Feel Good Friday

Well, I haven't done one of these in a while!

*First of all, I AM feeling good today...just got over the stomach flu along with Todd and Eleanor! (Will is untouched so far. VERY glad about that!)

*Enjoyed organizing the baby shower of a very good friend, and speaking at a bridal shower.

*My brother Andrew was in town for a few days, we loved having him here! Today he was gone and Eleanor said, "I want to see Inky (meaning Uncle) Andrew!"


*Eleanor and Will are enjoying one another's company more and more, interacting rather than coexisting. It really warms my heart!


*I ate 4 chocolate cupcakes. Actually 4 1/2. I stole part of my brother's.

*Went to a church playdate

*Luther had a playmate


*Tomorrow is Todd's birthday! I am IMMEASURABLY thankful for him!!

Decoupage...etc.

So, I decided to try my hand at something "crafty" and made this little wall canvas for the new baby of a good friend. I really enjoyed doing it and I think I will make Eleanor and Will each something for their rooms as well!


Just a little before-and-after the haircut...mostly for my mom and sister!

Mommy and Eleanor had fun playing with the sidewalk chalk!

Goodbye, Ponytail

Hodgepodge Skillet

I have the book "Super Baby Food" and love it. This is one meal suggestion that is not gourmet or amazing in any way, but is sure has saved me many evenings when I haven't planned out dinner or when there's not much food left in the house! So I thought I'd share it.

Hodgepodge Skillet

In a pot or large skillet, stir in one food from each of the following four food groups:
1. 1c raw whole grain (rice, millet, etc) or pasta
2. a can of soup mixed with 1 1/2 cans milk or water
3. 1/2 c cooked beans or eggs
4. 2c cooked or raw veggies

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30-45 minutes until grains are done. I always add cheese on top of each bowl once I serve it!

Shots from daily life this week

Will likes to watch his Daddy mow! He is sad when the mower stops. Our little boy is getting bigger...and much more opinionated! I just love watching all the changes. He just cut two more teeth this past week!

We had friends over for dinner - they have 2 little girls and a baby boy - and Eleanor LOVED playing outside with them. It was fun to watch!

Fiona, Luther's new pal!
Our friends that moved last week lost their dog the night before - what worse timing, huh?! - but she was found and we are keeping her for a little while. She is so sweet and really funny and she and Luther are great buds. I have no doubt our dog will mope around the house when she is gone! Eleanor and Will are enjoying both the doggies! Will still prefers Luther and loves to climb all over him, pull on his jowels, give him hugs. Eleanor likes Fiona because she is just her size! She calls her "Fionda." Eleanor can say "Fiona" just fine, but she told us, "I like to call her FionDA!" Okay, then!

Eleanor colored this picture and told me what everything was...I labeled it all, but you can't really tell in this picture. It is all animals and food. She would say "That's a bunny. That bunny needs something to eat. A banana!" Then she would draw a banana. And so on!

Eleanor put on Todd's socks and shoes after church today. She knows she is funny!

Who doesn't like Waffle House??

My parents and Andrew came over for a couple days, and we packed in the fun! The zoo, a baseball game, and breakfast at Waffle House. Here are some photos!

One of Eleanor's dreams come true - "I want a bird to sit on my hand, Mommy!"

Will was supposed to be feeding a cracker to the giraffe...but he thought it looked too good to give away!

Eleanor and Papa watching the bears. This was really amazing; the photo of the bear absolutely does not capture the experience! The two grizzlies would swim under the water, right up to the glass we were standing next to! One of the best things at the zoo!






Now the ball game:

I just want to note that Eleanor has despised hot dogs up until this night. This night, she saw two kids behind us eating hot dogs and declared she wanted one. I was shocked! Also note that this was the latest we have ever had Eleanor out - 10:30!! She did really well, especially considering her normal bedtime is 7:00. It was so funny, she kept looking up at the sky and saying, "Mommy, it's pretty dark!" I hadn't really realized that in the summer she never sees the dark!

AND Waffle House...always fun, and always funny! If you've ever been, you know what I mean!

Haircuts!

A friend from church came over today and gave Eleanor and Will haircuts! It was William's first. Now I am wondering if it is time for a change for me as well, or do I say "long live the eternal ponytail"?!

Will Before

Will After

Eleanor After, Front

Eleanor After, Back

Aren't they beautiful?!

Goodbye, Friends!

Good friends of ours are in the military and are moving tomorrow...it is hard to see them go. We are thankful to God for the time we have had with them! When we met three years ago we were all kid-less, at a baseball game, hanging out til late at night drinking coffee roasted in our garage. It has been neat to go through big life changes together over the past few years. Their little girl came over to play this week....she has a hard name to say and Eleanor tried a couple times, said "That's kinda hard," and resorted to calling her "that guy" for the rest of the morning. It was very funny!

A Wordless Wednesday for You

*Photos courtesy Scott Faris...like many of the pics in the slide shows!

Pals

Little Fishies

Yes, Will HATED our first day at swim lessons. But he LOVED our next two times!! He laughed, splashed, and kicked like crazy. His favorite thing was sitting on the side of the pool and hurling himself in when we said "1-2-3...JUMP!" Our last day he watched Todd blowing bubbles and imitated him!




Eleanor learned how to blow bubbles through a straw, and can jump in without holding on to our hands! Here she is holding her little certificate for completing swim class.




My mom came to town for a couple of days and got to see the kiddos swim.

My Kids Today

Will started climbing the stairs! His favorite place to pull to standing is still the dangerous place...the bathtub! Eleanor pulls her little broom around and he loves to chase her. She gets a kick out of it. He also likes to pull her hair, which is not scoring points with sister!

I asked Eleanor when she will be big enough to go poo-poo in the toilet instead of in her underwear at nap time. She said, "Maybe when I three." This mommy thinks TWO will be just fine! She heard me say "Denver" as I was talking to my mom today and she said, "Mommy, I want some Denver!"

They are pretty cute.