Curious Bird

:pick your own:

Thank you all so much for the sweet comments about Mortimer. It has been very comforting to read them and think about him. He was such a special cat and we're glad we got to spend so many wonderful years with him. It's strange. Now that both of our pets have passed on it feels so weird being a family without pets. It will certainly take D and I some time to reprogram ourselves to not stress about the ice cream bowl left on the coffee table or the basement stairs being left open during trips to fetch laundry  -- Mort would always sneak downstairs only to be missing for a while before we thought, "oh, he must be in the basement".  I gotta say that one of the hardest parts of saying goodbye to Mort has been when Felix has searched for him. Saying goodbye to a pet can be very confusing for young children; I would love any advice or book recommendations you have on the topic. 

Our weekend was sad, but we also carried on with things as best we could. We had a very nice time picking strawberries. Indeed. It was good to drive a short distance and watch Felix's eyes pop as he discovered what was about to happen. He, of course, settled right in and began picking and sampling with gusto. Can't wait to go back for round two sometime very soon. Gotta make some strawberry jam or maybe we'll just eat them all like we did this time? 

More soon,

Leya 

We're savoring the wonderful lazy days that often occur after Christmas has come and gone. Naps have been very popular around here -- a Christmas miracle -- and a goodly amount of tasty food and drink has definitely been consumed.

Our first holiday not traveling to spend time with family has been extremely mellow and relaxed. We've gotten homesick, of course. But we've loved creating some of our very own traditions and spending the days just the three of us doing exactly what we want (read: running a pretend farm, cooking elaborate pretend meals, playing rowdy games of chase and pillow pit crash).

I hope you're enjoying some lazy days as well. ♥

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

This is our holiday card this year. We're goofballs. We used a photo from a family photo session that took place last Summer and let Paper Culture do the rest -- I always love how their cards turn out, and with every order they plant a tree in your name, or in the name of a person you choose. Love that.

Of course it isn't possible to send cards to every reader who drops in regularly to read my ramblings throughout the year, but I would if I could. Trust me.

Wherever and whoever you are, I THANK YOU for reading, for commenting, for emailing me to ask questions or just to say hello, and most of all, for reminding me that so much good exists in the world. May you and yours have a wonderful 2012!

Warmest holiday wishes,

L.

welcome new sun

And welcome to a new family tradition -- a special candlelight dinner and a solstice cake, complete with candles and wishes being made. 

Happy Solstice!
Leya

twinkle twinkle

Okay, deep breath. What a zinger of a weekend we just had. The entire family came down with a nasty virus. It hit us one by one. Dustin was walloped first, then Felix, and finally me. I hated being last in line waiting for the yuckiness to hit. But even more I hated having to sit by and watch my two guys feel so bad. Luckily, it was short-lived and we recovered in time to spend Sunday picking out and decorating our Christmas tree. We really went for it and got ourselves a big one. A big, a-m-a-z-i-n-g smelling Christmas tree. Yes indeed. So far, we've noticed Felix has an interesting approach to tree trimming. He seems to prefer the tree to be without ornaments on the lower 18 inches or so. According to him the ornaments look best scattered on the floor underneath. Who am I to argue...I've only had table-top trees until now.

Pre-tree crabbiness





All we need now is one more stocking and a tree topper and we'll be golden.

Cheers!

the countdown begins

This year is all about creating our own holiday traditions since we aren't traveling to visit family. The first order of business was to create an advent calendar.  Of course I had big plans that included embroidery and making a  little mouse that can be moved from pocket to pocket (just like the advent calendar Dustin grew up with), but here we are at December 1st.  Those two addtions will have to wait another year. Finding little (age-appropriate) goodies was less of a challange than I thought it would be. I went with stickers, beeswax crayons, magnets, wooden fruits and vegetables (the radishes are my favorite!) and little wind-up animals. I had quite a bit of fun with this and look forward to doing it every year. Now for the true test...Felix!

Happy December 1st to you!

-Leya

Happy Happy 1st Birthday

Our favorite little guy turned ONE today!

Can hardly believe that on this day last year we were just getting to meet (and hold and snuggle and inspect every square inch of) our baby boy for the first time. We love him more and more every day. What a year! What a boy!

Happy Birthday, Felix Augustus.

May the longtime sun shine upon you.

Love,
Mama + Daddy

and the stockings were hung...

It's a miracle that I actually finished the stockings for the newest additions to our family -- I cut it very close --but  they are done, and it felt so good to sit at my sewing machine working on a crafty project. Must do that again sometime soon...
For fun, here are the stocking projects from the last few years. 2009, 2008, 2007
Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Cheers,
Leya

Happy Happy

Hard to believe but today marks the one month birthday of our favorite little bug, Felix Augustus!
It has been an amazing first four weeks spent getting to know and to snuggle this little guy. We can't get enough of him, so much so that I have even admitted to D, more than once, that I miss him when he's taking a long nap...even when said nap is much needed by both Felix and me. Like I said, I can't enough of him and his sweetness. He's the bees knees, and we're still settling into the notion that we get to keep him. Man, we feel so lucky!

Some highlights from his first month include:

He gained over two pounds and one and a half inches in length at his two week pediatrician appointment (the doc said that those numbers are proof that the nursing is going very well and Felix and his mama are a really good team. Amen!)

He started smiling at us a little the other day (chin caresses help).

We have discovered that our boy loves a good, sudsy bath. He especially likes to wear a sudsy beard so he can be like his dad!

He also loves a stroll around the neighborhood when the dang heat isn't record-breaking. Like me, he's not a fan of the heat. We like ourselves a temperate climate.

Also, Felix has given the stamp of approval to all of his grandparents. They have visited and Felix thinks they are all very nice and good at holding him, something he enjoys very, very much.

Happy One Month Birthday, Felix!
May the longtime sun shine upon you.

More soon, friends. Stay tuned for a little something special later in the week.

Be well out there,
L.

my big day: 34

 

Yep, today is the day I turn 34. I feel extremely grateful, and unlike the photo above, I haven't had anything close to a scowl on my face all day.  What a beeeutiful day to get to celebrate, too. The weather is perfect and I see all kinds of good things in my immediate future.

• A lovely dinner with the Mister is planned for this evening.

• Gelato is most definitely on the agenda, perhaps a gelato happy hour?  Gosh, I hope they still have the delicious pineapple mint available.

• A trip to Terrain is right around the corner.

• And a lovely little get-together is planned for this weekend. I think it's going to involve cheesecake!

Happy April 8th to you! I have always loved April 8th.

xox,
L.

p.s. Mom, I think I might need you to find that duck dress. Not sure, I'll let you know for sure in June.