Domesticated Diva

 
So... Last year at this time I was wretchedly sick.  I got this little cutie out of it, but things were pretty bleak and dismal for over 4 months.  And the weirdest repeat is happening.  All of the seasonal smells and foods and even decorations of October THIS year are making me nauseous yet again just because they remind me of being pregnant last year.  Double ugness.

In a big push to pull of at least a few incidents of domestication between being super sick after the arrival of Baby Eye-let and heading back to work work work, I made these fabulous cookies.  It's the best recipe ever.  Walnut-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk chocolate and coconut.  We ate them in lou of real food for days.

 I also stole a project idea from my best friend at Yellow Pear Photography and crafted these back to school kits for all of my nieces and nephews. 
We sent them off in the mail just in time for the first day.

 I cannot get enough of this snuggly delight.  I often think she is the baby I was expecting to get when I got Annie.  Annie is my insatiable obstinate spitfire. Ollie {as Annie has now coined} is quite the reverse.  She is mellow and timid.  I still am elated beyond measure that I get to have 2 girls in a row!  Annie and I run around the house saying, "two girls, two girls," over and over again as I repeat every action twice from one girl to the next.  Don't you think a third would be even better?!

 And finally-my last attempt at domesticity until I don't work next summer:  I wound up the banners I made on card board rolls so they wouldn't tangle.  Whoop de do.

 Work is sucking the life out of me.  I think I am in need of some sort of role in my life in which I am NOT the one in charge.  Not the mom, not the teacher, not the instructor.  I need something where I just show up- someone tells me what to do- I do it- and them go home.  But alas- something tells me I wouldn't be satisfied with that for long.  In one last push to finish our yard and basement, I remember daily that these girls and this awesome house are worth it.  It's a good life and it is certainly good to be busy. 
I shall continue to contribute to society yet.

It's 1:35 am!  My house is a disaster, I have 100 essays to grade, and I'm so exhausted my hair is literally falling out.  What on earth am I still doing up?!?!

2013 baby

Welcome back bless-ed interent.

I started school and clogging and, it seems, a million other things that have left our lives in chaos.  Add to this the great injustice of consumer slights.  It seems everything we have bought over the past month has in some way broken.  I'm talking major stuff like the new fridge, the $$$ mamaroo, the TV, the internet.  Crazy life.  But we are 1/8 of the way to next summer 2013 baby!  Survival until then.  In the meantime: 

 My child needs constant stimulus.  She wants me to talk with her nonstop and won't play alone.  She is super social and incredibly active.  She wears everyone out who comes in contact with her within the hour.  So in the middle of chaos, I try to get her to run at the park a few times a week.  Could this be why I still have 138 essays to grade?

 I was a bit fed up with not getting to be a mom/wife because of busy busy busy things, so I decided to put everything on hold for one evening and cook an incredibly complicated German Morravian Chicken Pie with homemade sour cream crust and gravy.  It was incredible.

 Of course, we didn't eat until 10 pm and I managed to dirty every dish in the house.

 Here she is:  so squishy.  I race home every day after work to get my fill of this chubb-a-lova!  Never enough.

 And today I win the mom award.  I tossed out everything on my to do list in an act of rebellion and took the girls to the splash pad and lunch.  I am proud to announce Annie did not watch an ounce of television the whole day... but then (should I be worried) she jinxed it by becoming engrossed in Quinn and my viewing of the Hunger Games at nearly midnight.

 Well, I don't see why- if I am just meant to win the lottery anyway -why it can't be now so everyone can be put out of their misery?  Oh, did I say misery?  Really, it's not that bad.  Not yet.

Someone figured out how to get to the frosting.

February 1, 2012:

On Wednesday I decided to make double chocolate beet cake for dinner (yes, that's right), and Annie was quite pleased with my choice of menu. Her only issue was that she didn't have complete and total access to the cream cheese frosting. She solved that problem pretty quick.

In other news, we finally gave in and let Annie go to nursery. Q cried and I can't stand being apart from her so much that I go with her to nursery instead of Sunday School. She couldn't care less about us during church. It pains me. No way am I okay with her growing up this fast.

P.S. Our Honda Civic is for sale. Want to buy it?

Annie & Lailee; Domestication Earns Applause

This Really Happened:
Yesturday during Annie's nap, I decided to finally put some Halloween decorations up. I hung some pumpkins, ghosts, and bats from the window curtain rods with fishing line and then taped the rest around the house. I knew Annie would notice them (she is the most aware and observant baby in the universe) but I did not expect applause! Kid you not, when I brought her out from her nap, she saw the decor instantly, squealed with delight, and then looked right at me and applauded my efforts for a good five minutes. Domestication should always earn applause!

LAST WEEK:
Katherine came home from her mission and our little girls had another chance to play together. There were some terrific photo ops at Kris's house. L is totally leaving A in the dust when it comes to walking and eating. We can't wait for L's big party later today!

Cousins, Best Buddies, Best Pals:

L was being completely photogenic {Unlike A who had to be bribed and coaxed to look away from Sarah's little rocking chair- Annie love love loves little furniture}.

I don't want to forget these cute funny faces:

Lailee: 1 year - 6 days.

Annie: Almost 15 months

Last night I made homemade CAKEBITES {after cleaning the entire house, mopping, and baking a fabulous dinner). Results: Marginal. They look pretty, but I put too much frosting in with the cake.

Party Annie

Our Annie turned 1 last week. Isn't that crazy?! I hate her getting old. I want to freeze her in time so I can cuddle with her like this forever. We also moved into our amazing house after almost 6 long months of renovation. In celebration of our major hard work, a new house, birthday baby, and to thank everyone that helped us move, we held our first official party- hopefully of many. I had been looking forward to it since day one because I always knew the house was a terrific place for parties. We can fit 30 people on the back deck alone. It was a photo finish as I was still recovering chairs as the guests came and I totally forgot about a few staging elements that made me so mad when I discovered them the next morning. Oh well. Before and Afters of the Hadley House Love to come, but here are some party pics in the meantime. If I don't get to blogging the summer of 2011 this weekend it won't get done because I start work next week and I am adding more classes than ever. Oh Drudgery.

Annie does NOT, repeat, does NOT like being sung Happy Birthday. I figure it is the only song in the universe that she must hate since she loves music so dang much. I can't even sing it to her when we are alone without her crying. Strange.

We got Annie the perfect present... Baby Stella from Manhattan Toy Co.
I've been so excited for weeks and weeks. Baby Stella is super soft all over and her binki is magnetic. I also got Annie those amazing non-absorbant Boon bath toys, a birthday ball, a toy boat, and a book. Baby, bath toys, ball, boat, and book for a birthday... and I didn't even try!

Here is the limited birthday decor. I made a photo montage of Annie on our magnetic chalkboard wall and displayed some photo posters of Annie that I had hung at my school to show Annie to my students. Add the birthday banner from Gardner village and a time capsule for guests to contribute to and we were set. The time capsule was super fun. People wrote the most amusing things. We also stole some ideas from the twins like including a cell phone and CD.

Thank you to everyone who came to Party Annie!