Because real life just makes for such shitty Instagram posts

You know?
I propped my piping hot coffee up on the window sill to get a shot of hot coffee, frosty grass outside and was going to caption that with something about fall and temperatures dropping and whatever... but the guy blowing leaves outside the window kept ruining the shot and our window sills are kinda dirty, so never mind.

Besides, I already feel like there's been enough false advertising. Yesterday I posted pics from our scenic walk home. And we did have a very nice 30 minutes along the river. But only after being 86d from the library, dealing with meltdowns in the coatroom and arguing about whether or not to use gloves all afternoon. Oh, and baby puke. Of course.

But who wants to see that?

Maybe I should take a picture of our overflowing sink, the nasty kitchen floor, or the pile of trash bags on the back patio we haven't taken to the garbage room yet...

No props or backdrops needed. Can't ruin that shot.

Seriously....

You know what's fun about moving every six months or so?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The people we are currently subletting from told us yesterday that they'd be willing to sublet for another six months and we could start the paper work.
Today they said they decided to terminate their lease instead. So we're out.
Fun.

Lou has an eye infection
Ellie produces buggers the size of rat turds (it's an estimation but they're big)
Dylan, who is no germophobe and usually not amazing at washing his hands and such, treats both kids and what yellowy guck come out of their faces like it's a new extra dangerous strand of Ebola.

It's amazing

How quickly the days to by and how busy I feel even though I rarely have to do much more than keep two kids alive, fed, somewhat clean and take the older one to preschool three days a week for 5 hours each day.
Ellie has started to smile. Not just the inward smile with eyes closed, but she actually looks at you, and if you poke her in the dimple, she smiles. It's kind of fun. Other than that.... babies don't provide too much in terms of interaction. But you still love 'em a whole lot.
Lou is still adjusting and gets really pouty and frustrated when we tell her NO! and You can't poke/pull/grab/lift you sister that way! but I think it's getting a little better.
I'm glad I don't have to go back to work in 5 weeks. But I'm also really glad I have a job to go back to. The stay at home mom thingy isn't a career meant for me. 

And then there was 4

She didn't look like a Joline, whatever they look like.... eyes of emerald green and auburn hair apparently, so we named her Elenore.
It's been the name we've kept coming back to, over and over, and so finally it was like... why are we trying so hard to think of something else? We all like Elenore, we already call her Ellie... so there it is.
She's not even three weeks old and I can hardly remember what it was like before.

It's so different the second time around. Lou made me a mother. I was all hers and she was all I cared about. Ellie was born to a toddler mom.

But luckily I am the second daughter too. I grew up with my "Baby's first year" album still in its plastic case next to my sister's all filled in album, complete with foot prints and hair locks. Who has time for that stuff when you got to keep a toddler from climbing on the stove, explain why we can't ride our bikes to Pennsylvania, and cut the potato patties into exactly six pieces?

And I turned out fine. So Ellie Belly, Smelly Ellie, little sister, you will too. You'll find your way out of your sister's shadow and we will be there for you every step of the way.

Joline

Lou is obsessed with the song Joline. Dylan recently bought a record that has it on it, and it's been going on repeat.

It started with a girl at her preschool named Joline, then she named one of her dolls Joline. It's not her favorite doll, I mean Joline is no Irma Gerd.... Irma Gerd sleeps in her bed and goes in the car and gets her pants changed every day. But baby Joline is all plastic and can take a bath and go in the shower, unlike IG who has a soft body with cotton stuffing and can't participate in bath time.

Anyways, she loves loves loves the song and wants to hear it always. And even though I'm getting a little sick of Dolly Parton begging not to take her man, the name Joline is really starting to grow on me...

Mixed nuts

My bag of mixed nuts just blew out my 7th floor office window.
So I littered AND lost my snacks.
Awesome.