Where we are & what we've been doing

I feel like my only blog updates as of late have come to you all in the form of bullet points.  Probably because that’s exactly how it’s been.  I like bullet points—keeps things organized—and in the middle of school activities, birthday parties, dance classes, gift buying and wrapping, figuring out how to optimize my DVR time, etc, organization is key.  Sooooo:

-Last week was spirit week at school.  I’d say we have just a wee bit of fun with it:

Wacky day.  Parker very much so enjoyed rocking out her wacky do and T enjoyed being a wild child. 



Animal print overload, if that's even a thing. And can we talk about her hair finally fitting into a side pony?!

This won't be so funny when she comes home 12 years from now with the same do in non-wig form.

Hee haw, it’s Western Day! Parker went the traditional route while Teagan sported modern western chic with a hint of leopard shoes.

Of course horsie came to school on this particular day.

Quite the dignified cowgirl.

The other days included pajama day (my own personal fave), Hollywood Day where I curled Parker’s already curly locks and teased them up with hairspray and Teagan was awarded the coveted Best Hug trophy, and animal print day. 

Sideways, but you get the point.

-I am IN LOVE with Target Grocery.  Target is a mere three or so miles from my office and the basis of my survival as a working mama is running errands during the day.  Being able to pick up groceries in addition to all the other randomness Target offers is an absolute lifesaver for me.  Not only does it free up other days for me to run errands, but it also makes Costco the only non-work errand I have to run.  One, because there’s not one close to work and two, because it takes a year and a half to get through the joint.  

One of my fave Target finds--Market Pantry brand restaurant style salsa with roasted jalapenos.  The taste is that of an authentic Mexican restaurant.  It's GOOD. So good that Parker was so inclined to dip her banana in it. 

-The warm weather was taken advantage of by all of us.  A little leaf raking and a lot of leaf jumping.  I know a lot of people complain about the cold, the rain, the snow.  Not this girl.  You couldn’t get me to live in a warm weathered area if I had any choice in the matter.  These seasons and all they bring, like watching pure joy come to my children as the result of a few dried up leaves and the throwing of snowballs that is only mere weeks away, keeps us always looking forward to the magic of the seasons.    

-Home projects used to be our thing.  We’ve dropped a lot of time and money transforming our house into a reflection of us.  Every single wall has been painted, carpet has been replaced, our master bath was tore down and built back up, new roof, fluorescent lighting replaced by recessed lights, granite kitchen counters, all new stainless appliances, bathroom cupboards repurposed with a bucket of paint, all new doorknobs and light fixtures, turned our empty basement into our favorite haven, and all the little things that come along with home ownership. 

It’s been a long time since we’ve tackled anything.  But with both girls napping at the same time we have some extra time to get things done.  And the current thing is a new fireplace. Buh bye old tiles.  And see you later non-existent mantle.  You are being replaced! Kris designed the entire thing—stone going from floor to ceiling, rustic wood mantle, and mounded TV will complete the project.  It will be done in time for Santa.  It’s a must to hang your stockings from the mantle!

As a result, we'll be saying goodbye to that TV stand.  It's the remaining piece of our vintage collection from our college years.  Kris bought this cheapo stand while in college.  It traveled from Athens to Columbus to Royal Oak to our first house (this home!). It's had many faces--black, mango, and brown.  It's endearingly awful in a dumb way.  Perhaps we'll repurpose it and save the memories in the process :)

Destroyed.  My house is still decorated for Halloween.  All the spooky outside decor has been boxed up and put away for next season but the interior...eh, I'll have it down before the Christmas things are up!

--It’s possible that we have Teagan’s dairy issues figured out—thanks to all for your helpful advice! After the soy milk trial we switch to cow’s milk to see what would happen.  Within ½ hour of drinking only a few ounces, Teagan puked then proceeded to have one of the worst sleep nights of her life.  So in a sleep deprived state I switched her off to Kris and drove to the grocery store at 545am.  On a Friday. Before a long day of work.  Never a dull moment! We decided on almond milk in the morning and evening, toddler formula at lunch for extra nutrients, and absolutely no dairy after noon—latest.  Of course one night I forgot about the no-milk-after-12pm rule.  I whipped up Annie’s mac for the girls, put a splash of milk in, and served it up.  Another god awful evening of sleep, or actually, lack thereof. 

One of T's fave things.  She'll actually blab blab blab as she "reads"

So that's about it.  We have a busy next couple months ahead of us.  This weekend is Santa and lighting at the outdoor mall, dance, and a birthday party at Parker's gymnastics studio for one of her good daycare buddies, then Illinois for Thanksgiving, then Santa's Christmas parade, then recital time, then Great Wolf Lodge (YAY!), then Columbus for Christmas, then actual Christmas at home, then NYE, then Sesame Street Live, then...I don't know, a nap?! ;)