Door County 2013

Our annual camping trip was last weekend.  It was so much fun, and just as I'd predicted last year, this year was our golden year where the kids slept all through the night and Brendan and I just got to sit around the campfire, drink beer, and wait for the stars to come out!  It rained a bit, but was overall really good weather.  It was COLD the first night, we all had on pjs, jeans, coats, sweatshirts, sleeping bags and blankets, and Brendan still said he felt cold.  46 degrees when you're in a tent is really chilly!

We did the usual stuff, throw rocks in the water, walk the trails, go see if the goats were out at Al Johnson's, get breakfast at the White Gull Inn.  We also rented a bike for me, plus a Tagalong bike for Ingrid.  It was so fun!  I was a bit shaky at first but once we got the hang of it, it was super fun.  There are tons of trails to take around the state park, we'll definitely do that next year!

Like I said, the kids passed out right away the first night and slept the whole night.  Brendan and I were actually up before they were Friday morning!  No 3am wake up and driving the park like last year!  No starting the day at 5:30am, the kids slept until 7.  Bliss.  It was really amazing.  Each year is just going to get easier and easier, until they hit puberty when they'll all the sudden start thinking it's lame to go camping.  Or at least that's what happened to me at that age :)

Once again, a great trip with the family.  So glad this is our tradition!

A Nature Walk

It was nice out this weekend so we went over by the botanical gardens to take a nature hike. It was gorgeous! We saw a deer, a turtle sunning on a rock, fish in the lagoon, and a huge frog. The kids thought it was pretty great, although damn Ingrid is a whiner when it comes to walking!! Every five feet she would whine about being tired. Meanwhile, little bro was running along the path like he had all the energy in the world...

Big Kid

I took these pictures with my Canon the other day and as I was looking at them I realized how much of a little boy Otis is now.  No more baby or even toddler, he is all boy!  He is getting so big, putting on his own shoes, taking care of his dishes after dinner, getting into bed by himself.  No more babies.  He starts preschool in the fall, and when we drive by the church it's in, he says "There's my school!"  His school.  He's big.

FIVE!

Ingrid turned five yesterday.  It seems like she's way older sometimes, and others it seems like she shot up before I could even notice.  I look at pictures from just a couple years ago and she just looks like such a baby then!  She has turned into such a girl now, no longer a toddler or even a little girl. 

We had a party for her Saturday afternoon.  It was exhausting.  Nine 4 and 5 year olds came over and we did something pretty much every single second they were here!  We made glitter wands, which they took outside to have a parade with.  They marched up and down the street singing happy birthday and shouting "Sparkle! Sparkle!"  The neighbors thought it was funny.

Then we did a pinata, which I have to say I will never do again.  It is just NOT fun, the kids can't seem to break it so I ended up breaking it open with my hands so they could grab the candy.  Then they all argued over who got gumdrops and who got suckers.  And it cost a lot. 

 We had cake.  We played outside. 

And then they all went home and my mom and I were absolutely exhausted.  But it was so fun and Ingrid was so happy to have all her friends over.

Yesterday we had some family over and cooked out.  Twice.  We also had neighbor friends over and had more purple cake.  It's like birthdays just keep on going around here! 

Ingrid got a new bike for her birthday, purple of course.  She has been really good at it, although it makes me nervous because she still doesn't quite get the brakes when she's going down a hill. 

She also got this AMAZING vintage electric piano from Grandma and Grandpa!!  I love this thing!  Right now it's down in our basement, but I will be making room for it somewhere up in our living room.  It is just too cool!  And the sound is amazing.  Love this!

 Now the festivities are over and I am left with a five year old.  She starts full day school in a couple months!  It amazes me how fast it's gone.  Happy Birthday, Ingrid!

Surgery

Monday morning, bright and early, I went in for my throat surgery.  Brendan's dad came over to watch the kids and we left for the hospital.  I am a funny one, but I like hospitals.  I have spent a bit of time in them, and contrary to making me loathe them, I find them to be like a second home.  Something about the beds, the soft noises all around, the beeping, the nurses gentle voices.  I don't know, I feel calm there.  Probably because I have absolutely no responsibilities when I'm there.  No one is demanding anything from me.  They are, in fact, offering me a warm blanket or a glass of ice water.  They say things like "would you like more pain medicine?" and "there, there, take a little rest!" 

 

When I was handed my gown I found they have gone hi-tech.  The gowns are paper, purple, and have little vents in them to which a hose attaches.  It blows in hot air to keep you warm.  It also puffs up from the air so they kind of look like those Sumo suits.  I felt pretty sexy.

 

Things went smoothly this time, my IV only took one time!  Usually I have to be poked and prodded a few times before an IV takes, but this time only one.  I think it was because my nurse had purple hair, which Ingrid would tell you obviously means good luck.  Last time I got pretty sick from the anesthesia, so this time they made sure to give me the good stuff that wouldn't make me sick.  Thank you, anesthesiologist!  That was the one thing I was dreading, waking up to feeling pukey. 

 

I woke up in the recovery room and felt fine.  Drugged up but overall pretty okay.  They brought me to my room, Brendan came up to meet me, I dozed in and out and then when I fully woke up it was time to go home!  Check out this view from my room!  It was gorgeous!

I got home to find Otis sleeping in my room, so I went and crashed by him.  I pretty much slept all day and night, popped some pain pills, drank some water, and that was it.  I am SO hoping this is the end of my throat woes.  I don't mind hospitals, but I sure do mind the ridiculous bills that come with them!!

The rest of the week has been great.  Sunny weather, friends helping out with the kids, and now my mom is coming today to help with the purple unicorn party!  Woohoo!   

House stuff, Sewing stuff, Surgery stuff.

Doesn't our house look nice?  We painted the door red, which only looks good from far away, so don't come too close, lol!  And with the new numbers, some daffodils and tulips popping up, it looks so charming.  We planted some more things in the flower beds this week and are looking at getting a new light and perhaps painting the house.  Obviously that is not a high priority but we're looking at it...

 In the backyard we are planning a little deck.  Finally!  Of course, I had gotten a concrete guy to come give us an estimate and was all ready to pay him to get it done in a couple weeks, but then Brendan changed his mind and didn't want a poured concrete patio after all.  How frustrating, I just want it done!  Alas, I do think the deck will look nicer.  So I'll give him that.

 

Last weekend I had a craft show at Ingrid's school.  It was fun!  I sold a fair bit of things, and was able to stock up at the Waxwing afterwards, which means I don't have to do any more sewing for awhile, I'll be good until the end of June.

 Which is a good thing, as I go in for surgery on Monday...again.  Last summer I had a cyst removed on my throat and I was all excited to have it taken care of once and for all.  Then I got sick and guess what got infected again??  My throat.  Again.  BLARGH!  So I've been in and out of the ENT doctor for months trying to figure out what's going on, as this usually doesn't happen.  Cat scans and antibiotics, lots of bills.  And another surgery.  See how happy I am about it?

 Next week will be a blur of drugs and pain, but then hopefully it will really truly be done.  Done I say!

 

In other news, it's really spring here, and we've been enjoying as much time outside as possible.  I even hung laundry on the clothesline!  So excited for warm weather and summer.

Ingrid's birthday party is next weekend.  We are having 8 four and five year olds coming for a purple unicorn party.  We are making glitter fairy wands as a craft.  There is going to be glitter all over our house for the next seventeen years, I can already tell.  But look how happy she is.  I can't say no to that.

 

Spring Weekend

It's so funny how a little sun and warm weather makes everyone so happy.  Especially when you have shitty weather for most of your year, like we do in the midwest.  This weekend was like all smiles and sunshine and fun, because it was nice out.  We got a lot accomplished!

Saturday morning we went to the zoo.  We saw the baby jaguars, they were playing with their mama, it was pretty cute to watch.  We had a picnic and then the kids crashed in the car on the way home. 

Brendan took off the front door so we could paint it.  By "we" I really mean "HE" since he ended up doing all the work.  I chose the color. 

Our door had a funny panel nailed on the front.  Brendan said hey, I think this is really a six panel door, they just covered it for some reason.  So he took off the panel and found that they had filled in the panels and then nailed a piece of cardboard over it, painted the whole thing an ugly navy blue color or black that faded in the sun, and called it a day.  So...hours later he'd managed to yank all the junk out of the panels and today he sanded and primed and painted.  It's still drying, but we will have a nice six panel, classic red front door soon!

We also got new house numbers.  It's amazing how something so small makes such a big difference!  Our neighbors were like wow, we never even noticed our numbers before but yours look so great!  And the best thing is, they were $6 a piece from Home Depot.  Next up is a new light fixture for outside. 

The kids got their fair share of play, too.  Chalk, tricycles, playing catch with the dads, going to the park, and popsicles.  Not bad for a weekend!

Catch Us if You Can.

Greetings fromTeam Liddle!!  It has been so blah around here, I really just haven't been up to doing anything.  But now I'm not sick, the weather is going to only get better (RIGHT??) and we're at the end of April.  Things are looking up.

 

We  have been enjoying our crazy weather.  It snowed the other day, but not as bad as in Minneapolis.  Sorry, Alisha, I really do feel for you!! Piles of snow in April is not what we like.  I got a jogging stroller, a Bob Revolution, and I can't believe I had two kids and never had one!  It is amazing, we have enjoyed taking long walks along the lake and even have jogged a bit, which Otis finds hilarious.  Definitely worth the money, that one.

 I finally got the kids all set for the rain, thanks to LL Bean.  Ingrid's dog coat is uh-MAZE-ing!  If Otis will wear pink dogs, he's totally getting a hand me down.

 

Let's see, what else?  I have my first show of the year coming up, at Ingrid's school!  Very excited about this one, I got everything ready right away and have been able to take some time off sewing for a bit.  Which is good, because then a very crafty friend announced a summer Maker Market in the neighborhood, first Sunday of every month during the summer, and I will be doing that!  Which makes four shows this summer!  I can't wait, it feels good to have a lot going on!

 

And then of course, we have a PURPLE UNICORN birthday coming up for a certain almost-five year old.  I never ever thought I'd be scouring the internet for sparkly purple unicorn things, but here I am...She is over the moon I found a unicorn pinata, dear god.

 

Oh, and I thought I'd share this find:  it's a Hoho!  There is a woman on Instagram that makes these and I have fallen head over heels for them!  They are just so cute, and one of a kind, she just makes them out of whatever fabric she has and each one is so charming and adorable!  She has a wait list you can get on, or if you're lucky enough she has flash sales during the week, but they go fast, like in 5 seconds!  I was lucky enough to get another one last week, I just happened to go on IG when she had just posted one.  It has cameras on it, it's so cute.  Otis has to have his Hohos to go to bed now, they are his best buds!

 And one last thing, sadly these banana seat bike pants no longer fit Otis, so they are going up in the shop!  If you know anyone younger than two, they may need these!  They are adorable and I am so sad they only fit him for a short time.  They look decievingly big, as they are high waisted.  I thought for sure they would be huge on him, but they were high waters on him and no longer fit over his skinny butt.  Bummer.  But good news for anyone looking for some cute vintage pants!

 Whew, there you have it, another mishmash, catch up post!  Enjoy!