"Howdy" from Moresville

He thinks he's Spiderman

2012-02-11T16:40:00.000-06:00

100th day of school

2012-02-10T04:37:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday the kiddos celebrated the one hundredth days of school of this year! Each child colored their own iron on for a tshirt, and brought in 100 pieces of cereal, marshmallows, pretzels, etc to make a 100th day snack mix.

Pretty cute, no?

Just 80-ish more days to go until summer! (gasp!!)

Giving Pop Secret a Run for its Money

2012-02-09T07:54:00.001-06:00

I'm completely smitten with this:

(a nice antithesis to the calorie-rich dinner the other night!)

I found this recipe on Pinterest (once again, to the rescue!) But it's amazing how well it pops. AND HOW GOOD IT TASTES. And how less toxic it is instead of boxed microwave popcorn. Did you know how nasty that stuff really is?

HBD

2012-02-08T07:47:00.001-06:00

We celebrated a Moresville birthday over the weekend... (sigggghhhh...)

A wonderful gift was to have a night out on the town in KC! Mike had arranged everything, from Parker to a little shopping at a few favorite places and lovely hotel stay with a totally decadent dinner on the Plaza. Talk about feeling like royalty for a day... it was really, really fun.

We enjoyed every. single. bite., and every. single. moment. together.

And a lovely view of the Plaza on a drizzly evening.

Family Fun Night

2012-02-07T07:44:00.002-06:00

The end of CSW on Friday was celebrated with a great Family Fun Night. The kiddos hustled from room to room, shouting and playing games, while the parents mostly stood alongside with armfuls of tickets and prizes. Parker had a few favorites, like bowling...

And the cake walk.

He also tried his hand at the hula hoop contest, which was really fun to watch...

A fun time for all.

Take that, Kansas (and Kansas State)

2012-02-01T08:12:00.003-06:00

How 'bout them Cyclones?

source

Pajama Day

2012-01-31T07:31:00.000-06:00

It's Catholic Schools Week so we're having fun with the daily dress up. Yesterday was pajama day--Parker talked about it at least once a day for the last week, making sure his motorcycle jams were in his dresser drawer and that he could put his crocs in his backpack. (Oh to be 5 again, where this is the biggest stress you face...:D)

He didn't really want me to take his picture, but I made him anyway.

Groundhog Run

2012-01-30T09:08:00.004-06:00

We went to KC on Sunday to participate in the Children's TLC Groundhog Run in the caves.... Neither of us had been there before--and had a friend who was running his first 10k so we wanted to help cheer him on. It was an interesting space, mostly climate controlled (which would have been fantastic had we been experiencing a typical winter) and flat.

Here's a prerace pic of the boys:

And a (sorry, fuzzy) pic of us at the finish--all four of us nearly crossed the finish line together.

I had to giggle when noticing the race results last night when we checked online--I had the same. exact. finish. as the 10K last March when training for Rock the Parkway... Mike finished a few seconds ahead. All in all a good race and a fun time.

Edited to add: Here's a race pic from the event organizers.. not too shabby!

Spring can't be too far away

2012-01-27T06:22:00.000-06:00

We (yes, even I) went to the driving range on Sunday afternoon to take advantage of the nice weather and hit a few balls. Snow or no, I think we're all jonesing for spring...

L is for Love

2012-01-26T08:13:00.000-06:00

Last week's letter of the week was L. So we had lots of discussions about lion, lemon, lime, ladder, line, light, Lord... you get the picture.

Part of his homework was to draw a picture of people he had warm feelings (i.e. love) for. I especially liked that he had to stop to color in poppa L's hat with NDSU colors, but ran out of gas when it came time to write out everyone's names, so simple gramma and poppa had to suffice.

It just might run in the family

2012-01-25T08:11:00.001-06:00

I had returned from a portrait session the other afternoon and wanted to get a photo or two of P while I was at it. He thought it was way more interesting to participate from the other side, and as a result I'm the proud new owner of several pictures of action figures.

I think he'd make a good new spokesperson for Nikon. No? :)

Spoken

2012-01-23T16:49:00.003-06:00

Mike and P had a conversation like this:

M: What letter are you learning about in school this week?
P: D, Dad.

M: That's cool! What are some words that start with D?
P: Oh, you know, like, day, deer, dance, dirt, did, dog... OH! (lighting up) And downward dog! But we can't use yoga poses in school.

A game

2012-01-21T06:23:00.001-06:00

I made the mindless decision to divert from the list a little at the supermarket yesterday morning. In the cart went a bag of these and a bunch of lovely purple tulips.

Guess which will last longer?

Headshot

2012-01-20T12:16:00.001-06:00

I am jonesing for some new headshots--I'm not a fan of pictures of myself first off, but after many months I also feel like it's time to update the ol' Facebook profile and blog with something a little more fun. So, I'm working on it and trying to find time with a fellow camera-slinger who can help me out.

In the meantime, I had to get gussied up for a presentation this morning so it seemed more appropriate to literally rig something up with the self-timer -- vs my usual look of workout gear and yesterday's eyeliner haloing my eyes.

Yup, that's a stud in my nose, the very stud that has eluded me for a few years. It was kind of a now-or-never thing to get it done, for as long as I've talked about it, if I didn't put my money where my mouth was, I probably wasn't ever going to. Whatevs. I'm digging it. I feel old (especially with a birthday coming up), and badass.

Homework night in America

2012-01-19T22:56:00.001-06:00

Cutting, gluing, coloring, reading. (You should really hear this kid read. I'll work on that...) Ah, kindergarten homework.

Yay Friday

2012-01-13T08:19:00.002-06:00

Sorry it's been quiet around here. P's back to school, I'm knee deep in a couple of projects and consoling myself after some crummy news yesterday. I'm trying to see the gratitude in the lesson and the faith that it's part of a greater plan, but disappointment definitely prevailed for a moment.

Pinterest seemed to be good self medication/eye candy...after all, a girl can dream, right?

Little Yogi

2012-01-07T17:21:00.003-06:00

P was asked to model for me to photograph a brochure about kids' classes at the studio this morning (which he loves). When he quits squirming so much...he's a good little yogi.

It's always sunny in...

2012-01-06T08:12:00.003-06:00

wait, really? It was 65º yesterday. In January? It's supposed to be 30, snowing, and miserable, right? Lucky, fluke, or whatever... I'll take it.

We took full advantage, too... lots of slam dunks and home runs after school.

And I got in a nice five-miler. :)

Happy 2012

2012-01-04T16:31:00.003-06:00

The new year has started out rather well, I have to admit--no ER visits yet... :)

We've already (yes, Mike too!!) signed up for a couple of races already this winter and early spring, which is good motivation to get my running shoes back on and hit the pavement. After the Kansas City 1/2 in October I needed to take some time off to let my body heal after 500+ miles of training, and I can tell it was much needed...although my waistline will likely tell a much different story.

We're hopeful for lots of good things to come this year. Cheers!

Happy Holiday

2011-12-30T09:12:00.002-06:00

We're enjoying the break with plenty of lazying around, reading books, playing games, and the like. So please pardon the quiet around here. We all enjoyed Christmas so much this year, Parker especially. Kind of odd to see a green Christmas, but definitely no complaints; made our travel plans SO much easier.

I'm pretty sure this was one of Parker's best trips north yet--between playing with the neighbor kiddos and cousin J, he didn't bore of the adults too quickly and we didn't have to hear much of the "please play with me?" begging.

A quick holiday recap:
P & J put out reindeer food on Christmas Eve... after a great church service near campus.

Looking up to see if they've noticed yet.

Oatmeal + glitter = happy, messy hands.

P says goodbye to Joe until next year.

And leaves cookies for the big man, who greatly enjoyed the oreos.

Who delivered many gifts of Legos, and the beloved BASEBALL HELMET.

We ate. And ate. AND ATE.

Sang happy birthday to Jesus.

And momma got to play a little with one of her presents, a dreamy Diana F+ lens...

A great time. Hearts and bellies overflowing, that's for sure.

50 reasons not to date a photographer

2011-12-21T05:22:00.005-06:00

Some of these literally made me snort out loud. (Yes, I just admitted that). Mike will tell you outright that 30+ of these are accurate...

They rather hold their bulky camera, than hold hands with you.
On a romantic date, you’ll watch the sun go down and think “Wow this is gorgeous” and they’ll go “mirror lock, tripod, and stop down f/8 at 1/125.”
You’ll never be able to enjoy tv, movies, or magazines because they’ll point out all the visual flaws.
They like to sit in obscure coffee shop and voyeuristically watch people for great lengths of time.
If you’re taking a walk outside and you come across some “interesting light” they will make you sit/stand/pose in public so that they can take a photo.
You’ll never get to enjoy freshly cooked meals because they’ll spend 15 minutes taking 20 variations of the same dish with their iPhone.
They get angry when your friends go up to them and say “I am interested in photography, can you recommend a good camera for me? Nothing professional I just want to take pretty pictures.”
You’ll wait longer for them to finish analyzing art in a museum than you’ll wait at the dmv
Same goes with old used bookstores.
When you think they’re giving you their undivided attention, they’re really wondering how they could fix you with a little Clone Tool and Patch Tool.
Or they are actually using you to not look so creepy as they people watch everything going on around you.
They rather drop $1,000+ on new glass than a purse for you.
You can’t take a photo with them without taking at least five more.
If you ask them if you look fat, they’ll say “don’t worry I can photoshop you later.”
They’ll never photoshop something simple for you if the content is not up to their “standards.”
That photo they randomly took of you yesterday? Good luck getting them to send it to you.
They spend all their time on the computer (and not for porn.)
They can’t have a normal conversation with throwing acronyms and random numbers.
They still use film cameras.
They spend a lot of time with people cooler than you i.e. models, actors, musicians, successful rich people.
They’ll be fussy over the position of a common household object, like a coffee cup.
They won’t return your calls or text messages, but you can bet they’re still posting pics on Instagram.
They like watching old films that you’ve never heard or will ever understand.
They like looking at weird things in general.
Instead of having penis-envy, they have camera-gear-envy.
If there’s a natural disaster in a far away land, they’re already on a plane going over there.
Everything is watermarked.
They think everyone else’s photos suck.
They want to color correct a lot of scenes from Twilight and Jersey Shore.
They hate rainbows, especially ones spinning in a circle.
Whenever you’re in a group talking and the conversation goes deep, they’re taking notes in some form of Moleskine.
They use over priced Moleskine notebooks.
They like trespassing into old abandoned buildings filled with health hazards.
They always want to show a new photo they took, but don’t really care if you like it or not.
They hate your n00bie friend’s new artsy profile picture.
Bright, sunny days make them sad, but cloudy, overcast days are apparently great!
They’ll take you into places that have “culture” as well a high chance of getting mugged.
Your birthday present will be a portrait that they’ve taken of you.
You can’t go anywhere new without them stopping to take a photo of everything and anything.
They will always bug you to be a test subject.
Nothing can ever be naturally pretty, everything must be fixed in Photoshop.
Bringing their camera means, bringing 50lbs of equipment.
If you break any of their things on accident, you’ll owe them thousands of dollars.
You can’t get them a birthday/Christmas present without spending at least $500
They are natural hoarders, collecting and keeping piles of old newspapers, packaging, magazines, and other things that “inspire” them.
They are weird and geeky.
They have hard drives of photos, but probably have printed 10 images.
They are always secretly judging your creativity.
If you’re ever in auto mode, they laugh at you.
They orgasm every time they learn a new lighting technique.

Source

Little man meets big man

2011-12-20T08:45:00.003-06:00

So Parker saw Santa on Sunday. (Say that five times fast.) He's definitely become attune to Santa, like last year when he had seen the big man for the umpteenth time at various locations around town and asked why he had to keep telling Santa what he wanted... because, in his words, "shouldn't he just know by now?"

This year, after visiting with Santa for a few minutes, turned to us and said, "Mom. Dad. I KNOW that's not the real Santa. I saw his moustache. (oops) He's just one of the helper ones who dresses up like the reeeeal Santa and talks to us boys and girls. Mom, 'member the Santa the last time? With the pictures? THAT was the real Santa." (I kinda think he is the real one too, but that's another story for another day.)

So. After several conversations and a whole lotta convincing that Santa is out there... he still believes.

A rather awkward goodbye handshake.

Santa generously gifted Parker with his favorite Cars 2 movie.

And we even got a family pic. (Count 'em on the year! We have more than three!!!!)

Christmas program video

2011-12-18T13:38:00.003-06:00

Seven minutes of blissful, angelic voices. Yes, the clicking you hear is you-know-who.

cookie decorating

2011-12-13T15:39:00.003-06:00

Don't know if this is a good fact or no, but P decorated more cookies than daddy this year. P likes it, he's good at it... so, meet your champion cookie decorator for the next, oh, thirteen years or so. (If we're lucky.)

Well said

2011-12-12T09:54:00.003-06:00

From yoga rockstar Kathryn Budig... this was on her Facebook status the other day.

Instead of focusing on something negative about yourself, focus on something you love or know you can create. Negative thoughts create holding patterns that keep us from progressing to where we want to be.

Can I get an aaaaay-men?

Holiday Concert

2011-12-07T14:18:00.002-06:00

We were those parents last night. Had our chairs staked out just so in order to get a good view. The little ones plodded onstage, Mike and I standing out of our chairs, me with my 70-200 lens and daddy with the videocamera. We've morphed into those annoying people who photograph, video and document every waking moment of our kid's life. I fear the emotional damage we're doing. :)

It was worth it; their sweet voices ~~shouting~~ sang a couple of lovely carols and "This little light of mine".

Antics

2011-12-07T07:25:00.000-06:00

Finishing the tree

2011-12-06T07:48:00.001-06:00

We put up the tree on Saturday. BTW. Yes, I'm all over the place. No, you're right, you haven't seen Thanksgiving stories yet.

I started putting together our tree on Friday, only to discover two sets of lights on it were burned out. (We'd had problems with this before, ~~thinking~~ fearing last year was going to be it and we were going to have to do with a makeshift tabletop tree, but the lights all miraculously worked. Can't say someone isn't looking out for us every now and again.) Took one look at it and decided enough was enough. We're meant to get a new tree this year. Of course, we have some specific limitations to said tree. Has to be tall. Slim. White lights. Can't look like a charlie brown tree.

It took a few tries to get it right. Too tall, too short, too wide, too ugly. Too many pinecones. (Since when do we have pinecones on fake trees?! Seriously.) Finally found one, choked at the price and then reminded myself our last tree lasted eight years.

P liked having the job of putting on the star (with a little help from daddy). Looks like this one will fit in just fine. (And yes, it has pinecones. Whatever.)

He's baaaa-ack

2011-12-05T12:25:00.003-06:00

Joe is back in town! P nearly jumped out of his skin upon coming home from our thanksgiving visit to Colorado and saw him sitting atop the piano. We've had fun seeing him in various places around the house and a few antics, too, like spelling out his name in Cheerios one morning.

Changing the header

2011-12-02T13:26:00.004-06:00

I always feel a little twinge of guilt as I change the blog headers each month.... usually to the effect of how did it possibly get to be this late in the year? I feel like from time to time I have so few tangible accomplishments to show for my efforts, the honest truth of constantly negotiating time between business, life, Parker, and everything else. There's not a lot left in the tank this time of year. My energy is, truthfully, tapped out, during the one season that I feel I need to muscle through the most.

And then there's the guilty, pinterest-induced thoughts of decorating, baking, cards, wrapping...and while in my heart, I want to give myself 100% to making the holidays the best they can be for Parker, I have to step back and remind myself of the simple fact that he doesn't need elaborate decorations or homemade activities every day to understand what the holidays really are about.

So this month while it's not just changing a header it's also an intention to wholeheartedly dedicate our holidays to be simple and humble, focused on what really matters.

Pinterest strikes again

2011-11-30T20:51:00.002-06:00

This time with a delish dinner idea. It was a TOTAL winner at our house; even P smacked his chops and proclaimed, "momma, thanks for the m m m yummy!" (he only ate one shrimp doused in ketchup, but a win is a win in my book...) dairy free and delish. We'll be making this one again!

From the archives

2011-11-23T13:01:00.000-06:00

I was looking yesterday for some photos from a particular 5280 adventure and came upon this gem dated May 30 2008. Who knew stacking cups would have been so exciting?

I got turkeyed by a kindergartener.

2011-11-22T09:41:00.001-06:00

Gobble, gobble.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

Bees

2011-11-21T21:37:00.000-06:00

We drew some sidewalk chalk the other day while it was still nice out.

Fall School Clean-Up

2011-11-20T21:27:00.000-06:00

We helped out at fall school clean-up, although I'm pretty sure P had more fun riding in the trailer with the other littles than actually doing any clean-up. (It was a crazywindy day and I'm pretty sure any of the leaves we raked up all blew right back!)

Confessions of a Recovering Cheesaholic

2011-11-19T20:51:00.004-06:00

God knows I love me some queso. Oh yeah, the ooey, gooey, slightly spicy kind that drips off a warm chip like, geez, I don't know. (Metaphors have never been my thing.)

Thanks to my deluge of food allergies, queso -- and any cheese or dairy, for that matter -- are on the forbidden list. Ninety nine times out of a hundred I can turn the other cheek, but occasionally there's a moment kinda like this...

(Yup, I just compared cheese to Old School. +10 points.)

Last night we invited friends over to watch the ISU game. It didn't pan out so well due to lots of runny noses, but Mike had done a great job and had prepared a few snacks to enjoy during the game. Like white queso.....betcha know where this one's headed. Came home from yoga, made my valiant effort at a quick dinner during the game's first quarter of quinoa and salmon, but the siren call of the cheesy goodness was drowning out any of the peace and tranquility I had just experienced from my vinyasa practice.

I had one whiff and I was hooked. Oh, my... it was so good. Note to self: gotta keep that out of the house. :)

(p.s. for those of you who I just heard gasp at the thought of the pain I endured in light of this story, I was a good girl and had more lactase than I did queso.)

Spoken

2011-11-11T08:33:00.000-06:00

Loved this one as P was getting his breakfast...

"Momma, where are the snowflakes?"

Snowflakes = Frosted Flakes

:) Happy Friday.

Pumpkin carving

2011-11-05T15:44:00.001-05:00

We hadn't had enough time at the ranch to carve our own pumpkin before Halloween, so we thought it would be fun to participate in the activity while we were visiting up north last weekend. P thought it was awesome, although, in his words, "the guts are disgmusting..."

Not so sure about the knives, he was happy to watch until his turn.

Poking the parts to make the face.

A finishing touch--he begged to put an I S U on the side. :)

Finished product.

It Ruuuuunnns!!

2011-11-04T06:35:00.003-05:00

So, the toy car project my dad started six. years. ago?! It's (cough) done, aside from (cough) a few tweaks, according to him. Isn't every toy car project always in need of a few tweaks?!

Proof that it is actually capable of being on the street. Don't they look cute in it? Helloooo, date night!

Fun at Animal Planet

2011-11-03T15:28:00.002-05:00

We had a great time in the promised land at Animal Planet. Momma went to a bikram yoga class and re-stocked the closets with all kinds of rockin' deals, and P had lots of quality time with gramma, poppa and unca D. (There may have been some nearly-brotherly picking-on, too.)

Parker loved playing in the leaves--our house has lots of little trees so we don't ever have much for raking, and G&P had one big maple in the front which provided just enough of a pile for jumping. And throwing.

(This is what I mean about the picking on of sorts. P picked on D, like a puppy barking up the leg of a much bigger dog. It was cute.)

Well, look at you, November.

2011-11-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

We're just back from the promised land/Animal Planet/etc for a few days of R&R while Parker had a fall break from Friday-today. So while I'm gathering all my good stuff from our visit, gnaw on this little gem from Pinterest.

What do you see?

2011-10-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

Um, can we get a verification on its accuracy? Mine were happy, patient, peaceful, loyal. I know at least three out of the four are fairly on-point...

Doing my Kindergarten mom thing

2011-10-26T11:08:00.001-05:00

I had signed up a while back to help with treats for the Halloween party. The only request from the room mom (I'm such a dork, the "room mom" concept is completely foreign/new to me?)? Something semi-healthy. No kiddos with allergies, so I went for it.

Found the idea on Pinterest, but the original recipe had Cheez-its? With chocolate? Ew. So I went for my own version:

mini pretzels
Cocoa Puffs
Candy Corn
Reece's Pieces
raisins

semi-healthy, sure. Cute, definitely.

Fall Soccer

2011-10-25T10:30:00.002-05:00

P really wanted to play fall soccer, and given the choice between it and gymnastics, he went for the outdoor one. (Go figure.) He had a blast during this session--I think he learned a lot more this time than during the summer camp. He knew several other kiddos participating too, so I think that made it all the more fun for him. :)

He hangs his tongue out of his mouth just like his dad...

And was the team's biggest cheerleader after every goal.

With Coach B

He was really proud of his medal...

Whaa?

2011-10-23T13:01:00.002-05:00

Someone decided he was thirsty and needed to get his own drink.

a sweet surprise

2011-10-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

Daddy came home from his Tuesday morning coffee group with a nice surprise from our favorite doughnut shop. Yay!

Goodbye, Crackberry; hello, new addiction.

2011-10-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

Daddy traded in the several-years-old-and-a-swear-word-or-two blackberry for a trim white box with a simple silver foil stamp and a sweet touch screen. This, of course, came after several months of debate under our roof: will it be an iphone4(insert letter here) or an iphone 5? Soon the question was answered, a very early morning preorder was placed, and he was off and running.

So when the shipping notification arrived the game began...a virtual "Where's Waldo" of sorts, trying to anticipate where the next stop would be on his new iphone's journey.

The phone arrived and it was a rather unceremonious sayonara to the blackberry. Note: no phones were damaged in the following image.

So now he can be often found worshipping the ground of his new bff.

Fire Station Open House

2011-10-18T20:39:00.003-05:00

Considering P's affliction with all things fire-truck related, it was totally apropos on Sunday to go to the fire station's open house. P was happy to sit in the ambulance, deciding it was actually pretty cool, and loved sitting on the front of Engine #1. We also determined he's the exact height of one of the truck's tires.

Half Marathon #3

2011-10-17T09:39:00.005-05:00

I'm still processing lots from the race this past weekend, so forgive me if my thoughts are still a little scattered. Overall, it was a great race, aside from running alone, and the cold that plagued my aching lungs (sorry to my support team for listening to me hack the rest of the day).

I've come to decide that I like the organization of big races better than the small ones, not to discount the camaraderie of a place like Okoboji, but the coaching of the pace groups like the two races in KC are definitely motivating. I ran with the 2:00 pace group the first half of the course on Saturday, —their insight and words were fuel to keep me focused, especially on a couple of the really tough hills. I fell back a bit and found myself pacing with the four-hour marathoners before they split off to head south while we half marathoners headed north on the course. That was fun--chatting, laughing, and holding a steady pace.

I had a bit of a mental lapse at Mile 8, right after we had been through the cheers and sunshine of 47th street and the Country Club Plaza (and a familiar face--which made my day!); the course had quieted a bit and suddenly the task at hand seemed tougher than it looked. My pace slowed a little bit there, but on the downhill at mile 10 started to make it up. There I caught sight of my pace group and knew the 2:05's weren't terribly far behind, and willed myself to keep ahead of them.

The last mile for me is the one I won't forget. Running is such a mental game, and I said to myself that I didn't want to end this one disappointed (like in Okoboji), and not. to. leave. ANYTHING. on the table. I didn't have anything to lose at this point--so I went for it. My last two mile splits showed it, too--which was awesome. I finished 2:04:14, a PR...the sub-2:00 mark still eludes me, but I am really pleased considering I was on my own and nursing a cold.

Mike, P, and the KC bff's were at the finish line to celebrate--woot!! The morning was still crisp and clear, with plenty of sun. I was glad that I hadn't run with a jacket, as I would have been too toasty, but it took a while for my bare arms to warm up afterward. Glad I had my gloves with me for the first half though.

One more from the finish line:

So. The question is where to go from here... so far we have a half on the calendar in April for 2012...otherwise, the possibilities are wide open. I'm proud of how this year has gone with my training. Over 500 miles logged since January. I'm a happy and grateful girl.

They're baaaa-aaack

2011-10-14T08:48:00.000-05:00

Remember these from the Colorado casa? Poor things have been succumbed to a life in the garage since we moved back east--and since I don't feel like we're going anywhere for a while, thought it might be nice to get them out, polish them up a bit, and find them a nice place to hang here. They look pretty spiffy, no?

Story of the shelves

2011-10-13T14:24:00.007-05:00

So. Apparently I've been feathering the nest a bit. No real reason, just tired of looking at things the way they are. (True with a lot of things lately, actually.) I saw an adorable photo on Pinterest with floating Ikea shelves filled with old cameras, and instantly thought it would look amazing over my computer instead of the diy corkboards from a while back. (Not that they're bad...just, well, cluttered.) The inspiration looked kinda like this:

Cool, I thought. But my office isn't that sleek. So I started jonesing around for shelves. Everything looked crummy, until I found the holy grail at West Elm: (aaaaaaalleluia!!)

With a price tag I didn't want to fork over. Thus, a DIY version.

• Found some similar-but-not-quite iron brackets online.
• Went to big box lumber store and had the nice man cut me two 36" pieces of wood from a 2x8x8' piece of lumber, and had a short piece left over for P to draw on/play with as he likes
• Bought stain. (Had varnish already on hand.)

Step one. Lay down giant box from canvas vendor's recent shipment to protect garage floor and the wrath of daddy, should we drip stain. Eeek!

Step two. Begin destroying new wood. Bag of screws, hammer, screwdriver, shovel, you name it, we found it and beat it against the wood. Worked out a little frustration, too.

Note here: Let the five year old help. He doesn't care about perfection.

Step three: appreciate beat up wood.

Step four: stain beat up wood. (I did two applications of a walnut color since most of the wood in the office is pretty dark. Lumber is Douglas Fir, in case you care.)

Step five: install brackets to studs (those puppies are heavy) and screw boards into brackets from underneath. Go around house collecting the scattered cameras and bring them to their new lovely home. Woof, sorry, this is a terrible photo.

Step six. Look up from computer while working and admire hard work. :)

I made something cool.

2011-10-11T16:05:00.001-05:00

Here's a sneak peek. More to come.

Happy birthday, Mike

2011-10-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

P and I love you tons. xoxo

The other "State"

2011-10-06T21:16:00.001-05:00

Now, there will be no calling us traitors. Just a happy opportunity to go to a local football game thanks to a friend. Beautiful day, good football, just a fun afternoon.

Whoops

2011-10-06T09:01:00.002-05:00

Crap, feel like I spend all my time apologizing for not keeping up on the blog. Somehow October shuffled in this last week.... blegh.

I'm fighting something that feels kind of like a cold, especially since P has been bringing home tons of awesome kindergarten germs, but instead of filling my head with snot it's totally drained every ounce of energy I can seem to muster. Which is bad news since I'm nine days out from another half marathon. Tuesday's 9-miler was refreshing but slow...punctuated by an hourlong afternoon nap and little energy for a workout yesterday. Woof. Hoping it doesn't last long, whatever it is. I need a boost to get through the next ten days. A BIG boost. Please send all the good juju you've got.

P however has been filled with all kinds of green drippy stuff, yet swears he feels okay and didn't slow him down much at last night at soccer. (I'm promising myself to take my camera next week. Just haven't yet...again, that lack-of-energy thing.) Beyond the snot, he's had a great week so far. It warms my heart to see how much he LOVES kindergarten. School pictures yesterday, and I can even see a change in him from just a few short weeks ago...he stands taller, more confident, and sometimes acts like he's fifteen instead of five. I want so badly to drink up these moments, these eye-opening moments of discovery and wonder, because I know they won't last forever.

Not much news

2011-09-27T10:30:00.004-05:00

So I blew it and forgot to schedule out blog posts. (which is why there hasn't been much new content lately.) Dangit. And to think I was doing sooo good. Truth is, things are pretty un-newsworthy around here. Daddy went on a mancation with his buddies over the weekend to golf around some big puddle in Missouri that starts with an O, while I went to KC on Saturday with a couple of peeps for an amazing yoga workshop with an instructor from LA. It was sweet and I'm still trying to soak it all in. No photos, because I was so put off by others with their iphones in this poor woman's face while she's demonstrating Eka Pada Koundinyasana II for the fifteenth time. And you don't want photos from daddy's weekend, I'm sure.

P had a great week of school last week, although got in the car at pickup one afternoon and said he got a yellow face (green=good, yellow=uh oh, red=bad) on his daily calendar for too much talking. Guess he learned from the best... :)

His excuse? "But momma, I had to finish telling my story and Mrs. K was interrupting me!" Geez.

The other gem from last week was that the kinders "practiced" going to church for all school mass on Fridays with their fifth grade guardian angles, as he called them. (They haven't been participating yet because it's all. so. new. to them that they've let the littles get adjusted to the whole school thing, first) It was cute to listen to P talk about it--pointing across the street from school at the church, and saying with conviction, "momma, Jesus lives in there!" -- and then prompted a whole conversation about how Jesus doesn't just live in church, he lives all around us. (so we have a looong way to go when it comes to God/religion...)

Happy Tuesday.

Little Artist

2011-09-23T08:22:00.002-05:00

Parker has been coming home from school with lots (read: TONS) of school papers, of which I have no idea what to do with. (Any suggestions?) There was this little gem in the stack the other night of a monkey. pretty cute...

After school treat

2011-09-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

Don't tell me this kid doesn't like his fro-yo.

(we found out they're having happy hour all month, so it was a perfect/cheap after school treat!!)

Asanas in the park

2011-09-16T08:20:00.000-05:00

We joined a few peeps last weekend for yoga in the park (and had some super tasty donuts afterward). P thought it was pretty fun to crawl under Mike and I's downward dogs.

Bike Riding

2011-09-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

We sold the beloved Burley. P was getting too big for it and it was a ridiculous hassle to store in the winter. He has his own bike, as you know, but his little legs don't have the endurance for some of our rides. Mike's uncle graciously shared this attachment with us--once we figured out how to put it on, they were off and running. (or pedaling, if you will)

We rode all the way to have ice cream one night, which he thought was awesome.

Lego Lightning McQueen

2011-09-14T13:13:00.000-05:00

Note to self. If it has more than 50 pieces, schedule out a serious block of time to build it.

Parker got this as a gift for his birthday (yes... back in June) and we just got it finished a couple of weeks ago. Took multiple tries to get the body structure right. P was an awesome help with sorting and counting what seemed like a thousand Legos, so it was a good project for both of us. (him=sorting, me=focusing on something for more than ten seconds)

Luchador poster wallpaper

2011-09-13T09:10:00.000-05:00

I made wallpaper for a client recently.

She's opening a taco cantina, and wanted real mexican wrestlers to be part of it. So she gave another designer and I several names of Luchadors, and we found an online wiki (seriously, there's a wiki for everything!) and used their event dates, locations, etc to make old screenprint-looking posters. We took them to a local sign shop, and they put all the designs together to make this sweet wallpaper. I don't have photos yet of it installed, but I loved how it looked while it was drying.

Labor Day weekend

2011-09-12T12:53:00.002-05:00

One more from Labor Day weekend.

We spent Sunday exploring downtown DSM, amidst the cheers and cowbells of the HyVee Triathlon. A remarkable experience, fantastic to see people of all ages competing against themselves, the conditions and one another to arrive at the finish line. While we were on the capitol steps we listened to the awards ceremony for the finishers...one gentleman was 83 years old and competing. I want to be that guy someday--that's incredible!

Anyway, it was fun to see the capitol and wander around the East Village, something we hadn't done in quite some time. Made me miss it all the more.... sigh.

At the course

2011-09-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

A big project I'm working on required me to go to the golf course near the house to photograph a couple of things, so I took P with me and thought he'd enjoy hitting a bucket of balls at the range.

His skill since participating in the First Tee program this summer has been impressive. He liked golf to start with...but now he can really drive the ball pretty well. (coming from a non golfer...) And he seems to enjoy it too.

I don't like this picture but am posting it only because of him. You can tell what a hot and dry summer we've had...everyone's grass looks as crappy as this. :( You'd think we lived in Arizona or something? Nah, at least that's dry heat.

Footballing it up

2011-09-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

So this weekend marks the giant Iowa-ISU rivalry game... we trekked to Ames last weekend to kick off the season and spend a couple of days after exploring the highlights of Des Moines (and unexpectedly, also the HyVee Triathalon).

The new videoboard at Jack Trice is beautiful. HUGE. If you're into that sort of thing. It was nice to be able to sit with P on my lap and huddle up from the raindrops and still be able to see the game while everyone stood around us. It always gives me chills, and sometimes a few tears, to feel the up-swell of pride when I see this sight every fall.

When we arrived back at Moresville on Monday, P was dying to get out his football gear and play a few downs of his own. That's where the header images came from...and these...

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

2011-09-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

I can't stop raving about these. I had to modify the recipe a little bit for my ridiculous food allergies, but Parker wouldn't stop drooling over them. (Well, neither could I. They are that good.)

Goofing off

2011-09-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

I've been taking lots of iphone pics with Instagram lately. Bonus...no editing. Un-bonus...already edited.

Anyway, a fun moment of P and daddy on the tricycle before it went to a happy new home:

Catching up

2011-09-06T10:48:00.003-05:00

Um, so, sorry. I realized I did fewer posts in all of this summer that I had done some months previously. That's my bad. Can we blame it on trying to have too much fun?

So we'll dedicate the next few posts to going backwards the last couple of weeks and what we've been up to. This one makes me really happy... #1. New shelves in the garage.

We have diligently been cleaning and purging the junk over the last three years from a 3500 square foot house to accommodate our much smaller home (like, by half). I've come to the realization that this was meant to happen in our lives--that we'd go through this struggle the last three, four years, to discover what really matters to us. Now, if we can just get the tables to turn a bit.... :) please, God?

I'm off track. (already. oops.) Anyway, some of the boxes in the garage never got unpacked from Denver thinking we wouldn't be living here for this long. (Let's come out and call a spade a spade, okay? That's just the truth of it. We didn't know what lied ahead at that point.) So the garage had been a perpetual mess of boxes, toys, and junk that was consuming us. One sunny Sunday, we just started building, and now the garage is delightfully tidy.

We still have a few things to find new homes for--like a Britax Marathon carseat and an InStep jogging stroller from when I was training for Half #1, so if you know of anyone, the prices are right and they're in great condition.

First day of school

2011-08-25T15:00:00.003-05:00

I have to keep this short at the risk of breaking down in blubbering tears once again. I should be used to this by now, the thought that he's getting older and that the only constant thing I can really come to expect in life is that things ARE going to change. We'd been talking about this day for so long that I just kept thinking it would arrive some day...just not yet. But, so it goes, and now I have a kindergartener on my hands.

I guess it's one of those things that I need to accept change as a good thing instead of fearing it as the unknown, along with all of its what-if's and what-about's. Again, probably more navel gazing than you care to hear.

What you would probably like to know is that he LOVED every minute. Loved the bumpy slide on the playground, his new friends. Found where his cubby is and remembers his teacher's name without prompting. And gave us the biggest hug you'd ever seen when we picked him up. (Half day yesterday, full days today and tomorrow) He was even excited about eating pizza at school today. (My kid! Hot lunch! I never imagined muttering those phrases in one breath with the way he eats. I'm sure he'll be begging for pb&j's from home next week. Gotta put his new Star Wars lunch box to good use.)

He actually let me take some photos of him yesterday too. I WIN.

I'm still trying to adjust to the thought of a quiet house. Cooper has been walking from door to door today trying to figure out where everyone is... it's a change, that's for sure.

Bappertism

2011-08-21T13:11:00.003-05:00

We celebrated a very quiet and very private baptism for Parker yesterday evening in our church. P keeps calling it a "bappertism".

We asked Parker if he'd like to have a fancy dinner afterward to celebrate. His pick? HyVee. His rationale? "They have pizza, breadsticks, and bisquits." Sigggghhh.

Trip to Deanna Rose

2011-08-20T04:41:00.003-05:00

We met up in Kansas City to pick up the goods (aka Parker) after his week up north and spent some time at Deanna Rose Children's Farm. It made my heart ache for the days of Sunflower Farm near Longmont, like when we went here a while back. I can't shake the feeling that my days of carefree adventures like this are coming to an end...

P and daddy fed baby goats. They had no fear and chewed everything from shorts to shoelaces.

P rode on horseback, too--and said he really liked it.

We even got a family photo too! Imagine that! :)

Parker's visit

2011-08-19T16:36:00.002-05:00

{tap, tap} Has anyone missed us? Do you even still read this thing?

Parker went on a week long adventure to Animal Planet a couple of weeks ago (seems like an eternity, now). Cousin J was there, too--and they...

Played outside

Went to the lake

Rode bikes

Drew on the front porch

We missed him, although it seemed we missed his constant motion and chatter the most. We got caught up on work, had the opportunity to hang out with friends, and got lots of yoga practices and long runs in. I think a good time was had by all.

What do you do...

2011-08-01T16:56:00.004-05:00

When the little one goes to visit Gma and Gpa for a few days and leaves mom and dad at home?

We're finding out this week.

A while back my mom ~~mentioned~~ insisted they take Parker (and niece, little J) for a week this summer. It was a short-lived conversation, mostly to the tune of "are you really sure you want to do that" and "...well, for real?"

We kind of got caught on our heels with it, in terms of planning something fun for us to do while he's visiting them. This summer has caught me off guard in all kinds of ways between training, working, and trying to stay out of the sweltering, tomato-killing heat. So we decided it was best to have our own little holiday at home, and get all kinds of things done that are more difficult with a five year old underfoot. (Like cleaning out the toy boxes!)

So far it sounds like they're having a blast, but the quiet around here is sure taking some getting used to. :)

Cubs Game

2011-07-30T06:57:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time (during Parker's birthday week), Mike and P had a boy's night out and went to the Cubs-Royals game. We made a sign before they left:

(word on the street is that he made an appearance on Fox Sports Net holding it up!)

Watching the bullpen warm up:

Now those are two happy faces. :)

Playdate

2011-07-29T06:45:00.002-05:00

Parker and one of his besties got together yesterday morning for a playdate. Doing things with someone your own size is always more fun. (especially when it comes to taking out EVERY toy in the house!)

Race wrapup

2011-07-23T07:12:00.003-05:00

(Thank Mike and his blackberry on this one. He can text and run. Do you know anyone else who does that?)

Once again, I am a sucky blogger this week. Apologies. Our little P&S camera has gone missing with our weekend photos but I didn't want to wait to try and find it.

So. We finished the race last weekend and suffered through blistering heat and only-in-Okoboji kind of humidity. I can't complain--yes, it WAS hot and crazy humid, but the best part was knowing there was a great big dock at the finish line just waiting for us to jump in.

The first half of the race was, as it goes, pretty ideal. Fairly flat, wide open, and baking hot. Our splits were fantastic and all I could think about was finishing this race in under 2 hours. (spoiler: that didn't happen.) We were doing great and feeling really confident. We approached the midway point, at the very north end of the lake, and the course did a total 180º on us—shaded, REALLY humid, and generally uphill. I had been doing some hill training this time around, knowing the course was going to sneak up on us like that, but it became immensely challenging.

People were so gracious along the second half of the course since it went by their cabins. Out and armed with loud music, sprinklers to run through and an extra drink of water between the aid stations, their energy was helpful at that point when we were really having to dig deep to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The finish was awesome—right down the main drag into Arnold's Park, the lake right behind the inflatable finish line and plenty of loud voices to cheer you all the way through the final step. Very cool.

I won't lie--our finish was slower than that of April's in KC and I was hugely disappointed. I know, you're thinking, good grief, woman, you managed to finish a race in 90º heat and 90% humidity. YOU WIN. But, I feel like I have been working so hard to do better than in April. But the conditions were what we were handed, and just like any baseball player who hits home runs consistently at one field and doesn't make the warning track at another, I have to swallow my discontent and use it as fuel for the next one. (Yes, there is a next one. Mike may feel differently, but I'm game.)

A redfaced bunch. Jay had considered running the 10k instead that morning, but gutted out the half with us and did great. :)

Our VERY well-deserved jump in Lake Okoboji.

More images from the Lake

2011-07-13T10:15:00.000-05:00

Spent last week at the Lake. You might have seen this post on my other blog...but here's a few more images from throughout the week.

Swimming

The Queen

Chillin' with momma

Asleep on the back of the boat

Tubing with the cousins on the 4th

Leaping to the raft

Makes poppa hold the fish

Poppa makes all fish look bigger

A good week. Maybe one of the best ever in recent memory.

Four days

2011-07-12T06:57:00.004-05:00

Half Marathon #2 for this year is in four days. Yes...FOUR days. Didn't we just finish this one?!

The weather forecast is hot (93º at last check--yikes)...but there's the promise of a boat and some open water at the finish. Training has been going great--aside from the blistering heat/humidity, which is hard on the lungs, I feel well prepared for this race. Daresay, maybe even more so than in April, as I've incorporated more strength training this time around. Mike says he's ready too to tackle the sneaky hills on the course.

I'd love to say that I want to run this race sub-2 hours, but from what I'm hearing of past participants that this isn't a course to try and PR (personal record) on. So we may have to see how the day holds out, if it's too ridiculously hot to try and push that hard. We came pretty close in April at 2:08, so if we can finish somewhere around there I'm really, really happy.

The course looks a little something like this, running around Lake Okoboji...the thing the map doesn't show is the neverending changes in elevation. There are little hills EVERYWHERE!

So, encouragement and good vibes totally welcome. We'll have a full race report next week. :)

Cousins

2011-07-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

Birthday Week

2011-06-24T11:25:00.003-05:00

More from the birthday week. (sorry, I couldn't stare at the hog in the trunk one. more. time. It's creepy and looks frighteningly like a body?!)

Sigh. Is he *really* five?!

Waking him up with a cupcake to eat in bed, but he didn't want crumbs in the sheets so he opted for eating cupcakes for breakfast at the table. Silly boy!

A little extra frosting never hurt.

Roastin'

2011-06-22T21:19:00.002-05:00

Note: if you have a queasy stomach or don't like raw meat...this may not be the post for you. Check back tomorrow. :)

Daddy and some friends helped to prepare a hog to roast for a fundraiser we had a hand in planning this past weekend. They started the evening before the event — yes, that's a pig in a trunk.

The guys started their prep but not before showing off their prize.

Wrapping it up in foil after a couple of rubdowns. One wet and one dry, I'm told.

Then it goes in a metal grate to roast over charcoal for 8-10 hours.

Saturday evening at the fundraiser, the guys got to help with the final prep. OMG, their "Schwein Meister" aprons...those are way too funny.

Birthday No. 5

2011-06-22T09:31:00.001-05:00

I'll have a wrap up post from what has been quite a birthday week for Parker...starting last Saturday with his birthday party to this coming weekend's special adventure with Mike -- but I had to post this.

We had found the perfect bike for Parker's birthday a few months ago--and knowing storage at our place is less than ideal, we employed the assistance of a friend's garage who was happy to be part of the surprise.

We nudged down the street to her home and handed Parker the garage door opener, and this was his reaction:

Because this was what he found inside.

More from soccer

2011-06-17T11:25:00.001-05:00

Someone forgot to tell Parker that you can't use your hands when you play soccer.

On another note, he did score a goal in the scrimmage last night and was pumped. Oy, we have an athlete on our hands....and a pretty competitive one at that.

Jedi Wannabe

2011-06-16T18:56:00.001-05:00

Parker suddenly has an affection for Star Wars and desperately wants to be a Jedi. (when did we get this grown-up again?!? Did I miss something?) He and Mike had watched a couple of the movies on some of our snow days this past winter, and ever since, he wakes up in the morning and says he dreamed that he was Anakin.

So. With his birthday coming up we felt a Star Wars theme party was quite apropos, and he's been similarly begging to have said party at the bowling alley on campus. (Again...did I miss something somewhere?)

I'm still pulling a few small details together, but here's a peek at the party invite. (I changed a couple of things in case this gets out on the interwebs.):

No bake cookies

2011-06-16T06:49:00.003-05:00

I've had a serious jonesing lately for these puppies since it's been pretty hot to make real cookies.

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
1/2 C Butter
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3- 3 1/2 C Quick cooking Oats
2 tsp. Vanilla

I'm a little apprehensive about substituting the milk and peanut butter so my allergies don't go bezerk...any ideas, peeps? I'm afraid my almond milk & almond butter substitutions just isn't going to taste the same.

Soccer Practice

2011-06-10T09:56:00.000-05:00

Parker's first soccer practice was Tuesday evening. This kid could not have been more excited.

We've been talking about it for so long...with his late birthday (oops) he wasn't able to participate last year, and he was really excited to join his preschool ~~partners in crime~~ buddies for some soccer fun this summer.

They each got their own ball, which was something on his birthday list anyway (yes, that's coming too) so he was super excited to think he got an early gift. :) And one less thing for momma to worry about. Yeeesssss!!

More practices and photos to come...

Nocturnal Bunnies

2011-06-09T13:42:00.001-05:00

Parker discovered we have a rabbit living somewhere between our house and one of the neighbors'... and shouted one morning while eating breakfast, "look, momma, a nocturnal bunny!" (there's a rhyme that goes with it, and for the life of me I can't remember. Will ask little man & edit to add.)

* I got it out of him this morning... "It's a lucky sight to see them not in the night."

Anyway, he was super excited about the addition to our own version of Animal Planet, which I had already seen evidence of his presence in the nibbling of all. my. pansies. The little critter managed to snack on all but one plant, which I can't figure why he hasn't gone for broke and gnawed that one off too.

Cooper also noticed said visitor and got herself a good staredown, which she promptly won, turned her back and went back to sleep. Some hunter she is.

Tomato farming

2011-06-08T21:39:00.003-05:00

Due to this summer's insane schedule, our regularly-scheduled food farm is whittled down to the tomato in a bucket. (And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep it alive.) This photo was actually taken just before Memorial Day. Yes, I'm that behind... but so far it looks good and has started to turn up its little arms toward the sunshine.

I know I swore up and down that I needed a bigger bucket so it wouldn't dry out as easily, and then I remembered this stuff, which has saved my bacon when it comes to watering...

Kite flying

2011-05-26T22:24:00.002-05:00

A rare few moments to stop and enjoy the springtime weather...and a little kite-flying time among the crisp, cloudless blue sky.

Homemade Lava Lamp

2011-05-24T08:49:00.001-05:00

These look super fun! Something cool to do with Parker this summer.

Cooper's momma

2011-05-20T08:45:00.000-05:00

There's a used bookstore in our little town with an adorable, very gentle and quite tolerant kitty. She's usually found sleeping on a chair, purring, head buried under a paw, as if she's trying to block out the shuffle of pages and hushed voices around her.

Her brown, black and orange fur looks just like the lovely kitty in our own home. Parker likes to call her "Cooper's Momma", and when we're near the store he loves to stop in, pet her ears, and say hello from Cooper. You know, like they know each other.

(photo by iphone)

Well, boo.

2011-05-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

I knew this day would come...I just didn't think it would be already. I love this car, and in the nearly (gasp!) six years we've had it, we have seen plenty of miles. Obviously.

We were on our way back from a portrait session in KC last weekend as daddy was driving and we hit the milestone.

End of school picnic

2011-05-18T10:10:00.001-05:00

Just a couple of days of school left! P is excited for summer...

We celebrated the end of the year and acknowledged the kiddos who are moving up to kindergarten next year at the annual school picnic earlier this week. The parents were serenaded by the joint classes--it was pretty cute to hear their sweet voices all together.

Fieldtrip day

2011-05-17T08:25:00.002-05:00

P's class went to the park yesterday for fishing and end-of-year celebrating. (It was an amazing day to be out!) Lots of the parents were able to meet them there to join in the adventure.

One of his buddies had some cool ski goggles and they took turns wearing them.

Ready for snack time. P and his preschool besties:

Getting ready to go back to school. P thought it was "awesome" to ride the big bus.

Summercut

2011-05-13T14:04:00.001-05:00

It was definitely time for P's summer haircut. It had gotten a little (okay, quite) long and was time for something a little cooler. Especially since it was 95º+ earlier this week!

The before:

The after:

The truth hurts.

2011-05-11T20:55:00.000-05:00

I got the ultimate "ouch" guilt trip today from the little man. We'll file this under "moments I'd rather forget".

Our beloved nanny pulls me aside after yet another busy day and asks about an upcoming fieldtrip at school, which I volunteered to help at and *then* foolishly proceeded to realize about the proposal I have due three hours after said fieldtrip. Le sigh.

Anyway. Parker tells her, yes, the class is going fishing at a park near our house, and then says, "My mom is going to come on our fieldtrip too. She works a lot. I don't see her all the days like before."

I fought back tears and nodded yes, it's true, it's. all. true. :(

I am one spoiled momma.

2011-05-09T21:34:00.003-05:00

I had an awesome day yesterday--hope it was for you mommas too. How could you not love it when you have something like this made just for you? :)

Happy Mom's Day!

2011-05-08T18:49:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to say Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there! The Little Man and I tried to do what we could to make it a great day for Momma C.

We wish that we could have been with all of our moms!

Quiet

2011-05-02T22:42:00.002-05:00

it's been pretty quiet around here. April totally slipped by us... easter, delightful weather, playing outside, and lots of working, school, and the like. P-man has only three. more. weeks. (!!!!!) of school left and he'll officially be off for the summer. insert deep breath... I am soooo not ready.

We did enroll him in the local private school recently after a humiliating public school experience at one of the kindergarten information nights. Educators (especially educators of young children), please heed: we, as parents, are just as nervous as our kid. this is OUR first experience in school too. We don't have other children in the "system", so please humor us if you think we're ignorant or asking tons of questions. We don't know what to expect. Please treat parents with the same respect that you expect from your students/children. *stepping off soapbox*

Easter was great, Parker was thrilled with the small tokens the Easter Bunny left behind. We didn't snap much for pictures (as has been the case way too much lately). Funny, most of the candy is still in the eggs in P's basket. Aside from the M&M's, which he loves, the jellybeans have gone untouched.

Other than that, we've got our puppy noses to the grindstones, keeping busy trying to enjoy the fleeting cool and delightful days of spring before the ugliness of the summer and humidity roll in. (siiiiiigh.)

Spoken

2011-04-28T08:36:00.002-05:00

A couple of my favorites lately...

"Parker, someone might be coming to the door soon."
"Daddy, is it a ranger?"
"Um...do you mean a stranger?"

"My new book today is about crabbage."