Disneyland!

Wahoo!  We all went to Disneyland for Mason's first time a few weeks ago, he did great!  We only had one day to visit both Disneyland and California Adventure so we decided to focus on doing our favorite things and then fit in some more.  It was also our last trip for a while since it's gotten so expensive and it's hard to justify the cost.  We had fun enjoying the rides, the food, the happy place that it is!

 Mason was eating Dustin, but this was the best picture we got!

 Damen claims his favorite ride is Pirates.

 Mason wearing Mickey Ears!  And conked out finally!

 The tastiest and maybe most expensive Churros ever!

 Heading home, we left around 8pm, as you can see Damen was done walking and Mason had to be carried, he's not exactly "light".

Mason got this Mickey "chew" toy, we all got T-shirts and Damen picked out a Star wars toy for himself.  

Aaa, fun times, good memories made!

Soccer!

I signed Damen up for indoor soccer this spring.  I was excited!  I hoped he was excited!  My friends started getting calls from their coaches and we hadn't heard anything, so we waited, and waited. . ..
Finally I called the organization and asked what was up.  They said we were late signing up and were on the "wait list", it had 40 kids on it, and there were already 30 teams!!  The only way to guarantee he played was if I coached.  I said yes in a heart beat and thought about it later.
I thought about it a LOT.  I felt like being a "Soccer Coach" was a great responsibility.  Even if it was only pee-wee indoor soccer.
The team was small, only 8 kids playing 6 v 6, but they gave it their all!
Damen played goalie most of the time.  Once he was playing forward the last half of a game and he scored 4 goals!  He liked it I think, but he keeps asking me when he gets to play Basketball, and I am NOT coaching that.

Me and Damen at his Soccer party, with his prized trophy!  He was convinced he was the only one getting one because he scored so many goals.

Mason 7 months old!

Oh my Mason moose is growing up too fast! 

At 7 months he's 21lbs and 28in long.  

He loves to be held and to see what's going on.

He can roll over, but isn't mobile yet.

He started solids this month and after throwing everything up for a week, he likes it.  

His brother always knows just how to get him to smile and giggle.  He wanted in on the picture action and Mason was happy to oblige!

Dinner therapy

I decided tonight that cooking/baking is like therapy for me. 

 All day today I was worried and wondering what to make for dinner. Nothing sounded particularly good, I had my choice of chicken, hamburger. pork chops, or breakfast (eggs, bacon, pancakes) to make and NOTHING was calling out to me. So, I defrosted a pound of cooked hamburger, I figured something would come to me, maybe tacos or spaghetti?

 Then it was dinner time and I still couldn't decide!! I asked Dustin, he's no help, I asked Facebook, nothing.

 I got out a zucchini, onion and my last two potatoes and cut them up, vegetables sounded good. I simmered them in my cast iron skillet until they were soft, adding salt, pepper, and garlic powder for flavor. When they were soft, but not yet done, I added the hamburger and to make it like a casserole, a can of cream o'celery. Then I grated some cheese on top and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Oh my, it was fantastic! We ate every single last bite! We had some potato rolls left over from yesterday so we mopped our plates AND the pan with them!

And guess what? I felt super, fantastic, impressed with my ability to cook something tasty! 

 It was like a little "well done" high for me.

I've been having unhappy thoughts lately about my life and motherhood, things that sneak in when I'm least expecting it, so to feel like I did something good and right was nice. I know everyone feels inadequate sometimes, or like they're not cut out to do the job before them.   I am so blessed with a loving family that supports me EVERY day, even if it's just by loving the food I made as much as I do.

It's easy for me to get caught up in the tiniest upsetting thing and let it take over my day, but maybe next time I can remember how good it feels to feed my family and that dinner time is coming soon.  If I can create a meal, put a smile on those faces, and turn my day around, it might not be perfect, but maybe I won't notice the imperfections as much.  

Two more months!

I miss them

 I miss calling her at all hours to ask for a recipe, or how to sew something, or what to do with my crabby baby or back-talking son.(Those last two are just examples of things I might need to ask, my boys are angels)

I miss him calling us at all hours to say he loves us, or ask how to fix the computer, upload a photo, or send an email.  

I'm glad they've had this experience, teaching English in China is an adventure.  But I'm also glad they'll be home in two months.  I miss them.

(I am referencing my parents in this post, not the cute baby girl they're both holding)

Baby legs!

Ok, so you may have noticed that this baby is slightly larger than most.  The problem with big baby boys is that they don't make clothes in "husky", and pants sometimes don't fit over his thighs.  SO to fix that I've been making him leg warmers!  He has two in navy blue, one in light brown, and one in black.  They're great for days when I'm sick of putting him in one piece rompers or overalls.  

Too cute right?  

I got the sewing guide from here http://brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/.  I've seen leg warmers online to buy, not cheap. I bought all of the knee socks at the dollar store so they cost me exactly $4!

6 months

LOVE this smile!  He is such a happy, handsome baby.

At 6 months old he has had his first ear infection and antibiotics, can sit up for a few minutes at at time, can almost support himself standing, and is really really attached to mommy.

He is 20lbs 10oz and 28in long.

And yes, his hair always looks like that!