this is about to be a very odd post

but a very lovely, much needed odd post.

public bathrooms, how i LOATHE thee...let me COUNT the ways.....

1. you are too small for me and my two children to use all at once

2. there is nowhere CLEAN for my 3.5 year old to be while i am changing the baby.

3. there is no where clean to change the baby

4. you smell

5. you are unappealing to the eye.

6 i could go on all day....

but i wont, because, obviously- ikea agrees with me....

thank you ikea.

thank you for a comfy, awesome, CLEAN restroom, with a comfy SEPARATE  but attached pricvate clean nursing, changing room that i felt comfortable nursing my wiggly easily distracted 10.5 month old that was overstimulated by the huge, loud, crowded store :).

thank you for the beautiful paintings, for the posted sign letting me know that nursing was welcome ANYWHERE and that free diapers and changing pads were available if i needed them.

thank you for having lots of toys for ira to play with and kid sized sinks....and a table for her to sit & color.

ive been here many times, but this trip was the first with two kids, and i appreciated it all so much, i felt compelled to take pics & post to the world my love.

illness

had taken control of my body on monday.... and before that were houseguests.... and parties..... and vacations to lovely places.....updates are a coming.....

fun with playsilks

the playsilks are still hanging in our kitchen.... the feeling of beautiful silk touching your face as you walk through it is so lovely, i may hang silks in every room :)

last photo taken by ira herself 

the only family member currently enjoying our craft room is~

stella the cat :)

she inherited her daddy's...

cookie finding abilities.

she is 10 months......and not yet eating solids.... although i may take this as a sign she is ready :)

more zoo;)

jumps & hugs

games

I cannot tell which part amazes me more.... that ira is so patient while liv knocks down every single thing she builds, or that she just keeps building things.... just for liv to knock down.

science center fun

to do list....

my final post of the day is short and sweet.... a couple ira-isms from the week....

I was going over my to do list with ira on monday.... I said, "today I have to do laundry and clean the playroom.....what is one YOUR to do list?"

"mmmmm...... just play. that all thats on my list"

just as it should be :)

Then today, as jared was getting ready for work....

"daddy, WHAT are you doing awake? oh, you go to work"

"yes, I do sweet, im leaving.... bye bye...I love you"

as he bends to kiss her....

"daddy, you forgot to say Adiós !"

Growth :)

we go to the zoo very often...the membership is cheap.... there is a splash pad to keep cool in our dry hot summers and its a small, relaxed zoo that one could just meander through in a about an hour or two....plus, every day at 10, you can feed the beautiful giraffes. 

we havent fed the giraffes yet this year because last year, ira was too scared, she would only want to watch, or she would want to feed them, and then throw the food at them and run away.

not today.... today, she grabbed the biscuit and walked right up to the gentle humongous animal and held up the food. Then turned and handed me her second biscuit...

"MAMA, you have GOT to try it, it tickles...."

They are playing TOGETHER!

I swear, just three short months ago, it felt as though my children would forever be a preschooler and an infant.... now, they actually play together.

Granted, most of it is ira playing with liv.... which I love watching... as it becomes more and more apparent that she has been waiting her whole life to be a big sister.

So I am sharing my joy with you, and also with them, to hopefully look back at and cry when they are 30 and 27 and raising children of their own.....if thats what they choose to do.... thats what I would do, because I am an emotional sucker ;)

carnaval

We went to the second annual Tucson Carnaval on saturday! It was so much fun. The childrens museum was involved, so admission was free and we had a blast walking around the historic neighbourhood surrounding the celebrations too!

I took pictures the first 20 minutes we were there and the camera didnt come out again, You will just have to trust it was amazing ;)

oh, and we made three masks, no pics of us wearing them either- that may still be arranged..... but here are two that I took while we were making them.... there is still glitter EVERYWHERE in the craft room.

zoooooooo

 

ira invents a new camera.....

and practices taking pictures of liv :)

Proud Papa

Puts sleepy baby to sleep......

so sweet.

ahhhh fresh paint

things i am inspired by today

                                      aboveccopyright melba levick

i need it, because my once white house is now painted and awaiting decoration....

six & six

the lovely stephanie at ordinary life magic tagged me for this six/six game!

"Open the 6th picture folder on your computer, open the 6th photo and blog it. Write something about it. Then tag 6 more people to do the same."

this was almost one year ago, feb 21, 2008.... we went on a short hike with some friends to find this sun circle. i was 7 months pregnant and had to scale a sand embankment... which was hilarious all on its own.

i slipped a little, and irs'a little hand grabbed me... this story is still told by ira and it goes like this, "one time, we were climbing a mountain and momma fell, but i caught her and saved her! im a reeeaaally good climber"

its usually told right after we ask her not to climb something dangerous!

i hereby tag

anna

ashlee

des

julia

kiza

trinity

hilarious, but i didnt alphabetize on purpose.