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jack on music

Thursday, August 28, 2014

We have had Jack in music classes for a while.  He is in the "starter" class offered by the School of Rock.  

Truth:  I like saying that Jack is in the School of Rock.  

But also, Durel and I really appreciate music and understand that it's an awesome thing to teach to and foster in children.  Music is enriching and beautiful.  And fun.

Since four year olds are pretty taciturn, we don't hear stories about music class, as much as we try to cajole them out of him.

However, the evening after class this week, I heard him quietly singing:

"I'd like to be ... under the sea ... in an octopus's garden... in the shade..."

I did not control my excitement well, which is a rookie mistake.  He did not sing another word for me that evening.  BUT at least I know that my love of the Beatles is hereditary.

As if to punctuate that point, the school then sent me this:


Music to my ears.

Hope you get to drive someone's car today.

Talk soon,
Heather

a minimalist and a collector walk into a bar

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

I come from a family of collectors.  In fact, I think that every member of my family actively collects something.  For example, I collect unusual vintage salt and pepper shakers.  (I do not consider my shoes or purses a collection, but I will if that's required to justify quantity.)

A healthy love of collecting can ooze into packrat-ery.  In the decade plus that I have been with Durel, we've discussed this particular ooze numerous times.  I will never be a minimalist, but I do enjoy hauling bags of things off to Goodwill.  Durel may never be a collector, but he has come to appreciate the well-curated tchotchke.  

One thing we recently agreed upon was the fact that we will keep the singular items of baby clothing that mean the most to us.

For example, this onesie will be kept.



Regardless of your predilection for/aversion to "things and stuff," I'm sure you agree.

Hope you admire something adorable today.

Talk soon,
Heather 

in like a lion and in like a lamb

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Much to Jack's delight, he and Sawyer now attend the same school.  This school follows our local public school calendar, so the new year starts on Monday.  

(This is one of the times when my Maryland upbringing makes me feel baffled by Texas.  School NEVER started in August when I was growing up.  Not to mention that it was 102 degrees today.  When is the season for apples and pencils and jackets?  Sigh.)

Anyway, also much to Jack's delight, he will be an official big kid starting on Monday.  He will be in Pre-K.  He will be, in school parlance, a Lion.  His fellow Pre-K kids will also be in the Jaguars and Cheetahs classrooms.  They are clearly the most sophisticated students in the school.

The promotion to Lion comes after Jack's successful year as a Dolphin.  I attempted to document Jack's last day as a Dolphin photographically.  I was rebuffed.


Sawyer, in contrast, is a Lamb.  And he will continue to be a Lamb on Monday.  Far from his fierce and sophisticated Lion brother, Sawyer is still cuddly.


Though apparently, based on sartorial clues, he aspires to be a Tiger.  I guess we'll have to see.

(Side note:  Does anyone else think that Sawyer looks EXACTLY LIKE MY MOM?)

I hope your day involves both cuddles and sophistication.

Talk to you soon.
Heather

the one with robot dinosaurs

Monday, August 18, 2014

In our previous forays to Duke City, Durel and I had focused on things like eating green chiles by the truckload, smelling the burning pinon with rapture, and trying to be tourists without looking like tourists.

Four year olds are not widely known for their ability to eat spicy food by the truckload or smell things as a finite activity.  (Well, maybe the latter isn't true, but if they can do that, we are choosing to smell different things.)

So, we broadened our scope.  As it turns out, Albuquerque is home to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.  They have lots of cool dinosaur stuff there, on the regular. 

But, wait for it, when we were there, they also had a traveling exhibit of ROBOT DINOSAURS.  

I'll let Jack's face do the talking here.





Sawyer didn't really care.  But the rest of us thought it was pretty cool.


he has us just where he wants us

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

When Jack turned one, I remember feeling like I had climbed Mount Everest.

You know, that "I did it!  Holy shit!  How did I do that?  It was hard!  And I did it!" kind of feeling. 

I remember my first year as a mother as a delightful trial.  It is, in my memory, both hazy and crystal clear, an experience both hard and gently instinctive.

Sawyer is five months old today.  And pardon me for getting ahead of myself, but that means next month he will be six months old, which is half a year, which means that time is flying, which means that before I know it, he'll be a year old, and I sort of don't feel like I'm climbing Mount Everest this time.

Which is not to say that Sawyer has been easy.  Nope.

But I guess he has us where he wants us.  Jack is wrapped around his little finger.  The dogs rush up to greet him every morning when I open the door to the nursery.  His teachers are smitten.  My heart did a Grinch-like expansion to make room for all the love I have for this kid.  Durel beams with pride at his two little dudes.

And Sawyer, well, he seems pleased with us, too.

Swag.
Hope you get all your ducks in a row today.

Talk soon,
Heather

hanging out

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

When Jack says "hang out," he pronounces it with a hard "G."

So, Jack doesn't hang out.  He hanGs out.

I guess Jack sees Durel and I enough that time spent with us doesn't qualify as "hanGing out."  However,  it's quite the opposite with Aunt Kiki and Uncle Dagwood.

See?




I hope you get to spend some time hanging out (hard G or not) with someone you totally dig today.

Talk soon,
Heather

the world according to Jack

Saturday, August 9, 2014


On coloring:

Mom.  I don't scribble scrabble anymore.  I color in the LINES.

On fruit:

I just like strawberries.  I don't like bananas.  Oh wait!  I like bananas. (Jack, would you like a banana?) No. I only like bananas at school.

On reality:

(Hi, Superman!)
Mom!  I'm not Superman!  I'm Jack.  It's just a shirt.

On maturing:

Yesterday, when I was a BABY, I sucked my thumb.  Now, I'm a big boy.  And I don't suck my thumb.  I quit.

On negotiating:

(Jack, it's bedtime.)
Aw, MAN!  Can I have just ten more minutes?
(You can have five minutes.)
Can I have THREE minutes?
(Sure.)



At Whole Foods:

Mom, I'm thirsty.  I see some drinks over there.  I'll be RIGHT BACK.

Hope someone calls you precocious today.

Talk soon,
Heather

i wanna cry and roll all night

Friday, August 8, 2014

...and party every day.

Sawyer is a whopping four and a half months old.  Crap.  On the 13th, he will be five months old.  How did that happen?

He is now adept at rolling over.  He also weighs 15 pounds.  The combination of these facts means that we are DONE with swaddling.  Done.  

I will miss you, Miracle Blanket.

Despite the fact that I love sleeping on my stomach (and heartily missed it during both of my pregnancies), Sawyer is not currently so inclined.  He also seems to think that night time should be an all you can eat buffet. I disagree.

We are crying it out, people.

It's very serious.


Hope you can stare down someone with your best intentions in mind today.

Talk soon,
Heather

what we're thankful for

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Right this minute, Sawyer is thankful for his thumb, that toy, his awesome teachers, and his cozy bouncy chair.

Right this minute, Jack is thankful for his new "blue and green running shoes" and his favorite dinosaur socks that he made at school recently.
 

Right this minute, I am thankful for this day, my beautiful boys, wonderful husband, and quite possibly a million other things.  I haven't counted.  But it's a super mega lot.  I'm a lucky gal.

Hope you take a moment to marvel in what's good today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Thursday, August 28, 2014

jack on music

We have had Jack in music classes for a while.  He is in the "starter" class offered by the School of Rock.  

Truth:  I like saying that Jack is in the School of Rock.  

But also, Durel and I really appreciate music and understand that it's an awesome thing to teach to and foster in children.  Music is enriching and beautiful.  And fun.

Since four year olds are pretty taciturn, we don't hear stories about music class, as much as we try to cajole them out of him.

However, the evening after class this week, I heard him quietly singing:

"I'd like to be ... under the sea ... in an octopus's garden... in the shade..."

I did not control my excitement well, which is a rookie mistake.  He did not sing another word for me that evening.  BUT at least I know that my love of the Beatles is hereditary.

As if to punctuate that point, the school then sent me this:


Music to my ears.

Hope you get to drive someone's car today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

a minimalist and a collector walk into a bar

I come from a family of collectors.  In fact, I think that every member of my family actively collects something.  For example, I collect unusual vintage salt and pepper shakers.  (I do not consider my shoes or purses a collection, but I will if that's required to justify quantity.)

A healthy love of collecting can ooze into packrat-ery.  In the decade plus that I have been with Durel, we've discussed this particular ooze numerous times.  I will never be a minimalist, but I do enjoy hauling bags of things off to Goodwill.  Durel may never be a collector, but he has come to appreciate the well-curated tchotchke.  

One thing we recently agreed upon was the fact that we will keep the singular items of baby clothing that mean the most to us.

For example, this onesie will be kept.



Regardless of your predilection for/aversion to "things and stuff," I'm sure you agree.

Hope you admire something adorable today.

Talk soon,
Heather 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

in like a lion and in like a lamb

Much to Jack's delight, he and Sawyer now attend the same school.  This school follows our local public school calendar, so the new year starts on Monday.  

(This is one of the times when my Maryland upbringing makes me feel baffled by Texas.  School NEVER started in August when I was growing up.  Not to mention that it was 102 degrees today.  When is the season for apples and pencils and jackets?  Sigh.)

Anyway, also much to Jack's delight, he will be an official big kid starting on Monday.  He will be in Pre-K.  He will be, in school parlance, a Lion.  His fellow Pre-K kids will also be in the Jaguars and Cheetahs classrooms.  They are clearly the most sophisticated students in the school.

The promotion to Lion comes after Jack's successful year as a Dolphin.  I attempted to document Jack's last day as a Dolphin photographically.  I was rebuffed.


Sawyer, in contrast, is a Lamb.  And he will continue to be a Lamb on Monday.  Far from his fierce and sophisticated Lion brother, Sawyer is still cuddly.


Though apparently, based on sartorial clues, he aspires to be a Tiger.  I guess we'll have to see.

(Side note:  Does anyone else think that Sawyer looks EXACTLY LIKE MY MOM?)

I hope your day involves both cuddles and sophistication.

Talk to you soon.
Heather

Monday, August 18, 2014

the one with robot dinosaurs

In our previous forays to Duke City, Durel and I had focused on things like eating green chiles by the truckload, smelling the burning pinon with rapture, and trying to be tourists without looking like tourists.

Four year olds are not widely known for their ability to eat spicy food by the truckload or smell things as a finite activity.  (Well, maybe the latter isn't true, but if they can do that, we are choosing to smell different things.)

So, we broadened our scope.  As it turns out, Albuquerque is home to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.  They have lots of cool dinosaur stuff there, on the regular. 

But, wait for it, when we were there, they also had a traveling exhibit of ROBOT DINOSAURS.  

I'll let Jack's face do the talking here.





Sawyer didn't really care.  But the rest of us thought it was pretty cool.


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

he has us just where he wants us

When Jack turned one, I remember feeling like I had climbed Mount Everest.

You know, that "I did it!  Holy shit!  How did I do that?  It was hard!  And I did it!" kind of feeling. 

I remember my first year as a mother as a delightful trial.  It is, in my memory, both hazy and crystal clear, an experience both hard and gently instinctive.

Sawyer is five months old today.  And pardon me for getting ahead of myself, but that means next month he will be six months old, which is half a year, which means that time is flying, which means that before I know it, he'll be a year old, and I sort of don't feel like I'm climbing Mount Everest this time.

Which is not to say that Sawyer has been easy.  Nope.

But I guess he has us where he wants us.  Jack is wrapped around his little finger.  The dogs rush up to greet him every morning when I open the door to the nursery.  His teachers are smitten.  My heart did a Grinch-like expansion to make room for all the love I have for this kid.  Durel beams with pride at his two little dudes.

And Sawyer, well, he seems pleased with us, too.

Swag.
Hope you get all your ducks in a row today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

hanging out

When Jack says "hang out," he pronounces it with a hard "G."

So, Jack doesn't hang out.  He hanGs out.

I guess Jack sees Durel and I enough that time spent with us doesn't qualify as "hanGing out."  However,  it's quite the opposite with Aunt Kiki and Uncle Dagwood.

See?




I hope you get to spend some time hanging out (hard G or not) with someone you totally dig today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Saturday, August 9, 2014

the world according to Jack


On coloring:

Mom.  I don't scribble scrabble anymore.  I color in the LINES.

On fruit:

I just like strawberries.  I don't like bananas.  Oh wait!  I like bananas. (Jack, would you like a banana?) No. I only like bananas at school.

On reality:

(Hi, Superman!)
Mom!  I'm not Superman!  I'm Jack.  It's just a shirt.

On maturing:

Yesterday, when I was a BABY, I sucked my thumb.  Now, I'm a big boy.  And I don't suck my thumb.  I quit.

On negotiating:

(Jack, it's bedtime.)
Aw, MAN!  Can I have just ten more minutes?
(You can have five minutes.)
Can I have THREE minutes?
(Sure.)



At Whole Foods:

Mom, I'm thirsty.  I see some drinks over there.  I'll be RIGHT BACK.

Hope someone calls you precocious today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Friday, August 8, 2014

i wanna cry and roll all night

...and party every day.

Sawyer is a whopping four and a half months old.  Crap.  On the 13th, he will be five months old.  How did that happen?

He is now adept at rolling over.  He also weighs 15 pounds.  The combination of these facts means that we are DONE with swaddling.  Done.  

I will miss you, Miracle Blanket.

Despite the fact that I love sleeping on my stomach (and heartily missed it during both of my pregnancies), Sawyer is not currently so inclined.  He also seems to think that night time should be an all you can eat buffet. I disagree.

We are crying it out, people.

It's very serious.


Hope you can stare down someone with your best intentions in mind today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

what we're thankful for

Right this minute, Sawyer is thankful for his thumb, that toy, his awesome teachers, and his cozy bouncy chair.

Right this minute, Jack is thankful for his new "blue and green running shoes" and his favorite dinosaur socks that he made at school recently.
 

Right this minute, I am thankful for this day, my beautiful boys, wonderful husband, and quite possibly a million other things.  I haven't counted.  But it's a super mega lot.  I'm a lucky gal.

Hope you take a moment to marvel in what's good today.

Talk soon,
Heather
 
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