Right Now...

...my coffee mug tells it like it is...

...but she is so worth it!

Happy 2 months 'Munchkin'!

On the Go

Phew!  What a busy summer we have been having.  I thought, with a baby, we wouldn't be getting out all that much to enjoy the heat.  I didn't realize that, with your second, you just keep on truckin' like nothing changed.  Our days have been jam packed with parties, play dates, church and day trips.  And it just keeps on coming.  'The Hubs' and I were laughing the other day when we looked at our schedules because we are booked every weekend through...NOVEMBER!  Maybe Santa will bring me some rest for Christmas.

This weekend started off kid free (thanks, Mom and Steve) when we blasted to the past for my friend Erica's 80's themed 30th birthday party.  Give a girl a reason to play dress up.  I dare ya!

I Love the 80's!

The girls. 

How is it possible that stores are currently selling this stuff.  It was a mistake then and an even bigger mistake now.  Oy vey!  Maybe I can find a junior high schooler who might want to take my $3 shirt off my hands.

Anyway, it was a totally rad party (I swear that I used that saying at least five times a day back then.  And by back then I mean 1989 because I was pretty young for most of that decade.)  Thanks Erica, for the jello shots and Pretty in Pink spiked punch.  You sure do know how to get a girl compromised in about an hour flat.

After sleeping in the next morning until (gasp) 8, the fam headed off to the Farmer's Market.  We arrived a half an hour before they closed (because that's how we roll) and found it to be way too hot to walk around for that long.  We got some fruit and kettle corn and jammed faster than you can say farm fresh eggs (which was why I wanted to go in the first place and, of course, I forgot to buy them).

We napped a bit in the afternoon and then headed to a BBQ at our friends Marcella and Kevin's.  I kind of wanted to stay home because I was already beat but, I hadn't seen them in a while and I wanted to chat with Marcella about some upcoming church stuff.  Plus it was super hot and...

...they have a pool!

Boys...'nuff said.

'Munchkin' trying to beat the heat.

I'm so glad we went because 'The Hubs' got to meet up with some old high school buddies and I met their wives, two of which also have little boys about to turn 3 and just had little girls.

Ended the night with a game of Scrabble.  If you new how much 'The Hubs' loathes games, you would understand the need for such documentation.  It may very well be another year or so before I can talk him into taking on the champion again.  Yeah...I kick some Scrabble booty.

J: 169, M:263

I suppose gloating with this picture and pointing out my triple word scores (all mine) won't get him to play with me again anytime soon. 
Sunday, we headed to the beach for the first time this summer.  We thought it would be a great way to beat the inland heat, forecasted at 100 degrees...ugh!  We were right.  It was a cool 69 degrees when we arrived in Encinitas and the sun never peeked out of the clouds to say hello.  Perfect beach day, I say.

'Munchkin' donning her first beach hat.

As soon as we got there, the boys started on digging the first of many holes.   Why, exactly, do kids L-O-V-E a hole on the beach so much?  I remember having this fascination but can't remember why.

The tide moved in pretty quickly.  That's what happens when you don't get to the beach until noon.

I remember when the ocean water made him scream bloody murder.  He was cool as a cucumber even thought the water was fah-reezing!

This hole turned into more of a boat.  Note the huge garden shovel.  Last year they dug with a plastic kiddie shovel.  Lesson learned.

This is Jason.  He made friends with 'The Boy'.  We sort of adopted him for a while.  God knows where his parents were.

What to do with this seaweed?  Jump rope, of course!

Gigi and her sleeping girl.  Nothing like the sound of the waves crashing on the shore to get your baby to sleep the afternoon away.

'Munckins' napping place.  UPF 50, thanyouverymuch.

Guy talk.  Wonder what they are discussing? 

Kisses from my bud. 

Note to Devon:  I did not curl my hair to go to the beach.  I'm pretty sure I didn't even brush it that morning.  It is leftover from the night before.  The joys of having a baby.

What's funnier than watching 3 adults try to put away a baby beach tent?  Hearing my mom read off the directions in Spanish using her Antonio Banderas perfect accent.  Did I help?  Nope.  Just laughed.

We raced home so that we could have dinner with my brother, Mikey and his new girlfriend, Lisa.  First time we got to meet her and she was lovely.  I hope that mentioning it doesn't jinx things.  We were so beat that the camera didn't make it out that night. 

Oh, weekend.  You entertained us and exhausted us all at the same time.  Another one on the horizon.  We're ready.

Bedtime

Some days I look forward to this all day.  After a busy day with the crazies littles, I love that time after baths when we start to unwind.  We gather on the floor in 'The Boy's' room for story time and sing lullabies to drowsy eyes.  Most nights, we get visits from little feet several times for "fresh water", ghost extermination, and even for an extra hug and kiss.  I love our little routine, even when I'm exhausted and don't really feel like singing 'Hush Little Tyler' "just one more time, pleeeeez!"

'Munchkin', makes her entrance.  Nice ride, girlfriend.

Love her unamused face.  I fear that this boy torture is for a lifetime, my girl.

Sleepy eyes meet an the lingering bits of the days energy.  The eyes always win though the he fights it to the death.

My loves, sitting on my ugly carpet.  Someday, I will long for these days but will look at my white, unstained carpets and feel a little bit of joy that the littles no longer spit up and spill juice on the floors.

Thank you, Uncle Michael, for our new friend.  This turtle is 'The Boy's' new nightlight and now he sleeps in the starry dark.

 Stories.  Can't always make everyone happy.

Our stars.

The day is done and the moon has come.  Sleep tight, my littles, 'till you see the sun.

Slipin' and a Slidin'

It seems that all we have done in the past few weeks is go, go, go, trying to keep our littles busy as they soak up every drop of the season.  This weekend, we tried to soak up their sweetness as they did what they do best...being littles. 

We introduced 'The Boy' to one of my favorite summertime toys...the slip 'n' slide.  I love how his laughter at the simplest things get us going and, for a moment, we feel like kids again. 

Case in point.

There wasn't so much slippin' or slidin' as there was skippin' and...

...belly floppin'!

I'm not exactly sure which boy was having more fun.  Still not fully understanding the whole 'boys will be boys' thing.

Here...

...he...

                                                                                     ...comes!

Poor little eye, all banged up and bruised.  This was the result of a tiny person running into the glass dining room table at full speed.  The tears from that impact didn't last long but the memory stuck on his face for a week.

I cannot even put into words what my heart feels when I see this smile.

He laughed through every skip, flop, crash and burn.

Little flop stung belly.

These boys were cracking up for hours and I wasn't sure they would ever tire. I prayed there would be a three hour snooze for the littlest one at the tail of it all.  There was.  I think the big one took a snooze, too.

I am, as usual, totally out of the picture but the biggest part of the picture being the memory keeper.  On this day, I too, was laughing with my head tilted all the way back and so happy that I was given the chance to make our giggles freeze in time.

And all the while, our littlest little slept the sunshine away as if to say, 'silly brother, slow down and enjoy the little things'.  Like a first morning nap on the back patio.  Point taken, munchkin.  That morning, we drank the little things in.  Gulped, even.  And then back to busy we went with the summer escaping us faster and faster.