bits and pieces

Hey JULIA, it's been a hot minute since you've typed us to sleep with one of your picture filled recaps"

It has, hasn't it?

Let's rectify that.

Right now.

I was going to only do a dozen photos but I scrounged up almost two dozen instead...so, welcome to your unlucky day! It's a pretty one.

Enough! To the races...

We've been meeting Jake for custard and fries after he gets done with work. It's too hot to cook (my favorite go-to excuse) and growing up, my parents started something they called a "Bojangles dinner" which meant going out for ice cream sundaes for dinner. A child's dream and a mother's dream too for earning those fugitive popularity points. 

Happy hour captured by the classic selfie. 

A VERY happy hour for the eldest. Someone spiked the fries. Clearly.

We went up to the counter and the waitress asked what we'd like to order and as Rad took a handful of straws to horde,  before Jake and I could answer he looked up and very seriously said, "Wadder and I-ceeem, pwease."

Oh, is that only something that parents find to be remotely cute? 

Don't worry...he turned into a gross tongue mauling ice cream eater shortly afterward and we found it completely gross to think about sharing his cone when he generously offered it.. Always such a pleasure to watch you eat sweet Rad.

Parenthood is highly skilled at drawing out the best and most refined senses of humor. Pre-parent Julia is staring at this like, "what?" and current parent Julia is staring at this and laughing like a giddy hyena. (PS the goggles were from the boy's building workshop at Lowes. When I asked Jake to see pictures (he took them) and he was all "I was supposed to take pictures?")

He (Rad) got that look from his effervescent mama. 

No shame in my grainy selfie game today. No shame ever, come to think of it...

Actually, there's a story behind the selfie (if that doesn't sound like a Lifetime special...) At a Walmart self checkout while pouring our savings into preemie formula, a VERY teenage boy struck up this convo:

Boy: Mam?

Me: Yes.

Boy: I really like your hair.

Me: Oh...thank you.

Boy: I like that it's short but I really like that it's curly.

Me: Well you're really sweet. Thank you so much.

Boy: (whispering) and...I'd flirt more....but my mom is standing next to me.

I got a good chuckle out of that (after I was well out of range). Thank you Walmart boy. Even SAHMs need a little Walmart checkout admiration. Winks.

If the Costco employees wonder why we frequent their premises so often (as we learned on this last trip...they had our food order memorized. Errr...) they can wonder no more! It's because of the big carts that can comfortably fit all three chickens. It's because of the generous samples that entertain 2/3 of the chickens. And of course it's because we eat a lot of strawberries, Rhett need his goldfish crackers to survive, the youngest 2 boys go through a lot of diapers, and we go through a lot of bananas, avocados, Life cereal and candied pecans. I don't buy everything every week but it's a nice outing, and had my former self known that I would have ever called going to Costco a "nice outing" she would have flared her nostrils and been like "you lie".

And since we can't seem to ever have enough food for the boys we also like frequenting the grocery store. Use the pictures to paint yourself a picture of how much they love seeing us haul in from the parking lot.

Pink eye 2015 hit us good and hard last week. But it didn't slow down the wrestling. Thank goodness.



(HERE if the clip doesn't work.)

The night before last was a nightmare and was proceeded by a daymare with Beck. He wanted to be eating 23 hours of the day and only paused to play possum for about 11 minute intervals before he was back to his needy self. I contemplated putting him in his bouncy seat and his bouncy seat in the corner for a well-deserved time out but then remembered that he is only 11.5 weeks old and is still learning the ropes of humandom.

And cacti for his nursery? Sure. Who says parenting standards change for the third baby?

And going along with the cacti, I've really been enjoying keeping my other potted babies alive with my sidekick the Naked Horticulturist.

You know what rhymes with alive? Thrive. Which clearly this hibiscus is doing both of in it's $2.74 planter. I keep the clearance sticker to remind Jake is was a $2.74 well spent for this little lady. 

 We are so winning this summer time because the boys have had their goggles for a full 8 days and we. HAVE. NOT. LOST. THEM. It's either because of Jake's revolutionary idea to keep the pool bag stocked with the necessities OR because the boys wear them all the time, water or no water.



A little footage for the grandparents.  (Click HERE if the clip doesn't work.)

Overheard on a Thursday:

Rhett: Hey Dad

Fake Jake:

Rhett: So how's your day at work?

Fake Jake:

Rhett: Oh no! You dropped a French fry?!

Fake Jake:

Rhett: Okay, we'll be there soon to help you pick it up.

Rad really appreciates a good breeze and a little off roading. Sans pants. Always. 

Not pictured: Rhett on the sidelines tattling that Rad had shed his cotton poly skin.

If Target was a church then yes, Rhett was definitely feeling the Holy Spirit.

I can't wait till I can shower without ^^^ trying to hand me a half eaten Poptart. And we're working on teaching Rhett it's not really appropriate/necessary anymore to be the bathroom bouncer.

This. ^^^ I just smile silently, pat myself on the back, and think this moment is a, "I must be doing so very many things right" moment in the life of the very best mom.

I trust you have them too.

And. We're. Done!

Ciao for now.

And maybe next time I'll spice things up and throw down some emojis for good measure.

Enjoy your night/morning/afternoon.