I'm sensing a trend here

Thursday, 12:00pm:

Friday, 12:00pm:Early to bed and early to rise makes a boy... tired, apparently.

By lunchtime.

Two days in a row, now, he has fallen asleep in his highchair with untouched food in front of him.

This is not a good pattern. (But it is pretty cute!)

A new form of torture called 'Easter photos'

The kids were dressed in their Easter finest, and of course we wanted to take some precious photos to remember how sweet (Lucy) and dapper (Josiah) they looked on this day.

What possessed us to believe they would cooperate is beyond me.

But looking at these now brings back the memory of a room full of family and friends laughing til our tummies were sore, and that alone brings me more joy that a perfect photo.

Sitting in the rocker was apparently not an option...

...though Mommy, Lucy, and the Easter lamb all tried...

...and Daddy's foot didn't do the trick to keep him put, either...

Okay, so one sitting and one standing isn't so bad, if only they would both smile. Let's try having them both sit...

Yeah, that didn't work either...

Ahhh, there are those sweet smiles! Close enough. :)

We may not have a photo we can frame on our wall, but what's more important is feeling the joy and love in our home...

My favorite time of day

I am soooooo happy that both my kids are good snugglers! I don't know what I'd do if they weren't. But as they get older, those times of snuggling become less frequent, more brief.

I'm starting to see this with Josiah. My baby is becoming a little boy. That's why bedtime has become my favorite time of the day.

At 20 months, he is a very active boy, but he still has his moments when he wants to snuggle. It usually starts with his thumb in his mouth and his spare arm raised for me to pick him up.

And then he puts his head on my shoulder.

When he's hurt, he points to the rocking chair, which apparently is the healer of all wounds, bumps, and bruises. When he's tired, he points to the hallway where he knows the stairs are, so I will take him up to bed.

And when I'm lucky, he points to the big blue chair in his bedroom. That used to be his request to nurse, but recently it has come to mean, "Mommy, I'm not ready to be done snuggling yet. That looks like the perfect spot for us to sit together for just a few more minutes..."

*sigh*

It's usually over all too soon (for me), when he picks his head up and points to his crib to be laid down. But those few moments of peace, quiet, and snuggling are the best. That's why it's my favorite time of day.

Branching out

I love to bake, and I love to eat, but as for the food preparation in my own kitchen, I'm not typically very adventurous. I can follow a recipe, and the kind with just six ingredients or less are just my speed.

I also have two relatively choosy eaters under my daily care, which often makes me steer clear of anything but the norm. My kids both eat a pretty good variety for their ages, but they are kids, and they generally like to stick to what they know.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

Needless to say, when it comes to lunch, I don't like to be a short-order cook, so we generally all eat the same things each week: shells and cheese, quesadillas, PB&J, grilled cheese, and deli sandwiches (turkey and cheese with mustard and sometimes cucumbers).

But this weekend I felt somewhat inspired when I dragged out the sandwich fixings, and I reached for a few extras. Here was the result:


I started with honey wheat berry bread and spread it with ranch dressing, then sprinkled crumbled bacon before adding shaved turkey. Then I covered it with colby jack cheese and toasted the whole thing. Topped with thinly sliced cucumbers, it was warm, crisp, and a welcome change to my mundane lunch routine.

I can't say I've ever taken a photo of a sandwich I've made before, but I felt this very small victory in my personal life and wanted to document it.

I know. You don't have to tell me. I need to get out more often...