Lessons

Every day Audrey "teaches" Phoenix how to climb up the stairs. I of course monitor their every move (much to Audrey's annoyance) and I get to witness the progress. It first started out with Phoenix only being able to make it up the first few stairs. Now he can go up both flights without breaking a sweat. He always turns around with a very satisfied look on his face when he reaches the top.

Big Boy Jammies

Audrey picked out some Thomas jammies for this little handsome fella. I think they make him look like a big boy (that and him standing up to EVERYTHING!).

Date Night

No, not for me...it was a Daddy/Daughter date night. Travis got the idea to take Audrey to see Toy Story 3. Of course Audrey was super excited. She even let me change her earrings! She picked her outfit out herself. Her go-to special outfit is her jeans, with her polka-dot cowgirl shirt (it has ruffles down the front) with her flower sweater. Yes, it was a wee hot for her outfit, but she didn't car.

She picked Trav's outfit out to. They had a great time, and they both keep imitating the doll on it that said "Mama....Mama" in a creepy voice.

Flashback

I noticed that all of my pictures from when Audrey was a baby that were taken in our apartment are dark....like really dark. That place was ... G to the H to the E T T O. Anyways, it is cute to see both Audrey and Phoenix playing with the same toys around the same age.

Father's Day

As you all know, Sunday was Father's Day. I am pretty sure Travis had a good day. Audrey got him some Lindor Truffles...which are his favorite in case you didn't know. She picked them out herself and it was really cute that she knew exactly what to get him.

Travis is a great Pappa. He always has energy to play with the kids, and when I am totally drained he can step in and pick up the slack. He works so hard to support our family, and he is totally dedicated to making the business a success. I admire that he has the ambition and motivation to make his dreams come true.

Both me and Travis were lucky enough to be raised by great Dad's (and of course Mom's). So, Happy Father's Day to our Dad's as well!

the kids...

Audrey and Phoenix have so much fun together. Audrey is pretty much the best big sister (or should I say "stister"?), Phoenix gets so excited when he sees her. Now that he is standing up to things it is easier for him to be at the same level as Audrey. Just wait until he starts walking!

p.s. doesn't Phoenix look huge (or Audrey look small) in the picture that she is holding him?

You say tomato!

I have an anti-talent. I can kill plants like nobody else, and probably faster than anyone else. That is why I purchased an already mature tomato plant from Home Depot about a month ago. There was no way a tomato plant could survive from a young age with me. If there is one thing I love about the summer, it has got to be garden fresh tomatoes. I decided buying a lone tomato plant would make more sense than attempting a box garden this year (I am planning on one for next year...once we buy a house). I have been very good about watering the plant, the sun ripened tomatoes are apparently incentive enough to keep me interested. Anyway, after a month or so of hard labor (OK, so pouring some water into the soil isn't exactly hard) I enjoyed my first tomato today. It makes me wish I would have had a Roma tomato plant and a cherry tomato plant. But I will enjoy this variety for now.

You know you are shopping in the ghetto when...

• you go to the grocery and have a discussion with your husband as to what would be less dangerous, you going into the grocery store while he waits in the car or him going into the grocery store while you wait in the parking lot in the car.
• when you are in line in the grocery store the lady behind you is talking about how she isn't sure if she should get really mad at her main squeeze because if she did then she isn't sure that they would ever get back together. After all, him cheating on her was purely for pleasure and nothing emotional (her words, not mine).
• when you are in line you see a cop at the front of the store
• when you are walking into and out of the grocery store you imagine bullets being shot in your back
• when you are in the grocery store you are just waiting for someone to pull out a gun

Um...I don't think I will be returning to that place.

Phoenix Update

Besides being cuter than ever, this little guy has had a busy month and a half. He went from rolling over to army crawling (quite fast I might add), sitting up (he was too stiff for the first 9 months of his life to sit), to crawling up the first few stairs...

to standing up to everything he can!

When Audrey was this age I thought that she was such a big girl, but when I look at Phoenix he seems too small to be doing all of these things. I am so proud of this little guy!

Do you remember what the Doctor said?

Since last year I have been saying that to Audrey..

• The Dr. said you should drink more water


• The Dr. said you should stop using your binky


• The Dr. said you should brush your teeth

stuff like that. Sometimes I was actually saying what he said (lose the binky) and other times I said it for things I know he would agree with (aka I made up that he said some of the things).

Audrey caught on.

Now she is always saying stuff like

• Do you remember what the doctor said? Don't put me in time out


• Do you remember what the doctor said? Give me candy


• Do you remember what the doctor said? Ice cream gives me strong bones.

Either she has been having a lot of private conversations with the Dr. and he was giving her very poor advice, or she made everything up (my money is on the second option).

What a funny girl...

slacker

Yup, that's me. Ever since I got back from NY I have been slacking in many of my duties (don't worry, I still fed and bathed my kids). If you think I have been neglecting my blog, you should see (or should I say smell) my house. Yeah...its bad. But I woke up this morning determined to use my time more wisely this week and to be more efficient. I started off with deep conditioning my hair and putting a mask on my face (even my normal beauty routine was somewhat affected last week). Now I am off to disposing of the mountain of diapers that have been stinking up our house.

Treman

Our day at Treman deserved a post of its own...
Pretty much every year my family would go to Treman (state park in Ithaca) for Memorial and/or Labor Day. It was a fun tradition. We would hike along the waterfalls, and end the day with grilled burgers and dogs, and usually smores.

starting off the hike at the Old Mill

on the hike...

At one point in the hike my Mom slipped on some mud (luckily she wasn't hurt). Audrey said "Mom, what's wrong with your Mom?" and then a few minutes later she said "everyone has excellents".

Travis and Phoenix caught a fish together! (Phoenix was holding the pole...I am just so impressed that Trav caught the fish with Phoenix attached to him!)

eatin some delish food

me and my hunny

We had a great time, Travis keeps talking about how much he loved it.
p.s. congrats to my sister Leah who got engaged last week! Her and Paul are planning an October wedding. I am so excited!

Weekend trip to NY

Last Thursday morning I was laying in bed and I decided to go to NY for the weekend. My older sister, Jessie, had a birthday on Friday and as you all know Monday was Memorial Day so it seemed like perfect timing. I decided to head out Thursday afternoon with the kids (it could have been very bad, but they were both well behaved for the most part). Travis flew in Friday night.

My parents have a beautiful grand piano, and Audrey LOVES it (Phoenix likes it to). Joanna had to practice and Audrey got very upset that she couldn't play.

Jess is so patient with the kids, when Audrey was a wee thing Jess would hold her up to the sink to play in the water and it turns out that Phoenix likes it to.

We went to a state park (Treman) on Saturday and Audrey was extremely excited to be riding in my parents van. She was literally jumping up and down with excitement. I named the van Clifford when I was in high school...the van is red, and you know Clifford the BIG red dog? It just seemed fitting.

My lil brother, Sam, talked Audrey into making him a PB&J sandwich, and she was quite proud of the result.

All day on Monday Audrey was talking about how she was going to stay in NY when me and Trav left to go back to NC. "I will put myself down" she promised (talking about down to sleep), she said that she would put Phoenix down to, and that Jessie could change his poopy diapers and that her and Phoenix would sleep in Jo's room. She was devastated when we had to leave.

On the ride home when she finally fell asleep she would randomly wake up and say in a tearful voice "I want to go back to New York!" and then she would go back to sleep. It was funny.