September Ramblings

September ramblings on October 1st…I knew one of these months I’d miss my deadline! (I’m actually surprised that it took me so long.) I feel like these monthly posts make my months feel shorter…. seriously, I just wrote one of these…how has it been a month already?

So, let’s get to rambling…

Levi is eleven months now and the countdown is on until I have a one year old and a two year old.  A one year old AND two year old…just saying that makes life sounds crazy and makes me feel exhausted. Levi is starting to get more difficult, he needs attention and interaction… I can’t just leave him on the floor with some toys and have him be perfectly happy. There is a trade off though, he is also getting cuter. I don’t know if y’all have noticed, but he is freakin adorable. His personality has really started to emerge this month and I feel like I’m finally getting to meet him. Also, last month (was it last month? They are all running together) I told y’all that my boys fight all the time. They still fight, but this month they became friends. They do everything together and I love it. If you watch the video you’ll see that they are BFF’s….okay, BFF’s might be a little generous…let’s call the frenemies. Sometimes they even play so well together that I can get some stuff done…sometimes.

Elijah is really starting communicate and it amazes me how much he picks up everyday. He still is the least talkative 2.5 year old I know, but we are getting there. He’s extremely quiet out in public, but at home he blabbers on and on. He is very agreeable…he will answer “mmmhmm” to anything you ask him. Adam will ask him if he went pee in the potty or ate his broccoli or something that I know he did NOT do and he will say “mmmhmmm”. You can ask him “Elijah, did ride a spaceship to the moon today?” “mmmhmmm” “Then did you eat a dinosaur for lunch?” “mmmhmm”. Can’t trust that kid, I tell ya. At least he’s not saying no to everything, right? He is also very choosy about the things he learns. I swear I could tell him to go grab a pair of needle nose pliers and he will bring me the exact right thing, but when we are folding laundry and I ask him what color his green shirt is, he will say yellow every single time. Same thing with counting…we count everything, all day long, yet he can’t count to three. He can get to two, but anything past that is “five two” (which in Elijah speak just means more than two). Yet somehow he can rattle off every piece of construction equipment or  large machinery known to man and correctly name as many animals as I can. Kids are weird.

Let’s see, what did us big kids do this month? Well, Adam and I both went on separate beach trips. I went on a girls one and left Elijah for almost two days (Levi came with me). It is amazing how much easier one kid is than two. One kid is a breeze…though when I had one kid I didn’t think it was a breeze at all. I wonder if when kid number three comes I’ll look back and think that two kids was a breeze. (Let me just clarify, before I get comments… no, I’m not pregnant). Adam went on a beach trip  too, actually it was a spearfishing trip….but it got cancelled when they were down there due to weather so he’s going to try again next month. Funny that we both on beach trips and neither one of us took a single picture or video the whole time. Apparently no videos get taken unless I am sitting around the house with my boys.  I swear, we do things…and I swear that my kids own pants. They only wear them in public though, where I’m usually not taking video. So with that, here is our September video. (If you didn’t get the pants thing, you will after watching this…)

I do have big news this month…I have officially entered the 21st century and got a smartphone!

Up until now I have just used that old $10 Walmart phone. It didn’t take pictures, it didn’t text, it just made calls. The speaker was starting to go out though (I suspecting that is due to being constantly drown in absurd amount of drool) and the iphone 4 had just dropped to 99 cents at AT&T, and I had an available upgrade. The perfect storm. I’ve only had it for two weeks or so, but I love it. I don’t even fully know how to use it, but what I have learned, I like. Now I just have to be super careful, because if it gets broken I have to go back to my old one and that can not happen. Ignorance was bliss, but now I’ve seem the smartphone light and can never return. I really need to get my hands on one of those toddler proof otterboxes…they wanted like $65 for them at the store, but they’re about $20 on Amazon so I’ll have to pick one up. Also, I’m now on Instagram! Of course, right? I’m not even sure how to tell you to follow me…my username is domesticashley, if that helps. I’m sure I will mostly post pics of my kids (let’s just be honest here), but I’ll get project sneak peeks in there, promise (already did, actually!).  And if I see another tarantula on my front porch, I’m going to post it to Instagram, not facebook. The day I posted the tarantula on facebook I got more unlikes than ever before, lol.

So I’ve been thinking…those of y’all that read these ramblings posts are the really dedicated readers. I don’t “advertise” them at all like my normal posts so those of you that are reading this really are actually interested in getting to know more about me and my family (or your just seriously bored and killing time). Sooo, I thought I’d let y’all ask me some questions. Ask me anything you like…and if it’s not creepy, inappropriate, or exceedingly embarrassing, I’ll give you an answer. Also, feel free to shoot some questions Adam’s way. He has no idea I’ve volunteered him for this, but I’m pretty sure he’ll play along. I’d love to answer them all in a video (like they did on Young House Love), but we’ll see how far I can push my luck with the hubs :) Anyway….ready, set, go!

Wait, not yet! First check out some of my favorite pics from this month…

Okay, now go! Don’t be shy…

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41 Comments

  1. I have a big family now, but 1 to 2 was my hardest transition. It’s hard having two kids so close in age and no big kids to help! Now, I have two babies again (2 and 9 mos.) and it’s a breeze because I have big kids who love helping out with their favorite babies.
    A question: What has been your favorite DIY project? Easiest, most impact, or just the most fun.

    1. Ginger, that’s good to hear! Perhaps I’m past the hardest part? Depends on how old the big kids are…how old are yours? Are they girls? It seems that girls are so much more helpful when it comes to that kind of stuff.

      Thanks for the question :)

      1. My big kids are 14, 12, 11, and 7. Three of them are girls. Girls aren’t necessarily more helpful, but in general they can see what needs doing where boys have to be told. I don’t consider that less helpful though.

        1. You have a houseful! I love it :) I’m thinking Elijah will only be four or so when the next baby comes, so he won’t be as old as yours. Though if I’m faithful in training him I’m sure he will still be somewhat helpful. As far as being told what to do, I don’t boys ever grow out of that! My husband is super helpful, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to ask, lol.

  2. I like reading your rambling posts :) You make me feel connected to an experience I don’t have and never will (by choice so it’s okay ;) ). I appreciate that you can write about your life in a way that makes me engaged despite being a quite different person from you (for example, I’m child-free, an atheist and asexual/aromantic).

  3. I love reading the ramblings! It’s nice to hear about your family and a little bit of the woman behind the awesome DIYs. Have a great week!

  4. I don’t have children yet, but I DID raise my little brother while my mother was ill in my teens. I was so frustrated with trying to teach this bright, gorgeous boy how to count. He knew dozens of species of dinosaurs, which period they lived in, and what they ate (I can still here him screaming “CARRRRRNIVORREE RAAAGHHH!” Adorable.) but I could not for the life of me get him to count correctly. He would go (with great concentration) “One… two… four… five.” On his third birthday he told everyone that he had turned “not two”, and vehemently shook his head no when someone insisted otherwise. It was like 3 didn’t exist in his world.
    And then, we had a particularly tantrum filled morning. He didn’t want to get dressed for daycare. He tossed his breakfast and cup onto the floor. He hid his shoes from me (they were in the microwave. How his short baby arms ever reached I will never know). I was already late for class, and I told him that if he didn’t tell me where his shoes were before I counted to three he was in BIG TROUBLE. His eyes got huge and watery and I knew we were about to have a nuclear meltdown.
    A couple hours later it clicked in my head. 3 = BIG TROUBLE. When I counted to three, the kid could be sure he was getting a time out and wouldn’t get his weekly dessert on Friday night. When I picked him up from daycare that afternoon. I asked him if he didn’t count to three because he would get in trouble, and he started bawling and nodded his head. I hugged him and laughed and told him that three wasn’t a bad word, and his daycare teacher started cracking up. We probably shouldn’t have laughed at him, because it only confused him, but it was so brilliant we couldn’t help it. If he made sure that three didn’t exist, he could never get in trouble. Awesome.
    It took us a couple of weeks to convince him that he wasn’t going to go to time-out everytime someone said ‘three’, but he got it. And I think the first time he counted to 30 all the way I might have given him dessert on Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday, rather than just Friday ;).

    So, pretty long story, but your adventures counting with Elijah made me think of it and I wanted to share :)

    1. Corryn, thank you for sharing that story! That makes complete sense and would have taken forever for me to figure it out on my own, if I ever did. I don’t think this is his problem right now because he won’t say one, four, five, six…or any other number besides two. Unless it “five-two”, of course. But I do count and will watch for this in the future. You sound like an amazing big sister!

  5. My sons where just less then 2 years apart…they still argue at 34 and 36…so now it is the grandkids…and all I can say it never gets any easier…and enjoy those hugs…because once those boys are in the their 20’s they don’t come as easy ….you have to wait for grandkids..

  6. Hope this is not to personal but, what did you do before you became a stay at home mom? Did you have a job or were you a homemaker?

  7. Also, a little off topic but, I love the color green of the walls in your living room, can you tell me what color you used?

    1. You know, I get asked this all the time and always feel bad because I can’t give you an answer. I had the hardest time picking a green… I painted the entire living room three times, it just kept looking wrong. Finally I had so much green paint and so many green samples that I mixed them all up in a 5 gallon bucket and put that on the walls. Oddly enough, it’s perfect.

  8. I love the “ramblings” post! This is the first time I’ve read one of yours. I have to say that I love seeing the ages your two boys are at-my two older boys are 17 months apart and it was an amazing time when I look back to when they were so small…they are 4 and 5 now and frenemies is still a great descriptive for them!! (We also have a third boy-13 months so I totally “get” what you are saying about the personality coming out too!) Thanks for sharing!

  9. Some questions – What does your husband do for work? Before you bought your house did you buy it as a fixer-upper or has it gradually evolved into one? How long do you plan to stay at your house and then what? I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions when I think of them.

  10. Hi, Ashley! I’m a long time reader, but I’ve never commented! (Shame on me) I have to be honest here, I love your DIY posts, but your monthly ramblings are my favorite! You seem like such a fantastic mother and so soft spoken with your boys. I love that! How do you keep your cool when times get tough? You have such cute little boys and I just love hearing about Elijah’s number counting and his speech habits. He’s just too cute and FUNNY!! And Levi is just adorable. I love that age. They both look so alike.

    Anyways! My questions to you are:
    How many children would be ideal to you?
    Would you rather build your dream home from the bottom up or buy an older home with lots of character and renovate?

    1. Thanks for commenting Michelle! If it’s shame on you than shame on me too…I’m a blogstalker myself. I read lots of blogs but never ever comment. I’m so glad you did though :) Thanks for your questions…I’ve added them to my list!

  11. I read EVERYTHING you write. You have a great flow to your writing which keeps it interesting…you sometimes make me feel like I’m reading a book! Also you add a lot of humor…I like that! {plus you have good grammar and spelling …bonus!} Your boys are so adorable and they look like great playmates!
    So I’m also wondering what you did before children?
    p.s. You seem to be very good parents!!

    1. Your too sweet :) I’m glad you think I have good grammar and spelling…my husband proof reads everything I write and he usually says something like “none of your punctuation is correct, this sentence is somehow a run-on AND a fragment, and I’m pretty sure you made these three words up. But it sounds alright.” LOL.

  12. I read your blog regularly, but usually only comment on these posts because they are so stinking cute! Your boys are adorable, and I love watching you and your husband interact with them as well. I loved the opening shot of the boys “helping” to put their diapers away! The sad part is, most grown men STILL put things away the same way. . . Lol! I was not blessed with children, and I live with and car for my elderly mom, so our lives may not be exactly the same, but I enjoy seeing your boys growing and learning and I am grateful that you share who you really are with us readers! I show my mo these videos each month and she looks forward to seeing the boys like they were her own grandchildren! You make our day with them.

    I had to laugh about the cell phone because up until this past Jan. I was still using a flip phone myself. It didn’t even ring anymore! A friend bought me an iPhone upgrade and I too love it! I still am learning things it can do, so I feel like a dinosaur, but it is nice to be in “modern times”!

    I would love to know more about where you live, it looks rural? Who owns which motorcycle? Do you ride? Is that your dog in the video when you where pushing your son in the car in the yard? Do you have pets? What is your favorite part of being a mommy? Least favorite?

    Thanks for letting us ask questions! Have a wonderful month!

    1. I always look forward to your comments on these posts Maureen! And I seriously love that you and your mom watch my videos together and it brings a smile to her face. Hearing that makes me so glad I post them and brings a smile to MY face. And thank you for the questions, I’ve added them to my list!

  13. Hey Ashley, I mostly wanted to say that I love your writing style! Did you take any classes for it or has it always been something you’ve enjoyed? I literally check your page almost every day for new posts because they’re so enjoyable to read when I’m stuck at work. They are not just DIY posts, but they have humor in them as well! I love it!

  14. weeeeeeeeellllll……transition from 2-3 was hardest for me. when i had two, i at least had two hands. one for each. when it went to three (they were 4, 1, and newborn), i thought i might lose my ever loving mind. BUT! they are older now (11, 8 and just about to be 7) and it is MUCH easier. my only question for you is…….why are you so crafty with two small children? wait….i don’t know if i want the answer to that. it may just make me feel inferior ;D you’re awesome ashley. seriously.

    1. You are not the first person that has said 2-3 was the hardest. I’m not sure if we should take a little break or just get all the babies out of the way at once…either way has it advantages/disadvantages. And if you want to nip that feeling inferior thing in the bud just drop by my house unexpected. Seriously, you will never feel inferior again!

  15. Hi, Ashley. I love your ramblings and of course your DIY projects. Oh I wish I have the time to do some of your crafty ideas… But when I do I will search back your archives. I have a life full of boys.. And trying to put a woman’s touch around the house isn’t easy. You do awesome jobs and great way sharing it.
    Ps… Don’t tell me that’s a real spider on the pic . — shudder

  16. Hi, Ashley! I just love reading your Ramblings posts! I feel like I’m keeping up with a long lost friend! Elijah is just too cute with his counting. I was cracking up when he “counted” that row of corn. I’d love to know where 5-2 comes from in his little mind! Are you planning a big birthday bash for Levi?! I’ll hope for some DIY birthday decor!!

    1. I’d love to know where a lot of stuff comes from in his little mind! I wish I could tell you I had some awesome pinterest worth party planned for Levi, but truth is I haven’t even thought about it yet. Mom fail, lol.

  17. Love this. Your boys are absolutely adorable. I also have two – a 4yo girl and almost 2yo boy – and I agree that having two was SO MUCH more work than one. But now, as they’ve gotten older, they are seriously BFFs, occupy each other all the time, and it’s *almost* more work when one isn’t here! Plus watching them together is just priceless.

    Question — Elijah’s nickname — is it nudge? — what’s that about?

    1. Oh haha, yes…his nickname is nudge. It started because we don’t find out the gender of our babies before they are born, so when I was pregnant we called him “nudger” (since he kicked me constantly, but always gently). And wouldn’t you know it, it stuck. It’s been shortened to nudge (or nudgie), but most of our families and military friends call him that. In fact, sometimes when I proofread my posts I have to change “nudge” to Elijah.

  18. I also have an iPhone 4. I dropped it in the water (by accident); got it fixed; and looked into a cover. After comparing 2 of the covers, I chose Griffin over Otterbox. Although the Otterbox is more “famous”, the reviews are better for the Griffin. Ex: A mom had her 2 or 3 year old destroy her Otterbox, but after a month or 2 (as of the time of the review), the Griffin was holding up. Just something to look into :-)

      1. I had to go look up my order history on Amazon. lol It was the Survivor. I ordered the Pink one, but it came in black. It’s held up amazingly to dropping it (that’s my tendency)…even down 3 or 4 stairs at a time so far. Yes, there was bouncing on the phone’s part involved. It’s supposed to be blowing rain-proof as well as shock-proof. It was a bit tricky to get the sides of the screen to “select” at first until I got the hang of it. Sometimes I when I MagicJack my family, it’s hard to hear b/c of the rubber cover, so I remove just that bit until the calls ended. But it only seems to happen with those type of “internet” calls, but none of the regular “dial a number” calls.

  19. i just recently started following you and just wanted to tell you what a cute family you have! also, it must be nice to have such a petite little guy! i have a 3 year old and a 6 month old and my daughter has always been petite and tall, but my little bruiser baby boy is the same weight as your 11 month old! he just had his 6 month visit last week and was 19 lbs 7.2 oz! i swear every time i pick him up he has gained a pound! can’t wait to see what else you post!

  20. I, too, love your ramblings post’s. It’s so fun to see where you and Adam are now compared to when we were in high school. Also, the pillow scene in that video melts my heart! Keep them coming!!

  21. How does this happen that I just came across this post and the August ramblings? And now I’m so out of date that the video is no more. Boo!

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