Liner Notes 5/29

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Slowly coming back down to earth after what has been a very long few days. Long weekends are equal parts wonderful and overwhelming (wonderwhelming?) these days and although holiday weekends used to be the stuff of all-day adventures via mixtape infused roadtrips, i'm basking in the relief that is this pressure-free life. Surviving the day is adventure enough and I'm sure, eventually, we'll go back to weekend exploration-a-thons, I'm more than happy to spend the weekend hosing off ye olde rustic water table, spreading towels across the lawn and sitting barefoot in the grass with my favorite creaturefolk.
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...Which is pretty much what we did this weekend. We enjoyed the backyard that in thirty days, will no longer be ours.
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(Holy shit.)
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We celebrated Archer's birthday on Saturday with his two best friends. By far the best birthday party ever. We ordered a pizza, cut up a bunch of watermelon, set up some soccer goals and sat on the deck while the kids ran around like banshees for the entire day. Low stress. High fun. Amen. 
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ED: Every time one of the kids has a playdate at our house I marvel at how much easier it is to have, say, six kids, here, rather than four, mainly because it keeps the big kids occupied. The pressure is no longer on Hal and me to entertain while juggling babies. We can relax while juggling babies instead.
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My sister was here at the end of last week which was awesome...
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My mom was here, too, which was also awesome but I don't get to see my sister much so having her here was really special.
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Rachel has the same happy in her heart that Fable has and seeing the two of them together is like watching a unicorn spoon with a rainbow trimmed in puffy-paint beside a flock of hologram flamingos.
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We have to be out of our house in thirty days which is equal parts nerve-wracking and thrilling. I packed one box so far but spent much of the weekend throwing everything away in my head. Archer made a list of all the things we should keep and the list looks like this:

Cars
Car tracks
Legos
Refrigerator
Table
Bed
Bubbles
Water table
Basketball
Soccer ball
Computers
Books

Tempting. We've only been in this house for two years but with the arrival of two new little people, our stuff has seemingly tripled x infinity. (Our board game to human ratio is something like 800:1.) so the idea of doing a massive stuff detox is a lovely one. Especially as there is zero closet space in our new house. (Everything in the house is original, harking back to the 20s when minimalism was the only ism.)

But more on that later!

(One of these days I'll have news to share about the house we call Esteban. Just waiting on some final finality. So just go ahead and ignore everything I just told you.)
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We shot episode five of Childstyle on Friday in Huntington Beach which was a grand 'ol time. (Ed: speaking of ChildStyle, we shot episode four a few weeks ago and Jessica of The Eagle's Nest wrote a post about it! Awesome!) I'm really enjoying the act of working outside my house. Putting on makeup and clothes that aren't maternity leggings. Hanging out with awesome adult-sized people is wondrous.
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On Friday Hal and I are flying to Miami for a Westin gig I'm doing with Babble. The timing could not be worse/better. Worse because, hello crazy life house babies moving packing house move. Better because, hello. 

Hal and I haven't been in an airplane together (sans kids) since we attended a wedding in Minneapolis in 2007 so even though we'll only be away for two nights and I'll be spending more than I'm making on babysitters to assist my amazing mom who offered to spend the weekend with all 87987398247 of my kids, it will be worth it. It's been a tough few months and mommy and daddy need some quiet time. And also some (ahem) loud time.

Something scary: Reverie is still an infant (shhhh. she's still an infant) and she's already climbing furniture wtf.
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Meanwhile, Bo is TRYING to climb furniture. She watches Revi out the corner of her eye and then tries to follow her crazy-assed lead. So far she has not been successful. But girlfriend is a determined little thing so we lowered her crib to match Revi's and I'm bracing myself for synchronized skydiving.  
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Something exciting: I lost seven pounds this month (after losing ZERO pounds the past three months. ZERO) which means I am officially back in my pre-pregnancy jeans. As in, I can BUTTON them.

Baby steps, right? I felt so fierce about my post-baby-still-kind-of-pregnant-but-getting-there-sohelpme body that I changed my facebook photo to something other than me holding a baby without makeup. It's the little things, yes?

It's the little things.
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Because I decided the time has come to be FIERCE. I am writing a self-help book for myself in my head and it is called "YOU ARE FIERCE!"
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And you know what? I feel a thousand times better than I did two weeks ago. Hell, I wore lipstick today AND a dress (SANS maternity-leggings) even though I left the house never.

You know why? Because the first commandment in my (personal) self-help book is also the FIERCT commandment this 29th of May, 2012 and it strictly states that the best way to work from home is to WERK from home."


I learned that from my daughter who is my muse in the fiercely awesome department.
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Snap snap, girl.

GGC

31 comments:

Diana (BlesstheFunk) | 8:12 PM

I can't tell you how much I love reading your blog. You are an amazing, real, AWESOME woman, and I am in love with your whole family (kind of a lot with your Mom). I wish your babies could hang out with my baby. We could just chill in a backyard... ahhh... But I'll just do that with my other fabulous friends, the real life ones, and keep on being inspired by you.

avb | 8:40 PM

Someone alert the Pulitzer and Nobel people because this might be the best sentence ever written:

"... seeing the two of them together is like watching a unicorn spoon with a rainbow trimmed in puffy-paint beside a flock of hologram flamingos."

That is all.

xo

Kim | 8:57 PM

*sighile*. { sigh+smile}
I am sighiling right now, because here's the thing: I needed to read your excerpt from your self- help-book-in-your-head. NEEDED.
Also, I've got one of those daughters, too. I am pretty convinced if I didn't I would have pretty much NO AWESOME left in me...most days she reminds me what This is all About.
Finally, I am in agreement with 'avb' above. Best sentence I've read all day. :) :)
And it's been a long,long day.

The Net | 9:43 PM

You make me smile a comfy, mischievous, heartwarming smile. Much thanks.

gavintiegirl | 9:52 PM

Amazing!! Shit yeah!!!!!!

nch | 9:59 PM

this is the best sentence I have read all day!

"Rachel has the same happy in her heart that Fable has and seeing the two of them together is like watching a unicorn spoon with a rainbow trimmed in puffy-paint beside a flock of hologram flamingos."

Sarah Hart | 10:03 PM

i can't believe revi's eyes in EVERY.SINGLE.PIC. so adorable (and crazy). thanks for your awesomely awesome blog.

Jenny Rae Rappaport | 10:04 PM

I share your climbing pain. My daughter, Cora, is only 10 and a half months old, and she's quickly turning into a climbing demon. She hasn't figured out the couch yet... but the other day, she discovered that she could climb up and stand on a gallon iced tea bottle, all as part of her quest to get to the top of the water bottles behind it. An iced tea bottle, for pete's sake. I didn't even know a human could balance on an iced tea bottle at all.

We are so screwed.

Red Stethoscope | 10:05 PM

Woo hoo! You work that hot body, and be FIERCE!

glenda | 10:15 PM

Beautiful pictures!!! So happy for you and Hal. I'm sure you guys need US time and gooey will be happy to hang with the kiddos!!! So happy for you that the pounds are being shed. Way to rock it mama!!

Unknown | 12:58 AM

Duuuude, I am going to stop reading your blog or I'm going to have another child ASAP...precious babes!!!

Tove | 1:03 AM

Fablecorn picture. Best. Picture. Ever.

Renohacks | 2:44 AM

I am loving this post soooo much! You are fierce and awesome! Have fun on your mini break.
Jo xxx

Renohacks | 2:45 AM
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Cecilia Marzo @Sacred_Mama | 5:06 AM
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Cecilia Marzo @Sacred_Mama | 5:09 AM

Loved the post! Once again. But not to be Debby-downer, but I can tell you, I live in Miami and things are horrid down here right now. People around here are yelling Zombies every two seconds because of an incident that I think is too gruesome to post on a comment. Maybe you should type in MiamiHerald.com and see it for yourself. Don't get me wrong, Miami is beautiful around this time of yea! Just get ready for some gruesome gossip.

miss | 5:49 AM

this post flowed much like days do with little kids/infants. it hopped, it swirled, it smiled, it worried, it went balls out wacky. it is a great feeling to realize that you have reached the next level of breathing room while living through little baby time, isn't it? enjoy yourselves!

Unknown | 6:17 AM

I would totally buy a copy of the FIERCE self help book and keep it in my purse at all times and quote the commandments in my head so that I could become my Fiercest self. Also, Bo's cheeks are YUMMY.

Adrianne@ChasingFulfillment | 6:26 AM

Love this post and want to leave like 12 comments, but I'll spare you. You're welcome:)
Your little Revi reminds me so much of my Annabel! I so wish they could have a playdate. We're in Austin; can you arrange that? ;) Annabel is a week shy of 9 months and has been pulling up and climbing on furniture since 6 months. SIX months!! We didn't get "babies" for very long, did we?
So happy that you and Hal are going to get some much needed time away! Enjoy it and then when you find yourself missing that crazy, hectic (but amazing) life at home, you'll come back recharged and ready to take it all on with the fierceness of a Fablecorn!

Sarah | 6:46 AM

So I am going to print a picture of your sister and take it to the hairdresser and say, make me look like her. I have the curls, they just need the extra Rachel touch.

And your posts are like sunshine to my soul.

linsey | 10:08 AM

You should so write that self help book. I would buy it.

JessicaBates | 10:27 AM

Miami! How exciting! I lived there for two years and I miss it dearly. If you have time to explore, try the beach at the end of Key Biscayne. There's a little local spot there called Bill Baggs Park. Much better than South Beach and it reminds me of Bilbo Baggins. :)

If you have time to eat Cuban food, try Havana Harry's.

Also, I work from home, but I need to learn to WERK from home!

Marisa | 3:23 PM

I think you look fantabulous! :)

Aimee | 4:56 PM

I'm excited to see what your news house is like! We've started our own search with the feeling that our dream rental by the beach is about to end. I drove around Encinitas - our ideal town for several reasons - last weekend and just got anxious with every cul-de-sac I rounded. Where are the houses that don't feel like they were a "build-by-numbers" ? Seriously, if you should know of any streets, please let me know!

Anonymous | 6:39 PM

I just love you is all. Reading your liner notes is like a vacation to my brain.

vickichristine | 8:00 PM

werk! xo

Anonymous | 8:28 PM

Hello all the way from Australia!!!
I love reading your blog and I just have to say that it always puts a smile on my face.. your children are so incredibly cute, especially the two little babies, they make me so CLUCKY!!
Anyone love from down under xxx

Anonymous | 5:15 PM

i stumbled upon your blog a few years back and just love it. such a spirit you and your family have. and fyi - while all your kids are gorgeous (love the rolls on bo's legs).. that fable, she has really got it going!

JCF | 8:12 AM

Isn't that crazy how things somehow get easier with a couple of other people's kids added to the mix? I do not have twin infants to wrangle, but my kids are 2, 3, and 4, and my easiest days by far are when I have my friend's 4 and 5 year olds for the day. The kids play outside constantly, and I am free to remove my 2 year old from the kitchen counter for the 400th time in peace!

Unknown | 3:11 PM

Thanks for the shoutout. Your gals are so adorable! Good luck with the move! We are actually moving cross country to NY now. So glad you were able to shoot Bryan's room prior to us leaving.

sierra | 1:50 PM

WERK!