Finding Joy in the Journey: Fun With Chalk!

It's easy to get bogged down in the monotony of the everyday things. Don't you think?

I'm not sure why, but this last time we played with outdoor chalk was especially enchanting.

Maybe it was all the color:

Maybe it was Jane's vigor--I don't know why she won't smile for a picture any more, but she really was happy!

Maybe it was the realization that Jane's drawings are becoming recognizable.

"Look, Mom! It's Yeti's footprint!"

Maybe it was Charlie doing what he always does.

He doesn't usually draw. If there is any water, he gets a piece of chalk and colors it. The chalk gets all mushy and soft. I assume he's learning something, I just know what!

Maybe it was Tommy's excitement for the whole thing. He doesn't draw, either. He tries to eat it instead.

I think it was probably the FUN we had in such simplicity,

and in being together.

Whatever it was, I'm thankful for small reminders that life is good.

Rejuvenation: To make feel or seem young again.

Webster's New World Dictionary

Are you feeling hampered by life?

Are you tired of the endless piles of laundry?

(No pun intended)

Are you wondering WHY the ONLY time your living room is ever void of toys is right before you vacuum?

Is your kitchen sink looking like a waste dump?

Do you wake up Monday morning wondering WHERE all the MESS came from in so little time?

Does the thought that you haven't done anything FUN in a while make your face look like this:

?

If any (or all) of these questions fits you, then we have the cure!

Come to our Southern Beach!

It's where the smiles are endless:

Where the water is refreshing:

Where you look at the on coming trouble and laugh at it:

Where the only thing you run from is the waves...and then, only if you want to!

Where the sand is an endless supply of fun:

We promise you'll leave here feeling YOUNG again,

even if a bit...er...GRITTY.

And if you don't feel young again,

It's our guarantee that you'll be tuckered out and feeling so comatose, you'll forget all your problems. Long enough to get in a good nap.

And we all know that EVERYTHING looks better after a nap.

**Disclaimer: Not responsible for sunburn. Sunblock, people. Sunblock.

Rainbow Cookies and Humidity

We had a weekend of pure awesomeness. That's right. AWESOMENESS.

Firstly, I found a recipe for Rainbow Cookies at THIS BLOG SITE.

"NO WAY! We get to play with the cookie dough?"

It looks like playdough, doesn't it? Thanks to Wilton's Food Coloring Paste. That stuff is amazing!

Can this be? It's a picture of...You guessed it! BART!

Aren't you impressed? The caterpillar is Jane's. I failed to take a picture of Charlie's awesome cookie. He took all four colors and blended them to make black. That's how he paints, too.

THEN~

My AWESOME sister, Mary Mooney, and her AWESOME husband, The Farmer, came to spend some time with us. (OK, OK, technically, The Farmer came to see us last weekend, too, and some of the following pictures are from then. But we're not keeping that kind of track, OK? It was ALL AWESOME!)

We went the the Museum of Life and Science and had a blast...despite the humidity. (We. almost. died.)

Steering Sailboats:

I just noticed Mary Mooney's leg is over The Farmer's leg in this picture. Gross. ;)

MORE COWBELL!

Spraying ourselves with water.

This little guy landed on my neck. I've never had a butterfly land on me before. I felt pretty neat.

The following are from last weekend. It was also AWESOME.

Oh, yeah. Meet The Farmer. We like him.

Charlie is bonding with The Giving Tree.

Awwww... And when I say, "Awwww..." I mean...

AWESOME!

Oh, Jillian...

How I love to hate you...

And just so I don't worry anyone out there, I am not trying to lose 20 pounds.

5 might be nice. But I have absolutely no muscle and have lost the endurance I used to have. I'm turning to Jillian for those reasons.

Our Sunday Best

What do you do when your girl is THIS CUTE?

We're going to have to lock her up, don't you think?

(She wore sponge curlers in her hair)

The Girlies of the family:

And the cute kiddos.

If you don't appreciate these photos, then you don't know how hard it is to get Charlie to pose for a picture. Usually he runs away.

Also, I love that Charlie is holding toast.

Why is it we never get a picture of Bart?

I guess we were just trying to be on time for church and I didn't think to get a BOYS picture. Next time, Bart.

Next time.

Tommy

I realize I've not said much about our sweet little TOMMY.

SO...(in my big Megaphone voice)

Weighing in at 21 1/2 pounds,

29 1/2 inches long, we give you

TOMMY

at 9 months (almost)

And the crowd goes wild!

I'n't he CUTE?!

Likes:

• Rides in the stroller. He used to hold his feet straight out the entire time we walked unless he was asleep. Now he kicks his legs in a nonchalant way.
• REAL food. He'll eat baby food if I force it, but only because he loves food too much to say no.
• The bathtub.
• The bathroom. This a recent development. If the door is open, if the light is on (one or the other or both) it's like a tractor beam pulling him in. If the light is on and the door is closed he'll lay in front of the door and stick his hands beneath it trying his hardest to GET IN THERE. And, of course, once in he heads straight for the toilet. Boys.
• A good joke. If someone is laughing, he laughs too. Sometimes he tells his own and starts laughing. If you don't laugh with him, he waits for you to look his way and then starts up again.
• Charlie and Jane. He waits for them when they're gone. He follows them when they're around.
• Reading books.
• Eating books.
• Rummaging for food beneath the table. (Who needs a dog?) Have I mentioned this kid loves to eat?
• Being in the middle of...well, EVERYTHING. (And that's the way we like it!)
• Music and dancing. If there's a beat, he be-bops!

Dislikes:

• A diaper change.
• When Mommy leaves.
• Macaroni Summer Salad (the one food he actually gags on).

Tommy really doesn't complain much. He's just a "chill" kiddo. The normal "separation anxiety" junk is starting to set in...or else I'm am just an OUTSTANDING mother who he can't BARE to let out of his sight. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it.

I have a feeling This boy is going to keep us on our toes. He's always moving, always into something, and I'm sure there are days ahead where I will wonder if the insanity will stop. Oh, who am I kidding? In this house, I already wonder that!

But Tommy's a darling boy. And we love him.

Sleeping Clothes

One of the things I love about being a mom is seeing how kids' minds work. I can visualize the cogs and wheels in their little heads turning and putting things together, making the world work.

A conversation tonight:

Jane: "Mom, you're shirt is funny! It is LONG like a dress!"

Anne: "That's because I sleep in it. It's called a night shirt."

Jane: "A night shirt?!" *giggle* "That's silly. I wear wake-up dresses."

It makes me wonder exactly what a "wake-up" dress is. She has dresses she wears to play in and her nice church dresses. So, was she picturing me running around the park or sitting in sacrament meeting in my night shirt?

This is the stuff dreams are made of. Bad dreams.

P.S. As my friend so kindly pointed out, the last time I went two months without posting something, I was pregnant. Let me assure you, this is NOT the case. Call it laziness (most likely), busy mom (I guess), or what you will. Just not a bun in the oven.