Week in Review

Our week in cell phone pics...

Story Time

Good Enough

This photo is not technically perfect, or even close. Oliver isn't looking at the camera...the sun is too bright. I'm learning that sometimes "good enough" works. Sometimes, it can even be perfection.

In five or ten or twenty years, I still may cringe at the harsh sun in this photo, but I'll bet not for long. Only until I look at Ellis' kind expression or his chubby little hands on his brother, or Oliver's golden curls. I'll remember how this was a rare moment, a beautiful day. How Oliver called this his "Big 'Huna" shirt. How we bought Ellis' bucket hat at the zoo when we forgot his at home. How Oliver ran off 3 seconds after this to go play in the "dirty house" (playhouse).

Indeed, this is perfection.

Bike Fun

The  boys had so much fun playing with their cousins and uncle on Ma Wink's porch. It makes my heart happy, because I have so many fond memories of playing on her porch with my cousins. Potentially riding some of those same bikes, actually. :)

Porch Swinging

If you go to Ma Wink's house and the weather is nice, you've got to swing on the porch swing. Period. Silly faces are optional.

Beautiful Boy

My beautiful boy, being beautiful. It doesn't get any better than this.

Side-by-Side

The boys walking by my mom's chicken coop:

Left: Ellis at 19 months                  Right: Oliver at 22 months

Building Crew

Earlier this week we visited the site of my parents' future home (sadly, their previous home was lost in a fire). Ellis was first attracted to the gravel piles, and then to the idea of helping Papou build part of the wall. Here are some photos of their construction debut. I look forward to revisiting these photos in the months and years to come, as both the house and the boys grow and change.

He was pretty tentative with the ladder at first...

Putting the block in place...

One block done...

Time to measure the next.

Very carefully supervised cutting...

Oliver thinks his garden hoe might be helpful.

Perfect fit!

The first and last time Ellis has permission to write on their walls with a Sharpie!

You can see his name if you squint...

Our climber scaled the ladder without hesitation.

A photo for posterity

Happily playing inside the house

Stay Tuned...

...for more photos from our little trip to my parents' house this week...

Beautiful weather, lots of playing, lots of family, and even some construction!

Happy [Belated] Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there! I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing day yesterday. I hope it was refreshing and allowed you to reenergize for the hard work of mothering.

I spent the weekend doing a lot of reflection. About the Mother's Day five years ago when I learned I was pregnant with Ellis, but still wasn't sure I'd be a mother even then... About how fortunate I have been to have a wonderful mother, the depth of whose sacrifices I only have gotten a glimpse of as a mother myself... About how many loving women have mothered me at different times in my life, from aunts to grandmothers, babysitters, friends' mothers, church ladies, teachers, mentors... About how rare and special it is that I still have four grandmothers (maternal, paternal, and two step-grandmothers) and that I knew all but one of my great-grandmothers and I knew and remember one great-great-grandmother... About how awesome it is that I have a mother-in-law that I love and admire, who raised my husband to be someone admirable (along with his three equally admirable brothers). And while I'm at it, her mother, my husband's grandmother, took me into her home for a period of time before Eric and I were married, and she was practically a saint. She is one of my all-time favorite people and I miss her dearly. Having wonderful in-laws may be rarer than knowing my great-great-grandmother, actually...

I also spent some time reflecting on how my own mothering is going. I'm struggling with a stage we're in right now. I'm sure it will pass, but it feels important to me right now. So as I held my sweet, sleeping boys last night, I renewed my commitment to put in the hard work that is mothering them...and to redouble my efforts in some areas.

I hope that you had an equally relaxing, refreshing, reflective Mother's Day. If not, and you're feeling under-appreciated,  please know that I know a version of the hard work you're doing, and I appreciate you. It is important work that we do. Keep on keepin' on, mamas.

Vintage Duds

Vintage Harley shirt: circa 1985

Private collection

(This shirt was mine.)

(My Daddy still rides a Harley.)

Roadtrip

Sunday morning, we loaded everyone up in the car and set off for our annual road trip down south for the Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival. We've gone for the last four years, and now we've been when the weather felt like July (last year) and January. It was a bit chilly and raining at times, but we still had a great time. It's definitely our favorite trip of the year.

Ollie in the photo wall. This scene from last year still makes me chuckle.

Project Bond

Want to read about the twelve women who have changed my life? Head over to Project Bond (www.theprojectbond.com/blog) to read my first guest blog for their site. It's all about getting the right support in parenting.

Ollie-isms

At 22 months, Oliver has a lot to say. Here are some of my favorites: 

"Bay-bee do dit." (Baby do it.)

Alternately, "Let me do dit!"

Instead of "Hold me," he says "Mama, hold you."

"Bubby/Daddy/Mommy, where ardyou?" (Where are you?)

"Mama, hear me?"

He has mastered the Happy Birthday song, which my brother pointed out goes a lot like, "App-pull-bee-choo-choo." Sing along!

He likes to take Ellis' suitcase and say, "Bye-bye. Miss me."

This is a fun age, and we're enjoying [almost] every minute!