30 Day Challenge

This video was the most recent kick in the pants for me to carve out some time to sit down and write. For years I've dabbled with some blog posts and kept telling myself that I really will get better about capturing big and small moments, write about them and share them. Then, about a month or two before Wren was born, I saw this video being passed around, watched it and vowed to kick-off my blog by (1) writing more and (2) introducing my family to it/invite them to read what I've written by one month after the birth of our 3rd baby.

So today, one month since Wren's birth, I welcome you to my blog. It's most definitely a work in progress, just like most everything in my life right now. As Matt says in his talk, it's not perfect, but I'm making progress, trying new things and, most importantly for me, remembering our families moments so much more vividly by experiencing them and intentionally capturing them.

I hope you'll watch this short video and be inspired to try something new or engage in something more deeply.

Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days | Video on TED.com

Sharing Stories

If there's one thing I love, it's sharing stories.

And playing with my kids.

And hanging out with Joe.

And cooking.

And running.

And getting massages.

And simple sewing projects.

And going to Costco.

And, and, and.

Add up all the things I love, along with the things I don't necessarily love (laundry, making lunches, cleaning, showering, and, and, and) and suddenly I find myself having less time for sharing stories with friends and family.

So, I'm attempting to share stories in a new way so that they don't get lost or never told. I'm giving blogging a try to see if it helps me share updates from the Schuster family more regularly (it's getting very challenging with three little kids to talk to all friends and family as frequently and in as much depth as I would like - particularly during the "sane" hours of the day).

By no means do I want blogging to replace getting together and our phone calls. My hope is that once in awhile you'll have interest in reading the blog, enjoy some of our families stories and then when we are talking live we can connect more deeply on our lives rather than just retelling a little kidlet tidbit over and over.

You may notice some old posts. Like over two years old. I actually started this blog back in 2009 with a few posts when we were just a family of three. Then life got busy when we became a family of four. And now, as a family of five, I really mean it. I'm going to capture our stories, throw them into the Cloud, and see if this blog is fun for me and you. If it is, I'm guessing you'll see lots more posts. If it isn't, well, posts will become as infrequent as my current shower schedule.

Hard Times In the Schuster household

Week three. Day 19 after Wren's birth, to be exact. My 1st day alone with all 3 kids. I'd been dreading this inevitable moment. Although Max and Otto are indisputably the cutest kids ever created, they are very challenging when together. Add to the mix a newborn baby, nursing/pumping routine, deer hunting opener for Joe, etc and I was just kind of looking forward to this monumental day to be over - to know that I survived. I knew it was going to be a hard day.

And it was. It's a lot for me to juggle all three kids (god bless those moms and dads who are so natural at keeping a brood entertained and well-behaved all day). BUT, it was a great day! While we had our moments of meltdowns, I am thrilled to say we had more good moments than bad, which isn't always the case.

And leave it to my 3 year old to keep me in check and remind me that I'm not the only one who has a hard job...

After an afternoon playing in the forest and at the park, I asked the boys to jump into the stroller so we could get home in time to meet the pizza delivery guy. While walking towards the stroller Max got sidetracked and started to run off to the basketball court. I hollered for him to stop and come back to the stroller because he's the big brother and needs to help show Otto how to be a good listener.

Max stopped running, turned around and walked to the stroller. As he was climbing into his seat, he said "But Mom, it's hard being a big brother."

Fun Chaos

Two words you don't usually hear me say in the same sentence. Halloween 2011 was really, really fun chaos, though.

Wren was exactly 2 weeks old on Monday, October 31st. It was my 1st day to pick up both the boys with Wren in tow (I'm finding it daunting each time I have to tackle a "first" involving all three kids).

So my Halloween afternoon consisted of trying to figure out when Wren would need to eat, feed her, and then dart off to school to pick-up Max and Otto...getting back in time to feed Wren again. That task went very smoothly, but the next 45 minutes of trying to get everyone ready, out the door and to our neighbors for the pre-trick-or-treating party was a little chaotic.

Our incredibly kind, fun and patient neighbors had a slew of friends and family over for food & fun. Thankfully the weather was absolutely beautiful and the dozen kids all rough-housed (oh wait, was that just my boys) in the backyard before heading out to trick-or-treat.

So, as dusk fell over Southwest Minneapolis, the kids took off like bats out of hell to collect their candy. It was so much fun to see Max totally into it this year. He would sprint from house to house excited to say Happy Halloween and Trick or Treat (and also had a pretty good track record of saying Thank You). At first Otto didn't seem as excited about going door to door to get candy (he probably wasn't entirely aware of what that candy was or tasted like...). But as soon as he saw his big brother and the other kids having so much fun he was all-in. Couldn't quite keep up with the bigger kids, but had a blast and got pretty darn good at saying Trick or Treat.

Much like I'm guessing all of these "1st Holidays" will be with what we believe is our "complete" family, I really tried to take it all in. The kids being very rowdy at the neighbors. Silly, "uncoordinated" costumes that Max (Thomas the Train) & Otto (Cookie Monster) loved (yet I wished I had put more thought into). Max wanting to be "the fastest" getting to each house. Otto going from mildly interested to very interested in trick or treating and being the little costumed character trying to keep up with the big kids. Max saying he has enough candy and wants to go home. Getting home and having the boys (unprompted - it must just be what kids do) dump their pumpkin full of candy onto the floor in the living room. And Otto instantly learning what candy is - especially CHOCOLATE (it's so cute to see his eyes light up when he sees chocolate now).

I've also realized that I will never have photos of us again. Juggling two toddlers running in opposite directions while wearing a Bjorn or pushing a stroller makes wielding a camera very challenging. However, our neighbors were able to snap a few of us. Going to get those posted someday soon...

Wanna know what 'Snow' sounds like?

While driving home the other day, while flipping through radio stations, I stopped to listen to "Remember When" by Alan Jackson.

After pausing to listen to it, Max sweetly asked "What kind of music is this?"

"Country," I said. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah" and quietly listened to the rest of it.

When we got home, I played the song, from the beginning for Otto and Max while we ate lunch. A few moments into the beginning of the song, when there's music but no words playing, Max smiled and said, "It sounds like snow."

Something I wouldn't have come up with myself, but I absolutely agree.

Outnumbered

Outnumbered. That's the 1st comment I get from most everyone who learns that we are expecting our 3rd kid in October. Then comes the "hat trick," "zone vs man on man," etc comments.

As I've progressed through my 3rd pregnancy, it's hit me that the questions people ask, while totally different than during my 1st pregnancy (when are you due, will you find out the sex, what will the nursery look like, have you bought a lot of things yet, where are you registered, etc) are just as predictable!

So here, to answer the most popular questions:

Is it another boy?

- Nope, it's a girl this time

Are you moving to a bigger house?

- Nope, we love our house and neighborhood

Do the kids have to share a room?

- Yes, the boys are sharing a room (& so far they are enjoying it)

You only have one bathroom?

- Yes, but now it's got two sinks!!!

Will you need to get a bigger car?

- Nope, I was able to fit 3 car-seats across in the 4Runner

- Not sure about the Jetta, though

Joe and I couldn't feel more blessed (& yes, at times overwhelmed) to be outnumbered!

Just In Time For Thanksgiving

Max and I left daycare very late tonight...closed the place down! I got there and Max and his friend Paige were having a ton of fun, so I spent some time chatting with one of Max's teachers and got lots of updates on what he's enjoying doing and learning at school these days.

As were were heading out of daycare, I realized it was past Max's usual dinner time, I had nothing prepared at home and Joe was gone hunting. This trifecta apparently causes the Golden Arches to instantly appear in my mind. Off to get a Happy Meal we go!

As we're sitting down at the dinner table at home, I unwrap Max's burger, he looks at it and says "Thank you God, Amen." Looks up at me and again says "Amen!" a little bit louder.

I'm glad Max is learning both to be thankful and to appreciate the most delicious cheeseburger available!