a wagon load...

Today she rode away in "her" very own Cinderella carriage.  Delighted to take a ride in a wagon filled with a comfy pillow and warm blankets, she gladly left her anxious parents.  Thankfully, a sweet friend was at her side the entire time.

Wonderful nurses distracted her busy mind with special stickers 

and a wagon to play with while she waited.

We were calmed by the short procedure for your little ears and all the kindness we encountered today--so happy a Friday the 13th hospital visit went wonderfully well!  Whew!

ready?

I am not sure I have ever been 100% really ready for the arrival of a newborn.  I would argue that most families would fall into this same category of organized unpreparedness.  There are always little things that aren't thought about until that little baby makes it's appearance -- like the lack of sleep that comes with precious children. 

As we inch closer to meeting our third, I must say that my body seems ready and these big sisters are definitely ready to meet their sibling.  Their excitement over this baby has prompted me to get my act together and prepare more despite my daily laziness and exhaustion with this pregnancy.  

Somehow having all the "stuff" from my previous babies has somewhat squelched the busy nesting that happened with my other pregnancies.  Instead, my nesting seems to be for my older children--making sure their little souls will be well taken care of when this new one arrives.  Getting their old clothes cleaned out of their closets and straightening their things seems to be top priority in my mind these days.   I am sure they are both ready for me to be done straightening their things.  My big girl pleaded with me the other day when she politely requested that I not throw anything away from her room.  Poor kid.

Even though I am not itching to set up the Pack n' Play, cradle, rocker and drag down the newborn clothing from the top of the closet, I do think we are ready for this little one.  Perhaps it is a weird calm that comes from already having two...I am not sure.  But I do know that we will be more than ready to hold him or her in our arms and enjoy the sweet innocence and miracle of a new life.

July 4th

loose

Early one morning she came running down the hall screaming something about her teeth.  I had immediate flashbacks to the day she practically knocked her front two teeth out and worried that we might have another dental emergency on our hands.

After bounding up onto my bed, she excitedly showed me two teeth in her mouth that she was sure were loose.  I was in awe of her endless excitement over the smallest wiggle in her mouth and quietly reminisced about loosing teeth as a child--worry about how the tooth would finally come out, excitement over the tooth fairy and the silver quarters she delivered under my pillow at night and the uncertainty of a big gap in my mouth.

"The tooth fairy is like a princess that flies and has magic."

Since that day she has explained the tooth fairy to her sister numerous times.  I know she takes such delight in getting to experience the fairy long before her sister will.

I haven't heard much in the past few days about the loose teeth and don't really know if they are even loose.  I guess it doesn't really matter.  Watching her excitement that morning was wonderfully charming.

Summer Solstice {Mid Summer}

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Today is the longest day of the year!
As the sun hangs high in the sky late into the day, it is time to celebrate summer!
 Happy Summer to you!

Homemade BBQ Rub {Father's Day}

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I love homemade gifts, especially from children.  I think it is also super fun for kids to get involved in gift-giving in their own special way.  And frankly, I quickly run out of ideas of what to buy the dad that seems to have everything and need nothing. 

I recently ran across this fun Father's Day idea and thought it would make the perfect homemade Father's Day gift for a few good dads we know.  What dad doesn't love to BBQ?  A homemade rub to season meat, ribs, steaks, chicken and more seems like the perfect gift for the grill-loving dad.

Simply combine all of the ingredients below and package in air-tight mason jars.  Your kids can make their own labels or you can download these fun ones from Design Mom.

Spicy BBQ Rub 

2 tablespoons chilli powder

2 tablespoons sea salt flakes

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon smoky paprika

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

— recipe via taste.com.au

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I love this idea because it is simple for kids and will be well-used and appreciated by the dads we know.

Do you have any fun homemade ideas for Father's Day?

Happy Father's Day Weekend!

swimming with trains

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My little one recently completed her first round of swimming lessons.  Sentimentally, I took her to the area of town and utilized the same city program that my mother used with me when I was little.  Each afternoon for 2 weeks we arrived for our lesson.  She swam and took in all the sights and sounds of the lesson.  And each day, like clock work, the large freight train would shuffle down the highway that runs parallel to the pool.  All the little kids in the entire pool would turn to look in amazement at the large engines carrying many cars of freight.  Most days, the train would even give a little "toot-toot" which would send my child in to train-loving heaven.

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I think it is so funny that most times when I see or hear the train, I just ignore it.  Kids on the other hand, are so in tune with their surroundings and don't miss much.

Unfortunately, I guess all swim lessons must be with trains as this is what she now expects.