Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Out Takes
Last night the kids were playing together so we tried to get a picture of the two of them. Almost every picture we have involves them laying down next to each other, but now that Charlotte is sitting up so well Trey wanted her to sit in his lap. What followed was a hilarious photo shoot where we could not get both kids to look at the camera to save our lives. The shadows are bad and the lighting is horrible, but the kids were having so much fun we continued. Enjoy the pictures!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Summertime Pictures
Pictures from the past few weeks at home. We haven't been too busy going places the past 3 weeks, but we have been busy at home working on projects and playing. It has been really hot the past few days so we have mainly been inside, but the kids still seem to be having a good time.
Helping Mommy bake some bread. He likes to scoop the grains.
Not napping in the swing during naptime. After a few days of realizing she was not going to nap in the swing when Trey napped in their room, we moved her into our room to nap. So far so good.
Like father, like son.
Playtime on the floor.
Cooking up some yummy hot dogs!
Please excuse the oven mitt, I think it is Jay's from college. Enough said.
Helping Mommy bake some bread. He likes to scoop the grains.
Not napping in the swing during naptime. After a few days of realizing she was not going to nap in the swing when Trey napped in their room, we moved her into our room to nap. So far so good.
Like father, like son.
Playtime on the floor.
Cooking up some yummy hot dogs!
Please excuse the oven mitt, I think it is Jay's from college. Enough said.
Morning Walks
Charlotte takes her first morning nap usually between 8:30-9:30. Sometimes Trey likes to play downstairs at that time, but some mornings he just wants to be with his sister and is charging up the stairs every time we turn around to go lay in his bed so he can "nap" too. While a cute idea, this does not promote the quiet, peaceful atmosphere Charlotte needs to sleep in, so I try to get him outside.
If Jay is home I try to take him on my morning walk. Well, usually it is a run but with a 30 lb toddler in the stroller it turns into a walk up the hills and a slow jog on downhill/even stretches.
We like to talk about what we see, what color it is, what sounds it makes, etc. Often we will stop and thank God for what we see. Trey loves to say "Pray!" and so we say a simple prayer like "Thank you God for birds. Amen"
Today I decided to go a little deeper than just thanking God for the things we saw. Here was our conversation:
Mom: "Trey, who made the birds?"
Trey: "Dad!"
Mom: "God made the birds. "
Trey: "No, Dad. "
Mom: "Did God make Dad?"
Trey: "No, Mom."
If Jay is home I try to take him on my morning walk. Well, usually it is a run but with a 30 lb toddler in the stroller it turns into a walk up the hills and a slow jog on downhill/even stretches.
We like to talk about what we see, what color it is, what sounds it makes, etc. Often we will stop and thank God for what we see. Trey loves to say "Pray!" and so we say a simple prayer like "Thank you God for birds. Amen"
Today I decided to go a little deeper than just thanking God for the things we saw. Here was our conversation:
Mom: "Trey, who made the birds?"
Trey: "Dad!"
Mom: "God made the birds. "
Trey: "No, Dad. "
Mom: "Did God make Dad?"
Trey: "No, Mom."
So Blessed
I am continually reminded of how blessed we are as a family. I had a conversation a few weeks ago with a senior who just graduated and is gearing up to head to Tech in the fall. She was telling me how excited she was and I started sharing how that was one of the best times in my life and how much I knew she was going to enjoy being in Blacksburg. She was like yeah, but I really can't wait to be where you are. Upon my confused expression she explained, "you know, already married to a great husband and with cute young kids." And it made me think, I always wanted to be here too.
Now that I am here it is so easy to complain about the lack of sleep, utter exhaustion, a body that will not go back to its college days no matter how hard I work out, and fixing 3 different meals a day for 4 people! But then I remember, it is more about the time together, the giggles, sweet baby noises and toddler hugs and kisses.
This morning Charlotte was practicing her new talent- shrieking with delight- at 6:30 in the morning. I roll over to Jay who has a pillow over his head and is sound asleep. I go into the kids room and pick up Charlotte and Trey scoots off the bed to go find his daddy. We all spend the morning in the big bed as Trey calls it, cuddling, laughing, getting climbed on, and loving every moment. We are truly blessed.
Now that I am here it is so easy to complain about the lack of sleep, utter exhaustion, a body that will not go back to its college days no matter how hard I work out, and fixing 3 different meals a day for 4 people! But then I remember, it is more about the time together, the giggles, sweet baby noises and toddler hugs and kisses.
This morning Charlotte was practicing her new talent- shrieking with delight- at 6:30 in the morning. I roll over to Jay who has a pillow over his head and is sound asleep. I go into the kids room and pick up Charlotte and Trey scoots off the bed to go find his daddy. We all spend the morning in the big bed as Trey calls it, cuddling, laughing, getting climbed on, and loving every moment. We are truly blessed.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Beep, Beep, Beep
Trey is full of conversation these days and likes to use the same words over and over in his conversation. One if his favorite new words is love or ov as he calls it. In the back of the car yesterday we heard him singing to himself:
ov Larla, ov Mom, ov Dad, ov BUS!!!, ov Nana, ov Papa, ov Uncle, ov truck, uv BUS!!! beep- beep- beep- ......
As you can tell his favorite thing ever is a bus. He knows where all the buses are between home and church (a 45 minute drive) and is eager to point them out before they show up in our sight!
This morning he was still asleep when it was time to get up for church. He was not very amenable to being woken up and shoved into clothes before his eyes were open, but when I mentioned we had to get dressed to go to church the first thing out of his mouth was, "BUS!!" followed quickly by "Beep! Beep! Beep!" in case we had forgotten what sound the bus makes.
He likes to get to church early because the church bus goes to pick up our senior adult population at one of the local retirement homes and if we time it right he can watch them get off the bus and listen to the bus as it beeps and backs up into it's parking space. This is a huge highlight to his week!
Trey is also responding really well when we talk to him about things that are coming up. Yesterday we went and got his hair cut. We talked all week about getting his haircut, how to sit still, how he would watch daddy get his hair cut, and how we don't cry when we get our haircut. When we took him yesterday he sat in a dryer chair and watched Jay get his haircut first. Another hairdresser turned on the dryer beside him so he spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out what the noise and how he could get his chair to do that too! Then he sat still and did not cry while the hairdresser cut his hair. It was the first haircut ever that did not end in tears!
Conversation in the car on the way to the haircut:
Me: Who is going to get their haircut?
Trey: me!
Me: Who else?
Trey: Dad, Mom and Larla
Me: Charlotte is not getting her haircut, remember she has no hair.
Trey: Yes.
Me: Do we cry when we get our haircut?
Trey: no, big boy
ov Larla, ov Mom, ov Dad, ov BUS!!!, ov Nana, ov Papa, ov Uncle, ov truck, uv BUS!!! beep- beep- beep- ......
As you can tell his favorite thing ever is a bus. He knows where all the buses are between home and church (a 45 minute drive) and is eager to point them out before they show up in our sight!
This morning he was still asleep when it was time to get up for church. He was not very amenable to being woken up and shoved into clothes before his eyes were open, but when I mentioned we had to get dressed to go to church the first thing out of his mouth was, "BUS!!" followed quickly by "Beep! Beep! Beep!" in case we had forgotten what sound the bus makes.
He likes to get to church early because the church bus goes to pick up our senior adult population at one of the local retirement homes and if we time it right he can watch them get off the bus and listen to the bus as it beeps and backs up into it's parking space. This is a huge highlight to his week!
Trey is also responding really well when we talk to him about things that are coming up. Yesterday we went and got his hair cut. We talked all week about getting his haircut, how to sit still, how he would watch daddy get his hair cut, and how we don't cry when we get our haircut. When we took him yesterday he sat in a dryer chair and watched Jay get his haircut first. Another hairdresser turned on the dryer beside him so he spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out what the noise and how he could get his chair to do that too! Then he sat still and did not cry while the hairdresser cut his hair. It was the first haircut ever that did not end in tears!
Conversation in the car on the way to the haircut:
Me: Who is going to get their haircut?
Trey: me!
Me: Who else?
Trey: Dad, Mom and Larla
Me: Charlotte is not getting her haircut, remember she has no hair.
Trey: Yes.
Me: Do we cry when we get our haircut?
Trey: no, big boy
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Best of Friends
Trey's friend Madison just had a baby brother added to her family. We went by the other evening to bring dinner and provide entertainment for Madison. I remember after Charlotte was born having visitors helped entertain Trey so much because we weren't really going anywhere outside the house. Trey and Madison had a great time playing and sharing dinner. Madison reminded Trey they needed to say the blessing before they ate. She even convinced him to try a piece of spaghetti, which he spit out as soon as it got into his mouth.
Trey is a man of few words, so Madison took care of the talking end of their relationship. Pretty typical I would say :)
A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside. - A.A. Milne.
Trey is a man of few words, so Madison took care of the talking end of their relationship. Pretty typical I would say :)
A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside. - A.A. Milne.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Summer Mornings
In the summer our mornings are quite lazy. Starting on Monday Jay is officially on summer break as well so we are enjoying the times of getting things done around the house and just simply being together. Breakfast is usually eaten a little later and usually consists of something homemade. The kids stay in their pajamas a little longer than normal and showers are taken sometime in mid afternoon. It is bliss.
And we usually find ourselves around the kitchen table. Pretty much everything in our life happens around this table it seems like. Especially when I look back at pictures. We fold laundry, try new foods, eat together, and work together here.
This morning Jay was working on his computer. Who knows what he was doing. I think looking up stuff we will never be able to afford.
I was busy organizing my coupons. Right now I am really bad couponer. Iusually lose my coupons between here and the store and my purse. I am dragging the kids out the door at the store and forget to use my coupons or I get fed up with the little pieces of paper and just throw them away. But this summer I am determined to save us some money by using my coupons.
Trey decided to join us at the table and he got his crayons, stickers, paper, and a car seat manual, because that's what all good toddlers need to color. Right now his life's work is to tear the paper off of every crayon in the bag. He is working very diligently on this.
Charlotte's life work is napping. She is very good at it. Especially when her brother runs up the stairs yelling "Larla, Larla!" everytime he realizes she is missing from the room so she must be in her bed asleep. When I try to intercept him in the stairs so he does not disturb her he explains he needs to "Help Larla!" which means wake her up. Hence her napping in the swing this morning and not the crib.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Around the dinner table
Dinnertime at our house has got a lot more exciting now that Charlotte is starting some solid foods. I was hoping to hold off until 6 months for solids, but she is holding herself up so well, sitting up on her own for a bit, super interesting in our food, and waking up to eat again at night- so alas, it is time for solid food.
I have found the process of making homemade baby food much easier this time around. Not that making baby food was hard for Trey, I was just so overwhelmed with solid food and what to give him, how much, what times, plus just going back to work full time, so making his food did not happen. This website www.wholesomebabyfood.com has been really helpful for me. I have read a lot about how grains really are not the best food for babies early on, despite popular opinion, because they are more difficult to digest. This time around I am skipping the baby cereals and jarred baby food and going straight to mashed up food with some consistency to it.
Charlotte's first food this past week was avacado. She was skeptical at first, but quickly started to enjoy it.
What is this food?
First bite.
Not so sure.
Still deciding.
More please!
Of course Trey wanted to show off his eating abilities during dinner since we were taking pictures of Charlotte eating.
He has become quite adept with a spoon, even if he wants to use the baby spoons Charlotte uses :)
And when a spoon just isn't good enough, carrot sticks always work.
I have found the process of making homemade baby food much easier this time around. Not that making baby food was hard for Trey, I was just so overwhelmed with solid food and what to give him, how much, what times, plus just going back to work full time, so making his food did not happen. This website www.wholesomebabyfood.com has been really helpful for me. I have read a lot about how grains really are not the best food for babies early on, despite popular opinion, because they are more difficult to digest. This time around I am skipping the baby cereals and jarred baby food and going straight to mashed up food with some consistency to it.
Charlotte's first food this past week was avacado. She was skeptical at first, but quickly started to enjoy it.
What is this food?
First bite.
Not so sure.
Still deciding.
More please!
Of course Trey wanted to show off his eating abilities during dinner since we were taking pictures of Charlotte eating.
He has become quite adept with a spoon, even if he wants to use the baby spoons Charlotte uses :)
And when a spoon just isn't good enough, carrot sticks always work.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Hair bows and tutus
Charlotte has received lots of girly things in the last 5 months. This has been such a blessing since we had NOTHING for a girl when she was born. My cousin Lauren has an etsy shop called Divalicious Boutique Accessories for Girls that specializes in tutus and bows. She sent Charlotte the cutest Virginia Tech bow and tutu. This is Charlotte's very first hairbow and she didn't mind it on her head at all. I have issues with handbands so I haven't put her in any, but she looked so cute that more big bows may be coming soon in her future.
Charlotte could not get enough of the tutu. She tried to eat it, play with it and was mesmerized by the vibrant colors.
Behind the scenes at Charlotte's photo shoot.
I love Charlotte's expression in this shot. It is like she is so grown up. Poor Trey is trying to figure out what his sister is wearing.
Ok Mom- I think I am done.
Rolling Over
Charlotte turned 5 months old on Tuesday and she decided to celebrate by rolling over on Wednesday evening for the first time! She had been so close for weeks and would roll 3/4 of the way over, but then spring back. The funny thing was that on Wednesday Trey got sick and threw up for the first time that afternoon. I spent the whole evening watching him and trying to keep a towel near him in case he got sick again that I didn't even see Charlotte roll over. My mom was visiting and she looked down at the floor and realized Charlotte was on her tummy, not her back!
Since then she has become a champ at rolling over from back to belly. Then she gets mad because she stuck on her belly. I am sure she will master from belly to back pretty soon.
Starting out on her back.
She automatically turns to her side.
Almost there!
Working to get her arm out!
All the way over. Way to go Charlotte!
Since then she has become a champ at rolling over from back to belly. Then she gets mad because she stuck on her belly. I am sure she will master from belly to back pretty soon.
Starting out on her back.
She automatically turns to her side.
Almost there!
Working to get her arm out!
All the way over. Way to go Charlotte!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Officially Summer!
No matter what the calendar says, it is officially summer our house when school is out and we can all hang out together. Jay still has one more week of work, but I am done! I am excited about lazy summer mornings when we don't have to rush out of the house and long evenings playing outside until bedtime.
I try to be more productive with things at home in the summer because I don't have outside work to focus on. Although this year with the age of my kiddos I am not sure how many of my personal projects are going to be accomplished. Here are my goals and I will try to let you know in August how I do.
1. Potty train Trey.
2. Start Charlotte onto solids and move into a morning and afternoon nap as opposed to the nap every 3 hours we have now.
3. Create a binder that is my go to for the recipes I use on a regular basis. It will be my mealtime planning binder with all my recipes, pages to fill out for weekly menus and shopping lists.
4. Get ready to move. We don't have a move in date yet- but I can see it happening soon after I go back to work in the fall. The more I purge, pick out, box up, and order NOW the less stressed I will be then.
And in a dream world I will set up a weekly cleaning schedule that has household tasks divided up by day and every room will get a deep cleaning each week. But since that has NEVER happened unless I am like 8 months pregnant and nesting like crazy, I will put that off until next summer. Don't worry, I definitely do not plan to be 8 months pregnant next summer, in case you somehow misread that message. I just plan to keep my house cleaner.
I try to be more productive with things at home in the summer because I don't have outside work to focus on. Although this year with the age of my kiddos I am not sure how many of my personal projects are going to be accomplished. Here are my goals and I will try to let you know in August how I do.
1. Potty train Trey.
2. Start Charlotte onto solids and move into a morning and afternoon nap as opposed to the nap every 3 hours we have now.
3. Create a binder that is my go to for the recipes I use on a regular basis. It will be my mealtime planning binder with all my recipes, pages to fill out for weekly menus and shopping lists.
4. Get ready to move. We don't have a move in date yet- but I can see it happening soon after I go back to work in the fall. The more I purge, pick out, box up, and order NOW the less stressed I will be then.
And in a dream world I will set up a weekly cleaning schedule that has household tasks divided up by day and every room will get a deep cleaning each week. But since that has NEVER happened unless I am like 8 months pregnant and nesting like crazy, I will put that off until next summer. Don't worry, I definitely do not plan to be 8 months pregnant next summer, in case you somehow misread that message. I just plan to keep my house cleaner.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Spiders, Ticks and Bears- OH MY!
We live in the country. So do bugs. I really don't mind bugs for the most part. I am used to looking up and seeing a lady bug crawling around on the ceiling or a stink bug flying to the nearest light. In fact one of Trey's favorite games is pretending to vacuum up bugs off the floor. Wow, that really puts it into perspective for you how much time I spend fighting this bug epidemic we have.
This spring we have spent more time outside than ever before. Trey is at the age where he loves to just run around outside chasing bubbles, playing in the dirt, or rolling in the grass. Charlotte enjoys being outside and watching the trees blow and feeling the cool breeze. However with all this outside time comes some unwelcome pests. Mainly in the form of spiders, ticks and bears. In the past 24 hours Jay or I have seen all 3!
This morning when I came downstairs there was the most revolting and HUGE bug I have ever seen on the wall in the kitchen. I carefully monitored its movements so as to make sure it did not come anywhere close to me and when Jay came downstairs I informed him promptly to kill it. I would have but I could not reach it. Jay proceeds to tell me it was a spider with all its baby spiders on it's back. Literally, the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Thinking about it still gives me the creeps.
Tonight we changed Trey's diaper before his bath. When Jay went to put the diaper into the wash later on there was a tick on the outside of the diaper. We cannot figure out how it got there because we stayed inside all evening to avoid the 90+ temperatures outside. I gave Trey his bath and I always check him all over for ticks and bites so I am confident he did not get bit by the tick, but I am still unnerved by the fact that a tick was so close to him.
The last straw was when Jay went up the road to activate my new cell phone. Yes he went up the road because another perk of the country is that you only have cell phone service on top of the nearest mountain when the leaves are all off the trees. Seriously. When he comes back he tells me that if I go for my run after the kids go to bed to take Cooper (our lab) with us. That sounds a little fishy to me so after some gentle prodding he shares that a bear ran about 100 feet in front of him and crossed the road when he was driving to activate the phone. Let's be honest here- it doesn't take much for me to put off my evening run so this definitely meant I was not running tonight. Or any other night until the bears are officially in hibernation mode again. Jay tried to assure me the bear was more scared of me than I was of it but I disagree.
This spring we have spent more time outside than ever before. Trey is at the age where he loves to just run around outside chasing bubbles, playing in the dirt, or rolling in the grass. Charlotte enjoys being outside and watching the trees blow and feeling the cool breeze. However with all this outside time comes some unwelcome pests. Mainly in the form of spiders, ticks and bears. In the past 24 hours Jay or I have seen all 3!
This morning when I came downstairs there was the most revolting and HUGE bug I have ever seen on the wall in the kitchen. I carefully monitored its movements so as to make sure it did not come anywhere close to me and when Jay came downstairs I informed him promptly to kill it. I would have but I could not reach it. Jay proceeds to tell me it was a spider with all its baby spiders on it's back. Literally, the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Thinking about it still gives me the creeps.
Tonight we changed Trey's diaper before his bath. When Jay went to put the diaper into the wash later on there was a tick on the outside of the diaper. We cannot figure out how it got there because we stayed inside all evening to avoid the 90+ temperatures outside. I gave Trey his bath and I always check him all over for ticks and bites so I am confident he did not get bit by the tick, but I am still unnerved by the fact that a tick was so close to him.
The last straw was when Jay went up the road to activate my new cell phone. Yes he went up the road because another perk of the country is that you only have cell phone service on top of the nearest mountain when the leaves are all off the trees. Seriously. When he comes back he tells me that if I go for my run after the kids go to bed to take Cooper (our lab) with us. That sounds a little fishy to me so after some gentle prodding he shares that a bear ran about 100 feet in front of him and crossed the road when he was driving to activate the phone. Let's be honest here- it doesn't take much for me to put off my evening run so this definitely meant I was not running tonight. Or any other night until the bears are officially in hibernation mode again. Jay tried to assure me the bear was more scared of me than I was of it but I disagree.
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