Well summer is officially here in Austin... sticky mornings in the 90s and AC and swimming pools are the only way to go during the day. But, we welcome that after 2 month straight of rain. It was pretty crazy how much rain we saw, and the flooding in the surrounding areas was just devastating.
We've had a fun month, and I'm fully embracing sabbatical life. I love being able to spend more time with the kids and finally tackle dozens of little house projects that have been on my to do list since we moved over a year ago. It's amazing how much energy I have now and how little stress I carry.
We start Fisher is the summer session of music class, and for the first time, I'm doing the 10:30 am class versus our 3 years of doing 4:00. It's a nice change because I've been able to meet and connect some other stay at home moms.
We started swim lessons last week, and the kids hit the ground running. We were doing private lessons in our pool, but we literally had to cancel 6 weeks in a row because of the rain. So, we decided to go back to Emler, the indoor school that Eleanor attended as a baby. I think the group setting will be good for both of them.
FISHER::
: 15 month stats: (I'm not sure how his weight is so low with him constantly eating.)
: As you will see below, Fisher is obsessed with music, any button/knob, eating, and our kitchen sink.
: His biggest obsession may just be me. Which is cute, but more annoying than cute right now - SUCH a mama's boy, and cries whenever I'm more than arms' distance from him. I'm sure I'll miss this stage in about 15 years when he's never around;)
: Fisher has 6 teeth now, and will literally eat anything we put in front of him.
: Buddy had his first haircut in May, so the mullet is officially gone! He looks more like a little boy versus a baby now, which is a little sad. But his cut is adorable.
ELEANOR::
: Eleanor's 3 year stats:
Height: 36.25" (24%)
Weight: 27 lbx (12%)
: Eleanor's imagination is in overdrive... she loves to make up songs and stories.
: She has 2 more weeks at her current school before we take her out for a couple of months before starting her new school at the end of August. So, July and August will be full of family field trips and traveling.
: Sister has become quite the picky eater, and rarely eats at all. I resorted to giving her whole milk again so that she can get some fat on her skinny bones. Her newest food phase is corn on the cob and would probably eat it at every meal if we let her.
: Eleanor learned to buckle her own sandals and is so proud of herself.
Our good friends and old Villa Court neighbors, The Beadles, came to visit in May from Longview, TX, and we had a blast. Eleanor was in heaven having her BFF for 4 days straight.
Bathing beauty
BFF Audrey in town... lots of fun had between these two gals.
Pistachio gelato in a cone. Life doesn't get any better.
Daddy junglegym
So much rain in Austin that the flowers are taller than Eleanor!
One of the last pics where Fish's hair doesn't stick up on top. I miss that;(
Stalker mom strikes again - love pics of them sleeping.
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Pool party fun
Stopped in to play ball with dad during his office day.
Yogurt Face
Sister put together her first Lego set
New 'do
Fisher putting the moves on our friend Juliet at a children's museum playdate.
My lunch date
Buddy making friends at our neighborhood coffee shop.
Fun in the pool
Mommy/Ellie lunch date after her new school orientation. She exclaimed, "Mom, it's like a tunnel... isn't that wonderful??"
Fisher eating from the kitchen sink, his new favorite place to be.
Fisher/Grant bubble bath in the sink
Playdate with our favorite furry friend, Chewy, and Helen
NBD, just a little corn on the cob eatin' in the sink.
Flooded pool during Memorial Day storms.
With all of the rain, we had very limited outdoor time April and May. So, we decided to throw the kids in the car for a ride in the rain (and so that we could drink an uninterrupted cup of coffee while they were harnessed in).
What else do you do to pass the time during the constant rain? Take kids to shop for booze!
So this post is WAY old. To be fair, I never received the link from the news station (think it went to spam).
Anyway, last summer, Eleanor was asked to participate in a new segment with The Little Yoga House. We had her 2nd birthday party there and attended many Parent/Toddler yoga classes. This segment is really cute and showcases how unique TLYH is... I look forward to upcoming yoga sessions with Fisher (although I have a feeling he'll be a bull in a china shop, the very opposite of their fun yet zen environment).
After watching this show, I honestly can't remember actually being there. Goes to show how sleep deprived, challenged with ongoing construction, and stressed I was this time last year.
Wow, where to begin. So much has happened in the last two months. High level recap - hopefully the pictures help fill in the gap for my lack of written details. In full disclosure, it's all a blur, and I waited WAY too long to update the blog. My apologies for the photo/video dump - it's a long one!
: Fisher's 1st birthday: such a fun celebration as noted in the last post. I can't believe my baby is 14 moths now. He's battling a double ear infection and new teeth right now, so he's been super needy and not so great in the sleep department. Regardless, he's my sweet mama's boy. He started walking right after his birthday, and he is now a pro running to and fro.
: Eleanor's 3rd birthday: Our daughter talked about her birthday for weeks before the big day. She reveled in all of the attention and gifts. She is as feisty as ever, an incredibly loving girl, and an old soul if I've ever met one. She has many "deep thoughts" on a daily basis. A few recent ones:
... Mom, when brother is older, he'll be able to eat pistachios (she is obsessed with pistachios).
... On our way to school one day, we drove by the trash truck and trash men unloading bins. Eleanor asks, "Mom, why does that man have a black face?" I thought to myself that this would be our serious opportunity to discuss race. So, I responded, "Well, Ellie, everyone has different colored skin, and that's what makes us all special." Her retort, "Huh. My favorite color is pink, and did you know that I have bones in my legs??" Good talk, Eleanor.
... "Why does daddy stand up to pee?"
... We were both wearing tank tops recently, and I pointed out to Eleanor that we were matching. She replies, "Yeah, but you have big nipples, and I just have small nipples. Mine will grow though."
Eleanor loves watching movies, swimming, the beach, puzzles, and spinning dresses.
: Bama and Papa came to visit for Eleanor's birthday. Super fun having them in town, as always!
: The Beadles, our old Villa Court neighbors, moved to Longview, TX in January. They came back for a quick visit so we gathered the old crew at our house for dinner and a play date. The kids and parents caught up with one another and immediately started planning the next visit.
: The Hales came to visit from Chicago. Jack is 5 months older than Eleanor, and Piper is only 5 days older than Fish. We had a ball with them... it was exhausting and amazing at the same time. Watching the kiddos make memories was heart warming, and the adults were able to sneak away for a night out. As you'll see below, we crammed a lot into their 5 day visit - swimming, picnic at Zilker, ride on Zilker Zephyr, Easter egg hunt, bike rides, walks, and slumber parties.
: I had my first Moms' Weekend Away in mid April. Five of us gathered from KC, Austin, and NY and met in Scottsdale. Some girls I've been friends with since first grade - UNREAL. All of us had had a baby in the last year, so we were all in need of a getaway. While we had a super relaxing time at Sanctuary Spa and Resort, we were all anxious to get back to our babies by the end of the weekend.
: We celebrated Mother's Day weekend in Port Aransas. It was our first experience at a TX beach, and we had a great time with our family friends, The Dennises. Eleanor and Nora are only 5 hours apart, and Fisher and Lila are 4 months apart. It was a busy weekend chasing after the kids, but we were in good company. While the beaches weren't as nice as what we're used to in Santa Rosa, it was super convenient to be able to pack up the car and drive 3.5 hours to a beach. We stayed at Cinnamon Shores and were impressed with the accommodations.
: Last but not least, we have some pretty significant family changes in the past 2 months. After much thought and consideration, I've decided to take a sabbatical from work for awhile to focus on the kiddos. It was a difficult decision making this big leap, but one that I think is best for our family given Justin's work travel. I'm lucky enough to still remain PSW's broker of record for Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas - it's work that will pretty much be done behind the scenes (from home) and only about 5-10 hours/week. My first day of sabbatical was 5/1, and I'm still getting used to this new role;)
Grant Hack and Fish on a walk with the nannies.
Eleanor requested blue pancakes for her birthday breakfast. In heaven!
Buddy's crazy hair.
Ice cream birthday treat in the hood after dinner.
Eleanor requested a leotard and umbrella for her birthday. Ah, the simple things in life.
I may or may not sneak into my kids' rooms to capture them sleeping.
Bama and Papa's visit entailed a visit to Gemelli for gelato. Our good friend, Andy, opened shop in March, and we couldn't be prouder of him.
Papa was very generous in his sharing, thus Fish clinging to him during our tasting;)
Eleanor's birthday was at a local bookstore, and the theme was Pete The Cat, one of her favorite book series. Here's she's getting a cat face painted on her face.
Our sweet girl
Pete the Cat puppet show
Pete the Cat coloring activity.
Magic Rock game
Ellie's first trip to the dentist was a breeze. This chick has been obsessed with dental hygiene from an early age - loves to brush and begs us to floss her teeth.
Eleanor talks about her best friend, Audrey, literally every day. Her visit from Longview was a wonderful reunion. In the background is the picnic they set up for all of the stuffed animals.
Meanwhile, the baby boys - Grant Hack and Walker Beadle - are enraptured with Fisher's wild antics.
On a stroll through the hood.
Our little mermaid. She loves swimming and has no fear whatsoever.
Sister loves Uncle Andy and his delicious gelato.
Feeding the goats at the Austin Zoo at Nora's birthday party.
Piper Hale and Fish
Another night stalker
Bath time babies
Story time with Jack and Ellie
Two double wides to accommodate this crew.
Picnic at Zilker
Rock climbing at Zilker
No big deal, just a little nude cycling. Keeping it weird in Austin.
Clearly his father's son
Jack putting the moves on Eleanor during the train ride.
Sweet girl, silly boy
Parent's night out during The Hales' stay.
Two boys hanging
Our Easter best - t-shirts and bike rides.
Out on a bike ride with Daddy.
Fisher adores Mr. Walter, his music teacher. What's not shown in this pic is all of the children nicely sitting in their parents' laps in a circle around Mr. Walter. Fisher insists on zero personal space when it comes to Mr. Walter.
Silly faces at the school bowling party.
Best buds.
Gemelli's biggest cheerleaders.
Lindsey Clancey and me arriving to Sanctuary
Hiking Camelback Mountain before the other 3 girls arrive.
The pool was one of the best I've seen
No kids!
Meanwhile on the homefront, Bama comes in to help wrangle the kids. Here we have a yoga session.
And Fish running from Bama...
Daddy was a brave soul and tackled the splash pad solo after Bama left (and before I returned).
So Fisher's hair is now long enough for a pony tail. I know I need to cut it, but I'm scared because I know he won't look like a baby anymore with a big boy haircut.
Sass!
Buddy hanging at the pool
Bike ride and popsicle with Daddy... shear joy.
Sister helping with one of Fish's last bottles.
Kiki decided to play a prank on me and scare the S#*% out of me. She placed this gem in our pool in the middle of the night, and I woke up with Fish at 6:00 when it was still dark out and about peed my pants when I saw this. It's still an ornament in our pool - great lounger and about the same size as our actual pool.
We went to a Clarksville Family Fun Fest a few weeks ago, and Eleanor was in heaven - bouncy houses, pony rides, and petting zoo.
This chick pooped on Eleanor's lap. Thank goodness for the barrier.
Mr. Walter groupie - we were front row for the show.
Pretty interesting history of Clarksville
One of the best things about sabbatical is being able to be more involved in Ellie's classroom. They were celebrating moms the week of Mother's Day, so I was a guest reader.
16 minutes into the drive and this happened.
Of all of the excitement at the beach, Fisher was most interested in the golf cart. Couldn't get enough.
Birthday Buddies, Eleanor and Nora
Supervising dads
The eternal snacker.
Fisher loungin' at the beach
Can you tell how happy she is?!
The tide at the beach was pretty intense, so we opted for the community pool.
Golf cart joy ride to appease Fisher.
My boys.
Big girls teaching Fish how to trace letters.
The crew of 8... we captured this shot thanks to Elisa's fancy iWatch.
