Lazy Saturday

We started off our Saturday ambitiously with a visit to the Farmer's Market and a walk around town. It got lazier from there.

Baby's first Sesame Street:

I put this beach chair in the yard when we were out playing earlier. Little Man realized it's just his size (the humidity isn't doing any favors for his hairdo):

HA, Mama thought the bubbles were hidden up there:

This boy is a nature lover. When I finally get tired of the yard and make him come in, he sets up shop here (so sweet I could just eat him): [***Amended even though it might hurt my chances for Mother of the Year: as I was posting these photos I realized I couldn't hear Little Man by the door anymore. I found him halfway up the stairs, sitting on a stair looking out the door from a new angle. When I brought him back down and put him at his station by the door he yelled "Hi!" at our walking neighbors.]

Perhaps this year in the garden instead of this (taken this weekend last year):
We'll have this (but fat chance):

Holiday Weekend

We spent the weekend in Atlanta with friends and family. We took in a Braves game with my high school friend H. and her family. The Braves lost, but the weather was perfect and our seats were in the shade.





Uh-Oh

Playing in Grandma's yard:

Sleepy time with Ernie, Grandma, and Mama:

Renaissance Man

In case golfing wasn't enough at the tender age of 14 months, he's also a musician.

Teach 'Em Young

Little Man got golf clubs for Christmas from Daddio, but we just broke them out for the first time this week,





I'm not allowed to do this:
Or this:

Multi-tasking

The Mullet: Business in the front, Party in the back.

And a photo that will someday embarrass him:

Kickin' It Old School

T. takes video of Little Man in order to prove that he's much better when I'm not around.

Little man takes up the spoons:
And, we discovered he's a great They Might Be Giants fan. Old school. This video has some excellent footwork in his dancing:

Garden

Remarkably productive outdoor day yesterday, considering that we have a kid who is not all for us getting things done, and more for us carrying him around.

T. and Little Man got their Mother's Day shopping done. This morning I opened two lovely non-stick Caphalon pans. Very practical gift, yes, but something I've been asking for for over a year. While they were gone shopping I plotted out this year's garden.

Then they got home and T. mowed while Little Man napped and I went to the nursery to buy garden supplies. I also got some perennials to fill an empty backyard bed. I rented a tiller for a few hours, but it truly only took 10 minutes to turn over the garden and mix in some compost. I was deemed unfit to operate a machine with fast spinning blades, so here's my lawn boy in action:

Then I planted. Repeats from last year: tomatoes (less this year), zucchini (less this year), green beans, cucumbers, sunflowers. Things we tried last year but didn't grow so we're trying them again but from seedlings this time: bell peppers, watermelon. Newcomers: carrots. The finished product:


We had an open bed in the backyard where we removed some arborvitae because: a. Arborvitae are ugly, and b. These particular arborvitae were half-dead. We are giving the other arborvitae the false hope that they have a long and productive life ahead of them, but actually as soon as they stop being cute (as defined by being taller than most humans) we're going to cut them down in the prime of their life. Anyway, we had an empty bed and we considered doing annual flowers but really, we have a toddler, and he's only going to allow for the maintenance of one young bed and I chose the vegetable garden for that. So I planted perennials. Oh, here' the before:

And here's the after. In the middle we have a butterfly bush which will bloom a dark purple. To the side we have 4 Hearty Astors which I was assured are "very low-maintenance" and will spread. They will bloom pink. So although the bed looks pretty sparse now, in a few years it'll be nice and filled in.

Cupcakes & The Park

Yesterday Aunt L. graduated with her Master's degree. I made cupcakes. Chocolate with Peanut Butter icing. The consensus was that the brownie cupcakes from Little Man's birthday were better, even though they were hard as baseballs. I think next time I'll go back to the brownie cupcake recipe but take them out of the oven sooner. You just can't go wrong with PB icing, though. And I decorated them:
Can you read what it says?

Yesterday after school I took Little Man to the park. We have a GREAT municipal park with lots of neat playgrounds, but he was a little grumpy and was only happy about swinging. He also forgot how to walk temporarily. If I'm going to post these videos I'm going to have to come up with a better laugh. Something melodic and sophisticated.




He did manage to have some fun swinging.


This morning Little Man and Daddio went out Mother's Day shopping. They seemed to know exactly what they were after.

I'm a Winner

Not only did I win the Doggie Sling I posted about a few weeks ago, but I've been on a bit of a winning streak lately! Turns out these "Mommy Bloggers" are giveaway fiends! A few weeks ago there was a whole "Giveaway Carnival" where over 900 people gave stuff away. The carnival made me realize that there are giveaways going on all the time, and I took note of a few of the big giveaway sites. It's pretty smart of retailers, I think, to realize that Mommy Bloggers are a great way to get the word out on their products. Plus there are innumerable talented crafters in the world.

Here's what I've won:

From Kristy, I won a Jewlery Picture Frame, made by Kristy herself. Inside the frame are holes for earrings, and underneath are hooks for necklaces/ bracelets. I'm sure this will encourage me to change my jewelry more often (I've been wearing my fabulous CZ earring since September).

From Bren, I won cupcake accessories! A silicone cupcake pan and some fun sprinkles. Yum.

And just today I got word from Naomi that I won a pair of Robeez shoes for the Little Man! They retail for $28! I could've picked any color and size but I chose these Navy ones with the stripey elastic. So cute.

A Touching Mother's Day Tale

Dear Son,

Back in the Spring of 2008 you were but a wee lad, and we were preparing to celebrate our second Mother's Day together. You were a charming chap with lovely blond hair, and we were sharing a touching moment of you playing in the bath and me styling your hair.


Then you made that face, and you pooped in the tub. So yes, you have to get me something for Mother's Day. Better make it good.

Love,
Mama

Big Wedding Weekend

We traveled to the Delmarva Peninsula this weekend for my cousin's wedding. Little Man had Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease so we almost canceled our trip, but decided at the last minute to take him and just keep him away from kids.

Which was difficult, because our hosts have two kids! We stayed with the P. family. They have a little girl A, and a little boy A. Here are the kids playing:
And Little Man A. just generally being cute and happy:
The wedding was kid-friendly, and in a beautiful location on the water. We also had great weather.

The men in their suits:
The fam:
Droopy Baby:
Bride and Groom:
Awwwwww:
Little Man was sleepy, and spent time sleeping on Grandma (photo courtesy of Auntie E.), Auntie E., me, and a tablecloth we swiped and put on the ground:


But somehow he found the energy to dance!