Lots of Leaves!

All last week, I was feeling like a slacker. I watched as our neighbors had cleared their yards, neatly piling leaves into bags and lining them up on the curb. Every day I head a leaf blower or shredder or vacuum or mower running, guilting me. Every time I drove in and out of the neighborhood - green lawn, green lawn, green lawn, huge leaf pile, green lawn, green lawn.

I did go out in the front yard with the kids one day and Peanut and I raked a bit. We made some progress and got some play-worthy piles going, but within a few hours the wind and the leaves still on the trees had conspired to make it look like we had done nothing. It just looked like some spots had drifted to create huge piles under the regular leaf cover. Oh well - she was tired from raking and playing and took a great nap, and I got a little workout so all was not lost.

We all went out to attack the leaves this weekend - rakes and blowers in hand. It was a beautiful day and Peanut and I did our best to rake (well - she raked for a few minutes and then wallowed in piles of leaves) while Pumpkin napped in the Moby and Honey wielded the leaf blower. We created quite an amazing pile which Honey then manhandled around to the back of the house and dumped into the garden and the mulch beds. I got a few wheelbarrows full into the composter along with the remains of our garden. The leaves should do a nice job of keeping the good garden soil from losing too many nutrients over the winter and they should add a little bit of goodness too. Why bag leaves when you can use them? Seems silly work to me.

Small Victories and a Little Forced Independence

I set my sights high today. We were going grocery shopping! OK, so not really exciting, but necessary and what better way to deal with the looming scariness of shopping with two little ones than to just do it. So we got everyone dressed, I put on the Moby (by far the most comfortable baby carrier on the planet - it is like wearing a T-shirt with a baby inside), got my list together an got everyone in the car. Then, as I am starting the engine I hear a loud sound from the back seat. Of course, someone has pooped. I had forgotten about this part of Murphy's law - when you are all set to go, the baby always poops or spits up. OK, so we get on the road eventually, and make it to the store. It all went so smoothly! I think I got most everything we went in for, Peanut and Pumpkin were both happy and comfortable the whole time, and I still had the organizational skills to get our Chico bags to the bagger before he got everything into the store bags. Well done - we will celebrate the small victories each day! I even got both kids and all of the groceries into the house before someone started to cry, whine, need something, etc.

Well, I figure having any other goals for the rest of the day is pointless - we might as well just kick back and hang out. Once the food was in the fridge, we got ready to go hang out by the pool. I have to clarify - this is not a fancy pool, this is our tiny kiddie pool that Peanut will not get out of and wants to get into it whenever she sees it. She stands in there and dances and sings and generally has a good time. Pumpkin was nursing and Peanut was trying to get me to help her with her swim diaper and I thought - "OK, time to learn to do it yourself". I know now that there are so many things she can do on her own that she relies on me to do for her, because either a) she does them herself when she is with someone else or b) I have seen her do it when I am busy and can't help. I know she can pull her pants up and down, she just usually waits for me to do it. So today she did most of her getting undressed and ready to swim with just some coaching from me (and a little one handed assistance here and there) while Pumpkin chowed. Having a little brother does increase independence in the big sister - this is a welcome side effect!

Oh What A Day

I think of the Shell Silverstein poem - Oh what a day, oh what a day, my baby brother ran away, and now my tuba will not play...

Today was a lot of holding children, being spit up on, pooped on, and generally feeling like I had accomplished nothing and was just hoping for a moment of peace and quiet. It started out with a late wake up for the kids and they woke up at essentially the same time. Usually Pumpkin is still sleeping when Peanut gets up, so I can cook breakfast and spend time with her for a while before the juggling begins. We did some cooking and nursing ( at the same time - I am getting pretty good at that by the way) and had really yummy blueberry pancakes. Then Honey left for work, and after he left I had the realization that no one was dressed. He usually dresses someone, so I had a little more to do than I thought. In addition, Pumpkin decided today was the day to show his reflux in full force and to be really crabby all morning. After a lot of putting one down and picking the other up, I wrapped him in the Moby and just carried him while I got Peanut dressed, hair done (mostly) and teeth brushed. That seemed to calm him so it is my new go to strategy.

We did get out to see the chiropractor and got to the bank. Mission accomplished. I do feel like I have an inordinate amount of crap to carry around with two kids. I'd love to reduce the contents of the diaper bag, but I know the minute I do, I will need whatever it is I've left behind. It seems like such overkill to have a suitcase though. So anyway, we decided to eliminate dairy from my diet to see if that helps with the reflux, which is awful since I LOVE yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, and most dairy in general...but I love having a happy baby and getting some sleep even more, so it's a decent trade off.

This afternoon, I again ended up cooking and holding kids - this time it was Peanut in the Ergo while I made her lunch. She really loved that and it allowed me to grab Pumpkin and snuggle him when he got really fussy. So, the carriers work great - now I just need to figure out what combination will work to wear both of them at the same time - I know it can be done and have seen it done many times. I've just never made the attempt so it seems a little much for me. Oh what a day.