Kimba

Foreshadow

We had a break from the rain this weekend, and you best believe we took advantage. We woke up and walked to breakfast - something we never ever do, go out to breakfast - basking in the warm sunshine.

Our attempt at one nap was successful!  (In case you were wondering...I know you were) I do think we'll have to ease into it though, he was extra tired at church this morning. Maybe start off with every other day? We'll see.

Since I had a long break in the middle of the day I took advantage of it and uh, started and finished my word book project for Wy. It was a much quicker process than I would have liked because I had a $20 gift card that expired today. Way to go me, for once again procrastinating! I'm so awesome. Thus, no serious editing of the photos. It will not look uniform, and I'm just gonna have to deal with it.

If I get super ambitious, maybe it'll be a rough draft? Eh....

We spent the early evening hanging out in Mark & Bridgette's cul de sac. Is that not the suburban dream? Letting the kids play around while the sun sets? It's definitely high on my list.

Wyatt tried and loved the scooter.

He spotted a boy playing basketball across the way and spent every second trying to run to him. The kid is getting fast!

He tried and absolutely loved their battery operated four wheeler.

He loves to push buttons, so this was right up his alley. On two conditions - that he stand up while doing so (we couldn't get him to sit down for long!) and that it be on his terms. He knows how to push a button but he doesn't yet get the holding-it-down concept. If I can figure out how to get the video from Caleb's phone up here I will, cause it's hilarious. He'd move an inch and then get excited and let go, thus coming to a screeching halt. Over and over and over. And loving every minute.

 

This is going to be a seriously fun summer.

Good for the soul

I spent the afternoon making granola - really delicious granola. Like, can't-stop-picking-at-it-while it's-cooking good. And guess what? It's easy! Bonus!

Recipe found here - and also, I forgot to add the coconut (right after going to the grocery store to specifically get some. duh) and it turned out. Just in case ya'll aren't coconut fans.

It makes a lot.

So have a bunch of Tupperware on hand. Or, you know, make sure your large one is clean...

**********

In other news, I found something fabulous today. I mean really great. Half Tees. Go check it out. I've been lamenting the three layers for ages, and finally someone did something about it! 

Enjoy your weekend! I have absolutely no idea what we'll be doing, but I'm sure it will be something fantastic. Like starting to transition Wy to one nap a day - it's becoming clear that it's time. And I'm sort of dreading it. Reeeeeeally been lovin' the free time to shower and get ready in peace! Wish us luck!

And I only saw three crazy people!

Today Wyatt and I drove up into the city to visit my sister in law who was here with her husband on a business trip. We thought we'd shop a bit. I've never gone by myself with Wyatt and actually only ever driven to the city once by myself. So I was slightly nervous about it, he'd miss his afternoon nap and there's always the question of where to park, how to navigate all the one-ways, all while trying your very best not to hit other objects or people.

I was lucky because after all the crap we went through to fix our car, the dealership threw in a few GPS device. Saved my bacon. So the driving part turned out quite smoothly, and Wyatt...well. Let's just say he still needs two naps.

I met her and we talked and planned in the lobby while Wyatt climbed all over the couches, left four thousand Club cracker crumbs in his wake, and tried to break into the hotel business center. 

Then he had his first real meltdown in H&M. A Wyatt meltdown, with real tears and everything. He's never cried EVER just because he's upset. Bonks his head, splits his lip (that was this week), pinches his fingers, sure. He's fussed, little AHS! and UHS! and squirminess, but escalating to full on tears? No. I didn't know what to do! What is this crying little person? It didn't help that I'd forgot his binki in the car or that it was waaaay past naptime. A quick shoulder ride and some running around the dressing room cured it. For a bit.

We stopped to get some appetizers at The Cheesecake Factory and he was happily banging a spoon on the table and I was thinking wow, I might actually get to enjoy this Diet Coke, until I noticed that each bang! was leaving a lovely little dent! in the granite. I put some Kix in front of him and they went flying, along with the napkin. I gave him a paper napkin and he ripped it into 8 million tiny pieces that landed on the floor, along with a pen, lip gloss, Lindsey's lip gloss and her hand sanitizer. We changed to the other side of the table and he proceeded to grace the mirror behind the seat with his greasy fingers and mouth. Then he stuck his fingers in the bleu cheese dressing, rubbed avocado all over my white shirt and announced with a big wave that he was "all done!"

Which means we were too.

Despite it all, I had a fabulous time and renewed my vow to get there more often. I'm going to compile a list of places I want to see / eat / shop at, and start to cross them off. Just another way to shake things up this year. Have any favorites I should add?

Poladroiding, or, killing time

I have absolutely no attention span today. I've been waiting and waiting and WAITING to hear word about my lovely best friend Abby, who is right now in the thick of labor. It's been a long one, and I've got the nervous energy to prove it. And I'm in another state. I can't imagine how she feels! We have, as far as I can tell, had about the most opposite labor experience as you can possibly have, and I just wish I could be there to congratulate her in person.

In the meantime, have you seen all the Poloroid applications online? They're fabulous, I downloaded Poladroid, and it's free and easy and fun. Wanna see a few of mine?

My only beef is that you can't fiddle with the pictures, center them a little better. Also, if your original photo was taken lengthwise, you can't rotate it. Anyone know of a different / better service? I love the look, and have had a great time "polorizing" my digital photos. 

Aaaaaand I'm still waiting...

Kool Kats

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure I'm in for goofiness for the rest of my life. From both of them.

Of his very own

On Friday we received Wyatt's Christmas present from my parents. Well, his replacement present. They bought him a really cute plush rocking horse that he just loved. It made noises and clacking sounds and whinnied and everything, and when we pulled it out of the box we saw that the wooden part, the rocker, was busted. Not just cracked, but CRACKED, a huge piece of sharp wood sticking out. Definitely not suitable for a 13 month old.

Back it went, and back to the drawing board went my mom, poor thing, I told her Wyatt wouldn't know the difference. She was determined however, and got a little inspiration from his goofiness over Christmas.  He loves it.

His very own chair. I could hardly get a good picture, he flies in and out of it so fast. It's his new "safety zone", and he runs to it every time Caleb chases him. Which is quite often.

He also loves to read in it, or have Daddy read to him in it.

He also enjoys trying to turn on the TV with his remote - one that goes to something that we don't own anymore. I think. I don't even remember, but it's perfect. No more surprise movies showing up on our bill.

 

And that's always nice.

Grown up weekend

It was a working weekend. You know the kind. The kind that makes you wish for summer - the kind of summer you used to have as a kid. Weeks, MONTHS of free time, nothing to do but make memories and eat popsicles. We're not kids anymore, so we have to settle for takeout Chinese food and errands.

This weekend we bought new feet for our washer so that it won't walk across the laundry room. Feet so that it would stay put. Riddle me THAT.

We hung (and by we I mean Caleb) shelves on the green wall in our kitchen - now for the decorating!

Caleb fixed the towel rack in our bathroom so it doesn't hang precariously.

I killed hundreds (or so it felt) of ants from underneath our kitchen sink. No doubt seeking refuge from all this rain we've had. Pest Control is being called tomorrow, I'm not messing around anymore. No more cheap grocery store traps and sprays. This is serious. I am seriously freaking out over here. On a related note, I am ready for a new vacuum.

I finally saw "Julie and Julia" and decided right then I'd give her Boeuf Bourguignon a try. Then I read the recipe and instructions, and cried a little. That could have been the Forest Gump playing in the background, but still. Have you read that recipe?! It's so daunting! Well, first I need a casserole dish. So. That's that.

It's supposed to rain on and off for the next oh, forever. Looks like Wy and I are going to have to get creative with our time. Little boys can't be cooped up indoors forever, you know. They start to climb onto beds and fall off. A slow fall, because their mother has one ankle, but still. Climbing.

I think I'm going to be experimenting with a lot of lemon recipes this week. I have a huge bowl of fresh lemons and limes, and they're not juicing themselves. 

So! Make it a happy Monday, yeah? Might as well!

Telling

Caleb has a habit of ordering food that doesn't agree with him in the end. Or even maybe in the middle. We were discussing this tonight after his latest fiasco.

"Kim, I like food that puts up a fight. Like my prey is fighting back after I've eaten it."

And that's how Caleb lives his life. Ordering his food with extra hot sauce and fighting it down and out. Like it's a challenge, and his manliness is on the line.

I prefer my food mild. With no fight. 

Does that make me less exciting, or safe?

 

before boarding one of our many plane rides

Cheeky

I don't turn on the TV for Wyatt much. I'm not ridiculously opposed to it, there's just no need to get him hooked this early. Or ever, is my hope. I hope to fill his time with Legos, the park, bikes and other boy past times. Whatever they may be.

Anyway, I do however record Sesame Street in case he's feeling particularly fussy during that hour and a half when I'm cooking dinner and Caleb isn't home from work yet. It's The Witching Hour, and can sometimes make dinner seem, well, impossible. So one day last week when he was hanging onto my legs a little tighter than normal, the kind of night where each and every toy we own is on the floor, I flipped it on. Previously it had only kept his attention for a few seconds here or there, but not this night. This night he watched.

And watched.

 

And watched.

While I snapped away. I don't even know if he blinked.

It was sort of frightening, and sort of cute. In a his-brain-is-being-sucked-out kinda way.

Plus, the way he held up his head really accentuated his ginormous squirrel cheeks, and I sort of can't get enough of them.

Little Devils

Last night we thought we'd spice things up and get some Snow Miracle. It's our new favorite dessert, and was the first store in the US (currently only 1 of 3). You should probably come out and visit us. It's pretty fabulous.

After we enjoyed our 87 calorie treat, Caleb insisted we get our photo taken. 1995 style. So we did.

Clearly high quality (and will look even worse after it's uploaded...still trying to figure out why my pics are blurry...if you double click you'll see them better!), but not as awesome as the last one we took. Please ignore my early, embarrassing writing and scroll down to the picture. Thank you. All you need to know is that it was printed on regular computer paper. The rest is just...embarrassing...

(I had to link to this because Caleb and I were talking about it last night and he swore we took it in Hawaii and I swore we took it at the Flea Market. And I was right. Again. Just had to point that out, Cabe. You know you love me...)

Rainy day musings

It's been raining for three straight days now, and I'm going absolutely nutty having the mutt inside the house all day. Or, more than usual, he has had his fair share of showers this week. But still. One of us is going to go crazy.

Your house gets seriously clean when you can't play outside.

Why are there so few indoor kid places around here?!

Pottery Barn is offering free shipping on my organizational system. Oh, for the space and money!

Can't stop thinking about this hair.

I saw and heard lightning and thunder here for the first time. It shook my house. It was crazy.

I have a huge bag full of lemons and limes from our trees. Researching the best lemon recipes.

Mango licorice from Darrel Lea is my new favorite treat.

All this rain makes me want to nap. And make soup. And bake.

Just fell in love with this bookcase. I'll take, two, thank you!

I have this page bookmarked so that Caleb can build this for me when we finally buy our own home. 

We'll be attending the Artichoke Festival this year. If it kills us. 

And the Garlic Festival.

I want to make this - real bad like. But maybe in springy colors? First off I need a sewing machine...

For some reason I've been completely into Valentines Day this year. Why hasn't Target set out their decorations yet!?

I'm ready for long, lazy evenings at the park. Come on, Cali' summers!

Wyatt: 14 months

What a crazy month it's been. A crazy, but wonderful month. We were excited to be able to introduce Wyatt to Christmas, really introduce him, since last year he could care less what was going on, so long as he slept and ate. I don't think we really were prepared for how much fun it is. And even this year, he didn't really get it. How much better is it going to be next year?  He was so sweet, so fun, so happy, and so easygoing during the crazy holidays. As always. We just feel so lucky.

He's running now. Maybe not a full blown run, but as quick as his little legs can carry him. Yesterday we all went to the park to play and Wyatt spotted these two huge dogs. I mean seriously huge. Ginormous black...hairy...nasty...fat...like, HUGE Schnauzers. This lady was walking them through and he took off trying to get to him. Wary of course, I quickly followed him and was surprised at just how quickly I had to move to keep up with him. He was determined to get there. And then of course when the lady stopped and made them lie down, he stopped just short and stared. I'd like to think because they were so big and slobbery and gross...but maybe that was just my hesitation. He spent the rest of the time either wanting to follow the big kids or wanting to walk up and down the small hill. It's so strange to see him doing big kid things.

He's developed a bigger love for books. They are no longer just for nap and bedtime. I recently pulled all of his books from my little nightstand, they were more than overflowing, and put them in our bookshelf in the front room. It's been both a good and bad thing, good because it keeps him busy pulling them all out, opening them, tossing and moving on to the next, and bad because our living room becomes a literal tornado of books. This morning while we were getting ready for church he occupied himself for quite a while with one of the books on my nightstand. My book. No pictures. Just flipping pages.

 

he also loves to root around in my diaper bag for his "binki on a string"...

He's been sleeping in until 8, when I'll go wake him up. It's wonderful. Keeps him slightly off our regular schedule, but it's gone on long enough that it probably is the new schedule. He also deviated during the first part of Christmas, insisting on 45 minutes naps, and maybe only once a day. He wasn't very fussy, but mama still needs the naps. So. I'm very glad he's back into a nice regular nap routine.

He's pickier about what he eats, what he'll gobble up one day will sit untouched on his plate the next. Or really, lets be honest, will probably be flung or pushed off the high chair in two seconds flat. He still loves all fruit. Grapes and blueberries especially. Loves peas and corn, carrots and celery. Loves macaroni and cheese. Loooooooves it. I'm constantly trying to come up with new lunch items for him, as he seems to enjoy trying new things. Suggestions are welcome. I think he's officially sick of cheese sandwiches and soups.

He'll still readily sign, and has added please and thank you to his repertoire. Important ones, and I have to say, pretty cute ones too. He says "uh oh", and makes all sorts of attempts at words, but doesn't quite get there. "Uh" for yuck (i feel like i'm constantly saying "no wyatt, don't eat that, it's yuck"), and "uh" for sock. And lots of babbles in between.

This kid is just loads of fun. You think it would get old, or at least normal, but it doesn't. We are constantly talking about how lucky we are to have such a fun, easy boy. Have I mentioned goofy? A few times? Happy. Giggly. We are just so in love.

Next in my queue

Once I've grown my hair long and basked in it for a while, hopefully a longer while because DUDE growing your hair out sucks, I'm going to chop my hair, ala Ginnifer Goodwin.

Hot chicken soup, that is some gorgeous hair!

Thank you, MLK!

We're gonna hang out, relax, and enjoy the long weekend.

Hope yours is excellent!

Good egg

Last Sunday, Caleb was still out of town. Normally that wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I teach a class during one of the hours and I was a little worried about how that would go - a bunch of teenagers, me, and an almost 14 month old. Smack dab during nap time.

I dressed him up in his cutest new Sunday clothes and hoped for the best. It must have rubbed off, because he was pretty dang good. Sure, a few thousand finger puppets were strewn about the room, but it was a small price to pay. 

Right before we left I snapped a few shots of him. I just couldn't resist. I'd got myself and him ready, and we were going to be on time for 9 am church. It was a miracle. 

 

I got the outfit as a set but the 12 mth pants are way too big for him, so we have to settle with what we've got.

(Here he is modeling the bench I picked up at a consignment store in Utah in August, and was finally able to bring home this Christmas. I think I'm going to paint it orange. And get a new duvet cover. And finally put something on the walls...remember? I'm shakin' things up!!)

 

About three seconds after this picture was taken, he did a face plant on the hardwood floor. We were on time to church, but he had a nice red goose egg on his forehead...

Haiti

As with many of you, I'd feel silly posting anything else today. I've been reading all the reports about the earthquake in Haiti and feel so much for the people there tonight. I can't imagine what they're going through, and hope and pray that they will feel comforted during this trial.

For ways to help, see this article. There's multiple numbers to call and offer donations, and information on how to send a text to the Red Cross for an immediate $10 donation.

And in the mean time, please offer prayers.

Baby, it's cold outside

While I was at lunch with my friend, my family decided to torture introduce Wyatt to the snow. We didn't have any snow clothing that would fit him, or maybe we did, though it would have been all pink, so they just threw on several layers of everything and chucked him out there.

At least that's what it looks like from the pictures.

 

 

They thought they'd put him on a sled and pull him around, since he loves things like that. Maybe it would warm him up to snow?

And it worked.

For a second.

Looks like Wy got his love of the cold outdoors from me.

 

It's okay Wy - we'll hang in the lodge.

Genius

I've never been big on New Years Resolutions. I like the idea of them, sure, but I rarely kept them for long, and so years ago I gave it up. Why set myself up for failure? I can easily make a goal any time during the year and try and keep it. Right?

I used to write myself a letter on New Years Day, and a year later I would read that letter and then write the next. I wrote about what I had done that year, what I had learned, what I hoped or thought might happen during the upcoming year and where I wanted to be. I really enjoyed this, especially seeing the proof that I had changed. I had come a long way in a year. Once I got married I stopped though, just as I stopped writing in my journal.

I'm hoping this blog sort of counts for that.

Anyway, so this year I wasn't planning on making any resolutions. This last weekend when Caleb was out of town I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some milk for Wyatt, and also picked up a magazine, Real Simple, one of my favorites. (You know my addiction...) In it, in some random ad, I read a quote from Albert Einstein that says:

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

Now, maybe you'll think this is crazy, but I'd never heard that particular quote before. I sat there for several minutes, stunned. It's exactly what I do! My OCD tendencies, my A Type personality, the way I seek comfort in ruts? The same things over and over, and hoping and expecting for different results. Frustrated that I'm not seeing results, that things are still the same.

Duh.

So instead of having resolutions, I decided I'd have a motto. And this year's motto would be to change things up, in any aspect of my life that I've been frustrated with because nothing has changed. Because when I look at it, that's exactly my problem. I haven't done anything about it. I've thought about it, talked about it, planned it out, stressed about it, but in the end I've done nothing.

Not this year, nuh uh!

I'm shakin' things up this year.

Got his hair did

I'm interrupting the Christmas posts to bring you breaking news: Wyatt got his first haircut today.

It's a bit overdue, but I was holding on again. Partly because he's my baby, and partly because, well, maybe it was getting long, but it's still so thin. Would he look totally bald?

The answer is no. He would look ridiculously cute, albeit a bit grown up. Which I'll have to deal with, I suppose.

I took him a place nearby, one I'd checked on Yelp, and we sat down immediately. I was worried Wy would fuss or squirm, but he did neither. He sat on my lap watching Dora like a big boy looking at all the instruments on her table and jabbering away. It was adorable.

So here we are in our matching frocks. As she put it on me I panicked for a second and said, "No, a haircut for him."  She laughed and said I was the second person that day to say that. "For his hair!" she reassured me, though there wasn't much of it to get anywhere.

It was the first time he's really ever had his hair brushed, so at first he kept ducking his head when she'd run the comb through, but he got used to it.

 

 

Most people won't be able to tell of course, but it's much better. I no longer have to tuck his little  hair behind his ears, and the back lays straight instead of curling slightly.

 

See?

At the end they gave him a little certificate with the traditional clips of hair. I didn't want to keep it in an envelope, it seemed an odd place to have a bunch of little baby hairs, so I found one of those little bags that holds the extra buttons they give you when you buy a shirt, and stuck it in there. Perfect.

It's the hap-happiest season of all

The rest of the Christmas break can be summarized as follows: goofy Wyatt, parties, shopping, and The Great Plague.

Let's start with parties, shall we? Because of my A Type personality / OCD syndrome, I tend to party plan. I like to get together with friends and family, I think there's nothing better, and whether because I've always done it or because I'm afraid if I don't do it no one will, I'm almost always the one pulling it together. Anyway, I planned a few and only got to attend a couple (see below). The first party was a girls only party with the girls I grew up with, and there are no pictures because I spent every second holding a baby. I brought the camera, I had every intention of capturing my lovely friends, but I literally went from one baby to the next. I loved every second of it. In fact, had we not discussed the *joys* of night feedings, I might have had news for ya'll.

But we did. And so I don't. But good heavens, aren't babies lovely?! I'd been all excited to have a kid-free night with mah girls, and spent it holding and talking about kids. And loving it.

We had parties with my family, multiple parties, and I only have a few shots of Caleb's family party and New Years Eve. Someone needs to remind me to take pictures, because I WANT pictures, I just forget. I blame Caleb, because I used to rely on him to take them, and now he doesn't, so it's up to me. Anyway. Another story, right? These next few were actually taken by Caleb, cause I was stuck going up and down the stairs with Wy.

 

 

Like so.

 

Hi, Kathy! We know how to party it up, don't we?

Now this picture isn't particularly fabulous, but I had to post it because Caleb was so adamant that I NOT, because he didn't want his son to be seen playing with a princess wand. So naturally, I had to. 

These are all my photos of the parties, and that's mostly because of The Great Plague. A stomach virus, the worst sickness ever, that swept our entire extended family. We love each other, we love to get together, and it showed. Within just a few short days at least one person from each family was down, some only slightly sick, others violently ill (my dad lost 6 lbs). By the weeks end 28 were sick, and more would fall. Needless to say we avoided a few get togethers, or didn't stay long. I hate the thought, but I just couldn't chance Wy getting sick. The kid doesn't have a pound to lose and was already battling a cough. 

A lighter subject, shall we? Wy's goofiness. It was crazy. He suddenly developed a love of all things fuzzy and soft after discovering these pillows on my mom's couch. He would randomly walk over and lay his head down, and now does it to any soft surface. It's terribly endearing. 

He also liked to be on things.

Don't mind the tag, it's the only way those pants will stay up...

He was so proud of himself. And now he's trying to climb on everything.

He experienced surround sound. (soft surround sound...)

He learned the joys of dipping foods into various things. Vegetable dip, ketchup, even a little mustard. Most often he'd give up whatever he was dipping and just stick his fingers in.

 

He's a goober, and I love him. Messy face and all. 

Joy to the World

Ah, Christmas. It was infinitely more fun this year, and I know it will only get better.

Here he is in his Christmas pajamas, waiting.  For what, he wasn't sure. 

Turns out, it was this.

And he loved it.

And loves being pushed around on it. He and Caleb took it out tonight on it's inaugural ride outside, and the word on the street is that he quite enjoyed himself. 

The rest of us had a good Christmas, too. Kathy got to read the newspaper.

I don't remember why she was doing this, but I thought it was funny. Lame, Kathy, so lame.

Caleb picked out the perfect first purse for Miss Emily.

Look at those two. The youngest members of their family. Goofballs.

We had a great day. A filled day. A relaxing, hang out with the family day. It was perfect.

And it was a good thing we drove. Wyatt was more than spoiled. As usual.

And we felt spoiled just watching him.

Delays

We were supposed to drive home Sunday.

Saturday afternoon it was discovered that something was wrong with our car, something we'd been trying to fix all week without any luck. Something serious.

Something with the timing belt. Slippage? Slippage of the timing belt? That's all I got. It doesn't sound that dire, but apparently it is! Enough that it had to be fixed before leaving, and that couldn't happen until Monday morning.

I wasn't that upset.

Monday morning rolled around and I was busily packing, preparing for our noon departure when the car was promised to be done. Caleb casually mentioned that he discovered we had a free one-way ticket via Southwest, and would I like to fly home with Wy instead of driving 13 hours?

Would I?!

We booked it for Tuesday so that he could be there to pick me up.

I wasn't that upset.

Noon rolls around, and the car isn't done. 1 pm...2:30...3...4...

We didn't get it until 4:30, and Caleb wisely decided driving home was ridiculous that late. My flight was bumped another day, putting me back home this afternoon around 2 pm, an entire 2.5 weeks from when we left.

I think Wy and I both had forgotten about "home".

Besides coming home to a fairly clean and un-Christmasy house thanks to Caleb, I also came home to the most bare fridge I have ever seen. And I had to take a picture and post it, so I could show my family was "nothing to eat" really means.

Some pudding cups, nuts, a few old apples, and the largest summer sausage (thanks to Abby!) the world has ever seen.

That summer sausage was Caleb's breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a day. I suppose he does need a wife...

Posts to come, many many Christmas posts. For now, my not-a-couch Tempur Pedic is calling my name, and I intend to obey.