Lilac Hedge from Heaven

This hedge of Lilacs here in my adorable small town is a treat each spring. Throughout "downtown", it's sweet scent drifts about, turning frowns upside down and turning smiles into giggles. I was especially thrilled to find this fearless yellow butterfly who unabashedly allowed me to photograph him up close. Drunk on lilac nectar indeed. Who can blame him?

Easter Dos

By the way....I DID NOT dye those eggs...it was SO totally someone else...seriously :)

Other things went swell.

Visited with Nana and Papa on Saturday

Created a magical land of flowers and eggs for the toddlers to hunt in (yes it looked like a bunny cemetary).

Grant totally ROCKED. He knew exactly what to do and did it well. It was hilarious.



Grant chilled with his cousins and learned to sissy fight (that should go over well at day care)



We had a wonderful visit..and although exhausting...it was great.

Playing Around

While I work on answering Heather's breastmilk questions, here are some fun pics from over the weekend. We had a wonderful time with Grant - on a warm sunny day at the park and at a birthday party at Googols of Fun! Hope your Monday was more than decent.

Kite Flyin

Today Grant flew his first kite!

Hopeful Spring Haikus

spring is springing up
birth of hope, life, love and warmth
green peeking at you

just when the cold bites
and i want to hide for good
a warm day saves me

Happy Earth Day weekend!

yae...its earth day time again...that just reminds me of spring and festivals and FUN..and of course renewing our vows to green up and be better stewards of the earth. just found out theres a nice parade and party in lawrence tomorrow...working now on gathering friends to join me...especially since dave has to work (yuck)

grant is ever so adorable. im in the process of posting brand new pics...but it takes FOREVER to download pics and then upload them to photobucket so that i can post them here....takes a week or so with my harried baby loving schedule. so please be patient with me.the posted pic is maybe just 3 weeks old. by the way...grant is 9 months 2 weeks old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh and he said FOOD this morning...it was just a freak accident..but he did it! he loves the "f" sound....fffffffffffff....so i said....fffffffffffood...and he said it right back. too cute! but his mainstays are mom, mama, da da, daddy & dawg. ive noticed though that he says da da constantly in play ...but usually only shouts MOM when he is agitated with me...how is that fair?:)

tonight sarah, ben and princess of the universe miss vivian are coming to our humble abode to eat, drink and be merry. im looking forward to some "parents of babies" socialization time. i really feel drawn to mamas...and papas........and just chillin with others who understand the demands and rewards of living with babes.

happy earth day to you! please take this opportunity to think about the natural world...whose health is directly related to our own....and then do something nice for it.

Sweet Success

Ahh the sweet smell of victory....this morning I found the baby walker of my dreams....just down the street and a mere $2! I was amazed to find that they no longer sell them new (dangerous)..and that Good will isnt allowed to sell them anymore. It was quite the treasure hunt...and it felt kinda good to be exhibiting risky behavior hehe. Luckily the Tongie thrift shop hasnt caught up with 21st century extreme safety precaution culture....which albeit has good intentions but does take some fun outta life. Example B: teetertotters. I giggle with delight when i see one of them and trot over briskly to do the deed. Grant will be so pleased upon finding that this afternoon he gets to cruise the office..hopefully the commercial carpet wont slow him down too much.

Had a wonderful weekend! Our house guests were so sweet and we had a delightful time. Managed to get in some serious clothes shopping...and im telling you the stars were alighned because i found a whole bunch of cute stuff that not only fit in the budget but also fit my voluptious figure. The shopping spree started off my Birthday week....yes week....with Wednesday, april 4th (4/4) being the actual day i transformed from a amniotic fluid inhaling alien to an oxygen breathing baby. LOVE FOURS. So anyhoo...the visit was great and I got to know aunt mary rita a lot better and she is precious. with a tender heart and a great since of humor. Grant enjoyed getting to know his grandma burkemper again - and likewise she ate him up.

Sunday was spectacular. Not only did dave and i feel extra mushy for some reason (spring maybe?) but we had lots of outdoor time in lawrence...where we walked the river for a good while and introduced grant to the river up close.......then visited with sarah, ben & vivian. Together we walked their adorable old neighborhood with its vintage charm and gardens whose original gardener passed many many decades ago....and up to Mass street where we partook in ice cream splurges. The trek was fabulous! Good company...and god company (nature)...its a great combo. The kids loved it...especially in their baby carriers. Grant seems to really enjoy the new ergo...and we are getting the hang of it. The visit left me feeling optimistic, hopefuly & inspired. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I am thankful our paths crossed at the birth center...and we can now support each other in the great adventure of parenting.

So here we are at monday again...the ritual of survival.,....the routine of habit...the awesome life we have created for ourselves....its a mixed bag...but its darn good. ITs birthday week....i love birthday week.

Peace out.

thursday ramblings

can it really be thursday already? its strange how time flies like never before! tonight we get to pack our bags so that friday at 4 we can hit the road! columbia here we come. there we will visit with friends Marissa & Matt and then on Saturday we meet up with family in Jefferson City. It is going to be a nice trip. Fingers crossed Grant deals with his car seat in a passive manor.

Grant behaved beautifully last night. I always get nervous when I have a board meeting. We have had "issues" in the past...issues that include dad calling me on my cell begging (or was that demanding) that i come home immediately..and that i was never to leave him alone with grant again! HEHE. But last night he took an amazing nap of 1.5 hours then i nursed him and said goodbye. Daddy fed him some berries and then they played together and all of a sudden mama was home! I was greeted with bright and big smiles and wiggling. AHHHHHHHHh it felt so good to be home with the fam. Off to the tub we went.

Grant is in good humor even though he still needs breathing treatments...2 -3 times a day. We are just trying to stay on top of it and not let it get out of control. When he stops coughing we will stop giving him the treatments. Most of the treatments are given while he happily snoozes away. Occasionaly he gets one while awake. He definitely knows the drill and isnt afraid anymore. As long as we have an Einstein video on he tolerates them pretty well...just pushing the mask away a few times...and if I give him a break ...he lets me put it back within a minute or so. Sweet little baby. Such a trooper!

It is sooooooo cute watching him spin in circles on his bumm. He certaily has it down pat! He uses his heals to spin..and he knows exactly how to go in the direction he wants. Its adorable to watch him play while spinning. He will get a long lock of pop blocks and drag them on the ground while he spins in a circle...all the while zerberting or making other silly sounds and then if he sees something reachable he will tap it with the blocks. I love watching him play. His favorite toy right now just might be the wagon though. Its like he is a mechanic or something.

Spring has sprung and I couldnt be more pleased! Next stop flowers and sweet breezes.

the pics were taken in my office. he loves standing alone ...such a treat for him.

caged bird

as i walked through the park with grant this afternoon.....i realized that indeed most of us spend the greater portion of our lives indoors. no wonder we get cabin fever. no wonder we ache for freedom. my office doesnt even have a window in it. and i cant even complain....i have a real office...not a cubicle.

fresh air is like manna from heaven. one thing i love about tongie is just that. the air tastes good ...it smells good...and it is just good.

i told grant today that we are going to spend as many lunch hours as possible doing just that...savoring fresh air, dancing on the path in each others arms, singing silly songs, observing wildlife & feeling the grass on our toes. spring is a passion of mine...that im thrilled to be able to share with my son. oh the simple pleasures of motherhood.

hope is out there!

i felt it....i felt it and saw it and tasted it...ok maybe not tasted it...but yet it was in the air and on the breeze...SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER! yes indeed people....no need to go locking yourself in the garage with the car running....we can make it!

this weekend i had a slight cabin fever related meltdown on saturday night. i just want to go outside...but it was frigid with snow everywhere...so i felt locked down. however....sunday arrived with a warmth that renewed my spirit! so grant and i went for a stroll. it was fabulous! his little bundle me (the thing that keeps him warm in the car seat without need for a coat etc) was in the wash...so he ended up wearing my snow suit from almost 34 years ago! looked like a little angel...a girl angel too :). i had been wanting to try it on him...for sentiment's sake...so this challenge/opportunity was the perfect excuse. he loved his walk and even stayed awake for half of it....giggling at me ...showing me his big ole tooth. we had fun and i came back a new woman.

Baby bear plays catch now! Its such a fun game. he loves letting loose of whatever is in his hand and then recovering it just to repeat. Well papa started showing him how to make it a 2 person game...and the rest is history. Its a blast playing ball with a 7 month old! and i love watching him using different hands to grab it. however...i do save him from lunging for it if its outta his reach...mama dont let him smash his face whenever possible.