Strawberry Pickin'

Look how cute my niece is? (I had to "blog brag") She went strawberry picking this weekend!

Daddy's Boots

Colin can now wear his vintage boots - I call them "vintage" because they belonged to David and that means they date back to about 1978 (about when Jesse James roamed the wild west). They are well loved but still in great shape and ready for the next little cowboy. Now all Colin needs is a big hat - and maybe some pants! haha

Backyard Playscape

There's something about being outdoors that stimulates Colin's physical exercise. Whether it's the effect of the fresh air or the reaction to the sunlight (my child may be a human solar panel), I don't know. But take Colin outdoors, and he immediately starts to run, skip, climb and jump.

So I've decided that Colin needs a backyard playscape! The only problem is that we have a SMALL yard and a BIG project ahead. Did I mention that we have a berm in our backyard, a 25-year-old dilapidated fence, a mosquito problem and a jungle of overgrown trees? That said, I'm not afraid of projects - especially after remodeling our entire house. But this won't be as simple as buying a playscape at Toys R Us and putting it together. I will need to harness my creative side and start thinking like a toddler!

As usual, I found lots of great inspiration online. We don't have space for the usual "playground kit," so I'm thinking of hiring a carpenter to build a small rock wall, a slide, and a sand box. Hopefully all this research will help turn our backyard into a place where Colin can fight off villans, run from monsters, play tarzan and make mud pies. Check out this site where I did some of my research: http://www.bearsplaygrounds.com/access_freestanding_images/freestanding_components.html

If you have any ideas please let me know! I'm entertaining all ideas - even David's idea to turn the yard into a batting cage with fake grass and a rock wall in place of the siding. :)

Welcome Jonah Braden McCarley

I'm so happy to introduce another little guy to our group...

Christiana and Jared McCarley had their baby, Jonah, on Thursday, March 24th at 2 am. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 20 1/2 inches long. He was originally due on my birthday (March 21st) but he didn't make his worldly debut until 3 days later. He looks a lot like his dad with blue eyes and lots of light hair. In fact, he has so much hair that Christiana and Jared are having fun making baby mohawks. What a beautiful baby!

Furry Babies are The Best

Monster, have I told you lately that I love you?

I often feel like I have two children (one 7 year old and one 18 month old). People always tell me that older siblings help care for the younger ones, and the same is true in our family. Monster accompanies me when I put Colin to bed, and as soon as she hears Colin's cries from the monitor, she races up the steps to get him. Monster's "Lassie-like" personality reminds me of Nanny from Peter Pan who looked after the Darling's children.


Taking care of a baby sure wears a dog out...

I agree completely!

Fun at Amy's Ice Cream

Colin on a sugar high...


Amy's Ice Cream

Library Card

I am now a proud member of the Westbank Library! I haven't been a library cardholder since grade school and A LOT has changed since then. The Laura Bush Library is SO fabulous - it doesn't smell like a library, it doesn't look like a library and it's so high tech! You can reserve books/movies online and pick them up via the drive through. How's that for service?
Plus, they offer tons of activities for children: story time, music, crafts, even bed-time story time where they provide milk and cookies.

See you at the library!