~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Congratulations to Summer, winner of the beautiful baptismal candle from Regina Candles! Check your email for information on how to claim your prize!
For everyone else interested in these artisanal, liturgical quality baptismal candles (They would make a wonderful gift for a baptism or even a wedding!), Regina Candles is offering our readers a generous 15% discount — just enter the code 15LMLD at checkout! The code works until May 12. (that's Tuesday!)
{pretty}
These pictures are actually a few weeks old, which I wouldn't necessarily note except that their subject has doubled in age (grace, maturity, wisdom, etc, etc) since then. But we have some catching up to do.
Also: I love baby yawns, especially when accompanied by baby stretches. They project “Golly, what a day! Time to turn in!” when you know full well that a) their day consisted of snacks and naps and b) they have no intention of going to sleep anytime in the near future. Love them.
Spring has been kind to us — we've had lots of sunshine and rain, and it hasn't gotten hot yet. (The rain is especially important: our area is suffering from severe drought, and that's after the rain! We were just downgraded from the “extreme” drought zone. And yes, between the tornados and the drought, Oklahoma had turned us into severe weather nerds.)
Our garden sure is enjoying the rain — we're hoping our new plantings get established well enough these wet weeks to last all summer.
(I don't mean to mislead you as to the extent of said gardens — these two little bouquets pretty much cleared them out. But we had a big storm coming and I didn't want my gorgeous irises to get pelted by hail!)
{happy}
Speaking of enjoying the rain…
You may be impressed with Pippo's Christopher Robin-worthy ensemble, and so should you be. It's pretty fabulous. The raincoat and hat were a gift from his Aunt Natasha, and the boots are a hand-me-down from friends. (although they're actually full of holes at this point, which makes them substantially less effective as rain boots. But as I haven't found replacements for him yet, he keeps wearing them…)
When left on my own to provide rain gear, apparently I come up with something more like this:
And, in all fairness, the sweatshirt was a gift from her basketball-loving uncle. So I can't even take full credit for that.
In my defense, I have spent all my parenting years living in drought zones. We just don't have to deal with rain very often — in fact, for the first two years of his life, Pippo thought windshield wipers were nothing but a big joke.
Anyway, they had a blast out there.
{funny}
One dress, two ways:
Fabulous Easter dress: c/o Aunt Natasha
Sneakers: c/o big brother
Bib: c/o lunch
Sunglasses: c/o birthday goody bag (from last August. We pride ourselves on our good stewardship/hoarding abilities around here.)
Pez dispenser: c/o Easter Bunny
Clearly, Molly and I have a future in fashion blogging.
Not to mention upside-down read-alouds.
{real}
It's been (understandably) rough in the sleep department over here lately — between an unsettled newborn and some uncharacteristically restless sleep from the two bigger ones, we adults have found ourselves descending into zombie territory.
I generally try to get the kids outside as much as I can, but between the rain and the newborn and the zombie brain, that hasn't always been a possibility. So we've been doing a lot of dancing.
(By we, of course, I mean they. Eleanor and I sit on the sofa and cheer them on.)
(I told you I loved baby yawns!)
Molly's current favorite dance music is the finale of the 1812 Overture, complete with cannons. The first few times she heard it, she burst into terrified tears at each shot of the cannon, but she kept on dancing. After that, she decided that it's actually awesome (she's not an artilleryman's daughter for nothing, I suppose!), and it's now her top request.
As a result, not only is Nora learning how to sleep with a bit of background noise — she's snoozing right through the drums, bells, and cannon fire!
I, on the other hand, have Tchaikovsky running through my zombie brain 24/7.
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Abbey @ Surviving Our Blessings says
I LOVE puddle jumping! And the flowers from your garden are beautiful.
It’s still too early here for much to have come up/bloomed, and our lilac is a late bloomer (about two weeks after everyone else’s lilacs, most years.) It’s worth waiting, though- it will be beautiful! Maybe next week I’ll have flower pictures to share.
Nora is an epic yawner. (I also have a Nora.)
Diane says
Love the picture of all three kiddos looking at the book, and love that Molly is doing the “reading”. It’s not upside down, it’s a “creative presentation”.
chere mama says
I LOVE the upside down reading…….the looks on their faces…….as if to say, “yes, yes, of course, read on”. Your puddlelicious pictures just make me giggle. Hope you leave zombie land soon!!!
Tacy Williams Beck says
So fun! I love these pictures of your kids. That baby- so cute!
Kelsey says
I love these! I, too, have serious trouble with rain gear for both myself and children. We live in CT, so it gets rainy, but not all the time, and… you know? But I do have my eyes on some MyMayu boots for the kiddos. They seem way less cumbersome than traditional rain boots.
Jill Foley says
This post was delightful from beginning to end! Love everything about it…
Rebekah says
Ah yes! Those canons are our old friends here as well! Sometimes the only way to get my “helpers” through a chore quickly.
Mary says
I love every one of these pictures. There is so much love and happiness! Your kids are adorable!
Kathy@9peas says
The Christopher Robin rain gear is my absolute favorite and it is hard to put that above newborn yawns and stretches, because oh my the cuteness of it all.
Mary says
The yawns and that rain hat!! So sweet 🙂
Tamara @ This Sacramental Life says
Loved all of these wonderful photos!
Christine says
We live in an area where floods are way more common than droughts, and my kids have never been fully decked out in rain gear. They’ve played in the rain barefoot, in pajamas, and shirtless. I’m glad you all got some rain, both to ease the drought and to give the kids something fun to do.
Baby yawns with accompanying stretch/stuck out bum are the best.
Maurisa says
Oh, the puddle jumping photos are wonderful! My boys love doing that as well!
EmilyRose says
Oooh . . . can we ask Aunt Natasha where she got that dress? I have a friend who loves lilies of the valley and has a little girl 🙂
Virginia says
What great pictures! Your kids look radiant 🙂
Amanda says
We don’t get much rain either so when we do I always feel a twinge and wonder whyyy haven’t I already bought these kids some rain boots so they can go play?? Alas, another year has passed. Maybe I’ll pass it on to a grandparent or something? These photos really are so beautiful! I especially love the outdoor ones on the blanket and that dress is so cute!
Summer says
Oh my goodness, I won!! And I never win! Thank you so much! And for sharing all of the beautiful baby pictures….makes me so excited for our new little one to arrive!
Sarah says
Rosie: I love your joy and good humor…despite the zombie state. You will sleep again. Someday.
Kari says
If you have to have something running through your brain 24/7, you can’t get much better than Tchaikovsky!
Love, love, love puddles! When we get rain (July and August), we get mud, so I have many more pictures of muddy feet than rain gear. Too cute!
priest's wife (@byzcathwife) says
That read aloud photo! It must be framed and on a wall!
Kristin in Canada says
The puddle jumping photos remind me of A. A. Milne’s poem “Happiness”
“John has Great big waterproof boots ……And that said John is that!” It’s in When We Were Very Young. We’ve been reciting that poem all this week.
Becky says
My children have exceedingly firm ideas about proper rain gear. I blame Kipper. At any rate, Target tends to have a reasonable selection of rain boots until they hit somewhere around child size 1. I then have had good luck with the western chief rain boots. They carry them on Amazon. I will also note that no item of clothing has improved my mothering life more than getting myself a sturdy pair of rain boots. After all, there is no around in motherhood, only through. 🙂 I have been quite pleased with my Kamik’s (Heidi to be precise) that I got, also from Amazon.
I agree that there is nothing quite so cute as the duplicitous baby yawn. 🙂
Woman of the House says
Great pictures, all of them! You are right about baby yawns and Pippo’s rain gear. Plus, I love Molly’s little pigtails!