while I've been eating smoothies...

...I have neglected quite a bit, apparently.  Jonah got himself dressed this morning (with some help) and I just had to take a picture.

Yes, that's a plunger.  He calls it his lawn mower.  The only consolation is that it's not been used yet (we always buy a new plunger when we move, even when the old plunger hasn't blown away in a tornado) so we may have to get a second for the actually plunging responsibilities.

So as I loaded the picture on my computer, I found a few more really great ones!  There were also some pictures of the yard that I will post separately.  Apparently someone (Josh) promised someone else (Byron) pictures of the outside, too.

Without further preamble, some pictures of my family's visit.  I think it took me so long to post these because I didn't want to admit they were gone:

Grandma reads books at the library.

Quintin and Josh get ready to try raw oysters for the first time.  At this meal we also had fried pickles, fried okra, fried green beans, catfish, shrimp and grits, and other Southern delicacies.  The fried pickles were the best part in my opinion.

Josh works on a table he's building--he got the saw with my dad to make me a shelf (thank you!) and then took Q to go salvage junk wood.  The benches are still in production, but I'm actually writing this from the table where I ate breakfast.  While it's still hot during the day, the mornings have cooled off dramatically in the last week.

Jonah at the river.

Grandpa looking out at the Black Warrior River.

watermelon slushie

We've been in a bit of a funk this week.  By we, I mean me, but that means a lack of productivity, creativity, and blog posting.  Still, this is our favorite recipe right now and the one I am enjoying this very second.  I like it heavy on the watermelon and light on the strawberry, but that's probably a budget issue more than a flavor one.  Also, I froze my extra watermelon thinking it would make it icier, which it did.  It also made it impossible to blend.  So when I forget to let the watermelon thaw a bit first, I add some orange juice and it's pretty tasty that way too.

Good luck beating the heat!

Hm, it should also be noted that I use frozen strawberries and no added sugar (the frozen ones tend to be pretty sweet).  Maybe I should have just retyped the recipe with that many changes but there you have it.  A delicious smoothie.

pancakes for breakfast

I picked up this book at the library on a whim.

It has no words, other than the title and a recipe for pancakes.  It's been fun to read through it and change the words a little bit each time.  Jonah isn't always sure he likes the changes, but we're trying new things and all.  It also is responsible for us having pancakes for dinner tonight instead of the stir fry I had planned.  No complaints here!  Not only are pancakes in my top 5 favorite foods, but I laugh a little to myself every time I make these pancakes because they're whole wheat.

Jonah always says it right

A few hours after my family left, Jonah said this:

"I love you, mommy.  I love you, and daddy, and Dixie, but I still miss my grandma and grandpa."

I saw this the first time on Pinterest while my mom washed my dishes.  As I sit down to post it on here as my mom puts Jonah to bed.  I'm going to miss her when she leaves, but I'm also going to miss the extra hand around here.  Maybe I should get up and do the dishes, otherwise she'll probably do them again once Jonah is asleep.

some pictures, very few words

Waiting for a haircut.

Checking out Josh's work area.

It was hot. We were sweaty.  But yes, there's the bump.

Jonah got some awesome new boots yesterday and hasn't taken them off since.

the house, finally

One of the first days cleaning, Jonah disappeared.  We found him 10 minute later passed out on the floor of what would be his room.  Yes, that's my baby boy sleeping on a dog hair-encrusted floor next to a dirty rag.  It was a high point in my motherhood, to be sure.

Jonah's room now.  It's brighter than I intended, but since I was going for cheerful, we'll take it.

Our room.  It looks very blue in this picture and in person looks very purple.  Again, not what I thought we were getting but it's looking better with furniture.  Once I get the walls decorated I think it will work.

The bathroom.  I got a red clock to see if red accents would look good with the grey and yellow.  I think I like it!  I also want to frame this mirror, but I'm trying to figure out how to do it without making it permanent since this is a rental.

Living room--we didn't paint this one.  It's in desperate need of some personality but at least the couch is cleaned off for the first time in the last few weeks.

Dining room: again, we didn't chose the crimson, but Alabama rooms are quite popular here, so maybe we'll put a giant elephant on the wall and call it good.

Kitchen: again with the bright blue, but I think it works with the white cabinets.  And yes, Jonah is eating breakfast in two of these pictures.  He thought I was taking pictures of him, so he followed me around smiling.  Oh, the life of an only child (for a while longer anyway).

"how about..."

Me: Jonah, you're going to have a sister!
Jonah: How about we have a girl instead?

I walked by the training bras at the store last night and panicked.  Still, we're excited.

book selections

I thought this article about writing realistic assignments (written by a librarian to classroom teachers) was fascinating.  Meanwhile, we get ready to leave for our big appointment to see if we're expecting a Jonah jr. or a Joanie.  We will certainly be earlier than we would have been if Jonah hadn't woken up at 6 am for no reason.  I think his eternal clock is forever set at 6.  Sad day.

parenting is tough

When my three-year old asks me what m&ms start with, but pronounces it "lemon lem" should I say M or L?

Or there's always the "don't tell daddy we had popcorn and m&ms for lunch".  That sounds like the best option.

I wonder what Josh would say

....if these showed up on our bed.

enough bookshelves

I have too many books.  I'm coming to terms with the concept that I might not own every book I love or that I don't need to keep every book I own currently.  Still, nothing brings me more joy than owning the books I think I or my children or house guests might want to wander into some summer afternoon or middle of the night.  As I unpack boxes of books that have been water damaged and are filthy with dirt, grime, and glass I've had to throw some away.  It breaks my heart.  I threw away two borrowed from friends that I never got to read (don't worry; I ordered new copies on Amazon the same day..and...um...a few more books for myself).  I'm torn between wanting to cut back on everything and the same internal urge that silences me when I enter a library and compels me to walk the shelves simply touching the spines.  So today, since I'm cleaning in the kitchen anyway and won't have to make the tough choices, I choose Anna Quindlen's philosophy:

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."