what we've been up to

We act like we're older than we really are.

We take pictures of baby calves.

We slide down slides that are too small for us...

...into pools that are too small for us.

We cry for help.

We take pictures when people aren't looking.

We get dressed up for family weddings.

lemon bars for the win

I find myself baking at least once a week now that I'm home every day.  My tried and true cookies were getting boring and annoying so I opened my cookbook looking for a recipe that didn't require a trip to the store.  And with that, lemon bars for the win.  What could be better at the end of a sticky, sweaty summer day?

These bars are so simple and so delicious.  Make them.  Unless you have an aversion to lemon (ahem, Jackie) you won't regret it.  And if you do have an aversion to lemon...well, it sucks to be you.

Lemon Bars

2 c. flour

1 c. butter (I softened mine a bit)

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Topping:

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

6 T. lemon juice

4 T. flour

Mix flour, butter and powdered sugar with a fork until crumbly.  Spread in a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Beat eggs, lemon juice, sugar and flour until mixed.  Spread over top of baked layer and return to oven for another 25 minutes.  Take out and sprinkle with powdered sugar while hot.  Cool.  Cut into squares.

father's day 2014 (which seems like a month ago)

Not to get totally sentimental on you, but I have to tell you a quick story about how I ended up marrying this guy.  

Back when Jeff and I were dating while I was in college, it was really hard.  If you've ever had a long distance relationship, you know how difficult it can be.  Simple things like grabbing a kiss or seeing a smile after a long day truly make a relationship worthwhile, and when those things aren't possible because there's a distance, things can get shaky.  

For Jeff and I it was no different.  I was busy with classes and working, he was on the home front trying to run a business.  It was inevitable that we'd break up - it actually happened twice.  The second time we broke up I thought it was for good.  It was just too much trying to communicate with someone that far away, and for two people who aren't "phone people," it made it that much more challenging.

A few weeks later I was lying in my twin bed in my little apartment.  It was late morning, the sun was starting to come through my sheer curtains.  I had a vision.

~~

Wow, I just had to stop and cry for a minute.  Sorry.

I had a vision.  It was from the viewpoint of inside a home, around sunset.  I was looking out the front window and walking across the lawn was Jeff in his sunglasses holding a little girl, about three years old.  It was our little girl.  Mine and Jeff's.

He was meant to be mine and we were meant to be together - that was it.

That night I drove home to stay at a girlfriend's house for the weekend.  As we were doing our girly thing, curling hair, hair spraying, mascara-ing, high heeling, I got a phone call...it was Jeff.

He said Wow, it is so good to hear your voice.  I said, I know.

The rest is history, you guys.  Not only is he my fab hubs, but he happens to be a phenomenal dad.  So Happy Father's Day (a few weeks late) to my guy.  You were meant to be a Daddy.

our walking essentials (two years later)

The greatest thing about having this blog is that I can look back at what I was doing two years ago on our stroller rides.  Not much has changed, just add ten pounds and a second child.

You can obviously see the pride in my eyes as I so eloquently pose next to my new double stroller - it's the coolest thing I've bought in my almost-three-years as a parent.  I was like a frikking kid at Christmas when the FedEx truck pulled in.  You should've seen us all on the porch, Patrick by my side and Connor in my arms, all of us not-so-patiently waiting for the Big Box of Gorgeousness.  {Another Teacher Perk:  you're home all day to sign for packages.}  Jeff happened to be there and put it together for us which included all of putting on four wheels and unfolding it.  We took it for a stroll in our driveway and...and...and...wow.  It's just as everyone says - perfection in a double stroller.  The skylights, the reclining seats, the smooth ride.  It's got it all.  Oh wait, it doesn't have a spot on the push bar for a water bottle, keys, etc. so I bought this one from Amazon for eight bucks.  It does the job, but be careful with your Starbs - get a spill stick.  You can also get the more expensive one made my BabyJogger if you so prefer.  I didn't prefer.

Other than Connor's arched back of anger hesitation to be strapped in and the fact that my diaper bag just will not fit in the bottom basket, our maiden voyage to town went well.  We stopped into the Market for blueberries so Pat could have a snack (he ate almost the entire container) and cruised around until dinner time.  With it being late afternoon, the extra length on the sun shades was critical in keeping Connor's bare legs safe from sun rays.  Go Baby Jogger!

So what are my walking essentials nowadays?  Since my diaper bag won't fit underneath I've just been grabbing what we have to have.

• Patrick doesn't really use his sippies anymore - this water bottle by CamelBak is what he uses on the go.  
• Wipes.  Have you seen this clutch 'n clean thing from Huggies?  I'm uhb-sessed.  
• Since Connor isn't snacking yet (darn), we've got to have toys for him.  Although once we get going, he just chills back and watches the cars go by.
• Water.  Lots of water.
• Cell, obviously.  I finally upgraded to the iPhone 5C and I'm really, really happy with it.  Love all that Apple shiz.
• Sunscreen.  I'm partial to Water Babies by Coppertone still.

It's a pretty simple list but it gets us by.

Now hopefully we get some more great walking weather this week - I'm thinking of taking the boys to the zoo?  Or maybe getting a sitter and heading up to Ikea?  Maybe both?  Most likely!  Have a great week!

sleep training: ten days in

Can I get a HELL YES?

It worked, you guys.  It worked.

Last night Connor got 11 hours of sleep and I got 7.5.  Oh yeah, he's also moving in on hour 3 of his morning nap.  This is momentous.

Let me start from the beginning just so you understand my mindset, reasoning, and why I had no other choice.

Right out of the womb Connor was a great sleeper.  He napped well, woke up once during the night to nurse and would always crash if I wanted to run errands or grab a bite to eat.  If you've known me long enough to know how Patrick slept up until six months ago, you would know how grateful I was for a good sleeper.

Then Connor hit four months - he gradually woke up more and more until he was up every 2 hours? hour and a half?  45 minutes?  Whatever, he was miserable, I was a zombie.  Every time he woke up I'd run to him immediately so he wouldn't wake Pat up (who is a mere seven feet away).  He'd use my boobs to pacify himself back to sleep (most times not drinking a drop of milk).  If I wasn't nursing him back to sleep, I was bouncing or singing.  Anything just to get him back to sleep because I just wanted to lay back down.  He'd wake up shortly after and we'd do the entire thing all over again.  All night long.

It was a nightmare.  I found myself getting mad at Connor in the middle of the night - I'd be sobbing all alone in the living room, just begging him to fall back asleep.

This went on for a few months, school let out and it (of course) happened again the first few nights that I was off.  Then it clicked - sleep training must happen.  I decided I could not spend the entire summer doing this.  It was a physical impossibility.  Actually, I had told myself that very thing every night for weeks but as I mentioned before, it was a very scary thought and I was nervous it wouldn't work.  That night was different - the decision was made.  We were going to do this.

The next day I read through all the paperwork without having a panic attack.  (On previous occasions I had literally almost thrown up reading what the training entailed.)  I knew I was ready.  If you're interested, I used the Three Day Sleep Solution.  So how did it go?  I'm not going to lie, the first couple of nights were tough. The woman who told me about the program suggested I get some wine and put a movie on, and that helped.  It was a little tricky at first because Patrick wanted to run after Connor when he was trying to going to sleep.  I had to explain that Connor was learning how to go to sleep and that it would take some practice.

I really don't want to go into details because I know how controversial a crying baby can be, but in a nutshell, Connor had to learn how to put himself to sleep.  He was dependent on me so every time he woke in the night, he needed me to get him back to sleep.  The longest Connor cried was 45 minutes and that was only twice.  In the middle of the night he only whined (although he was up a lot like usual) and put himself back to sleep within five minutes.  My mom asked me Oh gosh Stef, wasn't it hard listening to him cry?  My answer was You know what was harder, Mom?  Taking care of two kids for 14 hours on three hours of sleep.  Silence.

Now when I lay him down he barely makes a peep and is out within minutes.

IT.  IS.  INCREDIBLE.  It feels as though fifty pounds of pressure/stress/anger/exhaustion has been lifted off my shoulders.  Connor is well rested and happy.  I don't have to crash with the boys during nap time if I don't want to because I myself am rested.  It's also been amazing as far as Patrick goes.  Prior to sleep training I'd have to go into a quiet room and put Connor to sleep - it took forever - God knows what Pat was getting into, and then we'd have to tip toe around until Connor woke (usually 30 minutes later).  Post sleep training naps look like this:

Me:  Kiss your brother's head - it's nap time.

Patrick:  Night night baby Connor.  Have a good nap!

We walk into the nursery, I give Connor his Mr. G, smother him with kisses and lay him down.

THAT'S IT.  I'm back into the living room ready to play with Patrick in three minutes or less.

~~

That's our story.  It's working beautifully, and I've never been more relaxed.  This summer will be one of my favorites, I can already feel it.

Thanks for listening, as always.  If you have any personal questions please don't hesitate to contact me.  I'd love to talk specifics. [srowland3709{at}yahoo{dot}com]

~~

PS - The giraffe lovie (Mr. G) in the picture was a gift from Jeff's dear cousin Kate.  She also got one for Patrick when I was still pregnant with him - he has the owl (Mr. Hoots).  They are the best - super soft, machine washable.  Nuff said.  You can purchase them at many small boutiques but here is their website.

finishing out the school year

School has been out for over a week now (seems like more!) but I wanted to share the projects I worked on in my Science classes in May.  They turned out so cool.

My 7th graders studied thermal energy for about the third time since I've had them in 4th grade.  The reason I taught it again was because they were still having trouble grasping some major concepts, like the relationship between thermal energy and changes in state.  To show this, we made homemade ice cream.  It was like my third time doing the activity so I finally had it down to a "T."

Since each student custom-flavored their cream, many of them let me taste all the different kinds.  They were delicious!

Tips for Teachers:
I always show this quick Steve Spangler video before the lab - it gives a nice (non-verbal) overview.  Then we go over all the materials involved - it's quite a few steps and can get overwhelming and messy very quickly.  This time around I had each student bring in $2 to cover the cost of all the supplies - it's pretty expensive.  I had 41 students and the cost was somewhere around $72; that didn't include the items I brought from home, like sprinkles and vanilla.

Here's the recipe I used per student:

(yields a cup of ice cream, which is a lot)

1 c. half and half

4 T. sugar

1 t. vanilla (or any flavor of extract)

3 c. ice

1/4 c. rock salt (or any coarse grained salt)
food coloring (optional)

1 gallon sized plastic bag

1 quart sized plastic bag

winter gloves

In quart sized plastic bag, combine half and half, sugar and vanilla (as well as any food coloring).  Seal.  In gallon sized plastic bag, combine ice and salt - mix it up.  Place small bag into large bag and seal.  Put on your winter gloves and shake, shake, shake!  It took my students about ten minutes for it to get to the consistency they wanted.  It melts quick so scoop it into a cone, top it with sprinkles and enjoy thermal energy at work!


~~

My Biology students were thrilled to get to do a dissection this year, even though it wasn't nearly as cool as last year's pregnant white rats (!!).  Because of money and time constraints, these kids had to do frogs - to me, it was completely boring and more appropriate for a junior high science class.  Oh well, they didn't have anything to compare it to and most of them were jumping for joy about using the lab coats, goggles and tools.  

If you're looking to do a frog dissection, its perfect for introducing some anatomy and students will be able to find all the major organs easily.

there's always one student who is a perfect "dissector."
she was it.

there's always one who gags the entire time and makes their
partner do the cutting.

and there's always the super stoked males who help me
remember why i love teaching.

~~

One of my most favorite projects I've ever done has got to be this one with my 6th graders.  I had to teach energy transformation and alternative energy sources, so what could be more perfect than to study wind energy?  They had so much fun making these wind turbines I cannot even describe.  The whole premise of the project was to persuade a local farmer (i.e. my dad and my husband) to invest in a windmill for their farm.  It would ideally produce all the electricity needed to run everything from fuel tanks to air compressors to the farm house refrigerator.

They made commercials using iMovie that included wind energy "pros," slogans and songs.  I had my dad actually watch the videos and choose the windmill that he thought would "work" best for his farm.  Those kids got Chipotle as a prize.  Not too shabby, eh?

Next year I am going to have the windmills actually generate electricity by installing mini generators to light a lightbulb.  We just didn't have time this year.

How amazing are they?!

~~

And once again I was honored to have a seat in the faculty section at the 2014 Graduation Ceremony for my school.  We had another gorgeous day right on Lake Erie - perfect for the kids graduates to throw their caps into the air.  I love that part.

// last year's graduation

So that's a wrap!  Goodbye 2013-2014 school year.

In our end of the year one-on-one conference, my boss asked me how my year went.  The only word that came to my mind was "rushed."  It was a constant onslaught of copies, lesson planning, grading - all done way too fast so I could get to the boys quicker.  That's not the way I like working, but a newborn will do that to you.

It doesn't matter anymore, though.  Helllllooooo, summer!

what "the fault in our stars" made me realize

Our book club book this month was the ever-talked about (among my seventh graders) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Guys, I really wanted to love it.  I really did.  But I didn't.  Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed reading it.  I didn't want to put it down and all that.  Maybe that was because I was waiting for something exciting and climactic?  It never happened.

After seeing the movie, I realized why I am indifferent about the story line.

I've crossed the line - the fine line that separates you from childhood to adulthood.  When I was still in "childhood," I related to every single young character.  I could picture myself in their situations:  getting butterflies, falling in love, being on a sports team, whatever.

Not anymore.

Hazel's character is only 16 (I think?) and Augustus is 18.  They're teenagers.  They play video games, they throw eggs at cars, they send flirty texts, they drink champagne and feel guilty about it.

As silly as it sounds, I don't remember that stuff.  They're already foggy memories that are stored way back in my brain that I can only pull out if I try really hard.  Some things stand out more than others, but it's hard to remember the way it felt to fall in love - to think about someone nonstop, to stare at the cordless home phone waiting for that boy to call, to be so drunk in lust that you can't even sleep.

Those days are behind me.  And it's kind of sad.

At the end of the movie my thoughts drifted to Hazel's parents.  Why?  Because that's who I connect with in movies now.  Parents.  WHAT??  If I would've told my 22-year-old self that I would soon be resonating with forty somethings, I would've never believed it.

So thanks, fault in our stars, for making me realize that I am no longer the young, naive, hopeless romantic that I used to be.

And that's just the beginning of the one huge pity party I've been attending lately.

connor @ 7 months (and 6 months...)

18 lbs, 6 oz.

12-18 month clothes (6-12 shorts)

size 5 diapers

you love:  playing independently, pulling yourself up on ev.ery.thing, "wrestling" with your brother, dinner time and your pacifier (again - thank God).

you hate:  having your diaper changed, being in the car seat too long, when we leave a room and you can't crawl fast enough to catch us. 

~~

You're such a freaking joy to have around, my love.  All of us just can't help but smile when we interact with  you - your happiness is simply infectious!  

~~

These past couple of months have been so much better (compared to RSV Month), although you and your brother both got the stomach flu back in the beginning of May.  Yuck.  Fortunately it was over quick and you both recovered easily.

With school ending this week, I'm going to start sleeping training you.  I'm scared.  Really scared.  However, you need more sleep, and I can barely function during the day.  Our current sleep system isn't working and we need changes.  A typical night consists of an evening snooze around 5:30 or 6 (Mistake #1:  You should be in bed for the night at 6) and you're in bed for the night at 8:45.  Most nights you're up at 11:30 and 3:30, but other nights are much worse.  You're up for the day at 5:45.  Tired baby.  Tired Mama.

You started solids this month!  Your favorites so far are a mixture of nectarines/bananas/strawberries & a mixture of green beans/carrots/avocados.  I bought the oxo freezer blocks - they're the perfect size for your little eating habits.  And because I know you'll only be eating purees for another month or two, I can handle the extra work in preparing them.  So far, Sundays have been the "food processing" day.  Actually, I've found that the blender works better than the food processor.  Anyways, right now you just eat breakfast (8 am) and dinner (5:30 pm).

Despite your sleeping issues (which are completely my fault), you're a beautifully content child.  You still like to breastfeed and I'm down with that.  Now that I can have dairy again (!!!), we can breastfeed as long as you want, my dear.  If you love it, I love it.

I also love that you fit perfectly on my hip.

And that your smile now includes two little (crooked) teeth on the bottom.

And that you lift your left knee high in the air when you crawl.

And that you hardly have any hair.

And that you make a whistle sound when you "talk."

And that you turn your head when we call your name.

And when your brother makes you laugh.

And the list goes on.

This is what playtime looks like.  A lot of tractors and a lot of Patrick telling you "No Baby Con, that's too sharp.  Here's your baby tractor."

Patrick also does this thing where he nonchalantly pushes you out of the way if you're trying to reach one of his toys.  He'll say "MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.  I mean, EXCUSE ME."

I can't wait until you're big enough to be like "DUDE, YOU MOVE."

Well, yes.  I can wait.

xoxo, Happy Seven Months.  And Belated Six Months.