One For Her Baby Book

(...and possibly blackmail, if needed)

TGINF!

Thank Goodness It's Not Friday!

I have no idea how full-time moms with three or more kids at home do it. Maybe it's our parenting style, or our kid's personalities, or two boys, or two boys two years apart from each other, or the toys they have to play with, or the toys they don't have to play with, or what they ate for breakfast, or what they didn't eat for breakfast. Or maybe it really is just.this.hard. I can't put my finger on it.

I haven't figured out how to keep our three little kids all happy at the same time for, oh, more than a few consecutive minutes (and let's not mince words here. when I say "all three" I mean "the boys"). While that's a bit of an exaggeration - some days do actually go remarkably smooth given what they had for breakfast - yesterday afternoon was not an exaggeration. I'm pretty surprised I have any hair left on my head today given how much I pulled out yesterday.

Max and Otto have been too crabby with each other too much of the time. I don't know if it's differences or similarities in their personalities causing the conflict. Maybe sibling rivalry. Maybe Otto's difficulties saying what he wants resulting in a lot of physical attacks. I feel like I'm constantly trying different tactics to get them to settle down, but nothing was working yesterday. I'm pretty sure, looking back on it, that I should have just bundled everyone up and got us outside despite the gross weather. Sometimes their behavior is night and day whether we're inside the house or outside.

Wren is a good litmus test. Even when I think the boys are being too wild, she's usually her happiest. For some reason they make her belly laugh. Whether in my lap, on the floor or in her Exersaucer, her head is on a swivel, just giggling as the tasmanian devils take everything, EVERYTHING out to build forts, towers, boats... ANYTHING that requires EVERYTHING.

Her happiness with her brother's wild sides is the little lighthouse I keep my eye on when the seas start to get stormy. If her light it shining, I stay a bit calmer. It's like she's telling me "That's what they do. They're boys (thank you Pinterest for helping define it "Boys. Noise with dirt on it."). Don't worry, Mama, when I can walk (approaching much too quickly!) I'll be able to hold my own. AND, I'll invite you to sit down and relax at a nice refined tea party once in awhile."

But yesterday afternoon they went from deconstructing things in order to reconstruct them, to just plain destructing. I've always been fine with taking things apart because they're usually doing it to figure out how to put them back together. By about 3pm they had no interest in being constructive. And even Wren wasn't laughing anymore. She could tell that they weren't happily and loudly playing together, but rather they were fighting (or ganging up on mom).

But today's a new day. Not Friday. With an extra set of hands at home to help me out. So we'll give it a go again. And smirk happily at each other when we can actually hear ourselves talking to each other. And close our eyes, look to the sky, and shake our heads when we can't.

It's Your Friday

It's Wednesday evening, which means I'm done with my first week back at work. Or as every person at the office likes to say "It's your Friday!" Yes, I guess it is. Only trouble is that it's still everyone else's Wednesday, which means the job isn't done. It never is on Wednesday. Then again, it never is on Friday, either.

So, yep, it's my Friday and that makes me happy. So very happy. It's been three days and I'm craving time at home. I've always been a homebody and it appears as though that's not going to change any time soon.

All in all we had a great week. All the big stuff - getting ready in the morning, drop-offs & pick-ups, packing lunches & making dinners and Wren's first days at school - went well. The little stuff - the job! - went pretty well too.

I never thought about what the boys would wear to daycare their fist day, but with Wren I did. I'm guessing this is because she's a girl and like it or not, I will place a greater focus on her clothes. I was thinking about a cute "dressier" outfit even though I know that's not the most comfortable for daycare. However, this week was "spirit" week at her school, so her outfits were kind of planned for her. Her first day she was to wear purple in honor of being in the Purple Room at school. Tuesday was "sports" day, so she wore her Badger shirt and today was PJ day (every parent's favorite day).

Since I had made the boys their lunch bags, I also wanted to make Wren a bottle bag. I love how it turned out. Notice the cute (totally un-functional) button I added to it! They say "sloppy seconds," but I would argue this is "terrific thirds." I've gotten better at sewing since I made the boys so Wren's is a much better quality!

Wren was all smiles at daycare each day. She slept two 1-hour naps her first day. Less than at home, but pretty darn good for a daycare 1st day. She isn't taking her bottles well there. I'm not concerned about lack of nutrition - she's still the size of a toddler. And since her night sleeping hasn't worsened, but rather slightly improved, I figure it'll work itself out and she'll drink when she's hungry. Too much fun stuff to do and people to play with to be bothered with a bottle.

Today her thoughtful teachers called me to let me know when they were leaving for a buggy ride - her first one since she started. I was able to see her strolling through the halls of General Mills. How can this not make my day?

And our dinners? We didn't have to pull in the reinforcements this week. We made some pizzas using ingredients I picked up at the Mills' company store one night. Grilled a marinated pork tenderloin another night and had a pot roast waiting in the crock pot the third night.

I'm not sure I have even talked about the job I've gone back to. I don't feel like trying to capture much of it right now, but I will tell you that I'm working on Green Giant. I get to help market Green Giant vegetables!!! I'm pretty excited about it. I finally feel like my interests outside of work might be aligning better with what I'm working on at the office. In fact, I was even called an inspiration my first day back. Granted it was in reference to my enthusiasm about fitness and healthful eating, but lucky for me that's part of my job now!

First week was good. I'm hoping the trend continues, because the schedule and expectations only get greater after the first week.

Wren's 1st day of school

Joe Thinks I'm Being Dramatic

We have a few big magnetic chalk boards on our kitchen wall. Mission Control and Art Gallery. I use a portion of one of them for our weekly menu. The boys will look at it and ask "What are we having to eat tonight?" For quite awhile now, it's featured things like this:

This week it looks a little different.

During my maternity leave I packed lunches for the boys nearly every day. I spent a LOT of time digging little Tupperware containers out of the dishwasher & cupboards, filling them with yogurt, fruits & veggies, nuts, raisins and whatnot. Only to, every night, take these dirty Tupperware containers from lunch bags and load them into the dishwasher. The following day was, well, the second verse same as the first.

And then, as I was thinking of how to reduce time spent on daily tasks, it dawned on me. Given that I eat mainly the same things every day, I'd be much better off if I just brought a lot of those things to the office at the beginning of each week instead of packing and unpacking the same stuff every night.

Ready for the week (& hopefully longer).

I think I'm starting to figure it out.

A Party!

I haven't written much, if anything about running on this blog. Initially I had intended, even got the domain name set, for a second blog to capture my musings on running and running a family. It's been three months and I haven't written a single entry over there.

But Joe and I have been running. And Diane, John and Jamie have been babysitting. A lot recently. We're in the "most miles" month training for the Green Bay marathon on May 20th (maybe the 19th...but I've got a few weeks to get that figured out).

So, partly as a thank you to them. Partly as a good excuse for a partial family get-together. Partly as an excuse for a party (Max really wanted to host a party and invite guests over). We had a very last minute "party" last night.

Joe made an amazing lasagna. Somehow whipped up a homemade white sauce, doctored up Prego for the red sauce, roasted some red peppers and delighted us all with a delicious meal...all after a tough, cold and wet 22 mile run.

While Joe was prepping dinner, the boys slept and Wren and I ran a few errands to get things we needed for the party. I didn't want Joe's parents or my sister to have to bring anything over for the meal - just show up. Especially given how much they already do for us. But, they brought over delicious salad and tons of dessert.

When Max woke from his nap at 4pm, I told him that Daddy and I had talked and we decided we could have a party that night. He'd wanted to invite guests over Friday night, but we only had fish sticks and leftover cooked broccoli to offer them, so nothing much became of that. When I said guests would be arriving in about an hour, Max was incredibly cute and got to work.

He tidy'd up the house (moved all toys into his and Otto's room), practiced how he'd take guests coats and lead them into the house ("Mom, I think I'll lead them by twirling my hand like this so they can follow me") and then worked on offering them refreshments (which was too cute when I heard him offer my sister "Would you like a water or beer or wine?" when she walked in the house).

Here are Max and Otto, totally enthralled with drinking milk out of champagne glasses. Who doesn't like drinking out of a special cup? Notice how fancy they are? Max insisted on his button down shirt, a tie and sweat pants. Otto chose the stick on tie.

Jamie, John & Diane with the kids

Otto helping toss the salad

Max & Grandma Diane

Jamie & Wren

As a little thank you for the babysitting they've been doing, I got a floral arrangement for Jamie and Diane. I loved how the florists at Brown & Greene whipped up something so pretty on the spot.

As I mentioned, I didn't want our guests to have to bring anything, but Jamie said she had already stopped at Yum! and picked up a box full of treats. So, dessert looked like this. French Silk Pie, Ice Cream, 5 kinds of cupcakes, Patti Cake!

Safe to say the boys weren't the only ones who enjoyed themselves last night.

Here We Go...

So here I am, writing on a Saturday. But it's not just any Saturday; it's actually a weekend Saturday. For the past 6 months Saturday hasn't really felt like a weekend because the Mondays that followed never required me to go to a job outside our home. In just another day I will need to wake early(ier), shower & get ready, put on fancier clothes and say good-bye to my littlest one for the longest amount of consecutive time since she was born.

In fact, today is more likely than not to be the last "free" Saturday - a day with no career responsibilities looming overhead - until I retire. Unless of course we take a sabbatical and travel across the globe before retirement (I'm hopeful that it could happen).

I'm in a weird spot emotionally with all of this. I took six months off, knowing full well that this is almost certainly my last maternity leave, and therefore am "ready" for the next of our "new normals" to begin. I went into this maternity leave knowing that I do want to return to work part-time rather than stay home full-time. During my time out of the office I really enjoyed my time at home.

And of course that's what makes it tough to go back to the office. For the past few months I've joked with Joe that "I don't know how I'm going to fit a job, even a part-time one, into my busy schedule." I have packed my days full this past half a year.

A dreamy combination of just being with Wren, visiting Max & Otto at school and helping out, cooking nightly meals and packing lunches, crafting and sewing, writing, running and running errands. Not cleaning. Never cleaning, unfortunately.

Other than the ever present dust and dog hair underfoot, I feel like when Joe and the boys were home the past six months we mostly got to hang out versus having an endless list of things to do, just.to.get.us.ready.for.the.next.day. I'm freaked out wondering how, after Monday, we're going to have clean clothes to wear, lunches packed, dinners to eat and new fabric on hand to create with. Don't even get me started with how I'm going to have a clear enough mind to just be with my family despite the mountain of stuff that needs to get done. To put it into corporate lingo, my "stretch goal" will be just being and my "critical limiters" are going to be petty household chores. But, always good to have goals!

With all my worry about How are we going to do this!?! Joe says "We'll figure it out."

To which I reply, "But we haven't figured out how we're going to figure it out yet."

Sometimes the fantastical story lines that run in my mind, parallel to the actual story taking place in my life, keep me moving forward.

For a couple months now I've dreamed of my first day headed back to the office. I'll be all polished and put together. A perfect blend of effortless style. Just corporate enough to wear to work and plenty casual enough to make myself and others take note of my joie de vivre. And this is only the beginning of this little mental story telling taking place in my mind. Here we go...

I've even got the script of the conversation that's going to take place between myself and the boy's teachers on Monday morning.

Summer: "Hi Max's Teacher"

Max's Teacher: confused look on her face, not sure who this woman is saying Hi to her.

Summer: "Hi Teacher, it's Summer"

Max's Teacher: still confused. Who is this woman saying Hi to me?

Summer: "Summer. ...Schuster."

Max's Teacher: nothing

Summer: "Max's mom. Max Schuster's mom. It's me, Summer."

Max's Teacher: "Oh, my! Summer, I didn't recognize you! I thought maybe you guys had hired a new young, slim, pretty and fashionable french au pair to take care of your kids and do drop-off in the morning."

Ok. That's about the extent of my back to work fantasy.

It's little stories like these made up in my head that keep me motivated to return to work. Ahhh, the power of the possibility of a compliment to motivate. The necessity of vanity to get me out of bed and get work-ready beginning this coming week.

That, AND the fact that most of my best friends are back at the office. I'm super excited knowing I'll be able to grab a coffee with them or have lunch or stop by and say hi or just sit in a boring meeting with them. I should have thought more about this, because it's making me kind of excited for Monday all of a sudden!!!

And Joe's keeping my feet on the ground, continually reminding me that we most certainly are not the only working parents with three kids.

We'll figure it out.

Little Miss DIY

When you've got Joe as a dad (& some might say me as a mom), chances are pretty good that you'll have a little bit of DIY in you. And that she does! Wren seems to be our Little Miss DIY.

It's a good thing, too, because many times Joe and I are pouring milk for the boys or helping to cut their food or refereeing fights and such. Miss DIY is happy to help herself eat. In fact, it seems to be the only way she wants anything to do with eating. If I come within a foot of her face with a spoon in my hand, she's grabbing for it, wanting to do the heavy lifting. A-OK!

I'm not sure how much food actually makes it into her mouth (the spoon makes it to her eyes as often as it does her mouth), and she's still learning what to do with the food that does make it there, but I like that she wants to self feed.

On her 6 month birthday we gave her some Cheerios and bites of banana. I don't think she was able to get any of them into her mouth by herself. And the couple that I put in her mouth got gummed once or twice and fell out.

She'll get a lot more practice eating solids when she starts daycare on Monday. She and her friends have their tiny chairs and she can socialize and learn from the bigger kids!

Happy 6 Months Wren

Wren's 6th month came in like a lion and seems to be going out a bit more like a lamb. At the beginning of the month I thought she was flailing around in her crib and sleeping so much worse because we stopped swaddling her. However, a rash seemed to cover her body almost over night. Luckily I had a dermatology appointment already scheduled for Max and bumps he has all over his torso and arms, so I asked the Dr if he'd please take a quick peak at Wren's rash. Well...upon seeing it he gasped and said he had no doubt that the rash was causing her to be in pain and flailing in her crib trying to itch her body. Whoops...so glad it had only been a few days. Great news is that the meds/ointment they put her on cleared it up in about 36 hours. Smiles and sleep restored.

On her 6-month birthday Wren and I had a wonderfully relaxing day. The weather was beautiful - cool, sunny and breezy. Following her morning Dr's appointment we headed Uptown for some errands at Paper-Source (teacher appreciation craft for the boy's teachers), Penzy's (ginger, cinnamon, kosher salt), Columbia (shoes for the boys, sunglasses for me), Urban Outfitters (earrings for me). We worked up an appetite and headed to Lucia's. Love Lucia's. I got the three salad sampler and Wren watched me like a hawk as I ate. Soon enough Birdie.

New Talents

This month has brought a few more fun talent milestones. Wren has her moments when she'll blow raspberries and make herself giggle. When lying on her back and rolling around she grabs her toes a lot and rocks back and forth. During bath time I've stopped using the little "hammock" insert in the tub and now she goes wild kicking and splashing in the water. Bathtime is much more about play time and taking cover from the Wren Tsunami than relaxation these days!

Blowing raspberries. Not to be confused with pooping.

And probably most exciting is her interest in crawling. She's up on all 4's and in just a couple days she has really taken to rocking back and forth, attempting to lift her legs and push herself forward. Her arms aren't keeping up with the strength and coordination of her legs, so she winds up falling forward or rolling. But she keeps at it and usually talks and squeals quite a bit while working so hard.

Getting her right knee lifted up...

...and a bit blurry 'cause this is when she toppled forward

Things We've Done

This month brought more great weather, so we had lots of fun outdoor adventures. An Easter Egg hunt at our friend's house, Easter Sunday at Joe's parents, a trip to the Zoo and a trip to the Mall of America (or another zoo, I'd argue) with Auntie Jamie, walks around the neighborhood and a nature scavenger hunt with Max & Otto.

Wren's got a library card of her own now. No need to borrow Mom's, Dad's or her brothers! She loved "Over In The Meadow," the first book, including super cute song and animation, we borrowed.

Evening Nature Scavenger Hunt with the family. Although she was so low on sleep she stayed awake to take in the excitement of the hunt and the peace and quiet in the forest with Max, Otto & IPA.

Otto Love

As I looked back at my pictures from the past month I found more than usual of Otto loving up Wren. Cute #2 & #3!

The Treats

I forget why, but I bought a bag of Almond Meal/Flour a few weeks back and only used a smidge of it. So I found a recipe for Almond Macaroons to make for her 6 month celebration. It helped use up some of the almond meal, eggs and the half gallon of heavy whipping cream left over from Easter. They were good, but a bit chewier than I prefer. Nothing a big glass of milk can't help!

The Stats

At today's 6-month check up our Doctor dubbed Wren "Motor Girl." It had a double meaning to him. First, her motor skills seem to be progressing quite well. She wouldn't stop grabbing and ripping the paper on the exam table. She does her crunches. She's up on all 4's. Etc. And second, there's a pretty strong motor inside her. She just kept kicking her feet and bicycling her legs. She doesn't stop moving. Where does she get that from?

She weighs 19lbs, 10ozs, which is 97% for girls (Otto was just over 21lbs and Max was almost 20 lbs at her age).

She's 28 inches tall, which is still 99% for height (Otto was just over 28 inches and Max was just under 28 inches).

Her hair is definitely lightening up drastically from when she was born. I'm hoping it doesn't get much lighter. And her curls are in abundance after baths, but usually smooth out after sleeping on them.

A Little Surprised. A Lot Delighted.

I'm down to less than one week before heading back to the office (excuse while I have a minor freak out). And as I look back across the past 6 months off, it's obvious to me that one of my "things" has been sewing on this maternity leave. I so hope that I'll continue to make the time for this little hobby once back in the working world.

Each month I've tried learning different skills and tackling new projects. Most recently I attempted sewing my first zipper. I did so without using the suggested (required?) zipper foot attachment because I was kind of renegade sewing and couldn't instantly figure out how to use it. I was making a little waterproof pouch for Greta as part of her Birthday gift and was short on time so I just gave it a shot without the special notion. It seemed to work, but I will need to take the time soon to learn about the zipper foot.

And then I took on the task of making my first dress - for me, since I've already made Wren a couple. It seemed simple enough. Attach some flow-y fabric to a store-bought tank top, and voila, the "10 Minute Maxi." I hodge-podged a couple different tutorials together and made my own plan for how to sew the dress. I used elastic thread for the first time. I used nearly two yards of fabric for the first time. I used more than 10 minutes to make it.

And I was little surprised and a lot delighted with the outcome!

If I can find tank tops on sale and inexpensive fabric (heck, even if I pay full price for both of those items), this "instant outfit" is inexpensive and original. I've already been searching for new fabrics so I can make another dress for this summer.

Now the question is...who else has a sewing machine, or is going to get one, so we can have our very own modern day quilting bees? Scrap that. No biggie if you don't want to sew; we can still hang out and bee together.

What's In A Name: Otto Edwin

Otto Edwin Schuster

Years ago, even before we became parents, Joe and I joked how we liked "dogs names for boys, and boys names for girls." As we created lists of potential baby names this trend seemed ever present. Did you know Max is the #1 dog name (& cat name!) in the US. Otto? I had only heard of Otto as a dog's name in some children's books we have. And Wren? Often called a boy when people hear her name. There you have it. Our boys with dog's names, and girl with a boy's name. And what great names we think they are!

Otto Edwin, we love your name. Here's a bit more about what it makes me think of when I think of your name...

Otto.

As we were tossing around possible names for Otto before he was born, Joe began sharing more traditionally German names, given his ancestry. When he mentioned Otto as a name, I remember liking the sound of it, but had to ask if he was serious or not. He said he thought he was serious. It's a name he'd heard of before. I hadn't. Other than in two different children's book series that I've read. And in both of those books it's a dog that is named Otto as the main character. Hmm...

Well, after a couple days Otto had totally grown on me. I loved how simple of a name it is. I like how short it is. I like the sound of "Max & Otto" together. I liked that I hadn't heard it (although now I've heard it a couple times for younger kids instead of just older men). Joe wasn't entirely sold on it quite yet, but I told him I'd need his help thinking of some different names that were just as great as Otto. And quickly, because the Otto train had left the station. In the matter of a few days I had started getting a lot of "signs" that our baby was definitely an Otto.

I shared the name Otto with just a handful of people before Otto was born. Two of my friends that I mentioned the name to let me know that they both knew of Otto's. Both of "their" Otto's were much older gentlemen and both friends stated how they have only fond memories of him. Another friend I mentioned Otto to said he knew only one Otto and that he liked him too...his Otto was the Syracuse Orange Men. I guess the mascot's name is Otto. Who knew? Certainly not this midwestern girl.

And the name Otto was pretty much solidified for me when I had the most random sign of all. I was sitting in a creative/advertising presentation at work when a slide in the presentation showed a family's refrigerator with kid art on it. The name (or at least the letters) "otto" was on one of the pieces of paper that was displayed on the fridge with a magnet. When this slide was projected on the screen, suddenly Otto started kicking - really kicking - inside my belly. And I started smiling - really smiling. Somehow he knew that I was thinking of him at that moment and he was pretty much telling me that he was going to be our Otto.

Edwin.

Clearly I like short(er) names. Max, Otto, Wren. I like Ed. I like Edwin a lot. I love Otto Edwin together. Edwin is my Mom's Dad's name; my Grandpa Smith. I hear only good things about him. How he was so kind, loving, fun.

I wish I could say I had more vivid memories of him, but mostly what I remember are stories that I kind of make up by piecing together photographs of me, my sisters and my cousins with him when we were young. From those pictures I can tell that he loved us grand kids, and he sure did have fun. He'd drive us around in a little trailer behind his riding lawn mower. He'd push us on the big swing out back. He'd encourage us to climb the crab apple tree in their front lawn. Halloween trick-or-treating happened at their house. Jelly beans were hidden all over their house at Easter. Christmas we'd perform our own Nativity story using bath towels as our veils and shawls.

Grandpa (Edwin) Smith smoked cigarettes and wore trucker hats. He was a gentle soul and loved life. My mom once said that Joe reminds her of Grandpa Smith (I'm guessing his personality and not the cigarettes or hats). And since Otto reminds me of Joe, maybe some day Otto will also remind my Mom of Grandpa Smith. I kind of extrapolated that one out a few generations, but I can hope...

Oh, Otto. You march to the beat of a different drummer, or you make the beat of your own march, or whatever that saying is. And I mean this literally. At the age of two you really do march or dance or wiggle when you walk. You will often swing your arms and legs, swoop your torso low and do a little shimmy as you walk. I may not be able to describe exactly why the name Otto suits you, but it does. You are so Otto. Our Otto.

Easter

Our little bunnies. One exhausted from a day of play. A second crazy from candy. A third as sweet as can be following a long nap at Grandma & Papa's. Without Otto passing out on the way home, I don't think I could have captured a photo of all three kids together. With their baskets beside them. And bunny ears on.

We celebrated Easter Sunday at Joe's parent's house with our relatives on his side, as well as my mom and sister. I love to see our boys having so much fun with their cousins. They are all quite a few years older than the boys and are such a huge help playing with and keeping an eye on them. They had fun hunting for eggs, visiting the Westwood Nature Center and playing with a big box of packing peanuts.

Cousins Grace & Lyla (w/ my SIL Angela)

Papa John & Grace

Jamie, Mom & Me

Otto was spent by early evening given he hadn't had a nap.

The day before Easter we colored eggs with my mom, Jamie, and our friend Wally, who was in town from San Francisco. It was fun for the kids - getting goodie bags filled with more candy and presents from my mom and Jamie. I'm guessing Wally liked the homebrew best of all.

On Easter Eve Max and I wrote a note and set out carrots for the Easter Bunny. Max is scared of him, hence some of the sentiments in the note. And Max really liked that the Easter Bunny hid his basket in the oven last year, so that's why he requested it be hidden there again. I realize our notes to Santa, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and the like should be a little less curt, but it was very late and I was trying to get Max to bed, so I figured the Easter Bunny wouldn't mind.

Max finding his basket, which was hidden in a cave of big building blocks. "Humph! The Easter Bunny didn't listen!" said Max as he checked in the oven on Easter morning.

Wren finding her basket in her Exersaucer.

Every Easter Joe's mom Diane gets each of her grandkid's a chocolate egg from Betty Jane's. They are delicious and filled with gremlins and chocolates. And on their 1st Easters, Max & Otto weren't able to open their eggs.

{Easter 2010. Max 2 yrs. Otto a few months.}

But Wren? I'm going to have to keep an eye on her. In the matter of a couple photos she had pulled the chocolate decorations off the top of the egg, got the bow undone, pushed the top of the egg to the side and was grabbing for chocolates to eat.

Easter Outfits. Given how our clothes is either stained, off, crumpled or covered with outerwear by the time I get around to snapping pics, I decided to take a photo of the outfits before putting the kids in them.

Wren wore an existing dress (& plum sweater, hand-knit for her by my friend Marie's mom) and Otto the blue and white striped shirt. I got the plaid shirt new for Max for Easter. I liked the casual and not too Easter-y color combo of blue, lavender and plum. Looked good on the hangers, anyway.

In an attempt to "piece" together a family photo, I tried to get a half-way decent picture of me with each kid solo. Wren's first picture was this...

And so we snapped a couple more, and the result was this.

Dress full of spit up before we even made it out the door.

My style is much more simple cotton dresses vs. frilly "Easter" dresses. But I've got to say that those frills would have done a much better job camoflouging the spit up.

And then there's the picture of this one, who is full of fire. All.the.time. He hears that mama wants a picture, and he has one goal. I'll give her nothing less than a lot of blurry stripes and plaid and swirling hair.

Joe just switched the camera to video and we captured him that way. Really, it does a much better job of capturing the moment than a photo does. Perhaps from now on I'll forget about the still shot and hit "record" for a 30 second family video each time I get an urge for a family photo.

And Otto? Joe actually got a super cute photo of the two of us. So cute I'm saving it for Otto's "What's in a Name?" post - that I'll write soon. I hope.

Easter 2012. Schuster Family. That's a Wrap.