Too Cute

These were just too cute to not share :)  I love when I find Calvin somewhere unexpected, or doing something oh so cute...and he actually stays that way until I can get my camera!!  Word of advice...if you can save up for a fancy camera if you don't already have one when you have kids, do it!!  There were so many cute things and expressions I missed because my camera was so stinking slow!  Never again :) 

Working on a new song

My little refugee baby!  I found him this way at the end of his rest time. 

Summer Catch Up

My kid is suddenly a sleeper.  He's always gone down easily for bed times and naps, but I had grown so accustomed to his 1 1/2 hours of napping each day, that now I don't know what to do with myself!  He has been napping for over three hours...and this has become the norm.  Now, I'm not complaining...it's just wierd :)  So I thought I would take the opportunity to blog :) 

Our summer has been very fun!  Nothing too exciting, no great, grand adventures, but we've been enjoying the sunshine around here.  It's been pretty mild weather wise, which I am just fine with.  And with this new extended nap schedule, a good chunk of the afternoon is spent inside, so I don't mind when we have cloudy or rainy days.  This time two years ago, I was 9 months pregnant with Calvin and Jake would come home to me crying on the couch with my feet in cold water because it was so bloody hot outside!  So we'll just say this pregnant summer has been much more pleasant. 

A few of the highlights of our summer so far:

• Berry picking...I LOVE fresh berries, and I LOVE having a freezer full of strawberries and raspberries to use throughout the year.  I'm also going to make jam :) 
• Swimming!  We have a pool at our apartment complex and we have been taking full advantage of it on these hot days. 
• We spent the 4th of July up in Blaine, like we do every year, with my mom's side of the family.  We didn't stay to enjoy the fireworks, but came home, put the baby to bed, and were able to see the tippy top of the Bellingham bay show. 
• Woodland Park Zoo...we took Cal to the zoo for the first time and he was so excited to see all the "naminimals". 
• Calvin enjoyed his first ice cream cone at grandma and grandpa Eschbach's
• Jake and I were able to stay in Seattle and see Les Miserables for our 4 year anniversary
• And we've spent lots of time with both sets of grandparents, playing in the yard, learning about Calvin's deep love for the hose and lawnmowers. 

First ice cream cone...handled it like a champ :)

Enjoying an afternoon on Lummi Island

The world's happiest strawberry picker...we definitely got our money's worth!

Calvin continues to keep us busy and cause us to fall into bed at the end of the day...well, him and a couple episodes of "Breaking Bad", our latest addiction :)  He is just such a funny kid and we enjoy him so much.  It is going to be so much fun seeing how he welcomes his baby sister into our world in just a few short months!  One of his best friends just had a baby sister and he is IN LOVE with her! 

Calvin Lately:

• His favorite things are "mi mowmow" (lawnmowers).  I swear the kid can hear someone mowing their lawn a mile away. 
• He wants to "see" EVERYTHING and he'll pull his little stool up to me in the kitchen or wherever I am, constantly.  It's mostly cute :) 
• He really enjoys the pool, especially when daddy comes.  He absolutely adores the hot tub, however, and would gladly sit on the top step of the hot tub all day than be in the pool. 
• The kid can jump!  Like, both feet off the ground and all around the house (which, according to my weekly babycenter.com emails is a skill that shouldn't develop for months...ha! so advanced)  I think that's what helps him sleep so well...he is in constant motion. 
• He is so loving, gives kisses and squeezes and now says "I wuv wu" after each kiss.  Melts my heart! 
• He doesn't seem ready for potty training yet, which is ok because I don't think I am either.  He'll point to the toilet and say "pee pee", but as soon as I sit him down, he's all done.  No hurries here :) 
• He is still in his crib and has never once (to our knowledge) come close to climbing out.  I'm really surprised actually, but I think he just really loves sleeping, so we're going to go with the crib until it's time for baby sister to use it, I guess :) 
• He likes to hold hands and pray before meals or snacks, and he says amen when we're through.  It's so cute :) 



More Meals!

Woohoo!  Two weeks in a row of being prepared!  I love not having to think when it comes to "what's for dinner".  I'm also trying to do a better job of planning out snacks, breakfast, and lunches, but that's a work in progress.  I've been on a "mix" kick lately.  So far, I've made my own bisquick mix and brownie mix, and I'm wanting to make my own pancake mix once I have all the ingredients.  I don't know if it's exactly saving me money, since I wouldn't normally buy mixes, but it definitely saves me time, and it really doesn't take any fancy ingredients. 

I basically start to melt when it gets over 80 degrees, and since summer has finally arrived here in the Northwest, I'm trying to do as little cooking as possible!  These are the days when freezer meals come in handy!  Almost no prep time, so Cal and I can spend our afternoon at the pool, then pop dinner in the oven and done! 

Here's our week in meals...

Sunday - Tacos...pretty much my favorite meal ever!

Monday - Leftover tacos, or picnic at the lake with sandwiches

Tuesday - Cilantro Lime chicken with red beans and rice

Wednesday - Sweet and Sour Meatballs with rice (freezer meal)

Thursday - Chicken Satay with rice (another freezer meal)

Friday - homemade hamburgers and (hopefully!?) homemade buns!

Saturday - down at my folks for the day :) 

Happy sunny week!!