Mommy's Little Helper

Jack loves to help me in the kitchen. Until now, he mostly helps wash fruits/veggies and mixes/measures ingredients for muffins and other yummy baked goods. On Saturday, we decided to have a picnic pool side and I let him help make lunch. He helped slice the cantaloupe and made each of us an almond butter and peach-banana jam sandwich. He did such a great job and looked so cute in his apron. My little chef is growing up! What's next? A chocolate souffle?

Baby Belly Buttons

Kids say the darndest things. Just this morning, I came downstairs and Jack was already up with his daddy(wasn't that nice that they let me sleep in?). Here is how our conversation went:

Me: Good Morning, Jack!

Jack: (hugs me) Mommy, did you know that when my invilical cord came off it left me with this cute wittle bewy button?

Cute and smart...lucky me!

How does your garden grow?

Jack loves to help me with our(under performing)garden! He loves to water, pull weeds and check out what is growing under the leafy greens. Currently, we have lots of green beans, arugula and zucchini. I think our carrots and tomatoes are starting to rebound and we FINALLY have a little bitty eggplant starting to grow! While gardening with your precious and all too eager 3 year old has many wonderful benefits, it also comes with a few pitfalls. This morning, Daddy allowed Jack to give our veggies a much needed drink. However, a drink and a flood are two very different things! When I walked outside to get some pictures of our budding gardener, I was dismayed(ok, and a little amused) to see him sloshing around in the mud digging precariously close to my sad little tomato plants...sigh. He was SO proud telling me that he was looking for killer snakes. Why you ask? Jack is into all things deadly these days and often describes his plan of attack for protecting his mother from these creatures. Too funny, but also a little disturbing. Who knew I would have given birth to the new and upcoming Steve Irwin. We all know how that ended, so let's just hope he makes his way back to wanting to be a paleontologist. Anyways, I digress. Here are some pics of our ark worthy victory garden!

The happiest place on Earth

Move over Disneyland, the Children's Museum of Phoenix is about to take your place! Jack and I met our new friends(adorable Sara and her even cuter son, Ben) today at the museum for a little fun and lunch. The boys had a great time with the tricycle races, shopping at the grocery store, climbing through the tunnel maze and eating lunch each other's lunch! Jack was very big brotherly around Ben(19mos)helping to feed him, wipe his tiny mouth and attempting to hold his hand to "keep him safe!" Ben , being his own little man, was having none of the hand holding! There was SO much to do and see that by the end of the day, both mommies and kiddos were pooped. P.S. Thanks Sara! I appreciate you taking some pics of me with Jack today:)

Simply Raven

My cousin, Fauna, has the sweetest little guy. I don't get to see him very often, so I took the time to photograph him while I was there. This way, I don't have to wait for Miss Fauna to send my some pics!

Over the river and through the woods...

to grandmother's house we go! Our purpose for visiting California was primarily to visit my mom's side of the family and see Grandma Millie(75) and Papa(82)along with my mom's sisters. We had lots of laughs watching Raven and Jack run around though Grandma's patience was worn more than thin with all of the doors being slammed by the little ones. It was the first time in years that mom and I visited at the same time. We got to enjoy a lunch to our once favorite Mexican restaurant, have a fabulous bbq on the 4th hosted by Mary and the girls and look through lots of old pictures full with memories with a sentimental Papa. Here are some pics from our visit.

I second that emotion!

One of the things Jack loved best about our trip to Cali was playing with his cousin, Raven, who will be 6 in October. They were a perfect match of fire and sweetness as one moment they hugged each other and the next they were pulling hair and swinging fists for all they were worth. While they sat on the porch at my Aunt Mary's house, I took a series of photos capturing the subtle changes in their moods and expressions...in about 5 MINUTES! For me, these photos really illustrate family dynamics...love, excitement, comfort, anger, jealously, competition...a perfect ying and yang of complexity.