Quick Takes: The First Day of November Edition

Seven snippets of life right now.

1. Thomas went indoor skydiving.
   His buddy Mic turned four, and so Mic, Thomas, Zac and Alicen headed north to iFly at Southcenter.   I was flying home from Atlanta at the time...so I LOVE LOVE LOVED touching down and opening this video that Amy shot for us.  He loved being Peter Pan and did even better the second time. 
2. I think fall will always be intense.
   Even with a relative few travel dates for me (just Anchorage and Atlanta this fall), the entire season flew by.  Thrilled to have nearly a dozen major design projects all finished up and sent to the printer, and working like mad to get my latest shoots out before a full day of mini sessions tomorrow.  Things are crazy until Thanksgiving, and then the day after Thanksgiving, our tree farm opens for business through Christmas.  I LOVE IT.
3. I've lost ten pounds in the last two weeks.
   Apparently, there is something to the "eat less, move more" theory.  Who knew?  What also helped?  Jonathan bought me new boxing gloves for our gym in the mancave.  Autumn came over and we had an incredible hour with the speedbag and punching bags...and even headed out into the night for a starlight walk (which you need a lantern for on the farm).   It's helped balance out the crazy office hours I have right now (yesterday, they were 3:15 - 9:30 am and then switching gears to 'mommy mode').
4. Love fall cooking.
   We've had lots of soups (chicken & rice or turkey & rice are my faves right now), fresh italian baguettes, and I made an awesome turkey, swiss and apple panini. 
5. Love my Silhouette cutter.
   Working on wooden projects for the tree farm, awesome vinyl lettering for cars, made sweet mustaches for The Mauss Group's hilarious Christmas shoot for Dad's last official ML Christmas card before retirement, a sweet skull & crossbones eye patch for the Wee Ski 1.0's pirate costume, and cool custom pumpkins for the farm and Relay.  This thing is ridiculously addictive.
6. Clutter.
   The bane of my existence.  Working on getting rid of things and touching things only once.  So incredibly tough. 
7. Alexander hit 17 pounds!
   An awesome milestone.  Yesterday, he ate two eggs, a banana, and half cup of cheerios for breakfast.  He's got cheeks and giggles and babbles and LOVES his older brothers.  I will upload some photos soon.  He is ridiculously awesome.

Quick Takes: The Quiet Saturday Edition

Seven snippets of life right now.  Seems like my blog posts of late resemble the length of time of the Wee Skis' attention spans.  :)

• John Paul is becoming a crazy hoarder.  He can now find anything on top of the fridge and no shelf is too high to discover treats.  He has been banned from eating from the big containers because I find the insides EVERYWHERE.  I couldn't help but take this photo of the visual evidence that he broke this rule...he was sound asleep with his hand right inside the container of white cheddar baked cheetos.  And he is still in the 40th percentile...seems like keeping up with Thomas keeps him little!
• The Art of Saying No.  This was an excellent and timely read for me.
• A beautiful story about a priest who died from cancer, just two days after ordination.
• Our local school is on the cutting-edge of technology with an app (the first of its kind in the nation) that can lockdown the school within seconds.  Seriously love the forward thinking of our school district!  From the Olympian
• It's Christmas in August.  I have been crazy busy with the Sprouffske Trees farm marketing as we gear up for the fall and Christmas season.  We launched our first formal wholesale sales campaign, and are gearing up for increasing our nonprofit sales.  And while feeding the Wee Ski 3.0, I began our Pinterest boards for the farm.  You should follow them for great Christmas ideas!!
• We are all looking forward to school starting.  Thomas will be going five days a week, three and a half hours a day.  John Paul is starting a tumbling class, and Alexander is working on keeping up.  :)  I'm looking forward to the return of routines and schedules and cooler days.  
• The last one is this photo.  I just love it.  This was the conversation just before it:
  Thomas: I am going to sleep on the floor tonight.
  Me: Are you sure? It's not as comfy as your top bunk.
  Thomas: John Paul was scared last night. I think the kids want me to "ratect" (protect) them. I'll just sleep in the middle of them. Pope Francis will watch out for monsters for us.
  
  I just love how he calls his brothers "the kids".

Seven Quick Takes: The Alexander Edition

In no particular order.

• Alexander is eight months old now.  His hair is fine and blonde...and gets curly on occasion.  When that happens, I hold him up like the "Lion King" and let him know that he's definitely my son.
• He's 13 pounds -- still on the "little peanut" side, but a crazy big eater like his older brothers.  The other morning, he had half a cup of peaches and pears and an entire banana.  Right now, he eats: bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, green beans, avocados, yogurt, apples, chicken, fish, and butter.  Gotta add some poundage somewhere!  I am still making all his baby food, and the Vitamix is amazing for doing it in bulk.  I usually make a week's worth over the weekend and just take what we need throughout. 
• He sleeps through the night better than his older brothers.  No kidding.  Every morning around 4, I hear Thomas going to get a drink of water in the kitchen before coming to check on us.  Alexander sleeps through everything.
• They are all sleeping in the same room.  Thomas on the top bunk, John Paul on the bottom bunk, and Alexander in the crib.  It actually works really well. 
• We found amazing sleep again.  Last Saturday night, we all got home from Gig Harbor around 10:00.  When Jonathan and I woke up the next morning without a single Wee Ski in our bed and neither of us woke up the entire night...we both agreed we hadn't slept that well in 5 years.  IT WAS HEAVENLY.
• My little peanut is still in 0-3 and 3-6 month clothing.  We definitely got incredible use out of the newborn clothes and the tiny 0-3 ones.  His 6 month size "Sprouffske Trees" sweatshirt should fit just in time for tree season.
• He popped two teeth within a week of each other.  His sweet little smile has two tiny little teeth rising from his gums. 
• A bonus one:  He is such a chill baby.  I thought John Paul was laid back.  This kid is crazy calm.  I took all the boys to see Planes last Friday, and as long as Alexander was fed, he was happy and content to sleep and watch the movie.  He plays with his brothers, giggles at what they do, doesn't mind when Thomas drags "the kid" all over the house (as Thomas calls him), and is happiest in the backseat of the car right next to 1.0 and 2.0.  It makes the craziness of 3 boys under 5 so much easier.  I love it.

Quick Takes: The Pumpkin Edition

Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.

1. Thomas loves preschool.
   LOVES it.  He prays each night for Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. LaVassar, and always introduces me to his friends in his class.  Mrs. L shared about how caring he is in class -- especially when his classmates are upset or sad. 
2. First field trip to the pumpkins!
   He had his first field trip on the same day Jonathan and I left for Leavenworth...it was a FULL day!  We headed over to Schilter's, rode the tractor-pulled wagon, met all the baby animals, climbed on the haystacks, and found the perfect Thomas-sized pumpkin.  John Paul had a great time too, just following his big brother. 
3. The rain has brought fall to the farm.
   Nothing like the east coast, but every day I am grateful that our garage will be finished soon and the mud problems inherent on the farm will be dramatically lessened this winter -- which makes my heart happy with six little shoes that will be running around in it!
4. Loving Zeus, the generator.
   We had our first power outage for about eight hours...and I'll tell you...it was pretty fabulous to wait about 20 seconds and have Zeus roar to life on his own!  I literally teared up when I realized that we could still flush the toilets.  THAT makes this mommy happy.
5. Life has not slowed down at all.
   It's the crazy fun pace of fall leading into Christmas: balancing the farm, photography, the boys, and Relay...in addition to growing this tiny human.  I am finding myself forcing myself to slow down a bit, and to plan ahead as much as possible.  But having sent more than a dozen Finian Road Christmas projects to the printer already gives me a great sense of peace in terms of staying ahead of the game!
6. Fall baking.
   Pumpkin bread, apple muffins, lots of tasty deliciousness.  I have a 40 pound box of apples calling my name in the kitchen...hopefully just after Halloween, I'll answer their call.  Looking forward to freezing some goodies as well to savor when 3.0 arrives!
7. Life right now with the boys...borrowed from my Facebook wall:
   Within the first three minutes of walking in the door at home, Thomas greets me with this:
   "What did you bring me? Where did you go to? We're having a dance party. I built a fort. Is the baby still in your tummy? Is he growing? Is he coming out now? Oh, not now? Soon? Not yet? When is he going to be here? Is he this big (holding hands 3 feet apart)? Not that big? Did you know I'm going to hold him? I'm going to make him happy. He will start crying but I will make him feel better. I will teach him how to say words like hot dog and corn dog. He can't say them yet, but he'll learn. Papa's a good sharer, did you know that? John Paul pooped 3 times for Papa. Papa's glad you're home now. Did you know John Paul's your sweet baby? He is, isn't he?"
   
   
   Quotables from Jonathan Sprouffske:
   "About time you showed up!"

Quick Takes: The Beautiful Friday Edition

Seven snippets of life, in no particular order

1. The photo above is one of my very favorites lately. 
   There is nothing funnier than when Thomas is goofing around and started crossing his eyes.  Here, he was marching and "crossing his eyes out". 
2. I thought I was in the clear, but not quite yet.
   As with both earlier pregnancies, the first trimester has been pretty exhausting.  I think I got a little ahead of myself the other day, when I commented, "I haven't taken a nap for 3 days now!"  Because yesterday, I was known as the slug that stayed on the couch.  When I got up to get water and something to eat, I learned just how much carnage the Wee Skis can wreak on a house when Mommy's not paying attention. Today was better. Only two hours of naps and one hour semi-napping on the deck while they boys played with the hose and their bikes. 
3. Finished up the logos for our team Relay tee.
   So excited to unveil them -- we changed our theme a few weeks ago and decided the just do a simple purple & white theme, not tying directly into the 'magic of Relay' theme or the original Irish magic theme we'd chosen for our team. They'll look pretty sweet on our purple baseball jersey style tees, and we can wear them year-round.  Sending them off to the printer!  And now onto the Division's tees for the Nationwide Summit next month...
4. I've been good at lowering my expectations.
   Lowered my expectations of what I can do right now, how much I can keep up, and what's really important right now.  I've had to allot specific times for things -- projects, house stuff, mainly -- and let them rest outside my mind when it's not the specific time for them.  That's been a big challenge for me as a multi-tasker, but has been good for my overall psyche.  But don't expect a beautifully neat home right now when you visit.  You'll be sorely disappointed.
5. A sweet adventure on Monday afternoon.
   Stella and I met up at Bell Square for dinner and shopping. The boys LOVED the new playplace at Bellevue Square, and I loved being able to visit so many sweet shops all at the same time as well as get to spend some quality time with Stella.  It's something I no longer take for granted anymore, living in a small town next to NO malls.  The last shop we visited was Oil and Vinegar, and it was AWESOME.  I came home with two tasty vinegars (strawberry balsam creme and date balsam creme) as well as a lobster butter.  Totally delicious and looking forward to grilling up some shrimp for the lobster butter.  Excited that Olympia now has its own oils/vinegars store as well!
6. Excited for the next two weekends.
   Lots of Relay in store. Next weekend, it's a training weekend for the Nationwide Leadership Training Team -- a training I get to ATTEND instead of present!  Excited to see my NLTT friends from across the nation, and to being preparing for the national summit next month. And I've never been to Tennessee.  It's the first time I've been able to attend this training, since every year - for the past 4 years - it's fallen on the same weekend as the Thurston Relay. Thank you, June, for giving us 5 weekends this year!!  The last weekend is our Relay in Thurston, with the boys camping out and the event moving to a new location at Timberline High School.  It will be a little surreal for the location, given that it shares a boundary with the cemetery that Joanthan's parents are buried. I think we may take Grandma Ski's luminaria to her grave on Saturday after it's burned throughout the night. We can seriously just walk there.
7. Loving our sunshine.
   Even if I have no energy. It is SO MUCH NICER than looking out to constant rain and wind!  Summer is coming!

Quick Takes: "The Boys" Edition

Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.

1. Thomas loves being a big brother.
   He loves taking care of John Paul and especially his two babies.  The bigger one on the bottom is his baby Paul that Grandma got him to help with the transition to a little baby.  The smaller one on top is John Paul's little baby, but Thomas adopted him as his own.  I walked into the boys' room the other day, and Thomas was sound asleep with his babies, all napping together.
2. "The boys"
   Thomas has taken to calling himself and John Paul in the third person.  In the morning, he'll climb in the crib with John Paul and call out to me, "Mommy!  The boys are ready to get up!"  He loves being part of "the boys". "Mommy, the boys are ready to go to Costco!"
3. Jonathan was a superstar during his first "boys weekend" with both Wee Skis.
   It's not easy being on your own with both of them, but he was amazing. Especially since Thomas was pretty sick most of the weekend with some sort of bug. I came home to a much better sight than I was expecting, given the circumstances. One of my favorite quotes ever comes from Jonathan's Facebook post last Saturday:
   

   So, apparently life with just dad is rough:
   Thomas: When is mommy coming home?
   Me: Tomorrow Night.
   Thomas: Are you kidding me? I'm gonna need some holy water.
   
   Shelley Sprouffske, somehow you make our house less demonic???

4. "I need to spit."
   What we now know translates to "I'm going to throw up."  We had a rough Thursday last week, where Thomas threw up all over his bed during naptime.  He didn't "spit" again until I returned home on Sunday, and woke us up last night to tell us. We stayed up with him for a few hours, keeping him upright while his tummy settled.  I found an awesome recipe for homemade pedialyte, and have kept that in both boys.  John Paul seems to have avoided getting sick.  Here's praying Jonathan and I do too!
5. Thomas is doing so well in potty training.
   I find it hilarious that one of my favorite phrases right now is "Mommy, I pooped in the potty!"  He was so discouraged during the worst of his illness, when he had the runs and there was no stopping it.  When he started to get back on track this morning, he said, "Mommy, I use my underwears again.  I'm a big boy again."  "I know, sweet child, I'm so proud of you!"  "You're zel-come, Mommy.  You're zel-come."  :)
6. This was my first weekend away from John Paul.
   We began planning for the 2013 Relay training season in Las Vegas. I soaked up a little sun on Friday (95 degrees!) by the pool and got a good jump start on training for the Summits this fall.  Friday night was so tough to fall asleep...but come Saturday night, I had a bubble bath and got eight uninterrupted hours of sleep.  I won't lie -- it was heaven.  But I was extremely happy to come home, drive down the driveway, and see the boys jumping up and down. 
7. So hard to believe John Paul is almost one!
   How can a year have flown by?!?

Quick Takes: The Life Through the iPhone Edition

Seven snippets of life, as seen through my iPhone.

The initial changeover from my blackberry was tough, but this has definitely been one of the things that's eased the transition! I love having a great little camera in the phone. I love having the images immediately sync to my iPad. I love that Thomas can find his way to the photos and he LOVES to look through them. Especially hilarious are the video clips. But I digress.

The past few weeks have been at a slower pace, perfect for Lent and as we gear up for a busy summer ahead.


March 15 • On the farm, in the midst of our crazy winter weather.  It snowed this day, then flipped to 60 degrees a few days later.  I love our Bob duallie, it goes 'over the river and through the woods' so easily.  It's that awesome.


I adore how John Paul looks at Thomas.  In love with his big brother.


March 19 • Blurry, I know, but one of the first times that John Paul stood on his own for a few seconds.  At Charlie's Safari, my haven on days when the rain won't stop. 


Check out that FuzziBunz bum.  I did not win the mother of the year award on this day.  When I didn't bring a backup pair of pants for my older, potty training son, I simply pulled off the 6 month-sized fleece pants on John Paul and put them on Thomas.  They did look a little like stretch pants, but Thomas didn't care.  He got to jump and play and bounce and run.  He was happy. 


March 23 • Down the slide on a beautiful sunny afternoon. 


March 25 • This could very well be one of my favorite photos. The red heart is actually from Jonathan's childhood, and it's been kept in the freezer for 20 years or more. It was used for owies for swelling.  Thomas, who keeps his Baby Paul with him everywhere, dropped him on the floor. He scooped him up and said, "baby, don't cry. I will take care of you. It's okay, it's okay, baby." Then he ran to the freezer, grabbed the heart, and put it on his head. "All better, baby.  Do you want feel better juice too?" Feel better juice is any juice we happen to have in the fridge when someone takes a spill.  Since it's not a specific juice, everyone will have feel better juice in their house, so it helps no matter if he's at our house or grandma's or whoever's. 


March 26 • Pimp my racecart ride, yo.  I will drive to the Safeway off College & Yelm Highway instead of going to the one in Yelm simply because their racecart rides aren't ghetto fabulous.  The ones in Yelm have broken steering wheels, doors and cart wheels -- so it's like steering the Titanic.  The newer ones at the College St. store are like heaven in comparison.  The boys love riding together.  It makes shopping a breeze.

Quick Takes: The Mid-March Edition

Seven snippets of life, in no particular order.

1. It's been a long time coming, but Thomas is making great progress in potty training.
   I will spare you his major success video from yesterday, but I will tell you that yesterday was the FIRST DAY EVER that we didn't change a poopy diaper for him.  It was HEAVENLY.  Marshmallows, cadbury creme eggs and "new underwears" have been his main motivators. I'm totally not above bribery by this point. And to think we're still ahead of the average for little boys (3 1/2 years old).  Yea!
2. The Ski boys are finally on the mend.
   The last week or so, with all the boys on the DL, has been a challenge. Jonathan's nearly back to 100%, Thomas is starting to get his energy back, and John Paul's virus is clearing up.  We've had lots of laundry, lots of snuggles, and everyone has been logging crazy amounts of sleep. And I haven't gotten sick yet. Thank God!
3. We've been on baked potato overdrive.
   There was a stash of baked potatoes left over from the Blarney Blast, so we've had some tasty delicious baked potato meals.  I made this potato bread recipe into crescent rolls (tasty delicious!) and we all loved this baked potato soup.  Will probably make these ultimate twice baked potatoes  and this herbed potato soup before we run out as well. Seriously loving the fresh chives that I have kept growing throughout the winter on the deck.  Subbing those perfectly for green onions.  And a few more batches of the potato bread: soft and perfect with soup.
4. Easter outfits.
   I never thought I would be "that mom" who would dress her kids in matching outfits. BUT I TOTALLY AM. I am always a little envious of the foofy little girls' dresses at Costco...so when I found tiny linen four-piece-suits for the boys there, I snatched them up.  Khaki linen pants and vests with blue shirts and ties.  Cannot wait!
5. Spring is coming.
   Even though we woke up to a two-hour school delay the other day with three inches of snow on the ground.  Never mind that it was 65 degrees last week.  Thomas was so excited to pull his snow boots back out to wear, he ran around the house yelling, "MOMMY! ARE YOU READY FOR CHRISTMAS?!?"  Yes, kiddo, if by "Christmas" you mean "spring and Easter and sunshine and planting and NOTHING HAVING TO DO WITH SNOW." 
6. We are in the money.
   Thanks, Puget Sound Energy, for approving our $50 credit for the Ice-ma-geddon power outages in January.  Never mind that the power went out half a dozen times during Monday's windstorm. 
7. And finally, I give you Thomas's highly scientific method of making his March Madness picks, courtesy of my iPad.  Enjoy.  He has a few major upsets in there, so if he wins, he'll be winning big.

Quick Takes: The Quiet Weekend Edition

 Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.

1. We had a great Lenten presentation on the Mass by Dr. Tom Curran on Friday night.
   Thomas and John Paul both went to the childcare and Jonathan and I had the chance to listen to Dr. Curran again. It was a full house and the boys did so well.  John Paul made it through the intermission, and Thomas was still going strong at the end (see above, playing a dancing game with the other kids).  One of the comments..."That Thomas, he's a confident boy!"  If they'd only known that when we first got there and I stopped to nurse John Paul, Thomas curled up next to me and said, "Mommy, don't go.  I'm shy."  Oh kiddo, you couldn't be more mistaken.  Dr. Curran was great -- as always -- and I picked up the full series on Sexual Common Sense by Dr. Janet Smith.  Really looking forward to that. 
2. Stinky Fish Lent is in full swing.
   I finished installing the curtains in our bedroom, replaced a ton of burnt out lightbulbs around the house, started deep cleaning the house, clearing out my closet and fixed the reclining sofa in the living room.  The right recliner stopped working a while back, and I took the whole reclining section apart, diagnosed the problem, bought the right nuts for the broken piece, and put it all back together.  I so wish the Brownrices would have been there to see it. 
3. The PuppyBoy.
   A few weeks ago, Thomas started calling John Paul "PuppyBoy."  Maybe it was around the time that Maggie went to be with Jesus, I don't know.  He'll see John Paul across the room and start calling out to him to come over.  "Here PuppyBoy!  Come here, PuppyBoy!"  And sweet John Paul smiles with a wide smile and crawls over to his big brother.  
4. I'm getting used to the iPhone.
   It has been a big adjustment from my BlackBerry.  With the combination of my Microsoft Outlook + BlackBerry both crashing within a week of each other, I've spent the past week without an address book, contact list, or calendar.  It's been a great way to break me of my texting addiction, but I am looking forward to getting all of my data back and being "connected" again.  If there's one thing I truly miss about corporate America, it is the ability to have someone remote into your computer and fix everything within five minutes. The Merrill Lynch HelpDesk was my lifesaver many a time.  Now I get to be my own lifesaver.  Anyway,  I have found some sweet apps to help get my life back in order with lists and to-dos, and Jonathan and I set up my calendar so he can access it from anywhere as well.  I'm really excited about that. 
5. Looking forward to springtime. 
   I just am.  We had some snow earlier this week and today it's in the 50s...and I know the first day of bright blue skies + sunshine everyone's moods will instantly lift.  CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT.
6. Caucuses were yesterday.
   As PCO, Jonathan headed up our area's voting for the Republican caucuses yesterday at the Thurston County meeting.  Though our first choice did not get chosen by the majority of Republican voters in our state, we're hopeful for a successful change this fall regardless.  We had a very quiet afternoon and evening together, and ordered Moneyball on demand during one of the boys' naptimes.  Loved it.  
7. A sick Thomas is a sweet Thomas.
   He woke up yesterday with a fever, so we've been taking it easy.  When I was working in our bedroom yesterday, he burrowed into the pillows and fell asleep face down for 3.5 hours.  All he wanted was juice and applesauce and to "cuddle in the living room."  And he slept ALL NIGHT LONG IN HIS OWN BED LAST NIGHT.  Pure heaven for all of us.  We divided and conquered today at Mass, with Jonathan flying solo at the early Mass and JP and I at the later one.  Thomas just stayed curled up in blankets on the couch.  I love this photo of him burrowed in...and hey, wait!  ARE THOSE CURTAINS HANGING UP?!?  Merry Christmas 2010, Jonathan!  :)

Quick Takes: The Restoring Order Edition

Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.

1. Seriously loving finding our routines again.
   In the midst of the power outages, yes -- plural, being away last weekend for the incredibly successful Mega Event Experience, we are getting back into the normal flow with naps, adventures and normal, ordinary life.  
2. We've had beautiful weather the past few days.
   It's so difficult to realize that two weeks ago, it was treacherous out here.  Dangerous, cold, icy, and tree damage everywhere you turned.  The past few days have had bright, beautiful sunshine with crispy cold evenings.  We headed to the park today to burn some of Thomas's energy, and it was 28° outside.  So yes, he was in snow pants, but he was happy.  If we've learned anything in the past few weeks, it's that HE DOES NOT LIKE HAVING COLD LEGS AND FEET.
3. Thomas is very into "powers" right now.
   Each morning, he tries different things to see if they work.  Clearly, we've not had any homeschooling lessons on the whole principle of electricity.  On Friday night, the power went out AGAIN just as I was getting ready to bake our dinner into the oven. I wrapped up the fish and slid it into the freezer, and left the potatoes on the stove.  The house alarm automatically triggers when the power goes out, so Thomas called Jonathan to tell him, "Papa! Powers off! Powers off! Help!" while I disarmed the alarm. I started to cry and brought John Paul back to the bedroom to feed him. Thomas crawled up on the bed with me and handed me the remote, "It's okay, Mommy.  Let's watch Brother Francis."   And then he realized the tv didn't work again.  "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, MOMMY? WHERE'S THE POWERS?" 
4. Still dealing with fears of the night. 
   
   The power outages definitely didn't help with this.  His current roster of things he's scared of: cia-tees (coyotes), monstas, dragons and dinosaurs. We find ourselves with a Wee Ski in our bed each night.  "I scared, Mommy.  Cuddle."  Thomas does love the surprises that came from Auntie Liz last week -- a Wee Ski-sized headlamp and a stash of glow sticks for nighttime. Such a sweet, sweet surprise!  But tonight, I loved what I found on the webcam when I logged in. Lights blazing in their room, Thomas had crawled into the crib w/John Paul and they were both sound asleep with big brother's arm around little brother.  Hopefully, this will be the first night he stays in his room the whole time. 
5. Fun, fun Relay stuff going on right now.
   Planning for the Blarney Blast, speaking at the Cowlitz/Wahkiakum kickoff tomorrow night, and finishing up the details and follow up from a fantastic training weekend w/the top events in our division.  It's an incredible honor chairing the workgroup for the Mega Events -- the best of our Division. We had rave reviews from the Mega Event Experience that we held in Seattle last weekend...so glad for major successes following the frustrations that surrounded our power problems!!  One of my favorite moments was seeing Reuel Johnson (the national VP for Relay For Life) dancing on the purple screen to Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback" -- things I never thought I would see. I had a blast with Anna and Carrie and Linda and the rest of the usual suspects. 
6. Love being back in the kitchen.
   Jonathan flew to California last week, and while he was gone, I made every lemon dish I could think of.  How I married a man who doesn't like lemon, I'll never know. We had lemon-glazed carrots, lemon broccoli, citrus mahi mahi, eggs benedict, greek lemon-chicken soup, and lemon ice cream.  All whipped up in the kitchen, a few with the help of my Wee Sous Chef.  Yesterday, we had a very quiet day at home (at Jonathan's request) and watched the Superbowl with french bread mini pizzas, tequila lime chicken nachos, and popcorn.  Low key and perfect.
7. I love Thomas's quotables.  I need to start writing them down.
   Until then, soak in the joy on his face on the plane at the park today.  It's been a long day, and tonight I've been on my own since it's poker night for Jonathan...so I'm ready to crash.  So looking forward to wee-early-morning-rising again!! 
   

Quick Takes: The Week before Christmas Edition

What a whirlwind.

Seven snippets of right now, in no particular order.

1. Silence.  
   Right now, I'm relishing the silence of two Wee Skis napping and the whirr of the computer hard drive. No Pandora, no television, no Netflix online. Just silence. AND IT IS GOLDEN.
2. Joy.  
   We had a chance to see the Ross fam last week, and Thomas was in heaven (as always).  I adore this photo of him and Angelica together. 
3. Hustle bustle.  
   I always thought life was busy when I worked at Merrill Lynch with all of the tax year-ending deadlines.  Now, running two businesses which peak in November/December with two small ones underfoot, I know a brand new kind of busy with a few parts crazy thrown in. This year, I closed my Finian Road schedule on weekends in December, which was a godsend for my sanity.  It also gave me the freedom to be able to support the tree farm with more of my energy.  I feel for Jonathan, because at least I get Monday mornings to recover.  After a full weekend on the farm, he is back at the office bright and early on Monday mornings, without a break.  He's been a champ throughout this season.  But we're both looking forward to New Year's weekend!
4. Contentment.  
   We had the 12th annual Mausski Christmas dinner at the house this weekend.  What started out as brunch in my tiny apartment in University Place in 1999 for my parents, brother, aunt, uncle and one-year old cousin now is a big dinner on the farm with 9 adults and 4 kids.  Planning effectively ahead made this year's dinner the smoothest and least stressful we've had, even with a 24 pound turkey (thank you, Costco) and the fullest house yet.
5. Grateful.  
   So love that I love Jonathan's family, especially since we are around each other nonstop during the Christmas tree season!  They're funny, love sarcasm, and are just generally good people.  
6. Touched.
   My mom surprised Jonathan with a new chainsaw after ours was stolen from our front porch a few weeks ago.  Theft is not a common problem on the farm (one of the first events in many, many years) so it shook our security a bit.  Jonathan was so touched by her surprise and still couldn't believe it when he woke up this morning.  Thanks, Mom.
7. Party Rock Anthem., one more time.
   I love this version.  Enjoy.  :)

Quick Takes: Things I'm Loving Right Now Edition

Seven snippets of life: too long for Facebook, too short for their own post.

1. Loving being home.|Just one last weekend away for the final Relay Summit of the fall training season...so excited to be able to drive to the Summit in Portland AND get the chance to meet my oldest sister as well!  And then I'm home for the rest of the year!
2. Love being back in the kitchen.I think Jonathan loves this too.  Last night, we had his favorite dinner: breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes + eggs florentine with crab.  The house smelled great, thanks to the apple butter in the crock pot (thanks, Danielle, for the idea!) and mini apple pies baking away (thanks, Noreen!).  I froze dinner from two nights ago (turkey & vegetable soup) and the second loaf of cheese & herb bread for a night to come when I don't have time to cook. 
3. Love getting caught up.The week before leaving for Hawaii was insane.  Insane to the point of just a few hours of sleep a night, working early and late (before wakings and after bedtime), packing up the fam, taking care of Maggie, three shoots the previous Saturday, and our last Litugical Commission meeting before the new Roman Missal goes live in December -- the meeting 16 hours before our flight left in which I cooked dinner for 8 as well.  It was nuts.  And I'm glad it's over. 
4. Loved a little girls' night out. I met up with Kate and Sandra for dinner + drinks.  Long overdue.  Kate gave the best summary of the evening, which I am stealing below.  I feel so blessed by their friendships.
   
   Kate DeWeese
   A fantastic evening with two of my favorite people in the world. There was laughter, there were tears, there were lemon drops. There were toddler stories, religious discussions, and more laughs and more tears. Today, I am exceptionally grateful for Shelley and Sandra. I feel so blessed to call these amazing women my friends.
5. Loving my hair right now.I actually don't say that all that often.  I have kept it up virtually nonstop since John Paul was in the womb -- it's easier when it's out of the way and he loves to pull it.  But recently, I've been inspired by random things -- specifically Pinterest and people sitting in front of me on the plane. So glad Meegan's been convincing me to let it grow out.  And I had my best hair of note on the night of our girls night out -- see above.  :)  Never mind that it's in a bun with a headband right now.
6. Loving the start of "The Wee Skis: Roommates".They lasted for about five hours together last night before they both ended up in our room...but it was a great start.  Thomas loves the idea of his little brother being in his room...though I don't know that John Paul is quite so sure.  We're ready to move the bassinet across the tree fields to welcome the boys' newest cousin due in January.  Who, not surprisingly, is ALSO a boy.  Those Sprouffskes- they have boys who have boys who have boys...
7. Love getting ready for tree season.  Two thousand trees are cut, baled and shipping out for sales across the northwest.  Retail sales begin in 10 days!!  YEA!

Quick Takes: The Way Up North Edition

Seven snippets of life right now.

1. This is my last weekend of flying to Relay Summits on the calendar. 
   It's a bittersweet feeling as I love Summit training season: meeting hundreds of volunteers and staff, designing general sessions over the summer and delivering them at the Leadership Summits in the fall, being part of others' journeys as they celebrate, remember and fight back, and getting fired up to Relay for the upcoming season in 2012. At the same time, I love knowing when the traveling season is coming to an end because I really do love being at home.  Five years ago, I never would have said that.  I loved being on the road.  But with an awesome husband and two sweet Wee Skis -- coming home after a Summit is the best feeling.  "Mommy!  You're home!"
2. My mom and dad have been an awesome blessing.
   Thomas loves the time he gets with BearBear and BearBearMom, and I know that he is having a good time.  He prays for them every day and as my mom said last night, "He is so sweet, and a very brave boy."  She tucked him in last night and he asked, "Cuddle me, Grandma?"  He has played at the park, on the beach, shopping, eating out, playing, watching sports, and chasing the dogs.  He's also had a great time the last two weeks as he's spent a few hours at Mike and Kristine's -- playing with Avila while Max slept. I'm really grateful to you all - thank you!
3. Cuddle time.
   This has been a sweet by-product of travel.  Thomas had grown out of the cuddle stage entirely, and now he asks to cuddle.  It's a combination of having a baby brother who sleeps in a bassinet in our room + my travel. I'll admit, I have a great fondness for the time spent with him when he's wanting to cuddle.  I need to soak this up because I realize it's a season, and it too, will pass.
4. One-on-one time with John Paul.
   The adventures this summer and fall have given me a chance to really get to know John Paul on his own -- as his own sweet little Wee Ski -- instead of simply 2.0.  We've been able to bond through lots of time in the air (18 flights, so far!) and wearing him nonstop while we're gone.  He is blessed with a number of Relay aunties and uncles who are angels and usually goes through a bit of withdrawal when we get home and Thomas isn't quite as sweet as his aunties and uncles. Jonathan has loved the one-on-one time with Thomas -- last weekend, they went to Wolfhaven and to the train station to watch for trains, and played a lot.  I love driving under the train tracks on Rainier Road, seeing a train and hearing, "Wow!  Papa made that just for me!"
5. We flew into Anchorage, Alaska last night.
   We began Relaying in July in Florida, visited Phoenix in August, Seattle and Denver in September for Staff trainings, New Mexico and Alaska this month, and Portland next month. I'll be honest -- the walk to dinner last night in the chilly Alaskan air was a great contrast to the muggy 100°+ weather in Florida and 107° dry heat in Phoenix!  Isn't the hotel beautiful (above)?  This is an incredible place to Relay!  Linda, John Paul and I had dinner last night at a tasty local spot and feasted on king crab, scallops, prawns, halibut, and apple dumplings.  Excited for the Summit kickoff this afternoon for the event chairs and team D chairs, and the full Summit tomorrow with the Alaskan committee members.  Those organizing the Summit have been amazing -- kind, hospitable, and genuinely love to Relay.  Love being welcomed into the fold!
6. This child has GROWN.
   It's amazing the difference in size since the Nationwide Summit in Florida...he was still wearing newborn onesies and was tiny on my arm.  He's sleeping away in a six-month sleeper now, and has the sweetest little roly-poly cheeks.  I love that. 
7. Excited to be at home and fully caught up with the summer + early fall Finian Road season.  This fall and early winter shooting schedule is crazy busy.  I sent a number of projects to print for clients in the past few days before I left, and I will love coming home to boxes on the porch from UPS with beautiful, completed designs that are ready to go!  It's been a number of early mornings beginning at 5 and working until the boys get up, and then working like mad while they are asleep in the early afternoon.  Finding a bit more order + balance in the process, loving that as John Paul grows and we are all settling into our new groove.

Keep us in your prayers for a great weekend, with no snafus (I'm talking about you, brand new Dell laptop to replace the first that failed), and safe travels home tomorrow night.  One last thing I love about Summits?  I'm always staying in the same hotel as the Summit -- so I don't need to drive a half hour to an hour to get anywhere!  Need to be somewhere at 8:30?  I can leave at 8:27.  That never happens on the farm!  :)

Quick Takes: The Sleeping Edition

Seven snippets of life, in no particular order.

1. Sleep has been coveted, but somewhat elusive lately.Except for said child photographed above.  He sleeps everywhere and anywhere.  Thomas and I walked into the kitchen and found him sound asleep in his jumparoo, occasionally still jumping off the ground.  The little toys would start playing jungle sounds when he'd move, so he'd wake up, scream a bit, and go back to sleep.  The rest of us -- it's been a bit of a constant battle to sleep.  Thomas has felt left out, so we find ourselves with an additional Ski in bed once or twice a night.  He's got skills though -- Jonathan and I don't even notice his arrival until he's burrowed under the covers and we hear a small, quiet voice, "Cuddle Papa?"  He's been revolting against napping including taking stealth reconnoissance missions outside his bedroom while he's supposed to be asleep, so we're taking every quiet moment we can get.
2. I'm loving two solid weeks at home.In September, we found ourselves in Iowa, at two American Cancer Society staff conferences (one in Seattle and one in Denver).  The most amusing and embracing of "the simple life" was definitely Denver, as I pulled into the Seattle airport parking only to discover that I had left the suitcase I had packed for JP and me ON THE FRONT PORCH AT HOME.  Working on getting our home back in order, catching up on shoots and Finian Road projects, and preparing for fall.  The next month includes Relay Summits in New Mexico, Alaska and our first family vacation all year to finish things off.  I am definitely glad for my 'maternity leave' from the Nationwide Leadership Training Team, which means that I am only traveling within our 12 state area in our Division instead of across the country.
3. Speaking of fall...I love everything about it.  While we don't change colors so much on the farm (being that 99% of our green comes in the form of EVERgreens), the evenings cool down and we're getting ready for the day we finally turn the heat on.  The chimney has been sealed and I am looking forward to our first roaring fires in the wood stove.  Dinners have included warm soups and stews and a few bites of home baked breads and rolls.  Pulling out sweaters, boots, scarves and lots of blankets for walks on the farm.  Possibly starting a Wee Ski Snow Dance in the fields. 
4. "John Paul is very cute!"Thomas alternates between adoring his little brother and the occasional bout of jealousy.  Right now, his favorite saying is, "Oh so cute.  Isn't John Paul cute?"  Then he colors JP's hands with the purple Mr. Sketch marker while we're sleeping...and I wake up with purple handprints all over me. 
5. A few new faves on fall television.I am loathe to start new shows because of the lack of time we have to watch television...but I am really loving both Revenge and Person of Interest.  I also love that I can watch them online so they are up on one screen while I'm editing on the other.  Am I missing anything else out there?
6. Prayers, please.For close friends of ours who were selected by birthparents for their baby boy due in January, for Jonathan's knee (for healing and strength), for my awesome grandma who is looking ahead to a move, for my parents' on their 41st anniversary, and for the health of wee ones everywhere as rumors of whooping cough circulate at the start of flu season.
7. Oh potty training, how I love you and hate you.
   The same day that Thomas successfully used his Cars potty for number 2, I walked into the living room to find him stark naked, proudly peeing on the carpet.  I guess you win some and lose some, right?

Quick Takes: The We Made It To Monday Edition

Seven snippets of life, in no particular order. Too long for Facebook, too short for their own blog post.

1. Love this image of John Paul.
   He is grinning all the time.  Thomas's current phrase about him?  "Cute baby.  He's so cute, Mommy."
2. Finally had a good night of sleep.
   It had been more than a week since I had slept well.  Friday night had me up six separate times: three for each boy.  Yesterday, we woke up to all 3 Ski boys feeling snuffly.  John Paul and Thomas were at the end of not feeling well, Jonathan at the beginning.  But thankfully, after a very long morning, Jonathan let me sleep for three whole hours, uninterrupted. It was heavenly.  We both slept much better last night.
3. I've survived one week without any diet soda.
   This is actually a pretty incredible feat for me.  It's also been one week since I've had any fast food.  The initial withdrawal from caffeine was pretty intense, but it's been much better since then.  
4. I started reading Eat To Live in Arizona. 
   After watching Dr. Fuhrman on PBS and listening to Linda's research talk on weight and nutrition and exercise and cancer, I had never been more convicted (see above).  I downloaded the book to my Kindle and Jonathan borrowed it to his Kindle reader on his iPhone.  An awesome read, and makes so much sense.  Together, we lost ten pounds last week as we began adjusting our lifestyle.  More on that later.  
5. We've had tasty delicious popsicles in the heat.
   Fresh watermelon popsicles, peach popsicles, plum popsicles and orange popcicles.  Thanks to the VitaMix, they've all been fresh fruit popsicles.  Thomas is in heaven.  I'm in heaven as long as he eats them outside.  
6. Loving vegetables this summer.
   Last year in cooking school, I took an entire class on tomatoes.  It was awesome.  I picked up some ripe heirloom tomatoes, and sprinkled just a hint of salt on the slices.  Heavenly.  Raw and juicy and tasty delicious.  
7. Excited to get back into our routine today. 
   Realizing that travel really messes with everyone's internal schedules.  Looking forward to a low key week and the second annual Rosski Family Campout next weekend!

Quick Takes: The Random Edition

Seven snippets of life right now: too short for a blog post, too long for Facebook.

1. Freshened the blog up a bit.
   It was long overdue, but I'm on a blue kick right now (could it be having two boys with incredible blue eyes -- of which neither Jonathan or I have?).  If you're reading this in a reader, click on over to see!  There's even a new SKI favicon (Mom, that means that when you look in the upper left corner of the webpage, next to the web address, you'll see a tiny little "SKI" next to the address.)  And the background?  An image of Mt. Rainier (blurred) that I shot last year. 
2. Thomas has a two-year-old-style love affair with cows. He doesn't say the letter "C" very well yet -- so everything comes out as a "T".  "Mommy!  Lots of tows!  Tows over there! (counting them) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 50!"  Clearly we're teaching him the value of compound interest.  He's been very excited as it's haying season, and we get to see our cows all over the farm.  He often asks for more tows while we're driving.  I've been known to take a different route home just to see more cows.  I am a sucker.
3. I shouldn't have mocked The Shining yesterday.
   Or maybe I shouldn't have smugly said that the Skis will sleep well last night.  At three a.m., I woke up to tiny little hand putting an empty water bottle on my nightstand.  "Mommy?  Thirsty."  I had just fallen back asleep after feeding 2.0, and I about jumped through the ceiling.  Jonathan just snickered and went back to sleep.
4. For the days when I'm feeling overwhelmed as a mom:  Mother of Six Priests and Four Nuns Dies
   An incredible piece on a mom of 15 children from a small town in India who passed away at age 94.  She raised them in a tree house (to fend off attacks from wild elephants and jungle beasts) and from her 15 children, Mrs. Elizabeth Anikuzhikattil gave the church 6 priests (including 1 bishop) and 4 nuns.  Somehow, my stress of Thomas's incredible energy that doesn't stop during Mass pales in comparison.  :)
5. Fruit flies, I'm coming after you!  I made this trap yesterday and it's AMAZING.  Amazingly gross, as well, but it seriously does the trick.  Now my ripe bananas can ripen in peace before they become the world's tastiest banana bread. 
6. Cathy Zielske tweeted this yesterday about John Paul and his baby scrapbook...squee!
   
   
   There's a good chance I woke up Jonathan in the middle of the night to tell him that.  His response as a good manly man?  "Who?" 
7. I'm back in the kitchen for meals -- yea!
   We had dinner at the table every night this week (except poker night on Monday, but we still all ate here, the guys just ate outside on the deck).  Back into meal planning and it's been a huge blessing to cut down on trips to the store + costs.  This week, we've had steaks, lots of roasted veggies including asparagus, carrots and broccolettes, chicken nachos, greek chicken wraps, corn casserole, and my favorite seasonal dinner: lobster with garlic scapes and portobello mushrooms in a garlic butter sauce, over rice. Tasty delicious.  Tonight?  Either fajitas or pizza rolls.  One of the big helps has been my 'feeding the fam' notepad from Finian Road (of course) -- check back for a giveaway next week!

Quick Takes: The Recovering from the Blarney Blast Weekend Edition

Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.

1. The Wee Ski 2.0 and I have been battling an awful cold the past few days.
   It explains why we were so exhausted on Sunday and why I hardly got out of bed for the past few days.  Jonathan and the Wee Ski 1.0 have it to a lesser extent, so we are definitely an amusing, whiny bunch when we are all together.  I will say though, that Thomas is going to make an incredible husband some day...as I literally laid on the couch the entire day today and he brought me Gatorade, crackers, and let himself outside to play in the yard when he had had enough 'vegging out'.  There is seriously NOTHING BETTER than him sitting down to you, handing you a cracker, and whispering, "Mommy?  Here."  Then he snuggles up to you.
2. Viruses are lame when you are pregnant.
   There's nothing I can take, no magical antibiotics to make me feel better (pregnant or not, dumb virus), and I just have to do nothing.  I honestly don't think I have "done nothing" since 2.0 was conceived.  But when I realized that I was tired enough to not even care, I knew I was in the right spot.  With four blankets, hot tea, tasty low-point baked potato soup, no blackberry and no laptop.  Just Adam Sandler on Sesame Street and the Wee Ski cheering for Elmo.
3. Speaking of baked potatoes...
   We had our Blarney Blast this weekend.  SO MUCH FUN.  An awesomely fun event held at the Worthington Center (upgraded from the Grange -- yea!!).  A baked potato bar, drinks, a silent auction, and a celebration honoring Jim Connolly, as we presented a special award to his family from our team.  And we raised just shy of $16,500!  That should move us up a few fundraising club levels!  So proud of our team, and all of "Connolly's Crew".  
4. Loved how my extended Relay family helped out.
   We received 2 Longaberger baskets from Ann Wheet (on the Nationwide Leadership Training Team with me, she Relays in Illinois), an awesome Washington-themed Letty's bag from Kathy Cina (who Relays in Beaverton, OR), a giant tank of helium + balloons from Stephanie Miller (who Relays in Tacoma) and our award was engraved with help from Patty at Tags Trophies (who Relays in East Grays Harbor County).  Relayers are an incredibly giving bunch, and I am so grateful!
5. You know what?  I don't have any blogging left in me.  So it's now just four-ish snippets of life right now.  :) 

Quick Takes: The Cleaning: Simplified Edition

Next month's Real Simple arrived in the mailbox today, and I immediately picked it up to leaf through.  The colors got me first, I just LOVED the 'springy-ness' of the hues on the cover.  And the 'spring cleaning shortcuts'?  Swoon.

Falling in with my theme of 'simplify' for the year, I am pulling together seven snippets of how life has simplified around here since the beginning of the year.  Some are lessons I should have learned long ago, some are ways that I'm keeping my sanity of cleaning out the house while being 8 months pregnant and chasing down the dirt tornado that is the Wee Ski 1.0. 

1. My daily routines have been crazy helpful in 'keeping order' (as opposed to constantly 'restoring order'). 
   I fully credit the FlyLady for finally getting my daily 'chores' written down and pulled together...and credit Finian Road for the cute checklists that make me happy on a daily basis.  I've been able to go easy on myself on the days that I don't check everything off, but it also helps me to notice things that I put off routinely (like starting the dishwasher at night before heading to bed).  Being around the farm 'full time' has taught me how important order is to my sanity, since it's both my 'home' and my 'workspace' for Finian Road.
2. I think I have finally mastered the Ski Laundry Monster.
   I credit the routines above, 'the soak', and realizing that often, I prefer to pound out three loads of laundry instead of one each day.  I really enjoy the days off from laundry while knowing that everything is taken care of.  Keeping just one laundry basket for clean clothes and immediately putting the hampers away after dumping things into the washer has helped force me to keep the 'flow' going.  And getting things put away immediately has been a huge help.  I thought it was hilarious this morning when I was hunting down blankets and towels to wash, because my cleaning checklist said I needed to. I had to stop for a moment and double check that I was really me.  I am really hoping that my laundry reward sometime this year is a remodeled mud/laundry room.  That would be heavenly.  Especially if I finally convert over to cloth diapers with 2.0.  :)
3. I think I have also finally mastered the Ski Housecleaning Monster.
   Especially when I was working full time + after Thomas was born, the Merry Maids were my BFFs.  I had no shame in admitting that, and one of my favorite days to come home was Friday afternoons when everything smelled sweetly of orange oil and clean floors.  But as life settled in with Thomas and I was clearing the clutter in our home, housecleaning became easier because there was simply less to care for.  In my '2011 Sprouffske Family Binder', I have a page just for housecleaning (or as the FlyLady calls it, "Home Blessing").  I printed it on photo paper in the colors of the binder (because I am a Type-A freak like that) and dropped it in a page protector.  Each week, I check off the tasks with an orange dry erase marker.  And occasionally, the Wee Ski colors on it.  He wants to get his checkmarks in too.
   
4. Putting away things right after using them is a good idea.
   I know, not rocket science.  But I'm not perfect, and I can't tell you how often I would walk past something out, and leave it there, intending to 'get to it later'.  And over time, it would blend into the scenery and then I wouldn't see it anymore except for the fact that I was now out of counter space.  
5. Being proactive with planning ahead has made little things go much more smoothly.
   When I get big boxes of diapers, I immediately pull the packs out and put them on the shelves where they go in the bathroom.  But before putting them away, I take scissors and slice neat cuts into one end of each, so you can pull out a stash of diapers with one hand without having to tear open the bag with both hands.  Let's be real...when I'm out of diapers in the diaper organizer, I usually realize it during the world's worst #2 mess and I only have one free hand for fear of unleashing the mess all over the bathroom. For planning ahead -- I also love pulling Thomas's outfits together onto the bathroom counter before he gets in the shower, so when he is done, I immediately dress him (or Jonathan does on weekends) and he's good to go so he can play while we're still getting ready.  I know, again, this isn't rocket science, but it took me two freaking years to switch up that order.  So I'll soak in that joy for a little longer now.
6. I love how Thomas loves helping.
   He honestly cheers for himself  ("yea! yea!" while clapping and stamping his feet) when he's put away something on his own, or he cleans the windows on his own (currently his favorite obsession -- Grandma Mauss would be so proud).  I'm working on being patient when I don't hear the spray bottle and realize that he has soaked my pant leg, because clearly, there's a stain he's trying to get rid of. 
7. Super big fan of buying in bulk at Costco.
   Having been a member for nearly 15 years, I sing their praises on a regular basis.  But all of our household 'staples' are purchased in bulk and I love it.  I decant cleaners from the giant bottles into small clear spray bottles (found here) and they stash neatly under the sinks and in the weekly cleaning caddy that's stashed under the sink in the small bathroom.  And Thomas has a bottle of just water for when he wants to go to town with spraying.  Outside.  :)

If you've got "cleaning: simplified" ideas that you love...I'd love to know what they are!  I'm a big fan of the fact that most of the best ideas are begged for, borrowed or simply stolen.  :)

Quick Takes: The 'I Survived This Week Without Blowing Up The World' Edition

Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.  Evidently, food is on my pregnant brain.  So if you don't like cooking, reading about food, or food in general, I apologize in advance.  :)

1. We survived the very worst meal I have ever prepared.
   It was Wednesday night, with an enchilada recipe from the back of the enchilada sauce can.  Since I had made tasty delicious enchiladas last week, these were in stark contrast and no one (not even the Wee Ski, who eats anything and everything) would finish it.  IT WAS BAD.  That was the first, only, and perhaps last time I'll ever use that enchilada sauce. 
2. I recovered last night by repeating Monday night's meal: an egg/sausage bake.
   Super easy, and tasty delicious.  Used chicken sausage that was on crazy sale (99 cents each, down from $4.99 each).  This will be an awesome meal for brunch, especially because you can totally make it ahead of time and let it soak all night in the egg mixture.  
3. Made an awesome, easy dish today for lunch. 
   Pasta with a creamy sweet potato & rosemary sauce.  Non fat.  Steamed up a few sweet potatoes, added nonfat condensed milk and threw it in the Vita Mix for 4 minutes.  Took the steaming sauce out, added a pinch of kosher salt + half a teaspoon (more or less) of cracked rosemary, and tossed it with ditatini pasta + baked chicken.  So tasty.  When the milk and sweet potatoes process in the blender for that long, they change consistency and turn into a tasty, tasty cream-like sauce.  No fat, and no fillers.  It looks so much like mac & cheese though, that I had to keep telling myself that the yellow cheese-looking sauce was actually healthy and did NOT taste like cheese.  Thomas loved it. 
4. Thomas is on a smoothie kick.
   We've been having them every morning for breakfast and one of my very favorite things in the world is to hear him say the word "smoothie".  It's never the same twice, but it usually comes out like "moo-by".  Or "smoo-by".  And today at lunch, he handed me back his milk and asked for a "moo-by". Little does he know that his mooby HAS milk in it!  On the night of the awful, awful dinner, I made peach/vanilla smoothies as well (thank God).  Jonathan didn't have his, but saved it in the fridge.  That's what I fed to the kid today.  Two day old chilled mooby, and he drank every drop.  I love that he eats everything!
5. Speaking of Thomas, he is my little dirt magnet.
   I had a stack of his clothes that had stains that simply weren't coming out.  Before I threw them in the 'toss' pile, I made up "The Soak" (referenced here) with simply hot water + oxiclean.  And I let everything soak.  For one whole day.  When I went to wash everything, I just dumped the bucket into the machine, added a little more soap, some additional clothes, and I kid you not...everything came out looking brand new.  Even his white onesies, all the stains were GONE.  Even with tomato stains!  It was a good day on the farm.
6. Thomas + the baby calves = happy, happy boy.
   Yesterday, I was invited to speak in Yelm about social media/Facebook and how to grow your business using it.  Thomas was able to hang with his favorite Un-coo Jeh-wy...and they went down to feed all the cattle and see the baby calves.  He was in such heaven that by the time they had to leave to head back up the hill from the barn, Thomas started crying and didn't want to go.  He loves all the baby animals on the farm and especially loves pointing out every horse he sees ANYWHERE.  'orsie?  'orsie?
7. Clearly, I'm getting ready for Lent early.
   Was craving comfort food this afternoon, so I'm trying my hand at homemade clam chowder tonight. FISH FRIDAYS!  I so miss being near to Steamers during Lent, when Friday nights are crawling with Catholics.   I've never made clam chowder before.  The fresh bread is already baking (I can smell it all the way in my office).  Can't wait to see how it turns out!  So hard to believe that Lent begins on Wednesday.  Excited for the week ahead...getting to see the Archbishop again on Sunday when he comes to St. Columban for Confirmation!  (And guess who is photographing it...) Thomas did pretty well today in the first Friday devotions...though the Skis may have moved outside the chapel to the big church, because he preferred climbing under the seats and running into everyone's kneeling feet over staying in one spot.  But once we were in the quiet of the big church, I could sit there for adoration and he stacked every big, heavy red book he could get his hands on.  It was the first time I had had peace + quiet in a long, long time.  No complaints from me!!  :)

Quick Takes: The Restoring Order Edition

Seven snippets of life right now, in no particular order.

• Thomas emptied his buckets out last weekend all over the back hallway. 
  How do you like that 'oh so innocent face' above?!?  He was showing Uncle Kevin all of his toys, and dumped EVERY SINGLE BUCKET on the floor.  Thankfully, in my Type A style, I had already categorized the buckets, designed labels on 4x6 photo prints (making them inexpensive) and they had arrived.  But I hadn't put them on yet.  Ooops.
• I finally labeled the buckets.
  Because the tags were also color-coded, I knew which things went into which buckets.  Bigger items obviously had their tag in the middle.  Keeping one color of bucket on each level made it visually more organized.  So on one of my low-energy days this week, I laminated the tags and ribboned them to the rack.  Thomas helped me put things away and we moved the rack back to its spot in the back hallway.  And my floors are spic'n'span again. 

• Finished our placemats.  In Seahawks colors.
  In that same photo order that arrived to the mailbox, I had designed placemats to help Thomas set the table.  He typically puts everything on the table in one big pile and only sets the stuff for himself (the easiest placesetting).  So I designed placemats for each of us, with all of the silverware and our photos so he knew which seat belonged to which Ski.  He's a big fan of the photos, and learning a little bit about how to set the table.  I laminated those and they're on the table for our dinners in the evening. 

• I have really loved multi-purpose ingredients in the past week.
  I've been trying to use up stuff as much as possible before replacing...keeping our bulk cupboards as organized as possible (finding 2 bags of half-used sugar just after buying a new one finally drove me nuts).  A few weeks ago, I really wanted potatoes.  In lieu of spending 99 cents per pound on individual potatoes, I picked up a 10 lb bag of potatoes for $3.99.  We had some awesome, diverse-ish potatoes that week! Started the week with oven-baked garlic fries, then had baked potatoes (made in the slow cooker - world's easiest recipe EVER), used a few leftover baked potatoes to make bacon cheddar potato soup in the VitaMix (heaven - and only 7 minutes start to finish), super easy from-scratch hash browns for brunch on Saturday, and garlic mashed potatoes for Valentine's Day.  We have just 2 potatoes left.  How do ya like that for $3.99?
• My daily routine checklist is done.   For now.
  I can't get over how much this has helped keeping order in the house as we have been cleaning out and preparing for Wee Ski 2.0.  I designed the original checklist in Photoshop, keeping the base file open so I could adjust as needed over the first few weeks, adding in daily routine items I'd forgotten, or reordering them as needed.  I don't know why I feel the need to check things off in a row, but I do.  I love the FlyLady for how she brings order to people's lives...and encourages you to get started even if it's not perfect in the beginning. Our kitchen has had zero hot spots for the past few days especially, and as a reward, I ordered 4x6 cards for a mini clipboard in the kitchen. I had been using a dry erase marker, but there's something about starting fresh with a brand-new checklist each day. In the coming weeks, I'm planning to add a downloadable option for the checklist in the Finian Road shoppe, where you can order a custom checklist and I'll customize to your specific tasks...and you can download the final design for your own use. 

• E-restoring order as well...
  Spent some time this week refreshing our parish's website.  Tom Curran is coming down for a Lenten presentation just after Ash Wednesday -- cannot wait!  Updated lots of goodies and added a little about our new Archbishop in Seattle.  Did you know you can read his twice monthly column here?  (The current column is particularly good)  Started building the pages to help explain the New Roman Missal changes that will be happening later this calendar year (in Advent 2011).  I think it's pretty sweet that the USCCB actually has YouTube videos up already about it!  :)  (And yes, I added those to the Roman Missal pages too)
• My current favorite quote.  Enjoy.
  
  "Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and place,
  and you will not only accomplish more,
  but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying."
  -Tryon Edwards