The Definition of Summer

As little clothing as possible. Check.


Dirty little fingers. Check.

A cool beverage. Check.

Fun, outdoor activities. Check.

We love summer.

Strawberry Picking = Grand Larceny

We made the annual pilgrimage to the strawberry patch yesterday. I wish I could say that Adam was helpful but he really just hindered the process. The line he repeated over and over was, " Ummmm, I need.....this one" as he grabbed strawberries out of my basket.

They are really nice at this patch and will weigh your containers before you go in, so you only pay for your strawberries at the end. It would also be wise to weigh the kids before they go in. My child wasn't the only one popping delicious strawberries into his mouth without reserve.

What's that saying about how the guilty sleep? This little 10 minute snooze was the only nap he took. Stinker.

This is one batch getting rinsed. There were about five more just like it. Most of them have been pureed into scrumptious freezer jam.

An Exercise in Thigh Comparison

I know you're not supposed to compare your children, but I couldn't help posting these two pictures:

Adam

Jane

I guess our kids are just destined to have the three-fat-roll-thigh. Oh, how I love those thighs. I occasionally am overcome by the need to take a little bite out of them. Just a nibble...

Jane...

You've been weighed.


You've been measured.

And you have not been found wanting!

We had Jane's six month appointment yesterday. Here are her stats:

Height: 27 1/2" (89th %ile)
Weight: 20lbs 4oz (above the 95th %ile)
Head Circumference: 17 1/2" (85th %ile)

Oh how we love this girl and her chunky thighs!!

I have a Problem...

...of the 12 step kind. It isn't drugs, but it might as well be. It's Etsy. Who are these uber-talented people who make these amazing things? I can spend a lot of time just adding sellers and items to my "favorites" list. Take these shoes for example:

Who made these?? I am in awe. Jane will be wearing these this fall. I've also picked out decor for the new house, jewelry for me, winter hats for the kids, the list goes on, and on, and on...

I'm gonna need to get myself into a program, fast.

**Note, for Scott's sake, that I haven't purchased anything. I have just made a plan to purchase some things.

It Has Begun

We took our first swim of the season in the Pulley's pool. The fact that the air temperature was about 75 degrees should give you an idea of Adam's love of the pool. I was glad to see that he hadn't become overly cautious with age. You may recall last year, he was already on friendly terms with the diving board. We are looking forward to swim lessons this summer for our little fish!

Pityriasis Rosea vs. Fifth's Disease

Adam developed a rash about a week ago on a Thursday. It started as tiny spots on his chest. By Friday it was redder and had spread to his back and groin. By Saturday he had large splotches on his under arms and chest:

At this point we called the pediatrician and went in to have it looked at (luckily our pediatrician has Saturday hours). The Dr. consulted some of her dermatology books and pronounced in Pityriasis Rosea, a rash caused by a virus. It isn't contagious and goes away by itself in 6-10 weeks. So we went home. Saturday night was rough. Adam had a fever and was scratching like crazy. The rash was worse the next day and Adam felt awful. My favorite quote from my normally rambunctious boy was, "Mama, I not happy" said in the most pathetic voice possible.

Fast forward to Wednesday. Adam is feeling better and the rash that was supposed to take 6-10 weeks to go away is gone. I was talking on the phone with a friend whose son Adam often plays with and she mentioned that her son was just getting over Fifths Disease. She described the symptoms and they sounded suspiciously like Adam's. Looking it up online, however, it didn't exactly fit. For example, Adam got a rash first and then felt sick. With Fifths Disease the rash comes after the illness.

So anyway, we're not sure what it was. It wasn't fun, but it's over, thankfully in less than 10 weeks.

Jane's 1/2 Birthday

Jane turned 6-months-old on June 3rd. We baked her the traditional cake (it cracked a little).


I did what I had to do here. It's all part of the job description.




Current accomplishments include rolling onto her stomach (and getting stuck there), sitting unassisted, eating finger foods, high pitched screams, belly laughing when her brother entertains her and walking backward in her walker.

Happy 1/2 birthday Janie!

Contortionist

Jane likes TV. Adam didn't see TV until he was at least 18 months old. Jane, well, Jane was exposed from an early age because Adam was watching his PBS Kids in the morning. Despite our best efforts to keep her away until she's older, well, see for yourself:



Luckily, if you talk or sing to her you can get her attention. There's that sweet face:


Oh, Jane. What's a Mom to do.

(Excuse her appearance. I have no good excuse.)

Videotopia

Our local children's museum always has a traveling exhibit. This month it is "Videotopia" which is basically a room filled with any arcade game you could think of from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. We took Adam there a couple of weeks ago. The best part was looking around the room and seeing the number of grown men completely engrossed. Recognize this one?

I thought it might be best to hand him our tokens and meet him at the exit at closing. He did finally emerge from the haze of arcade ecstacy if for no other reason than to introduce his son to the wonders of his generation:


Adam and Scott share a lot of common interests and have no lack of bonding activities:)

Jumping in the Rain

Before I had kids I always wanted to be the kind of mom who went puddle jumping in the rain. So, while Jane napped, Adam and I walked up and down our street jumping to our heart's content.


You wouldn't think Adam would hesitate, but it took him a minute to warm up to the idea. It may have had something to do with the fact that his mother was telling him to jump in the dirty puddles and get wet...on purpose.


He eventually got the idea and splashed with vigor. The only downside is that Adam is only two and will therefore, most likely, not remember that I was the cool kind of Mom who took him puddle jumping in the rain...

Trio

We go to a music class on Wednesdays at our church. Afterward the kids go run around and play with balls in the gym for a while. There's a piano on the stage in the gym. I couldn't help snapping this picture of Adam and his friends Daniel and Jack.

Adam's Doll

I got out of the shower to find Jane in this little "situation":


I'm pretty sure she didn't put the hat on herself. And I didn't put it on her.

Luckily she's a good sport.

Adam Speaks Jane's Language

Or she speaks his...

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

During the Lilac Festival, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played in the park. I took Adam and met some friends. It was a fun night. This girl's got moves:


These too...not so much.

Adam tried drinking out of a soda bottle for the first time. I guess it's a positive reflection on my parenting that he isn't very good at it.