what {they} wore on wednesday

wednesday was one of those in and out, this way and that way days that just seem to make up our normal lately.
now that cruz sleeps in a toddler bed, i often find him sitting in the rocker with big lion. on wednesday morning he was keeping busy by counting to five. and wouldja look at those eyes? i tell you, that is a perceptive soul.

waking up this scrumptious little peanut is one of the highlights of my days. i love all her stretches and the way that her legs still tuck up close to her body. when she's getting ready to wake up, she sounds like a wheezy old man. it doesn't matter how many headbands i dress her in, those sounds are decidedly unladylike. 

on wednesday morning i did some work while cruz played and lo napped. then we headed to our neighborhood wading pool for a fun playdate with other mamas and babies from our MOPS group. it was so so fun (thank you for planning it, jenny!). the kids played and splashed, and the mamas sat around the edge, dipping our toes in the water, grabbing strawberries and peeling string cheeses, laughing and catching up. this is really the sweet pinch-me stuff of life.

london is getting more aware and expressive by the day! i love this sweet romper (thank you, aunt carol!) (and thank you, tovi, for the eyebrow-raising genes)

i love this shirt from gap kids (they've been killing it in the toddler boys style department this summer). i love those shoes (also from gap kids-- like crocs but less croc-y). however, upon looking at these pictures, i can tell that my dressing cruz philosophy has lately consisted of me grabbing the first complete outfit i can get my hands on without worrying about color and style. yup. none of this matches, but he's dressed and clearly happy to be outside playing basketball. 

in the afternoon, london and i headed downtown for a women's networking event. i normally feel very awkward in these situations-- my small talk skills could use some help! so pro tip: bring your cute baby in the moby wrap. she'll be a great conversation starter and you will be super committed to your job by doing it. leaning in!

then it was a quick trip home for jammies and back out again for a MOPS steering committee meeting. happy girl! happy wednesday!

seven years

in seven years of marriage, we have been blessed to travel the world together. we've stamped our passports in brazil, mexico, canada, and twice in the u.k. we regularly have conversations that start with, "when we go to madrid" or "when we're in brazil for the world cup" and "should we add germany to our list?" the world is a big place, and i love seeing it with you by my side.

but our marriage is truly made up of the little things, the joy you bring to my everyday. today i came home from daycare drop off and you had reheated my coffee. you leave me a big chunk in our pint of ice cream. you give cruz a bath without me asking. you thank me. you challenge me. you make me laugh. you make our small everyday so beautiful and so loving. truly, i want for nothing.

happy anniversary, tovi. here's to seven times seventy more.

our old fashioned fourth

it was a fourth of july miracle: i was dressed and so were both of the kids. we were at the grocery store picking up chips and dessert for later in the day, and as i walked them in (cruz in the cart, london in the moby), i thought, "we're out already; if we don't stay out, we will never leave the house again." so with a growing sense of carpe diem, we headed over to the old fashioned fourth at nearby rancho la patera! it was full of old-timey goodness: lemonade, old dudes playing banjos, sweet kids games, and depression-era jalopies. add in a tri-tip sandwich, seeing a friend around every corner, and the fact that the whole world is color-coordinated on july fourth... well, i'll consider this one a win. 

InstaJune

what we did in june... at least according to instagram

 // we brought london rae home from the hospital and went all in on an all-pink lifestyle.

 // cruz didn't believe that having a newborn was any reason for us to stay in bed and watch movies for the next two weeks... so within a few days of london's birth we were back to our normal days: playing in the backyard and in the creek

 // my mom and my best friend came to visit. lovely! they both excel at loving my kiddos.

 // things to do while london's nursing: turn mommy into a human jungle gym, practice nba teams (cruz knows all nba, mlb, and most professional soccer teams)

// things to do while london's nursing: climb on forbidden furniture, take 500 selfies

 // dark haired beauty

 // we may have named her london, but she turned out to be way more brazilian than cruz

 // our first family-of-four road trip!

 // i LOVE having a girl (and ps: i want both of these outfits in my size)

 // lots of big brother adjustments; we're dealing and still having fun together

// we finished off june with some gorgeous summer weather and a {wonderful} visit with our cousins

nature hunt

it was lovely on saturday morning. the baby was sleeping, but cruz was itching to get out of the backyard. i had to quick think of an activity that would keep him happy and interested, but also keep us close to home. i grabbed a pen, paper, my camera... and the Cruz & Mommy Nature Hunt was born!

we've gotten cruz very excited about checklists (the child of two "j's" for the myers-briggs inclined out there), so i made a little checklist of items a two year old might easily find in our cul de sac. feather, ant, purple flower, listen for a bird. when cruz found something, he'd delightfully check it off the list and then we'd take its picture. we used our senses to see, hear, and touch. cruz was even inspired to help our neighbors put some leaves into their yard waste bin! i love these sweet mornings with my son.