So I was about to press the button and actually add the maxi dress I decided on to my cart a few days ago, when Andrew came along and made a disgusted face at the picture...

Because paisley, apparently.

But Facebook came to the rescue and you guys convinced me that even though he hates the pattern, I can still buy the dress.  So thanks for that!

But then comes the whole "Free shipping over $50" thing and, well, there's gotta be SOMETHING else I need, right?

I joked about a romper.  And then I checked out the romper section and remembered that I had seen a lady at Mass a few weeks ago who was SERIOUSLY rocking a jumpsuit a lot like this one  and, well, I may have been converted.

But alas, they don't make jumpsuits for pregnant ladies.  At least not at Forever 21.

And I don't think I could take myself seriously in a jumpsuit...

And then I remembered this kimono post that I read the other day, and realized that this is actually THE PERFECT article of clothing for a pregnant woman!

Shapeless!

No belly!

Perfect for post-partum, too!

Patterned and quick-drying to hide spit-up!

Plus the designs were reminiscent of  this shirt that's about to get retired due to my increasing girth, and that's a niche I'd like to keep filled because I loooove it...

I narrowed it down to three (which I can't seem to embed images of for some reason):

1. Paisley Kimono (which I would absolutely wear with that see-through lace top) (NOT)

2. Boho Kimono (don't you love that name?)

3. Patchwork Floral Kimono (CROP TOPS!  Perfect for every pregnant mama!)

And ultimately went with #2 in blue because:

1. Blue.  It's what I wear.

2.  Machine washable.

3.  Booty coverage!  I always end up with lines showing in my pencil skirts and prefer to have booty coverage when I wear them anyway, so I'm excited for the long length.

BUT DISASTER STRUCK!!!  It's sold out in every size.  I'm devastated, needless to say.

But I went back and decided on #3 because of all the reviews stating "bum coverage" as a positive.  And I doubt I'll need to wash it that frequently, so maybe I can handle the hand washing...  Or just machine wash anyway.

I added this belt to push it over the $50 edge (and shopped through ebates to get a whopping $1 back!) and in 4-9 business days you can bet I'll be blogging those new clothes!

Our New Normal.

A while back, Maia sent me this book.  And I started reading it and got discouraged and intimidated pretty quickly because life was lacking in order and peace in no small part due to factors beyond our control - I couldn't just up and quit my job (hi there teaching contract!), and the fact that so much of our daily schedule was driven by what time I needed to get to work on THAT particular day was too frustrating for me to even set any sort of routine.

Because how does one set a routine when THIS week, I'm going to work at 11:30 Monday and Friday, 9:30 Tuesday and Thursday, and 10:30 on Wednesday.  And NEXT week it's totally different.

Frustrating.  And one of many reasons why I'm glad that I'm fortunate enough to be staying home with the kids from now on.  So routine - it's going to happen!  But clearly not right away...

We're in our first full week of our new life, and I decided on a whim today to try to start incorporating some sort of purposeful routine.  Sarah's posts always remind me that it is possible to do this!  So I jumped right in.

Always a good idea to make that decision at 8 AM that morning, right?

Of course, Cecilia and John Paul slept until almost 9 (as opposed to their usualy 7/7:30 wake-up time).  Glorious, and they desperately need the sleep, but I had PLANS!

In an attempt to get them to finish breakfast with some semblance of speed, I said that we'd do CIRCLE TIME as soon as they were done eating!

So of course, Mary Claire was whining and chanting, "Circle time! Circle time!" for the next hour while I tried to cajole John Paul into actually eating some of the massive amounts of food he had served himself.  Cecilia decided early on that her tummy couldn't fit any more food, so the twins finished off her fruit.  I tried to clean up the playroom so that we could actually have room to sit in a circle, and gave up on trying to get anyone but the twins dressed.

Then Mary Claire insisted on using the potty (after pooping in her diaper, of course), and ran off to pee on the floor and on her romper once she was done.  All while shuffling through a series of alter egos (Huckle Cat!  Lowly Worm!  Grasshopper!  Nonny!  Sugarlump!) and insisting I address her as such.

Finally I gave up on John Paul's breakfast and we settled down for some prayer, stories, and songs.  Apparently the ONLY thing Mary Claire wanted was to sing the "Circle Time" song that I made up on the spot, because she started sobbing, "CIRCLE TIIIIIME!!!" as soon as it ended.  Meanwhile, John Paul only wants to sit on MY pillow, Elizabeth only wants to sit on CECILIA'S pillow, Mary Claire will only sit in my lap, and Cecilia doesn't want to give up her pillow because it's the only colorful flower pillow!

We finally got things sorted out (Cecilia got the pillow from her bed and let Elizabeth sit next to her, John Paul got my pillow when I stood up to help them, and Mary Claire stayed in my lap, sobbing).  The big kids were receptive for our beginning prayer, Elizabeth was quiet, and Mary Claire...  Well, she's teething and not taking it well, so she gets a pass.

John Paul kept lying down to read a book.  Cecilia just wanted to lie down and pretend to sleep.  Elizabeth wanted to do whatever Cecilia was doing, but Cecilia wanted more space.  And Mary Claire just kept sobbing about "Circle Time."

We finally finished with a prayer, and I asked John Paul and Cecilia if they wanted to do something in their workbooks while I made lunch.  ABSOLUTELY!

I got coloring books and crayons for the babies and got the big kids set with their work, only to realize I couldn't find Cecilia's workbook, and that John Paul was just going to zip through whatever pages he felt like doing at the moment (it's cool, he's waaaaaay above age-level for pretty much everything academic ever).  Cecilia made do with a tracing book but decided she was DONE once she couldn't get her square perfect, so she went off to do stickers with the babies while John Paul finished his breakfast and did every workbook page he could.

On the plus side, I made lunch for EVERYONE with relatively little drama and we all actually got to sit down and eat together!

On the minus side, while we were eating lunch I realized that the big kids and I were still in our pajamas...

First day trying to incorporate a stricter, more purposeful schedule around here... Three of us are still in pajamas, one baby has peed on the floor, one baby sobbed through circle time, and Mary Claire keeps talking about how everybody has a crotch while the other three sing MC Hammer. Nap time yet?

So.

We got through it.  And we'll do it again tomorrow.  And the next day.  And day after day after day, because they will do better, and I'll do better, with some semblance of routine, and some semblance of purpose, and a lot more prayer.  But it's not all happening in one day, that's for sure!

Summer Maternity Style + WIWS

I'm in such an awkward clothing stage right now...  Most of my transitional wardrobe is beyond fitting, but a lot of my maternity stuff is just not working yet - it's pretty much either too warm or too tent-like.  I have found a few pieces that work right now, but I also just sent a BUNCH of stuff to ThredUp because there was just no sense in keeping it anymore when I don't ever ever EVER want to wear it.

See, the problem is, when I was pregnant with John Paul I shopped for maternity clothes that made me look HUGE, because I was so excited to be pregnant and WANTED to look huge!

Yeah, not the best idea.

Then I had Cecilia in January, so I had a bunch of fall & winter maternity clothes but not much for summer.

And with the twins, I pretty much wore that same stuff but didn't particularly like it...

So right now I'm figuring out what gaps I need to fill in my maternity wardrobe, and what I can skip in maternity and just buy in regular sizes!

This shirt (H&M when I was post-partum with John Paul - so flowy and awesome!) is about to be retired for the remainder of the pregnancy, since there is LITERALLY nowhere else for my belly to go in it...

Jersey Pencil Skirt - comes in solids and prints!  And also comes in maternity!

But the pencil skirt is still working surprisingly well!  Old Navy totally wins here - I've been wearing it since last summer and have had no issues with pilling or anything.  I think I'll probably look for it in a size up and in a different color, although they have maternity sizes too.

Maternity tank tops (or regular in a size up) + belly bands have been extending the life of some of my skirts, but there's only so much further they can go!

I love my old Target tanks (sized up) and Old Navy maternity tank tops - they've lasted through the last two pregnancies and post-partum phases really well, plus they're stretchy so they're nice and nursing-friendly!  Awesome layering pieces, and nice and long too.

Elizabeth was the only one awake early enough to come to Mass with me, and she was so SO excited!  We only had to leave the pew once, and she mostly just very loudly told me about all the animals in her Noah's Ark book, so I'll take it as a win.

Here's an example of an awesome but troublesome piece in my closet right now - this dress is J. Crew via Twice and is one of my absolute favorites!  Shapeless enough that a belt in the right place makes it perfect for post-partum and early pregnancy, zipper down the front makes it nursing-friendly, and the fabric works for fall, winter, and spring.  Buuuut not really summer...  And my belly's getting big enough that the dress is now just a little too short for comfort, especially when picking up babies all day!

But seriously, those stripes are amazing - look at that belly-hiding camouflage!

I'm still on the hunt for a great maxi dress, but I'll keep you posted!

Linking up with Fine Linen & Purple for WIWS.

Why I Worked: Part 2

For Part 1, click here

So here I was in college, getting the very practical degree I wanted, on a beautiful campus, with awesome people around me.

I did a lot of really important things, like dress up like a ninja and febreze the boys' rooms on our hall:



Dress up in crazy outfits for our weekly "Hump Day" dance parties in a friend's dorm room:



Audition for American Idol with my sister (we didn't make it):



And just generally have a fun college experience that didn't involve getting drunk or doing drugs or any of those "typical" college experiences.

Along the way I still knew that this was definitely the major for me, and definitely the career for me - every experience I had teaching cemented that, which made life a lot easier!  Meanwhile, Andrew added a history major and decided that maybe singing wasn't the way he wanted to make his living...  So it started looking like maybe I *wouldn't* need to work forever, and he might end up with a promising career making loads of money doing...  Something?

He graduated and took a year to work.  I returned to school for my Junior year with an engagement ring on my finger!

He decided to apply to law school, and ended up at William and Mary in Virginia.  I started researching jobs in the area and realized that there really weren't a ton of schools around there...  But I was going to HAVE to get a job, because we couldn't just live off of student loans and love!

I started sending out applications in January of 2008, planning our wedding and planning for my graduation in the process.



Not a single bite.  Teaching certification and a degree from one of the best universities in the country, and nobody wanted me.  Nobody was hiring music teachers ANYWHERE!

Meanwhile, friends were getting job offers left and right.  People who weren't constrained by location could go ANYWHERE and get a teaching job!  People like me who were limited to one geographical area that wasn't heavily populated?  Not so much.

I graduated.  Still no job.



We got married.  Still no job.



We went on our honeymoon in Jamaica and I got a call from the local school district asking me for a phone interview!  They suggested it for the day that we were driving all my stuff from Chicago to Virginia, but I figured I'd stop at a rest stop for the interview.

Meanwhile, we paid like $70 in roaming charges so that I could set up the interview...

I had my interview (while driving somewhere in Ohio, because I waited at a rest stop for an hour and they never called, so we got back on the road) and it went really well - they called me in for an in-person interview!

I had the interview, and it went really well.  The principal loved me, and talked about all the ways that they'd be able to help me get ready for the upcoming school year, and I impressed him with all my philosophical knowledge of music education.  The department chair seemed unimpressed and unfriendly, but honestly?  He was a high school band director.  I didn't take it personally ;)

Weeks went by.  No call.  I finally called to find out if there had been any decision, and they were shocked that HR hadn't informed me the position had been filled.  Don't you love it when they just leave you in the dark like that?

So we got ready for Andrew's upcoming school year and I kept filling out applications for school districts that were farther and farther away...  I had a few interviews, but nothing panned out.  And suddenly the school year was starting and I was still jobless.  

I filled out a profile on an online babysitting website and immediately had job offers.  I started working two babysitting jobs, and added a job at a local tutoring center on top of that.  Andrew and I decided that he probably needed to keep his church job in Washington, D.C. because that money would *really* help pay the bills, and they offered me a spot in the choir too.  So we commuted to DC every weekend and I still had NOTHING to show for my very, very expensive teaching degree.  

Talk about depressing.

Then, after 4 months of marriage and some very half-hearted NFP practicing, we found out we were pregnant.

And we were terrified.

No insurance, no actual job (or job prospects), and a baby on the way.

To be continued... (Part III here)

Why I Worked (Outside the Home) and Why I Don't Anymore: Part I

Would you like to hear the story of my career?

No?  That's not why you read all these mom blogs?

Well, I don't blame you - it's gonna be a long series of posts sharing my experiences in various jobs, which I haven't really shared publicly before...

Ages ago, Colleen had a Working Moms link-up, which I meant to join but never got around to writing a post...  So here's my contribution now!

We're gonna start waaaaaaaay back in elementary school - I went to a kind of swanky private school (scholarship + financial aid, not exactly rich kids...) where the teachers got INCREDIBLE presents from students at Christmas and at the end of the year.  Which led me to the belief that I wanted to be a teacher.  Because presents.

Adorable? Yes. Materialistic? Heck yeah.

Fast forward to high school, where all I really wanted was to get married and have babies.  Job? Maybe I'd do something while I waited for the first baby to be born, which would obviously be approximately 9 months after getting married.

But college was kind of a non-negotiable, and there's no way I even would have considered not getting a degree.  And there wasn't exactly a husband on the horizon, plus NOBODY got married out of high school in this area.  So the plan was to go to college, get some sort of degree, get married right after graduation and work until we had our first baby.

Then I started dating Andrew, who soon went off to college to major in...  Vocal Performance.

Yes, he's a lawyer now.  I don't think I have to tell you that plans change!

So I realized that if we were going to get married, probably I was going to have to work to help support our family.  But what was I going to DO?  I went to a math and science high school and had decided pretty early on that math and science were NOT my thing.  In fact, nothing was really my thing except singing.  And if you didn't know it already, sopranos are a dime a dozen.  Ain't no way I was gonna make a living singing...

Look!  High School us!

But I did a whole lot of choir stuff for fun, in any case.  And ended up doing rather a lot of rehearsal-leading and leadership stuff, and eventually realized that actually, it would be kind of awesome to be a music teacher!

And so a career choice was made!  And it all would have been smooth sailing, were it not for the fact that I didn't actually get into the music school of my choice come senior year...  See, I only applied to one, because if I wanted to go to music school I only wanted to go to Northwestern (I said because the academics were excellent, I wanted to get off the East Coast, and it was the program I wanted it.  I probably meant, "Because Andrew goes there.").  And I was wait-listed at Northwestern.  And also at Notre Dame, where I would have happily gone and majored in... Something, because music education isn't a major there (or at least wasn't when I was applying).

Something tells me my less-than-stellar attendance record in high school had something to do with this...

Anyway, I accepted a spot on both wait lists, figured, "Hey, God's will!" and accepted a spot at UVA (yeah, not everybody's safety school, I know...).  At this point I desperately felt as though Notre Dame was where I needed to be.  And then I went to All State Choir and had one of those life-changing experiences (I'm talking 100 sobbing choir girls singing Z. Randall Stroope with an amaaaaazing director) and I knew that music teaching was all that I could do.  And that Notre Dame wasn't going to happen, because I didn't want to have to get a master's degree when I still wanted to have all the babies.  

Long story short, I ended up getting into Northwestern and, RIGHT after I accepted, I got into Notre Dame.  And I excitedly started packing for Northwestern, imagining my future life as a music teacher with an awesome husband and a million kids (the logistics of this hadn't yet entered...)!

So young! So in love!

To be continued... (Read Part II here)