Big Shoes to Fill

These are too cute not to share.  Here are some recent photo's of Catherine roaming the house in "big people" shoes.

Splash Pad Fun

The things you never knew you never knew...

Before kids, I am certain, I had no idea how much fun children could have at "splash pads."  In hindsight, I realize that I probably did not even know what a splash pad even was...

Well, it's just water squirting out of the ground.  But, my kids love it and get really excited about even a mention of  it.  It reminds me of Disney's Epcot Resort when I was a child.  The water would squirt from flower to flower and even though I thought I knew where the next squirt was coming from, it always surprised Donald and I.

Anyway, my kids go bonkers for splash pads.  They love it. They get so excited and so giddy.  I cherish a child's mind, so innocent and so pure.

Logan and Austin having fun

and still laughing 

Catherine trying to feed Avery water

Relaxing with some Ritz crackers

Finding Joy

I subscribe to a parenting blog called Finding Joy.  It talks about the joyous moments in motherhood and the not-so-joyous ones as well.  I enjoy the honesty and candidness of the writer.  I can relate to her a lot.  So I have started my own joy journal and I am documenting the little things during the day that give me joy. Sometimes it is the normal everyday routine  (i.e. my morning cup of coffee with no major interruptions or catastrophes).  Sometimes it is the big events, like holidays or vacations that fill you with gratitude and joy.  Often though, I find these joyous moments are embedded in the ordinary, every day, moments in our lives.

I was picking Logan up at school yesterday and when I looked through the window I saw him looking in his friend’s mouth which was wide open.  I smiled from ear to ear because I knew he was searching for cavities.  (In an attempt to market teeth brushing, I have given him an overview on cavities.) 

Logan’s story telling has become very creative and amazes me at times.  On Friday we were headed to the airport to pick up Brian as he had been out of town for 2 weeks.  Logan told me that daddy was sitting next to a Stegosaurus on the plane and that they had shared peanuts.  That same joyous smile came across my face. 

Catherine definitely brings her fair share of joy to this momma too.  She is constantly trying to win over Winston’s heart.  The other day she grabbed a plastic doughnut and was trying to feed it to Winston.  He clearly was not interested and she was getting upset.  She kept saying “Ton Ton dough dough now.”  I find joy in her innocence, as I know very soon she will realize that the plastic food won’t work and that Winston only wants the real deal.

The days where joy is in full abundance, well, those are the best.  But, not every day is like that.   Yesterday morning, for example, would be a day where I had to “find the joy” as it was not jumping out at me.  I woke up and immediately stepped on Logan’s toy airplane, puncturing my foot.  It seriously HURT.  Before I could even stop the bleeding, I had to get to Catherine as Logan kept saying “Catherine poo pooed not in the potty”.  Let’s just say she is done with wearing diapers and she takes them off when and where she wants. Sometimes she goes in the potty and sometimes she does not.  It was one of those mornings where it takes a full hour just to get back to your original starting point.  Days like that, I actually have to go out and “find” my joy.  Thankfully though, it is always right in front of me.

L&C playing together (respectfully) = joy

L&C making each other laugh = joy

Logan's endless energy = joy (and non-joy)

Seeing things through their eyes = joy

The Rosewood Sofa

A couple of years ago, my mom gave me a true family heirloom - an old- fashioned sofa and two matching chairs. They had frames made of rosewood, and upholstery that had been re- done but now was badly in need of repair.  It took a while to find a craftsman here in Houston to refinish and do minor repairs to the frame.  My friend Julie helped me find the upholstery and a firm that could do the work.  It wasn't inexpensive, and it took months, but the furniture is done and turned out beautifully.

The sofa and chairs were passed down from my great grandmother who we called Tante.  Tante was a part of my life until I was 15 and it was a blessing to be able to share those years with her.   Her house sometimes felt like a museum to me, as I got to play with older, unique things like magnifying glasses and rotary phones.  I've asked my mom to be a guest blogger and share a little history on these pieces.

Thank you, Joan, for allowing me to be your "guest blogger!"  I'm going to try to put some memories about my grandmother's house, and her furnishings, into words. Many happy hours were spent in her home on Calhoun Street, where she resided until, at age 101, she decided to move to a nursing home. The entrance to the house led directly into the double parlors.  One was the Library, with odds and ends of furnishings, surrounded by an impressive collection of old books, some with beautiful tooled leather bindings.

The other parlor was the living room, where we spent time visiting while we sat on the rosewood sofa and its two matching chairs. They were upholstered in a dark red material. As was the style in old southern houses, furniture covering changed with the season. In warmer weather, slipcovers made of green ticking covered the red fabric.

Years later, another generation would visit Tante and my great-aunts, as these pictures attest.
 

Tante and Joan, 1979

Tante, Tante Gladys, Donald and Joan, circa 1980

Tante and Tante Gladys maintained the household that had been in New Orleans since the mid-nineteenth century. And when Tante made her final move,  the sofa and chairs passed down to me.

Now, the furniture resides in Joan and Brian's home in Houston.  And yet another generation sits and visits on the rosewood sofa.

The sofa frame had to basically be restrung and recoiled

The chairs were stuffed with wood shavings and horse hair, which was common for the time

Some of the fabric was placed on top of other fabric from decades prior

Even though the chairs were also re-upholstered, I am using the covers made of ticking from 1970

Cousins Catherine, Logan, and Michael cavort on the sofa

Three generations enjoy the rosewood sofa again!

 

Navarre Beach, Florida

We just got back from a week of rest and relaxation at the beach.  Well, the R&R is a bit different from the days before kids, but it was still present.  Growing up we would go to Navarre, FL every summer with my dad’s side of the family, and since my dad was one of nine, well that made for A LOT of fun with A LOT of cousins.

We continue the tradition today with all various generations attending.  Navarre FL is about 650 miles away from Houston so we broke it up by stopping in New Orleans both ways.  The trip down was bittersweet as we woke up in New Orleans to learn that my Uncle Andrew passed away of a heart attack.  My cousins Andrew and Elizabeth were still able to come, and I hope that being around family has helped them, in some way, begin to get through this difficult time.

As far as traveling with a three year old and 22 month old, it was not bad at all.  Catherine had an occasional I need to get out of this car seat melt down but for the most part did very well.  Logan has continued to impress me with his traveling skills.  He loves the adventure.  He anxiously waited for the next sight, whether it was a water tower spotting, the Lake Charles refinery, Tiger Stadium, the Mobile Tunnel, or the blue Angels, it really did not matter.  He just wanted to talk about it and know what was next and when the car was stopping next.  He would tell us when we needed gas, or if Catherine wanted Chick fil a, or even if Winston needed a break.  He was all about participating in the travel and that was a whole bunch of fun.

For those of you with children that are driving to the sunshine state, I highly recommend stopping at the Florida welcome station.  And this is coming from someone who generally does not like rest stations/welcome stations, as they are a bit unpredictable in regards to safety and cleanliness.  These are my two main concerns when I stop on the interstate with two young children.  The Florida welcome station is a 5 star attraction.  Amenities include: spotlessly clean lobby and bathrooms, free orange juice, blue angel statue outside in main parking area, free coloring books with colors and free balloons. I don’t know if they give the balloons to everyone but my little red head gets a lot of nods and a janitor came up to her and asked her if she wanted a balloon to match her hair.  She clearly was down with that.

Of course, for the next five stops on the road, we had to explain, and re-explain, to Logan that there was not going to be an airplane in the air, or free orange juice or coloring books.  He was a bit let down by that.

It was so much fun to visit with family I had not seen in a while. Catherine and Logan loved the sand and the waves.  They never wanted to leave and neither did we.

The Guayabera's and lace dress were both presents from my parent's recent trip to Havana.

The moon mobile

Logan looks so old in this picture.  Not sure if it is the shirt, the hair, or the expression but he seems older.