Crayons for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Sometimes, when you're having a rough day, digging into Scripture and writing about it makes you feel better.

And sometimes, when you're having a rough day, going to WalMart and scooping up their great back to school sales then skipping over to Hobby Lobby to buy out the felt and ribbon section and then walking to the Dollar Tree to grab a few faux fall leaves makes you feel better.

Yesterday I did both.

And I do feel better. =)

I've got a little catch-up to do on what we've been up to lately.  We've got plans to send summer out with a bang for the rest of this week, so I want to tie up all the loose ends of August before we start busting out our kiss summer goodbye fanfare this weekend.

First on the list?

Baby Shower
Our dear friends Mr. and Mrs. B are having Baby #2 any day now, so last weekend we threw them a "Baby Sprinkle" for the sweet little lady on the way.   It was a fun little get together with lots of kiddos and cherry lemonade in Mason Jars.  Newbie thought it was just a riot having all of his little buddies in his backyard.  We partied hard till the kiddos made it clear that not even a water table and ice cream could ward off the bedtime meltdowns any longer.
 *Check out Mrs.B's blog for baby bump updates here!* =)

 (Hi there, handsome babycakes!)

 

(Hug!)

 

(These two had a blast splashing together at the water table.)

(Hello, WATER.)

(Horrible pic of me, but had to catch a shot of the Momma-of-two-to-be!)

(Aloha, Big Brother B!)

Dipping 101
Lately we've been working on getting Newbie to use a fork and spoon and keep his food on a plate.  We're kinda hit and miss in that department right now, but one thing he has mastered is the art of dipping.  He likes to dip into yogurt, ketchup, ranch dressing...

...just about anything but refried beans (see below). Sorry Buggy...Momma tried to pull a fast one on ya. =)

Sweepin'
Tuesday afternoon I was cleaning the house when I discovered I have a little helper on my hands.  The broom is about double and a half his size, but he wrestled that thing into submission and showed it who's boss.

 

 

 

 

 

 (Annnnd we finally made it into the kitchen.)

 Coloring Crayon Eating
Newbie doesn't love crafting. I think its because the crayons taste better than they look.  I am, however, determined to hone his appreciation for a good arts and crafts project because boy howdy, we have lots of art projects on our Fall Funtivities calendar (still coming soon!).  We busted out the crayons for some practice, and I'm happy to report we got an entire picture drawn before we started sampling the Crayolas.

 (Trudy, if you're out there...any thoughts on why these pics are so yellow??)

Part of my therapeutic shopping excursion yesterday involved buying a bunch of odds and ends for our fall plans. Markers, glue, construction paper, fun foam and felt- just to name a few. Today I'm setting to work on some color and shape manipulatives for Newbie.  I have a few curriculum goals for him this fall, and a bundle of felt is going to help me make it happen.   After I figure out how to make a felt board, we are headed to the Best Park Ever for one last beach/splash pad day.  The temp has been hanging out in the 70's for the past couple weeks, but today its suppose to get up to 89.  That's beach weather, baby.

Y'all have a happy Thursday!

Newbie's First Football Game

Last night when the Hubs got home from work, we hitched 'em up and headed 'em out to the Hubs' old high school for Newbie's first football game.  There are lots of memories swirling around that field from our dating years for me, and tons more for the Hubs since he played football throughout high school.  It was really fun to go back and watch the game with our little man in tow.

The place was a throwback to Friday night football games when I was 17...there were enthusiastic highschoolers in the stands and middle schoolers congregating in groups throughout the stadium. There were wanderers and banders and flag twisters and football players and parents and die-hard alumni, all out there to get a taste of some Friday night football. Speaking of the taste of football, I don't miss much from my adolescent days, but I do miss a good walking taco or caramel apple sucker on a Friday night.  Yum.

[We interrupt this broadcast for the following public service announcement: After taking a look at the student section while finding a spot to watch the game, I noted that in the same way leggings are not pants, body paint is not clothing.  Ladies, for crying out loud, put some clothes on.  We appreciate the team spirit, but would like to pass on seeing 99.9% of your bare skin smothered in team-colored paint. Let's leave that to the middle aged men in the NFL stands.  If you wouldn't wear it to the grocery store, don't wear it to the game.  And that's coming from a woman who's been caught in her pajamas in the refrigerated section.  Pleaseandthankyou.]

Annnnnd back to the game.

Newbie did a lot better than we thought he would.  We knew he would like the football (he did) but we thought he'd cash out by halftime (he didn't).  Instead, he lasted all the way into the fourth quarter. 

He loved watching the boys on the field and cheering with the crowd.  The band had him intrigued for a while, but his favorite part by far was yelling and clapping any time the crowd did, and sometimes even when the crowd didn't. 

(TOUCHDOWN!!!)

He gets his general drama and enthusiasm from his momma, but when it comes to football, his daddy is in on the game too. =)

(Another fumble?! Oh no!)

Newbie did great for the entire game, and we were really tickled by how much he was really into the hoopla.  I think he could have made it all the way through, but when there was about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, we looked over to see him snuggling his blankie, and we decided to hit the road. 

When we left the game the score was something like 18 to 34, with the rivals ahead, and somehow by the time it all ended, the score was 40 to 46.  I sure wish we had asked Newbie to stick around longer because even though we lost, I have a feeling that was one mean fight to the finish.

I love a good football game every once in a while when it doesn't mean there is a man sitting on my couch for 12 hours on a Saturday.  Football in moderation, even in heavy moderation, can be a really good time.  Leaving the game last night left me looking forward to corn bread and chili and sweaters and scarves and apple cider and more football.  I can't wait to go back.

As for today, it was coffee and cartoons with my boys in the pajama clad AM, then a trip to the Farmer's Market and a driveway car wash in the PM. After washing the car, the Hubs and Newbie went to the gym to play in the raquetball court.  Newbie always brings the little basketball Uncle Chad gave him, and he loves going to the gym with his daddy. Daddy loves Newbie and the gym, and it gave me a nice quiet break around the house.  Win win win. It was a full, fun day!

Happy Weekending!

Just for being him

My boy is growing.

Every once in a while, it just hits me like a freight train.  Like when he says "bad gog!" and shoves Opie off his high chair at dinner time.  Or when he takes his pancake and dips it in the pile of yogurt on his plate.  Or when he walks up to me while I'm on my phone and grabs my hand and pushes the phone away and hands me a book and says "eez!" ...which totally means "please".  Or when he looks at me at dinner when I tell him something is hot and gives the plate two good huffs before diving right in. Or even when he melts into a puddle and his legs go all floppy when I pull him out of the bath or turn off Clifford or hand him a sippy cup of water instead of juice- because it means he gets it.  He's pulling the strings, working the system, milking it, baby, because he knows what he wants and he ain't gettin' it. Only growing boys try to work the system.

My boy is growing.

My favorite so far was tonight after I tucked him in and was cleaning up the playroom.  As I stuffed balls into the bin and put books back on the shelf,  I found the Tupperware lid I had given him (to keep him entertained while I was making dinner) resting quietly atop the pot he must have dug out of the pretend grill while I was cooking.  What?  Since when did my little man know that a lid is a lid and a pot is a pot and "I better slap that thing on there before the soup gets cold"?  When?!?!

My boy is growing.

And in those moments, when out of the routine of diapers and dishes and dinner it hits me that my boy is growing, I snuggle that boy to pieces.  I kiss his chubby cheeks and pinch his little thighs and tell him how much I love him.  I drink in the smell of his hair and the look of mac and cheese smeared on his brows, and I nibble that little pop belly.  I tuck it all in close to my heart because I know these days don't last. And as he grows, I want him to know his momma loved him every step of the way.  Every splash in the tub, every Clifford episode, every throw of the football or bang of the driver, I want him to know his momma loved every minute.  Every smile, every belly laugh, every wobbly running path through the living room, I want him to know his momma adored his every move just because.  Just because he is her boy and she loves him to bits and pieces for ever and ever just for being him- no matter what.

(Newbie has been a renegade in the bath tub lately, so...Hello, Rubber Ducky Fireman.  Welcome to the party.)

Before I go, I just want to say that thanks to my Mama-in-Law and Pops-in-Law and the AMAZING new camera lens they got me for my b-day (wahoo!!!), I was finally able to snap a shot of Opie doing what he does 97% of the time.  This dog is always, always on alert.  What is awesome is that he is about .457 seconds away from barking at the wind.  Thanks, Opie. We salute you.

Next on the list of coveted everyday shots too fast for my previous lens: Newbie's all hands on deck wobbly run.  Coming soon to a blog near you...if I can catch him. =)

I'm off to banter with the Hubs and swing a deal revolving around his desire to go to a high school football game tomorrow night and my desire to play a card game instead of watch a duck hunting movie tonight.  I think it might be a fair trade. 

Happy Thursday, y'all!