Tuning In

This weekend Nate and I sat on the couch watching our kids play horsey. When Brookie sat on Joe's back, he would slump to the ground because she was bigger than him and they would burst into hysterical giggles. Brookie could crawl around with Joe on her back, but it wasn't without laughing and yelling and general chaos. Nate and I would look at each other, smile and laugh but not exchange words. Our eyes meeting said it all. Aren't they adorable? I can't believe they are ours. We are so blessed. 

 Sometimes it's good to stop and just watch your kids interact with each other. Tune in and listen to their giggling, their imaginative conversation and even their bickering. I tend to zone out a lot, washing dishes, wiping counters, sweeping floors and the kid's play becomes a distant background noise that too often goes unnoticed. I'm trying to be more present, even if I'm not actually interacting at the moment, because their little voices will only be little for so long!

his first mischievous act: pulled all the tissues out of the box, and loved every moment 

Just walked by the bathroom at bed time to see my son multi-tasking at it's best: brushing his teeth and going potty. You know, no biggie.

She's a natural ballerina. She loves to twirl and jump and does it pretty gracefully, too.

I celebrated my 26th birthday this week, and it was truly one of the best I've ever had. It involved lots of shopping and eating, 2 of my most favorite things. Oh, and my hubby, babies and sister who is in town for a few weeks. It doesn't get any better than that! The Lord has given me another amazing year on this earth and I am so grateful for his mercies that are new every morning!

Italians love calamari!

The boys stayed with Grandma when we went to eat, but she got to come which was a really special treat. Check out her bowl of food!

My sister took a vacation to Florida right before coming to see me just so she could make me look white as a ghost in this picture. True story.

Nathan started standing up in his crib this week, a pretty big accomplishment since pack and plays don't have much to grab on to. He stands every time now and just looks way too cute!

 This weekend we rested, listened and interacted. Nothing like having a sister around, and the kids love spending time with their Aunt! We don't have a lot planned, but we'll definitely be tuning in and enjoying the little things!

Systems & Simplifying

 A few weeks ago, I lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, crying and begging my husband to hire someone to help me around the house for a few hours a week. (Yes, it was quite dramatic) After 2 months of non-stop photo shoots, editing, holiday festivities and close to a month of being sick, my house was in shambles and I was totally overwhelmed with the thought of putting it all back together. I felt like I had lost control of my entire homemaking responsibilities at that point and couldn't stand another second living in the current state. Even trying to begin gave me the overwhelming feeling of shoveling during a blizzard. I know you Moms can relate! 

Thankfully, I started feeling better, things have slowed down, and I've spent the last week starting my "decently and in order" campaign on my house. For a lot of you, I'm sure all of this comes naturally, but it's not my forte'. 6.5 years into marriage, I'm finally getting some of this stuff through my thick skull.

I mentioned before that my main New Years Resolution was to organize, and with that came the realization that a) I need to simplify and to do that b) I need systems. When we moved into this house, I didn't know how detrimental having 3 full bathrooms and 4 large bedrooms with walk-in closets would be to me who had no idea about systems. Cleaning products quickly became spread out between the bathrooms and kitchen, so when it was time to actually clean something, I had to go on a scavenger hunt to find what I needed. I have no totes for the kids outgrown clothes, so they are stacked in laundry baskets and overflowing onto closet floors. 

 A few days into January, we took a family trip to Target and stocked up on totes and plastic buckets for underneath the sinks. This week I've organized 8 bathroom cupboards, which included a lot of throwing away and then creating systems  Towels rolled up in one bucket, rags in another basket, cleaning supplies hanging here, extra toilet paper stacked here. I was also able to tackle my linen closet. It's such a freeing feeling--I think I actually breathe better now. ;)

I'm happy that I have nothing monumental to report at this point. With all of December's craziness, the fact that I've spent a quiet week getting my house in order makes me so happy. Living simply is my goal and when everything has it's place, the house runs much smoother and I don't waste precious time searching for a roll of toilet paper. That makes me happy!

That being said, we have still made the decision to have someone come help me 2 hours a week. I know there are amazing Moms (like my own) who can keep up with their house, cooking and kid duties, home school and run their own business from home, but I can't. I know that this change will give me the extra boost to stay on top of everything!