Yum Yum Yum

Jake was doing so well with the rice cereal that after just two weeks we decided to move him on to the real thing. There was a brief moment this go round where I thought it would be fun to try and make all his food from scratch but then the reality of my laziness came back to me and I stocked up on Gerber. He has loved everything so far. And Haley loves playing with the food containers. I promise they both have rooms full of real toys.  

Haley the Architect...with some help from mommy.

 Peas...yum.

 Green beans...yummy.

Foot...delicious. 

High chair....ehhh. 

Best Buds

I have been participating in a playgroup with Erin and our friend Erika for the last few weeks. We all had babies within months of each other so we have a ton in common and plenty of things to chit chat about. We have had a lot of fun talking babies, drinking wine, and letting the big kids run off steam. Unfortunately this was the last week since school starts again next week and our schedules just won't work out any longer. I will miss it. Fortunately I think we still see each other enough that these little ones will grow up best buds for sure!

Cora - 11 weeks; Hayden - 13 weeks; Jake - 23 weeks

Yum Yum

Jake had his first experience with rice cereal last week. He wasn't too sure at first but now he loves dinner time. He scarfs it down like he is afraid someone else might eat it if he takes too long. :) Our little boy is growing up to fast.

Snowcones

During the month of August in Texas there isn't much to do to keep cool. It literally feels like the face of the sun out there. Most days we try to stay inside and keep cool but for some reason this week we got the urge to venture outdoors and decided to meet up with Erin and the cousins for a little treat at the park...snowcones. It was Haley's first snowcone and she absolutely loved it. I am sure we will try to get in a few more before summer comes to a quick end. The park we chose had some equipment that looked old enough that Erin and I might have played on it back in the day but the kids still had a blast.

Kitchen Remodel - Complete

Our remodel is finally done!!! Everything was wrapped up late Monday afternoon...and we couldn't be happier. We love it. I wish I would have done it three years ago when we moved in to the house. Despite all the delays and hiccups I am still very pleased with the outcome and our contractor.

Before

After

Here is one where it is all set up and ready to go. Please ignore our unhealthy eating clues...a huge portion of tater tots on the stove and two sticks of butter on the island ready to make cookies. The fruit basket is just for show. :)

Safety First

I came from an era were childhood was more about having a good time while getting scrapes and bruises than staying tear-free. I wish this was something that I could give my kids but it just doesn't seem possible. Haley and Jake will grow up cushioned and protected and probably never know real fun. :)

With that said, this is not the correct way to wear a bike helmet.

 

Remodel Update

I never in a millions years thought it would take this long to remodel the kitchen. In my mind it was going to go off without any hitches and turn out beautifully just like on HGTV. :)

The granite was installed as scheduled on Tuesday...which I love...but in the end there were a few issues with installation and the guys are supposed to be coming back today to fix. The bad part is that without the countertops finalized we were not able to move on to the backsplash. As of late yesterday afternoon we do have a working sink, dishwasher, and stove so we are surviving. Hopefully we will have everything done and finished by early next week...cross my fingers.

Here is the kitchen with the new granite!

At The Carwash

Poppy "picked" this sweet ride for us for free. Thanks Poppy! We were more than happy to add it to our collection of outdoor play things...all it needed was a little sprucing up. Haley loves cars and any chance to play in the water so as soon as I mentioned car wash she was game. There is nothing more entertaining to a toddler than being outside with water and bubbles. Regardless of whether it needs it or not I am sure washing the car will become a weekly event.  

To those of you asking where is Jake, he was peacefully napping inside in the A/C. Haley and I should have been in there too instead of out in the blistering heat. Seriously, weather channel says it feels like 105?!?!?

Smile

This is what results when you try to have a sit down with a toddler and try to teach her how to smile for the camera. Haley currently has a super cheese smile that cause her eyes to squint. It leads to some cute photos but at the same time it makes me crazy. As you look at the pictures below just imagine me saying from behind the camera..."Say cheese...smile Haley...Open your eyes wide...smile...show me your teeth...wide...smile!...you want a skittle...open wide...SMILE!!" I think in the end she was very confused.

Kitchen Remodel - Before & Demo

This morning we finally began our kitchen remodel after months of planning and thinking and planning some more. Ever since we moved into this house three years ago I have had a real love/hate relationship with my kitchen. I love the space. It is the perfect size for my family and it has a great layout that really works for us. Plus every time we have guests over it seems to always draw people in for talking and hanging out. We have had some great times in this kitchen. On the hate side, I have always disliked the color scheme and the constant need for scrubbing. It screams 90's with the blue backsplash tiles and the stark white laminate tops have to be bleached almost daily to keep them white.

I am so excited for the remodel and nervous at the same time. I hope everything goes off without any hitches and that by Thursday afternoon we have a new kitchen. Here are some pictures I took last night after clearing the kitchen in preparation.

Here are some pictures I took tonight after a day of demo. Looks like a clean slate ready for a new personality.

Stay tuned for the after pictures in a few days.

Jumperoo Jake

Goodbye baby swing...hello Jumperoo!! He loved it.

Check out these shots of Haley two years ago...like sister like brother.