Baby H's Nursery - or - Decorating for the Preppy Yet Impoverished

 

So after months of putting off the purchase of anything baby-related (too busy, too superstitious after the miscarriages, and frankly, too impoverished), I've finally started putting the pieces together for Baby H's nursery.  About time, no?  I was lucky enough to be given a baby shower by some new friends last week and sorting through all the precious baby boy outfits and other cute presents reminded me that I had better get serious about preparing for this new member of our family.

When we moved from West Virginia we sold or donated nearly everything from the girls' babyhood.  The only things we kept were the crib and crib mattress.  Much of this was solved by a quick (but expensive!) online trip to Babiesrus.  But while a new carseat, bouncy chair, etc. were mandatory, I wasn't sure about baby's bedding.  For both E and S I used the blue gingham bedding from Pottery Barn.  Each girl had a quilt - E's was handmade by my mom, and Little S had the white Amanda quilt from PBK.  When I picked out the blue gingham, I was trying to keep things neutral in case baby #2 was a boy.  How ironic is it that the blue gingham is long gone and we are now finally having a boy?  Hear that? - It's the fates laughing at me.  :-)

I looked at the current options at all the usual suspects (Target, Land of Nod, Pottery Barn) and was feeling pretty uninspired.  I loved so many of the girl choices, but the only boy options I liked just didn't seem right for our new house.  I remembered seeing two collections in the PBK catalog in years past that I had thought perfect for a boy at the time.  The Chamois Lambie and Cottontail Friends lines were so sweet and just right for the log cabin look of the new house.  Alas they were no longer being made.  A little Ebay searching and the Chamois Lambie line was mine for about 1/4 of what it would have cost new.  I was anxious about the condition, but it arrived looking like new.  Quilt, bumper and crib skirt - check!  I am still hoping to track down the rug for the set - wish me luck!

With the bedding safely stowed in the new room, and new green gingham sheets on order, the crib will be all set for Baby H.  The bassinet (the only other item to survive the pre-Vermont purge) will also be ready to go - I ordered new sheets for that last night.  

What's left to be done:

1. Choose some sort of window treatment.

2. Paint the changing table our friends are giving us.

3. Find a small table for beside the nursery chair.  Paint it.  Find a lamp to go on it.

4. Paint the non-log sections of the walls and the built-in drawers.

36 days left.  Give or take a few days.  And the above is just the nursery prep list!  I still have to finish getting together Baby's layette and diapers, wash everything in Dreft, and hover by the mail box waiting for the car seat and other items to arrive from Babiesrus.   Wish me luck!

Pictures of the new house are in my camera, I will try to post them in the next day or two.

3 Down, 1 to Go!

LET'S GO PENS!

The IP Family Finds a Home

Remember this post from a few weeks back?  

The answer to the question?  Our adorable new house.  Yes, the IP family, with mere weeks to spare on the lease/baby deadline fronts, has found our new home.  The vacation cabin of a certain ambassador is now ours (or will be Friday).  Small, yes, but charming and nicely situated in one of the cutest New England villages.  A three-minute bike ride from a beautiful lake, and baths and sunroom were recently renovated so there is almost nothing to be done.  Such a relief.  We close Friday.   Pictures to follow closing.  

Let the packing push commence!

PS - Those of you in the mood for a decorating challenge, please think of ways to decorate a log cabin when you prefer a cottage meets traditional decorating style.  Seriously, I am going to need help with this one.

The J Family: 3 Vermonters, 1 Southerner and 2 Water-Crazed Dogs

I guess all those summers swimming with their Papa in Lake Michigan have paid off - my three Vermonters (ages 3, 6 and 40) are all out swimming in the pond on a cloudy, breezy, 65 degree day.  Both Labs are swimming with them.

Yours truly (who never goes beyond my ankles in Lake Michigan!) is inside, wearing a sweater and capris, packing boxes because I think it is cold out.  (Once a southerner...)

Red Wings Beware!

What could be more fun than a series in which I get to watch not one, but two Staals?  Hmm... perhaps a series in which my Pens overwhelm the 'Canes and win the first three games in definitive fashion.  Red Wings Beware!

Anyone Else Feeling Overwhelmed?

Is it just me, or is every single day this month (and the first half of next month) scheduled with some event?  Add to the insane schedule, a stack of papers to grade that is daunting in its height, the joys of third trimester pregnancy, and an impending move (packing OMG!), and I am tempted to just throw my hands up in the air, book a ticket to somewhere warm and sunny, and not come back until June 15th.  

Mother's Day in Maine

So where did we end up going?

Well, it was difficult to tell at first.  We headed out from Vermont through New Hampshire, so I knew Boston was not the destination.  I held my breath as we drove on through Bretton Woods (no Mt Washington Hotel), and began to make a mental list of places we had talked about visiting in Maine.  

The winner?

Freeport!  Home to Mecca (LL Bean).

DH picked the perfect location.  We arrived precisely at check-in time and were able to freshen up before heading out to explore.  We stayed here which was ideal thanks to its prime location right near restaurants and shopping, with the bonus of a pool and cookies to keep the girls happy.

Our first outing took us to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, where we  took a hike that was just the right length for someone 31 weeks pregnant, and had the bonus of offering several sets of stairs down to little beaches where the girls were able to play while DH and I relaxed.  The views were gorgeous despite the overcast day.  

Our original dinner plans were to find something similar to Ray's in Rye Beach, but the first restaurant we tried was too crowded, and the next was almost empty (meaning, we assumed, that the food wasn't very good).  We ended up abandoning our plans for seafood and ate dinner at a third place, The Mediterranean Grill, which ended up being delicious.  The rain started to fall in thick sheets just as we were finishing dessert.  Naturally, our umbrellas were still in the car which was parked blocks away at restaurant number two.  DH grabbed little S and I took E by the hand and, holding newspapers over our heads, we ran up the street to Bean.  (This is actually probably my favorite memory of the trip as we were all laughing and the girls thought it was tremendous fun.)  

LL Bean was (as always) a pleasure and far too full of tempting things.  The girls each did well, DH bought 4 things, all of them either khaki or navy (love him, but the man does NOT like to go outside his comfort zone with clothes), and I managed to control myself and hold it to two items since I won't be able to wear anything until at least late August.  (I'll post the cuter items sometime in the next few days - I love LOVE my new skirt and you can bet I will be trying it on at least once a week from the end of July until I can squeeze into it.)

Back to the hotel for swimming and then the entire family fell asleep together by 9:30.  

Brunch the next morning was at the hotel and was followed by a second trip to Bean, a dash through North Face, and then J Crew.  Our last stop was to get E her new bike at the Bean boat and bike store.  She loves it.  I loved watching her ride it.  I did not love explaining to S why she wasn't getting a new bike yet.  (Many tears, etc.  Not pleasant.)

We headed back to restaurant number one for our lunch.  (It was even more crowded than the evening before, but we were NOT leaving without at least one fresh seafood meal.)  The food was incredibly good, and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend it.  (Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster).

The drive back, both girls fell asleep and DH and I were able to enjoy the drive and a quiet conversation.  Perfect Mother's Day.

FYI - Nautical By Nature Give Away

What could be a better summer give away than a pair of adorable Angela Moore bracelets?  Head over to the uber-fabulous Nautical By Nature and check out her give away and her terrific blog!

Mother's Day Away...

DH has informed me that we are going away for Mother's Day weekend with the girls.  He won't tell me where, just that we're leaving Saturday morning and will be back Sunday evening.  Given the time parameters and the fact that we're driving with the girls, my money is on one of the following:

Rye Beach, NH

Portland, ME

Mt Washingington Hotel, NH

Parker House Hotel, Boston

Three are places we've been and loved since moving to VT.  One is a place we've planned on going for months now.  Of course I could be entirely wrong, and we could be headed up to Canada for Montreal or Quebec.  Hmmm...  

What are your plans for Mother's Day?

What's Fun... and What's Not

Fun:

1. Family Breakfast with Lots of Blueberry Pancakes and Smiling Faces

2. Long Walk on the Farm with the Family

3. Attending a Baby Shower for a New Friend

4. Finding a New Fabulous Sitter for My Girls

5. Watching a DVRed Hockey Game with DH After His Track Meet

6. Taking My Dressed Up Girls (wearing ALL of their play jewelry, sporting a fancy chapeau each, and carrying their little purses - too funny and cute!) Out for Dinner 

Not So Fun:

Coming Home from the Above-Mentioned Shower to Find My Daughters Playing Outside in the Muddy Yard with Their Sitter... While Wearing Their NEW Never-Before Worn Lilly Dresses!  (I had left them in play clothes... apparently they felt the need to dress up...)

Update: Spots all came out (!!!!) now I just need to get them pressed in time for Mother's Day brunch.  You would think nearly a week would give me enough time to get to it, but the way things have been going, who knows.  (Exhausted!)

Let's Go Pens!

Here's to a successful comeback from one of the scariest first periods I've ever seen.  On we go to Round 2!  

PS - Thanks to the commentators for spending so much of Round 1 rhapsodizing about the contributions of Jordan Staal (and for providing lots of nice close ups!).

Quick - What do the US Ambassador to a Certain Asian Country and the IP Family Have in Common?

Let the guessing begin!

Do Princesses Watch Hockey?

  Yes.  Yes they do.

Round 1 - Game 1 - Here We Go!

Really?

Hmmm... so y'all find it more likely that my Easter would involve an ER trip than either Mass or Easter baskets?  Really?  I had no idea that I was giving off the atheist/accident prone vibe! :-)  I do get the appeal of the last choice (Easter baskets and eggs) and its inherent irony... but no.  The correct answer was the ER trip.  (Thank goodness!)

The girls woke up (way too early) to hunt eggs and find their baskets; we did make it to Mass (all be it the 11:00, NOT the 7 or 9), followed that with yet another house-hunting drive, ate spanakopita (along with a green salad and strawberry shortcake), and proudly wore pink damask and lavender linen while the snow flurries blew past (ah, Easter in Vermont).  I will have to post E's dress - it might be my all time favorite.  

 There we go.  Don't you love that fabric?  Makes me want to decorate a nursery.  Wonder if DH would let me do a pink damask nursery for Baby H?)

Yesterday was gorgeous.  Our entire family is on spring break, and with temperatures approaching 60 and a bright sun in the sky, we spent the entire day outside enjoying the farm.  This place is going to be so difficult to leave.  We've loved the privacy, the pond, the views, and being able to go hiking in our own backyard.  I can't blame the owners for wanting to return, but I wish they would change their minds.  On the bright side, it will be nice to finally find a place we can truly call our Vermont "home," and that I can decorate as I like. The house we're renting could be so gorgeous.  Given a modest budget for paint, fabric and light fixtures, I could absolutely transform this place.  (There's an idea for a post!)

Two more pictures... one of my massive belly swathed in pastel linen, and another of Little S in Miss E's Easter dress from age 3.  Gotta love hand-me downs.

Off today on yet another round of house-hunting.  Wish us luck!

Easter Quiz

Here's hoping everyone had a beautiful and relaxing Easter.  For fun, see if you can determine how our family's day went.  (Take the poll/quiz above!)

Real Estate Heartbreak

The past few weeks, all of our free time seems to have been consumed with viewing houses.  We've been interested enough in two thus far to make offers.  The first, which we found about three weeks ago, was a classic cape on six acres about 15 minutes from our school.  Our relator ran the comps and we offered what he assured us was a fair price (about $30,000 under what they were asking), they countered by dropping the price $5000.  We looked at the comps again, and said, "nevermind."  We continued to search and were thrilled to find a home on 16 acres just 20 minutes from work.  The log cabin on the property wasn't really our style (we're more colonial or cape people), but the property was so gorgeous we decided to go for it and offered the asking price.  We were pretty excited and fairly certain we would get it.  No word for over 24 hours, and then a call from our realtor.  Someone else had made an offer of the same amount at that same time, and the seller chose theirs because they had no contingencies.  The only contingency we had was a successful home inspection.  Who buys a house without having it inspected first?!?  

Back to square one, and time is ticking.

Doesn't help that I keep falling in love (online) with completely impractical homes.  My most recent real estate crush is shown at the top.  It is a darling house across from a beautiful lake and bears the distinction of being too far away, too expensive, and too small.  Clearly, pregnancy is making me irrational.  

Keep your fingers crossed for us... and if you happen to have an antique cape in Vermont that you're considering selling, please put it on the market.  Thanks!

Where in the World Is the Impoverished Preppy?

Still in Vermont... still pregnant...

I can't believe it has been over a month since I posted.  Yikes!  You can imagine how hectic life has gotten.  I've missed reading all my favorite blogs and hearing what's going on in my fellow-bloggers' lives.  How are all of you?  

Here's a synopsis of what we've been doing over the past month or so:

Baby is a BOY (gasp!) - I didn't think it was physically possible for me to produce a boy (my mom is one of 3 sisters who went on to have five girls and a boy, and my female cousins and I had thus far produced 8 girls and 2 boys; we just don't do the boy thing), but unless the ultrasound was wrong, we'll be welcoming a boy in July.  DH was thrilled, and I am now pretty happy about it; I'll admit it though - I cried when I found out.  I think I read too many books about families of girls when I was growing up (Little Women, Ballet Shoes, All of a Kind Family, the Little House books).  So much for my vision of four girls in matching smocked gingham dresses.  Sigh...

 

Sold the House in West Virginia (!) - Given the market right now, we were happy to get it off our hands and actually get a decent price for it.  Downside?  We put so much money into the house, our profits are basically negated.  Other downside - we've moved to a much more expensive area.  For the past few weeks we've been looking at house after house, and finding that anything we like is either too expensive or too far away.  The ones we can afford in the area?  Either too small, too characterless, or too little land.  Ugh.  Given the fact that our current lease runs out this summer, and the impending arrival of baby #3, we really need to find something in the next month or two.

Teaching, teaching, teaching - Still loving our new school and my wonderful students, but the grading?  Ugh.  My three seniors were all accepted at their first choice colleges (yeah!), but now have varying degrees of senioritis.  

Little S - Participated in a fashion show put on by the school.  She loved every minute of it and looked so cute!  I wouldn't let my daughters get involved in modeling at this age (hello - Cindy Crawford finished college first and so can they!), but for something like a charity fundraiser, sign them right up!  Little S loved it so much that she and Miss E have taken to playing design studio at home (S is the model, E designs using a combination of yarn, fabric and tape)  and when I arrived to pick her up at school this morning, she had all the little girls in her class dressed in princess outfits and was supervising an impromptu fashion show in the classroom.   

Miss E - Her reading skills continue to amaze me, as does her ability to tell elaborate stories.  Now if I (or her teachers) could just teach her to spell!  Any suggestions for helping a kindergardener with spelling?  (My favorite piece thus far involved this statement: "God is in spas."  She meant "space" judging by the illustration, but I got a kick out of the idea of God getting a mani/pedi. :-)

Vermont continues to be a delight, although mud season can end any time now.  Seriously.  I love my pink wellies, but honestly?  enough already! 

Still Alive...

Still alive.  Still pregnant.  Just so incredibly busy and exhausted that I can barely catch my breath, let alone blog.  Really looking forward to next week (winter break!) for some time to relax,catch up on grading, travel to Boston with DH and the kids, update this blog, and read all of the blogs I've been missing!

Happy Inauguration Day... and a Question About Separation of Church and State

What a tremendous day for our nation. This whole thing has moved me to tears on numerous occasions (of course, I am pregnant and hormonal) and made me more hopeful for our future than I can express.

Little S and I hurried home and watched (well, ok, I watched, she drew pictures) the Inauguration together. A few thoughts:

Michele: You are beautiful, and that is a lovely color for you, but I personally think sequins or rhinestones at noon is a bit, well, tacky.

Obama: Poised, graceful, gracious, and oh-so-human.

Aretha: The hat? Seriously. Big, no. Ugh. The singing? Well, suffice it to say that as she was singing, S looked up and said "I can sing better than her is." (I know, we're working on the grammar.) She then proceeded to sing John, Jacob, Jingleheimer Schmidt at top volume until Aretha finished up.

John Roberts: And you referred to him as Senator instead of President Elect why? Was it intentional or a slip up?

The Address: A well-written, well-delivered call to move forward.

The Poem: Eh.

And now, something that bothered me far more than sequins or giant bow hats. While I am Catholic and my faith is important to me, I value our nation's supposed separation of church and state. Or rather, our tendency to use an all-purpose "God" when making national religious statements. (In God We Trust, One Nation Under God, etc.) In this way (in my opinion), each faith can insert their own particular God and apply the statement to themselves. True, atheists tend to be unhappy... but for the most part, people can feel included.

The Our Father, however, is such an exclusively Christian/Catholic prayer... I was fairly shocked when it was included in today's ceremony. I couldn't help but think of all the Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and other Americans who must have been standing on that Mall, or sitting at home, listening to that "other America" reciting a prayer of which they were not a part. I don't know why I was so bothered by this... but I was.

Thoughts?

Wait a Minute... It's How Cold?

To make you feel truly grateful for the weather where you are... a picture of the thermometer in my car last Friday. Yes, that does, in fact, state that it was negative thirty-one degrees.

Thankful for electric blankets, down quilts, North Face, and Uggs.

Home at Last

Well the family vacation is at an end.  We drove from Vermont to West Virginia to Ann Arbor and then across Canada.  You can imagine the effect of that much time sitting on someone at the end of their first trimester.  Not fun  The girls were amazing on the long drives and had a fantastic time seeing their friends and grandparents and cousins.  Unfortunately, Miss E is struggling with missing her grandmother and has been routinely bursting into tears around 8:30 pm and insisting on calling my mom to talk to her.  I'm glad she loves her grandmother, but I'm hoping she adjusts to being back.  Little S keeps asking about her friend Grace and her ballet teacher in Wheeling.  Both girls miss their old house and their rooms.  

Seeing our friends and family was wonderful.  The Steeler game (I was still sick) was a lot of fun for DH and his pal, MCL.  The Pens game, despite their miserable performance, was also fun.  It was hard to see our house and realize that we will probably only be back one more time - to pack up the last of our things and oversee the loading of all our furniture.  Still, seeing Wheeling in all of its gloomy, boarded-up steel/coal town glory was a strong reminder of why we moved.  Loved our friends, house and neighborhood... but otherwise, ick.

The girls started back to school yesterday and were excited to see their friends and teachers.  DH and I have this week off as well, so I am enjoying my week as a stay-at-home mom.  (I know there are lots of sides to the "who has it tougher - stay-at-home moms or working moms" argument, but seriously, having been on both sides, unless you have a full-time housekeeper or a very low-stress job, I have to say working mommies have it a lot harder.)  

Santa brought Miss E skates for Christmas and she has been twice since we returned home.  Yesterday we let her skate for 45 minutes after school with two of the little girls from her class and it was really fun to watch the three of them skating, falling, and laughing together.

Off to Dartmouth this afternoon for a special ultrasound.  Keep your fingers crossed that all is as it should be.  This is the last confirmation that everything is okay... when the results of this come in, I'll finally be able to relax.  I'm convinced this one is a boy - I am still nauseous every day (morning and evening), and with both girls I was finished with morning sickness by week 8 or 9.  Anyone else have a boy and a girl and notice a big difference in the pregnancies?

Christmas Break - By the Numbers

2: Days taken to drive from Vermont to West Virginia.

1: Ice storms driven through.

50: People in line at the Vermont Country Deli outside of Bennington (My favorite customer?  The fur-coated woman from Connecticut with her nanny and twins in tow.  Head-to-toe stereotype.)  

NOTE:  To clarify, so that I don't offend all of you nice people from Connecticut.  I mean stereotypical uninvolved rich mother... as in the mother from The Nanny Diaries.)

3: Frantic calls from dog/fish/house-sitter after she locked herself out.  (We were in New York by that time.)

3: Members of our family with icky colds.

2: Trips to Target since we arrived on the 24th.

1: Day left until Steelers' game.  Hope I kick this cold.

3: Half doses of Sudafed guiltily consumed in 48 hours in a desperate attempt to feel better.

3: Days until the Pens game!!!!  

Crewcuts Finds

All of the following are from crewcuts.  Everything shown is down to $29.99 or less.  A few things were $16.99.  The socks shown (aren't they cute?) were $9.99.  Those tartan boots (love!) just $19.99!

Post-Holiday Preppy Deals:

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas shopping (except online) - too many crowds, too much stress.  Just not fun.  But shopping AFTER Christmas, completely different story.  Prices are lower, people are less stressed, and the stores are nowhere near as crowded.  And post-Christmas shopping online?  Even better.

Here are a few of the cute things I found on Lands End this morning:

Wish this picture was bigger!  Darling kelly green patent mocs- $19.99.  

Adorable embroidered cord belts.  Lots of colors- $9.99.

To keep baby cozy, a sweet cashmere cardi - $49.99.

Finally, this cashmere tee with anchor motif - $79.99.  (And since I can't order anything other than maternity clothes right now, I'm hoping one of my fellow preppy bloggers will pick up this cute sweater!)

Since my cold is still lingering, and I am trying to get better in time for tomorrow's Steelers' game, I'll probably be doing a lot of online shopping today.  Stay tuned for more preppy finds!

Cue Holiday Panic

Remember this cute little guy from last year's Christmas post? Well, he is currently informing me that there are but three days until Christmas. This makes me (pardon my language) officially screwed.

Current Status of Holiday Check List:

Cards: Matching blue Kingsfield sweaters duly purchased from LL Bean for girls to wear. Loads of snow have fallen for perfect backdrop. Girls? Both sick with colds giving them pink noses and circles under their eyes. Christmas cards will be Holiday cards...

Presents: Most of the girls' gifts have been taken care of. DH's gifts are also checked off the list. (Though I am fairly certain that he hasn't gotten me anything yet.) Gifts for family members and children of various friends? Unpurchased.

Decorations: White lights, a few decorations and the little tree in the kitchen here at the Vermont house. We plan to buy a live tree and decorate it on Christmas Eve in the Wheeling house.

Teachers'/Neighbors'/Family Friends' Gifts: The one thing I did manage to pull off in a timely fashion. Multiple batches of Ina's French chocolate bark prepared, packaged and delivered.

Travel Plans: We're supposed to leave tomorrow morning. Currently we have not packed, and I have about three more loads of laundry to finish before I can start. Dog/fish/house sitter is taken care of, thank goodness. Did I mention that 16 inches of snow fell yesterday (on top of the 14 inches we already had) and that it is STILL snowing?

Family Health: DH - Mr. "I'm Norwegian and have the world's strongest immune system" is perfectly healthy. Both girls have awful colds, as do I. Just what you want when you're about to travel, no?

Hope that all of you are set for a happy and healthy holidays.

Christmas Meme

Candy Cane Meme

Preppy Pettit has tagged me for a Candy Cane meme. The instructions are to copy, paste, answer, add a question, then tag the 3 bloggers with the most recent updates on your blog feed/roll.

1. What is/are your favorite Christmas Movie(s)? White Christmas and Love Actually.

2. Favorite Christmas Song? When I was little it was Hark the Herald Angels Sing, but now I think perhaps a tie between I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm and Silent Night.

3. Favorite Holiday Memory? The year I was a junior in high school, I received a camera from my parents, and my sister and I created a new Christmas tradition that lasted until I married DH and stopped having Christmas at home. The tradition? We hopped in the car and drove a round looking for the most ridiculous/tacky Christmas lawn displays we could find. But we didn't just take pictures of the displays - nope - we POSED with the cheesy plastic statues and inflatable reindeer. The trick was to do the entire thing as quickly and stealthily as possible. It was so much fun, and these are still some of my all time favorite holiday photos.

4. What is your favorite cookie/treat to make? I love my sister's gingerbread cookies, and as of this year, Ina Garten's French chocolate bark. (I've made about seven batches in the past week as gifts for various people. It's easy and delicious and it looks just beautiful.

5. Have you ever made an igloo? Well, no. But now that I live so far North, an igloo is probably in my future.

6. Do you love Starbucks? Yes... too bad the closest one is in Burlington!

7. What makes the perfect Snowman? As in real life - accessories are everything.

8. Not sure what happened to #8 so I'll create my own... hot chocolate or eggnog?
Hot chocolate. With whipped cream.

9. Best gift you have ever received? Bringing E home from the NICU.

10. What is the snowman's name on Rudolph? As many times as I've watched the movie, I should know this... but I don't.

11. Silver or Gold? Platinum.

12. What is your favorite Christmas decoration? The ornaments I bought when I was in Scotland during college, and the hand-painted sand dollar ornaments my mom bought in Charleston everytime we went to Kiawah.

13. What's your Christmas decorating style? Traditional. Lots of white lights and candles.

14. Do you hang stockings? Yes... DH's mom knitted one for each girl.

15. How many days do you celebrate Christmas? Two. The 24th and the 25th.

16. What was your favorite ornament on the tree as a child? The wooden disc Rudolph I made at school in first grade, complete with google eyes and red pompom nose.

17. Where will you be spending this Christmas? Lovely Wheeling, West Virgina. Can't wait to see our friends and head to Pittsburgh for Steelers and Pens games.

18. When do you open presents? Christmas Eve. Christmas morning we do the presents from Santa.

19. Real tree or artificial? Real. Though there is a small artificial tree in the kitchen.

20. Is there any chance you'll have a white Christmas? If we stayed here in Vermont it's a guarantee. Back in West Virgina... probably a 50-50 chance.

21. Who do you have the hardest time finding a gift for? My sister. She's impossible.

Hmm... since I don't have the sort of blog roll that updates automatically, I tag anyone who wants an easy Christmas-themed post.

PS - Check out the results of the poll up in the corner... we're such good mommies!

I'm In Shock...

This is what I woke up to this morning. Naturally I dashed over to the computer to see whether school was canceled, or just delayed.

Neither.

Apparently, when Vermonters wake up and look out their windows at the six inches of snow that fell the night before and that is continuing to fall, they don't think: gee, we should cancel school.

Nope. They pull on their boots and hats and gloves, and head out to shovel out their cars.

They're tough.

I grew up in a state where I once had an entire week of school off after fourteen inches of snow fell in twenty-four hours.

I moved to a state where it didn't (at least in our part of the state) snow. Ever.

Most recently, we lived in a state where they would cancel school just because it might snow.

I don't think I'm ready for this whole Vermont winter thing. Think they'd let me teach my classes online from home?

Birthday Baking

So for her sixth birthday last week, Miss E announced that she wanted to take "snowman cupcakes" to school.
Baking and the Impoverished Preppy are not a natural pairing. I love to cook, and I am usually fairly successful at whatever I decide to make. But baking? My track record is spotty at best. (Ask DH about the first cake I ever made him - I forgot to grease and flour the pans - it was a complete disaster. Or ask my mother about the countless pans of brownies I attempted to make in junior high and high school - nearly all of them came out super flat with a sunken spot in the center of the pan. And they were from a mix. A mix. Hanging head in shame...)

Anyhow, I decided that I would attempt E's snowman cupcakes myself, and hoped that it would be a fun project we could do together. Miracle of miracles, it was a success!

Boxed "super moist" yellow cake mix and buttercream frosting (I wasn't going to risk making my own...) along with food coloring, marshmallows, toothpicks, peppermint sprinkles, butterscotch chips, and those tiny tubes of pre-made icing were our supplies. I handled the initial baking and frosting, but E helped with sprinkling on the peppermint sprinkles and constructing the snowmen.

I was thrilled with the way they turned out (especially in light of my past baking failures) and E was very proud and excited to take them to school.

Is It a Baby or a Bean?

Well baby or bean, it will be here on or around July 16th - right about the time we're supposed to be moving out of the house we've been renting. (Can you tell this was a surprise pregnancy?)

We are very happy and the girls are super excited. Some of you might remember that we had a miscarriage at the end of last December; I posted about it. We also had a second loss in February which I didn't post about because I was even more upset. My doctor at the time told us to stop trying for 4-6 months, and we did. We actually hadn't started trying again yet. (I missed a few pills in a cycle and that was apparently all it took.) After everything that has happened with our attempts for number three, this is a marvelous surprise and a tremendous blessing. We are both holding our breaths as the first trimester progresses, and hoping for a healthy pregnancy.

Tomorrow makes nine weeks exactly. Keep your fingers crossed for us that all will go as it should!

Time to Use Those Deductive Reasoning Skills!

Until about a month ago, my Christmas/birthday wish list (I'm a December baby) was riddled with things from JCrew and Lands End. Sweaters, dresses, and a very cute jacket. Some necessary editing has reduced my wish list to the items pictured (along with a plea for any cute and warm socks my loved ones might find).


Can you guess what led to this drastically reduced wish list?

Preppy Perfection - And a Discount Too!

Just FYI - these adorable things are all 20% off right now at Janie and Jack. The discount lasts until midnight tonight.



Mom, if you see this, yes - Miss E definitely needs this outfit. (Little S would too, if I could get her to wear anything other than dresses!)

Thankful

I feel like there is so much to be thankful for this year. Despite the wretched economy, etc. life has been pretty sweet. Nothing like a list to commemorate those things for which I am grateful each and everyday.

* My husband. His thoughtfulness, love, and support are the most important part of my life. He is my best friend and I cannot imagine my life without him.

* My girls. Despite the stress occasioned by some of their quirks, they fill my heart and our home with happiness, love, and laughter. (Oh, ok, and squabbling, tears, and whining... but I'll take the bad along with the good.)

* My dogs. They make me feel safe when DH is away, and they are so good with the girls. Despite the muddy paw prints and scratched paint on windowsills, I love them.

* Living in Vermont. Yes, it is cold. Yes, it gets dark ridiculously early now. Yes, I am very far away from my mother and my best friends... but this move was the best thing that could have happened for us. DH and I feel so lucky to teach where we do, the girls love their school, and being able to hike and ski again without driving for hours (something we haven't had since CA) is fantastic. Plus, the emphasis here on environmental and political awareness, and the lack of materialism are the type of environment we really wanted for our family. Finally, I feel fortunate to have found a church where I feel comfortable (the first since I left Kentucky) and the fact that E is big enough now to go to Mass with me and behave (most of the time).

* My mother. And the fact that she is here and managed the entire Thanksgiving dinner. (Thank you, mom!)

* Our new car. Did I say I liked our non-materialistic surroundings? Yup. Am I super thrilled that we bought my dream car on Wednesday in Burlington? Oh yes. Is this a conflict of values? Perhaps. (But it is oh so shiny, and I love it, love it, love it.) DH had been driving an 11-year-old Volvo 850. It is gone. In its place? Our new shiny 2005 black Volvo station wagon. I am in heaven. Yes, it was used (we don't buy new cars), but it only had 30,000 miles on it and it looks new. Love...

* My friends. Despite the fact that my closest friends are scattered from LA to San Francisco to Columbus, Ohio to Wheeling, WV, I feel grateful that we are still friends and able to keep in touch.

* Blogging. So wonderful in so many ways. As an outlet, a chance to refine my writing skills, and a source of creative and fabulous ideas... the world of preppy/mommy blogs has been so important over this past year. I am particularly grateful to those of you who responded to my last post about Miss E. Thank you. (And I did head out and pick up Taming Your Spirited Child in Burlington on Wednesday - thanks for the rec!)

What makes you thankful?

The Differences in My Daughters - My Cry for Help

How is that my daughters are so incredibly different? They've essentially been raised in the same manner. Granted we did a lot more hiking when E was tiny because we lived in Cali, and, well, it is a lot easier to hike with one baby/toddler rather than two. They are both outgoing and funny (and beautiful!), but otherwise? Night and day. Complete opposities.

Need proof?

Here is what E wants for Christmas: ice skates, a "desert habitat with a river and a bridge over the river, and fish in the river and separate living spaces for a snake and a lizard," and "a little garden set so I can grow things with S."

And what does my Little S want? More dresses, sparkley shoes, a new doll, and a teddy bear.

Somethings they have in common - they both love drawing and arts and crafts. They both adore dancing. (Though Little S's ballet obsession far surpasses the interest level shown by E.) And they manage to enjoy building things together in the playroom - whether it be forts, or elaborate farms. Finally, they both have a mommy who thinks they're wonderful and loves them completely.

But here is the difficult part. Little S is extremely well behaved. She almost never gets in trouble at school, and is easy to take places. She is generally polite and, for a three-year-old, calm. Miss E, on the other hand, is sent out of the room at least once a day at school (generally for not listening), she is kind to her friends, but she can become so focused on trying to make them laugh that her behavior will skew from silly to bizarre. She is easily excited, and acts silly, even strange, when she is excited. She has trouble controlling her impulses, and this can lead to problems. She also has trouble understanding personal boundaries and will hug people whether they want her to or not.

I try hard to treat them in the same way, but I confess that it is difficult at times. Yesterday, fo example, was the Thaksgiving Feast at the early childhood building at their school. S is in preschool, and E is in Kindergarten. Both girls sat with me at a table with two other kids and their mothers, one father, and a grandmother. Little S was able to stay in her seat, eat nicely, and afterwards, participate in the games that were set up. Miss E was up and down out of her seat, hugged the grandmother (a woman she had never met), and was unable to focus on the games afterward, flitting from this to that, climbing on the gym mats folded in the corner, running and sliding across the gym floor on her knees. I took her aside and talked to her numerous times, her teacher spoke to her twice, (her teacher is wonderful and really likes E) but E's behavior was still less than ideal. I felt like the entire event was divided between having a lovely time with S, and keeping E from ruining the event for everyone else.

There have been many events like this.

E is not ADD or ADHD. Her pediatrician back in West Virginia said that while she trended in that direction, the fact that she can focus for long periods of time on things like arts and crafts, projects, and reading books, indicates that she is not truly hyper or ADD. He labeled it an "impulse control issue," and said that she might outgrow it.

I've never really talked about this on the blog before. And frankly, when I started this post, I had not intended to go so far in talking about E's issue. But I'm feeling a bit frustrated after yesterday, and I am hoping some of you will have advice you can share.

Thanks.

Impoverished Preppy

Tis the Season: IP Recommends TOYS!

It just occurred to me the other day that Christmas is not that far off (eek!) and that the window for ordering toys was just a few weeks away from closing. Since Miss E was up all night with the stomach flu, and mass is not an option this morning, I thought I would do a post on some of our favorite Christmas presents for the girls from the past few years. Hopefully this will give some of you who are stuck a few ideas for your holiday shopping. This is an entirely toy/game oriented list. I might try and do a list of recommended books in the next few weeks.
Enjoy! And if you have any suggestions of gifts that have gone over well at your house, please share!

Big Ticket Items:

Of course each Christmas there's that one "big item" that Santa usually delivers. Here are some of our favorites...

This doll house was Miss E's big present the Christmas she was four. Little S has actually been the one to play with it the most. This is from Hearthsong, and we chose it because it wasn't as "bare bones" as some of the other preschool doll houses. At the same time there were no tiny pieces either, so having Little S play with it wasn't a problem. The house is fairly reasonably priced, but with the furniture sets, this became a big ticket present. It has survived both the move and near-daily play without any damage. I look forward to watching my grandchildren play with this someday.




This play table from Pottery Barn Kids is one of my all-time favorite purchases. We bought this for Miss E the Christmas she had just turned two. Initially it was used for her Thomas sets, and it makes a great train table! It's the perfect height for little ones - and the drawers make clean-up easy enough that a toddler can take care of their own mess. Right now, the doll house is perched on top of the table, and the trains are in one drawer and the wooden blocks in another. The doll house is light enough that I can simply lift it off the tabel whenever the girls decide that they would rather play trains or build with blocks. Structurally the table has held up extremely well, even after being moved twice. The edge of the table top has sustained some scratches (like most PB furniture - the wood is soft and the finish scratches rather easily) but an occasional treatment of orange oil keeps it from being noticeable.

2004 was a good year for E. Her birthday is just a few weeks before Christmas, and for her birthday that year (when she turned 2) she received a PB kitchen set. The one we purchased (the blue Metro) is no longer made, but our friends have the pink Retro set and it is comparable as far as durability, quality of construction, and sturdiness. Beyond some minor scratches in the wooden cutting board that came with the island, our kitchen has held up so well that I can envision my future granddaughters playing with it. These sets are worth the money, and PB offers colors other than pink which is great. We opted for a gender neutral kitchen for E, just in case #2 ended up being a boy. We also selected the Metro set rather than the PBK classic set because it was sturdier and E climbed absolutely everything at that point. In fact, I am pretty sure that she used the kitchen as a jungle gym for most of her toddler years - Little S is the one who actually pretends to cook. See - it's versatile!

For the Horse Lover:



Around her fourth birthday, Miss E developed a love of horses (inspired no doubt by visits with her Granny to the barn to see/ride on/care for Granny's horse). She began amassing a collection of Breyer horses, and the obvious gift choice last Christmas was a stable to house her collection. She spotted the Breyer model (top photo) in a catalog, and while we considered it, it seemed a bit expensive. The Breyer model is really gorgeous, so if it fits your budget, that is probably the way to go.

We ended up buying the folding wooden stable Melissa and Doug. The stable came with a folding paddock fence, and has room for quite a few horses. It is well made and has survived a year of frequent play, as well as a move.




Wooden Winners:


My girls love the magnetic dress up dolls that they have received. Our first set was a pair of cute bears with multiple outfits, and more recently Little S was given this cute doll. They keep the girls amused, hold up beautifully, and are a great alternative to the traditional paper dolls (messy!).















When we purchased Miss E her kitchen set at PB years ago, the appliances they had at that time were plastic (white and red or white and pink) and were not very well constructed as it turned out. While the kitchen set itself has held up quite nicely, the appliances (with the exception of the coffee maker) have all perished. The current PB wooden appliances they have right now are very tempting, however, they are also rather expensive. We ended up opting for the KidCraft appliances and I'm so glad we did! Not only are they well made and durable, they come with darling accessories (Little S loves the baking sheet and cookies!). While the color scheme isn't a perfect match for the girls' blue kitchen, these were still an excellent purchase.


Fun With Plastic:



Despite the fact that DH and I have spent close to $300 on various wooden blocks for the girls, they still prefer the Lego Duplo sets they've received much more. Perhaps it's because their Lego creations are less prone to tumbling over, or perhaps it's the bright colors. Whatever the reason, our girls have the Legos out on a near daily basis.







Last Christmas, shortly after her fifth birthday, Miss E was introduced to the joys of Playmobil. She has received a few sets from various family members and plays with them all. However, her favorite sets are definitely the fairytale sets. These have gotten a lot of use, and other than the need to keep Little S away from the tinier pieces, Playmobil has been a winner.




Toddler Toys:

I wish this picture was larger! This is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn House. Little S received this for her first birthday and absolutely loved it. There are so many activities, and cute songs. She is over three now, and still won't let us pack it up! Highly recommend!


The Little People house pictured is the most recent incarnation of a classic toy. Our was purchased in 2003, so it is a different model... however, that said, we love the Little People sets. Both girls have enjoyed them, and aside from the space they take up (and the obnoxious monkey noise on the zoo) we have been really happy with them. They hold up nicely and encourage creative play.






Games: The two best games we have purchased in the last couple years have both been from Cranium.


Zooreka we purchased this past summer, and DH and I have had a good time playing it with Miss E. You get to create your own zoo which she loves. Definitely for kids who are at least 5.








Cranium Hullabaloo we've had for almost two years and I just can't recommend it enough. Because it doesn't have any small pieces it is perfect for travel. It is easy enough that a 2 1/2 year-old can play, and younger children enjoy it as well, though they need a bit of help following the directions. Seriously, if you have small children and you don't already own this game, you need it.



I would also add, though I don't have pictures, Aquadoodles and Leap Pads. Miss E loves her Leap Pad, and Aquadoodles are one of my very favorite toys. We often give them as gifts because they are mess free, highly portable, and encourage creativity.

Happy Shopping!

Truthfully...

Is it weird that I borrow my almost six-year-old daughter's headbands?

(They're bow-free, just simple 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch grosgrain or fabric...)

I was wearing a pink and green floral print from Baby Gap this morning when I dropped her off, and one of her little friends looked at me and asked in a bemused voice, "Why are you wearing E's headband?"

Does anyone else do this? Just curious!