LIFE

Well…that was a long break! I haven’t posted since Valentine’s Day. I hadn’t intended on staying away for so long, but the longer I was away, the more I wanted to extend my blogging vacation. I’m feeling renewed, so I will be catching up on some posts. If you are subscribed to my blog, you might be getting more updates than wanted.  I always seem to get people wanting to unsubscribe whenever I make a post. It doesn’t bother me. I get it. I unsubscribe to blogs all the time. However, people usually email me direct to unsubscribe and I’m happy to do it, but I get a ton of spam, so I’m unlikely to see your request if sent by email. You can however unsubscribe by simply hitting the unsubscribe button. Anyway….

If you are ever in South Florida, the Bird Rookery Swamp is a must. Oh my gosh. Words just can’t describe the beauty of the swamp. This one in particular is amazing! It is a long hike, about 12 miles I think. We didn’t walk the entire trail, maybe about 4 miles. If you go, I suggest bringing bikes. We plan to do so on our next trip down.

There is so much to see. Birds galore, gators up close and personal, wild flowers, insects, snakes, turtles, bears, panthers and more.  With so much land development in my area, I love finding these hidden gems where I can be immersed in nature. I never wanted to leave and can’t wait to return!

A friend of mine on Facebook, recently made a comment on the photos I post. She said it’s like looking at a highlight reel. I thought that was a perfect description of the daily snippets I share on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve likely seen all these photos. Sorry for the duplicity, but I wanted to also share them here on my blog. I’m horrible at printing photos. I take them, I edit them, I back them up, and I share them, but I never, hardly ever, print them! So, I thought I would put together a monthly highlight reel of sorts. Except, this first one covers January through March, only because, I just thought to do it!

In no particular order:

Easter egg hunt
Tea box veggie garden craft
Drake, our neighborhood Muscovy duck
Snail pin valentine craft
Sister driveway racing
Backyard Annie
Sister dinosaur painting
Cardboard and embroidery necklace craft
Jacks plays with cars
Savannah and bunnyland
Carrot cascarones
Annie, Wyatt, and the Ferris Wheel
Field of chickens
Introduction to the Ghosbuster’s franchise
Easter cake decorating
Out to lunch Annie
Out to lunch Jacks
Yarn bird craft
Wyatt and a cow
Savannah’s photography lesson

I love, LOVE products and toys that spark creativity! So, when I was offered the opportunity to have my kids try out these doodle books by Start Creative, I was all in!

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know we are really into the arts over here. Drawing, painting, crafting, sewing, you name it. We have art everyday. Sometimes, it’s led by me, but mostly my kids do it on their own. I make sure to keep ample art supplies in stock and within their reach. I don’t require permission for them to create. I employ a, “help yourself” when it comes to art supplies, and they do!

These little doodle books will have a regular spot amongst our art supplies. There are three books: Lines, Scribbles, and Swirls. On each page there is a starting doodle. And that is where the fun begins. From there, you take over. It’s all up to you, to tap into your imagination and bring that doodle to life. There is no right or wrong. It’s all about how creative you can get!

Do you ever just see a product and think, “Why didn’t I think of that?” That’s how I feel about these doodle books. I think they are genius! They are small and thin, perfect for on the go! I plan on keeping some in my purse for in car entertainment, waiting rooms, baseball and soccer games, grocery store strips, and restaurants. Also, these would make great Easter basket fillers. Which is great, because Start Creative has graciously offered Jacks & Kate readers a discount code good for 10% off any doodle book, valid through 3/6/16. Just enter JAK10 at checkout!

The other day in the car, Annie started to tell me something and she started off with, “When you get rid of me…” What? I think she thinks the new baby is replacing her or maybe it’s because I’ve threatened one too many times to ship her out of the country when she’s driving me mad. I reassured her, I was not getting rid of her, now or ever. 

While I love all my babies the same amount, I have a special bond with each one, that’s unique to just them. With Annie, it’s always been, because she was the baby. Perhaps I coddled her a bit more. Or secretly enjoyed her sleeping next to me more. It doesn’t help matters that she is so miniature and petite. At 4 years old, I can still easily carry her around. Even on her worst days, in her crazy Annie moments, she has this way of mesmerizing me with her tiny self and her little cartoon voice. The way she stands in front of me with her little books that she’s authored and proudly tells me a story that makes absolutely no sense. But I don’t care, because, that voice. I love that little voice. I love the way she still uses adjectives as verbs. Instead of telling me she cut something out, she’ll say, “Mommy, I sharped it out” I kind of hope she does that for longer than she should. I’ll correct her one day, but not now. As excited as I am to meet the new baby of the family, my heart hurts a little knowing that she won’t be the baby anymore. Let’s face it, with each new addition, there is less of me to go around. A newborn requires a lot of attention. There will be times when I will have to put his needs over hers. She’ll adjust, I know she will. They all have when it was their turn. For now though, I’ll just soak up these last months of her being the baby. I will tell her, as my Mom did me, that she’ll always be my baby. Nothing can ever change that.

Just a side note. I took these pictures at construction site in our neighborhood. It was after hours and no workers were present. Even though, it might look like in some of the pictures, she’s about to be scooped up by a big excavator, she is not.

I have been missing from blog land for a while now and this is why! Growing a human from scratch, is no small feat. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever had an easy pregnancy, but this one has been a beast! Little man put a halt to all things creative. Suffering from 24 hour a day nausea and an insidious burning hole like feeling in my stomach, pretty much left me incapacitated for weeks. I’m happy and most relieved to say, I am on the other side of the sickness or darkness, as I often called it. I still get bouts here and there, but thankfully, nothing that lasts all day and all night.

The kids are so excited! Well all, except for Annie. She has never been an overly affectionate child or one to gush over anything, so I can’t say I’m all that surprised. Before finding out the sex of the baby, I had this conversation with her:

Me: Annie, do you want a little brother or a little sister?
Annie: I don’t like babies, so it doesn’t matter anyway.

She will come around!  In June 2015, we will graduate to a party of 6. Sounds so strange and exciting at the same time!