baking like a toasted cheeser

to quote hamilton porter from the sandlot, "i'm bakin like a toasted cheeser".  it's hot.  the mornings aren't too terrible, but it's still hot.  we went to the park the other morning, and seriously after 10 minutes mae and i were drenched with sweat. but, she had a good time and it wore her out.  so, it was worth the dehydration.
if you don't believe me check out munchkin number one's hair.  homegirl's hair is HUGE!  it's hard to contain it.  so, for the most part i just let it go free.

 

cody has been busy around here!  he surprised me when we got back home with so many things around the house.  he painted, he mounted our tv, organized, and started some much needed yard projects.  he did these pavers around the trees and garden all by himself.  he's awesome

and we finally bought plants for the front.  i feel like such a grown up with all of these projects we're doing.

ringlets are in full effect around these parts.

 and so is the sass.  mae's new favorite phrases "i do it myself", and "you stay here".  and of course the never ending "no, i not do that". 

 potty training is still going strong, so is the need to strangle myself at times.  accidents are few and far between.  but, it's still a maddening process.  now she doesn't want me to help her. hence the "you stay here mom".  the other day she spent about 2 minutes telling me to stay put while she went potty.  well, she spent way too much time telling me not to help, and wet her pants.  then she said "help me clean mom?"  ooh now you want my help?!  love the girl

i've been stressing over trying to make this summer so awesome and special for mae.  i was driving myself (and probably cody) crazy trying to think of things to do.  and of course my ever patient loving husband reminded me that when we were little our summers weren't jam packed full of stuff, and they were pretty magical.  we played outside, ran through the sprinklers, made our own fun.  thinking about my childhood summers, the best memories i have are of simple things.  playing outside until dinner, night games with friends, popsicles outside in bathing suits, sprinklers, the pool.  i don't need to make myself crazy over entertaining my kid.  she needs to learn how to use her imagination and entertain herself!  and, it's been a pretty great few weeks.  we still go out with friends, and have fun outings.  but, we have days or afternoons, where nothing is planned. 

she's had a blast in our backyard.

 and inside by herself with her toys.

i'm still trying to let go of the feeling/anxiety that we're not doing enough.  that i don't take her to do enough fun activities.  to not feel like a bad mom because we haven't gone to do new exciting things all the time.  but, i'm starting to learn that there are always going to be things that i wish i did differently.  always going to be people that i don't measure up to. who knows if mae will even remember any of this stuff one day.  but, i hope that when she does start remembering, she'll feel like she was so loved, and that there were some special moments in her childhood.

oh izzy.  my little munchkin.  she was eating 7 or 8oz at every feeding, and still wasn't full.  so, we started some solids.  she's loving life.  and i am loving it too, she's pretty much sleeping a solid 11-12 hours a night.  at least one of my kids is, right?  this little girl love loves her big sister.  she gets the biggest smile on her face when she sees her.  if she hears her when she's eating, she'll look all over until she spots her.  sometimes i have to make mae go upstairs and play when i'm trying to feed izzy because she distracts her so much!  and when mae is playing in the play room, izzy loves to lay on the floor and watch her.

mae loves izzy just as much.  one of the first things she asks in the morning "izzy lake (wake) up yet?"  she's started calling her iz.  too cute.

my sweet sleeping babe