Halloween Pics

Sorry for the lack of communication. I keep starting deep and profound posts about spirituality and the economy and editing them into oblivion before deleting them altogether. So until I get over my writers block and get over myself, here's the short and sweet: two photos from Halloween.

Here's Xavier's daytime outfit:

And Xavier's skeleton costume. That's his BFF, Ethan as the frog hopping around in front of him.

The boys went to about 10 houses before we called it a night. Xavier wasn't too sure about the whole thing but enjoyed pointing out all the cats and dogs in the neighborhood. Ethan enjoyed knocking on doors but seemed perplexed as to why we kept knocking on doors but not going inside to play. Too cute!

Wild Kingdom Presents: Part II

Just a sweet video to share this morning. Yesterday Xavier toddled off to his room while I was in the kitchen. After about 45 minutes of quiet, I tiptoed in to investigate. These were my findings:


In case it isn't clear, at the end of the video, Xavier is plopping down in my lap--too sweet.

Mrs. Fix-It

Well we are getting back to normal here after Hurricane Ike. We have a fence that is blown down and we'll be needing to get new carpet but compared to some of our neighbors, we are doing very, very well.

I've decided to make a list of all the little repairs around the house that I've been meaning to get to for a while. One thing about inspecting your home inside and out for storm damage, it seems to clear my vision to see those small things that I pass up everyday.

Today my first project was to set up the garden trellis that I made out of PVC pipe, screws, and twine (again!). My green beans are pretty much the only crop that has survived both Ike and Gustav. Poor things were scrambling all over the ground with no vertical apparatus to climb.

I was so inspired by that project (and Xavier was still napping!) that I decided to straighten out our garage. Xavier likes to accompany me when I do laundry in there, and his curiousity was beginning to outpace the modicum of childproofing I had done out there early last spring.

This was my big accomplishment:

I took down this peg board several months ago to install some heavy duty shelves. Originally I had intended to reinstall it below the shelves but I realize now that would have been too low. So I put up the new peg board in the narrow space beside the washing machine. I figure it is a handy way for me to make sure our of the corner of my eye that Xavier isn't getting into it when I'm putting things in the dryer.

Those of you who may be concerned that I'm doing all this physical work while 28 weeks pregnant need not fear. Doing a little handy work is much less exhausting or taxing than taking Xavier to the playground and we do that several times a week.

My next project that I hope to tackle is to rescreen all the windows in our home. With the weather getting cooler, I'd really like to keep our windows open more to get more fresh air in our home. According to an article I read a while back, modern homes are much more energy efficient but tend to have more air pollution because less fresh air flows in and out. The only thing that keeps me from leaving the windows open most days and evenings is the screens. Some have holes in them. The flimsy polyester netting on others has been damaged by a certain toddler's explorations.

I plan to replace the polyester screen with standard aluminium screen to make them sturdier. This will be a first-time project for me so I'll let you know how it goes.

Half Empty or Half Full?

Half Empty: I'm still battling the head and chest cold that I've had for over a week now. Evacuating while sniffling and hacking is no picnic.

Half Full: Xavier, Master of Imitation, has now taught himself how to blow his nose in a tissue and throw it in the trashcan based on Mom's multiple demonstrations. Too cute.

Photo Dump

No time to post thoughtful insights today but I didn't want to hold onto these photos any longer:

Xavier with "Lovey Smith." He likes to walk around the house with him on his head for some reason.

Great photo of Xav. Not so great photo of me.

Xavier and his Auntie Ashley.

And Away We Go

Xavier and I spent last week in Louisiana visiting family while Tim was at a conference in Germany. One afternoon we had a playdate with Cousin Matthew at Aunt Leanne's house. After a yummy lunch, the boys played and Leanne and I got to catch up. Matthew received a sports car for his birthday this month and was kind enough to take Xavier for a spin. As you can see, Xavier had mixed emotions about the experience!

Babies to Toddlers

I've taken to calling Xavier the "toddler" and the babe in my belly the "baby" for clarity's sake. I have to admit that each day Xavier is becoming more toddler like and less babyish. Perhaps the biggest transition is weaning process. After I reached my goal of nursing for at least the first year, I decided to gradually let Xavier take the lead on the weaning process. The homemaker lifestyle allows for a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to transitions and I planned to take full advantage of it.

We've slowly cut out wake-up and bedtime nursing and are slowly working on eliminating nursing to nap. Today was the first day he napped without a car ride or nursing. Big step for both of us.

Other toddler-like behavior of late:

• drinks from a juicebox
• climbs the playground equipment
• helps clean up messes
• can eat with a spoon and fork when motivated
• enjoys coloring

The Fall Garden

This week I've been working in the garden again. During Xavier's nap I was able to turn the compost heap which revealed a huge pile of rich, black soil. I pulled up everything in the bed save one tomato plant that had three green tomatoes on it. After working the compost into the soil, I headed off to the hardware store to get some seeds and transplants.

Each season I dally with the idea of ordering desiner seeds online from Cooks Garden, Park Seeds, or the like. I get overwhelmed with the choices and doubts about whether their seeds would work in our humid Beaumont climate.

The hardware store didn't have any transplants (I'm hoping to find some tomato and bell peppers at the nursery later this week) but they did have seeds. In making my wish list, I decided to only buy things that we actually EAT rather than just things that grow easily. I've resigned myself to the fact that we just don't care for radishes and teeny tiny carrots. So my list included pole beans, cucumbers, spinach, small eating pumpkins, and various herbs.

Using a book from the library, I identified several varieties of seeds that work well in our climate. Unfortuantely not everything on my wish list was easily available but I was able to make do with what they had. So hopefully in a few months we'll have pole beans, spinach, collards, lettuce, arugala, thyme, parsley, and cilantro.

Eduoard

Just a quick update to let friends and family know that yes, we did get hit by Tropical Storm Eduoard and that we are all doing just fine. The storm rolled in around 6 a.m. this morning. By 8 a.m. our power went out due to a transformer a few miles away. About three hours later power was back on. No damage to our home but my vegetable garden took quite a beating. I'm afraid the tomatoes may be goners since they were getting a little too tall anyway. No big deal since it was time to start enriching the soil and planting the fall garden anyway. Thank heaven for small blessings.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I'll admit that in the past I often talked on my cell phone while driving. I knew it wasn't ideal but the commute to and from work was boring and a good time to catch up with friends and family. Besides, with all those free nights and weekend minutes who could resist?

After we switched to a minimal Tracfone plan to use a cell phone only when travelling, I started to notice how many near accidents involved a driver on a cell phone. In my personal experience, risky drivers who swerved into my lane, ran a red light, or nearly rear ended me were almost always talking on cell phones.

A few months ago I started doing a little online research about the actual risks of driving and cell phone usage. Today's Salon article here does a fairly good round up of all the latest data. Unless you live in one of the states where driving and dialing is now illegal, it is up to you to decide how much of a risk you want to take. But please consider this post my official request to all friends and family not to call me while driving anymore. You are too precious to me!

Graduation Day

Xavier and I officially completed our Parent & Tot swim lessons today. It wasn't easy, it was relatively chilly this morning (about 75 degrees) and raining through most of the lesson. Without any lightening though, we had the okay to finish up our class by the swim director.

When we started lessons, I thought our instructor, Reed, was being unrealistic with some of the things he asked of Xavier. But sure enough, after an hour of practice for two weeks Xavier can now:

• climb out of the pool with a small boost on one of his feet


• walk in water up to his shoulders


• jump into the pool into my arms upon prompting


• hang onto a noodle and float with his legs behind him (with me spotting him)


• straddle a noodle and sit up straight (with me spotting him)


• occasionally blow bubbles (rare!)


• reach for toys or people when being held on his tummy in the water


• occasionally kick with the noodle or when being held on his tummy


• be passed underwater from me to the instructor while holding his breath


• move along the wall doing a hand-to-hand monkey walk (with me spotting him)

He still needs to work on bubble blowing, scooping and kicking but I'm very proud of his accomplishments thus far.

Well that's one way to clean the bathroom floor

Xavier and I have been attending Mommy & Me swim lessons for the last week and a half. Class runs from 8-9 a.m. By the time we get back home, Xavier usually is sacked out and I hop into the shower quickly before taking a nap myself. I'm usually in a mad dash to get something to eat, get clean, and get in bed so I can actually sleep before Xavier wakes up.

This morning I put my bathing suit in the sink, ran the water, grabbed a muffin, hopped in the shower, and...did you catch it? Thank goodness I take short showers in general. I turned off the water and heard the ominous sound of MORE water running. Yep. I left the sink on and managed to flood the bathroom with a half inch of water.

I threw on my bathrobe and dashed to the garage where we keep about a dozen extra bath towels in various stages of decrepitude. About fifteen minutes later I had a laundry basket filled with soggy towels to bring back to the garage.

My bathroom floor has never been so sparkly.

Some Things Just Don't Photograph

There are so many times during each day that I am tickled by something Xavier does or "says" (still no "mama") or a beautiful sunrise outsid the kitchen window, or the golden goodness of a homemade loaf of bread, that I'm tempted to grab the camera to take a video or snapshot. But the act of getting up, taking out the camera, turning it on, and aiming it would ruin the very moment I was trying to capture. So you must take my word for it that what you see on this blog is just a smidgen of the loveliness that fills our lives.

The latest unphotographed event worth mentioning is Xavier's habit of imitating Tim and me doing everyday activities. Monday I was clearing off the the kitchen countertops and scrubbing them with hot water and bleach. Xavier grabbed a dishtowel off the tabletop and started wiping down his cabinet where we store his dishes and cups. Later that day when I was emptying the dishwasher, he would put his dishes away in his newly wiped cabinet.

But the cutest example by far is his imitation of Dad leaving for work in the morning. He slings Tim's thermal lunch bag over his shoulder, kisses Mommy, waves goodbye and walks out the room. Then he does this again. And again. And again. Once he did it eight times in a row before tiring of the game. Adorable.

Up, Up and Away

Xavier has started to try to climb things. Here he is on a small workout step that I use as a stool in the bath and kitchen. He is so proud of himself! Thankfully we have a few more days before he able to climb up on chairs, sofas or beds. We've already had to reinforce that coffee tables are not for climbing either. I just wish there was a toddler playground nearby to let him burn off all this climbing energy. Sadly, all the parks have "big kid" equipment that is still too advanced for him to use on his own.

The Useful Backyard

Our backyard has been earning its keep lately. While it is considered small (50x15) it certainly has plenty of room for fun, beauty and work. We have a few flowering beds here and there for asthetics and a lovely patio and grilling pad safely away from the house.

My square foot garden raised bed is just outside my kitchen window so I can easily see what needs to be harvested or watered. This year I didn't manage to plant veggies in all of the 16 square feet. The zucchini and hooked yellow squash didn't seem to be very happy there. I think I will try to plant those seeds again in the fall in another place. I have two types of tomato plants both of which are producing fruit as fast as we can eat it. It is a relief that we don't have to worry about somenella from our tomatoes. I've had a few bell peppers this summer, but not nearly as many as last year. In an open spot I planted some cosmos seeds that came free in the mail. I had no idea how tall they would get but they have provided us with cut flowers all summer.

In one corner, partially hidden from the neighbors by a sumac tree, I have my lovely new clothesline that my husband gave me for Mother's Day. I was all excited to start saving money on our electric bills by air drying laundry as much as possible. About two weeks into the project I realized that while our dryer is powered by electricity it is heated with natural gas. I am still saving energy but not quite as much money on power bills as I had hoped. You can't beat that line-dried frangrance though.

In the far corner of the yard I keep a compost pile. I made it about two years ago with $5 worht of chicken wire. I would love to have a more attractive container like this or this, but I can't really justify the expense. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a few pallets to create a two-bin wooden composting station that is beautiful too.

When I first started putting our backyard to work, I was a bit embarrassed to have people see it. It certainly wouldn't be the sort of yard featured in a issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I've been amazed though at how many people admire the work elements of our backyard. At least half a dozen times I've had visitors tell me that they wish they had a clothesline/vegetable garden/compost pile or whatever but they were afraid of what their neighbors or spouse would think.

It has made me realize that there is a certain beauty in a functional outdoor space. It is the outdoor equivalent of homebaked bread or simply furnished but tidy home. It indicates a lifestyle that goes against the tide of "aspirational" decor that dominates home improvement shows and magazines that I find so tempting but that always seem to make me feel a bit shabby(I'm looking at you HGTV!). Instead, it seems to reflect a well ordered home (or homestead).

My backyard is still a work in progress. I'd like to create another bed behind the clothesline for larger climbing vegetables, grow a few herbs in pots on the patio, repaint and repair our two metal patio chairs and perhaps add a table to make the space a little more inviting for relaxing and entertaining. But now I'm thinking in terms of what is useful and beautiful instead of just worrying about how things will look.

Strike One for Freedom

While Xavier and Dad were down at the university, I took advantage of the kid-free opportunity to put a few more safety latches around the house. With my first round of childproofing several months ago, I installed latches on anything that contained dangerous or heavy items. I left the other cabinets latch-free in part in an effort to apply some Montessori principles to our home. He was safe and I could count on him entertaining himself for a while pulling stuff out of the "safe cabinets." The only drawback was that I had to throw things back in each cabinet at the end of the day.

However, Xavier's new mobility plus my ever-expanding waistline has necessitated a change. I was finding pot lids in the bathroom and my hair dryer in the kitchen on a regular basis. The sheer amount of random stuff laying about was getting exhausting to look at much less pick up and put away.

I thought Xavier would protest about his newfound lack of of exploratory opportunities. He seems to be taking it in stride though and just turns his attention to other things. I think he, like his mother, actually feels more peaceful with the reduction of clutter.

At First Glance

While some of you may already have heard the news, I'd like to officially announce that we are awaiting the newest addition to our family in mid-December. Like last time, we are going to let the sex of the baby be a surprise.

This photo is a bit old...two and half weeks to be exact. When I went in for a check up the nurse couldn't locate the heartbeat so they opted for an ultrasound. While the half hour I waited to confirm the babe's wellbeing was nerve wracking to say the least, getting an earlier than usual photograph was a nice recompense.

My OB swears that the photo is "adorable" but I think he's just used to saying nice things to moms in their first trimester. I'm just glad he or she has two legs, two arms and one head. Adorable indeed.

Today I celebrate my entrance into the second trimester. No more nausea!

New Skillz

Xavier has been picking up news skills left and right from his big sister. He's starting to "draw" using his magnetic/erase board. I think crayons aren't far behind. I fear for my walls.

He's also been practicing his war cries. This is a neat little trick to get him to stop fussing and start laughing after a minor bump or scrape.

Hunter finishes up her first week of basketball camp today. She and I have a park date tomorrow so she can show me her new tricks around the hoop.

Eating as a Family

We've been having lots of fun these past two weeks with my step-daughter, Hunter, here for her 4-week summer stay. She's a real sport about adjusting to the separate traditions and rules from her Kansas home and her Texas home. A big stumbling block lately has been food.

As most of you know, Tim and I do our best to eat a healthy, whole foods diet most of the time. (Not to be confused with an expesive Whole Foods diet!) We like to cook from scratch when possible, prefer fresh veggies to frozen to canned, and avoid products with transfat, artificial coloring or high fructose corn syrup. We're not terribly strict about it -- we've been known to have a soda, bag of chips or spicy buffalo wings from the freezer section from time to time.

Hunter's favorite foods are speghetti (no sauce), ramen noodles, Sunny Delight (which has no juice in it by the way), and rice with butter. "Gross" foods include lettuce, tomatoes, fish, chicken with bones, cucumbers, etc.

In an effort to get her more enthusiastic about nutrition, Wednesday night is her night to plan and prepare dinner. I blanched when I saw her shopping list: two cans of cherry pie filling, two cans of pineapple, one can of mandarin oranges, one can of creamy corn, a package of hot dogs, and a box of mac and cheese. I gently suggested that she should add a green vegetable to round out the meal so she added a can of peas to her list. I prayed that the cherry pie filling would not find its way into the same dish as the hot dogs. I hoped for the best and was determined to be a good example of being open to new foods.

She made a fruit salad with the cans of fruit, split and sauteed the hotdogs (I cheated a little and bought kosher beef franks), and served corn, pasta and peas for the sides. All in all it was a yummy meal. I can't wait to see what's on the menu for next Wednesday.

Walking Man

We have honest to goodness walking over here now. For weeks Xavier has been teasing us with nonchalant cruising with one hand and the occaisional lunge from the coffee table to the sofa. On Saturday he was regularly pulling up and then taking several steps out into the middle of the room.

He is such an independent little dude. He refuses to walk upon command (or encouragement) but if you leave him be, he's walking like a little champ.

The timing of his walking is probably related to having his big sister around for the past week. Hunter is the object of his affection these days. This is particularly sweet since during her stay with us last summer, she missed witnessing her younger sister's transition from crawling to walking with her family in Kansas.

As a direct result of Xavier's new mobility, our 19-year-old cat has taken up permenant residence behind the couch unless Xavier is in a high chair or napping. Poor dear.