Cooper Behind the Lens

Cooper often asks to take pictures with my phone or with the big camera.  I don't always allow him to use the big camera, but sometimes I do.  He noticed that several of these pictures were blurry and asked how to fix it, so I gave him a very short lesson on focusing.   When I look back at the pictures, I love to see what he captures, what he finds interesting.  It's a sweet glimpse of his view of the world around him, or on this particular day, of our typical day at home (Legos everywhere, laundry everywhere, and month-old birthday decorations still hanging from the mantle).

07.24.2014

Grayson "In and Out"

Grayson is in the phase of "in and out."  He will fill a basket with toys and then take them out.  He will take out blocks from a bucket, then put them back in.  In and out, out and in.  It's a super fun, entertaining game to a 13 month old.  He recently discovered how to open the drawers in his room, and then he discovered that he could play his favorite game with the clothes, except he would just do the "out" part of the game and forget the "in" part.  I was the one who ended up always putting the clothes back in the drawers.  Until this day...  I started taking a few pictures, mainly just to capture this phase.  I snapped a couple, but then was pulled away by one of the other boys.  When I walked back by Grayson's room a few minutes later, I stopped in my tracks!  He had put all the clothes that he pulled out of two drawers, back in one drawer.  My first thought was how cute it was, my second thought was how appreciative I was that he cleaned up after himself.  (And I didn't even have to ask him or bribe him with tickets.  Whoa.)

 Trying to put a shirt on.

 

All the clothes are put away.

 

New Posts

So desperately trying to catch up.  Here are a few more posts...

Firemen to the Rescue

Perfection

Friday Morning Mowers

A Magical Flower

Austin:  "Mom?  Mama!  Mo-oom?  Mommy?"
Me:  Right here, Austin.
Austin:  "Oh!  There ya are!  I have a surprise for you..."
Me:  How exciting!  What is it?
Austin:  "Look behind you..."  (He says in a sing-songy way, as he is holding something behind his back.)
Me:  (I do a quick glance behind me.  And turn back to Austin.)
Austin:  "For you!"  (And he pulls out from behind his back a sweet little yellow flower.  Picked from our lantana in the backyard.)  "It's a magical flower!  Where's your pocket?  Put it in your pocket?"

That's what he does.  He finds things--sticks or acorns--or picks things--flowers or leaves--brings them to me with the biggest, most joyful smile and always makes sure I put them in my pocket, which I always do.  

Austin started this all because he sees Cooper do it.  But, Cooper really just sticks to flowers for me.  Sometimes he'll bring me acorns or tree bark, but mostly flowers.  He brings me a flower from almost anywhere we go--the park, the Arboretum, the zoo, or just walking down our street.  He will walk around, thinking he's being sneaky, but I can tell what he's doing, find the "perfect flower" and always "surprise" me with it.

On my dresser, next to my wedding rings, I have a little jewelry dish full of acorns.  And on the kitchen counter, next my pens and to-do lists, I have a pile of leaves.  And in the kitchen window, above the sink,  I have small vases holding weedy flowers and lantana blossoms.  And it all makes my heart happy. 

Oh, these boys.  They sure have my heart.  

"Look! I'm Mama!"

Austin put my headband on and immediately thought it was THE. FUNNIEST. THING. EVER.

"Look!  I'm Mama!  What do you need?"

me: "Umm, Mama, I'm hungry.  Can I have lunch?"

(Giggle giggle giggle) "SURE!  I'm Mama.  What do you need?"

me: "Umm, Mama, Can I be a pirate?"
(Giggle, giggle, giggle) "Ok!  What else you need?"

And over and over and over again we played.  Now, every time he gets his hands on one of my headbands, we play the "I'm Mama" game, and he still thinks it's as hilarious as it was the first time.  Cooper even plays along, because, well, he's pretty much the best big brother ever.

06.21.2014

A Few New Posts

Oh my goodness...  I had two little ones napping and one big one at camp and I had no idea what to do with myself.  I grabbed a slice of leftover cake from Poppi's birthday celebration last night, my computer and planted myself in the front room, on my great-grandmothers couch.  And I blogged.

I haven't blogged in so long, I didn't even know where to start... 

I like to keep things chronological, so here are a few updates. 

This is What Happens When You Take Three Kids Shoe Shopping

Boys Will Be Boys

Outside Wagon Ride with Guards

This is What Happens When You Take Three Kids to the Car Wash

How We Roll Through Target

Grayson rarely gets to sit in a shopping cart because I usually just wear him, but on this rare occasion when I only had one child with me at Target, I let Little One ride in the shopping cart.  He chose to sit backwards through the entire store.

 And on this day...  Austin dressed himself before we left the house.  Mismatched jammies, two different left boots (also two different sizes), and a pirate hat.  Totally perfect to me.

And that is how we roll.

June 22, 2014

My Little Gardeners

I love summer mornings.  Before it reaches 100 degrees.  Before our backyard is filled with the hot Texas summer sun.  It's breezy, sorta cool in the 80s, and things feel fresh.  On this particular morning, we had no where to be.  Daddy was home.  I was watering plants, and my three little helpers decided to join me outside.  

I have the garden marked off--Mommy gets half to grow her veggies, the boys get the other half to play and dig.  (And I totally love that they have this digging option!  Better than a sandbox and boys need dirt to play in.)  The boys were so cute playing and digging, each doing their own thing, but still working and playing together.

Austin is completely enamored with Jack and the Beanstalk these days, and he found some "beans" to bury in the garden to see if a beanstalk grows.  I filmed a video of him explaining his work--he had an area for the castle, an area for the giant, a tall beanstalk, and a big rock as a landfill.  Oh this boy, he brings so much joy to my heart.

Telling Daddy all about his beanstalk and the giant and the castle and how it's going to grow.