Family Hike

For Memorial Day we went on another local adventure- this time on a family hike. We found a beautiful forest to explore, and we all had a great time traversing bridges, long staircases, and switchback hillsides... all on a three-year-old's level, of course. I got a few great pictures of Jason with the kids, and he got a few pictures of my scary face. Being the observer, not the do-er, that she is, Leah was very concerned about the whole concept of the hike. (We can hardly walk to the end of our street without Leah saying, "I can't see our house. I'm very nervous that we are going so far away from home. When are we going home?") But once we started collecting nature things in a bottle, she was all over the moss, flowers, sticks, and acorns. We even found two snail shells!
And now, weeks later, she is still chattering away about our family hike- the big river, the scary place that Mommy sat in, and her snail shells (which have found a home on her dresser).

Get Lost

One of our favorite things to do here is get lost. We drive into the middle of nowhere (which happens to be two blocks from our house) turn in a direction we've never gone before, and discover where it will take us. It's very tricky keeping track of the directions without the help of the mountains, but we have learned that we are surrounded by wooded winding roads, dark, fertile farmlands, giant wheat silos, and wind turbines. And with our trusty GPS, we are always able to make our way back home. (whew!)

Today, the kids both fell asleep within literally 3 minutes of getting in the car after church. I asked Leah if Adam had fallen asleep, and after getting no reply, turned around to see that both kids were asleep. So we decided to take a Sunday drive.

It was entirely reminiscent of the Sunday drives my parents used to force us to take as kids (complete with Cafe Baurf playing on the radio). Given that we moved to a new state about every two years, they were probably just doing the exact same thing as us- exploring new territory.

We drove for over an hour before the kids woke up, and ended up discovering a part of the countryside we never knew existed. I knew we were close to home when I pointed out "Hey! We've passed that dead raccoon before!"

Umm... if you use roadkill to identify roads you have already been down... you just might be becoming a Hoosier.

Hide and Seek

Leah gives away an otherwise perfect hiding place.

Balancing Act

I feel like I've been surrounded by answers to the question I posed about finding balance.

L. Tom Perry said in his last conference talk "Mothers Teaching in the Home"

"Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time."

I love the idea of 'one at a time'- I know I can do that.

And I've heard it before, but my mother-in-law shared that there is no more Christlike work than to care for children- feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and comforting those who stand in need of comfort.

Heaven knows I do a whole lot of that each day.

So maybe I haven't found the balance, but I have found the extra boost I needed to carry on with- and feel great about- the work I am committed to.

Deep Doctrine

Leah is very intrigued by Satan. His choices, his attitude, and the way he affects her life. I think that is a good thing, as long as she doesn't start blaming things on him.

We talk a lot about how people (especially in the scriptures) make bad choices because they let Satan into their hearts.

As we were reading about the war in heaven the other night (from the Old Testament scripture reader) Leah was trying to process why Satan had decided to disobey Heavenly Father.

She asked, "Who did Satan let into his heart?"

Good question...

And our naptime conversation today went something like this

L: I love you, Mom.

M: I love you, too.

L: But when do you not love me?

M: There is nothing that you could do that would make me not love you.

L: But who doesn't love me?

M: I can't think of anyone that doesn't love you.

L: Satan doesn't love me.

M: Well, that's true, but that's because he is miserable and he doesn't love anyone.

L: But I'm not going to let him into my heart!

That's my girl.

Family Pictures

We finally got new family pictures last weekend- our first ones with Adam.


The location was beautiful and warms my heart. We went to historic Battle Ground, Indiana, the very spot where Native American leader Tecumseh battled colonizers back in the early 1800s. Having studied 6 years of US history in Virginia, the name Tecumseh and it's pronunciation are pretty familiar to me.

But the first time Jason (who received his US history lessons solely in Colorado) saw the name he asked me,

"Who is Te-koosh-e-ma?"

Hee Hee. Gotta love the effort.


We had the pictures taken in the afternoon, and had to wake Leah up from her nap to get her ready- bad idea. How do kids always seem to know when you've got somewhere to be? Those are the days they sleep the longest!


So she was surprisingly uncooperative and we bribed her shamelessly with ice cream! vanilla! with sprinkles! I wasn't really expecting her to be so disinterested in smiling, but somehow we ended up with a few cute shots.


Mister Man couldn't sit still for very long- there was too much to explore and eat! I love all of these pictures.



As for Jason and I... we both commented on how tired and old we look. That can't be a good thing.

But this is my new favorite picture. Doesn't this look something like a wedding announcement? Leah keeps asking me, "Why is that a kissing-mom picture?"


You can check out some more favorites at our photographer's blog.

Planting the Fields

I like to joke that here in Indiana, we sit around and watch the corn grow, but yesterday, that's exactly what we did. Jason was planting some of his corn, so we stopped by the farm to check it out. Planting is highly technical these days- they use GPS to plant the seeds just right, and the main job of the PhD-seeking guys sitting on the back of this tricked-out tractor is to dump packets of seed down a funnel... or at least that's how it looked to me. Maybe Jason should be writing this post to make it sound more intelligent.Either way, the kids thought it was fantastic, and we got a taste of what Jason has been up to lately.
I think this is just about the cutest picture I've ever taken of Leah and Adam. And no, those aren't pizza boxes behind them. They are full of very specifically bred corn seeds that will make the world's most perfect corn. You'll probably eat it one day, and just think- you saw it here first!

Oobleck

Have you ever seen this stuff? We read the book today, and Leah was enthralled with the idea of making the sticky green goo. Of course, being the type that has to observe something 325 times before she is willing to try it, she was hesitant to get her hands dirty.
So I saved it and pulled it out again after dinner. I was surprised to see who was the most fascinated by the stuff-
Watching a scientist experience something he can't explain was quite entertaining.

There is something very soothing about making a giant green blobby mess on your table.
Leah eventually got really into it. Adam? Not so much.

Reach!

"I know my dinner's up there somewhere!"


The out-of-Adam's-reach safety level keeps getting higher and higher.

Brown Paper Packages

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things in my house. I don't generally try to recreate crafts or organization/decorating ideas I've seen online or in other homes, but these ideas were worth the minimal effort they required.

I made my first Etsy purchase last week. ABC flashcards!


They now double as a decoration in the playroom.


Those, along with a few maps, make the otherwise big, bare walls much more colorful and fun.


I saw this idea online, and I love it! I collect cards and notes I get throughout the year in this trifle bowl that sits in my "junk cupboard". That way, I always have happy greetings waiting for me whenever I go to pay the bills or find a coupon.


I got this idea from my mom- it's just hooks screwed into a French memo board- perfect for hanging long necklaces and bulky bracelets. Plus, everything stays tangle free. I hung this board right inside our closet, so it's out of sight.


So there! Nothing major, just a few corners of my house that make me smile.

Follow-up

My previous hopes about all of this baby weight melting away were dashed on Sunday night when Leah patted my belly and said, "I think there's another baby growing in there!"

***

I've been thinking about the etiquette of a playdate. Why do we call up other moms and say, "Leah was wondering if Sally would like to come play some time this week?"
instead of what we are really thinking, which is "If I have to sit through one more tea party and get bossed around by my 3-year old any more today, I'm going to go crazy so please send your child over to keep my child company!"

And why does Sally's mom say, "Yes, Sally would love to come and play with Leah any time you'd like!"

instead of what she is really thinking, which is "Thank heavens you called, I was about to go crazy, too!"

Is it just me?

Either way, I'm so glad that "Sally" is coming to play this week. Although I have resolved to have more structure around here, even though the kids make it so easy to just hang around in pajamas and play all day long.... not that we do that every day.


I've been inspired by these websites, and hope to have something positive to report soon!

Random Thoughts for a Rainy Afternoon

I made indoor s'mores today. They take me right back to my mom's kitchen, where we all stand around and pick out the marshmallow-est pieces while chatting. Yum.

Never say never. I swore several years ago that I'd *never* live without a dishwasher again. While we technically do have one, I'm pretty sure the dishes come out dirtier than they were when I put them in. We've been washing dishes by hand for about a month now, and haven't looked back once. (Plus, Jason prefers doing dishes by hand, and there's just something kinda sexy about a man up to his elbows in bubbles.)

I've been thinking a lot about balance lately. As in, how do I balance motherhood, housework, and me-time? How do I know when I've struck the right balance? Obviously I haven't yet, or I wouldn't keep badgering myself about it.

It has been raining A. LOT. lately. And every time it rains, I can feel my hair get a little poofier, and the carpet get a little soggier. Love the green, though.

We've been dealing with wet-the-bed issues for about a month now. I have a rank of the Worst Smells In The World, and wet-the-bed is third only to burnt eggs (No. 2) and fresh fruit rotting in a hot car (No. 1, by FAR). We've started waking Leah up to go to the bathroom before we go to bed. Another thing I said I would *never* do. But guess what? It works! Now if I could just figure out why she's having this sudden set-back...

I came across this picture (on the left) the other day... oh, how I wish I could say that I was 9 months pregnant here, but this was in 2005, when Leah wasn't even a twinkle in her daddy's eye. I am always amazed at how much weight I have gained and lost over the years without really noticing. The picture on the right was last month when I got my hair cut.

So, this picture has inspired me to try and exercise more. I love the Wii Fit Plus. I'm so sad that my weight-loss program (read: nursing) is coming to an end. That's the selfish reason, of course I'm also slightly sad that my little man is growing up so fast.

I used to run. Kind of. A mile or two on a treadmill a few times a week. I'd like to be a Runner, but for some reason I'm scared to start. I'm not sure you can mess this one up, but I am letting my fear of getting it right keep me from actually doing it.

And now, naptime is over, so this post is, too!

I'm 10 Months Old

Graham crackers taste better by the sleeve-ful. I only need one bite out of each one.

Sleep is finally my friend. I sleep at least 11 hours a night, waking up only occasionally to nurse, and love, crave, even demand a nap at 11:30 sharp!

I love to give sloppy, open-mouthed kisses.

I never met a food I didn't like. Really. Give me anything, and I'll devour it, then beg for more.

If I'm quiet, it means I'm doing something forbidden... in this case, eating toilet paper. See! I'll eat anything!

I like to pull up on everything, including my mom's pants, even if they fall down in the process.

I can stand by myself for a good 10 seconds, and I practice over and over again, usually with my tongue sticking out the side of my mouth.

I can walk while you hold my hands.

I have four teeth now- front bottom two and eye teeth (or fangs, if you will). I look like a little jack-o-lantern.

I am trying to communicate with you. I will slap your leg to get your attention, or crawl away and turn back and motion for you to "come here".

I like to bite my mom's shoulder, and when she tells me no, I just slap her in the face. When she gets sad, I just give her another one of those big sloppy kisses. Yum!

I cried a little today...

Okay, not really. As it turns out, I'm not much of a crier. I think the last time I cried was in February after a really mean person said some really mean things to me. That, and between moving across the country and just being postpartum, I cried enough in 2009 to get me through the next decade.
Today, I cut off Adam's soft, fuzzy baby hair. His stick up hair has gotten out of control lately, and I was hoping to get a little trimmed off the top so I could start styling it all cute and little boy-like.

But when I took a closer look, I realized that he had no hair in the front. He basically had a skunk-like strip of hair running from the middle of his head down the back. A toned down mowhawk, if you will.There were just a few really long pieces of baby hair hanging down toward his eyes and ears and swirling down the back of his scalp.So, once I got over my initial sadness (oh how Leah and I loved to twirl that floofy mowhawk!), I got to work and evened up his hair. And since he was encouraged to keep still with the aid of a tasty treat, he didn't seem to mind at all.And now he has a pretty darn cute little boy hair cut... or at least no more floofy skunk hair.

But still... sniff, sniff... my baby's first hair cut.

Because regular Tuesdays are just boring

Jason had some work to do in Indianapolis yesterday, and I jumped at the chance to take the kids to the children's museum on a weekday. It wasn't completely packed, the kids had a blast, and being the sucker that I am for museums, I'm sure we'll go back again soon.

One of the coolest exhibits is a 4-story high glass-blown structure that you can walk under.
Like brother, like sister. Both completely mesmerized by a really loud and really fast rendition of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.
We picked Jason up from the lab halfway around lunchtime, so the kids were able to take a nap and we were back in action! We stayed until the "End of the Day Parade"... a clever way to usher all those stubborn little kids out of the museum!
What is it about museums that makes me want to do things like this?