Elsa Photoshoot

Lisa just whipped this dress up in a day. It still needs a zipper, but a couple safety pins and we were good to go. There is a shocking lack of ideas for photoshoots for this particular dress on Pinterest, so I had to resort to my own lack of creativity. I know she's holding a basket in the movie, but the only ones lying around the house are all the wrong shape or color (seriously, there are two pink baskets around).

Then I saw the bookshelves in the living room. It's not a library, but pretty darn near it. With the baby content in the high chair and Elsa eager to take pictures to show Samuel, we started. Oh, also bribery by form of candy if she was good and watching the music from the movie, we started taking pictures.

I wish a couple would have been clearer, but overall, considering that I just did a 20 minute photoshoot with a toddler and taking care of a baby, I'd say they turned out pretty okay. 

This is by far my favorite Disney dress. Like out of all the dresses every, this is the one I would wear and want in an adult size. Not even kidding....

It's a Monday

This evening reminded me that today, indeed, is Monday.

Like normal for this time of evening, Elena is in the front pack. She drank the bottle, but now is crying for literally no reason. My back is sore. I rock her back and forth continuing where I left off in Persuasion. It takes time, but she soon sleeps. So I stand and read, making sure that I keep my posture correct.

And so I thought the last half hour of Monday's work day would pass peacefully. Then I hear. "I have to go potty!!" closely followed by "I'm peeeeeing."

Running down the hall, baby still sleeping in the front pack. "Let's go, let's go." I'm trying to guide her to the bathroom, literally three feet away from where she's standing. THREE FEET. She's refusing to move and pulling away from my grasp, I pulled her hair gently and grabbed her shoulder, I can't bend down without waking the baby, I want her at least on the hardwood floor and not the carpet, resigned to the fact that I'll be cleaning the floor. Elena's now awake and crying, Elsa's standing next to the toilet, still peeing, down her legs and onto a puddle on the floor.

I run for paper towels. We're out in the kitchen. And in the pantry. The only paper towels in the house are upstairs in my bathroom. I grab a new outfit, forgetting a towel and run back down. I start cleaning up the floor making my way to where she's standing. It's hard to clean with a baby screaming at you, so I put her in her bouncer and rush back. I was snippy and sharp at first and then I couldn't help but think it was amusing, almost hilarious.

Bath started, stubborn toddler refusing to sit down in the most definitely not-too-hot water, cleaning the floor. Toddler finally in the bath, baby crying again, so she's back in the front pack. And at this moment, Lisa shows up...

Superbowl Sunday

As per tradition in the Little Fuji household, Superbowl Sunday is an excuse to make good food and watch a good movie. Until yesterday, I didn't even know who was playing in the Superbowl... So instead, potato wedges, buffalo chicken and a plethora of mini cookies were "made" and consumed before and during watching Far from the Madding Crowd. It's a good tradition.

Ordinary

Yesterday, I made myself a cup of coffee. I turned on my Thumbprint station on Pandora and got to cleaning. It felt good to clean. Sometimes I feel overly lazy. It was one of those days however, that I stayed in my pajamas until the evening... Can't have it all. :-P

I went out last night to play volleyball. Driving through the snow/rain that had been falling for a few hours and was starting to accumulate. Turns out they only do volleyball on Tuesdays and hadn't updated their Facebook. Fine by me. I needed to stop off and get watercolor paper anyway. Still a bit of socializing and being in the busyness of Walmart made my cabin fever cease up a bit.

Today was a half day, strange, but nice after the week. I'm working a minimum of 11 hour days in combination with staying up way to late because of the time change and that's the only way to really get to chat with people. So no wonder I'm a bit tired.

Anyway, glad it's the weekend. It should be fun. It's been fun already, drawing with Elsa, painting the afternoon away while watching a movie. Looking at retro style clothes and wishing I could buy them. Writing and reading... Fabric shopping and then dinner with Lisa and the girls. Leadership, training and personality type conversation with Lisa, which was fascinating. Strangely, it made me want to take leadership classes...

Respect for Motherhood

I honestly don't know how moms do it and this week has made me respect motherhood so much more. I was sitting on the stairs, the baby crying... Okay, screaming.... in her crib upstairs too stubborn to sleep, even though she was exhausted. I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed.

A pile of laundry on the stairs waiting for me to take it up. Toys scatter across the hall and throughout the living room. The dishes barely done before lunch dishes begin to pile up. A partially eaten banana, an open applesauce, the remains of her morning bottle sit on the table above the thrown fruit pieces and puffs on the floor... Oh, and there's food on my shirt that Elena spit back out....

How do they do it all? How do mothers do it? I don't have to put on laundry, give baths or put them to sleep at night or a multitude of other things (birth included). My job is infinitely easier than being a mom. So to all mother's out there: props to you and keep up the hard work, I believe you are doing the hardest job in the world. You're an inspiration.

Quite the Tuesday

It's been quite the week for it only being Tuesday. I am truly exhausted. I'm trying to have a good attitude and will probably cut my personal time down to get more sleep tonight.

Elena is having issues. She flat out refuses to drink the milk from the fridge and is now getting to the point where she just straight up refuses to drink from a bottle. It's purely a stubbornness issue. She's stubborn about eating other baby food and is now throwing other food on the ground. So she is grouchy because she's hungry, wobbly and falling over because she's hungry, not sleeping much because she's hungry. She's also having some bottomly troubles (if you get my drift), which also makes her grumpy. Anyway, it all makes me worried because the milk and the baby food are her only source of calories between 6-6...

Elsa, on the other hand, talks non-stop. No, literally non-stop. She enjoyed singing at the top of her lungs, 'reading' stories out loud and having tea parties. She also has a knack for needing my help during a strategic moment with Elena...

I'm still finding good things every day and I know I'm in a serious transition phase, but prayer would most definitely be appreciated as I figure out this new routine with these girls. Especially that Elena would start drinking from the bottle again...

An Interesting Day

Today was the first full day nannying this year. I've had a few part days and helped out a lot for the remainder of the time, but this was the first time la mother was gone and I had the munchkins.

One word to sum up my day? Poop. Do I need to explain? Nope. I really don't. I "handled" it. Get it? Was that enough of a hint. Anyway, a lot of diaper changing, a baby and toddler both mad at me at the same time. A few attitude issues. Stubbornness over a bottle and nap time. And baby carrier back aches.

Sounds like a rough day, right? Well, amid those little annoyances, there were baby snuggles, giggles and laughter, a tidy house that lasted all of four minutes, toy playing and lots of talks. And I was able to laugh off a lot of the issues as being entertaining or found success in them when I made corrections and said child listened and responded. Plus best friend conversations.

And some hashtags to go along with my life:
#NotMyKidNotMyParentingMistake #keeptinyhumansalive #Practiceparenting  #anotherpoopydiaper #didIgetdressedtoday? #Itstooquiet #mykidswillbeperfectthankstothispractice

My 'Work' Day

I've been back in Tennessee for two weeks. My 'work' days consist of changing diapers, doing dishes (sometimes), sitting on the ground playing with Duplo, drinking imaginary tea, catching the baby before she eats somethings disgusting from the ground, reading stories, baby and toddler snuggles and making kid food. There are sticky fingers, un-swept floors and always a scattering or more of toys everywhere.

The most used word around here? No. No, Elena, don't go in the bathroom. No. No, no pantry, no touching that outlet, the laptop, the cords. No, please don't eat that old piece of strawberry of the floor that Elsa dropped and never picked up. No, don't growl like that...No, don't climb on the stairs. The list goes on. With mischievous looks and eagerly crawling back to whatever forbidden thing or area, I'm kept pretty busy.

This Home

Sunday. Church. It was 12 degrees when we left this morning. There was no way I was going to brave a dress. I did however wear my hair curly, makeup and earrings for the first time in a week. That got me thinking. I've been back in Tennessee for a six days. Less than a week.

Usually, the first week is awkward, a transition of getting into routine and knowing where my place is. This time, I pulled Lisa's car into the garage and stepped inside feeling like it was home. I knew where I stood. My room smelled like the apple candle a friend gave me. My clothes were folded or hung in the closet where I had left them. My books and art were untouched, exactly where I had left them six weeks earlier.

I've felt very little homesickness. Still, there's the ache of missing my siblings and the friends I saw absurd amounts of when I was home. I've texted a lot this week trying to keep caught up with everyone. But compared to past times, the homesickness isn't too bad. This is home after all...

Today was pretty darn near perfect. After Church came lunch. Then naps. Even I took a 2 hour nap, which is rare for me, as is texting past 1 in the morning... I watched the girls before dinner while Samuel and Lisa went shopping. We finished a 3 hour long movie we started last night. We played a game of Carcassonne while eating a fairly odd dinner of sushi, buffalo chicken dip and brie bites. We had serious conversations while making cookies and played another game while eating them. Sigh. This home is home.

Tennessee Snows and a DIY Sled

Last night I was up late. I painted, wrote, journaled and kept checking out the window to see if the rain had turned to snow. It was still 61 degrees when I went to bed and pouring rain. There was literally water running down the road. When I woke up, I felt a bit like a kid as I checked the weather outside. That water had iced over and a dusting of snow was covering everything. 27 degrees... Lisa left in the morning to pick Samuel up from the airport and I was glad she did it early because it continued to snow for the majority of the day. We have a good 4 inches of snow now. 

Anyway, this evening, Samuel and I looked up DIY sleds and as I looked down the list. The majority were cardboard with duct tape or garbage bags, bin lids. What else could we use? Pillows in garbage bags? Then I saw air mattresses. It reminded me of camp so much, waterslides and sledding, not too different, right? So Samuel sat on the kitchen floor for the next 15-20 minutes blowing air into the twin sized air mattress. Because all the air pumps are in OK. I got Elsa bundled up. Tall socks that went to her knees. Snowpants. Gloves...  

Perks of having a hill for a driveway. It was pretty cold, very dark and still snowing. I love the way the sky turns pink when it snows and the sparkles of snow when light hits it. Elsa loved sledding or sleighing as she called it. 

Growing Baby

My thoughts on coming home for December: oh, 6 weeks, not that long. I mean, Elena might have teeth, but not much else will have changed. During my first day back: what was I thinking? Over a month? So much has changed. Wait, where'd she go?

Elena's gotten crazy fast at crawling. She was only pushing herself backwards when I left. Now she pulls herself to stand next to furniture, toys and other stuff. She's so fast. Also, still in the stage where she puts EVERYTHING into her mouth, so the next few months will be a lot of chasing her around, sweeping floors and training her to sleep in her crib....

Lisa was saying there should be a workout on our fitness apps called "chasing a child." She's not wrong. Calories will be burned. :-D

WA -> OK -> TN

In November, I offered to fly into Oklahoma to travel with Lisa and the girls up to Tennessee. I wasn't sure if she'd take me up on my offer, but the next week, I had a ticket flying me to Lawton, OK....

Yesterday, I left for the airport at 9am with Dad. Security was a breeze. I didn't have to take off my shoes or remove my laptop from my backpack. Medal detectors instead of the full body scanners. It was fast, although I felt remarkably like one of the mice mindlessly running the course to get to the end...

Anyway, the first flight was fine. I watched a movie and actually chatted with the guy next to me. We were both interested in leadership, so it was an easy conversation. Ahem, introvert... and breaking boxes! :-D :-P

The second flight from Dallas/Fort Worth was delayed, changed gates three times and had me exhausted. They had overbooked, so they wouldn't assign seats until AFTER people had volunteered to fly out the following morning... Finally got to Oklahoma, the tiniest airport I'd ever seen. Family was waiting, so hung out and then slept. 

6am. Wake up and pack the 4Runner. 7:30, Lisa started driving. 9:00 I took over driving. Drive. Drive. Drive. Hours later, at noon-ish, we stopped to gas up and grab food. My day? Something like this: 

Driving. Baby screaming. Baby sleeping. Continuing to drive. Getting sleepy. Baby screaming... Repeat. For 11 hours. 

Pulling up to the Tennessee house at 7pm, I felt relief. We were home. We were home safely. Home. I'm so content to be here. 

What states did we travel through? Up through Oklahoma, through Missouri, took literally a ridiculous 5-7 minute drive through Illinois to get to Kentucky. Then over and town to Tennessee... 

From the picture below, we started out on this weird, 2 lane highway. It was getting dark and there was a lot of fog. It seemed not super well traveled, although I had two semis in front of me. Then all of a sudden we turned this sharp corner and went over this massive, pretty narrow bridge. In the fog, it felt a little queasy in my opinion... The Mississippi River and that took us up onto that little bit of land between that river and the Ohio River. Second bridge and we were into Kentucky. What a crazy bit to the drive. 

New Year's Day

Well, New Year's Day could have been better, yet it also could have been worse. In our family, New Year's Day is celebrated with gifts and family time, food and more food. Much like other people's Christmas traditions.

I was up first. I usually am. Not just because of the gifts waiting in the living room. The gifts this year were simplified, but still, I was excited. I poured a lot of time and energy into researching awesome gifts for the family. Nope, I have a hard time sleeping past 8:30... Anyway, I enjoy the sweet morning time before everyone gets up. But yesterday was different. A note sat waiting on the kitchen counter. No greeting or closing. Cold. A note saying she would be gone for a few days. Tears from me. Angry, hurting tears. 

She wasn't going to try being with the family. It was frustrating and selfish. Logistically, the pressure of making dinner now fell completely on me to oversee and cook instead of just cooking and sharing the responsibility for the meal. The responsibility to give the gifts to people and to explain gifts also fell to me.

After a good cry and talking to Rose, we turned the day around. We gave gifts, we cooked and played. We still are a family, no matter what. We made an AMAZING meal. We had fun and didn't let what's going of affect our day.

Rose and I drove the Little Fuji Family to the airport that night, but it wasn't a sad goodbye, I see them again in six days. 

48 Hours

I've been home for around 48 hours. Busy hours.

Thanksgiving morning:
4am wake up. Dressed and on the road by 4:30. Lisa woke the girls up and we all went down to the airport. Dropped off by bag. Hugged Elsa and told her I loved her. Kissed Elena's soft chubby cheeks. Hugged Samuel and Lisa. Lisa keeps telling me how much she's going to miss me. It's only six weeks.

Breezed through security. Stood in line for coffee for more time than I spent at security. Watched the sunrise from the airport windows. Boarded the plane and slept or watched movies. Finally landed. Between the ten minutes to deice the place in Nashville and waiting for other planes to get to our gate, I was going antsy. I wanted to be home. To see the family I hadn't seen for three months.

Back of the plane, so within the last 20 people to get off the plane. Slowest set of three opening doors one after another while leaving the secure part of the airport. I could see Dad and the doors took like 4 seconds each to open. Long traffic ridden drive home, but it was good to catch up with Dad.

The chaos of entering a house with seven adults of teenagers compared to my other home, quiet with just two adults and two babies. There were literally times where I couldn't keep up with the conversations because it was bouncing around so much. The process of finishing dinner, taking a family picture and catching up with people was fun. Dishes by hand until the kitchen was clean. Succeeded in counting calories during Thanksgiving dinner. Skype call with my Little Fuji Family. This was followed by three really dumb movies before I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

Welcome allergies. Cats, dogs, mold... Puffy, itchy eyes, runny nose, trouble breathing. It's going to be a hard transition in that sense. But I'll get used to it.

Friday was minor shopping for necessities that I didn't bring back from Tennessee, watching ridiculously dumb movies, catching up with the Rothenbergers and some gift shopping online....

The past 48 ish hours have been way busier than a couple weeks in Tennessee, but it's a good busy.

Happy Sunday

Singing "Count Your Blessings" at Church this morning made my day. White chocolate mocha. Another photo shoot with Elena (Lisa and I got seriously sidetracked at TJMaxx on Friday, so new clothes for the girls). House cleaning and watched Tangled (the show). Catching up with two different sisters. Gingerbread decorating.

Fall Saturday

Morning conversations over breakfast. Grocery list making on the floor with the girls. Shopping trip the weekend before Thanksgiving. Skype calls to family. Photo shoot in new outfits. Baby sleeping in the carrier. Long conversations while baking. Gingerbread smells. Apricot jam and brie cheese. Wind and rain and a 2 second power loss. Chicken Pot Pie. An old movie. Peach tea. More floor time playing with the girls. Early bedtimes. It is these days. These happy days- show me how much of my heart is here. 

Childlike Excitement

One week. In exactly one week, I will be home. Hugging my family. Hugging Ian, who I haven't seen in nearly half a year. I feel like a child this year in anticipation for the holiday season, even though there are parts I'm dreading. I can't wait to make paper snowflakes, listen to Christmas music and wear fuzzy socks. I can't wait for late nights with siblings, seeing friends and making delicious food. 

I'm so excited that I started sorting through the things I have here. The clothes that are necessary to take home, the clothes that I'm tired of. The ones from the summer days that need to be replaced for winter days... I set aside art work that I've completed and want to show the family, books I've finished, my 2017 journal, which will soon be replaced with my 2018 journal. I have to set aside my camera and paints, because both of those are needed for my month at home. 

But not all my things come home. No, this room here in Tennessee will be tidy and relatively bare until I return in January for another couple months. 

An Impulse Buy

Miss Lucielle's is one of the best shopping places. The little booths are filled with fun antiques, handmade things and everything in between. I always have fun looking around there. Last weekend, I perused the isles in search for not a whole lot, enjoying the Christmas music playing and the spicy smell of cinnamon from a couple of the different booths. Also, one of the booths had fun hats. I love hats...

After finding two books, Rumpelstiltskin (for those of you who don't know, I love fairy tales) and a book on things to do. I headed out. Even though it was just after four, the sun was pretty much all the way set. I headed back into down and went to Dress Barn. Originally, I had planned to take a look at the sale rack and call it good, but I got seriously sidetracked when I saw a floor length floral skirt. It was beautiful.

In early January, my siblings and I have a "formal" event to go to and I stressed about finding a dress last year, so when I saw this skirt, I thought it was perfect! I tried it, the size too big and the size smaller. Anyway, a lot of debating with myself and asking opinions from other people, I decided to buy the skirt (online to get the right size) and I'll show Ev and Jane to get an official opinion. I'm super excited to see if it's as pretty as I remember it being!

I'll post pictures when I get it! So look for another blog post!

Little Victory

Yesterday, I resisted ALL the excuses I could think of and worked out. Yesterday, I jogged my first ever half mile. I'm half way to my goal. I'm pretty excited! 

Each day I'm pushing myself closer to my goals. I guess those motivational videos I watch while jogging are actually motivational after all! 

Daylight Savings

Fall Daylight Savings. When you stay up too late and still wake up refreshed. When you're hungry in Church. When the day seems to last forever. When you worry because you don't know which electronics have automatically switched. When the sun sets right after nap time's over.