Sibling love

We stopped to take a few pictures in the pretty leaves before the raking madness began. Love my little blue-eyed beauties. Sophie's teachers were really impressed by her picture taking ability on school picture day. I wonder where she got all that practice :)

Mwah!

Superman.

Ma, check out this hair I've finally started growing!

No words, just love :)

Road trip!

Alternatively titled, All I need to know I learned from 22 hours in the car with my kids
Or, I used to hate road trips

There's nothing quite like a booster shot of super-mommy-ness to my ego other than two - count 'em, two - successful 11 hour road trip journeys with my two kids. Now I'm not suggesting that anyone else channel their inner mommy diva by hopping in the car and driving 600+ miles, but it worked for me.

Maybe a time or two I've doubted my mommy instinct, and doubted my children's ability to bounce back from a routine change (late naps or bedtime) or dietary indiscretion (processed food). I was so afraid they may melt down into a weeping pile of toddler-infant-babyGap-drool-and-snot on the floor. Rational me knows that is not going to happen.* Irrational me watches the clock and has more than once removed forks from hands mid-bite when we are approaching bedtime and are away from home. (Tell me I'm not the only one...)

Dear Self, doubt no more!

We got back from vacation number one: Lake Michigan (where it's like the beach but better - fresh water, little waves and no crabs, stingrays, sharks or other digit/limb removing creatures) and I had been thinking about driving the kids down to see my parents in Florida. With clean laundry, beach accessories, snacks and the double BOB already packed, we hit the road. Once we were on our way at 6:30am I knew we were locked in. I tried to quiet that little voice of doubt in the back of my mind; and quiet it did.

It was the perfect age for both of them. Sophie is so dialed into tv and movies that she had zero qualms about watching the screen for an entire day. Tucker is no longer nursing, so bottles were really easy to mix and administer. He's also just starting to worm around on the floor, so he isn't an anxious-I-want-to-run-everywhere toddler yet. (Although he is a oh-you-thought-your-floors-were-clean-watch-me-worm-around-and-then-check-my-onesie type of kid these days.)

All of our food and drink was packed for the day, so stops were mainly about gas, bottles, diapers and stretching our legs (as if we needed yet another great reason to delay potty training until 13 years old). We played on QSR playgrounds and rocked on the porch at Cracker Barrel and stopped about every three hours.

Our road trip was SO uneventful. Blissful, even. Tucker might make a peep every so often, but Sophie was quick to make a funny face or "speak whale" to make him giggle. Sophie watched Finding Nemo FOUR times on our return trip (where she learned to speak whale). Three stops on our way down south and two stops on the way back to KY.

Speaking of the return trip... I have a family member that once told me she used her daughters diapers to thwart extra stops if baby was sleeping but el baño was calling. Let me just tell you that a size four diaper does not accommodate the bladder of a 31 year old adult.

And that's all you need to know about 22 hours in the car with my kids.

*I'll still defend my nap/sleep/dietary choices as the number one reason why I have happy children 95% of the day.

Photos from our Florida trip. Not pictured: Tucker's first tooth, delicious, fresh shrimp and oysters, yummy burgers, Peg Leg Pete grouper sandwiches, infamous Brussells sprouts, a trip to the children's museum and six days of shake-the-house thunder, lightening and rain.

Girl loves some bubbles.

I really just take pictures of this swim suit
because I think it's so cute.
Going to sell it soon though :(

Happiest Baby on the Block.

Yaya and her babies.

Sophie and her Avengers "swim-a-ring"

Girl's got some hops.

Sweet thing.

I mean, this is not an act.
90% of her day is spent loving Tucker.

Beach bum.

Yes, the sun actually came out.

Sir splash-a-lot and Yaya.

Case and point.

Tucker's model face. Those lips!

"You would have more fun with
wet sand on your face."

New towel from Yaya's friend, Peggy!
(Her handmade creations are adorable, yall.)

I love my cousins

We had a big fat weekend, friends. Bryan retrieved our bikes from the shop which are now tuned up and ready to ride. He put together our Burley Bee bike trailer that we got for Christmas from my parents now that Tucker is almost big enough/strong enough to ride. Saturday we picked up some cupcakes from Copper Cupcake. Much to Sophie's delight, the special of the day was a Strawberry Cupcake. Coincidentally her favorite tv show is "Strawberry Shortcake," which she sweetly refers to as "Strawberry Cupcake." She giggled with delight... then only ate the frosting (I'll let you guess who finished the rest).

Sophie had a cousin-filled weekend. As she was coming off her sugar high last night, drifting to sleep she said, "I love my cousins."

Mister is getting better at this sitting stuff.

Sister is never far.

Sophie wore this all afternoon until she demanded we take
her clothes off for swimming in the baby pool.

The girls, Lila, Ruby, Kenzie and Sophie were so sweet to baby Tucker.

Big boy McClain.

Sophie adores Preston.
She says "Preston likes to play basketball and give me hugs."

Overexposed, granted, but that smile! Melt.

You grab mine, I'll grab yours!

Big girl Kaelin.

Cutie.

She is so brave. Love.

Hannah is such a cheeser, I love taking her pictures!

Monkey-ing around.

The girls just love some Tucker!

Thought this was a "seedless" watermelon? Thought wrong.

Hula girl. With watermelon.

Our new ride.

These are the moments

I'm kind of obsessed with this picture. And I'm kind of obsessed with holding my baby boy whenever he wants me to right now. Because he won't be small forever. And he won't want his mama forever. These sweet, intimate moments are fleeting. And damn am I glad hubby got an iPhone and Instagram.

As she grows

My sweet, spunky, smart darling of a two year old is finished with her first year of preschool. She has changed in so many ways, made some new friends and has learned so many things under the careful watch and guidance of her dear teachers.

Will you stay this young, sweet and innocent forever, dear Sophie? Will you please always be my baby? I don't care right now if you always eat your peas, but I do want you to stay hopeful and energetic and curious and happy - always. I love you!

First day of school. 

Last day of school.

My sweet girl.

Six months old

We are over the moon excited that the "weight issue" is past us, at least for now. At Tucker's six month well baby visit today, he rang in at 14lb 7oz, which is in the 4th percentile. Watch out, we're climbing the charts! This is largely due to supplementing breast milk with some formula and adding in solids at least twice a day. His palate is ever-expanding and so far includes:

Green beans

Sweet potato

Carrots

Avocado

Banana

Pears

Apples

Brown rice

Mango

He is sitting up for short periods of time and pushing up with strong arms when he's on his belly. He's started with "ba-ba-ba" and other short syllable sounds in just the last few days. He loves watching Sophie run around and dance and jump for him - she even helps sing him to sleep with her favorite Twinkle Stars. He's just a little love bug all around and I'm lucky to be his Mom. I love you, Buddy!

Some pictures from last weekend for your viewing pleasure.

Bubbles

 "I wish I loved anything as much as my kids love bubbles"
-Paul Rudd "Knocked Up"

Or in this case, I wish I loved anything as much as my kids AND my dogs love bubbles. And yes, I'm writing at 8:15am because both of my children are still asleep. I am teetering between happiness and worried-ness. About time to wake those lazy kids up!

(And yes, she always wears this dress. I've already packed away her winter clothes and per the cray cray weather here in KY, we still need winter gear, um, only every other day. So this is her warmest spring time outfit; plus jacket, leggings and sneaks.)