A Momentous Occasion (Or Two!)

When I became pregnant with Rhys just nine months after James was born, everyone I knew reminded me that I would soon have two babies in diapers.  Yes, that was true for quite a long time, but I'm thrilled to report that those days are over!

Though he will probably hate me one day for announcing this to the world, James is now 100% potty trained, and life could not be better!  To be completely honest, he's been using his training potty successfully for months, but simply refused to sit upon the "big boy" toilet.  This past week, something clicked (there might have been a small bribe involved), and our days of dumping out and wiping up the plastic potty basin are a thing of the past, at least for a little while.

To mark this wonderful milestone, we celebrated in true boy fashion, with a new truck and a power tool.  What could be more exciting!

(James enjoying the fruits of his, um, triumph.)

Next up on my To-Do List: getting this little guy to follow in his big brother's footsteps.

But before I embark on that journey, there's something new I'm undertaking that you need to know about.  This Wednesday, August 1st, I'm moving over to my own, self-hosted blog here!

It's been a long time coming, and though I've been intimidated by the idea, I finally decided to take the plunge.  Or, to be totally honest, I was pushed off the edge by Ryan, when he purchased my own site without my knowledge, as a birthday surprise.  That little nudge was enough to set the wheels in motion, and I truly hope that you will follow me on this next part of my blogging journey.

I won't be moving posts over from this site, but will continue to write in the same style, about the same topics.  I'm also working to make sure things look and feel as familiar as possible, and I will be linking back to posts here for reference, especially in the early days.

You will be able to follow me via all the standard avenues, so don't forget to update your subscriptions on Wednesday.  I'm also learning as I go, so please feel free to offer suggestions and advice.  Goodness knows I can use them.

I'm so excited about this big move and I hope you will join me at my new address on Wednesday.

See you over there!

Hi-Lo Country

Don't worry.  I'm not going to post pictures of myself every day.  My previous post was just a little on the HEAVY side, so I thought I'd end the week on a lighter note.  And it was pure torture having my picture taken, just so you know.  I hate it SO much.  I could never do this on a daily basis, and I have real admiration for you fashion bloggers out there.

I bought this skirt back in the spring, at a little boutique in San Antonio, but I could never figure out how to wear it, so it just hung in my closet for months.  Then, I was inspired by this post, and this one, and this one, too, so I thought I'd give it a try for Rhys' party.  The skirt has the potential to be almost sticky sweet, and as I'm getting older (I'll be 34 later this month!), I feel the need to mix things up a bit.  So I paired it with a black tee, red espadrilles, and a funky (for me) charm necklace.  When I got dressed, I also put on a vintage black slip that once belonged to my grandmother, and it gave the skirt a nice edge, but it was too hot for the Texas heat.  Maybe I'll try it in the fall.  This was my only attempt at the hi-lo trend, and I'm happy with the result.  I also love how the wind caught the hem as I posed for this picture.

And here's a charming picture of my handsome guys to end the week.  They are much better models, in my opinion.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Elmo Cake by Sweet T's Sweets

We celebrated Rhys' second birthday with a family party on Sunday, and it was so much fun!  For months, Rhys asked for an Elmo birthday cake, and we couldn't help but indulge him a bit.  Since I am not gifted in the culinary arts (a polite way to put it), I knew I had to find an expert to help make my little boy's cake dreams come true.

As luck would have it, Ryan's colleague is married to an incredibly talented baker, Tracy, of Sweet T's Sweets.  We met once before during a friendly craiglist transaction, and Ryan always raves about the delicious recipes Tracy sends into the office with her husband.  I knew she would be the perfect baker for Rhys' beloved Elmo cake, and she made his birthday an amazing day!

Rhys' Elmo Cake by Sweet T's Sweets.  I mashed Elmo's eye taking him out of the car, but he soon recovered and tasted delicious.

Tracy worked incredibly hard to find the right design for the cake, and we corresponded via email to make everything perfect.  I chose a white cake with strawberry filling, and also ordered a dozen gluten-free cupcakes in the same flavors for our guests with food allergies.  Those were especially cute, and Tracy added individual flags with little 2s to each cupcake.

Precious Elmo Cupcakes by Sweet T's Sweets.

Rhys was thrilled with his Elmo cake, but I think he was truly smitten with the cupcakes, especially since he got to enjoy an entire Elmo all by himself.

Rhys (a little tired on his big day) finally enjoying his Elmo cake, after months of waiting.

 I'm so grateful to Tracy of Sweet T's Sweets for making Rhys' birthday so memorable, and I can't wait to see what she can do for James' birthday in December.  He's really into garbage trucks at the moment, but I know she'll be up for the challenge.

If you are in the Austin area, trust Tracy with your party baking needs.  It was such a pleasure working with her and she is truly talented and definitely sweet!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Ryan took this photo of Rhys enjoying his ice cream sandwich after dinner.

You turn two today, sweet Rhys, and I can't believe how much time has passed since we welcomed you into our family on a hot summer's day in 2010.  You were so precious and tiny, and you filled our home with so much happiness and joy.  Daddy, James, and I have loved watching you grow into a sweet-natured, loving, little boy who likes Elmo and pop-up books.  You have such a gentle spirit, and everyone who meets you falls in love instantly.

James loves you as his playmate and best friend, and Daddy and I love your cuddly kisses and how snuggly you are all the time.  I know that you will soon leave your baby ways behind, my precious boy, but please don't be in such a hurry, because you are Mommy's last little one, and I treasure the moments that we spend together, just you and me.

I wish you a wonderful day, full of happiness and laughter, and maybe a new truck or two.  On Sunday, we will celebrate your birthday with everyone who loves you, and lots of Elmo cake, just like you asked.

When we were preparing for your birth, I made a list of songs for us to listen to, and I always think of the words to this one by Sarah McLachlan.  You were our second baby, the third grandson on one side, another boy.  Yet something as ordinary as that became such a wonderful miracle when we saw you, little one, and though I say this frequently, you are the icing on our cake and the period at the end of our sentence.  We love you, Rhys Racer, and we are so blessed to have you.

And though James is named after our Papa, you are the one who most resembles him.  When people ask where my blond baby came from, I just tell them you look like your grandfather, because the resemblance is striking, don't you think?

Papa (right) and his older brother.

 Happy birthday, my sweet, precious boy.  I love you with all my heart.

BBQ Road Trip: Lockhart (Part I)

For Father's Day, Ryan wanted to visit Lockhart, Texas, the "Barbecue Capital of Texas," known for its three famous joints: Smitty's Market, Black's Barbecue, and Kreuz Market.  The plan was to take a leisurely drive to Lockhart, eat at Dairy Queen (the boys' favorite restaurant), stop and take in the tourist sites, and then pick up some meat for Ryan to transport home in his trusty ice chest.

We knew that Kreuz Market isn't open on Sundays, but we didn't anticipate the large crowds converging on Lockhart for Father's Day.  Both Smitty's and Black's had lines out the door and around the corner, in the insufferable Texas heat, and alas, poor Ryan left Lockhart without any barbecue.  Sniff, sniff.

Still, it was not a wasted trip, and we now have a plan of action in place for next time.  Since the restaurants open at 10 am, we will head there first, pick up the literal prized pig (or cow), and then go on about our visit.  Ryan was very diplomatic about his failed attempt to procure smoked meat, and we still had a wonderful day trip.  Here are some photos from our little excursion, and stay tuned for Part II of our BBQ Road Trip soon.  Very soon.  Like tomorrow.

Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas.

Stacked wood for the smokers, Kreuz Market.

The line outside Black's Barbecue.

The line outside Smitty's Market.

The gorgeous Caldwell Country Courthouse in Lockhart.

Downtown Lockhart, site of many movie sets, including What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Arredondo Park, a shaded playground near the railroad track.

A bridge and lazy stream near the park.

Rhys and Mama exploring the park.

The park is right next to the railroad tracks, and we were able to see a train go by!

Trainspotting on Father's Day.

I just love this scene with the huge Texas sky.

The Southwest Museum of Clocks and Watches, housed in a gorgeous old building.


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

For Ryan, On Our Tenth Anniversary

At fifteen I stopped scowling,

I desired my dust to be mingled with yours

Forever and forever and forever.

Why should I climb the look out?

--from "The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter"

by Ezra Pound and Li Po

 For Ryan

We met when I was just 15

and married at 23;

at 30, he'll have half my life,

already, he has all of me.

--by Cakewalk, 2003

Today is our ten year wedding anniversary, and though we have actually been together much longer than that, this is definitely a milestone worth celebrating.  You have stood by my side all these years without wavering, and I am so grateful to have you as my husband, my friend, and as the father of our sweet boys.  You bring tremendous amounts of joy and laughter to our family, and I swell with pride each time I watch the boys scramble to be the first in your arms after work.  I love you.  James and Rhys love you.  We all love you so incredibly much, Ryan.  Happy anniversary!

Playing with Photo Grid

Recently I tried playing around with Photo Grid, the photo collage application for Android phones.  I took some pictures while the boys played outside, and also used some photographs already stored in my phone.

I don't have any experience with making photo collages, and this app is really easy to use.  It took only a few minutes to create several collages and adjust them to get the best fit.  Since these are phone photos, they aren't perfect, and the app is fairly simple and limited, but still fun to manipulate.

Once you select the pictures that you want to include, Photo Grid will create a random collage arrangement, which you can then change by shaking your phone.  That's a fun little trick, but you can also manually select which collage style you prefer to use, as well as the background.  There are options to crop and rearrange pictures, and I'm still learning how to use all the features.

Photo Grid is free, so it's definitely worth a try if you just want to have some fun with your phone camera pictures.  You can then save the collage and post, text, or email it as one photo attachment.

Have you tried Photo Grid?  Are there any apps or sites you can recommend for creating photo collages? 

My first attempt at using Photo Grid (notice James got cut in half on the right side).

My revised collage with the same pictures.

A collage of Rhys photographs.  I had to re-size some to make them fit properly, and I'm not satisfied with the final version.  I'll definitely keep trying!

On Father's Day

This is my dad, James' namesake, and our beloved Papa, holding newborn Rhys two years ago as we worked to rid his tiny body of jaundice.  The summer sun fell across our kitchen skylight, and I was still unable to stand for long, so Papa held Rhys in place for almost an hour, the two of them glowing quietly.  Ryan took this picture, and it has become a family treasure.

After Rhys' birth, Papa and Nana stayed with us for two weeks as we adjusted to life with two little boys.  And this Father's Day, they are with my sweet sister as she prepares for the arrival of her second son.

As the mother of boys, I am coming to understand the true importance of male role models in their lives, and I am grateful to Papa, Ryan, Grandpa Buzz, Don-Don, and Big Don for loving my sons openly and leading them to become caring men.  I love you guys so much!

I hope you have a wonderful Father's Day.

A Joy Forever (With apologies to Keats)

John Keats' poem, "A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever," begins with these lines:

                 
                    A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
                    Its loveliness increases; it will never
                    Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
                    A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
                    Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

I am reminded of his words now while our house is wide awake, and not sleeping.  James, our eccentric three-year-old, recently found new freedom in his big boy bed, and though he has never needed much sleep to function well, he is currently testing the limits by waking at ungodly hours, turning on all the lights in the house, harassing his baby brother, throwing epic tantrums, and disrupting our early-morning routine.  I am running on empty lately, and we are working to set new patterns for him to follow.  

In the few quiet moments that I muster, I am thoroughly enjoying my online blogging class and learning new things daily.  One of our teachers, Jeanette Lund of FRYD + DESIGN, is a Norwegian graphic artist recently named Interior Talent of the Year by Elle Decoration Norway.  Jeanette's work is truly inspiring, and she is well-known for her lovely online magazine, currently in its third edition.  Her creativity is evident in the pages of her work; and to me, the fact that she has cultivated and self-published a series of beautiful journals, available to everyone, for free, adds her to the ranks of greats like Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, both writers who also self-published their works during their lifetimes.  To do so shows great strength and dedication to their art, in my opinion, and I admire all three artists immensely. 

While perusing Lund's piece, I fell in love with the work of another Norwegian pair, Wik & Walsøe, creators of gorgeous porcelain tableware collections.  I was drawn to the beauty and simplicity of their ALV series, and I hope to own the entire set someday.  I'm typically not the type to swoon over dishes, but these pieces are truly stunning in their art and design.  Only one retailer in the United States carries their work, Nordic Galleri in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and I decided to purchase a piece immediately, as an early birthday present to myself, using the money I've been saving to buy my much-coveted rose ottoman.  Some things are simply worth having immediately.

The vase arrived today, just as naptime began, and, in absolute quiet and heavenly peace, I was able to open and admire the beauty of my own little "Grecian Urn."  I also spent a while tinkering with my camera, attempting to capture its beauty myself. 

The Alv vase by Wik & Walsøe.

As I take this class, I am truly beginning to understand the need for some basic photography skills, which I do not currently possess, and I'm excited at the prospect of learning something new that will challenge and, hopefully, inspire my creativity.  As my boys grow older, I find myself searching for new ways to expand my horizons, away from them a little, as they are growing up and away from me.

It's definitely a complicated path, this time of self-discovery, but I feel so inspired by the work of others, and their creations are fueling my desire to keep moving forward in search of "truth [and] beauty."

Baby Girl

There's a woman in our neighborhood who runs a small, in-home daycare, and she sometimes brings her children to the park near our house.  I was pushing the boys on the swings when I heard her group approaching.  As they ran through the trees to the playscape, a tiny little girl, who seemed less than two, saw me, cried, "Mommy!" and ran to give me a hug.  I was a bit taken aback at first, but she was so sweet that I just had to reach down and hug her back.  Her teacher explained that she is really friendly and loves to give hugs to everyone.

Later, the little girl bumped heads with another child, and while her teacher was comforting her, she saw me again, jumped off the teacher's lap, and ran to me with her arms outstretched, once more calling, "Mommy!"  This time, I immediately reached for the little girl and tried to soothe her as I returned her to the teacher's lap.  We laughed about how cuddly she is, and I kissed her chubby cheek before passing her back to the safety of her teacher's arms.

Then I watched my boys, who are no longer babies, climb the playscape and run alongside the older children in the class.  My boys who are growing up before my eyes, and who no longer need me like they did as babies.  James is three going on 30, and he is becoming more independent every day.  Rhys will be two next month, and while he will always be my youngest baby, he is asserting his own identity more with each passing minute.

Of course my little guys still need me, and I am the center of their world, for now.  But just then, if only for a moment, it felt so wonderful to hold a tiny little girl, and hear her call me "Mommy."  Even though she did not know me, she recognized something in me and knew that it was true.

My Whole World

Since I'm changing things up around here, I decided to switch to a more personal header photo that captures a bit of my personality.  I love this picture more for what it represents than what it actually shows, and it was taken back in 2010 by Ryan while we were at Emma Long Park for his company picnic.

The scenery, with the flowing river, lush trees and grass, and hidden house, is lovely, and I really like how small James and I appear in the midst of it all.  He is so tiny, in his little hat, and I am leading him along as we gaze at the view together.  It's a sweet glimpse at a quiet moment between a mother and a son, and if you were there that day, you would have seen this, too.

That unmistakable bump is Rhys, who made his appearance two months later and completed our little family of four, in many wonderful ways.  Recently, we went back to this same location for another picnic, and it was fun to reflect on how much our lives have changed in just two short years.  And so I treasure the picture in the header, of my two sweet boys and me, taken by Ryan, since it represents my family and the promise of our future together.

Been There

The school year is almost over for James, and today was Splash Day.  He has waited all year for this day to come, and has been especially excited since the salesman at Stride Rite said the new sandals he tried on could be worn in water, "like for Splash Day at school."  Nice little sales tactic there, by the way. 

This morning, James jumped out of bed and asked for his swim trunks and his sandals.  He could not wait to get to school and splash, whatever that might entail.  So we left happily in anticipation of a wonderful day, with the promise of summer waiting just around the corner.

And then we saw it, the gigantic, inflatable water slide with a pool at the bottom, parked in the middle of the church's basketball court, just waiting for its littlest victims.  James kept a brave face and seemed excited by the slide, but I, if I'm being honest, immediately felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

See, James hates jumping castles and inflatable things.  Whether it's their size or the noise, or a combination of both, he has never had any desire to climb inside one and start jumping, the way most kids are drawn to them.  We get invitations to play dates and birthday parties at jumping places quite often, and sometimes we go, and sometimes we don't.  When we do attend, James and Rhys hang around my ankles for an hour while I half-heartedly attempt to coax them inside a jumping castle.  It's not any fun for me, with sweaty, screaming children, loud music blaring, and that funny feet smell you always encounter, so I kind of get why they don't really like the experience.  Add water to that combination, and it's a lot for a little guy to endure.  Still, I feigned excitement and left James with his classmates, half expecting a call to come pick him up early.

When I returned at the end of the day, his teacher immediately, and with some surprise in her voice, let me know that James did not enjoy Splash Day at all.  She was able to coax him down the slide exactly once, but then he refused to play in the pool at the bottom and did not want to run through the sprinklers with his classmates.  Instead, he chose to sit on his towel and watch.

And you know what?  That's okay.  I'm proud of James for trying the slide, because it looked really high and he must have been terrified.  He was able to conquer his fear long enough to try it and decide that it wasn't for him, and I think that's an honorable thing to do.  He didn't cry or throw a tantrum, but just sat out, in his quiet way, much like me when I was little.

I was the kid who had training wheels way past everyone else, who held onto the wall at Skateland birthday parties, and who was terrified of learning to drive.  Pools are not my thing, either, and swimsuit season doesn't bother me in the least because I just don't buy one.  I turned out okay (I think?), even if I do march to a drum that nobody else can hear. 

James did what he wanted to do, and was confident in his decision.  I can respect his wishes, and I told him he can skip Splash Day next year if he really wants to.  No harm done.

When Ryan came home tonight, he asked James how his day was, and he said, "Great!  I didn't like the slide."  Just like that.

He's over it already and looking forward to his last day of school.

Hanging Gardens

It's spring in Central Texas, which means we are blessed with a few short weeks of gorgeous weather before the real heat rolls in and stays until Christmas.  I've always loved plants, but when James and then Rhys came along, I didn't have much time for gardening while I cared for two little ones.  Now that the boys are a bit older, I've added a bunch of houseplants and, most recently, have been working to spruce up our patio.

While we have a large covered area outside, it does get a lot of afternoon sun, so I have to be careful about what kind of plants I buy.  If I want them to survive through two months or more of triple digit heat, I need to plan carefully.  I've done a bit of research and found a list of "FlameProof" plants that are proven to survive the brutal Texas summer.  Right now, I'm having lots of luck with lantana, plumbago, geraniums, and begonia.  Of course, it's only April, so I'll have to wait a few more weeks to see how these plants hold up to the summer sun. 

Today, I tackled a little outdoor project, inspired by this post and this stunning house.  (Well, the second link is more of a daydream, but it got my creative juices flowing.)  I bought a quart of Glidden paint in Deepest Aqua and finally painted the porch posts that Ryan and my dad replaced early last year.  The blue gives a bit of punch to the backyard and really lifts my spirits, plus I think the color will be fun, even in the middle of winter.  During naptime, Ryan hung hooks all around the edges of our porch, and I filled it with hanging plants I found at the local high school agriculture department's plant sale, along with some regular favorites from Home Depot.  I really love the look of a patio filled with potted plants, but since that's where the boys like to drive their trucks, my flowers are constantly the victims of minor hit and run accidents.  This way, the baskets are overhead (Ryan made sure that he has plenty of clearance), and they also add quite a bit of shade to our patio.

I also have a little full-sun potted plant garden against the fence, filled with lantana and plumbago, and I'm hoping those plants will grow along the fence, since they are usually vine-like. 

Growing up, my sisters and I spent our summers outside while our mom potted and arranged her plants, and I used to think she was silly for getting so excited about something small and green.  But now I totally get it.  There's something so rewarding about watching your garden grow, literally, and it's really an inexpensive and earth-friendly hobby.  Here are a few pictures of today's work.

A view of the porch.

My place to relax while the boys play.

Another porch view.

I got inspired and added a stanza from this poem by Thomas Moore.

Texas Day Vignette

Today was Texas Day at James' school, and Rhys and I volunteered to watch the jumping castle.  I tried taking a few pictures with Vignette, an Android app similar to Instagram, and it works pretty well.  You have to purchase the true application, which seems kind of morally wrong (almost 10 years of marriage to a Linux guy has messed with my head), so for now I'm just using the demo.  Here are a few pictures of our day.

The barnyard bounce.

Rhys enjoying an empty court.

Doesn't this look sort of "New York playground"?

James in his cowboy gear (as country as it gets at our house).

Rhys with the big kids.

And there were also the cutest baby goats at school, so I snapped a few normal shots, just to show how sweet they were.

Rainy Day Ramblings

Life with two little boys means lots of outside time (lots of it!), and we usually spend an hour or two outside after breakfast, then more time outside after lunch.  Today, literally as we walked to the door to go out after lunch, the sky opened up and it started to rain big, fat drops that drenched everything within minutes.

Now, I'm grateful for the rain, especially since we've been in the midst of a terrible drought, and all this rain now will help keep things greener this summer, but it makes for a long day inside with two restless little guys.  We were in the laundry room when the rain started, so I quickly looked around and found the boxes of baby wipes from our recent Costco trip.  The perfect playthings for a rainy day!

James spent the rest of the afternoon hauling his "blue blocks" and building walls and towers, and he even asked for them after his nap.  In fact, he's still going strong as I write this.  Sometimes you have to get creative, and in this case, a few bags of baby wipes did the trick.

And in other news, I may have solved my "Mad Men" viewing problem that I described in my previous post.  Since we have Amazon Prime, we are eligible to purchase the site's available instant videos, and they have the current episodes of the show's fifth season, for a whopping $1.99 a show.  I may have to indulge myself a little each week, just for fun.

For the Beauty of the Earth

We visited the family farm during Spring Break last week, and the green fields of wildflowers took my breath away.  As we rode through the pasture on our trailer ride, all of us were stunned into silence at the sea of flowers stretching out for miles and miles in all directions.  The day was overcast and cool, and it simply made everything appear especially fresh and green.  There was even a sweet smell of nectar in the air, and when I asked James what he was thinking about, as we rode along, he thought for a moment and said, "All the flowers."  It truly was a stunning sight. 

I bought this with a credit I had (it literally has my name on it, though mine is not monogrammed), and it came in the mail today.  The boys and I took a nice long nature walk after lunch, and found lots of treasures to keep inside.  I love how Victorian it looks, and that poor little wasp was already deceased when I found him, so no creatures were harmed in the making of this piece.