Insta Life.

Sometimes, when you read blogs, isn't it nice to just scroll through pictures?  A little less reading, a little more blog stalking via picture viewing?  You feel me?  ;)

Our little life has been full the past few weeks, so here's an Insta-glimpse for ya!

My FIL graduated with his Masters in pursuit of education administration.  We are all so very proud of his hard work!!  He's the best Dad I've got.  :)

Russell was out of town for a week following graduation, so the girlies and I were on our own.  The Lord heard my cry, and these two ladies were SO GOOD all week!  No sickness, no major fits or 'tudes, and they spent most of the week playing together independently and happily with no Mom-intervention needed.  Miracles do happen, folks.  ;)

Visited the zoo with my family for Mother's Day!  It's a tradition.  Rode the train, fed the lorakeets, looked for rolly pollies, etc.  Such a perfect day.

Spent a few days with Russell's family while he was away, and Mimi brought out the big guns: new Tinkerbell tutus.  The girls were in heaven.  :)  

(And HUGE thanks to our families for letting us hide out at your homes while we were husband-less/Daddy-less for a week!  We love you!)

He came home.  Phew.  Our world makes sense once more.

Post-nap pillow fight with my girl.  

Our friends took us to a large farmer's market on Saturday morning, and the girls obviously dressed appropriately.  ;)  Rows and rows of local veggies, fruits, meats, breads and other items.  Mmmm.  I wanted to bring all of it home!  The girls danced to the street musicians'  tunes, and many compliments were received regarding their attire.  ;)

After a long husband-less week of traveling and family fun, I decided to church it up quietly and alone on my back porch on Sunday.  Peaceful, still, birds chirping, roses bursting forth, coffee in hand, a moving study.  Perfect end to a wonderfully full week.

:)

Bonbons. Yeah, Right.

Back in my early twenties when I didn't know anything about anything but I thought that I did, I assumed stay-home moms basically had The Life.  They got to stay in their jammies all day, watch movies, have a perfectly clean home since they were there all day and could clean constantly, shop whenever they wanted, etc.  Basically...I was a fool  ;)  Now, granted, there are some stay home days where we purposefully push pause on our hustle and bustle, stay in our softies, and watch a "Tinkerbell" or two.  However, those days are usually few and far between, so I thought it might be interesting to take some inspiration from a few blog friends and document what my day looks like as a stay-home Mom.  Believe me, I don't claim to be Super Woman, nor do I think that my days are harder, longer, or more strenuous than you amazing Moms who work outside of the home and THEN come home, quickly swapping your Work Self for your Mom Self for the duration of the evening.  You gals are amazing.

Anyway.

I digress.

For one day, I made quick notes of what I did throughout the day.  Here's a play-by-play of this particular 24 hours my Mom life, and, oh, how I wish I could send this list back in time to Erin of the Past.  She could stand to learn a thing or two.  You know.  Retroactively.  ;)

5:30am:
Fall out of bed, wipe drool, throw on my gym shoes, grab water bottle and quick breakfast. / Try to stay awake on the drive to the gym. / Try not to punch chipper blond high school girl who is entirely too smiley for this earliest of ungodly morning hours.

5:45-6:45am:
Thirty minutes of cardio. / Thirty minutes of circuit training with weights and then abs. / Now I'm feeling less like death and more like I can conquer the world! / Didn't punch anyone.

7-7:30am:
Quick shower while the hubby feeds the hungry mongrels their breakfast / Bless him.

7:30-8am:
Attempt to fix hair and maaaaaybe put on a smidge of makeup while the girls play together in their rooms. / Scratch that--now they are playing at my feet in the bathroom.  Perfect place for legos, they decide.

8-8:30am:
Time for "school lessons" using www.Starfall.com. / Small amounts of pouting as we also work on taking turns. / Potty break requiring Mom to do the wiping.  Fun times. / Break for poopy diaper. / Morning constitutionals: CHECK.

8:30am:
Swirl around trying to get the girls dressed for a playdate with friends. / Delia is clothed, shoed, and pig-tailed. / Working with Emery on learning to put on her own t-shirt.  Results in tears of defeat.  Try again.  Success. / Delia is now unclothed, un-shoed, un-pigtailed, AND un-diapered.  /  Start over. / Another poopy diaper. / Start over. / I am sweaty.

9:15am:
Strap the girls into the van, and begin to search the house for stray sippy cups. / Can only find one. / Here's hoping the other only contained water instead of milk. / Finally leave for playdate.

9:30-12:30pm:
PLAYDATE CHAOS!!!  / A quick recap: serve snacks, change a diaper, break up toddler tiffs, dance party with a most necessary mid-dance tutu change, play with markers, clean up spilled juice cup, fish a coin out of Delia's mouth, work on sharing between the preschoolers, attempt to converse with Mom friends over the roar of the excited kids, make and serve lunch, play outside, draw with sidewalk chalk, wipe muddy feet and hands, attempt to restart previous conversation with Mom friends, no one can remember what we were talking about, we'll try again later, change diaper, search for lost sippy cup and jellie slippers, reload into the van, sing LOUDLY and flail about on the drive home to keep Delia awake, pull into driveway as she drifts off.

12:35pm:
Girls get ready for naps: brush teeth, use the potty/change diaper. / Pile into Delia's big chair to read new books from Story Time at the library. / Impossible to hold book steady due to wiggling giggling sisters. / Decide I don't care. / Join them for some snuggling and some songs. / Delia down. / Emery down.

1pm:
Make a smoothie for lunch and sneak a Dove chocolate heart. / Sit on couch and watch a DVR'd episode of Friends while I eat. / Turn off TV and read a short lesson from the 7 Study by Jen Hatmaker.

1:15-3pm:
Clean both bathrooms top to bottom (it needed it....). / Dust the house (it needed it.....). / Prepare a double batch of veggie lasagna and realize I've forgotten to double two of the ingredients. / Very grateful for chia seeds that double as egg replacements. / Phew. / Clean up the kitchen and wish I wasn't such a messy cook. / Return some emails. / Lay down for literally one minute when I hear.....

3:01pm:
Delia is up and ready to play. / Emery is up shortly after. / Dish out afternoon snacks and watch "Tangled" while I put away folded laundry from yesterday and prepare the rest of dinner (Italian bread and salads). / Send one child to timeout for stealing another child's pillow. / Tears and apologies made. / Leave the room and return to find them both now snuggling together on said pillow. / Tears...from Mom this time.

4:15-5:40pm:
Outside to play in the spring weather! / Bubble machine. / Sidewalk chalk to practice letters, shapes, and Emery's newest trick: drawing a face that resembles Bobby's football-shaped head from that random cartoon "Bobby's World." / Chase, play hide and seek, load girls into swings and push, up and down the slide. / Delia eats a bug. / Emery cries because she sees a bug. / Pick and blow dandelions (note: must mow...and treat for weeds.  Oops.)

5:45pm:
Wait by the fence until.....DADDY'S HOME!!!  / Mommy's favorite moment of each day. / Phew, we made it. ;)

5:50pm:
Wash hands and get into chairs for dinner. / Search for stray sippy cups. / Messy veggie lasagna dinner is TOTALLY worth the mess when girls both ask for more--it's a hit! / Dad and kids head back outside to play. / Mom cleans up kitchen and dinner table.

6:30pm:
Bath time with Dad! / Bath paints and work on sharing the brushes. / I can hear moments of happiness and moments of sister-angst.  The norm. / Mom picks up the house and re-organizes the toy bins. / Girls lotioned and jammied.

7pm:
Books, songs, prayers, back scratching, snuggling, one last snuggle, and...they're down for the night. / Just kidding, Emery needs to pee again. / Now they're down for the night.

7:30:
Chat with my mom on the phone while Russell does some yard work. / Step barefoot on stray lego. / Curse silently to myself.

8pm:
Bake muffins for Bible study. (Yeah.  I know.  Ironic.  Just cursed and then made Bible muffins.  See?  I need to get to that study ASAP!)  ;) / Wonder to myself why I forgot about being out of eggs...AGAIN. / Chia seeds to the rescue...again. / Let's hope this works.

8:30pm:
Muffin victory!

8:45pm:
Realize I never found time for the following from my To-Do List: purge entryway closet, reorganize blasted pots and pans cabinet that fills me with the fire of a thousand suns every time I have to dig around in the depths of is cavernous recesses. / Cabinet anger issues. / Apparently. / Make new To-Do List for tomorrow.

9:00pm:
Get ready for bed. / Collapse on bed. / Hug bed.

9:05pm:
Chat and read with hubby. / Watch two episodes of "Parks and Recreation" on Netflix together. / He plays with my hair. / I realize I am the luckiest of them all.

10ish:
Set alarm and go to bed...ready to relive this craziness all again tomorrow.  And, you know....
...I can't wait.

:)

Old Is New Again.

It had been ages since I'd pulled out our big camera to snap some pics, so one day this week during the girls' nap time, I thought I'd play around a bit.  Mostly, I wanted to make sure I still remembered how to use the thing.  Phone cameras are just too convenient, you know?  ;)  Anyway, as I wandered around the house looking for good lighting, opportunities to practice changing my camera settings for different shots, and interesting subjects to snap, I realized that I was mostly taking pictures of the many funky antiques and well-loved finds from vintage stores around my home.  Some I purchased, some were gifts, some were passed on to me from my MIL (who conveniently shares a pension for aqua...win win).  Each item comes with a story.  Probably a twisting, winding story weaving the tale of how it passed from hand to hand until finding a home in my home.  Maybe some of their stories aren't exactly polished and shiny.  Maybe some of their stories are filled with sweet memories and happy times.  That's the thing about old treasures.  They come with history, with character, with perseverance built over a lifetime of being used, and each chip and crack tells their tale.

Old things are some of the finest things, I do believe.

A beat up hutch painted a sunny shade of yellow 

is now home to cookbooks, mixing bowls, and other kitchen-y things.

This bud vase reminded me of a blob of lava in a 70's lava lamp.  

In a good way. 

An aqua U.S.A. teapot missing its lid.  

Now it is a home for my wooden spoons and spatulas.  

Makes me smile as I cook.

Leaf vase from my MIL.  Pretty sure I hinted long and hard about this one.  ;)

Once a small planter, this U.S.A. pottery piece now holds our remotes on one of the sofa tables. 

Another U.S.A. pottery find.  

This dainty three-tiered cake stand was pretty grimy at first glance.  

With a good cleaning, it's now the perfect jewelry organizer perched atop my dresser.

Pitcher turned vase.  

Again with the aqua.  

I know.  

;)

We use this funky flower planter to hold bananas, avocados, and other fruits and veggies.

I've been collecting LuRay dishes for a few years now, and my family and friends have gifted me with many dinner plates, saucers, and platters to add to the collection.  I love the creamy sea green color of this particular LuRay line, and, while the pieces are hard to come by, it gives me a reason to hunt when visiting a dusty antique store.  :)

One of my favorites: a perfectly chipped and well-worn aqua McCoy planter.  Sometimes McCoy pieces can be hard to find, and I was in love with this detailed and delicate little planter the minute we met. :)  It helps our desk stay organized-ish.

Old made new.

I guess it is true that things just get better with age...

...especially with a few chips and dings for character along the way.

:)

What about you?  Collect anything interesting?  Do dusty antique stores give you the willies and/or allergy attacks?  ;)

Wanna go steady? Like, REALLY steady?

Thank you SO much for your input on the babysitter blog post!  I really appreciate your advice/experience, and, as a result, we've nailed down an AWESOME regular babysitter.  So, hooray!  Thanks, friends!

Truth: I am a mostly boring person.

Let me back up.  If you ask the people who know me well, they would tell you that I like a plan.  A good, solid, thought-through, forward-thinking plan.  I pride myself on being a very steady person.  For example, I usually don't commit to things unless I am positive I'll keep it up for the long haul, I don't really buy into fads like extreme crash diets or overly intense exercise regimens because I know they aren't completely long term solutions, and I am loyal to those I love with my whole heart.  BUT.  With Steady comes it's evil twin: Control Freak.  I like a plan; I like a calendar; I like a list.  Maybe (definitely) a little too much sometimes.  My family enjoys teasing me by quoting the following back to me:

"To me, having a plan is like having a warm, fuzzy blanket wrapped around you."
--Erin

See?  Boring.  ;)

Most of my life, I have been a planner, an organizer, a person who keeps multiple calendars that cross reference each other.  When I taught Senior English and was the Senior class sponsor, my kids would tease me about the excess of calendar in my classroom.  One calendar the size of a white board on the wall keeping track of Senior events; another wall-sized white board calendar for British Literature lesson plans and due dates; a third calendar by my desk for any extra to-do's that didn't fall into the previous two calendars' categories; a lesson plan calendar booklet in my desk to cross-reference what I wrote up on the huge board for the kids to see; and a fourth virtual calendar on my laptop.  Oh.  And the calendar on my iPhone.  Forgot that one.  Did my kids make fun of my anal-ness incessantly?  Yes.  Did they ever have an excuse to "forget" to finish a project or get their homework in on time or lose track of a meeting?  NOPE.  Bam.  Calendars are cool, kids.  Super cool.

;)

Anyway, my love for order, for planning, and for control has been around as long as I can remember.  (Did I mention I'm a first-born?  Yeah.)  And, as with most things that I feel I need to handle on my own, God seems to find it humorous to mess things all up.  Usually (read: always) for my good, but still.  He really thinks He's funny like that.

If I look around my closest circle of influence, I am surrounded by go-with-the-flow, laid back, carefree folks.  My husband, some of my closest girlfriends, my sister, many in my husband's family.  Don't get me wrong.  They have plans and are organized...just not bordering on OCD levels like someone we all know.  Ahem.  Ahem.  ;)

I don't think it is an accident that God placed these people in my life.  Not at all.  My husband balances me perfectly.  When I get all twitchy and angsty and demand Excel spreadsheets detailing every, well, detail of the next five, ten, 250 years of our lives, he calms my nerves.  He reminds me that we need to slow down, to breathe, to enjoy what we have right now in this moment, instead of planning away every free minute of our existence and then wondering where all the fun went.  When I am hesitant to try something new or fly by the seat of my pants, my best friend is usually the one to give me the nudge I need to jump.  While I'd call her a planner (what Mom of three little ones could survive without being a planner, amen?), she is just so much more comfortable and peaceful to venture out of her comfort zone, give something a try, forgo a solid set of plans for adventures and the resulting I'll-remember-this-forever stories that inevitably follow (see: tattoo blog post).  When I get bent out of shape because I've over-thought some aspect of my plans, my sister is quick to just shrug and blow it off.  I admire how easily she can allow frustrating things to roll off of her back if they aren't really that important in the first place, and this skill is developing more and more the longer she is out in the world living her grown-up life.  When I become overwhelmed with the many and ever-changing tough stages of motherhood, my girlfriends nod their heads, hand me coffee, and soothe my soul with stories of how they had to learn to let it go.  Everything has it's season, turn, turn, turn, and all of that, they say.  These women have no idea how they act as a balm to my weary Mom-spirit, and I don't know what I'd do without them.

When I get all anal and calendar-y and overly angsty, my people balance me out.  When I lose sight of the forest because of one tree that is frustrating me to no end, my people nudge me in the back until I learn to bypass that annoying tree all together and go have some fun in the forest with them.  No matter how detailed my plans, how color-coordinated my lists, how scheduled my days may be, my people remind me Who makes my plans, Who structures my existence, Who orchestrates my days.

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Proverbs 27:17

My people, my wonderfully laid-back, perfectly easy going, and lovably less-anal-than-Erin people.  These people are the ones who continually challenge me to be the best version of myself, work on the areas that are lacking, and, as a result, point me back toward dependence on my Lord, a hard place to be when you're a natural planner.  But...He's the best Planner of all.

And, you know, I bet my people don't even know they're doing it.

:)

What about you?  In which category do you fall?  Angsty yet lovable over-planner?  Laid-back lover of all things unpredictable and fun?  Somewhere in-between?  Do recognize anyone around you that might be a good counterpart for your anal-ness/plan-less-ness?  Can we still be friends now that you know of my calendar addiction...?  Pretty please?

Babysitter Q.

We are blessed to live close enough to my husband's family that they are able to help babysit our girls on occasion, and I do NOT know where I'd be without the regular and always generous gift of their time and love for our kiddos.  My family is about two hours away, but we see each other often.  Many times, my family will send Russell and me out for a date night when they are visiting or if we are staying with them, and there have been many weekends that they've swooped up one or both of the girls to give us some time "off."  God bless our families.  SERIOUSLY.  Amen.  And AMEN.

However, we try not to max them out on babysitting favors (even though I know and they tell me over and over that they LOVE IT).  I just don't want to ever come across like I take them for granted, and I know that just because we decided to have kids, their lives shouldn't have to come to a halt to babysit whenever we want to kick up our heels and head out for an evening.  You know?  Balance.  Gotta have balance.

Since we do have so many willing family members close enough to lend a frequent helping hand, we don't really have a regular babysitter(s) on standby to whom we can send out an SOS for sporadic help or much needed date nights.  We've used a few different girls over the past three years, and, while they've been amazing, they keep screwing things up by leaving for college.  I kid.  Mostly.  ;)  Not to mention that when we do hire a non-family babysitter, I turn into a complete loon trying to swirl around the house and list everything that they might need to know in case of any type of emergency, situation, or occurrence.  Skinned knee?  Here's the antibac and bandaids.  Run out of Mum Mum crackers?  Here's a stash of 12 more boxes.  Can't figure out the remote after the kids are in bed?  Here's a detailed six-page explanation of the inner workings of our (not even cable-equipped) television and DVR.  Are you hungry?  Here's an organic frozen pizza (gross) and 32 steps on how to use our oven.  See?  Loon. I'm telling you.

This brings me to my questions for you.  Not only am I insane about not knowing exactly what instructions to leave for a non-family babysitter (because our family knows the drill already and that's what I'm used to), but I'm not even really sure how much to pay a sitter.  Although I usually send a thank you note with a little gift card or a small surprise (lotion, flowers, lunch) to our family to say thank you for watching the kids, that doesn't really constitute paying for babysitting.  So.  What's the going rate?  Does it change when you add in a second kid?  Say if you were paying $10 per hour for one kid, do you then double it for two?  Triple it for three?  Per hour?  I mean, most of my friends have 1-3 kids, but I know some of you out there have a long line of little ducklings in tow (Hi, Leanne!), so do you have to break the bank for a night out with your hubby?  Does the rate change depending on what the sitter will be asked to do?  You know, more money if the kids are up and needing care; less money if they'll be asleep most of the time that the sitter will be on duty?  Do you tip?!?

See!!!  I don't have a clue.

Send help.  Fast.

Cause....we needs us a date night.  ASAP.

And really.  Who wouldn't want to hang out with these little angels who'd never ever make a mess not ever?

;)

Any suggestions?  Something I've missed?  Anyone have an aspiring babysitter daughter who lives nearby, can drive her own car, is wonderful with children and semi-loony Moms, and will promise to never go away to college and be our babysitter for all of time?  Anyone?

;)