Ducks Don't Wear Socks

That's the name of one of the books we have checked out from the library right now. And when we went to Longview Lake yesterday, it was determined that it's true- ducks don't wear socks!

We went to the lake with our friend Amanda to feed the fish.

(the whole time we were looking at the fish and their big, nasty mouths, I couldn't help but think of the Trouty Mouth song from Glee. Poor Sam!)

He was totally getting into throwing the food 

as far out as possible.

He just couldn't stop checking out the fish!

Jackson and Amanda! Aren't they just super cute?!

You know you want to say it, so just go ahead... 

Awww!!!

We played with Amanda last week too! Belle played the role of real-life baby doll and she loved all of the
attention. It's a win-win for both girls!

Our friends are just so much fun (and cute)!

Mother's Day & Baby Dedication

Yesterday was Mother's Day and also Belle's baby dedication! She did so good sitting in 'big church' (Jackson, too!) and she was, of course, the cutest little baby of them all!

Presenting Belle before the church

Kneeling as we prayed for guidance and strength to raise Belle in a loving, Christian home

 Look at this beauty! She's holding the gifts she received at the dedication: a flower and Bible

I wanted a cute picture of me with my kiddos. I'm not loving this pic, but it's the best I've got. Jackson sure is super handsome!

Jackson was giving me a kiss- how sweet! I just had to include it- look at Belle's headband. Ha. Poor thing. She didn't even say a word about it!

My day started yesterday with an "Iwuvyou" from Jackson, along with a card and DVD. He was so excited to tell me about how he drew in the card! Derek cleaned my car earlier this week as a Mother's Day gift and I was also treated to shopping time ALONE over the weekend! It was nice to have some me-time, but I couldn't wait to get back to the family. Belle even took part in the gift giving by going to bed without episodes of crying and sleeping all night in her basinette!

I just love, love, love being a Mommy. Even on the days when my favorite jeans get covered in poop and snot well before 10am (like last Tuesday) or when I'm just super tired from getting up a bajillion times for feedings, diaper changes, bad dreams- motherhood is so much more rewarding than I ever expected. I am having a blast taking Jackson to do fun things and watching him grow into such a smart little boy and I could soak up Belle's gummy grins just all day.

And of course, Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom and to my Mother-in-Law, too! Linda has treated me like a daughter since I first started dating her son- we like to shop, chat, and pedicures. I am so blessed to have such great women to be Grandma's to my children!!

Meeting Meg Cabot

Saturday was such a super fun day for me! I totally got to meet Meg Cabot- my very favorite author! My friend, Audrey, called a couple of weeks ago to tell me she was coming in town on a book tour and I had been looking forward to it ever since. It was Audrey who got me hooked on Meg after insisting I read The Princess Diaries series* five years ago and I have been a fan ever since! The series inspired the name Mia for our kitten (she was just too tiny to be named Fat Louie) and I always recommend it to friends!!

(source: www.megcabot.com)

*Yes, there really are books, ten actually. Laugh out Loud greatness!! The movie is based on the first book, but the second movie has nothing to do with the series (and that actually annoys Mia as you read about it in the later books). You really should read the books. I loved the movie, but it totally doesn't capture the hilarity of Mia's diary entries. 

Audrey and I met up at Panera before going to the venue, which is only to be expected as it was the location for our old book club meetings (before our lives got so super crazy) and where I was first introduced to Meg! Yes, after meeting her, I feel that we are close enough to be on a first-name basis. I mean, she wrote my name when she autographed my book! We both brought our favorite book to get signed in addition to the one included in our event ticket. Audrey's pick: Avalon High. My pick: Size 12 is Not Fat.

It was way cool to hear Meg speak. As she shared about some of the events in her life-- I totally felt that I already knew her because she's revealed a lot of it in the characters she's created. She didn't even have to outright say this experience inspired this book or that experience inspired that character. It was as she talked about her parents being professors I was thinking, "that really sounds familiar. Oh! That was from Avalon High!" And as she spoke about the grossness of her mom dating her teacher, it was exactly the same expression Princess Mia exhibits when it happens to her. And... she's an artist! How cool!

Audrey and me with Meg Cabot!!!

(We may or may not have been the only twenty-something fans, 

but we will never be too old for young adult fiction!)

If it is at all possible, I love Meg even more after going to her book signing on Saturday! She is as entertaining and funny in person as she is in her books. Great personality. I seriously want to be her BFF. And she had the cutest shoes!

Book club resumes this month. And our book to read is, of course, Abandon by Meg Cabot!

NyQuil Party

Jackson was so kind as to share his nasty cold with the rest of us in this house. The kids are over at the in-laws so that we can rest up and kick this thing! It starts out with a sore throat. Then comes the stuffy nose and sinus headaches followed by the never ending running nose! Julie has just started the sore throat phase. Derek's at the headache stage and I've been fighting it all for a couple days now. It's possible that if I blow my nose one more time, my brains might actually fall out.

After taking some meds last night, I was still pretty groggy today. I was looking forward to napping myself after I got both kids down for naps and got a few chores completed. I guess I was a bit anxious to get things done because after I put Jackson down for his nap, I didn't kiss his forehead and whisper "I love you" as I typically do! As I was walking out of his room, he cried, "Love me!!" And I felt like the crummiest mommy ever. I walked over and knelt down, kissed him, and told him I loved him sooo much. Even though it was just a tiny moment in our day, it really caught my attention. I never want to rush around to get things done that I forget to tell my kids that I love them!

Okay, I'm off to get some sleep! I can't wait to post about my super-exciting (to me, anyway!) Saturday- hopefully tomorrow!

Just call him Ansel Adams

We have a budding photographer in our house. His appointments are booking fast, so if you'd like to hire him to capture some of your family photos this summer, you better call asap! There is a good chance, however, that all of your photos will end up looking a lot like this:

Because no matter how much we try to teach him to use the camera correctly, he simply insists on using it backwards and super-up-close.

I don't know how he stands the bright flash in his eyes over and over, but it doesn't stop him one bit. I ended up deleting over 35 images of his eye/nose/forehead! And I have to keep a q-tip handy for when I actually want to use the camera because he gets the lens oily and my pictures turn out foggy!

Even though you can't see his smile in the shots, he is definitely smiling because he say's "Cheese!!" with every photo he takes!