time to return to the green side

The other day while unloading my groceries, I realized how big of a waste the plastic bags are. Which then reminded me of our time in Italy because we always used reusable bags/a cart at the grocery store. The 18 months that we lived there, is the greenest I've been in my life.
- we didn't have a car so we either walked, biked or used public transportation. We should have gotten a tax break for that!
- reusable bags or I sported my old woman cart for the grocery store.
- recycled. because we lived in an apartment, our trash was a communal dumpster. BUT there were 4 different dumpsters.
1. trash
2. glass and plastic
3. kitchen trash (food) they don't have garbage disposals
4. cardboard

I can't quit cold turkey with the car, being pregnant and all but I decided for now on, it's reusable bags. It's lazy NOT to do that. Yeah, I just called you lazy. And I wish recycling was more accessible here. It makes me sick to put soda and milk bottles in the trash. I noticed our dumpster has a bin for newspaper, but I don't get the newspaper so it doesn't do me much good. But there is something we can all do to live a little greener and it's much easier to switch than you realize. Any more suggestions to help me go from a whitie to a greenie?

a freakin' miracle!

As I said before, Ryan found a studio. So on Tuesday he was loading our car and moving things into the new studio. Maybe it's an artist thing or a male thing but Ryan cannot do 2 things at once. So his first mistake, talking on the phone and loading the car at the same time. Well he got the car loaded and then we were off. Once he got to his studio and started to unload, he realized he left a very important painting on the top of the car! He searched and searched and re drove the route a few times and could not find it anywhere. We searched the garbage cans, asked people that were out and about if they saw a painting and prayed that we would find it. Ryan was extremely pissed and not a joy to be around. But to give a brief history, the painting also had some sentimental value. It is a study for a much larger painting he plans on doing and there is no way to replace it because all he has is photos and it was painted from life. There is the time spent in the city painting. Of your familiar with Florence, it's in front of the well at Dante's church. Not to mention, he also spent money paying the model for all the sessions they did. If you could see the painting in real life, it's pretty brilliant for being a study.
So come Thursday, I was still looking for the painting as I went through my daily life but it seemed that Ryan had given up. That afternoon he asked me to go make copies of a flyer he made. Then he payed the kids to go hang them on all the doors along our route through the neighborhood. 5 minutes after they got back, Ryan got a call that someone did have his painting. He went to their house and there it was in perfect condition! Apparently, they saw it fall off and tried to chase us down. Such a miracle and lifesaver for our Dad's sanity!! Now the painting sits safe and sound in our little home.

happy day

Ryan found a studio. AND it's a large space and a really good price. I do hate the thought of another bill but my sanity is priceless. It will be wonderful to have all of his boxes, easels, paintings and frames out of our house!

and they're off

After a summer of begging from the kids to have their training wheels taken off. And mom getting sick of saying "okay, ask Dad, he'll do it with his tools". I finally did it today. I think Ryan kept putting it off because he didn't want to teach them how to ride and have kids come home with scraped knees. Off course Brody would go above and beyond the average scraped knee.
I took Brody's off first because Cloe was playing so sweet with her little sis, and only did 2 runs with him. It was too hard to bend over with my fat belly and then trying to keep up with him while he peddled was just hindering his efforts. So he just hopped on the bike by himself and took off. When Cloe came out, Ryan told her to get on the bike and ride it. And she just took off. Why do we hold our kids back? What else are they missing out on because we don't think they're ready? I love the look of accomplishment and pride on their face when they figure out new things.

Sisterly Love

I made a very sweet observation today and wanted to make note of it.
Cloe is home sick today. Yesterday at my check up, I got a call from her school because she was throwing up. Not what I feel like dealing with in my 3rd trimester! But I figured it was better now than when the baby is here. We also all have colds and again, better now than with a newborn. Back to Cloe. So obviously I wasn't going to send her today and I told her that when I put her to bed. I woke up this morning without an alarm (fabulous way to start your day!!) and when I came down, only Brody was watching T.V. The girls were still sleeping but when they woke up, they started playing together in their room. And they were there all morning. Until I made them come down ( that reminds me, I do have something exciting to blog about!) From that point they had to get dressed because they were coming with me to take Brody to school. After dropping him off we went to the library for story time. Cloe was sitting on the floor and Abbey went back and forth from the chair by me, to sitting right next to her big sister. I took a picture in my mind of them sitting by each other and Abbey sticking by her big sisters side through the activities. Then after story time, I let them hang out in the library. They wanted to "play buying things", and they played happily together for another 30 minutes. After more errands we made it home and they went right back to playing in their room with their stuffed animals. I just thought it was the sweetest thing to see them hang out together for the day. It's not that they don't usually get along. Cloe is usually gone all day and when she comes home she wants to rest for a while and then she does her homework. Or they are playing outside with neighbor kids. I love that they get along so well and Cloe is patient enough to play with her little sister.

Home Sweet Home. Kind of.

When we moved to Italy we got rid of a ton of stuff. We didn't have a lot of storage room and we just figured "we'll buy a new one when we get home." Two of those items were dining room chairs. We were going to get rid of the whole set until my step dad told us to save it just in case. Which I"m glad I did because I didn't realize how expensive dining room sets are. So since we've been back in our house, we've had 2 dining chairs. Oh by the way, we have a family of 5, doesn't work. Ryan's mom was at the D.I. the other day and found us 3 chairs for a total of $20 ( i think) maybe it was less. Then she sanded them and touched up the paint. Well my point, all of a sudden, my kitchen just seems so much more cozy and homey. Maybe it's because now I had to clear off all the junk mail and kids homework from the table so that we could eat as a family. A clean kitchen is happiness for me.


Then I walk into the living room and I am greeted by Ryan's studio. He still hasn't found a new studio so in the mean time our living room is cluttered with a capital 'C'! The front right corner and the back of the room are brimming with art stuff. He needs to find one ASAP. Not only for my sanity but also because he is using the extra bedroom that will eventually be the baby room. Do you know anyone looking for a tenant??




When we moved we also got rid of pretty much all our baby stuff. Not because we thought we were done but because it had been through 3 kids. I can now check 2 things off my list because we got a car seat and stroller. I've never had a stroller like this so I'm excited. For some reason when Cloe was born, all I bought was a jogging stroller and that was my single stroller for all 3 kids. And I'm digging on the colors and the fabric. It seems easy to keep clean. And the handle on the stroller sold me because it is high which means comfy pushing for our tall Daddy. I'd have to say they thought of everything while designing this set.

DAD + PLIERS =

2nd tooth lost

of course we video taped it and it's hilarious. Brody was freaking out more than Cloe was. It's always funny to scare the kids.

you know your in Wyoming when

this is a traffic jam.


But some serious eye candy! Not the cows butts, the cowboys!
Ryan and I drove to Jackson Hole on Thursday to deliver some paintings to his gallery, we stayed the night and came home Friday. It was a short trip but very nice to finally spend some quality time with Ryan. The next 10 days are the biggest of the "art season" so we wanted to get some new paintings in the gallery quick. Let's hope for some good sales!!
Thanks to Ryan's mom for watching the kids while we were gone and for letting us drive her little Honda! We saved a ton just on gas not having to drive the Suburban.

mom notes

I feel like I've adjusted to our school and soccer routine and it is far less chaotic than I thought. I love watching the kids play soccer. They improve with each game and I love to see the confidence they build in themselves as they notice their improvements. Brody loves to score and scores at least 4 goals a game. Cloe is really good about knowing where to go. She's good on defense and knows how to cut off the other girls angle and steal the ball. The types of things that go unnoticed when your not her Mom. She likes to play goalie because "I don't have to run as much".

Abbey loves school but not as much as she loves cats and dogs. And pretty much animals. No matter where we are, if she sees a dog, she asks if she can go pet it. There was a cat hanging out on our doorstep all day and she was in heaven. When it wondered off, she would search the street for it. It started to follow Brody and she was so excited and thought it was so cute that it would follow him. Ryan and I must have referred to it as "that stupid cat". Seriously, it was hanging out at our door and trying to come in. I was at the store with Abbey and she was sitting in the cart and said "Mom, I can't stop thinking about that stupid cat." I told her she didn't have to call it stupid if she didn't think it was stupid.

I can't believe I am in the double digits on my countdown and am in the 50's! I'm getting excited to have this baby. We start our hypnobirthing class on Saturday (lets hope Ryan can be mature)and it makes me anxious for this whole new experience. At our prenatal classes when I was pregnant with Cloe, he barely made it through the delivery class because he thought it was so funny when they would say "vaginal". He couldn't stop laughing. And of course he made me laugh and I felt like such a 12 year old. But I think it'll be fun to just have a little newborn again. The kids will be such helpers and will shower this little one with so much love. I need to find time to get my hair done before the big day. Can't have bad hair in hospital pictures! I always make sure I have make-up on as well. I know that sounds so much NOT like me, but after working in a photo lab and seeing so many hospital pictures, I decided it's worth the 2 minutes to slab some eye make-up on, the pictures are far less scary.
And last thing, I love Fall. How can you not be in a good mood this time of year. I can't wait to decorate for Halloween. I already bought Cloe's costume. But that's also because I'm due on Halloween and want to be prepared for any surprises.

Conrad is a DAD!!!

yes, you read that right, Conrad is a Dad. And isn't that the cutest, precious baby ever. I forgot how sweet little newborns are. Congratulations Marion and Conrad!