What I would do for post-pool hair like Sophia's.

Father's Day

Thanks pinterest for our little ideas.   They did my little interviews completely independent of each other and didn't know the other's answers.  I love how many are the same. He's a basketball watching, cross-fit obsessed, water drinking, kind and playful giant.  They're pretty spot on.

Father's Day weekend for us meant:

- Nana and Grandpa took the girls to Orange County on Saturday to play with their cousins for the day, so we had a babysitter stay with Finn while he napped and Ross and I took a vacation day at a nearby hotel pool.  Ahhh... that's when this desert heat doesn't seem so bad.

- we did breakfast in bed for Ross of course.  And it wouldn't have been the same had I actually used the powdered sugar for his french toast and not accidentally corn starch.  It's true.  He ate his whole plate before he came downstairs and said... "that was delicous.... buuuut.... that wasn't powdered sugar." huh? I looked a the box I'd been sifting from.... 100% pure corn starch.  As if it was rubbing my insane mistake in my face.  Luckily he likes a good story.

- Blue cheese crusted steak for dinner.  All in all, a more successful meal than breakfast.  Which isn't saying much I guess.  But it was good.  Any red meat with blue cheese is a hit with me.

Did I mention I covered our father's day french toast in corn starch?  Best father's day ever.  

17 Months

This  one below makes me laugh.  Good MORNING sunshine.

 Dear Finn,

This last one is so YOU right now. You're so tactile and snuggly and addicted to your comforts.  With Sophia, since she was first, that stressed me out a little.  Always thinking of the big break-ups that will have to happen some day.  This time I kind of love it.  Whatever makes you happy, you know?  I mean let's be honest.  You'll need braces some day anyway.  And you certainly won't want to drag a floral blanket around forever.

  In this one above, you have one binky in your mouth, one in your hand for back-up, and you're trying to get your favorite blanket out of the crib.  You'll throw that thing down on the ground anywhere and snuggle up on it, one cheek burrowing into the soft side, arms tucked in at your sides, bum in the air.  I'd better get a good shot of that.  I know it won't last forever.

You're 17 months and you feel like such a real-- little person these days.  So much personality and humor and attitude.  You love your daddy and meet him at the garage door when he gets home, yelling "Dada! Dada!" with so much excitement your whole body shakes.  I think it's his favorite part of the day.  He looks like such a proud papa when he picks up his big, beefy, boy.

You still take two naps a day but I think you might be right on the edge of transitioning to the one.... just in time for summer.  We're gonna need more time to go have fun.  Your sisters have high expectations for this one. :/ I might need some serious help and decent behavior from you.

Speaking of which... sometimes you can be a serious handful.  I think your teeth are sharper or bigger than the girls' were or something, because teething seems to feel like ... well, exactly what it is-- on you.  Like you've got something ripping through your skin.  You get GRUMPY.  Also, you like to throw toys at people right now.  And mostly you aim for the head.  I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on this one because otherwise we're going to lose all of our friends here very soon.

You go through phases when you must be growing or something where you'll take a four hour nap and then another 2 hour nap and still go to bed a couple of hours later at 7:30 and sleep 'till 7.  Then after a week of that you'll switch to extra short naps.  You like to keep me guessing.  But mostly, you sleep great.

You love to have your finger nails clipped and your feet rubbed and small toy cars driven over your shoulders and head.  You get super still and smile and allow only your eyeballs to move left and right.  It's amazing.  You just love affection.  I LOVE that you love affection.  Occasionally you'll sit still on my lap for a minute, when I lean back so that you sink in and realize it's cozy.  I love that minute where I can smother my nose into those mysterious copper-colored curls on the back of your head.  I could live there.

You are so adored-- and we will do all we can to put the best parts of the world at your fingertips and keep the worst parts far far away.

Love you so much sweet boy,
Mom

After today--- three more days of school!

The triple digit temperatures have always made me absolutely dread summer.  We plan as many weekends away as possible and I feel like I'm counting down every day.  We've been out here for over 9 years... since just after we got married.  And for the most part... they haven't gotten easier to bare.  UNTIL.... Sophia started kinder last year.  I was shocked to find myself thrilled for the end of the year. No more homework or schedule carpools.  Just a whole lot of Sophia in her jammies as long as the rest of us.  It was wonderful.

After a year of first grade, where she's not home 'till after three (!) I'm even MORE thrilled for summer.  The freedom in our schedule and extra time to be creative and/or lazy instead of our daily routine.... I think it'll be a good one.  Memorial weekend (above) was just a tiny taste.  Three more days!!

On Tuesday...

Some more maygrams (the possibilities for instagram-word-blending are endless)

A few of our latest moments include:

- Mila's first trip to the dentist
- A dinner out way past our curfew
- Sophia bribing me to pick at her feet with tweezers while she reads to me... she loves having her feet touched!
- Twin day with cute friend Kate
- Our backyard slide coming back in business for the summer until it breaks for good--- at which point we'll debate getting a new one at full price or waiting 'till the end of the summer to get it half off.  Decisions....
- A family game night
- Baking... baking... baking.... mostly my favorite whole wheat cookies and my first batch of whole wheat cinnamon rolls.
- All with my NEW lovely 6 qt kitchenaid with the gorgeous shiny bowl and cool curled edge... sometimes it's exciting when things break. I had no choice.  I had to get it.
- The last of my birthday celebrations with Ross at one of our favorite restaurants-- Roys.
- And a happy me after a birthday massage.... ahhhhh...
- Some daddy/Finn skateboarding time
- And a possibly line-crossing picture of me and Ross on our 9 year anniversary.

I remember the days when I would be posting the pictures from our memorial day weekend right now, instead of all of the day-to day before that.... but when I skip, I never  come back.  And I need this stuff in print some day to make it worth all the obnoxious snapshots.

Sisters

There are plenty of fights and fits--- maybe even some sibling rivalry already :/.  But there are far more moments like this one.  These girls love and take care of each other and I can only imagine what their relationship will be like when they're older and have bigger dilemmas to tag-team than tying laces. Sisters are the best.

Sophia

Dear Sophia,

I don't think it was an accident that Heavenly Father sent you to us first.  I'm certain that you have always had this angelic personality of yours, and that you would have volunteered to come to us before your brother and sister, to be the guinea pig-- to let us test out all of our parenting mistakes-- and to help us become better for the rest of them.  Because a: you can handle it, and b:  that is exactly what you do.  You sacrifice yourself for others.  It's as natural to you as breathing.

I think you knew you were signing up to be the example.  It is so comforting to me to know that you will carve out the first path, with a conscience the size of the Pacific and such a desire for good.  Everyone who gets to be around you is lucky.  Every single one of us.

You think of everyone around you... and are the first to stick up for a friend who needs it, or remind a kid who's into trouble ... that there are consequences.  :)  It crushes you a little when they wave you off and don't want your help... some have even said mean things to you. (When you're begging them off the black top because that's what the yard duty announced etc..)   "Mom, I didn't know what to do-- I just didn't want them to get in trouble but they told me I was weird and to go away." It doesn't phase you though. Your desire to help others is bigger than your desire to protect your ego and I think that makes you a 6-year-old hero.

You give and give and give.  I give you a treat in your lunch--- and you list the kids at lunch you shared it with.  You get a treat at church, and you save half for Mila.  If one half was bigger... you'd probably give it to her.  If Mila pulls your hair and puts me over the edge so that I have to drag her off to time-out, your heart aches for her.. and you insist your head doesn't hurt anymore, and that she should come out.  Then you run around the house trying to find things that will make her happy. Your capacity for forgiveness is infinite.

But do not be mistaken.  You are no doormat.  You are just like your father.  You are sweet and generous every day of your life.  But you are confident.  You are confident in your place in this family and your place in this huge world as a daughter of God.  When it matters, you do not bend and you can be FIERCE when it comes to defending friends, family, beliefs, or morals ... all the things that really matter.

I live in awe of you.  Your dimples and your eyes as blue and big as the sky.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for being mine.

Love,
Mom

Second Half of April in Instagrams (a little behind)

Hmm... anything noteworthy?

- we played outside

- we painted some nails

- I went for some runs and took pictures of my shoes to make myself feel good.

- we gave some baths

- we watched Phil Phillips and fast-forwarded the rest

- we rode our bikes before May hit with some premature triple digits

- we played at the park

- I made homemade hamburger buns

- I practiced my Katniss braid on Sophia

- SHE LOST HER SECOND TOOTH!

-And got sick :(

- Finn let me hold him a little less than the month before

-Sophia read a little more than the month before

- Mila was just as wild and crazy as ever.

A sort of 5 minute prom shoot

MAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

 

 

This is Mary.... one of our favorite babysitters and generally just a girl I absolutely adore... 

She went to prom the other night and ended up meeting at a house in my neighborhood beforehand... so we thought-- let's take a few pictures!

Ross was gone to the Laker game and I was in the middle of making bread and Finn was in his highchair so we had like 4 and a half minutes.... but when you have skin like peach yogurt and Sid (our friend the make-up genius) does your makeup and gives you extra eyelashes--- four and a half minutes is all you need.

Love you Mary.

Californians For a Cure

I had a really bad experience on this blog when I did a post about something political once... so I usually try and stay clear.  But my friend Missy is working hard to get the word out about Prop 29, and sent us these darling t-shirts...

A YES vote would add $1 to the price of a pack of cigarettes and "These additional revenues would be dedicated to fund cancer and tobacco-related disease research and tobacco prevention and cessation programs."  


Sounds like a good place to get more money for cancer research to me.

Do some reading up on it so you're ready to vote!  Missy has this great blog dedicated to it... 

The years keep FLYING by. Ha.

I'm 31 today and my birthday wish is that if someone threw me in the air and my shirt bounced up like Finn's, my tummy would look a little more like his, (minus the herniated belly button) and a little less like that huge kid in the air used to be tucked inSIDE of it.

(I'm kidding, I'm not that vain, I have lots more wishes...)

BUT--- it was so worth it.  Even with that aftermath.  I can't believe I'm 31, married for 9 years, with three kids... one of them coming up on 7.   It's all far far too grown up for the way I feel.  I feel like I can almost remember being that kid in the air.  Seriously.  How do we just keep getting oldeeeeerrrrrrr?

Ross would say "it's better than the alternative"-- and he's right.  And I am so grateful for one more year.

We lost my dad two years ago today, and if he were alive, he would tell me something outrageously fabulous about myself----- he'd lie, but he'd believe it, and so he'd almost have me convinced.  And I'd definitely stand a little taller afterwards.  He was so good at that.  

Then he'd tell the girls how they are more beautiful than the ocean and that they are worth more than all the money in the world and that they'd better find boys someday that know it.  

Then he'd go on and on about how huge and muscular Finn is, and how he can already tell he's going to be a professional athlete, or President of the United States, or super hero.  And then he'd stop himself and look at Ross and say... nope, he'll be like his daddy, this man is a saint.  He's going to put all that strength into doing good like his daddy.  Serving the Lord, being kind to people,  and being there for his kids...

I can hear it all.  I still miss him tons, and while two years ago, today was a very sad day,  I'm glad that I can forever share share my birthday with his memory.

My Wild One

Mila,

Mila Mila Mila. You're four and a half this month and you are a ball of FIRE.  You are silly and wild and confident.  You are full of passion and have so much love inside you don't even know what to do with it. When you're cheerful, you love to snuggle and give kisses and sing "I love you"s through the house.  You love to make your brother laugh, and play pretend with your sister, and find ways to serve me and prove to me that you're getting older every day.

But you are intense and dramatic and haven't yet figured out how to manage your anger or frustration.  And you do get frustrated....  a lot.  These days, our home sees a lot of fits.... and it's not easy.  I won't lie, I am beside myself at some point of every day right now, desperate for answers on how to best deal with you when you can't have what you want.  Because that's the problem...

You WANT what you want.

.... but Mila, when you do.... mature a bit and figure out how to reign yourself in and think a bit before you react...

When you take all of that persistence and those high expectations and use them to get yourself more than chocolate chips for breakfast....

YOU will be unstoppable.  You will not let people take advantage of you or be unkind to you.  You know who you are and don't care what people think of you and while I wish you cared what WE think.... for now... I will let that go,  for the glimmer of hope that you might hang on to this trait through high school--- when everyone's following each other off the cliff and you're shaking your head in annoyance and yanking friends back because you KNOW what you want.

You are strong and smart and so beautiful.  I hope I can keep up with you darling girl.

xo Mom

6th Street Design Home Tour

So this was kind of fun.  I got an email from Kirsten over at 6th Street Design asking if she could feature my home last week on her blog during her feature friday.  I felt a little silly gathering photos for her since I feel like there are a million things I'd love to do/add/change with the time and budget.  And I never feel like any room is "done" of course.  But of course I was flattered she asked! and it was fun to see my home on her darling blog.

So if you haven't seen enough from me over-sharing on my own blog....

 Check it out. 

These collages are driving me nuts because I messed up my sizing somewhere along the way and now they're all blurry and low res.  But I can't handle taking the time to fix it now.  Forgive the blur.

Finn

I skipped his second nap yesterday, which meant I was left with a couple of hours of him needing constant attention and entertainment. yay! I figured I may as well take advantage of the situation and snap a few.   

(Yes I wear work-out pants every day.  We'll just pretend that I have 7 different pairs :/.) A new past- time of Finn's... climbing through my legs every time I stand still for a moment.. 

 But mostly he's reaching for me and screaming so I'll pick him up.

But sometimes I can't because I'm too busy --

with things like photographing him while he's screaming for me to pick him up.  I'm an awful mom. 

Are you noticing these fun little strawberry curls in the back?  Who knows where they came from, but I'm in love.

On another note, Ross' parents are watching the kids this weekend while we do a little weekend "away" for our anniversary! It's not until the 3rd, but we're celebrating now-- starting with two nights close by, in Palm Springs, and then one at a beach house with our good friends, Brooke and Tyson on Saturday.  Mila's been surprisingly sweet the last couple of days, so I'm not counting down to the SECOND.  Just the minute.  

 I am SO. excited.

Florida Through the Phone

It all started in Ontario.... for leg one, of THREE legs of flights.  We started happy.  Finn roamed his first airport lookin' all cute and big and I took pictures and thought, my kids are so rad, maybe it won't be so bad.  Ha.

They're still rad, but it was bad.  It's always bad traveling with a baby isn't it? Especially when they're young and you don't have to buy a seat-- so you don't because you think the suffering is worth the many hundreds you're saving.  But then the flight is full and you're ACTUALLY stuck with the lap child on your lap (or your sweet husband's lap) and your cute babe is eventually driven by exhaustion and cabin pressure and too many fruit snacks being desperately shoved in his mouth to become something wild and awful and out of control.  And there's no where to go. And no where to hide.  And people try not to watch but they're all watching.  It's enough to make a person want to jump out the emergency exit.  

You see this is why Ross held him almost the whole time.  He deals with that kind of stress far better than I.  Thank you Ross.  And I'm sorry, sweet Finn.... I know it's not your fault.  If it was socially acceptable for me to cry and scream and arch and throw my head back in exhaustion after hours of traveling and surviving on snacks because Southwest doesn't do food, I'd do it too.

PHEW--- but eventually, close to midnight, we got to Florida.  And after getting the rental car and driving for a couple of hours.... we got to Aunt Lacy's house.  And the real fun began!

We went on a nature walk to see wild alligators... and we definitely did.... let's take a closer look at that one above.  Here it is below.  Still gives me the eebie jeebies.

We did an awesome little teaching zoo.... so beautiful and green and NOTHING like our dry, dusty wide open, desert zoo.  We got sitters for the babies and floated down the river on inner tubes ... wandered a museum, got a sitter and went to my favorite Gainesville restaurant (that's the picture below where it looks like I have a booty.  Something weird happened there.)... we did Strawberry picking (AWESOME), and ate strawberries at every meal thereafter, we swam, we Easter'd, I saw my old friend, Michelle!, and mostly soaked up my sweet sister and her entertaining husband and darling kids as much as we possibly could.  It's always so so hard to say goodbye.  

Oh and the flight home was SO much better.  One less stop.  And Ross got a whole row on the long flight for him and Finn.  Which meant we could lock him in his seat.  And he could sleep and we could READ! And the girls had the most awesome giggle attack when a little boy behind them all of a sudden said "we're fwying wike a biwd"... and it went on and on and on.  Cutest thing ever.

Easter in Florida

 This is the only day I pulled out the real camera... going through these pictures and taking the time to blog them reminded me why! It just takes so much time!  But I'm glad I have at least a few captured with more than the iphone.

Hope your Easter was colorful and sweet and full of happy kids and too much food .... like ours.