Instead of this
and this
in my coffee tomorrow morning, I will sweeten and cream up with this
and this
First diet coke, now this. Here's to baby steps. I'll let you know how it goes.
I have been reading In Defense of Food and that sudden jolt I felt whie reading was apparently my paradigm shifting. Hence the change up of the morning routine. More changes to come!
We went from this
To this
Judah will turn one in just a few days. This is way more traumatic for me than Asher's first birthday. I think because I was almost 4 months pregnant then and didn't get as nostalgic knowing I was about to relive all those newborn experiences.
But Jude is supposed to be the baby. But I don't think anyone who wears 18 month clothes and eats roast beef sandwiches falls into that category.
So while I rejoice in the year God has given us and am profoundly grateful for each day with our boys, I'm getting a little freaked out about how fast it's going. I have two big boys (literally--they weigh within a few pounds of each other.)
But, I must say, big boys are a whole lot of fun, too. 
For the life of me, I cannot remember what we ate for dinner Monday night. In fact, I don't really remember anything about Monday other than that I went to step class. But I am recovering from a killer kickboxing class and am on my second glass of wine, so that may be why. Nothing rebuilds that muscle tissue like a little vino.
But whatever...my point is this: last night and tonight, I made some pretty good dinners--a rare occurrence indeed. I usually never am all that thrilled with what I cook because it is either incredibly boring or an attempt at not being boring that goes horribly awry. My giftings lay in other areas. Won't it be a fun day when I figure out where those areas are?
The Shrimp Burritos and the Blackened Chicken Pizza were both winners! I attribute the success of the pizza to the fact that it is a Paula Deen recipe--copious amounts of butter cover a multitude of sins. Nevertheless, it tasted good and I did not cry or cut myself.
Mission: Accomplished.
from ChinaAid and Voice of the Martyrs
100,000 Signatures Urgently Needed
Kidnapped Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng has been missing 153 days, and with each day that passes, his life hangs in the balance. The petition asking for Gao's release is now very close to 100,000 signatures, and we need your help to reach this goal quickly.
ChinaAid President Bob Fu has been invited to speak at a Congressional-Executive Commission on China roundtable on July 10 where he will present about Gao Zhisheng's case. Please help make a greater impact for Gao Zhisheng's freedom by helping us to reach 100,000 signatures so that the petition can be presented at this important meeting. This is a great opportunity to have a voice before U.S. lawmakers and the media on behalf of Gao, and to pressure the Chinese government to immediately reveal Gao's whereabouts and condition.
Please encourage family and friends to sign the petition today at Free Gao and be a part of this movement for freedom and justice on behalf of Gao Zhisheng. Thank you for your partnership to free Gao Zhisheng and to expose, to the world, the truth regarding his case. We are committed to pressure the Chinese government until justice is brought to victory.
As you may or may not know, I do not have a baby book for either kid. If you do not know me, you are aghast at this unforgivable oversight. If you know me at all, you could not be less surprised if you tried.
But I do like to document milestones here so when, down the road, I wonder, "now when did Asher..." or "how old was Jude when he..." I can scroll through the archives and have all the info I need at my fingertips.
Ergo, this post.
Asher Owen
Stats: 2 yrs, 5 months/ 30.5 lbs/ roughly 36 in.
--a non-stop communicator who recently learned the word "because" and uses it in all sorts of non sequiturs; as opinionated as the day is long and does not keep them to himself (poor boy--I think we all know where he got that one); infectious laugh; irresistible personality
--a lover of music; can identify many instruments by sound; plays guitar, harmonica, drums, and piano on a daily basis; sings countless songs [among my personal faves are Doxology, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and My God is So Big (emphasis on BIG)]
--says "gotfor" instead of "forgot" and calls paper towels "wiper towels"; told me today that he did not eat "too very much" of his lunch; new stall tactic for avoiding bedtime is "teach me a new song!"
--a limit-tester; is being trained to obey but sometimes would just rather not (an inherited trait); very sweet, but hard-headed
--less adventurous when is comes to new foods (I no tink I yike dat); is made to at least take a "thank you taste"; could eat beans and rice daily from any hole-in-the-wall tex mex place you name; requests Chuy's and Pappasitos often; shares his mama's weakness for chips and salsa
--favorite toys now include his instruments, Little People and their paraphernalia, and his tools
--slowly emerging from the Elmo-hypnosis, but still remains a fan
--gave himself a spanking today for touching the fireplace (our little Martin Luther)
Judah Kristopher (Jude)
Stats: 11 months/24.5 lbs/not sure how tall (note to self: measure Jude)
--has officially rejected baby food; will only eat big boy food, and usually eats more of it than his big brother; still on formula because I have 2 cans left but enjoys a sippy cup of milk here and there as well; no more bottles in just a few weeks!
--a tender-hearted, fairly obedient child already; you tell him "no" and he complies! (a refreshing change of pace, I must say)
--very laid back and sweet; loves playing with Asher until it gets too rough (as it often does with a 2 yr. old); is happy most of the time and is slightly more inclined to cuddle than Asher was, but don't push it
--says "Daddy" very clearly; says "Mama" "bye-bye" and "bottle" less clearly; will sign "more" on occasion
--loves to clap (especially for himself), take baths, and play with the cool big boy toys that are around when you have a big brother
--an avid thumb-sucker and lovey-holder; the lovey makes all the wrongs of the moment right--it is amazing what that little piece of fabric does
--an early riser :( much like Asher at that age, takes only 1-2 hour naps and sleeps from about 7:30 to 6:30
--has 6 teeth (4 top, 2 bottom)
I'm sure there's more that I should record, but as it is nap time, I'm going to end here. I still like to abide by the "sleep when the baby does" rule :)
We headed down to Friendswood on the 4th for their annual parade. I googled it and found out that this was the 114th year that Friendswood has held a parade!
We were hot and sweaty, but managed to have fun anyway. Asher especially enjoyed himself this year. He was just 17 months last year and I was 8 months pregnant, so we both had a much better time this year!
Grammy, Aunt Melissa, and cousin Reagan (AND THE STAR OF THE WHOLE PARADE WAS UNLCE SEAN WHO PULLED THE FLOAT WITH HIS SUBURBAN!)were in the parade so Asher and Daddy ran out to wave to them when their float came by.
The marching bands and the fire trucks were also a big hit!
Jude had fun, too. This may be one of my all-time favorite pictures of him, sweaty head and all.
A lady sitting in front of us, who told me proudly that this was her 45th year at the parade, asked if she could hold Jude. She looked like she had held a grandbaby or two in her day, so I let her. Jude sat there for quite a while--happy to be in the shade, I'm sure.
Here's our little family abiding by the "Make sure one person is not looking at the camera" rule.
After the parade, we headed to the park where they had food, music, and games for the kids. The boys enjoyed their first sno-cone (red of course to match their shorts.)
And I enjoyed my yearly sausage link.
We had just about melted away so we decided it was time to call it a day. Asher was still reeling from all the fun he had.
And Judah did not make it out of the parking lot.
those are seeds, not bugs
kiwi and graham crackers
a simple, yet delightful combination
last year at this time...
We were breaking out the baby stuff and about a month away from Jude's arrival! Asher, with safety always in mind, tried out the bouncy seat to make sure it was still in working order. Look at what a baby he was!
We had so much fun picking blueberries yesterday! Turns out Asher is quite the little harvester. And thankfully, he is beginning to pronounce blueberries correctly, because for quite some time, he has referred to them as "boobies," which makes for some very interesting sentences.
He did a great job of just picking the ripe ones (for the most part.) 
Although I'm pretty sure he ate more than he actually put in his bucket.
But that's OK--part of the beauty of picking your own blueberries! I'm glad that we at least introduced him to the idea that food does not just appear on the shelves at HEB--that there is a little more involved in the process.
This is Kris' "I love blueberries!" face.
Jude just enjoyed the ambiance and ate some grass. And he looked precious in his little overalls.
And me? I was a blueberry picking machine! It was like I was born in an orchard. Check that out--a kid on the hip and a bucket around my neck. Amazing. 
We got about 2.5 lbs. for a little over $3.00 and had a lot of fun in the process. Not bad for an evening's work. Lord willing, we will be back next blueberry season!
We are silly. We have food on our shirts. Our pants don't always fit. We don't all look at the camera. Most of us are in desperate need of haircuts.
But yet, I see this picture and think, "Perfect." This is just so us. Unrefined, yet blissfully happy.
I like us.
Not that Asher doesn't look adorable even with the Quasimodo thing happening, but I am happy to report that the swelling has gone down and he is looks like himself again.
As proof, I offer you this incredibly long video that you should be no means feel obligated to watch. The boys are cracking each other up and I, rather unsuccessfully, try to persuade Asher to sing a few songs. There are a few moments of his sweet little voice but mainly you get Kris' sweet little voice and mine, such as it is.
You get the full effect of the swelling in this one. Poor little fella looks awful :( But don't you worry--Jude is close by to take care of him.
Asher got in a bar fight.
Ok, not really. He apparently was bitten by what we can only assume was a mosquito and woke up with his eye almost swollen shut and the area around his forehead and nose swollen as well. The picture doesn't really do justice to how different he looks today.
I took him to the see the NP this morning just to make sure there wasn't anything seriously wrong. Thankfully, she confirmed that it wasn't a spider bite and he doesn't have any kind of infection. She told us to dope him up on Benedryl for the next few days until the swelling subsides. He's never had Benedryl before so here's to hoping he isn't one of those kids that gets really hyperactive on it.
Next topic (seamless transitions are my specialty): how precious are these pictures! 
These were taken at Harper's birthday bash and the humidity, while wreaking havoc on the cupcakes, made Jude's hair extra curly and spectacular. Looking at those pictures almost makes me want to go wake him up from his nap and squeeze him!
I said almost.
Can you believe it? My little Judah Bear is getting so big! He is the sweetest little chub of a boy and I am so thankful he is part of our family. He is funny and cuddly and is fairly certain he can do anything his big brother can do. All it takes to make him happy is his thumb and his lovey. He says, "Mama," and actually prefers me, in contrast to Daddy's boy, Asher. (Don't get me wrong though--when Daddy gets home from work, there is much rejoicing by ALL of us!)
Jude has gorgeous, curly, sandy-blonde hair.
And legs that are so sweet and delicious I may just eat them up one day.
He also has a big brother that loves him to pieces. They light up when they see each other in the morning and play together all day long. They can get a little rough with each other(yes, both of them!) but when I see them giving kisses or sharing snacks, my heart just melts.
I think Asher's shirt sums it up well...
It's been a good 10 months with the little guy. May the Lord allow us many, many more.
After ramming a stack of boxes with the ol' minivan a few times too many, I decided it was high time to restore some order to this region of the garage. These boxes were full of the things I kept from my classroom teaching days. I knew some of it would be useful for homeschooling, but I really needed to go through it and consolidate it to just a few boxes. The rest of the mess is old newspapers, diaper boxes, and shoes. 
Ahhhh...I can breathe now. I feel sorry for the people that are never messy or disorganized enough to let things degenerate this badly because they miss out on the feeling you get when you finally clean the mess up.
At least that's the story I'm going with.
This is the shark tent. It is the source of hours of fun in this house. But it is huge and our house is not so we can't leave it out. Oh, but when we do the good times that are had!
Even Daddy couldn't resist the lure of the shark tent.
The lot in life of the little brother. 
No biggie. Didn't want to go in that dumb tent anyway.
These boys take after their Daddy and their Poppy--a guitar is always close by. It seems all day long, someone has some instument in their hands playing a song. Jude has even taken to searching out the drumsticks so he can beat them together as he sings. They both enjoy composing their own tunes--Asher just sang me a sweet little diddy about blowing on your oatmeal when it's too hot. I think it was his best one today.
In lieu of our usual Friday playdates with our kiddos, some friends and I decided to do a "P.M. Playdate." This may be one of the best ideas we have ever had in our entire lives.
The five of us, Kathy, Chris, Bethany, Misty, and me, had so much fun getting to chit-chat and--get this--finish each sentence we began! A rare thing indeed.
We went to Chuy's for dinner and ate our combined weight in creamy jalepeno sauce. We also were the recipients of a free appetizer. Seeing the picture of us above, you are probably wondering to yourself, "Is it because they were the most beautiful group of ladies there last night?" Good guess, but no.
As it happened, Kris, Asher, Jude and I were at Chuy's the night before because Kris really wanted to go there and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I would be dining there with the girls the very next evening.
Whilst dining, I noticed a sign that read "Bring in a framed picture of your dog and receive a free appetizer." We don't actually have a dog per se but my parents do so I figured that was close enough.
But I don't actually have a picture of their dog. So I printed one out off Google images--same breed. I figured that was close enough. And we just happened to have a frame that no longer had glass in it that fit the picture perfectly that I had been meaning to throw away. Evidently, I was providentially hindered from doing so.
And I brought that picture to Chuy's, gave it to our waiter, and asked for the most expensive appetizer on the menu! I told him the dog's name was Heidi, which I had named the dog in picture on my way to Chuy's in honor of one of my parent's boxers who is no longer with us. He brought me a sharpie so that I could sign the picture and it is now displayed proudly on the wall of Chuy's on 59 North.
They have a random picture to hang on their wall and we got free food. Everyone went home a winner.
My camera is in my diaper bag which is the the car which in the garage which seems like a long way to travel right now. It's not that our house is that big, it's just that I'm that lazy.
So I thought a little flashback would be a good substitute. Here's little Asher one year ago. He was a carefree 16 month old that had no clue about how is world was going to be rocked in just a few short months. A good "rocked" of course.
Incidentally, the outfit Asher is wearing, Jude wears now. Both boys are in size 4 diapers and both wear 18 month shorts. Impressive, huh?
Lord willing, some current pictures and witty banter will follow soon.
Thank you to all of you who cast your virtual ballot in what some have called the most important vote of our time. All of your input was considered and I now know, that in my time of need, I have some true-blue friends that I can count on. I also have some nameless readers of my blog who are willing to take two seconds out of their day to make a selection. That touches my heart as well.
The wearing of metallics is a personal choice that every woman must make for herself. I do like them and I agree with several of you that they work as a neutral and can be paired with many things. But Lis hit the nail on the head when she brought up the fact that if you don't absolutely love something, then it isn't worth your time or money. And something about the fact that I felt the need to post a survey on my blog hints at the possibility that I might not be truly sold on them.
So back to Target they went. As I told Mandy last night during our legnthy Facebook chat on this very subject, no one can accuse me of not trying.
I'm all for branching out, but it has to be the right thing at the right time, or it's actually a wrong thing trying to act like it's the right thing. And that's just wrong, right?
Go here to view and then cast your vote. Consider it your good deed for the day.
And feel free to leave a comment to elaborate on your vote. And no reverse-psychology voting...please do not mess with my head at a time like this.
Posts
All Comments
