Puzzles!

I feel like I am on a video marathon here by sharing one in every post lately {my apologies to those of you hoping for something other than "life with kids" kind of posts--it's such a BIG part of my life}. But, there's something about watching toddlers grow and learn that just beckons me to pull out the camera, ya know?

Kensie spends a lot of time doing puzzles. After she hops down from breakfast at the counter, she wanders over to her kid table and becomes enthralled in some kind of puzzle. Sometimes she will do them by herself. But, usually she wants me to sit with her and cheer her on to finish one.

I see her determination to finish and her satisfaction once it's done.

Such simple accomplishments make me swell with pride.

Pockets and Shews

This girl loves two things right now....

Pockets.

Pockets on shorts.

Pockets on dresses.

Pockets on other people's shorts and shirts.

Pockets, pockets, pockets.

And her hands must be in them at ALL times.

It's all fun and games until the day she runs with her hands in her pockets and trips and falls and...well, you know what would happen next...

Ouch.

She also loves "shews" as she calls them.

Her shoes.

Daddy's shoes.

Mommy's shoes.

Mason's shoes.

Everyone must wear their shoes at ALL times.

She frequently brings me various pairs of shoes and informs me who they belong to.

And like any good mom would, I play along.

For now.

My favorite things

{1} Kensie's Crocs

She can put them on herself. They go with every outfit. She can wear them to church, to play, and run through the sprinklers. I scrub them with dish soap and a brush and they look like NEW. Found them on Amazon--they have tons of different colors.

{2} Certain Dri

I have a sweating problem. Bad. Embarrassingly bad. So bad, in fact, I probably could get a prescription for it. Just ask any former teammate of mine and they will tell you my uniform was always a darker shade than the rest of the team. No lie. But then I found this stuff and it works like a charm--at least for the under arm area. And you can buy it right at the grocery store! I make sure to NEVER run out. Let's hope they make it forever!

{3} Dirt Devil

Small enough to fit in a tiny closet. Light-weight enough for Kensie to use. Powerful enough to pick up just about anything on the wood and tile floors. Cheap enough to fit in your budget. LOVE.

{4} Aveda glossing straightener

I use a pea-size amount of this product so it lasts a loooong time. I run it through my hair as soon as I get out of the shower. It smells amazing and keeps the frizz down as I'm blow-drying my hair. It's a little pricey but SO worth it.


{5} Cougar Chariot {double}

I could go ON and ON about this one. Basically it's a double jogger stroller on steroids {the one shown is a single so ours is a bit wider}--can be a four wheel stroller OR a jogger stroller OR converts to a bike trailer in a pinch. Ours came with extra storage on the top and back making it easy to pack everything you need for a long outing. It pushes with incredible ease and turns on a dime! I cannot say enough about it. Thankfully we found one on craigslist for half the price!


{6} Hamilton Beach Brew Station coffee maker

This was one of those Christmas gifts {from my thoughtful hubby} that you never asked for but your gift-giver hit the nail right on the head! I especially love that it self-dispenses. No clumsy coffee pot to take in and out. Just put your cup under the dispenser and push. Mess-free and great for company!

{7} King-size bed

We love to cuddle. But when it comes down to actually sleeping, we need to stretch our 6'0" and 6'3" bodies way-the-heck out. We tell every newlywed we know to get one of these. Even though you think you will want to sleep right next to each other your whole life...trust us. This bed will make you love each other even MORE. Speaking of sleep.....

{8} Sleep Mate sound machine

Now that I have "mom ears" (you mommies know what I'm talking about)...I'm not a very sound sleeper anymore. This machine saved my life. And it easily packs in our bags to take on vacation!

{9} Mary Kay mineral powder

All my skin care products are MK but this is the one I love the most. And it lasts for.e.ver. All over coverage that doesn't weigh your skin down.

{10} Watching these two

'Cuz the list wouldn't be complete without them.

4 months!

And the next two pics sum up how the day went...

Kensie insisted on being in the picture and then refused to smile or look at me. Little stinker.

It seems like when we try to take it easy in the mornings and don't go anywhere, she turns into a 13 year old with an attitude. Follows me around ev.er.y.where.... to the bathroom, to get a drink, to do the laundry.

JUST PLAY BY YOURSELF CHILD. 

Mr. Mason {however} is just as happy as ever. As long as he is fed enough--still working on a post about that whole issue lately. Let's just say, I'm SO ready to be done nursing. And I'm ready for my little sleeper to come back for good.

Backyard decisions...

First of all...to weed? Or not to weed?

 (looking out the living room window into the backyard)



I choose "not to" and it's not pretty.

***

Ok, now onto something a bit more fun to discuss...

Here's a shot of our backyard {looking out the same window}:

 Love the grass and shady trees. Don't love the view of the house behind us.

Here's the problem:

I want privacy and a safe place for our kids to play without running into someone else's yard {never mind the busy street behind us too}. We live on a cul-de-sac so the front yard is where we spend most of our time. But, the backyard is not so enticing.

Greg doesn't like the "look" of fences. He understands the need for safety if we ever want to play in the backyard but, cannot get past the "look" of a fence. Mind you, he grew up in farm country with TONS of room. I get that.

So, here's some ideas we've discussed:



A white picket fence...

(simple version using my paint program)



A row of bushes...

Or a tall privacy fence {with bushes in front}...

What do you think? Opinions? Would love to hear other ideas as well!

3 days over the 4th

The Fourth of July was on a Monday this year and as a result Greg had three full days off....amazing right?!

I know.

Remember how my hubby loves to work under pressure?

And how he thrives on conquering tough challenges??

Especially in a short amount of time...

Well, he wanted to make the most of it by squeezing in as much as possible. And I'm not complaining cuz we got a LOT done and had a ton of fun!

{Day 1}

Greg spent most of the day putting up the rest of the trim on all the doors and closets in each bedroom...

(sorry forgot to take pics!)

...while I spent the morning with Kensie downtown at farmer's market enjoying some much needed one-on-one girl time. She's been a little clingy lately (those bad-boy molars are putting a number on this little girl) and she desperately needs some extra attention these days.

{Day 2}

Let's start off by saying the night before Mason woke up at 1:30, 3:30 and 6:00am. SO FRUSTRATING. I'm thinking it's a growth spurt. And I think my milk supply is dropping. This was around the same time that Kensie showed similar signs and by 5 months old I made the decision to ween her. So, more on that later...but, nothing like starting a day off with ZERO sleep.

We packed up the car with everything imaginable for a day on the lake with 2 adults, 1 toddler, and 1 baby.

Kinda stressed me out.

But, we made it.

We remembered everything.

And boy, was Kensie in for a treat...

I call this her "mini fridge swimsuit"....and I was surprised she didn't mind how bulky it was.

probably cuz she was so busy doing this...

We stayed out there until 7pm.

Kensie loved every minute.

Drove 45 minutes home, threw the kids in the bath, and threw them in bed (ok, we "placed them" but, that's what the bedtime routine feels like sometimes...just get them in bed!!).

{Day 3}

This time Mason awoke at 4:30 and 7:30am. Still not his normal 8-10 hour slumber but, better than the night before...

More packing (this time forgetting Kensie's swimsuit--and turning around to run home 5 minutes into the trip.) Coulda been worse right?

We scored the same sweet spot by the water as the day before.

And let Kensie loose...



After seeing her show "no fear" on the water, we decided to see how she would do on the boat...

Ummm she LOVED it. We sat in the front of the boat and she immediately started bouncing on my lap with excitement. We even did a loop around the lake going pretty fast (fast enough to pull a skier behind) and she kept saying "weeeee!....Whoa!....weeeee!!". When we pulled up to the shore I asked if she wanted to get off. In her sweet soft voice, "nooooo" (while shaking her head).

I think we have a little fishie on our hands!

We left the lake around 6pm and drove up to visit my Mom for dinner and fireworks in her backyard. Literally. It was a great set-up. Kensie slept in the house while we sat outside and watched the show.

We pulled into our driveway just after midnight. Exhausted. Dirty. Smelling of sunscreen and bug spray.

***

The downside for both days on the lake:

Kensie didn't nap at ALL for 2 days straight.

I don't like nursing in public but, we made it work.

My hate for mosquitoes > My hate for the snow.

Must. Get. A. Bigger. Car.

Too much sun + ZERO sleep = headaches.

The upsides:

Kensie was happy (despite no naps, a runny nose, and teething).

She sure is making up for it by napping super hard today!

Such a great chance to spend time as a family.

Mason did great eating and sleeping in a different environment (except at night).

I love my husband in board shorts.

Happy Independence Day!

Resolution Check-in

Raise your hand if you are really good at setting goals but not so good at following through.

Both hands raised over here!

{Although I'm giving myself credit by even having the courage to do an update}

Ok, here we go...

The closest pic I had to January 1, 2011

'cuz what's a post without a picture?

If you want to read the original New Year's post go HERE.

Sounds good right?

Well, here's the reality of where I'm at 6 months later

{report card style}:

Patience

B-

Save more $$$

Fail

Get back into shape

A-

Let go a bit

D

Love my husband more

C+

Teacher's notes: 

Shannon has transitioned well from 1 to 2 kids and exhibited some {relative word} patience ie: when her toddler throws a fit while her son has a blow-out...she get's frustrated but doesn't let it stop her from staying calm and loving her kids through it.

When it comes to saving more $$$, we recommend Shannon goes to summer school. She has good intentions but, she's had one too many detentions for over-spending at the grocery store and cheats by going through the drive-through for dinner too many times. If she wants to ever get a new car, something must change.

There is great motivation by Shannon to get back into shape, and we are proud to see her making time for a quick work-out on a consistent basis. Her motivation comes from wanting to feel in shape, not just look it. This is a much better outlook than years past. While she has not yet signed up for a 5k, there are plans to find one soon!

It is still extremely difficult for Shannon to let go. Again, we see her wanting to let go of her control-like tendencies. But, it is so much easier for her to do it herself (or so she thinks). This is an area that still needs a lot of work.

Considering the circumstances, Shannon is doing an adequate job of loving her husband. There are times where she is able to encourage Greg through a text or written note. And there are ways she has taken initiative to do things that make him proud ie: cleaning the floors. But, this too, needs work. Shannon needs to show that she will go above and beyond her usual {comfortable} ways of loving her husband.

***

Did you make any resolutions? If so, how are they going so far?