The Orange Balloon

The other day, Audrey spied a bag of balloons in a drawer where we keep her shoes. I kinda ignored her interest in them, but once she noticed they were there, there was no deterring her. I finally relented and let her pick one- one- out, and she and her orange balloon have been inseparable ever since... which has been super cute, though I had to draw the line when nap time rolled around...

Oh, the joy we owe this little orange balloon. Shame on me for putting off it's arrival.

I Hope...

It won't be long before these siblings start developing their friendship, their relationship, and their special sibling bond. They're well on their way even now, with one an egocentric toddler and the other a squishy smiley lump.

In watching and documenting them as they grow and connect, I can't help but dream big for what they have in store... both for themselves and for each other. There is so much on my wish-list for them, but my heart is holding a few things on that list much higher in priority. I hope...

...that Audrey will always know on some level how much she is- and will be- adored by her Little Brother.

...that Henry will always feel appreciated and protected by his Big Sister.

...that they will never hesitate to stand up for one another.

...that, even though they will believe on occasion that they hate each other, they will always come around.

...that they will know how to make each other laugh.

...that they will know how to make each other cry, and choose not to act on it.

...that they will always, always love each other, and know that they are loved.

These two individuals, that didn't exist three years ago, but live now because of a deep love, are so deeply loved themselves. Though as a parent I try to give them the best of everything, I know that I can't do that for every part of their lives... the best I can do is give them the tools, set the examples, make clear the rules, and hope. And so, I hope.

Bubbles!

For the past week or so, Audrey has been pretending to blow bubbles. She'll pick a toy that has nothing to do with bubbles (like her recorder, for example), go through the motions of dipping a wand into a container of bubble solution, blowing on it, and then watching the pretend bubbles blow up into the sky (usually with accompanying exclamations like, 'Look, Mama! Look, look, it's bubbles in the sky!).

So this morning, on our daily outing-before-it-gets-too-hot, we cracked out the real bubbles, and oh, how she did love them...

Sadly, the yellow bottle of bubbles AND the orange outfit met their demise very early in the bubble experience, so we had a short reprieve for a bit of washing off and a wardrobe change...

Talk about a sticky mess! But so worth it. Once it warmed up into the uncomfortable and the breeze stopped blowing, we retired to our air-conditioned living room to read and make lunch. While Mama tried to focus on Dr. Seuss or The Three Little Pigs, the only thing Audrey wanted to talk about was bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles. I suspect she may steer dinner conversation that way, too. If only adults could find excitement in life like this toddler finds in a bottle of soapy solution and a flimsy plastic wand!

Right Now

Right now, I'm loving...

The budding Saturday morning tradition of making waffles...

...lots of waffles...

...and, of course, eating them

 Morning sibling conversations

The humble offerings from the plants in the garden still living

Sweet, chubby helping hands

Sandbox soup

Hot evenings and cold watermelon

Right now, I'm loving all the things that comprise a slow, peaceful, stay-at-home kind of weekend. Hoping there was something peaceful to savor from your weekend, too.

Splish Splash

A simple post as a tribute to the pleasure of the simple things, and how much babies seem to relish in the discovery of them. Love.

Right Now

Right now, I'm loving...

Hubby and his Mini-Me

New awareness and ability... seemingly over night

The ability of this little boy to play with two toys at once

The patience of a 15-week-old waiting for oatmeal

Sibling playtime

Pre-9am back porch art

It would be easy to pass these summer days wrapped up in wishing them away for the cooler days ahead, but instead, we have found that there are still refreshing moments to be had, despite it all. Hoping everyone can find a way to beat the heat this week!

When It Gets Hot

When it gets hot...

Our grass gets crispy (and I can occasionally be caught in shorts)

The last of the garden plants wilt daily, only to revive over night a little less green, and a little more crispy

The only way to get a little quality time outside is to get in the kiddie pool

Bathing suits become optional

Iced tea becomes mandatory

The only clouds in the sky provide neither shade nor rain

The sippy-cup joins us everywhere

We never wear shoes

We even let our dog inside to escape these 'dog days'

When it gets hot, we hibernate the way people up north do in the dead of winter. We venture outside only in the shaded dawn and dusk, we huddle in our cooled, closed-up spaces through the days, and we pine for the clouds to do more than just tease us as they melt away like piles of ice cream in our super-heated atmosphere.  Oh, November, we can't wait for you to get here.