Nanette shared a little news with me last week that they are moving to Portland, Oregon and it got me thinking, "What would I say about my experience moving to a new state?" It has been exactly 4 1/2 years since Rob and I left California for Iowa and really, what hasn't changed about our lives? New jobs, new house, new kids- I think our XTerra is the only constant we have besides each other! Some of my thoughts about the move were positive but others weren't so much. So for Nanette's benefit and anyone else contemplating/recently making a big move (and I know there are a few of you!), here are my thoughts on the matter.
Starting with the glass half full... The Positives.
1. Quality of Life- I do enjoy the clean air, Midwestern people, no traffic, and very low crime. The best part is being able to stay home with the boys while they are young. The way they eat, I will certainly have to work when they go to school to be able to feed them, but I love my time home with them for now. Schools are another big part of this that we haven't really gotten into yet but a future positive, nonetheless.
2. Cost of Living- Depending on where you are moving from and to, this may be on the negatives list but for us it was a positive. Affordable housing and goods are also a big part of why I get to stay home with the boys.
3. Four Seasons- The period of time when we get snow could be shortened up a little and you wouldn't hear me complain, but I do love having four distinct seasons. A white Christmas just feels so much more... Christmasy. Spring and summer are so much better after a snowy winter, seeing the white melt away and the green take over. And a crisp fall day with the leaves turning bright colors- I don't know if it gets any better than that.
And now, The Negatives...
1. Missing Family and Friends- Without a doubt, this is the toughest part of moving to a new state. It wasn't so bad when it was just Rob and I because we had the money and ability to fly back to California often. Then Rex came along and it got more expensive and challenging and now there is Wyatt and it just seems impossible. He hates driving more than about 30 minutes in the car and I can't imagine him on a plane for 3 1/2 hours. For now, we have to rely on people coming to see us. We miss seeing everyone anytime we wanted and having the kids away from grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins is about as bad as it gets. And then It really hit me how tough it is not to have any family to help once Wyatt came along. When it was just me and Rex during the day, it was fine to take him all around town on errands and he just didn't wear me out like the two of them do. I can't imagine what it would be like to have more than two kids! Not having grandparents nearby + more than 1 kid = REALLY HARD.
2. Food- I miss a good bean and cheese burrito and In-N-Out burgers (my mouth honestly started watering when I looked at their website just now!), Rob misses George's shish kebab and we both miss Teriyaki Don just to name a few. We try to recreate these things but it is never the same. Of course we have new favorite things and places here, but we still miss the old favorites.
3. Making New Friends is Tough- It just takes time to build up a group of friends- I mean, it took me 30 years to know all the people I do in California! I'm sure once the kids get involved in more activities and school, we will be meeting a lot more people which will make it easier. And there aren't too many people our ages with young kids so either we have friends our age with older kids, or younger friends with kids the same ages as ours.
After 4 1/2 years, I still think we made the right decision by moving to Iowa. The pros outweigh the cons and if we felt any differently, we would be back at the Penske truck rental to pack it all up and move back to the Golden State.
Good luck with the move Nanette and Brent, we hope you love your new home and we can't wait to visit you in Portland!!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
August Already?
Warning- Completely random, stream-of-consciousness post below. Was going to fix it up a little better but ran out of time!
I can't believe it is August 1st already! Rob's birthday is in just a few days and I am totally not prepared. I'm thinking about tools so he can keep working on projects around the house- is that more a present for me or for him though? I will have to keep working on ideas I guess. My dad gets here for a visit on Wednesday so I have been busy thinking about that and what I need to do to get the house ready. He booked his flight so long ago and it felt like it was so far off- I can't believe it is time already. One good thing about time going so quickly is that it has to cool down sometime, right? It has been so hot for a month now and it doesn't even cool down at night. I've got a few things planned while my dad is here and one is to paint some stripes on one wall of our office. Rob doesn't really approve because he is concerned that they will not be perfectly straight and he is a little cuckoo like that. It'll be close enough for me though so I'm going ahead with it. Hopefully I will have the stripes done and have the office ready for photos in the next week or two. It is definitely a catch-all kind of place right now and needs some help. I just saw the internet service guy go by so I better wrap this up. Time to find out why our service is so sketchy lately! Here's a picture of the boys from this morning though that I thought was adorable.
I can't believe it is August 1st already! Rob's birthday is in just a few days and I am totally not prepared. I'm thinking about tools so he can keep working on projects around the house- is that more a present for me or for him though? I will have to keep working on ideas I guess. My dad gets here for a visit on Wednesday so I have been busy thinking about that and what I need to do to get the house ready. He booked his flight so long ago and it felt like it was so far off- I can't believe it is time already. One good thing about time going so quickly is that it has to cool down sometime, right? It has been so hot for a month now and it doesn't even cool down at night. I've got a few things planned while my dad is here and one is to paint some stripes on one wall of our office. Rob doesn't really approve because he is concerned that they will not be perfectly straight and he is a little cuckoo like that. It'll be close enough for me though so I'm going ahead with it. Hopefully I will have the stripes done and have the office ready for photos in the next week or two. It is definitely a catch-all kind of place right now and needs some help. I just saw the internet service guy go by so I better wrap this up. Time to find out why our service is so sketchy lately! Here's a picture of the boys from this morning though that I thought was adorable.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Hotter Than A Firecracker
Wow, has it been hot, humid and nasty here for the last few weeks. It gets that way here in the summer of course but it doesn't usually last this long. Rex and I went to the pool a few weeks ago and I really wish we could go every day. We both had so much fun!
We went during the "toddler time" hours which are exactly the same as Wyatt's nap time so Rob stayed home with Wyatt. It would be nice if we could all go one of these days.
The big thing around our house right now is the family room project. There was some framing to do for the bump-out which will have an electric fireplace with a mantel and tv above it. I think Rob is just about done with that and ready to move on to some wiring next. Here is how it is looking so far.
We will have an electrician come in to finish up the wiring and tie it in to the panel but Rob can run the wire in the room to keep the project going for now since the electrician is backed up at the moment. He also put the housing units in for the six can lights we are doing and the thing that the ceiling fan will attach to. Then we get some insulation and walls up and paint and flooring... It will still be a while but it is nice to be working on the project again and finishing up what we started last fall.
The boys are doing great. Wyatt just started clapping today which is so adorable. He keeps adding new words to his vocabulary all the time- the latest is "cheese" which is probably one of his top 3 favorite foods. Wyatt is taking some steps around the house by himself now but he still crawls if he is in a hurry. I don't have video yet of him on his own (I've been too busy just watching him and having fun) but here he is cruising around with his little car.
Rex is 3 now and it seems he can go from cute and sweet to pain in the rear in nanoseconds. He melts down for the littlest thing, everything is "I do it" and he just doesn't want to listen to me and Rob. I had a feeling 3 year olds should be feared more than 2 year olds and it looks like I was right. He is so cute though and he just wants to help a lot of times so we try to find ways for him to be involved and "help". Here he is from a few days ago, wanting to cook lunch for us.
It seems that balsamic vinegar by the tablespoon is on the menu. Hmm, maybe mommy needs to make lunch after all. The boys find a new way to make messes/destroy things all the time. Need your clean laundry dumped all over the floor and then rolled over? Done.
Maybe you need a nightlight taken apart and unplugged? They've got that covered too.
And finally, if you need diapers, or anything really, taken out of the dresser and tossed around the room, Wyatt is the guy for the job.
They are a lot of fun and crack me up all the time. I guess that is about it for us for now- hopefully it won't be so long before my next posting!
We went during the "toddler time" hours which are exactly the same as Wyatt's nap time so Rob stayed home with Wyatt. It would be nice if we could all go one of these days.
The big thing around our house right now is the family room project. There was some framing to do for the bump-out which will have an electric fireplace with a mantel and tv above it. I think Rob is just about done with that and ready to move on to some wiring next. Here is how it is looking so far.
We will have an electrician come in to finish up the wiring and tie it in to the panel but Rob can run the wire in the room to keep the project going for now since the electrician is backed up at the moment. He also put the housing units in for the six can lights we are doing and the thing that the ceiling fan will attach to. Then we get some insulation and walls up and paint and flooring... It will still be a while but it is nice to be working on the project again and finishing up what we started last fall.
The boys are doing great. Wyatt just started clapping today which is so adorable. He keeps adding new words to his vocabulary all the time- the latest is "cheese" which is probably one of his top 3 favorite foods. Wyatt is taking some steps around the house by himself now but he still crawls if he is in a hurry. I don't have video yet of him on his own (I've been too busy just watching him and having fun) but here he is cruising around with his little car.
Rex is 3 now and it seems he can go from cute and sweet to pain in the rear in nanoseconds. He melts down for the littlest thing, everything is "I do it" and he just doesn't want to listen to me and Rob. I had a feeling 3 year olds should be feared more than 2 year olds and it looks like I was right. He is so cute though and he just wants to help a lot of times so we try to find ways for him to be involved and "help". Here he is from a few days ago, wanting to cook lunch for us.
It seems that balsamic vinegar by the tablespoon is on the menu. Hmm, maybe mommy needs to make lunch after all. The boys find a new way to make messes/destroy things all the time. Need your clean laundry dumped all over the floor and then rolled over? Done.
Maybe you need a nightlight taken apart and unplugged? They've got that covered too.
And finally, if you need diapers, or anything really, taken out of the dresser and tossed around the room, Wyatt is the guy for the job.
They are a lot of fun and crack me up all the time. I guess that is about it for us for now- hopefully it won't be so long before my next posting!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
In a Nesting/Decorating Mood
About two weeks ago, Rob and I were about to take the boys out on a walk after dinner when we started talking to our neighbors. We were taking some "Twins Day" pictures and they were just getting home from a dinner date and asked if we wanted a picture of all of us. I explained I was just trying to get this picture of Rob and Rex since they were dressed similarly that day.
After chatting outside for a little bit, we went on into their house to see their latest projects. They are always doing something and have such great taste that I love seeing what they've been up to. And I was VERY interested in seeing their new Ikea Ektorp sectional and testing it out. We need a new sofa badly and I have my eye on that one- slipcovers in this house is a must. Anyhow, it got Rob and me both inspired to dress up our living room a bit and spent the weekend before last doing that. We had a lot of stuff around the house already and I bought a few items at Target and now it looks so much better.
House Beautiful doesn't plan on stopping by any time soon but it is such an accomplishment for us! We tried to banish toys to the bedrooms and basement but that just doesn't seem to be practical. I bought some nice woven baskets to keep them in a while back and soon found Rex dismantling them. This time, I went for the much cheaper and indestructible canvas tub/basket things. They are holding up much better. We had most of the artwork just sitting in the basement and we decided to just hang it all rather than pick 2 or 3 things ala Emily Henderson. I have to say, I really like it this way because now it incorporates both of our things and I feel like it is so much more "us" rather than just my stuff or Rob's. It is tough to accessorize with 2 rambunctious young boys- so many things I would like to put on the end tables or ottoman would just be destroyed. We are also in the mood now to get the bike shop/family room project we started last fall finished up so be on the lookout for that soon.
We had a great 4th of July. Some friends invited us to a lunchtime bbq party. We met a lot of new people and Rex got to run around and play with the loads of kids that were there. AND someone asked me for the recipe of the item I brought and very few things make me happier than that. I always feel like I'm Martha Stewart or something when I get asked for a recipe. The lunchtime party was perfect because we brought the boys home for their naps then got up and had a light dinner, watched the fireworks shows on PBS and NBC (NBC's was way better, I thought) and went in the backyard to do our little sparkler display. That's all that is allowed here- I don't think fireworks are allowed in the whole state. SO LAME.
It has been hot and humid here lately. Yuck. We have a new city aquatic center and we've been promising to take Rex there but I think I am more excited than he is. It is huge with a toddler area, lazy river, several big slides and a huge pool area. In a few years I am sure we will be buying the summer family pass because we will be there all the time. Everything else is going good around here- hope you had a good July 4th too!
After chatting outside for a little bit, we went on into their house to see their latest projects. They are always doing something and have such great taste that I love seeing what they've been up to. And I was VERY interested in seeing their new Ikea Ektorp sectional and testing it out. We need a new sofa badly and I have my eye on that one- slipcovers in this house is a must. Anyhow, it got Rob and me both inspired to dress up our living room a bit and spent the weekend before last doing that. We had a lot of stuff around the house already and I bought a few items at Target and now it looks so much better.
House Beautiful doesn't plan on stopping by any time soon but it is such an accomplishment for us! We tried to banish toys to the bedrooms and basement but that just doesn't seem to be practical. I bought some nice woven baskets to keep them in a while back and soon found Rex dismantling them. This time, I went for the much cheaper and indestructible canvas tub/basket things. They are holding up much better. We had most of the artwork just sitting in the basement and we decided to just hang it all rather than pick 2 or 3 things ala Emily Henderson. I have to say, I really like it this way because now it incorporates both of our things and I feel like it is so much more "us" rather than just my stuff or Rob's. It is tough to accessorize with 2 rambunctious young boys- so many things I would like to put on the end tables or ottoman would just be destroyed. We are also in the mood now to get the bike shop/family room project we started last fall finished up so be on the lookout for that soon.
We had a great 4th of July. Some friends invited us to a lunchtime bbq party. We met a lot of new people and Rex got to run around and play with the loads of kids that were there. AND someone asked me for the recipe of the item I brought and very few things make me happier than that. I always feel like I'm Martha Stewart or something when I get asked for a recipe. The lunchtime party was perfect because we brought the boys home for their naps then got up and had a light dinner, watched the fireworks shows on PBS and NBC (NBC's was way better, I thought) and went in the backyard to do our little sparkler display. That's all that is allowed here- I don't think fireworks are allowed in the whole state. SO LAME.
It has been hot and humid here lately. Yuck. We have a new city aquatic center and we've been promising to take Rex there but I think I am more excited than he is. It is huge with a toddler area, lazy river, several big slides and a huge pool area. In a few years I am sure we will be buying the summer family pass because we will be there all the time. Everything else is going good around here- hope you had a good July 4th too!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Happy (insert holiday here)!
The last week or so has been busy- there was Father's Day on Sunday and then Rex's 3rd birthday on Monday. Rob decided he wanted to smoke some ribs in our smoker for his special dinner so that was what we did. He also wanted iced tea and I made a big pot of beans. My recipe is very similar to this one but I use kidney beans and butter beans instead of lima and black. I made a festive little banner for the day too that Rob didn't realize for a few days that I had made. I guess it looked so good he thought I bought it- ha! I got the idea for it here.
Wyatt unhappily modeling his special Father's Day shirt-
And a special Father's Day treat I ordered from California-
It was a really good day. Looks like I'm missing any pictures of Rob from Father's Day though. Oops. I will do better next year! I thought we would just get a pizza for dinner on Rex's birthday but we decided to go out to eat instead. Rex got a cheeseburger and had 3 or 4 young waitresses sing happy birthday to him and give him ice cream so I am sure he was pleased with the decision.
He had lots of presents, including this Sheriff Woody toy-
The whole time Rex was opening his gifts, Wyatt just sat off to the side and played with his toys. I don't know why I thought that was so funny but I did. Here's Wyatt playing with his toy puppy.
Finally, we had some birthday cake. I made a dinosaur cake again this year because I vowed to make one every year forever on his birthday. Even when he is 42, I will make a dinosaur cake for him.
Nobody spent much time with the cake though because it was time to get back to the toys! Seriously, I don't think Rex took even one bite of the cake. He was too excited about all the new toys and ran right out of the kitchen to go play again after he blew the candle out. Since it was his birthday, I let him. He definitely was asking for the cake the next day though. Good thing for him I saved a piece!
Gotta play-
Wyatt is doing good. He is more and more mobile all the time and has stepped off like he was going to walk but just fell. Poor guy. He holds on to the couch or my hands and walks but he still needs that little bit of help. He's not quite there yet but it can't be too much longer. I am doing good too. I started a bootcamp fitness class last week and I have never been so sore in my life. I am more of a cardio girl than a strength training girl so this is a big change for me. I enjoy the class and getting some time just for me- it is unfortunate though that the class is at 6:00 a.m. everyday (Mon-Fri) and I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. Yikes. I thought it was bad that I used to have to get up at 7:00. I signed up for 14 weeks so that means only 13 more weeks until I can sleep in again!
Wyatt unhappily modeling his special Father's Day shirt-
And a special Father's Day treat I ordered from California-
It was a really good day. Looks like I'm missing any pictures of Rob from Father's Day though. Oops. I will do better next year! I thought we would just get a pizza for dinner on Rex's birthday but we decided to go out to eat instead. Rex got a cheeseburger and had 3 or 4 young waitresses sing happy birthday to him and give him ice cream so I am sure he was pleased with the decision.
He had lots of presents, including this Sheriff Woody toy-
The whole time Rex was opening his gifts, Wyatt just sat off to the side and played with his toys. I don't know why I thought that was so funny but I did. Here's Wyatt playing with his toy puppy.
Finally, we had some birthday cake. I made a dinosaur cake again this year because I vowed to make one every year forever on his birthday. Even when he is 42, I will make a dinosaur cake for him.
Nobody spent much time with the cake though because it was time to get back to the toys! Seriously, I don't think Rex took even one bite of the cake. He was too excited about all the new toys and ran right out of the kitchen to go play again after he blew the candle out. Since it was his birthday, I let him. He definitely was asking for the cake the next day though. Good thing for him I saved a piece!
Gotta play-
Wyatt is doing good. He is more and more mobile all the time and has stepped off like he was going to walk but just fell. Poor guy. He holds on to the couch or my hands and walks but he still needs that little bit of help. He's not quite there yet but it can't be too much longer. I am doing good too. I started a bootcamp fitness class last week and I have never been so sore in my life. I am more of a cardio girl than a strength training girl so this is a big change for me. I enjoy the class and getting some time just for me- it is unfortunate though that the class is at 6:00 a.m. everyday (Mon-Fri) and I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. Yikes. I thought it was bad that I used to have to get up at 7:00. I signed up for 14 weeks so that means only 13 more weeks until I can sleep in again!
Monday, June 13, 2011
If a Tree Falls in The Forest...
Last Monday we had a dying spruce tree removed from our backyard. I also decided once they got here to have them trim up the two trees out front. Rob wasn't thrilled with my little add-on project but he did say that it looked nice once they were done. He was at work while they were here and I didn't want him to miss the excitement of taking out the big tree so I recorded it. I didn't mean to narrate the clip, I just happened to be talking to someone on the phone at the same time and I was telling them what was going on.
Here is how the corner looks now-
Now we have to figure out what to do with our empty corner. Our plan was to put in a small-ish swingset but I'm not sure there is enough room and we kind of blew the budget on tree removal and pruning. We definitely need to do some screening along the fence to get some privacy and block the view of the neighbor's house for everyone's benefit. I am thinking it is a perfect spot for a little fenced-in vegetable garden like this.
It was ridiculously hot earlier in the week and then by the end of last week, and still by today, it has been cool and rainy with lots of hunderflash (that's Rex-speak for thunder and lightning), much to Rex's dismay. I took the boys out for a walk on Saturday morning when we had a little break in the weather and we went to the Farmer's Market. Apparently all there is in Iowa at this point is cilantro and I think I saw some onions too. I bought some baked goods and jams at one stand from people I have purchased tasty treats from before but that was it for us. I decided I better just plant my own stuff if I want some homegrown produce so Rex and I went to Lowe's on Sunday and bought 2 tomato plants, 1 cherry tomato plant and a cantaloupe plant. I have never grown cantaloupes before so I have no idea what to expect from that but it was only $3 so I thought it was worth a try.
I bought 2 delphinium and 2 foxgloves too because I love them and planted them in the bed along with the tomato and cantaloupe plants.
The boys are doing good. No real big excitement for them this past week except Rex can finally say his name! Yay Rex!!! He has always just said "Reh" or maybe "Rek" but couldn't quite get that x sound until this past week. Here is what they are looking like on Monday, June 13th.
Wyatt playing with Rex's blocks-
Rex in our front yard, just as it was starting to rain this morning-
Here is how the corner looks now-
Now we have to figure out what to do with our empty corner. Our plan was to put in a small-ish swingset but I'm not sure there is enough room and we kind of blew the budget on tree removal and pruning. We definitely need to do some screening along the fence to get some privacy and block the view of the neighbor's house for everyone's benefit. I am thinking it is a perfect spot for a little fenced-in vegetable garden like this.
It was ridiculously hot earlier in the week and then by the end of last week, and still by today, it has been cool and rainy with lots of hunderflash (that's Rex-speak for thunder and lightning), much to Rex's dismay. I took the boys out for a walk on Saturday morning when we had a little break in the weather and we went to the Farmer's Market. Apparently all there is in Iowa at this point is cilantro and I think I saw some onions too. I bought some baked goods and jams at one stand from people I have purchased tasty treats from before but that was it for us. I decided I better just plant my own stuff if I want some homegrown produce so Rex and I went to Lowe's on Sunday and bought 2 tomato plants, 1 cherry tomato plant and a cantaloupe plant. I have never grown cantaloupes before so I have no idea what to expect from that but it was only $3 so I thought it was worth a try.
I bought 2 delphinium and 2 foxgloves too because I love them and planted them in the bed along with the tomato and cantaloupe plants.
The boys are doing good. No real big excitement for them this past week except Rex can finally say his name! Yay Rex!!! He has always just said "Reh" or maybe "Rek" but couldn't quite get that x sound until this past week. Here is what they are looking like on Monday, June 13th.
Wyatt playing with Rex's blocks-
Rex in our front yard, just as it was starting to rain this morning-
Monday, June 6, 2011
DIY Weekend
I took the boys out on a walk Saturday morning- it is something we do every day, weather permitting- and found an awesome retro stereo console for sale at a yard sale. I had to cross the street and get a better look at it because it just looked so cool and I was thinking it would be perfect for under our tv. I was right, it is!
And it was only $35- woohoo! I don't know what Rob was planning on doing this weekend but I know what he ended up doing. He gutted the old stereo and record player parts from the cabinet and put our cable box and dvd player in there.
He also put his nice amp in there and hooked it up to the speakers so we could put the big speakers (that used to be hooked up to the tv) away. Rex loved to unhook the wires and he can't do that anymore which is awesome. Rob bought a remote relay thingamajiggie so that the remote still works even with everything all closed up inside. We still need to attach something to the wall to hide the cords and then put a latch on top of the console so Rex can't get in there and then it will be perfect.
I had my own little DIY project I have been working on, trying to recreate a Pottery Barn trellis that I love. I got it all put together but it was a while before we had a non-windy day so that I could spray paint the thing. I finally got that done on Saturday and here it is in my garden.
I would still like to get some solar string lights to go on it but it looks good for now. That was my prototype and since I am happy with the way it turned out, I'm going to make two more. I think I'll end up spending about $30 for four of them instead of $99 for one. AND mine doesn't have any lame hearts on it. Holly Hobby I am not.
Rob and I discovered we may have hit the jackpot with Rex. He loves to play with his teeball set in the backyard which he and I do a lot during the week. I knew he batted opposite of me but I didn't know that was a big deal that he hit it left-handed. So when Rob saw him do it, he was pretty interested. We tried to get him to bat right-handed and that was not happening. He hits (naturally!) way better left-handed. So then we did a little test with his throwing and discovered that he throws right-handed. Rob tells me that a player who hits left and throws right is desirable and rare. I just want him to have fun and as long as he likes to play, I will encourage it. I would never be a parent who forces my kid to play a sport they don't like or ruin something they like to do and have fun with. But if he turned out to be a baseball superstar, that would be pretty awesome.
Rex got his first skinned knee this week. Poor baby. He looks just like his mommy though.
Wyatt is getting closer and closer to walking all the time. He is figuring so much out every day and you can tell he just can't wait to walk like his big brother does. Part of his development is pulling himself up onto things- AND out of things it seems. I put him in his walker the other day, walked in the kitchen and came back seconds later to find him like this:
It is possible that Rex helped him but I really doubt it. I am certain Wyatt did this all on his own. See that cheshire cat grin? That's the face of a boy who is awfully proud of himself.
We had a good weekend working on projects but Rob and I actually got to go out to dinner on a little date Friday night which was the best part of the weekend, without a doubt. We left both boys with a sitter for the first time ever and went to a work dinner Rob had which was a lot of fun. They had a raffle for prizes and we both left with stuff. Lucky us!
And it was only $35- woohoo! I don't know what Rob was planning on doing this weekend but I know what he ended up doing. He gutted the old stereo and record player parts from the cabinet and put our cable box and dvd player in there.
He also put his nice amp in there and hooked it up to the speakers so we could put the big speakers (that used to be hooked up to the tv) away. Rex loved to unhook the wires and he can't do that anymore which is awesome. Rob bought a remote relay thingamajiggie so that the remote still works even with everything all closed up inside. We still need to attach something to the wall to hide the cords and then put a latch on top of the console so Rex can't get in there and then it will be perfect.
I had my own little DIY project I have been working on, trying to recreate a Pottery Barn trellis that I love. I got it all put together but it was a while before we had a non-windy day so that I could spray paint the thing. I finally got that done on Saturday and here it is in my garden.
I would still like to get some solar string lights to go on it but it looks good for now. That was my prototype and since I am happy with the way it turned out, I'm going to make two more. I think I'll end up spending about $30 for four of them instead of $99 for one. AND mine doesn't have any lame hearts on it. Holly Hobby I am not.
Rob and I discovered we may have hit the jackpot with Rex. He loves to play with his teeball set in the backyard which he and I do a lot during the week. I knew he batted opposite of me but I didn't know that was a big deal that he hit it left-handed. So when Rob saw him do it, he was pretty interested. We tried to get him to bat right-handed and that was not happening. He hits (naturally!) way better left-handed. So then we did a little test with his throwing and discovered that he throws right-handed. Rob tells me that a player who hits left and throws right is desirable and rare. I just want him to have fun and as long as he likes to play, I will encourage it. I would never be a parent who forces my kid to play a sport they don't like or ruin something they like to do and have fun with. But if he turned out to be a baseball superstar, that would be pretty awesome.
Rex got his first skinned knee this week. Poor baby. He looks just like his mommy though.
Wyatt is getting closer and closer to walking all the time. He is figuring so much out every day and you can tell he just can't wait to walk like his big brother does. Part of his development is pulling himself up onto things- AND out of things it seems. I put him in his walker the other day, walked in the kitchen and came back seconds later to find him like this:
It is possible that Rex helped him but I really doubt it. I am certain Wyatt did this all on his own. See that cheshire cat grin? That's the face of a boy who is awfully proud of himself.
We had a good weekend working on projects but Rob and I actually got to go out to dinner on a little date Friday night which was the best part of the weekend, without a doubt. We left both boys with a sitter for the first time ever and went to a work dinner Rob had which was a lot of fun. They had a raffle for prizes and we both left with stuff. Lucky us!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Happy 300th Post!
Yowza- this makes 300 posts! I really enjoy blogging and using this as a way to keep in touch with all our long-distance family and friends (which is most of the people we know). I hope anyone who is still reading this is enjoying it too!
It was a nice long Memorial Day weekend for us. After the awful week we had with Wyatt being sick, it was so wonderful to finally all have some fun and enjoy life again. There was a lot of shopping (most of it doesn't matter but I got these shoes and I LOVE them!) and working on projects around the house AND we even all went out to dinner on Saturday night. I was wanting to eat food at a Mexican restaurant because I can't even tell you how long it has been since I did that. I asked Rob if we could get take-out sometime soon and he said we should all just go and eat there. I guess I was feeling pretty brave that day so we did. The boys were the opposite of the first, and only other, time we ever all have eaten in a restaurant. Wyatt was a peach and Rex was the challenging one. Since I was on Wyatt duty, I had a great time. I don't think Rob (who was on Rex duty- we play man-to-man defense here) would probably give it such a good review. I also had a tasty glass of sangria to celebrate the end of my nursing duties so that may be why I had such a great time too.
Our projects around the house didn't get finished because we both needed to paint. Rob was working on some window trim and I was working on building my own version of these. I have been coveting these garden trellises from Pottery Barn for a while now and though they did recently go on sale, they are still too pricey for me. I could do one but I really want like 3 or 5 of them and who wants to spend $300+ on these for their yard? And that is without the lights still! So I'm working on creating my own and I'm going to blog all about it once it is done. It has been pretty windy here too so my plans to Round-Up some undesirables in my yard have been put on hold. I was also working some indoors on our office and trying to get it more organized. I would like to do a little scrapbooking again now that the boys are getting to be easier to manage. I can not wait until Wyatt gets to one nap a day and I have a nice block of time everyday when they are both asleep. That will be awesome.
The boys are doing great. Wyatt said his first word today "cra-ka" for his graham crackers. He babbles "mama" and "dada" but that goes without saying that he would say those first. Rex keeps us laughing all the time. Earlier today, he hurt himself doing something and was crying so Rob told him, "It's okay. You're fine." And Rex told him, "Rex not fine. Rex owie." He nearly always talks about himself in the third person. One really fun word he has lately is "hunderflash" for a thunderstorm- he hates the hunderflash but it is so funny to hear him talk about it. He loves to play with Wyatt and make him laugh and even try to soothe him when he is upset. Rex knows all his letters and can now sing the alphabet with them all in the right order too. We were just talking today about how smart he is and then he was jamming his fork in his ear at the dinner table so who knows? Really smart but no common sense apparently.
Sorry for no pictures this time but I'll try to get some this week and definitely some of my trellis project as soon as there is a good day to spray paint!
It was a nice long Memorial Day weekend for us. After the awful week we had with Wyatt being sick, it was so wonderful to finally all have some fun and enjoy life again. There was a lot of shopping (most of it doesn't matter but I got these shoes and I LOVE them!) and working on projects around the house AND we even all went out to dinner on Saturday night. I was wanting to eat food at a Mexican restaurant because I can't even tell you how long it has been since I did that. I asked Rob if we could get take-out sometime soon and he said we should all just go and eat there. I guess I was feeling pretty brave that day so we did. The boys were the opposite of the first, and only other, time we ever all have eaten in a restaurant. Wyatt was a peach and Rex was the challenging one. Since I was on Wyatt duty, I had a great time. I don't think Rob (who was on Rex duty- we play man-to-man defense here) would probably give it such a good review. I also had a tasty glass of sangria to celebrate the end of my nursing duties so that may be why I had such a great time too.
Our projects around the house didn't get finished because we both needed to paint. Rob was working on some window trim and I was working on building my own version of these. I have been coveting these garden trellises from Pottery Barn for a while now and though they did recently go on sale, they are still too pricey for me. I could do one but I really want like 3 or 5 of them and who wants to spend $300+ on these for their yard? And that is without the lights still! So I'm working on creating my own and I'm going to blog all about it once it is done. It has been pretty windy here too so my plans to Round-Up some undesirables in my yard have been put on hold. I was also working some indoors on our office and trying to get it more organized. I would like to do a little scrapbooking again now that the boys are getting to be easier to manage. I can not wait until Wyatt gets to one nap a day and I have a nice block of time everyday when they are both asleep. That will be awesome.
The boys are doing great. Wyatt said his first word today "cra-ka" for his graham crackers. He babbles "mama" and "dada" but that goes without saying that he would say those first. Rex keeps us laughing all the time. Earlier today, he hurt himself doing something and was crying so Rob told him, "It's okay. You're fine." And Rex told him, "Rex not fine. Rex owie." He nearly always talks about himself in the third person. One really fun word he has lately is "hunderflash" for a thunderstorm- he hates the hunderflash but it is so funny to hear him talk about it. He loves to play with Wyatt and make him laugh and even try to soothe him when he is upset. Rex knows all his letters and can now sing the alphabet with them all in the right order too. We were just talking today about how smart he is and then he was jamming his fork in his ear at the dinner table so who knows? Really smart but no common sense apparently.
Sorry for no pictures this time but I'll try to get some this week and definitely some of my trellis project as soon as there is a good day to spray paint!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Happy 1st Birthday Wyatt!
Guess who just had his first birthday?
Wyatt did! Wyatt's first birthday was yesterday and we all had a really fun day. Rob and I discussed going out of town for a long weekend but we decided that it might be more trouble than fun with a 1 and 2 year old. We ended up going to Des Moines to do a little birthday shopping at Toys R Us and the Jordan Creek mall in the morning and have lunch there too.
Wyatt, just after lunch.
Yes, we ate lunch at the mall food court. A little lame but a lot easier with the boys than a restaurant is.
We wore him out- time to load up and go home.
We all got some toys and/or clothes so it was a good day for everyone, not just the birthday boy. Apparently we wore both of them out with the excursion- besides sleeping in the car on the way home, they both took giant naps once we got them home. I went out during naptime to pick up Wyatt's cake and take care of dinner. Here are some dinner and cake pictures.
Finally, we ended the night with opening presents and then playing with all the toys he got.
It was a wonderful day and let me tell you, we all slept a ton last night after such a busy day! Wyatt seemed like he had a good day and I know the rest of us did. Today was the crappy flipside to yesterday though- four shots at the doctor's visit. Yuck. He did okay though. Although we've finally got him eating good, he's still a skinny guy. He's not quite 19 pounds yet. He's kind of a shorty too but I think the weight and length will start to pick up now that he is eating good. He is finally a pretty good sleeper too so we've come a long way in this first year. Wyatt is such an amazing little guy and I love every second with him. We are so lucky to be his parents. Here's to another 99 fantastic birthdays!
Wyatt did! Wyatt's first birthday was yesterday and we all had a really fun day. Rob and I discussed going out of town for a long weekend but we decided that it might be more trouble than fun with a 1 and 2 year old. We ended up going to Des Moines to do a little birthday shopping at Toys R Us and the Jordan Creek mall in the morning and have lunch there too.
Wyatt, just after lunch.
Yes, we ate lunch at the mall food court. A little lame but a lot easier with the boys than a restaurant is.
We wore him out- time to load up and go home.
We all got some toys and/or clothes so it was a good day for everyone, not just the birthday boy. Apparently we wore both of them out with the excursion- besides sleeping in the car on the way home, they both took giant naps once we got them home. I went out during naptime to pick up Wyatt's cake and take care of dinner. Here are some dinner and cake pictures.
Finally, we ended the night with opening presents and then playing with all the toys he got.
It was a wonderful day and let me tell you, we all slept a ton last night after such a busy day! Wyatt seemed like he had a good day and I know the rest of us did. Today was the crappy flipside to yesterday though- four shots at the doctor's visit. Yuck. He did okay though. Although we've finally got him eating good, he's still a skinny guy. He's not quite 19 pounds yet. He's kind of a shorty too but I think the weight and length will start to pick up now that he is eating good. He is finally a pretty good sleeper too so we've come a long way in this first year. Wyatt is such an amazing little guy and I love every second with him. We are so lucky to be his parents. Here's to another 99 fantastic birthdays!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Mother's Day and More
Last weekend was a great weekend. We had some friends over on Friday night for dinner. We barbecued a tri tip and ate outside because the weather was great. A little cloudy but still pretty close to perfect. Rob uses this rub on tri tip and it is fantastic. I tried making Armenian Rice Pilaf and it came out really good, which was good news since it made a TON. I don't really remember what we did on Saturday but my Mother's Day was so nice and relaxing. Rex woke up super early so Rob got him dressed and took him out to breakfast while Wyatt and I slept in. They brought me back my favorite cinnamon toast bagel- Yum. I went out shopping by myself for a few hours and it was so nice to just get in and out of my car without having to deal with two carseats! I got some new clothes and shoes for my self and got everyone else something too. We ended up eating leftovers for dinner because we'd been cooking a lot lately and didn't feel like or need to cook more food. Here I am with my two boys on Mother's Day.
In case you were wondering why there aren't many photos of me, that's why. My husband doesn't have the patience to take a bunch of photos or to make sure I am looking my best in the photos he does take. Anyhow, I had a nice relaxing day doing whatever I wanted to do and that is awesome.
Yesterday Rex and I went on a little adventure. Rex always gets so excited when he sees a bus driving around town and yells out "Bus! Bus!" Actually, he says, "Buth! Buth!" because he has a hard time with the letter S. Rob and I talk all the time about taking Rex on the bus and going to the library so he can finally ride a "buth". Rob got home from work a little early yesterday so I grabbed Rex and we headed off to the bus stop. We got on the bus and he was so quiet and wide-eyed the whole time. We sat close to the front on the way there but I was smarter on the way home and we sat in the back which is higher up and he could see a lot better from there. I could tell he was way more excited when he could actually see out the windows and see what was going on. And he had a blast at the library, like he always does, so I think it will go down as Best Day Ever. The library has a lot of toys and a fishtank and then we get to bring more books home with us to read so what's not to love? He was literally jumping up and down as he talked to the librarian because he was just so excited to be there. I tried to take photos with my phone on the bus and at the library but the piece of junk kept telling me "capture failed" so we didn't get any pictures of the trip.
The weather has been really crazy lately. It was kind of cool last weekend, in the 60s, then it got record-setting hot (it was 97 I think) at the beginning of the week and now it's cool and rainy again. Rex loves to be outside so I try to get him out there as much as I can but the weather doesn't always cooperate. Seems like a lot of this week was either too hot or too cold/wet for being outside. Rob and I are talking about putting a playset/swingset in the yard for Rex because he just goes bananas over the ones at the park. He would slide from sunup until sundown if he could. He can't get enough. Rob and Rex are off to Lowe's right now to pick up a lilac bush for our backyard. My plan for this weekend is to get some yardwork done while it is nice and cool out and the ground is easy to work since it's been raining. I have some things that need to go in my big brown trash can and I have some things that need to be relocated to those vacant spots so we can make some room for that playset! Isn't it funny how your opinions on things change once you have kids? Our house is a few blocks from the park and I swore that we would never have "one of those ugly swingsets" in our yard- the kids could just go to the park. But now that I know how much Rex loves it, I think it would be great to have one right in our backyard that he can play on whenever he wants.
In case you were wondering why there aren't many photos of me, that's why. My husband doesn't have the patience to take a bunch of photos or to make sure I am looking my best in the photos he does take. Anyhow, I had a nice relaxing day doing whatever I wanted to do and that is awesome.
Yesterday Rex and I went on a little adventure. Rex always gets so excited when he sees a bus driving around town and yells out "Bus! Bus!" Actually, he says, "Buth! Buth!" because he has a hard time with the letter S. Rob and I talk all the time about taking Rex on the bus and going to the library so he can finally ride a "buth". Rob got home from work a little early yesterday so I grabbed Rex and we headed off to the bus stop. We got on the bus and he was so quiet and wide-eyed the whole time. We sat close to the front on the way there but I was smarter on the way home and we sat in the back which is higher up and he could see a lot better from there. I could tell he was way more excited when he could actually see out the windows and see what was going on. And he had a blast at the library, like he always does, so I think it will go down as Best Day Ever. The library has a lot of toys and a fishtank and then we get to bring more books home with us to read so what's not to love? He was literally jumping up and down as he talked to the librarian because he was just so excited to be there. I tried to take photos with my phone on the bus and at the library but the piece of junk kept telling me "capture failed" so we didn't get any pictures of the trip.
The weather has been really crazy lately. It was kind of cool last weekend, in the 60s, then it got record-setting hot (it was 97 I think) at the beginning of the week and now it's cool and rainy again. Rex loves to be outside so I try to get him out there as much as I can but the weather doesn't always cooperate. Seems like a lot of this week was either too hot or too cold/wet for being outside. Rob and I are talking about putting a playset/swingset in the yard for Rex because he just goes bananas over the ones at the park. He would slide from sunup until sundown if he could. He can't get enough. Rob and Rex are off to Lowe's right now to pick up a lilac bush for our backyard. My plan for this weekend is to get some yardwork done while it is nice and cool out and the ground is easy to work since it's been raining. I have some things that need to go in my big brown trash can and I have some things that need to be relocated to those vacant spots so we can make some room for that playset! Isn't it funny how your opinions on things change once you have kids? Our house is a few blocks from the park and I swore that we would never have "one of those ugly swingsets" in our yard- the kids could just go to the park. But now that I know how much Rex loves it, I think it would be great to have one right in our backyard that he can play on whenever he wants.
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