Miss Mo, the Snow Princess, is now four whole months old. How? Why? I miss her tiny newborn body, her little cries, and her sleepy eyes. Nature is cruel and kind that way. I was so sleep deprived for the first little bit that it seemed to disappear in an instant taking with it the bad memories that make a mother question everything in existence (at least this mother). But she is four months old now!
Baking is what I do when I am feeling stressed and what I do when I am happy. I like to think that baking as a stress relief is a healthy practice… unfortunately it usually leads to eating as a stress relief, which is a less healthy practice. But fear not…I’ve found the solution! Spinach muffins! Before you judge, hear me out. The ingredients are healthy ones…whole wheat flour, honey for the sweetener, a bunch of spinach, and a banana…but they are still muffins.
We’re moving again! This will be the eighth home the Mister and I have shared. At this point, moving is just a way of life for us. We are slowing down, though. This is the second minor move we have made where we are just making small adjustments to quality of life without uprooting or relocating. We have a family and good jobs now, so we don’t plan on leaving the area any time soon.
It has been almost two months since our beautiful baby girl came into the world on one of the snowiest days of the year. It is hard to believe that so much time has passed. Her birth was similar to her brother’s in a lot of ways and also different in many. For starters I labored for about 15 hours both times. With Molly, however the bulk of that was spent in the comfort of my own home with the Mister, Paddy, and my mom to keep me company.
Well, we did it. We converted Sean’s Crib into a toddler bed. I didn’t want to, but the Mister convinced me that it was time to try. He has been wonderful in his crib, hasn’t ever tried to climb out of it, and I’ve never had to worry about him in there. Plus each night I got to lay him down and pretend that he is still my little baby (he will always be my little baby).
My favorite holidays, in order, are Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, and Thanksgiving. It may get third billing, but I really do love Thanksgiving! For most people it is a time when they gather with as much of their family as they can get under one roof. This used to be true for me as well. But on and off throughout the years, and now again (probably for good) it is when my family focuses on us.
I like to stay out of political discussions whenever possible. Unfortunately, the presidential election is one that is unavoidable. So here are my thoughts on this year’s election, for whatever they are worth. Having gone to bed before the actual results were in, I had hoped to wake to a miracle. I did not. Instead I was sent into a deep and pensive depression. Made worse by the fact that republicans gained control of the House and the Senate at the same time that we elected a dangerous clown to the presidency.
This is Halloween, this is Halloween… My ambitions for Halloween crafting are always far beyond what I can actually accomplish. This year was no exception… But, I did get a few things checked off the list. I managed to finish a Halloween print a few weekends back and I also had one very small piece to work on for my costume. While I did not actually get it finished completely prior to Trick-or-Treating, I love it so much, I intend to keep working on it after the season passes.
There are very few traditions that we, as a family, hold dear. We are not big on holidays or doing things the same way year-in and year-out for sentimentality. But, one thing that we try to do every year, is apple picking! This draws from my childhood and the fun I remember having. Each year I try to define what I love so much about spending time in an orchard with my family, but I always fall short.
If you have never made marshmallows before, be warned…plain gelatin STINKS. It is far worse than anything I would have expected and is enough to make you nervous about the sweet little clouds you thought you were creating. But push through, it will be worth it in the end. I have made marshmallows before, so the smell was not the biggest challenge this time around. Instead, I had to overcome misleading recipes.