Friday Things
1. Dominic turned 9 months old on Tuesday! I canโt believe how quickly heโs growing, it seems like just yesterday that he was all swaddled up, and yet it seems like heโs been a part of our family forever.
Heโs crawling everywhere, pulling himself up on everything, starting to walk behind Josephโs old push toys, sleeping 11-12 hours straight through the night (actually did 13.5 hours two nights ago!), and loves to play with his big brother. He has such a sweet and gentle personality, and an absolutely infectious smile ๐ย He had a great checkup; our string bean is 29.5 inches tall (91st percentile) and 19 lb 2 oz (41st percentile).
2. Josephโs newest thing lately is that heโs been very intent on being a helper. It is absolutely adorable and I want to gather him up and smother him with kisses. From groceries to filling up the humidifier, making bread, picking up Dominicโฆ whatever it is, he declares himself the helper :) This photo is super blurry but I am in absolute love with it โ heโs so proud and so happyโฆ
3. Since we celebrated Dukeโs birthday last week, I have gotten a ton of emails and comments about us potentially getting another dog. Itโs something we would love to do at some point, but Iโm not sure if I have shared it previously or notโฆ when Joseph had his initial allergy panel done, dog dander was one of the very high reactions that he had. Heโs never showed any outward signs of a dog allergy like hives or asthma symptoms, but it could be that it exacerbated his eczema.
Luckily, our entire first floor is hardwood and tile, and we run a Roomba every night when we go to sleep, as well as vacuum corners and crevices a couple of times per week, and steam mop. Duke also gets brushed and groomed frequently to keep things under control. Weโre hoping that itโs one of the allergies that Joseph will outgrow (and he may have already, we havenโt had him tested again), but for the time being we donโt want to add another dog to the mix to keep any potential issues at bay.
4. Last Saturday night, my friend and I went to the New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, and Paula Abdul concert โ it was a blast! We went four years ago when they were in Pittsburgh, and as soon as tickets went on sale back in the fall, we snatched them up. A little rundown: Boyz II Men is fantastic live, Paula Abdul was a huge disappointment, and New Kids on the Block put on an amazing show. They were my very first concert when was like 9 or 10 (hello big huge buttons on denim jackets!)! They perform a mix of their old stuff and new stuff, and Iโve been pleasantly surprised both times with how great of a show it is. We had pretty great seats, too!
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5. I was having some serious chapped lip issues over the last couple of months and none of my usual go-to balms were helping at allโฆ Burtโs Bees, Zum, Sugar Lip Therapyโฆ none of it worked. My lips were cracking, chaffing and peelingโฆ I went to Target and bought like five different things and the ONLY thing that helped and has kept them in perfect shape since is Aquaphor Lip Repair. The stuff is MAGIC! We keep tubs of Aquaphor in the house for the boys, but it was the first time I had used any of their products on myself; I immediately bought tubes to keep in every room of the house, plus my purse and car.
6. Have you heard that theyโve come up with a new โgenerationโ? One sandwiched between Generation X and Millennials โ anyone born between 1977 and 1983 is now being termed a Xenniel. Iโm smack dab in the middle there (1980), and I think I much prefer the terms Generation Catalano (I lived for My So Called Life in high school!) or the Oregon Trail Generation (computer class in elementary school was just an excuse to try to outrun diphtheria and fjord a river!). I definitely identify more with Generation X than the stereotypical Millennial, though, thatโs for sure.
7. We have 10 hydrangea plants along the back of our yard that are in full bloom right now and theyโre gorgeous! Last year, we had โ LITERALLY โ one single hydrangea blossom all year long. Maybe because it was so hot and dry and weโre getting more rain this year?
8. This is absolutely hysterical >> How to Tell If Youโre Ready to Have Kids. Numbers 3, 6, and 12 (and sometimes 13, ha!) especially ring true for me!
9. Letโs talk TV! We finished House of Cards this week and wow, did it rumble on towards a wild and crazy finish. Now Iโm dying for more and to see what happens (of course).
Since we finished House of Cards, we tried a new show that weโre both loving โ Broadchurch. It seems we really enjoy BBC crime and mystery shows, ha! Itโs really well done, and, although weโre only a few episodes in, totally riveting, as well.
10. TGIF! I hope you have a happy weekend!
Michelle, in addition to your sonsโ adorable-ness, they also look like REALLY HAPPY and secure little boys. I can see on their faces that they feel loved, and well-cared for. Your family stories allow us a glimpse of the great parenting job youโre both doing. Such a lovely family!
Our hydrangeas are pretty amazing this year. Iโm in Maryland and we had a late frost last year that killed our blooms so last year was a bust.ย
If you liked Broadchurch, I would recommend River. Itโs another BBC show with Stellan Skarsgard. Very good!
Ahhh yes, we watched River awhile back and really liked it, too!
Pertaining to your hydrangeas, I have found thatย
with the weather conditions being right for them ,
they tend to bloom really well every other year. We live in the lower Hudson Valley, so mostly similar weather conditions to yours. Just not to be discouraged when their blooms are lame at best.ย
The boys are adorable! ย I loved the first season of Broadchurch. Another great British show is ย Happy Valley. ย
Your little boys are so darn cute!!
Thank you Michelle!
OMG both boys are so adorable! My grand baby Atleigh was 9 months on July ย 22, she is so precious. HAppy to hear you had a nice evening out, concerts can be soย
Linda
Love your well written blog, pix of the boys and recipes! Isnโt Broadchurch great? Also on PBS: Foyleโs War, Call the Midwife (my most favorite seriesโฆever!) and The Great British Baking Show. Better than any U.S. cooking show, floured hands down. Have learned so much from it and it is totally entertaining and addictive. They just started a new season and itโs on tonight in Fargo, ND! Canโt wait! ย Also on Netflixโฆwith subtitlesโฆfor an older and hard of hearing grandmum like me.
Your yeast bread is a great hit here!
Hi Kathy, We also watched Foyleโs War and really, really enjoyed it! Will have to check out the Great British Baking Show โ Iโve heard so many great things about it but have never watched it. Thanks for the reminder!
Oopsโฆ
โฆ.leave the plant alone after it dies off this fall.
The trick to hydrangeas is knowing whether your particular type blooms on old wood or new wood. If you are cutting it all the way back to the ground in the fall (my husband used to do this) and not seeing many/any blooms the following year, leave the plant alone after it does off if this fall. As tempting as it may be (because it really will look horrible), leave it alone. Then once spring comes, let the new growth start and only then cut off any dead branches that remain from the prior year. You will have a beautiful bush that blooms all summer long. Mine currently have so many blooms on them, that I canโt even count them. Also make sure they get adequate sun.
Your boys are adorable. Makes me wish the days hadnโt gone so fast. My oldest is now 19 and the youngest is 13. Donโt know when that happened! I, of course, havenโt aged a bit. LOL
Your boys are so adorableโI still remember when you first shared Josephโs newborn picsโheโs such a beautiful youngster now.
Hang in with the allergiesโand the doggies..I was very allergic to pets as a kid, but exposure to them actually seemed to help curtail the allergies as odd as that sounds. Even as an adult, I can have allergies initially to a new pet, but it goes away again after exposure.
Love your blog Michelle, thanks for all the recipes! I discovered that Hydrangas only bloom on โold woodโ so if you prune each year you wont get bloomsโฆ I have tried pruning hard one year and not the second year.
That is amazing to know and makes sense since my husband pruned them two seasons ago!
I liked #8 โ but 10 years is too short of a time period. Iโm up to 15 years and still counting!!! lol
#8 โ Before you leave the house every day, pack a snack thatโs gluten free, dairy free, non-windpipe-sized, has sufficient protein, no dyes, is whole grain, and canโt be spilled. Once youโve found whatever miracle food this is (hint: it doesnโt exist), dump it all out in the backseat of your car. Repeat for 10 years.
You might like Wallander if you like Broadchurch. The Kenneth Branagh version as opposed to the Swedish version.
We watched Wallander, too (really liked it, as well)! The Swedish version though, I didnโt know there were different onesโฆ will have to check that out!
I wouldnโt worry too much about the dog allergy unless he starts having allergic reactions. I speak from experience because growing up my scratch test showed I had a dog allergy, but we had two dogs and I never had a problem. More recently, my scratch test showed no reaction to dog dander, but the under the skin test showed that I still have a reaction. I have had dogs for 16 of the last 18 years and have not had any kind of allergic reaction.
Are you starting Broadchucrch from season 1? Itโs worth it. Terrific show and excellent cast. I also love Orphan Black but need to get caught up. Disappointing about Paula Abdul! Have you seen the commercial with Boyz II Men? Cracks me up every time!
Hi Mistie, Yes, we started Broadchurch from the beginningโฆ finished season 1 and are a couple of episodes into season 2 now! The Boyz II Men commercial is so funny!
All three of your boys are adorable! It so shocking to see little Dominic standing- he grew so quickly!
On Josephsโ dog allergy: some kids are allergic to cats or dogs but will be fairly immune to those in their childhood home. I have a girlfriend who is horribly allergic to cats, except the one her parents have had since she was little. So itโs possible that Joseph is allergic to dogs, just not Duke. Hopefully he will outgrow the allergy though!
If you are enjoying Broadchurch, be sure to check out DCI Banks. Awesome show!!
Oooh will do, thanks for the recommendation!
I had never heard of Aquaphor until a friend got it for me when I had my son. Heโs at the stage where we canโt keep him from putting his hands & toys in his mouth. As a result his chin is all red and bumpy so I started putting it on his chin twice a day. Within a few hours it looks so much better. I didnโt know it worked for chapped lips which he also had about a month ago so I will need to remember that for next time. That is so sweet how Joseph is yout little helper!!ย
Hi Patricia, We used Aquaphor a lot with Joseph because he had such bad eczema, and while Dominic doesnโt have it, weโve just hit the โhands and everything else in his mouth all the timeโ phase and started using it on his face because his cheeks and chin have had the red bumps a ton lately.
Iโve been having the same issue with chapped lips โ will have to pick some of that stuff up at Target this weekend!! And when my oldest was little, he loved to help too. I bought him a Little Tikes kitchen and set it up at the end of my cabinets, stocked it with a few little pots and pans, and cut a sponge in half for him to use. When I cooked or cleaned in my kitchen, he could do the same in his!
Absolutely love Aquaphor and we too have it lying around the house, but in particular on each of my husbandโs and my night stands. Donโt need it as much now in summer but itโs a must in winter.ย
Netflix show โ Hell on Wheels โ itโs about building of the transcontinental railroad โ so, so good!
Are you an Amazon Prime user? If so, these are some of my favorite Amazon shows so far โ Sneaky Pete (only one season so far so it goes fast), Man in the High Castle, Catastrophe and Transparent. ย
Cable shows we just finished and continue to love โ Better Call Saul (might even like it more than Breaking Bad), ย Fargo season 3,ย
Ooooh we were watching Hell on Wheels awhile back, Iโm not sure if we ever finished it?
We do have Amazon Prime, so will check those out, thank you!
The boys are adorable, and it seems that their personalities are just the sweetest. ย And your furry boy too! ย Itโs hard to keep that Golden fluff in check, and there are definitely times of the year where shedding is way out of control. ย Vacuuming a couple of times a day is a must.
I recently burnt my bottom lip on a hot cup of tea. ย It was swollen and blistered (I think it was worse because I was also dehydrated), but Carmex in the the little pot worked well for healing. ย Iโm always on the lookout for good lip balm because I use it all the time. ย Aquaphor is one I have never tried, so since it worked so well for you, Iโm going to pick a tube up today while at Target.
You are so lucky with your hydrangeas this year. ย So glad that they are beautiful for you. ย Iโve never had any luck with blooms on mine. ย Beautifully green but never any flowers . . . so disappointing. ย Theyโre one of my favorite flowers.
Have a great weekend!
Yes I recommend Aquaphor lip too, in fact I was waiting for her to ask for suggestions but Michelle found it
Ahhh Carmex is one of the ones I tried because I have a couple of friends who have always sworn by it, but it just didnโt work for me!
I absolutely love โyour entire familyโ, and most enjoy the pictures of your two darling wee boys!! I have been following your blogs and love your recipes and format ( all of the interesting ( add-ons!! ) for quite some time and I save them as they are so well written and โhomey feelingโ!!
ย Sincerely,ย
ย ( from an elderly Canadian fan ), Elaine
xx
Aw, thank you so much Elaine!
Broadchurch is so good! It is one I recommend to everyone!
Your boys are adorable and love Duke. I loved Broadchurch too and wanted to say if you like that show you might like Dr. Foster as well. I love BBC ย shows, very well written . Another fantastic show is Doc Martin, great characters and really funny ๐. Happy Friday!
Thanks Erika! I think my in-laws mentioned theyโre currently watching Doc Martin and liking it, weโll have to check that one out next!
Dominic is so adorable! Itโs hard to believe heโs already 9 months old. Iโm so glad Joseph wants to be a โhelperโ โ Itโs always nice to have an extra hand. Bummer about his dog dander issues but he might outgrow it โ though youโll probably have to get Dominic tested too. Itโs super hit here and our hydrangeas have not bloomed at allโฆand my zinneas look sick half the time even though Iโm watering almost dailyโฆsighโฆshame that Paula Abduleโs part of tbe concert was bad but it sounds like you had a great time. Have a good weekend!
Your little boys are so cute!
You really need to watch The Fall, a great British drama on Netflix, ย plus the male lead is quite a looker!ย
Ooooh yes, we watched that one awhile back!
The Fall is amazing! ย I also recommend Top of the Lake with Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter. ย Another good one is The Beautiful Lie.
loved Top of the LakeโฆI think I heard they were making another season of it.
gotta check out The Beautiful Lie now!
Your kids are just adorable! Make the most of Josephโs help now because the thing wears off soon!! In a few years time youโll have to bribe (or pay) him to do thingsโฆ.