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A Year of Oscar: Four Months!

Wednesday, July 27, 2016


What can I tell ya about this little lovebug that I haven't already mentioned like a trillion times? He's a chit-chatter, and we suspect he said "da da" already. I have it on video, and I was totally not expecting it. Now, I just find myself getting really super close to his face and saying "mama! mama! mama!" in a super annoying high-pitched voice. It'll stick one of these days, I'm sure of it!

He keeps trying to roll over but juuuuust hasn't been able to yet.

Really has the best smile and dimple to go with it. He smiles at everyone at church and gosh, I want to eat him. 

He's discovering how to use his hands. He thinks they're great to chew on, and is getting better and better at grabbing things. S is quickly learning that he's been perfecting his hair-pulling skills. And pooping skills...he's been practicing that one a lot lately.

Love this little drool monster. Can't imagine life without him. He is pure joy.

She's only happy in the sun.

Monday, July 25, 2016


When I look back at my summers as a kid, I think of a steady stream of sticky orange dreamsicles, the feel of prickly grass under my bare feet as I ran through the rainbow-forming sprinklers, and feeling like summer was a magic time that might never end. Almost all of my memories are of being outdoors. We used to spend most of our summers in Idaho and Utah, and because of this, those two places will always hold a dear place in my heart. And dreamsicles. 

This last week, we went to the pool with some of our best friends. Add that to our ever-growing list of why we are loving being back in Utah: hanging out with some of our oldest friends. You know what's great? When your kids are friends with your friends' kids. Plus, I mean, see that little crack-up on the left? She's Junie, and she's a little spitfire. And she and Pato are getting married someday. When asked if Junie was his girlfriend, Pato said, "Yesssss...always." C said, "Are you sure?" His response: "Forever!" She's a real spit fire and we couldn't love these friends any more than we already do.

When I think of my own childhood memories of summer, I've started to really pay attention to the things we do, and how our kids will remember their summers. I hope they remember their summer times a lot like how I remember mine. It's because of this I find myself saying yes to one more popsicle, yes to staying up just a little bit later, and yes to getting caught in the rain. 

I can see the effect summer has had on S, especially. Since the day she was born, she has always been her very happiest when out in the fresh air. Very rarely do I hear her ask to come in from being outside, and she's usually always tricking me into staying out a bit longer. C and I have talked often about how when she was a tiny baby, and we were new parents who didn't have a single clue about how to stop a baby from screaming in the middle of the night, we would take her out into our breezeway and just sit in our glider with her. I remember it being so dark, and the cool air would immediately calm her down. We would sit and stare at the darkness and just swing back and forth. Back and forth. I'd feel my cheeks getting cool, and eventually, she'd fall asleep. This was a special time for us, and even more for C because he was the one who would do it more often.  

The kids start school soon, and already as I sit here I feel my heart breaking a little bit thinking about how our lives will be jumping back into schedules. Summer may not be my favorite season, but I have to admit, some of my favorite memories are made in this hot hot heat.

What specific things make you think of your childhood summers?

Ten Things Making Me Happy Right Now

Wednesday, July 20, 2016


* Babies in bonnets. I mean, I love all babies in bonnets, but this baby in particular. I read somewhere it makes their brains smarter. It was on internet, so it must be true.

* The way S and Pato say "regular." Instead, they say "reguree." I have zero intentions to correct them. In fact, if it were up to me, we'd all be saying "reguree." My vote this fall will go to whichever candidate can make this happen. Who am I kidding....there's nothing Trump could do to get me to vote for him. #MindyKalingForPrez2016

* Mondays. Can you believe it? Monday mornings are my work mornings, and have quickly become one of my favorite things that I look forward to. 

* Snapchat. Okay, I was hesitant to write this one because "...blah blah" more social media. But, introducing my mom to the different filters JUST about made my whole entire month. We cracked up like crazzzyyyy. Who knew puppy-dog faces could bring people together like that?

* Utah. Sigh. The nights always feel cool, and I'm pretty certain nothing beats a Utah summer.

* Hulu. Um, so have you watched East Los High? I'm only slightly embarrassed to say that I, we are obsessed with this show.

* La Croix sparkling water. So good! I've been trying to cut down on my Coke-drinking, and this has really helped. Oh! And on a completely unrelated note- my latest case of Cokes is full of cans with Santa Clauses on them?? They expire at the beginning of September. But, I just don't know guys. I prefer my drinks to reflect the correct holidays, don't you? No, but seriously. 

* The Pandora Shakira and Harry Belafonte stations. I know, I'm super behind on this whole music listening scene. I just re-discovered Pandora, and you can find me dancing in my seat to it every Monday morning at the Starbucks by our house. Have I shared that here before? How one of the saddest things in my life is knowing that I'm not a dancer? (Okay, not for REAL one of the saddest...you know what I mean.) It pains me that I can't actually dance but I LOVE to do it. The other day I tried to prove to C that I could listen to a song and not dance to it...I couldn't do it. Not dancing made my bones hurt. 

* Good people. There have been some pretty crappy things happening lately around the world. Things that can really bring out the ugly people, but can also bring out the really good in people. When I see or hear someone say something that touches my heart because it's so full of love and compassion, I want to just reach out and hug them because these are the people that make me feel like there's so much hope out there. That my kids are going to grow up in a pretty okay world because there are people who really want to make it better. 

* C's grilling. If he cooked all our meals, I really would have no desire to go to any restaurants ever again. I told him he should open a restaurant, and he responded with, "So, you could eat there for free all the time?" Yeah, that, too. 


Pato Says

Monday, July 18, 2016



So, for a few months new, I've been writing down some of the funny things that Pato has been saying.  Specifically, the words that he makes up. It makes me laugh because when he doesn't know a word for something, he'll just make one up. A lot of them are used to describe things...and..well, I'll just let ya read them:

Me: Let's go make our beds.
Pato: I can't. My bed's too close-y and too squiggly.

***

Pato: Mama, can you get more water in my cup?
Me: How about you do it?
pato: But, its all goo gooey!

***

I can't drink this water. It's too goopy.

***

Tomatoes are the smashiest. Yuck.

***

Is purple in the rainbow? I want it to be.

***

These stairs are too steppy.

***

Is Oscar awake? Can I cooch him?

***

While drinking orange juice with pulp: I don't like these little crumbies! 

Oh, Pato. If I could just keep you three forever! 

Somebunny woke up happy!


You guys. I don't even know what to write to go along with this. I can't handle it. I'm just going to leave these pictures right here.


Have a good day!

Bunny sleep suit c/o Petit Patch, and can be found HERE! It comes in several different colors, and O is juuust about to grow out of it. My heart is breaking into a million pieces because it's easily one of my favorite things he owns. 



Perfect family pictures and a frog button.

Monday, July 11, 2016


How to get the perfect family picture:

Step one: Herd everyone closely together. It may take a minute. Or like five. Closer. Wait, not too closeDon't poke him, okay? Pato, can you please stop pulling my dress up? Sof, can you stop dancing for just two seconds?

Step two: Smile at the camera. You're not in pain. I'll give you a gummy bear! Fine, two! Pato, please let go of my dress. Sof, wait, why are you riding your bike? Come back.

Step three: Check out your shot. Umm...can you angle it down a bit more? Less sidewalk. But, don't cut off our feet. Guys, don't go anywhere. Don't touch my dress. Also, what were you looking at in the shot??

Step four: If necessary try again. Pato. Dress. Stop! Look, you'll get two gummy bears AND a chocolate. What? Since when do you not like chocolate??

Step five: Laugh and give up. Maybe some other time. Oh. Huh, we did get a good one after all! 

You guys, my camera is full of imperfectly perfect pictures that I can't bare to get rid of because they are so close to my heart. The in-betweens are my very favorite because they tell our real story, and you better believe any time I get a shot of us all looking at the camera it's actually a total fluke! 


In the middle of the whole picture taking process, Pato had us cracking up (and I think that's why we all happened to be smiling) because he just recently discovered he has buttons!! Yup, yesterday he informed us that he has buttons that control his feelings and actions. As of now, he has a happy button, a sad button, an angry button, a scared button, a jumping button, a silly button, an obedient button, and a frog button. Aren't those great? I told him we all could really use a frog button. I also asked him if he had a sleepy button. He looked at me very seriously and said, "No, Mommy. I do NOT have a sleepy button."

This kid. 

*Bowtie in "Rosewood" c/o Chico Rose. You can find them HERE.

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