trike rider

7/31/13

birthdays and bottle rockets

7/30/13

This past weekend, we spent our Saturday with my family.  My sister's birthday was last Monday (she turned another year older), and my dad's birthday was last Thursday (he turned 69), so we celebrated them and thew a little 4th of July in there because way back when it did nothing but rain, because we had fireworks to blow, and because well why not.  

I do have a few pictures of little faces, but because I'm wishing I hadn't already inhaled the leftovers my mom sent home with me...this was dessert - a skillet apple pie.  Out of this world good, peeps!

Say CHEESE!

from our weekend: the after-pool crash

letters to my sons

7/22/13

My Little Fireworks,

One of my favorite songs to sing when I was little like you is "This Little Light of Mine".  Between the hand motions we used to do in Sunday School to all the different verses and how fun I thought it was to shout, "No! I'm gonna let it shine.", it stayed with me - mind and heart.  For all these reasons, it just came naturally for me to sing it to you from the first minutes I held you; and although you've outgrown this part - me rocking you to sleep to the sound of my voice - the words are something I hope you're never too big to hear.

I recently heard a new version of this song that gives it even more meaning and makes it even more special, and since they say it best, I'll just write the words down for you here:

"There's a little flame inside a soul
Some shine bright, some shine small
The rains will come and the waters rise
But don't you ever lose your light

In this life you will know
Love and pain, joy and sorrow
So when it hurts when times get hard
Don't forget whose child you are

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine gonna let it shine

May you live each day with no regret
Make the most of every chance you get
Let your eyes get wide when you look at the stars
With the same sense of wonder as a child's heart

With the ones you love, treasure the time
And for those who are gone, keep their memories alive
Hold onto your dreams, don't ever let go
There's a fire inside you burning with hope

This little light of mine
I'm gonne let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine gonna let it shine

...." Addison Road

Keep your little lights shining, Babies.  Always.

~Mom

what's in your fridge?

Tower 1? Come in please. Spppppsh

7/17/13

I know I'm getting all kinds of out of order, but I'm so fired up about the things I found on my lunch break thrift store run.  I 99% never find one thing, but today I found three, and this is one of them.  It's a set of those Trio blocks - the Airport Tower one.  It came in its original box, still has the instructions (crisp), and is only missing one piece (one of the picture inserts from one of the windows at the top).  


$2.99 and little kid approved - I'm doing a happy dance.  He loves putting the pilot in and out of the helicopter.  In and out......fix the section at the bottom because he pushed down too hard and it broke off.  In and out......fix the section at the bottom because he pushed down too hard and it broke off.  We're keepin' it!

watching Jake


workin' at the car wash

7/16/13

The toys that are his and age-appropriate for a fifteen month old or younger - still in his closet that I can't let go of (It'll require therapy.) - are out and cars are in.

Our house sits on a little bit of hill which means our driveway slopes, and his new fave is rolling his best cars down it.

This past Saturday, the water hose was already out from me bathing our fur baby, so I grabbed some soap from the kitchen and watched him shine his wheels before he sent them off on a joy ride into the grass or onto the street (whichever they crashed into first).


I couldn't decide on just one, and I thought many might make up for none from the past few days.  Taken and downloaded...just not blogged.  Gettin' there.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

7/11/13



Yep.  Still raining.  

Sigh.

3 reasons to give a huge shout out to our garage

7/10/13

Rain.

.........

Potty training.


And he reeeaalllly wanted that orange popsicle.

It's potty time!

7/9/13

For just a little over two weeks now (Maybe right at three?), Parker's been in potty boot camp.  Wow...seems so much longer than that, but I think that's because he's come a loooong way in such a short amount of time.  He's gone from shaking his head and begging, "No No No!" at just the thought of even sitting on the potty we bought just for him/a potty/any potty to asking when he needs to - even going on his own - to going anywhere and everywhere he happens to be when he needs to...even at preschool.

There, the potty-goers get two things for a reward when they use the potty - skittles and stickers; and to him, the stickers mean the most.  He shows me his fists where he's put them when I pick him up, and he always shares one with me when he's earned more than one (Yesterday, he earned three so Jake even got one too.), and obviously they're still a big deal when we get home.   


Front door down...back door to go, and we are there!  

God, give me strength.

our 4th of July goes a little something like this...

7/8/13

No plans made with friends or extended family because we had already checked the forecast...rain.

Walks around our neighborhood but not too far...in the rain.

Umbrella carrying and puddle jumping...in the rain.

This one of the boys in between the downpours...of rain.


And then we ended our night with sparklers and snappers on our back patio with an all who-cares-we're-gonna-do-this-anyway-because-we-are-free-and-oh-what-a-gift-that-is attitude...Hurry before it starts to rain!

Rain or shine, I hope you celebrated too.

He sleeps among Star {Wars}.

7/5/13


And Chewbacca.

fountain of youth

7/3/13


Ahhh...the wonder working age-defying power of a onesie.  Easily it's the one article of clothing that can instantly take eight months off of his life.  Therefore, I keep them around.  

from Talladega.

7/2/13


It was scorching hot and a longer wait than we thought it would be even though he had a specific ride time and a MAJOR disappointment to Parker when he didn't get to get in the number 13 too.  But Jim will say it comes in at a close second to one of the flights he made in an F-16 and by far the best Happy-Father's-Day-to-me gifts he's ever given to himself, so two thumbs up for a little piece of Nascar.

And from me to my Hubs....Happy Anniversary!  Love to love you, Babe!

Even superheroes need to take baths.