Easy Going

Today was an easy going day.  We had a lot of fun swimming with our friends this morning.  I will definitely need to host there again next time!  Play group always goes right up to lunch time so we came home to eat and I did some digital photo organization while Ayden was sleeping.  I wasn't tired enough to sleep but wanted some sort of task where I could put my feet up for a bit.  When Ayden woke up from his nap we went and picked up hive supplies for the swarm we caught on Saturday.  When we got home I put some leftover chicken soup to warm on the stove and then we went outside to play until David got home.  After dinner we went out to the farm to play while David and his dad put the treads on the stairs at the house.  That was when our boy was able to have some real fun!  

So happy to be playing in the dirt!

Also so happy to help Daddy with power tools.

Ayden was asleep by 8:15 and I get to have another relaxing evening.  Until David gets home that is and then we have to have a hive assembling marathon!  We always watch something on Netflix and chat while we work on hives together so it's actually pretty nice.  

Today was one of those days where we did a lot but at a nice slow pace with breaks in between.  We were gone enough not to trash the house but home enough to enjoy the air conditioner and take care of a few to do list items.  I know I'm going to be missing these slow, predictable days in a couple of months so I am really trying to appreciate them while I can have them!  

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "3 Letter Word"

And two years ago today: "One of Those Days"

Tiny Clothes

We loved our day today.

Morning movie and snuggles with all of my boys.
Well... David got his snuggles for the day.  I was on Pinterest.

Sun bleaching Ayden's white newborn and 0-3 month onsies.
This sight gave me warm fuzzies.

Farm time and house progress.

Ceiling/floor joists!

Stair stringers.

We are hosting playgroup at my parents' house tomorrow.  Yay for a swim day with friends!  Ayden and I spent a couple of hours at my parents house so he could swim and play with his cousins and I could help my mom prepare her home for guests.  We came home for a family shower and then met up with some of our favorite friends for dinner. Now Ayden is in bed and David and I have a date with Netflix.  I can't believe yet another weekend has flown by.  Slow down, time!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "To The Market We Go"

And two years ago today: "Hawaii Day"

Another Swarm!

Ayden and I were visiting with my parents when I got a call from David over on our property.  He said, "Sarah, you need to get over here."  All kinds of worries went through my mind since the last I had seen him and his Dad working, they were walking across ceiling joists.  I asked what was wrong and he said, "Nothing's wrong but you're going to want to come because we've got some bees swarming."

Swarmming is a good thing.  It is a sign of a strong, busy hive.  We just were not expecting it from one of ours this season...

They started to settle in two different places.
Unfortunately the queen was in the higher cluster.

My parents came out with Ayden since I left him with them when I came to see and David's mom came to watch too.  My mentor came to help us again and the guys all took turns sawing through the big branch to free the bees!

David's turn!

It finally came down and was even bigger than we realized.

Almost as tall as me!

About 20,000 bees in my hand.

David and our dads got right to work on weed eating and preparing a spot for the new hive.  They put down weed cloth and mulch, went to the barns for some cement blocks and got me all set up.  I suited up and David and I transferred the bees from the box we originally put them in to their new home.

And then there were four.

We were not planning on adding a fourth hive this season.  We had said we were going to give away the next swarm we were called to collect but since these bees were from one of our hives and it was so big, we just couldn't let them go!  My mentor lent us the equipment pictured above and we're going on Monday to buy another hive and more supers for the other three hives.

My mom channeled her own grandmother and headed home a little early and got dinner going for everyone.  Once everything was settled, we got to go for a swim and then we all sat down for a meal together.  It was the perfect way to end the evening!  Ayden didn't get to bed until 9:30 but he did great up until he fell asleep.  This is what Summer is all about!

Have you had any unexpected excitement pop up in your life recently?  

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Block Party"
And two years ago today: "Robot Man"

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Dog Park Day

Maverick had an appointment for his bordetella vaccine at 10:45 this morning (we'll be boarding him next weekend and he was overdue) so we got out of the house a little early and took him to the dog park!

The dirty pool was his fave.

He really enjoyed the socialization and Ayden was mesmerized by all of the dogs running around.  Come to find out, there is a group of folks who meet from 8-10 every morning.  A doggy play group of sorts.  They spend the first hour walking around the rest of the park and the last hour in the dog park.  One of the other moms from our Monday kid play group wants to start bringing her dogs to the dog park too so we might try to make it every Friday morning until Logan comes. I don't plan on becoming an official member of the dog play group but it is nice to know that there will consistently be other dogs for Mav to play with and nice folks to talk to.  Our dog park has two sides so we will probably take our little ones and dogs over to the empty side since the play group dogs were VERY excited to see Ayden. He was perfectly content to hang out on top of the picnic table the whole time so all of the excited big dogs couldn't knock him down.  It gave him the perfect view.

I stuck a stew hen in the crock pot overnight so Ayden and I would have meat and stock to make this deliciousness today!  

Chicken Veggie Soup!
Perfect for a day in the upper 80's! Ha.
I froze half for post baby freezer meal #5!

Here is Ayden's version of helping me chop the carrots...

What's up, doc?

After dinner, David's mom came out to the building site to play with Ayden so I was able to water our orchard and observe my bees a little without a "helper" who actually likes to water anything but the trees and is a little too brave around the beehives.  He had a blast with her as always and I enjoyed being able to relax a little on our property.  The place is far from kid safe and when I'm over there on Ayden duty it definitely feels more stressful than enjoyable most of the time.  Ayden wore his tool belt and filled it with golf tees (which he calls nails).  He likes to hammer the golf tees into the dirt "mountain" and always loves a chance to be just like his daddy.

Since I made dinner earlier in the day I was able to get the kitchen *mostly* cleaned up before dinner.  I'm a tired mama and once I got Ayden to bed I sat down and haven't moved since.  We'll just say that I'm taking the night off.  Hey, it's Friday night.  Gotta live it up, right? Haha.

How are you spending your Friday night?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Routines"
And two years ago today: "Against the Grain"

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Swimming Up An Appetite

We had a tiny break from the humidity today.  It was still hot and humid but just not as bad as it has been.  The quiet before the storm I hear since next week will be in the upper 90's.  It's hard to believe that two years ago around this time we were having such a bad draught and heatwave that nobody could have fireworks for the 4th of July!  Even though it's not the best for house progress, we've been really lucky with intermittent, generous rains.  Farmers at the farmer's market have been saying it has been a perfect season as far as crops go.  Such an awesome thing to hear!

Ayden has a hard time in the mornings during my morning routine sometimes.  He just wants to hit the ground running with playing and naturally wants company (I think a brother will be just the ticket!).  I used to just follow his lead but came to find out that I am able to focus so much better on him and enjoy him so much more when I get those tasks done and out of the way first thing.  They are what keep our household running smoothly and are important.  I started getting down on his level and saying, "It's time for Mommy to do her work and time for Ayden to do his work" and then listing out some possibilities.  It took a while but he is finally catching on. This morning he played with Maverick for a while:

"Take a picture of us, Mommy!"
Mav is a good sport...

And he listened to some audio books.

These are my new best friend.
They give me quiet breaks several times a day.

I ran the vacuum, and then we were off to story time!  We were at the library for about an hour and a half and then walked to a nearby hardware store that carries some of my favorite cloth diaper/baby clothing safe laundry detergent.  Time to wash some baby stuff!  Then we stopped by the grocery store to stock up on fruit before going home for lunch.

During Ayden's nap I relaxed a little (I am almost into territory where I need to nap again which is bumming me out) and then I crossed a couple of things off of my "complete before Baby comes" to do list.

Every six months?
I'm pretty sure I haven't cleaned our Dyson for 2 years...
It was nasty.

Ayden slept for about an hour and a half and woke up in a great mood.

Avocado pudding for an after nap snack!

I threw dinner on the grill and...

Ran through the sprinkler with my little love while we waited for Daddy to get home.

While David went to build after dinner, Ayden and I went to my parents house for a swim.

My sister and her kids came too.  It was a great visit!  Ayden must have swam up an appetite because he ate THREE more chicken legs before going to bed tonight.

Chowing down!

It was a day jam packed with awesomeness.  I'm pretty sure this is shaping up to be the best Summer ever. Logan is going to be the cherry on top!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Keeping Up"

And two years ago today: "Every Age and Every Stage"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

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Phases

When we went to have lunch with David yesterday I was talking to one of his coworkers about kids and phases. She was saying that her son used to eat everything and now he is such a picky eater. I reassured her that it was probably just a phase and that he'd probably become a good eater again and that got us to the topic of "phases" being equally frustrating and reassuring. Her son also used to be a good sleeper and now she's wondering if she'll ever get a good night's sleep again. Boy can I relate with wondering if you'll feel rested again. It took Ayden almost 2 years to get through that phase and even then it was with a lot of help from us...  We were saying that phases are frustrating because we know the kids have the ability to do "better" since we've seen them do it before and how at the same phases are reassuring because we know the better behaviors will come back around again.  It gives us some hope to cling to.

I am so happy to report that the past three days have been amazing with Ayden.  He has not been hitting us, he hasn't been trying to dump his toys on Maverick and he has been doing *better* about chasing the chickens with various toys (golf clubs, baseball bats, lacross sticks, regular sticks, etc.).  He has been responding much better when we give him preemptive warnings when we see him choosing to play with these objects.  Before we'd say, "Remember, that is for hitting balls" to which he'd reply, "No, it's for chasing chickens."  Little stinker...  Now he'll say, "I not chase chickens" or something similar. Tonight he did not resist a single step in his bedtime routine. He even raised his hips up so I could put on his nighttime diaper.  It was such an AMAZING breath of fresh air.

Granted, he has not come through this phase all on his own and not even to completion.  We have been working hard ourselves with staying consistent with phrases and consequences as well as helping him find more appropriate ways to channel his emotions or initiate interactions with the animals.  Even so, we seem to be on the down slope of this phase and are beginning to brace ourselves for the next.  I recently read a Huffington Post article about "The Agony And The Ecstacy Of Raising A Toddler" and it was pretty funny.  It's crazy how one minute you can be at your whits end, wanting to pull your hair out, and the next you are gazing at the miracle that is your child and wondering how you could ever be so lucky.

My world!

The fun part is that none of us are alone in this.  Every parent of every toddler anywhere in the world has this same feelings and it is exactly as it should be.  Someday, when we have more free time than we know what to do with and couldn't be more rested if we tried, we are so going to miss them being little!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "5 Happy Things: Joy Filled Life"

And two years ago today: "Transitions"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

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Toddler Tuesday: Cork Sail Boats

It's been a while since I have made a Toddler Tuesday post so I thought I'd put forth a little effort and bring them back to life!  This week we made cork sail boats. 

These were something I saw on Pinterest forever ago and tucked it away in the back of my mind.  When I went back to find how these Pinterest folks made these, my pin went to the image address rather than an actual post or website with instructions so I went by the picture and winged it.  I haven't had wine since before I was pregnant with Ayden, and David doesn't really like it, so we don't any have corks lying around.  My parents on the other hand have quite the collection (see the gift I made for my mom out of some of her special occasion corks in this post).  Once I remembered to grab a few during a visit, I was pretty sure we had everything we needed for making this fun activity:

corks (3 per boat)
wooden kabob skewer
rubber bands (2 per boat)
foam sheets (I used foam eggs leftover from Easter crafts)

scissors
utility cutters (something that will cut the wooden skewers)

Once I had all of the supplies gathered these seriously took less than 10 minutes to assemble.

Rubber band your corks together.

Cut out your sail(s)

Cut your mast 

Pike your mast through your sail.
In one side and out the other, leaving a slight curve.

Poke the mast through the middle cork and you're done!

Easy peasy and FREE!

We made three.

We had plans to go to my parents house this evening while they were babysitting my niece and nephew so I thought we could take these along and have enough for all three kids.  We ended up staying home instead but Ayden didn't mind!

It was a win!

He really liked it when I would gently blow on the sails and make the boats coast across the water.  He was a little young to get the concept of where to blow to make them move but that means I can put these into our toy rotation and soon enough when they make it back out he'll be able to play with them in a whole new way.  Tonight his exploration was more about sink/float and how the corks needed to be lined up with the sails straight up for them to stay upright.  He's always loved any kind of water play so these may make it into our bath toy collection as well. 

Has anyone else made these?  Were they a win in your house too??

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Head Over Heels"

And two years ago today: "Pajama Day"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

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Lazy Days Of Summer

We had another very enjoyable day today.  After our usual morning routine, we started our day with play group which is always one of the highlights of our week.  We swung by the grocery afterward for a few little things and Ayden fell asleep in the car before we got home for lunch.  He luckily snacked a lot while he played but still woke up hungry!  I fed him lunch and got dinner started.  I was making a double batch of chili (half for dinner and half for a freezer meal) and since it was something that would be easy to keep warm until David got home to join us I figured I'd take advantage of Ayden's helpful mood and knock it out early in the day.

My sous chef who insisted that we hold hands while we cooked.

Freezer meal #4.  Bam!

Since dinner was already done by 3:30 we had a couple of hours to just enjoy the beautiful day.  The high today was 92* and it was pretty humid but there was a breeze.  That paired with shade and our new spray bottle fan (which will be my best friend for the rest of the summer!) took the edge off the heat and allowed us to be comfortable enough outside.

Being lazy on the trampoline.
Ayden is proudly showing off his pickle...

After dinner we went to the building site to spend time with David.  Ayden really liked watching him cut the plywood from the doors and windows with the saws all.

Today's building crew.  More sheathing.
David and our dads.

Ayden playing in his room!

A grasshopper hopped right up and landed on his finger.
He got a kick out of that!

My parents climbed "the mountain" of dirt with him to blow bubbles.
He's been wanting to do that for forever!

We are really trying to live in the moment and not wish any time away.  This Summer is one that will be jam packed with memories and we really want to savor each and every one as they are happening.  There is a saying that when your kids are young the "days are long, but the years are short" and I'm okay with that.  Every day can take as long as it wants right now.

~Sarah

Fashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Summer Kickoff"
And two years ago today: "Practice Makes Perfect"

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DIY Wood Floor Cleaner

Since Ayden joined our family we have been on a quest to make our home as healthy as possible for him.  We have been gradually educating ourselves and replacing conventional products with healthier foods, hygiene products, pest control and home cleaning supplies.

--Maya Angelou

 It is all way too overwhelming, not to mention expensive, to replace everything at once.  So instead, we take a "use it up, research, replace with a healthier option" approach.  There have been a few products (like our oven cleaner and a few other harsh cleaners) that I looked up and tossed immediately once I saw just how toxic they were but for the most part, this method has been a good way to ease into a less toxic lifestyle.

We recently ran out of our favorite hardwood floor cleaner.  This is the perfect example where researching the ingredients in your products is important because the lack of regulations for labeling on products can allow companies to lead us astray.  Here is what we have been using:

Before repurchasing, I looked it up and to my surprise, here is what it scored:

The packaging even claims to be non-toxic.  UGH.  So frustrating...

So of course I headed over to Pinterest to find a recipe for a homemade cleaner using my tried and true ingredients that I have around the house.  Low and behold, I found one that I tried out today (you can find the exact recipe here).

Okay so in my before and after photo it's hard to tell but it did clean up all of the smudges that drive me bonkers.  

Before on the left, after on the right.
The floors here at the cottage are so scratched up that they aren't really the best model...

The verdict is still out on whether or not I like this cleaner better than my last.  It did clean the hard wood but the laminate wood floor in the kitchen was pretty streaky afterward.  The only thing is, now that I know better, I'm not going to be able to go back.  I'll give this cleaner a few more tries before moving to the next option which will probably be investing in a steam mop. I've heard good things about those...  I'll keep you posted!

David and Ayden spent the morning together while I went to check on my bees really quickly.  Our honey supers are set up with a 9 frame system which puts a little too much space between the frames for while the bees are pulling out the comb. It could result in some burr comb (comb that isn't straight or usable for the bees) so I just have to keep an eye on them.  They were just getting started so no problems yet.  David and his dad were out at the building site by 9:00 and made a lot of progress on the sheathing today!

Ayden and I had another pool day and had lunch with David and his dad on the farm.  While Ayden was napping I went through his newborn and 0-3 month clothes to see what we could use for Logan.  

So incredibly tiny...

There were plenty of 0-3 month options but only a couple of newborn onsies (the rest was all too Wintery) so I've got some consignment shopping to do!  We ended the evening with dinner and the World Cup game at David's parents' house.  It was a really great day!

Do you make a homemade wood floor cleaner?  What is your recipe?  Does it work on laminate too?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Cheat Night, Date Night"

And two years ago today: "Sitting Tall"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

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