The Snowy Day

Actually, I think I can call this the snowy day. Although I know we've had at least another day with snow this winter, it must not have been very memorable. And as happy as I am that I lucked out with very little snow (and no snow piles to speak of) to lug the kids through my 1st winter with three of them in tow, I am thrilled that we got a measurable amount today.

The boys just love the snow - probably more so this year since it's been few and far between the sparse snowfalls we have had. And while it was not a "snow day" for them, their school ended up losing power around 3pm. So Joe picked them up and they were home at 4pm...enough time to get the whole family geared up for the neighborhood sledding hill before the sun went down. The early school closing worked out perfectly - Joe and I got some things done at work and home, and then the closing ensured we took advantage of the snow!

While walking to the hill we had to trek through puddles a half foot deep - but at least it was nice and warm so we could enjoy our time!

Max and Otto both had a blast sledding. Max got a new inflatable snowmobile from a friend for his birthday and he was so excited to take it out for a spin! And spin it did... Max loved how it would twirl while going down the hill and so did Otto once Max was talked into letting him have a turn.

And Wren's 1st time sledding? We went down the hill on the toboggan a few times and she slept through it all.

Okay. We've had our fun in the snow. I think I'd be content having spring arrive (for good) any time now!

Three of My Three

God bless professional photographers. I will always treasure the perfectly lit, beautiful portraits that Eydie takes of our family.

BUT, for the million moments that make up my every day, I can't beat my own snapshots.

I mean, the dog hair on ugly fleece cozy pants, all three of them with their eyes closed (repeatedly!), hugs that border on "should I put down the camera to make sure Wren's ok," the underwear (Fridays are usually "underwear" day here, except for when I make them put on clothes for our Costco run), the look in Wren's eyes asking "how much longer? i can't take these boys any more," and the three of them piled in a bed.

Yes, God bless the professionals once a year when photographing our kids. And God bless me and my three all other days.

Mommy & Me. Yeah, We're Crafty!

I'm not one to dress my kids in matching outfits (um...getting them dressed in any clothes is a good 1st step most days), let alone myself and my kids in "mommy & me" get-ups. And then again, I never say never. Our matching doily tank top and onesie might be the closest I get to it, and I think it's just about right for me and Wren!

Joe's mom gave me a lot of her late Great Aunt Marie's (Joe's grandma's sister-in-law) crocheted items over Christmas. I went through the bag and found a few treasures to use, a few more to repurpose and a few others I couldn't think of what to do with, including these small "snowflake" doilies. I loved them, but didn't want them to become clutter so was going to give them back. Joe seemed surprised and asked if I was sure I couldn't think of something to do with them. As luck would have it, a day later I came across this idea for a doily t-shirt.

I met Great Aunt Marie just a few times, and only during the last couple years of her life while she was in a home. There aren't a lot of people that I meet that I would say their "eyes smiled," but she was one of them. She had a sound mind but a worn out body. I could tell she lived a good life and cared deeply about her family. She was quiet, but I sensed she had great hopes for Joe (& by nature of our long-term relationship), also for me and our future family that she surely knew would come to life after she was gone.

Given Wren is growing like a weed, this special onesie won't fit her much longer. But it makes me happy to have found such a pretty and special way to showcase the snowflake doilies. And I'll make sure to preserve Wren's onesie and Aunt Marie's talent and spirit in a 1st Year memory quilt, just like I had made for Otto and Max.

Cute Things They Say: Knives!

This is not so much cute things they say, but more like odd, where did they learn that? things they say!

It was one of those early days when I was trying to figure out the best way and place to feed Wren while also keeping an eye on both Max and Otto, who seem to be more Dennis and Menace. Even though our house is small and pretty open, my eyes can't see through the few walls we do have. But my ears can hear when something is off and I knew Otto, who was out of sight and in the kitchen, was up to mischief.

I scoop up Wren, trying to keep her feeding, and go into the kitchen. I find Otto had opened the refrigerator (at the time this was a new trick of his), climbed up both crisper drawers and was standing on the middle shelf reaching for something on the very top shelf of the fridge.

I shriek "Otto, No!"

Instantly Max comes running for the kitchen shouting, "Does he have a knife? Is he cutting his face?!"

I'm baffled (and a little scared) as to where Max would have ever heard this or thought of this as something Otto would be doing.

And, of course, I'm thankful that "No, Max, Otto doesn't have a knife and he isn't cutting his face."

Happy 4 Months Wren

This past month Wren has begun to grasp so many things. Physically she's holding onto rattles and spatulas and balls. She'll get a good hold of her curly locks and tug and twirl her own hair. She rolls over, although not a ton. If she had to choose lying on her belly or back, she much prefers belly with her head held high looking around. She really dislikes lying on her back. She refuses to keep her head or feet on the ground and instead instantly goes into a "V" position essentially balancing on her tailbone with her legs and torso lifted off the ground. Perhaps this is a yoga pose and she's just searching hard for a little zen.

She's also grasping "object permanence" as our Ped says. While it's not yet separation anxiety, she'll get sad, pucker her lip and cry if her short list of family (Me, Joe, Max and Otto) isn't visible. My sister said while she was watching the kids one day that Wren cried a couple times when it was just the two of them in a room together. But when Jamie brought her out by Max & Otto she lit up, smiled and all was right in her world again (at least that's how I'm going to interpret it because quite frankly I wonder how much those two boys just give her a little anxiety like they give me with their loud shrieks, rough and tumble play and general BOY-NESS).

Joe got to see first hand how much we love (and are loved) at our favorite coffee shop. While he and I were there one Sunday morning with just Wren (boys were at G&G's), a middle aged lady walked up to Joe, who was holding Wren, and exclaimed "You must be Wren's dad!" Joe gave me this look like "Really? Wren's on a first name basis with customers here???" Is she ever! I'm telling you, we've had a good month.

Wren is definitely "finding her voice" as well. And while her use of it ebbs and flows, when she does use it, she usually does so with gusto. She doesn't exactly "giggle" like you think of when you think of a baby. She has these belly laughs that seem to come deep from her belly. She works hard to make the sound. It's almost like a big guffaw. They are in a deep voice and kind of chortle-y. Or she'll "wind up" and work hard to let out some hoarse shrieks and squeals. They frighten me a little. I worry she's trying to be the squeakiest wheel in order to be heard...and many days I'm just plain out of grease.

I have a baby book for each kid and given they are all the same template, I refrain from reading what I wrote about the previous kids before writing comments in the next kid's book. In each book there's a space to write about "Daily Routine." After writing my comments in Wren's book, I went back and read what I wrote in Max and Otto's books. While Max's talked about things we did (i.e., ECFE class, playdates, Target runs), I also inserted a print out of a color-coded Excel document that I created to track his eat/sleep/poop/pump schedule in 15 minute increments. Although I only did this for Max's 1st week home, it shows how crazy I was (and despite my earnest attempt to get it right, I think I failed miserably for a couple weeks at getting him fed and to bed when needed!). Otto's "Daily Routine" touches on the things we did like cook, etc, but also states that many of his naps were in the stroller vs his crib as I juggled a toddler and a newborn. A hint at the much more relaxed parenting approach taken with baby #2. And Wren? Her "Daily Routine" comments were "I feed her when she seems hungry. I help her sleep when she's tired. We try to make her smile when she's awake." Amen.

If you have kids (or are just a sucker for really amazing writing), here's the best description I've ever read about the difference between your first, second and third kids. Bookmark this blog. It's a daily dose of comedy central, family counseling, couples therapy and Sabbath.

At Wren's 4 month check-up she was officially "off the charts" on both height (just under 27 inches) and weight (17 lbs, 10 oz). However, they tell you she's 99% on both because our Ped doesn't list anyone as 100% or greater. Maybe she'll be 99.9% at her 6 month appointment ;) In any case, she's easily the size of a one year old and when you add in her head of hair she looks to be closer to two. This is heart-wrenching as I try to cling to every little bit of baby she's ever had in her.

We'll still continue to celebrate Wren's monthly birthday, but beginning with this month I've done away with candles and singing. I guess I want to make sure that there's something still 'sacred' for her actual first birthday. Of course we still have a special treat. I'll use the 17th of each month as a chance to try a new dessert. For February I made Chocolate Bread Pudding from Flour (the recipe called for white bread, but I experimented with chocolate bread). You can't really go wrong when you start with 3 cups of Half and Half and end with 3 more cups of Half and Half.

Crash

Our computer crashed yesterday, and despite having a half dozen other computer-like devices, it's just not the same typing on a touch screen. Will be on a blog break until the new iMac arrives next week. OMG, sooooo excited for a new computer!!!

XOXO. My Loves.

Alright, let's conclude my posts about Valentines. In the spirit of saving the best for last, this post is about my Loves, Max, Otto, Wren. And my original Love, Joe.

The sentiment of Valentine's is a little different for me each year, yet provides excitement regardless.

When I was younger it was a mix of hearts-a-flutter in love (in fatuation?) excitement and "Who needs boys when you have the best friends in the world?" yin and yang. It was getting up the courage to send a candy-gram to my crush of the week (and not receiving one in return). It was wearing head to toe pink and red to school along with my girlfriends. It was "Focusing on St Patrick's Day" one year when a friend of mine and I both had no Valentine to speak of so we focused our efforts on the upcoming St Patrick's holiday that is both platonic and fun (anyone can claim "Kiss Me I'm Irish").

Fast forward to this year's Valentine's where the sentiment for me was all about showing my kids how much I adore them and (trying to) surprise Joe in little ways how much I love him. Additionally, I'm hoping to instill in my kids an appreciation for this holiday where showing your love is paramount and wearing hearts is not only acceptable but appreciated.

As it turns out - I'm not surprised - the boys loved their special Valentine's lunch. What is surprising is that I think Max liked the plastic, compartmentalized Ziploc container that I put his special lunch items in even more than the treats I packed. Following dinner last night we had a special dessert, too. The boys got to dip strawberries and bananas in chocolate fondue. Oh, the little things! They highly enjoyed this treat. And Max was pretty quick to realize that "This dessert is a little healthy and a little not-so-healthy." Yep, they polished off a couple bananas and a lot of berries for their dessert.

I ended up giving the kids (really, Max & Otto) a book called "We Belong Together" that I had forgotten to give them at their "Better Together" birthday party. It's a book that shows a bunch of pairs that go together (cookies & milk, hot cocoa & marshmallows, etc). It was super cute, because as they were looking through it, I said "You know what else goes together...Max & Otto!" And Max said, "No. Max, Otto AND Wren!" So glad he always remembers her, and so glad he didn't feel constrained by the structure of the book to limit himself to just pairs of things that go together.

Joe and I don't get each other big gifts for Valentine's, but I still wanted to surprise him with something special. His favorite cookies are Peanut Butter Kisses, so when I saw the Peanut Butter "Heart" Kiss cookies I figured I'd make them and surprise him with a baggie of them when we were at lunch with Wren on Valentines. However, on Valentine's Eve he was cleaning up some of his emails and saw a picture I had taken of a whole tray of those cookies earlier in the day. He smiled at me, showed me the image on the iPad and asked "Where are all these?" Darnit. How did you find that picture I asked? I deleted it (in order to post pics on the blog, it's easiest if I send them to Joe's Gmail account). He said I need to delete the deleted emails...

The kids "made" Joe some Almond Butter as a little gift. At the Co-Op you can grind your own nut butters and Max had asked awhile ago to make some, to which I told him it would be a great little present for Daddy for Valentine's to show him we love him. Last Friday we all went to the Co-Op and ground some Almonds for Joe. I thought for sure Max would be too excited to tell Joe about making the butter to wait til Valentine's. We went all weekend without him mentioning it. Then Valentine's morning Joe walks out to the kitchen where Max, Otto and I were eating breakfast and Max says "Open your present. Me, Otto and Wren made you Almond Butter! It's really good, too. We had some for lunch the other day."

XOXO!

XOXO. The Valentines.

The actual Valentine's that we are giving to our friends and family are a mix of homemade and store bought.

Apparently our little girl's heart goes "pitter pat, pitter pat." For her 1st Valentine's Day, Wren made her mark by creating footprint hearts for some of her closest family members.

I came across these valentines on etsy nearly a year ago and knew I wanted to give them away this year. They are adorable little "fruit stickers" - a cute alternative to all the fattening ways to show your love on Valentine's. I made up valentine baskets for some close friends I visited with today and have extra stickers that I can use on pieces of fruit in brown bag lunches in the coming months.

I must say that I am more than a little sad that the boy's school does not really celebrate Valentine's day. I love the idea of dressing the kids in red (of course this still happened!), making a super cute and hearty valentines mailbox and sending the boys to school to be showered with love by all their little friends. While they allow the kids to give their friends valentines, you just put them in each student's mailbox - no other fan fare to be had.

Here's what I ended up using for school valentines for the boys... Kind of sad, so I'm especially glad I put in the extra effort for my friend's valentines and the treats I made.

XOXO. The Treats.

What is Valentine's without chocolate? I'd say "Just another day in February" but I wouldn't be fooling anyone. You all know me well enough to know that there's a little chocolate in every one of my days - not just February 14th!

I tried a couple twists on the classic "Peanut Butter Kiss" cookie. The first was using a shortbread type cookie and adding some marachino cherries to it. Looks kind of perfect for Valentine's...

The second cookies I made were actual Peanut Butter Kiss cookies, using a chocolate heart instead of a chocolate kiss in the center. So simple you'd think I wouldn't need Pinterest to think of them...

And finally, I made the boys special lunches for Valentine's. Mostly red stuff and a few treats they don't normally get.

XOXO. Wren's Clothes.

Valentine's Day! This is going to be the first of several Valentine's posts because we've got a lot of red & pink & celebrating going on over here. So instead of writing a 60 page thesis on the subject, I've decided to break our Valentine's day down into more digestible post-lettes.

I've always liked Valentine's. But really, that's like saying I like milk. What I mean to say is I like all holidays (& all types of dairy). I don't really discriminate when it comes to either. And given that I let Christmas just whizz right past me, I wanted to make sure I actually did a few "holiday" things for Valentine's.

Let's begin by setting the stage. With Wren's outfits, of course! For the past week I've been making sure to doll her up in her sweetest clothes...

********************************************************************************************

The most scrumptious little soft pink and cream fair isle sweater that Auntie Jamie gave her for Christmas. Perfect for enjoying coffee and breakfast pastries at Rustica with mommy & daddy on Sunday while the boys were at G&Gs.

Auntie Cristy, Uncle Sean & Cousin Lily sent Wren this adorable wiener dog onesie. I guess it's her only "true" Valentine's outfit. It's perfectly soft and cuddly and somehow she's worn it about a half dozen times already (& just received it a week ago).

Hard the to tell that this is a heart on her onesie, but it is. I cut the heart out of a baby gown that she grew out of and sewed it to one of her pink onesies. This was more challenging that I thought it'd be. I ended up sewing the onesie together and the heart is super crooked. I haven't been able to get "Your crooked heart" (sung to the tune of "Your cheating heart") out of my head since I made it a couple weeks ago.

And her tutu and "little sweetie" onesie featuring sparkly heart candies on it. Yummy! I love, love, love her dark hair and eyes against all the pale (chair, onesie, tutu, tights).

Pintastic! Pancake Possibilities

It's Sunday morning and I can practically smell the pancakes we aren't cooking. Maybe it's because our pancake creations from last weekend were more memorable than usual.

We tried two different variations:

Bacon Strip Pancakes

These ones were good, but nothing great. They reminded Joe of bacon donuts. I prefer my bacon crispy, and after pouring pancake batter over the bacon and griddling, the bacon got soft and chewy. Max, however, enjoyed them.

Apple Ring Pancakes

Core an apple and then cut into thin slices. Dip them in pancake batter and griddle. These are a delicious new pancake find. In fact, they really taste like apple fritters - and are so easy to make. Stack them up, toss some syrup on them and it's like you're eating something much fancier and more time consuming than they actually are.

Happy Sunday Everyone!! Make some pancakes!

Cute Things They Say: Avocado

While we're on the topic of fun times with Otto, I had a "cute things they say" moment with him yesterday.

Otto was eating his lunch and I was cutting an avocado for mine. As we're talking and eating he probably pointed at my avocado and called it an apple or something (many fruits are apples to him and most animals say "moo"...poor 2nd child. We're working on this.).

Of course I did what everyone does when a kid says the wrong word or botches the pronunciation - I super enunciated "Ahh-vo-cah-do" for him.

To that he shouted "Ahh-vo-OTTO!!!"

My #2, Take Two

Since the 1st of the year I have one day a week when it's just Otto and Wren home with me. It's such fun to experience Otto as the only big brother on these days. It takes me back to what it was like when Max became a big brother to Otto.

On these special days Otto gets the chance to be Wren's hero without also having to navigate being a little brother at the same time. And Otto's taken to his role of big brother quite nicely. He loves tickling Wren's toes, doing tummy time with her and reading with us. The things Max loved to do with Otto when he was a baby and the things that are just more chaotic when all three kids are home. For me it's a little stroll down memory lane to be reminded of what it was like when there were only two, and have a "second take" with my #2.

I hear Otto a lot more when it's just the two kids. He talks more than I thought he did. When he was a baby I noticed how adorable his soft, lyrical and bubbly voice was. It's still there! His speech and words are so CUTE. Very different from Max, where I understood everything he said as though I were talking with another adult. I have to work harder to decipher Otto's words, but once I understand them Otto and I look at each other, like "Duh?!" Some of my favorite jumbly words of his right now are: doily, umbrella, spatula, strawberry and blueberry.

My friend Marie pointed out to me that when it's "just" Otto at home, I don't have to "age up" or "age down" when we're playing. What a difference this makes. Otto can pick what he wants to do and I can PLAY with him instead of getting pulled into a non-stop conversation with Max about what we're playing.

And this makes us both very happy. Look at this big brother's smiles...

Pintastic! Authenticity vs. Originality

"It's not where you take things from, it's where you take them to." - Jean-Luc Godard

That there is something I saw on Pinterest. And so is this...

Authenticity is invaluable, originality is non-existent.

I now present to you where I've taken the Pinterest version of Apple Smiles:

You'll have to look close as the photos are grainy, but you might notice there is a slight difference between Max and Otto's apple smiles. Max's has one black tooth, just like him!

When I was buying the mini marshmallows for this snack, I also noticed some chocolate mini marshmallows. Immediately a little light bulb went off in my head and I had to make sure Max's apple smile had a black tooth just like him.

What's In A Name: Wren Evelyn

Wren Evelyn Schuster

Like the names Max & Otto, we chose Wren because "we liked it." And while that explanation is entirely true, it doesn't capture our thoughts in their entirety with regards to the meaning behind Wren's name. I mean, yes, Joe and I are pretty simple and straightforward, but a basic "We liked it" doesn't give full credit to the added depth behind our name choice.

Wren.

I'm a sucker for traditions, making & preserving memories, etc., so while I love the idea of selecting a "family" name for our kids, Joe and I haven't fallen in love with any of the so-called family names we have to choose from. The good news is that there's much more to a name than just the 4 (or 3 or 5 or 6...) letters that it takes to spell it.

On the surface there isn't a strong connection between my mom's name (Sandy) and Wren. But let me share a little more about my mom and you'll start to see some commonalities. My mom is a cross-stitcher. It's one of the things, or hobbies, anyway, that has most defined her for me since I was young. She was always working on a piece, usually multiple. My childhood home had pictures she had stitched hung in every room. If you asked me what she spent her time cross-stitching, it'd be very easy for me to answer. Birds. Birds of all kinds. Birds, as well as a beautiful Weeping Willow tree. Whenever I see birds they make me think of my mom.

Even though the four letters that spell our daughter's name aren't the same as the letters spelling my mom's name, their is an invisible tie that binds. Now, I guess we could have called her Wren Willow and really embraced sentimentality, but that would have been even more Ridgie than Summer Sunshine (which was my "proposed" first and middle name until my mom's mom spoke out and I became a "Summer Ann"). And while Joe and I have a bit of Ridge in us, that would have tipped us over the edge. And come on, take a look at that photo on the Ridgie home page. Our kids don't pull any of those shenanigans!

And, how fitting! This past Christmas my mom brought me a picture she recently found that she had cross-stitched years ago, well before I was pregnant with Wren.

Evelyn.

The name Evelyn came onto my radar about 10 years ago. It's my best friend Christy's middle name. When I learned this was her middle name I told her I loved it. Years later, once Joe and I had started our family, I again told Christy that I loved her middle name and that if I have a girl, I really think I'd like her middle name to be Evelyn as well. Christy lamented this. And since we'd been drinking, she admitted she dislikes her middle name. Wouldn't I be much happier using Christina as my daughter's middle name instead, she asked.

Nope, no I wouldn't I told her. Christy thinks her middle name is ugly. I think that even the ugliest piece of Christy still shines bright with beauty. Christina Evelyn is this amazing girl who dances with abandon. Drinks with abandon. Embraces life with abandon. She sparkles in all that she does and helps all of her friends and family shine as well. Someday Wren and Christy will dance, drink, embrace life and sparkle together til the sun rises.

Max is Four

Four years ago you were the 1st. The first of our three kids who've helped us see that we've just begun to realize the breadth of our strength and the depth of our love. On your Birthday it's our hope that we too can give you these gifts to help you though your lifetime. That, and another toy vehicle to add to your existing fleet.

Sometimes it's hard to think back to how your dad and I were before kids. Not because we don't remember it - oh, no. The contrast will forever be etched in our minds between a life with no "real" responsibilities and a life with three very real responsibilities. It's hard to think back because it makes me realize how "green" we were. Young and naive to the vast amount of work that was about to come our way, as well as the staggering love our eyes would be opened to.

But enough about that.

Happy 4th Birthday my Max! You are this amazing little boy. So incredibly affectionate and always over the top emotive. A non-stop talker and creative problem solver. Every day I am amazed at your ingenuity while playing. Although you're incredibly playful and silly, there are other times when you're so focused, taking everything in and developing your point of view about it. You have an opinion on everything and make it known (and this is a good thing...we're just working on the delivery of it sometimes).

You love being the biggest brother of the family and are always checking on Otto and Wren to make sure they're OK. Except when you're not. Which means you might be exercising your "Alpha Dog" tendencies instead.

To the one who started it...

Happy 4th Birthday Max!

Continuing our tradition from last year, I filled your bedroom floor with balloons. It was a bit trickier and riskier this year given that Otto and you share a room, coupled with the horrible sleeping both you boys have been doing recently. It's nearly certain that one or both of you will wake up in the night. Not sure if you'd realize there are balloons on the floor, I went to bed expecting the whole house to have a heart attack at 2am. But I was ok with this...given we're already down on sleep, we might as well reap the benefit of some shrieks of excitement in the morning (or middle of the night). And while the 2am heart attacks didn't happen, you did wake at 4:36am to pee and were so excited you crawled into our bed asking when your birthday party could begin. I gave a firm "When the clock says 6-0-0." But the next hour sounded like a cross country road trip with a lot of "Are we there yets?" Apparently you realized that I was not getting out of bed for a party until 6am because when Otto woke us at 6:30, you were back in your bed sleeping.

You're favorite color is green and you had asked if I'd blow up green balloons for your birthday. I obliged and hung them from crepe paper in the doorways to the kitchen and playroom.

Then we headed to the kitchen for a few presents and some breakfast. We got you the book "If You Give a Dog a Donut" and what other than...donuts with sprinkles for breakfast.

Otto, Wren and I visited you at school for snack, singing "Happy Birthday" and eating some S'mores Goldfish with your class.

Perhaps the birthday surprise I was most excited about was something I thought of myself vs. finding on Pinterest! Given it was a school day, I wanted to surprise you with something at lunch. I blew up a tiny balloon and stuffed it, along with some streamers, a note and a chocolate treat into your Thermos. Your teachers said you and your friends loved this little surprise (so much better than finding scrambled eggs in it for the 3rd day in the row)! Mom - 1, Pinterest - 274 (but who's keeping track;)

After school we all went to pizza at Punch and then home for some (more) cake.

Recognize it? Yep, its one of the cakes from your and Otto's family party a couple weeks ago. Just tossed some chocolate chips on it in the shape of a '4' and lit some candles.

Happy Birthday Max!