pull up a chair, well really a stool will do, or just stand, whatever

In my heart this feels like it will be a long-winded blog post, almost like a eulogy is in order, but I know it will probably end up on the short side. I'll keep it short on purpose (I have to get ready for work soon). For those of you who swing by here regularly on Thursdays, you may have felt this coming for a while, and here it is. The end of Currently. But not really an end. There are lots of Currently-like link-ups out there. Still, for this little link-up that Randalin and I have been doing for a while (and that Randalin started quite a while before I ever got involved) this is it.

There is a very good chance that I will start participating in Sunday Lately with Katy from Wild and Wanderful. I still love the "currently" concept of following themes as a writing prompt. And having a weekly commitment to doing at least that one blog post has kept me blogging regularly which I appreciate. But in a weird way it's also given me an excuse to only blog once a week which... who knows. There was a time when I did actual, real blog posts about our little life and the joys and adventures in it. Look at this stuff from February 2011, I mean beyond how round and small and sweet (with chubby little hands oh my gosh) Otto was. I was an actual blogger of posts back then --> paper | tape | love

::blog nostalgia moment::

During that moment Loretta, upstairs, started saying, then yelling, then screaming, "Uppy. Uppy! Uppy!!!!!!!!" and earlier when I crept down here to write this I had asked if Rob would just grab her if she woke up and started screaming and he said, "Yeah, sure." But husbands have dead ears while sleeping. It's actually a biological fact that somehow protected them from saber monkey attacks thousands of years ago when they were hunter/gatherers. Saber monkeys did the classic scream-like-a-baby lure and attacked anyone who reacted with loving concern. All the moms died in monkey attacks. It was the saddest. Anyways, now she's escalated to rage and it's harshing by blogging mellow. I'm almost done.

There was a whole phase of this blog where I didn't use capital letters, except sometimes. Who has been around long enough to remember when no caps was a thing? ::two pink hearts emoji::

So tomorrow Loretta has a circus performance at her summer camp and we have been tasked with sending her in a "mime-like outfit" which, I mean... First off, please don't task us out, summer camp. Secondly, I researched mime outfits yesterday just to be sure and it's all about mod french 1960s long sleeves and cat pants so that isn't going to happen. If we know anything about Loretta we know she does NOT wear  pants below the knee. I got her a little white tank at Target yesterday and tonight I'm going to play around with block-printing strips onto that bad boy, toss in a black and white bow and black shorts and that's about as mime-like as things are going to get. Kind of excited about the block-print experiment. Wish me luck if it works out I will take pics.

Stream of consciousness blog post badge: Unlocked.

Honestly love you guys. -Lindsey

currently... all the holidays and reasons

Dear friends,

Randalin and I decided last night to skip this week of Currently. Bam! This is our one power on earth and we are using it. We'll be back next week with the themes that were intended for today. Also... Please go visit Randalin on her blog or Instagram and send happy, loving, healing thoughts her way as Mr. Kale had his tonsils out earlier this week and is still feeling very worse for the wear.

Happy Canada Day (yesterday) and July 4th (this weekend) to all of you who live in North America or who celebrate other countries' national holidays. I hope you have great, safe weekends. We are probably going to skip fireworks, but there is a weak plan a-brewing to take the kids to Inside Out.

And then finally, just this. Yay!

image via

currently... i'm gonna move to southern california

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

visiting, planning, cooking, longing, growing

Right now we are Visiting Newport Beach, LA, and Disney. I wanted to put a pic of the kiddos with Mickey Mouse at the top of this post but I'm borrowing Rob's mac and I don't speak the mac handjive and couldn't actually figure out how to do this super simple thing so... all pics may be found on Instagram. Best to be enjoyed in the shade, curled up with a frozen margarita.

With 6 adults and 5 kids in the beach house (as we speak) it's hard to be Planning much - it's actually amazing because the small fry just run around entertaining each other and all we have to do is feed them, sunscreen them, and break up fist fights - but anyways there is a little place about a five minute walk from here called Chronic Tacos and I am planning at least a few more trips to that place between now and Saturday.

Cooking? Well I cooked jello shots on Sunday and a little patch on my forehead got cooked yesterday.

More than ever, after this trip, I will be Longing for Rob to land a gig (next year) in southern California. This place just makes sense for us. So... all the vibes are pointed southwest. Also, just any gig will do. So all the vibes are pointed in the Job direction with a strong southwest amount of vibe hinting going on.

There is nothing like seeing your kids and your nieces and nephews Growing up together. Right now we have a 6, a 5, two 3's, and a 1 under the same roof and it's magic. Last night Loretta had a light saber battle with her cousin. Otto is so amped on this whole thing that his voice volume is set to permanent bark. It's nuts and great.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
craving, feeling, thinking, loving, reading  

currently... caricatcha

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

calling, borrowing, taking, feeling, telling

Right now I am still Calling everything a "caricatcha" after watching my new favorite show, Botched, last night. Did anyone else see the caricatcha lady? I am obsessed with her obsession with the word caricatcha... Exciting right? No it is not. Dudes, all I can think about is that we're going to Disneyland next week. We have been up to not much except final planning this past week and my brain is completely pre-occupied with trip budgets and packing anxiety. Oh, and caricatcha. 

Tonight Otto will be Borrowing a little hair fashion from the Beckhams, or Keanu Reeves circa Parenthood... He's agreed to a summer cut and I'm DIY'ing so wish us both luck.

There are no words for how happy I am to be Taking a break with my little family. This will be our first vacation as a group of four. Disney, the beach, family, and friends. And jello shots.

Lately, Loretta has been Feeling a need for peace and quiet. For her own space. Otto's the most caring and kind big brother you could find but he is a 6 year old boy and so he is made of spazzy energy, wild gestures, loud noises, and a compulsion to argue everything. He makes her feel crazy. And when she feels frustrated she gets angry. So there has been some tension going on around here and we've been trying to create soothing moments for my sweet girl. Quiet baths. Books in the yard. Foot massages.

Well gang, since it's super rare that I manage to crank out a blog post in-between-Thursdays, I am excited to be Telling you all about our California trip this time next week. Including, hopefully, tales of all my visits to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for iced soy hazelnut lattes. It's the small things, right?

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
visiting, planning, cooking, longing, growing  

currently... mercury in retrograde

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

hoping, being, going, making, writing

Right now I am still Hoping I will escape the really disgusting stomach flu that hit our house last Friday and has cycled from Loretta to Rob to Otto to STOP. I mean, a week in and I'm still feeling average... maybe I will get lucky?

There is always something about Mercury Being in retrograde that affects our life in a topsy turvy way. From little pieces of chaos and electronics malfunction to general life timing never working out... I always just feel off my game but not bad. Reflective? I'm not an astrology person much but I read High Tide in Tucson and saw the Butterfly Effect so I KNOW ABOUT STUFF. Also, ask me about my Gemini Rising because I'm textbook. Textbook!

That is ok, Mercury is Going to exit retrograde this evening. Tomorrow better start making up for some stuff.

Between the heatwave with no a/c and all my homeboys puking, we haven't been Making or doing much of anything this week. Bland food, early bedtimes, lots of encouraging the kids to lay around in the living room (coolest room in the house) and not throw up, please. I have been Making a huge dent in Sons and Lovers while the kids watch too much TV. Everyone should read this book. It is so good and kind of weirdly feminist while being pre-feminist and it's just incredibly human. I'm having a hard time putting it down.

Otto has started Writing his Christmas list. Ha! Last year's was like 100 pages thick by the time he was done. There is an awful lot of spy gear on his list so far and so Rob and I were asking him if he was planning on spying on us and his answers were pretty dodgy.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
calling, borrowing, taking, feeling, telling  

currently... send actual cake

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

reading, watching, listening, eating, enjoying

Otto has been Reading ev. er. y. thing. His Papa sends him letters and he reads them and writes back. He reads books, workbooks, junkmail, billboards... Rob and I have had to switch from spelling out our secrets to pig latin'ing them.

Et'slay atchway a oviemay and eat achosnay after the idskay are in edbay. Our secrets are almost always about Watching a show and eating snacks after the kids are in bed.

Loretta insists on Listening to the exact same bedtime books every night. We found out that it's because she's memorizing them. Every night now she "reads" Llama Llama, I Love You and Happy Halloween Max & Ruby to ME. And sometimes we all gather around and she reads them to the whole family. What a treat. I am working to add Frog & Toad stories to the mix. ps. She also says to me, "I'm the baby llama and you're the mama llama and we love each other." I am so wrapped around that girl's finger you can't even imagine, you guys.

We have been talking a lot about Eating cupcakes, cookies, donuts, and cake. There has been a tea party picnic going on in the playroom for about a week solid. This is cute and also makes me want actual cake.

As a family we have really been Enjoying Loretta as a 3 year old. She is still a total pain in the ass, demanding, mercurial, and incredibly loud. But she's also just crazy vocal and I think that's what she was always waiting for. Girlfriend has a LOT to say and she's gonna say it. Otto and Etta have become faster friends than ever, they make up games together, sneak snacks together, and laugh at each other's jokes. I'm more than enjoying this time in our lives and also so stinking glad summer is just around the corner. My mood is 70% related to the weather at all times so I'm looking forward to being all rose-colored-glasses for the next few months.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
hoping, being, going, making, writing  

currently... bootie barre

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

watching, dealing, losing, dreaming, committing

Lately we have been cat Watching. Please add this fact to the "Cool File" you keep on me. We promised Otto a cat for his (last January) birthday and then it came to our attention that Rob is pretty much allergic to at least some cats so... we put off our cat adoption and Otto's been a patient little dude but more and more he's like: naming cats, ogling cats, cat-talkin. Me too. As soon as we get back from Disneyland next month this cat thing may be happening.

Otto has been thinking about our upcoming (in a year) move to who knows where and Dealing with some anxieties about the whole thing. It's weird and tough not knowing where you'll be going. So far, his worst worry is that the car drive will be super long and boring. And I'm not going to be the one to tell him, "That's nothing. Your whole world will turn upside down!" Anyways, I think it's probably a lot for a little dude to fathom. I tried to sell him on the excitement of buying postcards along the way and he did NOT see the appeal.

Our meal plan has been Losing. Time to get that back on track. We've kind of hit a point where it's like, "Can't we just make macaroni and some sort of freezer nugget?" and the answer is no because we're out of milk AND nuggets. We've just been so all over the place but excuses be gone... plus meal planning is actually my favorite. Also file in the "Cool File" please.

Loretta has been Dreaming super magical dreams of pink princesses, purple princesses, pink fairies, mermaids, castles, and blue kings. I'm so that parent who wants to discourage color stereotyping but I DO love that she talks about her dreams and it sounds like they're freaking magical explosions so we'll work on the "kings can be pink too" thing later. Also, where did this Pink Monster come from? I did not create this beast.

For the past few months I have been Committing to a weekly Bootie Barre class and guys, I love bootie barre. It's so hard it almost makes me cry sometimes and I wish it wasn't called bootie barre. I wish it had a cool name like Xfit or something but bootie barre it is. I really love it though and am thinking I might also love taking a dancy-dance class too. Like hip hop. IDK. Maybe after some of the summer schedule madness is behind us I'll become a dance fitness guru. In the meatime, once a week exercise is a pretty big deal, at least for me.  

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
reading, watching, listening, eating, enjoying 

currently... unagi!

image via

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

tasting, wearing, working, checking, playing

Today is my birthday you guys and I am 37 and OMG I AM 37. You know what I'm thinking right? 37 is a prime number! No that's not what I'm thinking. I'm thinking 37 is a weird one to wrap your head around and also that I'd like some new boyfriend jeans... So in honor of THAT, tonight we will be Tasting sushi and that actually makes up for everything. A little sushi restaurant date with my whole little crew and I'm getting a sake bomb (gosh dammit)! ps. Loretta has already been telling me, "My no want shoosheee." That is why sushi restaurants invented udon noodles, child. Duh.

The kids have started Wearing their summer uniforms even though it's only been in the 60s. I always feel like a terrible parent when I'm all in layers and we're out at the store and Otto's rocking a tank top and cutoff sweatpants but who am I to stop a kid from wearing that awesome outfit whenever it's not snowing? In summary: whatever. At least Loretta's "pants ban" will finally be seasonally appropriate soon.

Miss Loretta has been Working on her Blank Space rendition. It's pretty amazing to be doing the dishes and hear in the background, "Don say dint say dint WARN YA!"

We are about to start Checking summer bucket list items off the list. Disney, the coast, Portland, some sort of waterfall hike, the fair... In summer!

I slept in a bit (it's my bday, yo) and so better stop Playing around on the blog. Time to go get ready for work. If I can get out the door quick enough I'll have time to swing by Starbucks on the way!

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
watching, dealing, losing, dreaming, committing 

currently... everything's fiiiine

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

looking, loving, planning, starting, wishing

Life is Looking a whole lot more average as-of right now and I'm breathing a big sigh of relief. Rob was gone over the weekend and got home last night... so it has been just me and these two wild things for a handful of days. They did great. I did fine. But anyways, I am so so glad to be back to our little routine. Routine is my best friend forever.

With Rob away, my kids have been Loving the extra desserts and fun food we ended up having. Nachos for dinner one night was such a rip-roaring success and I think it may be a new standard around here. I even managed to sneak brown rice mixed with salsa and sour cream onto those bad boys and the kids destroyed them. Yes! We made "doughnut" muffins (a box mix from Target and don't you believe the lie on the back about dropping jam on top to create jelly-filled muffins because how dare they lie about that and break a mom's heart?).

Otto and Loretta have started Planning their Halloween costumes. I told them they have about four and a half months to "lock it in."

We were Starting some tomato plants for the summer in our kitchen and they kicked off like nobody's business but then about a week ago I think I overheated them putting them in the yard on a hot day. Now they look like merpeople who had their souls sucked out. Only a few survivors. I think my deep profound passion for gardening may have to skip a year. But I am trying to nurse the survivors back to health and hope to plunk them in the ground soon along with some store-bought cucumber starts and basil. There, you see, I'm growing a sandwich.

I guess if we are Wishing for anything it's just a little downtime and sunshine. Quiet minutes to enjoy each other in the fresh air. Bare arms. Yard meals. Walks around the block. They're humble wishes that always come true in summer and so summer is a dream come true.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
tasting, wearing, working, checking, playing 

currently... coffee & slippers

(image via)

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

bringing, running, listening, creating, buying

Loretta has been Bringing a lot of family love to every conversation lately. She loves to tell you, whenever the subject of Otto comes up, that they are a brother and a sister and they love each other. She's really into the Max & Ruby book we have because, "They are a brother and a sister and they love each other." Sometimes she just points to each of us, says our names, and then, "We love each other." Yes we do, miss. It's the sweetest.

I have been Running out of steam for the past ::checks watch:: few years and just cannot say enough how excited I am to be entering into our last year of Rob as a grad student. For now, when not at work, I'm just wearing slippers and drinking coffee and wandering around my house waiting out the days, quite a bit. Soon that will change to flip-flops and wandering around my backyard... Anyways, I'm such a Dickens character. How melodramatic.

At this exact moment I am Listening to my kids play in the toy room (just around the corner from where I'm sitting with my coffee typing out this post). Usually on Thursdays I wake up at 4am so I can quietly write in peace for an hour. Last night Loretta came into my bed in the middle of the night and so I ended up snuggling in with her and when I woke up, she did, which woke Otto. I love them with all I've got but writing blog posts when they are "up and at em" is not my favorite. So many requests interrupting every thought. I am not a creative who thrives in chaos. Not at all.

We are looking forward to Creating some short little adventures for ourselves in Oregon this summer. Our last warm season in the state and we realize we haven't seen all there is to offer by a landslide. So hopefully we find a way to pack up and go on some daytrips over the next few months. I can't believe how full our weekend calendar is already though. So many things going on all the way through the end of May. It's insane.

I have not been Buying a thing outside of groceries lately. And nothing exciting on the grocery side of things. Although I am thinking of buying all the trappings for a verde tortilla soup soon. Rob will be away for a bunch of days and since he's our resident vegetarian I thought I'd try a little meat based something something that we would normally make veggie. Just a little meat party, I guess.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
looking, loving, planning, starting, wishing 

currently... two days by the coast

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

trying, eating, wearing, going, making

Oof, I am Trying to write this Currently post but I'm pretty distracted right this second by a beachfront view from our balcony, a box of Triscuits, and I AM IN MY OWN BIG WHITE FLUFFY BED AT 8AM ON A WEEKDAY. I'm spending a couple of lady days with my best friend and we are just talking our lives away, eating all the things, and enjoying the blissed out peace. This should restore my soul for quite a while and all the direct sunlight should kick my vitamin D deficiency's ass. I'm hoping to head home tomorrow rested, with a full belly, full heart, and probably a sunburn. I will succeed at all of these goals. So many Triscuits.

Back at the homestead, we have started Eating summer dinners. This is my favorite time of year. I feel like in summer you can just have bread, cheese, fruit, salad, or hot dogs or something and call it a dinner. We eat on blankets in the backyard. It's not fancy but it FEELS so great to just eat light and simple and let the kids run around being crazies.

I am ready to be Wearing summer clothes but I am not *ready* to be wearing summer clothes. I want to go shopping and Buffalo Exchange is calling my name pretty hard. I also think I'm going to take a ride on the Birkenstock train this year (it only comes around once every 15 years or so). It's so hard spending any actual money on summer clothes because I can't (or at least choose not to) wear casual weekendy clothes to work but those are my favorites. Oh well. These are not actual problems I'm just rambling.

Otto is Going to test for this orange headband in taekwondo tonight! I hate that I'm missing it but I can't wait to high five that kid. He works so hard and has become so much more coordinated and strong (pushups for days) since he started last fall.

Loretta has been Making us all smile lately with her extreme princess-ing. Layer after layer of princess jammies, dress up clothes, tutus, and magic wands. She zaps us with her Frozen powers (we freeze) and Pink powers (we have to pretend to fly). We told her that she would get to meet real princesses at Disneyland this summer and let me tell you... she's pretty excited. We all are. It's gonna be magic.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
bringing, running, listening, creating, buying 

currently... phish food

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

growing, playing, singing, choosing, looking

Both my little kiddos have spent the first part of the year Growing like weeds. Otto is six foot three. Just kidding but this kid will be towering over me well before he starts junior high. Someday he will have an ironic, or maybe even not ironic, mustache and Loretta will ask me to pierce her ears and I will lay down and die right there on the spot or hopefully I will spontaneously do 100 burpies because I'll be so fit by then (and who are we kidding, the second Loretta asks for earrings I'll be hopping immediately in the hot rod with my girl and dashing away to the mall because how cool will that be?!?!). Evidence of said growth, Otto was not going for the crop top look...

We have all been Playing "soccer" in the back yard which is really this sort of croquet mixed with h-o-r-s-e mixed with tag game we invented that doesn't have many rules, uses every ball we own, and lasts about four minutes. I love sunshine.

Loretta has been Singing the Uptown Funk. When it comes on the radio she screams, "Hey it's our song!" Otto remains deeply enmeshed in a Weird Al obsession and got some smiles at the grocery store last night singing Trapped in the Drivethru to himself.

Last night after taekwondo we ran by the grocery (as mentioned) and Otto was Choosing a special treat. That's definitely not a regular thing so he was super excited. We picked out two flavors of Ben & Jerry's and took them home. When Loretta heard that she'd be having a little strawberry ice cream before bedtime she ran into the kitchen and yelled, "I can't believe it!" Smiles all around!

I'm Looking forward to a nice weekend with visiting loved ones and also to getting back on track and back to my "real" self. So as not to bore you all with breaking news that I'm sleepy and grumpy all winter long, I try to brush over just how paralyzing my "winter blues" can feel. It ebbs and flows but it's also super real and as the days get brighter I can feel my energy come back in a real way. I'm looking forward to being super productive this summer. It always feels better once I'm doing... it's just hard to get the momentum going between January and April because I'd rather frown and hybernate.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
trying, eating, wearing, going, making 

Loretta's street style c/o Petit Fashion

This girl of mine.

She is a fun one to dress and has such strong personal style. Very girly and very loud and a little bit tomboy rolled all into one.

Loretta's adorable outfit is c/o Petit Fashion (thank you - we love love love it!) and includes the sweetest Catimini scarf that I am tempted to steal except it's perfectly pint-sized. Tee & cuffed red velour shorts by Lili Gaufrette.

UK-based Petit Fashion carries European tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes, and accessories for babies, girls, and boys. They ship internationally and have so many items I've only seen on Pinterest including these little Mini Melissa rhino rainboots I would snatch up in a second if my kids' feet were still than teeny. xo

currently... smooth criminal

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

reading, eating, enjoying, learning, wishing

I am excited to start Reading our next book in The Ladies Who Book Club. If you are looking for a good read (this I cannot promise since I haven't read the book yet) and an AMAZING group of supportive, honest, wonderful, funny, empowering women to read a book with at a relatively slow pace and share your thoughts, inspiration, and sometimes links to emotionally powerful Dove commercials with... then girlfriend, step right up and join us. We start discussing Amy Poehler's Yes Please! on May 15th.

Loretta was the lucky recipient of a grocery bag full of play donuts, cupcakes, cakes, and fruits from her babysitter who is retiring in about a month. We are so sad to end this chapter in our lives that began when Etta was six weeks old. Although we are thrilled that Kristie gets to live her dream and retire to the coast. Anyways, we have all been Eating at Loretta's tea parties which are dictatorial affairs where she hogs all the pink and white play sweets and only shares them with her My Little Pony and sometimes she hands you a sizzling hot cupcake fresh from the toy oven and goes, "It's so hot! Szzzzzz!" and laughs when you play have to drop it. She's a nut.

I have been Enjoying Otto's performance of Smooth Criminal from last weekend's Montessori talent show. I'm so proud of him!



We've fired up the karaoke machine a bunch lately. I have been Learning Jay Z's portion of Empire State of Mind. Someday I will be at the receiving end of a duet karaoke challenge and I'm gonna kick some serious ass. Otto has been all over Weird Al's Trapped in the Drive Thru. That's an hour-long song that's difficult to listen to a six year old plod through 150 times, I'll tell ya. Loretta? Let It Go til the sun don't shine. And Rob surprised me (I'll tell ya!) by trying to get away with Drunk in Love the other night. Dying laughing for so many reasons. And he had to mumble the whole thing because children! Have we all seen these lyrics? I don't think I could handle a life as sexy as seems to be happening at the Carter-Knowles home.

I'm Wishing for a little burst of energy this weekend. I have new pants to add to the shop! I just need to get the pictures edited. And then... planning on doing a booth somewhere this summer which is exciting and scary to think about all at once.  

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
growing, playing, singing, choosing, looking 

currently... dude? really?

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

spending, running, feeling, resisting, needing

Otto is looking forward to Spending all the money in his wallet (and I have to give the guy some credit, he's been saving up for months) on some piece of ::poop emoji:: night vision spy kids gadget. EvanTubeHD is a sweet kid, I'm sure, but he pimps out toys like it's a multi-thousand dollar business ::side eye emoji:: and my six year old, bless his gullible heart, is a sucker and a half. If these things had Predator vision I'd be jumping up and down but I feel like this is going to be a bunch of LED lights mounted on a headband and that I'm going to be waking up to this thing shining in my face for a few weeks. Still, the actual point of this is that Otto is a rad little human and I'm an old grumbly person.

Last night while Rob was Running Otto to taekwondo, I hung at home with Loretta and we played castle tea party. After having many plates of pretend "sugar and hot rice" she said, "Let's pretend there are monsters in the house!" So I said, "Ok. Oh, oh, look over there!" and pointed into the kitchen, "There's a big purple monster right there!" And Loretta got the most terrified look on her face and said, so seriously, "What? Where is it?" Seems that game escalated a bit too quickly for her taste. And that was the end of playing Monsters In The House at least for a little while.

I have been Feeling my annual winter blues a bit more this month than I thought I would. We've had some real sunshine days but there's also been a LOT of cold, grey, drizzly ones and I just shut down this time of year. When we first moved to Oregon I was fascinated that this seasonal affective thing hit me so hard but it's not even interesting to me anymore. There are a lot of things I wish I was doing, planning, and being peppy about but I just turn into a grumble blob this time of year and crave not moving. So if the sun would just come out, that'd be rad.

Otto has been Resisting during normal life conversation lately in a way that feels a LOT like a pre-teen and I'll tell you this, No Bueno! There will literally be convos that go along the lines of me saying something mundane like, "We're out of milk." And Otto saying, "No we aren't." When we in fact are so out of milk and why argue this?!?! Rob and I have instituted a rule that we fondly like to call No Talk Back!!!. Basically, chit-chat, questions, and actual clarifications that are clarifying and actually actual are welcome and encouraged. Arguing for arguments sake or because your evolving six year old brain compels you to repeat all statements in the negative will earn you a quite intense skunk eye and possibly we will say to you, "Dude? Really?"

What I'm Needing is a 2 1/2 day girls getaway with my best friend at a seaside resort in a couple of weeks and thank goodness that's what I'm looking forward to! I can't wait to laugh til we cry and sleep in and hopefully just enjoy some sunshine lounge chair action and sit and talk in utter utter restorative peace.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
reading, eating, enjoying, learning, wishing 

currently... i forgot to tell you something

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

eating, feeling, picturing, wearing, loving

I'm looking forward to Eating all the Easter eats this weekend. Otto has requested rainbow pancakes so we are planning a big fun breakfast on Sunday morning. And after eggs are properly hunted that morning, I will be making exactly 24 deviled eggs... and then personally eating something like 21 deviled eggs by Sunday night. Also, peeps in the house!

Loretta has been Feeling like she forgot to tell us something. All day long. It's the sweetest thing and I bet it's a phase that doesn't last long, but she's been introducing all kinds of insights this week by saying, "I forgot to tell you something," and then when she has your ear, she'll say something like, "my have long curly hair," or, "you wanna play castle with me?"

Otto has been Picturing himself growing up to be a double artist (dancer and drawer). And if he's anything like his weirdly talented father (and amazing freestyle dancer mother) I could totally see this happening. Yesterday morning he made some Weird Al fan art that (of course he did) and well, I'll just show you...

Dudes.

A photo posted by Lindsey Muth (@otandet) on Apr 1, 2015 at 7:32am PDT

As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain I take a look at my wife and realize she's very plain. Ha... It is abnormal how many Weird Al lyrics I know at this point. Oh my gosh, boys.

I'm super looking forward to Wearing tank tops and cut offs, but we aren't quite there yet. I love summer clothes when it's actually warm and sunny. Last weekend was a tease of Spring/Summer but it's been cold and rainy again for days and cold and rainy is pretty much the forecast. So for now I'm just dreaming of sunshine and lazy summer outfits and maybe Birkenstocks this summer because they're finally, FINALLY cool again and that's fantastic.

Hmmm, I'm Loving my kids being 3 and 6. Like actively just loving the shit out of it. This is a magic age and I'm just loving it.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
spending, running, feeling, resisting, needing 

currently... taking a break

Hey guys! Last night Randalin and I made a call to skip this week of Currently. She's beyond nuts at work. I'm the grossest thing that ever happened (food poisoning Monday night that is still lingering - many thanks to watching every season of House & always Googling my symptoms I'm pretty convinced it's Sepsis or Wilson's Disease (but not really but kind of really, don't you hate that?). If you wrote a post, please leave your link in the comments and I’ll be sure to stop by and say hi! Sorry for the last minute notice. We’ll definitely be back next week!

currently... who wears short shorts?

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

loving, showing, shopping, making, choosing

Rob and I heard the hullabaloo about Jinx and have been Loving burning through a 6-part documentary in the past three days. We were trying to beat the spoilers and Rob succeeded but I found out and it didn't ruin a thing. What a crazy ass story.

Otto is excited to be Showing his best dance moves off next month at the spring talent show. He'll be performing to Smooth Criminal and we're trying to convince him of the importance of choreography, at least a wee little bit of choreography. He's pretty sure he should get up there and let the beat move him. Which, cool. Except that all of his teachers and fellow students get to see Otto freestyle pretty much every single day in aftercare. So we'll see, we'll see. He's 6 and is brave enough to dance solo in front of basically everyone he knows. So I'm mainly proud as hell. But still pushing a lil bit o' the choreography. Just a smidge :)

I am looking forward to a Costco Shopping trip this weekend. What have I become?

Otto has requested cinnamon raisin cous cous, which he had at school and went nuts over. So I guess that we'll be Making something new next week. I need to find out the recipe from his teacher because I am on the extreme low end of cous cous experience so... am kind of hoping whoever brought it to share with the elementary class picked it up from a local deli and we can be "buying" instead of making this one! I have also been Making most of Loretta's pants into shorts...

Loretta has been Choosing to squash her pants up over her knees every single day. This started as an occasional thing a few weeks ago and has become an obsession. She is such an intense little person and she wants to wear shorts, so that's it. Shorts or the highway! By that I mean that if the pants won't stay up over the knee they get left on the floor and we see a little full moon running around. So! I've been hemming away on her pants, creating all kinds of shorts for her. I don't love most of them. Honestly, I have never been a huge shorts person. But cut-offs I can get into. So I'm thinking of hand-distressing, dying, etc. some little cutoffs for her. I might as well turn this shorts thing into a fun project, right?

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
eating, feeling, picturing, wearing, loving 

currently... kitchen dance parties

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

learning, eating, wanting, reading, listening

This week I've been Learning how to hand-stamp fabric and do block prints. It's crazy intimidating but it's been something I've wanted to do forever. So far all of my experiments with potato printing and making-do with the supplies that are around have shown me that they sell block-printing supplies for a reason. I'm excited to get some linoleum and a roller this weekend and try for my first prints good enough to heat-set.

Look what you can do with blockprints, even if your artistic skills cap out at very impressive stick figures (like me)...

image via

We have been Eating spring/summer foods a bit more this past week or so. What with all the sunshine and 60s-ish days we've had. Any meal that can be had on a blanket in the back yard is a winner meal in our book. Sandwiches, fruit, Pandora blasting from the porch. The kids love backyard picnics just as much as Rob and I do.

I am Wanting our tax return, student loan disbursement, and a paycheck stat. Complaining about money is only kinda my jam (I mean, it all works out eventually) but in the past week Rob has had to front the fare for 3 plane tickets including one to London this summer! Aside from my total and utter envy - that is not mean-spirited but you guys, London - that he gets to travel to cool places and take little breaks from all the crazy that is life with a 6 and 3 year old, even if it is to go do math... well that's just a lot of dough to cough up for anybody. They'll reimburse us by Christmas (Universities are on island time like whoa) but in the meantime it's a good thing we're all down with picnic meals because it's tofurkey dogs and apple slices for dinner til some funding hits!

Otto is Reading everything. I mean EVERYTHING. He's blasting through the readers at school. Reading every sign he sees. Reading chapter books over my shoulder (which means I can't get away with skipping the boring stuff anymore ::pours a stiff one::). Raising voracious readers who are also incredibly sympathetic to their fellow humans and have excellent senses of humor is pretty much my goal in life so to say I'm proud of him would be a huge understatement. And me... I've been reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (thank you Regina!) and I can't put it down. I'm halfway through after less than a week which is unheard of for this early evening narcoleptic mama. It's just fascinating. The science is fascinating. The human story is fascinating. The politics. Just all of it. I recommend it to everyone.

We have been Listening to a lot of dance music lately. Otto's obsession with Call Me Maybe continues. Loretta has a second song (beyond Let it Go) that she will "allow" and it's Shake it Off. I can live with this. Kitchen dance parties make the world go around, right?

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
loving, showing, shopping, making, choosing 

three

Last night Loretta went to sleep a 2-year old and this morning she will wake up 3. I think because yesterday was such a busy one for her, and she didn't nap (thank you very much), and daylight savings (ugh), she's still sleeping away this morning when most days by 6am she's been up and at 'em and had three breakfasts by this hour. 

Oh my little girl. I just love you. You love pink and purple and extremely tacky jewelry. You insist on squishing your pants and shirts up to your knees and elbows. You question me about what's for dinner every afternoon and weigh judgement, "Oh that sounds really yummy!" or "My not want that." You sleep in princess dresses and tutus and love to read books and play duplos. You can color and draw like nobody's business and lately you love to draw monsters. Really impressive monsters. Your motto is, "My do it." and I believe that you will do whatever you set out to in life, little fierce one. You're tough and beautiful and smart and amazing. You make us laugh so much. You're a huge pain in the ass. Welcome to three, my darling darling girl. 

currently... night showers & other exciting things

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

setting, using, watching, choosing, imagining

This week I've been Setting the alarm a little later. Night showers are where it's at. I recently made the switch and it feels like I get to sleep in AND have a less busy time trying to get ready in the morning. Night showers. Amen.

Loretta (who will be 3 in less than a week WHUT THU FUUUUU) has been Using so many more words and we feel even more coming. She gets a little stutter right before she's about to introduce like 5,000 new words/phrases into her vocabulary and that's what she's been doing all week. And every time her speech advances she becomes a more pleasant person to live with. Words. Amen.

For like 6 months I was Watching absolutely nothing and now we have like 3 whole shows. Broad City! Walking Dead! Better Call Saul! Last Man on Earth! And considering The Slap! Ok, that's like 4 1/2. Watching all the shows and eating ice cream mixed with high fiber oat rings. I burn the candle at both ends!

Otto just caught up with 2012 and has been Choosing to listen to Call Me Maybe about five thousand times a day. Just do with that what you will. It's cool. It's cool.

We are Imagining life in a year and a half and it's a big question mark. Rob will graduate in 2016 and then we'll move wherever he gets work. Having such a big ??? on the horizon is a super crazy thing to contemplate. It's exciting and it's freaking me out. But in a good way. But laced with anxiety. One thing I've noticed myself doing is pre-distancing my emotions from the things in our house. For like ten years I've been daydreaming about replacing our towels (dare to have the sexy daydreams, ladies) and suddenly it's like who the eff cares. It all feels transient right now. Semi-permanent is a really trippy way to feel.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
learning, eating, wanting, reading, listening 

currently... mama jumbo

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

calling, going, taking, breaking, wondering

This week my kids have been Calling me some pretty funny, pretty wonderful things. Loretta took to telling secrets and her favorite is to lean in close and whisper, "I think you're beautiful, mama." Even though she would tell this same secret to the mailman (she's a one secret kind of girl) it still gives me butterflies. On the flip side, last night Otto told me I have enormous legs. Yes, Sir Toothpick Legs of the Land of Droopy Underoos thinks I've got thick stems. I was like, "They're supposed to be that size."  

The only Going we have planned is/are a couple of trips to Portland in the next few months and then Arizona at Christmas. We are really staying. But lots of plans to start hiking and daytripping and seeing parts of Oregon that we've yet to explore as soon as the weather gets just a bit nicer.

Loretta has been Taking her pants, all her pants, and rolling/squishing them up over her knees. It's her new signature style. Rob was taking her to school the other morning and waited for her to get her pants all hiked up the way she likes them, then they opened the door and it was like 25 degrees outside and she goes, "Oh I guess I better roll these down! It's chilly!" So at least she's not a slave to fashion.

Last night my heart was Breaking. Otto was being kind of a pill and we were having a talk about whining and acting entitled and he just broke down in tears and said he'd had a really hard day. Never forget that your kids don't always tell you everything that's ruminating inside of them. We had no idea when we picked him up from school that earlier in the day he'd had a really rough experience. By bedtime he was totally emotional (partially my fault for giving him night time ice cream which always sounds fun but leads to breakdowns). Without getting into details, a few of the boys in his class have decided to start picking on other kids. Otto got called names and hit. It also sounds like the kids have been ganging up to get other kids in trouble and Otto got punished and had to miss recess because a teacher believed the boys. Oh how I remember the feeling of unfairness when things like this happen as a child. But I was never bullied. And so I'm not sure what to do. I'm a natural fighter and Otto is not. The Mama Jumbo inside of me wants to go crazy and throw chairs and tell Otto to punch those little shits' faces when they go near him. Instead we talked about tactics Otto could try to avoid getting hassled in the first place and to shut them down if they try. And we also talked about talking. We want to make sure Otto knows he can tell us anything and that we're his champions and will help him work through problems. He's going to try to handle this on his own, but he's also going to tell us right away if he has another bullying experience so that we can step in and take action. Their insistence on letting the kids work out EVERYTHING for themselves is one of my few complaints about Montessori. When it's a classroom that ranges in age from 5 to 8 and the older kids are picking on the little ones you can't expect a 6 year old to just figure it out. You guys have no idea how badly I want Otto to chase these boys into a dumpster and fly away on his wish dragon.

I am Wondering if it's the weekend yet? We have a no-plans weekend and those are my favorite. If the sun shines we'll head to a park for some outside time. But aside from an exercise class and grocery shopping it's all peaceful easy coming up this weekend and I can't wait.

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
setting, using, watching, choosing, imagining 

our first photo shoot for Ot & Et Shop!

It's funny that as a marketing professional I'm so nervous to market this new business. Part of it is that I'm starting out so small and kind of trying to stay small for a while. Another part is just how close to my heart this whole thing is. I don't want to let this shop down, because it means so much to me and feels so personal. Suddenly I'm shy, who'da thunk?

I am excited to share some images from a little photo shoot we did this past weekend. I wanted to get shots of the kids IN the clothes up on the home page and in some of the descriptions. These shots are making me realize that my set up of taking shots of the tees and pants on my plywood background isn't going to cut it. Natural light is so much better and it's also impossible to capture in my little home studio (darn you Oregon & roofs with overhangs). Thinking cap engaged.

Finally, we just added 3 new tees to the inventory. Pluto is not a planet by Handmade Escapade (aka Katy McKinley). I LOVE THESE TEES! You can read more about Katy's life as a mama, a maker, and a West Virginian at her Wild & Wanderful blog here which also links to her super rad Etsy shop.

currently... do that which we think we cannot

(image via)

The deal: Use our themes or use your own - just let us know what is 'currently' going on with you. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the other bloggers linking up - especially to my amazing co-host Randalin of Kale & Beans.

This week's themes: 

pushing, enjoying, missing, reading, cooking

Earlier this week I was Pushing through some real insecurities, fear, and fatigue in order to get my new small business officially up and running. I know I have been hinting on here for a long time about this little mystery biz. That's because I was terrified of saying it out loud until it was real. But, somehow someway, as-of yesterday I am a small business owner (of the Ot & Et Shop). It feels amazing and I am walking on sunshine.

Currently we are all Enjoying a little sun on our poor translucent white Oregon skin. Weird February you make me nervous but I love you.

Lately I have been Missing baby snuggles with Loretta. No one get me wrong. It's just that she's hit that phase where she is lanky and near-awkward to rock at night and it reminds me that she's growing up and about to leave babyhood behind. She'll be 3 in a few short weeks. What in the world?

What should I be Reading? I'm stumped. I've read too many farm lady memoirs in a row and if I read one more I'll lose my "COOL" badge. What books are you guys loving these days?

This week we are back to Cooking on the meal plan and I cannot believe how much easier life is when we just stick to plan. I'm thinking of doing something fun with a crock pot this weekend. Hold onto your hats; it's getting crazy up in here!

That was this week & here are next week's theme's:
calling, going, taking, breaking, wondering 

announcing! the Ot & Et Shop

I am so excited to share with you guys the launch of Ot & Et Shop. It is brand spanking new and only has a tiny initial inventory but more is coming soon.

Ot & Et Shop is a (very) small children's clothing boutique. We partner with small businesses from all around to create one-of-a-kind tops and bottoms for your little ones.

This little shop is my dream come true and I can only hope it will continue to grow and get radder as time goes by - just like the real Ot & Et (my two kiddos, Otto and Loretta).

I love and have always loved charming, unique, well-made clothes. Clothing with heart and a story. When my kids came along, I found inspiration for their closets in vintage, at thrift stores, on Etsy, Instagram, Pinterest, and craft markets. Ot & Et Shop hopes to bring all of that inspiration together in a single place, supporting small artists, providing small batch one-of-a-kind styles that are precious, pitch-perfect, personality plus, comfy, and that spread smiles.

The kickoff line includes worm tanks by Aaron Robert Miller and my dream kids pants, brought to life by Pickee Kids. Coming soon, tees by Handmade Escapade and more.

I couldn't be more excited (or terrified or giddy) after almost 2 years of dreaming, thinking, plotting, and planning, to finally open the "doors" on this little dream.

xoxo,
Lindsey