one little family making lifelong memories...

Locks of Boredom…

Posted on August 28, 2014 by lksquared

A little bit like Locks of Love, except there’s no minimum hair length before the chopping, oh…and there’s also no licensed hairdresser doing the cutting….oh wait….you don’t just cut your hair off??????

Look at that gorgeous hair. The hair we’ve been waiting to grow for 4+ years now. Anyone care to guess how it looks right now??????

What is a mother to do????

I’ll tell you what I did…Miss A, are you listening…please remember this when you have a daughter who cuts her own hair. It is most certainly one of my better parenting moments…no sarcasm. You don’t believe me do you?

Backstory. The kids both have Staph infections. They also have mild cases of coxackie. And Miss A has a ruptured ear drum. We’ve been home recuperating all week. Fun times here….fun times.

So…I went to do some mundane, unnecessary task, you know, like getting Baby D out of his crib and changing his diaper. Apparently, the 2 hours I’d spent with Miss A having 1 on 1 time for breakfast, doing some arts and crafts, coloring in her new sketchbook and chatting was not enough to keep her wild mind and spirit for adventure satisfied for the 6 minutes this silly task took.

We fed baby D, we got him dressed and as we were walking towards the door to leave and head to the grocery store…out of the corner of my eye I noticed what looked like tufts of hair from a hairbrush on Miss A’s floor…..and then I noticed the unmistakable orange handle. That handle plus the blunt cut lines on the hair…I knew. Now, when I looked at her I couldn’t really tell where she cut the hair from…then I got a little closer. I quietly asked “Miss A…did you cut your hair?” She started to cry. Sob actually. Uncontrollably. Now…if someone took a scissor to my hair and did that to me, I’d cry that way too. Thing is, SHE DID IT TO HERSELF! Why the crying????? I didn’t even yell!!!

I explained to her that it was her hair, and if she’d like it to be long like she says she does, cutting it will not speed up that result. Sweetheart!

Inside I’m dying. If she’s wearing a headband or a bow, it’s not SO noticeable…but in any other circumstance, she has side bangs. No…not the pretty kind that are layered…more the mullet kind that can’t be fixed unless I chop her hair into a bowl cut.

Miss A…come on. Can’t I get a break?!?!?!?!?!?!

Oh I did. Thanks for not cutting your brother’s hair. Silver lining.

Patting myself on the back for not freaking the F out. You’re welcome Miss.

Summer Lovin’

Posted on July 11, 2014 by lksquared

I’m here, I’m here…not often, but I am. This little thing called WORK has been taking over my personal life & I LOVE IT! If you haven’t checked it out already, come on over and follow my LKSquared Photo business blog too, since that is hopefully where I’ll be spending most of my time! I can’t give up the personal blog … I’m sentimental like that, so I’ll be back here occasionally to keep my kid’s lives on record!

I’ve really been enjoying this summer! It’s been much different than last summer, with us being all settled in at the house, with a lot less wedding events for our loved ones, 2 little ones running around instead of one running and one sleeping all day….you know….small things!

We joined the pool, so most days Baby D and I hang out there during the day. It means a messy house stays messy, but isn’t that what summer is all about??? (Sorry Mister LK…the vote is with me…messy house = fabulous summer, unless I say it has to be cleaned up…then we better get on it!!!)

Miss A has been at camp for 2 weeks now and she is loving it!!! She has a great time with all her friends and this camp lovin’ Mommy is J-E-A-L-O-U-S of her days playing!!!!

The last thing we’ll talk about today is our annual Summer BBQ! We’ve been doing a 4th of July (weekend) BBQ for 4 years now, and every year we have such a great time with our friends & family! This year we had all the regulars plus Mister LKs childhood friend who happens to live 2 towns away! We had a great time with them & hope they come back again soon!!! We also had 2 visiting pups who got lots of love and attention & are always welcome back!

So that is a little bit of what we’ve been up to lately! I’ll be back with more updates this summer as we do lots more fun things!!!

xoxo

Baby D & His Crossbody Bag

Posted on June 6, 2014 by lksquared

Toddlers are known for their attachments to sacred transitional objects. They drag blankies around, teddy bears, bunnies, puppies…you know, the regular things you see them toddling around with. Then there’s Baby D.

The kid loves his crossbody. So much, I gave it to him and got myself a new one! Mister LK thought he got off easy with the 2nd being a boy and all…too bad he likes expensive bags more than Miss A!!!

My Girl Turns 4…

Posted on April 21, 2014 by lksquared

Dear Miss A,

My sweet pickle. You turned 4 today…and you haven’t missed a day of amazing me. You’re sassy, you’re smart, you’re one of the funniest people I’ve ever known. I love you more everyday. You are an amazing big sister. Baby D is so lucky to have you to teach him everything you know. Daddy & I are so incredibly proud of you.

Some fun facts about you…

You love: Your blankie…still. You also love make believe. You have a wild imagination and will keep yourself occupied with your imaginative play for hours. You love playing house with your cousins & someone is always given the part of “sweetie”. Sometimes you like to play a puppy or a kitty. You also love movies. Today it’s a tie between “Cinderella: Dreams Come True” & “Cinderella: A Twist In Time”. You just ended your “Alice In Wonderland” phase. You are definitely a normal 4 year old and love Frozen. Your rendition of “Let It Go” is very dramatic! Your favorite TV show is “Sheriff Callie” & I love when you sing that song! You love broadway & going to shows with Grandma I. You love coloring. You don’t mind if it is a coloring book or a blank paper. You love to play the music loud & just dance around the house. You use your scooter to get all around the house…sometimes I think you forget you can walk without wheels! We can’t wait to see what you can do on your new skates! (thanks Grandma M!) You love school. You want to go to dance class…which IS happening this summer! The weather is now getting warmer, and you are psyched to get out of your tights & leggings and wear your dresses & skirts like a real spring baby! You have a wacky, cool, eclectic fashion sense that sometimes means you leave the house looking like a maniac & other times a fashion model! You love taking pictures with my camera & you are really really good. You love dessert but you also love to tell me the danger of sugary things for your teeth!

You are the happiest girl. Until you’re not. You talk about your tantrums as “freaking out” and you need some hugs to get yourself calmed down. Once you calm down…you are sweet a sugar again. Sometimes we get frustrated, and we have to understand that you do too! You really hate when we interrupt you…and you respond much better to active listening!

No matter what happens in this crazy life Miss A…Daddy, Baby D & I love you more than you can ever imagine. We can’t wait to see where this life takes you brave girl…watching you live life is such a privilege & an honor.

Here you are on your 4th birthday Miss A….more beautiful than ever. and standing in the classic “Grandma” pose….something my Grandma that you are named after perfected. I know you’re making her beam with pride up above the clouds!

I love you my sweet girl…more than all the sand at the beach and all the stars in the sky. Keep shining. Happy happy happiest birthday.

Love,

Mommy

** To see the last 3 birthdays & how we’ve felt about this little lady….check out Year 3, Year 2, Year 1!

Baby D Turns 1…and I Cry…

Posted on April 8, 2014 by lksquared

That’s a lie. He’s still my baby, and he’ll always be my baby. Future wife…I promise this will not make him a momma’s boy, just a boy who loves his Mommy. Even if he refuses to say “Mommy”.

Dear Baby D,

You and I have been through a lot together. We survived the storm, we survived Staten Island, we moved back home, we kept Miss A from drowning you, we made it through months of constant kisses from you fur-brother, we tackled Disney with you attached to me, we walked countless hours around town together, we’ve had dirty diaper blowouts, vomit in my hair, my hair in your mouth and my heart in your hands. Your happiness is contagious. Your smile lights up the room. You brighten everyone’s day. I never imagined I could love another baby as much as I love Miss A, but you’ve proven that I have more love inside of me than I knew I could ever feel. You make me proud every day. You have made this family a better one by simply being you. My silly, independent, strong, curious, content boy. My heart could burst with happiness when I think of how lucky we are to have you. You have been a pleasure since you came into our lives. I know that as you grow you will be less and less my baby boy. You will test your limits and struggle to communicate and learn what it means to be frustrated. I will miss this year I had you as my baby to snuggle and my buddy on all of my outings…but I am really excited for you to teach me more about this raising a boy thing I’m doing! Keep growing little man, and never lose that sweetness you have. I hope that this year brings you everything you never knew you wanted, because if it brings you all of the things you DO want, then we need to buy new phones & replace our remote controls!

With all of my love from now until forever…more than all the sand on the beach…

Mommy

A Proud Mama…

Posted on April 2, 2014 by lksquared

Recently I did a job that brought me back to my photography roots! I started my photography journey in college while studying for my art education degree. At the time I was dating a guy who lived in North Carolina. When I’d go visit I’d spend many hours while he was at work driving around with his parents finding beautiful old barns and landscapes. At that time I was shooting film & developing slides & doing all of my creative work in the darkroom. I fell in love in that darkroom…with my camera. I did many projects finding interesting architecture and capturing the details on film. Being able to shoot digitally & edit has been interesting! This job was focused on some big city architecture…

I really enjoyed myself. It was completely different from my normal shoots as I was alone with myself, my camera & the architecture instead of bouncing off other people!

I think I’m always drawn to architecture and design and I naturally am sucked in by all things linear. Photography is a passion of mine and I hope that one day I can pass this love onto my kids. Recently, Miss A has been showing a strong interest in picking up the camera which makes my heart burst with happiness! It all started with an Ipod touch. We got her one when she turned 2, and she discovered it could take photos a few months ago. Here are some of her first shots…

I have been having so much fun sharing this with her. It’s such a rush to watch Miss A pick up my big camera and learn how to see through the viewfinder to compose her shot & to see her little fingers find the shutter release and click away!

What she sees amazes me. She is deliberate with her compositions and all of the above images were taken on manual with autofocus. Pretty damn good for not even 4 years old! Her hands barely fit around the camera!!!

So that is what Miss A & I have been up to lately! Spring is coming…I can feel it…and I can’t wait to see what she’s got once we can get outside a little more! Now, I’ll go back to nurturing the photography bug that has bitten my little girl!!!!

If you or anyone you know is in the market for some family photos, babies, toddlers, birthday party?! Come stop by http://www.lksquaredphoto.com & send me a message! I am looking forward to meeting new people & capturing your special memories!!!

11 Months … Mommy’s crying

Posted on March 30, 2014 by lksquared

OK…the reason that I am finishing this post today is because I need to document his latest milestone & I can’t avoid it anymore! This little boy said his first word today. Grandma heard it so even though I’ve been hearing him say it for 2 weeks now, I was never able to believe I was actually hearing a baby say “YES” as his first word…but it happened! Now…obviously he says dadada, and he says nanana for mama, but he doesn’t really use those words in context…more like babbling. I’ve asked him questions and I could have swore he said “yes” (light on the Yeh…heavy on the Esssss). Tonight, while on the phone with Grandma … I asked him a question and he answered “yESSS”. Clearly. More than once!

So enough about that…even though I’m freaking out about it all, he’s walking, he’s climbing, he’s 100% boy and 1000% the light of my life.

Even though I did catch him sitting in this photo, that just about never happens anymore! He is walking all over the place! I have found him on top of the table, standing on a chair, climbing his highchair, and climbing up onto the couch. We have a playroom full of toys, and all he wants is a washcloth & the vacuum! Are you still wondering why I love this kid like crazy?!?! He’s funny, his smile is contagious & HE CLEANS!

I don’t know how my baby is turning 1 in just over a week. I know that so much has happened since he’s come into this world, but it really feels like yesterday! He also still looks like a baby to me which makes his walking around look so silly!

He’s an excellent eater, and when he isn’t cleaning his plate, he’s sharing nicely with his fur-brother. They are still best friends. He adores his big sister. Miss A thinks he’s more and more fun each day. When they laugh together, my heart melts.

He’s taking 2 naps a day, each 2 hours or so, and that really sucks the life out of my social calendar, but he’s such a good sleeper so I feel bad putting my need for human contact before his need to sleep & grow! He’s given up 1 bottle a day, so he gets 3 8oz. bottles a day now, and that’s pretty good considering he’s got just over a week of bottles left altogether! Bring on the straw cups & the milk!

For all of Baby D’s fans out there, a little forewarning that his 1 year post WILL be late. I’m knee deep in party planning, hot glue, craft paper, and cupcake liners! Once that is over I’ll be elbow deep in Matzoh & cleaning supplies so…the photo will be taken…and will be posted before he is 13 months….but I’ll be keeping busy to keep from crying a river into my keyboard, so, sorry in advance!

Baby D….I love you more every day. You keep me laughing even when my days feel like they’ll never end. Your sweet smile makes bad days good and makes good days better. Your curiosity is inspiring. You give me patience when I think I’ll never find it! I am so thankful you are in my life my littlest love. I am sad you’re growing up and so thankful that I get to watch you learn & flourish everyday.

Mommy & Daddy love you little boy. More than you will ever know.

xoxo

10 M<3nths of Love…

Posted on February 24, 2014 by lksquared

Second child syndrome people. It is real! At least this kid isn’t going to lack pictures of himself when he’s older…that I can promise! There’s no excuse why it has taken me so long to get these photos ready to be posted…except maybe to say that I am in denial that my baby boy is 10 months old! I don’t want to admit I teared up at the doctor visit when I had to schedule his 1 year appointment!

This boy radiates love. He is a sweet soul who loves to play and most specifically play in water…so what if it is toilet water! It is a job to keep him out of the damn toilets! Baby D had his doctor’s appointment this month and weighed in at a whopping 19lbs 15oz (25%) and a string beany 29 1/4″ (50%). He had some shots, and also had blood taken from his little finger! 2 vials….from his little tiny finger! He took his shots like a man with no tears, but made up for it with the finger squeezing screaming!

His favorite activity of the month is the unassisted stand. He crawls into the middle of the room and just stands right up! If he’s wearing a loose fitting shirt, he also will lift it above his head and play peekaboo! It’s pretty adorable!

He is still doing a mix of fighting off and grabbing at his BFF T. These boys have some sort of camaraderie! It’s like they know they are bound by some sort of man code. I’m just hoping that T’s aggressive tendencies don’t rub off on my sweet boy!

Favorite toy this month (and every month really) is the remote. He’s got remote radar, which is only slightly more adept than his phone radar. He actually hid one of the phones in the playroom under the couch cushion for while I searched & then went to unbury it 2 days later!

All in all these last 10 months with my baby boy have been wonderful & I am riddled with conflict over whether I’m happy or devastated that he is getting so big so quickly. A Mom’s dilemma.

Baby D….stay my baby please. Always know that I love you more than life itself. You are a dream come true & make Mommy & Daddy proud of you every day. Keep sweet my baby. Mommy will try to be on time next month!

Baby Bar Friday…Artichoke Puree

Posted on January 24, 2014 by lksquared

Baby D is really into eating by himself these days. He does a pretty good job of eating everything I put down for him, but he still eats anything I feed him on a spoon too! Reality here is that some nights I’m too tired to cook! Miss A is good with a jelly sandwich or some noodles, but Baby D isn’t quite there yet, and I’m also trying to be better at offering him nutritious delicious food so he fights me less when he’s bigger! Just a little experiment in the Mommy game. I’m sure he’ll eat nothing but french fries and cheese sticks one day! But I’m nothing if not persistent!

Since I do like to have various jars of food in the house to feed Baby D when I don’t want to cook fresh lunch or dinner, I decided that some artichokes might be a fun flavor for him to try next! This was super simple to throw together, and reminded me of something that we might eat with any mediterranean inspired dinner I might prepare.

Makes approximately 4 4oz jars

1 bag of artichoke hearts (I used Trader Joes)
2 teaspoons good olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste (if making for baby, skip the salt)

Boil frozen artichokes to thaw & heat through.
Strain and put artichokes and other ingredients into a blender or food processor.
Process until smooth

Happy baby food making! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. Ours is a busy one, but I’m hoping to get to make the kids some finger foods this week!

Babyproofing 102…

Posted on January 23, 2014 by lksquared

How do you manage to not kill a baby when you have a screaming toddler? I think that is the 50 gagillion dollar question of parents to more than 1 kid…OR…20 thousand if you hire a professional babyproofer! I think I’ve mentioned here that I made it through all of Miss A’s life without babyproofing, she just got into different types of trouble. I had to remove things like crayons, markers, nail polish etc, so to save my house from her wrath, but I never had to cushion the coffee table or tie down the toilet seat.

Baby D is proving to me that there will be no comparing these 2 kids of mine in the, getting into trouble, department. He’s a lot more stealth-like with his mischief. He’s gotten his head stuck under the sofa, sticks his little fingers into the sockets, pulls all the cords out of the outlets, was caught splashing away in the (thank gd just cleaned) toilet, pulled down a glass bottle and shattered it along with it’s contents (salt)…and the slamming of the doors (that is certainly going to end in pain)…all at times when I am dealing with the drama that Miss A brings! How do you prioritize one kids mental safety over the other one’s physical safety? You cave and do a little babyproofing.

Since this is really my first go at this, I decided to do a little inter-searching, you know….googling “first things to babyproof for protection against a Macgyver baby”. The first site I came upon had a page of suggestions….in which these 2 statements were found.

“Never leave your baby alone for even a minute unless he is in his crib or playpen………Once you’ve made your home safe, and made yourself aware of the risks to your child, it’s important to just relax and let your little one explore. Only by being given the freedom to investigate his surroundings can your baby truly learn and grow.”

Uh-huh. I see. Let me get this straight. Stick your kid in a cage, then sit back and relax while they are free to explore their cell. Just how long do you think my kid would stand for that?! I say -10 seconds!!!! I bought the outlet covers, and some baby gates to keep him away from Miss A’s things and am now in search of something that will stop the damn doors from swinging! I’m not….NOT….putting him in a playpen, and his crib is for sleeping. I’m packing up anything in his reach, or close to his reach. It’s a good thing Mister LK didn’t let me replace quite every decorative thing I had before the storm! I’m letting him fall a little, and cry a little, and learn a lot. I’m going to lock the cabinet under the sink because he is the type to want to check out what is in there. As we come to each new problem, I will pray the big girl gives me a break and lets me keep at least half my eyes on him, and if not, I hope the 5 lives he has left last at least until he’s more sturdy on his feet!

Speaking of the next problem….

At least I buy organic, all natural dog food!