Stars and Stripes

I woke up this morning to Harper singing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" from her crib, loud and proud. She wanted to dress for her patriotic mood. This was the best I could do:

 Harper takes America very seriously.

Cirque du Harper

No lie...this kid is the most flexible of them all. Weirdly flexible. Irina Vashchenko ain't got nothin' on her.

Forgive me, Lane, for the awkward crotch shots.

Go Jo or Go Home

10 lbs. lighter, 2 shades darker, and 7 years younger. That's how Orange Blossom makes me feel. Lather some of that junk on a pair of freshly shorn legs and it will make you wanna throw on high heals (even though I only own 2 pairs and I'm pretty sure they don't fit post pregnancy) and paint the town.

My dilemma: I go to be conflicted every night because I feel hypocritical, half-hearted, and fair weathered mixing Jo Malone with Loreal RevitaLift. It's like drinking a Diet Coke while cooking with organic grass-fed beef and homegrown veggies. It's just wrong. My tendency to be all or nothing sends me to bed stressed. The first step is self-awareness. At least I got it off my chest.

Water Baby

Glorious Day

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

Happy Easter!

Harper's dress was handmade with love by Alissa Neely.

Cindy Lou Who

...will be taking a trip to Tubeville on May 5th. We are excited to kick these ear infections to the curb. Little Cindy can't wait for the jello and pudding that awaits her post-op care.

A Spring Sunday

So far, Harper's favorite season is Spring. It fits her personality: refreshing and enjoyable. We love to spend our evenings outside, watering the garden and milling about the yard.

 Harper loves taking out the trash with her dad,

and riding on his back, 

and riding the lawn mower (this is actually from the Fall but whatev).

Cooper and Campbell came for a visit today. I have grandiose plans of Campbell and Harper rooming at Baylor together and Cooper and Harper getting married. I can't think of a reason why both of those things shouldn't happen.

 

Thanks for coming, Johnson fam. We wish you guys would move to Waco.

Spring Project

One of my New Year's resolutions was to make more memories. The other was to stay on top of laundry. I have not been successful in the latter, but here's our attempt at the former.

She needs some work but we love her. She is currently in the exfoliation stage of her face lift and has been completely stripped down to just pontoons. The carpet and bimini top have arrived and the seats are being made. I can't wait to take her out on the lake and couldn't be more proud of my husband for finding the perfect boat for our little family.

Made by a company called Waco...meant to be.

Bed Head

Punky face

Harper absolutely refused to look at the camera in our afternoon photo shoot. 

Hiney Bo

Harper's new sleeping position. So cute.

3, 2, 1

My third favorite thing about Denver. 

My second favorite thing about Denver. 

My favorite thing about Denver: Hanging out with these two. 

Order: Rodentia

Although completely contradictory to my typical feelings/morals/style, I hate squirrels. They are cute and they have their place in the animal kingdom, however, they are ruining my life. My newly planted vegetable seedlings do not stand a chance of survival and I've had enough. My plan to "relocate" the entire North Waco squirrel community may or may not include un-eco friendly/violent actions. I haven't decided.

Just kidding. But it's a thought.

On a different note, how cute is this kid?

Button Nose

 

Thanks, Kingsley

Found this little treat on the patio a few mornings ago. It takes great talent to puke in the shape of a smiley face.

You are What You Eat

Besides the fact that I am philosophically opposed to tiny wieners vertically jammed into a miniature sized can of clear liquid, a Vienna Sausage almost killed my sister's part Chihuahua, part Welsh Corgi, part gremlin, part unknown dog. Lesson learned: Vienna Sausages begin the petrification process quickly after consumption. Therefore, avoid all canned meats...always. Get well soon, Zita.   

Scary the resemblance between all three.

Beautiful Legacy

We celebrated Lane's Grandmommie's 100th birthday this weekend in Haskell, Texas. What a woman. Over 100 people attended from all over the country. Norene is one of the kindest women I have ever known. I was blessed to be a part of such a sweet celebration.

Happy birthday, Grandmommie. 

Mondays are always fun because Harper is super snuggly and attached to me. I think she loses her independence over the weekend because she isn't in school playing with her friends. Although it is hard to be productive while holding an 18 1b. wiggle worm, I love every moment with her and know she will not always want to be held. I wonder if it will be weird when I insist on holding her as a teenager. She might resist my demand, but I am the mom and what I say goes.

P.S. Harper has been saying "Da Da" for about a month, but recently started saying "Ma Ma." Melt my heart.

A New Era

Today is a bittersweet day. I believe it is time to retire the little blue bathtub.

Things were going as normal during Harper's bath this morning. Ducky was playing kindly with tiny turtle. Mr. Frog had his usual attitude but nothing out the ordinary. All of the sudden, the bath princess herself, decided it was time to stand. She leaned forward, grabbed the end of the tub, and pulled herself into a downward dog position (basically standing with her hands on the ground for those who don't know yoga terms). Unbelievable. She has proven no feat of the sort until today. Little blue tub might have seen his last day in Harper's lifetime...he is just not equipped to handle such acrobats. Harper had a good conversation with her tub animals, explaining that they will all be losing a good friend, but that their options are almost endless in the giant white tub that awaits them. I think they took the news well. The transition might be scary, but rest assured that Harper will be there to ease their fears. What a monumental day. It will not be forgotten.

Harper also told me she would like me to start parting her hair to the left instead of the right. She said a left part looks better with the shape of her face. Geez.

Her First April 1st

April 1st is the one day a year when my inability to lie stands in the way of my success.

I text my boss this morning and told him I was very sorry to announce my resignation. He had 2 weeks to find my replacement. He responded that I had too much integrity to end this way and that my attempt at a practical joke was lame. I also called Lane and told him there was a 7-8 foot long anaconda in our backyard. He said I was completely unbelievable. Oh well. Maybe next year. I have 364 more days to work on it.

Back to the anaconda. 7-8 times out of 10 that I walk into the backyard (usually 2-3 times per day...do the math) I think I will see a giant snake. It is probably more realistic that I would see some sort of boa constrictor vs. an anaconda, which primarily reside in the Amazon. My point: Can you imagine how often I think about snakes?

I found 2 bull snakes while gardening this weekend. Tiny little guys. I enjoy their company and am happy to have them as a part of the mini ecosystem that is my yard. Thanks, baby bull snakes, for serving a necessary purpose and contributing to the success of the Black Beauty eggplants that are going to make this Spring one to remember. I feel fairly confident in my Spring garden.

Harper played an April Fool's joke on me this AM. She came out of her room with a bag packed of a few of her essentials: Violet, a couple binkies, her green striped bather, 2 swim diapers, and her red sunglasses. Said she was joining a local circus...that they wanted her on the tightrope and to help out in the carnival. She felt like it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I started crying and begged her not to go. She said I have always taught her to follow her dreams. I concurred. And then she walked out the front door. I dropped to my knees and sobbed, but knew there was no stopping such an independent woman. About five minutes later she walked back in and and shouted "April Fools! Now make me some banana oatmeal, woman." I ran to the kitchen and we had a lovely breakfast together. Phew...what a whirlwind of a morning. She is about to take a bath.