the grind. back to it.

The boys are back to school.  This year we have a third grader and a kindergartener.  Insert cliche but all-too-true statement about time flying here.

two cutie pies, ready for school.  third grade and kindergarten!

I feel like our summer was so busy.  A little too busy.  There is a balance to be found between free time and scheduled time, and I feel like we erred on the side of too scheduled this summer.  It's okay, though.  I still think the boys had fun.  And we ended the summer with a great visit to Chicago, which was wonderful as always.  Perhaps next year we'll sign up for fewer activities.  That's so far away now, who knows what I'll remember to do. 

watching the polar bear at Lincoln Park Zoo.

T, Lili, and giraffes!

got drenched during our zoo visit.

silly cereal face.

sweet silly boys on a Chicago rooftop.

We are adjusting to our new school schedule pretty well.  We drop S off at 8 am, then T and I run errands, do chores, or just play in the morning.  Then I take T to kindergarten after lunch, and the afternoons are MINE ALL MINE.  So far I've been hiding myself away at home, reading and crafting and cleaning (summer left the house a total mess).  I love my alone time, I do.  Soon enough I'll be spending some of my afternoons teaching art lessons to the boys' classes, or perhaps having lunch with some girlfriends.  For now it's hermit time every afternoon. 

Okay, listen up.  I'm sure you already know this, but I've opened up a second little etsy shop selling stenciled onesies.  It's called The Onesie.  Smiley face.

Here is the story behind my new little venture: Last year friends of ours adopted a gorgeous baby boy.  At the time I was making tons of cute onesies for my newest nephew, cutting out words and images using a Cricut machine.  I was on an adorable roll.  I wanted to make one for our friends' new baby, but I didn't want to make it too cutesy.  See, our friend Brian, the baby's dad, is like the baddest badass I've ever known, a Chicago cop and all-around tough guy.  I wanted to make a onesie that wouldn't make Brian cringe when he changed his boy's diaper.  So I came up with a little phrase, "I just got here and I'm already awesome."  You can see that original onesie here.

Okay, so then a year later I noticed my flickr stats for that particular photo were blowing up.  Like, hundreds of views a day.  I traced all this action back to Pinterest, and then I though, well, if all these people on Pinterest love it, maybe some of them will buy it.  And so my etsy shop was born.  I'm putting up onesies with lots of different phrases, but so far my best seller is the one I made for Brian's baby boy.  So thanks, Brian, for being too manly for the average cute onesie.  I owe you.

Please, if you need a baby gift or know someone who does, feel free to peruse my onesie selection!  xoxo