transitioning to a no pet household

June 5, 2014

It’s been four weeks since we haven’t had any pets in the house. I’ve had a dog my entire life. The only time I haven’t actually lived with a dog was when I was in the dorms at college and for a couple of years when I lived with roommates in an apartment while I was in nursing school. But during that time I still considered my parents’ dogs “mine.” When David and I got married we each brought our own dog into the mix. They always got along and eventually picked up each other’s habits. They were the soundtrack and background of our life. They made our house feel full and lively. Now, despite the baby and the toddler, things…
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Posted in: personal

works in progress

June 4, 2014

Yesterday I shared with you that I’m totally overwhelmed by extra projects, and today I’m going to show you what they are. :) First of all we have the quilt that I’ve been making forever. I was planning on backing it with plain navy fabric, but I didn’t have enough so I patched together these rows and just threw it together quickly. It’s fine. I think I would have preferred the plain, but oh well. Next steps here are pressing and basting the layers together with the batting. I think I am going to machine quilt the long lines and then hand quilt around each triangle. However, for the moment I’m taking a step back from the quilt to focus…
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Posted in: crafty, crafty, works in progress

whole person health : emotional

June 3, 2014

I didn’t think I could do a series on whole-person health without addressing the emotional/mental side of things. Remember that this is just my own personal journey and not any kind of prescription for you. Although I have experienced true anxiety and depression in my life, I do not suffer from any chronic conditions in these areas. I have several close loved ones who do, but I am not going to address those things here because I can’t speak from personal experience. What I am going to talk about is my own mental and emotional health, which usually boils down to managing stress. Obviously as a woman I also have hormones to deal with, and maybe I’ll discuss that in the…
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Posted in: health, health, natural living

meredith lately

June 2, 2014

Me: I’m going to make a bagel. Meredith: and put butter and jelly on it? Me: yeah Meredith: don’t say yeah, say yes ma’am. After jumping on her mini trampoline and falling down on purpose… Grammy: Kaboomie! Meredith: I wanna go kaboobie again! While driving and David and I are attempting an adult conversation in the front seat… Meredith: mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy MOMMY MOMMY! Me: yes Meredith? Meredith: Daddy driving. Me: yes he is. We return to talking… Meredith: mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy MOMMY MOMMY! Me: yes?? Meredith: um…bird poop on yours car! David: say sand. Meredith: sand. David: say wich. Meredith: wich. David: say sandwich. Meredith: finjer! Commenting on what she and David brought home from the store… Meredith: I got toilet paper for yours butt! While David took her browsing…
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Posted in: personal, conversations, motherhood, meredith lately, motherhood, personal

weekend plans

May 30, 2014

It’s technically been a short week but it’s also felt long. We’ve had a lot of rain and even flooding. One day they couldn’t keep the water out of the infant room at my kids’ daycare, so I had to take Liam to another facility. That was a crazy morning. Meredith has been in one of her difficult phases. I don’t even know how to describe it and I don’t really want to try, but I have felt sorely lacking in patience this week. However, she has also had a couple days of being extremely sweet and cute, so I never know which version of her I’m going to come home to. It’s exhausting. Tonight we have our weekly dinner with…
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Posted in: personal, around here, personal