(practically) free to a good home.

here we are in our new home with two kitchen tables.  i love them both but this apartments calls for a round and so, with great sadness, it is time to resell our drop leaf table from pier 1.

it looks great as a console or entry way table and then, poof, the sides fold out for a sturdy dining experience.  two years old with a few light scratches.  the legs come off for easy transport. 
asking $150 but who knows, maybe we'll have a memorial day sale.  email me or leave a comment if you're interested.

iPhoneography

		Letter play with frosting (motivation!), spring blossoms, our big boy (seconds before pouring that water all over himself), Anton loves trying on Nammy's glasses and Stella reading  to Anton (my heart swells).

These picture indicate that we've been spending a lot of time inside. Not true. Spring is here and we're loving it.

Drizzly Day Meandering Thoughts.

my 30 year old life is not what my 20 year old self imagined.  i was going to live in the suburbs.  my husband was going to have a "normal" job.  you know,  a doctor or something businessy.  maybe i'd have two kids in four years (not one).  are you picturing the picket fence?  

here i am.  30.  

loving country music (sing-a-long, want to drive a pick-up kind of love).  

obsessive about recycling and turning off lights we aren't using.  

my husband's job is WAY sexier than something businessy.  

and moving back to harlem makes me want to tap dance.  technically i need to learn how to tap dance first.  

life is good. 

happy wednesday.

My Girl

can you spot my daughter in these pictures?
we spent a LOT of time at this park last summer.  these particular images were taken in early june.  i recall being surprised by the public school holiday.  i wasn't sure how stella would react to all the BIG kids in the fountains. 

her little 14 month self was undaunted.  enlivened by the action.  i just watched.  waiting for her to get overwhelmed and call for her momma.  she never did and in the end, i was the one calling for her.

and that's our stella.  she walked for a week before she was running everywhere.  and now she frequently tells me she's busy, or that she needs "two minutes," or that she doesn't want help.  

she's clever and strong and brave and friendly. 
she spontaneously sings her favorite songs (why is jingle bells so catchy?)
i am in awe of how capable she is.  
she makes me laugh.  she makes me want to be a better mom.

and other times she just makes me  crazy.

my boys.

In three days my baby turns 1.  

In seven days my husband's training is over.  

aren't they cute?

When Jason left to begin training, I had a tiny but nagging concern about his relationship with Anton.  Anton had been alive for 7 short months so their father-son bond was just beginning to form.  

If I had only known how this would all work out.

Anton crawls frantically toward the door when Jason gets home.  He leaps from my arms to be held by dad.  He buries his head into his neck (I like to do this too).  He watches Jason intently and breaks into a huge smile as soon as he catches his eye.  And my favorite?  The squeals of delight when they play together (from both of them).

All that concern for nothing.  Nothing.  They adore each other.  And oh, how I love my boys.

the day started rocky.
i was tired.  which happens when you stay up too late.
it was drizzly.  which happens in march.  

i thought fixing my hair might help get things going.

stella was doing a puzzle.  anton was chasing balls. 

stay with me. 
as i waited for the straightening iron to get hot, i heard a ball roll across kitchen and anton taking off after it, his hands smacking the floor.  this little game is my new favorite.  then i heard something different.
beads hitting the floor?  pencils dropping?

not good.  i dashed out of the bathroom and gasped.  CAT FOOD!  guess anton found a sound he liked.  he was throwing it all over the floor.  and as i got closer, he quickly slipped some in his mouth.  gag.

the mischievous smile was adorable but...

so much for turning my rocky day around.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

this week was good because...

- the bottoms pushed out of two cans of dietcoke left in the freezer but no messy explosion

- anton climbed into the refrigerator

- perfect weather (lots of vitamin d production)

- quality time with jason (including a kid-free date)

- i finished the shack and can now read something better

-sleep training may be working

- there are country music radio stations in virginia/d.c.

- the fabulous dress i coveted was on sale (think throw-your-arms-around-the-sales-girl happy)

AND

-clemyjontri park. ahhhmazing. everyone thinks so.

this park is MASSIVE. so big, in fact, i thought i lost stella a few times.

anton loved the rocker-rides. and slides. and ramps. and swings...

getting a face picture was impossible; these two giddy kids
were bouncing all over the place. 

this is cute face stella made when i said we had to leave in five minutes.
only cute because a tantrum didn't follow.

Hope you have a good weekend.