BUDDIES

I have no idea what we would do without this guy....

I can't tell you how many countless hours he and Declan have played together. Logan makes my life pretty easy. They do a great job of playing with each other and Logan understands that some of Declan's (baby) behavior is because he's still little and doesn't understand, so Logan cuts him quite a bit of slack and let's him play with him.


Digging together

Haulin' their dirt
I'm sad that the warm weather is almost coming to an end. I'll miss being able to sit on the porch with a book (that doesn't reference Sam-I-am) and have my child play peacefully outside with his cousin.

16 MONTHS

I can't believe Dex is already 16 months old! Where has the time gone? When I was a child and adults would ask how I grew up so fast, I used to think that was so dumb. But now that I am an adult, I find myself asking the same thing to children around me.

One of his token "really mom?" looks that he tends to give me when me taking a picture of him is getting in his way.

FUTURE FOODIE

My kid loves all kinds of food. However, he doesn't like all kinds of textures. This has presented a problem when trying to get him to try different things. In an attempt to keep him from turning into a mac 'n' cheese/chicken nugget kid, I've been coming up with some creative recipes to get him to eat new things.

For starters,he hates peas and green beans. I think it's the texture and he can't bring himself to choke them down....until now:



Now before you start to be grossed out, check this out....they're "lily pad pancakes" titled so the kids will eat them, but they're actually quite good. They're made out of mostly peas. Put a little greek yogurt on top and they are delicious!



Another crazy idea that I saw was to make a pea pop. It's basically peas as the base and a hint of mint with some cream cheese. (oh yeah, and some mini chocolate chips) You freeze them and voila! Kids are eating peas like they're candy!





[Yes he's rolling on the floor in his church clothes with a frozen sucker that will eventually melt and end up in the carpet. (remember I'm a first time mom)]

We still haven't tried the pumpkin stuffed ravioli, waffle cheese sandwiches, black bean truffles, and french toast pb&j. Needless to say, dinner time around our house is getting very interesting.

Life Reflection

Today I have been extremely grateful for my life and the decisions which I have made to bring me to this very moment in my life. My life has been so deeply enriched by the many people whom I have had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with and I count myself as one of the lucky ones. There are changes on the horizon, I can sense it and I look forward to whatever it may be. My heart is truly so full! Life is good and I hope it's good for you as well!

FALL IS ALMOST HERE

I know I'm rushing it with the fall time background, but I love this time of year. I love how the nights cool down and the prominent sound of the crickets while falling asleep. This time of year makes me want to buy school supplies and get up early and go outside just so I can wear a jacket. (I've even already begun making Halloween decorations.) I'm sure fall will be here soon enough, but for now, I'm basking in my pre-autumn glory!

Summer picnic

Last Saturday, Mike suggested we go up the canyon for a picnic. I thought that was a fabulous idea (trying to beat the heat) so I invited Logan to come to get him out of his very pregnant mom's hair. :)

We stopped at the store and loaded up on sandwiches, chips, snacks and drinks for everyone and then headed up to South Fork Park.

Mike took the boys and taught them how to play in the river.

Logan was a little afraid at first because the water was a little swift as they were crossing to the milder part. But by the end of the day, he was asking me to take him across the river regardless of how quickly the water was running.

Needless to say, they had a blast splashing around in the water.

We ate our lunch and played soccer on the grass. Dex found a spicket and drenched himself in it.

I swear....this kid LOVES the water. He has looked like this almost every single day this summer. He loves to run through sprinklers, play in mud puddles, splash in buckets of water. He never gets enough of it.

To keep him from getting cold I took off his shirt. Logan asked why I had taken off Dex's shirt and to be like him, Logan decided to take his off as well. I laughed at the two boys running around shirtless. Running around in the trees and rocks, all I could think of was Lord of the Flies (without all the violence, of course).

These two are so much like brothers. They both have to know what the other is doing, and if they want the same toy, just forget it.

(Playing in the brush)

All in all it was a blast. The kids had a good time and it was fun to go up the canyon and take a break. Thanks Mike, for the great idea!

Declan's New Rule

So this is how mealtimes go for us now....

It takes what seems like FOREVER for him to eat now. But the new rules are (Dex's rules) that he can feed himself and if you try to feed him, just forget it, he's not going to eat. I've already said goodbye to the days when a meal would take us about 15-20 minutes. However, it's so great that he's getting so big and is wanting to do things to help himself. Now if only he'd let me show him how to actually scoop something onto that spoon!