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//January
Thursday, July 31, 2014
7/12
//June
//May
//April
//March
//February
//January
Friday, July 25, 2014
7/12 (and a half)
I have, have, HAVE to include this picture in our monthly pictures. Just because it is my new favorite. Even if I didn't take it.
At Evan's family reunion a few weeks ago, his cousin Kim (also a profesh photog) took pictures of all the families. It was a quick sit on this couch and smile and done sort of thing, but it's so sweet. I love it a lot. And yes, we coordinated outfits. I actually dressed Maddox in a different shirt and then when Evan saw that we were both wearing gray, he went ahead and changed him into this shirt and I mean, gray + stripes is basically our family uniform 99% of the time.
And probably my most favorite part of this picture is Maddox's little expression. He was being so, so serious (that's what 100 degrees + no nap will do to you) and like five people had to jump around and make faces at him to get him to smile. And smile he did (sort of?) but it's so adorable.
At Evan's family reunion a few weeks ago, his cousin Kim (also a profesh photog) took pictures of all the families. It was a quick sit on this couch and smile and done sort of thing, but it's so sweet. I love it a lot. And yes, we coordinated outfits. I actually dressed Maddox in a different shirt and then when Evan saw that we were both wearing gray, he went ahead and changed him into this shirt and I mean, gray + stripes is basically our family uniform 99% of the time.
And probably my most favorite part of this picture is Maddox's little expression. He was being so, so serious (that's what 100 degrees + no nap will do to you) and like five people had to jump around and make faces at him to get him to smile. And smile he did (sort of?) but it's so adorable.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Maddox Currently
Currently Maddox is 15 and a half months old and he...
Runs. I thought that he was fast when he started walking. But then he started running. And basically my day consists of chasing a toddler around the house.
Knows where things are. This is a big one and so cool to me because I can see him learning and understanding things and making connections. Like, I'll say, "Where's your ball?" And he'll go find it. Or I'll tell him to bring me a book and he'll go find a book in his book bin. He also found an old jewelry box in my night stand and has been playing with that recently because he can dump everything out and put it back in and there's a lid on it and so he can hide things like half eaten cheese sticks (true story) in it. And so he brought it to the kitchen to play with it and then got distracted and left it there. I picked it up and set it with some things I needed to take back to my room and he grabbed it and brought it back in my room and started putting all the jewelry back in it. He also goes to the cupboard where the goodies are kept at grandma and grandpa's house and will stand at the door and sign please until someone gets him a treat.
Is obsessed with water bottles. Evan and I bought a pack of plastic water bottles to have in the car on our road trip and Maddox is obsessed with the caps. He loves to put the cap on, try to screw it on, take it off and pretend drink out of it. But he never puts the cap in his mouth, thank God. He also loves to find little things that he can shove in the bottle, ie. goldfish, rocks, crumbs, blueberries, etc. He will fill up the bottle and then dump everything out. I am still unsure why I ever bought him toys.
Quacks like a duck, roars like a lion, oinks like a pig. My parents' neighbors have a pet duck that quacks all the live long day. Maddox quickly learned how to imitate it. I read him The Saggy, Baggy Elephant and he loves the part with the lion because I roar for like 15 minutes. He's sort of picked it up and it's so cute. He only wants to read THAT page and so we read THAT page 914 times a day. He also love love loves that Noise Farm book but the pig is his favorite. You press the pig's ear and it oinks (like a recording of a real pig) and Maddox does his best impression of that 1,000 times a day. It's also his favorite page and so we basically skip over the rest of the loser animals (sorry about your cow, Erin) and head straight for the pig. [Can I tell you guys how I excited I am to take Mad to see the animals at the fair in the next few weeks? So stoked.]
Signs: Please and thank you. We've mastered saying please when you want something (like, he will walk up to us and sign please if we're eating something that he wants. We don't even have to tell him to say it.) but we're now working on the idea that just because you say please doesn't mean you're going to get it. Because if you tell this kid no, a fit of epic proportions is thrown. He's still a little iffy on thank you, but he's getting there.
New words: Zeeze (Please). Bah! (Bad. Bonus: Also points to the dog when he says it. Mom of the year.) Ha! (Hot! Okay, adorable. We tell Maddox something is hot, like a bite of food or the stove or whatever and he looks at us and repeats, "Ha! Ha!" And then because we blow on his food, he now says "Ha!" and then blows on the thing that is hot. This trick is also useful to get him to leave things alone if he's not supposed to play with them.)
*Yes, technically Maddox will be 16-months on Saturday. But technically I had this writtn up like 2 weeks ago and just slacked on taking pictures. So. Better late than never.
Knows where things are. This is a big one and so cool to me because I can see him learning and understanding things and making connections. Like, I'll say, "Where's your ball?" And he'll go find it. Or I'll tell him to bring me a book and he'll go find a book in his book bin. He also found an old jewelry box in my night stand and has been playing with that recently because he can dump everything out and put it back in and there's a lid on it and so he can hide things like half eaten cheese sticks (true story) in it. And so he brought it to the kitchen to play with it and then got distracted and left it there. I picked it up and set it with some things I needed to take back to my room and he grabbed it and brought it back in my room and started putting all the jewelry back in it. He also goes to the cupboard where the goodies are kept at grandma and grandpa's house and will stand at the door and sign please until someone gets him a treat.
Is obsessed with water bottles. Evan and I bought a pack of plastic water bottles to have in the car on our road trip and Maddox is obsessed with the caps. He loves to put the cap on, try to screw it on, take it off and pretend drink out of it. But he never puts the cap in his mouth, thank God. He also loves to find little things that he can shove in the bottle, ie. goldfish, rocks, crumbs, blueberries, etc. He will fill up the bottle and then dump everything out. I am still unsure why I ever bought him toys.
Quacks like a duck, roars like a lion, oinks like a pig. My parents' neighbors have a pet duck that quacks all the live long day. Maddox quickly learned how to imitate it. I read him The Saggy, Baggy Elephant and he loves the part with the lion because I roar for like 15 minutes. He's sort of picked it up and it's so cute. He only wants to read THAT page and so we read THAT page 914 times a day. He also love love loves that Noise Farm book but the pig is his favorite. You press the pig's ear and it oinks (like a recording of a real pig) and Maddox does his best impression of that 1,000 times a day. It's also his favorite page and so we basically skip over the rest of the loser animals (sorry about your cow, Erin) and head straight for the pig. [Can I tell you guys how I excited I am to take Mad to see the animals at the fair in the next few weeks? So stoked.]
Signs: Please and thank you. We've mastered saying please when you want something (like, he will walk up to us and sign please if we're eating something that he wants. We don't even have to tell him to say it.) but we're now working on the idea that just because you say please doesn't mean you're going to get it. Because if you tell this kid no, a fit of epic proportions is thrown. He's still a little iffy on thank you, but he's getting there.
New words: Zeeze (Please). Bah! (Bad. Bonus: Also points to the dog when he says it. Mom of the year.) Ha! (Hot! Okay, adorable. We tell Maddox something is hot, like a bite of food or the stove or whatever and he looks at us and repeats, "Ha! Ha!" And then because we blow on his food, he now says "Ha!" and then blows on the thing that is hot. This trick is also useful to get him to leave things alone if he's not supposed to play with them.)
*Yes, technically Maddox will be 16-months on Saturday. But technically I had this writtn up like 2 weeks ago and just slacked on taking pictures. So. Better late than never.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
ten things
Ten things about Maddox that I want to remember forever.
1. The tippy toes. He just figured it out and I love watching him run around and then remember tippy toes and suddenly walk five or six or seven steps on his tippy toes.
2. How he already plays pretend--like, pretend eats and chews all day long. Or pretend talks on the phone. Anything that is even remotely similar to the shape of a phone he puts to his ear and chats. My absolute favorite is when he has a funny conversation and will laugh to his imaginary friend on the phone.
3. How he pats his tummy when he's hungry.
4. That he had a giant sliver in his foot and he sat patiently and watched me use a pair of tweezers and a needle to dig it out. He didn't cry or squirm or fight me one time.
5. The way he says please. "Teeze." Or sometimes, "Zeeze."
6. When I sit on the floor and play with him and he runs around and plays by himself and gets into everything and then suddenly stops, looks for me and then runs to me and gives the biggest hug, his little fingers digging into my neck,
7. That Evan taught him to give knucks (pound it, fist bump, whatever you want to call it) and how he doesn't really make a fist but more of a pinching fist (like pointer finger and thumb together) and then bumps those two fingers to your fist. And the best part is when you ask him for "knucks" in a crowd of people and he walks around giving knucks to everyone in the room.
8. When we sit in the rocking chair and read a book and he lays back and sits quietly while I read (moving only to turn the pages) and then he leans his head back, looks up at me and says, "Mama."
9. The times when he asks me for a kiss by climbing in my lap, putting his hands on my shoulders and sticking out his lips at me.
10. The laugh he gives when you tickle his armpits and behind his knees.
1. The tippy toes. He just figured it out and I love watching him run around and then remember tippy toes and suddenly walk five or six or seven steps on his tippy toes.
2. How he already plays pretend--like, pretend eats and chews all day long. Or pretend talks on the phone. Anything that is even remotely similar to the shape of a phone he puts to his ear and chats. My absolute favorite is when he has a funny conversation and will laugh to his imaginary friend on the phone.
3. How he pats his tummy when he's hungry.
4. That he had a giant sliver in his foot and he sat patiently and watched me use a pair of tweezers and a needle to dig it out. He didn't cry or squirm or fight me one time.
5. The way he says please. "Teeze." Or sometimes, "Zeeze."
6. When I sit on the floor and play with him and he runs around and plays by himself and gets into everything and then suddenly stops, looks for me and then runs to me and gives the biggest hug, his little fingers digging into my neck,
7. That Evan taught him to give knucks (pound it, fist bump, whatever you want to call it) and how he doesn't really make a fist but more of a pinching fist (like pointer finger and thumb together) and then bumps those two fingers to your fist. And the best part is when you ask him for "knucks" in a crowd of people and he walks around giving knucks to everyone in the room.
8. When we sit in the rocking chair and read a book and he lays back and sits quietly while I read (moving only to turn the pages) and then he leans his head back, looks up at me and says, "Mama."
9. The times when he asks me for a kiss by climbing in my lap, putting his hands on my shoulders and sticking out his lips at me.
10. The laugh he gives when you tickle his armpits and behind his knees.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Naptime Craft time
I pinned this adorable a while back to my arts and crafts board on Pinterest because I love flowers and letters and pretty frames and thought it would be such a fun and unique piece of art. And so one quick trip to Hob Lob and a one lucky thrift store run later, I spent Maddox's afternoon nap doing arts and crafts.
Supplies:
Glue gun
Fake flowers
Wood letter
Wire or sturdy string
Frame
You want to pick out a few different flowers in a few different colors. I already had some pink roses on hand so I just grabbed some orange ranunculus and white daisies. The point is to not be able to see the letter base at all, so grab more than you think you'll need. It's a good idea to grab some small filler flowers (like the daisies) to stick in any gaps.
Pluck all the flowers off their stems. Usually they will just pull off fairly easily but wire cutters will also do the trick. I went ahead and trimmed down the little plastic piece that was left on the bottom of the buds just so they would lay flat and I'd have more area to glue.
Start gluing! You could lay everything out and find a good placement for everything. But this is me trying to be less OCD so I just went for it. I glued each flower on one at a time until my C was filled. If the bottom of your flower is plastic, there is a chance that the glue will melt it. Also the glue is very hot and so if you stick your finger in some freshly melted glue, there is a chance that a string of curses will flow freely from your mouth and so it's a good idea to either be very careful and not an idiot or to not do this around small children. (I chose the second option).
To hang your letter on the wall, trim a piece of craft wire or string or twine. Find your center of gravity (it's probably a good idea to tape on your wire or string or twine and hang it on the wall to make sure you've found the center of gravity and your letter isn't going to be eternally lopsided [NOT THAT I'M SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE OR ANYTHING]) and glue both ends of the wire or string or twine to your letter. Hang it in your frame (obviously discard the glass) and you're done!
Supplies:
Glue gun
Fake flowers
Wood letter
Wire or sturdy string
Frame
You want to pick out a few different flowers in a few different colors. I already had some pink roses on hand so I just grabbed some orange ranunculus and white daisies. The point is to not be able to see the letter base at all, so grab more than you think you'll need. It's a good idea to grab some small filler flowers (like the daisies) to stick in any gaps.
Pluck all the flowers off their stems. Usually they will just pull off fairly easily but wire cutters will also do the trick. I went ahead and trimmed down the little plastic piece that was left on the bottom of the buds just so they would lay flat and I'd have more area to glue.
Start gluing! You could lay everything out and find a good placement for everything. But this is me trying to be less OCD so I just went for it. I glued each flower on one at a time until my C was filled. If the bottom of your flower is plastic, there is a chance that the glue will melt it. Also the glue is very hot and so if you stick your finger in some freshly melted glue, there is a chance that a string of curses will flow freely from your mouth and so it's a good idea to either be very careful and not an idiot or to not do this around small children. (I chose the second option).
Monday, July 14, 2014
7/12 a year of dates
Let's be honest. Date number seven is probably going to be the best date of the year.
Becaaaaaause....
Evan and I got tattoos!
For our date.
So much fun. SO much fun. We have had this little date planned for the past few months (and the idea planned in our little brains for the past few years) and it finally happened. We made the appointment on our anniversary so it was part anniversary present, part date, part anniversary. Basically, that's the equation for a perfect date.
A few months ago I saw this beautiful tattoo online and I've been drooling over it ever since. It was a peony and a rose and so delicate and feminine and beautiful. I've always wanted to do some sort of flower on my arm but have vacillated between watercolor and black ink. I went with black because it seems like it would be harder to mess up and I kept coming back to that picture. The artist initially drew out a rose and I didn't love it and so she started over from scratch (bless her heart) and came up with this. I love it. So much. And yes, it hurt. But she did tell me that I was one of the best people she'd ever had in her chair, pain-wise. (So, apparently my paint tolerance is through the roof unless you're forcing Pitocen through my veins and prying a baby out of me.)
Evan chose 1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?" I can attest to his love for this verse (although he did almost decide to get my flower put on his arms instead when he saw the finished product because he loved it so much) and I can't wait to see how many conversations it starts.
Before you get to thinking we're hoodrats now, we do collectively have eight tattoos between the two of us. So. There's that fun little tidbit for the day. And now we must prepare ourselves for boring dates for the remainder of the year because I just don't know how you can top that. Except we are anything but boring. Obvs.
Becaaaaaause....
Evan and I got tattoos!
For our date.
So much fun. SO much fun. We have had this little date planned for the past few months (and the idea planned in our little brains for the past few years) and it finally happened. We made the appointment on our anniversary so it was part anniversary present, part date, part anniversary. Basically, that's the equation for a perfect date.
Before you get to thinking we're hoodrats now, we do collectively have eight tattoos between the two of us. So. There's that fun little tidbit for the day. And now we must prepare ourselves for boring dates for the remainder of the year because I just don't know how you can top that. Except we are anything but boring. Obvs.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Dear Evan
Dear Evan,
Four years, 1461 days, 126,444,000 seconds. (I googled that last stat. You know how I am with math. And also, googling. So don't quote me.)
You started off our marriage by tripping in the grass. You almost rolled your ankle and probably almost died but we laughed about it because WE WERE MARRIED and we trotted off together because we were invincible.
I remember not feeling much different as I suddenly made the switch from single to married. I didn't feel any different. You didn't look any different. It was just like a birthday: You're technically a year older but that doesn't mean it happens all at once and you can really, really feel it. It was a gradual thing that we grew into. Because calling you my husband took a lot of practice and then suddenly it didn't and we were married and we had been married for quite some time and there was nothing really new about it anymore.
Except when I think of you I still get butterflies. I still wonder how in the heckfire you decided that you loved me--this stubborn, strong willed, capital B who can't keep the house clean to save her life. I'm still sort of amazed that we haven't killed each other yet because we are mighty competitive in our games of 2-on-2 RISK and you snore like a horse (do horses snore?) and you wake me up at all hours of the night to tell me the most ridiculous stories in your sleep and you take five hundred showers a day and will try on a shirt for exactly one point eight seconds and deem that it is filthy. You drive me crazy in a hundred different ways and then sweep me off my feet a thousand times over.
I wouldn't change a thing about you (except for the snoring part) because you complete me. You are the best father to our son. You're his wrestling mate and punching bag and you give the best tickles. You sing him to sleep and are not afraid to crawl into his crib to comfort him. When you leave the room and Maddox cries for you, he is voicing what my heart aches to say.
I remember always wanting to marry a guy who could a) sing and b) had curly hair. You fit the bill perfectly until you chopped off your hair. I forgive you but know that I would have married you if you were bald and even if you sounded like my Shakira impression when you sang. That's how much I love you. And since you haven't glued my mouth shut, I'm assuming you either really love me OR you really love my Shakira impression. I'll assume it's 50/50 and will continue to sing my heart out. Like Shakira, obviously.
Happy FOUR years, bae. Here's to a million more.
La.
Four years, 1461 days, 126,444,000 seconds. (I googled that last stat. You know how I am with math. And also, googling. So don't quote me.)
You started off our marriage by tripping in the grass. You almost rolled your ankle and probably almost died but we laughed about it because WE WERE MARRIED and we trotted off together because we were invincible.
I remember not feeling much different as I suddenly made the switch from single to married. I didn't feel any different. You didn't look any different. It was just like a birthday: You're technically a year older but that doesn't mean it happens all at once and you can really, really feel it. It was a gradual thing that we grew into. Because calling you my husband took a lot of practice and then suddenly it didn't and we were married and we had been married for quite some time and there was nothing really new about it anymore.
Except when I think of you I still get butterflies. I still wonder how in the heckfire you decided that you loved me--this stubborn, strong willed, capital B who can't keep the house clean to save her life. I'm still sort of amazed that we haven't killed each other yet because we are mighty competitive in our games of 2-on-2 RISK and you snore like a horse (do horses snore?) and you wake me up at all hours of the night to tell me the most ridiculous stories in your sleep and you take five hundred showers a day and will try on a shirt for exactly one point eight seconds and deem that it is filthy. You drive me crazy in a hundred different ways and then sweep me off my feet a thousand times over.
I wouldn't change a thing about you (except for the snoring part) because you complete me. You are the best father to our son. You're his wrestling mate and punching bag and you give the best tickles. You sing him to sleep and are not afraid to crawl into his crib to comfort him. When you leave the room and Maddox cries for you, he is voicing what my heart aches to say.
I remember always wanting to marry a guy who could a) sing and b) had curly hair. You fit the bill perfectly until you chopped off your hair. I forgive you but know that I would have married you if you were bald and even if you sounded like my Shakira impression when you sang. That's how much I love you. And since you haven't glued my mouth shut, I'm assuming you either really love me OR you really love my Shakira impression. I'll assume it's 50/50 and will continue to sing my heart out. Like Shakira, obviously.
Happy FOUR years, bae. Here's to a million more.
La.
What We've Learned
Happy anniversary to my husband, lover, best friend, trouble maker, handyman and personal serenader. I love you. Like a lot.
/We've learned how to cook.
/We have not learned how to grocery shop or how to remember what we have in the fridge.
/We've learned more about keeping the good people around.
/We have not learned how we got so lucky in our friendships.
/We've learned how to go from newborn to baby to toddler in the blink of an eye.
/We have actually not learned that at all. No one will ever learn that.
/We have learned how to be a one car family.
/We have not even [hardly] missed our second car.
/We have learned the importance of my role as mom & staying home with Maddox.
/We have not missed my second, consistent income.
/We have learned how to make pizza from scratch.
/We have not learned how to branch out from pesto + tomato + artichoke toppings.
/We have learned the importance of communication.
/We have not had as many fights or misunderstandings.
/We have learned that Larissa still hates movies.
/We have not seen any new movies this year. (Besides Hunger Games. But obviously.)
/We have learned that we do not want more children in the near future.
/We have not ruled them out either.
/We have learned how to fly with a toddler.
/We have not planned anymore plane trips.
/We have learned to set a reminder to order an anniversary cake.
/We have not found anyone to make us our 4-year cake because we did not set said reminder.
/We have learned that Montana is where we are meant to be.
/We have not had an easy road learning that.
/We've learned how to cook.
/We have not learned how to grocery shop or how to remember what we have in the fridge.
/We've learned more about keeping the good people around.
/We have not learned how we got so lucky in our friendships.
/We've learned how to go from newborn to baby to toddler in the blink of an eye.
/We have actually not learned that at all. No one will ever learn that.
/We have learned how to be a one car family.
/We have not even [hardly] missed our second car.
/We have learned the importance of my role as mom & staying home with Maddox.
/We have not missed my second, consistent income.
/We have learned how to make pizza from scratch.
/We have not learned how to branch out from pesto + tomato + artichoke toppings.
/We have learned the importance of communication.
/We have not had as many fights or misunderstandings.
/We have learned that Larissa still hates movies.
/We have not seen any new movies this year. (Besides Hunger Games. But obviously.)
/We have learned that we do not want more children in the near future.
/We have not ruled them out either.
/We have learned how to fly with a toddler.
/We have not planned anymore plane trips.
/We have learned to set a reminder to order an anniversary cake.
/We have not found anyone to make us our 4-year cake because we did not set said reminder.
/We have learned that Montana is where we are meant to be.
/We have not had an easy road learning that.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
You scream, I scream
Our house is planted dangerously close to the cutest outdoor ice cream stand. It's the kind of ice cream stand that has been around forever and ever and is only open in the summer and has the world's best swirl ice cream dipped in sprinkles. It's tradition for anyone in my town to frequent this little joint all summer long and everyone who's anyone knows plenty of people who have worked here and have scored their fair share of free ice cream (I mean, no. Never.)
But so. This little ice cream stand is within walking distance of our house. We find ourselves on plenty of evening walks in the summer and mysteriously end up at the little brick building with ice cream cones in our hands.
We decided that it was time to get Maddox his very own ice cream cone; like, you know, the first cone of his own that he could really smash his face into. They sell actual baby cones for a dollar and they're the cutest thing ever. So, we got one for Maddox, vanilla, and hustled back to our park where I could take pictures of my little nugget and his very first ice cream cone. It was a giant mess and so, so sticky and I had my fancy camera out and Maddox just wanted to smash his ice cream into my camera. And of course he ate all of his (or what didn't drip on the ground anyway) and then most of mine because mine was better because it was chocolate AND sprinkles.
It's probably a good thing summer is only a few short months because someone in this house (ahem, me) has no self control when it comes to ice cream and if it were up to me, I'd be there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
But so. This little ice cream stand is within walking distance of our house. We find ourselves on plenty of evening walks in the summer and mysteriously end up at the little brick building with ice cream cones in our hands.
We decided that it was time to get Maddox his very own ice cream cone; like, you know, the first cone of his own that he could really smash his face into. They sell actual baby cones for a dollar and they're the cutest thing ever. So, we got one for Maddox, vanilla, and hustled back to our park where I could take pictures of my little nugget and his very first ice cream cone. It was a giant mess and so, so sticky and I had my fancy camera out and Maddox just wanted to smash his ice cream into my camera. And of course he ate all of his (or what didn't drip on the ground anyway) and then most of mine because mine was better because it was chocolate AND sprinkles.
It's probably a good thing summer is only a few short months because someone in this house (ahem, me) has no self control when it comes to ice cream and if it were up to me, I'd be there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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