Day Dreams

This is me hanging diapers while the kids are asleep.  I should also be putting in some Real Estate work but I just don't want to.  My head is in the clouds, well...not just in the clouds because it's really all over the place
today.

Monsoon clouds in August

Wanna hear where it's been at?

This morning I've spent a great deal of my mental time planning and preparing for our new family pictures I want to have taken in November for our Christmas cards.  Yeah, I know....me doing Christmas cards is something unheard of.  Seriously though, these pictures will be great.  They'll involve a bit of satire, overalls, boots and maybe a shovel or two. 

::AND THEN::

Earlier this week the family and I took a walk down the road.

I am guessing about a mile or less from our house sits this beautiful chunk of land at 11 acres that calls to our hearts.  It was once a horse boarding facility but someone about two years ago cleared it and had plans drawn for a residential development (BOO!).  A lady who already lives in this area purchased the property in my guess to stop any development because it's just been sitting since.  On our walk home Daddy and I just fantasized about what we would do with this 11 acres. 

The home we would build
The animals we would raise
The beautiful pastures we would bring back to this land
The gardens
Green houses
THE LIFE!

I think most, if not all, of the people we know think we are tad crazy so it will come as no surprise that we are contemplating talking to this women about a lease option. 

Is this realistic right now for us financial?  Probably not. 
But heck, who knows what may come out of a conversation with this women. 

::AND THEN::

Then I did my daily blog roaming and landed over at Soulemama.  I just love her life.  Actually, I envy it.  I know I have a great life here but what her and her family have is just plain ol' awesome.  I would love to have a little slice of her heaven for our kids. 

::AND THEN::

It's ended with one of these in hand...

This mama is addicted to her iced coffee.

 

 

 

New around here...

Both Bug and Squish experienced some new things around here. 

Bug had his first dental appointment yesterday. 

If you know us (if you don't, then you should) then you know when it comes to our kids we just don't go about much lightly.  We don't follow the rules on what is traditional in society (cough...cough... vaccines, fluoride, HFCS).  We  just don't feed them any kind of food or juice and we sure as heck don't just pick any doctor.  So, when it came to picking a dentist for Bug I searched the Internet high and low and in and out until I think I found the perfect one.

His name is Dr. Michael Grossman. 

He scored some additional brownie points with me because it seems he has a great sense of humor.

If I could have a moment I'd like to brag a bit about my boy.  I'm talking about the short one in the photo above. 

He did such an AMAZING job.  He sat in the chair when asked, he laid down when asked and he opened his mouth big and wide when asked.

We had been practicing the last part...

Here is Bug trying out the chair

Preparing for Dr. Grossman

And getting examined

Turns out Bug has two small cavities.  I know...go ahead and gasp like my mother did. 

Those two cavities were caused by all of the night nursing he did until he was two.  Bug will need to wait until he is three years old to get them fixed because medical code says he can't have nitrous oxide (laughing gas) until he is three. 

Now onto Squish!

Now that Squish has reached the ripe age of six months old I started to feed him people food.  As I did with Bug I've been making Squish food. 

Now, I remember with Bug I followed all the rules...

I started him on rice cereal and breast milk. 

When I realized he didn't like the rice cereal I switched him over to oatmeal and breast milk and then I continued to work down the list of all the safe foods, one at time, looking for any adverse reactions.

With Squish....my dear 2nd child I like to consider my parenting technique as refined. 

I said to hell with the cereal and milk only because I hate pumping. 

So I started him on bananas and oatmeal.

Now to quote an awesome sitcom

"Wait for it.  Wait for it."

And again....

and again....

Sorry....I can't get enough of that face.

After deciding bananas and applesauce weren't so great I switched him over to pears which he seems to of loved until two days ago and now bananas aren't so bad to him. 

I cracked!

I bet if you ask any full-time mom...

"What's the hardest job you ever had?"

They'll answer...

"Being a full-time mom!"

Now ask that same mom...

"What's the most rewarding job you've ever had?"

They'll answer...

"Being a full-time mom!"

I love being a 90% full time mom but with having a very

testy, stubborn, trying 2 year old

AND

a teething, can't be left alone

six month old

Every day has at least one extremely trying moment.

I can't either choose to do down the path

that leads to...

screaming

yelling

locking myself inside bathrooms

OR

I can choose this path...

Nuff said!

Good night!

a first

This weekend held a first for our family. 

Remember when we went camping at Apache Lake earlier this year? 

Let me jog your memory....

This was our lavish set up then.

AND

Now...

 This is the new set up.

We decided it was time for us to step up and make this investment for the boys.   

My parents had a travel trailer when I was growing up and although it wasn't used a great deal I do hold many great memories from each trip we took. 

My sister and her family invested in a travel trailer a few years ago and since then they have taken regular annual camping trips.  Our first trip with them, of what I hope will be many more to come, took place this past Labor Day weekend at Woods Canyon Lake. 

Let me back up first and start from the beginning.

My sister planned this trip back in July.  My dad has been bugging me since then to go.  I was apprehensive to say the least to take the boys on a four and a half hour drive.  I kind of forgot about the whole trip until it was brought up again last weekend.  As in August 27th last weekend.  I mentioned the trip again to my husband but since we were he was still in the middle of the office/craft room remodel I didn't expect for him to say yes. 

Now the ol' hubsters and I have talked about getting a travel trailer for some time now.  It seems though when I want to get one he doesn't and vise-verse and last I knew we were still "off" on buying one so I was a bit shocked when I saw that Daddy was looking at them last Sunday.

I wasn't against getting a trailer but I figured we would take our time. 

Here's a breakdown of the timeline...

Saturday August 27th:  Invited to the lake. 

Sunday August 28th:  Looking at Trailers.

Wednesday August 31st:  Put deposit on trailer.

Thursday September 1st: Buy trailer and bring it home.

Saturday September 3: Leave for camping trip. 

How's that for taking our time?! 

And of course we bought the trailer off of craigslist.

The joke around here is that daddy works best under pressure and we ain't kidding.

Back to the trip...

Woods Canyon is AWESOME.

We stayed in the Aspen camp ground.  There was enough pavement for you to drive on and park on but in between was a whole lot of forest and fun.  I can't wait to come back here again.

Bug loved all the big rocks to climb on.  In fact I think we were there less than ten minutes before he climbed up on one.

 So after we arrived and settled in we walked down to the lake.

 This picture cracks me up.  Bug and Grammy seem to have the same look on their faces.

 Squish of course was here...

 Bug petting his first fish.

 I had to use the ol' Ergo to lull Bug to sleep for his afternoon naps.

 Our evening camp fires.

 Scenes from our Sunday morning walk

This photo never fails to show up on your camera when it's handed to my sister.

 GOOF BALL!

These photos never seem to fail showing up in our family either...

We are all a tad immature in this group

  This is a fairly common look for me.

Squish in the Ergo and Bug on my hip.

This poor kid....

My Mr. Two Left Feet....

My exact cut out of his father....

Crashed and burned more times then what I can count.

On the first day....

1) He fell down our trailer steps and bit his lip

2) He fell down my sister's trailer steps and hurt his ear lobe

3)  He fell and scratched his elbow

Day two...

1) He tripped and smashed his chin into a piece of wood

2)  Tripped over the same rock four times in 3 minutes

 Our view.

 It sprinkled just a little bit on Sunday so Bug's cousin took the opportunity to teach him how to catch the rain with his tongue.

Here are some random cute photos taken during the trip.

I have to give some love to my sister and her kids for being so awesome and wonderful to my kids.

 They very patiently put up with my extremely bossy and demanding child

and...

they all did it with a smile on their faces. 

Thank you very much! 

I love you all!

I think the best part about this trip for Bug was the real life

Tinker Toy set. 

He loved to collect and stack all the wood. 

This first trip in our trailer and our first trip camping with my sister and her family was a great success.  I look forward to sharing many more blog posts with you on our camping adventures.

Lots of Love-SL

P.S.  Okay Dad...it's time you step up and buy mom a travel trailer now :-)