This is definitely my new absolute favorite picture of the boys!! Last weekend we took them biking again, and by the time we got to our destination we had two sleeping babies! We quickly and quietly pulled up the cover so we could snap this photo. Moments after Ruben woke up with a look that begged the question, "Where am I?" I must say that our little bike trips have become my favorite past time, and we are already scheming some big adventures for the future that involve camping, kids, and bikes. It is fun to dream, but for now we have been staying pretty close to home.
Last week when we needed something new to do I put together a basket of tools and Miles and I went on a "bug safari." We actually found quite a selection of bugs around the yard and Miles had fun looking, learning, and documenting everything in his little "bug journal." My little scientist!
Later that evening as we relaxed on the deck he decided it needed mowing! This is his favorite past time, that and finding a long stick that can suffice as a weed whipper. He can be found wandering the perimeter of the house making grunting and grinding noises as he aims his stick at the offending weeds. Then he usually runs back telling me he needs more gasoline for the whipper and I get to pretend to fill it up for him.
I adore his little imagination right now! Here he is with his "microphone" making music for me as I cook in the kitchen. He also loves to ride his push cycle, which he often refers to as his motorcycle when we are on the trail. He is so full of questions lately and he is often asking them in droves in the middle of everything else we are doing. I really pride myself on trying to answer as many of them as I can with reasonable explanations... but I can only do so much. The other night as I tried to get him ready for bed (and it was already way past bedtime) I finally had to give up. As he struggled to put one leg into his pajamas while looking out the window and wondering out loud a stream of unending questions I broke down. I told him, "the answer store closes promptly at nine o' clock, you can save up your questions and start asking again when they open tomorrow." This did not even phase him! He just climbed into bed, and as I shut the door I could hear him continue to ask questions of his favorite stuffed animals that he sleeps with. I love this child, he is so precious!
The other really big news around here is that Ruben is starting solid foods and getting teeth! You are not imagining the discontent look as I try to tempt him with freshly mashed food from the kitchen. Just like many things we find ourselves saying around here, he is the exact opposite of Miles at this age. Miles dove into eating food with the same zest I have for veggies harvested from the garden. Ruben on the other hand has been rather hesitant. I have to "trick" him into eating by fooling him into opening his mouth by dangling a bottle in front of him. Then I sneak in a spoon of food, and quick put the bottle back before he screams.
That said - it does seem to be getting a little easier each time we try. We are on the same seasonal schedule we were with Miles. I am so thankful because Ruben is starting fresh food right as it is pouring into the local markets. Last week I went to the market with my mom and we bought tons of beautiful veggies! I made carrot, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach baby food and froze it into cubes. I have also started grinding brown rice and making Ru's cereal. I loved making food for Miles and I truly think that his "fresh start" attributed to the fact he has a rather broad palette for a toddler. We will have to wait to see what Ruben thinks about all this to see if my theory is correct. I love the picture above with his little spinach ring around his mouth.
Summer is already in full swing and we are loving every minute of it. We spend lots of time on the porch, or relaxing under the shade of the trees. This year I managed to keep the rabbits from the peonies long enough to gets some blooms.
It is the time of year that you adore living in Michigan. The landscape just screams green - in every shade - everywhere you look! Summer evenings often end in showers breaking the heat of the day and rewarding us with rainbows. This electric green is the thing that would almost overwhelm me when I would come back to visit when I was living surrounded by the subtle pastels of the desert southwest. I love that my boys will have memories of summers dripping in green. Even the turtle we found on the beach was a deep shade of green, what we could see of him as he scurried away!
So that's where you'll find us lately... outside somewhere, enjoying the "greenness" of the day!
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