Mrs. Maverick

dreamin'

The necessity of imagination: it is one of those understandings that makes me feel that the older I get, the younger I become. If circumstances overwhelm or underwhelm a quick escape in the mind is so refreshing. The purpose of such an escape needn't be to avoid the past, present or future, but to freeze time for an instant and remind us that things have not always been and will not always be "this way". The pragmatist in me shies aways from daydreaming so I am thankful for Eleanor whose sweetness and silliness affirm the enjoyment and engagement of my imagination. It is a useful tool, too, for helping us get through harder seasons. I have found myself pausing a time or two throughout the day, allowing my eyes to unfocus and my senses to drift back to a cherished memory or ahead to trip that I long to take. And then, when reality breaks my momentary revere, I am so grateful that I can share tales of what was with my children and make plans to take them with us on new adventures that they might dream back to when they are my age. 

That time when we looked out over the Cliffs and I danced in a pub (Image: National Geographic)

Friends just came back and I want to go now. (Image: Robert and Kathleen Photographers)

Or back to California to properly take in the Redwoods (Image: Gail Werner)

Back in time to see some old favorites (Image: VivienMaier.com)

 

I remember how magical it was when I first saw moss hanging from trees in Georgia (Image: Sally Mann)

I've never been but I want to go to Hawaii. And I want to surf. But who doesn't right now? (Image: Katelyn James Photography)

 

What can I do?

(As in, "what can I do?")

This post is part of a series of reflections called Project Less is More. This project chronicles (very irregularly) a financially stretching time in our family's life. Click here to start at the beginning.

The current circumstances are as follows: One mostly exhausted/sporadically energized mom, a mostly happy infant who laughs for mom and cries for poor dad, a mostly happy toddler with boundless energy who talks constantly and narrates her entire existence using single words and the phrase, "Us SEH?" (Translation: "What's that?" with an excited vocal lilt each time).  One dog of goodly disposition who is prone to want play time at the worst times. One car. One small car. Limited funds. Husband's busy season. Packing our condo up in a month's time in order to move out (we have renters!!) and move to a more affordable place. Deadline: May 1st. Well, prior to...

My account lacks lyricism to be sure. But I have an excuse and it is that I am crunchy, fried, frozen, as it were, given this endless deep-freeze of a winter we are having. I told a friend over dinner Monday night that I had felt as if I had bounced back a bit quicker with Charles than I did with Eleanor. A 9:45 bedtime, two feedings and a showerless morning later and...I TAKE IT BACK!!! When I said "bounced" I think I meant like a squash ball. I occasionally experience lightness as I travel through a day with energy only to be smashed against the wall the next day. And while in the past I'd seek a little solace in one of those embarrassingly huge pedicure chairs it is not the time for such indulgences. 

So, when energy is low and/or funds are dry, what can one do? (Because focusing on "can" instead of "can't" is what I am learning to do right now). 

If your energy is low:

Prioritize a short devotional and reading of scripture. The time given to this is always worth it and it sets your thoughts on Jesus and His intentions for your day. 

Dial down expectations. I had a list. It had six tasks on it. I accomplished the easiest two and that is okay. 

Spend more time on the floor with your kids. Read the same board book over and over again. Just be. 

Nap. Do it. If you are tempted to do something else once childrens' naps have commenced, stop. Nap. 

Don't default to television. Put on music instead. Classical is simultaneously calming and energizing. Jazz has this way of melting tension away. 

Don't stress about showering and getting yourself "made up" for the day. Wash your face, pull your hair back, put on clean clothes and a little chapstick. Maybe some mascara. 

Put on warm socks. I remarked to Shawn that I could not have survived the winter without my Smartwool. His raised eyebrows compelled me to respond, "And I'm not exaggerating!"

Breakfast for dinner. Yogurt, fruit, smoothies, toast, eggs. Fast results and minimum clean up are the goals. 

If money is tight (but energy is not necessarily so):

Start running. Truly the best thing I've done. I bundle C and E up in their snow gear, pop them in the double wide and jog for 30 minutes. Not only does running warm me up for the rest of the day, but it makes me feel so good afterwards. No getting to and paying for the gym necessary. (Don't be too impressed, after 18+ months of little to no cardio I am on the Couch to 5K program. I've heard of  pregnant women who can do high-impact exercise until they are eight months along. I am not one of those women). 

Scour Youtube for cardio, arm, yoga and stretching sequences to balance out the running or to use on a cold day. 

Keep your home neat. Little things like making your bed in the morning and periodically clearing the floors of toys and stuff maintains the integrity of your living environment. A new pillow or home decor related something-or-other might not be in the cards, but you can work with what you have by keeping it clean and clear.

And along those lines, organize something. Your silverware drawers. Your sock drawer. The kids' dresser. 

Make a new dish for dinner. Double the recipe and give some to a friend. You may not be able to give money or other gifts right now, but food is doable. 

Pre-baked bread looking pretty

Listen to sermons about money, stewardship, giving and God's provision. Here is an excellent Tony Evans sermon on Jehovah-jireh and a series by John Piper on laying up treasure in heaven. 

...

Philippians 4:19- And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Baby boy warm weather wardrobe

These lighter posts are buying me some time. My kids need to be clothed and, being stuck at home without a car, music is essential, but these little things are happening in the midst of some bigger things. I'll get to those later, of course. Right now? Let us look at all clothing blue, red and striped. If one is attempting to avoid a boy wardrobe comprised solely of truck appliqued t's then your other option seems to be---da-da-da-daaaah!---stripes. Again, I am a huge fan of the one-piece outfit, so that's what I've included in this collage. (I feel like the pant/shirt combos for both girls and boys are too endless to narrow down for a shortish post).  Without further adieu, clothes for boys under two! (Click on the picture below to be brought to Pinterest for the links to each item). 

Baby boy warm weather clothes checklist:

Swimsuits 1-2

Light sweater/sweatshirt 1

One pieces outfits 2-4

Shorts 1-2

Tops/onesies   2-3

Sandals- 1

Closed toe shoes- 1

Rain jacket/windbreaker type jacket- 1

 

 Top to bottom

Row 1: Carter's, Carter's, Carter's, Tea Collection

Row 2: All Old Navy

Row 3: Gap, Gap, Hanna Andersson, Hanna Andersson

Hanna Andersson is having their Sun&Sea sale right now

Carter's is running 50% off of everything!

Gap is having up to 50% off of select warm weather items (online only)

Old Navy is having 20% everything until midnight (online only)

Tea Collection is running a sale on new spring items 

 

The daily soundtrack

circa March 2014

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong sing "Summertime" while we sit on the cold floor, surrounded by piles of clean unfolded laundry, listening to blustery March howl at our door. The irony is so welcome. 

While I watch Charles's eyes half-moon with infant glee, Sinatra croons, "You make me feel so young...you and I are just like a couple of tots..." Then giggly Eleanor piles into my lap alongside her brother. 

Just after breakfast, bellies are full and we all go our separate, cerebral ways for a short while. Chopin helps us focus on our high-brow tasks, namely reading board books and trolling Pinterest. 

I try to get dinner started as early in the day as I can given that the hours of 3-6pm are monopolized by the pre-bedtime crazies. Strunz and Farah transport me to a small Spanish kitchen (a la Like Water for Chocolate). My blood pressure lowers and I cannot help but do lazy twirls from sink to stove to refrigerator, wooden spoon in hand and a dish towel slung over my shoulder. 

A post nap pep rally is not complete without a visit to 24hoursofhappy.com. The whole house pulses with the energy of this song. Eleanor shouts, "Das! Das!", swaying her little hips and clapping heartily. True dancing, uncontrived. Even Charles's bouncy seat seems to channel the beat. Paxton looks clueless...as usual. 

When I'm missing Shawn, I imagine that we are the two people in this song. And when we are reunited for dinner: Simon and Garfunkel. Makes total sense to me. 

"Is the label really necessary? I mean..."

Can you hear that? It's the sound of a constantly moving baby girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby girl warm weather wardrobe

I've been doing some virtual window shopping  lately. For little girls under two, I adore rompers and dresses because they are easy and light. No mixing and matching necessary; one piece does it all. Any of these outfits would be sweet paired with some Salt Water sandals or Freshly Picked moccasins. From the looks of the internet these kicks are the rage right now.  I also drafted a list of what Eleanor will need once spring finally decides to stay, so I've shared that below as well. It's kind of like those layette lists that I found slightly excessive but still helpful when I was preparing for each baby. (Note: If you click on the image below it will take you to my Pinterest board which includes links for all of the items. Much speedier than linking each picture separately).

Baby girl- warm weather:

Sandals

Closed toe shoes of some sort (Toms? or may a water resistant pair in lieu of rain boots?)

Swimsuits (1-2)

Play dresses (1-3)

One pieces outfits/rompers (2-3)

Shorts and/or leggings (2-3)

Shirts and/or onesies, depending on your preference (2-3)

Light sweater or sweatshirt

Rain jacket

Sources:

Row 1, left to right: Carter's, Carter's, Carter's, Gymboree

Row 2: Old Navy, Old Navy, Gap, Gap

Row 3: Tea Collection, Boden, Zara, Zara

Carter's is currently running some unbelievable sales- $6, $8, $10 per item, etc. 

Gap is having 40% off right this minute

Old Navy is having 40% off all dresses

Jungle fever

Early motherhood has this pleasantly isolating effect. I can watch the world from my window and not feel like I am missing anything because it is supposed to be this way for a while. I am supposed to steer my brood clear of germy places for several weeks; keep them warm and safe during the brutal winter. As if I wasn't inward enough, then I had to go and fall ill and there is nothing like being really sick to make a person feel sadly detached from the outside. I was hibernating in a burrow just below the surface before getting sick. I could stick my head up whenever I wanted to check in with the goings on outside: "Everything okay out there? Good. I'll just be a few more weeks down here. You know where to find me." Illness, however, plunged me down, down into an inaccessible bunker where light, schedule, regularity of any kind was completely forgotten. I could not peek out even if I wanted to. 

When the fever reached its apex I was lying in bed. Mid-morning, I think it was. 101, 102, 103 read the thermometer and I tried to recall if I had ever had a fever that high. Even if I had, I had never had a fever that high and had two babies to care for at the same time. So there. The down comforter was up to my chin, then over my head, then stripped off the bed entirely, then pulled back on. I couldn't get the rest that my body craved because every sense was on edge. I felt as if I was the star of a one-woman indie film that was too avante-garde for its own good. Those films with an atmospheric soundtrack? No music, just the amplified sounds of life: the whoosh of a passing car followed by the hot air blowing noisily from the ceiling vent. A beating heart, a throbbing head, the thump, thump, thump of a pulse. Why were my eyes blinking so loudly? Just shhhhhhh...... 

Nights were fitful and punctuated by bizarre dreams. I remarked to Shawn how I imagined that this must be what it's like being bitten by some Amazonian insect, the side effects of whose bite sapped a body of any resolve to fight. I unwillingly surrendered to the petulant, incessant waves of chill and heat, waves that threw me on dawn's shores weak, rubbery-legged and strangely relaxed. 

Several days into the antibiotics I was up at 4:45am nursing Charles back to sleep. Our bobbing heads indicated the premature hour and I decided to nurse him in bed. Leaving a trail behind me--phone, book, glass of water--I wandered up the stairs, babe in arms, and collapsed next to Shawn. I awoke to a vacuous silence. My head felt light but it no longer hurt. The 7am sunlight projected itself on the wall and lent an energizing glow to the room. Charles slumbered and grunted contentedly by my side. Then a spring bird sounded, as if signaling my arrival at a clearing.  

Charles in Eleanor's teddy bear suit. The best outfit ever. And that's my mom---doting Nana. I could not have survived the last week without my mom and dad. Well the last 26 years, really. Shawn also deserves mention here as he helped keep our house running while I was down for the count. 

Favorite Things: Stuck at home edition

Starting with the recipe and moving to the right and down.

This is the recipe for a smoothie made with sweet potato. It is wonderful even though it really shouldn't be. (It's from It's All Good). 

The spoon is from an August trip to Froyo World in New Haven. I'm not sure how it happened to make it's way back to our house and into the silverware drawer, but I am glad it did. Its narrow shape is perfect for a toddler's mouth. Kevita is a totally uneccessary sweet and sparkling probiotic drink. Too many buzz words for one product label I think, but it keeps me coming back. 

The Hipstamatic app. Because I like creating different lens + film combos and thus, like to work really, really hard to get a "quick picture with my iphone". 

Charles and Eleanor at their first doctor's appointments. My heart is pretty much tucked in the car seat with those babies. Oh, my babies...

Crayons for Eleanor. A first this week. She enjoyed biting off the tips and then saying, "No, no," in an appropriately disappproving tone. Needless to say she's not quite ready yet, but bit by bite, um, bit, she will be. 

My sister. The above picture was taken two years ago this month before I found out that I was pregnant with Eleanor on a girls' vacation with my mom. Livie just visited from Toronto this past weekend and to say I'll miss her terribly is an understatement. Eleanor has so much fun with her auntie and we can't wait to see her again later on this spring. 

I've decided two things this week: Illness + two littles + husband's busy season = certain disaster, BUT Nana and Grandfather + Auntie Livie + antibiotics + healthy littles > certain disaster. 

In other words--jungle fever left me reeling for a few days but I'm back and ready, ready, ready for spring to come. Have a wonderful start to the week, friends!

PS Favorite things should not be limited to Fridays despite the alluring alliteration of the phrase "Friday Favorites". 

PPS I know that photo collages are cliche, but the Type A in my loves the boxes, the visual order of it all. My apologies.