We have been ushering in the fall season by making lots of soup. Even though it is still really hot outside. There is something about eating a meal of soup/salad/baked goods in the fall that makes me VERY happy. The other day I was chopping some vegetables for chicken tortilla soup and Ian started eating the raw vegetables as fast as I could chop them. He loves to stand on a stool and "help" me cook. By help I mean stir, sample, and narrate my efforts. "Mommy stirring, mommy cutting zuc..chi...ni, mommy putting apple (red pepper) in it..." He doesn't stop talking all day long, and says the cutest, funniest things.
Max has been building a lot. He spends a lot of time constructing towers, castles, and bridges with blocks and legos. He loves to order Ian around and teach him how to build. "No, that's not right Ian. Put it over here. Ok, that's good." Ian is a very willing apprentice. I love to watch them play together and spy on their little conversations. I don't want them to grow up. Aside from potty training, I love the stage they are in.
p.s. Here is a fantastic butternut squash soup recipe. It's the best one I've had, and I'm pretty sure I've tried them all. I use a few substitutions and it still turns out great.
I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off lately. Both boys are in the destructive terrible two stage, and life is hard. Don't even bring up potty training. I have been doing it for a year and a half, with very little progress. The tears start to flow when I think about having three children in diapers, but at this point it seems inevitable. I have read every book and tried every tactic, but am still open to advice. I have been totally and completely humbled in this arena of parenting.
This morning while I was organizing things in my room, the boys snuggled up together on my bed and "read" some books they found on the floor. Max's stories were about trucks and animals, but Ian's went exactly like this: "Once upon a time...a little monkey...the end!" He repeated that phrase over and over for a good 10 minutes as he turned the pages of Emily Dickinson poetry and lounged on my bed. It was one of those sweet moments that reminded me that I love my job. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing and nowhere else I'd rather be than at home taking care of my little boys.
Tomorrow marks the end of week 33. I am still waiting for the last trimester burst of energy to kick in, but I am starting to lose hope. Pregnancy (post morning sickness) has never really slowed me down, and I can't figure out what is happening. I guess I am getting old. My nesting instinct is in full force. Nesting hits me differently than most. I get a STRONG urge to redecorate my whole house. When I was pregnant with Ian I sold all of our furniture and bought all new stuff. I even reupholstered a chair during my last month of pregnancy. I would love to re-do our entire house, but am constrained by lack of budget, lack of energy, and lack of time.
I did convince J-P to move his office into our walk-in closet (you are a saint honey!) so I could decorate a room for the baby. As if one project wasn't enough, I decided to completely re-do our Master bedroom. I guess I should say "do", because I haven't touched it since we moved in. Literally. I have been painting and moving things around all week. I also decided to add a project area so I would have some space to work on all the ideas I've been storing in my head. The boys have been dumping things out, breaking things, tangling themselves in my supplies, and "helping" me all the while. I'll post pics when I get it more put together.
The boys and I tagged along on J-P's last business trip so we could visit family and go to the beach. It was a very quick trip, but lots of fun. Just what I needed to recharge and refresh myself before these last few weeks of pregnancy. We also went to Palm Springs where I relaxed on top of mountains of white pillows and down comforters with luxuriously high thread count. I LOVE fancy hotels, especially when I don't have to pay the bill. Hooray for vacation.
We have been ushering in the fall season by making lots of soup. Even though it is still really hot outside. There is something about eating a meal of soup/salad/baked goods in the fall that makes me VERY happy. The other day I was chopping some vegetables for chicken tortilla soup and Ian started eating the raw vegetables as fast as I could chop them. He loves to stand on a stool and "help" me cook. By help I mean stir, sample, and narrate my efforts. "Mommy stirring, mommy cutting zuc..chi...ni, mommy putting apple (red pepper) in it..." He doesn't stop talking all day long, and says the cutest, funniest things. 
Max has been building a lot. He spends a lot of time constructing towers, castles, and bridges with blocks and legos. He loves to order Ian around and teach him how to build. "No, that's not right Ian. Put it over here. Ok, that's good." Ian is a very willing apprentice. I love to watch them play together and spy on their little conversations. I don't want them to grow up. Aside from potty training, I love the stage they are in. 
