Mind of their own

I was a tad crazy with Brody. First time mother craziness- I had an unrealistic vision of motherhood I think. Thank goodness kids are resilient to parents who know nothing and friends and family and husbands are forgiving of obsessed, skewed ideals of me :)
It has been an interesting time of reflection lately; our morning routine is fairly established and I've noticed something, most mornings when I tell Brody to get dressed he asks me to come pick out his clothes- not because he's super concerned about how he will look at school but because for the majority of his life, especially when he was little I robbed him of that decision making. I was way too concerned about him being cute and matchy and fancy then I was about him developing independence. Oops. And he didn't care. He didn't fight me much on clothes choices. But now I'm fighting him to exercise his independence and make his own clothing choices.

Then enters my strong willed, super opinionated Zane. This guy is all about his own ideas- being his mother has made me read parenting books, seek help from good parenting friends and pray for patience everyday. Don't read into this wrong- he is a joy. He is smart and funny and full of life and energy, but wow he pushes me to be better and to work hard at parenting. He becomes fixated on things- like particular clothing or shoes and I cannot distract him or change his mind- so I have struck a deal- Sundays I get to help him make choices but the rest of the week he can dress himself.
I cringe 6 mornings a week. Because I'm still me. But I refuse to battle and get frustrated over clothes. He will grow out of it... Right?
And one day I'll look back at these pictures and Zane and I will laugh.. A lot. These pictures are awful by the way, he hates to have his picture taken for no reason, I think he knows I'm documenting for future embarrassment.

Currently we are in cowboy boot fixation...

In Walmart..it was hot outside and I tried to convince him he would feel better without the over-sized rain coat and hat and church pants and boots.. 

I Forgot about this phase...

Building,Walking,Watching,Selling, Picking...

Building....

I was thinking we would do something cool and abstract or maybe like a little box for treasures.. nope. The boys came up with this crazy looking bow- weapon thing. 

Walking...

We were privileged and humbled to be a part of the out of darkness walk this year. Ever since the loss of my sweet cousin Nathan, suicide has become a very real thing in my life. It is something I had a very skewed vision on and a topic that I have learned a lot about. Depression is more real then I will ever,ever understand, but It is something I feel like im so much more aware of and compassionate towards. Love you Nathan!

Watching..

A steam engine came through town! And we watched. Pretty cool. 

Trains will always make me think of my Dad. 

Selling..

Brody has been begging to have a lemonade stand- but we don't exactly live on a high traffic street. 

Lucky for us Allie was doing an awesome fundraiser for their school and said we could set up shop. 

Pretty cute huh!!!

Picking...

We did this last year and I just loved it. So did the kids. So I was all for it becoming tradition. This year we even made it in time for peaches. We headed to Farnsworth Farms for some harvesting in their orchards. 

10 months

The picture was taken on her 10 month birthday- in just really delayed in actually posting. Preslie is itching to walk- she does great with the help of her little walker thing. Nothing offends her more then a door being shut- regardless of what side of it she is on. She can say Mama, Dada, no-no and Bra (for Brody) she gets really excited when the dogs bark- lucky for her that is all the time! She now has enough hair that it should probably be done to avoid looking like a shaggy baby- but my baby hair skills are not so good I'm discovering.

Baby Gear Junkie- Added too...

The production of 3 tiny people has also lead me to be slightly obsessed with baby gear.

Its cool- I cant help it.

So here are some faves.

Just in case your curious or pregnant or whatever.

Stroller Happy.
 3 kids, and I have been the owner of:

graco travel system, bugaboo, combi double, circo, trek double/bike trailer, baby trend travel system, red flyer wagon, cheap no name umbrealla stroller. And this. I promise this is my very last stroller purchase and I LOVE IT!

Its called a Stokke Xplory, it looks like a segway or spaceship , baby can face out or towards you, sits really high, is a dream to push, hold kids up to 60 lbs, doesn't interfere with a long stride, everything is adjustable, the seat, the handle height, the handle angle. Its cool. Devin usually WANTS to push it. Its a dream. There is no storage basket but it does have a huge bag and stroller clips work on the handles.( If you ever see a used one snatch it up- its crazy how well it holds it re-sale value)

Diaper Bags. Definitely a fave baby item to shop for. Serious research has been done on these opinions LoL. 

If you have mulitple littles or are going on big day trips the Ju Ju Be Be prepared is the way to go. It is HUGE, if you just need something for everyday then the JuJuBe BFF is my pick. It opens up to see everything, cleans up really well, and has a ton of pockets and has the option to move the straps to backpack mode, that might sound dumb- until you go to the zoo or some other all day affair. 

The Skip Hop Bento is pretty neat too- not as cute. But super organized and has this cool bottom pocket for snacks that is insulated and comes with containers specifically to fit. This one solves the problem of crumbs in your diaper bag. Thats always nice. 

Speaking of snacks. These are fun..

Beaba.Cute colors. I use them for snacks and formula. 

This next one is one of those that I wish I would have thought of SIX YEARS AGO!. With baby # 1. All you sewers out there, prepare to be excited about this. 

A blanket with ties. Sounds simple enough right. Its so smart and handy! Tie it to the stroller, tie it to the carseat, tie it to the chair, tie it to the backpack, tie it to the child. 

Handy for sure. 

Other things Im a big fan of. 

The fact that baby food is now offered in a pouch. For on the go it is so nice! I still think spoon feeding needs to happen for development.

There are popping up all over, Aden and Anais muslin blankets, when my friend Angie had her baby she informed me of these little delights and in the summer they are heaven sent! and fold up really small to cram into diaper bags. And they are really cute :)

This is a new found lotion that I love the smell of! 

Boon! Love everything they do.. 

I was doing some baby shopping for some friends who are expecting and came across these- I fell in love!

wooden baby mobiles. 

Oh my. 

Other things I have loved- cute fancy bibs off ETSY, those woombie sleepers to keep baby swaddled if they are  into that, wipes warmer, suction toys for the highchair. Baby land is fun :) 

Farewell Summer

This morning it happened. I woke up and it was cold- not just chilly but cold. It was the first day of school and I had to buck up and be cheerful and excited and hope that Brody would share my attitude. It worked. We started the morning with waffles and bacon- finished with new clothes and family prayer.. And rain. It's been a draught all summer but of course it rains on the first day of school. We walked with Brody down to the bus (in the rain) then jumped in the car so we could be at the school to walk him in. He was excited to see friends he hadn't seen all summer- I was so relieved that he was happy- not sad and mopey. He gave me a big hug and that was it. So now I'm home with Preslie and Zane- who has already asked a few times when Brody will be home. I'm the one left feeling sad and nervous and lonely. I need to buck up, I know. I have felt like this last week I've had some humbling experiences- some moments that have clearly pointed out what matters. Some lessons that reminded me how precious life is- to not take for granted everyday blessings and miracles- and to be ever aware of others and to show gratitude always to my Father in Heaven. How's that for lots on the mind?? Anyways. Goodbye care free summer- welcome back structure and "real life" I guess ready or not here you are.