good things part 3

*when gray is in a really really bad mood and threatening to ruin our family time date and beautiful walk in the sunshine, i stop, take a deep breath, and look around for a sign. i see a tree with a nice butthole just waiting to be poked. i say to her "if you put your finger in that tree's butthole i guarantee that your bad mood will disappear."

and it does.

good things part 2

*have i mentioned how much baby loves brussel sprouts? so much so, i fact, that last night, after cooking a whole bunch (four dollars worth, which is quite a bunch) of brussels, i went to sprinkle some salt and pepper on top before eating. unfortunately the pepper top was open (the part that you're supposed to be able to dunk your spoon into) and literally about five tablespoons of pepper dumped on top of my snack. did that stop me from eating them? no. pregnancy at it's best.

*joey watching the movie 'sinbad' right now (totally inappropriate but most of it is going over his head thankfully)...but he keeps screaming "MAN NIPPLES!" every time a half naked dude comes on the screen

*every morning when joey comes into my bed (at 5am) he snuggles in to me in the dark and whispers "i dreamed about the baby" and then pulls up my shirt and kisses my stomach

*refusing to wear maternity clothes this time around

*MAN NIPPLES!

*reading a whole chapter book last night about butterflies that talk and have attitude problems

*the kids going to bed at 5:30pm

*taco night

*library story time

*gray's thankful notes to her teachers

*johnny's cold feet in bed and him hogging all the blankets (i secretly like it)

*double boilers

*muffins

*movie date night coming up tomorrow night

xx

the good things

*gray being healthy and happy again after a couple of bad days last week with strep throat, a strep body rash, and a double ear infection

*a date with johnny this weekend for hot drink treats (chai and triple shot lattes) and then sushi

*christmas parades and seeing the kids on the float with high spirits even though it was about 10 degrees out

*being able to walk today. seriously, walking is pretty cool.

*lower back massages

*reading chapter books with the kids in my bed

*how the grinch stole christmas every day this week

*seeing the faces of the kids at the aquarium this weekend, and getting free tickets. watching the turtle eat lettuce and puke. examining the private parts of sharks.

*having all my thanksgiving shopping done

*vampire series books and the librarians that still love me even though all i take out now are bad young adult books. stacks and stacks of them every day.

*scholastic book order forms and gray getting off the bus today clutching two of them screaming "mom! TWO! TWO of them!!!"

*my date with joey today in front of a roaring, smoky fire reading dr. suess

*feeling the baby kick all night long, trying to imagine what s/he will be like in a couple of months

*connecting with a really fantastic doula-in-training who will attend our birth and who has been to ina may's farm in TN

*having all the dusty fancy plates and wine glasses already washed and ready for thursday

*grateful presents ready to be delivered to neighbors

*thanksgiving placecards

*reading in the car in the mornings while waiting for the bus, the heat blasting

*wearing brown shoes and black clothes and not caring because i'm pregnant and feel like i should be able to get away with any fashion transgression.

*joey's love for reading

*family dinners at the 99

*a whole bunch of appetizers just waiting to be made this week

*a huge pot of chicken soup on the stove right now waiting to be eaten

*family about to get-together and put aside differences this week

*brussel sprouts

*bowls of spinach

*bowls of broccoli

*seeing beautiful friends and family every time we're out somewhere in public- one of the benefits of living in the town that we both grew up in (it's actually quite comical how many people we saw at starbucks last weekend)

*oolong tea

*organic pregnancy tea

*vitamins helping me stay healthy, and keeping my baby safe

*going to bed at 6pm

*cinnamon buns

there's much more, but mama's going to veg for a bit. how's it hangin' in your world? xx

what i need

(photo by gray)

i'm hibernating.
and i can't stop.
haven't been taking many pictures.
haven't been blogging, emailing, phone calling.

i have been
surrounded
by my crafts
and stacks of magazines
and library books
and cup
after cup
of tea.

this is what i need right now
bedtimes at 7pm
vampire stories in the middle of the night
my family snuggled on the couch
surprise pieces of chocolate cake

and that's about it.

but i do miss you. xx

new

new week ahead
and everything seems possible again
starting it off with a new attitude
and a new coat
(vintage find for $5 with generous butt-pleats for my pregnancy butt)
that is bright orange
in the morning light
and a new plate
shaped like celery
gifted to me
by boo
it makes me want to race to the store
and buy celery
cream cheese
and paprika
and invite some friends over

today is midwife visit
and library
and snuggling on the couch
trying not to fall asleep
at 6pm today
because my day
started at 12am

i have been getting quite a lot of reading done
thanks to this
insomnia

off to start
life.

xx

quirky bird

gray is a quirky bird. sometimes bubbly and boisterous, other time moody, withdrawn, and kind of sad, she's always a trip. she likes to dress herself for school and sometimes comes up with some whacked outfits. she also doesn't like to be talked to when she gets off the bus for two hours, until it's time for bed. then she most always will have to go poop, even though it's past her bedtime. she likes carrots and dip and broccoli but you can't get her to eat a piece of cake (the frosting is a different story). she's a conundrum, a mystery that i'm always trying to figure out.

lately she's taken to writing names like "carlos" and "elvis" on scraps of paper (like my shopping lists) with hearts around them. boys at the bus stop run up to her and say "oooh grace, you're so pretty, i love you and you're my girlfriend!" and then i launch into my cheese-ball, "hey, we're all friends, we're all friends with each other on this beautiful planet" blah blah blah and all the little ones roll their eyes, rub their snot noses, and run away.

i'm in for a long ride.

this morning, she created this fantastic card for her bus driver. her bus driver is this pretty rad looking young woman who reminds me of annie lennox. short pixie hair dyed almost white with a nose ring and a love of funky hats. needless to say, gray is enamored. the card was classic gray- all hearts and rainbows and the bus driver's name. and then she said "i have an idea!" and so excitedly wrote "dawn- grace loves you!". she was like "this will make dawn so happy". how could i tell her that it may be borderline inappropriate to court your bus driver? so i smiled and said she'd love it.

and you know what, she totally did. i sat in my car and watched gray excitedly hand over the note, and the bus driver's face lit up like you would not believe. even from the distance i was at, i could tell with certainty that it would be the best part of her day.

and it was mine, too.




have a beautious weekend. i'll be hibernating with the fam. xx

be OK

i found this incredibly inspiring. i hope you do, too.

it's been about

i can't even tell you where i've been or what i've been up to.

it's been a lot about sitting and being in the moment. being away from the tv and away from the computer. being in the leaves. being with the kids and their art supplies and going on dates with them. lavishing them with the attention they both need right now. it's been about being in the kitchen, preparing meals, and nourishing the people that i love. it's about learning how to accept help from others, and loving when people take caramel. it's about the little things that seem so big- having a friend bake a minature "happy halloween" cake for you and hand deliver it. another friend buying me the most delicious italian take-out dinner that i could have possibly imagined. it's been about driving through the city at night past my bedtime in a cow costume. it's about plowing through stacks of books from the library at 2am in the morning. finding ways to surprise others in little ways. letting go of the need for a clean house and appreciating the love that takes place inside it instead.

i'm having guests over today. and instead of cleaning my bathroom at 4am this morning when i came downstairs, i sat down. i took a deep breath. i made a cup of tea and poured a big frosty cup of orange juice. i lit a candle. i thought about all the reasons why i'm lucky to have my life. and then i thought about how all the people that are coming over love me for who i am regardless of how my bathroom looks. there may be hairballs and mold and scary things lingering about in there, but it's real. so it will be as it is. i sat down with the glow of the computer and decided to check in with my bloggie peeps instead.

then i realized that it was actually not 4am but 3am (ah, daylight savings!)

but that's besides the point.

so even though i may be missing from here
i am still here
in the thick of it
spilling apple cider down my chin
all over my shirts
that don't fit anymore
because a baby
is popping out from the bottom

and i miss you
and think about you.

thank you all again for being here with me. xx

early holiday saley-sale

hello dearest of dearpeeps,

just a little FYI that there's a little saley-sale going on in my etsy shop. i really want my paintings to find a home for the holidays. so they are both marked down...way down. it's a great chance for someone to get an original mixed media piece of nina beana work- so hop on over and snag it!

xx
nb.

gratitude

(leaving a space for baby #3)


pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

dates with joey to our local orchard where you can sit down inside. johnny invested in my happiness and for just $20 bought me a new stainless steel mug from the orchard and i can go 50 times a day if i want and get "free" coffee, tea, or hot apple cider. needless to say, joey and i have been spending a ridiculous amount of our date time sitting at the table together, watching the customers, eating lemon poppy seed scones and refilling my apple cider. he draws, i get fatter. it's a pretty good deal.

whole foods. throat coat tea. finding decaf chai today. free organic chocolate milk.

sleeping all night (well, until 4am but that's progress!) for the past three nights.

having my head rubbed last night.

winning a brand new board game for the kids at a raffle last week.

my brother taking me out to dinner last night at one of my favorite restaurants.

piles of christmas presents already. lists for thanksgiving.

a huge bag of giant apples waiting to be turned into applesauce.

dinner tonight. sitting on my couch with people i love.

feeling the baby kick my laptop right now.

getting organized around the house.

feeling safe and warm in our little situation.

learning about my children who are very complex and completely beautiful and mind-boggling.

opening my mailbox and finding the most beautiful photo of roots from an even more beautiful friend. running inside, putting it in a frame, and hanging it on my favorite wall immediately.

this blog post.

this website.

campfires. hot chocolate machines. family dinners on sundays. endless marshmallows on sticks. the bittersweet popping all around us.


what's got your fires burnin'?

awake

i've pretty much
stopping sleeping
completely

maybe it's all the vampire stories?

but today
i'm thankful
for my family
for bonfires
for friends
who let me fart in front of them
and for project runway canada
at 2am in the morning

the sound of crunching leaves
is all around
and makes it all ok.

baby's favorite things

so this baby
still remains a mystery
as far as gender is concerned

there have been
some ultrasounds
but no conclusive evidence
of
if
the baby
has
a
peanut
or
a
beanerdog.

which is kind of ok.
i'm ok with the mystery.
i'm not sure i'd be as ok if i didn't already have a boy and a girl.
but babies don't need much
except love
so i'm really ok
with the not-knowing this time around.


lots of people
have asked
what i'm craving
this time around

unlike my pregnancy with grace
i am NOT craving ice cream
and milk from glass bottles

this time around
all i crave
is
SALT
and CHAI
(and bad teen lit and vampire books before bedtime)

truthfully i've kind of been eating like poo
but the baby's healthy so all is good.

xx

seriously pregnant

insanity, i tell you
the size of my buddha is complete insanity
as this baby grows
my clothes get smaller
even the maternity shirts
don't cover the whole thing
and that's ok
because soon
i will move on
to john's sweatshirts
and when those stop fitting
then i won't leave the house
because it will be snowing
and i'll be getting ready
for three.


embracing fall in all its glory.
this weekend there were parties and meals and gatherings
and fevers and coughs and clingy, sick kids
but there was so much love
and so many of the most perfect things that i heart
that this weekend
really
truly
rocked the casbah.

happy fall love love love weekend!

pleased to announce the opening of my humble little etsy shop!



see sidebar for handy-dandy etsy link, and stay posted for more goodies! thanks for all the wonderful support and encouragement so far- my peeps really do rock. xx

i woke up at 3am to have peace and quiet to watch this

why i love my husband clark griswold

we had a lovely and relaxing time up north this weekend. like a reallllly reallllly good time.

but here's why i stinkin' love my husband clark griswold.

we (read: me) were all frantically getting ready on saturday morning. there were multiple bags to be packed for multiple tradeoffs with the kids- there were soccer balls and cleats and shin pads not to be forgotten. the toothbrushes! the cough medicine! the wedding shoes and of course the purse for the new burts bees lipbalm for those crazy chapped lips. there were so many details, and we all went about our business, packing and packing and showering and uh, sleeping. johnny was quite the sleepyhead and needed to be prodded to get in the shower, pack, and eat before our departure. but that's cool, because that's soooo johnny. a complete sleepyhead.

to make a long story short, we get up north with a bit (maybe an hour?) of time to spare before the 3pm wedding. we do an early-check-in at our hotel down the street and lug all our bags and stuff up to the second floor of the hotel to our room. we decide to get dressed, run through a drive-through to pick up a quick bite to eat for preggie-mama, and then go to the wedding. mind you, we just had over a three hour drive to get to our final destination. mama's hungry!

so i start rummaging through my bag to grab my new dress. and my shoes. and my shawl. and i glance up at johnny, who's standing right in front of me looking like a deer caught in the headlights. all it took was one look at him and i say

"so you forgot your suit?"

and he nods.

so i put on my dress. and my shoes. and my shawl. and then we proceed to haul-ass to the nearest outlet store and buy a suit and shirt off the rack. the wedding! in a half-hour! dressing rooms, hip checking old people to get the goods. i'm dressed for a wedding, and john's in jeans and a t-shirt. i'm the pregnant mama hobbling through the store on high heels. pretty comical if you ask me.

but seriously, i couldn't love this man any more. this man who is my fourth child. this man who simultaneously holds our family together and causes more disasters* with his clark griswold charm. how on earth did we end up together so perfectly? he drives me nuts, yes, but i love him.


*(but this is why i cringe when we says he wants to get a motorcycle.)

ps- we really did have a fabulous time at the wedding. and managed to stay married ourselves, too. bonus!

dear luscious fall

hello fall.

well aren't you just perfect? perfect for walking around, drinking chai after chai, filling up cartfulls of crisp apples? and wearing capes. yes, i do love myself a cape now and then.

i adore you, fall. i really do.

the whole fall deal was made even sweeter this past weekend during our husband-and-wife trip to north conway, NH to celebrate the marriage of our friends. there was some serious foliage going on up there. breathtaking. and then there were the four bears we saw, right up close and personal. a mama bear and her three babies following along behind her, just crossing the road right in front of us on top of a mountain. my first thought when i looked at that mama was "that's me." there i go. my kindred bear-mama spirit. it was pretty magical and kinda freaky.

anyone who's curious...my cervix is CLOSED and LUSCIOUS (my midwife's word, not mine)! i spent the morning with my midwife getting checked because of some problems that i've been having- lots of pain and scary stuff. for anyone who knows me, you know that it was a big deal that i even called in the first place to get an appointment to go in...a first. but i've never been more relieved to hear that everything is fine, and that i'm actually in excruciating pain because i've gained over ten pounds in two weeks! hello! and i'm measuring a full two inches more than i was two weeks ago. so my body is going through some funkalicious changes, producing some uncomfortable feelings down under. but baby #3 is healthy and fine and the heart is beating great- and my private parts are luscious! so all is well in the world.


AND i don't have to cook dinner tonight because my dad's making chicken soup.

i love my life.

magic magic and more magic

this weekend, i hope the magic swirls around you.

i hope you are so stinkin' magical that dragonflies and fairies swarm to you and land right on your head when you least expect it.

i hope you think it's really rad that you are a fairy princess and the smallest of creatures feel safe with you.

then i hope you realize what's really happening and you totally freak out and lose your mind.

peace out!
xx

nesting, creating, and hibernating

so here's where i've been these past couple of weeks dear people:

in the office drowning in art supplies, marinating.

staring at the sparkly lights and the jars of goodies all around.

working on some paintings. which is big for me. like huge.

this is my painting. hello, painting. i love looking at it. i love the bits of ephemera and the layers of paint peeking through. i think it would make the greatest addition to a baby's room. i need to take some better pictures in real light (it's been raining here forever so i snazzed up the colors a bit). eventually, it will go up in my etsy shop which i also worked on getting setting up this week (thanks to the support and lubbins of dear pix). if you are pre-interested before it goes up and want more deets, please feel free to email me and we'll talk. xx

so this is me. here, sitting right here. with incense burning all around. and some fall candles. i'm either here or in my basement, sorting through about 30 moldy bags of mixed baby and toddler clothes. spending about $100 on those huge 30 gallon bins, sorting and sorting. stacking and stacking. nesting and preparing for the arrival of this baby who's gender remains unknown. sweeping and sorting and creating. thinking of christmas already. presents to make and design. getting ready for a weekend away in the mountains, sans kiddies. as much as i hate to be away from them again, especially with grace being gone all week until 4pm at kindergarten (kindergarten!)- but i really am looking forward to celebrating the love of our friends, eating in diners, and tucking away in a big hotel bed at the end of the night- just pregnant me and my husband.

so that's the scoop.

what the heck have you been up to? do tell.

when all else fails

when all else fails
i have a burrito for breakfast
and an ice cream cone for lunch.