Frolicking 101 - When Did Kids Forget How to Play?

Frolicking 101 Hybrid Mom

This article is so funny, so ridulous, and so true. We live in a world of helicopter parenting, where everything is dangerous for children to do (except, um, not really folks!), and you are a bad parent if you let them play without adult fascilitating. I loved reading this article and laughing at the children's response to playing outside by themselves.

My Little Lumpia

Cadence has always been a swaddle baby. She loves to be wrapped up, and actually won't nurse or go to sleep unless she is very tightly swaddled. Yes, STILL! We call her our little lumpia.

Concerning the verbose nature of my speech, blog posts, emails, writings, and other forms of communication, in which I explain I come by this trait...

I am a very verbose person. I use way too many words, and take forever to explain a concept that could technically be explained in just a fraction of the time it takes me to detail it.

I've noticed this with my blog posts. Most people - they post a couple sentences, maybe a paragraph or two. Me? An entire essay on every topic. As Tony pointed out, even my profile is long-winded!

This trait comes to me naturally though. Papa was extremely verbose. He could make one joke (the most famous was Falling Rock) last all the way to Branson, a four hour drive.

Part of it is thanks to my OCD. I think it's important for people to know every little thought behind every little phrase. So I tell you something, tell you why I said it, tell you the background behind why I said it, tell you all research and updates and what everyone else is saying it, and then, because by then you've forgotten the original message, I tell you again. (Just like with this post!)

A succinct person would have just put the title "I am succinct" and had a blank post. But not me! I am very verbose!

Garden Fun

We had so much fun playing outside and digging in the garden Tuesday evening while Daddy was away working on his guitar.

"The poochie lip will get you if you don't watch out..."

This wash-out was accidental, but I wound up kind of liking it so I kept it.

The garden has gone crazy in the last few weeks, so I was weeding and harvesting while Cadence played in the dirt.

She would pick up the dirt and put it in the shovel, then pick it up off the shovel and put it in the bucket :)

No one tell Daddy I'm eating dirt!

(And it was yummy...)

This looks yummy too!

Cadence Modeling the Jumper Mama Made

I made this reversible jumper for Cadence last fall. It just now fits great, so I went ahead and made her model it for me. It's getting to be quite the circus to try to take her picture!

Side One has a pocket out the material that dominates Side Two:

Side Two just has a ribbon along the bottom with some decorative buttons:

At this point my model started getting bored and decided it would be best to put the cushions back on the chair.

She's very OCD that way - can't imagine where she got that from?!

Then I played around in Photoshop, since Tony got it for me for Mother's Day and I like to experiment. I clearly need lots more "playing" :)

Trip to Tulsa in June

Ok, it took me forever to get around to putting these pictures up! I love all the ones of Cadence and Alex. They had a blast - Cadence loves her Uncle Alex! She was thrilled to wake up the next morning and realize her playmate was still there :)

I'm gonna get you Uncle Alex!

Look Mama - if I hit Uncle Alex he makes funny faces!

Ya know, maybe we should get me dressed for the day?

He caught me!

Mommy taking pictures with her cell phone - welcome to the digital age Mommy!

On the way to pizza:

Me realizing there are no pictures of me in the world and promptly fixing that:

Had fun, can't wait to see you guys again!

Cadence and Abby

Cadence thinks Abby is her big baby doll. She does all the things with Abby she likes to do at home with her baby dolls. She likes to give her bottles...

Try to pick her up (won't work with this baby! but she snuggles with her dolls)

Give her kisses...

Pat her back in a "soothing" manner.

She also reads to her babies and shows them how to play with her toys. Mommy got her one the other day that came with a blanket, so now she spends a lot of time making the baby go to sleep with the blanket over her.

Dragon Fly

This was in our garden the other day. It was really pretty with it's white body and black accented wings!

Miniature Golf

This was Cadence's first time to play miniature golf. She loved it! It had all her favorite things: balls, sticks to hit balls with, rocks to climb on, holes to put balls in, mulch, water...

Look, I'm hitting the ball with Daddy!

And it went in the hole!

Mama's turn to help.

Watching Pa Pa hit his ball.

Yay!

I found a new friend...

Aww... I love you friend!

Bridges are fun...

Now Mama has the camera.

My favorite thing in the whole wide world - water!

Woo-hoo water!