Showing posts with label General Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Life. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring Break

One of my favorite things about the district where I teach is that every year in March we get a two week Spring Break. While two weeks off is in and of itself pretty great, it is made even better by the beautiful Arizona weather. We also reside within the Cactus League, so we are surrounded by major league baseball spring training. Typically it is also our busy season for house guests, which is really fun. So, we tend to stay home rather than travel, which means that Spring Break is the my most restful break of the school year, other than summer break.

To get the ball rolling, my mom and I took Andy to Thomas the Train's Day Out. It was held in Globe, which is a tiny town way east of here. Andy had a blast, even though the event was a complete dud, simply by virtue of it's locale and complete disorganization.

The other best part of Spring Break is that I get to spend tons of time with Andy. Sometimes we do things that are fun for him, but sometimes we do things that are fun for me, like the day I went for a manicure and pedicure.
We have a little park nearby that Andy loves to visit. Every time we drive time he asks to go. Well, we've had lots of time to play!
Unfortunately, Andy has also been sick. We took him to the doctor on Saturday morning where he was diagnosed with a common cold. However, things changed drastically by Sunday afternoon. Andy's coughing was constant and thick, and he was wheezing and breathing rapidly. We took him to urgent care where he was promptly set up on a nebulizer. Let's just say that this didn't make him a happy camper.
By the end of the treatment he was feeling much better and thrilled to have his favorite treat, a "lollibot".
Here's a little video of him in all his cheerful "after treatment" glory, obviously feeling much better.



We were able to leave after Andy had one more treatment, and sent home with three prescriptions and still a diagnosis of a common cold, complicated by what may be asthma. The past couple of days have been rough around here, with very little sleep for anyone and grueling nebulizer treatments several times a day. We have a visit with our regular doctor later this week to see how things are going. While this isn't my favorite way to spend time off from school, I'm glad that it is break so that I don't have to be taking any sub days.

Brian is off tomorrow and we are having a date day for just the two of us. I'll have to report back later with whatever we end up doing.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

A Leap of Faith

Since moving to Arizona over five years ago we haven't managed to find a church that we are comfortable making a regular habit of. There is basically just one church that has been close enough to us geographically and the same denomination. However, it's part of a different national organization from what we were accustomed to in California, and that includes some philosophical differences. This is the church where we had Andrew baptized the day after his adoption finalization. Everyone has always been very pleasant and friendly.

We always had a reason NOT to attend each week. Like, we were out of town, we had company, Brian was on call, we were busy, we were lazy. You get the idea. Part of my hesitation was even in bringing Andrew. Each time we went we took him into the sanctuary with us for the service. I never did bring him to the nursery. I knew he would be well taken care of, but I worried because Sunday morning services are always right smack dab in the middle of his nap time. Basically, it was just an excuse.

There is another church very nearby our home, though non-denominational. They were in a temporary home, but building a church some miles away. Again, a deal breaker for us. However, this summer they moved to a more permanent location, still very nearby our home. We have several friends who attend this church, and really enjoy it. I also knew it's services are similar to what I was used to in California. Everything finally added up and we decided to give it a try last weekend. Oh, I almost forgot! A huge plus for us is that they have a Saturday evening service, at 5pm. Well, this is a huge bonus for me! In California I loved attending Saturday evening service!

So anyhow, we went over there on Saturday. Our friends met us there and already checked in Andrew for us. All we needed to do was drop him off at the toddler room. He was so funny! He ran right in, towards a table full of toys, without even giving us a second glance. Andy looked up as we were leaving, but was totally unconcerned as he had a table full of toys at his disposal. We went on our way. When the service ended and we were filing out I looked at my cell phone. I had two new text messages from an unfamiliar number. Yup, the first one was telling me that Andrew was crying and very upset and for me to come to the toddler room. The second one was five minutes later, saying that everything was ok and that I didn't need to come. Phew! These messages had come thru a half hour earlier! Apparently when I turned the phone from ring to vibrate that didn't include incoming text messages. We hurried over to the toddler room and there he was, busily playing inside a little fort. The girls had been able to calm him down once they started singing songs.

All in all Andrew did great. He's never been left where he didn't know anybody. We also did great. It feels good to be excited about going to church again. We really enjoyed the pastor and the service, and we will be back again. Just not this weekend . . . . but really, that's only because we are heading back to the OC and some hopefully cooler temps.

Monday, June 07, 2010

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Well, this has been an unexpected little break from blogging. Nothing bad, just general life.

Once we all recovered from the stomach flu it was time for me to jump back into the last two days of school. What a whirlwind! The kids were only there for half days, but there was more than enough paperwork and clean up to run through the rest of the days. To further complicate things, I was completely hell-bent on finishing the projects for my last gifted endorsement class by the time school ended as well. And I did it. I'm thrilled to say that I completed 15 credit hours this school year to complete the course requirements for a gifted endorsement to tack onto my credential.

So last Thursday, the first day of summer vacation, I carted Andy off to the babysitter's house and Brian took the day off work. We ran some errands, spent a ton of money, had lunch out, and just enjoyed our time together. On Friday morning I again carted Andy off to the babysitter's house and spent a quiet morning, ALONE, at home before getting busy with the business of laundry and housework and errands.

Thrilling, huh?

On Saturday morning Brian had to go in to work, so I got Andy and me packed up, loaded up the car, and we hit the road for California. We are staying with Brian's parents and will head home on Wednesday. Yesterday Andy had some quality time with his grandparents, and I got to have some quality time with my girlfriends. Ah, that does a heart good!

Since we've been here Andy has figured out how to climb out of the pack-n-play, which isn't exactly a good thing, since that is where he sleeps at night. Thus, last night was a pretty long night for us.

The other thing is that he likes to say that he has to go pee pee and then sit on the potty. Likes it, as in wants to do it about 100 times a day. Which wouldn't be so bad if he was actually productive. Usually he is too late, or just plain mistaken. So, once we get home it'll be time to outfit the joint with character covered potty seats.

In the meantime, for today, we have a visit planned to Disneyland so that Andy can see Mick Mick. He LOVES Mick Mick. We'll be heading out as soon as Andy finishes his coffee. Yup, Brian's dad gave him his own cup of coffee this morning. In the interest of full disclosure, it's about 1 tablespoon of coffee and 2 tablespoons of half and half.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

And So it Continues

The stomach flu is still plaguing our household, unfortunately. Andy seemed to be feeling a bit better on Thursday, but it struck again with a vengeance early Friday morning. In the line of fire? Brian and I, but I got it worse than he did. Andy slept through the whole thing. I had to miss school yesterday, which was our last full day of school. Once I realized that I was too sick to go to school I launched into an anxiety attack because of that.

Yesterday was a blur, spending the day napping or laying on the couch. Andy was so good, keeping himself occupied while we lounged and tried to feel human. I started to feel better once my fever broke.

Today we've still been taking it easy. The hardest part is trying to get liquids into Andy. He is still having "issues", necessitating the use of night-time diapers all day long. We found that popsicles work great, so long as a little clean up doesn't bother anybody.


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I hope that all of you are having a far healthier Memorial Day weekend, as we remember those who gave their lives in service.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

White Out

After patiently waiting through many losing seasons, our Phoenix Coyotes have finally made it to the hockey playoffs. Since I've become a weird freak about hockey (which I blame on relocating to Arizona, because there is just something odd about ice hockey in the desert) we just had to go to the first playoff game. Look at all that white! It was an incredible experience.
Andy was such a good little Coyote fan. He clapped and danced and howled and kept everyone entertained.
The man who was sitting next to us was so taken by Andy that when he went to get his Dippin' Dots ice cream he brought back an extra spoon and shared with Andy. My little piggie loves ice cream so much that Brian had to go buy one for us so that Andy didn't eat all of the man's ice cream!

The Coyotes won, so it was well worth being tired at school the next day.

Monday, April 12, 2010

It Finally Happened

Today I took advantage of using some better time management skills. I didn't stay late after school today, and I didn't pick up Andy from the babysitter at the first opportunity. Instead, I changed into my workout clothes and set off for the gym. "Gym" doesn't exactly do this place justice. This is where we go, and I really like it, but I sure haven't been getting there as often as I would like. Or as often as I need to. But today, I was determined for it to be different.

In the end, I had a nice little workout and still made it home in time to have dinner with everyone and some playtime with Andy before putting him to bed.

More importantly, now I know that it is possible for me to make this work. And that must be worth something. My next step is for me to be comfortable leaving Andy in the child care center at the gym. It's funny, we've paid for Andy to be on the membership with us so that we can leave him at the child care center for months, OK, almost a year, but I have been too chicken to actually leave him there. Any tips?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Spring Bliss

I'd have to say that this spring is the best spring ever, since moving to Arizona. The weather has been beautiful and I've actually been in a position to enjoy and appreciate it.

I think a big part of it is that my stress level is so manageable right now. School is well under control (though all the teachers out there will understand that there is no such thing as being "caught up"). We have state testing next week, but that's OK, it actually makes for an easy week as far as planning and prep time.

And dare I say that I feel like there's a little bit of balance between work and family time? It helps that there is still some daylight after dinner, as it allows for some play time. We got Andy this really fun sand and water table. He's a big fan! Of course, the first thing he did was drink some of the water and eat a big mouthful of sand. Ick.
And now, with this new-found balance that I feel if I could only work in some trips to the gym each week . . .

Thursday, April 01, 2010

My Reward . . .

. . . at the end of a really long day at work and then class was to come home to a dinner already made (thanks, Brian!) and fun playtime in the bath with my sweet Andy-Pants. Without any pants. Obviously. Since he was in the bath, and naked and wet and all.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Perfect Spring Day

What makes for a perfect spring day? Well, to begin with, it really helps if it is spring break since I don't have to go to work for 2 whole weeks! Next, you can pretty much count on a gorgeous day in Arizona, with blue, blue skies and highs in the 70's. In fact, it looks much like this . . .

So, what does one do when one, and her sweet baby sleep in until 8:30? Well, first Andrew got a bath since he soaked through his nighttime diaper, jammies, sheets, blanket, floppy puppy and everything else in the crib. Then, I fixed us breakfast and cleaned the kitchen. By then it was 10:00 and we were all cleaned up with nowhere to go. So, we went. Down the street to the park in search of this playground.
Andy LOVED playing with the big kid stuff, though he did get annoyed at me for not letting him climb to the top of the play structure. As if.

After Andy had enough of the play structure he went on a nature walk. Where he discovered even more granite rocks. Ooohhhh!
By then it was time to come home and put Andy down for a nap. Boy, was he ready! As for the rest of the day? Well, don't tell Brian . . . but I do believe Andy and I may walk over to the ballpark and take in a Spring Training game this afternoon. It's just too nice of a day not to. I love Spring Break!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Coming Up for Air

Oh my goodness! What a week! What a month! The days and weeks are just running into each other and passing with alarming speed. I feel like there hasn't been a moment to pause since Andy and I returned from Omaha.

Poor Andy was really sick upon our return, with a double ear infection. I was just getting sick when we returned and by last Friday was a complete mess. Brian knew I was serious about how badly I felt when I was willing to go to Urgent Care on Friday night. The verdict? Pink eye, laryngitis, an upper respiratory infection, and some bizarre form of bronchitis. Fortunately, we had a 3 day weekend.

School this week has been crazy busy, as it pretty much always is. I had a presentation due tonight for my gifted endorsement class, as well as the final. At least this means that my next few Thursday nights are free.

There are just 3 more weeks left in this quarter, then our much needed 2 week spring break is here! Yippee! I'm looking forward to spending lots of time with Andy and Brian, plus we will be taking a little trip back to California for a visit to Disneyland.

In the meantime, it's time to take a deep breath, relax after my shower, and enjoy a quiet evening with Brian before bed. The weekend is within sight, and I plan to enjoy my family.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

Now that I've got the idioms out of my system, let's get down to business. Life is good. Really good. Just really busy too. So much so that it's kind of making me nuts. I feel like I don't have any time to just slow down and enjoy and appreciate these really good times. Somehow the "to do" list just never gets any shorter, but rather, grows at an alarming pace.

Unfortunately, my brain can think up things that need to get done much faster than I can actually do this. One of my character flaws is that I always want to do everything perfectly and have everything just so. Throw in teaching and family responsibilities, and it can just be really tough to deal with. Also, I'm totally and completely unrealistic with my time estimates for everything. However, I do know that I'm not the only person in the world with these issues, but I do wonder how others manage without going stark raving mad.

I do have a little help now managing my stress and anxiety issues, but I'll go into that another time. Suffice it to say, that I was definitely feeling the effects of all of this stress and busy-ness this weekend. Brian finally took things into his own hands and booked me for a massage last night, and today!

I feel like a new person now. A new person with lots to do! However, at least now I'm relaxed enough to realize that I don't have to get it all done today. Namely, I'm trying to get Andrew and I ready for our trip to Omaha next weekend. I'm trying to round up cold, really cold, weather clothes for us and it's just impossible. There is no winter clothing to be found in Arizona. We'll just have to hope for the best and layer, layer, layer.

I a bit concerned (read: really, really worried and stressed) about how I will manage us and our stuff on the flight. I mean, I'm checking our suitcase, but I'll still have the stroller, car seat (assuming there is room for Andrew to have his own seat on the plane), diaper bag, purse, sippy cup, snacks, binkies, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and let's not forget, I'll also have Andrew. So, if you have any tips for me about traveling alone with a toddler, please share!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Smiles, Tears, Sleep and More Smiles

Well, the title about sums up our Saturday. Brian's Aunt Jacque and Carlos have been in town for the week and we got to spend some time with them when they weren't busy with the new house. We went to the Black Bear Diner for breakfast yesterday. If you are ever in town, it is simply a must for breakfast. Be warned though, you will not need a meal for the rest of the day, and your cardiologists may simply prefer that you not go at all. Afterwards we went clear across the Valley (it was a beautiful drive though) to Pottery Barn Kids so that Jacque could get Andy his "Anywhere" chair. After we got it home we couldn't keep Andy out of it. It's true love. And he was all smiles.

The smiles didn't last for long though. Jacque had another treat in store for Andy. A haircut. Andy was not nearly as thrilled this time as he was with his first haircut last September.
A complete and utter meltdown ensued, complete with tears, snot, and drool.
But he was happy again as soon as I hauled out his new yellow ducky bath toy.
After some nap and playtime we went to the Coyote game, where a great time was had by all. For the first time this season Andy went to sleep during a game, though he lasted until the beginning of the third period. This kid was so completely OUT. Somehow he managed to sleep through 4 Coyote goals, cheers, and blaring horns, and finally, another Coyote win.
After all that sleep at the game Andy was wide awake and ready to play in his new chair by the time we got home. And he was back to all smiles too, just the way we like him.
So, our day was full of smiles, tears, sleep and more smiles. But then again, I guess that's pretty much what life is all about. And as long as the smiles outnumber the tears, we are truly blessed.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Speechless

Wow, I'm completely speechless over the incredible support I was offered after my last post. Thank you, so, so, so very much. I'm really OK, but it's just an adjustment in thinking that is taking a little getting used to. I liked what Brenda had to say, about achieving perfection the first time, so not needing to try again with another child! I do feel a lot less pressure right now since we won't actively pursue another adoption. I guess I feel like I'm free to just live our lives without the constant uncertainty lurking in the background.

Without further ado, here are a few pictures of utter perfection . . .


Andy shows his appreciation and excitement over a Coyote goal.
This is Andy once again showing his Coyote appreciation, by howling!
He is just so thrilled to feed himself, and I think he enjoys making a big ole mess as well. This kid will pretty much only eat veggies if they are stage 2 baby food veggies. But hey, he's eating veggies so who am I to complain?
And lookie here, looks like we are at the beginning of a whole new era with the climbing little monkey boy.

Friday, December 04, 2009

Odds 'n Ends

Woo hoo, it's Friday! The week has been so, so, so busy and crammed full of stuff that I swear, it was just Monday.
  • Last night I finished my second course towards my gifted education endorsement. So, yippee, one less thing on my schedule until the first week in January when the next class starts up.
  • We are having a garage sale tomorrow to help build our adoption fund. This, um, has been in the works since last weekend. Good timing, huh? Upon looking at our treasures that we will be parting with, we'll be lucky to make $100. Hopefully I'm being really sarcastic right now and greatly underestimating the value of our stuff. And since math isn't my best subject, maybe the nickels and dimes we collect tomorrow will add up to more.
  • Just 2 more weeks of school until winter break. And I can't wait! I am practically giddy with excitement about being home for two weeks and not leaving the Valley of the Sun.

There are many more things to report and reflect upon, but unfortunately, I just finished my breakfast and need to get out the door, otherwise the teacher will be late to class. And that never looks good . . .

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Special Places

Everyone has their own special place. I'm not talking about places like a lake, or a beach, or a park, or a walking trail . . . I'm talking about a special place within the home. This is a place where one can go to be alone, to pursue hobbies, or to just be.

Andrew seems to have found his place. There's only one problem - it's also Molly's place. We'll see what happens if they ever both want to occupy the space at the same time.


My special place is this little corner of my bedroom. I love, love, love my cushy chair.
It's my favorite place ever to curl up with a good book. Napping is pretty fantastic in this chair as well. And, I must admit, this spot is my quiet little refuge when our house gets just too crazy and noisy during family events. I like to relax in this chair while I chat on the phone catching up with my girlfriends in California. When I'm upset, this is the place I retreat to. I've even spent a little bit of time in this comforting spot with my tears. When Andrew was tiny he and I spent many nights in this chair before he learned to sleep by himself. So, when I think of my special place within our home, this is it.

I look forward to watching Andrew as he finds his own special place. One that he won't have to share with Molly.

And I'm pretty sure that Brian's special place is the, um, commode in the master bathroom, considering the amount of time he spends there. That's also where he keeps his magazines and does his best singing.

So, where is your special place?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

New Stuff

Yesterday we stopped at my parent's house around lunch time. Andy had his first McDonald's cheeseburger and shared the moment with his Papa. Let me tell you, he thought it was completely delicious.

I'm still working on redecorating Andy's bathroom using a ducky theme. I have all of the accessories, shower curtain, pictures and paint and now it's just a matter of getting it done. Since it seems so overwhelming I took on a much smaller project. I redecorated our downstairs bathroom instead. Here are the before pictures . . .


And now here's our new look. I think it really brightens up what is really a pretty small bathroom. It also feels good to have actually accomplished something. Thank goodness for naps. Andy's, not mine, that is.


So tell me, what project have you been meaning to do that you keep putting off?


Monday, September 21, 2009

The High Life

This might not be what mainstream society considers to be the "high life", but it is my "high life" and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

This past weekend was the first weekend in 8 weeks that I haven't done any school work in any manner or sort. All that was on the agenda was uninterrupted family time. This is the scene that greeted me Saturday morning:
Apparently Andy ate pears for breakfast, then ran his hands through his hair. I'm not really sure what happened to Brian, but I doubt that he ate pears then ran his hands through his hair.

After cleaning up and making ourselves presentable we went to a new local farmer's market. It was almost a complete bust, and we were only there about 20 minutes, but we did get some yummy locally produced honey, pickles and apple butter. From there we went to lunch and then did some shopping. Later in the afternoon Andy hung out with Brian while I got a massage, then Andy hung out with me while Brian got one. We spent a quiet evening at home and it was truly delightful.

Again, the high life. And I love it.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

School, Fantasy and Shoes . . . Oh My!

First of all, my dear readers, I do realize that only posting every week or two simply won't do. And really, I am trying to get better. I compose countless posts in my head while otherwise occupied with mundane household chores or bathing. So without further ado, here's our little family update:

School is seriously kicking my ass. I go in around 7 in the morning, and don't leave until about 6pm, and later if Brian is picking up Andrew. Being "caught up" is within sight, and I'm living under the delusion that not only is there such a thing as being "caught up", but that I might actually get there and experience it. I teach at a school with an incredibly demanding admin team who I think is trying to see if it really is possible to cause teachers to self-combust under the pressure. My kids are completely awesome, and this is the best class I've had since moving to Arizona. Really, it isn't fair to the rest of my 3rd grade team. I'm also taking a class one night a week towards earning my Gifted Education endorsement, so it's weird having homework that I have to do. I'd like to finish the program this year so that I can move over on the salary schedule next year. Seeing as this is my second year teaching a class with a gifted cluster (1/3 third of my class is identified as gifted) this seems like a good investment of my time and money.

Brian has also been keeping busy with work. It seems that he has been taking lots of call lately, so that's sort of a drag at times. He also just has his fantasy football draft last weekend, and apparently that called for making another Bacon Explosion for his buddies. Whatever. All I know is that since it was raining last weekend he couldn't smoke it in the bbq, but instead had to cook it in the house, causing the house to smell like bacon for two days.

Andrew is still awesome. He's still working on eating with a spoon. And Brian is working on not getting frustrated with Andrew feeding himself. Since it's still warm here I'm thinking it might be a good idea to have mealtime on the back patio and then to just go swimming right afterwards. Hmmm, we'll have to try it out. Andrew also got his first pair of big-boy shoes. Up until now he's been wearing Robeez, if anything at all. Seriously, he's usually completely barefoot. We can't even leave him in just socks because he's a maniac. He scared his babysitter to death the day that she thought he ate a sock. I swear, he's worse than a beagle. Any-who, we made the trek to the mall last weekend, to Stride Rite, got sized (4 1/2 wide), and found a spiffy pair of cruisers. As you can see, Andrew thinks they are wonderful.

The shoes make a weird, squeaky sound when he chews on them, and it must feel good on his teeth or something. Andrew can take 3 or 4 steps without assistance, and he thinks it is hilarious when he belly flops to the floor. And actually, it is.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Catch Up Bullets

These past few weeks have been a complete blur, nothing bad, just busy. In fact, there's been plenty of good.

  • Kids have been back at school for 12 school days now. I've been in full on school mode for the past month. Days are long and pass quickly . . . that's just how busy it is. As much as I'm working I feel like I will never catch up. Every single teacher reading this knows just exactly what I mean. And best yet? I've got a great class! This should be a fantastic year.

  • Last week on Saturday Andy had a fever out of nowhere. When it hit 103F we went to the pediatric urgent care. Diagnosed with double ear infections and put on antibiotics. The fever wouldn't break after a couple of days so Andy saw his regular doctor. Diagnosis? Roseola. The fever broke the next day, the rash appeared the day after that. All is well now.


  • My little trooper Andy-pants also has four molars coming in. Top and bottom, both sides.

  • This last Saturday Molly got sick. After a $130 vet visit she was diagnosed with an upset tummy and given 3 medications. After several meals of rice and ground beef she seems to be feeling fine.

  • I've discovered e-bay. It's an illness. Let's just say that I had a really good mail week!

  • Speaking of a great mail week . . . the Braces Bunch sure has been busy! I look forward to sending out my own good thoughts soon.

  • We've discovered the HBO series "True Blood". We are hooked and quickly making our way through the first season.

  • I've ordered all kinds of stuff for my ducky bathroom makeover. I still have to pick out paint and picture frames. Oh, and find the time to actually do the makeover!

  • At the end of the month I'm heading to Seattle for the weekend to visit a friend. I can't wait! However, I do feel a little bad about leaving Brian and Andy for the weekend.

  • I'm also really looking forward to our Baltimore trip in October.

  • In preparation of that trip, I'm going to get Andy off the bottle and onto his sippy cups. sure don't want to have to drag bottles across the country and deal with washing them.

  • I've also been cutting back on Andy's binky use. He only uses them for naps and bedtime. We were actually binky free the other night, until 2:30am when he woke up yelling and crying.

  • Andy now has a cold, so I feel bad keeping his binky from him now.
Well, that's all the news from us here in the Valley of the Sun. I'll leave you with some sweetness of my budding musician.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Simply Spectacular Summer

Arizona is known for being a pretty miserably hot place during the summer. That being said, this summer has been truly delightful so far. Our temperatures have been unseasonably low, in the upper 90's, barely reaching 100. I can hear your groans now. Really, upper 90's is truly comfortable here. Yes, it's warm, but it's not HOT. Our humidity is so low here that 90's are really comfortable. Our evenings are wonderful and it's downright intoxicating to be outdoors at night. We have been making the best of our backyard pool. The water temperature is in the high 80's, which is just perfect! B was off work yesterday so we had some unexpectedly extra family time. We enjoyed lunch on the patio, enjoying our nused (new to us, but used) table and chairs. When B's grandparents moved a couple of weeks ago they let us have their patio table and chairs, which we liked better than what we had. I went shopping and replaced all of the seat cushions and I'm really happy with our nused set.
After lunch settled we enjoyed a mid-afternoon swim with Andrew, who really likes the water. See that dark blue swim shirt he's wearing? Well, I really should have washed it before its first use. Why? Because upon removing it from Andrew after our swim I found myself to be the momma of a baby smurf. Yup, Andrew turned blue everywhere that the shirt touched.

After swimming (well, really just splashing around) and a sudsy, scrubby bath I had my baby back from smurfdom. Andrew conked out for about a 2 hour nap with his floppy puppy. This is how I found him in his crib. It's OK, you can say it . . . . AWWWWWW

When Andrew woke up we had a light, and WW approved supper and went downtown to attend the Diamondbacks game. It was a perfectly beautiful night for a baseball game! The roof was open on the stadium and it was completely heavenly. Andrew was his usual charming self chatting up a storm with everyone in our row, and the row below us and the rows above us. All in all, a picture perfect summer family day.
Just so you know, I'm really looking forward to monsoon season, which starts about a month from now. I just love watching the storms roll in during the late afternoon and I delight in the heavy rain and all that comes along with it.