Mama's Not Organized

Today was a Monday! Addi and I got up and I made pancakes for breakfast while Addi played in the living room, then I heard it, the pitter-patter of tiny feet running towards me, then a small person wrapped herself around my legs "go AWAY mom!" She declared while hugging my legs tight.  Parenthood is confusing sometimes haha. Then we went over one of her education posters about colors, and she got really mad at me because our neighbor "Aunt Jess" was not home.  Got take out for dinner, i had pho!  That's all  

Sunday! It’s been a rough weekend—I came down with food poisoning on Friday and had to skip my posts for both Friday and Saturday. Feeling a bit better today, though! Last night, Kurt asked if he could have a cookie, but they were all baked for a friend’s Christmas and birthday gift. So, this morning, Addi and I made a batch of London Fog shortbread cookies just for us! I’m about to walk to my friend’s house to deliver her presents. I really hope she likes them. If I could, I’d give her the world, but things are tight on a single income these days, so I’m doing what I can. Wishing you all a happy Sunday!

Sunday! Addi didn’t help with baking today; instead, she spent time playing with her dad. I made shortbread and more molasses cookies for a friend’s birthday present. Speaking of Addi—she’s officially back on the sleep sack train! We brought it back after she crawled out of her crib last week, and she tried again during her nap today. Thankfully, the sleep sack seems to be helping, and she falls asleep faster with it on, which is such a relief because it also restricts her enough she cannot jail break. Tomorrow, we’re picking Kurt up from work, and we will finally buy some gifts. I’m also planning to bake a cheesecake for a Christmas Eve gathering. As a heads-up, I’ll be taking Tuesday and Wednesday off from posting. Happy holidays, and Merry Yule!

Today we decided to finally tackle some Christmas shopping, so we headed to Duluth and made a stop at Costco. Somehow, we managed to spend over $500 and didn’t get a single gift. Classic, right? On the way back, we stopped in Virginia. Kurt picked up supplies to build Addi a toddler tower, and we swung by Walmart to grab a few more items—and to handle a poopy diaper situation. Priorities. It’s December 21st, and we still don’t have any gifts purchased by us. 😅 Addi and I are planning to pick Kurt up from work on Monday and maybe actually make some gift purchases. Fingers crossed!

Today was a lot of making sure the house looked good, preparing appetizers, and then my friends came over and we watched (we didn't watch the movie, we talked, it was great) the movie was that new Jack Black one 'Dear Santa' i don't know if it was good or bad, but I know the mom was Georgia from Ginny & Georgia. 

Today is Wednesday, and I just want to start with a recommendation: if you have a toddler, he'll, if you don't have a toddler. Get a humidifier. Just do it. Smalls has a runny nose, is super congested, and has a cough. Humidifier is going with eucalyptus oil, Addison is covered in Vicks, and I am tired. 

It is Tuesday! Happy Tuesday! Kurt had a long long day fixing the conveyor belts they were working on, and got home so late he was able to have today off to recover. Addi is super psyched. Not doing much, cleaned the livingroom again and did a bunch of dishes. We are doing spaghetti for dinner with Italian sausages!

Okay, folks and friends, in lieu of an actual blog post, let me tell you how last night went. Addi decided she wasn’t into the steak or baked potato I made for dinner, but she devoured the broccoli. After dinner, we watched some Bluey and a bit of hockey (Go Wild!). Then it was bedtime. She took a while to fall asleep, and even after she did, we kept hearing these little sad baby sounds. She wasn’t awake but was clearly having bad dreams. Eventually, after I went to bed and Kurt came to bed, I had enough of it. I went and got her, thinking that bringing her to our bed would make her feel safe and help her sleep. Wrong. Instead, she snuggled as close to me as humanly possible and decided it was storytelling time. Every time I started to doze off, she would yell, “Mom!” and grab my face. This went on until nearly 2 a.m., when I finally gave up, put her back in her crib, tucked her in with her Bluey and Muffin stuffies, and trudged back to my own bed. She was out like a light the second h...

Sunday! We didn’t do much today. Kurt went to help a friend for a few hours, and we considered heading to Virginia, but Addi had a long nap and woke up grumpy. Before her nap, though, we finally made the cookies I wanted to bake yesterday—kind of. Turns out, we don’t own ground ginger, so we improvised and ended up with what I’m calling Spiced Molasses Cookies. They’re not gingerbread, but they’re still delicious. Word of warning—and I cannot stress this enough—do not involve your toddler in any recipe that calls for molasses. It’s a sticky disaster waiting to happen! Addi managed to get molasses on the floor, the counter, her hand, her face, and even on me while pouring it into the mixer. She had fun, but after that third step (molasses and egg), I whisked her out of the kitchen, cleaned her up, and finished the recipe solo. Then came the rolling-out stage. I got about three cookies rolled and shaped fine before the dough started sticking to my floured counter. At that point, I gave u...

I missed a day, fully thinking I already posted 😅 oops.  Today is Saturday, and Kurt is out fixing a belt at Mintac. I spent the morning cleaning the living room, putting books back on shelves. Addison is eating chicken nuggets for lunch, then going down for a nap. While she’s sleeping, I’ll tackle dishes and check if we have any PVA glue to fix one of the books— Addison ripped the cover off of it. After that im going to find our cookie cutters, and make sure we have all the ingredients so we can make gingerbread cookies! I know we have molasses but honestly not sure how much.  Tomorrow we are going to go to Virginia to do some shopping and source a new thermostat for my car so it heats up faster. It's a cold winter! Yesterday is was -18. -18. That's definitely cold. Too cold for a car that doesn't heat up for a while.  Anyway, Happy Saturday! Are you going to make gingerbread cookies? 

It’s Thursday! Today is the ECFE Christmas party, and Kurt might even join us! Bonus: I’m not in charge of dinner tonight. Addi also gets to meet Santa again—here’s hoping it goes better than last year. I’ve been in my head a bit today, feeling like I’m not doing enough for her. There are moms who craft with their kids every day, who are potty-training pros, and seem to have this whole 'parenting' thing mastered. It’s hard not to compare myself, but honestly, forget that. There are moms out there who deprive their kids of food, whose children are scared of them—I’m not one of them. I’m a good mom. I am. My daughter is happy, safe, and loved beyond measure. Right now, she’s watching a toddler show while I clean and do dishes, and I’m making applesauce pancakes for her lunch. She’s my whole world, and I love her more than words can express. Do you ever feel that intense mom guilt? That pressure to be the unobtainable perfect mom? I have to remind myself that I am doing my best—an...

Its Wednesday! Final ECFE of the year was today and it was COLD. Cold and windy! It was like -7 but the real feel was -27 and BRUTAL. Addi decided that she didn't want to have her hood up to protect her from the wind, so by the time we made it to the doors from the parking lot she was screaming and miserable. She wasn't the only one, with as cold as it was it was today it hurt to breathe, and I had an asthma attack. I was kind of dragging for the rest of the day, I lay on the couch with Kurt for a while and he rubbed my back.  Because I'm not feeling the best I kind of just winged dinner with what we had. 4oz cream cheese, chicken breast, and ro-tel and couscous.  I'm not trying too hard with this post, ignore the run on sentences, I'm going to take a nap. 😅

It is Tuesday, and what a day it’s been. I went to the grocery store three times, finally remembered the milk on the third trip. I also made 75 cream puffs for baby school: 25 topped with dulce de leche, 25 coated in Ghirardelli milk chocolate (because I’m a chocolate snob), and 25 left plain. In the process, I managed to burn most of the fingers on my right hand with boiling sugar—let me tell you, not a pleasant experience. My fingers hurt, and I’m ready to crash after taking two Zzzquil. Tomorrow’s goal? Don’t forget anything. Best wishes, and may your fingers remain unscathed!

Today is Monday, and it's definitely a day. I didn't realize the milk that says it is best before the 17th is already spoiled. Poor Addi, my poor sweet girl puked all over both of us. She did love getting to take a bath though, we aren't going to do much today except for love eachother and snuggle, lots of books, and lots of clear liquids. We are also watching shows from my childhood, like Zaboomafoo! Anyway, wish me luck, and keep smalls in your thoughts. 

Happy Sunday, friends! We’re skipping the slow cooker again this Sunday because Kurt is smoking ribs! As a side, we’re making twice-baked potatoes, and I’m pretty excited about it. While Addi was napping, I geared up with my cushioned bike shorts and Crocs (no judgment, please) and hopped on the exercise bike out on the front porch. I listened to a chapter of my audiobook and knocked out 4 miles! Later, when Addi wakes up, we’re planning to make cream puffs. If you’ve never made pâte à choux, it’s simpler than it sounds. You heat milk, butter, and salt until it boils, then add flour and stir until it forms a ball. Let it cool a bit, then mix in the eggs (don’t worry if it looks separated; it’ll come together). Shape the dough and bake at 450°F for 15–20 minutes. The ratio is 1:butter 2:milk 2:flour 2:eggs and a pinch of salt. I love baking season!

Welcome to Saturday, folks! We have Duck's best friend, Moose, as a house guest this weekend. Moose is incredibly patient with Addi (thanks to his own tiny humans), and it’s been a joy having him around. Today we’re restocking our egg bites (mini frittatas). The usual recipe includes cheese, eggs, and cooked breakfast sausage crumbles, but this time we added broccoli to use up a half-bag of leftover chopped broccoli in the fridge. I’m also trying out an experiment inspired by some kind of tater tot and sausage muffin Kurt saw last weekend. Since we’re working with what we have, I improvised with chopped biscuits (from a tube), French fries, an egg, and gravy. I layered the biscuits in the muffin tin, mixed the fries with the gravy and egg, spooned it on top, and popped it in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Fingers are very much crossed for this one! On a completely different note, I finished the first chapter of my book last night! I’m proud of it but nervous about the next...

Friday! It’s Friday! Which means story time at the library! Addi was the only kiddo there today, and she tends to listen better that way. We also picked up a craft and the spice of the month from our library’s spice club: cardamom! It’s such a great opportunity to explore new flavors. We got a bag of pods and a bag of ground cardamom, along with several recipes we’re excited to bake together. Until Kurt finishes making Addi’s toddler tower, I’ve been letting her stand on a chair while I stand behind her—because you can never be too cautious! I absolutely love baking with her. To make it easier (and more fun), I put each ingredient in its own little bowl so she can dump them into the mixer herself. It’s a small thing, but it makes her so proud to help. Have you tried baking with your little ones? I’d love to hear your tips or favorite recipes!

I think it’s time to share a more in-depth introduction. My name is Taylor, and I have an autoimmune disease. It started during my pregnancy, of all times, and it’s called Iritis. Simply put, my immune system occasionally decides my eyes are the enemy and launches an attack against them. Living with this has been a journey, to say the least. Some days are manageable, while others come with unexpected challenges. But it’s part of my story now, and I’m learning to navigate it the best I can. This blog is where I share pieces of my life—the good, the hard, and the in-between. Whether it’s about parenting, homemaking, or just figuring out how to keep going.  Today I'm struggling, I'm just exhausted from not really doing anything. 

Today is Thursday! Our focus today is getting some Christmas pictures of Addi. I chose the phone i have specifically because it was advertised to have a great camera (5 lenses, that amazed me at the time) our first round didn’t go too well—who knew toddlers don’t sit still for anything? She’s napping now, so I’m setting up a new little "set" with a different outfit planned. Wish me luck! We also made a trip to the library and picked up some new books to read through since our holds expired. A fresh stack of stories is always exciting! Other than that, it’s just the usual menial tasks—dishes, laundry, and putting fresh sheets on the beds. Here are a couple pictures of the best model in my house:  

Today is Wednesday! Which means we had ECFE! Addi let the teachers know when she had to go potty today, so they came and got me from the parent ed room, and she peed on the toilet! She did such a good job! Unfortunate way of finding out I didn't have any clean diapers in the diaper bag, thank the stars for Bailey! She came in clutch with a spare diaper. Got home, tried giving Addi a sloppy joe cottage pie... thing i made yesterday for lunch. Still wasn't a fan, so i made her popcorn chicken. Then she took a almost four hour nap! For dinner we did cheese ravioli with a tomato sauce and garlic bread. 

It’s Tuesday! Tomorrow is ECFE! Addi took a nap again today—two days in a row, can you believe it? I also got her infant car seat base uninstalled and her new car seat installed in my car. How is she growing up so fast? We kept it pretty low-key today. Addi spent some time coloring, and since her dad had Dart League, we went for an easy dinner—sweet and sour chicken and French fries from the frozen food aisle. After dinner, we played her favorite game in the bathtub: hiding her bath toy cow in a mountain of bubbles for her to find! She loves pushing the bubbles aside and calling for it "cow?" It's fun and funny and it also promotes problem-solving, fine motor skills, sensory exploration, creativity, and focus—all while making bath time fun! She also just loves splashing, and like any toddler, drinking (or trying to drink) her bath water. 

It’s Monday! Happy Monday! Addi actually took a nap today, which is a huge win since she skipped her nap for the last 3–4 days! She also helped me make cinnamon rolls this afternoon, which was so much fun. We managed to clean the living room, Kurt got home early from work, and we had sloppy joes for dinner. I think I need to find an actual recipe for sloppy joes, though—I’m not a fan of Manwich. Anyway, have a wonderful evening!

Today is Sunday and we are not using the slow cooker for dinner! What we are using though, is a lot of leftovers! I made a mirepioux (onion, celery, carrots, and some minced garlic) and added some dressing, turkey, and greenbean casserole! And some chicken broth. I'm experimenting with a sourdough crust for it too, so i won't share about that, except it will of course, have sourdough starter in it. Anyway, letting the filling cook for a while, ill make the crust when all of my dishes are done again. How do we go through SO MANY DISHES?! There are only THREE of us!  Anyway, other than the leftovers pot pie I've been trying to make a wish list for Addi for Christmas, which is hard, I think I'm going to see if Kurt can just MAKE her a toddler tower instead of putting one on the list that's anywhere from (literally) $50-$200. That's crazy to me! That's just an example of one thing, also want to get her the toddler kitchen helper stuff like the little knives she ...