Sick of Sick

I am so tired of not feeling well! I can't seem to get enough sleep to fight anything off. Brooke got pink eye (in both eyes) and I'm sure I'm going to turn up with that in a day or two. I have had one UTI after another this month, and this morning I woke up with a fever, a swollen boob, and a feeling like someone kicked me in the armpit... good 'ol mastitis. Luckily, the same antibiotic can be used for both problems! I think I am also entering the world of migraines. This morning, along with my swollen, aching boob, my head was pounding, the light was making me nauseated, and I really just didn't think I could get out of bed. But, being a mom, I really have no choice. Gregor helped me rally with a couple of advil, and I started the day with getting the kids breakfast, taking them to school, and fitting in a little work while Brooke slept in the car. This is a day that I just want to curl up in bed with my book and sleep all day. I don't think I've had a day like that in 10 years!

Happy 11 Months Brooke

Happy 11 months Brooke
It feels like I just wrote Brooke's 10 month note... and here we are already at 11 months!
This last month has truly been a whirlwind. Brooke was sick for what felt like forever. We took a trip to New York to visit Oma and Opa for Thanksgiving. Brooke did surprisingly well in the car and had a lot of fun exploring Oma's kitchen. Brooke is so much more independent than the other two kids were. She is quiet and sneaky, so you have to be careful with her. Without a peep she will crawl out of the room, into the bathroom, and clear out the drawers before you even realize she's gone. She just discovered that she can unroll and eat the toilet paper... fun fun. She still also has an obsession with electrical sockets. Brooke loves all my bathroom products. She and Larkin love it when I take a shower because they get "unsupervised" ransack mommy's cabinet time. Seriously, Brooke can trash the house in 5 minutes flat. She's got four top and two bottom teeth and really has just turned into such a cutie. She's got a great laugh and just loves to make up her own little games. She loves using her voice now, I even get a mama every once in awhile. We are still trying to teach her volume control though, she tends to be on the loud side. We love you Brooke! I can't believe you are almost 1 year old!

Nature's Child and Along for the Ride

Click here to win a free ergo carrier from my favorite baby store in Charlottesville. You can even shop this store online here. They have a great selection of natural toys and great baby supplies. I love it!

xmas cards and goofy kids

We tried to get our Christmas card photo this past weekend. There is nothing more difficult than trying to get three kids under 5 to smile at the same time all with good lighting and the right click of the camera. Brooke's face in this photo sums up how everyone felt about the event. I think we are going to have to have a round two photoshoot... hopefully soon so I can get our Christmas cards out! Later that night, the kids were being complete goofballs. Some nights the kids are so tired and cranky at night, it's all I can do to get everyone in their jammies with teeth brushed and stories read. On rare evenings, like the one in the video, the kids are just in this "I'm so tired that I'm going to be a total goofball" mode. The kids had me rolling with laughter with their silly Christmas songs. You can see the other videos here if you are interested. In one, Hudson sings about wanting his "toothbrush teeth" instead of his "two front teeth"... again, I was rolling.

Christmas Decorating

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house! Growing up, my mom always went crazy with Christmas decorations. I think a little of that has rubbed off on me. I LOVE decorating for Christmas. I wish I had hundreds of dollars to spend on decorations and a huge storage area to keep the stuff for the rest of the year (for Gregor's sake)! For now, we have just a few key items

that really make it feel festive in our house (most of which my mom has given me as Christmas presents every year). I love the Santas!! They are just too cute. Larkin is really freaked out by Santa right now, so she was a little less than enthused when all these santas appeared, but I think it's helping her get a little more used to it. We have beach santa, santa fairy, retro rocket santa, nature santa... seriously, I love these santas. We hung up our stockings and put up our fake tree. We debated going to cut down our own tree again this year (we loved doing that last year), but ultimately decided that because we weren't going to be here for Christmas, we would just put up the pre-lit one. Honestly, I think it looks great. It's a heck of a lot easier too especially if we aren't going to be around to enjoy it on Christmas. I love the music and the cold weather. I love Hudson's excitement at all the toy catalogs coming in the mail. I truly love this time of year (except for the fact that it's too cold to play outside and we go stir crazy trying to find fun indoor activities). Thanks mom for helping me build my own santa collection and for making it always feel so festive in our house growing up. I hope I pass that along to my kids.

the Elf on the Shelf

My sister-in-law Cat sent the kids the cutest Christmas present I've ever seen... The Elf on the Shelf

This is a story about an elf (which you name) that sits in your house watching over the kids and reports back to Santa at the North Pole every night. In the morning, the elf (which my kids named Max) is in a new place. They can't touch him or he'll lose his magic. We got Max and the book yesterday and Hudson is SO into it! He woke up this morning and ran around the house looking for Max. Now every time someone does something naughty they look around for Max. Larkin will say "Max is watching you hud..." It is SO cute. This is really the cutest Christmas tradition I've seen in a long long time. Thanks auntie Cat! Watch this video to see how seriously Hud is taking this. We've only had him for one day! I really want to send one to all my friends with kids! I think this is going to become one of our family traditions from here on out.

Shower Time

I love my shower time. I love the warm water, the closed door, and the feeling of being clean. I've never been one of those moms that stays in jammies all day or goes days without showering. From the first day I brought Hudson home (and really every day that I can remember), I have pretty much started every day out with a shower. It just makes me feel better. It doesn't matter what I'm doing that day. If I'm sitting at home all day or even going to the gym... I'll still shower. My schedule has gotten so crazy that I realized this morning that my shower time is my only truly "me" time. I can relax and not worry about the 1,001 things that need to be done. For 2 or 10 minutes (depending on the day) I am alone, warm, and relaxed. That combination doesn't happen again all day. Some days I'll even take two showers just to get those moments again. It doesn't matter if there are kids screaming on the other side of the door or the phone is ringing... if I'm in the shower, I am off duty, even if just for a minute. Granted I always have an ear out to make sure no one is getting hurt or really needs me.
Larkin decided to take a shower with me this morning, and I was surprised at how much I felt like this was an invasion into "my" time. She was cute, don't get me wrong. She wanted to wash my hair and smell all my soaps and such. We had a good time, but my warm, relaxing, alone time vanished. I've given most of myself over to these kids. I share my food, let them color in my planner, and pretty much let them take over every single thing I do or have. But, my shower time... I find myself getting really possessive over that. So I'm taking a stand.
shower time=only mommy time. No kids allowed.

Hudson's Letter to Santa

Hudson wanted to write his letter to Santa today. This is what he had to say word for word.

Dear Santa,
This is Hudson Patsch's Christmas list. I was on good behavior some days this year, so are you going to give me presents? First, I want some more star wars guys and a storm trooper nerf gun. I would also like hero stuff like iron man, spider man, or Indiana Jones. I like GI Joe stuff because my daddy likes it and some of them have guns and knives and swords. A scooter would be fun also.

My sister, Brooke, has had great behavior. She would like more baby toys.

My other sister, Larkin, has been on a little good behavior this year. Larkin would like a scooter and some more baby dolls.

I think that's all.
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Hudson Patsch

I thought that was so cute! He also drew a picture of "under the sea with barracudas" for Santa.

Poor Sick Patsch Girls

It has been one exhausting week. We have all been sick. It's been cold and windy out. so we've been stuck inside. I've been thrown up on, snotted on, woken up by kids coughing in my face... it's been a rough week. I look similar to the girls... snotty face, puffy eyes, pale, phlegmmy cough... good times. November has just been tough on everyone sick wise... everyone but Gregor. I don't know how he always makes it though the cold season unharmed. It could be that the kids are always climbing to be on my lap, coughing in my face, and sneezing into my hands not his. Brooke constantly wipes her nose on my shoulder. Aghh... I just want to feel better. I'm sure the girls do to. Larkin is just pitiful right now. Larkin and Brooke have what I now call "lap wars." They both just want to be held or sit on my lap, and they can't stand if the other was is getting the attention. So they both just cry and climb on top of each other. I am just so worn out this week.

Favorite thing #16

Favorite Thing #16: Homemade Playdough

This is such a great activity for the kids on these cold rainy days.

3 cups flour
1.5 cups salt
6 tsp cream of tarter
3 tbsp oil
3 cups water

Dissolve salt in the water.
Pour all ingredients into a large pot.
Stir constantly over medium heat until a ball forms by pulling away from the sides.
Knead the dough mixture until the texture matches playdough (1-2 minutes). You can add food coloring to make it any color you want. You can also add vanilla, peppermint, or really any extract to make it smell festive. The kids love this stuff. If they eat a small bit of it, it's not the end of the world either because it is food based. It lasts a really long time if you keep it in an airtight container.

Favorite Thing #15

Favorite Thing #15: Oeuf Hoodie

This hoodie was a gift from Brooke's fairy godmother Katie. I LOVE it. I thought it was odd at first because it has a zipper that goes up the back all the way to the point of the hood. This feature makes it so easy to get on and off though.... love it love it love it. It's wool so it's very warm, but it's super soft and not too heavy. The hood stays up, and what can I say, she looks adorable in it. This website seems like it has a lot of cute stuff. Thanks Katie!!

Happy 10 Months Brooke

HAPPY 10 MONTHS BROOKE!!

Brooke is 10 months old now (I'm late as usual, I know). She is busy busy busy these days. She crawls everywhere and is getting into EvErYtHinG. She is particularly interested in all the electrical sockets. Brooke is finally approaching 19 pounds and is eating everything in sight. She is seriously obsessed with every form of sippy cup and just wants to be a big girl now. She still isn't sleeping through the night, but she's tiny and my last baby so I just can't bring myself to let her cry through it yet. She has such a sweet little personality right now, although every now and then a little bit of crazy comes out. She seems to have inherited Larkin's spunk and Hudson's sensitivity and snuggles. We love you Brooke Marylou.

Play Therapy

They say that you can tell a lot about a child by how they play. In fact, there is a whole branch of therapy for young children that is based around interpreting how a child plays.... so, my question is to all those therapists out there... What is wrong with my daughter???
This is how she like to play with her doll house. The night before, I spent probably 30 minutes arranging all the furniture and little dolls in here house. (It was actually fun and relaxing for me). I left her alone for maybe 10 minutes and this is what she did. Every last piece of furniture is on the top floor. All the stuffing was out of the pillows and blankets, and the dolls were piled on the table. She finished it off with her alarm clock. I love it. I really just had to laugh. So, do you think she's a little nuts or what!

Doesn't Hudson look tall and lanky in this photo?!? The minute he walks in the door, without fail, he strips to his undies. It so hard to get him to put his clothes back on if we go outside!

Brooke is a crawling machine now... going after every single electrical outlet, lamp cord, piece of dog food, and really anything dangerous on the floor. Larkin has been such a punk recently. She "hates" school, doesn't want to go to the gym, doesn't want to go to the library, or even the park for that matter. She's just been in a funk.... tired, grumpy, and generally disagreeable... a glimpse of her teenage years I'm afraid. Although, in this picture she was being really funny. She loved this hat we found at Target and kept saying "Where's my wabbit?? Where's my wabbit??" Some guy in the store told her to say that, and she just kept repeating it! I had to laugh (even though the rest of the time she was in full on punk mode). Things have been crazy here recently, and I don't really know why. No one is adapting to the new time. We are waking up too early in the morning and at naps. We have all just been a little off. Hopefully, things will sort themselves out sooner than later.

10:07

What is it about 10 07?? Somehow I'm cosmically connected to those digits. First of all, it's my birthday... October 7th. But what's even stranger is that every single day I always happen to look at the clock when it is 10:07 in the morning and 10:07 in the evening. I don't know what it is about that time... but I rarely miss it on the clock.
Hummmmm.... maybe I should start playing it in the lotto.

Happy Halloween!!

The kids had a great Halloween this year. Larkin, the Lily Fairy, Hudson, as Harry Potter, and Brooke, as Sunshine and wonder woman, ate way too much candy and stayed up far too late yesterday. Brooke became obsessed with lollipops. Larkin opened every single chocolate bar she got and decided that she didn't like them. In fact, she decided that she ONLY liked the lollipops. Hudson was just loving every minute of it.... getting candy... being called Harry... His excitement made my day. I think next year we are going to skip the lawn and just hit the neighborhood. I think it will be a lot less intense and just more enjoyable for the kids. Someone remind me of that next year. The entire day was topped off with Hudson telling me that next year he wants to be wolverine.... that kid is such a planner!

Pumpkin Carving

I love the fall. I love the leaves and the cooler weather. I like the walks outside and the cozy evenings. The pumpkins and apple picking never disappoint. I love how excited Hudson gets for Halloween. He seriously starts planning his outfit

for the following year the day after Halloween. He starts to get serious about it in July, and his favorite month is August because all the catalogs start coming with the costumes in it. He has such a great imagination. Carving the pumpkins, while messy, is one of my favorite traditions of the entire year (next to easter egg dying). The kids had a great time carving this year. They each carved a face that they drew themselves. It was really cute. I think Hudson just loved using a knife and not getting in trouble for it. We can't wait for Halloween on Friday!

Meat, Meat, more Meat (and Raisins)

Brooke is such a carnivore right now. She gets so excited when I give her chicken or ground beef or meat of any kind. She doesn't really like cheese or yogurt anymore really... if given the choice, she will choose the meat. This is in stark contrast to my other kids. At this age Hudson was obsessed with tofu, yogurt, cheese and noodles. Larkin liked yogurt, cheese and noodles. Neither of them are or ever were crazy about meat. They are both carb and dairy loaders. At this age I could still shovel in a little of the jar fruits and veggies. Brooke will tolerate the jars as long as I give it to her before the meat! It's really funny... I picture her little brain just going "meat, meat, meat, meat... ooooo raisins." Raisins are her other obsession. I am still cutting them in half, which takes for freakin' ever because they seem like such a choking hazard. I seriously can't cut them fast enough for her. I have to wonder why raisins look exactly the same coming out as going in... is she getting anything from them?

Favorite Thing #14

Favorite Thing #14: Maxi Cosi Priori Carseat

Auntie Cat and Uncle Brandon got Brooke her big girl carseat, and we LOVE IT! It's the Maxi-Cosi Priori carseat (they also make an infant bucket seat that is also cute). These carseats were recently approved from Europe (they are the #1 seat over there). They come in really cute colors, have great safety ratings (rivaling the Britax seats), and aren't super super expensive. They are also light and narrow. Brooke loves sitting up a little straighter, and I just love it all around. The buckles were a little tough at first, but they've gotten easier with use. I highly recommend this seat! Thanks Cat and BR!

Singing Talents

I have exactly one skill... one thing that I can do to wow people... one thing that I want to pass on to my kids. That skill is singing the ABC's backwards. Yes, this is simple memorization, but it impresses nonetheless. So here is a video of my smarty pants singing her ABC's with some flair. Hudson has learned this skill also, so I guess I have succeeded (in my own mind at least) at a mother. This other video is a song I taught the kids to remember their address. I thing it's too cute. Hudson knows this song and they know to go directly to a police man if they get lost (or to another mom if they can't find a police officer).

We've got a crawler (kinda)

We've got a crawler (kinda). Brooke finally seems to be getting the hang of getting around. This morning she was crawling all over her room. She forgets that she can do it occasionally, but I think she's crossed the line into crawling, finally! She has decided that she hates her crib, and is going through a serious mommy phase... so much so that she doesn't want to be alone at night.... not so fun! She's got this totally ticked off cry now whenever I put her into her crib. She also started sitting up in her crib and actually fell asleep in her sitting position this morning for her nap. It looked so uncomfortable! We had a fun time this weekend picking out our pumpkins and enjoying the fall colors on our hike, bike ride, and trip to the park. It was a relaxing and fun family weekend at home.

Brooke is 9 months!

Happy 9 months to Brooke (6 days ago... I'm terrible, I know).

This is the best 9 month photo I have of our little peanut. I'm going to try and get a better one today. She's decided that at 9 months, she's too grown up to have her picture taken. Brooke had her check up yesterday and she seems right on track (the short track that is). She is 17 pounds 17 ounces and weighs in around the 20th percentile for weight. Her height was 28 3/4 inches, which is the 80th percentile (this seems a little high to me... I think they may have counted an inch of her crazy hair). Tall and super skinny... that's our little cookie. She is still not crawling. I think I've been saying "any day now" for a month, but it really looks like she is going to take off any day now. She still isn't pulling up or waving or saying mama, all of which are 9 month milestones. The doctor reassured me that these are only "guidelines" and that hopefully by one year she will have mastered a few more skills. He said she was probably just a little lazy... humm... lazy... does that make me feel better?? I don't think so! Anyhow, we are reentering life after a fantastic trip to Hilton Head for my cousin Andy's wedding. Other than a little baby drama (I Brought brooke to a "no-kids" wedding and overheard a little trash talking...woops), the wedding was fantastic. Palmetto Bluff has to be the prettiest place in the lowcountry! Lynes land was crazy as usual with dogs outnumbering people and two ferrets that would just madly through the house. We all love it there. Larkin cried when we left because she wanted to stay with her Debi... it was so sad but melted my heart that my kids love my childhood home as much as I did. Mikie took us out on the boat and the kids got to see lots and lots of dolphin. I love seeing them in their little life jackets holding on to the rope on the bow of the boat... it brings back so many great memories of when I was a kid. We had a fun birthday party for my (my first in 10 years I think!). I loved seeing my aunt and cousins and Hilton Head crew. Everyone is so excited to be going to Hilton Head for christmas! Thanks mom for making our trip fantastic... we love you so much.... the 12 hour drive with 3 restless kids... not so fun, but worth it :)

Friggin Frog!

There are so many things that I need to catch up blogging about. Brooke is 9 months now, we had a great trip to Hilton Head, etc, etc, etc. But... all I can think about is my GROSSer than GROSS experience this morning. I was walking around picking up the house after Gregor left with the kids this morning. Ho-Hum Ho Hum... picking up toys... picking up toys. "When did we get a frog toy," I think to myself. "It's really realistic." I put everything on the counter (remember, I've been toting around this friggin frog for awhile while I clean up) and I realize that in fact it is a DEAD frog! GROSS! A huge, dead, shriveled, dried out frog with long ass legs and beady eyes. I wonder how long it's been there! How gross would it have been if Brooke found that! I want if'ed it to death, washed my hands a thousand and one times and dropped him in the trash. I called gregor to vent on how disgusting it was and he made me feel guilty about putting the "poor, helpless frog" in the trash. So, being the good person that I am, I fished him out of the trash and threw him into the pond (it took 2 tries to actually get him in the pond. I'm a terrible thrower). Yeah, way to start out the day. I'll get to the other happenings later. I'm going to take a shower. I still feel gross.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, I am officially 31 now. I'm feeling old! I can't believe I'm actually "in" my 30's now. I had all these grand ideas of what my life would be like when I was in my 30's. I just thought I would feel older, have a more grown up job, not be strapped for cash all the time. I don't know, I just don't feel 31. I look in the mirror and I think I'm starting to look it though... the wrinkles in the forehead, the skin that hangs a little more. Yeah, I'm starting to look a little older. Well... it will be interesting to see what this next year holds.

We had a fun filled weekend with Gregor's parents. We went for a little hike and headed up to Carter's Mountain for a little apple and pumpkin picking... good times. I love this hiking picture that gregor's dad took. It is such a perfect "day in the life of" photo. Look closely.. Hud is pooping over a log and Larkin is messing with gregor's head. Brooke was "using her voice" very loudly in the ergo... I was just laughing... like is really crazy with 3 kids.

We are off to Hilton Head on thursday for my cousin's wedding and a little fun filled family time. I think we are actually going to have a birthday celebration for my big 31 on saturday. I can't remember the last time I actually had a party. I'm so excited! Thanks mom!

Foxfield and Mr. Potter

Yesterday, we had a fun filled day at the horse races. This was not the drunken girls in party dresses Foxfield of my college days (which I didn't go to even when I was in college). The fall Foxfield horse races are really family friendly. The kids had a great time watching the horses, eating tons and tons of food, and playing with their friends. It was a little hot, but everyone had a great time. I, of course, didn't get a single picture of the kids at the actual races, but here they are dressed up in their cutie outfits before we left.

Hudson's Halloween costume came in the mail today, and seriously, I've never seen Hud more excited (thanks Debi for the costume!). He's allowed to wear it today, and then not again until Halloween. I'm going to have to find a really good hiding place for it!

As a side note, I have to say that I am SO excited and happy that my shows are on again!! I am addicted to grey's anatomy and brothers and sisters and a few others here and there. It is sad but true. I feel like these people are really my friends, and I honestly miss them when the shows are on hiatus. I'm a loser... I know, but I am really excited my nights will involve good television for a little while again!

How big is Brooke!

It has been a crazy week! Gregor was busy almost every night with meetings, a back to school "required/no kids" school event (seriously... what are they going to do... kick us out!), and just working late to accommodate our new schedule (he has to stay late 2 nights a week to make up for the time he takes off to watch the kids while I work). I think the new schedule is going to take a bit of time to get used to, but it's going to work out well. Gregor gets quality time with the girls and I get alone time at my new office at UVA. It was so weird to go in there last week. I was sitting at this desk interacting with people that only knew me as Dr. Patsch... not Hudson, Larkin and Brooke's mom... not Gregor's wife... just another researcher in the coastal lab at UVA. A graduate student even invited me to a keg party on campus. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I really don't "party" anymore... I'm a lame 30+ mom of three that tries to be in bed by 10. I spent most of my first morning in the office struggling to find my professional identity which was buried deep down underneath my mommy-ness. It felt really good after awhile though to find this working self again, and to use my brain a bit. I'm not saying that I want a full time job or anything yet, but a few hours here and there in an "office" space (as opposed to in my bed working on a laptop) is going to be really good for me.

This week I also went on a "sell our stuff" binge. I don't know why, but I feel like we have been poorer than usual this month and needed a little extra cash to get us to payday next week. I found this great store in Charlottesville that will give you cash for clothes. It just felt good to purge a lot of my jeans and t-shirts that just don't work with my post-babies body anymore... I have to wonder if they ever worked for me really. It's funny how the body just changes after each kid. I guess the fat just gets redistributed in new places, or the hips just don't go back to where they used to be... I don't know, I feel like my entire torso just got longer... that or I used to wear shirts that were way to short and jeans that were way to low. Who knows! I made a little cash though. Yesterday I drove to Richmond in an attempt to sell Brooke's clothes that she's grown out of. Sorting those baby clothes to sell was so sad. I guess it was just making me realize that we aren't going to have any more tiny babies in the house, I'm not going be pregnant again, and that we are really just entering a new phase of life. I don't know why, but this just always makes me a little sad. I love the tiny babies so much!! The little snuggles, little toes, little voices... ahh I need to stop thinking about it.

Anyhow, Brooke learned a big trick this weekend, the classic "How big is Brooke?... SO Big" trick. Check out the video to see that in action. She seems determined to learn to crawl and has spent the weekend just trying to get the hang of it. She still only seems to manage to scoot backwards, and spends most of the time just face-planting and getting so frustrated. I'm sure she will get it in the next couple of weeks though.

Gracie has learned that Brooke is her new food source. She stalks Brooke and sneaks her zyback toask out of her fingers when I'm not looking. She also sits right under Brooke's chair at all meal times waiting for a crumb to drop.

Hudson had his first drop-off/no parents birthday party yesterday which he said was the "best birthday party EVER!" I hope that this is the start of many drop-off parties! It just seems like a great idea. Parents and siblings make even the smallest parties crazy.

Larkin is doing pretty well with the potty now. She still won't do the good ol' number 2 in the potty, but she asks for a pull up and works it out. I guess we would just consider her pee-trained right now. It's nice to be past the pee accidents though... that just tested my patience beyond belief. I put Brooke's moses basket in Larkin's room to hold her baby dolls etc, but Larkin has decided that this is a comfortable place to sit and read books herself. She now is begging me to let her sleep in this tiny basket! I have to admit, it does look cozy.

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Weekend fun in Crozet

It was a great weekend here in Crozet. Saturday morning we unloaded a bunch of junk at our community yard sale. The weather was perfect for a day sitting in our driveway, chatting with our neighbors, and making a little money on stuff we just don't need anymore. Nothing makes Gregor happier than simplifying our garage and decluttering our house. After the garage sale we of course went and spent all the money we made on lunch, cookies, and a few items at Hud's new favorite store (the HALLOWEEN superstore!). Larkin got the rockin' shades pictured above, and Hudson settled on a double "darth maul" light saber (one that he's spent the last year at least looking for). The Halloween store was really funny as I found myself trying to tell Hudson that he really didn't need the "pimp cane." After all that we decided to take the bikes over to Old Trail to have a picnic dinner on the dock. When we were on our way home we passed the huge neighborhood camp out. Hudson and Gregor decided to join in the neighborhood fun and pitched their tent. I think they had a blast! They actually made it the whole night. The girls and I got up early the next morning and brought them breakfast. It was so cute... Hudson just had the best time. This was one of those times that I like living in this kind of neighborhood. Sunday was a little bit more mellow than our crazy Saturday. We just hung around the house and Gregor drove all the way to Virginia Beach for a little surfing. The kids and I went on another bike ride (I'm loving my new bike and trailer), and it was to bed early for everyone. What a jam packed weekend!

I'm supposed to start working today, but I haven't gotten the official okay from human resources yet... so maybe tomorrow. We decided to not go with the childcare option. It was just too expensive for the amount of money that I'm going to be making. Gregor and I sat down and figured out a schedule so that he can get his work hours in, I can get a little face time in the lab, and we don't have to shell out $400 a month in childcare (yeah that's how much it was for 3 morning a week 8:30-12:30). So Gregor's going to get to watch Larkin and Brooke on Tuesday and Thursdays from 9-12:30. He'll be picking Hudson up at school and just hanging with the girls. I think it's going to work out really well... who better to watch the kids than dear ol' dad! He's even going to be in charge of taking all the kids to the dentist and taking Brooke to her 9 month doctor's appointment.... quality time indeed.

mama has a brand new job!

I've finally managed to elbow my way into UVA! I just got a job working with Laura Moore at UVA as a research associate on one of her coastal barrier island research projects. I'm so excited to start working on the coast again. After working in the oil and gas industry for over a year now, I think it's good for my own sense of self to get back to the work that I really enjoy. I'll get a little office space at the University in a coastal lab (yay), and actually interact with other people every once in awhile. It's still part-part time (only 15 hours a week), but I think it's a great start for getting my foot in the door and all I can really handle with 3 kids! The sad part is that Brooke is going to have to experience day care, which makes me very sad. It will only be for a couple of hours though on mon, wed, and fri when Larkin and Hud are at pre-school so that's good. Hopefully, I'll be a better mom when I'm with them because I won't be trying to work while I'm with them. I'm excited at the thought of working in the mornings and actually having designated "work" hours. I've been doing most of my work from 8-11 at night on my laptop in bed, so this is a welcome change. Hopefully this experience will help me figure out that unending "what am I going to do in my work-life" debate in my own head... professorship, consulting, highschool teaching, administration, moving??... ahh the list goes on and on... I start on monday.

Favorite Thing #13: Cupcakes on the Downtown Mall!!

For those of you living in Charlottesville or the surrounding areas... my new favorite thing is a cupcake from Cappellino's Crazy Cakes on the downtown mall. Here is the info:
Cappellino's Crazy Cakes103 Third St. NE.293-2964.Tues.-Thurs. 11am-7pm, Fri. 11am-8pm, Sat. 11am-7pm.
Bakery just off the Mall has any sweet thing you could want: cupcakes, cookies, cakes and so on.

This is a tiny local shop that only sells cupcakes and cookies. It feels very homey and local and seriously has the BEST cupcakes I've ever tasted. This kids LOVE it too!!! They put these fantastic sugar flowers and edible glitter on the icing... YummY!! I think I could seriously eat one every single day... which is probably why I still have more than a couple of pounds of baby weight to lose.

PS. For those of you reading this through google reader... check out the original posting to see the changes I made to the blog... new background, colors, etc... thanks rebecca for the great iddea :) I think it's fun. What do you think?

Happy 8 months Brooke!

Happy 8 months Brooke!

Brooke was 8 months old on the 9th. I'm a slacker mom for not getting this out on her official month birthday, but what can I say, she's the third kid and will probably be mad at me her whole life because there aren't as many pictures etc of her. Every kid after the first gets jipped in the photo department. Brooke is still just hanging out playing with toys. You can tell in her eyes that she wants to crawl, but she won't tolerate tummy time long enough to figure it out. That's fine with me because the minute she crawls my life is going to get a lot harder with baby proofing and constant attention. I like this stage where she just sits and plays. I still think she has a slight problem with her left ankle. I know deep down that she doesn't, but I'm still obsessing about it anyway. I can't get her to stand at all, even when I hold her hands. She doesn't pull up or really put any pressure on her right foot at all. It's probably just a quirk, but all the rationalizations I make for it don't stop me from obsessing about her little foot. Other than that, Brooke is doing great. She loves say DA-DAaaaa. Her favorite games are peek a boo and "try to get Larkin's Binky". She is totally in love with Larkin at the moment. She just laughs and laughs at anything Larkin does and tries to get her attention all the time. I think she's also figured out that Larkin is the one that always has the good snacks. It seems I have another snack obsessed child on my hands. Brooke is still a little peanut. I think that's why I always think of her as so much younger... that and maybe the fact that the last child will always and forever be the baby. Brooke has been wearing all of Larkin's hand me downs which makes me remember Larkin at this age. They have such different personalities though that some of Larkin's clothes just don't seem to jive with Brooke's personality. Larkin was all about crazy colors and patterns... lots of pink and just girlie. Brooke, on the other hand, just seems a little more chill and serene. I think more neutral soft clothes fit her little personality. Who knows, maybe it's just my style that's changing and I'm projecting it on to them, but I don't think so... I think they already have a "clothes personality." Larkin sure has an opinion on it now, and it is still 100% girlie and involves lots of colors and mixing patters paired with sparkling "fancy Nancy" shoes or her other orange favorites. Hudson still loves sweats and vintage t-shirts with that California surfer vibe. Nothing can touch his neck and he can't stand sweatshirts or hoodies on while in the car seat. He actually hates wearing his shirt in the carseat altogether. I had to make a new car rule that he can only take all his clothes off on the way home. The kid rides home in only his underwear, but at least he's not taking it all off between every stop anymore. That was putting me over the edge of sanity. I'm going off on quite a clothes tangent her, I think I'll stop now. Anyhow, Happy 8 months Brooke!

Anniversary, Guests, and School

So many things have happened this past week or so. I'm falling behind on my blogging. Here is a list of what I want to blog about so I don't forget:

1. Our anniversary

2. Debi, Catherine and Ronan's visit (and Gidget)

3. Hudson and Larkin starting school

Okay, so our anniversary... Gregor and I had a great day. We woke up early and drove up into the Blue Ridge Parkway to do a little bit of rock climbing. Gregor and I met rock climbing in college and for a little while we were the vice presidents of climbing in the outing club at UVA (that sounds so dorky doesn't it!). Basically we would just take people out climbing. Gregor would set up the climbs and I would teach people how to belay, put on their climbing shoes, and fit them with harnesses. Gregor and I would like to not climb on these trips so the people on our trips would think we were amazing climbers (which we weren't...). We had a lot of fun back then, but really haven't gotten to climb together for a long time due mostly to the fact that a big preggo belly makes for a difficult climb... and having kids make it hard to have one person climbing and one belaying... there is no one to run after the kids. So... long story short... we had a great time doing a really easy climb on saturday morning. Gregor did a bit of lead trad climbing where he puts pieces of gear into the rock and climbs up. I followed him and took the pieces out. It was really fun I have to say. Gregor and I will probably be doing a little more of this in the future. I think we both realized how much we like doing this activity together. After we got home, we all went to the pool for a little fun in the sun. Gregor gave me a cool mountain bike for our anniversary (I'll try to post a picture later), so later that afternoon, we went on a little bike ride over to our friends' 10th anniversary party. I love my bike!!! I hadn't really realized how much I missed biking until I got on this one. I sold my road bike and my cruiser when we moved from California and I haven't really needed one again because I've been pregnant/nursing for what feels like forever. There is also no place to really ride to here. In California, I would ride to the grocery store, coffee shop, along the ocean, to a few resteraunts, etc. Crozet is growing though, and hopefully I will have a few places to ride to in the near future. Now I can ride around with Hudson on my own bike as well! I might even try a trail or two. After our bike ride we came home and put the kids to bed and went to the local Fondue place. We had such a great time... great food, great wine, and a great atmosphere. Fondue is really fun on an occasion because you can just sit for awhile and really enjoy the food and the intimate atmosphere without feeling like you are being hustled through your meal. So that was our anniversary... 5 years!

As for the rest of the weekend, we had a blast with my mom (Debi), Catherine (my sister-in-law) and my nephew Ronan (1 year old). We also had Gidget, the boston terrier-poodle (is that a boodle or perrier) 10-week old puppy who is one of those so ugly she's cute kind of dogs. Hudson and Larkin are not huge animal lovers (I have no idea why), but for some reason they LOVED gidget (who became known as gismo because of her resemblance to the Gremlins). Hudson and Gidget had an especially tight bond. Larkin liked to walk Gidgit on her tiny lease, but was actually a little scared at how fast she moved when she was off the leash... and she's a bit nippy like every other 10 week old pup. We all had a blast this weekend though. Ronan is such a cutie!! I love having all the cousins together and wish we all lived closer so they could see each other more often. Thanks mom and Cat for making the long drive up here and spending quality time with us :) Gregor enjoyed their trip as well mostly because he had a guilt free day at Virginia Beach surfing with his friends. 

So that brings us to Tuesday. Debi, Cat, and Ronan left (sad) and Hudson had his first day of Pre-K. He was so excited and had, and I quote, "a Bad-Fun" day. He tells me that a Bad-fun day is one where some of the things were fun and other things were bad. He had his second day today and I guess worked out some of his issues, because today he said he had a great day. Larkin had her first day of preschool ever today. I was worried that she was going to be sad to be dropped off, but no... not Larkin. She loved it!! I swear she's going to move to California the day she turns 18. She was so independent and confident and just into the whole "routine" of school. They have a big bunny named Max in her class that she couldn't stop talking about. It was really cute to pick her up today. She just didn't stop talking about what a great day she had. 

So, that's that. I think I'm all caught up now. 

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

Ten Things I Love about my Tall, Dark, and Handsome Husband:

1. He'll watch So you Think You Can Dance with me and make me laugh by making fun of the contemporary dancing (which he can't stand!).

2. He wears his snorkel and mask with Hudson at the pool with tons of people around and looks like a total goofball but doesn't care.

3. He secretly reads my trash magazines (even though he pretends that he doesn't like them).

4. He writes and sings amazing songs for all the kids that make me cry.

5. He's eat burritos with me every single day and does not complain.

6. He makes funny voices for the characters during bedtime stories.

7. He makes our bed every (almost) morning because he knows it makes me have a better day.

8. He encourages me to take personal fun time even if he has to push me out the door kicking and screaming.

9. He understands my desire to be home with the kids right now even if that means that we are strapped for cash.

10. He makes me laugh and think every single day.

Happy Anniversary Gregor! I can't believe it's been 5 years!