tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47830130583510367712024-02-18T22:28:02.182-05:00just another day in paradiseJustinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.comBlogger282125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-55939527362524404622015-06-29T16:01:00.000-04:002015-06-29T16:01:10.421-04:00and the winner is.....<div style="text-align: center;">
first of all, thank you to everyone who participated! i am SO excited to be a part of someone getting one of these precious little babies!!!</div>
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so, without further ado, the winner is.....</div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">CANDACE SHULTZ!!! </span></b></div>
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congrats! and thanks again to everyone who participated! </div>
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if you want a precious little moon baby for yourself, cara is giving a discount to all of my readers! see, reading my blog is good for something!! head over to her shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperBirdCrafts">PaperBird: Crafts</a> on etsy, and message her before purchase. you can customize your very own merbaby or moon baby! </div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-21404014007011971872015-06-25T18:36:00.002-04:002015-06-25T18:38:15.999-04:00PaperBird: Crafts giveaway<div style="text-align: center;">
i have been really in to all things mermaids and space creatures lately. apparently it's a thing. they are everywhere and i love it. </div>
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if you are friends with me on facebook, you have undoubtedly seen me mention my bff's new etsy shop, and you've likely seen me pimping out her baby mermaids, because they are certainly the cutest things ever. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWd8PwwKR7sYdvz4AiIkYyeFgLnKm30Zg3fnSgwnEAZn32I4Uj4YoBgKu7eRxWTpkCyV-xMPSPGetvKLnyZlhUFUQUNvz0UapOaAGb84vkIr43_zQSKmf0ujIUqlcuypeQGEryGdOAWjRw/s1600/merbaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWd8PwwKR7sYdvz4AiIkYyeFgLnKm30Zg3fnSgwnEAZn32I4Uj4YoBgKu7eRxWTpkCyV-xMPSPGetvKLnyZlhUFUQUNvz0UapOaAGb84vkIr43_zQSKmf0ujIUqlcuypeQGEryGdOAWjRw/s320/merbaby.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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cara makes beautiful things, anyway, and when she left germany and said she was opening her own shop, i was so excited, because she is way too talented. everything she makes is expertly crafted. honestly, i don't know how she does it, between having the most adorable small people on the planet vying for her time, and taking such great care in her work. </div>
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so, one day, we got an exciting package from her. she made me a beautiful passport holder for our cruise, and with them came the most out of this world moon babies, ever. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfIkvmfmCdrqApZJ4pYHafKqO2eoJSZ-L0JWSRY19p28JOmQcyfA7s807bqTy2SDPRd2kLFUpwvkUkNg-ymt3zYtu58pn6Rb4UIJQSZ3M424UVRV8A25PHRLKo3ZpdKFHh_oTKEXUCI2L/s1600/moonbabies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfIkvmfmCdrqApZJ4pYHafKqO2eoJSZ-L0JWSRY19p28JOmQcyfA7s807bqTy2SDPRd2kLFUpwvkUkNg-ymt3zYtu58pn6Rb4UIJQSZ3M424UVRV8A25PHRLKo3ZpdKFHh_oTKEXUCI2L/s320/moonbabies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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tiny plush smooshy alien children.</div>
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the girls <i>might </i>love these alien babies more than the mermaids. which is a feat, to be sure. </div>
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cara recently launched her shop</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperBirdCrafts">PaperBird: Crafts</a></div>
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so we talked and decided, what better way to launch moon babies, than to give one away!? because who doesn't love free things? </div>
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cara is going to be giving one lucky reader their very own moon baby to love on. </div>
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here is the nitty gritty:</div>
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enter the rafflecopter below! </div>
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the giveaway will run now through sunday, and the winner will be announced monday morning! </div>
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that's it! how easy is that!? </div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="07cd38a11" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/07cd38a11/" id="rcwidget_w4mwwpfv" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
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once you've entered, let me know what you think! </div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-69526723602594165602015-06-15T09:20:00.000-04:002015-06-15T09:20:20.253-04:00it's been a long time. i shouldn'ta left you......gosh, this space has been neglected. not for lack of wanting. i have had an urge to write for some time, and have noticed my posts on facebook and instagram have been getting longer and longer. there are a lot of things to update, but most importantly, we have less than a month left in germany. talk about bittersweet.<br />
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joel and i have been talking about where we want to live, what we want to do and most importantly, our new bucket list! the movers came a few weeks ago and as freeing as i thought that would be, it has left me entirely uninspired and in a bit of a creative funk for a couple of weeks now. white walls, blank space, ugly furniture and no materials are a recipe for blah. i have been doing an <a href="https://instagram.com/explore/tags/100happydaysdetodc/">instagram </a>series called #100happydaysDEtoDC and that has kept me focused on the happy. working out has kept me motivated to not just sit on my butt (and since i have very little to actually clean or mess with, i have plenty of time to do t25) and i started doing an <a href="https://instagram.com/explore/tags/coffeecupconfessional/">IG series </a>called #coffeecupconfessional where i draw on my dry erase mug and confess something.....yeah. it's not fully thought out. and there is one post. it's fine. creativity is a process. </div>
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i'll keep this post short for now. it's enough to get me logged back in and making motions like i am legitimately writing! stay tuned for updates on our latest trip, atticus(!) who is growing like a weed, and keep up with us while we get the most out of germany while we still can! </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-78419264841021206052015-01-09T06:31:00.000-05:002015-01-09T06:31:00.103-05:00my thoughts on 3<div style="text-align: center;">
from the moment <strike>random strangers</strike> people discovered that my 36 week pregnant belly was full of child number 3, i would brace myself to hear one thing. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">three is hard. </span></b></div>
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while i can appreciate their warnings, they were a little ill timed, seeing as how said third would most certainly be coming out at some point. </div>
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atticus is just 3 months old, so certainly we have a log road to go to fairly assess the difficulty of having 3 children, but i can say, with absolution, that three is....different. </div>
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timing. timing is everything. timing can make our days go flawlessly well or catastrophically bad. and every day is different. one day, i am a master juggler, getting both babies down for naps simultaneously, cooking dinner and cleaning the whole house before 5pm, and the next day, atticus will sleep only while being held at a 45 degree angle, with only one sock and a medium weight blanket. in that regard, we haven't quite hit our stride. </div>
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i think babies are easy. they cry, you figure out what is wrong with them. there is very little mystery. five year olds are equally as easy-they cry, you don't even worry about what is wrong with them, because everything is wrong with them, so you send them to their room for a few minutes and they come out better (undoubtedly after flinging themselves dramatically upon their bed, disney princess style). </div>
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two year olds......two year olds are like playing russian roulette with a nerf gun filled with poop and screaming mandrake. sometimes, she is my most delightful child. sometimes, i find her hiding in a closet eating an entire bag of baby bells and i fear the next 24 hours. what was a battle of the minds with bella is a battle of....the....everything with cora. but she is also much sweeter and more snuggly than bella was at 2. and she is funny. incredibly funny. </div>
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i won't say 3 is "hard". three is 3. we have good days and weird days, but very few bad days. and when things start getting bad, we just sit on the floor and play, or sit in the chair and snuggle. i have very low expectations on things outside of that. the house is generally kept up, but we definitely look like a too small house with 3 kids in it. </div>
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there are things i thought i would be able to do with 3 that are becoming harder, since atticus has finally come out of his "fourth trimester", but i still get a bit done and make a little time for a social life. we still travel, we still eat dinner that i make, most nights. joel definitely has more of a role at home-where before, i did all of the cooking, cleaning and caring, he will often come home and start cleaning or take the kids to their room to play so i can clean or go to the gym. </div>
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i keep thinking things will settle into a routine in a few months, until i remember that we are moving in a few months, so my expectations have become...almost non existent. but i kind of like it that way. </div>
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if you have 3 (or more) kids, when did you start to feel normal? when did a routine take hold? and if you have grown kids, lie to me......</div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-9431981615430573232014-10-20T04:18:00.001-04:002014-10-20T04:18:28.575-04:00signed, sealed, delivered. the story of atticus james. <div style="text-align: center;">
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joel left bright and early on october 1st, to pick his mom up from the airport. i had agreed (reluctantly) to come in around noon to start the induction process. after taking bella to school, getting his mom, getting her signed in and picking up bella, joel returned right at 11:45am. </div>
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we got his mom settled, and at 12:30pm, we walked to the hospital. </div>
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for the next 4 hours, i sat in the waiting room. they took some blood and ran some tests and i sat. at 5pm, i went back with the doctor, and she explained to me that, yes, my baby was huge. while there is a margin of error of about 20%, he could be smaller, but he could be bigger. and he could get stuck. (side note: i did not want to be induced, and did not agree with the assessment that i couldn't birth this kid, but i was tired of fighting a fight that had been going on for 4 weeks, and with a due date that was relatively up in the air, i was also second guessing everything).</div>
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i was resigned to what was happening at this point and so i think i probably muttered some kind of, "letsjustgetthisoverwith", noncommittal statement and sat down.</div>
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i was given a pill form of cervidil with instructions to go away and come back in 2 hours. joel and i went for a walk through the vineyards, looking for a place to eat dinner, and then went back to our room to watch some episodes of castle. (another side note: while i hate being induced, i do like the calm moments of "just us" before our new arrival. it's like a last meal.last hurrah before bringing another little munchkin on board) i went back at 7pm and they put me on the monitors and decided nothing was happening and that i could go to bed and get another dose in the morning.</div>
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so we went to our room, put back on some castle and i laid down. i fell asleep around 10 and at around midnight, i woke up to a contraction that wasn't painful, but was a little....strong. ish. so i went and sat in the shower for a bit, before climbing back in bed.</div>
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at 1:50am, i woke up, pretty uncomfortable, and stood up. i felt something weird, and some pressure, and i decided that it was probably time to go. so i woke joel up and we headed to the delivery ward. the short walk down the hall consisted of walking quickly and then stopping about every 30 seconds to prop myself on the wall and breathe through contractions. i got there, and was hooked up to the ctg machine (finicky machine that measures contractions and the baby's heart rate), while the midwife prepped the delivery room. about 2 minutes later i had had 2 painful contractions and at 2:12am, i rang the bell and told the midwife that things were definitely getting serious.</div>
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we walked into the delivery room at 2:15am, and my contractions started to get painful. i want to take a minute to describe the delivery room-it was amazing. there were woven wraps hanging from the ceiling, tied in loops at various points, over big squishy mats to stand on, there was a giant tub on one side and a large round chair/bed thing in the middle. low lights, aromatherapy, music, these blue curtains that looked like clouds woven into the sky. it was a beautiful, very un-clinical, very peaceful room.</div>
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over the next 15 minutes, i had contractions that were painful, but short and during the breaks in between, i felt present and pain free enough to joke with joel and ask for water. at 2:30am, i started pushing.</div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">{at 2:36 a,. atticus james came into the world</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">at a whopping 9lbs, 7oz and 23 inches long. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">ten fingers, ten toes and a perfectly round little head.}</span></b></div>
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i delivered completely free of any pain meds, and kneeling on the giant squishy bed/table thing. it went too quickly to get in the tub, but that aside, it was better than any birth experience that i could have imagined. no tearing, no getting stuck, no complications.</div>
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the midwife was amazing-through the whole process she told me how amazing i was doing, she had this calming presence and voice and was very encouraging. afterwards, when she got me settled into my room, she thanked me for allowing her to be present and share this experience with her. she told joel, "we did a great thing here!" right afterwards.</div>
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and unlike my births with bella and <a href="http://justine0520.blogspot.de/2012/11/delirious.html">cora</a>, this experience was this amazing bonding moment with joel. it was just the 3 of us-the midwife, joel and me. there were no bright lights, no people running in and out of the room, no medical equipment, no sterile feeling environment. and for moments here and there, it was just him, encouraging me through a contraction and cheering me on.</div>
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-1888974638146607012014-07-25T07:01:00.003-04:002014-07-25T07:01:40.007-04:00decluttering: phase 1<div style="text-align: center;">
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after i posted the other day about how we wanted to start getting rid of our "too much stuff" i became overly enthused by the prospect of not having so much. especially after i walked into the girls room and saw how much they had covering their floors. </div>
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let me start by saying this: bella cleans her stuff and her room {almost}every day. she is very good at putting her dishes where they go and her trash where it goes. BUT messes still occur, and she doesn't clean that stuff unprompted. usually, right before bed time, we have a cleaning party and she and cora clean the living room, which has become their new favorite place to drag their toys to, despite my protests and threats. </div>
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no, it is not easy. she <strike>whines annoyingly</strike> complains that "no one will help" her pick the stuff up, and i tell her that's because no one helped her make the mess. but she does it. right after i threaten to vacuum up anything still on the floor.</div>
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so when we decided we would be decluttering, i had visions of mess free afternoons dancing through my head. (currently popped by the coloring book and crayons all over the floor. but i can handle that.)</div>
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and so, one afternoon, i went to work. and this was my yield from my first go</div>
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that may not look like too much, but that is about half of the girls toys. i realized that, while they do have too much, their too much isn't too bad, really. on top of this, i got rid of a lot of baby clothes that i had been hanging onto that wouldn't sell. and there is still more i want to get rid of-puzzles and games and things that make big messes and i dread bringing out. but i will save that for a day that joel can take the girls to the park. </div>
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i've decided to take the house in stages. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>phase 1: kids stuff</u></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">my first goal</span></b> </div>
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is to combine the girls closets into one, with all of their hang up clothes and shoes in one place, to make room for baby stuff. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">my second goal </span></b></div>
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is to consolidate all of their toys into the two toy drawers under their play table, and clearing all of the toys out of the stand up closet in the girls room. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">my third goal </span></b></div>
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is to find a better system for storing their clothes. right now, we have 2 closets and 2 dressers to split between 3 kids, and all of the clothes are stored between 2 rooms. so getting dressed is a little disjointed. but clearing the toys out of the stand up closet is a big key to doing that. </div>
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i've learned that my biggest problem is organization. we have two very good, though small, closets at our disposal, and so far, they are not being utilized to their fullest. i want to get a second bar cut for one closet, which i have been meaning to do since we moved in two years ago, doubling up on the hanging space. since their clothes are still tiny, i can easily fit 2 rows of clothes in there. the stand up space is all shelves and currently, one closet stores toys and the other closet stores.....random stuff. mostly things that need to be sorted and stored properly and permanently, or sold. </div>
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that all seems a little daunting, but maybe my "nesting" instinct will kick in, making it easier to tackle. especially if i can get a few hours of alone time to do it, without both girls insisting that everything is their favorite. </div>
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i am going to continue to post the progress here to hold myself accountable! </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-63598956026139428112014-07-25T06:25:00.002-04:002014-07-25T06:25:30.151-04:00the start of something new<div style="text-align: center;">
it is officially official! i have become a jamberry consultant. i'm not sure why it took me so long to bite the bullet, or why i have surprised myself by doing it, but i am excited! </div>
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i am not usually good at selling things for the sake of selling them, but i have been wearing jamberry for a while now and i just love it so much. i really believe in the product and that it is the best of its kind. so here goes nothing! </div>
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<a href="http://jnnelson.jamberrynails.net/host/Schedule.aspx">if you are interested in signing up with me to host an online party, here is the link.</a> </div>
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<a href="http://jnnelson.jamberrynails.net/">and here is my personal website, in case you need anything! </a></div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-92028717759328385212014-07-21T16:43:00.001-04:002014-07-21T16:43:32.452-04:00things are getting serious <div style="text-align: center;">
we have had the conversation. the we have "too much stuff" conversation. </div>
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i always bristle when joel brings it up, because i <i>know</i> we have too much stuff, because i am the one who picks up "too much stuff" on a daily basis. a lot of our "too much stuff" is present in the fact that we have boxes in the basement that haven't been opened since we lived in the states. and some of our "too much stuff" is a result of someone's need to fix things that are <strike>not</strike> broken. </div>
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but the "too much stuff" we are getting serious about belongs to our small people. when bella was littler, i would buy every melissa & doug toy i could get my hands on. i filled her shelves with learning toys and puzzles and games designed to make her brilliant. </div>
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and then she turned 2 and when we went to target she zipped down the little people aisle, and so we filled the drawers of her table with little people. which then spilled over into the closet and the shelves....</div>
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and then she turned 4 and got an opinion and she decided to fill her shelves with lalaloopsy and my little pony. </div>
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yet we still have all that other stuff. because cora is old enough to play with it all. and there is another baby coming soon, and once cora outgrows it, he will be playing with it. </div>
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and so "too much stuff" just kept growing and growing. </div>
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but we've had enough. in the wise words of my husband, "they will be no less enriched if we take everything away." </div>
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we aren't getting that drastic. but my kids don't really play with their toys. sure, they have a few sets of things that they love and play with all the time-cora, the kitchen, bella, her trains and her my little ponies. they play together with lalaoopsy and occasionally they build a small village of little people. but all the rest of that stuff is just stuff. and they play so well with<i>OUT</i> stuff. tonight for 45 minutes, they played "watch what i can do" on a giant body pillow. </div>
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and so i am on a mission. tonight, i got rid of a huge basket worth of stuff <i>and they didn't even notice. </i>the challenge will be keeping it down when christmas and birthdays come around, but santa has a plan for that. </div>
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i saw on pinterest an idea that i think the jolly fat man will be adopting this year....</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">something they want, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">something to wear</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">and something to read. </span></b></div>
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and that's all, folks.<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>no mountain of toys under the christmas tree this year. 4 simple gifts, per child. </div>
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we've only made a small dent in the "too much stuff" and will continue to chip away slowly, until we aren't ruled by our stuff. and we are only just starting there. i want to extend it into <i>our</i> stuff. movies and kitchen gadgets and {deep breath} crafty things. </div>
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maybe i will even take pictures......</div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-88336426789619063612014-07-20T06:27:00.001-04:002014-07-20T06:27:27.136-04:00i can't take the heat.....<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>the heat is getting to me. </b></span></div>
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as i write this, i am sitting on the lukewarm floor in front of a fan, sweat dripping off of my forehead. i just can't.......</div>
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i am not a summer in germany person. the summers here are relatively short, and therefor, no one believes in a/c. and while i love the beach and the pool and lakes and any body of water, really, if i can't escape the heat, i am not a nice person. </div>
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i wake up hot, then have two little hot bodies who want to snuggle just as the interior temperature reaches "sauna", and a little hot potato just keeping my core temperature up. </div>
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our fabulous px, which is notoriously never properly stocked has no pools, but an abundance of goggles and floats. like, the annoying floats that always go on sale at the end of the year for $2 because <i><b>NO. ONE. BUYS. THEM.</b></i> (side note: the person stocking our exchange needs a new job.) </div>
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joel is TDY this week back to the states, where he he sleeps in an air conditioned room, then drives to an air conditioned building to sit in an air conditioned conference room, and finally to an air conditioned restaurant with ice in their drinks and service that is quick, where he eats by himself with no children, a meal he doesn't have to cook in a hot kitchen and then clean, while small hot people cling to his sticky legs begging to be held.....and my attitude about that has just been horrendous. </div>
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in 9 years, i have not complained about a deployment or a tdy. but this time, i find myself very complain-y every day. </div>
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i find it pertinent to share, because in this community of fellow military spouses, it can be very tempting to hear someone else complain about their situation and guffaw at their attitude. i've been there. especially when my husband is deployed and someone complains that their husbands weekend corporate work trip is really stressing them out. that's a bad attitude to have too. because everyone handles what they are dealt differently. this is the shortest TDY joel has been on, and mostly because of the heat, i have struggled with it more than any separation we have faced. </div>
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<i><u><span style="color: #45818e;">so this week, i'm asking anyone who happens to read this to pray for me: </span></u></i></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">for my attitude to not be dependent upon my room temperature. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">for patience with my children, who aren't being any more "child like" than usual, but with whom i am losing it, because the heat already has me irritated ("please don't touch me" has become a common phrase lately, and i don't like it.). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">for this heat to break (70's are perfectly fine. but 90 degree days are just not ok....). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">for my attitude when joel gets back, as it will still be upper 80's when he gets back. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;">and for bella, who keeps turning the fans off because they are making her cold. bless. </span></div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-59158714231500440182014-07-16T15:00:00.000-04:002014-07-16T15:00:04.285-04:00because i said so"why? mommy why? but why? whywhywhywhywhyhwy?"<div>
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that question is about to out me in the loony bin.....</div>
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don't get me wrong, i love and encourage the curiosity of children. however, this is not curiosity. this is one 4 1/2 year old <i>trying to drive me insane.</i> </div>
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today in the car, she screamed as i was merging onto the autobahn. naturally i <strike>very irrationally screamed </strike> calmly and rationally responded, "DON'TEVERSCREAMWHENIAMGETTINGONTHEAUTOBAHNUNLESSYOUAREDYING!!!!!!"</div>
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because that is the only way to appropriately respond to that situation. swearsies. </div>
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i feel like a rational person would realize at that moment that it is not a good idea to scream in the car. but 4 1/2 year olds are not rational people. so she yelled back, "WHYYYYYY?!!??!!?!?" </div>
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"........because i said so. "</div>
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"but, why?"</div>
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"just don't do it."</div>
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"but WHY????"</div>
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you may be thinking, "well that's rational, why don't you just explain it to her???". that's a great question. and i have an even better answer. see, every time we are in the car, she picks the worst possible moment to just....scream. inexplicably. sometimes it's when i am merging lanes. sometimes it's when i am making a left turn across traffic. and occasionally it's when i am at a stop light. the only real explanation that i have is that she is a girl and little girls, for some strange reason have this impulse to scream at the top of their lungs for no apparent reason. or she may suffer from tourettes. </div>
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and for each time she has done this, i have explained to her that it scares me and i'm driving and if she does it while i am driving and can't see her, i think something is wrong and i may wreck and we could die. because all good explanations end with a fiery ball of flames. i can't tell you how many times i have given her this very slippery slope turn of events that will undoubtedly occur one day.</div>
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and then she does it again. and i tell her not to do it. and she asks why. every. time. </div>
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WHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY?????? </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-4407957700199845982014-07-15T16:16:00.000-04:002014-07-15T16:16:32.173-04:00rompers and ruffles<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4haE2kmWlL9GQJrPAkSS6FyFC7Xz8kSp6ZQ1GPDiqDuBvvnyshR7wNpvPauUf1SjWZOiDoQLMazxPF6JV3d-Cg88qoomkQF-JHUSn-oUEaE_4t4jSQkoTx0-GgaefOYc9YvX7GfnKL7g/s1600/1383985_10100749153811746_2131678852_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4haE2kmWlL9GQJrPAkSS6FyFC7Xz8kSp6ZQ1GPDiqDuBvvnyshR7wNpvPauUf1SjWZOiDoQLMazxPF6JV3d-Cg88qoomkQF-JHUSn-oUEaE_4t4jSQkoTx0-GgaefOYc9YvX7GfnKL7g/s1600/1383985_10100749153811746_2131678852_n.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></a><br />
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if you know me, you know that when i find something i like, i talk about it. a lot. because i definitely believe in the power of word of mouth. and when i find a small business (or a big one) that i love, i want it to succeed and so i "vote with my dollars", so to speak. </div>
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several years ago, a friend of mine started a business making custom monogrammed and appliqued kids shirts. what started as a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RompersAndRuffles">modest facebook page</a>, and website, grew to have over 2,000 fans. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aPLy312RHyu48F53w1RAgwcXOfgFz-jxWnp655mmjosKde7x2kS8RK_zpnXUk2PYsWBYKJg0cZbhj7Mjr0Dd9lkrMVLb0LUFsH7uFXa8PAuT0pnbKCgei2fKDmDOBJVwhoBRzibSIUc5/s1600/1525311_10100837342366176_1287399533_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aPLy312RHyu48F53w1RAgwcXOfgFz-jxWnp655mmjosKde7x2kS8RK_zpnXUk2PYsWBYKJg0cZbhj7Mjr0Dd9lkrMVLb0LUFsH7uFXa8PAuT0pnbKCgei2fKDmDOBJVwhoBRzibSIUc5/s1600/1525311_10100837342366176_1287399533_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>each week, tabitha runs a sale, featuring a theme, with several different designs, and lately she has expanded to include monogrammed hats, purses, diaper bags, coolers and casserole dishes. she carries kids back packs, matching lunch bags, and does presales for things like squeaker shoes, mud pie and christmas items. </div>
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speaking of christmas items, this friday, she will put on a special "christmas in july" sale, where she will have all kinds of christmas goodies up for grabs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GE6dL6N-zAcsyoAVKdiZEiMthhyphenhyphenhHfbDwczf_p_2IkFfp3rU3H7iuv3beVvrNGdwKbRwhH1lBqZpI1HY9Wy0k_ob8uyOS8uvj-BDRps-0vSPvLuL5FoFtX6axmYA507sio-A73cXvJH4/s1600/frankenweenie+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GE6dL6N-zAcsyoAVKdiZEiMthhyphenhyphenhHfbDwczf_p_2IkFfp3rU3H7iuv3beVvrNGdwKbRwhH1lBqZpI1HY9Wy0k_ob8uyOS8uvj-BDRps-0vSPvLuL5FoFtX6axmYA507sio-A73cXvJH4/s1600/frankenweenie+005.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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but this isn't a unique idea-many boutique style places have sales and preorders and "auctions" like this. but when you order from R&R, you aren't ordering from a store, or a large business trying to expand into social media. you are ordering from one mom. and that means you are getting very personalized service. </div>
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i've been ordering shirts, shoes and pajamas from tabitha for a few years now, and i can't get enough. not just because they are adorable (though yes, that is a huge reason), but because i can message her and say, "i like this fabric with this font, but what do you think??? can you make this extra thing for me??" and she puts her creative brain to work, making just the right combination of colors and patterns work, perfectly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQajcWUT41xdnaBsyE46QGzunrC4jTWgWlTvWp-KK8bs6Ka28ULQp9-JVUCHpGXt2M_ixu_BAXyOGULG2if4WLCoeVlMsVKMWjIqpwx6d-2chjYAVaiZyqznrcD1xn33KVGfKfr7sZe45/s1600/P1010334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQajcWUT41xdnaBsyE46QGzunrC4jTWgWlTvWp-KK8bs6Ka28ULQp9-JVUCHpGXt2M_ixu_BAXyOGULG2if4WLCoeVlMsVKMWjIqpwx6d-2chjYAVaiZyqznrcD1xn33KVGfKfr7sZe45/s1600/P1010334.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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not only that, but she is so willing to go out of her way to make sure everything is right with your order. i got my mom a goblet (because what fancy grandma doesn't need a goblet with her monogram on it?!) for her birthday, and tabitha packaged it up, and delivered it to her at her work. you don't get that kind of service from a chain or even most stores. </div>
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i've had so many personalized experiences, which you can only get from a small business. when we went to disney, in paris, i emailed tabitha and asked if she could hook me up with something. she spent a little bit figuring something out and sent me an image of the eiffel tower with minnie in front of it, that i absolutely loved. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTY35SW_qwgRIHuR38I0hzYQG2zkGl0pfGPsR7wGqGYOImeUIKqFlqe2weG32L93K6cn7uWFISdvxtWejKdmcinrOakOn806QogzEVzHuzAdWAVpJZvNA8y34o16bNwDLjpnFWB_Wzh_I/s1600/P1010359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTY35SW_qwgRIHuR38I0hzYQG2zkGl0pfGPsR7wGqGYOImeUIKqFlqe2weG32L93K6cn7uWFISdvxtWejKdmcinrOakOn806QogzEVzHuzAdWAVpJZvNA8y34o16bNwDLjpnFWB_Wzh_I/s1600/P1010359.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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this one is another one i had made special-bella's fourth birthday. i sent tabitha a picture of bella's favorite lalaloopsy, and she made it happen. bella loved it.</div>
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i love stocking up on holiday and seasonal shirts each year. they are absolutely the cutest shirts around. and they make me feel super festive. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJbb-a6kC3N39r7e7JnesHAP23vqI1uidFUPOOdzljjZCUi0aKmK3fOcT6kwaar0FCl0oO42r2b020Yj36EBpXetVgg-aHUjUKzjNac0gsQVWcgl13rmclHWnnQv_LHwAXVjnF3pCS3Eh/s1600/1509888_10100837959489456_1529118105_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJbb-a6kC3N39r7e7JnesHAP23vqI1uidFUPOOdzljjZCUi0aKmK3fOcT6kwaar0FCl0oO42r2b020Yj36EBpXetVgg-aHUjUKzjNac0gsQVWcgl13rmclHWnnQv_LHwAXVjnF3pCS3Eh/s1600/1509888_10100837959489456_1529118105_n.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-m5IB0JPpzQSZKRlj6fsrQZ_7Vid-RYijNjTp9fJ8HkuDw1whs6Ot9ZcCx8ENRsy9Qonevayvfk5rF_6JUnTHKqBm6hzR4X7QnokUW613mj6OPmxrCUC3JL3uCXCdemkRlM0HNqx_D0p/s1600/photo+contest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-m5IB0JPpzQSZKRlj6fsrQZ_7Vid-RYijNjTp9fJ8HkuDw1whs6Ot9ZcCx8ENRsy9Qonevayvfk5rF_6JUnTHKqBm6hzR4X7QnokUW613mj6OPmxrCUC3JL3uCXCdemkRlM0HNqx_D0p/s1600/photo+contest.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></div>
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when cora was born, this was her coming home outfit. and this next baby has his very own special shirt headed my way right now which we will use to announce his name! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireGf60HFua-b7WQU2agT9oRGTmSLHjrLXBLNlxvVuwcIxzFoAwyNOiNUjnou_9ZDjOmYiALUFkvVHGifbhN-3SprIR_mw52LmvoXqP_uBJqQT_uCyd5OBuC7m2OA3p4tic-dfCv5mwOqR/s1600/Cora+Anne+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireGf60HFua-b7WQU2agT9oRGTmSLHjrLXBLNlxvVuwcIxzFoAwyNOiNUjnou_9ZDjOmYiALUFkvVHGifbhN-3SprIR_mw52LmvoXqP_uBJqQT_uCyd5OBuC7m2OA3p4tic-dfCv5mwOqR/s1600/Cora+Anne+028.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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we got cover ups for the girls for the summer with their monogram on them. any old cover up would do, but i really love having personalized ones for each girl. and they like them too. </div>
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each time i get new shirts in, the girls rip into the box like it's christmas. and cora, my little fashionista, lover of cute clothes, squeals like a little.....well.....girl. </div>
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this weekend is the special "christmas in july" sale, featuring pajamas, stockings, tree skirts and more. </div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RompersAndRuffles">like rompers & ruffles on facebook. </a></div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-58459803511400037842014-07-09T14:28:00.000-04:002014-07-09T14:28:12.700-04:00not so annoying kid music<div style="text-align: center;">
we love music in this family. many days, you can find us with the record payer on having a crazy dance party around the living room (yes, we have a record player. and lots of records. some new and some that we have acquired from the flohmarkt downtown. it's all very cool. trust me.)</div>
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when we started having dreams of a family, i swore we would neverevereverever listen to annoying kid music. because, no. you know what i am talking about, those songs that you can't get out of your head and you just want to rip your hair out or punch a speaker. yes, children's songs that invoke violence. we don't play that game around here. </div>
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when we had bella, we listened to a lot of jack johnson. because it makes me want to be sleeping in a hammock and so how can a baby NOT feel at peace to that. and that was awesome, and the girls still love jack, but it makes me homesick, if you can be homesick for a place you only lived for a few years. </div>
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then bella turned to that age where they love the most annoying things ever (think caillou, barney and {dun dun dun} yo, gabba gabba!) and i just desperately needed to divert her attention. </div>
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for the car, we got the jewel cd, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Merry-Goes-Round-Jewel/dp/B005DSOK8M">the merry goes 'round</a>" and believe me when i say, we got to know that cd very well. especially the number one track, "sammy the spider". the songs appealed to the kids, but without the repetition that most kids songs have. having a legitimate artist singing the songs is much more pleasant to listen to, as well. </div>
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another favorite was the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sing-A-Longs-Lullabies-Film-Curious-George/dp/B000CR7RDE">soundtrack to curious george</a>. we do love jack.</div>
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as bella got older, she started learning the words to the songs, and that was when the radio started to die, especially when we moved here, the land of the non-radio edit! joel went looking for some kids music for a road trip and he stumbled across<a href="http://laurieberkner.com/"> laurie berkner band.</a> specifically, the music video to the song "party day". he loaded several of her music videos on bella's <a href="https://www.nabitablet.com/">nabi tablet </a>and by the end of our trip, she had memorized all of the lyrics and sang them constantly. </div>
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if you have small kids, and they love to dance and sing, and you have amazon, you mustmustmust get amazon streaming. laurie berkner has an episode that is free that is a bunch of music videos and the girls love to have a dance party to it. </div>
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we like to have music for the car, because i would rather hear singing than screaming when we are all strapped in. our latest gold gem was a CD and book combo by sandra boynton, called "<a href="http://www.sandraboynton.com/sboynton/Frogtrouble/index.html">frog trouble</a>". this one is definitely my new favorite, and the girls love it as well. which, you know, is kind of the point......</div>
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each track is sung by a hit recording country artist, from alison krauss, ben folds, dwight yokam and josh turner, and even hootie himself, darius rucker. the only thing "kid like" are the lyrics, but the sound is very much professional and some of the songs are actually pretty beautiful (hello, anything alison krauss does is just gorgeous, in my opinion). they even have videos for many of their songs, which are a hit in this house. </div>
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sandra boynton books are a favorite around here, and this book/CD combo is no different. the lyrics are fun and entertaining, and the pictures in the book are down right cute! </div>
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none of the links i provided are affiliate links, and i haven't been compensated in any way for my opinions. i just figured, if you have kids, you probably like listening to music that doesn't make you crazy. </div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-66278693773069499122014-07-09T10:06:00.000-04:002014-07-09T10:06:00.441-04:00toddler talk<div style="text-align: center;">
cora is in full on talky-talk mode. i had forgotten how much fun toddler talk is. especially since 4 year old talk is not really all that fun. there's lot's of sass and backtalk that my former pre-kids, know everything self swore would "not happen on my watch!". uh huh.....</div>
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give me a moment while i find some crow.</div>
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back to the cute toddler. </div>
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she has the cutest short hand and the way she pronounces things is hysterical. she has all those basic "mommy", "daddy", "dog" words down pretty clearly, but there are other things she says that actually give me pause. </div>
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while i was eating my bagel the other morning, she kept yelling, "mah goodburger!!! mah goodburger!! peese mommy! goodburger!!" </div>
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i had a momentary flashback to the late 90's nickelodeon show, and then realized she was asking for a bagel. it beats me how "goodburger" is easier to say than bagel, but i like it. </div>
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some of her favorite phrases are: </div>
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"help me, mommy! peeese!" </div>
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"here you go, mommy!" </div>
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"more. MORE!"</div>
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"i want goberry!" (strawberries)</div>
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"follow me guys!" </div>
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"go, sissy!" whenever bella is doing something</div>
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"where daddy go? daddy wok?" wok=work</div>
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"duke! bad boy!" </div>
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"i broke" whenever she goes poop. i don't know......</div>
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and my favorite is at bathtime. i ask "who want's a bubble bath!?" and she says, "MEEE!!!" then runs down the hall yelling, "bubbabath!!! bubbabath!!!!!!" </div>
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the notion that i am having conversations with her is just crazy, because i still think of her as a tiny baby. not an almost 20 month old toddler! this girl is full of spunk. notice all those exclamation points? that was not by mistake. cora screams everything. </div>
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for a second, i thought maybe she was hard of hearing. so we ran a test. </div>
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while she played, joel said, "cora.........cora!" nothing. so he whispered "cookie" and she shot up so quick, i thought maybe she had been bitten by something. so clearly, she can hear. she is just exuberant and selective with her hearing.....</div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-51438002845543460222014-07-02T08:52:00.001-04:002014-07-02T08:52:08.531-04:00kiwi crate saves the day! summer has become quite the battle around here. cora (thankfully) takes a 2-3 hour nap every day. and while that sounds absolutely glorious (and for the most part, it is), it means that bella is stuck in the house with little to do.<br />
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today was particularly harsh, as i had a lot of cleaning and organizing to do in the morning and we didn't make it to the playground before cora's naptime. bella had a tough morning, too, and spent a lot of time in her room. so nap time came and that meant bella became bored. </div>
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i'm not going to argue that "we need to let our kids be bored! boredom inspires creativity!" sure. sure. it does. it also inspires, "i'm hungry. i'm hungry. i'mhungryi'mhungryi'mhungryI'MHUNGRY!!!!!!". and with her room preoccupied by a sleeping cora leaving her no where else to go, i start getting a little blurry-visioned and crazy. </div>
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about a week ago, <a href="http://www.kiwicrate.com/Refer?i=JustineN">our latest kiwi crate</a> arrived and i hid it, for just this moment. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPQPEKQbMDCCNpfx89RGOeso7awomDKjxWvFOcJd_0zPo-eD78nDbCdnlqo02_oTJNMCr9CP1nC5kRQomP88zTZoobCN-ROkpZy_yYV6t1sQPMrGaJxEeibmTvH0ymxnjmwdeD8_8YBZ-/s1600/2014-07-02+12.52.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPQPEKQbMDCCNpfx89RGOeso7awomDKjxWvFOcJd_0zPo-eD78nDbCdnlqo02_oTJNMCr9CP1nC5kRQomP88zTZoobCN-ROkpZy_yYV6t1sQPMrGaJxEeibmTvH0ymxnjmwdeD8_8YBZ-/s1600/2014-07-02+12.52.20.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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haven't heard of <a href="http://www.kiwicrate.com/Refer?i=JustineN">kiwi crates?</a> you should check them out. </div>
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basically, they are boxes that contain everything you need for a fun craft or science experiment, including easy to follow, step by step instructions that even a non reader can follow. most boxes have two complete hands-on activities, along with a magazine called "explore!" that includes games and drawing pages and instructions for another activity. </div>
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this time, our box was all about summer camping! the two activities were "my glowing campfire" and "my sunprint backpack". </div>
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this box was special in that it came with an extra "travel journal" and a snack bag of dried fruits. not only did this crate satisfy the "i'm bored" but also the "i'm hungry!". </div>
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each crate has a little instruction book and on the front of each book, they tell you how messy it will be, how much parental involvement is required and what skills you will explore. </div>
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today, we did the "my glowing campfire" craft. it included everything we would need to make a glowing campfire, including a "tea light candle" that is battery operated, for safe indoor campfires!<br />
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bella "read" the directions and was telling me what she was supposed to do, before i could even get through the first step. with each step, i would show her a little bit and then she would do the rest all by herself.<br />
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while she required a little help in some areas, for the most part, i had 20 minutes of free time. i did a craft that i had been trying to accomplish all nap time, right next to her. so we worked together on different things. that is what i call a win-win. </div>
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bella loved this craft and when she was done, we talked all about campfires and roasting marshmallows. she "roasted" her marshmallows for another 20 minutes until she decided she wanted to eat her snack and write in her travel journal. </div>
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crates are monthly subscriptions, and have 4 different options-monthly ($19.95), 3-months ($19.95/month, paid upfront), 6 month ($18.50/month, paid upfront) or 12 months ($16.95/month, paid upfront). we do the monthly so that we can cancel at any time, which is especially helpful with our lifestyle. we have been getting crates for about a year and haven't canceled yet, but when we move, we will be in a state of homelessness for a few weeks to a month, so that will come in handy. </div>
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when i first heard of kiwi crate, my intial thought was, "for $20 a month, i could do this myself!" and yes, yes you can do this yourself. you can scour pinterest or rack your brain for a fun craft, you can buy the supplies that your craft hoarding hasn't supplied you with already and get it all together and then try to teach your kid how to make said craft. </div>
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but these crates take all of the hard work out of it. you literally open the box and everything is there, and ready to go. the mess is controlled, because everything is organized and you have just the amount of things you need. there is little waste, because things are precut and preformed, specifically for your project. it's like an ikea craft! it is also great for a wide variety of age ranges, because of the simplicity of the craft but also the.....well...craftiness of it! </div>
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there is also an option for a sibling add-on. for $9.95 extra, you get everything you need, plus the additional amount to make a duplicate craft, for siblings. cora isn't ready for this yet, but when she is, we will most certainly be doing this. </div>
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i would say kiwi crates are perfect for about 3 and up, and while their website states ages 3-8 as being the ideal range, i think even older kids would enjoy many of the crafts and projects. </div>
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i have a <a href="http://www.kiwicrate.com/Refer?i=JustineN">personal referral link </a>and if you use it, you save $10 and so do i! </div>
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you can also save 10% off of any order right now from their shop-individual crafts, individual boxes or party favors, by using the code FOURTH. </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-55328509848682826912014-06-25T10:13:00.002-04:002014-06-25T10:13:24.394-04:00this time around<div style="text-align: center;">
i just saw an article titled "6 tips for you and baby number 2" and it sent my mind on a journey, back to when i was this pregnant with cora. i remember having so many mixed feelings then. i felt elated that our little family was expanding, anxious about how i would handle 2 little ones far from home and anything familiar, and guilty that i was giving bella a rival. </div>
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looking back now, i know how ridiculous that last statement is. bella cried when she saw her sister for the first time, overwhelmed with joy, and said, "thank you so much for my baby sister!!!!!". but that doesn't diminish the fact that i was very nervous that they would hate each other. i thought for sure that bella would feel replaced and abandoned as we paid more attention to this crying bundle of snot and poop. </div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">i couldn't have been more wrong. </span></b></i></div>
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bella felt like we had brought her home a perfect little gift. she rarely complained that sister cried too much and she always wanted to help in some way (even when her help wasn't exactly helpful). i can honestly say that, to this day, she is a huge help with her sister, even if it gets a little dicey here and there. and cora absolutely thinks bella is the greatest thing since sliced bread. and we all know how much cora loves food.....so that's saying a lot. </div>
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this time around, i am not nearly as nervous. bella will be a whole 2 years older, and is already very excited. she spends the wind down time in the evening <strike>yelling at</strike> talking to baby brother, and gets very excited when we talk about what he will be like. </div>
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cora is a nurturer by nature and loves to snuggle her babies, put them to bed, change their diapers, feed them.......she is a little mother. that could prove to be a little harder to manage, and hopefully it won't end up with her dragging the baby down the hallway by his neck. but i think she will adjust well too. she loves our friends babies and is amazingly gentle with them for a 19 month old. </div>
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i have some fears-mostly, the irrational "how will i ever leave the house again" fear. i think i thought the same thing before cora came along, and we manage pretty well, so i imagine this time will be no different. travelling may become a bit more of a burden, but it is something we have always prioritized and that our children seem to get so much out of. we already have our last year of trips pretty much planned out, before we head back to the states, so hopefully little man will be a trooper like the girls are! </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-52838354603507473742014-06-16T12:32:00.001-04:002014-06-16T12:32:27.513-04:00DIY mesh sling <div style="text-align: center;">
i made a sling. it's pretty much the ugliest thing i've made. </div>
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seriously though, i have little patience, little time and if it can't be done in a nap time, it won't get done. so, today, i attempted to make a mesh sling to wear cora and the new baby in the pool when they aren't feeling a float of some sort. </div>
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none of this is really exact-no real measurements, no seam allowance, nothing complicated. my kind of project!!</div>
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so here goes.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>materials:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>3 yards of mesh fabric. i got mine from fabric.com</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>a pair of sling rings. mine were <a href="http://www.slingrings.com/products.php?cat=8">nylon 3" rings, purchased at slingrings.com </a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>thread (i had an exact match! thread hoarding for the win!)</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcvBCNLhDCn6M1C-NLeWxqLhyphenhyphen4d-IlH2zoFfY9O9J3oGYUDKnkzuH6hZ8ipUOefzdYRCkBlrA4LwEyHNAr_7J-_3YX5DzjXuZX7FMawszAeZKpC5WcDNJmqFUBS9NsIteffpySdK9zCJG/s1600/2014-06-16+13.51.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcvBCNLhDCn6M1C-NLeWxqLhyphenhyphen4d-IlH2zoFfY9O9J3oGYUDKnkzuH6hZ8ipUOefzdYRCkBlrA4LwEyHNAr_7J-_3YX5DzjXuZX7FMawszAeZKpC5WcDNJmqFUBS9NsIteffpySdK9zCJG/s1600/2014-06-16+13.51.38.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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1. <b><span style="color: red;">cut the fabric in half, lengthwise, so you have 2 long pieces.</span></b> a friend and i split the cost of materials and bought a sample pack of rings, so the total cost was right around $17 per sling, with enough to make 2 mesh slings and have 3 pair of rings left over to make kid slings or whatever else. </div>
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2. <b><span style="color: red;">hem 3 edges of the fabric, leaving a short end raw. </span></b>i have read from other blogs that this isn't wholly necessary, however, i plan to use the mess out of this thing and i would like it to stay looking nice. it doesn't have to be perfect. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrOKBJEO87c8HRDv_uMm1vj3EIxTZIiuI8_yqWbgNjRJ5onWO-PTdRU_rR31IJ4DX-jUpmr446heYMS7JkXeCSF7g6DCa2v_v3h8jnFa_1ze_08L_tpsnqIgIET8RbZobPYO7csP6xsBM/s1600/2014-06-16+13.52.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrOKBJEO87c8HRDv_uMm1vj3EIxTZIiuI8_yqWbgNjRJ5onWO-PTdRU_rR31IJ4DX-jUpmr446heYMS7JkXeCSF7g6DCa2v_v3h8jnFa_1ze_08L_tpsnqIgIET8RbZobPYO7csP6xsBM/s1600/2014-06-16+13.52.41.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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3. <b><span style="color: red;">fold the raw edge like a fan.</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7xJs7WMtTctl3Ed83xohGoqnG2-SIl8-D4hIU-dZQMDcssg5owpPPss_i27NnkEnEm3aBCKrTnWh0JHRW0OHOCgJs8zQDheS94z8lCD-jIgVkm__Mbl_PL6h9AinREbZrruaW5g4Xp2R/s1600/2014-06-16+14.02.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7xJs7WMtTctl3Ed83xohGoqnG2-SIl8-D4hIU-dZQMDcssg5owpPPss_i27NnkEnEm3aBCKrTnWh0JHRW0OHOCgJs8zQDheS94z8lCD-jIgVkm__Mbl_PL6h9AinREbZrruaW5g4Xp2R/s1600/2014-06-16+14.02.07.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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4. <b><span style="color: red;">thread through both rings, </span></b>folding the mesh back on itself, wrong sides facing each other. i pulled about 6 inches through.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGvhgO2eoAmCtgoHL9jLM4clsXKGd6hOZKGNVvfpPsqq2u2RoTuVfOqox_85-JkuPXpZlifTs8EoHSUThXG8vsjCpUbwDJNXy0k1185E4LdmykG2lBo85HuYcXZaDfXx0MPjP3arSrQQl/s1600/2014-06-16+14.02.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGvhgO2eoAmCtgoHL9jLM4clsXKGd6hOZKGNVvfpPsqq2u2RoTuVfOqox_85-JkuPXpZlifTs8EoHSUThXG8vsjCpUbwDJNXy0k1185E4LdmykG2lBo85HuYcXZaDfXx0MPjP3arSrQQl/s1600/2014-06-16+14.02.28.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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5. <b><span style="color: red;">sew the folded over fabric together,</span></b> enclosing the rings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_84nNLvltApJLCeo1t6Z6igleeaiKG9DSLCPImsNEEFQ0HcMjmzx08R4P2qwPgotk1L-nx_fzn-OvSz-1t6QLGZFRykCFLjsieV5QYcFJMyhFBx09Fj4My2_n_7H3DD7Wa5Ti02XnaeX/s1600/2014-06-16+14.07.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_84nNLvltApJLCeo1t6Z6igleeaiKG9DSLCPImsNEEFQ0HcMjmzx08R4P2qwPgotk1L-nx_fzn-OvSz-1t6QLGZFRykCFLjsieV5QYcFJMyhFBx09Fj4My2_n_7H3DD7Wa5Ti02XnaeX/s1600/2014-06-16+14.07.39.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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{confession: i may have broken my sewing machine briefly, which explains why this thing looks so horrible. it seized up, some alarm went off and the machine practically screamed, "YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING VERY WRONG!!!!" right before my needle ripped out. so. yeah. i fixed it and it worked again, but make sure your fabric is not too bunchy in there. <u><b>spread those layers out. </b></u>you are welcome.} </div>
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5a. i sewed a couple of lines to really secure the fabric and to make it a little more padded. you don't need to. it doesn't do anything fancy, but it did make it a little more cushiony, so mission accomplished. still, ugly as sin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9ggC-_sVTijCRr3as0GrW6Rls3_4N9QotddBzCRLo8bQpuIyekz9gERRVjJM6qOmdiMU7FHGpGCIX-3as2KZBKHX_iGASxXRTgvoWtqxny6EHxPigqwVUz9SjJsa20mS9Xn1ziPlYU-N/s1600/2014-06-16+14.21.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9ggC-_sVTijCRr3as0GrW6Rls3_4N9QotddBzCRLo8bQpuIyekz9gERRVjJM6qOmdiMU7FHGpGCIX-3as2KZBKHX_iGASxXRTgvoWtqxny6EHxPigqwVUz9SjJsa20mS9Xn1ziPlYU-N/s1600/2014-06-16+14.21.55.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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that wonky part at the top is where my machine started to freak out. it looks terrible. but it works! and you can't even tell when it's on. </div>
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6. that is the end of the sewing part. if you know how to <span style="color: red;"><b>thread a ring sling, </b></span>you are ready to go. if not, check out some youtube tutes for help. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnsFymv_M8Q">i like this one.</a> it's long, but she's brittish and thorough. =) </div>
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7. put baby in sling. get in water. viola!! </div>
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this was done in about 20 minutes, during nap time. the most frustrating part was the machine malfunction, but after fixing that, it was super easy. if i were a more patient and trained seamstress, i definitely think i could have made this look better, but for the purposes i need it for, it's excellent. </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-85683245734534774542014-06-14T16:44:00.002-04:002014-06-14T16:44:35.939-04:00the last 3 months<div style="text-align: center;">
i have not bee keeping up. mostly because....well....i'm tired. </div>
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we've done a lot over the last 12ish weeks. </div>
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shortly after my last post, we boarded a plane to mallorca, spain. it was heaven. we spent 6 days at an all inclusive resort kind of in the middle of nowhere. our first day, we just walked around and hung out at the pool waiting for our friends to arrive, at which point we hung out by the pool and relaxed all day. </div>
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the next day, we headed in to palma to check out the sites and see the beautiful landmarks all around the city. my favorite thing was the palma cathedral. it looked like a giant sand castle. </div>
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for much of the rest of the week, we hung out at different beaches. out hotel had a secluded beach for our hotel and for the apartments next to us. it was incredibly peaceful. the babies loved playing in the sand, while the big girls ran back and forth out of the water. </div>
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the next day, we headed into the next town over (which is a british party town, and i liked it!) and we plopped down on the beach for an hour while we waited for our boat ride. i got a massage on the beach, yes i did. i had to dig a belly hole, which was a little embarrassing but whatever. </div>
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the boat ride may have been the highlight of my trip. everything was so beautiful and blue. it reminded me a little of hawaii, but even more amazing. </div>
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i had to jump in the water, even though it was freezing. it was very.....therapeutic. </div>
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the next day we hopped on a tour bus (bad idea with two babies) and headed to some caves on the other side of the island. the reminded me of the ones we've seen in the mountains of NC and TN. we walked down to the water inside of the caves, where we were serenaded by violinists on boats. </div>
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the big girls were great on the whole trip, and reminded me that travelling with kids can be really great. we stopped by the majorica pearl factory, where they make some very beautiful pearl jewelry. i started talking to one of the ladies who worked there, and we had a nice conversation. she started showing the girls some more of the "how it's made" and they posed for pictures with the lady who made the core of the pearls. </div>
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after they were done taking pictures, she came around and gave each girl a little baggie with a small core, a large core and a finished pearl. they were so excited about their fancy jewelry, and i was grateful for the sweet touch! </div>
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such an amazing vacation and i wish we could go back! </div>
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a month later, my mom came to visit, and settled in nicely with the girls. it was her second time meeting cora, but the first time she really got to know her. we went to bella's dance practice, shopped, played at the park and just enjoyed some time letting her catch up with the kids. </div>
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sometimes i regret that our kids aren't near their grandparents more. they have some amazing experiences, and hopefully there will be time to hang with the grandparents after we are back in the states. </div>
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after about a week, we headed to paris for a girls trip. it was.......exhausting. it gave me a greater appreciation for travelling with joel. we make a great team. </div>
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we stayed on the disney property at the sequoia lodge, spent a day in the park, a day in the city and the rest of the time at the pool. </div>
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my favorite part was jumping in the fountains at the eiffel tower, after realizing we got off at the wrong stop and hoofing it in the heat to the tower. </div>
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we saw all the main sites, but really, didn't get to spend as much time there as i would have preferred. our original plan had us going back the next day, but after that day, we decided it would be a little too much. turns out, mom had a kidney infection the whole time we had been there, so it was a good thing we decided to take a day off, to have her visit the doctor and let the kids burn some energy in the pool. </div>
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apparently, elsa dresses are hard to come by. but not in paris! they were everywhere. so of course, bella had to have one. and she was the most beautiful elsa i have ever seen. i loved watching her twirl all around the park. </div>
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these girls had so much fun this trip, and got completely and utterly spoiled by their yaya. stuffed animals, candy, staying up late, you name it! </div>
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in baby news, we are having a boy! it's exciting and terrifying and a brave new world. i think it's going to be pretty fantastic. these two girls are total daddy's girls, so it will be nice to have a little momma's boy! and i have been boy clothes shopping like a mad woman which has been a little more fun than i expected. this little mad is going to be a stud. </div>
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so, that's all of it. whew. see? tired. i wondered why today i couldn't seem to shake that feeling that i may collapse into a heap. so i did....i pretty much slept the day away. and it was marvelous. </div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-43999100119536330772014-03-26T16:35:00.001-04:002014-03-26T16:35:11.005-04:0015 weeks and a shameless plugit appears that my belly has officially popped. which is just weird and seems way too early. it's especially weird when people i see once a week start commenting on it.<br />
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a mom in bella's dance class was like, "wow! you really popped! how far along are you!?" and when i responded "15 weeks", i could almost see the regret flash through her mind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seriously. </td></tr>
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i don't mind really. apparently that's what happens when it's the third time you grow a person.<br />
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so far, it's been tiring, but pretty easy going. i haven't had morning sickness so to speak, but more all day slight queasiness. and i absolutely can't think about, say, see or eat avocados. weird.<br />
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i have, however, had 3 sinus infections since finding out i was pregnant. if you think a sinus infection is bad, having one while nursing AND pregnant is a mild form of torture. there is absolutely no medicine i can take, and while i generally prefer home remedies anyway, if you don't jump on it, it gets out of hand real fast. this last time, at the fist moments of post nasaliness (yes, i made that up), i took hourly shots of apple cider vinegar followed by several runs with the neti pot, and a hot hot shower for about 45 minutes. the whole thing ran its course in about a week, and wasn't nearly as bad as they have been.<br />
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the most entertaining part of this go round has been discussing baby names with bella. so far, if we have twin girls, which is her preference (we are not having twins, btw) she will name them clementine and lemon drop. if it's just one girl, she wants to stick with clementine. apparently, that's a real winner.<br />
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if it's a boy, his name will be side effect. yeah. it's better than motorcycle boy, i guess which was her other offering.<br />
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in other exciting news, my mom will be here in 2 months. we will be heading to paris for my birthday and taking the girls to disney while we are there. i could not be more excited, partly because my momma is coming for 2 weeks and partly because <b><u>DISNEY! </u></b>prior to that, we are heading to a small island off the coast of spain for a week of sun and fun. we have been trying to cram in as much travel as we can, because we will likely be sidelined for a few months around september.<br />
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<b>in non us news, my amazingly talented mother in law is quite the hand crafter. she has an etsy site called <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/EarthyDesign?ref=search_shop_redirect">EarthyDesign</a>, where she posts her handmade beads and jewelry made from those beads. she is currently having a spring sale for 40% off all items in the shop! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/EarthyDesign?ref=search_shop_redirect">check her out!</a> </b>Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-67386959152830435612014-02-27T17:38:00.000-05:002014-02-27T17:38:31.775-05:00the secret is out.....<div style="text-align: center;">
finally.</div>
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i have been not blogging, even though i have wanted to, for weeks now, because i am really not that good at keeping secrets. i guess i kind of am, but not my own secrets. </div>
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so, here goes.</div>
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we're pregnant! </div>
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strangely, and i am not sure if it's a germany thing or a my dr. thing, i do not have an <i>official </i>due date. according to everything i have ever known about fertility and calculating due dates (which is surprisingly more than i probably should), i am due on the 10th of september. however, my doctor has given me dates a week to either side. so...i don't really know what to do with that. </div>
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based on science that isn't my doctors, i am approximately 12 weeks along. or 13. or maybe 10. but i am going with 12 because i know. </div>
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admittedly, this one has been easy so far. no morning sickness, only a little bit of food aversions, and mostly a desire to eat very salty foods. completely different from the last two. take from that what you will. </div>
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without further ado, the announcement pictures we took.</div>
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so far so good. we had our second ultrasound today, saw and heard the heartbeat and the little nubs that will become arms and legs soon. everything is healthy and going smoothly and bella is ready for another sibling. </div>
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bella: mommy, i want to name the baby. i think we should call him....let's make him a he, ok?? i want him to be named superman bubbles.</div>
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so. maybe. </div>
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-9480709542137637492014-02-18T07:49:00.000-05:002014-02-18T07:49:17.910-05:00have kids, will traveltraveling is tiring. traveling with children? let's just say it's good i love it (and them) so much.<br />
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this weekend was a four day for joel, so we headed to prague. we decided to take the train so we could get a compartment and the kids could run around, and it was only when we went to book the tickets that we realized we would be on a bus for part of the trip. and it was only on the night before we left that we realized we would be on that bus for 4 hours.<br />
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i'll let you recover from falling on the floor.<br />
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four hours, on a bus, with two very energetic children. i might have cried a little.<br />
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in their defense, they were perfect on the train and for the first 3 hours on the bus. it was that last little bit, getting into the city at 6 that they started to come unglued.<br />
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but i digress.<br />
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prague was a beautiful city, full of amazing, old buildings, many of which were gothic style, which i love so much.<br />
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on our first day, we took a tour through <a href="https://www.neweuropetours.eu/">sandemans new europe tours</a>. we do this tour in each city we visit, because they are free tours that are incredibly informative and usually hit the highlights of the city, allowing us to get our bearings and figure out what we really want to go back to. you would think that a 3 hour tour would be a no-no with kids too, but ours are suprisingly tolerant and both were fabulous during the tour. cora slept int he ergo, and bella is at a great age, where she was able to walk along and listen, seemingly enjoyed seeing the sights (though maybe not the ones we were interested in), and when she did get bored, she was easily satisfied with a bite of chocolate (i am not above bribery/rewards) or sitting on a step talking to a random stranger. a couple of times, we even busted out her tablet.<br />
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this tour took us through the main tourist areas, including a <a href="http://www.czechtourism.com/c/prague-jewish-town-synagogues/">very preserved jewish village.</a> i thought the history behind this area was possibly the most interesting thing of the weekend.<br />
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if you are traveling around europe, i highly suggest taking a tour with <a href="https://www.neweuropetours.eu/">this company</a>.<br />
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later in the afternoon, we went up to the prague castle to walk around. there is a beautiful gothic cathedral up there and we walked around the grounds and through the cathedral before heading back down through a vineyard.<br />
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day 2, we headed back to the old town and towards the charles bridge. it was significantly colder so we had to stop for hats and gloves!<br />
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the views from the bridge were beautiful, but admittedly, the cold had us not stopping very long in any one place. we booked it across and perused some shops, checing out all the amber jewelry and crystal, before heading back across the bridge to get lunch.<br />
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prague has several american restaurants, and while i used to scoff at people going to a european city, only to eat at american establishments, i ate some crow so i could eat some fried pickles and chicken wings with RANCH DRESSING (i cannot contain my excitement at that fact. real, american style ranch dressing!) at hooters. yes. classy.<br />
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in the afternoon, we headed to the <a href="http://www.praguewelcome.cz/srv/www/en/objects/detail.x?id=56421">vyserhad cemetery</a>, which is in a walled in village high up on a hill. there is another beautiful gothic church there, along with stunning views of the city from the wall surrounding it.<br />
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our last day, we went back to climb up to the top of the astrological clock in the middle of the old town. we had a minor set back when bella threw her first breakdown tantrum of the trip. but after a little reasoning, we worked it out and headed up. more spectacular views and bella even found and named her own landmark-a spire seen from all around, which she named "the moom castle". the people around us were entertained by her overwhelming enthusiasm over seeing her moon castle. she even asked me to take a picture so she could show her friends. that girl is all kinds of special. love her.<br />
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we finally made our trek back to the train station to board that 4 hour bus. i dreaded the worst, and was pleasantly surprised when cora napped nearly the entire way and bella sat quietly beside me, playing her games. of course, that all changed once we got on the, but you can only expect so much out of two weary little girls, right?<br />
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now, off to take a nap......<br />
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<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-9648247505180908522013-12-26T16:07:00.004-05:002013-12-26T16:08:50.915-05:00birthdays<div style="text-align: center;">
the girls birthdays are almost exactly one month from each other. this year, i was really lame and tired. </div>
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we decided to "just do cake" for cora's birthday. i ordered a huge cake from a friend, invited all of the people who have been an integral part of cora's first year, and made some simple decorations. no gifts, just hanging out. </div>
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it was fun, because there was very little stress. and the cake was yummy. </div>
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for bella, i felt like i had to put a little more effort into it, you know, because she knows. but i was still feeling birthday lazy and so we went for an indoor playground with her 5 closest friends. </div>
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for the lack of effort i put into it, it was a hit. </div>
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i made their "chalkboards" and now they are hanging in their rooms. and i love it. i hope it isn't awkward when bella is 15 and i am still making these for her. </div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-86513147954626847682013-12-12T03:24:00.000-05:002013-12-12T03:24:56.310-05:00the thing i hate most about political ramblings on facebookfile this under <i><u>"how to lose friends and alienate people".</u></i><br />
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but i don't care.<br />
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i get so tired of one sided articles being pushed as truth. too many people on my friends list need to go to journalism 101 and learn how to figure out if something is a legitimate news outlet or simply rhetoric, whose main purpose is to stir emotions and get you crazed.<br />
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inflammatory articles. put out by <i>"news" </i>agencies. yep. i put quotes around that. because real news reports <b>fact with no opinion.</b> they let you look at something and use your brain to assess it for value.<br />
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it doesn't stop at political ramblings by left or right wing nuts (they do exist on BOTH sides, by the way). it's the articles that are quickly dispelled if you look <u>any.where.else.</u><br />
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i call them<span style="color: red;"><i> incendiary articles</i></span>, because they start fires. they prey on your emotion, stir you to action-post this on facebook!!! tell your friends!!!! a great wrong is occurring!!!! and you do, because, well, the internet told you to! <i>the internet doesn't lie</i>!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">yes. yes it does. it lies all the time. </span></b><br />
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it's called manipulation. "make us famous! here is a story, made to make you fear the very thing you love. we came up with it. no one else is reporting it! (because it's not true!) but we are breaking this story and you should love us now! look how we protect you from fears you <i><b>never even had.</b></i>"<br />
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so here is how you don't fall victim for their traps. start using that thing that is in your head. i hear that it is meant for forming individual thoughts.<br />
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listen to me when i say this, <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">things are very rarely as they are presented. there is always another side to the story. always. </span></b><br />
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i think, if you have siblings, you probably can understand this more than anyone. remember when you were a kid, and your sibling would pick and pick and pick. and then you would get sick of it, and you would snap and yell, or scream or throw something, or (gasp) hit them? and who got in trouble? you. because you were the one who got caught. your sister or brother were crying foul, and mom, bless her tired, overstimulated heart, believed them. you. go to your room. (ugh. bless my tired, overstimulated heart. i do this all the time.....)<br />
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but....but.....but......that's not the whole story!<br />
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exactly.<br />
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i heard once, there are 3 sides to every story, your side, their side and the truth. so, if your favorite shock jock provides you a story to make your blood boil, and "their side" provides the explanation, you can assume that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.<br />
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i write this, because i have a headache from all the eye rolling. please friends. i love you. i just want what is best for you. don't stress yourself out over the lies that are out there to draw you in. use your giant, working brain! it is amazing!<br />
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plus also, i hear that if you think about things a lot, you live longer. yep. i made that up. but it feels good, right? let's go with it.Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-85774002240739354522013-12-10T17:00:00.000-05:002013-12-10T17:00:58.906-05:0010 things i've learned from being a military spouse<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">1. learn to open you mind, but protect your heart</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">this can be true of any situation, but especially in the military. you are going to encounter so many different people, from different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different parts of the world, different races, religions, with all different thoughts on life. if you believe that your way is the only way, you will be very lonely. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">however, there i a time to know the right people to open your heart up to, and not everyone is that person. military families have a way of opening up faster, and giving away a lot, quickly. it's part of the process. make friends fast. you only have a few years, at most with them. just be careful you chose wisely. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">2. things can always be harder. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">and they will be. for you. for others. and usually when you least expect it. we've had multiple deployments, lost family members while we lived far away, have been separated from our families and each other, and yet, the hardest thing for me so far has been this weird work schedule he is on. he is here, but barely. cora only sees daddy on weekends, and bella for a few minutes before bed. we are living like a deployment, but not really. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">3. goodbyes will not be the hardest thing you have to do. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">when i was a kid, i would cry every time i left my grandparents house. i hated goodbyes. now, we say goodbye, what seems like daily. i've gotten good at it. it's not goodbye. it's see you later. and when people are constantly coming and going, saying hello can be much, much more difficult. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">4. home is not the same for everyone.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">as much as we move around, "where are you from" can be a tricky question. and even then, the place you were born may not be home. while we call charlotte home, hawaii really <i>feels</i> like home. we spent our first 4 years of marriage there. bought our first home there. got duke, "got" bella, and pretty much started everything there. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">5. you (and those other spouses) are stronger than you ever thought.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">don't count people out. that neighbor who seems to not have anything together, is probably holding it together a lot more than you think. there are days where i look disheveled and may or may not be fully appropriately clothed. occasionally, i look like i am about to fall apart at the seams, however, things are going pretty well aside from a sleepless night here or there (oh, who am i kidding, every night is sleepless). we military spouses go through a lot. we are asked a lot of, without little actual input. we sacrifice a lot, we put up with a lot, and we learn how to keep everyone fed and together on top of it all. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">6. not everyone loves this life, just as not everyone hates it. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">i hate hearing, "that must be so hard" or "you poor thing". don't pity me. i knew what i was getting in to. and i love it. this life suits us just fine. but i also know that the military life is not for everyone. the constant upheaval, no say in where you go or when you go there, no roots. it's not a life for every one. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">7. "family" will become a very complex word.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">some of our friends are as close as our blood family. and some closer. we have met people who are completely estranged from their actual families and who have adopted themselves into other families. holidays are spent with whoever is around and you live life together. it all gets very extended. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">8. forget your pride when it comes to having nice things. the movers will just break them anyway.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">for our wedding, i registered for 2 sets of nice dishes. in our very first move, just weeks later, several pieces broke from each set, leaving us with a bunch of random dishes. most of our stuff is ikea, refurbished or built by joel, because we have seen some real doozies when the furniture comes off the truck. so we try not to get too attached to anything. or spend too much money on anything. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">9. sometimes it's fun to take the road less traveled. until you realize you aren't the only one who has done this before and there is a reason this road is less traveled. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">whether it comes to shipping an animal, using a certain mover, taking a certain driving route or living in a certain area, there is usually a reason when you find out no one is using that company, or doing things that way. sure, sometimes the road less traveled offers a brighter view. and sometimes, it's a one way road along side a sheer cliff, with cars going in both directions. (that happened) </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">10. expect the unexpected. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">because there is nothing else to expect. people always ask, "where are you going next"? and we never ever know. not really. we found out very late we were coming to germany, and even then, weren't 100% cleared until like, 3 weeks beforehand. things get dicey when you try to plan too much, too far in advance. </span></div>
Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-30565131550937732332013-12-04T17:36:00.003-05:002013-12-10T17:01:31.819-05:00thanksgiving<div style="text-align: center;">
we spent our thanksgiving in the netherlands this year. </div>
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i highly recommend it. </div>
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we stayed in a little ocean town called katwijk, on the corner of the street, looking right into the waves. i could have stayed there forever. living pretty far from the ocean, i have learned that my soul yearns to be near crashing waves. each time we have set foot on the shores of some sea, i feel home and happy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBRYzkAG-d4hwTlpFS0NkCc7o17GnERTh8oQ5aV51jpQ0bLC3yxAxgYXc8ZftQbqkayaj3C7sdJI0TzeosnoqQV8NxXbb6cKZutHLiycvtrJicegphbZkycLz0udE7MWkGLiVVA8rpPl7/s1600/1400456_10202716911023210_392883754_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOBRYzkAG-d4hwTlpFS0NkCc7o17GnERTh8oQ5aV51jpQ0bLC3yxAxgYXc8ZftQbqkayaj3C7sdJI0TzeosnoqQV8NxXbb6cKZutHLiycvtrJicegphbZkycLz0udE7MWkGLiVVA8rpPl7/s320/1400456_10202716911023210_392883754_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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this trip, specifically was very enjoyable, to say the least. we went with some friends who also have a baby, just 2 months younger than cora. it's so fun, at this stage, watching the babies interact. </div>
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our first day, we took a walk along the canal, and down the beach walk. it was super windy and down right cold, but the smell of salt filled my lungs with "i don't care", and we pushed on for an hour or so. i couldn't get enough. </div>
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we got back to our apartment and got ready and went into delft. a small town in south holland. it was quaint and perfect. nothing spectacular or overwhelming, but pretty and easy. we ate lunch of the square-grilled sandwiches and soup, and strolled along the canals, with no real aim but to see. we shopped a bit, and stopped in a couple of cheese stores. we ended up buying beers from one of the shops and goat cheese from another to take back with us. on our way out of town, we found a place that boasted 200 different beers on the shelves, and stopped in to get a sampling. </div>
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the next morning, we woke up and headed out for another city, called den haag. there we found beautiful buildings and more of a city like atmosphere. there was an english book store we ducked into to escape the cold and i found a traditional folk story translated into english that i got the girls for christmas. they won't understand it this year, but i hope one day they realize just how spectacular of a childhood they have had. </div>
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den haag was amazing. it is home of peace palace, which is a beautiful building, but is also home to the permanent court of arbitration and the hague peace conference. </div>
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we headed back home for our thanksgiving dinner, which was....inventive. </div>
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we had no oven in our apartment, but we had brought a crockpot and so we put the turkey in the crockpot. we cooked the ham using a double boiler technique on the stove, while we cooked the potatoes on the back burner. it actually all came together really nicely and was delicious. </div>
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that is, until we tried to cook the pumpkin pie in a frying pan. i don't recommend that. </div>
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friday, we took the train to amsterdam. amsterdam was exactly what i thought it would be. it was a beautiful, old city, full of character and charm. we saw the anne frank house, ate at a pizzaria on a canal, went on a boat ride, and even saw an event where the king of the netherlands unveiled a new exhibit at one fo the museums. we hit the christmas market, drank gourmet hot cocoa and blushed through the main drag in the red light district. there was even a bar with NFL and NBA games showing. </div>
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on our last day, we headed out of town, stopping a couple of times to snap some pictures of windmills.</div>
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all in all, the netherlands might be my second favorite place in europe. it's clean, beautiful and charming. the people are friendly and helpful and gracious. and it doesn't hurt that they speak english! </div>
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living in a place where my language is not the first, and sometimes not even the second, is rough and gives me a whole new appreciation for people who move to the states without knowing the language. we have a buffer, since we are a part of a bigger, english speaking community and we have stores and restaurants available to us that take american money and are familiar. i can't imagine the isolation and frustration people must feel when the come to the states and are thrust into an environment where people get angry at them for not knowing english. </div>
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and that is all for my little soapbox spiel.</div>
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Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783013058351036771.post-30275653171257646692013-11-17T17:54:00.000-05:002013-12-10T17:02:10.329-05:00the month of october, part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://justine0520.blogspot.de/2013/11/we-have-been-busy.html">where did october go?</a>? </div>
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i still feel like i should be getting ready for halloween and people are already putting up christmas lights! </div>
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we started the month off with a visit from my family and then hopped on a plane to the uk. after 4 days in london (living my dream!) we took the train north to edinburgh, scotland, where we met up with joel's parents. </div>
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scotland was a total gear shift from london. whereas in london, i was marking things off my bucket list and trying to do as much in each day that i could, in scotland, we were able to kind of relax. </div>
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on our first day, we walked around edinburgh for a bit, taking it all in. joel's parents had been there a couple of days already and were able to act as our guides, showing us what they had already found. </div>
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one thing that i found kind of fascinating were the thrift stores in edinburgh. each one was named for a different charity, and profits from the shop went to that charity. but this wasn't your goodwill or salvation army. they were pretty fancy. some even carried designers and higher end stuff. if i had known, i would have totally brought an empty suitcase. </div>
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on our second day, we took the car we rented up the coast to aberdeen to see some beautiful countryside. </div>
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first stop was loch leven. it wasn't ness, but it was absolutely gorgeous. we got there shortly after sun rise and there was fog hanging around the shoreline. </div>
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we weren't able to get across the loch to the castle where mary, queen of scots was held, because we were there on a sunday. somehow we haven't learned that sunday is not a good travel day in europe.....</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnFJoYKt4ydJP15k83KOUN9VW6erlFyLOKPEQ18JY2uZdG0HUIGflJkDh-RHJmx_7CiYchMisJaX8kCjcf_EEiVO616LZj5-WBfMLxYUglJIh5kjUMcWTYF_wkMdHmNCKn6TEw4DpvabL/s1600/1377152_10100754951872386_1390457691_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnFJoYKt4ydJP15k83KOUN9VW6erlFyLOKPEQ18JY2uZdG0HUIGflJkDh-RHJmx_7CiYchMisJaX8kCjcf_EEiVO616LZj5-WBfMLxYUglJIh5kjUMcWTYF_wkMdHmNCKn6TEw4DpvabL/s400/1377152_10100754951872386_1390457691_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cemetery on loch leven</td></tr>
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next, we headed further north to <a href="http://scone-palace.co.uk/">scone palace.</a> this one wasn't planned, but as we were driving along, we saw a turn off and went with it. i'm super glad we did, because it was a pretty awesome stop. there were peacocks wandering all over the grounds and horses and bulls, and there was, of course, tons of cool history. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_II_of_Scotland" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Alexander II of Scotland">Alexander II</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> and Alexander III, both crowned at Scone, ruled from 1214 to 1286. For centuries the greatest treasure at Scone was the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Scone" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Stone of Scone">Stone of Scone</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> upon which the early </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_Scotland" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Kings of Scotland">Kings of Scotland</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> were crowned. When </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_I_of_England" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Edward I of England">Edward I of England</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> carried off the Stone of Scone to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Westminster Abbey">Westminster Abbey</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> in 1296, the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_Chair" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Coronation Chair">Coronation <span style="color: black;">Chair</span></a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> that still stands in the abbey was specially made to fit over it. </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_I_of_Scotland" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Robert I of Scotland">Robert the Bruce</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> was crowned at Scone in 1306 and the last coronation was of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_England" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Charles II of England">Charles II</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;">, when he accepted the Scottish crown in 1651. The Stone of Scone is now in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Castle" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Edinburgh Castle">Edinburgh Castle</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Scotland" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Historic Scotland">Historic Scotland</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;">) along with the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_regalia" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" title="Scottish regalia">Scottish regalia</a></i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>."</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhRgtGjKyxi0ScyUneg60VviEqRLkMGPUkCGQZEVdDYg3EDFBYSi22-nDK1v_rZc0AAfqjKLRkT7Tl__F55LV-Bp0AK_rMAx-QADIPQD2IkSjb5dFfJV6ApmXm3i7RULpRwBm1h6I_EWm/s1600/945227_10100754949866406_1622430390_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhRgtGjKyxi0ScyUneg60VviEqRLkMGPUkCGQZEVdDYg3EDFBYSi22-nDK1v_rZc0AAfqjKLRkT7Tl__F55LV-Bp0AK_rMAx-QADIPQD2IkSjb5dFfJV6ApmXm3i7RULpRwBm1h6I_EWm/s320/945227_10100754949866406_1622430390_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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our next stop was glamis castle, but we didn't really spend any substantial amount of time there. because we were working our way to.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8sbBqwADZs88zT-NBuWHyeXtuBHoWuAufi4Bt3DSshOmtl9Spz6sUNiYZHRpxojsn-nQhH9fOawYS9Sg4H-udGFNUxLO_DNrwBnZJs09FMubsdWnJWCB8WgZYYd6ARKBMgFQBPrNzA5T/s1600/1384369_10100754951273586_210928440_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8sbBqwADZs88zT-NBuWHyeXtuBHoWuAufi4Bt3DSshOmtl9Spz6sUNiYZHRpxojsn-nQhH9fOawYS9Sg4H-udGFNUxLO_DNrwBnZJs09FMubsdWnJWCB8WgZYYd6ARKBMgFQBPrNzA5T/s400/1384369_10100754951273586_210928440_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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this place. </div>
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dunnottar castle. </div>
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ruins, actually. this was what i wanted to see while we were in scotland. ruins on cliffs and the ocean. oh the ocean. </div>
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i felt like we could have left at this point. i was so happy. </div>
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we spent a few hours walking around and just breathing the sea air. it was incredible.</div>
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day 3, we decided, there wasn't much that could top the previous day. so we decided to take it easy, and we headed to the town of portabello. which is by the sea. ooooh the sea....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_WEru2gD9ciblsEZG2hI_HKaKYMQ11Ri0R9VDuHDT4t0Oaif1o5Cwu_4C9NntpBUtCyAsCgOIEa5ppW3YipvbVypkooQfIlbjmJZrwbjyLjOliDLbg42sAwBqhRFwX0mui3lbZi2RIox/s1600/737210_10100755034541716_842282934_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_WEru2gD9ciblsEZG2hI_HKaKYMQ11Ri0R9VDuHDT4t0Oaif1o5Cwu_4C9NntpBUtCyAsCgOIEa5ppW3YipvbVypkooQfIlbjmJZrwbjyLjOliDLbg42sAwBqhRFwX0mui3lbZi2RIox/s320/737210_10100755034541716_842282934_o.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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yes, bella. i agree.</div>
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the rest of the day was spent doing the tourist thing-we checked out edinburgh castle, shopped at some shops, ate some good food and took some pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc5cEi0rKycOOpzUJgqyCjgQWsIE6_z7j0wbtrCICh5vBZzM_qWcg1n8O9qokqqxyakVLniEAm9AGnT6cRS2mgfKGUDhwgB3aWxFNzMWPTtixppqBg-ODEgzLTfv7woXtxyTY1qZIibnF/s1600/1375092_10100754960395306_939436100_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkc5cEi0rKycOOpzUJgqyCjgQWsIE6_z7j0wbtrCICh5vBZzM_qWcg1n8O9qokqqxyakVLniEAm9AGnT6cRS2mgfKGUDhwgB3aWxFNzMWPTtixppqBg-ODEgzLTfv7woXtxyTY1qZIibnF/s320/1375092_10100754960395306_939436100_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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and then we ran against this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmP4Ki9ak6exEvcRYo0iSmL8RGpvnWVP_pIWdwvJyvs5hUQKUxGIdeJb7rxFD2Yk7Ch9GuX8LFs8heA8gjqi4vdgzk4rZc4bRPWDsJgUoAevTLOGnJ3sfFcuFEWkbt7kdzJ5CM2BZaC2D/s1600/1380337_10100754949172796_2015794861_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmP4Ki9ak6exEvcRYo0iSmL8RGpvnWVP_pIWdwvJyvs5hUQKUxGIdeJb7rxFD2Yk7Ch9GuX8LFs8heA8gjqi4vdgzk4rZc4bRPWDsJgUoAevTLOGnJ3sfFcuFEWkbt7kdzJ5CM2BZaC2D/s320/1380337_10100754949172796_2015794861_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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the cafe where j.k. rowling wrote the first harry potter. yeah. it was no diagon alley, but it was still pretty cool. </div>
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day 4, we took a car, to a train, to a train, to a plane, to a train, to a train, to a car to our home sweet bed. it was an amazing 9 days of travel. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY3_Bx-crozau3jHnQFTVNXpTVnqGTmH-RGFlNI4aZ1gWSkuwiLVe3nxVYkgExXllf6Nz5JVcVxTWdLhqcc-FGdO9eOpETUUt1e1EmZTVDKgz0Fyqr0toVpLILVPLhkPyPmwbx0VfaAeh/s1600/1385968_10100754765480916_462403170_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY3_Bx-crozau3jHnQFTVNXpTVnqGTmH-RGFlNI4aZ1gWSkuwiLVe3nxVYkgExXllf6Nz5JVcVxTWdLhqcc-FGdO9eOpETUUt1e1EmZTVDKgz0Fyqr0toVpLILVPLhkPyPmwbx0VfaAeh/s320/1385968_10100754765480916_462403170_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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joel's family came back with us to spend the next 4 days hanging out and loving on my babies. it all went too fast. </div>
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finally, we hit halloween, and only just got to experience it! </div>
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cora was a precious little sully wazowski. no, i am not confused. i got this random monster costume at the exchange, and all the dads around the neighborhood were like, "what an awesome monster. monster, inc. right?" </div>
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yep. sully wazowski. </div>
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and then there was bella. this year marks the second year where bella has had a costume and at the 11th hour, i made her something completely different. this year, i was worried she would freeze to death in the little cat costume we picked out. especially considering the fur was falling off and it wasn't even out of the package yet.</div>
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so she became the (warmest) cutest little lady bug i could whip up in 2 hours the night before halloween. </div>
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scary little babies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLd9XCQWCIleoxrQsbM6Ge-WT2huFp-nLLQlC1MWngBihlTK8qnxROjUom0lCZReIAU8cNbrvxGzCqt5_GCBDNE5UJ06oqW0Dwzk6kTKnMRwptU96IpsfmwIulfZplQWEG4_bKReoVb0r/s1600/1452584_10100768630565176_1477226238_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLd9XCQWCIleoxrQsbM6Ge-WT2huFp-nLLQlC1MWngBihlTK8qnxROjUom0lCZReIAU8cNbrvxGzCqt5_GCBDNE5UJ06oqW0Dwzk6kTKnMRwptU96IpsfmwIulfZplQWEG4_bKReoVb0r/s320/1452584_10100768630565176_1477226238_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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happy october. merry christmas. </div>
<br />Justinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09520621769203150711noreply@blogger.com0