don't be stupen.

Jack is eating eggs and cheerios while he watches a show about dancing potatoes.

It's "small potatoes" on a stage, all in costume, doing musical theater with english accents.

They don't have arms, duh.

Kid shows are so bizarre.

Lately there have been lots of rumblings about having babies.  Not from me-  from friends.  I've had a few emails and conversations about the pros and cons of being a parent.  Pro-  babies love you unconditionally and you'll have someone to do the dishes in 10ish years.  Con-  babies are expensive and they don't always listen to you or wear what you want them to wear.  Pleeeease wear this awesome sweater jacket, this hat, and these cool shoes.  Ok.  Fine.  Wear the spiderman tshirt, fireman rain jacket, shorts, cowboy boots, and your camo baseball cap with the deer on it.  This kid...

More pros-  They like to snuggle.  Babies smell SO GOOD.  They get excited about things like bubble wrap and play doh.  They remind you to have fun.  Your priorities change in a good way.  You don't care about the dumb drama that happens around you because you've got bigger problems-  like having a baby with a high fever who's puking in your hair.  Toddlers tell you they love you and give kisses and hugs.  You suddenly have a bond with every mother you encounter because she's had a kid throw down in public before too.  Kids are the funniest people you will ever know.  Getting handmade presents is the best ever.  Holidays are much more fun with kids around.  

More cons-  Public fits.  Eventually you get used to it-  when you have kids, you just don't feel embarrassment like you used to.  Potty training sucks.  They grow so fast that you're constantly buying clothes.  Learning to talk and communicate is frustrating for you and your kid and it can cause major baby (and mommy) meltdowns.  They talk back.  The other day, Jack told me that I'm stupen. Whew... at least I'm just stupen...  You constantly wonder-  where did they learn that?!

Things to remember-  Pajamas run small-  they're supposed to fit snug so the kid doesn't get tangled in the night but it's stupid how fast they outgrow their jams.  Bottle warmers are life savers.  Even if you breastfeed and pump.  We had one with a built in cooler to store 2 bottles for nighttime feedings so you don't even have to leave your bedroom.  Time out as punishment is a lot harder than you think.  Jack doesn't really care and they don't really work for him.  Try directing your kid's attention to something fun and constructive when they're being bad.  Remember when you're pregnant that babies sometimes want out early and unexpectedly. Also remember, if that happens, don't be in denial-  just go to the hospital so you aren't in labor for 12 hours at home- alone.  

Look, I don't care if you have babies or don't have babies.  I'm just saying if you decide to, don't be scared.  It's really, really hard but very rewarding.  It's a lot easier than i thought it would be and a lot harder too.  

It's so important for your sanity to keep some things for yourself.  Keep a shred of your social life intact.  Keep your friends close, you'll need them to cry to when you're crazy stressed out and zombie tired.  We let Jack stay overnight with his grandparents early on when he was just a couple of months old.  It's good for you and baby to detach from each other every once in a while if you're lucky enough to have a supportive family like we are-  you don't want to be a crazy mommy (or daddy) and you want baby to be around family.  I really feel like that's the key to our happiness around here- I still play shows with my band, Husband still golfs, and we still go out for nights on the town together.

"SNEEZE!!!" goes the baby.

"Bless you" goes the mommy.

"Yes, bless me" says the baby talking to himself.

♥ jp

honey bees & cupcakes.

The Boy is getting bigger. He's been eating everything in sight and sleeping quite a bit. I feel a growth spurt coming soon. Talking a lot more is also on the baby's agenda. He's recently been saying something that kind of sounds like "damn" and "dammit." Those are not my favorite words so he must have picked it up at your house, people. Seriously, ask my mom- she knows my choice words, she'll tell you. (or she'll spell them out rather.) About that- I used to have the heart of an angel and the unfortunate potty mouth of a trucker and now I don't. All angel for the most part these days. There's a reason grown-ups tell you that cussing all the time makes you sound stupid- and it's because it makes you sound stupid. That's the lesson of the day, kids.
We had lunch at Khazana today and it was delicious. They had this badass onion fritter thing. I know I said "badass" but in my book that's not a cuss word. Baby ate 2 platefuls of rice and saag paneer.
Above: I let Jack dress himself for St. Patrick's Day and this is what he came up with. I like it. The Batman face on his head makes his pretty face really stand out.

Below: Jack loves Toy Story and ran around the house in this Woody doll towel and yelled "HAW HAW!" (his version of "yee haw.")

Above: This black lace jumper looked like something I could wear to an Oh Johnny! Girls show until I put it on and it looked weird on me. The back was see-thru lace which looked kind of sleezy. In conclusion, sheer black lace short- shorts jumpers aren't for everyone- def not for me.

Below: Tried on this Ralph Lauren button-up and then didn't buy it. Regretting that decision and maybe I'll go back.
Below: Lunch in OKC with Husband, his boyfriends, and my girlfriends.
Below: Shoes I didn't buy and I'm regretting it now. They were only $30! What was I thinking? Clearly, I wasn't.
Below: I did buy this new nail polish. Anna wore it the other day and I had to have it so I copy catted her. OPI in Chocolate Moose.

Happy baby wearing his new shoes.

Above: Husband celebrates St. Pat's day.

Below: I've been making cupcakes lately. These are red velvet with cream cheese icing and they were delicious.

Been cleaning and rearranging the past week. Spring cleaning I guess. Will someone please come over and paint my bedroom a different color? Or at least share a bottle of wine with me and help me do it?
I think I'm over the blue. It would be pink if I could somehow sneak it past the ol Husband. I think he would notice.
While you're painting my bedroom, can you please make it look like this? (below)

Or at least give me this bed and the bench at the foot. (below)
Sigh. Like I said= major cleaning lately. It involved opening Jack's closet. It was scary in there. It was scary in his dresser drawers and in his toy box. See below.

Above and below: Getting ready to play a show at the Opolis. The headpiece is a really cool moldable piece of jewelry called the Medusa. My lovely friend at Bohemian Gypsy makes them and they come in silver, bronze, gold, and silver/gold. Long or short. You can wear them on your head, as a belt, as a necklace, or a bracelet.

More of me.

I'm so exhausted. I haven't been posting much because I've been unbelievably busy and stressed out and tired and boring and whatever else no one wants to hear about. I'm going to sleep now! Going to see my grandma tomorrow morning after I take the kiddo to his school thingy.

Ah man! I forgot, I've come across a ton of awesome wedding stuff lately. Invitations, websites, dresses, decorations, ideas and whatnot for my imaginary dream wedding. I'll share in a post later this week.

LOVE YOU, WORLD. sometimes.

♥ jp

play date.

Today I had a nice lunch with friends, bought baby socks at Target, and had dinner with my dad. Very exciting you guys. Anna came over to play with Baby Jack after he got out of baby school. He wanted her to see him ride his bike, ride his four wheeler, pretend mow the lawn, rake the grass, shovel the dirt, climb his playhouse, and slide down the slide. He can say her name and it's all very adorable.
I can't believe I have a 2 year old little boy who has his own four wheeler. We had a little fight about his helmet and after a time-out for Baby, I won.


Had dinner at a friend's house last night. It was fun to be out of the house for an evening. Baby Jack was pretty well-behaved.
Take Baby to baby school mommy outfit.
Lunch with Kelli.
Jack's play date.
"Put on the helmet or you can't ride."




Sweaty Baby Jack in his $3 (!!!) Wal-Mart shirt.

I'll write a real post later. I'm so tired I can't think.

♥ jp

smile of a lion.

Two things come to mind at this moment. 1. Look at those baby eyelashes! He's like a baby camel or something. 2. I would like to thank the Creator for creating cantaloupe. It is delicious and it reminds me of sitting in my grandma's breakfast nook at her old house in Durant, OK. I've been eating a lot of it lately because, you see, I can't eat chocolate ice cream all day everyday.
Remember when you were a kid and everything was an adventure and every stick and rock was a toy? When I was little, I played and pretended and ate and slept and dreamed and played and pretended. Rose, our private babysitter, lived on a farm. They had chickens and cattle and barns, tractors, and bales of hay. One particular tractor sat to the side of the big yellow house and we would pretend it was a snow cone stand. (? yeah, i don't know but it was fun at the time.) Sometimes the cows would have babies and the days we got to bottle feed the calves were the best. I can remember how it felt when one would lick my hand. It tickled.
I wonder what goes on in Baby's mind when he's playing. I'm watching him play right now- he's putting on a pair of gloves and his pretend chainsaw is on the table in front of him. He's talking to himself, "vroom vroom dada (babble babble sigh) choo choo." Oh, now he has his goggles on as well. Somehow Bear Bear is involved in whatever he's playing- Baby set Bear Bear up on the table to watch him "cut" something. He's very busy and very content.
These pictures are from our playground playtime yesterday. It's still amazing outside so we'll venture out after Baby's nap.
I'm amazed at what Baby does and what makes him happy and what makes him concerned. People say "it's the little things" and it's really true. I love watching him because he's not worried about tests or money or friendship drama or parking tickets. He's totally stress-free. The only thing he worries about is getting all of his things gathered up at bedtime. Meow Meow, Bear Bear, Little Cat, paci, water, and 2 blankets. That's a lot of stuff to worry about for such a little boy.



Baby the explorer.



He literally RAN out of these shoes (they're a little big and they velcro at the heel) so he had to switch to regular tennis shoes. Can you still call them tennis shoes if they velcro?
Fastest Baby in the world.

♥ jp