Hello, again.

Long time no chat.  I have no excuses... and a million excuses.  Regardless, I'm feeling the need now to lay down some words, so here I am.  To say a lot has happened since we last talked would be silly.  In one of my last posts, I said something had to give.  The time I spent here chronicling our lives was a small thing I gave up.  In August, I became a work from home mom.  There was so much I could have written about that at the time, but I was too focused and "busy" (a word I've come to despise) to fully gather my thoughts.  Suffice it to say that it was the best thing I've decided to do in a very long while.  There was a transition for sure, but I feel I have my groove now and I love it.  Love, love, LOVE it.

Birthdays have come and gone.  Bug is five now.  Five!! Holy smokes.  My baby is five...  And Button, my light, my sprite, is two.  A joyful, emotional, delightful two years old.  More on them soon.  I hope.  I do want to continue my journaling here and hope to make more time to do so in the weeks ahead.  Although....

We're selling our house.  And we're buying a house.  Our first home went on the market exactly a week ago and we took an offer on Sunday.  WHOA! Crazy fast!  Now, I'm not going to count my chickens before they're eggs or whatever because there are still many, many pieces that must fall into place before our scheduled settlement date, but now we move forward on bidding on our next home.  And that's what has actually brought me back here tonight: the thought of moving.  There are countless reasons why we want to move out of our current house, a townhouse.  But, as I was doing dishes tonight it stuck me in an emotional way all that happened here and all that we can't take with us when we leave and I'm in a pensive mood about it.  A bit melancholy to be honest (but don't get me wrong, I want to move out of here so bad I can taste it).

There's the bathroom vanity that was my surprise 30th birthday gift.  One of those trendy bowl sinks atop a black cabinet.  I loved it so.  And I still do, but it has to stay.  There's the yellow spot on the white wall of Button's room where Bug tried to help his dad paint and it was so sweet how proud he was for his contribution that we left it there.  I love that yellow spot.  I look at it and see a little three year old boy in just his pirate undies so eager to help and so happy to be working along side his daddy.  There's the green crayon scribbles on the wall in the downstairs bathroom from a bored little girl learning to potty train, there's the three yellow rose bushes in the back yard that were my first Mother's Day gift, and there's the bar in the basement and custom cabinets built by a friend who recently passed away.  Then there are the memories.  There are always the memories.  This is where we went from being a couple to being a family.  Where I labored in the living room, timing my contractions to the clock on the Weather Channel and then just hours after delivering each of the kids, this is where I recovered.  It's where we struggled with fussy newborns and watched so many milestones, spent so many beautiful days.  Those things were all here.  Within these walls.  And it's a little bit hard to say goodbye to that.

I'm excited for our new beginning and making our new house (wherever that may be) our home, but I'm grateful for the growth we had here in our little townhome.  It was good to us and as I am now writing this, I'll shed a tear when we close the door here for the last time.

Yay for Wooly Baby!

Check out my girl in this adorable and oh-so-soft cashmere hat by Wooly Baby.  She rocks a hat.  And I love that all of Wooly Baby's products are made out of recycled (up-cycled) wool and cashmere sweaters and such that have been felted.  Awesome, eco-friendly, and cute!  We also have a pair of red slippers that are so soft.  We love them. 

Something's Gotta Give...

And I decided it was the blog.  It's been a month since my last blog post and I'm not really sure when I'll start updating this space again.  It's summer.  We're chasing kids, playing outside, staying up late, enjoying this season (both of weather and of our lives.)  I might come back next week, or I might not.  Till next time!

Mother's Day

They spoiled me.  They always do.  I got to sleep in until 8:00 and was awakened by a handsome little man bearing a plate of scrambled eggs.  Some of the best eggs I've ever had actually!  Cheese, tomato, basil...  Wow!  Then Button climbed on my lap with her daddy next to her and a box.  New gym shoes!  I'm trending in hot pink kicks now.  They're rad.

I joined them downstairs for breakfast and then we had a leisurely morning - planting my new yellow roses in the tall planters and playing outside.  In the afternoon, we dropped off Big B for his softball game and the littles and I went out to lunch at Panera.  Good food, good kids, iced coffee...  It was such a nice outing.  They behaved so well.  It was definitely a proud parenting moment.  After lunch, we joined their dad at the ball park and watched the second game.  Button and I played in the shade while Bug made some new friends and played T-Ball.  He was so adorable cheering on his dad!  At one point, he was sitting in the bleachers next to another player's wife and I heard him say "that's my dad!  See him?  He's the bald one!" 

After the game, we let them play at the playground for a bit.  Button conquered the slide all by herself!  She's getting so big.  Later, we grilled at home and the kids got even dirtier playing in the sandbox.  Nothing like dirt and sunshine to tire them out!  They went to bed easily and we caught up on Mad Men. It was a perfect day. 

Signed,
The Luckiest Momma in the World

InstaFriday

A view of our week as captured through my phone, 

though not necessarily "instagrammed" shots.

 

 Our clematis bloomed!  Now if we could just find time to get the fountain up and running again...  See those sad dry rocks?

 Not dry rocks!  On Friday, we had a "date night."  We've gone to the movies together a couple of times since Button was born, which was a treat.  But this.  This was awesome.  It was a leisurely meal, a really nice meal at Brio, an incredibly delicious Italian restaurant, without the kids.  Oh, how I love them.  But, oh how I loved being able to dress up (in heels no less!) and not worry about wearing what they might toss at me.  I loved adult conversation without spelling and codewords and throwing signs at each other as we normally have to do at the dinner table.  It was wonderful to enjoy some time with my husband.  He's a lot of fun and it's great to be reminded I'm not "just a mom."  We've committed to do it more often.  And we will.

 Reading a magazine (upside down) while we snuggle in brother's bed.

 I love this photo.  

I love how you can see how the shape of her face and her mouth is his.  

I love her wispy hair.  I love them.

 I said he looked like Princess Leia.  He said "who?"

 Sent this to my momma on her birthday.

She lives too far away.

 My girl LOVES my shoes.  Don't they look huge next to her little legs?

 No words.

 He's trying to figure out how he got stuck on the inside.

I love the little surprises I wake up to in my room. :)

  We picked out a few annuals for Bug's preschool teachers and printed these free downloads for Teacher Appreciation Week. 

Bug's self portrait.  

 

Hope you had a beautiful week!

 Linking up with:

 

What's up: Random Bits and Links

I've been a bit too busy to post much lately, so here's what we've been up to:

~ Soccer, softball, and martial arts, oh my!  Bug has soccer twice a week (one practice, one game), their dad (who needs an official "blog" name.  From henceforth he will be known as Big B.) has softball every Sunday afternoon, and I'm officially hooked to the adrenaline rush known at the Y as BodyCombat, a mixed martial arts class that's all kicking and punching.  Does mommy need a timeout?  Yes.  And BodyCombat is the answer. Well, that and my weekly yoga class, which I've been going to for the past two years. 

~ Button is a little mockingbird.  She has the sweetest lilt to her voice as she says her favorite words: feet, eat, phone, up, done!, shoes, poopee, hat.  Oh, it's so cute.  I'll try to get video.

~ She blows zerberts on our bellies!  She's really good at it, too.  She gets so proud of herself when she makes a good noise.  I love it.

~ Button shushes her brother!  I have no idea where she picked it up, but just about every time her brother talks to her, she immediately "shushes" him right back!  She does it very sternly, too.  She's is such a sassy little thing! 

~ Cute things Bug has said lately...

"I like pooping.  It's my favorite!""

"How do the cells in our body eat?  Do they have little mouths?"

" I heard it in my brain." Said after singing a song about fish going 'puff'.

While listening to the radio in the car.  "Is this Gaga?"

"RAWR! RAWR! RAWR!"  (Sisters runs away screaming) "It's okay! I'm not a real dinosaur!"

And my favorite that he says when I ask him to do something, "Surely Doodily! Doodily Sure!"

~ Game of Thrones.  Do you watch it?  Big B watched the first season last year and although I tried really hard to get into it, I just couldn't.  You know... kids, bedtime - it just didn't work out.  Now I'm all caught up on season one and up to date on season two.  I love it!  Peter Dinklage is amazing.  HBO rocks.  And speaking of HBO, True Blood starts up again soon.  YIPPEE!  I've missed my favorite werewolf...

and vampire...

You're welcome.

Now where were we?  Oh yeah, here are some great links:

A Love Letter to Mothers Everywhere

Have you seen this yet?

Good eats found on Pinterest that I've actually made and LOVE.  Caprese Quinoa Salad, Crockpot Chicken Tacos, Man Pleasing Chicken, Chicken Avocado Salad

I plan on this one later this week - Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Loving this photography idea. Maybe I'll give it try!

And to get a bit political... so proud of our President! 

Quiet Time

I found her in her chair with a book.  She continued to sit and read even after I "caught" her and ran off to grab my camera, which is rare.  Typically, if she sees me, she'll come toddling after.  I sat and watched her for quite some time, just taking in the beauty of a quiet moment, a child immersed in a book, her wonder, her toes, her wispy hair.

There's magic in these quiet moments.

InstaFriday

With our surprise visitors last week (yay!), I wasn't online much.  Sorry for the few and far-between posts.  I missed InstaFriday, too.  Here are two weeks' worth of iPhotos.  A little glimpse into our everyday...  Enjoy!

 Team Photo!

 Our Pele Kitty

 The boy loves rocks. 

These were found in one pair of pants while doing laundry.

 Bed head!

I call these her duck feathers.

 We celebrated our 8th anniversary.

Crazy in Love.

 Cheeks!

Our sweet nephew.

 I couldn't get enough of him. 

Love.

 Aren't kids so sweet and snuggly after bath time?

 She pommels this cat every chance she gets.

He takes it so well.

 Ahhhh!!!! Smiles!

 Fun at soccer.  He scored two goals this week!

 Rockford Park

 Hat. Tights. Squishy Baby. Love.

 Making "dirt" at preschool!

 Spaghetti and Chutes 'N Ladders.

Switching it up for dinner!

 I'm so lucky to be able to put her down for her nap every day at work.

It's the best part of my day.

 Then again, maybe picking her up and seeing this smiling face is the best!

 And then she runs away from me...

 Helping daddy plant flowers in the front yard.

 He came to me and said he was ready.

I thought it was awesome!

I rarely lay on the couch, but I've been catching up on season one of Game of Thrones on-demand so we can watch the new season together.  Pele LOVES this snuggle time with mommy.

 I brake for turtles.

 Soccer practice picnic.  Sassy 'lil thang.

Have a great weekend!!

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