The Happy Egg

Well we finally colored some eggs!
Somehow we managed to get through Easter without the charming little tradition, but I love coloring eggs!  I was determined to do it anyway.  It did seem a little pathetic to dye Easter eggs an entire month late though, so we had to call it something else.  Conveniently, Brinlee had latched onto a goofy little book we picked up from the library called The Happy Egg.  The story goes like this:

The Happy Egg
By Ruth Krauss

There was a little little bird
It was just born.  It still was an egg.
It couldn't walk. It couldn't sing. It couldn't fly.
It could just get sat on.
So it got sat on and sat on
and sat on and sat on
and sat on and sat on and sat on and sat on.
And one day,
Pop!  Out it came.
It could walk.
It could sing.
It could
fly.
It could someday sit on other happy eggs.


It's kind of an odd, but cute little book, and it was the perfect excuse for an evening of egg coloring.  After the 110th time reading it, I promised Brin that after daddy got home, if she ate a good dinner, we could make Happy Eggs.  She ate better than she has in months, and she loved the eggs!

We dyed a couple, and she colored a couple.  The star of the evening though was her true Happy Egg.  We dyed a blue egg and put together a little white bird so that egg could get "sat on and sat on and sat on".  

And that Happy Egg got loved on and loved on and loved on.

Oh Baby!

Welp, we are graduating from family of 3 to family of 4!   

Yes, there's a "Little BeBe in mommy belly" (as Brinlee likes to say), and we are all ecstatic!  I am already 14 weeks along, am officially into trimester #2, and I'm starting to get uncomfortable in my jeans.  This pregnancy already feels like it's going by way faster than the first one did.  I think having an excited future big sister to kiss my tummy and keep me company is helping with that  :)  

But so far mama and BeBe are doing swell.  I've been quite a bit more nauseated with this little one and am 100% exhausted all the time, but otherwise, no complaints.  The Peanut is scheduled to be here November 19th, which is Tim's birthday month.  He's tickled about that.  It does however mean that Peanut won't make an appearance until after we're off to Ohio... which the grandparents are not so tickled about.  

We won't know for a little while yet whether we're planning for pink or blue.  Brinlee most often says that it's a "boy BeBe", but also says it's a sister... so who knows really.  Either way, we couldn't be more excited to add another sweet spirit to our sweet little family.  

Spring Fever

"It's spring fever.  

That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want- 

oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, 

but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"

-Mark Twain

I'm no doctor, but I would say our family spent a decent amount of time with spring fever.  Being cooped up inside trying to stay away from cold weather gets so miserable, and Blackfoot had plenty of that!  Thank goodness that bug is passing.  Spring has sprung and we have been loving some nice warm weather!  We've been riding bikes,

 and we've been playing in dirt (well, ok, Brinlee has been).

We went to the nature park a few days back and hiked around in the sunshine.  Tim went for a nice jog.  I wanted to feed some ducks, but alas, that was not meant to be... boo.  Brinlee carried her own pack, at least for a little while, before she passed it off to mommy.  She was such a trooper and had so much fun exploring.  And I even got a little kiss of color on my skin!  It was red... but it's better than nothing.

The Little Lady's favorite has been the "watty" (translation: the water, aka, the pool).  Grandma and Papoo got her a Brinlee-sized wading pool for her birthday and she loves it!  She does not, however, love to get sunscreen put on, which, unfortunately, this paranoid mama applies generously and frequently.

Cute saggy butt!

On Saturday we went with Tim's family and hiked up to Table Rock.  I'll be honest, it was a bit tougher of a trek than I thought it would be.  Tim might be in shape, but I was worn out!  It sure is nice to have things to go and do though, and nice weather to go and do them in.  I say keep it coming!

26 and 2

We had some birthdays!

Yup.  That time of year again already.  It always seems to come so dang fast!  Last Saturday I turned 26, and the very next day Brinlee turned 2 ...I don't really feel 26... and we cannot believe that Brin is 2!  But we had a fun couple of days.  We celebrated with 4 (yes, 4!) parties, and ended up with lots of pictures.  So I warn you now, this post is packed!  Here we go.

Party #1: For Mommy

We celebrated for me a day early.  Tim took me up to table rock with hot chocolate to watch the sunrise, and then out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel (which I love!).  Perfect! 

Party #2:  For Mommy... mostly

My mom and sister took us out to dinner at a fabulous pizza place where I, of course, ate way too much, and Brinlee, of course, made a huge mess.  Perfect!

Party #3: Definitely for Brinlee! 

We celebrated for Brinlee on my actual birthday, which I would have been bummed about if she weren't so stinkin' cute!  We did a Minnie Mouse themed get-together with my family complete with cupcakes for the kiddos and brownies and ice cream for me.  Brinlee was the entertainment. Perfect!

Party #4:  For Brinlee and a Cousin

On Brin's actual birthday, we went out to Uncle Greg and Aunt Jaylene's house and spent the day with Tim's family.  Brinlee actually shares a birthday with a Borup cousin who was nice enough to agree to a party with a toddler.  SO fun and, perfect!

Brinlee made out like a bandit!  The little stinker... her birthday haul was seriously impressive.  And so far, she loves all of it.  Her closet full of new toys has made her one happy little camper.  What a fun little lady to share (well, almost share) a birthday with.  She sure does keep us smiling.  This newly-turned-26-year-old mama couldn't be happier!

Cute cute two-year-old sweetie!

Parenting Experts

I may be a little quirky, but for the most part I consider myself to be just about like everybody else- 

I enjoy sleeping in,

I don't floss my teeth as often as I should,

I like a nice hot shower,

I love pizza,

and I was an expert parent long before I had any kids. 

Most of us were really, weren't we?  At the grocery store, well rested and child-less, watching other parents struggle with their kids, and repeating in our minds classic tidbits like "when I'm a parent I will never...", or "if I were them, I would...", or my favorite, "my kids will never..."

Big shocker here, but I don't go through the grocery store like that anymore (especially the well rested part!).  The old "kids are the best teacher" saying must be true, because I'm learning pretty quickly that I am not nearly as awesome as I thought I was.  We are only 2 years and one kid into this parenting thing and my "expert", classic mental list has already been obliterated.  We have let our kid stay in pajamas all day, she has been the one screaming in church, I have fed my child cold cereal for lunch and dinner, she has eaten things off of several floors, we have had her out grocery shopping past bedtime, I have put her in front of a movie just so I can get a nap, I haven't always used the kindest tone, we have put her in the bed with us, and I have bribed with candy.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that that is not at all a comprehensive list either.  Our latest?  We have let the headstrong screaming two-year-old ride, just up the street, in the big seat rather than in her carseat...

Lesson learned: toddlers are just a little unsteady on their feet in a moving car.
Awe, now if that isn't the mark of some expert parenting, I don't know what is.  Quite the shiner.

...sigh...