Archive for March, 2011

(August 2010 – Cy was 3 weeks old and big kids realized he was here to stay)

Eli is barefoot.

Cora Jane’s pants are on backwards.

Cyrus isn’t even wearing pants.

It’s raining.

Nothing in this actually-happened-to-me-scenario would be noteworthy EXCEPT we are walking into a Dr’s office for our appointment.

Half a hour late!

I’m losing it folks.

The worst part about boarding the crazy train is now I’m considered the “flakey friend.” Back in High School I was the prepared friend. The one who brought full sized shampoo, extra snacks, magazines and nail polish to camp. In college I was a bit spacey, but always on time and where I said I would be. Being the midnight shoulder to cry on for a sorority sister or dancing till 2am would still have me arriving to teach a 5:30am aerobics class on time and with energy to spare. As a newly married woman and young mom I was labeled “carefree” (maybe careless when I wasn’t around) because I let my kiddos eat table food at 6 months and didn’t hover while they climbed to the tops of park jungle gyms.

Now I’m the flake. The one who buys birthday gifts on the way to the party… late. The one who forgets to pick up a friend’s child from school while they are in the hospital having a baby (Yes, I actually did that last month). The one who can never get it together to make a meal for a new mom. The one who’s laundry pile is ever growing, never folding.

I think the worst part is thinking I have everything together only to discover I totally flaked out on something. Like last week – I had to bring food to my mom’s group. I brought donuts (of course) because “I’m not blessed in the kitchen.” I had arrived early for the first time the whole year, donuts in hand, with my hair actually done (aka not in a ponytail) and the children were rested, dressed cute and sent to childcare without breakfast still smeared across their faces. AND no one knew I was 13 weeks preggers. In my mind I had finally made it. I really could handle being pregnant with 3 small children and maintain a growing (awesome) business all by myself. Then I got home and checked my calendar only to see I was a no-show for a lunch shoot for OC Family.

Aaaaarrrrhhhhhgggg!!!!!!!!!!

Failure. Flake.

Feels like my new identity.

What’s a mom to do?

What will solve all my scheduling problems.

A  personal assistant, daily maid and live-in nanny of course!!

Until I get picked for Real Housewives of Orange County I think that might be a pipe dream. And frankly, a dream I never want to see fulfilled. I love my life. I love my husband, my children, my messy house and my awesome biz. I just don’t want to be a lame friend.

So, I got an iPhone.

I’m now reachable by cell and my outlook calendar will shoot me a reminder set times before events, obligations and casseroles. I hope it works because there is no Plan B.

We REALLY do wear our Lids all the time around here, and of course I’m always snapping pictures. Somehow they just don’t make it to the blog… till now! We’ve added Lid-Tastic Tuesday! Every Tuesday we’ll do a flashback post of pictures I never got to put on the blog.

I’m lucky to have a husband who isn’t into watching endless sports games on TV… her prefers to play in real life. So instead of losing him to a sports season I get to sit on freezing cold bleachers every week and wrangle the children. Wait… is that a good thing??

Oh well. Hot Hubby has played softball with a local league since we were married. We go to all his early games.

This is us when Eli was 7 months old in my very first Eli’s Lids prototype…
(Life with only one child… I look rested and put together. Those days are long gone)

Now our family of 5 cheers daddy on at all the early games…

(Cy 3 months)

If we’re lucky other families fill the stands with kiddos as well. Of course they all wear Lids! It gets chilly in Orange County at night!!

Raise your hand if you are adorable!!

Later!!

(Cy 7 months)

…in no particular order.

Yesterday I got to meet one of my local Eli’s Lids customers – aka Lid Lover. Once again verifying how awesome my customers actually are. I truly think everyone who buys a Lid is my friend.

Another Lid Lover gave me a few tips about these awesome pattern books. Check out Sew Liberated & Oliver & S. Again confirming people who love Lids are RAD!!

Easter is just about here and you know I love to match. We were going to go with peach and green because of a dress I got Cora Jane at Sam’s Club but now I have a vision of grey polkadots… (maybe with pink accents?) Hoping I won’t have to sew everything to make it happen.

I had an original idea to make a birthday bunting with girl colors on one side and boy colors on the other side. I was telling my friends (Kyla & Jamie) at a craft night last night and they’ve seen it done before. Just goes to show, there is nothing new under the sun!

The children moved the rug diagonally while playing the other day and I really like it. I’m totally feng shui.

I like cake plates sitting on the table. I like them best with cake inside.

I’m on a anti high fructose corn syrup kick. It’s hard to find jam without it.

I’m really thankful for Hot Hubby. I told him (nicely) at the beginning of the week that I would appreciate help cleaning up after dinner. And he has helped every night since. But I’m most especially thankful he puts up with my saving-of-old-container-fetish because it’s filling up a cupboard and I know he hates it.

Anyone with stainless steel pans know how to get off the burned gunk? My mom says to use comet but it seems so harsh. A bit has been coming off into the morning eggs and when the children asked what it was I told them pepper. Subsequently I have been adding real pepper to our eggs so I won’t be lying to them.

This kid is awesome.

He can now do the sign for “more.”

I’m just falling  and in love with him every second!

Every morning I listen to this song…

… you should too. Every word speaks to me (see lyrics here) and it is such a great reminder that we are not alone. While you’re at it, please tell me how they shoot that video. Crazy how their singing is normal speed and they are all moving super fast.

Happy Friday! I’ll be away this weekend on a women’s retreat but I’m going to try to post an AWESOME announcement tomorrow!!! I promise you won’t want to miss it!!!

Even though it was last minute I feel like Saint Patty’s Day ended up pretty fun for the family. BUT later in the evening any mommy points I earned were null and void!!

After all our dinner talk of leprechauns turning things green, Eli asks, “Mommy, what’s a leprechaun?” Guess I should have explained that before talking up their sneaky ways!

Like any 21st century mom who gets asked a question from her tots, I be-bopped over to the computer, typed in “leprechaun,” and clicked search on Google images. Up pops dozens of these pictures…

 What the ????

Oh yeah, that cheesy horror flick with Jennifer Aniston in her pre-iconic days.

I don’t think they saw much before I whisked the computer away, explaining loudly that I wanted the leprechauns to be a surprise.

Be sure to type “leprechaun cartoons” when you Google at home!! Then you’ll come across this funny lil’ ditty…