tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49975715340627707872024-03-13T18:33:33.345-05:00Eating Crow PieI said I wasn't going to do that.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.comBlogger718125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-17366312907049395642016-05-20T07:30:00.000-05:002016-05-20T07:43:21.690-05:00When you know that it's over.<div dir="ltr">
(mic tap) Is this thing on?</div>
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There's probably only two people that are going to see this, but hey! you're worth it!</div>
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A little back story: I started this blog in 2010 after Boots and I got engaged as a way to share wedding planning with our family that was/is scattered far and wide. After the wedding I kept the blog going, posting about what Boots and I were doing fixing up our house. Then Mayhem was born and, of course, he was the topic of every post. Since then we've moved twice and Chaos was born. </div>
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I have not grown a lot of followers like some blogs, but that's ok. I have not made any money, but that was not what I set out to do. I haven't made any friends through the internet that turned out to be friends in real life, probably mostly because we live thousands of miles apart. I have at times wanted to quit (and have!) because the narcissism was getting to me, but I always came back. </div>
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I enjoy posting and sharing, but it is rare that the Computer, the Internet, the Inspiration, the Energy, and the Time all meet up together. (Sad truth- this post has cranked itself out so fast it's scary. Not a lot of ruminating going on. Must be a sign that it is time.)</div>
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There's so much to share! I could post something every day I'm sure, but we live on a farm and have animals, a garden, and perpetual chores to help with, plus our own small business. Plus, I have a husband and two tiny people that need me to cook and clean for them, a cow to milk every morning, and real-life friends and relationships to cultivate. </div>
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My to do list has been hanging over my head the past several months and I can't shake it. It's like this dark cloud of words and thoughts and don't forget this! with lightning streaks of guilt following me above my head. Time for me to let it go and give myself grace because I cannot do all of the things.</div>
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A lot of the blogs that I have followed for years are shutting down and maybe the recent closure of one of my favorites (I won't even tell you because you might like it, too, and that's just sad) really made me think I'm done, too. </div>
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I want to write, I have things to write about, but the biggest thing keeping me from it is...</div>
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So, that's it. I'm done. I won't say forever, but I will say for now. Maybe I'll be back when I have more time. This is a free blog so I don't intend to close it. In the meantime, if you're not already there, you can follow me on Instagram. I'm @eatingcrowpie, of course.</div>
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I'll be changing diapers, reading to my babies, and smelling like a cow. I plan to get caught up on baby books for Mayhem and Chaos and hopefully, finally, organize and start printing some of the millions of pictures Boots and I have collected.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-71940210862094029442016-04-01T12:06:00.001-05:002016-05-09T19:12:17.013-05:00Baby Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Reading books <strike>is</strike> was one of my favorite things to do in my spare time (spare time, ha!) for fun, but when I want/need to know something reading books, all the books!, is how I make myself an expert. For my second baby I reread a few books I'd read with the first baby and found quite a few new ones to add to my list. Consider this an informal book review.</div>
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These links are not affiliate links, just links because I thought I'd make it easier on you if you're interested in the book yourself. Although, I'm not opposed to affiliate links...</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7vJs5JyqAhs/Vt9RNb3e_cI/AAAAAAAAGOM/J0N0R16AtCc/s640/IMG_20160308_162411135.jpg" width="360" /> </div>
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From the bottom to the top:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-000-Plus-Baby-Names/dp/B002ECEEI6/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459528772&sr=1-2&keywords=100%2C000+plus+baby+names" target="_blank">100,000 Plus Baby Names</a> </div>
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We bought this one in 2012 for Mayhem. I have the 2009 edition. Not much to say about this, everybody needs a name book. I read through the names again and we didn't pick names for Chaos from this book, but they are listed.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Pregnancy-Birth-Information-Leading/dp/0696225913/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459529015&sr=1-1&keywords=Your+pregnancy+and+birth" target="_blank">Your Pregnancy & Birth</a></div>
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My insurance company sent me this one in 2012 for Mayhem. I cracked it once about two weeks before Chaos was born because I wanted to read up on Group B Strep</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-When-Youre-Expecting-ebook/dp/B003L7826I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459529146&sr=1-1&keywords=what+to+expect+when+you%27re+expecting" target="_blank">What To Expect When You're Expecting</a></div>
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I have the third edition. Only read it this time to look up something about Group B Strep.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Womans-Guide-Better-Birth-ebook/dp/B001QWDRYC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459529247&sr=1-1&keywords=the+thinking+woman%27s+guide+to+a+better+birth" target="_blank">The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth</a></div>
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This was a new one for me and I loved it. I think I read it all in a week during naptimes and before I went to bed. I liked it because it gave comparisons on every possible option for every possible situation birth-related. If you want to give someone a book and not sure which books they already have I recommend this one. To the point and eliminates lots of fluff.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Partner-Complete-Childbirth-Companions-ebook/dp/B00E78IGUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459529489&sr=1-1&keywords=the+birth+partner" target="_blank">The Birth Partner</a></div>
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I have the third edition. Never got around to reading this one.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Birth-Yoga-Exercises-Childbirth/dp/1852304316/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459529567&sr=1-2&keywords=preparing+for+birth+with+yoga+janet+balaskas" target="_blank">Preparing for Birth with Yoga</a></div>
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I read this. It was...interesting. I don't yoga enough for it to be a good one for me. Maybe if you do yoga regularly or more seriously it would benefit you more?</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Childbirth-Bradley-Way-Revised/dp/0452276594/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459529657&sr=1-1&keywords=natural+childbirth+the+bradley+way" target="_blank">Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way</a></div>
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I read this one with Mayhem and reread it for Chaos. Another one of my favorites. The pictures are graphic (real, nekkid people). I love this one.</div>
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Not pictured:</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055338516X?SubscriptionId=0QCHRJVSKG6F3BRGBNG2&tag=pbs_00004-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=055338516X" target="_blank">Husband-Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth</a></div>
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Another new one. I liked this one, but it kinda set me up in a bad way. It's all about the husband and how much he's going to help you and be involved in the labor. Don't read it unless you a) have a reader-type husband who is going to read this and do what it says or b) can hold back unrealistic expectations easily.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757302661?SubscriptionId=0QCHRJVSKG6F3BRGBNG2&tag=pbs_00004-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0757302661" target="_blank">HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method</a></div>
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Did not read this one this time. Got rid of it. A little too out there for me.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-3082312490708584542016-02-09T12:34:00.001-06:002016-02-09T12:34:43.158-06:00It's a girl!<p dir="ltr">Little baby Chaos was born Sunday, February 7, 2016 at 7:01 PM. 5 pounds, 11 ounces, 19.5 inches long</p>
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Bloggers in general have this thing about doing big reveals, don't they? </div>
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I've been working on a big reveal of my own since, mmmm, May/June-ish.</div>
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It's almost time to share!!</div>
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Here are a few teasers of what's to come...</div>
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(If you only know me in real life and Instagram <a href="mailto:%7B@eatingcrowpie">{@eatingcrowpie</a>}, boy, are you in for a surprise!</div>
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July 13, 2015- Some folks were a little confused by the pink/blue balloons and the "big bro" shirt Mayhem's wearing.</div>
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July 29, 2015</div>
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10 weeks</div>
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August 5, 2015<br />
11 weeks<br />
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August 15, 2015</div>
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12 weeks, 3 days</div>
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August 26, 2015</div>
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14 weeks</div>
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September 5, 2015</div>
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15 weeks, 3 days</div>
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September 9, 2015<br />
16 weeks<br />
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September 17, 2015</div>
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17 weeks, 1 day</div>
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September 23, 2015</div>
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18 weeks</div>
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October 14, 2015</div>
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21 weeks</div>
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It's a baby!</div>
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October 15, 2015</div>
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21 weeks, 1 day</div>
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I was feeling artsy this day.</div>
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November 25, 2015</div>
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27 weeks</div>
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November 28, 2015</div>
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27 weeks, 3 days</div>
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December 31, 2015</div>
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32 weeks, 1 day</div>
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January 31, 2016</div>
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36 weeks, 4 days</div>
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February 5, 2016</div>
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37 weeks, 1 day</div>
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This pregnancy has been a lot different than being pregnant with Mayhem. We waited longer to tell people, I've gained a lot more weight (and still am!), I've been more uncomfortable with hip pain/sciatic nerve pain/round ligament pain, and something I never experienced before is the extreme swelling of my feet and hands.</div>
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I am using a different doctor and hospital this time. He's pretty crunchy and is supportive of me wanting a natural birth and not just an epidural-less experience. At my 34 weeks appointment he told me, "If this was Talladega you'd be in the last lap." HA! Last week at my 37 weeks appointment he said that he doesn't want to jinx me, but he has a good feeling about this one. Not sure what he meant by that exactly, but me, too.</div>
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Mayhem hasn't felt the baby move because he won't be still long enough to hold his hand in one place, but he does like talking to my belly, specifically- using my belly button as a microphone to say, "Hello, baby!" in the cutest little tiny voice.</div>
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I've been driving Boots crazy with all the nesting and to-do list making. He'll probably really appreciate it when I calm down.</div>
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Hopefully, now that we're caught up I can update more regularly. I'm moving incredibly slow these days and it takes a really long time to get anything done. It's going to be interesting to see what life is like with two kiddies, but I'm excited. :)</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-56461483319140805312015-12-24T02:29:00.001-06:002015-12-24T02:29:24.921-06:00Mayhem 2.75<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THk4_Ko40mA/VnulSejgsBI/AAAAAAAAGFw/NNyeCbbfgGQ/s1600/IMG_20151125_131349816_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-THk4_Ko40mA/VnulSejgsBI/AAAAAAAAGFw/NNyeCbbfgGQ/s640/IMG_20151125_131349816_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A not so eager cowboy. He likes the idea of riding a horse, but not really the execution.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LlA-DJcXxoE/VnulTBWkJLI/AAAAAAAAGF4/SikMe0qVj3c/s1600/IMG_20151126_172953255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LlA-DJcXxoE/VnulTBWkJLI/AAAAAAAAGF4/SikMe0qVj3c/s640/IMG_20151126_172953255.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He loves frozen raw vegetables straight out of the bag!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Oj0KWZQ03g/VnulUDcjnQI/AAAAAAAAGGA/csOGnssiUm0/s1600/IMG_20151127_131235097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Oj0KWZQ03g/VnulUDcjnQI/AAAAAAAAGGA/csOGnssiUm0/s640/IMG_20151127_131235097.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He loves his baby cousin and asks to hold him, change his clothes, and change his diaper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cpF1RyX6LDI/VnulVB1v0yI/AAAAAAAAGGI/JfhtS_IG9k0/s1600/IMG_20151128_133345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cpF1RyX6LDI/VnulVB1v0yI/AAAAAAAAGGI/JfhtS_IG9k0/s640/IMG_20151128_133345.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He loves his Mameha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-doQge90zNpY/VnulWYb42NI/AAAAAAAAGGQ/4fvhoUCHTX8/s1600/IMG_20151128_132744649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-doQge90zNpY/VnulWYb42NI/AAAAAAAAGGQ/4fvhoUCHTX8/s640/IMG_20151128_132744649.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The facial expressions sometimes...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-egGqPDoPF-g/VnulXiDCmrI/AAAAAAAAGGY/RGJjl8bR5UM/s1600/IMG_20151205_094732858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-egGqPDoPF-g/VnulXiDCmrI/AAAAAAAAGGY/RGJjl8bR5UM/s640/IMG_20151205_094732858.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These Rangeroos ride-on animals were so much fun at the Fair in the Square. Too bad we have nothing but dirt where we live.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qI_8VTr5XnE/VnulYapp76I/AAAAAAAAGGg/LDcLqEFRepU/s1600/IMG_20151207_124242361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qI_8VTr5XnE/VnulYapp76I/AAAAAAAAGGg/LDcLqEFRepU/s640/IMG_20151207_124242361.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He will steal your shades.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8l_LVJx30M0/VnulZAmIVDI/AAAAAAAAGGo/M45ucqoESgc/s1600/IMG_20151209_134041551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8l_LVJx30M0/VnulZAmIVDI/AAAAAAAAGGo/M45ucqoESgc/s640/IMG_20151209_134041551.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YVcL5NxsZEU/VnulaGadJzI/AAAAAAAAGGw/chUjAZQEPOI/s1600/IMG_20151210_172615684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YVcL5NxsZEU/VnulaGadJzI/AAAAAAAAGGw/chUjAZQEPOI/s640/IMG_20151210_172615684.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2k_7ebTEbxk/Vnula2lqyxI/AAAAAAAAGG4/zWD2J2OUDG0/s1600/IMG_20151212_184538283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2k_7ebTEbxk/Vnula2lqyxI/AAAAAAAAGG4/zWD2J2OUDG0/s640/IMG_20151212_184538283.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-orm9rN46AKw/Vnulb6yEAVI/AAAAAAAAGHA/fybdHOVRk5Y/s1600/IMG_20151214_110949284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-orm9rN46AKw/Vnulb6yEAVI/AAAAAAAAGHA/fybdHOVRk5Y/s640/IMG_20151214_110949284.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He's a sharp dresser and likes to be prepared.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x_S2gA6JptA/Vnulcy4tx1I/AAAAAAAAGHI/RAHTjtqPjKg/s1600/IMG_20151214_145738707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x_S2gA6JptA/Vnulcy4tx1I/AAAAAAAAGHI/RAHTjtqPjKg/s640/IMG_20151214_145738707.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He sleeps like his daddy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eFoKOvVhHGY/VnuleF5bt4I/AAAAAAAAGHQ/yhhLG004ppc/s1600/IMG_20151219_182434865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eFoKOvVhHGY/VnuleF5bt4I/AAAAAAAAGHQ/yhhLG004ppc/s640/IMG_20151219_182434865.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He took my spot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wLBV-Gx6o4M/VnulfZyNCsI/AAAAAAAAGHY/-pgykOjQeMU/s1600/IMG_20151222_152140268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wLBV-Gx6o4M/VnulfZyNCsI/AAAAAAAAGHY/-pgykOjQeMU/s640/IMG_20151222_152140268.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He's an expert cookie dough ball maker.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mayhemisms:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When tucking him into bed at night: "I want your whole big head." Or is he saying, "I want to hold your big head"?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Mama, I have a dry diaper." ..... "Now it's wet."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"You the daddy cow and you the mama bull."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He is a frog legs lover and will eat more than you get to!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He can pronounce "rhinoceros" and "hippopotamus" perfectly, but those big grey animals with trunks are "Elthumps."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Out with me" = without me</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Jommas" = pajamas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Motor bicycles" = motorcycles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Lellow" = yellow</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Shuntime" = sunshine</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He may be mismatched by his own doing, but he constantly pulls his shirt down, straightens pants legs, and can't stand to have long sleeves pushed up even to wash his hands.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Tovers" = covers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He has poured his own milk out of a half full gallon if not assisted fast enough to his liking. Yikes!</div><div><br></div></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-21179416497790800822015-12-24T01:50:00.001-06:002015-12-24T02:34:18.941-06:00Mayhem 2.5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x5cWgZsUBCk/VeyeasRknhI/AAAAAAAAGDk/3O1Rh8cXvko/s1600/IMG_20150724_183808169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x5cWgZsUBCk/VeyeasRknhI/AAAAAAAAGDk/3O1Rh8cXvko/s640/IMG_20150724_183808169.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dUVBi93f05U/VeyecA5YErI/AAAAAAAAGDs/r7E8ogV5Zx0/s1600/IMG_20150809_092234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dUVBi93f05U/VeyecA5YErI/AAAAAAAAGDs/r7E8ogV5Zx0/s640/IMG_20150809_092234.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cheesing before church one morning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8EiXjDV7GZ0/VeyediRFs-I/AAAAAAAAGD0/SU52hY8fhJ8/s1600/IMG_20150812_154555474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8EiXjDV7GZ0/VeyediRFs-I/AAAAAAAAGD0/SU52hY8fhJ8/s640/IMG_20150812_154555474.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He had a little fever virus in August and was so cuddly grumpy for a few days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rUZPUhi_AXc/Veyeep4-S0I/AAAAAAAAGD8/RRK6UZ2qmmo/s1600/IMG_20150824_144807342_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rUZPUhi_AXc/Veyeep4-S0I/AAAAAAAAGD8/RRK6UZ2qmmo/s640/IMG_20150824_144807342_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He loves his baby!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cUdn2mvDkGg/VeyefjZH_KI/AAAAAAAAGEE/at0Eg_hh_RA/s1600/IMG_20150829_070834023_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cUdn2mvDkGg/VeyefjZH_KI/AAAAAAAAGEE/at0Eg_hh_RA/s640/IMG_20150829_070834023_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The morning we moved he slept super late. We carried him outside on the mattress and set it on the trailer before he woke up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xOeSMuPqN6g/VeyegiHUp2I/AAAAAAAAGEM/9Dr4Mjdwv28/s1600/IMG_20150905_104755414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xOeSMuPqN6g/VeyegiHUp2I/AAAAAAAAGEM/9Dr4Mjdwv28/s640/IMG_20150905_104755414.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wallerin' in the floor with my sister in September.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mayhemisms:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Walking to our trailer in the dried crusty mud- "Here me are. ..... Here I am!" "I can walk. I can walk with my shoes and I can walk with my feet." "Argh argh! These rocks hurt. Some rocks tickle some rocks hurt. These rocks hurts."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Breakawist" = breakfast</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Don't get my nose, I need to breath"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Twistated = twisted, as in "My diaper is twistated."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For a while he kept an imaginary dog in a real pen and fed it corn every day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Anybody: "What have you been eating?" Mayhem: "Bricks with my friends!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"I eat all your groceries!!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"You're breaking me!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He discovered stop signs along the road and would yell "Stop, Mama, STOP!" when I was driving for a few weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"At" ends every sentence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"What IS that?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"You leave me?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It was pretty mindblowing for him to realize that everything has/is a mama/daddy and we had MANY conversations about is THAT the mama/daddy whatever quite frequently. See also everything has pee pee and/or poop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Chawberries" = strawberries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Chewdiber" = screwdriver</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Tuhtie" = cookie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Joofer" = rooster</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Cheese puffs = "chipmunks"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Griddle = "skateboard" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Shampoop</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Swimming toot" = swimming suit</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bridges/sheds were kind of confusing for a while. We drove under sheds and parked under bridges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Physically, he can skip, but not jump.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Help you," he says, not "help me." </div><div><br></div></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-77798419766118195342015-08-28T18:59:00.001-05:002015-08-28T18:59:04.315-05:00Pack It Up<p dir="ltr">We're moving this weekend and in my free time (yeah, right!) I've been thinking about what I will miss about this apartment. The list is short- our dining area and the board over my sink, both of which I kinda made "me." I wonder if the difference in using and appreciating a space relates to how much of yourself you put into it.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3l4Nynuk6Q/VeD1vC3i_MI/AAAAAAAAGC8/kewOUYC2osk/s1600/IMG_20150828_183840916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P3l4Nynuk6Q/VeD1vC3i_MI/AAAAAAAAGC8/kewOUYC2osk/s640/IMG_20150828_183840916.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kMp8itkjfCA/VeD1xuF9ehI/AAAAAAAAGDE/nXiRqiwaDag/s1600/IMG_20150828_183759476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kMp8itkjfCA/VeD1xuF9ehI/AAAAAAAAGDE/nXiRqiwaDag/s640/IMG_20150828_183759476.jpg"> </a> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-30865661648580911492015-08-09T09:31:00.001-05:002015-08-09T09:31:56.233-05:00Name Changer<p dir="ltr">When Mayhem first started "talking" I was Mama. The day we went to the zoo this past January I became Mommy. Two days ago, Mama again! Identity crisis? Maybe. Who knows who I'll be in another six months.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ed1AblAQASw/VcdkVQvzhvI/AAAAAAAAGCA/kJdcnXn20bQ/s1600/IMG_20150809_092234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ed1AblAQASw/VcdkVQvzhvI/AAAAAAAAGCA/kJdcnXn20bQ/s640/IMG_20150809_092234.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--q7lVRxnCkA/VcdkWYXlp4I/AAAAAAAAGCI/ArT-mbY3rdk/s1600/IMG_20150809_092348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--q7lVRxnCkA/VcdkWYXlp4I/AAAAAAAAGCI/ArT-mbY3rdk/s640/IMG_20150809_092348.jpg"> </a> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-12608721845907471562015-07-27T20:51:00.001-05:002015-07-27T21:01:36.592-05:00Moving Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cSoP8keCBlE/VbbgAbAa6rI/AAAAAAAAGA8/IupWszJnmlw/s1600/IMG_20150727_065832777_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cSoP8keCBlE/VbbgAbAa6rI/AAAAAAAAGA8/IupWszJnmlw/s640/IMG_20150727_065832777_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">7 AM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-otewydlFIrM/VbbgBNPEr7I/AAAAAAAAGBE/iDSDM95FWoU/s1600/IMG_20150727_174626504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-otewydlFIrM/VbbgBNPEr7I/AAAAAAAAGBE/iDSDM95FWoU/s640/IMG_20150727_174626504.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5 PM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Guess what? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's our new home! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We're suckers for a fixer-upper and we've definitely got our work cut out for us, but still excited.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More to come, you know, later.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-51242963244085383282015-07-20T09:18:00.000-05:002015-07-20T20:51:13.037-05:00Summer, May-July 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you're on your phone I suggest swapping to a computer. This post contains nearly allllll the pictures I've taken in the past two months, mostly in chronological order. It's a lot. And this is what's been keeping me from writing, besides laziness and Internet availability, of course.</div>
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Here we go!</div>
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This horse was such a sweet pest. She kept sniffing my hair, my clothes, she tried to pull one of my shoes off.</div>
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Poppies in May</div>
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Poppies in May</div>
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<a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sMy-lSAzYtk/VaZZSpkNtmI/AAAAAAAAF68/Klzy9b9cLFE/s1600/IMG_20150507_160950541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="360" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sMy-lSAzYtk/VaZZSpkNtmI/AAAAAAAAF68/Klzy9b9cLFE/s640/IMG_20150507_160950541.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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One thing that's kept me busy has been more work. Boots and I started a lawn care business in May. Boots does the cutting and such and I am weeder número uno. This is the flower bed in front of the horse three pictures above. It took me seven hours to weed it one day and since then everything has grown and gotten so beautiful. You'll see that a little later.</div>
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Boots and Mayhem catching a quick nap while waiting for my sister's graduation to start.</div>
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We finally made a nurse out of this girl!</div>
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We graduated this sister from high school. It rained, we got soaking wet, and looked like rats.</div>
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My daddy finally got a boy that wants to drive all of his tractors.</div>
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It's a little difficult figuring out how to ride babies on rocking horses.</div>
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We also graduated my cousin from high school. </div>
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Vacuum cleaner Mohawk!</div>
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Too early one morning.</div>
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This was Mayhem's first attempt at putting his shoes on.</div>
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Figuring out the pattern for my quilt squares one night in the living room floor.</div>
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Our waterfall in our VBS room.</div>
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Pinning the layers of my sister's baby's quilt that I'm working on.</div>
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I have no words for this mess.</div>
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He sleeps just like his daddy- flopped around everywhere with the blankets ripped off.</div>
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The zinnias and gladiolas one early June morning.</div>
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Tiny recliner for a tiny man.</div>
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Peek-a-boo!</div>
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I'm always washing dishes and it always looks like this. Ay yi yi!</div>
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This is "my" garden at my uncle's house before the okra grew up past our heads,</div>
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before the tomatoes grew up and we cut the blackberry vines back,</div>
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and before we pulled up the dead English peas and the squash grew so wide you can't walk around it.</div>
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My couch looks like this a couple times a week, too. </div>
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Putting penguins in the house I built him. </div>
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Isn't this hibiscus beautiful? Plus, Mayhem in the background mocking the dog yawning.</div>
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Riding the horsie!</div>
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Fabric shopping!</div>
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Purchases from our favorite fabric store.</div>
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We picked blueberries for five hours one morning. 8 (or was it 9?) of these pans full.</div>
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"Take Scout pit-churr!"</div>
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"Take them pit-churr!"</div>
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I love taking sleeping pictures of him.</div>
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<a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2015/06/finally-finished.html" target="_blank">I finished a quilt.</a></div>
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A new <strike>cow trough</strike> swimming pool.</div>
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Shasta daisies in July</div>
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Sunflowers in July</div>
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Indoor fishing</div>
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Fighting a fever from too many ant bites</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-4103736867617809492015-07-16T18:10:00.001-05:002015-07-16T20:42:57.786-05:00Dear Bite,<p dir="ltr">Your days are numbered, buddy. The tiny human is afraid you may starve to death and he plans to prevent that by overfeeding you! He knows where the food is kept and has figured out how to get it by moving a chair and taking the bowl off the microwave.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Gotta go, he's fixing my supper now!</p>
<p dir="ltr">X|</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TMG0eO5IPNg/Vag5zo3BWhI/AAAAAAAAGAc/VSv97SEI3r8/s1600/IMG_20150716_180645304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TMG0eO5IPNg/Vag5zo3BWhI/AAAAAAAAGAc/VSv97SEI3r8/s640/IMG_20150716_180645304.jpg"> </a> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-38352620052101502542015-06-28T15:56:00.001-05:002015-06-29T07:10:06.269-05:00Finally Finished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JtYmBC2gj_Q/VZBfXvFeVII/AAAAAAAAF5o/Oi3e_w-Zg-o/s1600/IMG_20150628_155311247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JtYmBC2gj_Q/VZBfXvFeVII/AAAAAAAAF5o/Oi3e_w-Zg-o/s640/IMG_20150628_155311247.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think I started this quilt in November. My quilting skills have improved, but there is much to be desired in the binding department.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0RehHNqkcPo/VZBfY_RgZuI/AAAAAAAAF5w/L1ORaCu6QSU/s1600/IMG_20150628_155325256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0RehHNqkcPo/VZBfY_RgZuI/AAAAAAAAF5w/L1ORaCu6QSU/s640/IMG_20150628_155325256.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wzwIEoUpcd8/VZBfalug9NI/AAAAAAAAF54/Vi6WAqdvUV0/s1600/IMG_20150628_155343021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wzwIEoUpcd8/VZBfalug9NI/AAAAAAAAF54/Vi6WAqdvUV0/s640/IMG_20150628_155343021.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ay yi yi!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jNfDAufqVtU/VZBfbywVV8I/AAAAAAAAF6A/KOuGbXz8Duc/s1600/IMG_20150628_155417565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jNfDAufqVtU/VZBfbywVV8I/AAAAAAAAF6A/KOuGbXz8Duc/s640/IMG_20150628_155417565.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh, after you spend several months warning a kid not to touch the quilt because it has pins in it that will stick them, you're going to have some explaining to do when you try to wrap them up in it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Not like quilt, Mommy! Not like!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Why? What's wrong?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Have pins in it, Mommy!"</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-12753631343809249112015-05-27T21:15:00.001-05:002015-05-27T21:15:11.814-05:00How RomanticWe're cuddled on the couch, forehead to forehead, nose to nose. His arms around my head, fingers in my hair. <div><br></div><div>"Mommy, Mommy!"</div><div><br></div><div>"Yes?" I ask.</div><div><br></div><div>"Baby chicken die."</div><div><br></div><div>He gave himself the hiccups laughing at me laughing at him.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-53428165392687837882015-04-06T07:01:00.001-05:002015-04-11T05:13:21.147-05:00Mayhem's Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yYZhXVIdI0k/VSJ1NLkpcYI/AAAAAAAAF2c/UsOrFlTs1pw/s1600/IMG_20150329_160435634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yYZhXVIdI0k/VSJ1NLkpcYI/AAAAAAAAF2c/UsOrFlTs1pw/s640/IMG_20150329_160435634.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The church we've been attending hosted an Easter egg hunt the Sunday afternoon a week before Easter and it was Mayhem's first time to hunt eggs since last year at Easter he was barely walking. Initially, he thought the bucket was for collecting leaves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R6GiZJEuisI/VSJ1O4GjfoI/AAAAAAAAF2k/eL3LGlHj_aI/s1600/IMG_20150329_160444816_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R6GiZJEuisI/VSJ1O4GjfoI/AAAAAAAAF2k/eL3LGlHj_aI/s640/IMG_20150329_160444816_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Distracted!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9nrd2LoLn-c/VSJ1QFUXIUI/AAAAAAAAF2s/incE8fNKUP8/s1600/IMG_20150329_173500939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9nrd2LoLn-c/VSJ1QFUXIUI/AAAAAAAAF2s/incE8fNKUP8/s640/IMG_20150329_173500939.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Stand right there and let me take your picture," I told him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qZF65i2Eyw0/VSJ1RBXYlrI/AAAAAAAAF20/khEm9ICsKR4/s1600/IMG_20150329_173509720_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qZF65i2Eyw0/VSJ1RBXYlrI/AAAAAAAAF20/khEm9ICsKR4/s640/IMG_20150329_173509720_HDR.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I guess he though I wanted to see his belly button, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ioFTzVAS5OA/VSJ1Su9jBXI/AAAAAAAAF28/mmvrTZkIhMk/s1600/IMG_20150329_173519720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ioFTzVAS5OA/VSJ1Su9jBXI/AAAAAAAAF28/mmvrTZkIhMk/s640/IMG_20150329_173519720.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Up, Mommy, up!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MuF7Stpsj5Q/VSJ1T36DELI/AAAAAAAAF3E/TOqFnG7uAeg/s1600/IMG_20150329_174236488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MuF7Stpsj5Q/VSJ1T36DELI/AAAAAAAAF3E/TOqFnG7uAeg/s640/IMG_20150329_174236488.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I explained to him one time that there would be eggs hidden over here (pointing in the general area) and that you're supposed to pick them up and put them in your bucket. He was pretty excited and not shy at all about the task before him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Oooh, eggs!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-X5y6dhy66CM/VSJ1VNUgTyI/AAAAAAAAF3M/cG47-PV-Gyg/s1600/IMG_20150329_174242327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-X5y6dhy66CM/VSJ1VNUgTyI/AAAAAAAAF3M/cG47-PV-Gyg/s640/IMG_20150329_174242327.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Getting a good picture of him was impossible. Even when I walked away to where I figured he would go next, he'd bend down right in front of me to pick up the egg.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OvaIbDqC_yA/VSJ1WuxYloI/AAAAAAAAF3U/DqeEk9SBOEg/s1600/IMG_20150329_174253286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OvaIbDqC_yA/VSJ1WuxYloI/AAAAAAAAF3U/DqeEk9SBOEg/s640/IMG_20150329_174253286.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leaves aren't very pretty for egg hunts, but they sure make it easy for the little kiddies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3xc6JmKAnYo/VSJ1YPUNgLI/AAAAAAAAF3c/9QKQJZLTwI4/s1600/IMG_20150329_174319331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3xc6JmKAnYo/VSJ1YPUNgLI/AAAAAAAAF3c/9QKQJZLTwI4/s640/IMG_20150329_174319331.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LGowO_YTMU0/VSJ1Z17wSaI/AAAAAAAAF3k/WM_jt2H3enM/s1600/IMG_20150329_174330203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LGowO_YTMU0/VSJ1Z17wSaI/AAAAAAAAF3k/WM_jt2H3enM/s640/IMG_20150329_174330203.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SYdC-ne9KPA/VSJ1dUhrs2I/AAAAAAAAF38/mlgFnizbJKc/s1600/IMG_20150405_093033532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SYdC-ne9KPA/VSJ1dUhrs2I/AAAAAAAAF38/mlgFnizbJKc/s640/IMG_20150405_093033532.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Easter was so bright and pretty!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eGCmMuxoFrs/VSJ1euhxZmI/AAAAAAAAF4E/Korc_11MN8U/s1600/IMG_20150405_093036204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eGCmMuxoFrs/VSJ1euhxZmI/AAAAAAAAF4E/Korc_11MN8U/s640/IMG_20150405_093036204.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He finally understands the concept of standing still to take a picture (we're working on smiling), but he wants to see what it looks like immediately so you have to be quick!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R1u07IkQG-8/VSJ1f8LPCXI/AAAAAAAAF4M/IJjZEdnLurk/s1600/IMG_20150405_093037862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R1u07IkQG-8/VSJ1f8LPCXI/AAAAAAAAF4M/IJjZEdnLurk/s640/IMG_20150405_093037862.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boots was able to meet us at church and we had a very nice Easter service, complete with communion and Mayhem taking a nap nearly the entire time.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-35178597093310307462015-03-17T07:49:00.000-05:002015-03-17T07:49:12.520-05:00Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=night+you+were+born&tag=mh0b-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=1695081030&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4b6wp6eee1_e" target="_blank">On the Night You Were Born</a> on the night he was born two years later. How weird was it that the weather (coooold! blustery!) was almost exactly the same?</div>
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He loves to "read book."</div>
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Boots was singing weird made-up songs to him before he went to sleep that night and I came sneaking in the dark and flashed the crap out of him with my phone.</div>
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He says, "yight on" and calls his pillow a "pippo." </div>
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Boots taught him to open his arms out wide when he asks him, "How much do you love me?" And Mayhem will say, "Much!" It's pretty heartbreaking!</div>
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He can be pretty persuasive when he wants you to sit somewhere. And he loves to get down on the floor and tell whomever he's playing with to "trawl" (crawl.)</div>
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A bigger blanket for a bigger baby! </div>
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Also, he's not a baby. Hold him sideways like a baby and he says, "Boy!" and sits up. This is coming in handy when trying to stop the whining. "Boys don't whine, babies whine." </div>
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Shame, shame on me, I know.</div>
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He'd been awake about 2 minutes. There were no toys in the floor anywhere when his feet first hit the ground. It always looks like we got robbed by someone three feet tall around here, but it's fun and I mostly don't mind the mess.</div>
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Everything must have an ignition somewhere! "poke! hole!"</div>
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He's a backseat driver (literally) and yells, "GO!" when we have to stop at red lights. Probably going to have a road rage problem with this one.</div>
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When we "run errands" (he says that) he recognizes when we drive by the grocery store, too, and starts yelling out his list. "Milk!" "Eggs!" "Cheese!" "Honey!" "Toast!" (never bread)</div>
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It's so funny when he picks things up and puts it on himself. Stomping around in Boots' bright blue tennis shoes is my favorite so far, I think.</div>
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He's a clown and he knows it. When I got him from the nursery Sunday night after church the volunteers told me that he had them rolling laughing. They were naming body parts and when they got to toes he sat down, took off his shoes and socks, "TOES!" Then he tried to sit his big hiney down in the baby's bumbo seat and missed it completely! He fell out in the floor, laughing!</div>
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Speaking of hineys... A few days ago I was changing his diaper and his clothes and he had apparently bumped his backside on something earlier because he kept wanting me to "tiss hiney" (kiss hiney). Boy, that was weird, having to explain that Mama is not going to kiss your hiney, haha!</div>
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Speaking of weird... Playing with his plastic animals at his play kitchen table, "horse ride coon."</div>
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He loves to "took" (cook) and yesterday I discovered how useful he already is in a real kitchen. I had cracked four eggs in a bowl and I told him to get a fork out of the drawer and stir the eggs. He did it! He got down off his stool, pulled the drawer open, knew right where the forks were even though he was too short to see them, got a fork out, went back to the stool and bowl and stirred the eggs. I was just about to bust smiling!</div>
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Last night, I was making meatloaf for supper and had been mixing with my hands. Not wanting to stop and wash them to add more oatmeal and then get them dirty mixing again, I told him to get the oatmeal (lid already off, sitting on the counter) and told him to put more oatmeal in Mama's bowl. He used to the 1/4 cup measure I had sitting out and about a third of a 1/4 quarter cup at a time added in more oatmeal until I told him that was enough. It was pretty impressive.</div>
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He's obsessed with tying things up and brings me a horse, cow, or tractor and some sort of cord, rope, string, whatever he can find nearly every day for me to "tie string."</div>
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*Photo credit: Mameha*</div>
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The boy loves "bip bip" (biscuits) a little too much. He'll eat three!</div>
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He says "need cup," "done plate," "ice tream," "track eggs," "yick honey," "more milk, please," "more grapes, please," "more milk, hold top, please," and will tell me what he wants to eat- "toast cheese" (never cheese toast), "booberries" (blueberries, even strawberries are called blueberries right now), or "oak meal" (oatmeal.)</div>
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*Photo credit: Mameha*</div>
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He kept wanting to touch the flame on the candle. He's watching me type this post now and keeps saying, "Ezzshra bite cake!" </div>
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He likes looking at the pictures I take of him: "see Ezzshra"</div>
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He says goodbye to things sometimes: "bye bye birds," "bye bye trees," "bye bye horse," "bye bye toys"</div>
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He knows where I keep the Qtips (I really need to move them) and knows which ones are his and which ones are mine and Boots'. "clean ears, Ezzshra's ears"</div>
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He knows that we "change clothes" and "dirty clothes" go in the basket.</div>
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He knows the difference in his "howss shoess" and "chorch shoess."</div>
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Anything in a tube is "hiney tream" (hiney cream).</div>
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He likes my essential oils and always grabs them because he wants to "smell dat unn"</div>
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"tweest" (twist) and "stritch" (stretch) are highly animated</div>
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One day he just said "pine cone." Where'd he learn that?!</div>
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So far he's not your typical man: "Mommy help! Help Mommy!"</div>
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He wears me out with all the "Mommy up!" though.</div>
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He snatches my phone up off the table and slaps it upside his head upside down, "Ezzshra talk." Ask him who he's talking to, "Omna" (Mameha) and what he's talking about, "toys." They talk about toys on the phone a lot.</div>
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He still thinks he needs a tissue every time he coughs or sneezes, real or fake.</div>
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"plees truck" (police truck)</div>
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He remembers who has given him toys, clothes, or done things with him and thanks them "did do" (thank you) whenever he thinks about it or we say something about them even though they are not there usually.</div>
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He likes to point at the painting we did at Mameha's house "paint Omna"</div>
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He'll lay on his stomach and ask us to "pat back" or "stratch" (scratch)</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-27900563179799680852015-02-24T17:53:00.000-06:002015-02-24T17:53:10.109-06:00Never LateLet's talk about timing for just a minute.<br />
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You can always be early and wait, in fact, I prefer it. But being late is a definite disadvantage. Miss your cue and don't walk down the aisle at the exact right moment on your big day and folks start to wonder. Arrive at the funeral late when you're the hearse driver and heads are gonna roll. </div>
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Timing is apparently the lesson I'm supposed to be learning right now. Timing. And making big decisions without being crippled with fear.</div>
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For months I've been crying and missing my church, but I think I've finally found the place I fit in. Timing.</div>
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Lately, Boots and I have had to make some ridiculously expensive, life-changing decisions. One day last week I lost it and snapped over toenail clippings in the carpet, but after I thought about it a few hours my fit was ultimately based on fear. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. Fear.</div>
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Sunday I was reminded of <a href="http://www.liriklover.com/four-days-late-lyrics-karen-peck-new-river.html" target="_blank">this song</a>.</div>
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Last night I dreamed that the big decision we've made didn't go through as planned. I've been reading <a href="http://thebestyes.com/" target="_blank">this book</a> and the "homework" for today was on decisions and the fears that often accompany them. Timing.</div>
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Isn't it great that God is always on time? He knows exactly what we need and exactly when we need it.</div>
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Our big decision is always on my mind (I tend to obsess over things), but I'm not crippled or paralyzed with fear. Even if any of my worst fears about this decision happens, we'll just regroup and start again. </div>
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Speaking of my worst fear, it happened today. I have now been through (possibly am still in?) a child's stomach virus. I'm living. Surviving. Catching up on my DVR. I need a new worst fear now!</div>
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Timing!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-89258079577399783792015-02-07T09:46:00.001-06:002015-02-07T09:53:09.447-06:00When to Quit<p dir="ltr">I am old enough, smart enough, and happy enough with myself to be able to admit that I can not do everything. I am just not able. Sometimes want to can only take you so far; ability and skill are also necessary.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I am not a sew-er. (Sewist?) I am not going to become the next Maggie Whitley. I want to sew, to create beautiful things from pieces of stuff, but I can't. Instead of it being fun and inspiring I am frustrated and swearing loudly inside my head. I can appreciate the talents of others and be much happier. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So I'm quitting sewing. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I have packed up my machine and assorted collected accoutrements and am giving them back to my mama so maybe she can teach my baby sister to sew instead. I feel sort of like that person that adopted a puppy, but is bringing it back to the pound after a month because they don't like dogs as much as they thought they wanted to.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I think I'll keep up the hand quilting. That's something I can do! There's still a lot of crafty projects out there that I haven't even tried yet.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rLkwojXsKYw/VNYzbIwZDTI/AAAAAAAAFzM/mzWcfBA-AaA/s1600/IMG_20150207_093432599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rLkwojXsKYw/VNYzbIwZDTI/AAAAAAAAFzM/mzWcfBA-AaA/s640/IMG_20150207_093432599.jpg"> </a> </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-343322704108773612015-01-28T20:38:00.001-06:002015-01-29T22:26:46.497-06:00Short Hair, Don't Care<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My dreams of Mayhem being a long-haired hippie have been dashed! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boots has been complaining about how long Mayhem's hair is and how he doesn't want him to look like a girl a little too much. So last night I finally decided it was time for another haircut, maybe not as short as last time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cGimP-T2sLw/VMmdD__VOFI/AAAAAAAAFyg/PZctG19JlB0/s1600/IMG_20150128_184854496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cGimP-T2sLw/VMmdD__VOFI/AAAAAAAAFyg/PZctG19JlB0/s640/IMG_20150128_184854496.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yGTHrKvu0u4/VMmdGvfa-bI/AAAAAAAAFyo/br95O_pEi9w/s1600/IMG_20150128_184859309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yGTHrKvu0u4/VMmdGvfa-bI/AAAAAAAAFyo/br95O_pEi9w/s640/IMG_20150128_184859309.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Folks, don't feed your kids candy! Not only is it bad for them blah blah blah, but when you <i>do</i> give them candy you can practically do anything to them, like cut their hair. Very handy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WptZ3VZToB0/VMmdKTA7G7I/AAAAAAAAFyw/Gbnhp4H2CtU/s1600/IMG_20150128_192421913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WptZ3VZToB0/VMmdKTA7G7I/AAAAAAAAFyw/Gbnhp4H2CtU/s640/IMG_20150128_192421913.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">He did fuss a little when I was cutting around his ears (I probably would, too!), but he thought it was funny when I got the clippers out and told him they were a truck driving over his head.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C-sJa69T5mc/VMmdNwiP7DI/AAAAAAAAFy4/pOJYFOboVpY/s1600/IMG_20150128_192431811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C-sJa69T5mc/VMmdNwiP7DI/AAAAAAAAFy4/pOJYFOboVpY/s640/IMG_20150128_192431811.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One and a half rolls of smarties and twenty minutes later...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boots is appeased, but said I didn't have to cut it so short. Good thing it grows back, I'll have another chance before too long.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-3934666354975662192015-01-26T20:05:00.001-06:002015-01-26T20:28:05.610-06:00Garlic Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-a0b25VwRwHo/VMbyT6rRtVI/AAAAAAAAFyA/bo4dPa8zf8Q/s1600/IMG_20150121_171637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-a0b25VwRwHo/VMbyT6rRtVI/AAAAAAAAFyA/bo4dPa8zf8Q/s640/IMG_20150121_171637.jpg"></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Technically, we're several months ahead of schedule, but when you need garlic and you have the chance to dig some, you dig. Calendar be hanged!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7tNNhppEuvU/VMbyVN8wnWI/AAAAAAAAFyI/bgMbOUMUa7s/s1600/IMG_20150121_171651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7tNNhppEuvU/VMbyVN8wnWI/AAAAAAAAFyI/bgMbOUMUa7s/s640/IMG_20150121_171651.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7b9AnQbuqJo/VMbyWHwAdDI/AAAAAAAAFyQ/eGbncq2CKBA/s1600/IMG_20150126_200408885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7b9AnQbuqJo/VMbyWHwAdDI/AAAAAAAAFyQ/eGbncq2CKBA/s640/IMG_20150126_200408885.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then I washed them...which you're not supposed to do. We'll see what happens.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-8854730841793520822015-01-23T06:30:00.000-06:002015-01-23T06:30:01.296-06:00Zoo Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"We're off to the zoo today to see some animals, </div>
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won't you ride along with me, </div>
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ride along, </div>
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won't you ride along with me?"</div>
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I've been watching too much <a href="http://pbskids.org/daniel/" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger</a>, can you tell?</div>
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Monday we took Mayhem to the zoo for the first time. Let me tell you, in my expert opinion, nearly two is the <em>perfect</em> age to take a kid to the zoo for the first time. At 22 months old, he's recognizing animals in books and toys and imitating the sounds they make, but he's not at the age where you have to explain every single thing yet, like the sometimes embarrassing stuff like the rhinoceros pooping or what have you.</div>
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We (it wasn't just the three of us, we went with our friends and their two boys) arrived at the zoo right after opening (good thing, too, because we spent 6 hours there and nearly shut the joint down!) and didn't have to wait very long to watch the seal training session. Mayhem loved watching the seal jump and do tricks for fish. He clapped and cheered right along with all the other kiddies.</div>
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After the seals, we saw birds and reptiles (too dark, no photos). In this pen behind the fence he's on were two of the strangest birds I've ever seen. They looked like a long pair of legs with a neck! Some sort of stork I think.</div>
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(Our friend's mom made the boys these cute shirts to wear.)</div>
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After birds and reptiles we moved on to the primates. Or just "monkeys" if you're trying to keep it simple for the under 3' crowd.</div>
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A monkey and a lemur...</div>
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We spent probably fifteen minutes watching the giraffes. They were really close and active, walking back and forth in front of the fence. He can say "giraffe" near perfectly now and even recognizes them in weird form like the tall, skinny statues in <a href="http://shop.earthboundtrading.com/" target="_blank">Earthbound</a>.</div>
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Elephants were cool, but we couldn't figure out why the four of them were separated and didn't see anyone around to ask.</div>
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They had a sign about Tigers and Auburn right next to this one, but he wouldn't stick his head in it.</div>
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By the time we got to the real tiger he was pretty hungerstruck and the raisins were much more interesting than any ol' pacing tiger.</div>
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The tiger was pretty neurotic while we were standing there, but later I saw him sleeping in the grass. </div>
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Speaking of neurotic, I thought I would just flip my lid in the snake building. There were so many moms and strollers and little kids running around screaming and pushing to try to see. Mayhem was just quietly sitting in his stroller (he loves to "Ride! Ride!" in that thing!) and we waited our turn and tried to slowly see everything. I guess I'm just not used to big crowds of tiny people and the big ones that accompany them.</div>
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The bears were sleepy, too. How stereotypical (and hilarious) is it that there's a picnic table inside their pen?</div>
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We rode the train that goes through and around the zoo.</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-_ch8vkR-I_s/VMBmN_QT7FI/AAAAAAAAFvg/Iny-6v4FMCw/s640/IMG_5841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_ch8vkR-I_s/VMBmN_QT7FI/AAAAAAAAFvg/Iny-6v4FMCw/s640/IMG_5841.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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He doesn't look impressed here, but he loved it once we started moving.</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-ThavlQUYhLs/VMBmQ1HXO-I/AAAAAAAAFv4/2GtPlnJjm14/s640/IMG952015011995134101832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ThavlQUYhLs/VMBmQ1HXO-I/AAAAAAAAFv4/2GtPlnJjm14/s640/IMG952015011995134101832.jpg" height="640" width="358" /></a></div>
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He's really into taking selfies. "Poke! Poke!" he says as he jabs his finger at the screen. </div>
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<a href="https://lh3.ggpht.com/-lSqtzQAgsOs/VMBmPIpaPdI/AAAAAAAAFvo/-RoVrbNABWg/s640/IMG_20150119_135932581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lSqtzQAgsOs/VMBmPIpaPdI/AAAAAAAAFvo/-RoVrbNABWg/s640/IMG_20150119_135932581.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Feeding the fish and turtles in the swamp of the Alabama animals section.</div>
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<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/-siHdBagI0zQ/VMBmMRuAx3I/AAAAAAAAFvY/mv0QWu_L9uI/s640/IMG_20150119_140805365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-siHdBagI0zQ/VMBmMRuAx3I/AAAAAAAAFvY/mv0QWu_L9uI/s640/IMG_20150119_140805365.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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He wanted to pet this vulture so bad! He kept saying, "Pet! Pet!" and the lady was like, "No, we can't pet!" Boots had to hold his arm down to ensure he wouldn't lose any fingers while they were standing close.</div>
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Why did we not take any pictures of him petting the sheep and goats? I guess because we were too busy petting! You could tell the poor sheep had had lots of hands on them, their hair was fuzzed up on the top of their backs.</div>
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Now... onto the aquarium!</div>
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"https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Flh3.ggpht.com%2F-DTzUpYqK6fs%2FVMBmcVcFwXI%2FAAAAAAAAFwg%2F62efZTSiC84%2Fs640%2FIMG952015011995114138626.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.ggpht.com/-DTzUpYqK6fs/VMBmcVcFwXI/AAAAAAAAFwg/62efZTSiC84/s640/IMG952015011995114138626.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Flh4.ggpht.com%2F-sPtcCPjOoKg%2FVMBmVV_iEYI%2FAAAAAAAAFwI%2F_DGSL8-IjqE%2Fs640%2FIMG952015011995101840404.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh4.ggpht.com/-sPtcCPjOoKg/VMBmVV_iEYI/AAAAAAAAFwI/_DGSL8-IjqE/s640/IMG952015011995101840404.jpg" -->Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-52336967658542617902015-01-20T05:19:00.000-06:002015-01-20T05:19:09.522-06:00Back to Christmas"Did you have a good Christmas?"<br />
<br />
That's a question I noticed people asked a lot in the two weeks after Christmas. It was usually random, a little bit of small talk, but it got in my head and swirled around a bit. What exactly makes a "good Christmas?"<br />
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Is it being with family? A bunch of mine were sick so our Christmas was disjointed and delayed. It seemed like everybody was sick. Thankfully it was all temporary, nobody was <em>really</em> sick.<br />
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Some people might classify having a good Christmas by getting everything you wanted. We could make this a lot easier on us all and just omit presents as far as I'm concerned. I have a long want list and it is rather expensive. It's the want list of a lifetime. Christmas is more than getting stuff anyway, as we all know.<br />
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Could you qualify a good Christmas by the amount of activities or traditions that put you in the Christmas spirit? I made a list last year before Christmas and added to it during the month of December of all the things that made me feel Christmasy. I felt like it helped me focus on the things I really wanted/needed to do instead of try to do every thing. On my list there are foody things like baking cookies and cinnamon rolls, drinking apple cider, hot chocolate, and eggnog; watching Elf and Christmas Vacation; seeing the choir sing and watching the children's program at church; giving to the <a href="http://www.imb.org/main/lottie-moon/default.asp" target="_blank">Lottie Moon Christmas offering</a>; and packing a shoebox in November for <a href="http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/" target="_blank">Operation Christmas Child</a>. This year a lot of things on my Christmas To Do list were unchecked.<br />
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People were sick, my first world wish list remains, and I wasn't able to do all the things that make me feel like Christmas so that sounds like I would be one who might answer "No," but I never considered the possibility of not having a good Christmas. Life is good. What would you consider to be a "good Christmas?" If you didn't have a good Christmas, care to explain?Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-13083192506666209542015-01-15T10:27:00.000-06:002015-01-15T10:27:19.469-06:00I'm a Bad Blogger<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">There's all this stuff you're supposed to do to be a "good" blogger and maximize readership. Things like creating Pinterest buttons, hosting giveaways, sharing across ALL of the every. single. social media platforms that bear your name, hosting relevant ads and link up parties, make yourself a "brand," etc., etc. until you make yourself crazy with this mess you've literally created. Like I said, bad blogger, I don't do all that. Sometimes I share my posts on Facebook and Instagram if I think it's something particularly interesting, but not always. That's about the most I can manage right now.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Blogging is dying they say. I put the "end" in trendy because apparently blogging has been on its way out for a few years now and I'm just now finding out about it. I'm ok with that, y'all be the guinea pigs while I wait and decide if it's worth it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Comments are at all time lows they say. I blame this on readers (the apps, not the people), have you ever tried to make a comment through a feed reader? Nearly impossible! Well, not impossible, but certainly aggravating due to the rigmarole you have to go through. I'll admit, it's why I rarely comment on the blogs I read. It's just too much trouble.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">People are moving away from blogs in favor of quicker and shorter, ie Instagram. Conversations are happening on Facebook instead of blog comment threads.</span></div>
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<br />
Maybe you found this post through Facebook or Instagram, maybe you've never made a comment. It's ok, I know you're out there. (I can see you; I have a page views counter!) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">I say let them. Let it die. Some of us will still be here. Maybe that's a bit polarizing, but think about why we're (bloggers) doing this (blogging) in the first place: to share with the interested. So I'll keep posting and you keep reading. If you want to. :)</span><br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-53512170886488783842015-01-11T16:59:00.001-06:002015-01-20T05:19:38.188-06:00Halloween '15<div dir="ltr">
All he needs now is a pair of sandals and this little old man outfit will be complete!</div>
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G8brBzkON4g/VLMAPiRwC-I/AAAAAAAAFvE/CjEt6erZzqg/s1600/IMG_20150111_161153503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G8brBzkON4g/VLMAPiRwC-I/AAAAAAAAFvE/CjEt6erZzqg/s640/IMG_20150111_161153503.jpg" /> </a> </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4997571534062770787.post-14652337179980375142015-01-07T11:58:00.001-06:002015-01-07T11:58:47.750-06:00Christmas for New Year's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Part of our Christmas was postponed a bit due to the flu and fear of spreading bad, nasty germs and sickness. Oh, well. You can almost have Christmas anytime between September and the second week of January, right?</div>
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Mayhem and my dad feeding cows with the tractor.</div>
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Mayhem and Mameha cracking eggs for banana nut bread </div>
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"Pour!" he says!</div>
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He loves to stir</div>
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I thought it was cute the way he held her arm while she held the bowl.</div>
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Reading</div>
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He passed out five minutes into our hour and half ride home. </div>
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Feeding Bite </div>
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Here we are, the end of December/beginning of January again. I love these review-the-whole-year-in-one-post type posts that everybody does! It's so much fun to look back and see what you did (or didn't do!) so easily.<br />
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My goal for Eating Crow Pie this next year is shorter, more frequent postings instead of some great, big something every once in a blue moon like I've been doing. That should make it easier on us all, right?<br />
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Also, here are a few years past if you want to read them- <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2013/12/2013.html" target="_blank"><strong>2013</strong></a>, <a href="http://eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-look-back-at-2012.html" target="_blank"><strong>2012</strong></a>, and <a href="http://eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-in-post.html" target="_blank"><strong>2011</strong></a>.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">2014</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">January</span></strong>- Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-43.html" target="_blank">43</a>, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-44.html" target="_blank">44</a>, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-45.html" target="_blank">45</a>, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-46.html" target="_blank">46</a>, and <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/week-47-plus-1-day.html" target="_blank">47</a> weeks old, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/10-months.html" target="_blank">10</a> months old, and remember it or not was once <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/01/are-you-going-to-eat-that.html" target="_blank">not a human garbage disposal</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>February</strong></span>- Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/02/week-48.html" target="_blank">48</a>, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/02/week-50.html" target="_blank">50</a>, and <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/02/week-51.html" target="_blank">51</a> weeks old, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/02/11-months.html" target="_blank">11</a> months old, we did <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/02/our-weekend.html" target="_blank">some stuff</a>, and I wrote a flop of a <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/02/angry.html" target="_blank">book review</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>March</strong></span>- Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/03/week-52.html" target="_blank">52</a> weeks old, we celebrated his <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/03/mayhem-first-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">first birthday</a> with a party, I <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/03/excessive-accumulation.html" target="_blank">decluttered</a> a little, we anticipated <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/03/equinox.html" target="_blank">spring</a>, and <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/03/it-haircut-time.html" target="_blank">cut Mayhem's hair</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>April</strong></span>- I did some <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/04/tihsk.html" target="_blank">gardening</a>, Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/04/13-months.html" target="_blank">13</a> months old, I made <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/04/not-much-of-butcher-certainly-not-baker.html" target="_blank">bread</a>, and it was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/04/happy-easter.html" target="_blank">Easter</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>May</strong></span>- Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/05/14-months.html" target="_blank">14</a> months old, <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/05/burnin-love.html" target="_blank">puny</a>, and doing <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/05/normal-behavior.html" target="_blank">usual boy stuff</a>, I had <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/05/bursting.html" target="_blank">spring fever</a> and tried to <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/05/menu-planning.html" target="_blank">menu plan</a>, and we had a <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/05/friday-saturday-sunday.html" target="_blank">busy weekend</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>June</strong></span>- I <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/04/kanthaish-for-mayhem.html" target="_blank">made a quilt</a> for Mayhem, he was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/06/15-months.html" target="_blank">15</a> months old, and I was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/06/sleepless-in-alabama.html" target="_blank">tired</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>July</strong></span>- We went to a <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/07/saturday-sunday-monday.html" target="_blank">wedding</a>, Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/07/16-months.html" target="_blank">16</a> months old, and I had a <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/07/nightmare.html" target="_blank">nightmare</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>August</strong></span>- I thought about <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/08/have-you-got-something-to-say.html" target="_blank">narcissism</a>, finally <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-time-has-come.html" target="_blank">shared some news</a>, and Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/08/17-months.html" target="_blank">17</a> months old. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>September</strong></span>- Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/09/18-months-of-mayhem.html" target="_blank">18</a> months old, we took him to the <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/09/doctor-doctor.html" target="_blank">doctor</a>, and <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/09/redomesticated.html" target="_blank">Frank</a> came back inside. </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">October</span></strong>- Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/10/19-months-of-mayhem.html" target="_blank">19</a> months old and I answered a big <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/10/why-are-we-moving.html" target="_blank">question</a>. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>November</strong></span>- It was finally <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/11/remembering.html" target="_blank">November</a>, Mayhem was <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/11/20-months-of-mayhem.html" target="_blank">20</a> months old, and we <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/11/movingmoved.html" target="_blank">moved</a>. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>December</strong></span>- I shared our <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/12/messy-apartment.html" target="_blank">apartment</a> and what we'd <a href="http://www.eatingcrowpie.blogspot.com/2014/12/mayhem-in-december.html" target="_blank">been doing</a> all month. </div>
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So, how was your year? Anything to share?</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14088823107687848759noreply@blogger.com0