One Messy Morning

Moments over Pie

{Via an email shared with a friend hosting a photography challenge}

Today I asked Alekzander what he wanted to do during Anderson's morning nap.  Create an art project or cook something?  He decided that he wanted to cook something.  My original thought was to bake bread.  He wanted to make pasta ("Just boil water and add the noodles, Mama") or blueberry bread, but instead we found a recipe for strawberry-rhubarb pie in this month's Food Network Magazine.  I had never made a pie from scratch, but I thought it would be fun to tackle with my littler helper.  

We followed the recipe precisely, and while cutting the butter into the flour - hoping for pea-sized pieces in our flour mixture - we had conversations like:

A: "When is it going to turn green?"  

Me: "When is what going to turn green?" 

A: "The butter silly! It has to turn into a pea."

Me:  "Stop eating the flour."

A's favorite line as of late :: "I just can't keep my hands out of it, it's so good!"

A:  "Are we done yet? Can we eat it?"

The prescribed thirty minutes to chill the pie crust ticked by, and a curious, impatient little boy wanted to check the refrigerator to see if "the dough rised" almost every 5 minutes. Life happened and 30 minutes turned into 2 hours, and eventually {after feeding Anderson, running to the grocery store, playing with the neighbor's dog, eating lunch, reading books, cleaning the kitchen} we got back to our pie and started rolling out the crust, filling the pie pan, licking our fingers, washing our hands, and weaving the crust.  And somewhere along the way, there was also a lot of tasting the raw crust - loose flour and all.  Sneaking food is naughty in our house, but sometimes when you are four and you are caught, it is cute. 

Shoes and Baby Fashion

I am not the most fashion forward person myself

and probably also break all sorts of baby fashion rules.

PJs til noon, certainly.

Shoes without socks, of course.

Collared button-up onesie with no pants, why not!

Especially when you are a cool, handsome baby

and have some cute fake Converse shoes on for the first time.

Boys on the Farm

I think my little boys were born to be country boys.

Alekzander loves to run, but running through a field of winter wheat?!

Pure bliss for that kid!

Anderson was in his own happy place :: rocking out to the music.

He even had many fans on the farm.  

Who can resist smiling at a little baby booty shaking and head bobbing?

We all had so much fun out on the farm

for the Mudbugs and Music for Maddie celebration.

We cannot wait to go back.

Lights in the Sky

Without a doubt, we were in God's Country :: Marshville, NC.

It took us a while to get there, but once we arrived,

it was clear that this bittersweet celebration

was made more beautiful by the work of God's hand. 

Carolina blue skies, fields of wheat, friendly faces ...

all gathered to remember the life of the dark eyed,

smiling sweetheart whom everyone loved

at the second annual Mudbugs and Music for Maddie.

{Maddie's beautiful mama and my sweet boys.}

So thankful to know her!

Just before dark, lanterns floated up into the sky.

A send-off of love to Maddie Grace.

Anderson Maddox and I were back at the car on the other side of the field

when Andrew called to tell me to look up in the sky.

I stopped feeding my sweet babe and got out of the car,

snuggled him in his pajamas, and had a nice private cry.

While I would have loved to lift up a lantern for Maddie,

I quickly realized I was in the perfect place.

Removed from the crowd, with my favorite ten-month old

named after my favorite student, tears could flow.

The view was amazing; the sentiment - stinging.

Lights in the sky for a life too short.

Love spread far and wide reaching to the heavens.

Ten Months

 Precious boy.

Ten months old ... that's two away from twelve!

Things are happening fast around here.

An emphatic "ba" was his favorite word last month.

This month "ma ma" "mum mum" and "da da"

and some guttural vowel sounds are now

are top of the list!

Anderson is fast, fast, fast.

When on a mission to get a ball or chase Brother,

he can move from one side of the house to another

in the blink of an eye.

He pulls up on anything to get into everything.

A new favorite game is to empty any box or container

by forcefully throwing out all objects.

The outside of the refrigerator door is cleared off of its magnets daily.

Puzzles are dumped and pieces strewn across the floor. 

Cheerios, avocado, curry peas, and bananas {all favorites} 

are flung far off the highchair tray when he is full or bored; and

those messy hands that independently feed that cute mouth

are the same hands that rub and pull at his blonde hair every.single.meal.

We are in total 'destructo' mode,

and it is so much fun

and messy too.

What?! You didn't tell me that being ten months old 

would be so much fun!

Mommy of Boys

Perhaps I am a little biased,

but being the mommy to two precious boys 

is the best job in the world.

I cannot even begin to imagine the fun we'll have in the future:

the loudness, craziness, silliness multiplied.

Yet in all the 'boyness' of my world,

there are still sweet quiet moments.

Their occasional stillness,

followed by hugs and snuggles melt my heart.

USWC :: Tuck Fest

April 26, 2014

Sleeping on the Run

Yesterday Anderson actually snoozed after our run,

but today, he slept while we were

on the run beginning our Saturday adventures.

Every now and then he will still fall asleep

on a walk or in the Ergo,

but I know these days are numbered.

Soon he will realize the world is too interesting

to close his eyes

for fear of missing out.

For now though, without any guilt, 

I will keep the car running to

sit quietly with the AC blasting

and snap pictures of his sweet sleeping cheeks

while the big boys have fun in a shopping center.

Fit Family

I am a sucker for contests. 

How amazing is it to win something?!

I am an even bigger sucker for fun with my family.

Even if our fun means running, sweating, and chugging up neighborhood hills.

We are part of Charlotte Parent's Fit Family Challenge.

Nothing has really changed as far as our lifestyle except we log our daily activity.

Maybe to win something. Maybe to stay motivated to move.

I have to admit, it is fulfilling to type in 120 minutes worth of Spartan-like activity, 

or 75 blissful peace-filled minutes of solo running.

Even 15 minutes of hot and humid balance biking is an accomplishment.

Last night we logged a total of 52 minutes of running together as a family.

Andrew finished {and won} a 5K in 20:09 

and then looped back to run the rest of my 5K with me and the boys.

I refused to let him even put a finger on the stroller, 

because if I pushed the stroller 2.1 miles up and down hills by myself,

by golly, I was going to push it by myself for the final mile!!

Stubbornness and strength helped us finish...

and set an example for our own two little kiddos

as well as the hundred other kiddos 

that came out to run last night to raise money for their school's playground!

 Anderson stayed awake the entire time

until I crossed the finish line!

Alekzander quickly claimed Daddy's trophy!

Amateur

You'd think I'd never fed a baby in my life.

Blueberries happened this morning.

Oh what a delicious mess!