The (Ri)Charmed Life: Julian

Showing posts with label Julian. Show all posts

Christmas Musing

It's the day after Christmas. There's still gift bags and tissue paper piled high on the loveseat. The coffee table is full of Christmas bounty. Jason's back to work. Julian is crawling around the house in his new sleeping bag pretending to be a worm. Jane is sleeping off a crazy jam session in her fancy exersaucer. I'm feeling the usual mixed emotions that come with the holidays. This week between Christmas and New Years is always kind of long and strange, especially with school being out.

We spent Christmas day with my in laws. I'm so lucky to get along with them well. My mother in law made it a relaxed, delicious, beautiful time. We've established a tradition. We open presents at our home and then head over there for breakfast and time with all the family. At some point presents are opened. By noon, everyone heads back to their houses for a Christmas nap. We don't have other family in town so we go back for a nice holiday dinner. There's usually a non-related guest or two that joins us. It's a nice day.

I do miss my family though. My parents are overseas. My brother is in California and my sister and her family live in Texas. We try to talk, or at least text, Christmas day, but I think that only makes us miss each other more! For me, there's always a little undercurrent that something is missing during the holiday season and I know it's being with my family. Hopefully we'll all be able to celebrate together in 2015.

I also went into this Christmas thinking that there would not be many presents under the tree. We've had medical bills to pay off, stuff with the cars, and just a lot of financial drama this year. Jane is pretty small so I wasn't worried about her being disappointed, but Julian has had some major Christmas hauls in past years. I also love finding perfect gifts for friends and family members so, by my own choice, I normally have quite a few people to shop for. This year, we had to seriously slim down the list. We mostly just bought for our kids, nieces & nephews and our parents.

Much to my surprise (and gratitude!), we were flooded with gifts from family and friends. The grandparents got the kids' big items: a bike for Julian and a deluxe exersaucer for Jane. I'm pretty sure neither of the children minded that some their gifts from us were not entirely new. Julian even said that this was the best Christmas ever. We all loved hearing that!

Of course, as much as family means and as fun as all the gifting is, the real meaning of Christmas also brings me mixed emotions. I can't express enough thankfulness that I don't have to earn God's acceptance. Jesus made that possible, so celebrating His birth is the highlight of my year. This holiday and the whole Jesus story is about love, forgiveness, acceptance, peace... and it makes me very sad that those are not words that are associated with Christians in general any more. That's another blog post entirely though!

posted under bike, christian, Christmas, day after, family, friends, gratitude, Jane, Jesus, Julian, nostalgia, presents, sadness, tradition | 2 Comments

Halloween on My Mind

Amazing how much fun a simple Happy Meal mask can be! We're just a couple weeks away so Halloween in on my mind a lot. It's cheesy, but we kind of like to have a family theme. We let Juju pick what he wants to be and then plan around that.We were all Green Lanterns last year.

This year Julian wanted to be a giant squid. We'd also decided to participate in our church's Trunk or Treat so it was an easy choice to do an ocean theme for that. I will be attempting to make some sort of jellyfish costume for myself. Jane has a cute mermaid outfit and Jason is trying to pull together some sort of salty sea captain look. Hope it all comes together! If you'd like to check out the results in person, Trunk or Treat is Wednesday, October 30th, 6:30 pm to 8 pm at Skycrest Community Church.

posted under Batman, captain, church, costumes, family, Green Lantern, Halloween, Jane, Jason, jellyfish, Juju, Julian, mask, mermaid, Skycrest, squid, Trunk or Treat | 0 Comments

I Won! I Won!

Have you been to Dunmire's Crochet Corner yet? Laura Dunmire is a crochet genius so when she announced a giveaway from her shop, I was all over it! AND it just happened to be for this amigurumi crab (click on the link to buy your own) and the kids' room is all sorts of sea creatures (see my Pinterest board!). Julian and I were both thrilled that we ended up winning it.

He's such a happy crab. =)

Julian is a bit rough on his toys so we agreed this friendly dude is not for play. He looks great perched on the curtain rod, keeping watch.

Be sure to visit the Dunmire's Crochet Corner Etsy shop. Not only are there cute toys, but also home goods, accessories and apparel for the whole family. It's all top quality, hand crafted, and really reasonably priced. This shop is also a member of the Tampa Bay Etsy Crew. =)

posted under amigurumi, bedroom, blue, clothes, crab, crocheted, Dunmire's Crochet Corner, etsy, giveaway, hand made, Julian, kids, pinterest, sea creatures, Tampa Bay Etsy Crew, TBEC, toys, win, won | 1 Comments

Mini Gorey

My son was feeling this vintage cape this morning. He thought it went rather well with the camo rain boots. It's a bit warm for August in Florida though, so we may have to shelf the look for later in the year. While Juju was tromping around in this, I couldn't help but think of dear Mr. Gorey.

posted under august, boots, camo, camouflage, cape, clothing, edward gorey, Florida, fur, hot, Juju, Julian, Mini, rain, style, vintage | 0 Comments

First Day of Kindergarten

My handsome boy in his PPA uniform

Silly with excitement!

So proud to be his mama

And it went very well and he can't wait to go back tomorrow!

posted under 1st Day of School, end, Juju, Julian, kindergarten, mom, motherhood, PPA, school, silly, son, success, uniform | 0 Comments

Anticipation

Bad night last night... me, not Jane. I had some sort of stomach ailment that kept me in such pain I didn't get much sleep. I felt better when I woke up, just exhausted. Still I wanted to go to church, so I powered through the morning. I'm so glad I did because an old friend and hockey buddy turned up with his new lady friend. We did lunch with them and some of our other good friends. We were supposed to go to the beach that night, but it was stormy at our house so we ended up skipping it, much to my disappointment. That disappointment put me in a bad mental state and I really let myself dwell on several other slights and let downs from last week. My thoughts are not in a good place right now. I hope the start of a new week will help me move past it.

Tomorrow is Julian's first day of kindergarten. His uniform is all laid out. His backpack is fully loaded and his lunch bag is full. I can't think of anything else we need to do to prepare. Jason's going into work later so we both get to be part of this big day.

Tomorrow is all about Julian, so here's a Jane picture:

The lighting gives this a mysterious feel!

This dress is a hand-me-down from a sweet cousin. Some people would turn up their noses at "used" baby clothes, but I think they're great. I feel like it's a connection between the babies of close friends and family and part of the village raising a child.

posted under 1st Day of School, beach, child, disappointment, dress, family, first, friend, hand me downs, hockey, Jane, Julian, kindergarten, PPA, school, sick, tired, used, village | 3 Comments

2 More Days!

I'm reading through the packet we got from Julian's school yesterday and I just feel overwhelmed. The car line chart alone is daunting. One of the reasons I like this school so much is the level of parent involvement they require- I just did not consider how it pertained to me! Really, it's not so bad, taken day by day. It's just a lot of information all at once. Jason's taking him in the mornings so I only actually have to deal with half of that car line chart. Thank you, Jason!

As much as I'm a little verklempt at my little boy entering his elementary years, I'm also to the point in the summer where I am ready for it to start already! Here's the top 10 phrases I used the most in the last three months:

1. "Did you wipe?"
2. "That's too rough for your sister."
3. "Pick it up!!!"
4. "STOP!"
5. "Don't touch me until you wash your hands."
6. "What is that?!"
7. "Don't put that in your mouth."
8. "You are getting so tall!"
9. "How's your rash?"
10. "I love you so much!"

Here are Julian's most used phrases:

1. "Mom, did you see me?"
2. "Can I have some of that?"
3. "I see your boobies." [The joys of breastfeeding...]
4. "Can I watch Ben 10?"
5. "I don't know."
6. "Why aren't you doing what I want you to do?!"
7. "Invisible Julian has/does/is...."
8. "Can you scratch my rash?"
9. "I'm the fastest in the world!"
10. "Guess what?"

I know I'll miss this time and age, but right now, I'm going a bit nuts!

posted under annoying, car line, growing up, Jason, Juju, Julian, parental involvement, parenting, phrases, quotes, school, summer | 1 Comments

In Doubt

When in doubt, post a baby picture! This week has not been great. To add to it, I was headachey all yesterday. We still went out with friends and had a pretty nice evening celebrating a birthday. Of course, we had to leave half way through to get the kiddos. Jane has me on a short leash these days.

Today, I'm out of coffee and just feeling poor. The day started out well with a playgroup, but then we had to go to a thing at Julian's school. It was not a fun experience. I don't like being cut in front of and I really don't like being talked down to.

When I think about my life right now, there are so many good things that I feel guilty at the things that get me down. This week, for all it's busyness and social happenings, left me longing for both alone time and a friend.

posted under alone time, baby, birthday, coffee, doll, friends, Jane, Julian, life, lonely, party, sad, school | 0 Comments

Potential

The boy did this all by himself using every piece. Forget kindergarten, let's get this kid in an engineering program! One of my grandpas was an architectural engineer so there is that possibility in the genes. Makes me wonder what my parents thought I might become. I know I didn't meet my own expectations. Things change. Really, I see potential in Julian, but my highest hopes are for his character, not his vocation.

posted under expectations, Grandpa, hope, Juju, Julian, potential | 0 Comments

He Likes Her, He Really Likes Her!

Or at least he's figured out how to get in on all the attention! Really though, Julian does seem fond of his little sis. He's got so much going on lately and she's not doing much yet, so it's a nice time. I know that when she's in his stuff and following him around all the time, he might not be as loving! We'll just enjoy it for now.

Taken in a dim room with a not-so-hot camera phone!

posted under attention, Jane, Juju, Julian, kids, nice, playing | 0 Comments

Pinellas Places Parents Shouldn't Miss!

One of the denizens of the Children's Wing

I feel so lucky to live in an area that has a lot of things to do, especially since so many of those things are for families. The Mommy & Me group from my church has spent Monday mornings this summer down in Largo. We meet at the wonderful Largo Central Park and then when it gets too warm (or the gobs of day cares turn up), we head to the library across the street. They have a children's wing that is really fantastic. The kids aren't shushed constantly and there is a nice play area for the younger lot. Julian's getting a bit big for it so he's now on the computers playing games. When Jane's old enough, we'll start doing some of the library's fun mid-morning kid programs. For more information and the library's calendar, click here.

Julian was going around this alphabet rug reciting a dinosaur for each letter

posted under calendar, Children's wing, church, computer, families, Juju, Julian, kids, Largo, Largo Central Park, Largo Library, Mommy and Me, parents, programs, things to do | 0 Comments

What a Find!

I love a good thrift store find. They are getting very rare for me though. Mostly because I haven't even gone to a thrift store in months- also because a lot more people are thrifting so the pickings are slim. I didn't plan to stop this morning, but I thought I might find another pair of uniform pants or shorts for Julian. In my calculations, I didn't factor in that he'd need a set of "accident" clothes. I ended up at a store that I don't even like that much. They price everything in anticipation of the one day a month when it's all half off. Anyway, I did find a pair of suitable pants for Juju and then a pair of shoes caught my eye. I have little feet and I can wear kids sizes. These fit perfectly! (I know, I know, thrift store shoes- ick, BUT for the right shoe, you can always throw in insoles and they're fine.) Here's my find:

Love the hand embroidering!

The last photo was artistic, this is a better view! They have hand stitched rag soles too.

posted under artistry, embroidered, embroidery, flowers, hand made, Julian, Mexican, photo, photography, picking, school, shoes, spanish, thrift store, thrifting, uniform | 0 Comments

All in a Week

August 7

The new guy. Julian has named him Joseph, which is funny considering that's what I wanted to name the baby if it was a boy!

August 6

Yeah, this is pretty much the gravitational center of "cuteness'.

August 5

Catching up on some correspondence. It's been a bit of an exciting, but lonely summer.

August 4

She's found her fingers, not her thumb, but her two middle fingers. Can't complain about a self-soothing baby though!

August 3

A life lived really, really well.

August 2

Jason's pick for birthday his celebration. My phone camera just would not function in the "mood lighting" so no people photos. J received some very interesting gifts!

posted under baby, ballerina, Betta fish, birthday, correspondence, friend, funeral, Jane, Joseph, Juju, Julian, letters, life, lonely, mail, restaurant, Rumba, summer | 0 Comments

Suncoast Primate Sanctuary

As much as I can, I'm trying to make sure Julian doesn't feel neglected with the new baby around. For the last couple years, I'd intended on checking out the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, so when I heard some of my girlfriends were heading there, we definitely had to go. It's not a zoo and doesn't have a zoo's budget. It is a place for animals that have no where else to go. It's all outdoors and while the cages are very clean, the dirt paths are not. It took us about an hour to go through. We probably would have stayed longer if it wasn't so hot. I would recommend a visit here- just know it's not a zoo and you aren't going to see the animals in natural habitats and you do want to bring sun block and bug spray. The volunteers are great though and the animals are healthy and entertaining.

Chimpanzees

There's also a collection of alligators and turtles. Julian isn't big on alligators as you can see from his response!

This little boy-monkey was loose in the bamboo.

Our own little Jane Goodall slept through the whole thing.

Julian & Aaron taking in all the parrots

This gorgeous orangutan was really alert and watchful. He kept moving to where people were.

Of all the cool things in the sanctuary, the boys, of course, were most interested in this stagnate rock pond.

Out side the bird cages

Tortoises


The loudest monkey in the place!

Today is Jason's birthday, so after gobs of hand sanitizer, we met him for lunch.

Julian's still pretty much in monkey mode!

posted under alligator, animals, bamboo, birds, birthday, day trip, Florida, Jane, Jason, Julian, monkey, orangutan, parrots, steak n' shake, Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, tortoises | 0 Comments

Wrapping Up July

July 30

Etsy sales have slowed this month, so I'm grateful for the ones I got this week!

July 29

My healthy breast-fed baby! It's such a relief that things are going well in that respect.

July 28

This is an "Ironman" costume that Julian pulled together. Yes, those are hats on his feet. I wish I had his limitless imagination still!

posted under baby, breast feeding, costume, etsy, health, imagination, Ironman, Jane, Julian, mail, pretend, Richarme Jewelry Designs, TheRicharmedLife | 0 Comments

Pizza Review!

July 27- This is why I love Groupon- we get to try different places around without blowing our budget. Tonight we gave Joto's Pizza a try. It's been around for a loooooong time and is pretty well known locally. Can I give a brief review? The pizza was good- nice crust and yummy cheese- and the restaurant staff was super nice. Julian loved that you can watch them throw the pizza dough and make the pizzas. Still, it's a bit of a drive for us and just doesn't quite top our closer favorites: Zeko's, Queen's & Paul's Chicago. If you're in the Pinellas Park area, it is worth checking out.

This morning Julian also built a race car at Lowe's and got a hair cut. Eventful day for a 5 year old!

posted under cheese, food, groupon, hair, haircut, joto's pizza, Juju, Julian, kids, lowe's, paul's chicago pizza, pinellas park, pizza, queen's, race car, workshop, zeko's | 0 Comments

Swamp Things

July 25th-

Back to the Museum! Today it was all about pretending to be cool things.


Ship Captain Juju

Fire Chief Julian

July 24th-

Still hot and muggy- at least Jane's got a lot of light weight little cotton dresses. This one is Koala Baby and has pink embroidery and smocking- classic!

July 23rd-

I love the decor in my house- until I have to dust and de-cobweb it all! I'm hopelessly behind and, in this swampy warm house with no air conditioning, not feeling much like even trying to catch up!

posted under asian, Chinoiserie, cleaning, dress, fireman, Florida, Glazer Children's Museum, hot, humid, Jane, Juju, Julian, make believe, pilot, pretending, ship, swampy | 0 Comments

Two Favorites

July 21-

Oh, yes, please! This is my favorite wine. (And the kitchen curtains mum & I finally got made up!)

July 20-


Saturday night bath- this was a compromise from what he wanted me to take a picture of! Silly boy...

posted under bath, curtains, favorite, Florida, Juju, Julian, Keel & Curley, nudist, Saturday night, sweet blueberry, wine, winery | 0 Comments