dear paci adventures::it's time to go!

its official folks, we are leaving the baby stages behind.

there are no more paci's in our house! and while i am thrilled about it...part of me is sad to no longer see a paci simply because it is a visible sign that they are still babies. cause people, i've only ever had babies in my house for the last 4 years. and it's the end of an era...

we have truly loved the pacifier in our house. all the boys have had one. {matty} liked his the least & only took it for the first few months. while {ben} being the first & all loved his tremendously & had his til he turned 3. 

no i have no real magic tricks that keep a child from screaming bloddy murder at night or nap time the first day. or even an occasional night weeks later.  that being said, there's never "a perfect time" to do it. just decide to stick with it. i've done it 2 ways...a planned intervention with {ben} & just plain cold turkey with {sam} & {gabe}.

both have their pros & cons, although i'm a glutton for punishment and would say i prefer to just make the transition after i've lost every paci in the house. and this last time i did it while {matt} was away on a trip in january. i'm crazy like that. i didn't have time to stress about the process because let's be honest, it's always harder on us moms. i'm not entirely sure why. maybe it's the crying we know will accompany or the lack of sleep & grumpy babies. or maybe its the fact that it is a visible mark which loudly proclaims, I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE! *sigh* 

and usually about the time you decide to take away the pacifier, there's always some other baby item that is getting transitioned out as well...diapers, bottles or maybe even a crib.

a few things to remember...

* once you start, just stick with it
* they will cry...and scream

* it will end...usually much sooner than you expected

* make sure there are no secret stashes of hiding pacis...cause they will be found, by you or your child

* PRAISE THEM! as humans, we all want/need to know that the pain we are enduring is worthwhile in the end!

sidenote: i'm pretty sure i'll still find a paci hiding in some long forgotten place in months to come

adventures in learning to live with less :: holiday decorating

over the last few months I've learned how to live with less space & stuff. 

and not just learned but enjoying living with less space & stuff.

Less toys to pick up.
Fewer dishes to wash.
Not as much stuff to organize.
Less on the walls & shelves collecting dust.
Not as many things for the babies to get into.
Fewer things distracting me from time with my boys.
Although I wish I could say the same went for the laundry.

But now that means I have 2 storage units full of stuff I feel like I don't need. i haven't used most of what i own in months! months people. but there are important things like birth certificates, tax stuff & other such papers to hold on to.

I mean I'm even keeping my fridge & pantry less cluttered. Because there just isn't room to keep the non-essentials. I buy what we'll use right away and I'm learning to meal plan a little better. freedom i tell ya!

fall is a season of preparation...preparing for the long, cold winter that lies ahead. we pull out the blankets & coats, turn up the heat and stock the pantry & fridge with our fall harvest until they are overflowing. it's about making your house feel warm & cozy & inviting to be in so you don't have to leave it. and one way we do that is by filling them with holiday decorations. and in that, I find myself wanting again...

Not sure if that's just me caving to the advertising, holiday displays & simply just wanting or if there's more to it. i mean they do a great job of putting new & cute things out there every year.

super cute pillow.

  but it wouldn't last a month in my house.

via crate and barrel

nothing says snuggly more than a plaid fleece blanket!

via target

Or even this cute monogram. although i'd use a pre-light garland & hang it outside.

via pinterest

and then it dawned on me that it's more that greed & wanting. It's about creating a safe space. A retreat to grab a blanket & curl up in on cold & rainy winter days. a place full of memories & nostalgia. a place that you not only want to be, but stay in for a while.

***

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So while we unfortunately will not be decorating for the holidays this year because the closing date on the condo is for mid-December. Getting more stuff out just to re-pack doesn't sound appealing to me at all. BUT I am figuring out how we can do little things still to celebrate the holiday season and maybe even decorate a bit.

I love advent calendars and both the big boys are old enough now to participate this year. I think it's a great compromise to our situation. And ive been searching for a calendar that I love for a couple years now & been unsuccessful. i don't like the idea of just handing out candy that's what halloween is for so we'll be doing lots of crafts & activities. the things we will do for advent will help decorate this place but still be disposable. We'll learn more about Jesus & the true Christmas story, but also introduce and explain who Santa, the elves & Rudolph are. I don't want my kids to be the ones who burst the bubble of those that belied in Santa.

I'm finding myself pretty excited actually. Decorating for the holidays, making my home cozy & warm...but with less. perfect!

And once I nail down what each day of the advent calendar holds I'll post it. For now enjoy the awesome advent calendar I just bought from NaptimeDiaries. go check it out!

and today i'm thankful for:

• Just the right advent calendar!
• That I have stuff if I want it...but in a storage into & not cluttering my house.
• The chance to create traditions & memories for my boys.

flashback adventures to times unremembered

{matty}'s favorite spot

last September was a time i'll never remember & i love the month of september. i know, i know. most people end that phrase with never forget. it's when my mom who stayed with us for 7 weeks after twins birth left. then things went blank...

i do remember parts of my family visiting and taking family pictures, but not too much else. i kinda hate it. but thankfully i have lots of pictures thanks to my awesome husband & his trusty iphone and, not to worry, we also have some good ones on our real camera. i feel like a small child when i try to remember the happenings...just bits & pieces that are muddied by sleep deprivation and stories & pictures shared by friends. so here's an attempt to relive, remember & share life as it was with newborn twins.

trying to find just pictures from end of august & beginning of september 2010.

lots of time spent in my moby wrap for everyone. it was part of my everyday attire.
thankful my wonderful mother in law made me a second. we wouldn't have survived without it!

double time!
and yes, they loved it.

{matty} to this day loves being worn.

{sam} taking a look around 

lots of couch time. and subsequent cartoon watching.

typical.

this is {gabe} checking out [sam}'s paci

{ben} & {sam}

{ben} & {matty}

big brother {ben} was enthralled with both boys and constantly asked to snuggle them

and most importantly, lots of snuggles.

{matty} & {sam} lived in the pack n play in the living room

photo by {ben}

swaddled & pacified. time for a nap!

and the big boys loved spending with
grammie & granpop while they stayed with us

ok, now i feel like i sufficiently recall september 2010. and i'm glad to say that it's done. those sleepless nights with twins kicked all our butts! thankful for time passed and growing older aka bigger & fatter.

dear paci adventures

dear paci,

at first you were my best friend. i loved you. i truly did. you were so cute...adorably oversized on my tiny baby's face. you were everything i needed you to be. you did everything i asked of you. but now you've become an addiction & you just don't know when to give it up.

i think our symbiotic relationship is coming to an end. it's bittersweet really. you not being here means that babies are getting bigger and growing older. but in the end, i can live with that. having to hunt for a you in the middle of the night...i'm over it. having to have you & a backup on every outing...over that to! i am tired of removing you when i need to understand the 2 yr old. i hate that i can't see a precious boy's smile because you are hiding it from the camera. and lastly, you hurt my foot when i unintentionally step on you once you've been discarded...unless you end of in the bottomless abyss of disappearing pacis and i can't ever find you when i need you.

can you please turn into something awful tasting? or figure out a way to become unpleasant? i would rather you work this out on your own so i don't have to interfere. because if i do interfere, there will be lots of crying...for all parties involved. thank you.

sincerely,
your soon-to-be-former best friend of 3 paci loving babies

again, this thursday's post is brought to you by mama kat's pretty much world famous writer's workshop. there was another great prompt that i think i'll find the time to add tomorrow...about tv shows we should bring back...

navigating the sippy cup adventure

my sister in law {Auntie Kate} likes to joke that i have every brand of sippy cup possible. and well, it's close to being absolutely true. granted i've been collecting sippy cups since 2007...most of them have not made it since then, but a few are close. being a new mom with {Ben} i wasn't sure which ones to get, so i got a couple different kinds, then i would forget one & have to buy a new one while out or saw one i liked & would buy for him. i kinda have a cup collecting addiction and i'm sure {Matt} would completely agree.

here's what i discovered from my experiences & preferences:

* best transition to sippy cup: nuby or silicone spout cups 

although they don't last long because once they figure out it is a better chew toy thank cup, you get a mess everywhere. buy that point, i'd think they were ready for a bigger kid cup anyways. 

* best water bottle: nalgene grip n gulp for no spill & camelbak .4L for older kids
the nalgene has a fun hole for a handle that my boys love putting things in or carry it by, a valve that stays put & it's lasted the longest of all of my cups. and my boys often times treat cups like they are balls, not just dropped, thrown on the ground or down the stairs. 
the camelbak works great for {Ben} who's 4. he can open & close the top by himself. {Gabe} has the same and i often times find the straw top open and laying on the ground & slowly leaking. thankfully it's only water!
* overall favorite: playtex cups
the valves stay put they have endured pretty well overall. insulated ones are also a preference in our house, especially when it comes to milk drinking. room temperature milk makes me want to gag just thinking about it. plus, they have CARS characters & that's always a winner in our house.


now i did try stainless steel water bottles for {Ben} because if i was getting one for myself, i should for my kid too. turns out he couldn't handle it. it hit the ground a few too many times. 1. it turned into a dent & scratched mess. 2. the sound of that thing hitting the ground every time about killed me. 3. it was definitely more expensive and i was a wreck about keeping tabs on it. it became the one cup we lost & i have no idea where it went. figures!

{gabe} the guzzler

bonus: with so many sippy cups belonging to different kiddos, this is one way i've managed to mostly keep them to 1 cup a day and reduce their fighting over cups. bumpy name orbit labels. it started out with {Ben} because i hated the stickers his cup collected in the nursery at church. now...it's more of a mama sanity saver. they have pre-printed or customizable labels available. love them!