Animals of the zoo

Springtime at the zoo with my menfolk

cruisin' the penguin pit (before Jack freaked out)

terrified of the carousel

"Mom..I'm not a fan!"

ahhh yes...watching tv these days is the perfect breeding ground for a matchbox parking lot..

A Little Billie Holiday time with my baby..

Jack woke up from his nap yesterday out of sorts, still sleepy, fussy and wanting some snuggle time. With red Kitchenaid dishtowel still in hand from doing dishes, I sat and rocked him on my couch and sang along with my Billie Holiday album croonin' away. I wish I had a camera to have snapped that memory. He seemed to tolerate her swooning voice just fine..now that's a man in the making for ya! Put some loafers on him and a nice polo blazer and he's off to the greens with his preppy taste!

Shades of spring...

Mr. Jack in full bloom

our Bradford Pear tree..ok, I lied, it's my nieghbors! ;)

OUR Bradford Pear..nearly fully in bloom :)

product of the Bradford Pear tree in bloom...Mr. Allergies has arrived!

Oober rich? or oober fabulous?

So..the time has rolled around that my carpets need a good washin. My beige carpet and it's many shades of gray compliments of chocolate milk, grease, dirt, you name it drug in on the carpet by shoes. I decide to call up my handymen and women..my Mom & Dad. They are so helpful, always willing to help out with a project and they have a carpet cleaner. The task becomes outrageous...piling up toys that are strewn about the floor, moving dirty socks, shoes, wrappers, whatever is around to get the job done. My Dad begins the process and midway through realizes, uh oh..the soap is not dispensing. He had already meticulously combed the front room and it was soaking wet. Now mind you, my 18 month is in on the plan, he decides to for go his nap that day, so he is toddling around the wet floors w/ pants rolled up like capris and shoes on, driving cars all over the couch. We are working tiredly around the little dude. After about an hour of fidgeting with the soap tank and a call into the sweet Bissell people, we have no success in all of their suggestions. We decide to mix the soap into the water tank...ahhh..fresh bubbles coming out it smells wonderful. Mind you it took about 2 or 3 hours for just one room. The carpets were wet for 2 days from going over it twice, but hey, at least it's "cleaner." I looked at my Mother and said, "you know if we were oober rich, we'd be at the spa while having professional carpet cleaners come in"!

and you know what my wise Mother says? "yeah, but then we wouldn't have any adventures, life would be boring..."
such a brilliant point....I have to say, she must be correct. It was worth all the craziness to get it done and to laugh at the craziness...

The Fundamentals of this House

.....the essentials of my house are as follows:.....

* coffee

* oxyclean

*paper towels

* Burts bees chapstick

*fresh sheets available for fort making

*chocolate chips in the cupboard for emergency chocolate chip cookies or dough cravings...

* Johnson's lavender & chamomile baby bath- quiets the crazies out of the kiddies

*super fluffy, down comforters

*Noggin!

*bedtimes stories & snuggles

*glass of wine while cooking a good dinner

*time spent with just the Mr. & myself to regroup

*frequent chats with good friends

*quiet time & prayer with the most important...G-O-D

A Dwyer Diaper Date Night

Last night we had a long overdue date night. It was great to get out! Besides our amazing dinner at P.F. Changs that lasted over 2 hours, I have to say my favorite memory of the night was running out of Target and through the rain, arms full of Pampers under our arms...are you picturing this? (don't worry..we paid for them first!) I thought to myself and said out loud to Tim as we were running across the parking lot in the rain, "is this not funny to you, on our date night, we are loading up on diapers? It's a Dwyer Diaper Date Night..."

A Post for my Man

how often does the man of the house get a posting? It's all about the kids and their funny adventures and new things, new things to post about. Just got to thinking...if it weren't for the number one love of my life, none of this would be here to write about anyway, right? So here's to you doll, you are my life sized "doll"...my Andy to my Raggedy Anne..my com padre, my companion...

you make me smile, you provide me with confidence, assurance & trust. I will never be a sprinter, such as you. I will never have the stamina to do the things you seem to accomplish in a day! I will never have that strength in my hands and wrists to fling open a jar of pickles that I count on you for oh so often! I will never have that skill to watch CSI or worse, the 10pm news and them fall asleep not fearing murderers, robbers or any of the like out to get me afterwards! I will never have that zest for life, love for numbers and ability to think mathematically in any given situation! Or sit down to a round of cards and not go into hyperventilation over remember the rules of the hand and competing out of my element!

For all these reasons and more, you are my better half...you amaze me!