Almost too busy to breathe..

Tuesday, of course, was our day in Luxembourg.

Wednesday we went to Idar-Oberstein for dinner
(lamb, a favorite of mine!) and a walk..

I've been waiting to take the Little Mister to play in this fountain
since my first trip to Idar-Oberstein...
when I was about 30 weeks pregnant! :)

Thursday, a trip to Trier...

Yesterday we went to the zoo in Frankfurt:

"Calling" to the gorilla the same way he calls to the cats,
rubbing his fingers together in a "if you come over here
I'll scratch you!" motion.
He did that all through the zoo!

Of course, I couldn't resist taking pictures with the giraffe statue. :)

"calling" to the zebras too...

Daddy loves carrying his little boy on his shoulders....
doesn't much appreciate the ear pinches, though!

And today we went to Manderscheid to explore some castle ruins!

We are so enjoying each other!

Wordless Wednesday: A Day in Luxembourg

Haiku-type Update

The Sergeant is home
Little Mister loves Daddy
Can't get enough hugs

Got some more flowers
Gerberas, a sunflower
Small, pretty garden

Little Mister "helps"
He excels at laundry time
Bit more work for Mom...

Got presents today!
Thanks to Pearl (and her person)
A sweet, fun surprise

These are busy days
Full of hugs, kisses, laughter
And lit up with smiles

for more haiku fun, click here...

Sunday Morning Joy: My Boys!!!

Sometime after 6:00 am - a phone call

Sometime after 8:00 am - a knock on the door

And soon after that:

Yup, the Sergeant is HOME! Not for good, just for his mid-tour R&R. (Please don't comment that three months into a fifteen month tour is nowhere near "mid"-tour...it'll just get me frustrated. It wasn't his choice to come home so early. I've decided to stop being frustrated by his early leave and just enjoy having him home!)

Aren't my boys adorable together? It's wonderful to see them interact, it's so hard spending every day with the Little Mister and knowing the Sergeant is missing out on so much. We're all going to enjoy every day of his three weeks home!

I dream a rose garden..

My to do list said
"buy flowers and plant flowers"
And so I obeyed


Rich dirt on my hands
Little Mister had fun too
(sorry, no photos)


Now I have color
- Red and yellow, purple, white -
On my balcony


Today a light rain
Fine mist, kisses on petals
A drink for new life


for more haiku fun, click here!

Wordless Wednesday - Soooooo Big!

Thirteen Months Old

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here..

Shoulder to the Wheel

The holiday weekend is over...and I have to get my house clean.

I'm not quite sure when it happened.

I mean, I sweep, I wash dishes, I dust.

I clean up after the Little Mister.

When I fold clothes I put them away (or at least in the bedroom they belong in).

But suddenly I looked up and it seems everything is a mess. Everything is somewhere other than where it belongs. There is infant Tylenol in the dining room. There is a pile of empty boxes in the living room. There are candles in the hallway, empty dish soap and fabric softener bottles in the bathroom, and books everywhere.

I think the cats are playing games with me, moving things around when I sleep.

Anyway, starting today I have to get things done. My "to do" list for the week more than covers an entire sheet of notebook paper. I make very detailed lists...it makes it look like I have more to do, but I get to cross things off more often. And doesn't everyone just love to cross things off of lists? (Please someone say yes...make me feel less crazy...) ;) Here's just one of my lists:

Kitchen:

• take out trash
• sweep/mop floor
• wash/put away dishes
• clean off counters
• clean out fridge
• organize cupboards
• wash cupboard/drawer fronts

And that's a short one!

So I've got to get busy. But that's okay. My house will be clean!! :)

Wish me luck!


On a completely different note, my grandpa is in the hospital..again. This time it's gall bladder trouble (sound familiar?). Yesterday they did a procedure where they go down through the mouth and stomach to the gall bladder to clean it out..at least that's what I understand from a short phone call to my grandma. The good news is they might not have to do surgery! Any prayers and positive thoughts would be much appreciated..

Happy Independence Day!!

...with love from me and the Little Mister :)

In which I talk about my son and then ask for a bit of advice.

Yesterday was the Little Mister's 12 month well-baby appointment. A little late, I know, but we were in the States around his birthday and this was the first appointment I could get. (and that is a complaint for another day...) Anyway, he's still small: 20.5 pounds and 29.5" long (can I say tall now?). The doctor says "You know he's small, but he's healthy. Beau-ti-ful healthy. And he's built like an athlete."

After we saw the doctor there was some "fun". The Little Mister had to have blood drawn. And then he got four shots. Poor little guy. He screamed like he was dying, and I was nearly crying with him, but the instant I picked him up he stopped, mid-cry. About thirty seconds later I tickled his neck a little, without even thinking about what I was doing, and he giggled. I guess he was fine. Dramatic much? Anyway, this seems to be the only effect of the shots (or possibly it was just the early start in the morning):


He slept for a couple hours and then everything was fine. No fevers, no acting "off" (his usual response to immunizations), no fussing, no pain (even when I massaged his legs like the nurse told me to: he just laughed!)...just bright, happy, full-of-energy baby. Hooray! (I wouldn't have turned down his usual extra nap, though..)

And now, with no brilliant segue way (I'm tired this morning) we reach the point in the post where I start asking for advice. Because you are all brilliant, my bloggy friends, and I know I can count on you for help. ;)

Quest for Advice #1: Breakfast

Any suggestions on what to serve a one-year-old for breakfast? Eggs, cereal, oatmeal, toast...it seems like I'm giving him the exact same meals over and over again. I don't have trouble being creative with lunch and dinner, but I've always been a cereal eater so I just can't think of anything else for breakfast. And since my son eats EVERYTHING, I want to give him a variety of things to try out.

Quest for Advice #2: The Bathtub Stinker

Yes, that is what I have begun to call my son. Ever since we got home from our trip he seems to think that the bathtub is the place to poop. Nearly every night. What do I do about this?? I'm getting very tired of cleaning out the tub, cleaning off the baby, running new bathwater, etc... (And this time I'm being serious, not like the last time I wrote about the Little Mister's fun with bodily functions...)

Can you help me?