The sky is gray and white and cloudy

Just Jessica opened a discussion on clouds and offered her lovely CA beach clouds. Little Spouse on the Praire presented these beauties.

I have some archival cloud pictures taken last summer. The kids and I met Eric out for dinner - at Olive Garden- the day before I was heading to my parents for my annual summer trip. We were eating out because the kitchen was completely packed up, ready for demolition and remodeling. As we left dinner, these clouds were in the sky and I happened to have my camera and took these stormy pictures.

Here are thunderous clouds. Be sure to check out the monstrous cloud next to clear skies. The only clouds I do not like are those with the pea-green/moldy gray color that screams bad storms with a hint of tornado.

A conversation . . . .

. . . . from across the hallway.

Early morning, just at the moment of everyone awaking.

Norah says in her crib, heard by us in our bed:
"Mo-mmy"

"Mo-mmy"

Mommy's response:
"Nor-ah"

Norah replies:
"Da-ddy"

She is repeating new words everyday and is quite the chatterbox. She does not stop babbling from the moment she wakes up until she takes a nap. We love her little voice. It's actually not so little! She's loud, persistent, and just babbly. Nothing like Simon, I can now say he NEVER babbled!

Some of her spontaneous words:
uh oh = which she frequently chants non-stop
di dow = sit down
dow = down
hi
hewo = hello
mil = milk
blah-blah-blah-na = banana (every morning this 5-10 syllable something comes spilling out of her mouth in an attempt to ask for a banana)
bee-bee = baby (pretty much everything is a baby)
Da-ddy (pretty much everyone is Da-ddy)
Mo-mmy
My-mee = Simon
no or doh = no
pee-boo = peek a boo
pee wee = piggy wiggies (a.k.a. toes)
bye bye
dee = eat
bear - with a very prolonged vowel, and more of a w than an r
boo = book
duh = done
car - with a very prolonged vowel, and more of a w than an r
go

Words she repeats but does not use on her own:
mah ma = Grandma
wuh you = I love you
dowy = doggy
woo woo = woof woof
saw-wee = sorry (after her time-outs are over, she repeats and signs "sorry", then we forgive her, say "I love you", and kiss her)
cacker = cracker
goo goow = good girl

She is getting close to imitating and attempting to say EVERYTHING we say! Language acquisition is sooooo much fun to listen to! We laugh so often at the sounds, babbles, and word attempts that come out of her mouth. She just about has enough single words to start putting two words together -phrases here we come!

Her understanding of what we say is incredible!

Simon fell and bumped his head quite hard. He was upset and cried hard for awhile, in the family room. We asked Norah to go get Simon's blanket and give it to him. She booked it across the house to their bedroom, came right back with star blanket in tow, and handed it right to Simon. We asked Simon if he needed anything else and he asked for his baby. We asked Norah to go get Simon's baby and give it to him. She was gone longer this time, and came back with the book "Oh David", which is a book about a baby. She amazed us!

Pretending, Mommy Style

My friend K recently had me in stitches with her latest post. Here are a few things I pretend that happen every day:

I pretend that I am showering alone without interruption or conversation.

I pretend that I can go to the bathroom without a little person barging in on me or shrieks-yells-screams-bonks-uh ohs heard from the other side of the door.

I pretend that I can finish a cup of coffee while sitting at the table.

I pretend that once I sit down to eat a meal, I will not get back up until it is over.

I pretend that I can eat half of a grapefruit and drink the squeezed juice by myself.

I pretend that any task doesn't take 3 times as long as it should.

And today, while doing 30-day-shred (a.k.a. 20 minute grunt), I pretended a 4 year old was not crawling under my legs and a 1 year old was not sitting on my belly as I did crazy hard abs!

But, in just a few short years, I will miss all of this little monkey activity from my itty-bitties! So, pretending will be just fine for now!

Grandma Here, Grandma There,

Grandmas in our prayers everywhere!

Simon prays every night:

"God bless Grandma's left leg."

"God bless Grandma."

A Weekend With Grandma and Grandpa

Not In Every Color

There has been a lot of talk about One in Every Color by Just Jessica and Live a Colorful Life. I have for a long time enjoyed people watching and nit-picking the details. Perhaps these bloggers' "colorful" discussions have heightened my sense of color.

I had a discussion in my head the other day at the pool of all places. I could not help but notice how much brown I saw in swimsuits. To me, brown is plain and drab and boring. I did not mind the brown with turquoise or brown with pink. And then I noticed that Simon's suit is brown with plenty of white and blue in the Hawaiin inspired print. Cheery, bright, summery and not drab. Another point made in my thoughts was that black suits are slimming. What's the difference between dark black (definitely not a summery color) and drab brown? Is brown the new black? If so, not for me. No thank you, not on swimwear. I see enough brown from mid-October all the way until late April/May that I do not want to see "midwestern brown blah" in the summer months. For those of you unfamiliar with "midwestern brown blah", it is the color you see on cold/bitter gray days, looking at trees with no leaves, and when the snow is no longer fresh and bright. Unfortunately it is also the color of my hair minus the summer-kissed highlights:(

So swimsuits are not good in every color, at least for me! The color of my swimsuit - navy bottom with a geometric patterned top in red, pink, and white. How about you?

Art Show in Gallery Four

Welcome to Gallery Four in the kitchen showcasing Simon's projects from his first year in preschool. I displayed his "artwork" for his birthday party and loved how it all came together. I perhaps will be doing this each year . . . hmmm

The top picture is his self portrait in the beginning of the year. The second picture is his self portrait at the end of the year. The bottom picture is my Mother's Day gift.

We call this his animal display.

More project fun!

Marble paintings.

This is my favorite collection. Four projects assembled into one scene. My favorite is the tree painting; I might frame that one.

The picture on the right is one of his very first preschool creations.

Fun paper plate projects. I thought the "sneeze" was quite clever during germ week. There is a tissue glued behind the blue hands on the paper plate face.

Four The Fun Of It - Family Party

We had Eric's family over for Simon's fourth birthday party on July 18th. We had a lovely day. Nice and cool with just a few raindrops to chase us inside. This first picture is Uncle Gordon with beloved nephews and niece.

I now set up the kids table and watch the fun!

The requested white cake with white frosting and no candies! His number four cake. Since Daddy tells the story of The Blue Frog and we had just seen a blue frog at the zoo, we made blue frogs to decorate his cake!

Grandpa loves playing with the kiddos!

Simon and cousins waiting to sing!

After dinner and cake the little girls were ready to take a walk around the block. Notice how they are wearing coats on July 18th!

The boys having fun in the backyard.

Norah on Simon's scooter.

A firepit rounded out the evening. From left to right, Christina, Uncle Craig's legs, Jessica, Simon, and Nathaniel. Such a lovely time!

A Circle Tour

Our Circle Tour began the weekend of July 4th we spent at Eric's family reunion in New Sharon, Iowa. Somehow during that cool, rainy weekend I did not take very many pictures. The circle tour continued with our drive to MN to visit my parents and have some summer fun. There we took more pictures. Enjoy!

Captured Fun

My friend Kelli was in the area and stopped by for a visist with her little guy, Ian! We had a great time and it is always wonderful to see them!

An indoor picnic. Somehow this day's plans were cancelled or it rained so we moved our "picmic" lunch inside. Norah started on the picnic blanket but was quickly moved to her seat at the table.

My little sweetie, taking care of Simon's doll.

Where both of my little ones watch whatever is in the oven. This time it was Simon's birthday cake. (The family party to be posted soon - whew, I'm almost caught up!)

Splash Park fun! I love, love, love the splash park with 2 kids. It is easier and less worrisome than a pool. They get to wander a bit more and play as they please!

Norah sat herself in her doll stroller (b-day gift from Grandma and she L.O.V.E.S. it! She plays with it every day.) Simon was eager to buckle her in and take her for a walk.

A Ravinia Anniversary

This past Saturday we enjoyed an evening at the Ravinia Festival. I signed up for the adult reading program at the library, to show Simon that I read too. Just for signing up, I received 2 free tickets to Ravinia. My selection was dates when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was performing, and I chose one near our anniversary. Never mind that I used my book tracking ticket as a bookmark and proceeded to lose the library book. I have never lost a library book, until now. I never recorded or entered books in my reading program. Still, I had the tickets and off we went. Great friends of ours graciously took our children for not just the evening, but a sleepover! So fantastic. Not sure I could be without my kiddos for too long. I missed the little pitter-pats in the morning. That is after sleeping in a bit!

Our picnic was fantastic and included:

• shrimp and fantastic, homemade cocktail sauce (highly recommended)
• crackers and mascarpone cheese mixed with fresh garden herbs
• my grape-chicken pasta salad
• mini-croissants
• chocolate chip cookies
• Pinot Noir and a Pinot Grigio
• coffee

Garden Growth

We are all amazed at how great our garden looks and is growing! Eric's designs of the fence are fantastic at keeping critters out and looking great! Simon knows what is growing in all the rows and will quickly give any willing neighbor or passerby a tour. We have enjoyed green beans, lettuce, green onions, a cucumber, and plenty of herbs.
The lattice pictured here allows for our cucumbers to climb.

Simon loved looking at the tassles growing in the middle and is now watching the cobs get bigger.

Where's Waldo?

Father's Day we enjoyed the classic car show at Oakbrook. We dreamed and decided that someday, perhaps, we would purchase an old car to enjoy. Just dreaming. . .

But look at this happy boy

And these two special people . . .

And these two classic bikes that got me thinking. How about riding a classic on a summer evening to go get an ice cream treat?

And the fact that my Dad came by train to our house the Friday before Father's Day. That night a little boy watched Grandpa build his bike. After breakfast the next day, we said good-bye and happy trails as he headed towards St. Paul, MN by bike. (The Saturday before Father's Day)

But on Father's Day, we spotted this man at the classic car show? So, Dad, where were you really?

Last Day in June

Or Simon's birthday. Somehow I am very behind in pictures. Here is the first "catch up" post. I will not include all incredible moments, but some just need to be documented. Such as my little boy's birthday!

Presents to open.

Lego love at first sight.

First creation.

Four candles

Asleep with owl in arms and the nest with birdies at the end of the bed.

Flying high!

A few nights later, Simon declares at 4:00 that he will have a sleep-over. He set up his pillow, blanket and set owl and his birdies on the ledge. Bedtime came and he put himself to sleep in his sleep-over location until the next morning!