DIY Photo Advent Calendar

I spent a few minutes being crafty last week, in the name of a meaningful (and sugar-free) advent calendar. I always loved the chocolate advent calendars growing up, and Evy will too in a few years, but this year I wanted to try something different.

I printed 25 photos of our loved ones (and realized that I need to take more photos of the grownups in our life). I had some kraft paper envelopes that I numbered and decorated with stamps. Each envelope got a photo, and I pinned them to a ribbon with mini clothes pins.

Every day we open an envelope and Evy gets excited to see who's photo is in there. The photos get pinned to the ribbon, so we're building a photo display as we go. My plan is to put the photos in an album for her at the end.

At this age she loves opening envelopes as much as she enjoys opening presents. The only challenge is that she wants to walk off with the envelopes or photos, or that she'll occasionally take everything off the ribbon. Not really a big deal, but I've had to repin things more than expected.

This project was simple, inexpensive, and consistent with the type of holiday season we want to create, with a focus on the people we love.

Giving thanks, daily

The moments before dinnertime in our house can be chaotic, especially during the week. The sprint to get dinner made by 6:30, convincing the toddler to step away from her blocks and come to the table, getting all parts of the meal on the table (and still warm) as we're finally ready to sit - it's a rush of activity that sometimes involves tantrums and cold food, I'll be honest.

It seemed a little nuts, but a couple months ago I decided to add another step to the dinner routine: saying grace, followed by each of us naming something we're thankful for.

It's one of my favorite parts of our day.

The two-year old leads us in grace as we hold hands, a little prayer of thanks that came from my family, who adopted it from dear friends:
God is good, God is great
We thank him for our food, family, and friends.
Amen.

Simple and sweet, it gives us that moment to come together and give thanks.

And then we go around and each say something specific we're thankful for. Hearing a two-year-old's gratitude is funny and sometimes poignant. Some days it's simple: she's thankful for burritos and her toys or chairs and plates.

Other days, she gets a little deeper. "I'm thankful I'm in my house with my mommy and daddy." or "I'm thankful for all my family: Gramma and Vou and Nonni and Papa and Uncle Michael and Aunt Katie and Uncle Dean and my cousins." Or "I'm thankful I had a fun day at daycare and that we're home together now."

And at just two-and-a-half, she's learning gratitude and appreciation- she gets it, as much as she can. I'm amazed at what she understands at this age. Last night, Pat went to the grocery store. He came home, and E said: "Thank you, daddy, for going to the store in the cold to get us food." Nearly every time I serve her a snack or a meal she thanks me - beyond just "thank you," she'll say things like "thank you, mommy, for making me this yummy food." Teaching gratitude is one of my big parenting missions, so I'm proud of her making it a habit so early. Maybe she doesn't fully understand it yet (it's a lifelong lesson, isn't it?), but it's part of her daily routine.

It's been popular recently to give public daily thanks in November. I know that every day I have so much to be grateful for, and that sometimes I forget that. Nightly grace and gratitude has given our family a moment to acknowledge what we have, together.

Following Her Lead

Monday through Thursday, I work outside the home, doing a job I enjoy, in the field I studied, with people I like. On Fridays, I have the extreme good fortune to be home with my two and half year old. I am very lucky to have this job and these Fridays.

For a long time, I treated Fridays as if I had to jam in all the things I couldn’t do with Evy the rest of the week. Trips to the library, the park, playdates, story time, hikes. I saw those Fridays as my chance to do all the things I wasn’t doing with her while I was at work. (And, of course: because even though I'm comfortable with our current arrangement, I'm not guilt-free. I am a mom in 2013, after all.)

And then, Evelyn started talking, and letting me know - in no uncertain terms- what she wanted.

After three days of daycare and a fun-filled day with her Nonni, what she wants on those “mommy days” is simple: to stay home. She wants to play with her own toys and get absorbed in imaginary worlds without anyone telling her that it's time for the next activity. She wants some mommy time and some alone time. She wants to snuggle and read books, play in her kitchen, take care of her dolls.

I was the one who thought we needed all the other stuff.

And so now, I don’t make any Friday plans. I might mention some things we could do, but if she’s not interested I don’t push it. For the most part, I don’t get involved in field trips and playdates, and I resist the temptation to run errands and go visiting.

I let Evelyn stay in her pajamas until late morning (and - one recent rainy day - until after naptime). We color together. We read books and build block towers. She gets lost in her own world of play while I cook or take care of the things around the house that get neglected Monday through Thursday. Sometimes we bake together. We go outside without an agenda: maybe we’ll just wander around the yard, sometimes we go for a walk, or play in the sandbox. (This all makes it sound easy and rosy- there are many challenging toddler moments, I promise. But not having a schedule takes pressure off both of us.)

There are many days when I leave for work and wish I could spend the day at home with my kid. But it's our balance of work/daycare and home that gives us this special luxury of unscheduled time together on Fridays.

I don’t worry much about giving her time to socialize, or do projects, or go to the playground. Evy spends three days a week with her best buddies- painting, making music, building, playing outside, running around the gym, learning about sharing, empathy, and working together. On Thursdays, her Nonni brings her to story time or the park. And on my work days, I get plenty of time with other adults - something I missed very much when I was working less.

So, on Fridays, we can just be. And I’m getting better at letting that happen.

40 Things the Internet Has Told Me to Be Afraid Of

The internet makes it hard not to be a nervous person - and especially impossible to not be a nervous mom. This is a list of all the things I've recently been warned about via links, articles, and blog posts. I started linking to the source of each of these warnings but decided that I'd refrain from being part of the problem. If you're really interested in what to be afraid of with each of these things, do a quick Google search. You'll find more than you ever wanted to know. Or email me, I'll fill you in.

I think many of these are overblown, and/or I've chosen not to worry about those. Some of them relate to things I don't eat/drink/buy/do. A few of them I do worry about. But seriously, let's just take a step back and take a page from my favorite parenting trend of all.

Things the Internet Has Told Me to Be Afraid Of:

1. Food that isn't organic
2. Food that says it is organic but maybe isn't
3. Brown rice
4. White rice
5. Baby monitors
6. Dressers
7. Sandy beaches
8. Olive oil
9. Processed food
10. Cow's milk
11. Carrageenan - and, ice cream
12. Sunblock
13. Skin cancer
14. Co-sleeping
15. Not co-sleeping
16. Babywearing
17. Not babywearing
18. High fructose corn syrup
19. White bread
20. Wheat
21. Soy
22. Food dyes
23. Not eating enough vegetables
24. Eating vegetables soaked in chlorine/chemicals/dirt
25. Causing an eating disorder in my kid because I'm too worried about food
26. Children's vitamins
27. Shampoo
28. Swimming pools
29. Sandbox sand 
30. Vaccinations
31. Declining vaccination rates and a rise in disease
32. Trader Joe's
33. My pots and pans
34. Too much screen time
35. White noise for sleeping
36. Sleep deprivation
37. Lack of bacteria in my gut
38. Too much bacteria in my reusable shopping bags
39. Laundry detergent packets
40. Damaging my children by being a nervous parent

What did I miss? I'm sure there are dozens of additional things I should be afraid of that I don't even know about yet.

loss, lessons, and letters

Sometimes, you don't get the option of "next week" or "another day" or "when I get around to it."  Realizing this has been a big kick in the pants for me. And I don't mean things like "someday I'll go to Japan." I mean things like "I'll send that letter when I get around to it," and "I really should give her a call.  Maybe I'll have time next week."

With the loss of Meg, we lost so much. For me, among the many painful parts of the loss is the fact that I made promises to her that I didn't make good on. I promised that while she was away, working in far off corners of the world, I would send her packages. And I never did.

But she did. Where ever she was, she let us know she was thinking of us. My 2-year-old has t-shirts from Australia, Thailand, and Dubai to prove it. And while I sent Meghan notes via email and Facebook and shared photos of the t-shirts in action, I never got around to sending those packages or writing those letters. I will always regret it. I'll regret that I failed to follow through on my promise, and that she didn't know just how often we thought of her. It seemed like there would always be more time, that we'd always have more visits and more email exchanges. I had dozens of excuses, but the truth is: if I had made the time, I could have done those things. There was nothing stopping me. And yet, I let time slip by and then it was too late - those letters and packages will never arrive in Meg's mailbox. It's a heartbreaking punch-in-the-gut lesson.

I've turned these thoughts over and over in my head. I can't change it. The opportunity to show Meghan how much our little family cared about her is gone. I only hope that in the emails we exchanged and in the time we spent together that she knew how much we loved her, how proud we were of her, and how much we thought of her as she traveled the world.

As I've struggled with this regret, I've envisioned conversations with Meghan. In these conversations I apologize, and wish I could change the past, that I had just written those cards and put those packages in the mail. And Meg urges me, in her smiling way, to pay it forward. Write those letters and mail those packages to other people that I care about. I can't send her the letters I meant to send, but I can show others, the way she showed us, that I'm thinking about them and care about them.

So, that's the plan. It's my Meg Mission. And it makes me feel a little better, taking one of the many lessons from the way she lived her life and putting it into practice.

Today I stopped at the stationery store and bought $50-worth of cards and paper. I went to the post office and bought stamps. As a kid and teenager I wrote letters all the time. And with my new mission in hand, I'm bringing back letter-writing. The people I care about will find notes and packages in their mailboxes. The first couple of letters are written, ready to go in the mail tomorrow. Some of these are things I've been "meaning to send" for ages.  And I've learned the hard way: do it now. Sometimes 'when I have the time' is just, heartbreakingly, too late.

the bigness of 2 years old

Life with a toddler is life with a person who experiences everything intensely. To a small person, everything is big.

A ditty played by a toy is reason for a full-out, throw-down dance party.

Difficulty putting something in a pocket is reason for tears and foot-stomping.

A surprise peek around the corner is reason for deep belly laughs.
An ant on the sidewalk is reason to stop, crouch, and watch.

And a glimpse of someone you love in the morning is reason for huge smiles, huge hugs, giggles. 

It's a life of delightful misunderstandings. Confusion about air conditioner/hair conditioner. 

It's unique language that evolves and changes daily. Opameal for breakfast, light flashes to illuminate a dark corner, goggies barking, and pretzel yogurt treats.

It is evenings of bubble baths with bubble beards, hula-hooping bear pajammys, Goodnight Moon/Great Green Moon, family hugs, and recaps of every detail of this big busy day. 

Life with a toddler can be frustrating when a request for water becomes tears over the cup the water is in. Or when shoes must be changed three times before leaving - by myself. 

It is everything magnified. Flower petals. Sad feelings and mad feelings. Specks in the rice. The importance of the small details.

But my oh my is life with a two-year-old great. It is snuggles and laughs. It is the perfect-sized little hand reaching for yours. It is the summertime toddler smell of baby sweat and sunblock and dirt and strawberries (this smell is nearly as good as newborn baby head). It is hugs for everyone (and lessons about how not every other little person necessarily wants a hug). It is a song for everything (followed by "you know that song?", which was just made up moments ago). Dances in the kitchen and ongoing narratives. It is messy morning hair and sleepy hugs. It is stories about elephants and engrossing pretend play, block towers of surprising height and intricacy, pancake parties and backrubs.

When Evelyn was an infant, I'd see parents of toddlers and feel absolute fear over that stage. The motion, the willfulness, the negotiation. And there is all of that. And yes, it's exhausting. But the payoff is great. The bigness of the love, the awe in the everyday, the constant discoveries and developments- as long as we give it space, it adds up to a time of wonder for all of us. 

--------------
I wrote this last week and never posted it. And then our family experienced an unexpected and difficult loss. And more than ever I see the beauty in this glorious and intense moment of toddlerhood. In this time of deep sadness and grief, there is nothing quite like the gift of wild hugs and kisses and cuddles and fresh-eyed observations from a 2-year-old. I am so grateful.

balance, parenting, and honesty

Work-life balance, working moms, and stay-at-home moms have been all over the news, social media, and blogs this year. We're leaning in, leaning out, having it all, giving up, and not doing enough. There's been stands taken, points made, no-offenses and lots of defenses.

But what we need in this conversation is honesty. Early in my motherhood gig I had the realization that there is more to this 'balance' idea than we think. I've hesitated to write this story, but I think it needs to be told.

At a past job, I worked for a small woman-owned company that was growing steadily. The president was a mother of three, and her entire staff was in awe of the way she managed to balance career and family. She was incredible at what she did, and passionate about it. She was a mentor to her employees, many of us under 30, getting married and buying houses and beginning to think about having families. 

I often told her that she was a role model in achieving work-life balance, and wondered how she did it. She would tell me about waking at 4:00 am to answer emails, about she and her husband splitting up school functions, and about Saturdays spent at home with her family. 

When I told her I was pregnant, she was excited and shared stories of new motherhood. She asked if I'd be willing to be in touch during maternity leave (yes). She told me that she found life with a newborn "very doable," gave me sweet advice, and was very supportive. I enjoyed our conversations about the work we did at the company and within our families.

As I started to look into childcare and think about life as a working mom, I would again mention to her how inspiring it was to have a successful working mom as a boss. I was beginning to get overwhelmed about childcare arrangements, finances, and having time with my baby. Again, she would respond with how wonderful it is to be a mom, how it's all doable.

And then I learned some things from employees who had been there longer than me. I learned that she had hired someone to do the family's grocery shopping and prepare meals. She had an interior decorator. Cleaners. I learned that she regularly hired people to help with the daily tasks of life. When she had a newborn she hired a nurse to care for the baby when she couldn't be there and when she returned to work she was able to bring the baby to the office, nursing her there, keeping her close. 

And there's no shame in that. She owned a successful business. She worked hard for what she had and had every right to hire help. That is what it took for her to be there for her family and for her business. She found ways to make it all work, and I have a lot of respect for that.

But she never told me about any of it. She never told me, about to have a baby, about to be blindsided by how hard new motherhood was and how hard it was to find balance, that her secret was that she had a lot of help. (Here is a great post by Rebecca at Girl's Gone Child about the help she has.)

That's what I mean by the lack of honesty between mothers and families, and in those articles about finding "balance." We owe it to each other to acknowledge what it really takes to make it work.

I have new mom friends who ask me how we do it in a household with two working parents. Here's what it takes for us: I work four days a week (starting with two days a week after my maternity leave ended, then up to three days, and now four). My daughter goes to a wonderful daycare center three days a week. My mom helps with childcare, at our house, one day a week. We have two sets of very involved grandparents that live 10 minutes away, as well as helpful siblings and friends. When we aren't working, our top priority is family time, and so we have to be okay with letting other things slide: our house is not as clean as I would like it to be and we have at least six incomplete house projects in the works. The bottom line: we aren't doing it by ourselves, and we've cobbed together a situation that works for us.

We can't do it alone. We were never meant to do it alone, or to be isolated as a family unit. We were meant to do this with help, either from family or friends or hired, but never alone. And we need to stop acting like we're doing it alone (or talking like others are doing it alone) and be honest about what it takes to raise a family. Every family I know has come up with different arrangements and combinations for providing a stable income and caring for children, and it almost always involves help from others. Before I entered this parenting world I thought there were two choices: two working parents + full-time childcare, or one working parent + one stay-at-home parent. It turns out those are just two out of many combinations, which can shift and change all the time, and that in most cases there is a team of people making it work.

It's time to call off the war and be honest about what it takes - and then help each other figure it all out.

p.s. (Another really good take on this: Mommy Wars: The Peace Talks by Catherine Conners.)

Albany: The place to start a family or the place to raise a family?

We bought our house in Albany in November 2009, and ever since then people have asked us where we'll move when our children enter school.

It's a question that we grappled with even before our daughter was born.

Like most city school districts, Albany schools get a bad rap - especially when compared with the neighboring suburbs, which are mostly white and middle/upper class. Many of those people moved out of Albany to the 'burbs, leaving behind those that don't have the ability to move out. I learned all about white flight in my college sociology classes, I know how it works and I understand why cities face these situations. But I don't blame those families- Albany taxes are high, and the schools have different challenges than suburban schools (but those suburban schools do have their challenges, I know that, too).

Buckingham Pond playground, Albany. March 2012.

The thing that gets overlooked in the "when will you move out?" conversations is that Albany is a great place to raise a family. There is a lot to love about living here. We've connected with other families living in the city, who share our appreciation for the things Albany offers: community, walkability, convenience, culture, diversity, history.

The other night I met up with some other Albany moms. For the first time, I was part of a conversation about staying in Albany, and about raising a family within the city. Positive, glowing things were said about Albany schools, about the diversity our children would be exposed to, about wanting to raise children in neighborhoods with sidewalks and trees and playgrounds and a tight community.

It was refreshing and energizing. I want to keep having that conversation. What if the conversation were about how much Albany has to offer families, instead of about when we'll all leave?

I know I've written about this at least twice before, but I'll keep saying it: I love where we live.

I can easily go a week or more without leaving Albany city limits- everything I need is here: my office (commute: 10 minutes), childcare, grocery stores, restaurants, the gym, movies, the library, the food co-op, Stewarts. Many of those places are within easy walking distance.

Story time at the neighborhood library branch-
the perfect destination for warm-weather walks

We can take long walks on continuous sidewalks. We can walk to our friends' homes or just drop by for quick visits, and we're building a strong network of nearby friends. There are several parks and playgrounds within a half-mile. Story time at the library includes families speaking Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

All this, but of course the question still comes: What about the schools?

We have several friends who went through Albany schools and graduated from Albany High. They had great experiences, went on to good colleges, and are successful adults - many of them have bought their own homes in Albany.

I've met families who have chosen to stay in Albany, who rave about their children's experiences at Albany schools. The elementary schools offer diverse programs (Spanish, Montessori, Arts & Humanities, Science & Technology, to name a few) and Albany High has the area's only International Baccalaureate program and has made Newsweek's list of America's Top Public High Schools on multiple occasions.

And yet Albany has this reputation as a place to start a family but not a place to grow and raise a family. We don't hear the stories from people who choose to stay.

Why?

There's the taxes issue, yes. We continue to struggle with that. Eventually we'll outgrow our house and we hope to afford to increase our living space. When the time comes to move, will we choose to continue paying Albany taxes? Will we give up the things we love about where we live for a larger house and lower taxes elsewhere? There are a couple incentives for first-time home buyers in Albany, but what about those buying AND selling in Albany? I have a feeling there aren't many people that do that. If we leave, are we just becoming part of the problem? (Yes.)

It will be a difficult decision, and luckily one we have a few years to think about.

I urge our city leaders to spend some time focusing on this strong and vibrant community of young families living in Albany, those with children and those without. We make up an important part of this city, but like past generations of young families many of us will move out within a few years, lured by lower taxes and an expectation that we should send our children to suburban schools. If the conversation is one about staying, will we?

Becoming an early morning exerciser

Having a baby changed everything I knew about sleep and daily schedules and taking care of myself.

I haven't always been perfect about sticking to an exercise routine, but throughout my 20's I was generally pretty good about fitting in time at the gym, evening runs, or some yoga. Even while pregnant I kept up with exercise and yoga. And then, well, it's been awhile.

In those first months after my daughter was born I was tired and just trying to survive. During her first summer and fall we took a lot of long walks, but that was the extent of it.

This past summer I signed up for a "boot camp" class, which had me running and flipping tires at 5:30 a.m. twice a week. It was my first taste of that early early exercise lifestyle. Going to bed early and waking up were both hard, but once I was there I discovered the secret world of the morning exercisers. The sky was beautiful, it wasn't hot or muggy yet, it was energizing to be up and moving while the rest of the city slept. There was a solidarity among everyone at the gym at that hour.

Once that class ended, I fell off the wagon, again. Mornings were dark, I started working more, I was still trying to figure out how to do everything I needed to do and fit in a full night's sleep.

But by mid-winter I was antsy, putting on weight, feeling blah. I knew I needed to move, to get back in shape, to get some exercise back in my life.

One of the best tips I've read about setting a goal is to not say "try". So, instead of saying: "I'm going to try to go to the gym three times this week" it's "I'm going to the gym three times this week."  It is a small shift that works wonders for my own goals.

So, I'm becoming a morning exerciser again. I've stopped focusing on how long of a workout I can fit in before I need to go home to shower and get ready for work. Instead I focus on getting to the gym and doing something, anything. Getting to bed early and getting out of bed when the alarm goes off at 5:15 is rough, but I never regret going to the gym. I repeat that to myself as I drag my groggy butt out of bed.

I've connected with another working mom in a similar position, both of us longing to be active again, needing exercise for energy, and with the same time slot available: 5:30 a.m.

I leave the house when it is dark, the moon and stars still bright, and the air cold. We meet up at the gym, pump out some cardio, and spend some time with weights. We chat about our two-year-olds, about the daycare they both attend, and about the challenges of finding balance in our lives. We share tips. We are proof to each other that we can carve out this time for ourselves.

The gym at 5:30 a.m. is like a secret society. Full of others for whom the pre-dawn hours are the only time to devote to exercise, we've all made the choice to be here. We all decided to get out of bed and do something that is just for us. Fist bump.

32

Today is my 32nd birthday.

Approaching this birthday, it felt like a big one- a little scary. I had no trouble with 30, but 32 feels like I am in my 30s. Mid-30s.  30 is just over the line from one's 20s. 32 is in it.

But here we are and it's not really scary at all. I took a look around and it turns out I'm exactly where I want to be and where I'd hoped to be at this point in my life.

I have an amazing partner in life who makes me laugh and makes me brave.
We have a sweet and spunky daughter who has an endless supply of hugs and kisses to give.
We have our own home that is a cozy, comfortable work-in-progress, where we laugh and play records and gather with the people we love for meals and conversation.
I am surrounded by a supportive, loving, and fun circle of friends and family.
I have a career I enjoy, and I'm able to work less-than-full-time outside the home- something I'd always hoped would work out during the "raising young children" phase of my life.
In the past year, we have traveled as a couple and as a family (and we have plenty more travel in the year ahead- as a couple and as a family).

This morning, my kid sang me 'happy dirthday' and stated that "today is Mommy's white birthday. Next year is Mommy's pink birthday." (????). Last night she told me about sleeping waterfalls.

A 25-year-old co-worker told me that I "seem much younger than 32".  I had no problem with that statement.

So, hello 32. It's nice to meet you - you're not so scary. I think we're going to have a great year together.

Our Friends

A few weeks ago, Julia and Seth and Sarah came over for dinner and a little quality time. It was one of those nights when I was reminded just how amazing our circle of friends is. Hold on, I'm going to get pretty mushy here.

As Pat and I worked on throwing together dinner, Julia, Seth, and Sarah were in the playroom with Evy. Every so often they broke into song - serenading Evy with the Beatles, singing "Over the Rainbow" with her, or creating a soundtrack to whatever she was playing with. I could hear the eruption of toddler belly laughs. Oh how she adores Sa-ah and Jooya and Seph. (I have a feeling it's mutual.)

And I am so so grateful for the relationships my daughter is building with our friends.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what would happen to our friendships when we had a baby. We were the first among our local friends to become parents, and I'd heard nothing but negative stories about how friendships change once you become a parent. I worried that we'd lose some friends as we adapted to life with a little one.

But I forgot - these are our friends we're talking about.

Our friends are full of love and awesome. Truly.

They didn't leave us behind. They opened up the circle and pulled our daughter in. They pile on the love. They are funny and goofy and sweet with her. Friends near and far have treated our daughter with such kindness that it almost makes my heart hurt to think about. They come over to read books and color, they send her postcards and sweatshirts in the mail, they spend evenings having Facetime pizza parties with her, they make her laugh and laugh.

Someday, when she's a teen and mad at me for something, I know she'll be able to call Sarah or Julia or Beth or Janet or Grace or Seth or any number of our friends. They'll take her out for coffee and commiserate about how hard it is to be a teenager ( and maybe stick up for me a little?).

And, not that there's any pressure for anyone else to start having babies, but- I love being able to pile on the same kind of love as more little ones are born into our sweet, fun, wacky circle.

2013

Here are my traditionally late goals for the year. I always feel like I'm missing something (hence the reason that I've had this post written but unpublished for a month) but here goes:

2013 Goals

1. Reclaim evenings that have been lost to the internet. To make this happen, I'm making a rule for myself: no laptop on the couch during the week. If I want to write, return emails, upload and edit photos, or read blogs, I'll do it while sitting at the table or the desk. The goal is to put an end to those nights where I sit down to write one email and look up to find that hours have gone by. Those nights leave me tired and annoyed. Instead, if I sit down on the couch I'll have something else in my lap: a novel, a crochet project, a cookbook, a notebook, a magazine.

2. Take care of myself/commit to 'me time'.  This is something I really want to get a handle on. Schedule time for exercise. Go to yoga classes. Meet a friend for a drink. Use my lunch hour for walks/reading instead of Google Reader. Paint my toenails. Also in this category: go to the dentist. Go to the eye doctor. Get a physical.

3. Run a 10k - this is the year. Also, run at least three 5k's (get back to a sub-30 minute 5k)

4. Take a family trip to the Boston Aquarium and Childrens' Museum

5. Celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary in some special way. We have lots of traveling coming up this year, so maybe it won't be an anniversary trip, but I want to be sure to celebrate the milestone.

6. Finish the photobook of Evy's 1st year. She turns two next month. Oops.


7. Read before bed again. This goes hand in hand with #1. Already doing much better with this in 2013 than I did in 2012.

8. Continue on the path to 'real food' eating. 

9. Actually donate all the stuff piling up in the basement "donate" pile.

10. Garden with Evy. Be intentional with the garden plan. Grow things I think she'll eat. Have her help me start seeds. Build/plant a second raised bed.

11. Finish the porch project. Put up lattice, paint, plant the garden in front of it, decorate inside.

12. Paint the upstairs bathroom (and/or make progress on the kitchen project). 

13. Show Evy more of her city (the toddler version): 

• Visit three new city playgrounds.
• Spend a Saturday (or two or three or five) at the State Museum. Ride the carousel, visit the Sesame Street exhibit. 
• Take walks around Washington Park

14. Figure out how to set up that DIY/babysitting share 

15. Go to my (gasp choke cough) 10-year College Reunion

16. Take Evy sailing. Several times.

17. Do yoga outdoors, preferably on the beach. Look into doing this on Cape May or Cape Cod this summer.

18. Have an old fashioned sleepover with my lady friends. Let's figure out how to do this.

19. Visit Grace. Continued prayers to the airfare gods.

20.  Take my mom out for lunch and pedicures. 

21. Go for a family bike ride on the Mohawk-Hudson rail trail. 

22. Continue on the path to Simplifying: keep on getting rid of stuff, practice the "1 in 1 out" rule, get rid of things we don't use, organize our space to fit with our life, work toward only having things that are useful/beautiful.

23. Get our mail problem under control. The avalanche and "oops, didn't see that" syndrome can't continue. Find and implement a system that works for us. Stop junk mail. Sign up for as many e-bills as possible. Shred what needs shredding.  

24. Hang framed family wedding photos (that we displayed at our wedding) on the staircase. First step: locate these photos.

25. Write more.

26. Accomplish much of the above by reviving the "project a week" project. 







 

In Support of Parental Time Outs

(I have a post up at All Over Albany about our weekend trip to Manchester, VT. Here's a little more about the reasons behind the getaway.)

Sometimes, the world of parenting in 2013 seems like it's just trying to make moms and dads feel guilty all the time. Part of the problem is information overload- for every topic you try to research you will find 38 points of view stating that their way is the best and any other way will scar your child for life. And then there's the blogs and the Pinterest images showing you all the ways other parents are more organized, more fun, more crafty, more creative, better dressed, etc etc etc.

If you're lucky, you'll find at least one friend who is also a parent and who will reassure you that you are doing just fine, commiserate when things get frustrating, agree that it's just impossible to keep a clean house with a toddler around, and encourage you to by all means to take a break once in a while- and don't you dare feel guilty about it. I'm here to agree with that friend: go! Take a break! It will make you a better parent. Really, it will.

It's hard to take a break from parenting, I know. Whether you work in the home or in an office, the demands on a mom or dad can be endless. And while it's a job that absolutely brings lots of joy and fulfillment, it can also be oh so draining. As a parent who works out of the home four days a week, I find it very hard to choose to be anywhere but with my child during any time off, whether it's evenings or weekends.   

For Christmas, Patrick and I decided that the time had come to take a break together. Rather than give each other gifts, we made a promise to book our first weekend away together since Evelyn was born and to do it in the near future.

Thanks to a Groupon and grandparents who were willing to babysit, we got that getaway last weekend, and it was amazing.

We shopped, we explored, we had adult conversations, we reconnected, we reflected on the life we were building together, dreamed up future plans, and ate good food. We drank wine with dinner and beer with lunch, we took our time browsing books, and let time get away from us without thinking about when it would be naptime or snacktime or bedtime.

Meanwhile, Evelyn was having her own awesome weekend with her grandparents. We split the weekend between the two sets of grandparents, and Evy had a blast. She played in the snow both days, took Grandma to music class, ate pancakes, played guitar with Papa, read books with Vou, and happily noshed on Italian bread and Nonni's freshly made tomato sauce.

I've had other moms proudly tell me that in six years of motherhood they've never spent a night away from their children. I give them lots of credit. For us, a weekend away in the dead of winter was good for all of us. As parents, we returned refreshed and recharged. Our daughter had a great time with her grandparents, and they loved having her around.

In 2013 I want to do a better job of making time for me and for us. I love being with my daughter, but I do miss making time to run, write, crochet, and have time alone with my husband. It was hard to do in the first year, especially with a breastfeeding infant, but with a toddler (and awesome grandparents nearby) it's so doable if we just make it a priority. I think it's important that Evelyn sees us beyond our roles as mom and dad, and that we show her how much we value our marriage. I want her to know that I have my own interests, and I want her to see me pursuing them.

So, if you're researching whether it's okay to have a weekend away from your little one(s), I'm here to say yes! Ignore anyone who says otherwise. Have a refreshing guilt-free getaway. Recharge and reconnect. Part of being a parent is doing your best to be the kind of person you want your child to be. I want my child to grow up to be an adult who gives to others and makes time to take care of herself, and I want to show her how that's done.

Phases

When you're expecting a baby, you prepare endlessly. There are birth classes, nursery preparations, gift registries, and doctor appointments. There is cloth diaper research, baby gear research, books about newborns and breastfeeding and happy babies, and a baby shower that brings unimaginably tiny shirts and socks to organize.

And then that baby arrives, and you're thrown into it- things you fully expected, things you didn't. Exhaustion like you never imagined. A love like you've never known.  Life with a newborn is bewildering. And then, your newborn is a baby. Then a toddler.

"It goes so fast" they tell you. And while you savor each moment, it's true: in a matter of weeks, those early phases that you spent months researching and preparing for are left behind for new phases. Most of the time there isn't a chance to think about or prepare for those next phases. There isn't the luxury of nine months of preparation as each phase begins without notice.

When someone told me that Evy's fussiness could be teething at 4 months I was stunned. Whoa whoa whoa. I don't think I realized until that moment that I wouldn't always have a newborn. I put so much focus on preparing for a newborn that I didn't think beyond that (teeth??). Now here she was, saying "That's nice that you're starting to figure out sleep and we're settling into a routine, but guess what? It's all about to change!"

Wait, what, I had a newborn and now she's teething? I had a baby and now she's walking? I had a sweet baby and now she's a strong-willed toddler? You figure it out on the fly. Parenting books and blogs are helpful, family members and other moms give great advice. You figure it out and then it's on to a new thing. Incredible.

The latest change in our house: we are done with diapers. Other than naps and bedtime, Evy is a potty-using citizen, out of diapers and into tiny little undies. We did months of research on cloth diapers, spent hours talking to each other and other parents about them, figured out diaper systems and routines. Now we are packing them away until the next kid. I'm glad we made the decision to use cloth, but with the amount of thought that went into it we clearly thought we were making a lifelong commitment.  In reality it was 21 months. And now, we're on to new things.

toddler moments

• The way she calls oatmeal "opa-meal" and snuggles "huggles" 
• Looking at a magazine together, she sees an ad for a mop. "Broom!" she says. "That looks a little like a broom, but it's a mop," I say. "Mop," she says. "Mop mop mop mop mop."  She won't let me turn the page, just keeps looking at the photo and saying "mop mop mop" with big ephasis on the p- "ma-puh!" Total joy in the discovery of a new word.
• When I'm one place but she'd like me to be in another: "C'mere! Come on! Mommy c'mere!" and then little hands around my leg, pulling me to the place where she wants me. This should be annoying, but I love it.
• She falls asleep singing and wakes up singing. This is not an exaggeration. The soundtrack to our lives these days is her little voice singing Old McDonald, The Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle, Over the Rainbow, the Hello Song, Goin' to Boston and whatever song they sang at school that day. Sometimes she makes up songs entirely, or plugs in her own lyrics to the tune of one or her favorite songs."Time to take a naaaaaap!" is a classic.
• If you ask her the name of anything- a doll, stuffed animal - she will reply "Happy!" There is something so pure and sweet about this. All of her babies are named Happy.  I'll be sad the day her answer changes. 
• I was sick on Monday and in an effort to protect her from my germs, I didn't see my sweet kiddo at all (big thanks to Patrick for taking care of both his girls). The toughest moment was around dinnertime when I heard her downstairs begging to "huggle Mama". The next day, after I picked her up from daycare, she held my face in both of her pudgy hands and said "Mama feel better? Mama happy now." And gave me a big smooch. 
• The delighted way she greets us with "Good morning, Daddy! Good morning, Mommy!" no matter what time of day it is. Another greeting: "Here's Daddy!" as if we misplaced him somewhere around the house.
• Words that start with L in English start with Y in toddler-ese:  Lap = yap, llama = yamma, love = yuv, light = yight. 
• Her lyrics to Rockabye Baby: “When the bow breaks, the craisin will rock”
• Typical Evy dialogue (monologue, really) "Mama hurt. Mama go boom. Mama hurt knee. Need ice. Evy get ice. I sowwy, Mama. Mama feel better now."  This is entirely made up- in most cases, no one has gone boom. The big moment is always applying "ice" to whatever injury needs tending.
• I opened the front door to check the mail the other day, and it hadn't come yet. "Hm, no mail yet," I said. She looked around, spotted our towering pile of mail and said, "Here's the mail! Not outside, inside! Here's the mail, Mama!"  Silly silly me for looking outside when we have so much mail inside!
•  The way she talks to the cat. "Hi Ca-vin. How are you?"
• Her newest phrase: "Hi guys!" said, of course, with unbridled enthusiasm. 

Remembering Uncle Vince

Uncle Vince and Evelyn meet for the first time.
May 2011

On the last day of 2012, we lost my Uncle Vince. At 84 years old he lived a full and vibrant life.

On Monday, my sister Katie and I gave part of the eulogy at Vince's funeral. I'm posting it below so that I can easily share it with family members who requested copies.

I am grateful to have had such a wonderful uncle, and for everything he brought to our family.










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Over the past few days, as we’ve talked about our Uncle Vince and everything he meant to all of us, we noticed a theme: Uncle Vince was always passing on gems of wisdom to the people around him. So in honor of everything we’ve all learned from Vince, we put together our list of

Top Life Lessons from Uncle Vince:

1.  Be the first one on the dance floor. He taught us to get out of our seats and dance. Uncle Vince was always the first one up and dancing at every family party and wedding, leading us all in the tarantella. He and I would dance at the Italian festas. Even well into his later years he led me in a tango that I will never forget. He was a leader of our family and could certainly take the lead in some of the most skilled dances on the floor.  -Katie

2. Family comes first. Our grandmother instilled strong family values in all of her children. As the patriarch of our family, Uncle Vince made sure we all remembered that family comes before anything else. Looking around today, it’s clear that the lesson stuck. Talking to everyone last night and today, that’s what comes through: Uncle Vince loved his family so fiercely, and we’ll continue to feel his love for the rest of our lives.  Now it’s up to all of us to carry on that legacy, whether we’re in Albany, Florida, Schenectady, Toronto, or Maryland. It’s all about “famiglia”. -Nicole

3.  Never put your sweater on a hanger. Uncle Vince was always the best dressed person in the room, and full of fashion wisdom- like, never hang a sweater. And he probably taught most of the men in this room how to tie a tie- properly. Through the men's fashion stores he owned and managed and his time as a Capital Region tv model for Spector’s, he was a fashion icon.  -Katie

4. The meaning of true love. Vince’s love for Carm was an example to everyone around them of a devoted lifelong marriage, especially for me as a newlywed- it is a wonderful model of love and loyalty. Who can forget the way he called her “dolly” and they way they cared for each other? -Katie

5. No one in this family really needed a lesson in this, but Vince reminded us: Mangia!  Whether he was showing us how to roast red peppers, preparing a Sunday dinner, or munching on a biscotti, Uncle Vince taught us to eat good food together. I’m sure we’ll have no problem living out this lesson.  -Nicole

6. Make time to enjoy the finer things in life. Uncle Vince loved opera, ballet, cigars, and tea in a china tea cup with a linen napkin. He enjoyed life's finer gifts and shared his passion with others. Whether it was lending me a VHS of “The Red Shoes” or talking about productions of Carmen - he taught me to appreciate and make time for the arts … and tea. -Katie

Uncle Vince and me.
May, 1984

7. Canna canna stoopali! All of us who grew up around Uncle Vince remember canna canna
stoopali and the giggle fits that resulted. I was told that “canna canna stoopali” meant “climbing, climbing the stairs,” but we’ve found no evidence of this in the actual Italian language. Maybe it was a Vince-ism or a silly family game, but it’s one that I’ve been thrilled to play with my own daughter - I’ve discovered Uncle Vince’s secret that this game gets the absolute best little belly laughs. -Nicole

8. Keep moving.  In the past few years, Uncle Vince went swimming daily, walked on the beach, traveled to Italy, visited California, came up to Albany several times, and cruised the seas. He was vibrant and full of fun -and sported a great tan- right through the end of his life. Grandma Andrews always said “never stop moving” and Vince was proof of the wisdom in this lesson. -Nicole

9. Live with love. Every one of us here feels Uncle Vince’s love. His life was defined by his love for his wife, his daughters, his grandchildren, his brothers, his sisters, his nieces, his nephews, his friends, and his family.  

Our duty now is to remember Vince and everything he taught us. Most importantly, our job is to live with love the way Vince did. (And, of course, to mangia!)