Week Twenty-Seven: Kitchen Helper

Do you have a kitchen helper? And by that, I mean a tiny human who won't let you do ANYTHING in the kitchen without them "helping."

O has always been a kitchen helper. Even when he was just Quasimodo crawling around the house, he had to be in the kitchen if we were and he *had* to be under someone's foot. Or in the dishwasher.

And he has not changed. Not even a little bit. Now he can start the dishwasher {which Mike and I realized recently when it was already on the drying cycle and neither of us had started it}, climb the stove and reach the knobs, and open the trash can. He has been such a beast lately that we have tried baby-gating him out of the kitchen entirely, but I've decided the whines and cries and screams and throwing things isn't worth it. So I let him in the kitchen and he stands on my feet while I do whatever I'm doing. That shit hurts. His clammy little feet pull at the skin on top of my feet in the worst way. It puts me over the edge so freaking fast. And that just can't be our new normal. It can't be.

This morning as he whined and stomped on my feet sending me into a stressed out rage I realized what needed to happen. He needs to see what I'm doing. You're probably out there in internet land reading this going- duh- of course that's what he needs! How did you not think of that!?

Well, I figured it out eventually, and that's what counts.

I put O up on our step stool. It didn't let him reach the counter all that well and I had to have one hand on him the whole time so he didn't fall. It was kind of a headache. I decided in a quick hurry that the step stool wasn't an option. Instead we need one of those "learning tower"/ "kitchen helper" things. So I whipped out my phone and started browsing Amazon. Holy. Shit. The cheapest ones were well over $100! Are you kidding me?? I swear, anything wedding or kid/baby related is just a racket. All of it. They overcharge for everything because they know that we, the idiot consumers, will pay for it. Because we need it. I digress.

Buying one of these things is definitely not in the budget, so I bounced from Amazon over to Craigslist. Where I could buy one for..... $95. Wow. What a deal? Apparently these puppies hold their value.

Plan C is officially in the works for this weekend. A quick DIY version built on top of an ikea step stool. Hopefully it is exactly what we need to calm our kitchen helper down and give us some sanity back. I'll for sure post a step by step when we get it done! :)

For now, here are some pictures of our pancake making adventures with the step stool.

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-H

Week Twenty-Six: DIY Envy is Great Motivation

I've been meaning to make O a busy board for months. The idea to make one popped into my head before his first birthday. Things were busy though and it got put on the back burner. Then summer vacation came and I thought I'd make it happen. Well, it hasn't happened.

Yet. 

A week or two ago a friend posted a picture of a busy board she made for her little girl and I loved it! Not only was it super cute and colorful, it reminded me I needed to get my butt in gear and make one for O. 

Well, this week, for Make it Monday we took a trip to Home Depot and found all kinds of fun stuff for the board! O helped pick much of it out, and was happy to play with the light switch almost the entire time he was in the cart. 

Here is what we came up with:

I'm sure the checkout guy at Home Depot thought I was a crazy person buying all this random stuff. 

Ok, ok, ok. Obviously it isn't done. But the only reason for that is that I thought we had a drill bit we actually don't have, not because of lack of motivation {for a change}!

After we acquired a drill bit that will help this job along, it was pretty easy for Mike to get started. We also knew that on top of making the board itself we would need to add some legs {and then cover everything on the back with felt so there was nothing pokey or scratchy} since the light switches were so much deeper than the board. 

Here is our layout after painting and before drilling: 

So pretty!

I'm excited for this to come together, and I think O is going to be obsessed with it. BUT that will have to wait a few more days. Because this is what happens when you try to drill and chisel cheap wood from Michael's without the proper support underneath:

Suck.

So it appears that this project will span two weeks. And that's ok. Because once we get the board glued back together and everything in place it is going to be awesome! The stuff that is already in place is super fun- I tested it out ;)

On the bright side this setback will give me time to exchange the badge holder thing from green to a color that matches the board better! 

-H

Week Twenty-Five: Adventures Big and Small

One thing I often forget, is that it really doesn't take much to entertain a toddler. With the right amount of enthusiasm O can be equally as excited about the hose in the backyard as he is about a water park.

But that doesn't mean I'm excited about a hose. And that is part of the reason I try to give O opportunities for awesome experiences. If mom and dad are also having a good time it makes everyone's experience more fun.

Here is a rundown of our week--lots of fun stuff to keep us busy during our first full week at home together for the summer.

Monday:
Hanging around at home because the dishwasher repairman is coming isn't really all that exciting, but a visit from grandma and grandpa is! Even though it was a quick visit {they were fixing our cabinets in the laundry room that FELL OFF THE WALL the other day} it was nice to see them. Hopefully next time they visit we will all have time to do something fun together. Monday was also a big day because O got his shoe on all by himself! He was almost as proud of himself as I was of him. :)

Playing with grandma's necklace.

About to have official shoe putting on success!

Tuesday:
Since we didn't have anything special planned I reverted back to my summer schedule and decided it would be a good day to get some groceries. We have been ordering our groceries online and having them delivered but that only works when you plan ahead. I got O all ready to go. I got myself all ready to go. We got in the car, ready to go to the grocery store. I was backing out of the driveway to go to the grocery store. And then I decided we should go check out Toddler Tuesday at MOA. Whoops! So worth it though. O enjoyed watching the jazzercize for kids {dancercize} and loved getting a sticker after that he proudly put on his shirt. We also checked out some of his favorite fish at the aquarium, played with some legos, played with Bitty Babies, and had a lunch date together {because kids eat free at a bunch of places on Tuesdays}!

Sticker!

Legos!

Wednesday:
Our first play date of the summer! We visited the Minnesota Children's Museum with my friend from work and one of her friends from out of town {my friend has one little boy a few months older than O and her friend had boy/girl twins that were about a month older than O} and it was a blast. The water table area was by far the highlight! We love the MCM and plan to get good use out of our membership this summer and beyond.

All the littles at the ping pong ball/tube water table.

O and J playing with trains. 

Thursday:
Another play date, but this time for moms! I went to my mom group meeting and it was great to chat with other mamas and let the babies play. Some of the moms and babies are the same ones I met when I started going to that group when I was on maternity leave. It is *so* cool to see how our littles are growing up.

He randomly climbed into this bin and just chilled there for quite some time. 

Picnic in the after the mom group. Such a cool dude. 

Thursday Evening:
On a whim we decided to go as a family to Marketfest in White Bear Lake. It is like a mini fair with food vendors, food trucks, games for the kids, and other vendors promoting their businesses. O loved the greyhound rescue booth and had no fear beelining it straight onto a dog bed to hug and pet the dog. Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed the cake walk we paid $2 for, because we each won a cake! Super exciting! Because...cake!!

Best selfie we could manage. 

"Ooo! Ball!"

Friday:
More playtime with the same friends from Wednesday plus another friend of mine and her two littles! This time we went to an awesome splash pad/ playground across town. It was a drive to get there but totally worth it. O loved the water and played so nice with the other kids.

Favorite part of the splash pad. 

Taking turns.

Saturday:
Plans to attend the BWI {babywearing group} anniversary party were squashed by an inopportune nap time, but instead of being bummed out all day we headed to Como Zoo and had a great time before the monsoon hit.

"Baaaa!"

My guys. 

So there ya have it! Adventures big and small this week. I can't wait to share what I'm up to for Make it Monday this coming week. I'm also hoping to post another installment of my Accidentally Crunchy series. Big plans! We will see what happens. :-)

-H

Week Twenty-Four: Stay at Home Mom for the Summer

I've always had anxiety. But after having O I feel like it has become more of a presence in my life. It's not super overwhelming, it doesn't usually get in the way of living life, it's just...there.

When I started thinking about staying home full time this summer break my anxiety shifted into overdrive. I've been so nervous about it. Nervous about spending all day every day with my kid. Then upset for being a bad mom because I shouldn't be nervous about that. Then getting sad that I can't stay home full time year round with him. Then getting upset that I'm so nervous for a few weeks, I'd never be able to handle staying at home full time even if it were an option! 

Do you see this spiral of crazy that happens in a matter of moments? That's what my anxiety feels like. Thinking about nonsense, but on crack. 

Anyhow, summer was coming, ready or not, and I needed some sort of plan to help curb my crazy brain. 

I decided a schedule would be the best way to help give O and I some structure this summer. As I started pondering what it should look like I turned to my BFF Pinterest. Did you know people have already come up with colorful little posters with a clever little summer schedule for families?!  I'm ever so happy for the inspiration. 

There were a couple schedules that looked fun, and I already had a couple ideas, so here is the mashed together version of a summer schedule that we are going to try to stick to this summer! 

*Disclaimer: I've already given myself permission to skip it some days or to switch up days to fit the weather or plans with friends. I'm not crazy enough to think I will stick to this 100%*

Make it Monday 

-crafting 

-cooking

-art projects

-sand castles

-memories {nice and vague}

Trooper Tuesday

-running errands

-grocery shopping

-cleaning the house

-marching around the neighborhood {playgrounds and just going on walks}

Waterworks Wednesday

-water table

-water park

-beach

-making Popsicles 

-water area at the children's museum

Thinking thespian Thursday

-dress up

-play kitchen

-play tool bench

-library trips

Fresh and Friendly Friday

-play dates 

-fresh ideas to try/see/make/experience 

-farmers market 

BOOM. 

In all honesty, I've already skipped Monday this week because I sent Owen to daycare so I could get some cleaning done at work and at home. And Tuesday-- since I didn't finish cleaning on Monday. {We were already contracted to pay for Monday and Tuesday at daycare, so why not send him so he can play while I'm productive, right?}

Wish us luck!

-H

Week Twenty-Three: Gardening

Well, I had all these big plans for my garden this year. I started pinning garden ideas and tips and tricks before the snow melted.

I was *ready* to have an even bigger, better garden than last year.

But then life happened. And I got busy. And it is June 11th and I still don't have my plants in the ground.

I have a hard time cutting myself slack. I have a hard time not being able to do everything I want to do. I so wanted this garden to be a success, like it was last year! But instead I was buying bottom of the barrel plants at 8:00 on a Wednesday night, hoping that they will grow enough to produce some veggies before the ground freezes again.

As I drove home from the garden center I was asking myself how on earth I was so on top of things last year. My new favorite app {TimeHop} showed me that one year ago this week I had plants coming up in the garden. How was I *so* far behind last year me?

Then it hit me. DUH. I was on maternity leave last year. With a little baby that didn't try to run into the neighbor's yard when we are outside. AND I had my mother in law's help! I tried to remember what she taught me about gardening. Nothing. I can't remember a single thing. I remember her telling me where to put a stepping stone so I would be able to pick tomatoes without stepping in the dirt. The end. That's it!

So as I set out to plant my plants this year {with a freshly tilled garden all ready for me, thanks to my mother in law} I don't really know where to start. What part of my garden gets shade again? How far apart should I put the green bean seeds?

I fully expect this year to be a disaster, but at least I'm trying. Better late than never, right?

Maybe everything will turn out perfectly. I *do* have a pretty great helper this year ;)

Week Twenty-Two: Minnesota Children's Museum

O received so many birthday gifts when he turned one that we are still getting around to playing with them all. One big gift that we just finally cashed in on Saturday was money for a membership to the Children's Museum!

Mike and I are so excited to have a membership to this awesome place. And O is too, I'm pretty sure. 

Room full of awesome? Bee line straight to the toy we also have at home.

On Saturday we spent a couple hours there checking everything out after we purchased our membership. It wasn't until the very end of about 2+ nonstop hours of play that Mr. Cranky Pants showed his face. 

I can't wait to go back. O would have stayed in the first room we stopped in if we didn't move him along {because we, the adults, were so excited to check everything else out}. 



Hammering away in the Creativity Jam.

Blurry, I know, but I love when he plops down and crosses his legs.

Drawers!! Best EVER.



Daddy and O turning the conveyor belt.

50% of the pics are blurry because he was SO on the move!



Play a masterpiece?

 

No, I'll climb.

Scaled this like it was no BD.

I didn't capture any photos of him invading other kids' personal space, even though that was his favorite activity there. He so badly wanted to sit in other babies' laps and just shove his face in other kids' faces. Lol what a goober. 

After a long, fun day he was poooooped out. And oh so snuggly. <3



zzZZzzzZZzZZzz

Week Twenty-One: Another Weekend, Another Wedding

Our family <3

This weekend we traveled to New Ulm for a wedding. One of Mike's cousins got married so our family, his sister, and his other sister and her boyfriend all headed down and stayed with his parents in Mankato.

I'd love to take you on a little journey that is the ridiculousness of getting to this wedding. First, we were running late. Not for any particular reason...everything was just taking longer than it should have as we tried to pack and get ready Saturday morning. We finally hit the road, later than we had planned, and realized that this was much harder than getting out the door for the last wedding we went to. Then it dawned on us: daycare. For the last wedding, daycare took Owen for the morning while we packed up the car and got everything ready! What a huge difference that made!!

So, we're on the road. Late. And then we realize we need gas. We decided to just go as far as we could on what we had to see if we could make it. {Spoiler alert: we couldn't make it on what we had}. So we're driving along when BAM! We run over something that appeared out of nowhere on the highway. It clunked and was LOUD. So Mike is yelling and swearing about that and wakes O up from his nap. Super duper.

O fell back asleep as we continued and Mike watched for any sign that we had a flat tire. We were good to go. A little further down the road he was worried that it might have been pulling a little so we decided to exit and stop at a gas station to check it out.

We checked the pressure on all 4 tires. All 4 tires were great. We got back in the car, and hit the road again. About 3 minutes after we were back on the highway we both looked at each other the way Kevin McCallister's parents do when they realize they forgot kevin. WE FORGOT TO GET GAS. We were at a GAS station. Seriously.

So we stopped at a *different* gas station a little big closer to Mankato. We made it in time to get to the meat market before going to the wedding {beef sticks. yum.} and made it to the pews before the music started. Score.

Mike and I stayed in the pew for about 3 minutes before O noticed that his voice echoed in the church. So we spent the remainder of the wedding in the little crying room {for our happy, talkative guy- no tears involved} and/or outside walking around.

A dapper young fella on the move.

The reception was very pretty and aside from a no-nap ninja's efforts to be a crab pants {we eventually drove him around for a 30 minute nap before dinner was served} everything went pretty well from then on. O was a big boy and used his fork to eat most of his meal, and was a dancing machine. I can't wait to see some of the photos the professional photographer was snapping of him dancing with a little girl on the dance floor!

Woo!

So happy for Hannah and Jesse! Also happy we snapped a couple {very color coordinated} family pictures before O drooled half his sippy of water and a cracker he stole from another kid in the crying room all over himself.

-H