Friday Five

1. First things first: there will finally be a new look around here soon. I was lucky enough to win a Blog design from 17th Avenue Designs! I hope to get a chance in the next few days to actually get everything installed. It's Up now! Wahoo! Thanks Kate! (Also, hopefully I can get a few elements added back, like pages & a blog button, soon.)

2. This weekend is the big move with my mom. Crossing my fingers that it isn't a total nightmare. And, well if it is, at least it's almost all over with, right?

3. My favorite thing I read this week? This response to the Chick-Fil-A business. Many thanks to Jamie @ the Grumbles for tweeting it. Also, side note: I keep forgetting about Jane's site. I remember when Jane magazine was cancelled I was so annoyed.

4. I was listening to the Savage Love podcast (which I'd forgotten about but grabbed an episode of when getting some more Girl on Guy by Aisha Tyler podcasts) (She's hilarious btw) (also, I was listening with my headphones in and checked them 50 gabillion times to make sure everyone at the bus stop didn't have to hear the words anus or asshole over and over again) and was reminded when I first heard of Dan Savage. I'd just moved to the PNW after finishing high school, so 1996. (No YOU'RE old! Shut up!) I somehow came across a radio show he hosted on KCMU (now the beloved KEXP) called Savage Love Live. I used to tape it and send it to my girlfriend Z in Cali. I'm pretty sure everything I know about sex I learned from him (and co-host Mary, whom I loved), lol. So, uh, I guess- thank you Dan Savage. haha.

5. Can we all just give a big Hurrah for awesome husbands and best friends? Because, yeah.
Happy Friday! See ya on the other side of the weekend, with a little less stress and stress related headaches. Yeah?

Dig deep and breathe

In my head, over and over, to get me through...

"Times going to bring me something new
Whether or not I want it to
And the most I can do
Is take
Just
One
Step
And the rest doesn't matter
No, not just yet"

"Hey little girl are you crying
Cause you've been broken down?
Well you're not the one to blame
For all the motherfuckers hanging about
Oh but nothings gonna change
If you don't go and figure it out
So pack your bags get going
Let's go show em how you kick, scream, and shout

Breathe girl
Dig deep and breathe
Come on baby, breathe girl
Dig deep and breathe
Hey little girl
Have you gotten all your dreams written out
Well you better get em straight
If you wanna get the story on out
Cause nothings gonna change
If you don't go and figure it out
So pack your bags get going
Let's go show em how you kick, scream, and shout
Breath girl
Dig deep and breathe
Come on baby, breathe girl
Dig deep and breathe"


Lyrics from 'Not Yet' and 'Breathe' - Carrie Akre

Life, lately

So much going on, who knows where to start. I'm a bad enough writer anyway, but everything I want to write about is more of a jumble in my head than usual. Know what I am good at? LISTS! *With jazz hands!*

-No internet at home, which is the main reason for no blogging lately. See also, Comcast can suck it.

-Okay, I'm really lazy which is the real reason for no blogging. I could blog a little from my phone (which I'm doing now) or take my laptop to work if I wasn't so lazy.

-Also the laptop needs a new battery and we just haven't gotten around to it since we aren't using it much (See no internet at home)

-Both Shawn and I have hurt ourselves in the last few months (Actually I guess mine was in like Feb or March. huh)  I messed up my back and Shawn torn some muscles in his calf. That kind of stuff makes life crazy. In other news, WE LOVE PAINKILLERS!!! Haha, kidding. Sorta.

-Archer is getting too big, too fast. We have: 5 teeth coming through, he's sitting up, pulling up to stand all the time, sleeping in his own crib in his room finally, tells jokes (runs his binkie against the crib rails, while it's in his mouth, and laughs), is very attached to mama right now, screeching very very loudly, eating foods finally! He's about 19lbs (25-50 percentile), and very tall/long- I think it was 29in (97 percentile I believe), w/ a small-ish head (25th percentile). Mostly though, like his big brother (see also: his favorite person in the world), he's just a sweet, smiley, happy baby. Boy do I love that little pink lump (Shawn's weird terms of endearment are clearly rubbing off on me.)

-Q is talk, talk, talking up a storm. Current favorites: I hold da babe (Translation: I'll hold my baby), I don't want it (Said when food is presented he does not approve of, or if he doesn't want to do something that's been asked of him), Oh Shit! (we're working on getting rid of that one, lol. Replacement therapy in process to change to Oh shoot!), Cuddle mama! (I mean COME ON!), I find it!, Listen (Okay, that's just one word, but the way he says it when he hears something and he wants us to hear it to? So cute!), and just a bunch of other cute stuff. He tries very hard to make sure he is saying things correctly, so he'll repeat them over and over until he gets it right. He's still pretty sweet and affectionate, giving us run by hugs and kisses all the time. And we have not yet entered full blown toddler madness yet, so that's awesome. Cause I'm so, so scared to reach that stage.

-My mom is finally moving into our house. I think. So the next few weeks will be utter madness. I'm trying not to stress too much, but well... I'm stressed.

-This week/weekend is BlogHer and holy overloaded twitter and instagram feeds! Honestly though I actually like seeing the updates and living vicariously through everyone else. I don't know that I would ever have the guts to go to something like that, or really a good reason. But it's fun to see everyone else go.

-We have finally had some pretty decent days here in the PNW weather wise, and we are trying to take advantage of it. Mostly our big thing is sticking to the plan of getting the boys out to a park of some kind for a good long walk and bit of exploring. It's been pretty fun and am enjoying discovering new parks all over.

Whew! I think that's all I can manage for now. Hopefully I can get the laptop battery replaced soon, get some pictures uploaded and actually up on the blog. Maybe. Possibly?
Haha! Happy Friday dearies!

Wordless(ish) Wednesday: Archer is 7 Months Old

Let's not even talk about my lack of posting, K?
Moving on.
Archer is 7 months old! Holy Cow! I can't handle that. He's full on sitting up, pulling up to stand, for reals crawling (after quite a few weeks of that scootch & pull method of getting around), has 4 teeth coming in, and is finally eating solid foods. Sometimes (We are truly terrible parents and need to like, feed this poor kid more) (and don't even get me started on the fact that we hadn't pre-scheduled his 6 mo checkup and by the time we tried to schedule it we weren't able to get an appointment until Aug. When he's 8 months old. Poor, poor 2nd child.)
For now I just have pictures from my phone (Who am I kidding, the pictures I took with the actual camera aren't any better anyway). He's quite a mover now too, so a lot of blurry pictures were taken. Well until he got to the box of diapers and just stayed there for 10 minutes playing with in until he got cranky and then picture time was over. Yay!

Happy blurry Baby!

Are we done here lady?

Q showing Archer his bandage (he refuses to say band aid)

*10-16-12 This post was prety much finished but never posted. Backdating the post so it's not lost and forgotten forever, lol

Thrifty loo hoo: Part Two

Finally got out again on Memorial Day Weekend for a Value Village/Goodwill/St Vincent hop. As usual I was mostly looking for books & frames. And although there were good sales happening, there were also a billion people out picking through everything. Also, as usual, I didn't have the patience to dig through clothes. But I scored a big stack of books for the boys, one for myself and a couple of frames. As usual the kids books were between $0.69-$0.99 each (plus a couple free from value village I think.) My book was $2 and the frames were $5 or $6 for all 4. I hope to hit up some garage sales this summer and see if I can find some really good deals. Here are some crappy pictures of my finds:

An excellent haul of books for the boys. Q's especially fond of the Little Eisenstein's. I like Oscar's rotten birthday. And a Sandra Boynton book we don't actually have! 

Oh, and I almost forgot this book I found a few weeks ago. I had a version of this as a child but this one has illustrations by Gyo Fujikawa, who wrote my very favorite book from childhood, Oh What a Busy Day. It was at a used book store, so it wasn't as cheap- $8, but I couldn't resist. There are however some questionable poems I might be omitting from story time, lol.

Couple of plain frames I can paint and a 2 pack of brand new Ikea frames!

A new book for me! I might even read it! 

The big score of the day goes to my best girl Racheal though. Outside St Vincent were a couple of patio/ bistro table style chairs. She'd just been talking about wanting something for her patio, so this was quite good luck. She considered them, at $14 each not a bad deal, but wasn't sure. Then we realized that everything was half off. She hauled her ass outside and grabbed those puppies up! They're not in perfect shape, but pretty damn good.

Racheal and I are really going to try harder to get out thrifting more often. I say that all the time, but I really mean it this time! No, really! And maybe I finally get something kinda interesting for a change?

Linking up again w/ Mandy for HOTT

 

A lovely long weekend

I had a couple extra days off work around memorial day and Shawn had the Friday before off, so we decided to take a little day trip up north. We stopped first in Mount Vernon to walk around a little and so that I could feed Archer. Q was being adorable and having a good ole time waking along with us, checking things out. But, note to self: bookstores with a 2 yr old? Um, perhaps not. At least, not if I want to actually look for books.

Starting the car trip by reading sweetly in the car

Yeah, we leash him. So what? He doesn't love being the stroller and he likes to run.

Checking out the River

Playing "piano" on the boardwalk

After we'd walked around for awhile we hopped back in the car and continued on north to Deception Pass State Park. We spent and hour or two on the beach throwing rocks in the water and squealing over how cold it was. And by we I mean Q. Okay fine, me too. Q just had a ball. I mean, I'm sure most 2 year olds love being outside exploring, gathering, playing. But seeing his joy is such a good reminder to make sure we get out at every chance possible. Trying to make sure we at least get one good long walk every weekend.

Having a snack before setting off to play

I caught a little cuddle ; )

Deception Pass Bridge

Failed attempt at a picture with Archer

Bonding

Ignore me- Look at that EPIC Archie Stink Face. OMG!

Inspecting rocks. Also Q would like the hold the rock he's sitting on. "Hold it mama!"

One last failed atempt

Oh, well that's pretty cute

It was really a pretty perfect day. Perfect weather & happy kids. I'd like a repeat every weekend please and thank you.

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Archer is 6 Months Old

omgomgomg I can't believe Archer is 6 months old already! Why oh why does it go by so quickly?! Please enjoy some pictures while I curl up in a ball and cry.

Brandy new tiny bebe

Linking up with The Paper Mama and Jenni from the Blog