{pretty}

Cecilia begs to hold Peter ALL THE TIME now that she has reached the ripe old age of 4 (two weeks ago).  And she's supremely confident in her skills, attempting to carry him around the house and adjust his position constantly.  She's actually getting quite good at it!  I might enlist her to help me out by holding him while I make dinner...

{happy}

In 10 minutes!  Or less if you're lazy and don't bother pinning, like me...

THIS.  This is the easiest sewing project you will ever do.  And I hope you have daughters, or nieces, or neighbor girls that you can give these skirts to, because you'll want to make a whole pile of them once you make one!

I came across this pin a while back and new I had to do it for the girls - they're BIG fans of elastic-waist jersey skirts, but I had a problem...

1.  Jersey skirts aren't always easy to find (especially in colder months)

and

2.  It seemed ridiculous to pay $5-$10 for something so tiny and insubstantial!

I didn't want to make them from scratch, because I don't like the look of unfinished jersey and I didn't want to hem it...  So this was perfect!

I picked up some $2 shirts at Goodwill (and have since added some of mine that don't get worn to the pile) and started whipping up skirts.  No sweat!

Click this link for a full tutorial, but basically you just chop off the bottom of the shirt, fold over the raw edge to make a waist band, and add 3/4" elastic (you may as well just buy a giant roll of elastic, you're going to use it ALL the time!).  See how happy Mary Claire is in her new skirt?

As an added benefit, it fits great over those cloth diapers, which is more than I can say for most clothing!

{funny}

Take a picture of one twin, you HAVE to take a picture of the other!

{Real}

This is Mary Claire's default expression - she cracks me up, so serious all the time!

The skirt is a little long - generally I like little girl skirts to be above-the-knee, but she'll grow into it!

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real} and Ana's Cabin Fever Creativity link-up.

The Many Faces of Peter

 You know that annoying thing that bloggers do when they have a new baby and they never take pictures of the other kids?

Yup.  Guilty.

In all fairness, he's the ONLY kid who doesn't start running for the camera the moment it comes out because he wants me to show him the picture (or "Tell a picture," as Mary Claire would say).

And so, due to the fact that he was the only one awake during naptime and was only happy when I was gazing at his face...  Here are a whole bunch of pictures with slight variations in facial expression!

He's starting to lose hair from the darned cradle cap (which is looking a LOT better), but he's still got enough for a little fountain on top of his head!  Not that I've tried...

I haven't put barrettes in his hair either...  I promise...

His eyes are, of course, blue.  Our kids' eyes don't change until really late - usually past 6 months, maybe even a year before they start turning?  Mary Claire's were still pretty blue until recently, but I think they might be turning hazel now.

He's been going through a growth spurt or SOMETHING for the past week.  It's exhausting.  But at least he sleeps fairly well at night?  Only up 2-3 times to nurse, and I'm actually getting up to nurse him because the little stinker doesn't like nursing in bed.

But he's also the first baby I've had who actually does that "gazing longingly into your eyes while nursing" thing, so I suppose I can forgive him for his faults.  One of which is actually rolling over from tummy to back.  Not that this is particularly early for that milestone, but he's had tummy time like...  5 times?  And went ahead and rolled over three times in a row the other day!  The legos won't be safe for long...

In conclusion, we all love him.  I think we'll keep him :)

Clip-On Earrings, What's In My Purse, and Talking to God {7 Quick Takes}

--1--

I got Cecilia one last present for her birthday that arrived this week, and I knew she'd be SO excited:

Clip-on earrings.

Did you forget that those were a thing?  Because I had TOTALLY forgotten until I happened upon this etsy shop via instagram and asked the owner if she made clip-on earrings, too.  She does!  So I used the 3 pairs for $15 promo and got her some adorable pairs!  She's been wearing them nonstop since Monday, although NOT to sleep because I won't let her.

Ignore the dirty windows.  Toddlers.

I just can't get over how old she looks!

(PS If you've never joined etsy, you really should! Apparently they're doing referral bonuses right now, so if you make a purchase through my link you'll get $5 and so will I!)

--2--

Nell and Katrina (along with some other bloggers) are hosting a Lily Jade link-up and giveaway - I saw it as the perfect opportunity to clean out my purse!

Really, surprisingly little was in there (I'm not about to clean out my wallet, that would be another story...):

Top row: 
(L) 2 pennies, because John Paul.
(C) My real essentials - wallet, sunglasses, Burt's Bees.
(R) Personal care: Emergency lipstick (2 shades), lip gloss (2 shades), eyeliner, bobby pin, and very very old cough drop in the only good flavor in the world.

Middle row:  
(L) Proof that I'm a mom: Sippy cup, receiving blanket, cloth wipes, newborn-sized diaper, toy key.
(C) Top view of my purse, a Christmas present from Andrew in 2013.
(R) 4 pens and a pencil, and yet somehow I can never find one when I need it?

Bottom row: 
(L) The "Why is this in here" category: Ikea Family card that should be in my wallet but lives in an inner pocket, guitar pick from my music teaching days, pack of gum for my pregnancy acid reflux with only one piece left, and conversation hearts that I snagged during a visit to Andrew's office on Wednesday.
(C) Trash: Trader Joe's receipt, McDonald's receipt from before I had Peter, library fines receipt.  5 OBGYN appointment cards.  One candy wrapper from the trip to Andrew's office. Also two halves of a petrified cheerio and several Christmas tree needles.
(R) Full contents!  

My thoughts:  I don't really pack the huge diaper bag unless we're going to be gone all day.  I can fit 3 cloth diapers in here easily, along with a wetbag, wipes, and burp cloth.  Maybe sippy cups if we'll really need them, but we don't as much these days.  But I only pack those things when we're headed out the door - I don't like to keep a diaper bag packed because then those diapers don't end up in the regular rotation and that annoys me...

That sippy cup is only in there because Elizabeth found it in the car and I had forgotten to take it out.  The receiving blanket is dirty and hadn't been tossed in the laundry yet.  The newborn diaper got thrown away after this shot, because, um, Peter's like 13 or 14 lbs and a heavy wetter, so I'm thinking it would be less than effective...  And those wipes are a MUST, since somebody's always got a runny nose or has been crying or something, so I always keep a few in my purse.

--3--

My sister posted this link on her blog page about introducing kids to contemplative prayer, so I tried it with John Paul and Cecilia this evening - after about 10 seconds Cecilia opened her eyes, screwed up her face, and said, "Alligator in the sky?"

Apparently that's what God told her.

But when I put her to bed right afterwards, she said, "Mom!  I talked to God and He talked to me and He said, 'Cecilia, I love you, I'll see you in Heaven soon!'"

Probably a more likely response than "Alligator in the sky..."

--4--

Andrew printed these Solar System notebook pages for John Paul and the kid has been at it NONSTOP!  The instructions say to use the NASA website to find the information but pretty much all of it is in The Magic School Bus and The Atlas of the Universe book that John Paul's obsessed with.

Like, wouldn't stop doing it so that he could eat lunch...

So the more I think about it, the more I think Abbey's "Project-based Homeschooling" is probably what will work best for him - when he gets interested in something he LIVES it and can't be distracted by anything else.

"Take a picture of me with bug-eyes!"

--5--

This baby...

Apparently he likes tummy time?  Well, he wouldn't really smile for me this time.  But he just hangs out, looking around at everything until he decides it's time to lie down and suck his fist.

The lovely comb-over is thanks to his cradle cap - our first kid ever to have the problem!

So we're trying a daily regimen of oil, fine-toothed comb, baby shampoo, etc.  So far it seems like coconut oil works better than olive oil, and I think we're going to need to get a new baby brush because ours disappeared long ago (due to the lack of babies with HAIR)...

As a side bonus, though, we also have found out that he really likes baths.  Come to think of it, he really likes most things...  Except being put down when he'd rather be nursing.  Which is most of the time...

--6--

It's February and for the first time, I actually put COATS on the twins.  We mostly just haven't left the house when it's been cold enough for coats, and have been surviving with thick sweaters.  But we had a play date on Monday and it was cold enough to wear actual coats, so out they came (thank you, hand-me-downs).  And that pink pea coat is one of my favorite things EVER:

Of course, then she didn't want to take it off...

And neither did Mary Claire.  Luckily I had them off before naptime!

--7--

Aaaand now it's time to stop neglecting the laundry and get folding!  Happy Friday (well, almost) - check out more Quick Takes at Kelly's!

Blogs You Might Not Be Reading {Five Favorites}

Erica at Saint Affairs is hosting a link-up to introduce readers to smaller blogs that they might not be reading - I'd love for you to check out some of my favorites!  And since I ended up with 5...  Well, I'm gonna go ahead and link up with Jenna, too!

This is the part where I blatantly steal pictures from these blogs, but it's all for the sake of directing new readers to them so I think it's okay?  I mean, if one of these is your blog and you want me to take down your picture, I will!

All Things Reintjes

Cristina is a crafty-without-making-you-feel-bad-about-yourself, homeschooling-without-making-you-feel-disorganized mom of 4 (6, 4, 2, and 3 months).

I'm still laughing at the dinosaur birthday party pictures she just posted, and I love seeing the beauty she captures in her pictures and in her everyday life.  Her playroom totally makes me want to organize all the things, and I'm hoping her boys' love of the outdoors will teach my kids new and exciting ways to make huge messes in our backyard!  

Finding Former Glory

Emily totally inspired me to learn how to sew, and helped me a ton with her Beginner Sewing Series (although I still don't have a small pair of scissors and get annoyed at myself every time I sew and have to cut thread with my ginormous fabric scissors).  

She's the mom of two beautiful girls and writes lots of reflections on motherhood in the good old days - if you want an in-depth introduction, you can read some of her favorite posts here.  I always find myself smiling and nodding along with her thoughts, and I think you will too!

Blossoming Joy (okay, I don't think this one is a smaller blog BUT it took me ages to discover her and if you're slow like me, you may not have yet!)

Melody is a veteran homeschooling mom (and another crafter - oh, I'm so addicted to these blogs where they can do things I'll never be able to!), and is another one of those where I read what she writes and just find myself thinking, "Yes.  YES!"

I think it's so amazing for those of us "in the trenches" to have the example of moms who have been there, done that, even if we may not be close enough to meet up for coffee and pick their brains about HOW to do all of this!  Her post on homeschooling with toddlers & babies is a must-read, and I'm so ready to go out and buy John Paul all sorts of tools after reading this post on teaching boys to love the work of their hands.

Narrative Heiress

I can't remember how I discovered Ashley's blog, but generally when I find another Catholic twin mom, I feel like we're kind of best friends, you know?  Especially since she's a former teacher, too.  And found out she was having twins kind of late in the game...

Her boys are adorable, but what keeps me smiling and nodding and clicking back to her posts is the writing, and the way she has of writing exactly what I'm thinking when I didn't even know I was thinking it yet.  Does that make sense?  Maybe not...  Anyway, go check out her thoughts on success and staying at home.  And her messy, beautiful life - love that one!

The Pitter Patter Diaries

Rakhi has an etsy shop with hand-lettered mugs, necklaces, and prints.  She also blogs a lot about faith-related matters, and is always so articulate and introspective in her posts.

I'm loving her series on how she came to the Catholic faith: From Holy Cow to Holy Spirit (Post 1 & Post 2) and am hoping for more soon!

Check out more blog suggestions at Erica's and more favorites at Jenna's!

The BEST (and easiest!) Crusty Bread

A while back I bought one of those 25 pound bags of flour from Costco...  

"HA!"  I thought.  "It will take me FOREVER to use all that flour!"

But then...  Well...  I discovered the easiest and most delicious recipe for crusty bread. The kind of bread I would eat all day long if I could, but don't want to shell out $4 a loaf for.  

And it takes 7 cups of flour every time I make a few loaves so...  Yeah, we went through that 25 pound bag sooner than I expected.

First, make sure your kids are still in their pajamas.  Because getting dressed is for lunatics.

Actually I didn't feel like finding their aprons, and if they were in their pajamas I knew I could just throw those in the wash if they got dirty!

(Cecilia's holding a crayon pouch - she was planning on drawing a picture)

Instruct kids to add 7 cups of flour to mixer.

Check to see if noises coming from baby are happy or sad.  Verdict?  He's fine.

Return to slightly guilty floury faces.

Turn a blind eye when they start sampling the salt...

It's only a tiny bit, right?

Remind them that raw bread dough does NOT taste good.  They eat it anyway.  Happily...

This is what it looks like when you've just finished mixing - super sticky, as you can see!

Check on the toddlers, who have been surprisingly quiet...

Promise to take a picture of them hugging.  As you can see, Elizabeth is REALLY into it.  Mary Claire?  Not so much.

2 hour rise on the counter

At least 2 hours (up to 7 days!) in the fridge

Break off a chunk (this was about half the dough) and let it rise for 45-60 minutes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees for at least 30 minutes with pizza stone (if you have one, flipped over cookie sheet if you don't) on center rack and broiler pan on bottom.  Wet a serrated knife and make a few slashes in the top of the bread.  Then toss the bread in and pour 2 cups of ice cubes into the pan - this allows for steam which keeps the bread from getting too hard, but gives a really nice chewy crust.

Take it out after 30ish minutes and marvel at the beauty.  Let it cool for as long as you can stand it...  Then slice and enjoy!

This is half the dough, which was good for grilled cheese for 6.  1/3 of the dough is usually perfect as a soup accompaniment for us.

This bread works great for sandwiches, since I like something with more substance than grocery store bread.  And it's perfect for dipping in soups, which we'll be eating more often once Lent arrives.  I'm planning on making at least one batch per week from now on, maybe two - it's fool-proof and delicious!

For a detailed & printable recipe, click here - it'll walk you through it so you CAN'T mess up!  If you just want a quick rundown, here it is:

7 cups flour

1 tbsp salt

1.5 tbsp yeast

3 cups lukewarm water

Mix ingredients in large bowl until all dry ingredients are incorporated. 

Cover bowl (with room to rise approximately double size) and allow to rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

Move to fridge and continue rise for at least 2 hours, up to 7 days.

Pull off the amount of dough you'd like to bake and allow to rise for at least 45 minutes on a piece of parchment paper.  

(Just do yourself a favor and buy a giant roll of parchment paper - I promise, you'll use it ALL the time!)

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 with pizza stone (or overturned cookie sheet) on center rack and broiler pan on bottom rack.

(We have this pizza stone and use it all the time!)

Transfer bread (sprinkle it with kosher salt first if you're feeling fancy) & parchment paper to pizza stone (use a wooden cutting board for easy sliding), pour 2 cups ice cubes OR one cup boiling water into broiler pan, and bake for 25-35 minutes.  Try to let it cool enough that you don't burn yourself before you slice it!

Perfect, right?  Right.

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