Family

  • Family

    Christmas Tree Time!

    Yesterday was one of those typical Texas December days that had you thinking it was early March. It was shorts weather and if you didn’t know any better, you would be loading up on plants at the nursery to get going for spring. A cool front came through last night which chilled the air just a bit but the temperature is back up today, though not nearly as high as yesterday’s. We had intended to get out and get our Christmas tree last weekend after we got back from Thanksgiving but the goal of cleaning up our upstairs living/play area was thwarted when Chris realized the pipe running under our…

  • Baby Teddy,  Family

    Forest Turns 4

    It’s hard to believe this little dude is 4! What happened to my wittle bitty baby? He’s now a wittle bitty kiddo with a mind of his own! Aside from the periods of whining that come from him, (“Pleeeeeeaseeeee!” after we’ve said no to something, or throwing himself in the floor when he doesn’t get his way) I would say 4 is a pretty good age. He’s been potty trained since just after turning 2 but its been in the last six to eight months when he’s just gotten good at heading to the bathroom by himself without reminders. We recently removed the toddler potty from the bathrooms and installed…

  • Baby Teddy,  Family

    Forest Friday | Summer Boy

    I’m not sure if it is someone at daycare influencing him by complaining about the heat or if it is just a phase, but this summer was a bit like pulling teeth at times to get Forest to play outside for any length of time. Inevitably he would complain that he was sweaty and hot and I had to continually remind him that I was also sweaty and hot but we were playing outside and that’s the way things were going to go. Sure, when it was extremely hot we were hibernating indoors but most of the time were out during the cooler parts of the day. I’m hoping this…

  • Baby Teddy,  Family

    Forest Friday | “I’m a Lady Bug” Edition

    For Christmas this year Forest received a Koala Crate box subscription from Chris’ mom and so every month we’ve received a really fun box of crafty things that we make (read: I make) together. Forest loves getting mail so he definitely looks forward to this craft box! What I love about this box is that it isn’t junky for the most part, though there have been a couple of crafts that don’t quite get played with while others are used over and over again. A few day ago we received May’s box and in it were crafts to make a felt butterfly (and turn it inside out to make it…

  • Baby Teddy,  Family,  Forest Friday,  Memes

    Bluebonnet Boy | Forest Friday

    Spring in Texas is usually celebrated formally when the bluebonnets have painted the roadsides throughout the state. When we were at McKinney Falls State Park over Easter weekend I was glad to see that they had a large field in the middle of the park full of bluebonnets so we wouldn’t have to find a roadside to take photos of Forest. And being that it was a holiday weekend everyone else had the same idea! I bought Forest that explorer vest from Oaki about two years ago but it has taken until now for him to be interested in wearing it. He wore it frequently over the weekend and paired…

  • Family,  Friends,  Outdoors

    High Island Birding & Marc and Eliana’s Visit

    *Extremely photo heavy post—write-up at the end. Thought about making it two posts but decided against it* It’s hard to believe it has been nearly a month since Marc and Eliana came to visit on their way to Alaska. Processing the photos took far longer than I had planned and so last weekend I made a point to get them completed. I’d processed a handful for Eliana to use on social media when they were in the area but beyond that I didn’t get far. And I’m only sharing a smidgen of what I took over the three days they were in Houston. For those unfamiliar with Marc and Eliana,…

  • Baby Teddy,  Family,  Forest Friday,  Memes

    Forest Friday | Fennel Chomping Edition

    My child has turned into an herb connoisseur. The moment he gets into the garden he’s searching for dill or fennel to snag, and of course carrots if they are available. In the flower garden we have creeping thyme and he’s all over that, too. I mean, I’m pleasantly surprised and delighted that he’s into eating fresh herbs from the garden but I wouldn’t have pinned it as something he would do. The dill we had in fall and early winter succumbed to all of the freezes and I have since resown more seed, both for Forest and our pantry, but for the hopes to get the black swallowtails to…