Dear Brother,

I've been thinking about you a lot these last few days. I've been trying to recall my final week in CR nearly 8 years ago and I'm having trouble.
*If you're unaware, he's been in Spain since September through a study abroad program and will be returning before X-mas.*
You've done an amazing job detailing your experience in your blog. I've loved every bit of your writing as you've worked to express your heart and what that place has done to it. I recognize and I hope you do as well that what you've typed and submitted into the eternity that is the Internet is not as much a recounting for your friends and family as much as it is for yourself. You'll be grateful that you blogged about it. Trust me. I wish blogging had been more popular 8 years ago. Perhaps I wouldn't be having such a hard time remembering my journey abroad if I had kept a better and more permanent log of it.
There will be a time not long from now, where you'll long to go back. Maybe you'll be married with kids, maybe you'll be just beginning a career that won't let you travel. But something will make you Desirae a visit. And you won't be able to go.
There's something to be said about living alone. Independence, self sufficiency, responsibility, it's such a big step in a young persons life. It's one that in our culture is expected and anticipated. Most people we know have done it. Few that we know still live with their parents at our age(s). But it's a whole other animal to leave your independent life and your family and your friends and cross oceans to live alone, somewhere you've never been.
I remember little things. Little things that made the journey so much more meaningful. Like the pizza shop near campus that would serve made to order calzones. Or the little kids that lived down the street. Their mom made and sold chocolate covered bananas out of her home. Delicious. Or the farmers market that stretched for nearly 2 miles of open parking lot every weekend. Riding the bus everywhere, walking everywhere, the ridiculousness convenience of the ocean and a Caribbean filled weekend. These are small things that will reside in my heart and my mind forever as keepsakes. Parts of my semester that I hold dearly.
And then I remember the loneliness. After the rush of new friends, new languages, new food wore off, I realized I was alone. You go from the ecstasy of this leap of independence you've taken to sudden depression from not having anyone to share it with. You think "wow I have so much to share with my family, my friends, when I return". But then you realize nobody's going to really care about my time here. They're not going to find joy in my description of my quaint apartment or the pastry shop that I visited daily after class. They're not going to relish in my experiences of riding a bus 3 hours standing to get to the beach every other weekend. And I know that they won't care really about all the amazing people I met from other countries that introduced me to so many cultures and personalities. It's just you. It was just me. I was there for me as you have taken this trip for yourself.
You'll return, you'll have great stories to tell and pictures to show. We'll act interested and excited for you. But then we'll move on. We'll find other things to talk about, like our own lives, the trips we've taken, the things that have kept us busy since you've been gone. And life for us will go back to normal; with you in school in Atlanta and us here waiting for your next visit.
I don't write this to get you down. Understand that these past few months have probably been the most important of your life. Not because you traveled abroad, not because you leaned a new language. But because you took time to see things, do things, meet people all.by.yourself. With no ability of returning until your time ends. And that is the perfect environment for you to learn who you are. Or at least to start learning who you are. To be physically and emotionally stranded in a place so far removed from normal life. To be able to strip away all the crap of the everyday and focus on yourself. To have time alone where nobody is expecting you. Where there isn't a load of responsibilities to take care of. It's just you, your thoughts, your doubts, in a place that you'll tell people about but who will never truly understand.
Cherish this last week. Soak as much Spain up as you possibly can. Write until your fingers bleed. I wish I had had someone to tell me these things. I wish that I could turn back time and chronicle all the amazingness and loneliness that I experienced in my time abroad.
I love you and I can't wait to see you next week, to hear more about your journey and the lessons you've learned. Take care brother and safe travels home.  
Love, Becca

And the finished product

In case you're curious...

On Rainy Days

I like to bake. This morning, I had two kids so grumpy that even the tv was of no help. So we baked. I mean, R sat in his excersaucer while chomping on cheerios, B stood on a chair repeatedly asking me for a "taste" and I did the actual baking.
A few years ago I dove into my Jewish roots, and learned how to make some baked goods that would make my Polish/German ancestors proud. The first was Kamish bread. It's a lot like biscotti but not so crumbly. It's super easy and fairly quick. It's not a yeast bread so it only take about 30 min. from ingredients to edible. I'd post a picture but by 1pm it's almost all gone and not that pretty anymore.
The second thing I learned to cook was challah bread. This is my fav. It's sweet, and light, and fluffy. It's great for breakfast, snack, or as french toast once it's a few days old (if it lasts that long.) The recipe is here. I use my bread machine for almost all baked goods, even if I don't have a bread machine recipe. I improvise and figure out how to make it work with the bread machine. Like most moms with young kids I don't have time to stand and hand knead dough for 15 min. Why bother when a machine can do the job for you. So here is my risen yet pre-baked loaf of braided goodness. It's baking now and I can't wait for it to be done.

If I Was More Organized

1. I'd blog more. I'm constantly thinking of great things to blog about. But I don't. I like to think that I do a pretty good job of managing my time, but I guess if I were really good, I'd pencil in an hour a week to sit down and write, which I don't. Which is obvious if you notice the month long gap between blog entries.
2. I'd send my brother a care package. It's been nagging at me for weeks to get a small care package together and mail to my brother who's currently spending a semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain. I remember getting mail in college and when I went abroad. It was the best thing ever to have a tiny taste of home while you're so far away. I promise, Mondo. I will send you something before you come home in December.
3. I'd create more. This weekend it became painfully apparent that my kid needs new shoes. He's outgrown the baby sizes and isn't big enough for the next group of hand-me-downs we've received. So after weeks of squishing his feet into booties, I cut out a few hours of the weekend to make him some shoes. I used to do make tons for Bela and even for friends that requested them. But I've just not had the same enthusiasm to do them for R. i think it's because this kid likes to drain as much energy from me as he can leaving me in no mood to do anything nice for him once he's gone to bed....#badmommy
Anyways, I made two pairs and was so excited with myself and the fact that he now has shoes to wear. It made me miss the old days when I made the time to do things like this. Oh and did I mention that 3 weeks ago B and I went to the fabric store and bought some awesome fabric to make her Halloween costume? Guess who then turned around and bought a jasmine outfit off Amazon three days later?...this girl.So here's to new shoes, care packages and blogging! Maybe I'll have more free time once they get to high school. A girl can dream.

October

We've had a busy few weeks.

It started with the pumpkin patch at Theis Farm... If you live in St. Louis and have small kids make sure you do this next year. It's awesome! We got two "baby" pumpkins, ran through the corn maze, played on the slides and adventured through the hay bail tunnels. It was a huge hit.

We made a visit to Boo at the Zoo as well. This was a bit of a disappointment because most of the animals were inside do to the cold. The idea of this is to dress up in your costume, stand in a line that weaves all throughout the zoo and stop at a table every 50 feet to receive a piece of candy. It's a nice idea but for the 10 pieces of candy and the hour we were there, it just didn't seem worth it. Anyways, we met up with some new friends from Brazil which was probably the highlight.

Halloween couldn't have gone better. We stayed at home this year for trick o treating. With B dressed at Jasmine and R sporting B's monkey costume from last year (who says there aren't benefits to having 2 kids in 2 years?) we ventured out for some candy. B did great. She walked right up to the homes and said "trick o treat", held out her bag and then thanked the neighbors as she headed back to the side walk. I was so proud of her. After doing about a dozen homes, we returned to ours and I told B she could help me pass out candy to the kids. We sat on the porch and every time a kid walked up she handed them one piece and told them "trick o treat". I had to keep reminding her that that is what you say when you're the one actually trick o treating. Not when you're handing out candy. Oh well. She agreed to 3 pieces of candy from her bag for the night. Kids were in bed by 8, we got a decent amount of chocolate to eat over the next week and nobody refused sleep due to sugar highs. All in all, success.

Go Cards!

For Fathers Day in June, I told my dad that his gift was a Cardinals game with me. He just had to choose which game and I'd take care of the tickets. 3 months later, we finally took that date. We saw the Cards play the Cubs and unfortunately, they loss. However, I don't go to see a win, I go to go. The wonderful man I married isn't so much a baseball fan and although I'm not a fanatic I am a St. Louisan who was raised in a home with boys who love their Cards. So going to a Cardinals game brings huge doses of nostalgia to me of being a kid, sitting with my family at Busch. We didn't go often, it's not a cheap outing for a family of 5, but when we went it was spectacular. The crowds, the lights, the peanuts.

Being a kid and having a brother who was huge fan, I became a fan by default. I joined in his excitement for games, and wore my red proudly. In Richmond heights, where we lived for a good portion of my early childhood, the police officers would pull over and hand out Cardinal baseball cards. We'd compare what we had in hopes of collecting the whole set by the end of the summer and baseball season. I remember going to an autograph signing as a kid. It was so exciting to get to meet these players that in our little minds were so worthy of their fame. I remember being able to recite the names of the players from season to season and joining in my fathers disappointment when a favored player was traded to another city.

Cardinals Baseball isn't just a sport or a team to me, it's a part of my childhood. One that brings back so many fond memories of my dad. Going to the annual game with him isn't just fun. It's a chance to sit their and be a kid. To take in all the excitement around me and pretend that I'm 12 again, to participate in the wave, to throw my peanut shells on the ground, to clap and sing to all the customary stadium songs and chants. To relish in my home team who right now are doing a bang up job! Go Cards!

Oh Yea, and on our way to the game we walked through the Taste of St. Louis on Market. We had some delicious BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches for dinner. YUM!

Family

This past weekend was my brother Lee's wedding. All of us, minus the baby, were part of the wedding party. My new sister in law, is a wonderful person, and i'm excited for what's in store for this young couple.

At the rehearsal dinner we had a time where people could stand up and say something to the couple. My mom had told me about this a week in advance but i didn't think about saying anything until in was my turn. My other brother Mondo got up and said some nice words so i figured I better say something. Being unprepared was silly of me but no one is going to remember what was said anyways. I kept repeating how happy I was for them, and how excited I am to see what is instore for them. They're young, like Carlos and I were when we were married. A lot has happened in 6 years, some good, some rough, but we're happy and thankful for one another.

At the reception the next evening, my brother Mondo gave his best man speech. He had planned what to say and did a stand up job. One thing he said really stuck with me though. He said that his family is the coolest family he knows. I'm not saying that I agree with him because I'm so cool. Lord knows i'm not. But aside from that, he's right. A lot of people have amazing family relationships. They don't just get along, but they love being together. They rejoice with each other, they grieve with one another and they long for time together. This is the Davis family. We've always been big on family bonding. Whether it be through meals, holidays, vacations, camping, or music we sincerely enjoy being together.

We're all grown up now, and the family is only getting bigger as time passes. And as Meredith takes this leap into our loving, quirky, attention deficient and often overly emotional family, I hope she can see what Mondo meant. It's never about whose got the better family. It's about rejoicing in the one you have through love, sincerity, and laughter.

Moving

No, we're not moving. We'd love to but we're not. I won't bore you with the details but lets just say the economy sucks. You know somethings wrong when you can afford a newer, nicer, bigger home, but you can't afford to sell the smaller, older one you're already living in.
So in light of making the best of it, I've been thinking about re-organizing. We've frequently done this in the past 5 years that we've lived in our two bedroom home in order to make best use of our space. But now with two kids who are only getting bigger and a real estate market that doesn't look anywhere close to improving in the near future, it's becoming even more important to make the most of what we have.
I've always been one of those moms that tell people when buying gifts for my kids to stay away from anything big.
1. I don't want to have to find a place for it in a home that is running out of corners, and
2. Why spend big bucks on a life size kitchen set when my toddler is happy playing with the sticks and leaves she found in the yard (seriously, this is her newest thing...On the bright side, Carlos doesn't have to pick up as many sticks before mowing). Thankfully, people have listened to me and because of that our house doesn't look like a ransacked isle of Toys R Us.
The "playroom" is B's bedroom. However, it's almost time for the inevitable sharing of the bedroom for our two kids. I've held off this long because R tends to be a finicky sleeper. Meaning he often wakes up around midnight and cries just long enough for me to give in and feed him in order to get him back to sleep. He's not hungry just spoiled. I know, people, back off, it's a small house and I don't want him waking his sister.
Apparently my brother and I (17 months apart) shared a room as young children and that worked out fine. It couldn't have been too traumatizing because my mom barely remembers it.
All this to say, what are your thoughts? Kids sharing bedrooms. Different sleep schedules. They're young enough that the whole boy/girl thing shouldn't matter for a few more years. And by then, God willing, we'll be in a new home.
Tell me what you think.

Vaca

After 7 days away from home, I am glad to be back. We had a whirlwind adventure that included two 15 hour drives, one beautiful wedding, lots of cranky attitudes, two first trips to the beach, and good food. Lee is happily married to the woman of his dreams. The top of the line built in car tv's was money extremely well spent. R and B hated the ocean but loved the beach. Carlos and I were able to go on a much needed dinner date ocean side.
All in all the trip was a success! Now if the younger half of this family would just get out of their post vacation funk, we'd be good.
But then, what would I complain about...?

Language

For the past year I've been curious about how B's bilingualness will develop. She's been a bit slower to start talking than most 2 year olds I know. But I've always chucked this up to the fact that she has to learn two languages. I don't know many parents that speak two languages in their homes so getting advice or hearing about other experiences is limited.
At home, the kids hear both languages pretty equally. I use a lot more English of course, but I try hard to use as much Spanish as possible. Carlos speaks Spanish almost exclusively to B but English to me. So she hears him use both. She clearly understands both languages. However as her vocab continues to grow rapidly, she seems to be verbalizing more English than Spanish. She uses a good number of Spanish nouns as opposed to their English counter part. However when it comes to verbs, she seems to speak in English. Ex: "I want, I don't want, Go, eat, etc.
I'm pretty confident that at some point her verbs will become bilingual as well.
Anyone else have experience or thoughts on this? Just curious.

Why Life Is Good

1. Both kids are on a schedule. This is huge. Granted it's not always the same schedule, but I'm ok with that.
2. We bought the monster of all blow up pools. Carlos had been telling me to buy one all summer so I finally caved and spent 26 buck-a-roos on one that we all fit in.
3. Our home is getting closer and closer to market ready. Our basement has been an ongoing/3 year project. We're nearing the end and once that's done and some minor aesthetic touch ups, this house will for sale!! We can't wait to find a new and bigger home. We've definitely outgrown this one, though of course we are grateful to have one at all.
4. I've recently started attending a bible study. I have looked off and on for a few years to find one for moms and a close friend recently suggested that since we all are getting together often once a week for play dates, why not kill two birds and throw a study into the mix. Genius!
5. My brother is spending the summer in Colorado as a back packing guide. I love that he's doing this and am living vicariously through him.
6. My other brother is getting married in less than two months. He's young, and the general consensus is shock when people find out. But he's happy, in love and I can relate. Vaca in S. Carolina, Yes Please.
7. In 4 weeks Carlos and I celebrate our 6th year of marriage. in 6 years, we've had our share of ups and downs. We've taken on parenthood, home ownership and a plethora of other things. I'm ready for the next 60.
Otherwise, we're just good. We're happy. Not perfect, of course, but can't complain.

There Must Have Been a Sedative In Her Sippy Cup

We've been having some issues. On average my kids are great sleepers. They came out that way...from day one. Lately, like 2 weeks or so, its been a battle to get B to nap or to sleep at night. She went through a more intense version of this right after R was born. Which tells me that this is just a phase. Once she's in bed, she goes right to sleep, it's getting her there that is so exhausting. On top of this she's been waking up at the most ungodly hours in the morning. Two mornings this week she woke up at 5. It's been a long 2 weeks with little sleep for everyone. However, this morning just makes me laugh. Carlos convinced me to let B stay up a little later last night to see if it would help her sleep later in the morning. And so, 7:00 bedtime became 8:00 bedtime. And sure enough, she slept until almost 7.
When she woke up I went and got her out of her bed brought her to our bed and then gave her a sippy cup of milk...this is our routine each morning. I then laid there with her as she drank, just wating for the inevitable "I want Dora, mami". She finished her milk handed me the cup, and just laid there for a few minutes. The next thing I know Carlos is poking me and pointing to the sound asleep toddler next to me. That was almosts 2 hours ago.
So we may or may not have turned a corner, but it's good to know she's catching up today on all the missed sleep over the past few weeks.
Now if only I could roll over and go back to sleep for a few more hours. Geez, wouldn't that be great.

Total Meltdown

Remind me to never again judge a mom with screaming kids in the store. We have officially joined the ranks of those women that I, in the past, found myself secretly scrutinizing for letting their kids act like spoiled monsters in public.
The morning started off normal enough; breakfast, clothes, car ride to story time at Barnes and Nobles.
B managed to stay quiet and on the bench with the other kids for the majority of the 20 min. we were there listening to the books being read. There were a few times where she tried to take a book from another kid but I quickly jumped in, told her to share, and she obliged...no biggie.
When 10:30 rolled around and she was showing signs of needing a nap, I told her we were going to grab an ice water from the front Starbucks counter and head home. So, we walked to the front, ordered our drinks and then proceeded to play out every parents worse nightmare.
She kept laying on the floor, blocking other customers, she wouldn't get up, didn't want her water, refused to listen. Finally I said "OK, no water get up we're going to the car." Ha, right. So I had to carry her over my shoulder kicking and screaming all while trying to hold onto the car seat, the diaper bag and an iced coffee.
People kept giving me these "poor mommy" looks. I just smiled and beelined the best I could for the door.
We managed to make it to the car. Phew...psyche
As soon as I put both kids down to open the car, B takes a sprint back down the sidewalk towards the door. So I chased after her, dragged her back to the car, sat on her flailing body to buckle her into her car seat. Then we drove home, the whole 10 minute ride with her screaming, and hyperventilating about how she wanted to get down and go back.
Somehow I manged to keep my cool and laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation more than anything.
So, I apologize to all the strangers that I've ever looked at in similar situations and condescendingly thought "if only they would do x, y, or z". Or "Man, my kids would never act like that in public."
I also apologize to the staff and customers at B&N. Because although the majority of the screaming didn't start until we had made it to the parking lot, thanks to big open windows and my car parked right in front of them, they all got a nice view of the debacle of trying to get the monster into the car.

Damn you terrible two's, damn you.

Not that kind of mom

At the zoo last week for a play date, a little one fell down and her mom asked to see if any of us other moms had a band aid. We didn't. She then said, "I'm not that kind of mom." This made me laugh. It also got me thinking about being a mom and being prepared. I can't tell you the number of times I've been out and found myself with no extra diapers, or wipes. There have been a few times where I've forgotten pacifiers, a clean change of clothes, bottles for the formula, formula for the bottles. Sometimes I've left the whole diaper bag at home and brought nothing but my own wallet and phone. Those were not good days.
Anyways, the point is, I'm sure there are moms/dads out there that never forget. They probably keep extras of everything in there car just in case what's in the diaper bag isn't sufficient. And I'm sure there are those that always have band aids, possibly even whole first aid kits in their stroller. I'm just not one of them.
So as I was contemplating my lack of preparedness in reference to my kids, I came to the realization that I'm ok with it. If B leaves the house in 2 different shoes, than that's her problem. As long as it's not bothering her, why should it bother me? Or if she gets dirty while we're out, then she gets dirty. She's a kid, that's what they do.
I'm not condoning being neglectful, I'm just supporting my ability to be laid back. As long as my kids are healthy, safe and respectful, than the rest is just part of being a kid, and a mom. I'll continue to let the more prepared parents loan me a band aid or an extra wipe. Besides, being able to lend things out help those super prepared moms and dads feel like they've accomplished something by being more prepared. So if anything I'm helping their self esteem....You're Welcome.
Now if you'll excuse me, my toddler is running through the streets naked playing with sharp objects and feeding stray dogs.

Zombies and 29

So, as Carlos takes over our bedroom TV to watch a zombie show, I sit here blogging. I'm not a zombie fan. Normally, once B goes to sleep, we get in bed and watch something on Netflix. We've just finished Arrested Development, and started on The Big Bang Theory. However being his birthday, I agreed to let him put on The Walking Dead. I'm doing my best to ignore it.
Today was Carlos' 29th. He took the day off of work and we headed to the Zoo. B had a blast and R did a pretty good job of behaving despite the 90+ degree weather. It was a day of family fun day.

Idea for Dinner

I never buy frozen pizza. Ok, not never but it's super rare. It's also rare that we order pizza. Although if it were up to Carlos we'd probably eat Papa Johns at least twice a week. Because my husband does love his pizza, we eat it maybe once a week. But i make it all from scratch. Before you go complimenting me on my mad pizza dough making skills, know that i use the bread machine to make the dough and then stick it in a bowl to rise for an hour or so before rolling it out, topping it, and baking it. It's really quite simple. Yes, it takes more time than popping a frozen one in the oven for 2 min. But the end result is so much better.

When I lived in Costa Rica I became obssessed with a lunch spot that made calzones to order. I was a regular and would order one with jamon y queso...sin hongos. (ham and cheese, without mushrooms.) I always had to remember the no mushroom part because they automatically put them on everything. Anyways, although I've never been able to replicate the deliciousness of those specific calzones, I've sure as heck tried. Often I'll take my risen pizza dough, split it in half and make one calzone for me and one pizza for Carlos. (He prefers pizza even though I've expained that they're technically the same thing, just shapped differently) Anywho, I made pizza last night, and it was super yummy. Here's the recipe I used for the dough. I let the crust cook for 10 min on it's own before putting on the toppings just to ensure it cooks all the way through. Use regular red sauce, and any toppings your italian heart desires.

Family Week!

This past week was insane. Both of my brothers plus Lee's fiance, Meredith, came into town for a family reunion/95th birthday party for my great uncle. We had a blast with all the family but are so glad to be back to our normal routine.

We started the week at the City Garden with Uncle Bobo

Thursday was spent at my grandmothers pool.

Friday morning my future sister in law and I went antiquing and found some really cool brooches so that she can have one of these on her wedding day. So cool, right?
Than off we went to a family bbq with my aunts uncles and cousins plus my dads cousins and all of their children and grand children. The ribs were quite yummy.

Than Saturday was litterally a whirlwind. With shower brunch in the moring for Meredith, than photographs at the Ritz,

than me to a job interview.

Carlos and I than headed to the birthday celebration (sans kids) with the fam at Cardwells where we ate filet mignon. The magnificent food was a great end to the bussiest day ever.

My Great Uncle John had an amazing turn out with relatives flying in from all over the country/world. 80 people or so showed up and helped him ring in the next 5 years. Here's to 100 and celbrating in Paris

Sunday consisted of dad, Lee, Meredith and me leading worship at West County Fellowship. Lunch followed at my Aunt Carols house. Than this tired family all came home for naptime!

Monday, finally, arrived and the kids and I loaded up the car for a drive to Arcadia Valley to check out Elephant Rocks and Johnston Shutins. It was cold and rainy but a nice day spent with Aunts and Uncles I rarely see.

Like I said, I'm glad it's Tuesday and that everyone has pretty much headed home. The sitter is here and I'm supposed to be working. Better get to it.

Recipes

I love to cook. I take comfort in making a really good meal, or a fresh loaf of bread or scones. I find that through cooking, I'm able to just relax and enjoy the process of creating something. I'm obsessed with allrecipes.com and a couple of great cook books I've collected over the years.

Something I've always enjoyed are cooking blogs. There are quite a few that I've browsed over the years and have even taken recipes from. I have no intention of transforming this blog into that or creating a separate blog about cooking but I do want to try to feature some things that I've found and made for you the reader to perhaps enjoy. So, here are a few of my all time favorites:

1. Guava Bars. I recently found this recipe and must warn you that it's not possible to eat just one.
2. CPK's Chicken Tequila Fettucinni. The picture on this site doesn't due this justice. If you've eaten this at CPK, it's the closest I've found to the real thing...and it's amazing!
3. Grilled Steak and Pasta Salad. This is a great summer pasta salad.

I really could go on and on, but I won't. I'll save some for next time.

Potty Training

I promised my dad that I would never discuss my children's bathroom habits on social networking sites. So this is me not discussing it....

There are certain things I've come to find as a young parent that I was not properly warned or trained for. I stand by the adage that if you wait until your ready/prepared to have kids, you'll never end up having them. That being said, I sometimes wish there had been a bit more prep. in some situations.

Exhibit A: Nursing is hard. Everyone makes it out to be this amazing experience that connects mom and baby. You're told that other than it being the healthiest thing for baby, it makes you feel like a much better mom. This sounds great, right? Sure, if you don't mind being sleep deprived, sore, inconvenienced and self conscious. Don't get me wrong, I nursed B for a full year and am still at it with R after almost 6 months, but can I just tell you how nice it will be when December rolls around and my body isn't either being taken over by a developing fetus or needed for dairy products! I mean I've seriously been pregnant and/or or nursing for almost 3 years straight.

Exhibit B. Sleep training. Now with B it was no big deal because despite the fact that she was an amazing sleeper, there was no one else around for her screams to bother. Now mind you, we live in a fairly small home and R doesn't technically have his own room. So at 3am when I should be letting him cry out, I instead feed him just to get him to go back asleep. We usually repeat this around 6am. UGHHHH! I've been advised by pretty much everyone that it's probably time to start putting cereal in a bottle for him before he goes to sleep at night but my stubbornness just isn't ready to cave....If I can make it to 6 months, than I feel like I've accomplished something. Sad, I know.

And Finally, Exhibit C. B used the "potty" once, I freaked out, gave her a treat and got her on the phone with pretty much every family member so she could tell them. That was 3 weeks ago. Enough said.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a fun weekend. Saturday we pretty much hung out around the house being as lazy as possible. No painting, drywalling, gardening. Just laziness. It was pretty great.

Sunday we walked to mass. Came home, gave the kids naps, woke up for lunch than packed up the car and headed to Forest Park for our first family bike ride. It started out great...clearly

However, it ended in tears for 50% of the trailers occupants. Unfortuanately it ended up being nap time for R and because the seats don't recline, he turned into a not so happy camper as we rode. Thanfully we were able to stop, take a break and let B play in the playground fountain. Being part fish, it was just what she needed on a hot day.

Monday, the kids and I got dressed and headed out the door to my cousins daughters 4th birthday party. there was cake and games and waterballoons. They played the three legged race which ended up being hillarious. Most of the kids were between 4-8 years old. Because B was so much smaller than all the others, they had to improvise in order to include her.

Anyways, while we partied, Carlos went out to play golf with a highschool friend. Now understand he's never played golf and never shown any interest in it....Low and Behold, he. loved. it.! He wants to get his own set of clubs and play regularly. He's going again this weekend. I may even join him. (I secretly think he liked getting to drive a golf cart and drink beer at the same time a little more than the actual sport itself) ;)

"hi bebe"

People are constantly asking me how B is with R. I usually give them a brief explanation of how she's very sweet, and loving, and doesn't seem to show to many problems with jealousy.


This does a much better job though...

What you've missed since October

Halloween

This kid was born on Dec. 16th via c-section weighing 8.9lb

Christmas happened 9 days later

B was introduced to Art Hill

I turned 27...

St. Patricks Day

B turned 2

Easter

Uncle Bobo came to town

And Lots of Family Time