New Additions

Our dear friends Meg and Ryan are in the process of adopting a little girl.
We are doing-cartwheels-excited for them.
Meg has snuggled Greta since she was a wee baby and remains one of Greta's favorite aunties ever.
And now, as they are fostering to adopt, she is snuggling her own wee child and welcoming her into their awesome home.
So this weekend Lauren (who co directs Zimbags with Meg) and Meg's mom threw her a little baby book party at The Black Bottle to celebrate.
It was so lovely.
Everyone brought a book for their little girl, plus a book to donate to a foster child. With cocktails, amazing local food, and candlelit ambiance, it makes me wonder why people don't do more baby showers this way?
(Funny story: The waiter joked that he thought Meg was pulling the wool over our eyes. Since she was drinking and obviously not pregnant.  Yep, sister's gonna do whatever it takes to get a free copy of the Very Hungry Caterpillar.)
A wonderful night, and a wonderful thing to enjoy and look forward to this year.

Oh, what a day.

Oh, what a day.
I will spare you (most) the details, but today has been tough!
Oliver has been sick, which is another way of saying we don't get sleep at night.
So when I opened my eyes too early this morning to see a bright eyed preschooler standing on my bed (over my face), with toys, expectations, and demands, all I could muster was "Shhhhh!" Don't wake your brother*!
Sleep, must have sleep... mumble mumble.
But sleep was not had, the toddler's enthusiasm was too great, the sleeping baby roared, and the day kicked into gear.
So much worry, hurry, discipline, instruction. So many reasons to wash my hands. So many timeouts.
This has been a hard day for me, but poor Greta. She was on the receiving end of my day.
She is sleeping right now. She hasn't napped in like 2 years.
I know, because I just tip toed into her room with a snack (wrapped like a present, her favorite thing ever) and an apology. Not an apology for putting her in timeout from her timeout... she needed that. But for something I just read and didn't do today...

"When my children used to walk in the room... I looked at them to see if they had buckled their trousers or if their hair was combed or if their socks were up. You think your affection and your deep love is on display because you're caring for them. It's not. When they see you, they see the critical face." Does your face light up when your child comes into the room? she asked. Because they notice.
-Toni Morrison via Cup of Joe

Ugh. Fail.
And now that I have an opportunity at a mother's holy grail... a nap, I don't want to sleep. I just want to stand over her bed and tell her what's on my mind. I think she should know that moms aren't always right.

*Who sleeps several yards from me which means our bedroom is half of the day a Lion's Den. And we whisper and tip toe around our adorable and ferociously hungry little lion every morning and every night.

image/print by Raw Art Letterpress

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for so much.
God hasn't promised our family health, happiness, or smooth sailing. But we are enjoying so much of His abundant goodness today.
My babies are with us, smiling, laughing, and as innocent as they ever will be.
Kent is leading our family as a dad and husband, in a way that makes me so proud to have my name tied up with his. (I'm with him!)
My mom and dad are not only my parents but my friends.
And I am being challenged, humbled, and expected much of these days. Which is the best I can ask for.
And if that isn't enough, we are on our way to my mom's house, where we plan to eat ourselves under the table.

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

6 months!

Oliver's 6 month fast facts:

-He is so perfectly happy. He smiles with his whole body. He grins, then his eyes join in and his chin disappears into his neck, he balls up his fists, squirms, and thrusts his body out like he just can't contain all his perfect happiness! I don't think you can find such pure and innocent joy anywhere else on this earth. Gah! babies!

-He is eating solids now. Every solid! Veggies, fruit, meat, everything except some Gerber mess called Chicken Mango Risotto. It smelled like dirt, so I can't really blame him.

-Solid foods mean he has finally ceased being hungry overnight and we are getting some rock star sleep out of him. Hello world, it's been a while.

-He is rolling and scooting. Watch out package of baby wipes, he's had his eyes on you for weeks.

-He has eyes for Greta. When she walks into view, his face is so radiant with love for her. It's a mixture of joy, admiration, amazement, and a little "please please notice me!" I don't think Greta understands or appreciates what a gift that is.  I just hope he keeps a little of that face for her down the road, and that she would learn to treasure it.

-He saves his heartiest laughs for daddy's tickles, flips, and whiskers.


-He weighs a little shy of 21lbs, and I can no longer carry him around in his car seat without leaning 45 degrees the opposite direction. There's got to be a better way.

-He is 27.5 inches long

-His head is 18.5 in... still in the 100th percentile.
(That hat he is wearing was found in the pre-teen boy's section in Target, to give you an idea.)



Well, I don't know where the time has gone. But somehow I have spent the last 6 months burying my face in his chubby, slightly sticky cheeks.
Happy Half Birthday Oliwog!

Zimbags Fall/Winter Collection

This weekend I got together with the lovely ladies at Zimbags to photograph the new Matabele Fall/Winter Collection.
So many lovely new bags, designed, sewn, and sent by women artists in Zimbabwe.
The collection comes out this Monday, November 12th. But here is a little sneak peek at some of the great things to come!

A Very Wes Anderson Halloween

Happy Halloween or Harvest Festival or however you celebrate/don't celebrate today!
At our house we like to dress up. And for years Kent and I have wanted to dress up as a tribute to one of our favorite movies.
The Royal Tenenbaums.

So we got ourselves up as Margot, Richie, Buckley the hound dog, and a Dalmatian mouse.
We fully realize that I think most of the population are like "What kind of mouse?" and "Margot and Richie who?"
But we are having a blast thinking ourselves very clever indeed.
Now to drum up some fun, take pictures, and sort out the good candy from the ok to give to trick or treaters candy...

Past family costumes here, here, and here.

When grandma comes over you can count on at least two things.
1. She will smell good when you hug her. (Why do moms always smell so yummy?  I don't think I smell that good, try as I might.)
2. She will go outside with Greta in rain or shine to play in the front flower beds. They will dig, water, plant, rake, tsk-tsk over the soil, re-pot, and prune the afternoon away.  And then come back in head to toe dirt and smiles.
This visit they planted some fall bulbs. 
 Back story- I proudly purchased (actually purchased) several bags of bulbs from Costco a few months ago. Sometimes I get these fits of I CAN DO IT ALL attitude. Never mind that at the time with Oliver just a newborn, I was scheduling my bathroom breaks with the children two weeks in advance. But there's something about Costco that spreads this "can do" mindset around isn't there?
Maybe it's because I'm already beating my personal best, lifting flats of meat into a trolley sized cart. Meat I know I'm going to do something equally impressive with like portion out into smaller ziplock bags, freeze, and meal plan with.* In a cart already full of children I am single handedly keeping from mutiny with songs off the cuff and a bottle on the go. So I was probably pumping my fists in the air thinking I can do Costco, I can do anything!  Enter bulb display and glorious visions of a home peacefully wreathed in flowers. Cut to girl- who throws 3 bags of bulbs into the cart, narrowly missing infant, and pushes on with a triumphant smile.
It was a very exciting purchase that stood by our front door for the next 2 months.
Because the reality is that of course I can't do it all, and besides I was pretty sure that I was not qualified for the incredibly in depth 2 step process of 
1. putting the thing 
2. in the ground.
So Gardeners Grandma and Greta tackled it this week and had a marvelous time too. Like two peas in a pod. They tramped in the sun (and even some rain) in their boots and gloves. Digging, patting and watering the earth.
Now, come next Spring we will have a cheerful walkway full of tulips and alliums!
Thanks to my garden elves.   

*Am I the only one that is impressed with domestic feats like these?