Summer

Rooming

We have enjoyed living in this new house of ours. We have slowly been making it our own.

(As a side note, I have really disliked having our house called by someone else's name. I understand that you may have known the past two families to live in this home, but don't say so to me!!
"Oh, you live in the old So-n-So's house?"  Correction- I live in my house. That's why I live in it. It is mine.  If So-n-So used to live here, that is neither here nor there to me. Because I didn't live here then.) ANY WAY....

We have been working first on the kid's rooms.

The Boys' Room-- Robot themed

Bunk Beds!

 Top Bunk

Life according to my phone

This old phone of mine- he comes with me everywhere. I take more pictures with my phone than with my good camera lately, because, really, it is more portable, quicker, and easier.
The photos are not better, but there you have it.

This month has been full of events and moments, and this phone has captured most of them. Let the photo dump begin!

A walk in our neighborhood. We saw a "Green-headed fire dy-hydrator"

 And a "red headed one"

 And our neighbor's statue of a 'wilderbeast'

Dinner out with my favorites

A boy got the horrible cold of the year,

 and his coughing earned him a quick trip to see dad and get a breathing treatment in the ED.

Another boy lost a front tooth (don't worry, the second front tooth is on its way)

Claude Monet taught us a thing or two at the 'waxless wax museum'

I decided to try a new hair color

Socks was in a musical

Grapes was recognized with the citizenship award for her class!

Pencil graduated pre-school

He got the curiosity award.

The biggest two and I went to the high school production of "Cinderella" on a date

The weather has been distinctly summery, and I told that Doctor of mine, "I love the onset of summer!! Well, except for the snow." It's only snowed twice this month, and never stayed for too long, so there's that, anyway. 

Life is good! Happy May to you!

The business of being the Mom

I've been thinking about motherhood for a while now. (like 11 years, what?!)
I mean, this is my life's work.

My Magnum Opus, if you will.

And I still feel like I haven't really gotten started. I have all these visions....imaginations of what a mom could be. Should be, maybe. And I have highly polished intentions of becoming That Mom.

to complete a year

In Spanish the word for birthday is made of the two words "to complete" and "year"-- literally your birthday is the completion of another year of your life. I'm realizing though, it's more than just a year of your life, it's a year of life for anyone who is part of your life. 

My Grapes turned 11 this last week. Eleven years of her life are finished: milestones passed and landmarks reached. Her journey to become the Grapes she was meant to be is fully underway.

But 11 years ago was also when I became a Momma; when we became a family, rather than a couple; and when life as we once knew it became a memory.  Things have changed in so many ways, and it has been both a blink of the eye and an eternity to reach this point. 

We celebrated (twice!)

First with family

Life As We Know It

I posted about our Christmas. (Pictures are worth a thousand words, right?)
But the rest of December- the regular life and family craziness- effortlessly glided into January.
I want to remember it, so I'm sharing with you.

We'll begin with Pencil.
Because with this monkey there are always a zillion tell-able tales.
He asked for cinnamon toast for breakfast almost every day one week. This is how he ate it:

Feta Lizard-Breath

We would like to introduce to you Feta Lizard-Breath, the newest Whiting.

Is this not the cutest grainy phone pic of a proud Daddy and his baby?!?!


*WARNING*Birth story to follow

January Is

Yes... January Is.
It exists, and we are present.
That's all there is to say about it.
No really, though, we are trudging stalwartly, albeit thigh deep, through the bleh that is this month.
There is little to look forward to in January, and it feels to be the world's longest month with a grand total of 8 billion days. (give or take a few)


We have had a Spelling Bee. (She made it 5 rounds with the 5th and 6th graders before getting knocked out with the word "tortilla" I think she got too excited that she knew that one, and in her rush, forgot the second T)

Making Progress

And we are claiming success in the fully-using-a-toilet-the-way-it-was-intended saga.

All three of my children are big kids. I have not purchased diapers in weeks. WEEKS. 

I may be suffering from a new identity crisis.

 He does still 'forget' to put his pants back on, and washing his hands makes more of a mess, not less......
But it is progress.