Little Red Wagon First Birthday Party

After years of totally lame parties, we finally scored a fun, clever first birthday party--it sure helps that Travis is happy and cute!

The Theme

I didn't like the traditional party accessories that I kept running across; I wanted something a little bit different, something simple and classic, so I did a lot of research. It took awhile, but then I found two things that helped solidify the theme.

1. Trav's birthday gift from Pappaw
2. Several other mom's blog posts who had done parties with related themes, and encouraged me that it was possible to do it myself.

Our theme centered around the classic little red wagon. I created banners using scrapbook paper of sky, sand, grass, pebbles, denim, and wooden fences to create an outdoorsy feel.  I made cupcake toppers using the same design as the banners, but smaller and glued onto toothpicks.

Cupcakes

Then I decided on decorating cupcakes. Taking several cupcake decorating classes was very helpful, but I knew I wanted something simple. Using just a couple of colors and a few different decorating tips, I created green grass and white peaks sprinkled with red sugar and sparkly fairy dust. For Travis' special cupcake, I made a jumbo red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. I thought it was appropriate since I discovered and fell in love with red velvet cake while I was pregnant with Travis (because he didn't like chocolate!).

He had such a fun time tearing apart the cupcake and making a huge mess.

Gifts

By now, I'm sure you're wondering about that gift from Pappaw! It was  a little red Radio Flyer sports coupe. Absolutely adorable. Travis LOVES it! The other kids took turns driving him around the house in it.

As I was trying to think of a birthday gift from Ken and I, I thought how fun it would be to have a little gas pump to go along with the car. But I didn't want to spend much money, so Ken suggested I go online to get a little inspiration on how to make one. Surprisingly, I only found one reference to a homemade gas pump, so I used it for the basic idea, but embellished the idea for a truly unique homemade gift. I'll tell you how I did it in a separate blog post, but for now, here's some teaser photos.

Several months ago, I began a project that took such a long time to complete that it became Travis' second birthday gift. Using a robot theme and coordinating scrapbook paper, I made a matching game.

I took 12 pieces of ready-made craft wood, and decoupaged  rectangles of paper on both sides. One side is all the same design, while the other side has 2 each of 6 designs. I then embroidered a robot onto a little pouch that holds all of the wooden rectangles. It is a little old for him yet, but he'll be able to play before we know it.

We had such a fun time celebrating our little man's first birthday with family and close friends. I'd like to thank our amazing friend, Ashley Terry, for capturing the day with such amazing photos. 

What's in a Name?

We sold Chloe awhile back; for those not in the know, that was our little green Toyota Echo. It was a great car, and got awesome gas mileage, but I now feel like a grown-up with an adult car!

I believe that names are important. Sort of like, "you must be special if you're important enough to be named." Naming something is powerful; you're setting the memory of that thing permanently in your mind to forever be remembered and cherished (or ridiculed). No longer was it just a turtle, it was Max, the turtle that ate dog food. It wasn't just a cat that looked like a thousand other cats, it was Mindy, and she was my first cat. Ken has indulged my need to name the cows in the pasture, random animals we come across, and even inanimate objects. We call his GPS Jezebel because it sometimes leads us astray. We call his SUV Ruby because it is red. I once named a bird that had died after flying into our front window (which was closed). Then I buried him, and wrote a memorial poem. I will always remember Fred, and the sacrifice he made for a cause we will never know.

From the beginning, the name Chloe seemed to fit the Echo perfectly. It was independent, breezy, peppy and fun. I enjoyed driving Chloe and we took many great trips together. One of my best buds, Laura, even made me a mix tape for traveling (See photo at right). She and her husband lived in Omaha, NE for a few years, and I drove up to visit them on several occasions. At one point, another friend and I (Jess) took an impromptu road trip (the reason why is a whole other story!) through Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.We bonded while driving all night, listening to the Counting Crows and talking about life. Another time, the four of us drove to Wahoo, NE because we saw it on the map, and I just had to visit. For years afterward, we said "WaHOO, Nebraska!!" any time there was any celebrating to be done (OK, I still do).

If you're still with me, the point of this entire post is that I am having trouble deciding on a name for the new Camry. I could continue to call it The Camry, but to me, it's not just a name for a car, it's a name that will feature in the new memories I will make as I drive it. Someday, we may pass the car down to Travis, saying "remember when..." and I want the name that goes with it to match both the car, and who I am now (or who I want to be). Classy but laid back. Traditional but fun. Spontaneous but grown up. 

Any suggestions?

Let's have a heart to heart

Sometimes I write blog posts in my head while walking or driving or trying to fall asleep, but they never seem to end up on the blog. I wonder, sometimes, if you want to hear about

1. how much I LOVE editing for our friend Todd at Assured Leadership, 
2. how happy I am to still have a foot in the Tech Writing world, 
3. how much I want to learn to design websites, but feel overwhelmed by the tools, or 
4. how much I want to use up the cute fabric piling up in my office, and 
5. how much I want to sell the things I make with my cute fabric so I can buy more cute fabric? 

Do you really want to know that I love staying home with Travis, but continually stress out about the dishes piling up or the fact that I feel like the worst cook in 3 counties so I try to avoid it even though secretly I love to cook and want to be successful?

I read some blog posts by friends of mine who are so freakin' funny (don't visit if you get offended easily) or so stinkin' creative or so dramatically descriptive that you want to go back day after day and read everything they post. And then I feel like a total slacker for falling back on videos and the boring recounting of my days with T-man. Sometimes I feel sorry for you, my readers, that I'm not more interesting, creative, or descriptive.

But then I remind myself that my writing style is different, and that's not always a bad thing. I can be inspired by others, but I need to embrace my own strengths and find peace in my writing. One of the reasons I started this blog was to embrace a new style of writing, so this is kind of a growing thing.

My 3 followers read this because there's something here they enjoy (OK, well, one of my followers is me), and the rest of you read this because I actually send it to you whether you want to receive it or not. I assume you would tell me if you didn't want to be one of the chosen 10. :)

Though sometimes I wonder if you read my posts, I feel compelled to continue writing. I guess because something that God is teaching me is that I have to put myself out there. To be truly great, you have to practice, you have to try, and you have to fail (if that's what it takes). I am a master at staying within my comfort zone...in fact, the very idea of publishing this particular post scares me because it reveals more about me than I'm used to sharing with others, even those I love. But more than share pictures of my cutie, I want to inspire you, to connect with you, to share stories that make you laugh or cry, to share my struggles and triumphs and encourage you to share yours, to reveal the glory of God and how He prods me to be a better person and to lean on Him.

So, keep reading. I will continue to share photos and videos of T-man, but along the way, I will also share pieces of myself, and just maybe, you will read something that makes you laugh out loud, or smile throughout your day, or makes you think a little bit about life and the wonderful journey we travel together.

Feel free to share with me; I want to know what you think. Maybe we can swap some recipes.

More Videos

I've been taking some videos, and decided to post them for your viewing pleasure. This boy is so cute!

Playing Peekaboo

Learning to slide

More sliding

Standing and chatting

Playing with Saige

Photos of Trav's newly painted room.

Happenings and Changes!

On our morning walk by the river

Earlier this week, Ken, who has never met a stranger, helped a lady at Loewe's who was fixing her lawnmower. She happened to work for the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort right here in Bastrop, and invited us to visit, so we decided to treat ourselves as a celebration. Though it's only about 10 minutes away, it felt like we were miles away from home. We naively believed that we'd be one of a couple of families sharing the pool, so we were super surprised by the number of people and kids everywhere!!

My great guys

However, we had a great time. We got an upgraded room (with a balcony), and after we ran into Cynthia the next morning, she bought me a coffee and comped our breakfast, which was a delicious buffet! I hope that Travis is as outgoing as Ken--he always meets the nicest people!

We traded off getting massages and playing with Travis in the pool. He was one tired baby, there was so much going on that he would not fall asleep for anything! After 2 hours of trying, he finally fell asleep about 10pm, but woke multiple times to throw up...of course, waking us up in the process. Poor baby got so overheated that it made him sick. He's fine now, and has slept most of the day to catch up on his sleep, and now we know that 3 hours by the pool in this heat is a bad idea. For some reason, we forgot to get photos of us in the pool, but we did get some others.

Sleepy, sleepy baby

Ready for a nap!

We had to visit the horses:  Julius and Cesear

Travis seems to really enjoy the water, though the Hyatt was not his first swimming experience. Last Saturday, we were invited to a pool party, and had a great time with some of Ken's co-workers from ASI.

In the pool!

Sylin' with hats

Bob and Travis meeting

Tuesday, May 24 was my good friend Bob's 60th birthday, and we were invited to a surprise party at the Oasis. Boy, was he ever surprised! I can't help but feel that we were the highlight of his day. As soon as Bob saw that we were there, he made a beeline straight towards us, and Travis went right to him! Later that night, I heard Bob introduce me as his daughter, which, I have to say, made my day! I used to work for Bob, and when he and his wife Candy decided to move to Austin, TX, they brought me along as part of the family, which I've been ever since. Candy passed away several years ago, but I think of her every time I use my sewing machine because it was once hers. I feel that everything I make on it is a tribute to her.

Me, Bob and Trav

Finally some of you may have already heard that Ken has accepted a position with a company called RackSpace. It is here in Austin, and promises to be a new challenge, which Ken is looking forward to. I know that he'll miss his friends at ASI, but we're excited about this new change in our lives.

More inspiration

As I was looking at wall quotes for Travis' room, I came across this one by Theodore Roosevelt. That man had a way with words. I hope it brings you the inspiration to continue on in whatever endeavors you may be struggling with.

Yeah, I'm enjoying creating graphics lately... :)

Inspiration

Here are two graphics I whipped up tonight. Ken took the photos while we were out at The Oasis on Tuesday night, and I pulled the quotes from my vast collection. Someday, I should print a book using all the quotes I've collected over the years. I'm sure it would be quite popular.

I hope you find them inspiring.

Memories

It's interesting how memories can be sparked by the smallest things and can reach out and wrap you in a warm, gentle hug. For example,

1. Listening to the song "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson always makes me think of having fun with my mom, driving, and a joy so profound that it still has the power to put me in a good mood, requiring me to sing along. 
2. Watching Wimbledon always reminds of my dad, who LOVED tennis, who was always picking perceived specs of dirt off the coffee table, and who I know loved me deeply in his own way, though I struggled to understand that for much of my life. (Interestingly, I haven't watched Wimbledon since he died in 2007).
3. Smelling one of the deodorants I rotate through makes me think of strolling along the streets of Paris with Ken, our lovely hotel room in London (with it's stainless steel tea set replacing the traditional American coffee pot), and the company of the man I love, who exceeded all my single expectations of what a husband and partner should be (and continues to do so!).

As I think about what memories I want Travis to grow up with, among them are 1) laughing with Mama and Papa for no good reason, 2) eating watermelon in the heat of summer surrounded by people who love him, 3) praying for the people driving from a funeral home to the grave site, and 4) knowing that he is loved no matter what. 

It's your turn--

What evokes special memories for you? What memories do you wish to pass along to your kids?

Congratulations, Daniel!!!

Our good friend, Daniel, recently graduated from the law school at the College of William and Mary near Colonial Williamsburg. We are super proud of him, and we're so excited that he and Laura are heading back to Tucson, Arizona.

Daniel, we just know you're going to be an amazing lawyer!!

Action Shot

Here's that action shot again, just in case you missed it!

He couldn't stand for those glasses to be in the wagon with him!

Day 11 of the nursing strike, and I'm feeling better

Is stubbornness an inherited trait?

Well, I'm coming to terms with the idea that I may never again nurse this stubborn little boy. Now, I'm focusing on the freedom I'll have once we're fully weaned. I do plan to include this story in a speech at Trav's graduation or wedding or something...just to prove how stubborn (or persistent) he was from a very early age. I think he got some stubbornness from me. Not that I believe much in astrology, but I am a Taurus, and we're notoriously bull-headed.

Since I'm a silver-lining kind of gal at heart (not mentioned in Taurus astrology, hence, it's probably a crock), I'm starting to think about all the positives of not having to nurse or pump again:  I can leave the boy for longer than 3 hours, I don't have to worry about keeping the milk at the right temperature, other people can share in feeding time, and most importantly, I don't have to wonder if I'm going to get bitten anymore. So, this could be a good thing...

He's really standing on his own, Abbi is just barely supporting him!

In other good news, Travis is crawling EVERYWHERE! I'll leave him in his room and then call him from the kitchen, and he'll crawl down the hallway and through the living room as fast as his chubby knees will let him. It's pretty cute. He's also starting to stand up, with help. I think he'll be walking soon, which is both awesome and scary. He's learning to clap, and eat real, solid food like cantaloupe, watermelon, Cheerios. It's really messy, but pretty neat. I just realized that we don't have any videos of crawling or eating, so I'll try to get some for you this week.

Standing up with help from the coffee table

Video Diary

I just transferred some videos from my Blackberry to my computer, and then, of course, I had to play a few to see this ridiculously cute child (since right now he's asleep and it wakes him up if I watch him too long--just  kidding! I don't watch him sleep; that's creepy). Watching them reminds me all over again why I decided to stay home with this little bundle of joy. I can't express how grateful and happy I am that we are able to live on one salary. Ken, being a whiz with budgets and money, is amazing, and I probably don't tell him enough how wonderful he is. Honey, you're wonderful, and I'm so thankful that you are happy to have me and Travis stay home together, but we miss you, so retire soon and play with us!

Here are some of the videos that made me smile:

This one is before T could crawl - taken in March before our trip to Arizona. I love that hat, but Nana and Papa agreed that it made him look like a girl.

Here's one where Ken teaches Travis to drum - taken last week (sans girlie hat).

Here is a sampling of our day - taken this week:

First, we wake up, eat, change the diaper, etc. T is a morning baby, and he loves to giggle, so here we are giggling together.

Then we play for awhile with T's toys. Sometimes T plays cheerfully by himself, and sometimes Mama likes to play with him (but always there is laughter at his crazy antics).

Now that T is mobile, a lot of our day is exploring the house. So sometimes we follow Mama, and sometimes Saige (and sometimes we like to go off and explore on our own, but that's another story). Look how good he's gotten at crawling!

Then Abbi comes over after school, and we just hang out and pretend we aren't anywhere near tired. (here, Mama was entertaining Travis while Abbi finished her homework).

Sometimes, we just like to sit and play with our toys. Here's one where T learned that he could bang things together and make lots of noise. I keep trying to teach him to clap, but it's not nearly as fun because it doesn't make much noise.

So there you have a sampling of our day; looks fun doesn't it? Sometimes we go shopping or to lunch with friends, but we enjoy our days at home, which are anything but quiet and boring! I'm constantly surprised at how busy we stay, and how the house can remain cluttered even though I'm continuously straightening up throughout the day. Oh well, I suppose life is meant to be lived, not cleaned. Anyways, I hope you have enjoyed our video diary of life at home with Travis.

Splish splash I was takin' a bath...and then we went to the park

Splish Splash

T-man hasn't been too excited about bathtime, so I was prepared for another quick, upsetting bath this morning. I filled his little tub to overflowing, sat him in it, and prepared to quickly scrub. All of a sudden, I heard a loud squeal before Travis smacked the water with both hands, drenching us both! He squealed again and reached out for his bath toys..."YAY" I said ("finally," I thought). And we had fun in the bathtub; he didn't mind my scrubbing, and only got slightly annoyed when I wet and washed his hair. But as long as I didn't get between him and his toys, he was happy!

Photo by Ashley Terry (2011)

Afterwards, I was feeling pretty brave, so I suggested a walk in the park.We loaded up and headed out. Trav enjoyed the swings, and the long walk. Ken got attacked by an aggressive goose backed up by his geesey gang, but we finally made it past them safely. Walking along Bastrop Main Street, we stopped in a bakery and ice cream shop where we all shared a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. Travis kept yelling for more, and the lady running the shop asked if he was always that happy. To which we replied, yes, so long as he's not hungry or tired. Later on, in the library, Travis squealed loudly before I told him libraries were for being quiet. So, he spit up his ice cream instead. Yuk. I think I preferred him being loud.

Our Sweet Family (Photo by Ashley Terry-2011)

Finally, we headed back to the truck, and turned towards home, where we fed Trav and put him down for a nap (which he's taking as I'm typing). It's been a lovely family day watching squirrels climb trees, birds chase each other, and turtles sit by the side of the river. Now, as I look out the window, watching the trees blow in the breeze, and the promise of spring hovering in the air, I am filled with contentment on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, happy to be part of my sweet family.

What brings you contentment today?

Movin' and a-groovin'

So Travis is getting more mobile, and starting to get into everything he can get his hands on!!  Unfortunately, the word 'no' doesn't have meaning yet, but it's likely to be his first word. As I watch him scoot around, and pull the cord on the lamp for the third time, I think, "wait a minute, I was the GOOD kid! I don't deserve this!" Guess I should blame Ken! He was probably just as bad. Just recently, I was taking some photos to send to his Pappaw, and Travis decided to launch himself right off the couch. Luckily, he launched himself right into my lap!

He's been crankier than normal, refusing to eat or relax for bed, so I took him to the Dr. yesterday. Turns out, he has two ear infections so he's now on anti-biotics. The pediatrician recommended giving him Advil as well, though it hasn't slowed him down any! I'll be glad when he doesn't cry every time I put him down or walk away.

He's also beginning to talk more. He has a high-pitched sing-song voice that he uses to talk to himself when he wakes up in his crib, but isn't ready to eat yet. He can say da-da, though it's much like ga-ga, and i-yi-yi; it doesn't hold any meaning for him yet. I keep trying to get him to say 'ma-ma' or 'pa-pa' but so far, nothing.

He has finally decided to enjoy taking a bath, though he still hates getting water in his face, and holds his breath when I have to wash his hair. He's such a cutie.

A tea lover's dream

IngenuiTEA teapot from thinkgeek.com

This is not one of those annoying product placement ads like you see on Bones or Castle, this really is the coolest thing. Ken found it, and got it for me for Christmas. It's a 1-cup tea infuser. You put loose tea leaves inside, pour in hot water, let it steep, put it over a tea cup, and there's an ingenious little system on the bottom that drains the tea, but keeps the tea leaves enclosed. If you're a tea lover like me, this thing is awesome. It's great when you don't want to heat up a whole pot of water for just a cup or two of tea.

Anyways, I've been using it more, and realized that I'm getting low on loose tea, which I was shopping for, but then decided to take a break and share this with y'all.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

A little of this, a little of that, and a dash of love

Well, I fell behind a little bit on blogging -- sorry about that -- anyone miss us? I have no excuse, we've just been so busy playing and visiting, I haven't taken time to stop. Truthfully, my spare time has been spent sleeping. Travis' first tooth has poked through and a second is on the way, which has disrupted his (our) sleep, so we've been up a lot even at night. However, it seems to be getting better, and his sleeping patterns are improving.  He is also starting to talk up a storm, and it won't be long before we're hearing mama and papa.

We had our 6-month check-up this week. Travis is still in the 90th percentile on height - he's 27-3/4 inches now. However, he's dropped a little on weight - he's 17lbs, 6oz - not quite double his birth weight. He's gained 1-1/2 lbs. The doctor says that's normal since he's been getting more active, learning to roll over, sit up, etc. I notice that he's not as chunky as other babies his age, so what this tells us is that he's likely to be a lot like Ken - tall and skinny!!!

Now that the weather is getting nicer, we're spending more time outdoors. We recently got a swing for Travis, and he loves it! He hasn't learned to swing himself yet, but it's only a matter of time. I really miss having a safe place and a good friend with whom to walk. In my younger days, my friend, Laura, and I would walk several miles every morning, chatting and observing the architecture of Tucson houses. Here, I simply walk up and down the street, which gets really boring after a while, and sure, I can always go to a park or something, but it's such a production getting ready and loading everything that it just never seems worth it just for me and Travis. He's talking more, but he's not a brilliant conversationalist yet. I really miss having friends close by who keep me accountable for getting out of the house to walk on a regular basis. I'll be glad when Travis is a little older and takes 2 regular naps so we can plan our day a little better. We recently joined the Bastrop MOMS Club, so maybe I'll find someone there interested in a regular walk...

I am still enjoying staying home with Travis; I love being able to spend my day with him and watch him grow and learn. He's been trying to crawl, but so far, he can only kick his legs really hard before looking around to wonder why he hasn't moved! We miss Ken throughout the day, and I wish we were independently wealthy so that we could both stay home and play with Travis!

Well, I hear someone wanting to get up from his nap, so I'll close this post with our love and a short video.