Social butterflies

We're a day away from July. It's so crazy. Time! stand still. But we did have a lot of fun this month. We saw a lot of friends and family, and for Eden, it's her time to shine. She loves people, loves talking. Me on the other hand, well, let's just say me and Eden are pretty different in that respect. And at the look of the picture below, maybe Micah is more like mama. We'll see.

 We do love seeing people, and Eden and her friend here practicing to be flower girls, it doesn't get any chummier than this.

Brothers and sisters can be social too you know.

 We loved our non-planned, sporadic play dates with our neighbor.

"Loved", past tense, because she just moved, sniff, sniff.

 My family, I don't think there's anything I look forward to more than seeing them.

 Being social doesn't only pertain to people.

 And visits from Caribou Grandpa and Grandma are talked about for weeks after they happen.

Our usual play dates are our best playmates.

 And these cuties, I can't say enough about them, they're beautiful kids inside and out.

But in June, we also had a lot of at-home days. Days where we hung out by ourselves, played with our toys, did our chores, put raspberries on all fingers, you know, usual stuff.

And on those days, we flinched at the grass...

... and buried ourselves in pillows. I think those days are my favorite.

What we do

What we do. Somedays, it feels like well, not much, and others we try to fit too much. Lately we've been having fun, enjoying summer and making plans willy nilly. So, blah, blah, blah, here's what we do:

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we go to the zoo and eat snacks nonstop

 we hang out with friends

 we go to Cedarburg and enjoy that town in all of its' cuteness

we meet Hello Kitty

 we go to parades

 we don't like loud noises (others, ehhh emmm Micah, do)

 we snitch teddy grahams from our sisters' snack cup when no one is looking

 we go to the park and play wonderfully

we go to the pool and have no fear

My life as a mom

My mind only thinks in fragments

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Micah crawls up my leg EVERY time I put him down

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I had to sit on my frozen vitatop muffin in the car because I didn't have time to put it in the toaster

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Eden. talks. NONSTOP.

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There is a mound, make that a hill, of stuff by the door that I've decided is "cluttering" our condo that's not selling

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Eden's dream of having jelly shoes came true today

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She found out that looks are not everything when she took two steps and told me how bad they hurt and refused to walk in them

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Micah doesn't sleep

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I see moms in the store all the time who look so crabby and I'm afraid I'm turning into them

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I have 4 zits

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I've been craving a butterfinger for the last six weeks

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I love being needed

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Mike and I have nicknames for everyone in our condo who we don't know the names of

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Micah pulls everything out of cupboards and he's only still a baby

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I prayed more today than I have in a long time

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Eden answered me the other day with "absolutely not!"

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Eden & I had a conversation last week about why she can't ride on a motorcycle (isn't that premature?)

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Micah said "hi" to the grocery cashier today

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I'm addicted to Pick 'N Save's monopoly game

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Every time I feel inspired to make something, I go and look at my 'to do' list and my creativity vanishes

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I'm dying to do a messy project with the kids

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I can't remember the last time I cooked

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I've only used our pool once this summer

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Mike has been letting me sleep late for as long as I can remember

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I really want to see Ben Harper at Summerfest

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Micah doesn't flap his arms anymore for me

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Eden told me I had a big tummy today and asked me if Aunt Lindsay was 5

A case of the Fridays

Mike and I have a standing joke about having "a case of the Fridays". It could be similar to our "cursed coconut chicken" but that's a story for another time.  "A case of the Fridays" means something like we both go crazy with emotion, stress, and fatigue in anticipation that the weekend is finally upon us. Basically, one of us is usually crabby on Friday.

So, whoever is showing signs of being crabby, the other will ask "do you have a case of the Fridays?" Being the simple minded folks that we are, the one that's crabby usually laughs, and the mood lightens. So, last Friday, I think I was the one who had the case. But after dinner time, there was no way I could hang onto that. 

But first, Micah and popsicles, tisk tisk. I remember when Eden was his age, nine months, and I started stressing about her eating birthday cake at her one year birthday because of all the frosting and sugar. My, my, things to do change people. I can't believe I was ever that uptight. Micah loves popsicles, his little tongue goes so crazy for them.

 You'd never be able to take it from him, and honestly, with that face, how could you?

 Mike and I wonder sometimes if something is wrong with our kids (not really). Eden loves it when we pretend to cry and she'll often do things and say "cry". When we do, she throws her head back in laughter and has a little cackle laugh that is so hilarious, it makes you keep pretending to cry.

 See, Micah thinks it's funny too to see Mike cry. Does any one else's kids do this?

 Maybe this picture will help you understand why my case of the Fridays couldn't hold up.

Watching for Daddy

Every day, usually around 5, Eden runs to her window and tells me that she's "gonna watch for Daddy". I've listened several times outside her door as she recites who's car is whose in the parking lot (the joys of condo living).

 She waits and waits and usually will come and ask me how much longer until daddy is home. It is definitely a big highlight of our day. 

 And honestly, when Eden goes to her window every day, it's what I'm thinking of myself. 

Waiting for daddy.

 And I think now Micah's got the right idea too.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm sort of sensitive about my age. Really.  I'm not old, per se, but twenty-eight is pretty close to thirty in my book. My sister and I have this thing with our birthdays, we always cry, but not lately. I think as kids and teenagers we had these crazy expectations of what our  birthdays should entail, and well, the expectations never met reality. Now we're both moms, and there's just no room for selfish thought. I'm thankful for that, but I miss comparing our cry times on our birthdays. Silly, I know, but it's just reminiscent of childhood and all things past. So, today was my birthday. My sweet husband took off work (amazing) because he has school Wednesdays and otherwise I wouldn't have seen him. So as if that in itself wasn't enough of a treat, I got to sleep in until 7:45 (gasp!). When I woke up, I was greeted my smiling faces and Eden saying "I have a present for you" and bounced off to her room to bring me these beautiful flowers. Mike had taken the kids to the grocery store early to retrieve them, and then Eden whispered to me "we got a cake too".

We took a walk this morning down the the library where I finally signed Eden up for the summer reading program. It's one of those things that I think of when I'm awake at 2 a.m., so hopefully going there today will ease that mental block.

After the library, Eden and Mike went to the park. I was convinced it was going to storm and ran home with Micah. It didn't, but I accomplished my goal which I'll show you later. For lunch, we went to Culver's. I can't go to Culver's and not get a double cheeseburger. It doesn't matter if I'm not in the mood, or if I feel like eating chicken, I just have to have a double cheeseburger. And this is classic. Guess who taught this girl to eat?

Micah sat content in his car seat the whole time, little angel baby. He did have a ball playing with Culver's colored sprinkles which Eden quickly confiscated.

Everyone was so intent on enjoying their food. I was too, but I managed to come up for air in time to snap a few shots of my darling family.

When the kids were napping, I ran to Brookfield to pick up something to complete my project (I'll show you, don't worry). I came home and they were working on a little project.

Mike asked Eden what she wanted it to say and she came up with the "Miss Mommy" bit. No, I don't make her call me that, but I do think it's really funny. I asked her what her drawing was below the "Mommy", and she said they were icicles falling down. I keep telling Mike she's gonna be a creative genius.

Mike had to leave for school around 3ish. It got pretty crazy. I had to put myself in a time-out. No joke. I yelled really loud at Eden, and I felt bad and apologized and told her I needed a time-out. I went in my room and closed the door. No less than two second later, both kids were banging on the door, wanting me. I love the heart of forgiveness children have, and pray for it often. 

After I recovered from my time-out, I had to figure out dinner. I called Jimmy John's, but they didn't deliver to Hartland, so we had some homemade sandwiches which made me crave Jimmy John's even more. After we finished, Eden had forgotten about the cake that she whispered to me about this morning. I started singing "Happy Birthday" to myself which gave me some weird looks from my kiddos.

Micah's is classic, kinda like "c'mon mom, are you serious?"

It was so delicious. I love frosting, and if I had no shame, I would've licked the frosting off the entire cake. But I shared, and it was still so good.

So, my project? Our condo. I want to sell so badly. Mike told me a couple of days ago that the guy down the hall got an offer. It really kicked my tail in high gear. Clutter, be gone...before:

...and after. It's still a work in progress. I had no boxes, so that was a challenge, but I'm making progress, I think.

This is what I'm really proud of though, before:

...and after! I love this, and this is the mirror I drove to Brookfield to buy. Anyway, I had a wonderful birthday, but I think I can wait another year for the next.

Father's Day

Before Father's Day arrived this past Sunday, Mike and I were talking how much we now look forward to Father's/Mother's Day. It's almost like a birthday, and for good reason. Parenting ain't for the faint of heart, I'll tell you that much. But back to our Father's Day party. Mike had quite a few presents to open, some big, some not so big. Eden loved the Chips Ahoy that she conveniently opened for Mike. Those ones in the little cup are the best, they crumble in your mouth--nothing like the big ones in the package. I let Mike sleep, good wifey that I am, and got up with the kids at the crack of dawn early.

 Micah was all smiles and is really loving on his daddy lately. My favorite is how he pulls himself up using Mike's leg hair. To watch Mike's face when Micah is doing this is probably the funniest thing you'll ever see.

 Eden enjoyed some daddy time before church too, of course, my little daddy's girl.

 After church, we went out to Mike's parents. Eden wandered in their yard, and it made me yearn for a yard so bad. For a time, I just sat with the kids in the grass, we sang, and laughed, we breathed the fresh air and we looked for bugs in the grass. 

 We had a little lunch out on the deck, happy style.

 I know this photo isn't too blog worthy, but they're beautiful--looking at the camera or not.

 It was quite a challenge to get a picture of Eden holding still, she wanted to "play chase".

 Be still my beating heart. I mean it.

 I love this shot. She's vacuuming the grass. Toddlers are so quirky! But look at her little arm sticking out and the smile on her face.

Grandpa and grandson, love this.

 

And finally, I get to be sappy. Michael, you're an amazing father. You constantly look to make Eden and Micah's life a blast. No matter how hard it is, if it brings them a smile, you do it. You're always an example to me, trying to say "yes" more than "no", and foregoing your own agenda to enrich them. I love you Michael, you're incredible.