So you’d think life was pretty hectic with two kids and a new house. It is! Trust me, that’s more than enough to keep us hopping.
Add to that a giant (if gentle) dog,
a cat who thinks he is a dog,
a fish that Joe just had to get for Lena,
a semi-permanent cockatiel,
and six (yes, six!) hens who have yet to lay a single egg to earn their keep.
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This is a staple in our house. Not that I assemble it into anything resembling a traditional coleslaw, but just the raw ingredients. It’s crunchy, healthy and so versatile! My current favorite is a heaping pile in a wrap with some grilled chicken and a little spicy sauce (sriracha with mayo or sour cream works well). This has been my work lunch for a few weeks running now.
My latest discovery? Rainbow salad…
I’m thinking a little lemon juice, olive oil and mustard. How about you?
Lena is on the cusp of turning three and it has been out of this world, literally, watching her imagination take flight. As an avid reader it’s been particularly gratifying to see her have a voracious appetite for books.
The imaginary play lately is outrageously funny. In the pool the other day she was pretending a leaf was a monster. She almost dissolved in tears when it kept floating against her leg and she couldn’t escape! Another day she set up school on the stairs and had her Papa sitting there for almost 20 minutes. Every time we turn around it’s a new game and a new set of rules. Another favorite is role reversal. When I get the esteemed privilege of being Lena and she’s Mommy, I take full advantage and ask an infinite series of “Why?” questions.
As we launch into these in depth discussions eventually I’ll have to give in and start laughing. To which she’ll reply with a grin, “Me just ‘tending mommy!” Priceless.
Having a baby is a crazy, life altering, mind numbing, ecstatic time in your life. Shortly after you emerge from the baby bubble and resume normal life, everything just falls into place and life goes on…right?
Yeah, not so much. I honestly thought I was busy all the time before baby #1. Once Lena was born, I didn’t find any time for my self or my personal well-being. I was equal parts elated, exhausted and emotionally drained. That’s all with a reasonably “easy” baby. I mean, what new parent isn’t constantly wishing for a nap?
Baby #2 brought much the same, with a whole new level of sleep deprivation. Five hours of interrupted sleep is sufficient for most anyone, right? During the day she is a happy, easy going kid so I can hardly complain. Those few occasions I got a straight six hours I should have felt amazing…but I didn’t.
I’ve always fought this constant battle with feeling tired and run down. Having gone through two pregnancies, I just wasn’t feeling like my old self. I used to play sports, take long walks and was a rather energetic individual. Now, I felt like my body just wasn’t responding the way it should and I had aches and pains that made it that much worse. I had no energy for anything beyond our day-to-day necessities. Once the kids were in bed, we’d collapse on the couch for some TV and then call it a night. Something had to give.
My husband and I made a pact to start eating better. We both have a sweet tooth so we started eliminating dessert and making an effort to curb our sugar intake wherever we could. The next step was cooking more and avoiding take-out, I’ve written about one of our strategies here. Next up? Exercise!
With an infant and a toddler, we had mismatched nap schedules so getting out of the house for a decent walk was problematic on the best of days. I’d tried and failed at so many home workout programs and getting to a gym was out of the question. A friend talked me into giving one more program a try. Twenty one days, half an hour a day. I could do that. With a huge assist from the hubbie, I made it work. I couldn’t go on feeling like I did.
Fast forward to today and I am so glad I took the chance. I have energy again, I sit down at the end of the day and five minutes later I’m up again doing something to prep for the next day. Not only that but I’m pushing myself to do things I haven’t in ages! Reading, writing, swimming, meeting up with friends occasionally. It’s still a work in progress, but at least I know I’m on the right track.
A few things I’ve learned?
1. Be ready to change bad habits. 2. Take small steps, make it fit your lifestyle.
3. Be realistic and make changes that you can keep long-term.
4. Find your motivation! (Mine was finding energy for myself and my family, but that’s only part of the story…more to come.)
I’ve been in denial for weeks, hoping this stage will just wait a bit longer to surface. I mean, babies are supposed to sit in one place and be perfectly content for hours right?!
Maggie is on the cusp of crawling. I mean, literally…any day now she’ll be stalking across the floor to gleefully pull on her sister’s ‘oh so tempting’ curls (Hair has long been a fascination for her.). Gone are the days of stranding her in the jumper while the rest of us buzz around in our various pursuits. Lately, she’s only happy if she’s sitting in the middle of the room with toys strewn all around her. That way, she can cast about in any direction and snag something of interest before growing bored and flinging it away. Eventually, she teeters just a smidgen too far and ends up on her belly (or just face planting in the rug, no big) and sqwuaks in irritation until someone has mercy and pulls her upright again. Then with a devilish grin she repeats the process all over again.
So far, I’ve managed to discourage Lena from attempting this maneuver as I’m fairly sure it’ll end badly. Probably for Lena. The sweet little girl isn’t quite sure what to make of her little sis’ new-found mobility. We’ve been talking a lot about sharing again since it’s taken on a whole new meaning now that Maggie can more adequately defend her own territory. Gone are the days of stealing toys and skipping away with a blithe, “Maggie sharing me, Mommy.” Sure love, of course she is.
Watch out world…Maggie will shortly be on the move!
