Two Babes in a Tub

It's HOT. 

That might actually be an understatement.... its flippin' hot is more like it

We have four blow up pools and one Slip and Slide, all of which are popped

SO

We've resorted to a big plastic tub full of water

Whatever works right!

P.S.  Did I mention it's HOT!!!!! 

A Hot Night and A Lesson Learned

It's Hot out, and even hotter on our little un-air conditioned house. To beat the heat and save us from well..... killing each other, we hoped in the car and hit the coast. We went to Ruby's on the pier, watched a dolphin flirt with the surfers,split some Gelato, and headed home. Five minutes into the ride home, Gavin started to cry. He didn't want to go home. 

Neither did I

It was already past 7:00, past bed time, but still warm and beautiful out

So, Daddy pulled over and we dug our toes in the cool night sand and just ran

We ran up and down the beach

We ran along the shore

We ran towards each other, only to collide into a huge heap of sweaty, giggling bodies

We ran until the sun dipped down into the ocean and Luna shined bright in the almost night sky

We held hands and walked our tired sandy legs back to the car

Gavin squeezed my hand and said "Mama, thank you for the best day ever"

I scooped him up and smothered the side of his hot cheeks and told him it was my pleasure. 

I am lucky

What he didn't know was that he had given me the best day ever, and actually taught me a lesson that I already knew, but had forgotten in the craziness of life. 

Lately I have felt like the wind had been taken from my sails. I guess that life sometimes does that when your a grown up with grown up decisions and responsibilities. 

I have just felt kind of anxious that I won't be able to provide enough for my children. 

I have been frustrated with our small house, our non vacation summer, our lack of magic money trees growing in our backyard.

But last night, watching my babes chase each other down the beach, laughing so hard they would fall to the ground...

We have provided the best thing our children will ever know

We love them more than anyone could love anything

They have a Mama and Papa that are head over heels in love and committed to their family

They have a safe place to land when they need it.

 It may not come in the form of a great big house or fancy toys, but they  have us  no matter what. 

We are a family.

 We are all we have.

And when my son thanked me for the best day ever, my heart was suddenly at ease. My kids feel loved, rich or poor, down and dirty in the sand, they feel loved. 

Mission Accomplished. 

So thank you Gavin and Sofia, for the best days ever. Although some are long and hard, it is the the most magnificent life

Thank you for giving ME a safe place to land, a little hand to hold, and all the love in the world.

Being your Mama is enough for me

I love you to your bones

When the world goes pear shaped, if we come back here, hand in hand, we can get through anything

Almost Ready

I am THIS close to my Etsy shop being OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!!!!!! I have been wanting to do this since last October, and thanks to the confidence of a few amazing people, I have decided to give it a go. I have weird anxiety about it. Like that people won't think my stuff is cute, but I guess I won't know till I try. I know the market for childrens hair bows is super saturated, but even if I just sell a couple, its better than none at all. It will give me a little fun money, doing something I already enjoy doing. SO, keep your fingers crossed for me friends, and I'll keep you posted.

Random Happenings

Gavins very first drawing of his Daddy

 I think it looks just like him

and apparently we wear our underwear on our head while we're going potty

He's so crazy 

and spitting out our milk and letting it drip down our face and on our bellies is the new cool thing to do

I am NOT a fan 

Oh Yes, and the girl thinks its fun to tell people to Shhhhh. Then she lays her head down like she's going to sleep. 

Precious 

Silly Babes

Home Grown Weekend

Before I had babes I never made anything. Strike that, I made a pretty wonky mug in Ceramics Class my senior year of high school, but it was nothing to be proud of. I think once my kids were born, and I stopped working, started making things to keep my mind stimulated. It was how I decompressed at the end of the night. Now, I craft things for my babes, because I love the look on their faces when they wake  up from nap and there is something home made waiting to be played with. And lets face it, money doesn't grow on trees, so its fun for me to create something out of stuff I already have. Most of the time, the stitching is crooked, or the glue is showing, but I think that what makes it all so special. I like that my hands can make things for my babes. I don't do it to show off or to compete with others, I do it because I like to be creative, and I like my babes to have stuff that comes from me. Even if it means 

I'm slumped over a sewing machine at eleven at night making toy bags .... they are labors of love. That being said...... here are some new home grown projects we did this weekend. 

 The first one we call the Bed Time Bag. Every night at bed time, Gavin piles heaps and heaps of toys in his bed. Like the boogy man is gonna come in the middle of the night and take them all away. When I go to check on them before I go to sleep, he is usually squished in one little corner of his bed because books and cars and other random toys are snuggled under his covers. So, I decided that rather than fight with him on how many guys can catch a few winks with him, I made him a little bag. The rule is, anything that fits in the bag can come to bed. He loves it! Its pretty much the size as a diaper case, so it doesn't fit a whole lot, but it saves me a whole lot of tears at bed time :) 

Project #2 was the most fun! I found a piece of dry wall in our garage and a can of chalk board spray paint I had left over from another project. I sprayed that baby and nailed it to the bottom of our play set, and there you have it. A chalk board wall! I had a couple of  formula cans that I just covered with some fabric and nailed them to the sides so they each had their own chalk. Gotta be fair these days, everyone has to have their "own" stuff or they go to blows. The kids love it, and I think it turned out pretty cute for being totally FREE!