What We've Been...

Reading



I just checked out Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan from the library and intended to give it to Marcos in hopes that it may incite a hidden passion for literature (he's not much of a reader, but loves comedy); however, I made the mistake of reading the first chapter (I'm like a heroin addict when it comes to books: just a little isn't going to hurt.), and I haven't been able to put it down since. The whole book is about Gaffigan's observations about parenthood, a topic on which he has some authority considering he's a father of five living in a two bedroom apartment in NYC. I have literally laughed out loud through the entire book so far.



I recently read Wonder by R.J. Palacio, and it is one of the best books I've read in a long while. It's young adult and written in first person through the eyes of several different characters, all of which are connected in some way to August, a fifth-grader who was born with a severe facial abnormality. There is a quote from the book that has really stuck with me: Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.

Baking
Cinammon rolls! I've been wanting to try making my own cinnamon rolls for awhile now, but I couldn't seem to find a recipe that didn't involve yeast or buttermilk (both of which freak me out a little). Finally, I found this one: http://www.food.com/recipe/quick-cinnamon-rolls-no-yeast-293243, and they turned out great. I baked them in cupcake liners so they would be easy to give away to our neighbors. (I love to bake, but I have no self-control when it comes to sweets, so I inevitably give away the fruits of my labor to unsuspecting neighbors. Sometimes I just leave a plate of treats on their front porch and send them a text. Left cheesecake next to tricycle. Have fun getting fat.)


Internet Stalking
This kitchen helper from Amazon:

It's true what they say...the kitchen is the heart of the home. I'm constantly
cleaning/cooking/scrubbing stains in the kitchen, and Rory is constantly pulling on my leg/begging to be picked up/making stains in the kitchen. I would love for her to "help" me cook, or at least be able to see what's going on, and since setting a child on the counter isn't considered "safe", I feel like this would be the perfect solution to the 4 o'clock blues. (When I need to cook dinner and Rory needs to keep me from cooking dinner.) It's solid wood and folds up for easy storage. The only problem? It's $150. Kitchen helper people, if you're reading this, I would love to review this product on my blog if you would like to send me one. I'm sure my sister, my three friends, and the handful of people who are accidentally directed to this site would love to read about it.

Painting
I found an old wooden sewing table for $20 on an online garage sale, and I plan to turn it into a bar. I found some inspiration on Pinterest:





I'm going to seal it with all-weather seal once I paint it so that I can use it inside and outside. (Note to self: I must also purchase a small chalkboard to use with my sewing table bar.)

What All (Honest) Moms are Thankful For

1. Crockpots

2. Coffee

3. Articles that say dragging your kids to the grocery store and Target is actually good for their language development.Who cares that it's from the Huffington Post and not actually research-based or that their first word might be "sale"? Down with mom guilt!

4. Him, him, and him.

5. Those nights when you seem to have misplaced (read:hid) Goodnight Moon and you are temporarily relieved from the monotonous task of saying goodnight to every effing thing in the room.

6. Empty spice bottles, make-up brushes, and any other random object that keeps your kid occupied for 30 seconds so you can pee in peace.

7. When baby cries for "dada". We all pretend it hurts our feelings, but really we are just grateful for the five minutes to ourselves while dada puts baby to bed/feeds them dinner/gives them a bath.

8. The fact that messy buns, flowy shirts, and boyfriend jeans are all in style right now.

9. Wine/Beer/Margaritas

10. Bedtime


Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend.

Rory waiting for dinner to be served.

We spent Thanksgiving with our friends Shannon and Simon and another family. We had a wonderful time.

Rory drawing with chalk outside of one of our favorite Denver hot spots: Park Burger. 

Playing in the backyard. 

Cheesin' for the camera in front of the Christmas tree. 

A Few of Our Favorite Things

Rory's Picks*

1. Peek-A-Boo Barn App
This was a lifesaver during our trips to San Francisco and Dallas. The app features a barn with a door that opens when you touch it. Each time it opens, it reveals a different animal inside the barn, says its name, and makes the corresponding animal noise. Rory has already learned several animal names and sounds through this app. We also downloaded Peak-a-Boo Halloween, Peek-a-Boo Christmas, and Peek-a-Boo Fridge (Featuring a very strange-looking pickle.) These apps are great for long car rides, waiting in line, and keeping your toddler busy while you're trying to watch KUWTK cook dinner. I don't feel guilty about using the ipad every once in awhile when I know she's learning from the activities. Let's face it- listening to me make animal noises isn't nearly as entertaining.

2. Whats Inside?
This toy was another awesome consignment sale find. It's a large cube that comes with several stuffed objects (frog, butterfly, plane, car, etc.). The objects fit through the slot at the top of the box, and it's designed for a child to stick his or her hand in and feel around for a particular object. It's great for learning the names of things and distinguishing between their shapes. It also helps children learn object permanence. (Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it's not there.) Rory isn't able to name all of the objects or search for a certain one yet, but she loves pulling things out of the box. (Is it wrong that all I can think about is Dick in a Box whenever I see it??)

3. Humidifier
These colder temps mean the heat is on more often which means the air is super dry. My hands are already chapped and I've traded in my light lotion for my Eucerin cream. (I love this stuff...just don't try to turn a door knob within an hour of applying it.) To combat the dryness in Rory's room, we started using a humidifier again. (I'm not convinced it actually helps, but Marcos is a believer.) Rory was obsessed with it from the moment we turned it on. She can't get enough of it. It's the first thing she points to when we enter her room, and her favorite thing to do is put her face in the vapor.(Can you blame her? We all do it.) I'm waiting for the novelty to wear off, but it's been over a week, and her love shows no signs of fading. Remind me again why we buy toys?

Lindsey's Picks

1. Thred-Up
One of my friends turned me onto this online used clothing site. I bought several pairs of maternity pants for a great price when I was pregnant with Rory. I like that the shipping is always free, and they have excellent customer service. There was a mix-up with one of my orders, and they replied to my email right away and reimbursed me immediately. They have high-end brands for much less than retail, and it's all in great condition. I haven't bought anything lately because I stocked up on clothes for Rory at the JBF sale, and dressing up for me these days means wearing my "nice" yoga pants. Marcos' annual company party is in January though, so I'll be in the market for a new dress soon, and I just received a $20 off coupon in the mail.

2. Bark Thins
Buy them. Trust me.

Heaven in a bag. 

3. Shutterfly Photo Books
I hate shopping for Christmas gifts. Luckily the only people we really buy for are our parents. I find the process of shopping for the perfect gift completely agonizing. I'd rather get a root canal. Usually I just let my sister decide what to get and mail her a check, but not this year! We ordered our Christmas cards from Shutterfly, and I saw that they also make photo books. So, Marcos and I used a template to create a photo book of Rory's first year. It was super easy to do and it turned out really well. There are lots of customization options, and you can add as many pages as you want. I know several people who make the books for special events, too, like weddings and vacations. Shutterfly also has 40% off sales pretty much everyday, so we won't end up spending a ton of money. Hopefully they like it because that's what they're getting every year from now on.

It's what's for Christmas.

*Runners up include chasing the vacuum, eating anywhere but her high chair, the word "wow", and rummaging through the bathroom drawers.

Rory's First Birthday Wrap Up

My cousin's wife, Karyn, took some pictures of Rory's first birthday and was kind enough to share them with me. (I only had to send her one email begging asking for the photos.) She and her husband Brendan were visiting from Connecticut the weekend of Rory's party, and we were sad to see them go. Here are some of my favorites from the big day: 

We didn't light the candles for obvious reasons.  

First taste...

Yum!

Instead of favors, I set up a candy bar with treat bags for people to take home. 

Rory's "all about me" poster. I found the poster board at the dollar store and a chalkboard pen at Michael's. Please ignore the large smudge at the top. I did this at ten o' clock the night before the party and decided to pretend it didn't happen.

Marcos' contribution to the decor. 

Sugar cookies. I was finally able to use my box of 100 cookie cutters that I found on clearance at TJ Maxx months ago. I used fresh raspberries to tint the frosting pink. 

My cousin Brendan with Marli. I think this may be my favorite photo.

Rory with her dada and a pink balloon. It doesn't get any better.

One of my closest friends, Melissa, with Rory. She was Rory's first official babysitter when Rory was barely 2 months old. 

Family shot. I know it's hard, but try to ignore the hanger string sticking out from my shirt in the next few photos. 

Rory with one of my oldest and best friends, Shannon. It's hard to tell in this pic, but she's due with a girl in January. I'm so excited!

Aunt Kayra came into town from Dallas especially for Rory's birthday.

The Fukumoto family with Karyn and Brendan. Thank you for coming and for being the official photographer! 

Three Things Thursday

1. Brrrrr! 
A cold front moved in on Monday, and to say it's been cold would be a severe understatement. It was -17 degrees this morning. It's literally too cold to leave the house, and Rory and I both have cabin fever. There's only so much Baby Einstein I can take and Rory's attention span is that of a....one year old. It's been rough. Even though it's still super cold, we're going to brave the freezing temperatures and head to the library or Target or anywhere but here.

Marli is not having quite as much fun as Rory. 

2. Skidders
Isn't it funny how other moms always seem to give the most practical/usable gifts? My friend Karla has two boys and asked me what Rory needed for her birthday. Rory doesn't like wearing shoes, but her socks make her slip on the hardwood in our house, so I asked for some socks with grips on the bottom. Karla, the all-knowing super mom, gave us something even better: Skidders.
They're reminiscent of water shoes, except much cuter. They have a super-grippy, rubber bottom (good for snow and ice), and a soft, stretchy top. They are tight enough that they stay on, but comfortable enough that Rory doesn't stage a sit-in every time I put them on. Plus, they're way cute and come in lots of different styles and designs. I definitely plan on buying a few extra pair.

Rory has these "mary-jane" style skidders in a purple chevron pattern.

3.Internet Karma
Remember when I bragged said that Rory eats whatever we put in front of her? Yeah, not anymore. I should have known better than to put that in print...and on the internet where everyone can see it. Everyone knows that internet karma is the most vicious of all karma. She's been spitting out everything that's not a fruit or some sort of chip. It's great that she's eating fruit, but fruit only has so many nutrients, and it's not especially filling. I'm not sure how she's still standing at this point. So far today she's had about 1 cup of raspberries, a half a banana, a grape/apple pouch from Starbucks, and 5 blackberries. She's spit out blueberry yogurt, turkey, green beans, a chicken quesadilla, and a raspberry oatmeal muffin. So, now that I've written about what a terrible eater Rory is, perhaps the internet karma Gods will take pity on me?

How Rory Celebrated her First Birthday

Here's a breakdown of how Rory spent her birthday weekend:

1.Listening to her mom sing, "Go Rory! It's your birthday! We're gonna party like it's your birthday!", over and over again. (I swear I saw her roll her eyes.)

2. Getting her flu shot. (What? It was the only time her doctor could fit her in!)

3. Refusing to nap.

4. Tasting her first truffle fry and her first sugar cookie. (She was a fan of both.)

5. Spitting out the banana-Greek yogurt-applesauce cake I made.

6. Playing with the boxes that all of her gifts came in.

7. Listening to the check-out lady at the grocery store say, "Happy Birthday, Laurie!". (I corrected her three times before I began singing Frozen's "Let it Go" under my breath.)

8. Torturing Marli with her birthday balloons.


All in all, it was a great first birthday. (Except for the shot.)

Christmas Photo Shoot

I have yet to get professional photos taken of Rory. I was going to do newborn photos, but then my eyes felt like sandpaper and I could barely remember to brush my teeth, let alone schedule an appointment. By the time I felt like I could manage leaving the house without having a panic attack, Rory had a pretty bad case of baby acne. Plus, we take so many pictures on our phones, and I'm a firm believer that the best photos are candid ones. (There's nothing candid about a family wearing matching sweaters and smiling identical smiles throwing leaves into the air on a perfect fall day. I may believe it if one of the kids is missing a shoe and the other one is throwing an enormous fit because a leaf landed in her hair.) Also, I'm cheap, so there's that.

So, when it came time to take our Christmas card photo, I scoured Pinterest for ideas we could do at home without the help of a professional photographer. Marcos' sister let us borrow her nice camera when Rory was born, and we've been using it to take her monthly photos. It makes a big difference when it comes to the quality of the shot. I figured we really only needed one good photo for the card, so the odds were in our favor. We took photos on two separate days and got some pretty good shots. I used wrapping paper as the "backdrop" and borrowed a Santa hat from our neighbor. Marcos edited the ones we used for our card. Here are some of my favorites (pre-Photoshop):

One of my favorite holiday books. 

Priceless.

Best friends?

This picture happened by accident. We were trying to get a shot of her standing in the gift bag, but she fell over, and her concerned father kept snapping away.

This may be my favorite. 

And some of our Pinterest fails:

Awkward. 

Marli wasn't a fan of the Santa hat... 

...And Rory wasn't either.