7 Months & Christmas Baths

Can you believe it? He’s already over seven months. 

Although it feels as if it was just yesterday he entered into our lives, it also seems as if he’s always been a part of us. He fits perfectly and we can hardly remember life before him.

With three little elves running around its been challenging to do all of the activities I have swirling around in my mind. Pinterest has only fueled my creative juices and I seriously lay in bed awake at night excited about all of the new ideas I’d like to try in between toddler meals, chasing babies and changing diapers. 

Just before Christmas I decided to surprise the kids with a Christmas bath. It took less than ten minutes to throw together during nap time and they loved it.

-Peppermint scented water colored with red food coloring
-Holiday window decals from the $1 store that we already had (has anyone else thought to use these in the bath tub? Genius!)

-Shaving cream to make Frosty the Snowman

-A string of colorful lights 

-Scented pine cones I’ve had since last year and never used (my kids love exploring with their sense of smell)

-A bowl of shaving cream I colored with green food coloring and small spoons

-Red and green balloons

We talked and played for a full hour before the hitting and hair pulling started….it gave Mommy an easy segue to talking about keeping the Christmas spirit. 

We finished off with an easy snack idea I found on Pinterest.

Unfortunately, the kids claimed they didn’t like it although neither tried it. 

Fortunately, this worked in my favor—I mean, what woman won’t say yes to leftover spreadable cheese? Especially when it’s paired with crackers and a side of vino.

Here’s hoping the remainder of your holidays are warm and bubbly, colorfully festive, laced with peppermint-and-iced-snow smells, and free of hair pulling and hitting. 

 “Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.” – Thomas Aquinas

InstaChristmas

Our holiday moments according to my Instagram....

1. putting the finishing touches on the last of my homemade Christmas gifts
2. keeping things simple this year
3. egg nog made extra special

1. one of my favorite girls in the whole world, kiersten

2. brunch started our nine full hours of just hanging out and talking

3. mimosas and coffee

4. seeing kiersten's beautiful church decorated for Christmas

5. appreciating the old decor in all places nyc

1. more colored lights this year

2. morning coffee and beautiful sunshine. no filters.

3. i kept finding interesting new ornaments on our tree.

4. our beautiful friend robin gave us a popsicle maker i've been craving for a long time and my favorite cheryl & co. cookies to match. hmmm, what to eat for breakfast?

5. pinterest continues to inspire me

6. so my little guy would know how much we love him when he woke on his birthday morning

7. festive lights in the bathroom 

8. sequins to church. my rachel roy dress that i adore from my girl amy. 

9. i went in to the city this past saturday for a girls day out with my girl kiersten. a few hours into the trip i received a text with this picture and "here we come". my amazing hubs brought all three kids into the city on a whim because they wanted to go so badly when i left that morning. he did Metro North, 125th street, FAO Schwarz, Grand Central and the subway and never once intruded on my girls day. they all made it home in one piece, just in time for nap time and he managed to hit Barnes & Noble after. words don't even do justice to how i feel about this guy.

1. all aboard the Santa Express night train

2. making candy cane playdoh for our special friend Coop

3. shoes

4. the Santa Express

5. decorating our favorite Crocs with Jibbitz from Uncle Cameron and Aunt Sharon

6. Sissy got hit in the head with the door by big brother. i did my best to comfort her and then asked what would make her feel better. through hysterical sobs she said, "cofffffeeeee". so we did coffee.

And the added gift that has made this year's holidays rich with joy and laughter....

1. dancing to early morning Christmas tunes

We're headed out to Christmas Eve service at church and dinner at friends. Looking forward to making many more memories before the holidays end and more thankful for my kids health and safety than I've ever been. 

Sense and Disconnect

We have been without a computer for over a week and now having the keyboard beneath my fingers again feels really good. While the internet certainly makes me feel connected to others with constant and immediate communication, I was reminded of the greater benefits to being disconnected.

Being disconnected often finds you more time to be connected to the ones you love. Doing more while being fully present so you don't miss the special little moments.

More time to sit and paint, build and observe.

To really see the world through their curious, wondrous eyes. 

I was reminded that all of this instant connectivity we think we have with everyone is just a big, fat facade. 

Being truly connected is through a voice, 

a smile, 

funny moments together, 

seeing with collective eyes, 

hugs, 

touch,

smells that have the ability to transfer you back to a time and place,

and taste.

 (He did this all on his own. I was at the sink and Cash started crying. He stopped and I looked over to Big Brother saying, "ahhh" and feeding him.)

There's just no better way to be with our loved ones than through our gifts of of listening, seeing, smelling, tasting and touch.

I love so many things about having my computer back and the ease of reconnecting with friends and loved ones who I wouldn't have the gift of staying in close contact were it not for its existence. But, now with iPhones, Skype and Facebook, among other outlets, its just becoming easier and easier to connect in a less physical way.

Last week I felt my stomach churn when Gatorade was spilled on my computer. Today, I realize I needed the absence of what I felt was a necessity to remind me that everything I need is right beside me. 

If I want to truly enjoy the family and friends God has blessed me with then I need to disconnect to truly connect. Because when you connect through your senses you feel it more in your heart.

And within there lies magic.

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul."

-Oscar Wilde