peelosophy

My friend Liz and I were talking about Trader Joes last weekend.  She told me she never knew what to buy there and  that she could never find the yummy stuff everyone else did.  I remember that feeling and started compiling a list of my favorite things from TJs,  mostly from trying them after a friends recommendation.

I only go to TJs about once a month.  Most often it because I need to bring something to a party or I’m having people over.  I know lots of people who do all of there shopping there who would know way more about the goods than I do.  (Hint Hint – share what you know) But here’s my little list and Cary made one too on her blog here. Check it out.

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There is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby or a little guy.  I’m not a scrap-booker (just the word makes me cringe) but I would love to make a coffee table book of my boys sleeping.  Maybe like a book from iPhoto or Blurb.  I think in ten years,  when I am waiting for them to come home at 1am or when they tell me to bug-off( or probably worse), it will be nice to look back on my little sleeping boys book.

When they are all asleep, I go and tuck them in for the night.  It’s one of my most favorite times of the day – I love the sound of all their different sleep breathing going on simultaneously.  Sometimes,  it’s pretty humorous to see how they ended up going to sleep.  Sometimes, JJ and Henry end up together, a couple times I have found Henry completely naked asleep or half on the bed.  So here’s a preview of some of my favorite sleeping boys pictures….

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4 weeks ago, I got an iPhone.  It’s funny to think that this sweet little gadget tends to negate some of my core objectives.  For example, numbers 1, 3, 4, 6 and 9 on my list.   The first week was bad,  I actually went to bed with it and fell asleep looking at it.   I neglected my children.  I would check it at every “ding”.  I would compulsively think that I had lost it and spend time looking for it when it would always just be in my purse.  I checked email while driving.  I know, I was an addict.

So now weeks later, the novelty has worn off a bit.  I have realized the error of my ways and I am trying to find balance in my relationship with, well, my phone.  I know I sound crazy, but I’m not willing to give it up yet and join a 12-step group, so we’ve begun by making boundaries in our relationship and I think it is working.

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My whole family has been M.I.A. for the last 10 days because of a cold.  It wiped us out completely.  We’ve been living at Walgreens, spent over $100 on doctor’s co-pays and have drunk more McDonald’s shakes than we have all year.  For some reason, they just sounded that good.

I was sick for most of the duration and it turned into a sinus infection.  I would say the #1 drawback about being a stay-at-home mom is what happens when you get sick.  It really sucks.  I can’t send the boys away anywhere – like daycare if I worked.  I hate asking John to stay home when I am sick, he totally does it when I am can’t function, but it still is not a perfect plan.  So I won’t moan about it anymore, but there were a few times this week when I thought back on when I got sick before kids.   It was pretty sweet; the house was quiet while I was sleeping, I could usually catch a good Lifetime movie midday, I didn’t have to worry taking care of anyone else but me…

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I don’t know what it is about this Winter, but it feels way longer than previous years.  Maybe because we have more kids home bound or maybe it’s because we have grown to love our backyard so much the past couple seasons.  Regardless, it’s long.  I’m trying to implement #2 on My List by getting outside more, but it has been bitter cold and I’ve been unmotivated. The thought of getting gloves, hats and coats on all three of them gets me tired thinking about it.

We have been throwing ourselves into our projects, we did this neat one from Montessori Mama yesterday – gotta love Raffi songs.   I’m trying to teach myself how to knit (not going well) , we are reading a lot more and taking it a little slower most days.  We’ve also been baking a lot more, mainly pumpkin bread, making some yummy soups and drinking hot cocoa every day in the afternoon.  I was glad to see that Soulemama has started a series of posts about embracing the season, the pictures alone make me want to settle in with the boys.

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