"The Chonker" at 19 Months Old

A. His Schedule – He usually wakes up at around 7 a.m. and goes to sleep for the night around 7:30 p.m. He takes a long morning nap at about 10 a.m. and usually does not wake until after 12:00 p.m.

B. His Size – He's wearing size 24-month clothes and size 6 shoes (though he's almost outgrown them). Currently, he's wearing size 5 Pampers.

C. His Personality – He is a charming fellow. He's so friendly. He greets everything and everyone with a smile, unless he's feeling hot (which can happen in our climate in the humid summer). As long as he is well-fed and well-rested, he's very content to just hang out and try to emulate the big kids, including sitting at the bench for meals, sitting on the couch, and feeding himself. We continue to affectionately call him "the Chonker" because he's both very interested in food and pretty sporty - he's learned to say the word "ball" before many other words.

D. His Favorite Things

• Colors: He looks good in green and yellow.
• Shows and Movies: He loves listening to music and therefore he loves Cocomelon.
• Books: He sometimes tries to turn the pages of books like his oldest brother does. He would rather fumble with the pages than get help from an adult or listen to the story itself being read to him.
• Toys and Play: He still seems to derive a lot of joy out of listening to his mobile. His other favorite toys include anything that is like a sword or a ball (especially softballs) and a pretend guitar which plays a random tune.
• Art: He cannot be trusted with magic markers; ask me how I know.
• Activities: He enjoys the company of others and doesn't like it when his people separate, e.g. if one of us goes downstairs.
• Words: He reliably says "maam" (for "mom"), "daa" (for "dad"), "no," "ball," and "caa" (for "cat"). He seems to understand a lot and he says more words, but unreliably. 
• Time of Day: He likes the early morning right when he wakes up. He also likes any time of day that involves being outdoors.
• Bedding: He loves a mint-colored baby blanket from Target and recognizes that it is his (he will hug it when he sees it).
• Clothing: He is rocking shorts and a t-shirt on most days. It's a treat to see his chubby, tanned legs.
• Foods: He loves self-feeding, and enjoys berries, applesauce in a squeeze-pack, fruit snacks, Fruit by the Foot, and fries. He will try most foods and seems to like almost all foods except bread.
• Animals: He likes our dog, he is obsessed with our cat and follows him around, and he is good friends with our pet bunny. He's really a kind, gentle little guy.
• Heroes/Characters: I can't say.

E. Things He Does Not Like – He does not like seeing his people leave (e.g. me leaving the house to head to the grocery store). He also does not like it when items are taken away from him, such as the broom (it is kind of like a sword from his perspective, I think). He also does not seem particularly fond of swimming pools.

F. What He’s Thinking About – I don't know he's thinking about, but he's frequently smiling, revealing an adorable dimple on only one cheek.

G. Surprises – I guess it never ceases to amaze me how different each one of our kids' personalities is from the others. They truly are unique.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best thing(s): Spending time with him - he's so cuddly.
• The worst thing(s): I guess there's always going to be parental guilt for not being able to do or provide more for your kids. I wish I had more time to hang out with him.

I. Family and Friends – Right now, his social circle is basically our social circle. He has a couple of little cousins up north that are about his age - maybe they will be pals when they're older.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – In general, I'm a more relaxed parent now than when we just had one or two, due in large part to having "been there and done that" and thus not being surprised or overwhelmed by new situations. I am trying to use the Lazy Genius system to focus in on what's important - this summer, to me that seems like nature hikes and going to the pool with my family.

K. Milestones – He started walking at the very end of April (so just over 16 months old) and now he can run.

Rosie at Age 4

A. Her Schedule – She seems like an early bird and a party animal. She'll wake up as soon as she hears anyone else is up (approximately 6:30 a.m.) and she usually takes a nap at 2 p.m. and goes to bed at 8 p.m. with coercion. Left to her own devices, she'd never go to sleep.

B. Her Size – She's wearing size 6 clothing but it's a little big on her. She's wearing size 11 shoes and they're getting tight.

C. Her Personality – She is a pretty outgoing, friendly child, who loves taking care of younger kids like she's a mommy. Her biggest interests currently seem to be 1. babies, and 2. puppies.

D. Her Favorite Things

• Colors: Pink, red and turquoise.
• Shows and Movies: She really likes Encanto and Turing Red.
• Books: She has quite a few books on ponies.
• Toys and Play: She likes sensory toys (kinetic sand, Play Doh, etc.) and tiny toys (dollhouse stuff, Calico Critters, tiny surprise toys from bath bombs, Barbie pets, etc.).
• Art: She likes drawing and colors.
• Activities: She is a social butterfly. She shows a preference towards playing with girls. She loves pending time with her biggest brother and her little brother.
• Time of Day: She is an early bird.
• Bedding: She has a pink blanket with birds on it and a rainbow-colored pillow.
• Clothing: She'll wear anything but she tends to be a girlie-girl. Think pink cowgirl boots, leggings, and a t-shirt with flowers on it.
• Foods: Besides milk, she likes chocolate chips, Oreos, Fruit by the Foot (which she calls "Fruit by the Toe"), and fruit snacks shaped like Scooby Doo.
• Animals: She likes puppies, birds, and rabbits.
• Heroes/Characters: Probably the red panda Mei from Turing Red.

E. Things She Does Not Like – Bedtime. Foods that are not her favorite foods.

F. What She’s Thinking About – She loves spending time with her grandparents and her little brother. She also adores her oldest brother because he's nice to her and tolerant with her.

G. Surprises – I'm kind of surprised she likes blue, even though it's my favorite, because she's such a girlie girl. I'm also surprised she's not more into jewelry - if I give her some, she either breaks it immediately by being rough with it, or forgets about it.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best thing(s): She's a pretty happy person most of the time.
• The worst thing(s): 1. She does not get along with our six-year-old - she calls him "mean" and he calls her "annoying." 2. She talks nonstop all day. 3. She has a pretty dramatic temper she she doesn't get her way (she gets so loud, huffing and puffing all over the house, stomping, and tossing items).

I. Family and Friends – She is getting to be good friends with the neighbor's daughters. I wish I saw my friends with kids more often so that she could get closer to their kids too.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – I'm really loving the home-based childcare provider we have. I'm getting pressured to move her into a group daycare center, but I've had many unpleasant experiences with those with my older children (stress and overcrowding).

K. Milestones – She's learning to ride a balance bike.

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Reflecting

I got this list of questions from the Lazy Genius blog. I'm only going to answer some of them. Here are my answers:

1. What is my favorite memory from last year? ...Possibly our friends' daughter's fourth birthday party at the trampoline gym, because it's one of the only normal things we did (it was scheduled at a time when even our six-year-old was vaccinated, but before the Omicron spike). It was so fun to see everyone together.
2. What was the most energizing thing I did? ...I started working out for 15-20 minutes a day in August. This effort began after a single conversation I had with two girl friends on a beach vacation, and thus began our daily group chat check-in.
3. What am I glad I tried? ...To use my Instapot, which was intimidating.
4. What relationship brought me joy? ...All of them.
5. What experience brought me joy? ...Any time I went hiking at my favorite park.
6. What was my favorite place? ...The best seat on my couch at home. It's small, but it's hygge.
7. What was my favorite outfit? ...Green corduroy skirt. Black long-sleeved t-shirt. A necklace my oldest son gave me. Or maybe my light-blue floral maxi dress and my turquoise necklace?
8. What was my favorite book? ...Hello, Habits.
9. What has changed in me that I’m proud of? ...I think the older I get, the less I worry about what other people think of me.
10. What made me laugh? ...Most of the things our six-year-old says.
11. What was something that felt hard at the start of last year but is easier now? ...Breastfeeding.
12. What is something I’m really glad happened? ....That we survived the year relatively healthfully.
13. What did I miss? ...Going grocery shopping at Target with my 8-year-old, which was something we started doing together routinely just before the pandemic started.
14. Who did I miss? ...My friend that moved to the Ukraine for work.
15. What made me feel like myself? ...Any time the house was clean.
16. What words would I use to describe last year? ...Simple, minimal, stressful, unusal.
17. What words would I use to describe myself last year? ...Hanging in there.
18. What mattered most last year? ...Spending time with my kids. Being the best I can be at work.
19. What didn’t matter as much as I thought it would? ...Buying a house. I thought it was really important to both my spouse and I, but I found that it was way more important to me than to him.
20. What did I learn about myself last year? ...I feel more edgy about aging than I thought I did. I feel a lot younger than I am.
21. How do I want to feel about myself next year? ...Proud.
22. What do I want to bring from last year into this year? ...Confidence.
23. What do I think will matter this year? ...Patience.
24. What habits/rituals/rhythms do I hope for? ...To continue to workout daily, to continue to invest, to continue to learn new things daily, and to continue to be a supportive friend.
25. What do I want to start? ...Learning to cook Indian dishes at home.

The "Chonker" at Age 1

A. His Schedule – He usually wakes up at around 7 a.m. and goes to sleep for the night around 7 p.m. (later on lazy days, and earlier on more hurried days or daycare days). He takes a morning nap at about 10 a.m.

B. His Size – He's wearing size 18-month clothes and size 6 shoes. Currently, he's wearing size 4 Pampers.

C. His Personality – He is a charming, smiley baby. As long as he is well-fed and well-rested, he's irresistibly content. We affectionately nicknamed him "the Chonker" because he's a chunky baby who is pretty large for his age.

D. His Favorite Things

• Colors: He looks great in green and yellow.
• Shows and Movies: He doesn't really enjoy TV yet but he loves listening to music. He'll even bob back and forth like he's dancing.
• Books: He doesn't like to sit still to be read to but does enjoy a book with some texture to it.
• Toys and Play: He is currently loving a set of sleigh bells and an elephant with a light-up tummy. He also loves his mobile.
• Art: We haven't done much art with him yet, which is one thing I miss about the daycare center that my older children went to - they did art daily there.
• Activities: He is still pretty cuddly. He likes to play independently but near us (he does not like it if myself or his dad leave the room or go outside without him).
• Words: His favorite words to say are "mama" and "dada."
• Time of Day: He likes mornings a lot.
• Bedding: He loves a mint-colored baby blanket from Target and recognizes that it is his (he will hug it when he sees it).
• Clothing: He looks great in anything but one of our favorite things to put him in is a brightly-colored zip-up jacket and faux jeans.
• Foods: Besides milk, he likes to eat whatever we're eating. Oyster crackers are a frequent snack.
• Animals: He seems really fond of our dog and our cat. He likes to make friends with both people and animals.
• Heroes/Characters: He doesn't have a favorite hero yet, but he does seem to idolize his oldest brother.

E. Things He Does Not Like – When his sister turns on the light and keeps him awake by talking and singing (they share a bedroom and he values his sleep far more than she does).

F. What He’s Thinking About – Despite being pint-sized, he really wants to be included in whatever his family is doing.

G. Surprises – He's such a sweet baby! I am surprised at how well he and his oldest brother and sister get along. They all really gel well together without a lot of competition or jealously.

H. Best & Worst Things –

• The best thing(s): He seems to have a special bond with his oldest brother. He also seems to really dig me. It feels so good to have a special place in his heart.
• The worst thing(s): Our six-year-old is not a fan of the Chonker (or his sister). I don't know why since they don't need to compete over resources as they're interested in different toys, different foods, etc. There's enough love to go around.

I. Family and Friends – My mom seems to really have a special bond with the Chonker, perhaps because the Chonker looks the most similar to me at this age? Or perhaps it's because he's so well-behaved? My middle children are frequently bouncing off the walls, but my oldest and the Chonker are pretty mellow by comparison.

J. Parenting or What I’m Doing Differently – Given the pandemic is still ongoing, the Chonker has had a somewhat sheltered existence as he doesn't get to go to many places or see crowds. I think I am at the apex of my parenting journey as I am more patient than I have ever been, and thanks to not having to commute to work because of teleworking, I am the least exhausted and the most present.

K. Milestones – He can't walk yet but he's getting so close.

Colors in Your Home, Simplified

Ideas

We all know someone who raves about their capsule wardrobe. The idea is simple - have a set of items that all goes together so that you can mix-and-match everything together and still have it look great. In practice, it's not that simple. What if you love the color red but it looks terrible on you? Will your look be too boring or dull? Do the colors vary seasonally?

You can do the same thing with your home - stick to a set "collection" of colors so that you can move things about your house "recklessly" yet still have things look cohesive.

How many colors is right for you

This will vary from person to person and how specific you want to get. For some people, "blue" is a color, and for other people "navy," "aqua," and "sky blue" are all separate entities. I think in general, the closer together your colors are (e.g. tan and ochre), the more colors you can add in without things starting to look chaotic.

Steps

Look to the following things for inspiration and try to grab a collection of colors from there:

• Your clothing wardrobe
• Your favorite vacation spot
• Your favorite restaurant or store
• The place where you grew up
• Your favorite relative's home

Create a Pinterest board that has the vibe you are going for. Don't focus so much on what the images you gather are of - collect images of not just rooms but also clothing, jewelry, makeup - literally anything that has that "vibe" that you are going for.

What Colors Do I Use at Home

Pre-pandemic, I would say that I was less laser-focused on my home color palette. The upper floor tended to have cooler colors (blues and greens) and the lower level had warmer colors (pinks and yellows).

In 2020, my colors at home were mostly whites and blue-greens or greenish-blues. Colors like jade, teal, and aqua popped up regularly.

In 2021, I used less white, kept gravitating to aqua, and added lime green. Frankly, looking at lime green makes me happy, and 2021 was a pretty dark year globally, so that's why I added it. Basically, I swapped in a new "energizing" color.

I find that my laser-focus makes it really easy to buy things for my home because I'm not looking at ALL. THE. THINGS. on Amazon (or the internet) - I am just looking at the things that fit my specific color palette, which automatically weeds out 90% of the products in a given category. For example, I might need a whisk. So I will either go to Amazon and type in "whisk, aqua," then sort by highest average rating. Or, I will go to Google and type in "whisk, turquoise" and pick the first one that will meet my needs, i.e. whisk food and not break in two uses.

Floral Party

This is my idea for a simple floral-themed party.

Products, All Ages

Cups (reusable or disposable), Napkins (reusable or disposable), Tablecloth (reusable or disposable), and Cake Stand (reusable or disposable), and Icing

Products, Children or Those Young at Heart

Coloring Books, Colored Pencils, Leis, Balloons, and Floral Temporary Tattoos

Ideas

If you set your party up for the middle of the afternoon, it's both tea time and more affordable than throwing a traditional meal-time part (lunch or dinner). Depending on the age range of the guests, you could serve cucumber tea sandwiches and tea, or cookies and juice.

The Cake Itself

You could buy a cake or cupcakes, but we prefer to use a cake mix to bake two 8-inch cakes (they will bake up higher than 9-inch cakes), then stack them on top of each other, and decorate the cake with a cake decorating kit, icing, and sprinkles.