Veggie Tales, Day 1

This turn-your-lawn-into-a-veggie-garden thing is more work than I thought. But the kids really dig it, so I guess can, too. We spent many hours playing in dirt this week. Buby ~ true to self ~ stayed oddly clean. Not an ounce of brown under his fingernails. He spent most of his outdoor time transporting grubs from one end of lawn to the other with his spade {sorry Tom--he called them his "little buddies" and insisted on finding new homes for them}. It was sweet.



Bleu ~ true to self ~ was a muddied mess head to toe. She very much enjoyed squatting in the dirt, rubbing it into her scalp, and even tried eating it once or twice. I wiped her tongue and explained why we don't eat dirt... or rocks.



Each day Buby + I snapped a few shots to document the making of his first vegetable garden. Here is Day 1.














Buby has taken an interest in photography lately.

She goes up and down all by herself now. It's awesome!

~ Things I Love ~ Thursday

I get ready in less than 5 minutes, and usually with a baby on my hip. Sometimes that means just a dab of undereye concealer and some blush to appear as though I got more than 3 hours of sleep. But I do love my lil' cosmetic bag. Here's what's inside right now:

• Physician's Formula Organic Wear pressed powder in Creamy Natural
• Lancome Paris Effacernes Waterproof undereye cream in Porcelain
• Clinique Supermoisture makeup in Fair
• Clinique Fresh Bloom allover color in Almond Blossom
• Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express mascara in Glam Brown
• Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Champagne

For the Love of Pork

Bleu attended her first authentic pig roast last Sunday... between thunderstorms. It was hosted by our coffee shop guy and the awesome chef girl across the street. Everyone brought a plate. My Sweets grilled pineapple and paired it with mint + strawberries. Yum!


Buby went to town on the watermelon and then spent an hour riding his tricycle through the mountainous mud puddles and back. Bleu befriended a 15-month-old with a shiny pink cell phone {because she had a shiny pink cell phone} until she caught wind of my mile high pile of pulled pork. She became obsessed! Tom + I were in stitches. I fear we caused a scene.

Give Her An Inch

And she takes a mile.

XOXO

Photo with Grandma DJ taken Sunday, May 24, 2009.

The Great Escape

Saturday night My Sweets kidnapped me to this beautiful place in the mountains. It was our first real dinner date in a while, and {as usual} I had no idea where he was taking me. I wore my "Snoopy" boots and a pretty fabric flower in my hair.


The woodsy air was fresh. The hour-long motorcycle ride empowering. The gardens fragrant. The atmosphere laid back. The food decadent. The lil' red birds distracting. The conversation inspiring. The fireside chat a bit flirty. The sunset an electrifying shade of pink. The ride home freezing at times but worth every second.


It was such a treat to have a few hours alone with My Sweets. We go out to eat, but we are usually a party of 4. We've learned to hit nicer restaurants before the crowds. We go prepared with sippy cups, waters and healthy snacks. Buby has been fine dining with us since he was born, and both kiddos are so well behaved that we {mostly} enjoy taking them everywhere.


That said, I know My Sweets would love to kidnap me more often. He's always trying to get me on the bike, which I love. BUT we live 5 hours from family and just haven't connected with any awesome babysitters since Bleu was born. Our few local friends have their own hectic schedules + wee ones to chase after. When we visit Family Land we sometimes have Grandma DJ put Buby to bed while we sneak out, but Bleu has always come with. When family stays with us, we often put one or both kids to bed ourselves and then slip out for a bite within walking distance of the house.


Honestly, I just stink at the separation anxiety thing. I had no idea before becoming a mom that it would be so hard to leave them with other people. And since both Buby + Bleu breastfed the first year, we're sort of connected at the nip during that time. I'm cool with it. My Sweets is cool with it. Bleu is especially cool with it, since she hasn't expressed any interest in weaning yet. {We're so close, and I wouldn't trade that for all the freedom in the world. Babies are teeny for such a short time.} She screamed bloody murder when I walked out the kitchen door on Saturday, but within 5 minutes Grandma had her up in the playroom window smiling + laughing goodbye with her brother. It set my mind at ease.


By the way, riding through the mountains on a Harley... at sunset... with the man of your dreams... there's nothing like it. The Catskills are an incredible sight. Whenever Tom + I are out gallivanting on the bike I feel 16 again... with the guy who turned his engine off down the block so my parents wouldn't know he was picking me up on a Crotch Rocket.


When we got within a mile of our house I proposed we finally break in that babysitter whose number I've been sitting on. She's a senior in high school, and we know her from our coffee shop. We can start slow, like lunch in the village. We'd love to plan on a bike date every other weekend this summer though.

Bend It Like

Or not. This is the most I saw him go after the ball all day. He spent the majority of soccer practice kicking lawn clippings around and having a jolly ole time. In his own world.

Bleu + Grandma DJ hang on the sidelines.

Friday Night Fishing

All photos taken May 22, 2009.

Photo Gallery: Sub Sharing

Friday evening we took the Jeep into the mountains and ate dinner on a rock. Bleu has never had a real sandwich, but she wanted Buby's turkey + provolone in the worst way!

i heart

Trips to the park. Me walking. Bleu strolling. Buby tricycling. Spontaneous conversation. Food + drink. Happy gasps and ear piercing squeals. Instant and one-day-only friendships. Unexpected firsts.



Buby's insistence on dressing himself. His affinity for hats, cardigans, glasses and boots. The boots! Honestly, he has pretty good style, albeit not always weather appropriate. Case in point: A sweater vest in 80+ degrees. I did finally talk him out of it about halfway home.












Bleu standing with her hands on her hips. It's her signature stance these days.



The babes believing she can do anything the big kid can do. Bleu is smack in the age of imitation, which is really fun for us. Most of the time she couldn't care less if she's younger + shorter than Buby.



Watching them play together. I waited and waited {sort of impatiently} for them to get there, and then one day they did. As promised. Buby loves to make his sister laugh out loud. He considers it his chief responsibility. That and watering the plants. It's a very important job, and no one else can do it.

Gestures like this one. They reduce me to mush. 97% of the time he is at her beck + call. {3% is reserved for neccessary torture, which I am beginning to accept.}

She flings her sippy cup and he races to get it. She tosses her hat and he gently places it back on, reminding her that it will protect her peach fuzz from the sun. She stumbles over her own two feet and he helps her up. She wakes from her nap crying and he is first in line to dole out afternoon kisses.

Memorial Day Weekend

• We had Tom for 4 straight days.
• It was supposed to rain but never did.
• We planted flowers.
• The Jeep top came off.
• The boys fly fished in a river.
• Us girls got our feet wet.
• We all walked a pretty path.
• Buby played soccer Saturday morning.
• Grandma DJ flew in to see it.
• Buby was more into kicking hay than kicking the ball.
• We opened the pool for the season.
• Tom made me eggs + banana-chocolate chip pancakes.
• We watched a parade go right by our house.
• I fell asleep an hour into Benjamin Button.
• Buby had his annual patriotic Popsicle from the neighbor.
• I was kidnapped for a romantic dinner on the motorcycle.
• We sat by a fire + saw the sky turn pink.
• Bleu survived a few hours without me.
• Buby returned 8 books and checked out 9 more.
• We read Dumbo at least 1,001 times.
• Grandma snuck in some quality time with the kids.
• We went to church and to a pig roast.
• I did laundry + vacuumed.
• Tom installed 3/4 air conditioners.
• We broke ground on Buby's first vegetable garden.
• I cooked some of our summer favorites.
• We met friends for ice cream.