1. This cutie :) 2.  Last week when I was grocery shopping, I picked up three bags of different types of dry beans. I had had a bin of colorful pasta for Jack to explore with, but I knew he would enjoy playing/learning with something new. So I mixed all three kinds together, threw in some measuring spoons, a few small containers, and a large plastic cup. He went to town, and every day since, he's asked for that bin. He likes to carry around a few pinto beans just because :) 3.  Speaking of that little dude. He will be two years old in a little less than two weeks. It's hard to remember what my life was like this time last year with only one little one to take care of. I thought I was tired then, haha!  *For real, y'all.* For some time now, I've been waiting for his oral speech to take off, and it hasn't. He speaks 5 words clearly and consistently, but he has a sign language vocab of around 40 words (If I knew more, I'd teach them to him). He uses them beautifull...

Milky Memorial Day This guy is ROCKING potty training. He rarely has an accident. He wears underwear except for naps and at night. So proud of this not-quite-two dude! She's so, so sweet and is quite a character with that one tooth on top :) This was the closest I got to them both looking at the camera with semi-smiles as I tried desperately to get their attention. 

Today, I'm thankful for seeing things in a new way.  I'm a girly-girl through and through. I don't enjoy mud or bugs or being dirty.  But, having a boy, a boy who loves being outside, has changed all that.   I have never in my life thought a snail was beautiful. They're slimy and icky, and y'all, I DON'T do slimy. Or icky.  But, I certainly did today. And, I found myself describing a snail as beautiful (and believing it!) to my son who thought he was seeing and holding the most interesting thing ever. Once he had that snail in his hand, he wouldn't put it down. He carried it around the porch with him for 10 minutes until I convinced him that the snail wanted to eat supper with the other snails. We talked about how God had given the snail a house to hide in when he wanted to sleep or be safe or was scared. We watched for long minutes as the snails slowly worked their way up shoots of grass and then would pull their houses along with them. We giggled when he...

1.  We have been in the throes of potty training the last three or four days. I didn't set out to; it started out of necessity (he had a spot on his bottom that wasn't healing properly while in wet diapers all day).  It's not awesome, but every time he's successful at staying dry, we celebrate the victories.  You know you're talking to a kiddo whose potty training when the following come out of your mouth  ALL.  DAY.  LONG: " Don't tee-tee on the floor! Why did you tee-tee on your sister's toy?!"  " Are your underwear dry? Good job! Don't tee-tee in your underwear."  "Tell Mommy when you need to sit on the potty. Do you need to sit on the potty? Let's go sit on the potty."   "No, we're not putting on your diaper right now. No, you're not 'all done.' Please sit there until you tee-tee." "Stop touching the toilet paper. Stop grabbing the shower curtain. Stop touching the things on the back of...

It's been a sweet, regular day with these two.  The dishes still got washed. The laundry still got put away. Dinner will still get fixed.  But their smiles and giggles and hugs (the boy is attached to my neck currently) have really made it a lovely day.  And, also, the soft, knit shorts I put on 4 hours ago after we got home from church are on backwards. I just noticed. And, I'm outside. I hope my neighbors don't see the ties hanging down my backside.

~I'm in the mood to decorate my backyard with beautiful flowers, especially along the fence line. I was thinking rose bushes. But, then. I get email notifications from a company called Joss & Main often with discounted prices and good deals, and today's email showed that, among other things, they had their garden items on sale. I clicked on over and saw the prettiest hydrangeas! I ADORE hydrangeas. We had them in our wedding, and they were so simple and beautiful. Unfortunately, they already sold out of all of their hydrangeas!!  BOO.  I'll keep looking around to find some good deals.  If you're also in the gardening mood, check out their sales . Maybe they'll have the plant, garden item, outdoor furniture, or other item for around the house you're searching for. ~Saturday morning, my mom and I took the kids to our local consignment shop. They were having a birthday/reopening/moving celebration and had prizes and food and a man doing face painting. ...