Marching toward October

And summer is gone already.  We had some great summer visits with family - a trip to PA, OKC and J's parents came to visit for a weekend!  We are enjoying the gorgeous fall weather!

Baby J is almost 20 months old!  As he rounds the corner towards becoming a two-year-old, he begins to express his opinions quite clearly: "NO!"  and "No, no, no, no, no....!"  Yes, it was inevitable that the sweet baby should become a stubborn toddler someday.

 

 

He is still very sweet, though.  He loves reading, being outside, making car and train noises, and "me-moh" (music).  His favorite things to eat are "sazzos" (sandwiches) and pizza, but he still eats generally anything - lots of fruits, veggies, plain yogurt with frozen blueberries, "guaco" (guacamole), even kale chips!

 

Everyday he learns more and more words.  We are sad that some of his cute words are disappearing in favor of the real pronunciations.  But at least "car" is still "Drrrnn-da," and it makes a "voom" sound.

 

He asks to "see, see!" when he wants to be picked up and see what's cooking in the kitchen.  He likes to draw with crayons and paint, pour rice through funnels, press buttons on the "pi-no-no" (piano), and incredibly, he still helps with unloading the dishwasher.  I love that he talks to me at bedtime about things he has done throughout the day, and sometimes actually asks for things he thinks about without any visual reminders (that I can see, anyway).  Two days ago he asked for a ham and cheese sazzo, and occasionally he will ask to go for a hike! 

 

Here he is on a trail at Percy Warner Park.  Without any prompting he walked down the trail and said, "hike... fun!"  He rides in a backpack most of the way, and when he gets restless, he gets to walk the trails.

 

 

 

This year K is home-schooling with me.  We have completed 7 weeks so far, and accomplishing some great things.  We do our best to arrange meet-ups with her friends from her former school, and she is also involved in a homeschool band and choir.

 

Her biggest excitement this year has been a One Direction and 5 Seconds Of Summer concert over the summer, and more recently she actually won tickets through a radio station for an Austin Mahone concert!

 

     Here she is getting ready to go!

 

 

 

K took some photos of a Daddy-Long-Legs during our recent hike. 

She enjoys the super-macro function on the camera!



J went on a chump car racing trip last weekend to the track at Sebring, FL.  Google apparently has created a storybook of all the photos for me... I am slightly creeped-out!  Another whirlwind trip complete with a 12 hour drive to the track, some last-minute car repairs and very little sleep!  Great that he could combine it with a visit to his parents!

As for me, my free time (not much!) has been spent composing a flute choir piece.  I am at the rehearsal stage with the flute choir, and making edits.  So excited to record and get it published!

I have been working on cleaning up the gardens and getting compost going.  J and I planned a compost bin, I cut the wood, and he put it together; I can't wait until next spring when there's a bunch of good compost to add to my garden!

Between lesson planning, teaching lessons here and there, taking care of Jake - I find it hard to keep up with photos, but I finally have added to the blog and updated the web album!










Sleeping "on" a big mattress

here is a quick pic snapped before Baby J awoke one morning in PA. He crawls off the mattress in his sleep :-)

Summer Fun.

 K went to Camp Widjiwagan again this year.  She did the advanced climbing courses throughout the week, which included walking tightropes, climbing a super high rope ladder with wooden "steps" that got wider and wider until almost 5 feet apart (did it in 5 minutes!), and a leap of faith from a huge pole.  This picture was from one morning when parents were invited to climb with their kids.  K did the hard route, and made it look easy.  I did the medium route, and was surprised that it wasn't as physically difficult as I thought.  Just don't look down!

Baby J and I are finding fun things to do outside this summer.  Went to our friends' house and played in a wading pool, on their swing and slide, and of course, toy cars!  Check out the shades :)

                   

 

 Oh the joys of driving.  Steering wheels.

Hazard lights.

And don't forget the radio.

Turn it up, it's Guns n Roses!

Photos from Jesse's camera.

The mosquitoes got him one night, right above the eye.  

Take little bites, Baby J, LITTLE bites!

He has learned to open our kitchen door.  Which leads to the basement.  Which leads outside.  Which is where he wants to go.  Always!  Time for safety handles.

Self-feeding smoothies is always a messy ordeal... but on the upside, he is getting spinach or kale, cucumbers, coconut cream, lots of colorful berries and/or peaches, and no sugar - just bananas to sweeten!

Playing on the couch.  Second best to bouncing on our neighbors' huge trampoline.

Happy Father's Day, June 15th, 2014

Continuing in the tradition of last year, we visited a museum about cars for Father's Day.  Last year the Frist Center was exhibiting Art Deco cars - perfect timing for Father's Day.  This year we drove an hour to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY.  One of the more interesting times to do so, since the sink hole sucked in several cars a couple months ago.  They managed to retrieve all the cars out of the gaping hole in the floor, and put them on display.  One was actually drivable when it came out, but the worst one looked like this:

Fresh fruit for thought

Someone said to me over the winter, "Aren't we lucky to be able to give our kids fresh fruit?"  So many people in this world do not have access to fresh foods in such abundance, and with such choices that we do.  In the middle of winter, I can give my kids fresh berries from lands far, far away from me.  It is a privilege, yes, but also a responsibility.  While I am grateful for choices all year long, I ponder whether I choose the right things to eat.  If I go with the seasons, I eat what I was designed to eat: a variety.  When I choose what I want, I box myself in to a small selection of what I pass by in the produce aisle at the grocery store.  I am grateful for the ability at present to afford whole and nutritious foods for my children.  At the same time I am sad for those in our country living in food deserts, where the only food close-by is a gas station mini-mart, and sad for those around the world in war-torn areas with little or no food, or where hunger is the norm.  I don't have answers to my thoughts, but K_ and I will be volunteering at a breakfast this Sunday serving homeless individuals in downtown Nashville.  Perhaps just a drop in the bucket, but something positive none-the-less.

A day with Dad!

Baby J and I enjoyed a relaxing morning with Dad, and a lunch trip to Sitar for delicious Indian food.  Dad and Baby J hung out together while Mom went out for a massage appointment!!  Bonus points!

All I can say is thank you, thank you!!







And happy fourth month birthday, Baby J!