TEAM RIGGLE

End of an era.....or four

2012-01-22T15:28:00.000-06:00

There are so many phases that are ending in our world right now:

Tricycles..the boys both have 2-wheeled bikes and it still startles me a bit to see my baby barreling down the driveway on his big boy bike.

Potty training is done, the potty chair is gone, diapers are outta' here and the amount of nakedness at any given moment around this joint has drastically increased.

K is trying to give up his nap and I would be telling a lie if I said that didn't make me a little sad. He does nap some days, just not every day.

We have finally made the switch from whole milk to 2%, maybe this will help me drop some more pounds since I just have to have milk in my morning tea?

The days of having leftovers when cooking a "normal" sized meal are quickly vanishing. Kimber's appetite = voracious!

Along with this there are a number of new phases starting which is fun, most of the time.

Matthew can make his own fold-over peanut butter sandwich or tortilla. Of course he uses at least twice the amount of peanut butter I use but hey...one less thing for mama to do.

The amount of imaginary play has exploded these last few months. I am amazed that the chairs around the dining room table have been re-purposed into a boat, tent poles, a train, a stove and a scooter parking lot.

Kimber has become quite adept at serving himself. He opens the fridge, moves his chair over to the fridge, climbs up on chair, opens the fruit drawer, removes fruit, typically a clementine orange, sits the fruit on the floor, closes the fridge, moves chair back to the table, peels his orange and devours it. No chance of scurvy for this guy.

Cutting, lots of cutting. Matthew can cut things out pretty well and of course Kimber thinks his skills are just as good.

Superheroes, bad guys, good guys......both boys are enthralled with any character somewhat "super" in any way. While Captain America and Jackie Chan (did you know there is a Jackie Chan cartoon, no, you didn't, well, you're welcome now you do) are at the top of the list, Kung Fu Panda, Spiderman, Finn McMissile, Tow Mater, Superman and Batman are favorites too.

Finishing Touch

2012-01-10T15:01:00.000-06:00

At any given point there are ALWAYS at least 10 projects in need of completion under our roof.

The boys room has been almost finished for a good 8 months and over the last few weeks, thanks to the grands, their room is done except for one little thing I need to make. I had been racking my brain trying to come up with something cute/unique to finish off their bed and Nana made the perfect pillow buddies. They love them and drag them ALL OVER THE HOUSE. They also found a perfect little shelf to go beside their bed to hold their lamp and some books. I am thrilled with how it turned out!!

Leg of Lamb

2012-01-10T11:33:00.001-06:00

My lovingly selected nativity set didn't quite escape the holiday season unscathed, we discovered last night that Mauser (the new puppy) enjoyed a rear leg of the little lamb in the past few weeks.

2011, YOU ROCKED

2012-01-01T08:09:00.001-06:00

My top ten list for 2011

1) Shaved 10 whole minutes off my half-marathon pace from a year ago!!
2) Took on a part time paying gig that I am enjoying.
3) I survived. The interrupted sleep cycles, the food demands, the poop, the vomit, the big tornado, the arctic storm, temper tantrums, living in limbo, fevers, K starting MMO, ,,,,and I am happy, healthy and truly love my life.
4) My children still love me! I still get unsolicited kisses from them both just further proof that I managed to make it another year as a pretty decent mama!
5) After a 13+ year search our family found a church home!
6) Will and I had our first night away since becoming parents 4 years ago. Bonus points, we got to spend it with great friends and run our first Warrior Dash.
7) No more diapers in this house!!
8) Last girls weekend was in 2005, in New York City. This was fixed this year, a sandy Florida beach, books, some adult libations and a few full nights of sleep....heavenly!!
9) In the last 60 days of 2011....I became the owner of not one...but several new pairs of shoes. Yes, I needed some...just not sure I "needed" 4 pairs of boots and 2 pairs of peep toe Tom's.
10) Alabama is starting to feel like home. We have some genuine friends, are involved in our little community, have awesome neighbors and best of all.....Will went to work for a local company so we hope to be staying put for awhile!

Nativity

2011-12-15T08:25:00.002-06:00

So on a recent visit to the most awesome toy store ever we picked up our first Nativity set.

I have always wanted a nativity set and have almost bought one many many times. This set is by Playmobil, is not breakable and has all the important components/characters:

Mary

Joseph

Baby Jesus

Three Wise Men

A camel

A manger

Two Sheep

A carrot (for said sheep) or Mary and Joseph?

A staff for Joseph

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

APine tree covered with snow.

To date,

Joseph has used his staff to shoot the sheep.

The Wise Men have all flown, thanks to their super-capes.

Baby Jesus has been force fed the carrot.

The camel has played the role of bad guy, big dog and the donkey from Shrek.

Once again, the short people in the house have opened my eyes to all the possible scenarios that could have been played out on the night our savior was born.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and joy in unexpected places!

Elfless

2011-12-15T08:23:00.000-06:00

We don't participate in the Elf on the Shelf madness and I am beginning to wonder if we are the only people that don't? It seems like everyone is doing it, which has never been a motivating factor for me, but I hate to make my kids the outcast by association because we don't have an inanimate object dictating behavior around here.....thoughts?

Because we "needed" another dog

2011-12-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

Willie and I switched roles last week.

He brought home a dog that needed a home.

Said dog (very cute furball) has now been dubbed Mauser.

He is 6 weeks old, black with a white spot on his chest and chin, half labrador, half boxer, ginourmous paws and of course sharp puppy teeth and insane puppy breath.

I still don't consistently sleep though the night but at least Kimber doesn't need to go OUTSIDE in the FREEZING COLD to DO HIS BUSINESS in the MIDDLE of the NIGHT!

I just thought my potty training days were over, lord help me.

He is cute and cuddly and the boys love him..except when he is trying to chew on them or consume nerf bullets. He has quickly figured out that under the table at mealtime is THE place to be. He stands and gives his bowl the evil eye when he is hungry. It took Muppet a few days to accept her new sibling but she is having fun chasing, wrestling and carousing with her new buddy. He has also discovered that sleeping children are warm.

Did I mention he is growing at least an inch a day?

Slacker

2011-12-10T11:29:00.001-06:00

Yep, you guessed it, I have become a slacker in my old age.

Last week, okay...well several months ago... we made our first scarecrow and the boys were quite impressed with the mess that accompanied the construction phase, I am not sure our neighbors love the straw infested yard we now have but the boys have a scarecrow that is happily plopped on our porch guarding our pumpkins.

Upon completion of the scarecrow I was feeling pretty proud, I thought it turned out cute and the boys were sitting in his lap when all of the sudden Matthew discovered that our scarecrow did not have "parts". Yes, that is my word for little boy genitalia and no, it never occurred to me to make our scarecrow anatomically correct. Who knew the quality control police would go lurking in the scarecrows drawers?

Our happy...penis-free...scarecrow, or scarecrowess?

Green Light

2011-12-09T06:58:00.001-06:00

After months/years of erratic wake-up times I decided to take matters into my own hands and started researching clocks for the boys room. I am a morning person but also enjoy somewhat of a schedule and one morning they would be up ready to go at 4:30 AM and the next day it would be 6:30. There was NO science to it at all and I desperately needed to average it out a bit.

Moral of the story, we bought a nightlight/clock for the boys room that serves as a night light during the night and then turns from yellow to green when it is time to wake up. I hyped it it big time and hoped/prayed/crossed my fingers it would work. It did, kind of..well at least for Matthew. Soon after the clocks introduction I made a sticker chart as a reward for staying in bed until the green light comes on, that was the trick. Matthew became quite adept at staying in bed until the green light appeared. Kimber, well he is not a big player in this yet...as he still toddles into our room and climbs up into our bed about 1 AM every morning.

Anyways, we completed the sticker chart and I thought great, we have established a habit and we are good.

Well.......not so much. A few mornings ago Matthew came in about 10 minutes before his light came on and we asked him if his green light was on and he promptly replied, "no, my green light is broken".

So, here we are back to square one I think.....but at least he is consistently sleeping into the 6:00 hour so it was kind of a success, right?

lights up when it is time to wake up.

4 eggs, 3 oranges, 16 ozs of milk

2011-12-08T15:18:00.000-06:00

(2) little boys consumed this before 8 AM this morning.

They are both super impressed with eggs right now and about 75% of the time Matthew can crack the eggs without shell droppage!!

This morning, after eating they both thought it prudent to show off their "big" muscles, truly the cutest biceps I have ever laid eyes on.

Longest, fastest project EVER

2011-12-07T16:08:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time I bought a fabric remnant I LOVED. I had grand plans for awesome throw pillows for the couch...until the reality that this awesome fabric was linen..thus not super washable for the rambunctiousness that is my house.

Then I thought it would be the perfect fabric for the boys book bin in their room. Then I thought, well maybe it is just a bit too floral, not that they care now but I want something that will last a long time in there.

So I thought, and I thought and the fabric collected a little dust and I thought some more and finally, it hit me.

I have a canvas a friend gave me,

I have this big empty space above my bed

and I have this awesome fabric I love....

WAA-LAA

Cheapest, easiest, prettiest work of art in my house, happy Friday to me!

Leaves..leaves..leaves..

2011-12-05T07:25:00.000-06:00

* DISCLAIMER *

I have absolutely no control when it comes to taking pictures of my little reds in the leaves, don't say I didn't warn you, there are WAY TOO MANY pictures in this post.

Our most favorite activity every fall.....raking and playing in the leaves. We even had a genius friend rake up all her leaves for a party game...best party game EVER!!

Have I mentioned recently how much we love our trees!!

2011..and we FINALLY like SANTA!!

2011-12-05T07:10:00.000-06:00

Another parenting first here....both boys willingly sat on Santa's lap this year. While neither one spoke up real loud they did sit on his lap on their own. They are getting so big..so big.

Flashbacks

2011-12-01T17:50:00.001-06:00

In an effort to curb my eating, I recently revisited gum chewing. The little people are thoroughly enjoying my new endeavor. They have been thrilled with popping bubbles...and just generally investigating what is happening in my mouth.

This is pretty funny to me because EVERY SINGLE TIME they pop a bubble I am taken back a few..okay...a lot of years. See my dad used to drive us all over this country and we derived an insane amount of pleasure from popping his bubbles..while he was driving. I know, not very safe but this was back in the day where kids ran amok in the car. You remember those days right, sleeping in the back window, fighting over the hump, sitting on laps and driving, sticking ear plugs up your nose and scaring the bejeezus out of unsuspecting truckers. Yeah, that was us.

There is a part of me that thinks about the germs on the little hands popping my bubbles, you know..like when they are sitting in the "sanitized" grocery cart and popping my bubbles while we shop..EWWW.

Then there is this other part of me that wonders how my dad does not suffer from bubble popping PTSD. There were three of us, popping his bubbles and I am pretty sure none of us had great aim and well, we were all a bit older than my 2 and 4 year old so a bit stronger...and with better aim...theoretically speaking of course.

"we need dirt"

2011-11-29T11:27:00.000-06:00

This morning, after a few intense innings of living room baseball Matthew told me in the most serious tone he could muster that we needed dirt around "homeplate" for sliding in.

And here I thought I got extra points for playing baseball, in the living room, with him, before 7 AM??

Now he wants to import dirt...actually more dirt...into this house.

Gobble Gobble & M's first race

2011-11-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Our little pilgrim

To continue our Thanksgiving tradition we ran the local Turkey Trot 5K, an awesome beginning to the day. The boys rode along in their stroller and afterwards Matthew got to do his first race!! He was super excited and had been practicing for weeks. This is actually the first race he did (in his stroller) on his first Thanksgiving. So proud of my little runner man!!

Our incredibly blessed family

About to cross the finish

So so proud of himself

Tired little trooper

Then we raced home to shower and change and help some friends put on an awesome Thanksgiving feast.

We were in charge of frying the turkey, concocting our annual giant batch of butternut squash chowder and the boys favorite dessert, Strawberry Pretzel Salad. While the day started out cool, by the time we sat down to eat outside it was PERFECT. Stuffed is not a good enough word. All the adults were full, the kids had a blast playing for hours...and not a single fight or disagreement.

The menfolk erecting the turkey frying system

The beautiful bird

We finally were able to get up and roll our stuffed selves home where we settled in for the Pumpkin Chunkin' Marathon on TV.

We certainly miss having family close but had a great Thanksgiving day with some of our Alabama family.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T04:57:00.000-06:00

Shop, Salute, Slide and Sleep,,,yes there was some sleep!

2011-11-15T17:05:00.003-06:00

We had a busy busy Veterans Day!

First on the agenda was stopping by the fabric store to buy some thread that was on sale. The boys were not impressed, as was evident by Matt screaming "no mama" as we pulled up in the parking lot. We made it out alive, just barely and headed to pick up our buddies Natalie and Lisa.

Then we were off to the running shoe store to pick up my packet for the following days race.

Back downtown to take in the sights and sounds of an awesome Veterans Day parade. The boys LOVE this parade and we plan to go every year. It is a humbling experience and a needed reminder of the fact that actual people fight day in and day out for our incredible freedoms. I think it is great for young and old alike to see a face on these soldiers. Of course, the boys loved the tanks, trucks and jeeps. They have also been playing marching band around the house for days now.

We have yet to make it through the whole parade and when the kids were done we headed to "Moo" (Chic-Fil-A) to pick up lunch.

We then went to a local park and proceeded to camp out for the rest of the afternoon sliding, swinging, lunching and playing hide and seek.

Needless to say, we had a big crew of tired little kids!! So tired in fact that both boys were in bed and asleep at 7:30...which has N E V E R happened!!

Picture Day

2011-11-15T15:31:00.000-06:00

We recently had picture day at preschool so I decided to attempt a few snaps of them since they were looking more handsome than normal...or so I thought until they started acting silly.

A ~~few~~ lot of the outtakes...

How we roll

2011-11-15T08:36:00.000-06:00

We took advantage of what will likely be the last of this gorgeous fall weather we have been having and split a bunch of firewood, raked leaves, built an additional compost bin and giggled our way through an impromptu game of sonotube rolling.

13.1

2011-11-14T05:26:00.001-06:00

I did it..or should I say we did it?

As the culmination of 4+ months of training I completed my third half marathon with a somewhat decent time. I had a goal of 2:20 and overshot that goal by a bit but did cut 10 minutes off last years pace on the same course so I am pretty satisfied...though there is A LOT of room for improvement!!

Race morning was GORGEOUS if a bit cold. A fellow faster runner friend chugged along beside me for the first 6 miles and I was actually on target to make my goal. Unfortunately I didn't maintain that pace once she split. Overall, it was a good race. I was better conditioned this year than last but still not as conditioned as I would have liked to be. Once again, the anticipation of seeing my 3 boys...and the finish line got me through!!

A little celebratory hug with my little fans.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-13T13:20:00.000-06:00

In a nod to the end of the Space Shuttle program that spanned 30 years and propelled 300 astronauts into space, our little guys were astronauts this year.


Astronaut love

Strapped in and READY

After collecting way too much candy we struck a deal with the space travelers, with the exception of a few pieces, they traded their candy in for new costumes for their dress up bin!

Why yes, he has a nice six pack.

My sweet Superman!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T21:04:00.000-06:00

Simple Pleasures

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I never cease to be amazed at how satisfied these boys can be by the most mundane tasks.

Last weekend we cleaned up and tilled the garden so there is fresh soft newly dug up dirt everywhere. They loved watching Willie till but they have really enjoyed digging in the soft dirt, so much so that I actually got to mow a bit without any help yesterday....which NEVER happens.

These guys love helping me fold laundry, I hate folding laundry but they LOVE it. They are starting to put up their own socks and underwear..which is REALLY nice.

Raking leaves is their most favorite fall activity and we have spent many hours in recent weeks raking and playing in the fallen fun.

Gratitude

2011-11-03T08:25:00.012-05:00

Since it is the season, the season for being thankful for how very blessed we are I thought I would share a list of things I am thankful for. I will compile this list throughout the month. Hopefully it will bring to light, once again, how incredibly blessed we are.

1.

I am incredibly thankful for the God that created me in his image, loves me and protects me unconditionally.

2.

I am thankful for my husband, who so fiercely loves me, gets me (most of the time), provides for me in so many ways, stands firmly behind me, challenges me and always always always makes me laugh and every once in a while...cry.

3.

I am thankful I was born in a free country with brave men and women willing to lay down their lives to protect our incredible freedom. People have died for our rights, rights we take for granted EVERY SINGLE DAY so that we may occupy Wall Street, read what books we choose, bear arms, have as many babies as we desire, wear what we like or concern ourselves with idiotic things like those stupid frickin' Kardashians.

4.

I am thankful for Matthew, the baby that made me a mom and makes me proud EVERY SINGLE DAY. He is healthy, happy, determined, quiet, loving and has proven that motherhood is 1000 times ~~harder~~ better than I ever conceived.

5.

I am thankful for Kimber, my caboose, my missing link, my snuggle puppy. He has that thing that his Dad has, the ability to crack me up daily. He is happy, healthy, stubborn, definitely NOT QUIET, sweet and every single moment makes me thankful for my blessings.

6.

I am thankful for heated seats in my car.

7.

I am thankful for friends who "get" me and all my quirkiness!

8.

I am thankful for a dad that made me a strong independent woman. He is always the perfect combination of firm and loving.

9.

I am thankful for our little house in a cul-de-sac with awesome neighbors and lots of trees.

10.

I am thankful for the health of my family.

11.

I am thankful for my paternal grandparents who were the most patient-perfect-grandparenty grandparents ever. The vast majority of my positive childhood memories involve them. I never look at a yellow squash or peach tree without thinking of them. They didn't laugh at my high school/college horse affliction, they encouraged me to follow my heart, they were truly genuine Christian people who cared for everyone around them. I was blessed enough to have them until I was into my thirties but man I miss them.

12.

I am thankful for all of the experiences, good and bad, that I have had that delivered me to this happy place in my life.

13.

I am thankful for my 2 year old being potty trained and our household being out of the diaper business!!

14.

I am thankful for PIXAR and Disney and the geniuses behind their awesomeness.

15.

I am thankful for our fertile soil that we get to play in, grow things in (especially weeds) and simply enjoy.

16.

I am thankful for my Garmin GPS, I am totally spoiled and there is not a single part of me that misses the pre-2006 days of running....and then driving the route to determine my mileage.

17.

I am thankful for a husband that doesn't do sports (besides a little baseball), loves to build me stuff and is always thinking way outside of the proverbial box!

18.

I am thankful for sunshine..without which I would not be a pretty person.

19.

I am thankful for cheese...any all flavor variety...cheese...mmmmmmmm!

20.

I am thankful for family and friends who still appreciate the beauty of snail mail.

21.

I am thankful for this strong body I have been blessed with, it never ceases to amaze me.

22.

I am thankful for chocolate...

23.

I am thankful for W's new position...him being home more is SO AWESOME!

24.

I am thankful for my sewing machine, one of the most awesome gift I have ever gotten and it is oh so fun to make stuff.

25.

I am thankful for awesome in-laws. I know A LOT of people don't feel very blessed in this department but I certainly do.

26.

I am thankful for a healthy marriage, that defies some of the accepted roles that marriage typically takes on.

27.

I am thankful for our old school wood burning fireplace, there is nothing quite as homey as a real fire in the fireplace and the smell of woodsmoke in the air.

28.

I am thankful for sandpaper and paint, such an easy way to transform a room or piece of furniture.

29.

I am thankful for Muppet, the most awesome dog on the planet. She watches after/puts up with our boys and all of their antics. Loves sitting in the sunshine....and in front of the space heater and is great at floor clean-up...as long as it doesn't involve lettuce.

30.

I am tankful for books. If there is one thing I love the most it is reading. There is nothing quite like the feel/smell/sensation of a book in your hands.

Just 'tending

2011-10-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of pretending going on over here.

The boys love to pretend that they are...

Camping (behind the office chairs)

Building a Project

Being a doctor...and giving shots

Exercising (K is usually doing the exercise while M checks it off his pretend list)

Cleaning Up

Cooking (every single time the play-doh comes out)

Hiking (complete with backpacks, water and boots)

Making Lists (not sure where they get that from)

I shoot, Papa

2011-10-25T21:24:00.004-05:00

We recently took the boys on their first, of likely many, shooting adventures. Some friends of our have an awesome piece of land not far from us that is totally decked out for shooting. We all had a blast and the boys keep asking to do that again. We did learn that play-doh and ammo do not mix, another life lesson we would have missed out on if it weren't for our little guys!

Checking it out

Target

K-Safe and Sound

They we SO READY to get started.

Such seriousness from my mini-me.

22 rounds - prior to the play dough addition.

Kommando Kimber

2011-10-25T21:20:00.000-05:00

Kimber: "Mama, I be 'mando a little bit"

Translation: He wants to go commando (without underwear).

Hmmmm...is it normal for a 2 year old to know what commando is...or to have such an aversion to undergarments?

Sleeping Water

2011-10-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

We recently embarked on our annual fall camping adventure. After much research we decided Dismals Canyons was to be our destination. Located a little over an hour away, it was perfect! We "really" camped this time, no electricity, no water and had to park about 1500 feet away from our car. There was a cool waterfall at our campsite...what I didn't realize when picking out the site that dripping water makes big boys go tee-tee....A LOT apparently.

Us girls and the kidlets arrived on Friday around 3 and set about unloading all of our gear and getting dinner on...a truly scrumptious muscadine pork loin.

The kids "helped" a little and had lots of fun hiking on the trail to the car and digging in the sand and rocks. The boys arrived around six, pitched the tents and supervised the cooking. We had a relaxing time hanging out, watching the kids play with the flashlights-glowsticks-tractors-shovels-etc.

Saturday morning, after chowing down on breakfast burritos we set out to hike the canyons. Truly amazing hiking, the kids loved it and were able to manage most of it alone. We learned some history, worked up a sweat and Matt developed a raging fever on the way back so not only did I get the hiking workout, I added a 30 pound kid the last half mile or so.

Some Tylenol and a long nap seemed to cure the fever and Matt was back in business for dinner, enjoying the campfire and s'mores Saturday night.

Sunday morning we just relaxed around the fire with hot chocolate and coffee...while eating breakfast and a few more s'mores. Eventually it was time to start packing up and huffing all the gear back to the vehicles.

We definitely made some memories and I am proud to say it only took me two weeks to get all of the bags unpacked. Yes, two weeks is good for me. We look forward to exploring a new campground in the spring.

Pumpkins, pumpkins and little orange haired boys

2011-10-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

We have made a couple of trips to the pumpkin patch in recent weeks. The first was a field trip with Matt's preschool class and the second with friends. We were blessed with amazingly perfect weather for both trips. A few pictures of our adventures.

Appliques: The frugal girls monogram

2011-10-17T06:15:00.000-05:00

I have never been one to monogram anything. I have a few monogrammed things the boys were given as gifts and they are cherished but I just cannot bring myself to pay to get something monogrammed. Almost 2 years ago I got my first real sewing machine and my first order of business was learning the art of applique (that and not having to use the manual to thread the bobbin). I am proud to report that both have been accomplished.

My most recent applique project involved the boys matching backpacks. I used some old denim and am quite content with how they turned out.

The boys love them too and now know which backpack belongs to them!

Muddy Night Out

2011-10-07T07:50:00.004-05:00

We recently had our first night away since becoming parents 4 years ago. It was weird but nice, we really needed a little break though I am not sure running a muddy-obstacle laden 5K was exactly a break..but at least there were no kidlets waking us up at 3 AM. We drove up to Manchester, TN with some friends and participated in our first Warrior Dash. It was a blast....nothing like bonding with mud! Post race we camped out and just relaxed which was VERY nice. A shout out to Jeff and Tedi for watching our little monkeys during our getaway!!

Warrior Carnage

Scenes I witnessed before 8:30 AM

2011-09-29T08:25:00.001-05:00

~ Muppet getting her temperature taken, with a zip tie.

~ M helping K put on underwear.

~ K feeding M yogurt.

~ K "folding" laundry.

~ Buzz Lightyear getting a thorough exam and a shot, by a fully gloved Matthew

* Apparently their doctors visit from the previous day was still fresh in their minds.

+/-

2011-09-28T07:38:00.000-05:00

+ I have gotten more snuggle time with baby K the last 12 hours than I ever dreamed possible

- Of course the only reason he is sitting still and needing said snuggles is the fact that he is sick.

+   Loving the changing leaves, cooler temperatures and occasional decreased mosquito population.

-   The summer to do list is getting compounded by the fall to do list. So. Much. To. Do.

+   Getting a little paycheck has been nice these last few months.

-   Figuring out this whole working from home thing has been more challenging than anticipated.

+ These little boys are growing and changing at such an insane pace.

- These little boys are growing and changing at such an insane pace.

+ I am right on target for my half marathon training.

- A sick baby this week just might throw me off schedule.

Building a Memory

2011-09-22T21:09:00.000-05:00

We decided to celebrate the boys birthdays together this year and the common theme we came up with was construction. These guys are happiest when they are working on a project so we set out to build an awesome birthday for our little guys.

First up was getting tattooed at the TATTOO TRAILER, we didn't want any of our little workers being too clean cut.

We came up with an activity utilizing some old fence pickets and lots of imagination.....

Our end product...
a whole gang of picket people!

Then an intense round of

follow~the~leader.

A little candle blowing out by the 4-year old....

and the 2-year old.

Cake and ice cream

2 of the dads took on the stump removal project on the to do list while Willie showered!

Not really sure what poor soul was in the bathroom when Matt tried to saw them out?

These boys had an awesome day, special thanks to those who shared it with us.

Happy 2nd Grey Bear

2011-09-21T07:25:00.000-05:00


...to this!

From this......

Happy 2nd birthday my little bear. I am not sure how you are already 2 but the calendar tells me its true. It really seems like yesterday I was holding your little snuggly newborn self in my arms. You truly completed our little family and we love you more than we can say. You have changed so very much in one little year. A few of your accomplishments include:

Your vocabulary is literally astounding. Your favorite phrases/words include; hold me, rock me, go outside, are you mama/papa/Matthew? (meaning where are you), I eat noodles, see motorcycle, see tractor, ride bike, I go tee-tee, my underwear, I got mama, get mail, turn on flashlight, it's dark in there, need blanket, want my juice, need my hat, Matthew and choo-choo.

You are our eater and will eat almost anything but your favorites are berries, yogurt, cheese, hummus, chicken, noodles, ham, chicken, risotto, hot dogs, peanut butter, oranges, plums, kiwi and ritz crackers.

You are very independent and are already pulling the I do it myself thing, which is cute...and not.

You love your brother, Muppet the dog, helping mama in the garden or the kitchen, going for rides on mama's bike, reading books, swimming, working with Papa, playing with play-doh, playing dress up, building train tracks and taking baths,

You are a very loving little guy. I have said it before but it needs saying again, one of the absolute best gifts I have gotten from you boys is the random unsolicited kisses and hugs. It makes me think that just maybe we are doing a little something right. You kiss and hug everyone, me, Papa, Matthew and even Muppet the dog has been on the receiving end of your loving. You still prefer me to lay down with you and let you hold my hair to go to sleep, which I do most nights. You like being rocked and request it on a daily basis.

You can count to ten and I think you know blue and red colors. You are good at picking up toys and an awesome stirrer of ingredients...not that you can tell that by what ends up on the floor! You love watching the birds outside the kitchen window while helping out.

Oh...I almost forgot, you are almost potty-trained. I wish I could take the credit for this awesomeness but sadly I cannot, big brother has been instrumental in teaching you how to use the potty. Needless to say we are thrilled with almost being out of the diaper business...way to go little buddy!

Banner Elk

2011-09-20T07:14:00.000-05:00

We spent Labor Day weekend with some dear friends in the North Carolina mountain town of Banner Elk.

Despite the fact that we started the 6 hour drive 7 hours after we planned to, the weekend shaped up to be EXACTLY what we needed. We did some hiking, wading, shopping, apple picking, domino playing and sightseeing but mostly we hung out and relaxed while the kids played in the rain, built lego creations, climbed trees and created varying amounts of mayhem.

The kids loved the jeep and thought it was a jungle gym on wheels..which I guess it kinda was!

Enjoying his apples.

Sweet sweet boys!

Hood dwellers

Hiking help

Back to School

2011-09-11T06:26:00.000-05:00

The little monkeys started preschool last week.

They were more impressed with their big boy backpacks than anything

and kept asking for me to "cheese" them.

He is no longer capable of a normal smile these days.

It was a perfect cool rainy fall day and getting to wear their raincoats totally made their day.

A perspective shift

2011-09-01T09:35:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a 10-day excursion to Texas, to visit family and friends. I had an epiphany...or rather several mini-epiphanies during the course of this journey.

1) I will always be a TEXAN at heart but this is the first time it didn't feel like home. Yes, our families are all there but this time I truly felt like a visitor and not a resident. It is kind of sad but not all at the same time.

2) Travel is just as hard on kiddos as it is parents. Both my guys, who are usually pretty good kids had trouble adjusting. Exhaustion, jacked up sleeping schedules and Pop Tarts among other things were to blame.

3) I know this next statement will require me to relinquish any sense of cool I still have left. I would TOTALLY DRIVE A MINIVAN. Not joking. Due to a mess made by the rental car folks we ended up in a Chrysler Town and Country minivan during the course of our journey. This van was amazing, doors that opened themselves, kids could get into the vehicle and their seats on their own, doors shut at the push of one of the THREE buttons utilized for door opening, the CAVERNOUS space, the DVD player....15 million cupholders, have I mentioned there was A LOT of space? I admit, my dream mom-car has always been a wagon but I can see the appeal of a minivan...finally.

4) I have lived in TEXAS, Louisiana, Arizona and Alabama. While I get that none of these states are cool climates, I had no CLUE how mild our north Alabama weather was until this visit. I mean 114 degrees is hot, hot, hot no matter how you slice it!

5) Traffic, construction, traffic, construction. We spent so many years commuting in Texas that I kind of already knew this but every major thoroughfare has major construction happening. 635-check, 183-check, 35-check, 121-check, I am thankful that we are in a smaller town that literally has no traffic issues to speak of. Don't tell the people here yet, they think we have traffic...but truly...we DON'T!

A few pictures of our busy trip:

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 30

2011-08-30T04:39:00.000-05:00

...in motion...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 29

2011-08-29T04:38:00.000-05:00

...purchased...

Campsite Reconnaissance

2011-08-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

We are preparing for the upcoming camping season and have been having a lot of fun checking out future campsites. Snake encounters, a billion potty stops and a few tick invasions has been standard operating procedure. We are enjoying this new phase of our camping hobby, these boys are thrilled at the prospect of sleeping outside, getting dirty and roasting marshmallows. Come on fall, we are ready!!

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 28

2011-08-28T04:38:00.000-05:00

...daily routine...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 27

2011-08-27T04:31:00.000-05:00

...after dark...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 26

2011-08-26T04:28:00.000-05:00

...something old...

Abandoned since the 1940s, and isolated by its remote location in the middle of Big Bend National Park, the Mariscal Mine is the best preserved mercury mining site in the state of Texas, and is a listed historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Got a little history lesson today, didn't ya?

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 25

2011-08-25T04:26:00.000-05:00

...sunflare...

no goods....

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 24

2011-08-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

...a smile...

or three.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 23

2011-08-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

...sunset...

at Big Bend National Park

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 22

2011-08-22T04:20:00.000-05:00

...trees...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 21

2011-08-21T08:20:00.000-05:00

...a pretty pattern...

on some fabric...

that will eventually be a purse for ME.....hopefully soon, like before this splurge fabric is considered vintage!

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 20

2011-08-20T06:18:00.001-05:00

...what I read...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 19

2011-08-19T23:07:00.000-05:00

...where I slept...

a few naps here.....heavenly.

Happy 4th Matthew

2011-08-19T06:17:00.007-05:00

Oh my little Matthew, today you turn 4. I dreamed about you for YEARS, you know the funny thing, you have and continue to exceed my expectations.

You went from this....

to this

WAY TOO FAST!

Time has flown and you are so very thrilled to be 4, while I cannot say that we are totally ready for 4 year old in the house.......here we go.

It's official, my firstborn baby is rapidly transforming into a little boy, stinky feet and all. Your cute little round head gets more angular every day, you are starting to finally get a little taller, I swear you need a haircut monthly your hair grows so fast. I am proud of the little boy your are becoming...well...most of the time.

You are an extremely loving and touchy feely guy. You still need and ask for me to rock with you daily. I cherish these moments and know just how fleeting they are. You randomly hug and kiss us..which makes me think we might be doing something right. You are becoming a good little helper and do a good job at your chores, which include putting up clean underwear, feeding Muppet, matching socks and picking up toys. You are also learning to make beds, water plants and bring in groceries.

You have an opinion more often than I would like and can get quite inflamed when my opinion/instructions differ from your master plan. Time out is pretty effective with you but you also respect the wooden spoon. You lack patience with yourself which is not fun to watch but boy do we feel your pain.

You love to pretend. Most of your pretending revolves around going hiking, building a project, being a super hero or cooking. You also love to help cook. We make homemade biscuits pretty often and I am convinced within another year you will be able to do it on your own. You enjoy drawing, playing with play-doh and making random crafts.

You LOVE peanut butter. You like strawberries, grapes, Cheetos, ice cream, chocolate, risotto, cottage cheese, yogurt, frosted flakes, cheese, ham and noodles. You are still not a big eater but you seem to be growing on pace.

You love your friends...even though they are almost ALL GIRLS. You have certainly worn your fair share of princess dresses and Super Girl costumes. I can elicit good behavior from you by threatening to call and tell them they cannot come over because you are having a bad attitude.

Despite the fact that most of your buddies are girls, you are all boy. Trains, trucks, tractors, baseball, soccer and hiking are some of your loves. It seems Papa is not allowed to work on a project without your assistance. Band aids, holy moley apparently I should have started stocking up on these puppies long ago. You can go through the band aids my buddy, not that their application slows you down any.

Kimber and Muppet the dog are your best pals..but also the ones you love to antagonize most. I watch the sweetest moments pass between you two brothers, like holding hands sometimes when you go to sleep. It makes all of the work-dirt-lack of sleep so worth it. You guys can also fight and Kimber is starting to hold his own with you, suffice it to say, you are not impressed with this development.

You love love love climbing trees...or shrubs...or well just about anything!

You are really into Super Heroes right now with Iron Man, Spider Man and Captain America being your favorites. I amazed you a few mornings ago by whipping up not one but two cardboard Captain America shields for you and Kimber to play with. I am quickly learning the names of all these Supers, I keep wondering if there is a Cliff Notes edition so I can study up. You ride in the jogging stroller through the neighborhood a lot and shoot anything that moves with spider webs, I feel crazy safe with you around my little hero.

You decided you wanted to go bowling for your birthday and had an awesome time. I am a little surprised we did not get booted from the bowling alley with you and your buddies rolling multiple balls down the lanes simultaneously. The poor bowling alley lady certainly worked for her money last night.

All in all I think your day turned out great. You had PB&J for breakfast and lunch (as per your request) and two cupcakes, you were thrilled...and really whooped! Happy 4th!!

I love you little buddy and am so blessed to share my life with you.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 18

2011-08-18T23:07:00.000-05:00

...in my bag...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 17

2011-08-17T23:06:00.000-05:00

...on the shelf...

My running~travel~growing stuff section.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 16

2011-08-16T23:05:00.002-05:00

...what I ate...

our annual Butternut Squash Chowder, thank you Williams Sonoma.

Ingredients:

4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage, plus small sage
leaves for garnish
4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch
cubes
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 jar (32 oz.) butternut squash puree
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towellined plate. Set aside.

Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, chopped sage, the 4 tsp. salt and the 1 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

Add the wine and simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

Add the butternut squash puree and bacon and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls and garnish with sage leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 15

2011-08-15T22:40:00.001-05:00

...my shoes...

I knew it would eventually happen. This is my 9th pair of Mizuno Wave Riders, they are the most awesome shoe ever, at least for my feet. I was sad when I went to pick this pair up today and found that the 2011 model is pink. UGH. Really, pink? I am not a pink girl by any means and it sure doesn't seem to belong on a running shoe. Despite their pinkness...these puppies fit like a DREAM!!!

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 14

2011-08-14T14:10:00.002-05:00

...flowers...

my gorgeous gladiola..in all its splendor.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 13

2011-08-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

...from a distance...

my hubs working hard in the yard

Kickin'

2011-08-13T09:13:00.001-05:00

Matthew recently completed a week of British Soccer Camp and he LOVED LOVED LOVED it. It was very hot and sunny but each morning we lathered him up in sunscreen and he happily trudged onto the field to hone his ball handling skills with six other tiny players. I was impressed by the drills disguised as unique games with characters all little people recognize like Lightening McQueen and Shrek. We went through A LOT of gatorade and water and Matt actually took a nap after the first day. Kimber was an awesome sidekick and enjoyed being let in on the action periodically by the amazing Coach Mark. We hope to make this an annual event. A ~~few~~ booty-load of pics from our steamy week of camp.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 12

2011-08-12T22:38:00.001-05:00

...close up...

my caboose

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 11

2011-08-11T22:37:00.000-05:00

...something fun...

A little birthday bowling.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 10

2011-08-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

...something I made...

A purse for a little lady.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 9

2011-08-09T22:36:00.000-05:00

...faceless self portrait...

brrrrr....

13 years

2011-08-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

It seems like a long time but then it doesn't.

I would do it all over again, most days.

I continue to be amused, delighted and frustrated by you and your antics.

I really did marry my best friend and am glad that we are on this oh so crazy journey together.

A little picture of us, 3 years into our marriage.

(Gosh we look like babies)

Love you babe!

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 8

2011-08-08T07:26:00.000-05:00

...technology...

My beloved iPhone, with its cracked screen.

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 7

2011-08-07T14:21:00.001-05:00

...something new...

new to me at least...a potting bench (thanks Thornburgs) turned entry area landing pad for all of our ~~phones/ipods/change~~ junk!

Before:

After:

And finally....some knobs from Anthro that I have been drooling over FOREVER!

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 6

2011-08-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

...childhood memory...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 5

2011-08-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

...someone i love...

so maybe it is multiple "someones"

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 4

2011-08-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

...favorite color...

red ~ rojo ~ rot

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 3

2011-08-03T14:00:00.000-05:00

...clouds...

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 2

2011-08-02T13:48:00.001-05:00

...what i wore...

back when I was "cool"