I'm sitting at the table at our new house staring out at our neighbors' houses and the street. Lucy June is cooing in her seat next to me (because she's perfect,) and Jake is being entirely too quiet for comfort, but dammit if I don't want to write a little something. This house needs some permanent marker on the walls anyway.
Moving. This move is taking forever. Jacob is working every day and most days he puts in over 12 hours, and just how much I can't do by myself stares me in the face day after day.
My Moving Food Diary
Day 1Breakfast: Coffee & Homemade Lara Bars
Lunch: Homemade Lara Bars
Dinner: Trader Joe's Frozen Teryaki Chicken
Day 2
Breakfast: Coffee & Brownies
Lunch: Brownies
Dinner: Trader Joe's Frozen Teryaki Chicken
Day 3
Breakfast: Starbucks Drive Thru
Lunch: Where are the brownies?
Dinner: Take Out
But every day is a little bit better, a little more normal, a little more put together. So let's link up with Hallie and focus on some favorites today.
Every time my newborn pooped immediately after I changed her diaper, I would suffer so much guilt over the 15 second life of this disposable that would now spend the REST of TIME in a landfill.
But every time I would run a massive toddler bomb to the garbage outside, I was thanking God I didn't have to rinse that sucker in the toilet.
But then there was the moment when I reached into the plastic bag and came up empty-handed while my toddler's naked bum grinned up at me - and well, Size 1 plus duct tape and a trip to the Grocery store later, we were mostly unscathed - but that was decidedly UNfun.
Anyhow, yesterday I unpacked my box of beautiful, soft Clotheez prefolds, and I knew I was home.
My Dad's running. Dad hatched a plan about ten years ago that involved qualifying for the Boston Marathon when he aged into the 60+ bracket.
And he did it! Here in Houston! Last weekend! I was more than proud. I cried. Like three times.

Post race pic of the runners: Dad and his oldest, Prefontaine.
This is a journal for Catholic mothers that I've been receiving for the past few years. I was introduced to it by a friend in Southern California. You can sign up to receive them for free because they operate on a donation-only basis. They put together each edition as soon as they have the funds, so you never quite know when you're going to get one, but when they come I get so excited. I read it in bits and pieces and stolen moments of quiet coffee drinking. The articles are so enriching and they have the most endearing illustrations.
Anyhoo. Go put yourself on their mailing list and enjoy yourself some printed word every few months. And after you decide that you love them, throw them a donation so they can keep the journal going.
"...we realllly like our pale ales and buffalo wings and plush booths and dimly lit locales. Therefore, we take the kids."

"There's an inevitable eye-lock between Sean and I at some point during every one of these "dates" that translates clearly to "why do we do this?" We do it because it is, ultimately, a good time."
I know. I know. It makes me happy too!
"...*Ryan would like me to edit this by saying he has been totally against the pacifier past age 1.5 (puhlease) and it’s only because of his wife’s weak will that we continually caved to Anna’s paci (!!!!!!) demands. In summary: the entire situation is arguably my fault and he allowed it to continue because all of my extensive de-pacifier plans and theories on parenting this particular battle were mildly entertaining until recently when they started to cross over into the ridiculous."
Emily wrote this about the little victories in toddler parenting, and in the words of my son "Iss my FAVOrite!"
Alrighty, off I go to fold some towels. (Thanks for your recs on washer/dryers. We decided against buying the set of my dreams because that was too $tre$$ful for me, and instead bought some cheap clunkers off our new neighbors. The washer does an admirable job despite all her creaks and groans in the process. Her noises are actually a little alarming, but I listen to her. I listen to her, and we understand one another.)
Go see Hallie and the Favoriteers.
Lunch: Where are the brownies?
Dinner: Take Out
But every day is a little bit better, a little more normal, a little more put together. So let's link up with Hallie and focus on some favorites today.
- 1 -
Cloth Diapers (and disposable diapers)
For the past month of traveling and holidays and moving, my kids have been in disposable diapers. I was both appalled by the waste and in love with not having to do diaper laundry.Every time my newborn pooped immediately after I changed her diaper, I would suffer so much guilt over the 15 second life of this disposable that would now spend the REST of TIME in a landfill.
But every time I would run a massive toddler bomb to the garbage outside, I was thanking God I didn't have to rinse that sucker in the toilet.
But then there was the moment when I reached into the plastic bag and came up empty-handed while my toddler's naked bum grinned up at me - and well, Size 1 plus duct tape and a trip to the Grocery store later, we were mostly unscathed - but that was decidedly UNfun.
Anyhow, yesterday I unpacked my box of beautiful, soft Clotheez prefolds, and I knew I was home.
- 2 -
Not my own running. Ha! (I do have a double jogger in the mail finally and a decent running neighborhood, so perhaps I'll kick into gear again soon. But recently, I've just been cursing the scale between my occasional half-hearted Jillian excursions.)My Dad's running. Dad hatched a plan about ten years ago that involved qualifying for the Boston Marathon when he aged into the 60+ bracket.
And he did it! Here in Houston! Last weekend! I was more than proud. I cried. Like three times.

Post race pic of the runners: Dad and his oldest, Prefontaine.
So proud. So so proud.
- 3 -
Anyhoo. Go put yourself on their mailing list and enjoy yourself some printed word every few months. And after you decide that you love them, throw them a donation so they can keep the journal going.
- 4 -
Jessie wrote the best post about dating her husband while the littles tag along, and I crack a smile every time I think about it."...we realllly like our pale ales and buffalo wings and plush booths and dimly lit locales. Therefore, we take the kids."
"There's an inevitable eye-lock between Sean and I at some point during every one of these "dates" that translates clearly to "why do we do this?" We do it because it is, ultimately, a good time."
I know. I know. It makes me happy too!
- 5 -
Emily wrote a post about divorcing her two year old from her pacifier.
"...*Ryan would like me to edit this by saying he has been totally against the pacifier past age 1.5 (puhlease) and it’s only because of his wife’s weak will that we continually caved to Anna’s paci (!!!!!!) demands. In summary: the entire situation is arguably my fault and he allowed it to continue because all of my extensive de-pacifier plans and theories on parenting this particular battle were mildly entertaining until recently when they started to cross over into the ridiculous."
Emily wrote this about the little victories in toddler parenting, and in the words of my son "Iss my FAVOrite!"
>><<
Alrighty, off I go to fold some towels. (Thanks for your recs on washer/dryers. We decided against buying the set of my dreams because that was too $tre$$ful for me, and instead bought some cheap clunkers off our new neighbors. The washer does an admirable job despite all her creaks and groans in the process. Her noises are actually a little alarming, but I listen to her. I listen to her, and we understand one another.)
Go see Hallie and the Favoriteers.