The Ol' Fishing Hole

Wes has been taking Red Cross swimming lessons at the Quarry this summer.

It's just about the sweetest little spot I can think of to spend a summer day.

wouldn't you agree?

No Babies Were Harmed in the Making of This Blog Post

Oren is a handful. (To put it mildly.)

He does things Wes would have never dreamed of doing.

Abby and I joke about it all the time and when I happen

to catch him up to no good I usually take a quick picture 

if I can manage it safely and send it to Abby.

I thought I'd share them here with you..

This is a little something I'd like to call

"Places I've Found Oren"

and just think

these are just the times I've had my phone on me

and managed to snap a picture before josh or I rescued/stopped him

oren-ry

don't worry, we watched him do this to see if he could actually get up there.

josh is standing right out of frame.

fin.

From Saturday

Josh and I had a little night out on Saturday, just the two of us. We dropped the boys off at Grandma's and made our way up to Lakewood for a delicious dinner at Georgetown. The weather was just right, the food was excellent (scallops, yes!) and it was the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a good conversation with no distractions from our little ones and food that's still warm when you eat it. If you're looking for a nice patio this summer, this is the place to go. The bathrooms, however, are a little eh. I always make it a point to check out the bathroom whenever we go out somewhere. Maybe it's the interior designer in me but I feel like you can really tell a lot about a place based on the presentation and cleanliess of their bathroom. Like sometimes you go to an okay restaurant but their bathroom is totally decked out and you think, "Okay, I can respect this. I can get down with this place." But then sometimes you go to a really fancy place but then their bathroom is smelly and hasn't been updated since 1985 and none of the stall doors lock and you just think, "huh..."

 

After dinner, we stopped by the new casino in downtown Cleveland to blow a few bucks on the slot machines (I played the the mystical unicorn) and watch those who actually know what they're doing play poker and black jack. The whole gambling/casino scene isn't really my thing, but it was great people watching, plus it was fun to just wander around and check the place out. I kept thinking that whoever got the lighting contract for that place must have made a bundle because it is just crystal chandelier after crystal chandelier up in there. Oh, and the bathrooms are primo, and the soda is free, so there you go.

Summer Brothers

what else is summer if not tiny octopus swim shorts and

a fun day of playing in the kiddie pool 

(and the hose) 

(and the neighbor's sprinkler, too)

my very favorite picture of the summer so far

(can they never, ever grow up please?)

From the Weekend

We got to spend the last few days celebrating our friends, the world's most adorable (and newly engaged) couple, Colin and Elizabeth. A whirlwind couple of days full of meeting new people and catching up with the old, and we were so honored to be part of it. And if nothing more, this weekend proved two things:

1. I am an emotional sap. I mean, we all pretty much already knew that, but I took it to whole other level when I basically cried at literally everything all weekend long. I cried when they cut their engagement cake Saturday night, which was mostly just a practice run for the real thing in December. I looked around the room through blurry eyes while all this was happening and even their parents weren't crying. And you know why? --- because it's just an engagement cake and it's not a big deal for heaven's sake Emily, GET A GRIP. 

***

Then, Sunday, I started to get all weepy at the bridal shower when Elizabeth opened a gift from her sister and she got teary eyed reading the card. Why was I crying? I didn't even know what the card said. Lord help me come the real wedding day. I should mention, Wes is in the wedding, so you know I'm a goner. I'm just gonna go ahead and leave the mascara in Akron for this one.

2. We got to meet Elizabeth's whole family for the first time and I'm now convinced their last name should be GoodHair and not Brown. Their whole family? Great hair. Every single one of 'em. Elizabeth's mom, Anita GoodHair, as I shall henceforth be referring to her, is my new idol. Speaking as a person with naturally curly hair and no idea how to manage it and who has been straightening it within an inch of it's life for years, this woman is my new hair inspiration. You know my first thought when I met her? I wanted to pin her. And by pin her I mean log in to Pinterest, make a board called Who I Want To Be When I Grow Up and just pin Anita. That's all. New life goal. Done. She looks like a mix between Blythe Danner and Drew Barrymore, plus she's funny and sweet to boot. I mean, can we just be best friends? Elizabeth, I'm stealing yo momma. 

Side note: That's Anita on the far left in the picture above. Elizabeth center and Colin's mom, Cherie, on the right. Can you even believe how gorgeous the three of them are? Those future GoodHair-Morris kids are going to be stunners. Seriously, imma see if we can get some kind of pre-arranged marriage situation set up for my boys and their future kids so at least my grandchildren can get in on some of those GoodHair genes.

And that pretty much sums it up. Lots of crying and hair envy. Plus copious amounts of terribly blurry/over-exposed/under-exposed iPhone photography. But what else would you expect?

Oh, and it goes without saying, there was lots and lots of delightful food all weekend long. I tried not to over do it with the pictures for once, but here's one for the road.

you're welcome.

PS. BIG thanks to Cherie and all of Colin and Elizabeth's families for being such gracious, welcoming and wonderful hosts all weekend long. Those are two lucky and LOVED kiddos, but I don't need to tell you that ;)

For the Love of Lori

Wes starts school in less than six weeks. Pre-school to be more specific. But he'll be going full time. All week, 7:30am until 2:30pm + aftercare three days a week (except Mondays I'm keeping him home with me, because I'm his mother and that's my perogative and no, I don't want to loose out on any time with my baby and before it's mandatory that he go five days a week that's just the way it's going to be and I don't want to hear anything about it).

This is giving me extreme anxiety. Not a surprise, because that's just what I do. Get anxious about stuff and this is going to be a big transition, so cue the insomnia and nervous leg bouncing! I've been trying to put my finger on exactly what's bothering me, because he's very ready for school. He's smart as a whip, excited to go and I know he will flourish in that environment. Also, since I'm keeping him home Mondays I won't miss any extra time with him that I'm not already. It's a good school, less than five minutes from my office and I'm comfortable with his classroom and teacher...so what's the deal?

Then it hit me. Oh, Lori.

His babysitter Wednesday - Friday. I love her and I mean that. The kind of love that you have for someone you entrust with your most precious earthly posessions. I love her and her family and her beautiful home and the outstanding care she's given to Wes and will continue to provide for Oren. I love the feeling of trust and comfort I have knowing they're with her when I can't be and the feeling of peace I get knowing there is absolutely nothing I need to worry about when she's in charge.

I'm not sure if you remember the rather arduous search for a babysitter we endured after our first and last sitter moved away. But it was one of the most high anxiety, gut wrenching experiences I've had since becoming a parent. Not knowing if we'd be able to find the right person to trust with our kids, wondering if we'd have to settle for just someone and not the one...talk about sleepless nights. I remember our first meeting with Lori (after many, many, many failed prospects) sitting across her kitchen table fighting back tears of joy and relief, knowing she was everything I had been looking for.

She sends me pictures like this throughout the day with captions that say I love my job.

Or ones like this, telling me how proud she is of Wes because he was brave in the pool today.

She's even started taking Wes to swimming lessons on Wednesdays for me - her idea.

I could go on.

and on.

and on and on and on and on.

So, when I think about Wes starting school and his time being spent with someone other than Lori or Abby or me or Josh for that matter...I start to get a little nervous.

Who is going to check in with me every day and share all the moments with him that I'm missing?

Who is going to keep an eye on him to make sure he's always safe and happy and not so much as a feeling is hurting on my boy?

The answer is no one.

He will be safe and he will have fun (I hope) for the most part in school. But there's going to be a lot of outside influences and a whole lot more variables in his life come August and I can't be sure he will always be happy. And no one will be there to protect his feelings anymore.

Also, he's going to miss her. Of course he is.

So, I'm wading through the anxiety, trying not to let Wes see any of it and counting down the days until August so I can just get it over with already and get used to this whole new thing. This whole new phase of life.

And if that doesn't work, only 154 days until Christmas break, right?

Thank you, Natalie

one of my fave bloggers dropped this little gem on me today. and you know, what? it was exactly what i've needed to hear lately.



how often do we despair unnecessarily? if we could only see the mere inches that stand between us and our goals, do you think we'd try even harder to get there? or just better enjoy the journey?



so thank you, natalie.

new goal: relax. stop worrying about the future and all of the what ifs. life's pretty good right now.

enjoy it.

Daredevil

so, about once every 6 years or so, something really wonderful happens. 

fiona apple gets around to releasing a new record and subsequently goes on tour.

this makes me very happy.

(josh asked my dad for his permission to marry me in a loud, dark corner

of the last fiona apple concert we attended. that's how long it's been.) 

see my happy face

even in 90+ degree heat at an outdoor venue, sitting on the 

ground with my underwear plastered to my butt i'm still happy

so happy

let me put it to you this way:

• 1. Fast As You Can 
  2. On The Bound 
  3. Shadowboxer 
  4. Anything We Want 
  5. Paper Bag 
  6. Get Gone 
  7. Sleep To Dream 
  8. Extraordinary Machine 
  9. Werewolf 
  10. Used to Love Him 
  11. Daredevil 
  12. I Know 
  13. Every Single Night 
  14. Not About Love 
  15. Carrion 
  16. Criminal 
  17. Encore:
  17. It's Only Make Believe 
      (Conway Twitty cover)
      
      

yeah. basically every song you'd love to hear and then some.

pretty much the anthology. (although i would't have minded parting gift.)

also, not much else beats watching fiona sing, play piano and little kid dance the night away. 

she totally dances like a four year old. like, stomps her feet and spins in circles and falls on the ground a lot and it pretty much makes me love all 85 feisty pounds of her even more than I already did. 

which is a lot. 

plus i got to see this guy. 

that'd be his hair he's carrying folded up like a pendaflex under his arm.

the whole time i just kept thinking that he really needs a better hair transportation system. 

can you imagine carrying that around all the time? he watched the show from inside the pavillion too. 

do you think he bought an extra seat for his hair? or did he just hold it in his lap the whole time? holy hotness, i can not even imagine this. get a hair purse or a messenger bag or something to put that shiz in for heaven's sake. 

you wanna know what the best part is?

he's apparently been growing his hair out for so long that the end section is still brown. it slooooooowly fades lighter and lighter from brown to grey and then finally to snow white at the very top of his head. that's how long he's been growing it. he's actually documented his entire hair color history in a living natural ombre color story coming out of his head. 

amazing.

i love you crazy fiona apple and your crazy, nutso fans.

the end.

The 4th!

was just as it is every year...except maybe 15 degrees hotter than i can ever remember it being. wes was in two neighborhood parades in the morning 

(where we never ever win for best decorated bike or trike - three years losing!) followed by a family cookout at home with lots of good food, 

the prerequisite lame grocery store fireworks and lots and lots of sparklers.

oh, and there was sweating too. 

lots and lots of sweating. 

no, seriously. 

so

much

sweating.

Remember Me?

Hey guys. I don't want to make a bunch of excuses or anything, but as you may or may not have noticed, I haven't exactly been blowing up the interwebs with my eloquent prose and deeps thoughts on life much lately. (How have you even been able to cope, really?) ;) And that's because in the last 22 days I've only worked exactly 4 of those. So, I've been using all of this glorious time off to relax, enjoy my family and friends and stay about as far away from computers as I can get. (iphones don't count). It's been really nice. Instead of emails, AutoCAD drawings and client meetings, the last few weeks have been filled with swimming and hiking, napping and traveling, lunching, pedicure-getting, picnicking and road-tripping, moviegoing, museum-ing(?), and lots and lots of ice cream eating.

It was glorious. And it's been hot and sunny every single one of those days off. I honestly don't think I've ever experienced this many consecutively sunny days in my life. I kind of feel like we're going to be punished for all of this nice weather somehow. This just doesn't happen here. Here, we do cloudy. It's kind of our thing. So anyways, what I'm saying is that these past few weeks have been such a treat, and I'm so refreshed and thankful for the break. But as you can see now, my computer and I are speaking again and so it's back to our regularly scheduled programming, including a new post on our 4th of July! Hopefully coming tomorrowish? (We'll see, still getting back into my groove).

Hope you all are enjoying this summer as much as me!


(Also, I might add, it's only a two day work week this week and then three more days off. That I can handle. Especially because I'm seeing Fiona tomorrow night with some friends and have you seen this crazy with the squid on her head?! She's nuts, and genius and I can't wait!)