~You Have Feet In Your Shoes...~

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

Rowen has always been a wiggly, on the move little man.  While at daycare, he is allowed to freely roam the confines of his classroom, crawling all over the place.  When he comes home, he isn't always a happy camper about being confined and not having free reign of the house.  This week, on two of the days where I picked him up, he looked at me like 'hey mom, your not supposed to be here, I'm still playing.'

Today, while he happily went with me, when we got home, the restrictions on his freedom got to be too much for my little man.  The usually happy, easy going ham of a little boy I normally see sat in his high chair for close to twenty minutes losing his mind.  He has a slight flair for the dramatics, I have no idea where he gets that from.  I tried everything I could think of, even adjusting his feeding schedule and trying to give him his afternoon bottle earlier.  Nothing seemed to work.

Until I picked him up.  And took him to his room, and just rocked him.  These moments are few and far between for us.  Usually our rocking sessions end in him wanting to get down and investigate something new and exciting.  But not today.  Rowen quietly sat on my lap as we rocked back and forth in our big comfy chair and just stared up at me with those big brown tear stained eyes.  And it quickly made me forget the temper tantrum of only five minutes before.  Eventually he started to wiggle and we sang his favorite song, wheels on the bus, and as usual the little giggles I've heard so many times singing that song continue to melt my heart.

I know that while I'm at work I miss a lot of what Rowen does throughout the day.  Sometimes I become frustrated when I get him home and all he wants to do is cry because he is tired from not napping at daycare.  Or he wants to crawl all over the place instead of sitting in my lap reading books.  Or he goes straight to bed and all of the precious little 'us' time for that day is lost.  But days like today make it ok.    It reminded me that some times when I can't figure out what Rowen wants, and I don't know how I'm gonna keep going for another five minutes without losing my temper, all it takes is my little boy wanting to be held by his mom to melt away all of my frustration and enjoy those little moments with him.  

~Things I learned From This Month's Real Simple~

Since the magazine began being published, I have had a small obsession with Real Simple.  I don't know if its the texture of the paper, or how the magazine pages are slightly wider than a normal magazines, but there is something about it that I love.  Maybe it is the never ending tidbits of information the pages hold.  

While I would like a subscription, and could easily procure one with a few clicks of the mouse, Mr. Rivera is highly sensitive about too many magazine subscriptions, so most times I either whine about getting it and stick it in the cart at Target or sneak it into the house after one of solo trips to Target.  Yes, I spend far too much time at Target.  There may or may not of been a comment made in the Rivera household which suggested I only purchase one canister of formula at a time to ensure I maintain weekly trips to Target.  I digress.

This month's Real Simple is full of lots of little fun facts and I thought I would share a few that I didn't know before and maybe you didn't either.

1. You should replace your sponge every couple of weeks, and at the end of everyday sterilize a wet sponge, either by putting it in the microwave for one minute or by running it through the dishwasher.

2. An easy way to fluff a wrinkled load of clothing is by throwing a damp towel in with the load and restarting the dryer.

3. Apparently the office version of mom jeans is called mom slacks, which have a pleated front and a high waste.  Pleats make me shudder.

4. To help lighten sun spots on your face, three times a week gently rub a strawberry on discolored areas, leaving the juice on your face for two minutes before rinsing.

5.  Americans have a median household debt of more than $200,000.

6.  Theres an entire three page article on sentimental clutter, which I am extremely guilty of.  

7.  In a survey of approximately 1000 readers, it was found that 49% spent at least three hours a week on social media sites.

8.  Baking with cold eggs and dairy products results in dense cakes and breads.  Room temperature products helps produce a light and airy baked good.  

These fun facts and so many more can be found in the monthly Real Simple Magazines or at RealSimple.com

~2012 Perspective~

Greetings! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.  I took a step back, enjoyed my time with my family, and for the most part stayed off the interwebs and it was rather enjoyable!  But now that I'm back I thought I would take a moment to reflect on what was.  I sat down and read my New Years post from last year, and while I was partially right about 2011 being the year of Rowen, it was that, and so much more.  This year my goals have what I feel is a little more sustenance, some are serious or silly, but all are things I can accomplish if I put my mind to it.  

In no particular order...

1. Finish Projects.  I am amazing at starting projects.  I write my lists, venture to the stores and gather my supplies, and come home and happily start my project.  And that's usually where it ends. Started.  Just like the four blankets I started for Rowen this past year.  I think Rudy almost had a heart attack when I set out to make Rowen's handprints into Christmas Ornaments and I actually finished them in one day and had them hanging on my tree.  And then Lola ate one (did I mention we discovered she is the trouble maker?).  So this year I want to follow through on my ideas, finish some of the lingering ones (hello home organization binder, yes I see you sitting on the guest bed glaring at me), and attempt to development somewhat of a system that leaves me happy with what I have made/accomplished. 

2. Cook more and eat healthier.  This is one area of the home I struggle in majorly.  I would rather vacuum everyday and fold laundry all night long than consistently cook meals.  We tried to do a better job with this right after Rowen was born, but then with us both super  busy at work, it fell by the wayside.  We eat out way too much, which isn't good for our wallet or our waists.  And now that Rowen sits at the table with us for meals, its even more important that we eat healthy and set a good example for him.  The key for me is menu planning, and keeping it simple.  I can guarantee on Monday nights  I will be tired from the return to work so I need to remember to always cook something I can easily make without turning my kitchen into a disaster and something I'm familiar with.  If Rudy loved Spaghetti like I do, Mondays would be a Spaghetti night every week.  I can save my experimenting for the weekend, when if it doesn't turn out like I wanted (which happens more than I'd like to admit) we can go out to dinner and not have to get up super early the next day.    

3. Read a book a month. Easy. So long as I don't get distracted by the romance novel aisle at target.

4. Find a church.  While our faith as a family is solidified, our faith as part of a community is lacking.  This one is high on the list considering the churches we have found thus far have had a lacking sense of community and left us wanting more.  I want to find a church that we can feel a part of and where Rowen's faith is nurtured. 

5. Bring Rowen's baby book up to date.  Or rather start Rowen's baby book, and then update it.  I need better pens for this task (I think of this as something he will hold on to his whole life so naturally I have to find the perfect pen to write in it with) and once I find those I will start it, and finish it, see #1.  

6. Print pictures monthly.  One of my favorite things to do when I go home is find one of the random boxes of pictures my parents have scattered about the house and just sit and thumb through the memories.  In the digital era I think this is something that may one day disappear so I have decided I need to print copies of all of our pictures, primarily in fear that one day my numerous computers will die and all of my 'memories' will be lost to me forever.  While I love photo books as well, its something about holding the pictures in my hands that gets me.  I haven't yet decided how I will store these, but I am looking into either putting together annual photo albums or boxes right now. 

7. Date night once a month.  Or leave Rowen with a babysitter once a month and go see a movie.  I don't really care what we do, but over Christmas break I realized that in nine months other than at daycare, we have only ever left Rowen three times, and two of those times were with my mom when we were visiting home.  Its not that I don't feel comfortable leaving Rowen, but rather that we know literally no one here so finding a babysitter hasn't been the easiest task.  But I'm working on it, and if we have to have date night by way of 'Casa Rivera' for the next few months, thats ok too.  

8. Monthly House projects.  Now that we have lived in our house for about a year and a half, we feel comfortable taking on some projects here and there.  Rudy calls this the curse of me discovering Pinterest.  I call this creating a warm and welcoming home.  Either way we have some big plans, and so far we have identified the living room, kitchen, and backyard (bye bye pool, hello Maryland garden paradise) as the first targets.  

9.  Take GRE and apply to grad school.  While I don't know that this is what I want to do next, it is an option I would like to have.  In the next couple of months I plan to study my butt off for the GRE and my goal is to take it before Rowen's birthday.  The grad school solicitation won't come out until this summer, but if I have all of my ducks in a row before then, hopefully it will make the process easier.  

10.  Find 'Friends'.  This sounds pathetic.  Really it does.  I have plenty of friends, but the majority of them live far far away.  If I were to have a birthday party for Rowen this year, literally the only people I would have to invite nearby would be our beloved Black Family and maybe a few people from work, which I think would be awkward since I really have never hung out with them socially before.  Problem is we don't really know where to find these 'friends'.  Our neighborhood is old, and there aren't a lot of parks in town for me to stalk potential friends at.  We are thinking of signing Rowen up for a class at the Little Gym so hopefully that will offer some possibilities.  

11.  Save the money.  We have goals in our future, and they are going to require money.  So we need to curb impulse shopping, stop eating out, and save our moolah!

12.  Live in the moment and not for whats next.  I feel like this may be my most challenging goal.  I am constantly thinking about whats next, the next house, the next job, the next baby, what we are doing next weekend.  Its a flaw, and it is sometimes seen as me never being happy with what I have.  Which is wrong.  I want to show that I am happy, over joyed, and in love with the life I have!  And I think the best way for me to do it is to focus on the now, trust that there is a plan, and let the next fall into place.  

Geez, these turned out longer that I had hoped for, but I'm happy I got them written down to try to hold myself accountable.  What are some of your goals for 2012?

~Happy New Years~

2011 has been an amazing year for our little family.  We have experienced so many joys this year that it is impossible to contain them all in one post.  Much of our happiness can be contributed to this little man, who made 2011 the most memorable year yet.  

From our family to yours, I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year!!!

Welcome 2012!

~8 Months Old~

Dear Rowen,

Today you are eight months old, I simply can't fathom that in four months you will be a year old!  This past month has been amazing with you as you continue to grow into your little personality!  This time last year your dad and I were anxiously awaiting your impending arrival, and never in my life could I have imagined how much love we feel for you today!

This month we have seen some big changes with you!  Two itty bitty teeth have finally appeared on your lower gums! For a few weeks I thought you would never get teeth and then suddenly they appeared one day.  You put anything and everything in your mouth including but not limited to water bottles, car keys, jingle bells, and books.  I learned my lesson about letting you have the car keys when on the day before Thanksgiving you were playing with them while we were leaving the grocery store and you ended up locking in the car.  I felt like an epic mom failure but thankfully the store is only about five minutes from our house and your dad came and unlocked the car for us!

You bah bah bah and sputter all day long!  If we are not paying attention to you and you want our attention, you start grunting and laughing hysterically, you can be quite the character!  You are also starting to stand up and pull up on things.  I don't think you will walk anytime soon but we shall see! In mid-November we took you on your second plane ride and you did great! You could tell we were the people no one wanted to sit next to but everyone who ended up with us remarked on how well you took to riding the plane!  Hopefully it will be just as easy later this month when we fly to your grandparent's house!

You continue to sleep through the night and wear mainly 9-12 months clothing.  This month your dad and  I broke down and finally put shoes on you, and they make you look so much older!  You are wearing a size four shoe and it seems like you have a little room to grow in those little shoes.  Food is pretty much the same this month but I think once those teeth come in a little more we can start giving you table food.

Firsts this month:
1. teeth
2. Thanksgiving
3. standing up
4. Christmas tree

Happy eight months Rowen Joseph!!

~Homemade Christmas Ornaments~

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the ornaments.  Rudy and I have been collecting ornaments from everywhere we go so that one day we will have three trees worth of ornaments like my parents do! I love going home at Christmas and just staring at the trees and looking at all of the ornaments, which if anything, is a representation of how our family has evolved over the years.  Sprinkled amongst all of the meaningful ornaments are the homemade ornaments.  Some I made at Girl Scouts, others my brother and sisters made in school.  All have withstood the test of time and are proudly displayed on the trees.

This year I wanted to start our own homemade ornament tradition with Rowen.  This is a step by step of how I made the ornaments and I think they turned out wonderfully and I look forward to still having them hanging on my tree when Rowen is 25!

~ To make the dough I combined 4 cups of all purpose flour, one cup of salt, and one and a half cups of water.  If it still seems a little dry just add a few drops of water but don't over do it.  You will have to kneed the dough for about ten minutes to get it ready to roll out.  

~Once your dough is ready, roll it out on a non-stick or lightly Pam-ed cookie sheet.  To get the handprints for us it was a two man job, one person holding Rowen, and the other maneuvering his hand.  Be careful they don't dig their fingers into the dough because then you have to start over again.  Once you have the hand print you want, trace out the shape of a circle around it.  To bake, set the oven at 350 degrees and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown.  The thicker you make your ornament, the longer it will take to bake.  Once it has hardened it should look something like this...

~I let mine cool for about 25 minutes before I started to paint.  I wanted my ornaments to be gold so I used a metallic gold which I think highlighted the textures of the ornament very well.  I picked this up at Michaels...

After one coat my ornaments looked like this...

~ To complete these I put on two more coats and a coat of clear gloss glaze to seal the paint.  I grabbed some red felt ribbon from Michaels to hang them from...

And I may still add some tags with Rowen's name and the year.  I am so happy with the final results and they are now displayed prominently on my tree...

Overall I think this was a fairly simple and quick project that will last for years to come, and I hope to do it each year as our family grows! What homemade ornaments are you all making this year?

I'm not the grinch...

...but I'm in a Christmas funk.  I love Christmas. It is my hands down, favorite time of the year.  But this year I can't get into the spirit and I don't know why.  I could go into the long list of what I haven't done and how I blame my funk on my Christmas tree (it is missing its wow factor and I can't exactly figure out what it is) but all of these things aren't important.

This year is different.  This year we have a sweet little boy who is crawling around and bah-bah-bah ing at us all day.  He loves my Christmas tree the way it is.   Each night I watch him and Rudy sit in front of our Christmas tree and watch our Christmas train go round and round.   He doesn't care if there are not strategically placed glitter trees around the house this year.  He doesn't have enough teeth yet to eat a single Christmas cookie.  I know on Christmas day, he will enjoy the wrapping paper more than any gift I get him.  And right now, to him, a jingle bell is one of the most awesome toys there is.

 

Its hard to convey what I'm feeling this year.  This time last year we were prepping for Rowen's arrival and I never could have imagined how much love we would have for this precious little boy.  I may not get everything done I would like to this holiday season but whats most important is the family we have and the times we share together. That is truly my favorite part of Christmas and the part I look forward to the most. I do hope that each and every one of you are enjoying the holiday season to the fullest and happy 24 days til Christmas!!! 

"Remember, this all began with a child.  Because it took nothing but love to begin it, its not really Christmas if love isn't in it"

 ~The Spirit of Christmas~