8.30.2013

five on friday

1. Bryan's brother Chad and his wife Kylie came to visit us for the day on Wednesday.  We took them downtown to eat and walk around Old Sacramento.  Jillian adores her Aunt Kylie and Uncle Chad.


2. We closed a chapter of our lives this week when we watched the last episode of the last season of 24.  Bryan said, "you know, that means we've watched this show for a full 8 days of our life."  This didn't horrify me nearly as much as it should have.  Besides, the shows aren't really a full hour since they do have commercial breaks, so it's only been about 7 days.

3. Mattie is a rolling machine now.  I lay her on her back and in just a matter of time and effort she's over on her tummy.  Only problem is she hates being on her tummy so she immediately starts whining til I (gently) roll her back over or sister (notgently) rolls her back over.


4. Playing Old Maid has been the activity of choice this week.  Matching is one of Jilly's favorite things (clearly we share the same genes) but the only problem is when Jilly gets the Old Maid.  She either a. breaks down in tears, b. refuses to touch the card, or c. reluctantly takes it only because you promise that you will take it back on your very next turn.

5. Napping has kind of been a struggle around here lately.  Jilly still really needs a nap, but doesn't believe me when I tell her so.  Mattie is out of the newborn cat nap all day stage, and now needs actual naps, but is getting picky about how and when she sleeps (i.e. wants me to nurse her to sleep then hold her the whole time she sleeps.)  I am not mom enough to survive without a Jilly nap, and I occasionally find it useful to have two hands so all too often I resort to piling us all in the car, cranking the princess tunes, and driving til I hear snoring.  I can't tell you how satisfying it is to pull into my garage with this pretty picture in my back seat:
(Now you'll be begging for more of my genius parenting tips)

Bonus- At our house we call Monday night Family Home Torture

8.29.2013

summer salads

Despite the fact that most people have already started school, we are still in full summer mode.  And so is the weather here so we're keeping on with easy easy summer meals.  Last year I posted three summer recipes I loved.  And now I have three more for you-

Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
My mom made this while we were at the beach and I ate it for dinner and lunch the next day.  Then I convinced her to make it again the next week.  She added chicken to make it more of a meal and it is delicious.  Recipe and picture here

Avocado Basil Pasta Salad
Someone brought this to us after we had Mattie.  I've made it a few times since- easy and tasty.  Recipe here
Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad
My cousin-in-law made this salad last year while we were in Utah and I immediately fell in love with it so I asked her to send me the recipe.  It is so so so so good.  Recipe and picture here.

8.27.2013

Tahoe Weekend

With everyone being in California, we decided to rent a cabin in Tahoe with Bryan's family this past weekend.  There was lots of biking, eating, playing, swimming, hot tubbing, picnicking, and general fun.

the besty best friends-


(not pictured- 568,321 fights that included screaming, hitting, biting, throwing sand, and lots of tears)

playing at the cabin -


beautiful nights by the lake -





 

 playing on the beach -



Kristen and Bryan "almost died" out on the paddle boards-



Emerald Bay six years ago on our honeymoon-
(I couldn't find the picture on our computer so I had to scan it, making it look even more ancient)

and now-

Martinez ladies -



Jillian fell asleep on the drive home and when she woke up she cried and cried saying "I want to go back to the other house!"  I'd call that a successful trip.

8.23.2013

four on friday

Since Jilly was sick and Bryan and I were walking around like zombies most of the week, this is mainly a Mattie update.  Also, my life must be getting boring because lately I cannot think of a fifth interesting thing to write

one- The bumbo has risen again and isn't my new little kitchen helper darling? 

two- Remember how Mattie was working on rolling over?  She did it!  She rolled exactly one time from back to front (on Saturday) and exactly one time from front to back (on Monday.)  

three- Mattie truly is happy nearly all the time, but she's the most happy when her sister is playing with her, like in this video.  (In the spirit of full disclosure: right after I took this video Jilly pushed her too far back and Mattie fell right out of the swing face first- she was not very happy at that moment.)

four- We've been looking forward to this weekend for a while- all four Martinez boys will be in town and it's sure to be a great time

8.22.2013

the WORST illness ever

On Saturday night I was awake for at least part of every hour during the night with Jilly who was crying and complaining that her mouth hurt.  I assumed she was getting a cold and had a sore throat.  On Sunday morning we finally got her to open up and she had two huge sores (one on each side) of her tongue.  I remembered hearing about hand, foot, and mouth disease so I did a little google research and happened upon this article entitled The WORST Toddler Illness- Hand Foot Mouth Disease.  At first I thought the author was being a bit melodramatic, but now I can attest that it truly is the WORST.

For the next four days and nights Jilly turned into a monster.  When she tried to sleep she would wake up almost every hour screaming in pain.  She tried to eat but everything hurt her so badly, so she survived solely on milkshakes.  She was constantly drooling and developed a lisp because her tongue was swollen and not working properly.  She whined and cried all.day.long.  Lack of sleep, not being able to eat, and being in so much pain will do that to a two-year-old.  The surest proof Jilly was not herself- not once during those 4 days did she ask to wear a princess dress.

On Monday I told my mom I was sure this was the most miserable day I had ever had (bit dramatic? yes.)  But, seriously, this sickness STINKS.  Finally, yesterday afternoon Jilly started to cheer up a little  and she actually slept last night (hallelujah!)  Today she is is much, much better and I have sworn that I will never ever take my happy Jilly for granted.

this was on Wednesday- I knew she was starting to feel better because she asked to wear a church dress (I obliged) and chose her favorite flower for her hair.

*please note- I realize there are many, many worse things that could happen to my children, I'm just being whiny

8.16.2013

four things

On Wednesday we went to the lake with a bunch of friends.  It was so fun (and our parking pass was good all day) so we went back with Bryan after work.  


Someone I know is obsessed with learning to roll over.  Every time we lay her on her back she quickly flips onto her side.  Thus far she hasn't been strong enough to get the rest of the way over but I'm sure it will happen soon.

Another someone I know finally let me put her hair in a "babe" (braid) and ponytail.  I can die happy.

A third someone I know decided to start teaching his little girl how to play "soccer ball" as she calls it.  With a ball that pink she's surely going to go far.

8.15.2013

Mattie: three months


At three months Mattie is chatty.  If you talk or smile at her she'll reward you with big smiles and lots of cooing.  She makes everyone feel like they are her very best friend.

She's also gotten grabby.  Her favorite things to wrap her little fingers around are blankets, my necklaces, and hair (this has been the source of our first experiences with sisterly fighting.)

Her favorite game to play is "Yes mom I'm totally asleep.  Wait, you're putting me down?!  Just kidding- wide awake!"  I would complain more, except I looove holding a sweet sleepy baby.

There really aren't words to tell you how much we love this girl.

one month, two months

8.14.2013

cousin time

Jilly and Kirra have a super close cousin bond where they adore each other yet want to make each other miserable by always wanting the exact toy the other has at the exact moment.  They also are the same brand of craaaaazy (further proof that this side of Jilly's personality comes from her father.)  Kristen and Kirra came to stay with us and we had two days full of exhaustion and fun.

Sherrie, Michael, Kristen, and Kirra came Sunday evening and we had dinner then went to the temple.  I felt a little better about the girls running wild on Sunday if they were on temple grounds.

The girls had their first sleepover and it went about as well as you can imagine- neither girl was asleep before 10pm, both spent some time awake around 3am, and then were up for the day at 7:30.

On Monday we went to the mall- a little bit of shopping, riding the carousel, "playing" in the arcade (without really playing any of the games), and drooling over everything in the Disney store.  Our goal was to wear them out and we felt very successful as we pulled into the garage with three sleeping girls in the backseat (yes, we fit three car seats in the back seat of our Camry.)

After naps we had dinner then Bryan offered (aka we begged) to take the girls swimming while Kristen and I recovered from our day with some shopping and ice cream.  That night we started making matching tutus for the girls.

On Tuesday our day started bright and early.  By 8:30 I was exhausted and my house looked like a tornado had gone through.  We went to a park/splash pad and the girls played until the major grouchies settled in.  All three were asleep again by the time we reached home so Kristen and I finished the tutus.
 

That night we went to Chick-fil-A for family night.  Both girls got chicken nuggets, balloon animals, and painted butterflies on their arms.  I can pretty much guarantee that if you come visit me, I'll show you a good time at cfa.

And then they headed home.  Luckily this isn't the last of the cousin time, just a little break for Kristen and me to recover.
 

8.13.2013

summer crushes

six things I'm crushing on right now-


DDP - With the advent of the hot, hot summer and my frazzled mom-of-two-kids life Dr. Pepper has made a big fat re-entrance into my life.  I've been trying to mostly drink diet so I feel a teensy weensy bit better about myself.

aden + anais swaddle blankets - Right before I had Mattie my friend mentioned that she had seen swaddle blankets at Target for $8 (usually $30 so a steal) and she grabbed them but didn't need them.  I bought them from her not really knowing what I was getting but trusting her motherly wisdom.  Best.purchase.ever.  Four blankets come in a pack (we have these ones) and they are lightweight and stretchy- perfect for swaddling at night and perfect for wrapping baby in the summer.  In the past few months I've noticed these blankets on babies everywhere so thanks Christina for clueing me in.

sugar snap peas - I'm obsessed with these this summer.  I buy the double bag at Sam's Club then once I start eating I cannot stop and end up going through both bags in just a couple days.  Maybe this counterbalances my DDP addiction?

Tide Sport - A few weeks ago one of Jilly's friends was over and I noticed that she smelled absolutely divine (I make it a point to take a whiff of all our guests.)  I asked my friend what laundry detergent she used and she told me about Tide Sport.  I went out and bought some the very next day.  It's a little expensive so I save it for special occasions- when we have super yucky laundry, or guests coming, and always on our sheets.  At the moment this detergent is my absolute favorite scent, and when I have freshly washed sheets the aroma spreads through my whole bedroom and I want to die of happiness.  (I've never felt so housewifey as I do now after this confession.)

Seche Vite top coat - Lisa posted this in one of her favorite things posts (and even used it on my nails once when she was being her wonderful self and painting my nails for me) and it has seriously changed my life.  I love having painted nails, but it drives me crazy to have all my work ruined within 2.5 seconds.  This top coat works so well, and keeps my nail polish looking great for a solid 4 days (then I usually let them look lousy for 4 more days before painting again.)
camp patton - I recently discovered this blog and it is so so so funny.  Regularly I try to tell Bryan a story from her blog and I have to give up because I'm laughing so hard I can't speak anymore.