Friday, May 30, 2008

Another Month Has Gotten Away

It's crazy what having a child can do to your sense of time. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but this month has gone by way too fast. There's a lot going on around the Lundeen household these days, so it's no surprise.

I started two new jobs: Working at The Sock Drawer and as a nanny for a 9-month-old little girl. The Sock Drawer is a really nice break away from my responsibilities at home and a chance to be around adults for a couple of days a week. (I truly love playing, singing, dancing, feeding and reading to Soren every day, but sometimes I start to feel a little crazy.) Plus, anyone who knows me, knows I love socks. It's a pretty perfect fit. With the help of my mom, and a couple really sweet friends, I am able to leave him and not feel anxious about it. If you're a working mom, you know how valuable that is!

The other two days a week, Soren and I spend the entire day over at our friend's house while I care for their infant daughter. It's amazing how much easier my day is when I have my own built-in playmate for the baby I am caring for. Soren and Simone absolutely love playing with each other and I'm sure it's just going to get more fun as they grow up. (I'm also sure that it's going to have it's challenges as they both get more mobile and more independent.) It's so nice to be able to raise my own child while getting a little extra income at the same time. Plus, Soren is stoked to have access to an incredible amount of toys!

I am also busy contributing to Fig+Sage, the "green" blog that my sister and I started in March. It's becoming more and more popular, which we're really excited about. We get a chance to review products and decide if they're cool enough to go on the blog. It's a lot of fun to be working with my sister on a project like this, we're already learning a lot and making new friends.

Karl is busier than ever, which I didn't know was possible. I can't even remember how many all-nighters he has pulled within the last month. It's intense - that's all I can say. We've got another 2 weeks to go until summer and then he starts summer classes. If anyone tells me that they miss Karl, I usually tell them that I do too. It's the truth.

Hopefully this post explains why we have been such elusive friends and family members these past several months. It's not that we don't love you, or think about you, or wish we could spend more time with you. It's just that we're trying to hold on to our hats as we ride through this season of our life. We always appreciate phone calls or emails, we're just not the best at replying to them. I'll try to be better about updating the blog with any important events so that we can stay a little more connected. Thanks for understanding!

I'll be back soon to post pictures of Soren's first birthday party. I can't believe I'm going to have a 1-year-old in a couple of weeks...wild!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

The Big 1

Soren is turning 1 and having his first birthday party on June 7. This fact just hit me the other day and I am in fast planning mode. I just got the invitation out a couple of days ago, thanks to my dear friends Seth and Skylana. Seth personally designed the invitation and it's so special to have his 1st birthday invitations made by one of Soren's favorite people. (Seriously, Soren LOVES Seth's band.) Here's a little taste of what it looks like...


The elephant (hand drawn by Seth) actually walks in the real invitation - so cool. Thanks Seth!

A few of you have asked what Soren might want as a gift. Of course no gifts are required, or even expected (I hope this goes without saying.) If you would like to give him a gift over and above your love for him, you can check out his wishlists at Amazon.com, Speeses.com and Kate Quinn Organics. All of the links to these sites can be found on the right hand side of this blog under Soren's Birthday Wish Lists.

Now I'm off to look for a cake recipe that won't put him into a sugar coma on his birthday...