Time Out.

Let me begin by saying that many days I feel like I've totally lost control -- of my two-year old that is.  My mom assures me that this is just because I am parenting a two-year old.  But scenarios like these leave me scratching my head (and biting my lip to keep from laughing hysterically).

Fawn:  "I want to kick mommy and go to time out."

Fawn proceeds to kick mommy in the shin (barefooted, so minimal pain inflicted).  Then he puts himself in timeout.

I try not to laugh, but hurry to snap this picture of him in time out:

A couple minutes pass, and Fawn removes himself from time out and comes to find me.

Fawn:  "I all done with time out mommy.  You want a hug?"

Belle:  "I'd love a hug."  Because even after being kicked in the shin, there's nothing I wouldn't love more than a hug from my sweet angel.

Boy's Best Friend.

Fawn's best friend truly is a our sweet dog, Hannah.  While Fawn knows he can butter Buck or me up by saying "you my best friend daddy/mommy", his devotion to Hannah is precious.  He's a bit rough with her, of course, as you could expect any toddler to be.  And the term "gentle" just doesn't seem to make sense to him.  But, he loves her.  And she loves him -- and she keeps coming back for more of his hugs and kisses despite his rough housing.  So, I wasn't surprised at all to walk out of the kitchen and find these two like this:

Best buddies cuddled up on the sofa.  Love it.

Chop.

For those of you who have seen me in the past month, this post is LONG overdue.  But, I finally did it -- finally grew enough hair to donate 10 inches to charity.  I chose Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, but there are many worthy charities out there who use hair to make wigs for those in need.  I encourage you to do your own research and find the program that best aligns with you.

I have tried to grow my hair out multiple times in the past, but never got past the dreaded point that all women seem to have where their hair no longer grows -- just gets stringier and stringier.  So, multiple times I've given up and gone back to my standard haircut -- the shoulder length bob.  (I know, really daring.)  But between pregnancy hormones and prenatal vitamins, my hair really started growing over the past couple years, and I didn't want it to go to waste.

A few before and after shots:

 Obscenely long for a 29-year old.

No turning back.

(Did I mention that I let a TOTAL stranger do this to me?  My previous hair stylist quit this summer to become a preschool teacher -- so I had to brave this journey with someone new.)

That's a lot of hair!

SHORT, but easy (the day after -- Fawn and I hard at work on some banana bread).

Fawn Picasso.

Fawn loves to paint.  I concur with one of my mommy friends, though, that for the mom, painting is a least favorite activity.  Sure, I want Fawn to do what he loves, and I certainly want to foster creativity.  But, Fawn's two.  He has the attention span of an ant.  So, in my house painting goes something like this:

Fawn:  "I want to paint mommy"
Belle:  "Okay -- let's get the painting stuff out"

Fawn watches as I (1) spread a drop clothe out on the kitchen floor ("Mommy got the drop clothe" -- thanks for the commentary); (2) tie an apron on Fawn as to protect his pjs (this activity almost always occurs in the morning); (3) get out the paintbrushes, paints, and cups for each color; (4) move the easel from the playroom to the kitchen; and (5) get Fawn ready to go.  Needless to say, while this isn't cumbersome, it's not the quickest activity to set up.

The Fawn starts painting.  I have barely enough time to find my camera and snap a quick picture (see below) before I hear the two magic words of toddlerhood "all done."

I quickly wash hands/face/feet (the paint miraculously gets everywhere) and remove the apron.  Fawn is on to puzzles, Thomas, or racing cars as I repeat steps (1) through (5) in the reverse.  Whew.  Hope it was really fun, buddy.

Blueberry Pudding.

Yep, you read it correctly.  Blueberry pudding -- as in banana pudding with a twist.  I love banana pudding, but wanted to mix things up a bit.  A few years ago I started making this, and we love it.  Give it a try -- or experiment with your own winning combination.  The concept is this -- replace the fruit (banana) with another fruit, and the pudding flavor (vanilla) with a different flavor.  See what you come up with. 

The blueberries in the south are absolutely delicious for so many of the warm months, and they are one of my favorites.  What to pair with blueberries?  Lemon, of course.  I'm a sucker for all things citrus.  (Citrus and sour were the only ways I survived the horrendous morning all day sickness I had when pregnant with Fawn.)  Now go to town.  Choose your favorite banana pudding recipe (traditional Nilla Wafers and whipped cream -- or Chessman cookies with cream cheese a la Paula Dean) and substitute with your fruit and pudding flavors. 

A great spring and summer treat!

Spring Cleaning.

Have I officially turned into a middle-aged southern lady?  I hung this Easter wreath on my front door Saturday morning to kick off a day of spring cleaning.  Buck took Fawn to the farm bright and early -- which gave me a day to myself.  While my fantasy day would have consisted of: a latte at Starbucks with a copy of US Weekly or People in hand, followed by a mani/pedi and an afternoon of shopping, reality presented different plans.  Reality: four loads of laundry, gathering all of my donations for Junior League's Bargain Carousel, finishing Fawn's baby book, and prepping Fawn's new big boy room.  Whew!  But, let me tell you, it's amazing how much you can accomplish when you don't have two little hands creating a tornado in their wake. 

Bright.

For a kid who loves to be outside, Fawn hates bright sunlight.  Hates it -- especially when we are travelling in the car.  "Turn off the bright mommy" I often hear from the backseat when we are driving towards sunlight.  While the almost ever-presence of the Alabama cap helps Fawn with this issue, I recently invested in a pair of sunglasses for the little man.  "Invested" is a loose term -- I spent $5 to buy two pairs of sunglasses at The Children's Place outlet in Leeds.  I figured the second pair would come in handy when we inevitably lose the first pair.  (I am notorious for losing sunglasses -- Buck gave me a very nice pair of sunglasses for my birthday one year while we were in college.  I "misplaced" them in the KD house and to this day he has not let me live it down.)  Fawn loves his sunglasses, and loves that they have their own special place of honor in my car -- the sunglasses holder (as mine float around in my purse).  Thought you might like some pics of Mr. Cool in his shades.