Peek A Boo

There are few things this Daddy loves more than snuggling his baby boy. Man, those two are a couple of cuties! I'm very, very lucky my kids have such a fabulous Daddy.

Suit Up

Lime Ricki has a bunch o' cute one-pieces and tankinis that I've got my eye on for summer. If nothing else, I'm definitely buying the cute swim skirt to go with the suits I already have. I'm really digging the Ava one-piece, but I'm so darn tall, one pieces don't usually work particularaly well for me. Still, might be worth a try...

{Suit, Skirt}

My Own Labels

I could spend hours exploring the lovely designs at My Own Labels. They have labels in every size and shape you could possibly think of - as well as place cards, note cards, drink labels, CD labels, food labels...etc, etc, etc! All beautifully designed and fully customizable for really reasonable prices. They also have a great selection of gift packaging - super cool!

Pretty Pink

This would be a pretty little Easter number, and is a bargain on clearance at 15 bucks!

Bedtime Stories

I love reading to these kids before bed! It's about the only time anyone is willing to snuggle me, and you know I just eat that up. Silly, cutie, tired kiddos. They're the best. Tonight we read "Sammy the Seal" and "If You Take a Mouse to School", along with our New Testament Scripture Stories.

Keep Calm Stamp

Of course, I'm going to need the Keep Calm rubber stamp! Thanks, Holly!

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Denim gauchos must be terribly out of style, or something, because there are surprisingly few options out there. And everything I've found is either too long + too light, too long + too flared or too button-y + too expensive. I'm ready to lay down some cash, if I can find the right thing. But I don't want to waste even a little money on the wrong thing.

Let me know if you spot something...

{PS, there is no pleasing me. Apparently.}

Doing Me A Solid

Despite my efforts to put it off for as long as possible, Mr. Simon has been on the hungry side lately, so I decided to go ahead and get him going on "real" food this past week (he is five months old now, wow!). He really seemed to dig it! My cutie boy is growing up! (And teething like crazy, I should say! He's working on 'em!)

Yes, for the record, I do know that you're not supposed to put a Bumbo seat on a table. I promise I stayed with him the entire time. And went and bought a new highchair the next day, so we're good to go. He doesn't dig the Bumbo so much - so much for all the "gotta have a Bumbo talk". Maybe he'll grow to love it.

Another Contender In The Summer Sandal Search

Drool.

It's Going To Be Okay

My general anxiety about life kind of ebbs and flows. For weeks, months at a time I'll manage to be pretty chill. Breezy. Relatively carefree. Then things start to pile up and I start stressing. I've got friends and family suffering in all sorts of ways right now. We all do. My heart is aching for so many people at the moment. And then, as a self-centered human being, I immediately begin to think about myself. What horrible thing is going to happen to us? When? It can't be this good forever, right? I'm not a pessimist, or I try not to be. But I worry. Oh, how I worry.

I worry about my kids. Maya got in trouble for saying a "potty word" at school today. Sounds like typical Maya stuff. Trying to be funny. Getting carried away. Nothing super-serious. (She doesn't know any "super serious" potty words, luckily.) "I didn't start it, Mom!" And she probably didn't. But I don't want her to be a follower. I want her to be a good girl. The best girl. And I don't want to make it into the biggest deal ever, because it's silly kid stuff. But my mind gets carried away. And I worry.

I want to stop time and not have my babies get any bigger. I don't want them going to school. And learning way naughtier things than they'll ever learn at home. In a place where people don't know that they're the greatest kids ever. And I don't want them to become teenagers. And stop liking me. And (possibly) make terrible mistakes. I will do my best to teach them the right things, but I know how it is. Kids make their own decisions. It's ultimately out of my control. I just want them to stay babies forever. Time is moving too fast! Is there really no way to slow this all down??

I watched "The Safe Side" with Maya and Mason today. Mason didn't get it. Maya got some good tips. But I just wanted to bawl. I don't want to teach my kids to yell "Help! This is not my father" when a stranger approaches them. I don't want a stranger to approach them. I don't want them to know that there are people out there that could and would hurt them. I want to protect them from everything. But I know I can't. And I guess I can't just lock them in the house here and not let them out into the real world, can I? Worry, worry, worry.

And with summer coming on, my big-time water phobia is back in full swing. I'm hoping Mason has developed a healthy fear of the water by this point - there is nothing worse than a kid with no fear but not enough strength to swim. Time to get the kids back in swimming lessons. And I'm actually hosting a CPR certification class at my house with a friendly neighborhood firefighter. Oh, the anxiety of having my kids at the pool! The drowning nightmares - weekly, at least. Who put me in charge of these kids?! I'm in charge of making sure nothing happens to them? How do I do that??

And I know, I know that (as the print says), it is going to be okay. I'm so grateful for my faith. I'm grateful that I know that while, yes, it is likely that some very difficult challenges are going to come my way at some point, that the Lord will strengthen me. That I'll be able to do it with His help. This scripture from John 16:33 brings me comfort when I feel this way: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Be of good cheer. Okay. I think I can do that. Breathe in, breathe out, I can do this. It's going to be okay.

{I found the "It's Going to be Okay" print in card form while searching Esty for sympathy cards. I've been sending a lot of 'em lately.}

{The Safe Side is actually quite a good "stranger danger" DVD - I definitely recommend it.}

{Sorry for the drama. I know this is not the Natalie that anyone enjoys. Especially not me.}

Still Obsessed With Cars

Mason's life is now complete. He's the proud owner of all three sets of Mia and Tia Cars. That would be "bling bling Mia and Tia" (who are allowed to pretend to be Chick Hicks Mia and Tia from time to time), "Dinoco Mia and Tia" and "Lightning Mia and Tia". Seriously, this has been a long time coming, and Mason couldn't be happier.

Now, if we could just get our hands on Jerry Recycled Batteries, also known as "Turn on your lights you moron Mack".

{Have I mentioned that the Disney Marketing gurus are evil geniuses?!}

Maya + Simon

It is egocentric, I suppose (and completely normal, I'm sure) to think that your own children are absolutely beautiful. Man, I love these two. Oh, and that one down there, too. The one who couldn't possibly stand still to have his picture taken. I quite adore him, too.

Slice of Summer Skirt

I'm pretty sure I can't pull off a watermelon skirt...

...bit that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to try...

Fried Snickers Bar

It's no secret that I have a sweet tooth and less than a healthy appetite. So it's really no surprise that I thought the fried Snickers bar I had at the fair was pretty much the most delightful thing ever. YUM!

Sleepyheads

There's nothing quite so sweet as a couple of conked-out-in-the-car kids. They're sweet when they're sleeping right?! Here's a rundown of their current sleeping habits, for posterity:

Mason
Mason is such a bedtime menace these days. Seriously. Such a booger. I have to do everything in my power from keeping that kid awake all day long. He loves to fall asleep right around 5pm. Which ruins the rest of the night. If I manage to keep him awake until bedtime, he usually falls asleep during story time. So I have to make sure to get his pull-up on and teeth brushed before that happens! Every now and then, he'll get that final burst of energy and be off the wall at bedtime, but usually he's just too tired to go on. Unfortunately, middle of the night visits from Mason aren't out of the ordinary. He'll wake up to use the bathroom and not want to go back to sleep. Sometimes he wants food. Sometimes a snuggle. Usually we can get him back to bed. Sometimes he creates a huge fuss and wakes up the entire house. He's always up by 6am and likes to come in every few minutes. Sometimes he needs his bum wiped. Sometimes he wants his light turned on. Always, he wants to drive me crazy. I don't know how to get thru to him that YOU DON'T WAKE MOM UP!! Maybe one of these days it will click.

Simon
That boy is the grand champion of sleeping, and we love him for it. He's usually ready for bed by 8pm or so and sleeps until I wake him up - usually 10:30 or 11 - to feed him one last time. Then he's down for the night, until about 7 or 8am. He's in his crib for his naps (usually 3 2-hour naps) and technically should be in his room at night, but every night so far, I've wussed out and put him in his co-sleeper bed right next to me. I just like having him here! I've decided that until he's able to crawl out of the co-sleeper - which won't actually be too much longer, I'd guess, that he's welcome to stay in our room. Chris is being very patient with me and my attachment issues. I just love having my little guy with me. It won't last much longer - he's growing so fast!

What I love about the stage that Simon is in is that he's starting to wake up happy. He's rolling both ways now, and generally sleeps on his tummy. But when he wakes up, he'll flip over and scooch around the crib, chattering away to himself, kicking, waving his arms, being adorable. This morning when I popped my head up, he was having a great old time. He'd scooched down to the other end of the co-sleeper, where I keep a stack of diapers and some wipes, and he was down there with a diaper in each hand, waving them around, babbling on. It was the sweetest, cutest thing.

So that's the lastest. I do love those boys!!

There's No Crying In Soccer

For the first time this season {so, the first time ever, in fact...} Mason played an entire game of soccer without crying. And by "playing", I mean running around like a wild maniac with his blankie. In fact, I did see him kick the ball. Once. In the wrong direction. The rest of his efforts were spent pursuing his own interests, but at least he was on the field. Hey man. Progress.

Actually, That Was My Idea...

I was JUST telling my friend that someone needs to sell a half-top layering tee, because I just don't need ALL THAT FABRIC going on, especially in the Texas summertime. I'm looking for a modern-day version of Dickies, if you will. And lo and behold...they DO exist!! You can also get them here. But they are a buck more. And that place also carries mens "compression shorts you wear under your swim trunks" which they call "Captains Quarters"!!! What the? Who the? Seriously? Oh no they didn't!! I'm shaking my head in shame right now. C'mon guys! That's not okay.

Anyway, right, but the half layering tee. Get it here.

Nine Sixty Nine

On our way out to the fairgrounds, we happened upon a VERY Austin-ish neighborhood. Nine Sixty Nine has the coolest "cube" houses ever. Chris especially liked the green one with 2 SmartCars parked in the driveway. If you're in the area, you should cruise on up there and check it out. Very cool.

Fair(ly) Expensive {But Fun}

I always get super bugged by people who ruin the fun by complaining about how expensive something is. Dinner out is no fun if someone is complaining about the prices. Chuck E. Cheese is a downer if you worry about the fact that you just spent $25 on tokens so that your kids could take home a crappy trinket that will be broken before we get to the car. And don't even get me started about people who complain about amusement park prices. It's Disneyland. (Or Sea World, or Fiesta Texas or whatever.) It's outrageous. Don't ruin the fun by griping about it!

Anyway, that person was me on Saturday. We went to the State Fair, and I was bowled over by the prices. Totally should have bought the "all you can ride" wristbands in advance and lived it up. Instead we blew a wad on a couple of super-lame rides. But. The kids loved it. And I got to see the giant animals. And eat fair food. And watch a cow get milked. Maya did the petting zoo. The kids sat in real John Deere's. The weather is perfect. And we had fun. So that's all that matters.

"I Love My Blanket For All My Heart"

That is Mason's latest and greatest favorite saying. We request it often, along with "That's too clever", "Lightning A Bean" and "I couldn't clickly". And he obliges fairly often. After all, he certainly does love his blankie for all his heart.

{I'm pretty sure he stole that phrase from the book Owen - which, as the tale of a little mouse who loves his blankie could and should appropriately be titled "Mason" instead. Cute book, if you're looking for a good one for your collection. Especially if you've got a blankie lover.}

77 Kids

I admit it, I'm a bit of a stickler about having my little girl covered up. And in Texas in the summer, clothes with coverage can be hard to come by! So I'm doing most of my summer shopping now, while bermuda shorts and shirts with a sleeve are still in stores. I'm loving 77 Kids' knit dresses. A good length for my tall girl, but looks nice and cool and comfy for summer. {Lots of colors, too.}

Playhouse Progress

I may or may not have indirectly put the kibosh on the treehouse project after expressing my concerns to Chris about having my little kiddies playing so high up off the ground. (I have lots of paranoid mother anxiety...you don't even know the half of it.) Maybe when they're bigger, but for now, I'm just not comfortable with it. So Chris, being the great sport that he is, took down the treehouse frame and started right in on a playhouse for the kids. And they are SUPER excited about it! Maya & Mason love to work with Daddy. I'll keep you posted on the progress...

Handy Maya

Maya loves to get out in the yard and work with Daddy. The girl's got her own hammer and safety goggles! Oh, and you'd better believe that she's the self-appointed safety inspector - she will let you know if you're violating any safety rules. Good ol' Maya!

Keep Calm Tee

I've got the poster up in my house. I've got it on a necklace. Why not on a shirt? A pretty green one, of course. I can't ever have too many green tees. And wearing the reminder right there on the front of me might not be such a bad idea, with a tantrum-prone 3 year old in my care. Breathe in, breathe out...

{More Keep Calm items here.}

Denim Gauchos

I'm on the hunt for some denim gauchos for summer. Something similar to these or these, but with a wider leg, maybe, even. And a lower price tag, hopefully. Anybody seen anything?

My "Friend" Angie Is Evil

Because she tagged me in one of those "take a picture of yourself right this minute and post it to your blog" things. So there I am in all of my getting-ready-for-bed glory last night. (Couldn't get the pic to load last night, but I didn't cheat and re-take it, so there!) I don't actually look annoyed, do I? Probably because I love my Angie and will do whatever she tells me to. I'm hoping I have the same influence over my three tag-ees, namely my Gramtastic Mama, and a couple of my best girls, Holly "O'Keefe Family Fun" and "Darling Darleen" Meier. Don't let me down, girls. {Great ladies, great blogs, by the way.}

Thanks a lot, Ang.

I Heart Google

I think it's super clever of Google to change their logo for different occasions. As an Eric Carle lover, I'm especially fond of today's logo.

Black Beauty

Part of me wishes this was a womens top rather than a girls dress. But it would be super cute on my girl, that's for sure!

Skylars Candy Clips

I'm pretty much in love with these headbands from Skylars Candy Clips. I guess I probably can't pull this off, but they'd be cute on Miss Maya, I'm thinking...

{Via My Favorite Things.}

Eye Chart Pillow

This would be a fun way to commemorate my epic weeks of eye dysfunction, right? I swear, if one more doctor shines bright lights in my eyes...grrr. For the record, I can do all the lines with my left eye, but with my right eye, I can only guess that it's a humongous E there on top. But I am definitely seeing some improvement, yay! I head back to the doctor in a week...

{Pillow via My Mom Shops.}

Baby Love

These two seriously love each other. Like, a lot.

Simon's latest nicknames?

• Slime Ball
• Slimebo
• Slimey Bally
• Simes
  
• Simer
  

House Envy Part II: Sunny Lane

As much as I love life in the 'burbs, and realistically, would never trade it in, part of me wishes we could live in "real" Austin. Maybe in a cool 1950s house with a brand new black + white kitchen and a (not pictured) pool with an old-school slide. For reals. This one's actually almost kind of sort of not actually but closer to my price range. And I think Sunny Lane might just be the perfect street for me!

{Click the pic to check out the kitchen - I SO love it.}

99 {Okay, 48} Balloons

We went with an actual birthday party theme {clever, right?!} for the Relief Society Birthday Celebration this year. The multi-colored party decor turned out really cute, I thought. And the food was yummy!

Peanut Butter Frozen Hot Chocolate?!

The very moment that I'm back on dairy, I will be whipping this up. Seriously?! Seriously!!? How good does this sound?

Spring Break, Woo Woo!

We have been taking it SUPER easy this spring break. There's been a sick baby. And a vomitrocious girl. And very little else. Hey, what can I say, Cottams know how to party. :)

Hulking Out

One of my favorite things about the Cottam siblings is that they're always harassing one another, and it's rather hilarious. You get to hear the same anecdotes over and over, and they really do get funnier every time. For example, Sam likes to give Chris a hard time about a pair of green pants he had in high school. He loves to bring up the time that Chris famously paired the green pants with a green shirt and, according to Sam, green shoes, and was "totally Hulking out". {Chris admits to the all-green ensamble, but swears he never owned green shoes. Gotta love a little creative embelishment - that's what makes Cottam stories so much fun!}

So when Chris sent me picture mail proof of his St. Patty's day wardrobe choice, I had to quickly text back to find out if he was also wearing his green pants and green shoes, too. That's my boy! Hulking out on March 17.

Funky Patterns

{12}

A couple of things I've got my eye on for spring...{I do love funky pattens!}

They All Look Irish To Me

Okay, so we're not Irish. Bummer! I always wanted to be Irish. But hey, bloodlines won't ever stop us from partying it up on St. Patty's Day! We all got decked out in varying degrees of green. {Even Chris...not pictured...} And we were visited multiple times by a sneaky leprechaun! He turned the toilet water green. And the bath water! And the milk! Not to mention dinner (green German pancakes) and our banana pudding pie. He even doorbell ditched us...new Cars (The super-coveted "Red Lightning Mia & Tia" - Mason almost had a heart attack on the spot.). The best part of the day was the kids' response to these mysterious happenings. Maya was through the roof! She can't wait to tell her friends what happened! Mason followed suit - it was fun, lots of fun. These are my favorite Mama moments. It's pretty darn fun.

Eric Carle Toys

I don't know what happens to the baby-baby toys. Maya had a ton, but when Mason arrived, they were nowhere to be found, so I bought new ones. Now that Simon is ready to play, same deal - no toys! Which is kind of for the best, because otherwise I'd have no excuse to buy all of the super-cute Eric Carle toys they have at Target. He has an Eric Carle elephant (among others...) that is his absolute favorite. And what's not to love about toys created in the style of one of the best-ever children's book authors?! Love it.

TuTu Cute

This is probably the last summer that I'll be able to get Maya into something this adorable - a ballerina swimsuit. For one thing, it only comes up to size 6x, which is about where we're at with Maya these days. And I'm afraid that soon, she'll be way too grown up for something this baby-ish. It might just be worth the splurge.

What's Up, Homey?

I'm not much of a decorator. Okay, let's be honest - not at all. Not only do I not have the eye or knack for it (or the budget to just go and buy everything I want at Anthropologie), mostly I just don't even care very much. For example, the same hideous dining room chandelier has been hanging in our make-shift playroom for over 4 years now. It's not that I couldn't afford to go buy a new light fixture. But first of all, I HATE shopping for that kind of thing - you'd be hard pressed to get me into Home Depot or Lowes willingly. And second, it just doesn't bother me enough to spur me to action, even though I fully acknowledge that it's completely ugly. I just don't care enough.

Still, I love our home. But that doesn't mean that I don't go into the homes of my friends and think...oh, how clean, how pretty, how well put together. My house is none of those things (especially the clean thing...). But I like it. It fits us well.

A couple of weeks ago we had a new babysitter, a favorite girl of mine who I can't ever seem to get. (She drives! She's great with kids! Hooray!) After Chris and I got home, we sat and chatted for a while. And she complimented me on our couch ("The most comfortable couch ever!") and our carpet ("sooo soft!" - nice of her not to mention soooo dirty!) and the general vibe of the house. "I just love your house", she told me. "It's so homey and comfortable!" And that, to me, was the highest compliment. That's what we're going for around her. It's not the fanciest or the nicest or the most impeccebly decorated, but it's our home. We're comfortable here. We want other people to be comfortable here. I'll take "homey and comfortable" any day.

{A few snapshots of the right this minute of our house. For posterity.}

The Musical Fruit

I'm on a total bean kick lately. Black beans, especially. Some nice hot beans wrapped up in a warm tortilla is about the most delicious (and filling!) lunch ever. This is my favorite way to prep 'em:

Begin with olive oil just covering the bottom of a small saucepan.
Add in a teaspoon or so of chopped garlic (I keep the pre-chopped garlic in my fridge at all times.)
Add some onions and peppers - I use the pre-chopped fajita veggies - less than 1/4 cup. Just a bit.
Rinse and drain a can of black beans (Any other beans would work fine too, I'm sure. Whatever you like.) and add most of the beans to the pot, reserving a few for later.
Begin to mash the beans with a potato masher.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth. You could use beef or veggie broth, I suppose. Or water, but the flavor wouldn't be quite so nice.
Continue to mash, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Simmer until it begins to thicken - just a few minutes.
Add in the rest of the beans, stir it up and serve.

Yum!

Bright + Colorful

I've got my eye on this fun little number. Looks comfy and cool for summer...and the price is right!