Sunday, March 29, 2009
Cleansed
This time last year I quickly realized that I was immersed in perhaps one of the largest changes of my life. I had just had a baby, was living out of boxes, was adjusting to Kelly’s new job with AT&T, had recently vacated my position at the hospital and was now a stay at home mom of two children that were probably just as nervous as I was… and with good reason. My plate was full and perhaps my cup and lap as well… I was in all out messy eater. My life needed a little cleaning, perhaps a healthy dose of organization and at least one long nap. However it just wasn't the right time for additional tasks...not yet.
Weeks turned into months and I found that was slowly beginning to gain a little foothold in my world of upheaval. My new abode had a the familiar smells of home, I finally learned how to work the electric gate, had returned to a new part time position at the hospital and had actually met my new best-friend-with-a-kid at a park. Suddenly, newness felt a lot less scary and frankly- a bit less new.
It was at this time that I decided to make a “Completely Julie List”. In case you didn’t know this I love lists immensely. Which is funny because I really am not all that logical or organized… My “completely Julie list” was a list written on a piece of torn spiral notebook paper (my lists don’t have to look pretty) that outlined everything that I thought would make me feel at peace with my surroundings. It was hoped that after everything on my list was checked off I would feel like me- completely. Really the whole concept of all of this is sort of funny because I had no idea what complete Julie felt like because it was ever-evolving. But oh well.
The timing was perfect. This year is my Golden year. For me, I decided that the golden part of this year was to focus on inner strength and light. Kick off was for September. I joined a gym, attended local PTA programming, and life became a little busy… but in a good way. I like to feel busy and also stay up late which I have found is a very good combination.
Along with most people in the world we got swept away in the haze between November and January and emerged with about a million new kid toys in our house. But changes were still happening.
One of the things that I really wanted to try was a cleanse this year. Kelly and I decided to go with the master cleanse. It was hard—mainly, because I love food--- but my goodness, was it wonderful! I don’t know that it was so much that we needed a lemonade mixture to feel healthy but more that it was good timing with the changing of the seasons. I think what I loved the most about it was the energy that we now had. Tasks that had been long abandoned were now finally completed--- like the cleaning of my closets. I think that this could be a post to itself. My home has been clean but my closets had been a mess…very much a reflection of my life.
Life comes full circle. By this time my “completely Julie list” is lost and long forgotten. This weekend as Kelly and I were immersed in closet chaos I stumbled across a box. I initially assumed it was all trash and then looked inside to discover a piece of torn notebook paper with a ‘completely Julie list’- my 27 goals that would help find me. Immediately, I was able to see how far I had come from the nervous person immersed in her world of change. In many ways it was the totality of the list that brought my whole Julie project to a close. So while outwardly the master cleanse was really great… it was really a list, some closets and a bunch of crossed off words that became the best plan for cleansing a Julie…
completely.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Potato Face
Molly loves to play 'potato face'. Of course it generally doesn't hold her interest for more than 15 minutes but that is okay...only princesses and books are capable of that. We bought Molly Mr. potato head when she was much to young for them and I am so happy that we did. Her creations were incredible. Here is one from a long while ago and it isn't even her best work. Who knew that we had our own little Picasso on our hands? At least she got the nose right...sort of... it was really just an accident I think. I loved it when the shoes came out the ear hole- that was my favorite.

But then the other day I walked in to see potato face looking like this. Hooray developmental milestones. I love that she left one ear off though and stayed true to her Molly flair. You bet the next step was to accessorize her one ear-ed diva with a nice gold hoop earring and a purse on the arm (after they were put on of course.)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Go Bananas!
One donated pacifier, two train transfers and a lovely carousel ride later we had completed our mission! Our children have finally seen the zoo. Another first for the baby book.
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I really wish that you could hear me laughing because I am so behind on updating the baby books. I think I left off when Gabriel had two teeth...he is now at 8. hmmm.
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It was perfect zoo weather this weekend and not as busy as I had expected for the end of Spring Break. I think there was a discount day on Friday...stink. We decided to make a whole day of it and take the train to the zoo. We heart DART. It was so fun and the kids loved the train.
I have always felt a little bad about never taking Molly to the zoo before. I just didn't know how much she would like it. I have to say that she did enjoy it but still think it could have waited a little longer... I was surprised. I think it will suffice to say that we will be holding off on a zoo membership. Molly did love some big parts of the zoo. She was quite taken with the elephant poop and referred to him as a big boy elephant and she LOVED the gorillas... like LOVE LOVE people. She became fast friends with them.

Friday, March 20, 2009
Sweet and Sour
Wow...talk about a delay in posting. Does anyone else feel like they have lost a few days this week? Between work and family, I have had but a moment to slow down. So here I am sitting next to a graham cookie faced Gabe and drinking some nice lemonade (we will get there) embracing a slower paced moment. Whew.
In case you didn't know it --- St. Pat's Day happens to be my second favorite holiday of the whole year. (1st favorite goes to Fourth of July) I start looking forward to St. Pat's Day generally around December 27th. I love it. I was born into an enormous Irish Catholic family, married a man whose favorite color is green and attended 9 years of parochial school at a place named St. Patrick. Random info but all signs lead to lover of the holiday.
It is something I hope to make special for my children too. This year was both of my children's second time to celebrate St. Patty's. It is amazing that I am now rounding to the point where Gabe has been around for this celebration before... and I am not pregnant... things just might be though I hate to jinx it---delightfully stagnant? Here is the post from last year...look how tiny Gabriel was!
Not anymore... here Gabe is wearing his green avocado mustache with pride...



And the guys in green drinking their green ale of choice. I heart uncle nick's shirt.

Not to name any names but there might have been one certain leprechaun that ate from the time the party started until the party wrapped up...

It was a night filled with sweet memories.... I would like to take a minute to address the enormous amount of people not wearing green on Tuesday. Growing up we had to sleep in green jammies the night before to avoid breakfast pinching by the family. This year, everywhere we went I had to fight the urge to pinch people. I have come to learn that pinching is often not socially acceptable on a play date.
So here we are with our sweet and sour...taking life's lemons and definitely making some lemonade.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
I wanna know where the gold's at...
On Saturday, the Irish crew and one Frenchman headed out for some good ole' parade watching. It was so much fun this year...and incredibly cold! A little shiver couldn't take the bounce from our step and it was nothing a nice blue moon couldn't fix (for the over 21 crowd :)
Hooray Greenville Parade!




Gabriel and Kelly had some great bonding time. They shared some love...

and some delicious beads...

What better way to celebrate an end to a parade then some green and white Krispy Kreme's?


Stay tuned for more St. Patty's pics from Tuesday Night's annual Janick Family Hoopla!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The not-so-good-kind-of-quiet...
You find yourself trying so hard to remember what quiet felt like. And then one day you get a little taste- just not quite the taste that you were wanting. You see, I have come to find out that now quiet is never really a good thing. If there is quiet then you know something that shouldn’t be happening very likely IS happening. Quiet is no longer a luxury… rather it is an indication to seek your child out immediately.
The other day Molly was nice and quiet… a little too quiet. We had picked up Molly some stickers at the store because she had such great behavior the whole day! I figured she would want to put one on…
Just not all of them at once. Under her shirt. I guess that is where stickers go though?

So, our sticker girl was nice and decorated all the way up to bath time where Molly helped the stickers get nice and clean with soap.
I have to give her some credit - the stickers did look quite lovely all compacted together like that – even under her shirt. She just was wearing her flair incognito.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Rainy Day Dancing
Today was definitely an inside play day. In a valiant effort to consume toddler energy we had a big ole' dance party at Casa May! Now even though these dance parties are about a weekly occurrence at our house the kids still get really excited when we have one.
IT was RoCkIn'.
I think that my favorite moment of the day was about 2 hours after this video when I went looking for a VERY quiet Molly. I rounded the corner to see her dancing quietly in her room. She informed me that she was "practicing her dance moves." She was "dancing with her knees".
Dancing on a rainy day just might be our favorite past time.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Our Big Boy
I am shocked at how quickly Gabriel is making the transition from baby to little toddler. It seems to be literally happening over night. He now has several new words (up, ball, truck, LALALAL aka Molly). He is on his way to becoming a complete walker. This is actually a little nicer because he is much slower at walking then crawling which means I can actually keep up now. Whew. I will take whatever break I can get.
Recently, Gabriel has started wearing hats again. He went through this phase where nothing could be on his head. I am so happy to be moving out of that phase.
Doesn't he look bigger?
*please note that my children do not always wear the same outfits...I just seem to only take pictures on the days they are wearing the same outfit as last post. Maybe they are just that much cuter in the outfit inevitably making it a picture day?

Sunday, March 8, 2009
Super Saturday
On Friday afternoon, we all walked to the park when Kelly came home. On our walk I saw this BEAUTIFUL tree and remembered that Dallas Blooms opened this weekend! Dallas Blooms is so wonderful! I think that our arboretum pass just might be my favorite thing ever!

I was worried that the flowers would not be in full bloom because it was the first day. Boy, was I wrong. The arboretum did not disappoint.


okay so this is a very terrified looking picture of Molly but I promise she was really happy all day (amazingly)

The storybook houses were SO fun! I love that they are positioned all over the park so anywhere you go you can discover a new house!





We loved that each house really had a fun theme and unique things for the kids. Here Molly is visiting the Lorax.







Saturday, March 7, 2009
Well it is about time!
Kelly can finally breathe a little easier. I know that my eccentric ways sometimes cause him a little added stress. I think that this was one of those times. I finally updated my car tags!

Now, this picture is really not as bad as it seems. I have not gone a full year with expired tags. I did finally get tags two months late last year and then promptly lost them when they arrived. In my defense I had just delivered a baby and moved and I was a little sleepy. Going to the DMV for new tags has just been a constant on the to-do list for the last year...I just never quite got around to it - much to Kelly's frustration. Apparently, because the car is in my name only I can go and request new tags for 6 dollars. Really who has time? I mean, sure it may just be like 4 blocks from my house and I may be home with the kids every day but we are busy. Too much fun to be had if you ask me.
Really, it doesn't even matter because the problem now ceases to exist. So happy day for Stella (and Kelly too)... my car is finally legal!!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Wacky Weather
While I am pleased that we are in for a little warm up I am frustrated that our warm up includes several near 90 days. Really? I want spring. Nice, breezy, comfy, lukewarm spring. You have all heard my previous rants on the weather so I will not submit you to that again. But, it sure has been some wacky weather. And I don't heart that.
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Case in point.
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Last Thursday was beautiful and warm. Warm enough to wash good ole' Stella in the driveway. Molly loved this project! I think that her favorite part was when she got to strip down to her panties and scrub away. My little OCD cleaner. She is a girl after her Nonnie's heart.


Moving on to Saturday. Low in the 20s. So cold that that we lasted about 20 minutes outside before Molly started to turn blue. She could stand to have a little more meat on her skinny bones.


Monday, March 2, 2009
Monster Monday
And this is the exact moment that the encounter occurs.
Heart palpitating, sweat dripping you meet the dreaded beast.
The Sticker Monster.

She roars and growls her fierce teeth. She is very liable to come after you with her strawberry stained talons and toxic breakfast bar breath. Your life is but a mere pebble in her path of destruction. Will you survive?
It is very fortunate that you have unearthed the secret kryptonite of this dreaded assailant. Sheer luck in the truest form. It so happens that the beast has a weakness for tickling and Disney. An unlikely combination yet the perfect formula for survival. Victory is yours…
For now.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Dear Caroline
Molly was very excited to learn that her friend, Caroline, also loved the Happy Birthday song! So even though Caroline's birthday is still a bit away we do celebrate it a bunch here at our house.
Molly informed me that she was too technology savvy to just send a normal email or make a phone call to her friend. Instead, she opted for a video message.
So here you go Caroline...
Love, Molly