Creative Doesn't Necessarily Mean Crafty

I am full of great ideas, but I do not have a glitter-glue bone in my body! Which is why one of  the things that I absolutely love about my children is that they are so easy to please!
Bubs has been getting more and more into trains these days, so Josh and I have been going back and forth with the idea of getting a train table for him and Jam; honestly though, it just isn't in the budget right now. For a while I was feeling bad about this, but then it occurred to me that this little man can find tracks and roads in the cracks of the sidewalk {No joke} so I decided to get creative and whip out some tracks of my own. Let me just say that while this looked a lot better in my vision, the boys are still playing here a week later, and Bubs is even teaching Jam to say "Whooo Whooo!" Like a train.
Perfectionism 0, Kelley 1 :)

Planning & Routine

I have been thinking a lot lately about the lack of structure our days have, then tonight I was catching up on some Tweets and noticed that a handful of my favorite bloggers, specifically Maureen, over at Spell Outloud, were talking about organization and scheduling.

 I realized recently that, while I am an obsessive planner, I am absolutely terrible at sticking to a schedule. Because of this I find that our weekdays vary from super-structure to go-with-the-flow, and on the weekends, (when daddy is home) it's basically a free for all. Needless to say, this is not working for anyone.  Unquestionably, Bubs and Jam, like most children, thrive on structure; but because I have not made it a priority to figure out and stick to a routine that works for us, every time we try to get back into it, it becomes a struggle. As for myself, I find that disarray overwhelms me to a point that I just throw my hands up and watch the chaos unfold for a little while, then scramble too bring some semblance of order back to our home and lives. This is the point where I find myself with an excel spreadsheet, scheduling out 10-15 minute intervals of the day. Again, not working.

I think I know that the biggest issue I have with juggling my responsibilities is over thinking. Life is not perfect, there is no perfect order, and I am far, far from perfect. I really need to learn to give a little before giving up when it comes to order and routine.

So, with this piece of mind, it's time to start fresh. I think I will take some time tomorrow to revamp my lists, (which I am notorious for) and come up with a flexible routine, free of expectations and full of room (for changes and mistakes)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

What's cookin'?

I just love having Bubs in the kitchen with me, and try to get him in there to help with dinner as often as possible; of course this depends entirely on whether or not we are behind schedule for the evening. Because he is so young, he has really only interested been in the pouring, taste testing, and licking of spatulas. Recently though, we have been talking more about what types of foods are good for you, and counting as we pour or gather. There is so much to be learned in the kitchen, and I am really hoping to instill in him a love of cooking, which is, so far, right on track. I am so pleased to see him branching out trying to do with more, and being willing to try new foods that he has helped prepare.


{please excuse the obviously naked tot!}

This week Bubs was REALLY into shucking corn, He was oh-so serious about "moving the hair to find their ears." I absoolutely could not convince him that they were called ears of corn!



He was so disappointed that the corn didn't have much of a smell. I had personally never smelled an ear of corn before having one waved under my nose by a very angry Bubs.

After finally sitting down and writing this post, I am really excited to start documenting and sharing these memories and kitchen creations. I hope you all enjoy them as much as we do!

Wordless Wednesday

Nature Hike

Over the weekend we decided to get out and get some hiking in while the weather is still nice. I am so grateful for our time here in the Pacific Northwest, because never have I lived somewhere where you can take a walk through the mountains and come out at the ocean!

I am really not much of a photographer, so this picture doesn't do justice. I will say though, that I cannot wait for the fall!

Very rarely do we have any kind of agenda when we're out communing with nature, but today we were actively looking for walking sticks. This one was, "perfect Bubby-doo size".

We talked a lot about sounds today. Bubs was a little confused by the different bird sounds, but he was so excited to pick up on the sound of a stream, and be able to actually see how it was being made. After this,  he told everyone we passed!

"The tunnel' is absolutely Bubs' favorite part of the day, we use it to motivate him to walk the whole mile and a half down. It doesn't hurt that we almost always see a train! :)

And THIS is my  motivation to be patient: The view just on the other side of the tunnel.