Friday Favorite

Okay...this week's fave is a bit random, but for those of you who live here in TX (or anywhere else in the world that is blessed with fire ants or mosquitoes or anything else that bites) you will find this extremely useful too!

The Benedryl Itch Stick. It is GREAT! Get one to keep in your purse or swim bag or whatever...it is an absolute blessing when your out with the kiddos and they happen to find the ant hill. Just dab this little stick on the bite, and you're good to go.

I'm sure there are other methods of soothing those nasty bites...but when on the go, I have found it so extremely useful to have this little pen in my diaper bag! Plus, I can guarantee that you'll be the 'oh-so-prepared mom' at the park when you whip this out for another frantic mom who is consoling their teary/itchy little one!

Toybox...what???

Why do I even buy toys? It's always the non-toys that prove to be the most entertaining! Best $1 I ever spent though...both boys have been occupied for months with these pipe-cleaners! Notice the color selection is getting a bit sparse. Garrett created an anthill - complete with an entire colony of ants! Thus the black pieces are severely lacking! Luckily, Ethan doesn't mind!

The goods

What do you get when you take this...

plus a few spare hours in your day and add in a little 'ninja' help???

You get this...18 jars to be exact!

Pop-Pop-Pop!

Ethan is starting to say words now...not 'mama' or even 'dada' as you always picture your baby's first word to be. But instead, he has mastered the word 'dog' and he walks around with a little yippy bark that he repeats over and over. He also (kinda) says 'bear' and he definitely says 'book' (what more important word to a 1 year old is there...he lives for his story time!). But I have to say, his favorite word right now is 'pop' thanks to some the dear friends who introduced our kids to the 'Popcorn Song'. It is this funny song that after a brief intro, is just the word 'pop' over and over and over and over! So, after listening to this great song about 400 times, it's no wonder that the babies are singing along too. So, here's Garrett singing a quick version and then both the boys going crazy with the 'pop's!

I was going to edit the video...but I love Ethan's new 'jumping tricks' at the end of it...so sorry so long!!! Enjoy!

Fun Times!

On Friday, some friends and I took our kids to the Children's Museum. The kids had a blast and it was so much fun to watch Ethan get so excited to try all the new things that he saw his big brother doing! He was so beyond happy to be free of his stroller and spent the morning toddling after Garrett! Of course, being the 'crowd loving' people that we are...went on the day that there were sooo many kids (even older kids who I would think would be bored stiff at a place like that!)...so mental not to self - don't go to these places on a Friday! I'm sure that is prime field-trip day for everyone!

Also on this trip...I found the toddler room...can you hear the angels singing?!? This place was amazing! My friends had told me about it...but I was not prepared for how perfect it was for the little ones! It was so fun to watch Ethan in there, and though I didn't expect it, I learned a TON about his development! It was the most interesting afternoon ever! We all know that for some unknown reason, my kids don't crawl...so watching him in this room designed for crawlers and early walkers, I began to notice things about him that I never would have otherwise! Like the fact, that he wanted so badly to get into this play area that held tons of balls and this one stuffed frog (that is what E really wanted!) but this area had a padded 'curb' around it for kids to easily crawl over. My poor boy would walk up to it, lift up one foot, and finding it just a bit to high to step on or over, he'd reach down and try to lift his foot higher and make it in. Never once did it occur to his cute little brain to attempt it on all fours. Nope, we just don't do things like that in our family, I guess! So it was fun to try and help him figure out a way to get in there. And his other favorite (besides the stuffed tiger he insisted on carrying around and sucking on - ewwww!) was a little pathway. He spent most of his time on this, tackling the shallow stairs, the wavy floor, the inclines and all the obstacles that were in his way. Again it was so fun to watch and see him learning so rapidly! He made such progress towards specific tasks that he was attempting that it was amazing to sit back and watch!

Anyway...here's some pics. Sorry for the rambling above...I'm sure my child's brain activity doesn't make for an exciting post for most people! :)

We always have to stop at this old van and the kids go on a trip...today they were driving to China! Yeah, good luck on that trip guys!

The shopping trip. Some big kids even came up to 'Cash Register J' and asked if he'd ring them up, but nope, he told them they'd have to get to the back of the line. And 'Customer Garrett' was all about them getting behind him. Way to go, our normally non-assertive kiddos! :)

Ethan wanting in on the shopping trip...but how confusing for him...."Yep, E, that's a banana...no - not in your mouth! Uh huh, an apple...no, not in your mouth" Poor guy just wanted all his normal snacks and that's what I was labeling them as...but me being the mean mom that I am, didn't want him sucking on all that fake food!

Ethan contemplating his descent down those stairs!

Does it get any cuter than that??? My little fisherman (who isn't so little anymore!)

Best Buddies! And yes, they both had drawn 'beards', so the face paint went all the way down their chins and necks this time!

Ethan's walkway! The highlight of the trip!

A ball that bounces and is contained in a small confined space so that it can't roll away? Does it get any better than that for a little guy!?!?

Blueberry Picking

This weekend we decided that it was time once again for our yearly blueberry picking trip! I have desperately been missing my blueberries from the freezer anytime we want them, so we made the trek up to Moorhead Farms in Conroe on Friday evening and picked until dark! And I have to say...we've picked blueberries for a couple of years now, and every time, I've rushed to get there as early in the morning as possible so as to beat the heat. Not once had I ever considered going at night! But let me tell you, this is the way to go! It was the perfect evening...still a bit warm, but at least we got to enjoy a lovely breeze almost the entire time, and the sun was behind the trees surrounding the farm, so that was an added bonus all in itself! :) But the biggest bonus is that Dad gets to come with...so the whole trip is much more fun...and productive!!!

We had a great time, and even bumped into some of our favorite people from Kingwood where we lived the first year we moved down here! So it was fun to pick alongside them and visit for a few minutes. I love running into friends in places that you least expect it!

The berries were a bit scarce (mental note to go a week earlier next year)! But we got a pretty good amount picked in the time that we were there! Garrett had a blast introducing Ethan to the delicious berries - leaving them for his little brother to snack on as we picked!

And notice Ethan's cute little toes...yes, in my rush to grab bug spray, sunscreen (which we didn't even need), water bottles for everyone, snacks for the boys, and all the other things required for leaving one's house for any amount of time...I forgot Ethan's shoes! Great Mom, huh!?!? The wrong thing to forget when you have a little one who would have loved exploring the bushes and sticks, dirt and everything else! Poor little guy...he spent the evening strapped to his stroller or in a backpack carrier on Steve's back! Hmmm...maybe it should be poor Steve instead, having to carry around an extra load! But thanks hon, I really had a great time scaling those bushes and reaching the berries that were just a bit too high!!!

Household Hazard

I think I go up and down my stairs about 400 times a day - and while good for my heart, I have to defy death every time as I tackle my "oh sure, this will keep Ethan off the stairs" booby trap! Yep, I'm so lame, that this is my 'baby gate'!

I do have a real baby gate at the top of the stairs, to alleviate the toppling-downward-motion, but this bar stool has proven to be the perfect length to provide me with a temporary blockade from our incredibly long, straight-shot staircase. I know I could get a gate (though a bit tricky) to fit on the wall and the banister post, but I am convinced that with just a little more practice (and a little more understanding on Ethan's part) he'll master the 'coming down the stairs' as well as he has the 'going up the stairs' skill!

But until then, I am pretty sure that I am going to severely harm myself by hurdling both this bar stool and the gate at the top! Garrett loves the extra obstacle and glides over it with a huge and graceful leap - often adding an impressive commando roll at the bottom. Even Ethan loves playing in it...just picture a really basic jungle gym! Me, I about trip over it every time! In my attempts to keep my children safe, I will probably break my neck! Hmmmm... the things we do for our children...and the things I do to avoid buying another gate that will only be needed for about a week!!! :)

Good Morning

This is what happens when I sit down to post...poor Garrett gets an early morning wake-up call!!! Ethan is always so anxious for his big bro to wake up that today, he took matters into his own hands and took advantage of me being distracted!!! He toddled right in to Garrett's room (silly me, leaving the door open a bit) and started poking and doing his 'pay attention to me' grunts!!! Good Morning, Garrett!!!

And don't pay any attention to Garrett's too small & mismatched pj's...I figure he can where whatever he wants to bed! I have enough trouble trying to make sure he's (somewhat) matching during the daylight hours, while still giving allowing him to have some say in the matter. His logic is amazing - you should hear our debates about 'matching and non-matching'...he is adamant about things matching if they start with the same letter! Think grey and green, brown and blue...aaahhhhhh...it's often a battle I choose not to fight! :)

Older and Older...

One might think that this is a post mourning the fact that both Steve and I are both now 30, since, the last post was the b-day post...but no...instead it is a post dedicated to the fact that I am fully aware that my children are growing up way too quickly! Can't they just slow it down a bit...for my sake?!?

Am I the only mother out there who mourns the fact that time does not stand still? These boys are growing faster than I can keep track of and while I usually embrace that fact and completely enjoy each new phase, today it makes me a little nostalgic for some reason!

Like the fact that Ethan's little toothless smile has morphed into a lopsided, one-tooth grin. And, he is soooo good on his feet now and quite often seems to be running to keep up with his brother! And while I know he's still completely dependant on me, he seems so independent too...how that is possible, I'm not quite sure!

And Garrett seems to be taller and taller every time I see him today - is it possible that he is growing right before my eyes!?!? Today, he just seems a bit more mature and a bit more like a little man than my little crazy kiddo! The conversations we've had today were so amusingly grown-up! I'm sure tomorrow, he'll be back to the craziness and act like a 2 year old just for good measure...but for this moment, he seems so old!

So here's to you kiddos...you will never know how much I adore being your mommy and how blessed we are in our little family! And thanks for helping me slow down and take the baby-steps with you (or the giant leaps as in Garrett's case! That kid can jump like no other!) :)

Notice the bumps/bruises/scrapes on Ethan's forehead! I guess growing up is painful for him too!

My sweet boy...do they come any cuter than that???

Happy Birthday Steve-o!

Today is the big 3-0 for Steve! Wahoo! Now hopefully, Garrett will quit declaring, "Really Mom? You're older than Dad?!?!?! You don't look bigger than him!" I guess age is a hard concept...funny since Garrett eats, drinks and breathes his birthday. He plans his next birthday party almost daily...and yes - we have to wait all the way until January for his big event!

So here are a few celebratory pictures...in honor of the current birthday boy!

And yes...the shirt says 'hug me'...how cute is that???

Hmmm...glad to see the mischievous little grin has been there since the beginning!

Happy Birthday Steve! We love you so much!!!

Friday Favorite

This week I've been thinking of so many different food favorites...probably because it's getting so hot here that I find I'm not cooking many big meals...just finding little snacky meals to make instead. So here are just a few random snacky faves I've come across lately.

Okay...so has anyone else tried the Chocolate Chex??? They are soooo yummy! They're good in a bowl with milk in true, cold cereal fashion, but I LOVE them as a snack...it helps that chocolate craving I get so often...and I don't feel as guilty grabbing a handful of those than I would grabbing a snickers bar or making a batch of brownies or cookies or something! Besides, it's cold cereal, so it's fortified, right??? Basically, you're doing your body good by eating a handful of them every day - how else would you get all those extra vitamins and minerals?!?!?! Okay, only kidding...but they really are a tasty treat!

Another thing I've been eating like it's going out of style is chips and salsa. Seriously, I can not get enough of it! For some reason it seems like the perfect summer snack! I am usually not a bottled salsa fan, but I've stumbled across one that I just can't get enough of...and it's a generic HEB store brand so it's a very frugal option, to boot! So if you're ever looking for a new salsa...give the HEB Roasted Pepper Salsa a try - or any roasted pepper version - I think I saw a Pace version too. I am absolutely in love with the almost smoky/roasted flavor. It balances the heat perfectly!!! Another one type I tried the other day was from Walmart - it was Sam's Choice (I think) and it was something like Mango, Peach and Pineapple salsa. It too was very good...but I had to be in the mood for it - it was almost too sweet sometimes! We've also been making salsa too lately...got to put all those tasty garden tomatoes to good use!!! Needless to say, I think I have consumed my weight in tortilla chips over the past two weeks! :)

So happy snacking everyone...and have a fantastic weekend!!!

What???

So, every week, on the way home from church, I always ask Garrett about his primary lesson. He used to just blow me off and say (with complete attitude!) "we just talked about the same thing we talk about every week!" When I ask what that is...he responds "Jesus!" Like duh...don't you know that by now??? Too funny - though I usually tried to bring home the point that there are lots of things to talk about at church!

And then the past few weeks, when I ask him, all he says is "I don't really remember." Which only means that he can't remember every single thing to tell me, so he won't even try. I swear...I have never met a more detail-oriented little boy in my life! Now I tell him, and remind him each week that we're going to talk about his class afterwards, so he needs to remember some things to tell me.

So this week, we get home and Garrett starts talking about his class...his lesson...and all the stories that they had talked and songs that they sang in primary. He pulls out his paper that he's carefully brought home...usually adorned with a picture to go along with the lesson or something...but this time the paper holds nothing but the words, "No - Yes - Not Now." He shows it to me like it should make perfect sense and asks if I know that story???? Hmmmm....I'm desperately wracking my brain trying to think of any scripture story to go along with those three phrases, but sadly, I come up blank! He is utterly disappointed in me...and I can tell that he's basically thinking I'm a total heathen and haven't listened in church ever! I ask him to tell me the story, and he starts telling some random story about a boy who had lost some gold coins and said a prayer. Ahhhh...it's making more sense to me now...and while I didn't know the exact story, I managed to save face a little bit and start asking questions about the story that I knew would have been covered...like, "oh, so he lost his gold and then prayed for help? Why'd he do that? Were his prayers answered? Can your prayers be answered?" Aren't I smooth!?! I love being a mom sometimes..it definitely keeps you on your toes!

The Boys

Here's a pic of Ethan and his posse. These are 'the boys'...all born within a month or two of each other and the best of friends. Okay, so maybe not the best of friends...do you even have friends at 1 year old?!? But, these little guys are together more often than not, so they're bound to become best buddies before too long! I just had to post this because I thought they were all so cute! And of course, we all had our other kids who loved the new splash-pad...but my camera battery died as soon as I got the older ones into their cute little pose...yeah, well prepared mom, huh?!? Oh well, at least I captured part of the moment!

I love these pics because in the first one...they all look like they're each planning their move and deciding which toy to go for first. Then the second pic tells it all...they're all diving for the same thing! hmmmm...I wonder who will win!