Just Being Boy

It has been an interesting experience thus far raising a boy after a girl.

I am finding many different things he has done that I never had to deal with Eliza. He is all about things with wheels, head butting, baby gate climbing, food stealing and stubbornness (gee... I wonder where he gets that from!)

As my time will soon be preoccupied with a new little boy to care for, I am finding myself having to purposely carve some time out to just do one-on-one time. Everything is still new, as he explores and discovers all the things a two year old can find. He is forging his way into his own person, and won't be persuaded any other way. 

All the Right Teeth

A major milestone happened in the Geddes family with its newest four year old visiting the dentist!

First off....yes...I am THAT mom who takes her big camera to document this life event.

Second....Eliza is very much like her mother and asked all sorts of questions about all the equipment seen in the rooms. Even down to the bottle of cleaner on the counter! Mommy even learned a fancy new name for the spit basin....a Cuspidor. It sounds like a froo froo wine or a very expensive automobile for the rich who have their own driver..."Bring the Cuspidor to the front gates so I can go for a drive please."

After counting teeth, applying bubble gum flavored tooth paste and a preventative sealant on her back molars....

Our mouth has been given an A+

This is somewhat of a relief for myself, as it took till after her 2nd birthday to actually let us brush her teeth without having to use some sort of wrestling move. May she inherit daddy's teeth and mommy's orthodontia! 

An Upcoming Baby Girl Blessing

A very good friend of mine received some of the best news besides longing to get 

pregnant after a loss....it would be the first girl after two wonderful little boys. 

Out with the blue and in with pink and purple for this quilt!

I had her go through my girl stash to get a better idea of what she gravitated towards, while keeping some added patterns a surprise for her reveal. I told her not to worry about how I would make it all come together, as that was my challenge. This was my first quilt done where I skipped the binding and did an inside out seem with a mini zig-sag around the outside after it was turned and pressed.

Enjoy it baby girl!

Four and Fabulous!

Another year has passed and we celebrated another milestone in our little girls life. Watch out world....we have a new four year old on the block!

Two days before her official day, we had a small celebration with some MOPS friends. The weather, for the first time was nice enough to PLAY OUTSIDE! This is huge for us north easters.

Despite some muddy clothes, we came inside for some homemade, Strawberry Shortcake cake, sucked down juice boxes and opened a few presents. No elaborate Pintrest worthy birthday party, just unstructured play and cake :) My mother would be proud of me using my degree for the graphic elements done up for the cake top, lol. Printers and a laminator are wonderful tools...

Not pictured, Eliza had 1 girl friend out of the 6 boys in attendance

For a super easy table cover, I used free blank newsprint end rolls from our 

local paper and our dot markers to go with the color theme.

On Sunday after church, we spent some time opening some family gifts while Nolan took a nap. Grandma gave more dot markers to add to her rainbow, along with My Little Pony playset and Marble Work track pieces. Our big gift to her was actually a bunch of little inexpensive items to create a 'busy box'.

Most items were found in dollar stores/sections or clearance racks, while cashing in survey points for Amazon gift cards for slightly more expensive things like the wooden Melissa & Doug bead sets. I found great sale items, just days before Easter as basket fillers. My hopes are, that once the baby is here, this will keep her extra busy during quiet times over the summer. The Frozen trunk box (Thank you Michael's 50% off sale!) will now be used for her new dress up accessories given from friends.

Contents:

Construction Paper

Pipe cleaners/pompoms/googly eyes

Purple Headphones 

Wooden painting shapes

Bead kits

Sticker books

Paint with water book

Letter Practice

Rubber stamps

Mini coloring books

Glue

Princess Crown

Madagascar Innotab Game

Sunglasses

POP paper craft kit

Lip gloss

Pony necklace 

I wanted to really make our limited birthday budget go the distance to keep her entertained, instead of spending it all on 1-2 toys. She was quite excited and spent the rest of the afternoon like this...

A look into the future maybe?

A Quilt for Alden

In order to keep my sanity during these long winter months, I took to the sewing machine and went to work.

This was the first time I used a jelly roll, picked up last spring from Moda Fabrics. All I can say is WOW and how much quicker it made the sewing process go! I also used a rotary cutter for most of this work, which was a nice change in pace and gave my seems a more polished look

This is the largest quilt I've done before, but I never really set any measurements 

as to how big they will be. Just a good eye at making sure its balanced

With how busy the front was, I wanted a neutral grey and contrasting green for binding. For a summer baby, I think this quilt comes off matching the fun of all the activities one can enjoy outside....eventually for Alden ;) 

Just Being Girl

That "cape" Eliza is wearing is actually one of my nursing covers. She has taken it over as her own and declared it her super hero cape.....all on her own idea. So we are rolling with it! I guess it helps with her creative flow during quiet time play dough.

Does this little girl LOVE her daddy. We have to fight tears after dropping him off at work when I pull away. Any opportunity to sit and cuddle is taken.

Sometimes, I just never know where I'll find her....

Sugar Rush

Eliza, enjoying her basket spoils from the church...two fisted no doubt!

It wasn't our warmest of Easters, so we went outside quickly to snap a few shots.

Nolan enjoyed having full access to his loot and found pockets 

to be a great place to store his plastic eggs during the church service.

What Came First: Chicken, the Egg, a Bunny or the Dinosaur?

Ah yes, the time of year, if not countdown to Easter morning is upon us parents to shell out the creative juices and/or wallets and head to any of the various store displays with sugary and fluffy ammo. Some parents have planned well in advance and have baskets made, church clothes picked and pressed.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand......then there are us who look out the window and still see snow on the ground and a forecast for more over the weekend.

Spring?

It is still a surreal concept for most of us as we contemplate if dress shoes for church is going to cut it or do we drag out the boots, for what we pray is the last time this year. Or if we can find some tights for under a dress if we do indeed stay in the 30's.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling any bit of guilt about not dying any eggs, crafting a basket for each of the kids or picked out a new dress/suit for the kids to walk into church with.

But ya know....

It really doesn't matter. Easter has never been about getting sweets, trinkets or toys.....so why should I start that expectation with my kids now? Before you start rummaging around for a Mean Mommy card to slap in my hands....I am not against anyone giving my kids a basket or inviting them to an egg hunt. It is their choice and never expected to happen. Just a nice surprise. In fact we were blessed out of the blue last night with a wonderful hand-me-down Easter dress from our previous neighbors :)

Over the last few years, it seems to be noticed that some holidays have become ramped up. Baskets have become so full, their contents have spilled out and on to the couch. Gone are the days where an egg hunt involved finding real eggs and more of the candy was reserved for a basket. The emphasis was more about spending time with family and friends than getting things. Those are the special things I want my kids to look forward to....worshiping Jesus centered with other believers....things I did not have the chance to know of in my childhood.

So we will wake up, pull ourselves together the best we can and be glad in knowing of the true sacrifice behind this day :)

**DISCLAIMER**
I do not judge anyone or families that have their traditions around the holiday. They decide what is best for their children and are allowed to do so. This is just what I desire for my family.