A Favorite Pastime

I'm fairly sure every toddler is amazed by it.  What amazes me is the tissue strength to go out of the bathroom door through the hallway, and into the living room without tearing.  Maybe I'm spending too much on tp?

15 Months

The 15 month mark has come and gone, and Miss Reese surprises us with something new everyday.  She continues to be a big eater.  In fact, that topic is a constant from her teachers at school.  Reese loves school and has officially started full-time this week.  I'm so thankful that her teachers always have good things to say about her, specifically what a good child she is, always in a good mood and overall how easy she is.  That's always refreshing to hear, because she's beginning to get quite testy with us at home.  I don't think it's anything out of the norm, but she sure knows how to push her limits doing things she knows she shouldn't.

Given her stats below, I'm thinking she's going to be more like her dad than me.

Weight: 23 lbs 4 oz (60%)
Height: 31.5 inches (80%)

Hardly Lifting a Finger

We spent Easter weekend out at the ranch again this year, which is always a good time, but an even better time for me when you combine a toddler that doesn't stop and "big kids".  It's so true that kids love kids.  Reese was so entertained the ENTIRE weekend by all of the "big kids".  Miss Reese was so smitten with the Beverly boys, and Laurel and Kelsey Lowke were the ultimate little moms.

 getting the eggs ready!

Chase and Laurel helping Reese on her hunt

I think back to when I was a kid, and if there was a baby around, I was attached to it.  I loved babies when I was younger (and still do), but we all know it's not quite as novel when you are a parent of one.  I think we can all agree that being able to sit back and relax vs. constantly chasing and entertaining is always a nice break.

In true ranch fashion wearing Reed's boots 

                       and here wearing Reed's (or Kelsey's) titanium necklace (they're both ball players and both wear them) 

We also celebrated our 6th anniversary over the weekend, and 3 of the kids were flower girls and ring bearer in our wedding.  My how time flies!!!

We enjoyed a lovely weekend with the family and even had a few rain showers. 

Reese became spoiled as ever being pushed in her Cozy Coupe and pushed in the swing.  Hardly lifting a finger makes me a very spoiled mama of a toddler!

For that matter, by the looks of this spread, we're all spoiled!!



Egg Huntin'

We are just in from Reese's first egg hunt at school.  It was fun to be there with her and show her what to do, but all she really cared about was the contents of the eggs.  I can't say that I blame her, but isn't the point to get as many in your basket as you can? (at least that's how I grew up doing it)  Well, she would pick up an egg, and immediately open it and want to eat what was inside before even thinking of moving on to the next one.  Fine, whatever, but you know when it comes to games, I'm a little competitive, and I guess I just need to sit back and let her own personality and wants shine through.  So, that's what I did.  She didn't come home with a ton of eggs, but she sure enjoyed the ones she did get!

Can you tell how much she is lovin' that marshmellow bunny!?

Birth Control?

Yes, some may look at this and say, "I never want to put myself through that", but really all of those tears and fits are totally worth it!   Trying to get a cute family pic at the ballpark...just a typical day in the life of Team Parker!

It's Wedding Season

Yes, we still have friends getting married, left and right.  Our season started in March with Lindsey's Whimsy's shabby chic affair outside of Brenham.  She didn't leave a shabby chic detail undone--what a a beautiful day it was to celebrate a beautiful couple.  I especially loved these adorable antique hankies that were present before being seated for the ceremony. 

It's definitely the details that set apart one affair from another, and not to mention, it's the perfect way to make it personal and the all about the bride and groom's own style.

and Reese loved these adorable pinwheels

Then we move on to the first part of April for Matt and Linda's affair.  JP and Matt grew up together and JP was a groomsman, so we had the privilege of celebrating all weekend in Houston.

 

Linda is Vietnamese, and they did such a beautiful job of including the Vietnamese tea ceremony as part of the day.  It was a long day with the tea ceremony at 10 am, ceremony at 1:30 and reception (complete with an 8-course meal) later that evening.  And boy was it yummy!

And how cool to learn about and celebrate a new tradition (to me anyway)!

This past weekend we celebrated the engagement of some family friends, Weston Blackie and his fiance Natalia.  It was refreshing to not travel for this one, as the MOG has a place overlooking Lake Travis, where the soiree was held.  And a soiree it was!

Because the couple will be getting married with just family and a few friends in Aspen in September, this was a chance to celebrate with all the hoop-la.  Complete with the Newsboyz, a jazz band on the porch, fireworks, Santa Margherita, and divine noshes, the evening was absolutely delightful.  And of course, the views (that I've shared before), were out of this world, and luckily with a bit more water in the lake.

We've got quite a few more friends tying the not in the next couple of months, unfortunately some we aren't going to make because they are far away destinations like Jamaica and Playa del Carmen (and with not working for the past 6 months, that's just not in the budget).  So, for now, we'll try and rest so we can bring our A-game for the next one.  Ciao!

Dressed for the Occassion

A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed our first crawfish of the season.  I know, I know, I can't believe I've waited this long, either, but if you know Team Parker, you know we LOVE these little creatures and all that goes along with it...a cold beer and friends and family!  I wouldn't say that fancy clothes have any symmetry with a crawfish boil, but it was the perfect opportunity to get Miss Reese in her cutie patootie lobster....errrr crawfish dress!  Considering she's not into them just yet, she was perfectly dressed for the occassion!

We HEART School!

This post is about 4 weeks overdue, because as I type, Miss Reese is wrapping up her 4th week of "school".  She loves it and I love it, too!  The decision was primarily made to give me some time to focus on going back to work, because that is LONG OVERDUE.  I sure have enjoyed my time at home with her this past year, but I realized really quick that I wasn't cut out for it longterm.  Quite frankly, I never planned to be a SAHM at all, it just kind of worked out that way with me leaving Graco and doing some contract work for the first year of her life, and I wouldn't trade it for a thing!

It's clear though, that we both thrive in environments away from each other for part of the day.  Currently, she only goes to school 2 full days a week, and as soon as I've found the right fit for my next career step, we'll ramp up to full-time. 

We've yet to have crying when we leave, and she is just giddy when she gets out of the car in the mornings.  I hear from her teachers that she's quite humerous too.  I mean I already knew that, but it's nice to know she let's her personality shine through to others besides JP and me.  So, it's definitely a win-win for all of us!

I took some pics of her on her first day, but they are lost or somehow deleted, so in place, here is a pic of her from the day after her 2nd day, hanging out at Zilker Park--it's the best I can do for now.

The New Recommendation

Wow!  I knew it was coming, but didn't realize it would be a less than a week after I posted rear vs. forward facing.  I turned on my TV this morning and before I could turn it to my go-to, The Today Show, CBS's The Early Show was introducing the new recommendation from AAP and NHTSA.  Then I turn to NBC, and there I watch the same discussion.  This is big news, folks, and it's not just for the car seat crazies like me anymore, it's what everyone should be following!

I guess Reese won't be watching that DVD player in the car anytime soon...at least not forward-facing.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rear vs. Forward Facing

In my time working for Graco, I did quite a bit of volunteer work with various car seat safety organizations as a certified car seat technician.  Yes, I had to complete a 40 hour course to get this certification, and I've had to renew it twice.  This last time I renewed, I no longer worked for the company, but it was just something I wanted to keep up with.  I have become quite passionate about car seat safety, especially since a majority of the time, parents are using them wrong. 

Of course, in the end, we do have laws, which don't even begin to cover the ins and outs of car seat safety, but it's the parents that make the decision of how long their kids ride in car seats and whether they are rear or forward facing.  With Reese celebrating her 1st birthday almost 2 months ago, it got me thinking that maybe it would be helpful for parents if I provided just a little bit of education on why it is so important to keep them rear facing longer than the 1 year AND 20 lb mark.

The American Academy of Pediatrics set the guideline of 1 year AND 20 lbs before you could move your baby to a forward facing seat in the car.  However, I hear they are looking to change that recommendation to 2 years old.  I know that seems absurd to a lot of you, but think about it...when our kids are riding rear facing in the car, the seat is actually doing the work on impact.  They are facing the rear, which keeps them cocooned and pretty much free of whiplash, whereas forward facing our bodies feel it all.  And considering their little bodies and spine are so small and delicate, they can only benefit from staying in their rear facing seat longer. 

I know a lot of it comes down to convenience, and I get that, but at the end of the day, it should be about safety, not convenience.  Heck, in Sweden, they keep their little ones rear facing until 3 or 4 years old.

Reese has definitely reached the 1 year AND 20 lb mark, but she's still rear facing, and will be for quite a while yet.  She doesn't know the difference, and I know we don't ever "plan" on being in a crash, but I know I'm doing what I can to keep her protected in the event that we are in a crash.

So, I will get off my soapbox now, but being educated about these things is a good thing....it can only help us make better decisions, right?