TO DO: BAKING

It's been a while since I did any baking. The state of the kitchen (unfinished, in renovation mode, etc) has me in survival mode to do with the bare necessities and I haven't indulged in any baking of the leisurely kind. But we are in sight of the finish line, and I plan to christen the kitchen with a few of these baked goods: 

Strawberry Balsamic Pie

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

Dark and Stormy Banana Bread

Banana and Spinach Smoothie Muffins for the kids 

Chocolate and Olive Oil Cake

LOGAN AT 10 MONTHS

At 10 months, she is constantly in exploration and discovery mode and I can almost hear her thought process as she feels a thing, waves it around, takes a nibble, bangs it on another thing, and examines it closely. She especially loves figuring out how to put something in and out of another thing, whether it's a cup, bowl, basket or box.  The other day I caught her using a spoon to scoop out pretend food out of a jar and eat it, with great satisfaction.  

We've had extremely busy weekends and so this past weekend, I was craving some slow time for sitting and observing this little nugget, and I got to do just that, with my eyes in the shape of hearts the whole time.

She is still waking up throughout the night, but maybe this is just her personality that she is a light sleeper and doesn't need as much sleep? I'm surprisingly more okay with it than you would think a sleep deprived person would be, because I get extra snuggles with her, but I've resolved that we have to re-train her with a consistent sleep routine (especially since I am going to be away for a weekend next month!) 

She loves hugging stuffed animals. It's with a delight that surprises me, she hugs it tight to her and will often pat it with happiness. The other day I handed her a piece of banana and she picked up a stuffed bear and tried to feed it to him. She loves sharing her food with us; it was just unbearably adorable to see her trying to share with the stuffed bear.

She also gives me the best hugs ever. It's strong and enthusiastic, and I'm always pining after one. Baby hugs are gold. 

Every single day, sometimes several times a day when I find myself in a moment of awe of this quickly growing babe, I give thanks for how healthy and strong she is. I don't take it for granted. Not one bit. 

Whenever we make eye contact, she smiles back at me all the way up to her eyes with joy bursting out of her ears and sometimes we just go back and forth like that, smiling at each other.

See this face? This is the how she looks at Ken...with sparkles in her eyes. And he can really make her giggle. Some of my favorite moments in life these days is when I hear Sloane and Logan making each other laugh in the backseat of the car. What a privilege it is to be a witness to all of this. 

STRAWBERRY PICKING WE GO

After weeks of raining, Saturday morning yawned into a warm and sunny day, providing the best possible setting for a romp in the strawberry fields. We got to bring sweet Eden with us, and the girls had the best time hunting for perfect strawberries, eating a great deal of them, and running through the fields picking flowers. It felt utterly refreshing - to be away from house projects and away from the rain. 

Brace yourselves, there are a ton of photos here (and these are narrowed down!) 

Ken sent the girls go go find the best strawberries they could find, and they would run far into the fields to gather a few and then run back for them to be inspected. 

Inspection time. Sloane was so good at finding just the right ones! 

Tasting time.

And then off to hunt again!

Logan loves to share everything she is eating. It is really sweet and she finds it hilarious. 

I love a baby with a good strawberry stain.

Mt. Olympus Farm has some amazing views nearby a lake and the girls soaked it all in. As we passed by this field, they ran towards the flowers and declared that they were picking beautiful flowers for their mamas. 

These sets of photos are especially special to me because I've been comparing them to last year when these girls came to the same place and I'm amazed at the change in just one year.

Until next time! 

PINNED! FOR SUMMER

 Here are some things that I've pinned and are pining for lately...

My friend posted about these roasted strawberry and coconut popsicles, and I can't wait to try them.

Isn't this such a nifty leaf backdrop? 

As usual, watermelon, everyday. Watermelon print and watermelon swimsuit. 

I'm looking for a way to update one of our bathrooms that has pink tile and very dated wallpaper. I'm in the search of the perfect wallpaper to update it, but maybe an easier alternative is to get some wall decals, like this cute cactus one?

This seems like a really easy chicken salad recipe that I plan on making to stuff in pita pockets soon. And this seems like a really tasty watermelon and cucumber margarita that I will be chugging soon. 

I don't know if I the peplum will look good on me, but I want it to! I love the print and shape of this peplum tankini top.

 A giant unicorn float! 

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND

We had a sweet Mother's Day weekend over here. I got to start Saturday by going to the Farmer's market with my girls and it was deliciously crisp and green that morning; we got there early enough to avoid the crowds, we got everything we needed...and we visited with a baby goat! Afterwards, we met Ken's family in Williamsburg and had a lovely time with them. On Sunday, I spent time with the girls running errands while Ken worked on tiling and then we got in our swimsuits and ate pizza for dinner. It was perfect.

I mentioned this in my last post - that I would love to have an entire day of sleeping, but here's the thing...while the exhausted part of me demands that I throw the covers over my head and go back to sleep, the part of me that finds itself waking up is the part that can't wait to see my daughters so I can hang out with them. That is the push and pull of motherhood! I'm tired but I miss them when they are gone. The exhaustion, but also the bliss.

I am sleep deprived as I write this so none of this may be cohesive but this is my attempt to appreciate how motherhood stretches me. It challenges and humbles me everyday, while giving me stunning moments of clarity and gratitude. 

We were all losing our minds about how cute this goat was. "Oh mom, I wish I had a baby goat!" was Sloane's declarative sigh as we walked away.

Ken's pretty lucky to be surrounded by such awesome ladies. 

My girl group! We are so fun.

You can't even tell how tired I am in this picture ! Sunglasses, happy baby and hammock, are all good distractions. At this exact moment I was feeling content and full, despite the looming Monday. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing moms!