Then Vs. Now

So many things that we're doing again this year with what seems like a completely different kid. And with living in a house vs. an apartment, we feel like a different family a bit, too.

Here I present some fun differences.

Context:
May 2013: Cora was 15 months old, I was 28, and B turned 30.

May 2014: Cora is 27 months old, I am 29, and today is B's 31st birthday.

Swim lessons then: I did a parent & child swim class at the Y that went from January to late February. Cora couldn't walk, used a swim diaper, and it was COLD! Even with the indoor heated pool, it was freezing the second we stepped out of it. And we had to suit up in all the winter accouterments just to go and come back.  She liked swimming, though.

Impossible to get a pic during swim lessons, so here is a boat pic from last year

Swim lessons now: Learned from my mistake and waited until the April session to do swim. Still a bit cold, but no boots or swim diaper required. She still loves it! And I love it more because it's just easier this time around. Also, the instructor says she's ready for puddle jumpers, so we tried them on her in the water and it went pretty well!

The zoo then:
Going to the zoo last year was more for me than it was for her. She enjoyed it, but she only spoke a handful of words and didn't seem to care about half of it.

The zoo now:
A wagon instead of a stroller. A kid who sees a zebra and hollers, "Zebra!" Still chows down on some cereal while we stroll along. So fun.

That's a bat-eared fox.

Screen-free week then: Oh, gah. Last year's attempt at screen-free week goes down in the books as one of the worst weeks of my life. Not because of the screen thing, but because of the burnt hands thing. Not my finest hour. Haven't baked bread since, by the way.

Screen-free week now: It's this week, and we're truckin' along. Doing the same thing as last year where I'm screen-free when Cora is awake, and then I picked one day to be totally screen-free. (Except for 'work,' and I do make money online so I gave myself 45 minutes for that one night.) One big difference this year is that Cora asks for "Bob" (the tomato) or "Signing Time," and I'm not letting her have it. Lots of redirection, lots of coloring.

Cora's hair then:

Not much of it, but quite chic

Cora's hair now:

Yay for hair! I refuse to have it cut just yet, so we pull it back most of the time.

So cute, even when stuffing her face full of black jelly beans (ew).

B's birthday then:
I spent the morning at the burn center downtown for Cora to get her final check-up and get the wraps off her hands.

We had a family gathering to celebrate over at his grandmother's house. I made one of his favorite meals and triple-layer chocolate cake from scratch.

B's birthday now:
I spent the afternoon at the dentist getting a cavity filled.

B didn't want to do anything special today, so I made whatever dinner was already on the menu plan, and Cora and I made brownies from a box mix earlier in the day. (Oven safety being first priority, of course.) B and I have a date night to a baseball game planned for Monday, so we're counting that as celebration as well.

Chopping the Mop

My hair is now shorter than it has been since I was a toddler.

It was time for my annual haircut. (Yeah, you read that adjective right.) I was pretty sure I had enough to donate, this time to Children With Hair Loss. We measured--I barely had the required 8", but I had it as long as I was willing to part with it.

And so I did! B's aunt has a mobile hair business, where she comes to your house and does your hair. It's kinda cool, but I was skeptical. We did most of it during Cora's nap, and then B came home from work and dealt with her.

Will I ever get my hair cut in my house again? Not sure. I wasn't over the moon about it, even though it seems like a good idea. Maybe it was the lack of looking at myself in the mirror for the whole time? Possibly. (Don't judge.) Was it because Cora came in the kitchen barefoot and started tracking little hairs all over the place? Perhaps. If I only get one haircut a year, maybe I WANT to be away from my house for that hour? Yeah, that's probably it.

Okay, enough yammering already. Time for pics. Because who reads a blog post about hair-chopping and really cares about the preface text?

Before:

Close-up from the selfie I took Friday.

The ponytails:

Hint: Always braid. And have rubber bands on hand if someone is making a house call. :-/

And after:

[Also, I have come to the conclusion that my left eye just doesn't open as much as my right one for pictures. Or ever? Vanity, oh vanity.]

After all was said and done yesterday, I decided to reflect back on all the other times I have donated my hair. I realized that I started doing it a DECADE ago. Right around this time of year, too. Four donations, 38" x at least 2 ponytails each time. That is over 6 feet of hair, my friends.

Unfortunately, I don't have an accessible picture from my first donation back in 2004, but the rest were on Facebook (and I even blogged about the previous one). I also realized I have donated hair in every state I have lived in (but not every city).

Here's a short recap!

Jacksonville, FL: 2006 before

2006 after

2010 before. This picture just makes me feel hot and itchy.

2010 after

I think the 2010 hair was my favorite. But I'll be rockin' my short lil' bob for a few months now (until it grows out and I don't get it taken care of when I should).

7QT: In Which I Mostly Talk About Clothing

--- 1 ---

Let's start with Easter, my favorite holiday ever. If you're a Christian, it should probably be your favorite, too, since our religion wouldn't exist without it.

It was a beautiful day here, and we went over to B's grandmother's house and had a great time.

Aren't we adorbs?

--- 2 ---

I made my momma's strawberry cake, per tradition. This was actually my first Midwestern Easter (I went back to GA last year), and I'm not sure they quite understand this up here.

If this was in Georgia, I would have NEVER been sent home with this much cake left.

(Easter is NOT a time for moderation, people!)

--- 3 ---

While I didn't quite find an Easter dress for Cora, I love the cute little outfit I got her. I also got myself a new dress, and I'm in love with it.

Dress is from NY&Co. Cora's outfit is from Babies R Us

--- 4 ---

Speaking of clothing, in a mom's online group I'm in, there was much discussion over this article on Babble.

It basically goes through 5 mom no-no's and some alternatives. (Go read it, it's mostly pictures.) Some people said it was judgmental and condescending; others said it wasn't practical. And some were put off by the referral links to things out their own price range.

But I mostly agree with the article. In a way none of the other moms did. I'm not one for crop pants much, but I liked all the other styles. (And yes, mamas, there are nursing-friendly dresses out there. I have 2 in my closet.)

The biggie-offenders in that list, though, are the sneakers and the schlubby sweats look. I really like Carolynne's minimalist series over at FLAP, especially in which she makes the point that if you don't own it, you can't wear it. Therefore, you will always look good! I don't own any yoga pants, so I seriously cannot make the 'tired mom' excuses and sell myself short and wear them out of the house.

Really, my gym clothes are reserved for the gym. Always. I used to wear sneakers out, but I always hated how they looked (they were generally my former running shoes), so I found a nicer alternative in ballet flats, alpargatas, and boots when it's cold and/or snowy.

--- 5 ---

In related news, this is what I wore when I took my 2-year-old to the library this morning. It was 45° and raining, and sitting on the floor was involved. I was comfortable, I think I look good, and I felt confident in myself.

Sweater: NY&Co. clearance rack
Pants: Aeropostale
Belt: Old Navy
Shoes: Bongo from Sears

If it tells you anything, I'm still wearing the entire ensemble, minus the shoes, just lounging around the house.

I also learned that the camera on my phone has a self-timer. Who knew.

--- 6 ---

Can I just rave about those pants a minute? Yes, they are from the store's "uniform collection," but I seriously don't care. They were $15, and they are the most comfortable pants ever. Soft cotton twill, a good amount of stretch, and still a nice skinny cut in short length for my little stubs. I had been looking for a pair of khakis for a while after taking a cue from my husband. He wears khakis all the time, and he always looks put-together.

Aaaand, after praising the hubs on that, I just noticed he's wearing jeans in that Easter picture above. But hey, collared shirt!

--- 7 ---

A picture of Cora eating cake? Don't mind if I do.

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