainly wasn't a relaxing morning, either.

We had fun with our friends, but when we got home I saw the bowl of chicken sitting on the table. I had forgotten to put it in the fridge before leaving, and it sat out for 6 hours. (*sigh*) After dumping it in the garbage, Claire refused to nap. I could tell she was exhausted, in fact she could barely keep her eyes open, but she did everything she could to keep her body moving to avoid sleep. I was wiped out and had really been looking forward to the break (and bummed that my streak was over - for the last 5 or so weeks I had been getting both girls to nap at the same time!) Later when we got to the farmer's market I realized that I had forgotten my sling for Arden at home. By the way this day is going I guess I'm lucky I didn't forget Arden!

When I was going through the mail I came across a letter from the insurance company regarding my settlement. Directions on the form include signing it in front of a notary - this is extremely frustrating because I just spent 45 minutes at the bank YESTERDAY having the form for Arden's birth certificate notarized.

And there's even more, but I'm tired of complaining and I realize that these are minor things to be complaining about in the first place.

Can this day just be over, please?

Front porch fun

We need to get this girl a sandbox or a sand table.

This morning Mark commented on our pathetic-looking geraniums which have been denied water since...well, since my mom planted them a few months ago. (Sorry, mom!) They've gotten a little rain here and there, but are mostly protected from it up on the porch. Unfortunately, they are not protected from the intense afternoon sun...you do the math. I'm usually outnumbered by kids and have a million other things to do, so I took advantage of Mark's help and grabbed a watering can.

Claire followed me outside and started playing with a hose nozzle that was lying near the outdoor faucet, so I left the front door open after I was done watering. We were all still in pajamas, but she was having so much fun walking up and down the porch, pretending to water the plants. And then she started coming inside to her play kitchen, "filling up" the nozzle with water and bringing it back out to the plants. I got involved in other projects and when I peeked out to check on her a few minutes later she was digging in the dirt with one of her measuring spoons.

Funny how as parents we learn to...um, adjust our expectations and tolerances. I appreciate neat and tidy surroundings, but when kids are having fun I've learned to just let the mess go. Instead of worrying about the piles of dirt growing on the front porch I wondered if it was toxic Miracle Gro brand potting soil or the new organic stuff Mark had picked up this spring (pretty sure it was the organic stuff.)

Soon Claire's tools also included her little ceramic teapot (which, sadly, broke when she dropped it on the concrete) and she was having full conversations with an imaginary friend, going back and forth between the planters and her play kitchen. It was so cute, I just had to snap some pictures. Oh, and notice her favorite yellow pajamas - from two different sets - and her "ballet" shoes which she insists on wearing all day, every day. She also has her favorite aqua socks on, but you can't see them in this picture.





These poor geraniums! I will try to water them more often now that I'm up and around.


While I was outside with her she also ventured out to the big planter in the front yard for some exploration. (Check out her lovely aqua socks!)



When I was done taking pictures outside I headed in to vacuum. Claire followed because she loves to pretend with her little wooden ball popper thingy. Here she is vacuuming. What a big helper! :)

Fun with cherries

I love this time of year, when berries and cherries are in season, and well-stocked at the market. For today's afternoon snack I washed a bunch of cherries, and cut the pit out of the ones for Claire. She was happily eating her halved cherries while I tended to Arden when I saw her slip away; I walked in the direction she had run and noticed a pink swirl on the wall around her eye level and knew she must be in a creative mood.

"Claire?" I called. She reappeared.

"Please don't smear your cherries on the wall, ok? Cherries are only for eating, not drawing." I tried to hide a smile, realizing how ridiculous my request sounded.

She ran and hid underneath her little table, so I followed and knelt down to peek under the table. I wanted her to know that I wasn't mad, but I was serious about not drawing on the walls with food. When I looked under the table I was met with a big grin surrounded by a pink-swirled face.

"No cleaning the walls with cherries?" she asked innocently.

"No, no cleaning the walls OR drawing on our faces and hair with cherries, please." Guess who's getting a bath tonight? At least it's better than permanent marker...