A Love Letter to Cardigans

Note: My intentions were to document my clothes for a week or so prior to posting this so you could see just how much I love cardigans.  Since I leave the house at 6am, that plan never came to fruition.  So, you get a picture-less post.

I love several articles of clothing.  I love my reversible belt that keeps my pants up whether I'm wearing brown or black.  I love my camisoles that keep my girls from being shared with the public.  But there is nothing in my wardrobe that I love more than my cardigans.

Oh cardigans, how I love thee!

Cardigans cover a multitude of sins.  

When I was pregnant, I was able to wait until four months before I started sharing the news with the world, all because of cardigans.  They break up the front of my outfit, which hides any belly bulge (and up-top bulge that was also a result of pregnancy).  This is even more helpful right now, since I'm back in pre-baby clothes but don't have my pre-baby belly back yet.

Cardigans make any outfit a little dressier.

How can I make tanks and tshirts a little more work appropriate?  Throw on a cardigan.  Teacher chic!

Cardigans make my wardrobe stretch all four seasons.

No need to pack away the sleeveless tops come wintertime.  I just put on a cardigan.  What to wear to the chilly movie theater in summer when it's 95 degrees outside?  I wear a tank outside and bring along my cardigan for inside.  That's some bang for my bucks!

Oh cardigans, you are my friend.  I love you.

Mornings

I've mentioned a little before about mornings around the Self household these days (you can read about it here and here).  Now, I finally have the pictures to back it up.

the set-up

love this boy!

determined to punch that giraffe

Who can work when there's a cutie like this nearby?  The answer?

Not Jason!  He said he had a really hard time concentrating on work.  I can see why!

Now, we've slightly modified Tyler's schedule so that I feed him a little later in the morning (usually around 5:00) and then put him back to bed.  Jason starts work at 5:30 now, and Tyler sleeps in til about 7:30.  Jason just stops working at that point so he can focus on feeding, changing, clothing, and playing with Tyler.
I'm so jealous.  Tyler is definitely a morning person and wakes up excited to face the day.  I'm sad I don't get to see all his smiles and hear his laughter, but the few mornings I have been around when he's awake, it's been really hard to leave him and go to work.  I guess leaving in the mornings when he's sleeping really is the best solution.

Wookie Cookies

I don't get to do as much blog-reading these days, but I still try to keep up with Crappy Pictures, a parenting blog where the writer draws "crappy" pictures to illustrate her stories.  While her posts always make me laugh, yesterday's really did.  So for today's blog, I'm sending you over to her blog.

Tea Party Invitation

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Photo Shoot

Jason took pictures of Tyler in his skeleton Halloween outfit.  He hasn't edited them yet, but I couldn't help but snap a few pictures during their photo shoot.  I love this one, where Jason stopped taking pictures long enough to talk to Tyler and get him to smile.

Love my boys!

More Tyler Fire Pit Pics

I have to admit, Jason and I are more excited about the fire pit than Tyler...

"Ok, this is boring"

"Hey Mom, look, it's my fist!"

"What's so great about that fire?"

*sigh* "When are we going back inside?"

Fire Pit

Jason and I have been wanting a fire pit for a while now.  This fall, we finally got one.  We've done a few hotdog or s'more nights, but we also just enjoy sitting by the fire and enjoying our back yard.


Warm Day:

Cold Day (Tyler and I were all wrapped up.  Jason still decided it was shorts weather):

Naked Time

My kid doesn't mind being naked.

1) He loves getting dressed in the morning.  He will even help you get him out of his pj sleeves, smiling the whole time.

2) He knows when Mama pulls off his socks (with gusto, I may mention) that's it's about to be bath time.  We sometimes get smiles then.  Other times, he's hungry and cranky (ok, wailing) that he has to do bath time before he gets fed again.  He calms down once we actually start the bath, though.

3) He doesn't mind hanging out in just his diaper (if it's warm enough in the house) when he messes up his clothes (hellooooo, poopy!) close enough to bath time that we don't feel like finding new clothes for him.

Here, he's just chilling with Daddy, watching tv (Which he LOVES to do, by the way.  He's definitely our kid).  For those freaking out there, notice there is a blanket within reach if he gets too chilly.  He seemed perfectly content this day, though.

A Day in the Life of a Mama

3:00-4:00am -- Either Tyler wakes me up during this time for one last feeding of the night, or my alarm goes off at 4:00 for me to get up and wake him for it.
4:45-6:15am -- I finish up feeding a boy (or get up from a 20-minute catnap depending on when I fed him last), take a shower, eat breakfast, pack my lunch, and get ready for work.  I make sure his bottles are labeled and ready to go, and I fill out his progress report note indicating whether he had a good night and the time of his last BM (who knew I'd come to track these?)

6:15am -- Drive to work.
6:30am -- Pumping #1 in the back stockroom.  I've been bringing a second cup of (decaf) coffee this week, so I sip on that and read my Bible reading for the day (yay for Bible apps on my new phone!).
6:45-7:25am -- Getting ready for the day -- things like putting out notes, getting the PowerPoint ready, checking work email, etc.

7:25-9:11am -- 1st period Physical Science -- These students are a dream!  I have a really small class (only 18), they work well together, and stay on task.  There's definitely worse ways I could start my day!  I even occasionally get the chance to do some light grading or lab setup while they're working.
9:17-10:40am -- Planning period.  I start off with Pumping #2, usually while grading papers.  Then, I eat a snack (this week it's been graham crackers, a banana, and peanut butter... yum!) and plan.  Planning involves working on my notes/labs/activities/worksheets, making copies, running work over to students in in-school suspension... basically anything I need to do to be ready for the next day/week/unit.
10:46-12:09 -- 3rd period Earth Science -- They're a little chatty, but nothing I haven't dealt with before.
12:14-12:49pm -- Lunch and Pumping #3.  Basically the only two things I get accomplished during this time.
12:55-2:18pm -- 4th period Earth Science -- The Purpose-Driven Life would call this an EGR (Extra Grace Required) class.  They ... they're special.  I've only had a week with them, so I'm hoping things will improve.

2:18~3:30/4:00pm -- Pumping #4.  Setting up for the next day, "office hours" for any students who need to make up tests or need extra help (I rarely have anyone stop by), and setting up for the next day.
4:30pm -- My boys come home!  I read Tyler's progress report to see how his day went, and then I'm all about him.  We usually play on the couch, where I ask him about his day, tell him about mine, and we share lots of smiles and giggles with each other.  I also usually feed him during this time.
6:00pm -- I go make dinner while Jason plays with Tyler.
6:30pm -- Dinner, followed by cleaning up and making Tyler's bottles for the next day.
7:00pm -- Bath time, followed by Tyler's bedtime feeding and bedtime.
8:00pm -- I go back downstairs and watch an hour of tv with Jason.  A lot of times, he has fallen asleep on the couch waiting for me.
9:00pm -- Parent bedtime.
12:00~1:00am -- Feed Tyler.
3:00-4:00am -- Feed Tyler, and start the day all over again.