Fashions From Our House

What an Aftyn pose

Pajamas, note the smiley face.  Please, don't note the mess.  :D

More pajamas

My own invention, the pajama skirt! :) Laugh all you want. It has the ease of a nightgown, yet easier to go to the bathroom in and when you're in bed at night the skirt can only go up as high as your waist.

Everything  from HERE up  ^^^ are pajamas I converted from old t-shirts or a pair of pajamas from my sister into what you currently see. It's a cheap way to make pajamas, and honestly, if your kids are just sleeping in them anyway, who's going to see them in what they're wearing? Aftyn loves them. She likes when she knows I'm working on making something for her.

Added sleeves to this sleeveless and completely cute outfit.

Yet another sleeveless and now sleeved outfit.

Was a plain pink shirt. Added a SUPER soft heart with buttons. Aftyn loves it. There are actually a total of 4 shirts I changed from plain to bedazzled. This was just one I actually managed to get a picture of. :)

Aftyn's skirt was a jumper that I didn't love, so I changed it into a skirt and added rick rack to the bottom. I think it's adorable. It gives the skirt a certain whimsical quality. 

That's it for this week. 

Check back next week to see the Easter skirts I made for the girls 

out of one of Reed's old out-of-date button up shirts. :)

Thoughts on Tag Team Wrestling

Motherhood should be a tagteam sport.
 Maybe that's why some women like the idea of polygamy.
Someone else can step in when you need a moment to pull out some hair, get down on your knees, and PRAY for hope. 
Or divine intervention.

Aftyn wet her pants today. Twice. She's been potty trained for well over a year, so she gets the concept of using the toilet. She just couldn't seem to get herself there ON TIME to get the potty in there instead of all over herself.
She woke Bronwyn up early from her naps by being too loud. Of course, Bronwyn wasn't sleeping the best anyway due to the fact that she is teething, and everyday that passes I pray that those darn teeth will just POP through those sore, aching gums.

Really, I think this could be revolutionary. Tagteam mothering. Who's with me?!?

Sometimes The Truth Hurts

When Reed and I decided to make the move to Massachusetts, I was nervous about several things.

Money. 

What about the house. 

We have to drive all the way there. 

We have to pack up the house. 

No Money.

We can't take anything with us. 

Clothes, beds, dishes, a little food, a few movies.

I was excited by the adventure of driving across the country, of living in a different state, a different "world" than Idaho. (I had no idea what a different world it would be.) 

The anticipation, stress and excitement got us to Massachusetts. After 5 weary days of long days driving and sleeping in all kinds of arrangements, I would gladly have lived anywhere as long as I was offered a comfy bed and no more driving!  My kids had had it with the car, Aftyn needed to go to the doctor for an infection she had and I was tired of keeping the kids happy in the confines of their car seats. 

Our City was a bit of a shock. But at this point, 2 months later, dealt with. No problemo.

Our Ward. A bit of a shock, but not entirely surprising. Very welcoming, kind and loving people within it. 

I didn't expect Aftyn to have such a hard time adjusting to having strangers become like family.

I didn't expect her to freak out when we take the garbage down the hall and leave her sitting in the apartment for literally 2 minutes. You could hear her as you came back down the hall to the apartment, her cry for "Mommy!" a piercing cry bouncing off the walls. She's slowly overcoming it. 

Friends. You may remember, a few posts ago, that I said I was accepting applications for friends here. I wasn't joking. 9 weeks after moving here, I still had no friends. No one I could call up and say, "Hey, want to get together today and go to the _______?".  It's been hard for 9 weeks with my husband gone long days and no one here to call up and get out of the house with. This is not a pity me moment. This is a "haven't we all been here, it's humbling, and gut-wrenching and lonely and frankly it sucks" moment. Luckily, last Thursday Aftyn and I went to the library for storytime, invited by a new member of our ward who also has a 2 1/2 year old little girl who likes our Aftyn. We had a lovely afternoon, playing at their apartment afterward! 

But not having friends can be detrimental. It IS humbling. It has made me look at myself. It has made me question myself. It has me acting defensively at times rather than instinctively like the person that I am. I haven't always felt like showing kindness or love to those around me, instead feeling like I better save a little of myself FOR myself rather than giving it to others. I have been a hoarder of my own goodness and happiness. That is why I'm writing this. I want to really look inside myself - and to be vulnerable with others a little - so that I can remember what it feels like to be the one looking from the outside with no one standing next to me to relate to. I want to remind myself to step up and help and love those around me because in giving of myself to them, I know I am really giving to myself as well. Jesus Christ, the man who gave his all to everyone else, never took a day off from helping others. He gained nothing but love for others by giving of himself, and I can learn from that. What a lesson for us all.

Bronwyn's First Real Haircut in Pictures

Before

After

Back View of After

A pretty good sized pile of little baby curls

Reed was gone when I finally decided to bite the bullet and give her this much needed haircut. 

He was very sad to see all her little curls in that little pile by the sink. 

After he came home, I started to feel a little sad too. 

I feel like I've taken away some of her cute baby-ness, but I'm trying to reassure myself by remembering that she'll be a year old in a little over a month and a half!  

She IS growing up and isn't such a baby anymore. :(  

And besides that, her curls were too long and unruly. 

The rest of her hair needed a chance to catch up to the back and the sides.

5 Signs It's Spring

* Warmer weather = more people outside = more drunken altercations happening OUTSIDE of bars
  (witnessed 2 on the way home from picking up Reed last night)

** There's a little *spring* in your step . . . . . . or maybe in your seat. I witnessed a woman sitting on a heavy chain hung between 2 metal poles, but instead of the usual sitting that we see, she was swinging, on a chain, not unlike you would on a swing.  :)

*** Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, the sun comes up earlier and my children wake up earlier consequently. And need to go to bed sooner. Or take a nap. And the parents don't get such luxuries. . . .

**** Reed, always wanting to look professional, insists on wearing his usual long-sleeved shirts.  And he sweats the day away. I am trying to get him to go to the short sleeved ones, but he likes his long sleeved shirts better. Who wouldn't choose comfort over fashion?!?

(Have I mentioned it's supposed to be 78 degrees here tomorrow? I may possibly melt. It's not the heat, it's the humidity! And yes, I am slowly getting used to the humidity, but I wasn't expecting it to rear its ugly head already.)

***** As usual, the running bug hit me as it does every spring!  Can't wait until a few more months have passed and I'll be more physically fit and I'll be a little smaller too.  :)

For the Love of Cottage Cheese

And on the fourth day of having a pass to the gym, Alysa ran.

                                             Alysa ran!

                                                                      ((((((Crowds of friends and family cheering))))))

**By the way, this may or may not be my runners high speaking. Especially since this blog posting came to me as I was about 13 minutes into said run.**

All About How Life Just Keeps On Moving

Dear World,

            I've been busy the last week.

 I've been to Boston twice (!). Seen where Paul Revere resided(!). Saw a chamber pot from that time, (and I think bottoms may have grown since then.  :) ) Ate some cannoli's for the first time in my life (that I remember)(!).  Finally organized and emptied most of the boxes in our apartment(!). Had our first visitors to stay for the weekend (Reed's brother and family!) (!). Enjoyed Reed's first spring break(!).  Had a birthday (Reed's)(!).  Fed the missionaries once (!).  Got a pass to the YMCA (!). Walked, for the first time in 2 months, on the street that I live (?!). Left my children in someone else's care (!!).  Bronwyn turned 10 months!

So much has been going on that, well, I just didn't know where to start. So, there ya go.

Aftyn hates going to the Kid Watch at the YMCA, and she hates going to Nursery at church. Poor kid is having some adjustment issues, but we are working on that and working on her seeing her own potential and all the things she can now do on her own and that we WANT her to do on her own.
We just love the heck out of her, and it's much easier on me, the permanent parent, now that I have my exercise outlet and a little break at the gym.  Aaahh.
 Bronwyn is the silliest, spastic kid who loves loves loves her sister. She will giggle and squirm anytime Aftyn enters the room. Aftyn is also beginning to see the fun potential of our little Bronwyn and wants to play with her a lot more now. Aftyn tells me often that they are playing hide and seek. :)  Also, our cute little Bronwyn is now starting to be calling Bronwynnie. Ha.  But not by Reed yet. Maybe shortly, we'll finally get to calling her Wynnie? Couldn't tell ya, but we sure do love her fun personality and how much she loves to play with us all and she always has a ready smile. Her latest skill is climbing our stairs. She's pretty good at it, but has also had a few little tumbles. Mostly, I try and make sure that if she's gonna do it, I take off her socks so she doesn't slide as much.
Reed is, as always, the man we love to have at home. Especially since he's not here a whole lot, other than Spring Break. School started up again this week, and he's starting 3 new classes. Lucky guy. That's a total of 5 classes for now. Only 7 more weeks until School is out! :) Just in case I forget, Reed was e-mailed by the school for a position in their Small Business Development Center, which I was completely excited by. They approached him because of a recommendation from one of the staff members he has talked with. I thought that was a great compliment for the oh-so- humble Reed. We're still figuring out the details on that so we will see, but still neat. Reed is doing great in his classes and works hard to keep up good grades.
Well, as for me, I'm doing my best to stay sane and to plan fun things for my girls and I to do. I'm still searching for a good friend here, preferably with a child close to Aftyn's age. If you know anyone, I am currently accepting applications.  ;)  Going to the gym the past few days has been a huge help and I'm excited at the freedom it gives me to get back into shape and gives me that little break from the girls that I need. I am grateful for the opportunities for growth that I see for myself here and am already experiencing. I'm grateful for the gospel and for the testimony that I have of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Without the church, it would be easy to feel lost out here. But with it, I have easily found my way.
 Okay, enough said. Here's some pictures of some of our fun!

For some reason, there were quite a few men dressed up after this fashion. It was SO neat!

Cousin Samantha and Aftyn in front of Paul Revere's house!

Cute little family . . .  I love Bronwyn's facial expression . .

Talking To Strangers, II

We had the entire laundromat to ourselves on Friday!
It was extra fun because Reed came along and we all know the difference an extra set of hands can make.
 I kept telling Aftyn that because we had it to ourselves, she should run up and down and around as much and as often as she wished. (There was more straight running space in this laundromat than we have at home and this is often a problem since I have a little girl who wants to occasionally run and jump and dance, all things that seem to be inhibited by the lack of space for these activities in our apartment.)
  Because no one came in, we made good use of our time there, if I say so myself. Aftyn and I played hide-n-go seek which I feel was the most fun, running around trying to "find" each other in this large square of laundry machines. Lots of giggling ensued. Followed by bagging up our dry clothes and packing them back in the car!

Probably the quickest trip to the laundromat yet!