Whose Child Are You?

Not only does my son dislike pizza, which is pretty much a sin around these parts, but here is a recent conversation we had after a nap one day:

Mom:  "Since you guys took a good nap, want to go get some frozen yogurt this afternoon?
Wyatt:  (thinks for a minute) "No, I think I just want to stay here & play"
Mom: (did I mention that MOM really wanted to get out of the house & eat said frozen yogurt) "Really, we can go to your favorite place, the one that has that special flavor you like?"
Wyatt:  "Nah - let's just stay here & play"
Mom:  "Well, I think we will go anyway, and Stella & I will just get some yogurt - you don't have to get any"
Wyatt:  (pauses for a moment)  "Well, I might want a little"

That's my boy!

Wordless Wednesday: Welcome Sunshine

Wordless Wednesday: Bubble Beard

You Look Like Your Dog Just Died

An appropriate title, as my dog did just die.  My constant companion of 12 years - before my husband, before my son, before my daughter.  Milo & I lived together in five different houses, with several different roommates.  I always knew that this house would be the last one he would live in, simply because he was 12 and I knew we weren't moving anytime soon, if ever.  But, I never knew how short his time would be in this house.

It's still sort of painful to even think about - it all happened rather suddenly.  We always joked that Milo was the sort of dog that had "9 Lives."  I can't begin to recount the trouble he got into, the trips to the emergency vet, the chocolate eating - the list is endless.  At the time they seemed like such a hassle, but I now look back on all of those times as an adventure - Milo always kept life exciting, even if it was at the expense of your bank account.  After a recent vet visit, the doctor noted that Milo's spine had two spots where the vertebrae were literally touching - nothing in between them anymore.  He was surprised the dog wasn't in pain, but had also noted it a few years back so we weren't too worried.  He had his annual check-up at the beginning of January, and came home happy & healthy.

About two weeks into January, I noticed that every so often the dog would wimpier a bit, and sit down on his back legs.  With two kids & another dog running around, I didn't think much of it, but certainly noticed it more when things would die down here in the evenings.  It all intensified rather quickly, and before we knew it the dog was having trouble walking, was in constant pain - crying all day & night - and none of the pain remedies or drugs we tried were working.  It was time...

Just like people tell you once you have had a child, you are part of a certain group of women - those who have given birth - you understand, you've been there - there is something very sad & powerful about losing a family pet.  I had dogs as a child, and certainly remember them passing away, but this was somehow different - my pet, my companion.  I immediately went back in my memory to when my Dad had to put down our 13 year old Collie/Shepard mix, Beanie, as a kid.  It is one of the times I really remember my Dad being truly sad, and now I understand that grief fully.

We buried Milo in our backyard, and I visit him there often, as do the kids.  Wyatt is almost 5, and of course has a more curious mind than Stella, being only 18 months.  We have had lots of conversations about death, heaven, losing pets & even family members.  My husband & I have had plenty of sad nights - they seem to be becoming fewer & fewer though.

Even as I write this, I still feel sad.  I have been told that I will for a while.  To anyone else going through this, I understand - I really do.  I keep telling my husband "I want to start 2012 over," as it seems it has been filled with illnesses, the death of our beloved Beagle, and the constant challenges of motherhood in general, but I have learned a lot from this, and I feel that it has pushed me to really turn 2012 around.

Milo, you are missed...

Milo's last night at home
May 2000 - January 2012

Santa Train 2011

Once again, we headed over to the NC Museum of Life & Science for our annual trip aboard the Santa Train! We love going to the museum, even after 4+ years of visits it never seems to get old. They always do such a great job with the event - this year there were several crafts - one of which was making 'Reindeer Food,' which Wyatt loved. There was also plenty of hot chocolate & face painting!

Wyatt is an old pro at seeing Santa at this point - Stella is still in her look, but don't touch stage...

The Coolest Great Aunt

Growing up, my mom's sister always gave us the best gifts & took us on amazing adventures. Imagine Wyatt's excitement when he received this t-shirt in the mail, screenprinted by Aunt Joey - the coolness continues...

Peas in a Pod

We have our moments, but these too are generally just smitten with each other. It is so much fun to watch them changing & growing together, and to think back on all the fun I had with my own brother & sister growing up. Monkey also enjoys having someone to boss around & pay nothing but attention to him for now too :)

Fort building

Monkey waking up the Bean - the morning ritual

Including Bean in the fun

More fort building

The First Cut

Just a little evening out to rid her of the "baby mullet," but monumental none-the-less.

PS - She loved every second of it, even getting that ridiculous bow at the end ;)

Mommy Forgets

I am sitting down to write a post about how these days, it seems I have less & less time ALONE. Just as I am about to dive in, my 4 year old, who is currently having "rest time" on the sun porch, comes in & hands me a Bud Light (must interject that there was an old cooler of these that I just moved into sunporch last night - son did not go to fridge & find this) & says "Here, this is for you mommy - you can drink this." I laughed initially, but them immediately dashed out to the sun porch to make sure he wasn't enjoying one himself. AND back to my point that...I CANNOT FIND ANY TIME ALONE.

While I won't be sucking back a Bud Light at 1:00 this afternoon, my days have gotten insane with a 14 month old who is trying to do everything in her power to make me go batty. I am discovering that I have total amnesia when it comes to remembering things about Baby #1. Of course I remember all the great stuff - fondly - but it's the little things that come creeping back into my memory as I experience them again with Baby #2. Here are some of the highlights of our recent days:

- the constant repeating of no - I even hate hearing it at this point

- the reminder that our last house was baby-proofed & this one is not. I was trying to tell myself that we could just really keep a watchful eye in the kitchen, but mama can't get a damn thing done without someone climbing into a drawer, or shutting their fingers in a door, pulling out all the Tupperware or unloading the pantry

- the need to practice our walking skills at all times - my back might just break, but I know Bean is just eager to get going on her own

- the dog hair covered infant clothes that come with having a crawling baby & two dogs

- the involuntary shouting sure makes for fun family outings. We eat early anyway, but now we are really venturing into true 'Early Bird' territory, so as to hopefully be in similar company when dining out

- trying to remove both clothing & diapers, whenever the opportunity arises (see above photo)

All in all, life is good though. As soon as this "phase" passes, I feel certain I will be reminded of yet another one that is just as fun! What are some that came creeping back to you?

The Park that Ikea Built

I am totally psyched about a park we visited the other day with a few fiends we haven't seen in quite a while. One of them suggested we try out a new park, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was just down the road! It's still in the process of being finished off - currently there is no parking lot, and there is still some brush & mud to be cleared out around the edges of the park.

Seriously though? It was one of the most fun parks I have been to in a while, and the kids agree! We've dubbed it as the Ikea Park, simply because all the okay equipment is like nothing I have seen at another park, and it all looks truly like something Ikea would have put together. Here were some highlights of our visit:

Happy Halloween 2011

Wordless Wednesday-All Smiles

Wordless Wednesday - All Smiles

Capture the Everyday: Love

For today's assignment (first, can we celebrate that I am getting back into the swing of things??!!) I knew what picture I wanted to use right away. When I met my husband he had this cowboy hat, and I always loved that about him. Fast forward 15 years later and here he is with it again, during an impromptu Sunday morning dance party in the kitchen of course, with another little lady loving it just as much!

Want to participate? Head over to Adventuroo to link up!

Mama is Saving Up

Hi there! Remember me? I used to blog here - at times it was pretty often that I had something witty or entertaining to share. Life with two kids has been keeping me busy, but if we're being honest, I love me some TV in my downtime. And if we're being really honest, the TV & the computer are not in the same room. If they were, I could put my fine-tuned motherhood, multitasking skills to work & blog while I watch TV/relax at the same time (pending my brain not turning to complete mush). But alas, the TV, and conversation with the spouse & wine have won out over the blog many a night or free time. In an effort to change that a little, I have decided to FINALLY start going through some old baby clothes & things & selling them - hoping to make enough to purchase an iPad. I'll keep you posted on how that works out for me - In the meantime, this is what my life has been like lately...

Open Letter to Karate Moms

Dear Parents Sitting Next to Me at Karate,

Yes, this is our first time here. I didn't bring a stroller for my baby, because I didn't realize I had to sit in these folding chairs placed a mere inches apart for 30 minutes while the Monkey works on his karate chops. That poo-looking substance on my baby's hand, that she has now rubbed on your arm? I promise it is just graham cracker...

And you? To the right of me? You don't mind if my 11 month old chews on the zipper pull of your nice leather purse, do you?

Thanks,

Kelly

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Dreams

This Face

This face is turning FOUR in seven days...hold me.

Happiest When Eating

But also happy when I snag one of big brother's coveted items...

Off the Map

We've been a bit busy lately - it's hard to believe that summer is already here & school is out. It's also hard to believe that the Monkey only has one more year of preschool before "real" school begins...whew. The biggest adjustment we have been dealing with this summer is having two kids full time at home - Bean was literally born on the first day of preschool - as in, we dropped Monkey off at school & drove directly to the hospital, Bean then arrived at 5:00 PM. Outside of holiday breaks, this will be the most time we have all been together. So far, things have been great - luckily Bean loves the pool as much as her big brother, so that has kept us busy. We have also picked out a few summer camps to keep brother occupied & stimulated too :)

A while back, I was doing my "Friday Frills," and then things got away from me, as they often do, and I haven't kept up with it. Thankfully, people like Adventuroo & All Things Fadra & their weekly assignments have kept me on my blogging toes these past few months when I haven't

found much time to write. In the spirit of updating, here are some recent discoveries & favorites:

1) Pinterest: I know I am probably WAAAY behind on this - I mean, I still think I might be one of the only people I know that isn't on Facebook. That being said, I am loving Pinterest. I haven't even begun to create any pages, but I am finding so much inspiration on other people's - I can't wait to get started!

2) A glimpse of Daddy & Bean time together:

3) This bathing suit (and all those rolls):

4) Sibling love:

5) My garden: Things are really coming along well this year in the garden. Our lettuce is done, but we enjoyed many salads from it, and it is definitely something I will try my hand at again next year. Right now I am still waiting for the herbs, especially the basil, to get a bit bigger. Otherwise, tomatoes are coming in, as well as cucumbers. We have also been eating plenty of sugar snap peas from the garden, and pretty soon we'll ave 2 huge bell peppers to pick, and a few jalapenos! The best part is Wyatt's enthusiasm about all of it, since he helped me plant it all from seeds - he will eat just about anything out of there right off the plant! I'll post some pics again soon when things are really looking delicious!

Capture the Everyday: A Sign that Summer is Coming

Couldn't wait to post for this today - my picture would have also been appropriate for last week's theme, if only I had been that organized...

Had to post a cucumber pic - These are what started my gardening passion

& I managed to grow about 50 of them last summer!!

Gardening has really become a new passion of mine (although as evidenced by the photo above, weeding is still not my forte...) - I was born with a black thumb, but I seem to be turning a corner this year. Not only have I been able to keep our orchid alive for 9 months (long enough for it to get new blooms people!!), but my garden has grown by leaps & bounds compared to last year. Here's what we're currently growing around here:

-lettuce

-sugar snap peas

-pole beans

-spinach

-arugula

-roma tomato

-cucumber

-squash

-raspberries

-strawberries

-sunflowers

-sage

-lavender

-basil

-cilantro

I won't bore you with all of the photos, but the best part is that everything I have listed above is actually growing at this point!! I have planted in larger numbers, in hopes that if several things die off we'll still end up with something. We have been eating salads every night with the lettuce - it's awesome! And, if all the plants die in the next few weeks, which I am hopeful they won't, I can at least say I have had fun trying my hand at all of this.

Want to participate in 'Capture the Everyday' as well? Head on over to Adventuroo & link up!

Fishing with Papa & Dad

This past weekend presented several opportunities for outdoor fun, which is one of our favorite things in this family. Seth & Wyatt took Papa out on the fishing boat to see what they could wrangle with the Scooby Doo fishing rod, and wouldn't you know it was quite a successful trip! All were thrown back, and Wyatt might have had the most fun with the worms, but a successful trip all-in-all!

Snacking with Papa - Wyatt's other favorite pastime

Casting the line with Dad

What did I tell ya?

My favorite pic of the trip

Capture the Everyday: Your Child's Favorite Part of Your House

This one was sort of a toss up between the basement & the swing set in the backyard. With the recent addition of the basketball hoop on the basement, it won the tie here. The basement was also one of the features of our house that sold me on it when we looked at it - I always had one growing up, and made so many memories down there. It was sort of like the one place in the house that didn't have to get cleaned up regularly, and anything goes! In this case, one half of the basement is for Monkey, Bean & myself (or my crafts & wrapping paper rather), and the other side is the "man cave." I don't pretend to know what goes on over there, but it houses all of my husband's stuff that used to be on our garage, meaning I can now park my car in there, so Mama's happy :)

Want to link up? Head over to Adventuroo to join in the fun!!

The Business of Updating

It's been a while since I have just posted some pics in here, unrelated to any challenge, meme, or the like. Here's what we have been up to on these recent sunny (and not so sunny) days - enjoy!

Loving baby food!

Ice cream with the cousins

Can I just tell you how much Bean loves Monkey? He's hung the moon...

After finishing a 5K - wishing I had been the one riding in the stroller... :)

Bean's first adventure in the backpack!

Doughnut date with Mom after church one Sunday

Dad & Bean enjoying the Spring weather in the sun porch

I love this pic - as I took it, Monkey was saying "I LOVE Duke Gardens..."