{"my back hurts"}

*WARNING: The images below may be of a graphic nature as they were not cropped - they are rated as PG-13 due to rashy-toddler bum crack.

"Mommy, my back hurts. Kiss it."

That's what Dean kept saying all morning yesterday. I wasn't sure what to think because, well, he's two. And, have I ever mentioned that he actually likes medicine? The kid is just plain weird.

At first it was hard to be sure that he wasn't just saying it to get kisses, attention, or even medicine if he went on long enough. If you know us well, you know we are not actually big on medicine at all. The boys only get a small dose when their fevers go over 103 or when they have a substantial pain (like Dean's fire ant encounter once upon a time). After all, a fever is the body's way of naturally fighting an illness so why try to stop it from doing what it is supposed to? (Just our thoughts on the issue, of course.) The problem is, For Dean, every fever is over the 103 mark, so he has had his fair share and decided that he likes it - little punk.

Anyhow, I admit it. I gave in. Who am I to decide if his back was really in that much pain or not? I felt bad about the idea of not trying to help make his pain go away so I gave him a half-dose of Childrens' Ibuprofen and it seemed to help because he stopped reminding me that his back hurt (he was saying it about every ten minutes before that). He seemed much better so I put him down for nap about two hours after he had his medicine.

This is what he looked like when he woke up.


What the heck? So, I went through the checklist: had he had anything new to eat? No. Did he get into something - lotion or cream of some sort? No. Does he have a bug bite? No.

Then I called the doctor just to get Dean's name on the after-hours list to see our pediatrician just in case it got worse. Luckily, it started getting better and going away on it's own. But, then this little beauty showed up in the precise location where he kept saying his back hurt!


Seeing the new bump made me realize that he had done something to hurt his back on Monday, but I couldn't remember what it was. So, we decided to keep our appointment after all and made our way to Dean's doctor at 7pm. (By the way, this whole time Dean could care less about the rash. He didn't have a fever and was behaving just fine except for the mysterious back pain.)

The verdict? Hives?! What! After all that, it's only hives. (My friend Jen even supposed that, but I just wasn't sure.) What a stinker Dean is. Apparently the back pain is most likely unrelated (or he was confusing itching with pain) and the hives could have been caused from anything so no way to narrow down a reason for this. Oh well. Better safe than sorry, I guess.

{family photo attempt #2}

Well, I have been waiting for the typical August-monsoon rain to stop here so we could go out and try to get some photos done. It was supposed to rain at some point today ("supposed" being the operative word since I haven't seen a drop thus far) so we ran out around noon to try and beat it. Taking pictures at noon? NOT recommended by me. Although, no shadows to worry about, the glare posed a problem for poor little Eli. The sun was beaming off the top of his head as you can see in the photos.

It also didn't help that it was 95 degrees here today, which means it was about 435 degrees on the railroad tracks from all the metal reflecting the sun. After a piddly 10 minutes we were hopping back into the SUV, sweat dripping down, driving home to cool down. We gave up. So, this is as well as we could do - considering the treacherous, nearly unlivable conditions outside. We'll try again in November when it's only 85 degrees outside (wink).

{ wife. mother. crafter. writer? }

Anyone who knows me well, knows I am a crafter. People always ask me, "what are you working on now?" I am known for ALWAYS having a craft project and this love of creating is an immeasurable piece of who I am.

I adore every aspect of the creativity process: planning, making, revising, re-making and eventually marveling at my very own wonders. I love it so much, in fact, that I desperately yearn to pass it on to anyone I encounter. Often, when I have a friend or family member visit, I engage them in a project, whatever it may be, and soak in the joy of their company and the warmth of their satisfaction at a craft well done. I crave the moment that I can watch a new-found creator step back and admire something they did with their own two hands. There is nothing else like that feeling of overwhelming accomplishment and rejuvenated confidence as one peers at their own work. What delight I find in the simple phrase, "look what I just made." Everyone should experience such bliss.

The truth is, I would have majored in crafting in college if it was offered - and if I didn't love the professional world so darn much. Thus, I earned a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations instead and, to this day, love every ounce of what I have learned. I also spent time writing for my College Newspaper Publication, The Scroll, and very much enjoyed that - I even miss it.

For the past two years I have taken time away from my professional ambitions to focus on building the family I've always hoped for. Two sweet baby boys later, my husband and I constantly express our gratitude for the joys our little family brings to us both. Being a mother is the greatest gift in all the world and any chance of combining that with a job offering even the slightest peeks into the professional world would be a life of perfection for me. Especially if it was something like writing for a publication about the trade I love most: crafting.

{daddy's boy}

Eli is such a Daddy's boy. He is so ho-hum throughout the the day and only expresses bouts of excitement in four predictable moments: breakfast, lunch, and being retrieved after waking from both his daily naps. But, all this changes when Daddy walks through the door. He truly beams from ear to ear and actually grunts with joy. Yes, I said "grunt", but that's what he does. After all, those noises are far from actually articulating a conversation. Although, I could swear I heard him say, "wassup" today. Nevertheless, we humor him and give an occasional grunt-style response from time to time. We do what we can.

Anyhow, back to what I was saying. Basically, it comes down to the cold-hard truth: Mom is good for meals and nap-time retrievals. Dad is where the fun's at.

Oh well (sigh). What is a lame Mommy to do? I guess I'll just sit back and relax as he crawls repeatedly to Daddy in the evenings. Maybe this is a good thing after all.

{Auntie}

My older sister, Brittany, came to visit for the week. (She's only ten-months older in case you're wondering.) It was fun to have her and Dean and Eli always love spending time with their Auntie (or "Grandma" as Dean kept calling her for some reason - weird kid).


And here would be the reason why Eli refused to sit still for a couple quick photos with Auntie. Yes, the pillows. The kid is a FREAK about these pillows. I do love how he lays his little face on them though - so sweet.

{changes}

So, I keep forgetting, until now, to post the pictures of the boys' new rooms and the new wall Devin built. I had some before-and-afters but they were all lost when the computer crashed.

Dean's new room:
(Used to be Eli's room - hopefully the boys will share it someday. I am still planning on buying a matching comforter for the top bunk.)

Eli's New Room:
(Used to be the loft which was open to below. The dresser will be painted white to match, I just need to find the time.)

And, finally...BEHOLD, the wall.
(Used to be an open room at the end of the hallway -loft style. Devin also built the shelving at the end for towels and such. Looking up from below used to view an open-loft area. Oh, and the empty frame is for our family picture, eventually.).

{Grandy's blankie}

Devin's mom made this blanket for us as a wedding gift and it has become Eli's new-found hide-&-peek favorite. He loves exploring and getting lost in the depths of this blanket. So, a special, late thanks to Grandy for all the hard work that she put into this masterpiece as it is definitely enjoyed by all - but most especially by Eli.

{baby eli}

Oh, the way he wanders. And, for the record, I adore those thunder-thighs.