Things I’m lovin’

It’s been so very, very long, my little blog. How I’ve missed you in this most crazy of crazy seasons. Right now I am sitting on my couch in a relatively tidy living room, listening to the dishwasher hum its rhythmic little tune, and the hallway fan purr out its comforting white noise as my kids sweetly sleep. I am exhausted, but today I have been happy with life and my time with my kids and the fresh start of settling in to our first house.

Here are a few things that make me smile these days; big things and little things that I love love love.

~ Watching my yard come to life. When we bought this house, we had no idea what to expect of this yard. We only knew that it would keep us busy. It looked pretty terrible. It still does in some places, and there really is no rhyme or reason to the location of all its lovely plants, but we’re having so much fun finding new treasures every day as things bloom.

~ Watching my kids play together. At this stage, there is more pushing and whining and stealing toys than there is loving interaction, but every once in a while, a sweet moment shines through and I am so grateful to be its witness. Like when Charlie willingly gives a toy to Lillian, saying, “Here you go, Junebug.” Or when he gives her a ride in the stroller and asks, “Is that fun, Junebug?” Or when she first sees him in the morning and can’t get to him fast enough.

Playing my aunt's piano together on Easter Sunday

Wrestling on the floor of our hotel room in St. Louis

Stroller ride in the basement while Mommy does laundry

~ My bedroom. For the first time in six years of marriage, I LOVE our bedroom. The paint color is even better than I expected; I really like the bedding and our brand new (and first ever) headboard; and I’m excited about a few decor ideas that are floating around in my head.

~ Lillian’s super-fun development at this age. She’s closer to one year old than she is to six months (which might make me cry if I think about it too long), and oh my, is she ever fun. She has a few words — really, though, most of these are just things she can repeat after us on command; they’re not quite words she has assigned to certain objects. Nonetheless: ball, baby, dada, uh-oh, flower, bye-bye. She signs for “more,” and just today she started doing a hilarious wrist-to-mouth version of “thank you.” She loves patty-cake and “so big!” and being outside.

So big!

"beh-beh"

~ Charlie’s growing love of music. He loves to sing, loves to dance (only when no one is watching), and loves instruments. His Grammy, a piano teacher, has taught him to play “Twinkle, Twinkle” on the xylophone, and he can play the first part with no help. She also taught him to find “C” on the piano, and he is quite proud of that skill.

Playing our friend Wes's drums in Chicago

~ Jr. High bangs. These sort of happened before I could stop the hair stylist, and I’ve been so glad for the change! They’re much less annoying than side-swipe bangs, but a little more borderline mommish. That’s okay though — I’m loving them!

~ Five-dollar canvas flats from Walmart. Comfy, cute, and YELLOW! Love!

~ Tomorrow Emmy Catt is going to the vet to be declawed. And then I will love my kitty again.

*side note: Jeff just walked in and said, “I’m sad for Emmy. It’s her last night as a cat — she should be celebrating!” Yes, he really said that: her last night as a cat. And that, my friends, is why it’s taken him six years to finally let me schedule the procedure. Here’s to keeping our new couches scratch-free!