Day of Discovery

Today, my child ate the tip off of a blue crayon.  

I thought that was gross, of course, but somewhat of a rite of passage.  

He also discovered that he can put things into the trash can, pull over the plant stand, walk into the pantry and rearrange the shelves, get carpet burn on his lips from tripping in the book store, and slide off of the couch backwards.  

All in one day, folks.  We've been productive.

But when Jonathan and I settled onto the couch after little man went to bed, he confessed one discovery that I almost wish he had kept to himself.  

The boys were hanging out while I was at Jazzercise.  Jonathan was getting something out of the kitchen, and when Riggins toddled into the room a minute later he was holding the toilet brush.

And CHEWING ON IT!!!!!  

Ugh.  Ew. Ick.  Barf.

I pride myself on being laid back and not a total germaphobe, freak out, first-time mom, but the toilet brush, y'all.  That's bad.  

Just keeping it real tonight, friends.

(What disgusting things have you found in your kids' mouths?  Can anyone top a toilet brush?  Do tell.)

Summer Slump

When I was pregnant and still working, one of my biggest fears about being a stay-at-home mom was that I would be bored and that the days would just drag by.  Once Riggins actually arrived, that fear was almost laughable.  I was shocked at how quickly days flew by with a newborn.  Nursing might have had something to do with that; when you're doing something that takes 45 minutes every 3 hours, days can pass pretty quickly.  We hit our stride by the end of the summer, and once fall rolled around our days were filled with BSF, MOPS, my two afternoons a week of teaching, and impromptu play dates and lunches with friends. 

But in all honesty, this summer has been a struggle for me.  Even before having children, I have always been the type to really thrive when my plate is full.  When I have too much time on my hands, I get lazy and unmotivated.  I really need the structure that activities and appointments bring to my schedule.  By nature, summer just has less of that.  While I enjoyed the break from routine for a few weeks, the excess freedom is catching up to me and the familiar apathy is setting in. 

None of this is helped by the fact that our temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees every day this week, with not much relief in sight.  This wipes out many of our typical activities like the zoo, the park, walking, etc.  It's just too hot.  So we spend our days doing a lot of this...

Which is truly delightful, really.  For a time.  But after awhile Mommy ends up laying down in the box too, and if I stay there too long then the zombie takes over and you can bet that the house will stay dirty and we will all have cheese and crackers for dinner.  

All that to say, I am acknowledging that summer just isn't my season.  There's a reason why I have always adored the "Back to School" hype of late August and early September, and it's not just my penchant for school supplies (though I do adore school supplies!).  It's that at my core, I am a person who thrives on routine and activity, who likes her plate full, who needs regular interaction with others (grown ups, that is!), and who doesn't have a lot of internal motivation to be productive during excessive amounts of down time.  

Can anyone out there relate to this?  Any of you veteran moms have some secrets for how you survive and thrive during the long days of summer with your kiddos?  

Frozen Relief

In honor today's soaring temps (105 was the last register on our trusty car thermometer), I thought I'd share a recipe for a little tasty treat I whipped up over the weekend.  I love it when the Pantry Gods smile down on me and provide the tools for a yummy new recipe invention.  Jonathan captured a shot of me enjoying my concoction, a photo that I would like to title, "Hot, Tired, and Wrinkled."  (Note to self: stop raising eyebrows or start saving for Botox).  

P.S. Guess whose child hates popsicles?  Yep...mine.  Something about the icy goodness leaves my little man cold, and sometimes brings him to tears!  Strange, since he loves ice cream.  Maybe next summer he'll come around to this childhood summer essential?  Between that and my hubby's hatred of coconut, these beauties were all mine!  

Pina Colada Pops

In a blender or food processor, combine:

1 can lite coconut milk

1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 can crushed pineapple

A handful of shredded coconut

Juice and zest of one lime

Buzz it all up, pour into popsicle molds, freeze, and enjoy!  

14 Months

June 29, 2011

Dear Riggins,

You are 14 months old, and there is one big accomplishment that dominated this month: you are WALKING!  You took your first steps on June 4th, and spent the next couple of weeks just taking short spurts of steps here and there.  By the last week of the month, you were walking more than crawling, and popping right back up after a fall.  While everyone makes a first-time mother dread having a walking child, I have really loved this transition.  You were just as mobile as a crawler, but now your constantly dirty hands and knees have disappeared, and you can navigate our less-than-grassy back yard and less-than-clean public places on your own rather than being constantly toted around.  Now begins the process of teaching you to come when called!

You stopped nursing this month, on June 14th, and that too has been a nice step toward your independence.  You drink milk with your meals and are still a great eater.  One of your favorite foods is steak...such a boy!  You are still napping twice a day, at 9 and 1, and sleeping from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.  You wear a size 4 diaper, 12-18 month clothing, and size 5 shoes.  With the advent of walking, we took you to buy your first pair of "real" shoes.  It was so cute to see them measure your little foot, and you have loved walking in your Sun-San Surfer sandals.

Though you don't say a whole lot of words, you babble constantly.  You say "Woof Woof" any time you hear or see a dog, "Boh" for boat, "Boo" for book, and you've been saying "Mama" a bit more.  You can sign "more," "all done," and "please."  You wave "hello" and "bye bye" every chance you get!  You have started bringing books to us when you want to be read to, and wrapping your arms around our legs when you want a hug.  While you have always been a sweet, snuggly baby, I love seeing you show affection on your own accord!  At times it can feel cumbersome to have you tugging at my legs every five minutes, but I try to remind myself how much I will miss those little arms around my legs someday.  I squat down for a little hug every chance I get!  

We spent the end of this month in Oklahoma where we discovered how much you love to be in the pool!    You also love pointing at the airplanes that fly over our house, punching the buttons on the DVD player (much to our chagrin), playing with friends, pulling the books off of your book shelf, smashing block towers, patting Weber, watching my Jazzercise class, and going to the playground.

You are such a fun, sweet little guy, and I am so thankful to spend my days with you.

Love,
Momma

Buddies

Just another morning at the playground for Weber and Riggins.  Now that Riggs is a walker, he is more equipped to give some extra lovin' to his favorite canine.

Hold it right there, puppy.  

Open wide.  This won't hurt a bit.  

You can see it in Weber's eyes, "Patience, pointer, patience!"  

She is trying so hard to be a good big sister.

Proud of his pup.  He has taken to giving her a few good firm pats every time he's within arm's reach.  The only time he crossed a line with her was when he stuck his finger all the way up her nostril.  Even still, she just hopped up and walked away with a few good snorts!  

This was the first-ever hug that Riggins gave to Weber, completely unprompted, and I was lucky enough to catch it on film.  Isn't it amazing that you can see obvious love between two different creatures who can't even talk?  A beautiful thing, I tell you.  

I sure love mornings at the park with my two babies.  

To Nap, or Not?

It's nap time at our house.

So far, I have laid on the couch, perusing the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living that Frank the mailman so kindly delivered yesterday morning.  My reading was interrupted by a brief little cat nap, after which I submitted to the magnetic pull of the dulce de leche cheesecake bars that currently reside in my refrigerator.  Between bites, I did a quick scroll through Facebook, Google Reader, and my email.  And here I am, one hour later, writing this post.

What you should really know, however, is that the dishwasher needs unloading, a round of laundry needs starting, a suitcase needs unpacking (Yes.  Still there.  Still full.  Don't look at me like that!), a living room needs tidying, and a master bedroom needs major cleaning.  

And so, dear reader, I bring you a great debate of parenting.  Do you sleep/rest/veg when the baby does, or do you use that time to do all the things you really should be doing?  Or a little of both?  Do tell.  

Here's a daily dose of cuteness in exchange for your participation: 

Catching Up

As you might have guessed from my lack of posts, we have just returned from a little road trip through Arkansas and Oklahoma.  The Great Grandparent Tour 2011, if you will.  To sum it all up, over the past week, we have...

Done our best to stay cool in 100+ temperatures!

Gotten nice and dirty, as all little boys (and their mothers) should.

Learned new things, like Wii Bowling with Grampy.  

Released a little pent-up energy with lots of playing.  

Observed new creatures, like Uncle Todd's Rhodesian Ridgeback, Jett.  

Made new friends.  

Reconnected with old friends.  

Enjoyed quality family time.  

Pulled off a surprise birthday party for my wonderful mother-in-law (who turned 35, in case you were wondering!).  Check out the awesome t-shirt her friend Leigh whipped up, a modified version of the fan club shirt made for my father-in-law's 30th anniversary at the church a few years ago.  It was hilarious.

Celebrated our independence (our nation's, and a certain toddler's too).  

Other activities not pictured: eating Blue Bell Southern Hospitality twice daily; Riggins officially turning into a full-time walker; a trip to Catfish Round-up with my Shawnee Dinner Club girls; the Bachelorette with my favorite Dean of Students; and lots, lots more.  

It was a great trip, but it's good to be home.  

And now...those suitcases that I keep ignoring are calling my name.