Eternal Families Deemed Dispensable

Last weekend we had a yard sale with some other families who are moving, too. I asked Parker to look through his toys & books, and to put anything he wanted to sell on his bed. After an hour of searching, this is all he came up with:

Nice.

I KNEW I Had Good Taste....

This morning I watched a bit of the "New Kids on the Block" comeback performance on the Today show. I was shamelessly infatuated with Jordan Knight for at least two years of my adolescent life, so I figured I'd indulge my inner child and see what they are up to now. Parker was in the room watching with me, and after a minute of watching asked,

"Where is Dad?"

M: "At work, sweetie."

P: "Is that him on the t.v.?"

M: "Which one?"

P: Pointing to Jordan Knight, "That one! He looks just like Dad!"

Playing Catch-Up

Sometimes a little down time, even if it's for a not-so-fun reason, can be a good thing! Parker is out for the count today, due to a little procedure he had done yesterday. Don't worry. As you see, he is being pampered like a king and is enjoying his Scooby-Doo marathon.

The upside of being stuck inside is that I finally have time to blog! I have been keeping up with all of your blogs, even though you haven't seen me in your comments sections as of late...you are my daily sanity! So again, beware, faithful readers, of the following onslaught of posts.

Why I Love My Man

For Mother's Day, My Man got me this figurine that I have wanted for a few months now. Although it's rare to see what's really going on in someone's life through their blog, this has been a pretty tough year for me. I have loved this figurine since I laid eyes on it, because it describes perfectly how Peter has allowed me to lean on him for support and how he has taken such good care of me.

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day and were reminded how special you are.

Mom's Night Out

So, you may remember when I told you last year that I was being published. The book is now out! I got my complimentary copy and it is quite funny. Basically a bunch of great stories from moms who are in the thick of it. If you are looking for something to make you laugh in the midst of motherhood, check it out here on amazon...

Cinco de Mayo!

Did you know that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the U.S. than in Mexico? We have had a long-standing (well, six year) tradition of celebrating Cinco de Mayo in our little family and this year was no exception! We got together with our friends, the Fultons, and had a cena of chicken enchiladas, fajitas, black bean & mango salsa, & churros for dessert. Yum! Then afterward, we had a few of our neighbors over for a pinata! Viva, Mexico!

Tyler busted it open on the first shot ;)

The kiddies ravaging for their spoils.

We were surprised to see the fish come back to life after his thrashing...

Amigos!

Touch-a-Truck

I was so grateful one day for a friend who got the word out about a neighboring community's "Touch-a-Truck" festival. All I had to hear was that there would be lots of community helpers' vehicles - dump trucks, fire trucks, police cars, school buses, big rigs, tractors, limos, mail trucks, etc. and that the kids would get the chance to get inside & "drive" them and see them up close. This event had my boys' names written all over it.

Tyler wasn't sure what to think about being Parker's passenger in this big rig.

Parker, the school bus driver.

It's a good thing that Tyler didn't have the keys! Can you imagine the destruction??

Those Pesky Cows

With the end of the year winding down for Parker's preschool, we headed out on a class field trip to the OSU Dairy Farm. Parker was beyond thrilled to go, but when we got there had quite the change of heart. Apparently, the threat of hearing the cows moo was a little too much for my guy, and he spent the whole time with his hands over his ears!

Parkasso, Part II

It's been fun to watch Parker's artistic talents increase over the course of this year. We can hardly believe that preschool is almost over! Here are a few of his latest:

Humpty Dumpty - they have been learning about nursery rhymes. One of Parker's favorite pasttimes lately is to think of words that rhyme!

A cow - I love that everything he draws has a smiling face. So like my sweet, happy guy.

And a Parkasso classic - the car. He draws this car more than anything else. Are we surprised?

I should add here that Parkasso has a hot new apprentice - I found Tychaelangelo drawing all over the couch with a purple crayon this morning. No picture, though - bummer.

Spotlight: Tater Tot Toys

The Frys

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite tater tot? Look no further! My sister, Megan, is blowing my socks off with her custom-made alternatives to "Little People" - the Tater Tot Toy collection! Aren't they so cute? She introduces them the best:

The (Baker) Family resides happily in Tater Tot Town, along with many of their
friends. Each member of the family has been lovingly made by hand for your little Tater Tot. Standing at just over 2 inches tall, Tater Tot Toys are the perfect fit for chubby little fingers.

All of the residents of Tater Tot Town are made from wooden spools, ribbon and hand painted by me, with non-toxic acrylic paint and varnish. These toys are not recommended for children under 3, as some contain small pieces.

Tater Tot Toys are great for any little one's big imagination!

The Spuds

The Russets

Tater Tot Girls

The Bakers

You can find them here on Etsy. If you can't find what you're looking for in her ready-made inventory, check her sales link (at right) and choose from the many she has sold already. You can order individuals or whole sets. And the answer to everyone's question at this point - yes! She does CUSTOM ORDERS! Who wouldn't want their own family's version of the Tater Tot Toys? The price is right, too!

Although I know I'm embarrassing her to death by posting this, I'm extremely proud of her ingenuity & talent, and can't wait to get her cute toys in my hot little hands! Happy shopping, everyone!

**Since I am feeding these pictures in from another internet source, the resolution is not as great as the pictures you will find in her store.**