Little Swimmers

Yesterday was the first day of summer swim lessons for Tory and Aden. Tory's been swimming in the "Backfloat Baby" program at the swim school we go to since she was 6 months old and after she turns three in August, she'll move up to the program's "Little Ones" class. Hard to believe our little peanut will no longer require a parent to swim with her in the pool -- during lessons, at least. It's a day I've been looking forward to for quite some time!

Proud mama alert! I've mentioned before, Tory likes to swim but she's not one of those maniac kids in the water. She's excitedly cautious in the pool and usually says things like, "No more for me?" after things like "zooming" under the water per the instructor's request. She can do it, but doesn't love getting her face wet and honestly, I sympathize. I can swim and I enjoy being in the water, but I don't like to get my face wet either and I always have to plug my nose if I'm going under. My hope in enrolling my kids in swimming lessons at a young age is they'll hopefully learn better swimming skills than I have.

Anyway, I was proud of Tory during swimming class yesterday when she courageously jumped into the pool from a standing position (vs. sitting on the side of the pool), did awesome back floats, etc. Then as we were waiting our turn to "zoom" under the water, Tory closed her eyes and took a deep breath on her own before submerging her face in the water. She came up, took a breath and did it again. My heart swelled with pride! It doesn't seem like much, but Tory's instructor is always encouraging the kids to "hide their eyes" in the water as they swim, but Tory will never do it. I gently coach her to close her eyes and try it, but until this moment she never seemed ready. Yesterday, she did it!

Aden started his own "Backfloat Baby" class yesterday and will continue in that program (on and off, I'm sure) over the next three years. He liked the pool and didn't fuss once during our 30 minute session. In his class are my friend Lindsey's littlest girl, Taylor, a one-year-old boy and another 6 month old just like Aden. They're so cute splashing and kicking their legs together - all so excited to be in the warm pool.

Aden and his friend Taylor

As soon as one little guppy moves up to the big pond, another one begins. That'll make 6 total years of assisting my kids in the pool every week. Dang. I can't say enough wonderful things about the place we take swimming lessons though, and the skills they're teaching my kids. Tory has become quite the swimmer thanks in large part to their instruction and I hope Aden loves the water just as much as she does.

What TV Is Teaching My Kid

It seems like TV is this shameful topic of discussion amongst parents. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with another mother and sheepishly mentioned how you let your child watch TV until you determined their side of the fence? I have. Most adults in the world of children (parents, grandparents, educators, etc.) have very strong opinions about children and television -- either they're all about it (bring on the movies!), they don't let their children watch at all (just say no to drugs ... and TV), or a combination of both. To each their own, I suppose.

Andi and I are somewhere in the middle ... probably skewing on the side of more television exposure than less. For us, screen time started around 8 or 9 months with Tory as a way to occupy a fussy child on long car rides to the lake cabin. We are both in agreement that some TV time is fine -- everything in moderation. It's easy to dream of a life with no TV, thinking every moment of a child's life will be spent painting and crafting or doing educational activities together. In reality, that's just not the case, in our household at least. For us, TV usage is heavier in the winter months / lighter in the summer months. If we can be outside playing and exploring, we are. When it's freezing and we've exhausted all the Pinterest-y ideas beyond measure, TV saves our sanity. And frankly, Andi and I both like to watch TV ourselves so it's on in our house at various points in the day.

Anyway, a few comments Tory made recently about children's television shows made me realize: TV is teaching my child in good, helpful ways.

For instance:

In the last six months, I've had a heck of a time getting Tory to brush her teeth. She fought me tooth and nail to brush and I'd tried everything I could think of to make her cooperate. Not a happy experience for either of us. Finally, I sort of threw in the towel - isn't that horrible?  - and only brushed Tory's teeth when she'd let me without a fight. I bought some kids mouthwash and usually could convince her to at least swish her mouth if nothing else.

Then, one day we were watching a Doc McStuffins episode about a dinosaur named Bronty who had stinky breath. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Tory's head and she finally understood why brushing teeth was so important. The next day I said, "We need to brush your teeth because you don't want to have Bronty breath!" and ever since brushing teeth hasn't been an issue. Seriously! All it took was Doc McStuffins telling her the importance of dental hygiene. She even called me out on my own "dragon breath" one morning and need for brushing. Thanks, kid.

A similar thing happened with naps. It's no secret Tory is a crappy sleeper (always has been) and naps were such a challenging time of day. She'd whine and fuss the minute I mentioned the word "nap" and sometimes it'd take me 60-90 minutes to get her to go to sleep. We watched an episode of Doc McStuffins where a race car has to recharge its batteries so it can play again and since seeing that show all I have to say is, "We need to take a rest so you can recharge your batteries!" Works like a charm. Now when Tory wakes up in the morning she says, "I have energy!"

When I buckle Tory into her car seat she often says, "Seat belts, so we can be safe!" -- just like Dora the Explorer says on many of her episodes. We'll be driving in the car somewhere and Tory will randomly ask, "Mom? Are you safe?" She wants to make sure I'm wearing my seatbelt, too.

Speaking of Dora the Explorer -- it's easily one of the most annoying cartoons on cable, but Tory can't get enough of it. I'd probably put the cabosh on it except she actually learns things from the show. Tory can count from 1-10 in Spanish. She knows basic colors in Spanish, as well as "up," "down," "open," "closed," "long" and "short," "hello" ... and I'm sure other words I don't realize. Heck, even I'm learning Spanish words from Dora.

The other day, Tory was watching an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse over breakfast and Mickey identified a crescent shape. I overheard Tory say under her breath, "Pretty sure it's a moon." #smartass

We are very selective on the programming we allow Tory to watch -- not just anything goes. Fan favorites around here are Doc, Dora, Sheriff Callie's Wild West, Mickey Mouse and Peppa Pig. Pretty harmless. I don't worry about television squashing Tory's imagination because as I said, everything in moderation. She still gets plenty of time playing with toys, reading books and being outdoors.

7 Quick Takes: Life Lately

1.  It's Week 3 of solo parenting while Andi is away producing a photo shoot in Montana. The kids and I've had a good few weeks, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready for this week to be over. Mostly, I miss my husband who I've barely spoken with in 17 days. So looking forward to Friday!

2. Two weeks ago, Tory, Aden and I flew to Nebraska to spend time with my family. This is one of the greatest benefits to being a stay-at-home-mom to little kids with no concrete schedule and a husband who travels a fair amount for work (why, yes honey, we'd love to burn a few of your frequent flyer miles on flights to America's hottest tourist destination -- good ol' Nebraska!) There was no big reason for our visit other than seeing my parents, my siblings and my extended family. Our visit was very low key compared to our whirlwind road trip over Easter weekend. Both Tory and Aden were excellent travelers, as per usual. I always feel like a supermom after successfully hauling two kids, two car seats, one big suitcase and a diaper bag through the airport by myself. It takes a lot of organization and patience, but it's worth it!

While we were in Nebraska, we celebrated my nephew Caleb's 16th birthday and my dad's birthday, went to my niece Brooke's softball game and sat around my parents house for countless hours. I went to use my point-and-shoot camera the first day we arrived and realized the battery was dead, so I barely took any photos of our trip. #fail

3. One day during our time in Nebraska, my weather-bug of a mother let me know Minnesota was receiving some heavy rain. I made an off-handed comment about how I hoped our sump pump was still working back home as our yard tends to turn into a swampy lake whenever it rains a considerable amount. My mom suggested I call my mother-in-law and kindly ask her to stop by our house to make sure everything was okay and for some reason, I felt like maybe I should. Janie checked on our house later that evening and sure enough, our sump pump had failed and water was leaking in our basement! Luckily, Janie caught the mess early. I alerted Andi who was working in the middle of nowhere and he called a plumber to remedy the issue. My wonderful in-laws stayed up all night long sopping up water with towels, pulling up carpet, running fans and handling the plumber at our house. Many, many dollars later, we have a new sump pump and all is well again. Isn't homeownership fun?! (Ugh.)

4. The morning we left Nebraska, I woke up with a bit of a gurgly stomach. I felt fine - just off, but I made it through the day and Tory, Aden and I flew back to Minnesota without incident. By bedtime that evening, I felt absolutely horrible. I think I had the flu, or a virus or something. I quickly ran through a list of local friends and family who might be around to help with the kids while I was ill and almost everyone I could think of was either working, out of town or busy. Crap! Andi's parents to the rescue ... again. The next morning, I called Andi's dad who is retired and he came to my rescue a few hours later. Grandpa Jim watched Tory all day while I laid in bed. Luckily, Aden was content to play toys and snooze beside me throughout the day. That night, Tory ended up staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house so I only had Aden to care for. So grateful for my in-laws and all they do for us. (Also? I might have to get the flu more often. I rested more in those 24 hours than I have since Aden was born and it felt pretty darn nice.)

5. Last year, I worked to find the perfect Father's Day present for Andi. He is the most difficult person to buy for, so usually I don't even try to surprise him - I just ask him what he wants and I buy it. (Okay, together we decide on a gift idea and he usually buys it for himself). Anyway, I thought long and hard and ended up creating a custom flag to fly on our flag pole at the lake cabin. I was so proud of my idea until ... the old cabin owners randomly took back their flag pole two weeks later and we were left flag pole-less.

This year for his gift, Andi and I decided to buy a new flag pole to mount to the dock at the lake. I don't really know which one to get so I'm leaving it up to Andi to order it, but I felt guilty showing up to Father's Day on Sunday empty-handed. Yesterday, I saw something I thought Andi might like at COSTCO, so I picked it up for him. (If I think he'll like it, he probably won't ... that's how that usually goes). I also bought myself a new one-piece swimming suit during the same COSTCO shopping trip and I ate a piece of pizza while waiting in line to pay for my many bottles of wine. Who am I anymore? I guess convenience trumps all these days.

6. Since Andi's been gone, Tory's taken two steps backwards in learning to sleep in her own bed all night / every night. I put her to bed in her own room every night, but I've been very lax about making her stay there. My excuses are: I'm tired; I'm still waking up several times a night with Aden; I'm tired (did I say that one already?). I'm a little nervous to hear Andi's reaction when he returns home from his travels. (Hi honey! Don't be mad, ok?)

7. For the most part, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. With a lighter calendar this summer, the kids and I have been spending lots of time outdoors. Today, we met a few of Tory's ECFE preschool class at the park for a play date and it was really fun catching up with all of them. As I drove home, I thought to myself how much I really enjoy this season of my life. I love being a mom to my kids; love being a wife (and can't wait to squeeze my husband tightly on Friday!); love being a suburbanite; love summertime.

Life is good.

Letters to Tory: 2 3/4 Years

Tory Girl,

We are drawing near the end of your second year and goodness, I am going to miss this age. A lot. I can only hope your third year is as magical as the second because the last few months with you have been the best.

Fun at the beach, March 2014

You are so funny these days - so funny. You'll repeat anything we say (fortunately, thus far we haven't had any "incidents" with inappropriate words) and it's especially cute to hear you say adults phrases like, "Does that sound like a plan?" and "Okay, carry on." Your imagination has blossomed the last few months, most evident when you play dollhouse or dress-up. You'll put on pretend shows and say, "Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls!" before jumping off the couch cushions. One of your favorite games to play is "fashion show" where you model princess outfits by the light of a flashlight.

You're very nurturing, especially toward Aden. Everywhere we go you proudly announce, "This is my brudda! This is Aden." The two of you light up with glee when you see each other first thing in the morning and it warms my heart watching you sing songs and share toys with him. When Aden cries, you'll burst into a rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and it calms him down every single time. Seriously, why wouldn't it? Your little off-key voice is absolutely adorable to hear. You're constantly rooting for Aden during tummy time practice and showing him how to sit by saying, "Watch me do it, Aden. Watch me!" "Someday when Aden gets bigger, he can play with me," you say often. You simply cannot wait for the day it happens.

Tory, you've grown to be a great listener and are (surprisingly!) well behaved in public, walking right alongside me when we're out and about. Not so long ago, I had to wear you in a carrier every place we went because you couldn't be trusted on your feet for even a minute. Now look how responsible and well behaved you are!

Playing in the snow at the lake cabin, April 2014

Let's see what else is up with you at 2 3/4 years old:

GROWTH
These days, you weigh around 26 pounds and are 36 inches tall (based on our at-home measurements). You haven't grown too much in weight or height because you still fit into all the 2T clothes you wore last year. This is very convenient as summertime rolls around, as you can wear all the adorable dresses, skirts and shirts you already own for a second season. Of course, this doesn't stop me (or Nana, for that matter) from buying you lots of cute, new things to wear. Your wardrobe is quite full. Just the way a girl's closet should be, right?

Sitting pretty for the camera, March 2014

SLEEP
A few things new to report on this topic: Daddy continues to handle the reins where your sleep is concerned. In his attempt to get you to sleep through the night in your own bed, he's now implemented some firm rules for bedtime. For example, you now get a set number of books read to you each night and he's cut out the "rub my belly" business you suckered me into all those months. (Basically, we've come to learn I'm a softie when it comes to you kids.) His plan is to transition you to putting yourself to sleep (and staying that way), so let's hope he's successful in the end. I will say, for some reason lately, you've started taking epic two-hour afternoon naps (which is an unheard of amount of time for you!) and even started saying things like, "I'm tired. I want to go to sleep" before nap time during the day. Maybe this means you're getting older and eventually will sleep at night without so much wakefulness. Your parents can dream ....

Looking over a ledge and growing taller by the minute, March 2014

MILESTONES
Tory, you've really developed so much in the last few months. For one, your vocabulary is exploding. You were definitely a toddler who began to speak in clear sentences at an early age, but lately you sound like an adult when talking. At preschool, one of your teachers was floored one day when you said to fellow classmate, "You can play this now. I'm going over here." Apparently, the fact you communicated your intentions in a verbal manner was quite ahead of the regular two-year-old expectations. Pretty cool!

You have adorable toddler pronunciations for things which I know I should be guiding, but they're too sweet to tell you any different. Specifically, many words starting with the "s" sound like "f" (sweetie = feetie, for example) and "l" sounds like "y" (Lisa = Isa). I still adore the way you ask for "oat milk" (oatmeal) in the mornings and say "dink" (for drink). Stay my baby for just a little bit longer and then someday I'll break the real pronunciation to you ... before Kindergarten, I promise.

There was a period not long ago you were very in-touch with your emotions. "I sad / scared / happy" all the time about every single thing. You'd often ask me, "Are you happy, Mom?" My answer: the happiest with you.

Along those same lines, everything "hurt" for a period of time ... "my leg hurts / my body hurts (said most when you had to poop - ha!)" and the fake crying ... ay-ay-ay! So much whining at my feet, especially at dinnertime. The continual fake crying / whining at 5:00pm everyday was seriously to blame for my daily glass of wine. That is, until you started asking me, "Mom, do you need some wine?" Ha ha.

Another not so cute (ok, annoying) thing you picked up the last few months is your constant asking of questions ... and then responding to the answer with another question. "Where's Grandma?" She went home. "What she do at home?" She's going to bed. "Why she have to go to bed?" Because it's night-time. Ahhh!

Oh, but you don't say annoying things all the time. You've started singing and humming in the last month and it is seriously my favorite thing ever. Your favorite songs are "ABC's," "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star," "Wheels On the Bus" and "Ring Around the Rosie." Most of the words are correct, but you're still jumbling some of your ABC's around (always "L-M-N-O-K-B"). Every time I try to sing it correctly with you, you shout "Stop, Mom!" Okay, then. You'll figure it out on your own, I guess.

Boating at the lake cabin, Memorial Day 2014

FAVORITES
First off - Aden is your favorite person. Just today you told me he was your best friend. (I could've died and gone to heaven right then. So cute!) The newness of having a little brother has finally worn off and for the most part, you're content doing your own thing. You like to play with Aden when he's sitting on the floor or laying under the activity mat, but you're also quite happy playing with your own toys, painting, etc. without him.

Matching Easter outfits, April 2014

You love to read books, and I'm so impressed with your memory. (I like to think you inherited it from me.) Often times, you'll "read" books to me by reciting the words from memory and I am astonished time and time again how well you know every word by heart. Some of your favorite books right now are: Curious George, Pinkalicious, A Potty for Me, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and Dear Zoo.

And, Daddy. Oh, Tory, are you a daddy's girl. As far as you're concerned, the sun rises and sets in him. You simply cannot get enough time together. The two of you go for truck-rides and go fishing at the cabin on the weekends, read books and watch cartoons together in the evenings and share snacks with one another like you're in your own little world together. You copy everything he says like calling the donkeys near the cabin "donks" and cookies "cooks." I love watching the two of you together and I hope you'll always remain so close. (Just don't forget about me, the woman who loves and cares for you 24/7, okay?)

Walking on the beach with Daddy, March 2014

THINGS TO DO
Our family did some fun things together since I wrote to you last. Likely the biggest event: we went on vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (your first time leaving the United States of America). We went to the beach, played in the pool and went on a whale watching tour while we were there. You even learned to hail a taxi. ("Oh, taxi!" you'd shout.) We also took road trips to Nebraska (for Easter) and Iowa (for Mother's Day weekend). You, Aden and I flew to Nebraska for a week to visit Nana and Papa at the end of May. And, of course, we had many, many fun weekends at the lake cabin.

Running along Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, March 2014

FOOD
You remain a fairly good eater and love toast, cheese, cottage cheese, sandwiches, fruit, grilled cheese and quesadillas. One thing you've turned into is a snack monster. The other day, you were eating "triangle cheese" (a Laughing Cow cheese wedge) and crackers and actually asked for a snack while you were eating it. Seriously - you were literally eating a snack while asking for a snack. Silly girl.

Happy to go canoeing so long as you have your beloved "snacks" along, Memorial Day 2014

PLAYMATES, FRIENDS and FAMILY
Your best friend is still Ashley and your cabin friend is Hannah. You talk about these little girls every day ("when can we go see ...") and apparently like to keep a jammed-packed social calendar because you asks me everyday "who's coming over today?" I framed a picture of you and Ashley together on your night stand and you gaze at that picture many times a day and say, "I have a picture!" when you miss her.

Playing dress-up with BFF Ashley, April 2014

One of your favorite "adult" friends is Allison, our old nanny and now occasional babysitter. You love Allison and talked about her non-stop when she was babysitting for you consistently this past winter. Allison ventured off to hike the Appalachian Trail this spring and you had a hard time adjusting when you didn't see her regularly anymore. Many "I miss Allison" were shared and you slept with a picture of her for weeks.

You're enrolled in swimming class this spring / summer and continue to love the water. You're not one of those crazy kids who jumps in without fear, though. It amazes me how you can do all the things the teacher asks of you (jump of the side of the pool, back float, etc.) while keeping your head above water. You do not like to get your face wet! Despite that fact, you still have a ball swimming and playing.

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In less than three months we'll be celebrating your 3rd birthday, Tory. I'm excited for you, and also a little sad because I wish I could freeze-frame this time with you forever. You are my favorite girl, I always say to you. I love you so much.

XOXO,
Mommy

A Perfect Summer Day

The kids and I had a perfect summer day.

I can't even be annoyed when Tory wakes up at 5:45am, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed exclaiming, "The sun's awake, Mom! Make me breakfast!" It is finally warm in Minnesota. The days are long and they are full of fun.

Today was the first day in a while where the stars aligned with gorgeous weather and not a thing lined up on our calendar. It was sunny and 75 degrees by 10:00am so after breakfast I loaded up the double stroller with kids, snacks, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, sunscreen, sun hats, bottles of water and baby toys (phew!) and we were off to the park. It seriously takes 30 minutes to get out the door for a walk with kids.

At 2 years 9 months, Tory is such a dare devil at the park. My girl flies across the drawbridge, sails down slides and monkeys her way up the tallest climbing walls. I turn my back for a second to care for Aden to find Tory at the highest part of the jungle gym. She's fearless and completely in her element.

It's fun to see how much she's grown at this little park we frequent. It wasn't long ago, I cautiously held onto an unsteady toddler crawling along the smallest set.

Little Brother is chomping at the bit to be part of the action. He looks content here, but really wanted to be sliding and climbing alongside his sister.

Give it time, Aden. You'll be playing at the park in no time.

I promised Tory we'd swim after nap time. It was sunshine skies and 80 degrees when I looked out the window, so I dressed the kids in swimming suits and sunscreen. By the time I got everything together, of course, the skies clouded over and it seemed like rain was moving in. Since we'd have limited time to swim, I pulled the baby pool out of storage and filled it with warm water from the kitchen sink. This makes the third summer Tory's used this baby pool - poor girl can barely sit in it anymore and now has to share with her brother to boot! (I bought a bigger blow-up pool for Tory last year, but out of laziness and time we never used it.) Tory was happy as ever though, and so was Aden in his very first backyard swimming pool experience.

Why exhaust my air supply blowing up a big three-ring pool when this little ol' thing will do?

Baths and easy bedtimes followed. I'm hoping for two tuckered-out kids who sleep soundly tonight. (Probably not, but a mama can dream!)

7 Quick Takes - A Few of My Favorite Things

1. Ever since Tory moved out of the high chair and onto the family table during meals, I've racked my brain for a way to protect the quality of my dining room table. Our wooden table was a gift from my in-laws when Andi and I moved into our first house together. I love everything about it, and we've taken very good care of it over the years ... until Little Miss Messy joined the party. Dried food is forever stuck in the cracks of the table and the wood is turning dull at her spot where I continually wipe up after her meals. Don't get me started on how many table runners have met the trash can after being stained with grape jelly, yogurt and wine (okay, so the last one wasn't her fault).

I bought a placemat for Tory to use and it helped a little bit, but she'd smear food outside the covered area. I thought about using a cloth tablecloth, but it'd be stained and need washing after every single meal. I even considered purchasing a plastic tablecloth that could be wiped down after every meal, but I hated the idea of covering up my beautiful dark wood table. Then, one day I had an idea and it's been the solution to all my table woes. I moved Tory's toddler play table from her bedroom to the kitchen and started feeding her meals there. What purpose was the little table serving in her bedroom anyway, other than to look cute with tea cups and plates set up for a doll party? Tory enjoys eating meals at her little table and believe it or not, she actually sits down and eats there vs. standing on the wooden bench or getting up and down from the big table 50 gazillion times per meal. I do end up stumbling around that little table while I'm cooking in the kitchen or unloading the dishwasher, but it's saving my nice dining room table from destruction, so WIN.

2. A while back, someone left a comment on my blog suggesting I purchase baby mittens on Etsy to prevent Aden from scratching his head. I did just that, and to you I say -- thank you! I ended up buying two pairs of these waterproof baby mittens for him, and they're so wonderful. The size fits Aden's hands better than the cloth newborn ones available in stores, they're waterproof so the material isn't soaked within seconds of putting them on his hands and best of all, Aden's head and neck look so much better now they're not scratched all over. One of the many reasons I love the blog-o-sphere so much. People helping people. Thank you!

3. Andi bought a rotisserie attachment for our grill at the cabin and we're ... kinda obsessed with it. I rolled my eyes like I always do when another Amazon box showed up on my doorstep one day, but then we used it and now I think it's the most awesome cooking accessory we've purchased in a long time. (One point for Andi.) So far, we've made a few roasts and whole chickens on the grill and they were so delicious. Cooking with the rotisserie is easy too, especially for me because I don't have to do a thing. Last weekend, I planned to have rotisserie chicken for a meal at the cabin and asked Andi to shred the leftovers to use later in the week for recipes. (See what I did there? Weaseled my way out of preparing multiple meals.) For some reason, those rotisserie chickens in the grocery store deli always yuck me out and while it seems like such a convenient thing to pick up for dinner, I can never bring myself to do it. Now, problem solved. We make our own!

4. Let's talk about flax - another one of my new favorite things. Tory had some (ahem) bathroom issues a while back, which is understandable considering Girlfriend lives on yogurt, toast and cheese -- not exactly the most balanced diet. We bought some Pedia-Lax for desperate measures, but I also knew I needed to improve Tory's overall diet. Though, getting a toddler to eat something she doesn't want to is easier said than done. We've started offering Tory a larger variety of food and have had a bit of success. I also started sprinkling ground flax onto her toast every morning and it's been the best thing ever. She's none the wiser and it's really seemed to regulate things, if you know what I mean. With this big win, I've started sprinkling ground flax into other things, like homemade cookies and granola bars, ground beef for enchiladas, etc. You seriously cannot tell it's in there and it works magic.

5. I discovered mini-size bobby pins in the beauty aisle the other day, and I love them. At first I wasn't so sure because the small-sized pins were a little tricky to place in my hair but now I've got the hang of grasping them, they stay in place so much better. I use the little bobby pins on Tory's hair too, and they're perfect to pin her wisp of bangs off to the side.

6. Andi got me hooked on a series of books about families who travel around the world. So far, I've read A Life Without Borders (which I loved), Freeways to Flip-flops: A Family's Year of Gusty Living on a Tropical Island (which was just OK) and One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children (which was interesting). These books are easy, happy reads and have me wishing we could drop everything and travel the world with our kids. Someday, I hope.

7. This girl turns THREE at the end of the summer and man, I'm going to miss Age Two something fierce.

Mostly, this year of Tory's life has been so much fun - many, many laughs (and a few frustrated tears). It may very well be my favorite age yet. Tory's requested a "pink" birthday party, so I've got my crafty wheels rolling to dream up something adorable for her big day. Lately when you ask Tory if you can come to her birthday party, she'll sweetly say, "if you bring me presents." Ha.

Sleeping Baby

There's something so magical about a sleeping baby.

Especially a baby wearing nothing but a diaper.

Be still my heart!

I loved having a baby during the wintertime for many reasons. It was easy to stay indoors when Aden was a wee newborn and I had the luxury of wearing forgiving zip-up sweatshirts and leggings until my postpartum body adjusted back to its old self.

Though, having a winter baby in Minnesota means Aden has been covered from head-to-toe in onesies, sleepers, socks, hats and blankets since the minute he was born. Now the weather's finally turning warmer, I'm ogling over his soft and scrumptious features -- chubby thighs and a kissable belly I've barely had a chance to smooch.

Memorial Day weekend at the lake cabin, I placed a sleeping Aden down on our king-size bed and he looked so peaceful laying there with a warm breeze blowing in through the open windows. I'm not an expert photographer, but I know a picture-perfect moment when I see one. I grabbed my point-and-shoot camera and snapped a few photographs of Aden sleeping soundly. Seriously, could he be any sweeter?

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Linking up with Bower Power's monthly photo link-up series.

Camera deets: ISO 400, f 2.7, 1/100, Canon PowerShot ELPH 110HS 4.3mm