More of The Summer: Teacher Gifts

I was unnecessarily stressed about Nate's teacher gifts this year.   What do you get the women who love and hug your child when you're not around?  What do you do to acknowledge that he's changed so much in the past year and part of it is because of them?  Nothing seemed right (as I stood in the Target aisle on his last day of school; clearly I wouldn't buy a gift in - gasp - advance!)  so I went Summertime Theme.

(Included: beach towel and insulated mug filled with Starbucks gift card and mini-sunsreens and a card to express our gratitude!) 

What is your favorite token of thanks? 

settling into summer

Our summer calendar is filling up and it’s a strange, beautiful and kid-centric time.   Nate will be FOUR (FOUR?!?!) next month and I  sometimes still can’t fathom the fact that I’ve been a parent for four years.   Our summer sitter (we have a summer sitter!)  started this week and is nothing short of wonderful.   My office is in the midst of moving so I’m a bit displaced this week (currently writing this from the library) as we transition. 

We also made our first pilgrimage to the big pool – I wasn’t brave enough to try both kids on my own the first go-round, so we made it a family affair.  (I’m ready to brave it alone now; Nate adjusted nicely to swimming with multiple flotation devices.)   We also have summer school and the conclusion of summer baseball and the start of swim lessons.  Sometimes the sheer luxury of all that we can provide for the kids floors me.  Lucky little ducks.  

summer time birthday woes

Alright all you summer babies now is your chance to LET IT ALL OUT about how you never got to celebrate your birthday at school and how it scarred you for life and how you are now a terrible person.  Ready?  Go.

Nate's teacher sent home a note on Monday.  Since this is the last week of school, they're celebrating all summer birthdays this week and, since his birthday is in June, his day is Wednesday and can I please bring a treat/snack?  (Disregard the fact that he'll be in summer program, at the same school, with most of the same kids when his actual birthday occurs.)

I refuse to put Happy Birthday Nate! on said treats so I went with, uh, Yay!

And put them on these schmancy juice boxes:

And attached a fruit roll up (He had cupcakes Monday AND Tuesday and is having ice cream on Friday.  I know, right?  I wanted to send fruits and vegetables but Karl told me it wasn't allowed.)

Bam.  And I didn't even consult Pintrest.  (Pintrest would laugh at my feeble juice box covers!)

(Please don't tell the Star Wars empire that I borrowed this image from google; I found it on a site called "how to draw R2D2 step by step" (not that I was going to draw ANYTHING; I just googled star wars images.)  Please don't get me copyright police.  ITS FOR MY CHILD'S FAKE BIRTHDAY.  

a night in little rock

Last week, we went on a little walk around downtown to check out the new Clinton Center Wetlands area. 

Here's the good ole Presidential Library:

 And here's the new Wetlands area (photo taken from atop the pedestrian bridge):


SHOCKINGLY, Nate got tired of walking about an hour in (after a full day of school) so we let him sit in the front of the stroller.  (He's basically anti-stroller which, generally, is good for me as I hate lugging that thing in and out of my car.)

Thankfully, Boo Boo doesn't mind a little crushing (Oh, why yes we did decide the baby's new name is boo-boo.  WHY?!  WHY?!  I don't know but we ALL say it.  Make US STOP.).

Totally the right way to use a stroller:

He carried his Storm Trooper gun for the duration, only stopping (unprompted) to (and I quote) "get healed in the sick bay." 

I present you the sick bay: 

(Also known as the entrance to Heifer International Headquarters.)

Downtown Little Rock :: Where all good droids go to die.

next week's TIME cover

File this under THINGS THAT ARE HOT: 

This is me last week.  You can thank me for leaving the image this small.

Basically, The Internet exploded with reactions to the cover photo of the woman breastfeeding her three year old, eh?  (Do you think most of the reactors even read the article?  I liked this reaction.)

Here's a link to an interview of the woman on the cover.   Here's a link to her blog.  Seems like a loving mama parenting how she wants to parent, no?  So, everyone should stop FREAKING OUT, right?  (She also wrote this.) 

Alright then.

I'd like to share one of MY favorite breastfeeding photos:

Go ahead.  Tell her to cover up.  I'll wait here.  (Source)

Now, let's all go have a beer.

sugar awwwww honey honey

I had a birthday on Friday.  

All I asked for (teasingly) was to sleep through the night (I didn't get it - no fault of Karl...I just couldn't...it was a nursing thing.  I couldn't make it the whole evening out PLUS overnight without some relief and waking up in the middle of the night to pump while Karl bottle fed the baby just seemed silly.)  

What did we do?  

Since we've both been insanely busy and now have two kiddos to cart around (read: STILL ADJUSTING)  he warned me not to expect the same LEVEL OF BIRTHDAY as in year's past.  (We normally are low-key birthday celebraters; last year was my 30th and any birthday that ends in zero is special, right?)  This year, he made reservations at a restaurant downtown and we spent way too much money on dinner and then went to a bar (gasp) to have drinks after.   Low key, fantastic and we even remembered to eat slowly and use our table manners.  

(On a completely unrelated note as I was browsing back to find the surprise party post I re-read this FANTASTICALLY INSANE pregnancy dream post and now wonder why there were only a few comments and not, say, ALL OF YOU asking if I was insane.) 

things that amuse me...

Chalk it up to many years working in advertising/PR....

Or to sleep deprivation....

But this little mailer came in the mail from Firestone (of all places) and I can't stop giggling...