Part I: Adventures in St. Louis
This past weekend we made a whirlwind trip to St. Louis with some friends of ours to go watch a supercross race. This year I was short on remarkable ways to celebrate Richard's birthday, so this trip was a late birthday treat. It was also, of course, a treat for Taylor, our young dirt bike enthusiast.
So we made the trek - and what a trek it was!
Highlights:
(1) Proud Mama: Because we had decided on the front end that we would try to make the trip as budget-friendly as possible, we all piled into one vehicle and rode together instead of taking two cars. Taylor was a sweetheart and didn't complain once about having to ride the entire way there and back in between two ginormous car seats - or better yet, between two antsy toddlers. Of course, Richard did offer to pay Taylor $5 for "babysitting" on the way there (which, amusingly enough, Taylor forfeited at the first stop we made - in exchange for the instant gratification of a single pack of Starburst!).
(2) Instant Celebrity: At the race, the sweet lady who sat next to Taylor apparently got the impression that he was an actual young dirt bike racer. Taylor was obviously pleased that she was of this impression and chose not to dispute it. We still aren't sure about what he said to give her this impression in the first place. All we know is that, at some point, she asked him, "So you're the first racer in your family, huh?" (His response: "Yep!") When the race was over, she gave him the program that she'd purchased, and he was elated. (We were, too, because they were selling them for a bajillion dollars, so we hadn't planned on purchasing one.)
(3) Family Togetherness: We spent Saturday morning/afternoon at the St. Louis Children's Museum, The Magic House. It had more than enough activities to keep all of the kids happy and entertained and was definitely my favorite part of the trip. You can't go wrong with a kid-oriented place that is hands-on, educational, and - bonus! - not over-stimulating! I took lots of pictures while we were there. [Side note: I was in rare form this weekend - camera-less! I elected to leave my camera at home in order to avoid having to lug a big camera bag around St. Louis. So all of our photos were taken with our cell phones - gasp! For where we were and what we did, though, I was okay without it - and I'm sure I'll make up for lost time soon enough, now that we're back home.]
A few from the museum:
[Climbing a giant beanstalk...]
[Taylor inside a bubble - super fun!]
[What kid wouldn't love giant rubber Legos?]
[Madelyn was kinda fascinated with the giant water table.]
[Putting a muffler on a car...I took this photo especially for Papa!]
And a few from the race:
[This photo was definitely taken by a man - namely, my husband.
I failed to take any pictures of the actual race, because I much prefer
photos of people's faces - my kids' faces, especially.]
[Madelyn fought those earplugs like she fights hair bows
and hats, but we managed to distract her with some crackers.]
[Apparently I've rubbed off on Taylor a little, because
he was prepped and ready to take some photos of the race!]
Part II: Adventures in Sewing
The other reason why it's been a little while since my last post? Well, suffice it to say that I've been spending a lot of time in my sewing room. As soon I finish one project, I start two more - and so on and so forth. And with all of this unseasonably warm weather that has been teasing us about the summer that lies ahead, I've been working full-swing on the girls' summer wardrobe. I've sewn and sewn and sewn.
Yesterday, for example, I made these little tops during Madelyn's naptime:
[Madelyn's is already wrinkled - ha! It seems appropriate,
since it will look that way in five minutes after I put it on her!]
And this is my favorite of last week's projects (which I made on one of those fabulously warm days):
[I made two of these dresses last week and am finishing up a third one.]
Taylor, how I love you! Yet again you are left out of my sewing endeavors. But what's a mama to do when all you want to wear are t-shirts and jeans? Better yet, what's a mama to do when summer comes and all you want to wear (all day, every day) are your swim trunks? I regret the fact that I had no useable sewing knowledge until you were long past the age for Jon-Jons and other dapper little boy clothes. But it can't be helped now, can it? (And I know you aren't complaining!) So I resign myself to these facts - and I will relish in the realization that you are more than happy in your comfy, boy-approved, store-bought clothes. I also acknowledge the fact that the thought of any article of clothing with - Dare I say it? - buttons - would not be Taylor-approved.
But I can't promise that I won't try to sneak a bow tie in on you here and there.
Love,
Mom
No comments:
Post a Comment