You can dance, you can jive...

Having the time of your life (ooh ooh)...

Ok, so dancing queen he is not, but Evan loves to "shake his bum bum" (he actually uses this phrase--where does he get this from?).


(scroll quickly to get the animated effect)

[Deep] Thought Thursday: Consistency

One of my [very few] imperfections that really bothers me is my inability to be consistent, stick with a routine, be predictable, etc, etc--you get the idea. I've started (and not finished) so many projects, routines, schedules, hobbies--you name it--that I've lost count. I couldn't tell you why I'm like this, but it drives me nuts! But, instead of focusing on the lack of consistency in my life, I'd like to share what I have stuck with:

This blog. Over my 29 years, I've started and stopped keeping a written journal. There are probably more than 10 journals sitting in a box in my attic. At most, in any given journal, there are about 17 pages filled out. I kept a journal during my pregnancy with Evan.... it lasted until month 5. On my blog, however, I've consistently posted nearly every week. I'm not sure why, maybe it's the fact that there are pictures, maybe it's because I love to brag about my family, or maybe it's because I know there's a captive audience (are you captivated yet?).

My home management binder. This is a new item, but so far, for about 10 days, I've been using it and LOVING it. It's simplified so many of my daily to-dos. Instead of explaining exactly what this is, if you're interested, go here.

My marriage. This coming Sunday marks 6 years of marriage. Now let me clarify, my marriage is not something that I have just "stuck with," but rather, very much enjoyed. It has been six years of marriage to someone who is exceedingly patient (which is required for a wife who's not consistent), does his fair share of household chores, does more than his fair share of the cooking, has become a great handyman/mister-fix-it, and is an excellent and involved father to our two boys. Happy 6 years J, and many more to come!

Sunday Snapshots

I'm starting a new series of posts here at in the moment--Sunday Snapshots. Nothing ground breaking here, just a collection of photos from the various goings-on at the Terreri household during the prior week. The idea is that [hopefully] I'll feel accountable to post every Sunday. It's partially for my readers, but more for me. There are so many silly, fun little things that happen every week, and I want to remember them down the road. I've learned quickly that growing up goes by in a flash, so this is my way of recording bits and pieces into infinity.

Evan's wearing a robe that Jason once wore... circa 1980!

Evan treated me to a "dance party" (as he calls it) before leaving for school.

Grant (see his new argyle leg warmers?).

Muffin tin snacks for Evan. This was our first time trying this neat little idea. He LOVED it.


Funny faces at dinner time.


Family dinner.


Pajama party in the park. Dancing (this kid really likes to dance!), decorating pillow cases, cookies and a train ride. Evan had a blast


Grant roots for the Hokies this week... and they won!


A posed picture. Not by me, mind you. Evan thought this was a cute photo op and requested that I take a picture of he and Grant.

Evan plays pretend chef. He first tried this in Hilton Head, and I resurrected the activity this week. It's a great way for me to cook dinner without interruption. The pièce de résistance? His homemade apron (which, much to my disappointment, he hated wearing!).

Already?

I can't believe we're here already. Just one week shy of Grant's 5 month birthday, I started him on rice cereal. I thought about waiting until 6 months (like "they" recommend), but he was giving me all the signs that he was ready. And as proof, he devoured a small bowl of the soupy mush tonight. And when it was gone, he was mad!

Photo narrative

Because you're dying to know, here are a few of the things we do around here:

Dress Evan up like Daddy after a shower.

Scare the crap out of Evan with farm animals at a local festival. At the same split second this photo was taken, Donkey A (on the left) made the loudest "EEE-AWWW" sound I've ever heard. Evan practically leapt into my arms. "Donkey scare Evan, Mommy?" "Yes, Evan, the donkey scared you."

Pacify child with cheap toy snake (at same aforementioned festival) and a bag of pretzels after being scared by a donkey. Doesn't Grant look thrilled here?

Involve both boys in tummy time.

Dress an otherwise perfectly cute little baby up in a hat that's too big (but still darn cute!).

The cutest little Baby Legs

If you're in the baby circuit, you may already know about Baby Legs. If not, essentially, they're leg warmers for baby that are both fashionable and functional. They're great for the cool but not-too-cold weather, great because you can change a diaper and not have to take them off, great for crawling on hard-surface floors, etc, etc. Anyway, we received a free pair with our hospital bag and I tried them on Grant for the first time a couple of days ago. They're so cool! And since they retail for $12 a pair (!), I researched a way to make them on my own. Turns out, you can turn any pair of knee socks into a pair of Baby Legs. Below is the result of my efforts at the sewing machine. For $1.06 per pair, I'd say they're not too shabby!

Ask and ye shall receive

Within two weeks of my request for football gear, this is what we have:


Thanks family!

And, since we at the Terreri house are an equal opportunity employer, this is what you get:

My Wordle

Just one quick post tonight and then I've got work to do....

I found this cool tool online that creates something called a "Wordle." Basically it takes a bunch of text (like my blog posts) and pulls the most frequently used words and arranges them in an artsy-fartsy collage. I thought it was pretty cool and fun to read through. The larger sized words are those that are repeated more often.

And the winner is...

Now THIS is funny.

Remember my appeal last week for family members to send football paraphenalia to Evan from their various alma-maters? Well folks, we have a winner. And it's not ANY of the usual suspects. Drum roll please....

Score one for the Fightin' Engineers at Rose-Hulman!

And the crowd goes wild...er, wait... the crowd goes, WHO? Huh? Whaa?

A little known fact is that my Uncle Warren attended Rose-Hulman, a small school, known for engineering, in Terre Haute, IN. My first question was, Do they even have a football team? Yes, and in fact, they currently stand at 2-0.

So watch out Notre Dame, Purdue and Virginia Tech... Evan's now rooting for Rose-Hulman!

Are these kids cute or what?

I might be slightly biased, but I think these boys are pretty darn cute. I mean, this whole blog is devoted to showcasing their cuteness. What follows is a shameless amount of pictures of my two boys.

Subliminal messages. Jason hopes that just by listening, Grant will become the world's youngest UFC fighter.

I have no idea what Evan just said to Grant, but it must have been good!

This pic shows off Grant's cute little profile and his sweet right-side-only dimple.

On most days around the house, Evan's ensemble is exactly this: a t-shirt and underwear. It's just so much easier with potty training. The shoes, however, are a new addition--he loves to practice his new skill of putting his own shoes on.

Who says the Backstreet Boys can't make a comeback?

Not a great picture of any of us, but it shows family dinner time.

So color coordinated! And exactly WHAT color are Grant's eyes?? Jason and I are stumped. Some days they look perfectly blue, sometimes they are slate grey and then other times they look brownish green. Maybe they're not done changing?

Bullit manages to find a way to sneak into the family album.

Edible art not age appropriate

When Evan first brought this cute piece of artwork home, each bear had 3 Cheerio buttons.

Sucker

We bought all of these



And all he wants is this



P.T. Barnum said there's one born every minute!

Yeah, what she said

As I surf posts from other blogs in my free (ha!) time, I sometimes find snippets that echo how I feel or what I'm experiencing, but this one really struck a chord:

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

Excerpted from the Nie Nie Dialogues.

I hope that, by reading and re-reading this, I will remember to slow down a little more and smell the roses.

Calling all family football fanatics

It's that time of year again...football season. And, in our extended family, there are quite a few strong ties to certain school football teams (I'm not mentioning any names lest I be considered biased). Now is your chance to convince our children to root for the best team. Evan has long since outgrown the various t-shirts, onesies, etc. that you all gave to him when he was younger. So, if you're at all concerned about Evan's team allegiance, send him some gear! First come, first served.

Edited to add that Evan's shirt size is 3T.

The Dream Team

Last weekend my grandparents stopped into town to visit with us, and of course, help with any household projects. Their visit turned into an all-day-affair of installing doors. Jason and my grandpa installed new doors between the kitchen and garage and between the garage and back yard. No pics of the doors, but I can assure you they look great. Just a quick pic of Grant & Grandpa (I didn't get a chance to take any pics of Grandma or Evan).

The "Look at" game

Today, the boys and I went to the grocery store. For the entire trip inside the store, Evan played the "Look at" game. It went something like this:

Look at lights Mommy, Look at fans Mommy, Look at blue Mommy, Look at clocks Mommy, Look at yogurt Mommy, Look at red Mommy, Look at computer Mommy, Look at 'nother computer Mommy, Look at TV Mommy, Look at milk Mommy, Look at [I have no idea what he said] Mommy, Look at nanas Mommy, Look at..... Look at...... Look at...................................................................

AH!

Out-takes

I took the boys on Friday to get their pictures taken. Seeing as how Grant is already 4 months old, I figured we were past due! Our portrait session was quite the experience. Trying to get two boys under the age of 2 to not only settle down and sit down, but smile too, is an extraordinary feat. The photographers worked their darndest and were mostly successful. Evan, who needs very little coaxing to smile, was his typical hammy self. Grant was a little less cooperative. He was tired and cranky, and gave us very few big smiles. It's a good thing he's cute no matter what.

Below are some of the out-takes from our session (Copyright Portrait Innovations). For those lucky ones on our mailing list, we'll be sending you the real pics.

The Fam

Godparents!

This past weekend, Jason and I became first-time Godparents to Hayden, the fourth and youngest child of Ty & Rachel McDonald. Jason's relationship to Ty goes way back to when he attended Valley Forge military academy. Throughout the years, they've kept in touch and attended each others' weddings, sent birth announcements back and forth, etc. We were honored when they asked us to be Godparents to their son Hayden. We drove up to their house in the Louisville area and spent a wild and crazy weekend with 6 children under the age of 5!