Pool Baby

Some things you just have to explore inside before you venture outside! 

HAHA! 

RE: Don't Rock My Boat

Dear Don't Rock My Boat,

Let me apologize for the disruption you have recently experienced. BUT I think that you will be excited to learn that...

You took a road trip and were even somewhat nice to us about your trip (thanks!).

Despite what you believed at the time, you were in NO danger and were only away from your world for a little over 36 hours (could have been longer for you but you were in distress over not seeing your toys!).

We realize that you like your life exactly as it is but sometimes it is nice to "get out of the boat" and do new things. You got to experience riding in the car without screaming - oh, how nice is that! You got to have a picnic lunch. You got to take a nap in the car. You got to play with Abigail and meet Reagan. You got to try South Carolina BBQ.

So, Don't Rock My Boat, I hope that in the future you will be able to have a more open mind and enjoy new experiences!

Sincerely,
Your Tour Guides for Life

Don't Rock My Boat

(Written by Lydia - guess she didn't enjoy leaving town...)

Dear Tour Guides for Life,

I like my life. I like knowing that when the sun is shining into my room I get to lay in my bed and play with the pacifier for a long while. I like knowing that after lunch we are going to go do something fun. I like that after we read a story in the magical chair, Tour Guide 2 will cuddle me, and then I get to lay down in my bed. I like that after I put on my pj's I get to go play toys and eat a snack. I like my life exactly as it is.

Why did we have to ride in the car for such a long time? It was fun playing toys, eating snacks, getting new toys, but we could have done all those things at our house.

Why did you let me sleep in another bed? I have a perfectly good bed at home. I like it. I can kick my legs, hear the thump AND Tour Guide 1 laughing every time I do it.

Why did you all decide to change everything? I just don't understand....

Signed by Don't Rock My Boat

Graduation DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

James is graduating today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am super excited. Lydia is thrilled beyond belief. And James is "whatever".

While James is out today, we are going to get him a card and a balloon. And dessert! Whoohoohoo (two of us are going to celebrate!)

(Pictures Coming Soon!)

Ways to Crawl

Downward Dog Pose

Think I will just stand up

On my knees? Who would have thought of that, it will never work! 

Disposal

At 10:00 at night, the only thing that I want to do is set off the dishwasher and go to bed. Quietly so as not to wake the baby. As luck would have it I reach into the cabinet to get the dishwasher soap and realize the bottle is soaking wet. Dripping. And stinky. Being the woman that I am, I set off the dishwasher anyway. Clean the counters. And ask James if he would like to know about the leak under the sink now or in the morning (I really would like him to say in the morning!). Ofcourse, being the man that he is he can not rest until the sink is fixed. So at 10:15 at night we are cleaning out the cabinet (had been meaning to do that for weeks - so maybe this was a good thing) and discovering that the disposal is toast.

The words no wife wants to hear "I think I know how to fix it. We can save money by doing it myself."

In my mind, I remember the faucet episode of a couple months ago (was going to take an hour TOPS - six hours, pizza dinner, baby who couldn't sleep due to the noise in the house, and frustration for all we had a non-leaky faucet).

I try to convince James that a plumber can't be that expensive and it is worth it to just let the professional do it.

James then tells me that his friend can come over and help (I remember the insulation project that was only going to take 3 hours at the VERY most - let's just say that was a very LONG three hours!).

So after much debate, we called the plumber. My jaw fell when the plumber told us that it would be ~$400 for him to fix the disposal AND the plumber was going to put in the same exact disposal that had given us so much trouble.

I agreed and James fixed the disposal. I am happy to report that this project took one hour - from start to finish! The moral of the story leaky faucets are really not a big deal and can leak until the end of time. Insulation is a long messy project and thankfully we will not have to do it again for a long time. But the disposal - no deal - it can break anytime it wants!

Look the cabinet is clean! 

Examining the pieces... 

Hmmmm, what should I do first?

The old disposal... 

Lydia contemplating how to get in on this action! 

My Little Summer Project

I have to always have a project. So this summer I have decided that this is my project... With spending 45 minutes to an hour each session, it may take us all sumer but we are making headway! I have high hopes that by next week the front flower bed will be weed free!

Panoramic View

And The Closer Look (Take note of the palm branches!)

My Happy Helper! 

Day One

Day Two

James had not noticed all the progress that Lydia and I were making on the forest SO we put a note on the door :) 

Day Three (yes, we are making progress - something is better than nothing!)

Camping

James and his brother playing with fire. (Some things you do not want to see!)

Making sure the backpack works. 

It works!!!!!

Tried to convince them to take Lydia along for the ride, but they would not :(

I did not get a picture of the "guys" walking around outside with their backpacks on. They were soooooo excited.

Three Benefits of a 10PM Hug

(Note: Written by Lydia in the middle of the night... She stayed up all night last night writing this note - so read on.)

My peeps lay me down every night before the sun goes down. I think it is cruel but my peeps say, "if you can't be nice you have to go to bed". I admit my whining gets the best of me every night and I have to go to bed before the sun sets. BUT the last several nights I had forgotten about my 10PM hug. Last night I remembered how wonderful 10PM hugs are.

So here is how the 10PM hug goes:

1. I roll over. 
2. The house is silent and I get worried that everybody has left me. Alone in the dark and the big house. (No, they have never all left me before but there is always a first!)
3. I then cry out. When I start crying I hear noise - my peeps let me cry for a bit they say it is good for me. I am skeptical on that one. 
4. BUT after a few minutes, my mom comes in. (Sometimes she is really tired and sends dad. He is fun but he is my playmate not my cuddle friend. So I scream LOUDLY.) 
5. We rock and cuddle. I tell her my dream and assure mom that I am OK. 
6. And then she puts me back in my crib, covers me up, and goes back to bed. 

But I promised you the three benefits of 10PM hugs - so here they are (little ones - pay attention you NEED to know this!). 

• My peeps are lonely if they just go straight to sleep. Little ones - we are here to keep our peeps out of trouble! 
• My peeps need to know that I am resting comfortably. If my mom did not come into check on me, I am positive that she would just toss and turn all night not knowing if my room is the right temperature. 
• My peeps need cuddles and I am just TOO busy during the day to cuddle them properly. It is true what they say a baby's work is never done. 

I challenge you Little Ones put your own needs aside, rise up, awake promptly at 10PM, demand a hug. It is our duty, our peeps need us! 

Crawling

Do you remember the opening scene of Bambi? Bambi is just born and is starting to walk. His back legs go one direction and his front legs go the other direction.

Lydia is quickly learning all about that particular scene. Over and over and over and again. She is up to crawling a few feet at a time before falling. She is also becoming a pro about making her falls as dramatic as possible when she thinks she MAY have an audience. A fall, a quick glance for her audience, and then a dramatic Stojan moment. But do not fear if there is not an audience she continues on her merry way.

I have tried to get a picture but she is just too fast in getting out of the shot of the picture OR she sits up and poses... So I am posting a "posed" picture. Eventually I am going to figure out how to mute the camera so I can get an action shot!

17lbs and 4oz

Just got back from the doctor and our petite little one now weighs (drum roll please!) 17lbs and 4 oz.

Really thought when she was basically 10lbs at birth that we had a BIG baby but Lydia has become a petite little one.