Checking in

Yes, I know it has been almost a week since my last blaaaaahg, but in my defense summers are delightfully busy.

Here are some "real" pictures of life with BabyCakes and BigBoy:


(Babies are gross)


(This is them right now so I don't have long)





Ok, sorry but that's all I have! I hope everyone has a nice evening and stays cool! The heat index here is 102 right now! No, the yard is not getting mowed.

Words Unspoken

We knew it all along. We KNEW he understood... more.



Today I found out the results of BigBoy's speech evaluations.
One year ago they put his verbal abilities at an 18 month old's level.
Today I was informed that his receptive and expressive language (what he understands and what he can say, respectively) is in the above average range for his age. He scored a 114 out of 115. Apparently it's all there, it's just not all coming out his mouth.
They even said he has a "large" vocabulary. ?? :) :) !!



BigBoy can identify objects/actions when prompted, but you can't really understand him all the time.
His problem is mostly with forming the sounds that make words. These struggles with speech are keeping a lot of what he has to say stuck in his head.
Even still, he talks much, much more these days.
There's still a lot he's not saying, though.



They also noted that he has a level of self-confidence not usually seen in children with this kind of verbal delay. Those of you who know him personally know that BigBoy has NEVER had a problem with who he is or what he wants in life. Other people not understanding him has never been what he considered "just cause" for change -- in any aspect of life.




The recommendation was two 30-minute sessions a week of speech therapy focusing on verbal motor abilities, to start this Fall when the traditional school year begins (it takes place at an elementary school).



BigBoy was telling me he loved me as I snapped the above photo. Now that you know this, can't you see the tenderness and purity of emotion in his face?

My son hasn't always been able to talk, but he's never had a problem speaking with his heart.

Little June

If you read my blog last week you saw my Happy Birthday post for BigBoy. I take a picture of him every year on his birthday (ok, at least the same summer) sitting on top of his personalized toy chest.
I had been wondering what I was going to to do for BabyCakes like this and the only thing I could think of was her wearing my veil but it seemed a little cheesy and forced. One of my friends was saying "what do you have that is sentimental you could use?" when I thought of my pearls.
J's mom and dad gave them to me when we got married. They used to call me "June" when I would wear them. :)

I think it would be so precious to take BabyCakes' photo wearing the pearls every year on her birthday, and then present them to her on her highschool graduation. I doubt she will indulge my yearly necklace shoots past 18. :)

Here she is close to her Half Birthday (it will be on the 20th). I'm going to try for more at another time with better lighting, but some came out just fine.

"Little June" couldn't be any sweeter.

I wish I had some pictures to share with you. I hope to take some good ones of BigBoy really soon since he just turned 4, and I have something special planned for BabyCakes' 6 mos.

This morning during BigBoy's camp, BabyCakes and I took BOTH cars to have the oil changed (I'm going to score some points with the hubs on that one) and we mailed out Father's Day items.

I wish I had something interesting to tell you.

Hmmm...

You can get a free 8x10 collage print from Walgreens today through Saturday. I did one with both kids as 2 month old babies and it says "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord..." at the bottom. These are the two pics I used:




Hopefully I will like it but if I don't I'm out nada. You should try one, too. What's there to lose?

Me this morning:


The kids this morning:


Yeah. The creative juices aren't exactly flowing.
BigBoy has camp this morning. Oh, and for my facebook friends, I'm not on there anymore. Just an FYI.
Hope you have a good day.


I wish I was a coffee-drinker. :)

Biz' Birthday Weekend

Good morning, friends!
This weekend was a HOT one, wasn't it? Saturday morning BigBoy and I went to Biz' birthday party. He of course had a BALL. It took some patience trying to get him out the door at the end. :)

Here's Biz (in the tinkerbell costume I found her a while back) opening a tutu with excitement. She's so cute. :)





BabyCakes didn't get to go to the party because she needed a nap, but here's a picture for you anyway. Sorry but I only have recent pictures of her with babyfood on her face. :) These are carrots, by the way. Oh and yes, she liked them of course. So far peas are the only thing she's really not enjoyed.

Lighting up my kitchen

A month or so back when I was really in a trash-to-treasure phase, I came across this dingy old brass lamp in a thrift store. It was dirty and had a lamp shade left over from the 80's but I liked its size and shape and knew I wanted it for the bar in my kitchen. I paid the one dollar asking price and left them the shade to sell to someone else.



This project was really simple. I just taped off the top of the cord and also the light switch unit and then hit it with a couple coats of a nice, multi-surface white spray paint I already had on hand.
I found this small shade at target for $10. I could have gone cheaper and bought a white or green one for $7, or even cheaper and looked at yardsales for one, but I was ready to finish the project and a little tired of yardsales. Besides, I really like this shade. I think the lamp looks pretty cute for $11. At night when I turn it on it gives the kitchen a very homey feel.



I sat out a crystal bell that was presented to J's mother when they were stationed Germany and also a tiny print of Neuschwanstein Castle that she purchased while they there. I was lucky enough to visit Neuschwanstein on a European trip I took with my highschool the summer after I graduated, so the print is very sentimental to me.


Filling my home with only the things we need and/or love is something I learned from Mrs. D. Now that some of her things are in my kitchen, not only does she have a presence in our hearts, but also in the heart of our home.