It took me awhile, but I finally posted videos to a private YouTube channel so that I can upload them quickly to my blog.
Jane has always loved music and television. Therefore, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is a pretty big deal to her. It has it all–lights, music, cool outfits, dancing, and television wrapped into one!
We recorded Jane’s “freestyle interpretation” of the 2011 and 2012 Superbowl Halftime Shows. Seeing them back to back is a quick reminder of how much things can change in a year.
Here’s 11-month-old Jane dancing to the Black Eyed Peas in 2011:
Here’s 23-month-old Jane dancing to Madonna in 2012:
Inspired by my new organization book, House Works, I decided to create a small office space. As our family grew, we had to move our office downstairs. The problem with this set-up is that we lost a central hub for all of our paper and office needs. Consequently, the kitchen counter became a paper hot-zone. By day’s end, the kitchen counter collected the day’s mail, receipts, to-do-lists, etc. I was constantly battling the paper mountain to get a clean counter where I could prepare meals. Since the desk was out of sight downstairs, the office work got neglected and piled up. I needed a space where I could organize the daily mountain of paper, store reference books that I access frequently, pay bills, and write any correspondence. In theory I could have continued to have that space in the basement, but it wasn’t a practical solution for me. Since I need to access the office materials frequently, and I can’t always get downstairs with the kiddos when I need to, it’s far more convenient having my office space within reach. That way I can write a quick thank you note, pay a bill, or sort the mail while keeping an eye on the kids. We settled on a corner in the front living room. I’m sure I’ll keep adding to it or making changes, but here’s what it looks like for now.
This is an old table that Philip used in his apartment kitchen before we got married. I added a cushion to one of the chairs, and we folded down one side of the table to push it flush to the wall. The lamp was in Philip’s sister’s old room. I may change the shade so that it goes better with my blue/green color scheme.
This is my “action file.” Each day, I sort the day’s mail and other papers into these 3 categories: to do, to file, and memorabilia. Each week, I file the papers from the “to file” folder in our downstairs filing cabinet. “Memorabilia” contains mementos like Jane’s art work or other precious memories to add to our scrapbooks. “To do” contains things to read, bills to pay, correspondence to return, etc. To make sure the folders don’t become another bulging mess, I built appointments in to my new weekly schedule to take care of these items. I purchased the teal file holder and the file folders at Target.
This box was a big mess before I decided to add dividers. I sorted through all of our stationery and greeting cards, separating them by family member or category.
The dividers are 5-tab Avery plastic write-on dividers. They were actually made for planners, but they work perfectly on their sides in a photo box like this to divide your stationery.
My only complaint with this workspace is that I don’t have a place to store tools like pens, scissors, stamps, a calculator, etc. I fear leaving them out for little hands to discover. I can picture our living room walls and furniture covered in ball-point pen. Any brilliant storage solutions for my office tools?
I love having this new “home” for our office needs. Having an office on our main floor is making a big difference in tackling the mountains of paper. While we still have the printer/scanner/copier, filing cabinet, and other office materials in the basement, this small work area serves most of our needs with the bonuses of being small and within reach.
After his afternoon nap, Walt stood next to the ottoman with both hands for five minutes before buckling over. A new record!
Tuesday
We were out and about running errands this morning. While we were in the car, Jane looked out the window and said, “Mama! Look! Firefighters!” I said, “Really? You see a firefighter?” She responded (in between giggles), “No, Mama. That’s silly.” Jane’s first joke is on the books.
Jane, during every turn in the car: “Woah, Mama! Big turn!”
Jane’s favorite question today: “Mama, what you doing there?”
Wednesday
(Scene from the changing table.)
Jane: Mama, what’s a clock say?
Me: Tick, tock. Tick, tock
Jane: That’s right, Mom!
Walt’s been doing a combination army crawl/roll all day. At one point, he went across the family room to get his stuffed monkey. I give us another week before we have to put the baby gate back at the top of the stairs.
Talking on “the office” phone
We had a playdate with Jane and Walt’s buddies. They had a ball playing and running around. The highlight for me was watching Janie give her little buddies big hugs before we left. What’s cuter than watching toddlers in their big, puffy winter coats and hats giving each other a big squeeze?
Jane has a musical set with mini-cymbals that are about three inches in diameter. Dr. Jane took one of the cymbals and went around, putting it on the chests of all of her stuffed animals, saying, “Check up, Ernie. Check up, Elmo. Check up, Baby Stella.” Apparently she learned a new phrase last week at her doctor visit (“check up”), and we didn’t know it!
Thursday
Jane developed an addiction to dry cereal in the last week. It’s her new favorite snack. I think I must say, “That’s all” a lot when I pour the last bit for her because while I was giving her her morning snack, she said, “That’s all, Mama.”
Jane held her sippy cup to her favorite stuffed dog, T-Bone’s mouth. As she pretended to have him drink, she said, “Slow down, Doggy!”
The weather was so gorgeous today that we were able to go for a family walk before dinner. Jane walked ahead of me down the stairs on our way out. She turned back and said, “Come on, Mama. Hold my hand?”
Look at that baby sitting up in the stroller and his big sis on the back!
When I dropped Jane off in the childcare room for our evening event, she gave my leg a squeeze and said, “See ya later, Mama!” I love that she’s simultaneously loving and secure when I leave.
As Philip got Jane ready for bed tonight, she said to him from the changing table, “Dada, you so cute!”
Friday
The kids had a last-minute playdate this morning, and it was a ball! Jane is especially fond of her little buddy, Connor. Instead of playing alongside her friends, Jane is starting to develop an interest in playing with them. It was so fun to watch those two be silly together and share toys.
We went shopping for the kids’ spring and summer clothes at a second-hand shop. We got both of their spring and summer wardrobes for a whopping $140! I don’t know about you, but getting the kids quality clothes at a low price is my idea of a good time. Probably a quarter of the clothes still had the tags on them!
Saturday
It was a quiet day at home. This was the first weekend in a long time that we had Philip all to ourselves for the entire weekend, so we did a few projects around the house. Philip cleaned out the garage, I organized a few things in the storage room, and we got my new office space in the front living room set up. (More on that another time.)
My awesome husband told me to have some me-time. I went shopping with a girlfriend after lunch. It was so nice to shop for a few clothes with the helpful expertise of a gal pal. Getting out on my own with a friend was good for my soul. Thank goodness for a husband who encourages me to have that time.
We had a fun night out on the town with some friends. We had a yummy dinner out and followed it with some bowling and a stop to the attached arcade area. Putting a little bet on the game brought out the best in our bowling skills. I’ve never seen so many strikes and spares in one game! Unfortunately for Philip, more of the strikes and spares came from our friends than his sidekick wife. Janie and Walt played with two of their favorite sitters, and Jane even got to do a craft with them. They put a bunch of glitter and pom-poms on a wooden “J.” So cute! As always, it was fun to go on a date with my hubby, and the kids enjoyed having fun sitters to play with.
Sunday
While I ate my breakfast this morning, I read an article on the Holy Father’s upcoming trip to Cuba and the big news that Fidel Castro might re-convert back to Catholicism. Philip asked a question about Fidel’s regime, and I responded with an, “Oh, yeah!”for emphasis. Jane decided this is her new favorite phrase. She said “Oh, yeah!” in response to just about everything this morning.
Walt is a crawling machine! He does an army crawl/roll combo all over the place, and he’s getting so fast! Walt’s no longer our potted plant bambino. I think we’re putting the baby gate back up tomorrow.
Our not-so-little guy
My religious education students received the sacrament of Confirmation this afternoon. What an honor to be a part of their big day!
We decided to end the era of binkies for Janie tonight, and we went cold turkey. We’ve been telling her for a few weeks that she’s a “big girl,” and we’ve ushered in a few changes like a bigger, forward-facing carseat. We emphasize that we make the changes because she’s a “big girl.” At meals, instead of having yogurt bites like Walt, she has “big girl yogurt” (regular yogurt out of a container). So, tonight, when it came time for Jane to go to bed, we said “binkies are all gone. Janie’s a big girl. Binkies are for babies.” She got on board right away and said, “Binkies all gone.” It’s 10:00, and she’s still asleep in bed. Could it be too good to be true? Perhaps tomorrow during naptime will be the biggest test. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: Since posting about my binder in March 2012, several friends have asked for my forms/templates. To make it easier for everyone, I created a Google Docs page for you to access the forms and edit them for your own use. Here is the link to my Family Binder Shared Folder. I hope the forms are helpful!
I found a fantastic book about a month ago. It’s called “House Works: How to live clean, green, and organized at home.”
The book has all kinds of practical tips to make your home run more efficiently so that you can reclaim the time you want to spend with family, friends, and doing your favorite activities.
The author, Cynthia Townley Ewer, has a website (organizedhome.com) that has a lot of the same information within the book. I highly recommend checking out the site! With the free time I’ve gained during my Lenten Facebook Fast, I have been reading this book and implementing her recommendations, including the Household Notebook.
The Household Notebook is a central information hub with all of your family’s essential information. It may be morbid, but another reason I created our Household Notebook was out of fear. I keep a lot of our family’s information in my head. If something ever happened to me, nobody would know a lot of the ins and outs of how our home and family work. Now, I have great peace of mind knowing that all of the information from my head is both current and on paper so that things can continue to run relatively smoothly should something ever happen to me.
In addition to being our family’s go-to information center, I want our Household Notebook to be personalized and fun to look at. Instead of buying a binder with regular dividers, I chose to personalize it. I settled on a white 1 1/2″ binder with a D-ring. I found cute scrapbooking paper and stickers at JoAnn’s and chose a floral theme.
Front cover. I chose to include a quote from Blessed Pope John Paul II on marriage.
Front cover and spine.
Binder spine close-up
Back of binder. I chose to include Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s Nazareth Prayer for the Family.
Once I finished the cover for the binder, I created the dividers. Cynthia Ewer from organizedhome.com gives you some recommendations on dividers for your notebook. After reading her list and considering our family’s needs, and ended up with seven dividers. To personalize them, I stuck with my floral theme, and I put the pages into page protectors with a title centered on white paper, a solid-color cardstock, and a border behind it. I also attached clear index dividers with the same headings on the side of the page protectors so that I can flip to each section quickly.
Here are my seven dividers and a list of what will go into each section:
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“Home Management” is my place for things like: a daily, weekly, and master to-do lists, cleaning s
chedules, household systems, seasonal chores, organization tips, cleaning information, decorating ideas, and auto information.
“Meals” is my place for: weekly and monthly menu planner forms, grocery list forms, inventory forms, recipes to try, favorite recipes, and food storage guidelines.
“Finances” is the place for my monthly budget worksheet/receipt storing, bills to pay/online service and account information, credit card list, insurance information, utilities/services directory, and important warranty information. This is my basic finance go-to place, but all sensitive information is stored under lock and key.
“Health” is my spot for a medical sheet for each family member, a medical authorization form, prescription drug records, insurance information, baby percentiles by month, schedule of visits to the pediatrician, a place for questions for the next appointment, pet health records, and a diet tracker.
“Activities, hobbies, & fun” is my place for the hours our favorite places are open as well as their addresses and phone numbers, rosters/calendars from groups we belong to, craft/activity ideas for me and the kids, a list of books to read, a list of movies to rent, and a travel checklist.
“Family & Celebrations” is my spot for a clothing sizes tracker for all family members (tops, bottoms, shoes, etc.), a master occasions list of birthdays/anniversaries/other important milestones, party planning forms, gift ideas, a holiday gift list, Christmas card address list, Christmas gift exchange list, holiday menu planners, and a décor inventory. I think I’ll ultimately end up with a separate Christmas binder. (UPDATE: Since writing this post, I created a Family Christmas Planner with a shared Google Docs page as well.)
“Emergency and Babysitter Information” is my spot for essential emergency information, the kids’ schedules, and a family disaster plan.
If you’d like to make a Household Notebook for your home, and you’d like to to use my format, there’s no need for you to go to all of the trouble on your own! I already have all of the templates, forms, labels, etc. saved on my computer. If you’d like them (any or all), shoot me an e-mail at cboucher08@gmail.com or write a comment below with your e-mail address. I’ve seen these forms on Etsy for $3.00 a piece or $40.00 for the JPEG file for the entire binder. Save yourself some time and money, and I’ll send you what I have. Take what I’ve made, and make it your own! Pick and choose the dividers that work for you, select a theme that you’ll enjoy, and make a Household Notebook that will help you reclaim more time with the ones you love! In future posts, I will be introducing each divider of my binder, share the tips I’ve learned from the book, and upload divider-specific forms/templates. Here’s to having a home that runs smoothly!
UPDATE: In case you missed the link at the top of this post, I created a shared folder on Google Docs with all of my family binder templates. Enjoy!
I’ve done it a bit before, but I decided to start writing down the little things the kids do each week as they happen and consolidate them into a weekly post. This way, I have a weekly summary of where the kids are developmentally and a record of the things I never want to forget. There are so many little moments throughout each day that leave me with that “my cup runneth over” feeling. I know I’ll be glad to have these memories recorded–especially on those “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” days when I need a little lift!
So, with that said, here’s what happened this week:
Monday
The Swiffer Sweeper is Jane’s favorite toy lately. She loved to pretend to sweep the floors with it, and today she found a new use for the sweeper. She saw an episode of Barney with the song, “Rock ‘n Roll Star.” Ever since seeing it, the Swiffer Sweeper has been transformed into a rock and roll guitar. Jane stands on the fireplace brick, strums her “guitar,” and sings, “I’m gonna be a rock ‘n roll star! A rock ‘n roll staaaaaaaar! Gonna be a, a rock ‘n roll star!” Walt loves nothing more than giggling at his sister in concert.
Tuesday
Janie and Walt had their two-year and nine-month well-visits respectively. It sounds so cliché to say so, but time goes too fast! I love watching them learn and grow, but I can’t help but feel sad as I have to pack away their cute little clothes to make room for bigger clothes every few months. The doctor says everyone is healthy and happy! It didn’t hurt that no shots were involved at this visit. Janie did have to get a finger prick for a lead test, but she didn’t even flinch. She was more concerned with watching the blood fill the vial than what was happening to her finger. Hooray for fantastic nurses that love to work with kids! The only hiccup was Walt’s height. Either we have a Curious Case of Benjamin Button on our hands or the number was wrong from last time, because the chart says that Walt is shrinking! We’ll be sure to keep an eye on that… 🙂 I’m inclined to think it’s just a mistake because his size 12-month overalls pop open every time he bends over!
Wednesday
Philip worked nights this week so we got to go to noon Mass as a family for Ash Wednesday. Janie thought I was dirty and tried smudging the cross off of my forehead all day. She’d say, “Mama! Help you!” and then lean over to wipe off my ashes. Inspired by her doctor’s visit, Jane decided to be a doctor today. She declared that every stuffed animal or doll she came into contact with was “sick” and gave them a full exam on the living room ottoman.
Thursday
Jane greeted me first thing in the morning with a, “Good morning, Mama!” She was grinning ear to ear in her footie pajamas and holding four favorite stuffed animals.
Janie has a fascination lately with any and all things school. She can’t wait to be a big girl and go learn like the big kids! I hope this enthusiasm remains. When the day finally comes, I think she’ll love it since she’s such a social butterfly. Starting today, she’s been jumping up and down and saying, “School! Go to school, Mama!” She’s even enlisted Baby Stella to join her. “Mama, Baby Stella go to school. Learn.”
Walt learned a new trick! From the seated position, he leaned forward onto his arms and pushed his legs behind him so that he was on all fours. Unfortunately, he got stuck in the splits. I couldn’t help but snap a picture before he figured out how to move his leg behind him.
Stuck in the splits
My 9-month-old in size 12-18 month clothes
I didn’t want to stain Walt’s adorable outfit with baby food so I stripped him down to his socks and bib. Check out his wrist! It looks like I’ve put a rubber band around it. I love my chunky monkey!
Friday
We added legs to Walt’s activity table and showed him how to stand next to it. It’s his new favorite activity! He stands next to the table and pushes the buttons until his chunky legs buckle and he collapses into the pillows we position around it.
Jane saw Philip and I hugging in the kitchen. She squeezed between us, wrapped her arms around both of our legs, and said, “BIG HUG! Awwwww!”
While I was doing some dishes this morning, Jane ran off to grab something in her room. She came back holding her doll, Baby Stella, and the magnetic bottle that attaches to her mouth. She climbed up onto the couch, positioned a pillow under her arm, and starte
d “feeding” Baby Stella. “Mama, Stella hungry.” She’s such a little mother!
Saturday
Philip returned Saturday morning from his last night of working nights for the week. Hooray! We went to a furniture store to look for a desk for my new office space (more on that later!). You should have seen Jane’s excitement when she saw an assembled set of bunk beds with a slide! Another 2-year-old was playing on the set, and Janie happily joined him. They had a ball going up and down the slide and bouncing on the top bunk.
Jane had her first cheeseburger last night for dinner. She loved it! “Ooooooo! Cheesy burger! Yum!”
Janie seemed beside herself with happiness when Philip was able to tuck her into bed and read “Goodnight Moon.”
Walt was thrilled to have Philip home, too. Here they are cuddling after Walt’s last bottle.
Sunday
Jane decided she wanted to go “au naturel” this morning. While I was distracted eating breakfast, she put together this ensemble. I like the light-up princess boots.
As Monty came inside and ran past Janie, she said, “Aw! Monty so cute!” Speaking of Monty, Jane’s favorite game in the car is to have us ask her what kind of an animal Monty is. “Jane, is Monty a horse? Is Monty a kitty? Is Monty a monkey?” Her response is always, “No! That’s silly!”
We finally bought Walt a convertible carseat. Since his feet were dangling over the edge of his infant carrier, we thought it was time! Now that Janie’s 2, Dr. Phil says he agrees with the AAP that her carseat can be turned to face forward. Having her facing forward combined with Walt in his big carseat is a lot of change in one week. As predicted, Walt doesn’t seem to notice that anything’s different. Maybe he’ll be more excited when we put up a mirror for him. Jane, on the other hand, loves the change! She talks almost non-stop about what she sees through the windows. I think it’s because she has more time to process what’s coming into her field of vision and attach the right words to them. “Look, Mama! Tree! Biiiiiiiiiig truck! What color that? Big house! Aw, doggy!”
The kiddos in their new carseats
Jane has a tendency to stuff her face at mealtime. Every meal becomes a scary game of Chubby Bunny. We’ve repeatedly been telling Jane, “Sloooooooooow down. Small bites!” At dinner tonight, Jane had a very stern face and told Philip as he took a bite, “Sloooooooow down, Daddy!”
