Last weekend of August

In two days August will be over and September will be here. I know that everyone reading this knows what date it is and yes, after August does come September. But I had to type it out are read it a few times so that it could really sink in for me.
So here it goes again.
In two days August will be over and September will be here.


We had a great family weekend.
We were able to spend some time enjoying the great outdoors.


We took a family boat ride out on to the lake.
The little man is a little fearless when it comes to water and this makes me a little scared. He kept trying to reach from the back seat into the water. After talking to him more than enough times he came up and sat in the middle.
I was a little amazed by how many things were growing in the lake. And to think I would swim in this lake as a kid!?! Yuck! The lily pads (or lollipops as the little man called them) have started to take up far more of the lake than they did when I was a kid.


It was so peaceful and relaxing to be out on the water. I dont think it ever crossed my mind growing up on this lake that one day I would take my family here. But here we are.

I was just looking over my to do list and boy is it long. We are headed out to go camping on Wednesday and I still need to go shopping, take the little man to the dentist, wash all the mountains of laundry, bake a few last minute items, trim both of the boys hair and so much more. With a little help from coffee, the ergo and legos I will get everything done before Wednesday.

The little lady will turn 6 months old on our camping trip. I truly cant believe it. I tried my very hardest to exclusively breastfeed her for the first six months of her life (just like the doctor ordered) but a few weeks ago I started giving her solids. (There I said it) She was more than ready a month ago but I was not. I was not ready to give up the non smelly poo and the knowing that I am the one that can provide all of the nutrition that she needs.
I almost felt like I was depriving her if I did not give her solids because she really wanted them. I was really torn between what I wanted and what she wanted and of course she won. She has been very happy with my decision.
She is still doing really well with the potty.
Today was a great day until 5:30. We were driving in the car and I heard it. That sound. So once we got home I got her all cleaned up and into the bath the rest of the night went great until I was trying to put her to bed. She was sound asleep in my arms and I went to lay her down. She was rolling around trying to get comfy when I heard it again.
So after another bath (this one was in the sink) it was time for attempt number two to get her to sleep.
I think that it must be the zucchini bread that I gave her that is causing the poo. I thought that a little piece would be ok but I guess I was wrong. Oops! I would say that I typical catch 98% of the poos. But not today.
What a way to end the great weekend.

Seeing double

I spent most of the day in the kitchen today.
I started it off with a double batch of banana bread. So the little lady took her morning nap in ergo while I made the bread. I was just pulling it out of the oven as the little man woke up. So we all sat down and enjoyed the warm delicious goodness.
Once the banana bread was done I had a double batch of zucchini bread to go in.
As it cooked I was able to clean up the playroom and give the kids a bath.
Later on in the afternoon I made another double batch but this time of strawberry freezer jam.
Before I knew it it was time for me to start dinner. So as the little lady slept, yet again in the ergo, I made calzones stuffed full with whatever leftover that I had in the fridge.
After dinner I packed the little mans bag and dropped him off for his first sleepover at a friends house. Tear.

Ham with a slice of cheese

For a long time when I pulled out the camera and asked the little man to smile, these are what kind of pictures I got.


Very fake cheesy smiles.
I think just about every little kid go through this stage. The pictures are still cute but it is very nice when this stage is over.
Now he is onto a new stage.
When he sees me reaching for the camera he runs and hides, but if I am trying to take a picture of the little lady he wants to be holding her.


There is that cheesy smile again. I guess it does not want to go away.



Its not that I dont love having pictures of my children together smiling, its just that I enjoy candid pictures also. I can never have too many pictures of them just doing what they do.
And sometimes I get really lucky and I get a picture like this.

Weekending

We had a wonderful family packed weekend.
We started it off on Friday with an amazing barbecued zucchini burger. Zucchini home grown in my mamas garden (mine has just started coming up) topped with fresh picked tomatoes and lettuce and homemade pickles thanks to a wonderful friend. Oh and how could I forget the mustard. It was amazing.
After a great dinner our family took a little walk down to the park to listen to some music. The little man was not too into the music, but I dont really blame him. He had more fun running the bases of the baseball diamond and taking pictures than dancing to the music.




*I guess she gets the bottom lip chewing from me*

On Saturday we went to the parade and picnic.


The kids had a great time watching all of the cars and people. The little man even sang the COPS theme song as the police cars drove by. We all had a good laugh.
Once the parade was over we were off back down to the park for a picnic lunch.
The little man is still a little too young to really do any of the games or activities but he still had a fun time with the other kids. They even found a worm and a very large mole whole to play in. The little lady enjoyed crawling around in the grass exploring also.

Later that night we were off to yet another park in the next town over to cuddle up under the stars and watch a movie on a very large inflatable screen.


There are just a few more weekends left in the summer so we are going to enjoy them as a family.

This moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. -Amanda Soule

You can run but you cant hide

There has been some shady people trying to cause some trouble in our neighborhood.


They think that they can hide but they are wrong.


We have our eyes on you and if you come back we will see you.


And we will get you.


The other day we had a very odd thing happen.
The hubby and I were out in the side yard talking by the trailer when I saw thought the fence a car pull into the driveway. I quickly went back into the house to let the hubby find out who they were.
Two men hopped out of the truck. The passenger started walking to the front door but the hubby popped his head over the fence before he got there.
The men were a little startled. The driver then said 'Umm... we were just driving through and noticed that you travel trailer has not moved and we wanted to know if you wanted to sell it?' A bunch of red flags come up with that statement. First of all you dont just drive by and see our house let alone our trailer that is parked on the side. Second you dont go around at one in the afternoon knocking on strangers doors. A few other words (some nice and some not so nice) were exchanged with the men before they left.
The hubby just did not feel right about the conversation that he just had so he called the police to let them know. (Small town police like to be in the know).
Just today while the hubby was talking with one of our neighbors he said that two men came up to him this week also asking if he wanted to sell his utility trailer.
Things just sound a little too fishy for me.
So the day after the run in with the shady men we installed a security screen door. I had been wanting a screen door for a while and a wonderful couple in the church gave us theres. I was just wanting a plan old screen door but after what went on this week I am really glad that its a security door.


Maybe these shady men will get the hint that they are not welcome here.

Beating the heat pt. 2

Sleep can be a little challenging in the heat.



I am very thankful for the AC unit that we have in our bedroom. Most nights the little man ends up in our bed also and I love it. I dont knew if it is because he is too hot in his bed or if he just wants to sleep with us.
Last night we all piled into our bed and watched a DVD on the mini DVD player.
We have been doing a lot more going to bed late and waking up late. I dont really like this habit because I know it will be hard to break. And once September rolls around it is going to have to be early nights so that the little man is up and ready to leave the house by something crazy like 8:30am.
Most mornings I am up by 7am or so but I am rarely ready to get out of the house before 10am.
Having the little man going to school will be a fun and exciting new adventure but until that adventure starts we are going to enjoy our summer and all that it brings.
*Update
The view from my computer as I type this evening (10:20pm).

Beating the heat pt. 1

These pictures really sum up what we have been up to these past few days.
It has been real hot around here. Almost a little to hot for someone like me who was born and raised in the great state of Washington. 90 degrees is really pushing it for me.
So we have been filling our days with swimming, drinking lots of iced tea/ coffee and sitting in front of fans. Noting to exciting or fast paced.
When the evening comes and the little lady is wanting to go to bed we head into our bedroom crank on the AC and pass out. There has been no time for blogging or editing pictures. It has just been to hot.
Yesterday it was nice to be able to share our house with family and friends. Thats what hot summer days are for, right?

Cannonball

I was a woken this morning just before five am (I also woke up at midnight and three). I tried to just nurse the little lady back to sleep (like I did the other times) but she just was not having it. So I got up out of bed and we went for a little walk around the house. We finally ended up in her bedroom rocking.
Then all of a sudden through the blinds I saw a big flash of light, heard a loud bang and then the power went out. I was already sitting in the dark but now I did not even have the glow from the clock.
I quickly got up and told the hubby that I saw the boom. He was still half a sleep and a little unsure about what I was talking about. I explained to him and he got up to investigate.
I kept telling him it was right out side our window but when he went out there he saw nothing. None of the other neighbors looked like they had power (but it was also five am).
I was finally able to get the little lady back to sleep and I crawled back into bed also. It took me a little while to fall back a sleep but when I did wake up the clock was flashing 12:37 and it was just after seven am.
I still dont know what it was that caused the bright flash, the loud noise and our power to go out. The hubby said something like maybe it was a transformer or something. Maybe I will find out some day or maybe it will just stay a mystery.

On another note today the hubby pulled out the BB gun and him and the little man went in the backyard to test it out.
The hubby said to the little man 'lets go out back and shoot some cans'.
The little man replied 'Ya lets do cannonballs.'
We had to explain to he it was not called cannonballs it was called shooting cans.
The little man also thought that this gun was going to be loud so he insisted on wearing his 'ears.'


After the first can was shot the little man said to the hubby 'This gun is not as loud as your other one' and quickly took them off.


I never wanted to have that boy who played with toy guns and pretended to shoot things. When he was younger I tired my hardest to keep them away from these type of toys but he was just drawn to then (they say it is in there blood). So now my big concern is not really keeping these toys away from him but teaching him the difference between toys and real guns.


My heart just breaks for this poor family. I just cant imagine what they are going through. I dont want to ever have to go through anything like that so I will keep reminding my son everyday that Daddy's guns are Daddy's and you DO NOT touch them unless Daddy is helping you.
Right now the boys are out with Grandpa M. They were headed up to go check out a canopy for Grandpa M truck. Its going to be another long night for the little man. The hubby some how thinks that midnight is an OK time for a three year old to go to bed. Hopefully the little man just falls a sleep on the ride home. One can only hope. The little lady is down for the night. I dont think that I will ever get tired of watching her sleep or holding her while she is sleeping.

Little me and little you

When I look at the little man I see my hubby. I think that they look a lot alike. They do many of the same things.
The little man is always looking up to his dad. Whatever the hubby is doing the little man wants to do also.
So it did not surprise me when he wanted to wear his 'loud car' shirt just like dad.


Complete with matching cameo pants. He has now mastered the art of getting dressed. He can do most everything by himself. Some times things get on backwards and sometimes he needs help but this is much better than me fighting him to get him dressed.


The little man is doing a great job ridding his bike. He will ride it all the way to the mailbox and back. He also figured out all on his own that hid John Deere trailer will hook on to the back of his bike.

So many times I have heard 'She looks just like you.' I see it but I also see the hubby.
She does have my eyes. I never knew how beautiful brown eyes could be.


Showing off one of her new skills pulling herself up.
She has the upper body strength to pull herself up but she is still working on the balance part. She is only five months old.
She is also enjoying pulling things up over her eyes.


Peekaboo



I am enjoying watching my children grow and learn but I think that they are doing things way too fast. I just have to remind myself each day to slow down and take it all in.

Green

When you ask the little man what his favorite color is, he will say green.
When he is pretending to paint, he pretends to paint it green.
When you ask what color shirt he wants to wear, he wants green.
When he asks for a piece of gum he wants it to be green but he will gladly chew any color.

So when we were playing with play dough I got him a little yellow and a little blue.


I told him to squish them all together.
After he had been squishing for a little while I heard him get really excited.


He said with a big smile 'Its turning green!'
It brings me such joy to see him learn something new all on his own as the little lady looked on.

And the winner is...

Katie

Be on the look out for an email from me.
A big thank you to all that entered.

*The winner was randomly chosen using random.org

This moment

While going through old pictures this week I found this one


That is me nursing the little man for the first time.
And when I saw it I could not help but cry and then I reached over grabbed my little man gave him a tight squeeze and a long kiss.
I dont remember what I was thinking at that moment (was it happiness, joy excitement, pain, or fear of the unknown) but I am sure glad that this moment happened in my life.

What a week

I cant really believe that it is already Thursday.
It not that this week has been busy it has just gone really fast. I have spent most of the days this week just doing what I always do. Playing with kids, feeding kids and the hubby, and trying to get a few things done around the house.
My two wonderful kids are just so cute together.


The little lady has really gotten the hang of crawling and sitting. She will move herself over to a toy, grab it and then sit down with it as she chews and drools all over it. There is a lot less falling over.


She has also gotten pretty attached to her blankie just like her brother.
I just love having blanket babies. The only down side is that these beloved blankie can get left behind, forgotten, get bodily fluids on them and sometimes they just really stink.

I have tried many times this week to sit down and type a post about my breastfeeding journey but I just cant seem to do it. Its not that I dont remember it, it is just that I cant seen to find the words to describe it.
I think that the biggest reason I cant find the words is because I am not a writer. I am just a mama that has a blog.
Here are a few other blogs that I have been reading this week that have had great breastfeeding posts.
Mothering
The leaky boob
If you have not already you can still enter the giveaway. A random winner will be picked Saturday night.

I was also going through some old pictures this week and I came across some great photos of my peacefully sleeping, milk 'drunk' babies. Enjoy.

World Breastfeeding Week Giveaway

Like I promised I am doing a giveaway this week to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.
My plan was to have this post written and posted this morning but life happened.

So here is what you could win.

A made by me nursing cover.


A nursing cover is a nice addition to every nursing moms wardrobe. They enable you to be able to nurse covered up but still able to see your nursing baby through the opening in the top. They are very nice to use when babies are small and still need some help latching on.
This nursing cover is made out of 100% cotton fabric and sewn by me (so its not perfect). It has a curved opening around the neck so you can see your nursing baby. The neck strap is elastic for easy on and off.

Also (yes, I said also) a custom knit (by me also) breast beanie.


This beanie was inspired by these comics. Your beanie will be knit in the size and colors of your choice using 100% cotton yarn. You will be able to show off your breastfeeding support even when your child is not nursing.

There you have it thats what you could win.

All you have to do to be entered into the giveaway is to post a comment on this post with your email address. The winner will be chosen randomly on Saturday evening.
Here are some other ways you can enter to win.
- Follow my blog. Leave another comment saying you follow my blog
- Blog or facebook about this giveaway. Leave another comment saying that you blogged of facebooked this giveaway.

That it. Thats all you have to do and these lovely handmade items could be yours. Even if you yourself are not a nursing mama there must be someone that you know out there that would love to have these items as a gift.
Happy Breastfeeding week