The look

Oh man, he was mad at me. I can't even really remember why. But here are the most likely top 5 candidates for what I said immediately before he gave me this look:

1. Stop pushing your sister.
2. Would you please stop playing and take a bathroom break?
3. That's what happens when you hold your watermelon too close to the dog.
4. Do you think you could share that toy?
5. You can have your turn on the swing in 5 minutes.

Could be any one of them. But it doesn't matter. He just gives me the look. Sometimes he accompanies it with a lion's roar because he thinks that is fierce, but it really just makes me want to go and grab him and plant kisses all over his cheeks. Which no doubt would lead to another one of these looks.

Adieu to the baby years

I felt a bit sad as I saw the crib loaded into a car and drive away. But it was time. Alex has inexplicably woken up potty trained after no struggle at all and along with it came a desire to be OUT, OUT of her toddler bed (crib without side). So we took Jack's top bunk off and moved it into her room, both parties seemed satisfied with the new arrangement.

But the crib just sat in our dinging room, unassembled, leaning up against the wall. Until a week later when it dawned on us that was all we needed from the crib. Our kids were both done with it. And we were done having kids. So up went ads on Craigslist for the crib, diaper genies, leftover diapers, wipewarmer, etc. And the crib, the beautiful crib that I agonized over when choosing it before Jack was born, was the first to be snapped up. While I'm so happy to see it go to a nice couple who is expecting their first child, it makes me remember all the memories from that crib like an old friend. An old friend who I trusted with my children, and who guarded them safely through each night when they were at their most vulnerable.

New-born Jack in the crib

Jack and his favorite mobile

Need we say more?

Jack learning to escape from the toddler bed phase

John cramped into the toddler bed with Jack, reading by headlamp

Alex moves into the crib

Alex with her favorite blankie waking from a nap

Thanks, old friend.

X Marks the Spot

When I came home from a date night the other night, Jack was already in bed. But wide awake. He had sacrificed his beauty sleep so he could be alert to tell me all about the treasure map when I got home. Mountains and deserts and ponds...ponds?...OK, whatever, ponds. Probably deep, dark ponds with dangerous...ummm...koi living in them. Careful, they can take a foot off. Even a decoy treasure X so you will be tricked into thinking you had found it but WHAM! A trap right next to the decoy. Sucks for you, careless treasure hunter. Only the brave and true of heart will make it through the terrible, um, waffle-maker traps and reach the glorious treasure nestled between the shore and the desert

I'd like some Independence with a side of cooler weather please

This past weekend was awesome, but good lord, can someone please get our weather back to normal? Day after day of over 100 degree heat coupled with high humidity literally melts the energy right out of you...by 10am. Our strategy for this weekend was to just move from pool party to pool party, preferably without ever getting into dry clothes between parties. Really, it was the only survival technique that worked. When you find yourself watching fireworks at 10m and STILL sweating, you know that is some serious hot weather.

The kids decorated our lawn tractor to participate in the neighborhood parade. The highlight was following the firetruck down the street and then getting to climb in...only as long as mom climbed in as well. That's OK, I've always wanted to wear those big headphones and respond to a 4-alarm fire. At least inside the truck there was some shade.

Just a spoonful of sugar...

Somedays, you just need a cupcake...preferably one almost as big as your head.