Dylan really likes Baby Mauli...I swear

Dylan really likes Baby Mauli...I swear, originally uploaded by margebaack.

So I guess I needed to show that Dylan beat Baby M first...she SO deserved that punch to the face! We made it to Seattle (at 2am) of course Push-On-Through decided to just go the whole way once we got on the road...10 hours almost exactly. The roads were pretty horrid all the way except Ritzville to the base of Snoqualmie pass. I have never seen Spokane with so much snow...24 inches...It was pretty much a winter wonderland the whole way!
Want to share this baby foods site (not that you need it now, but for future reference), it was super easy to navigate and answered my questions about what was OK (or not) for Dylan to eat. I hope you guys have a quick, safe trip and talk to you soon!

Deck the Halls (Ok Shower)

So before the Holidays are through, I wanted to share my idea on where to hang extra ornaments. Those of you that know me, know I am a pack rat, and therefore my ornament collection had grown to 3 bins full of ornaments...mine from childhood, gifts, Matt's, the kids, hand-me-downs, etc. In an effort to de-clutter (and get my husband to "allow" me to bring the Christmas decorations from the old house to the new house) I scaled down my ornament collection...passing some on, giving away and getting rid of broken ones I know I am never actually going to fix, and actually leaving some in the box (due to smaller tree choices). Also, with the addition of our dog 5 years ago I couldn't hang anything on the tree his mouth-height and lower. With the addition of Logan, I can't hang anything at 2 yr old height or lower (at least anything I care about) so that leaves little room on our tree to hang ornaments. So my dilemma is which ones get to grace our tree. Due to the fact we live in Montana and my husband loves to fish, the collection of fishing-related ornaments has grown and grown, so this year I was able to hang all those ornaments on our otherwise B O R I N G shower curtain to spruce up my diarrhea-brown bathroom! Had to share...Oh and my sister is hold up in a snow storm and needs something to read.

Drive safe and I hope you have a fabulous time in Colorado! Oh, and I just had to put proof on that your daughter beats mine as well!

Weathering the Storm.

This made me tear, made me think, and most of all made me think how lucky we are to have each other and be healthy.

This is what I celebrate this season:

• that we have happy healthy kids, that our parents ALL get to be GRANDparents,


• that we can be stuck in a winter storm and stay inside for 4 days and still like each other at the end (OH, and eat VERY well-thatnks again for all the cooking-even the Pipeline),


• that even if the change in schedule throws the girls sleeping off, it's still worth the visit,


• that a new birth for a best friend makes me remember being a mom for the first week and makes me look at Logan and think twice before I yell at her for exploring her curiosity,


• that while cold weather and sickness is a drag, it still is something that you get to go through together as a family


• that while it's nice to get your laundry done, clean the house, and have order in the chaos...chaos is so much more fun,


• that while White Trash Parties, Drinkin Ten High and Yellowstone Valley Beers, nursing hangovers with big greasy breakfasts the next day, wondering when the boys would come home from the Rockpile, and knowing you can count on your good friends to go out looking for spouses in the middle of the night makes me miss close friends, being able to JUST SIT and look at our babies, and laugh with them and NOT be productive is just a different kind of closeness.

Thanks again for braving the storm to come play with us, we'd be stuck with you anytime!

Reinventing my Inner Yogi

I

am

so

relaxed.

I just got back from my second attempt at Baby and Momma yoga (for me, not the baby) but since my 9 month old moves like a 3month old, she is perfectly content to let me stretch and breath and just watch! I cannot tell you how good it feels and makes me wonder why I didn't make myself go back to this earlier!

All I can say is...

Namaste.

And that I have to share my 2 year old and her favorite Yoga instructor...HAven

three girls

three girls, originally uploaded by Erica and Ryan.

Today I felt like I might be getting sick. Boohoo. So I’ve been resting, drinking liquids and popping vitamins. I stayed up last night writing my recommendations on slings and other baby stuff for a few good friends expecting babies this spring. Maybe we should write a joint article on the goods. Maybe we should write a book. There doesn’t seem to be any shortage of books out there on the topic of babies. I’m sure we’d get published. Ha!

Of course, I took a few photos while you were here. Not the adorable portraits of our babes that I had been hoping for, but next time right? Yes, your time here was busy, but I’m so glad we had it. It’s definitely easier when we are staying at the same place (or next door). We missed the all-babies-are-asleep-now-we-can-really-hang-out moments. Plus, I think we definitely pushed our little ones way past the arsenic hours. I’m still laughing about what we must have looked and sounded like as we made the trek from Bart’s to my house.

Ryan is still in SoDak. They are going to drive home tomorrow when they are done working. They are so ready to leave they are going to drive through the night.

Finally, here’s another great event in Carbondale. A fashion show fundraiser. My mom might enter…with a line of sheet pants! Just makes me smile. She wants me to come down for it...maybe be a model. You want to go?

"Fought over any good books lately?"

Loved this article...thought you may enjoy too. So much drama...think the new book club will be that way? I guess if it becomes, we could just have a 3-way phone conversation with Marlis...she always has fabulous insight...do I sound like I am trying to hook you guys up again?

Liking where the Your money book is going so far.

And thank you again for having us this weekend, it was so nice to hang out again (of course wished I could have just walked next door home instead of driving 4 1/2 hours), I wish we would've worked on crafty things, but as you said "Oh, that's so cute you thought we'd have time".

Well, the basement is always open...AND we could really use the help with the rent!

Of course I took no pictures, so I thought I'd share my current book club...

Is it your back?

So I thought you might find this interesting, at least from a marketing angle. I guess it's caused all sorts of controversy in the mom-blog world.

Conversating without the phone

Does this make you miss your cupcake phase? I just thought if you hadn't happened upon it I should point it out!
Also, noted all the giveaways and have entered already...I've been "hinting" to Matt Lisa Leaonard Designs for months...not sure if it's the lack of funds or just disinterest...probably the latter. Hey, I was thinking of coming over this weekend...Westerman's holiday party and Tracy's Shower? Maybe, with gas prices so low, it's almost worth it even for just a day or 2.
So I'm on night 4 of the, let-Dylan-Cry-A-Bit-So-We-Can-All-Get-Some-more-Sleep-Around-Here and she only fussed for about 5 minutes tonight, but I am pretty sure her 2 bottom teeth (need I mention the song-unfortunately this will probably be our kids) are coming in in the next day or 2, so I am not so hopeful for a restful night...right now Log is at her door hiccuping and asking for "mor wader", if only this 2 yr old voice would stay...
Oh, and hey, look, it's us...

And I don't care what you say, I'm the tomato.

Happy Tuesday.

Oh, and I got Your Life or Your money AND Eat, Pray, Love for under $10, I thought that was pretty good. I thought it may be one I want to highlight or write notes in, by the way, how do you annotate books/quotes/etc?

Holiday giveaways galore!

There are lots of giveaways going on right now on some of our favorite blogs. Marge, you should get there and comment and register. Plus, I know you have something cute to share about your babes.

Simplemom has one ending tomorrow and it is a huge package of all kinds of baby and kid stuff. There are some very cool companies making some cool stuff. I'm definitely going to check out the music by Swingset Mamas.

Simplemom has another giveaway ending on Friday that is jewelry. One of the pieces if by Lisa Leonard. Lisa has had giveaways on all sorts of blogs lately, and I keep registering hoping to win. I love her designs. And the rest of the keepsake jewelry is just lovely. As Simplemom puts it, they would all make the best gifts (for us moms). I emailed Ryan a link to Lisa Leonard's website, now I think I'll just email him this post by Simplemom.

Soulamama has a jewelry giveaway and it sounds like she'll have more coming over the next week or so. She's so sweet.