We're Melting!

Christian (Naturally) Loses His First Tooth

Christian came to me today and said, "Mommy, look at my tooth!"

 

I looked and his loose tooth was gone. I was so excited, and somehow he was rather indifferent. He casually told me he wiggled it out with his tongue ... and that was it. I... asked where the tooth was, because I wanted to see it ... and he said he didn't know (and he didn't seem to care, either). 

 

I eventually found the tooth and rather than getting excited about the thought of getting money from the tooth fairy, he was excited that she'd be giving him a hand-written letter, as she did when the dentist extracted his two extra teeth. 

 

I love that a letter is more valuable to him than money!!

Hot is Hot

As people like to say here, "But, it's a dry heat."

 

At some point, however, hot is hot.  And 120 degrees is just tooooo hot.

 

Loose Teeth!

 

This cute little boy has a few loose teeth!!  Yes, a few!

 

 

Today he told Jonathan one of his teeth hurt.  So I took a peek, wondering if the time had come.  I tested his two top front teeth and they were slightly loose.  But only slightly.

 

I then started to wiggle his four center bottom teeth and all four of them wiggled a little - one more so than the others.

 

I let Christian know that his "shark teeth" were loose and that soon they'd fall out and he'd get MORE teeth.  He was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!   And so are we! :)

 



 

 

The Newest Backyard Phase

Last month, we extended our paved backyard patio by three feet, and had three more trees planted.  This extension closed off our square in-ground planters, so we're ready to pick plants now.  And since I have a hard time making decisions when given many choices, I think these planters will remain empty for the long, hot summer.   We're not in the backyard too much these days anyway, preferring the cool comfort of indoors.

 

We still have A LOT of backyard left.  Planning future projects is rather overwhelming.   More pavers?  Grass?  Layout/design?  More plants?  What to do ... what to do?

 

We've been toying with the idea of artificial turf.  Looks great year round, virtually no maintenance.  But we LOVE grass.  And grass does tend to cool the surrounding air by a few degrees.   But it is a lot of work, and takes a lot of water.  

 

Tonight we went to a party at Jonathan's boss' house.  And the backyard blew us away - see pics and video below! 

 

Artificial turf gets really hot in the sun, but it was fine to walk on when we got there at about 6:00pm and the sun was still on it.  And it doesn't retain the heat, so once the son is down - or shade is across the grass, it is perfectly fine to walk on. 

 

Their turf is 5 years old and is one solid color.  But these days, turf comes in a huge variety - some have color variations in the strands just like real grass and looks awesome!

 

So we're seriously considering artificial turf four our next backyard landscaping phase.

 

 

 Okay ... a pool would be fun, too, for our backyard.   But it will never happen.

 

My First Summer of Freedom in Forever

For our readers who my not know, back in February, I lost my job of 16 years.  But it is okay ... really!  I absolutely love being home with my kiddos, and do not miss Corporate America one bit!   And this summer is the first time since 1989 that I haven't had a job during the summer to get in the way of fun. 

I love that we can get out and about and do whatever we want, whenever we want!  Well, kind of.  It's incredibly hot, so we're mostly limited to indoor activities - many of which are quite a drive from our home.  But we still find things to do.

We've gone to Chuck E. Cheese's for some fun!

 

Scarlett had her first merry-go-round ride and loved it!  She eventually reached out for me, and fell in the process and I had one heck of a time getting her as it kept going around.  But, I got her and she was fine.

 

 

And Scarlett had an ice cream cone for the first time!

 

 

 

We've been going over to Christian's friend's house for some swimming.  And I must say, it is a bit stressful, as I'm trying to watch both Christian and Scarlett.  But his friend's mom is there with us and is an excellent pair of second eyes and she's able to stay in the pool with the boys when I have to get out with Scarlett because she's had enough pool time.

 

 

 

 

 

We've gone to the mall and surprised Christian with pizza for lunch.

*Ahem* ... Christian will be getting a haircut very soon. :)

 

 

 

 

I'd like to thank Jonathan (and have done so personally numerous times) for giving me the gift of staying home with our kiddos.  Being a mom is my ultimate priority and I am blessed to have this amazing life!

 

Super Mommy

Shhhh ... don't tell my kiddos.  Beneath this mild-mannered exterior, I'm Super Mommy! :)

Butterfly Wonderland

Today we met up with Auntie Liz in Scottsdale to check out the brand new "Butterfly Wonderland," which is America's largest butterfly atrium.   And it is AWESOME!!!

 

It is incredibly challenging for an amateur like me to get pics of butterflies in-flight.  Which is too bad because there is a GORGEOUS blue butterfly from South America whose wings close when not moving and you can't see the blue at all.

 

Christian was frightened by the butterflies as they flew by him, despite my many explanations that they couldn't possibly hurt him.  Scarlett, on the other hand, just liked to watch the action.

 



 

Got a shot of this blue butterfly before it closed its wings!!

 

 I learned a little something today, too - kind of representative of life, I suppose.  I was spending a lot of time trying to get the perfect picture of these beautiful butterflies.  So much time looking through the tiny viewfinder on my camera to appreciate the "big picture" that was surrounding me:  countless butterflies peacefully fluttering all around.  A gorgeous site to behold.  

 

I noticed a couple of older ladies sitting on their respective benches, just absorbing the beauty and calmness around them.  Just smiling and watching.  *

 

I've always got my camera with me - either my Canon or my smart phone camera.  I am always eager for that perfect photo to share with my blog readers, or on Facebook and I typically don't stop to just enjoy the moment.  I plan to do so more often - there's a lot to see in this world and I need to be mindful of not missing so much of it!

 

(*of course, these ladies didn't have a five year old and a 17 month old to keep track of, either ... ha ha!!)

Christian's Preschool Graduation

Today was the day ... Christian graduated from The Goddard School!  He's been there three years and next up is kindergarten!

Christian's head was the only head that was TOO BIG for the cap to fit!  They had to us bobby pins to secure it to the back of his head. :)

Singing their cute lil' song!

And here's a personal performance of that song:

Christian was asked what he wants to be when he grows up. 

The answer won't surprise you. :)

And of course, Christian realized his "diploma" could double as a telescope!

Christian and Auntie Liz

Christian and his teacher, Miss Andrea