Sunny days are here again!

 My baseball kid. He is so talented for his age.

 

The photo of me above was taken by Leo.

Me and my girl. I have new hair. Lighter and shorter!

 Neighborhood flowers

Our neighbor's house. So pretty!

 Handmade soap using cucumber puree...still learning!

 Another Leo photo. Beautiful job son!

Spring is here! Glorious sunshine, finally you are visiting us! That means the the Morris family is spending lots of time outdoors. We have been grilling, brewing, soaping, growing carrots, taking walks, playing sports etc. It is great!

I have started reading Leo Harry Potter at bedtime. Joe has always put Leo to bed, but we are trying to ween Somerset, which means that Joe is handling Somerset's night time feedings. This is not going great. However, I love reading to Leo at night. He says that I am the best mommy ever and that he loves when I read to him. I am so lucky!

Leo has completed his first year of preschool. This is how Mrs. Kepner described her experience with Leo.

"Leo- I've enjoyed getting to know him. His intelligence and curiosity about the world makes him a great scientist. He loves to build with blocks and other materials. He often sets the tone for play with others in the group. They get some pretty involved scenarios going! He is a very popular playmate. See you next year!"

I feel this is pretty accurate, but she forgot the part about how sweet and loving he is. Maybe he saves all that for us!

Joe and I have noticed how clearly Somerset is starting to enunciate. She is much easier to understand, which makes communication easier. She is at an age though, where she knows what she wants (unhealthy food is a good example), but she doesn't have the reasoning skills to understand that she can't do certain things. There can be days with quite a bit of fussing, but I know this time will pass.

Somerset is so very sweet. She usually says please and thank you without being prompted and I love how she says "I love you!" She adores a certain baby doll and insists on sleeping with her at night. Her favorite question to ask is "Where's Leo/Daddy/Mommy?" She always needs to know where we are. 

She also continues to potty train. If I was more persistent, I could get her to go on her potty several times a day, but let's face it, it's hard work! This summer, I will really try to get her trained, plus, she is still so young.

I have really taken to soap making. I am borderline obsessed, but it's a good hobby and I have learned so much! Every soap making process is a learning experience. I find the process so satisfying because I can be as creative as I want, all while creating a product that is good for my skin and smells fantastic. Also, the handmade soap makes a terrific gift. Hopefully I can sell soon to put more money back into the hobby.

Joe is still as crazy as ever about brewing! He is getting very good results. I love his beer. He is also growing hops. They are go crazy! Oh no, we both have full blown hobbies now! I just wish we had unlimited funds! We are really enjoying this time in our lives, even though it is exhausting.

So Busy!

     

Wow! We have been so busy! I guess that will be my excuse for not posting sooner.

We had a great visit from Grandma Rita (G.G.) and Grandma Paula. They were in town to visit Uncle Aaron for Mother's Weekend at OSU and stayed a few extra days to see us. G.G. had never met Somerset, so it was a real treat to have her here. She hasn't been to Oregon since our wedding, so we were super excited to share our world with her.

We took them to the Zoo and the Japanese Gardens. The weather was glorious, so we thoroughly enjoyed both outings. The kids were so thrilled to have guests too, especially Somerset, who enjoyed the company of the grandmas.

I recently had a date with Somerset at the Children's Museum while Leo was in preschool. I LOVED spending time with her alone and am going to make an effort to spend more one on one time with her. When Leo was her age, he would whip through the museum at rocket speed. She was also exploring freely, but she stayed and listened to the singer/guitar player for 30 minutes straight. She was mesmerized, where as Leo would never stay put long enough to make it though even one song. She is a music nut!

Somerset's grasp of English has increased drastically. I feel she now understands most of what we tell her. She speaks in 2-3 word combos,  "There's Spiderman, Leo," "Where's Daddy/Leo?" She talks a lot and caretakers are always telling us how chatty she is. She will have full conversations with people, but most of what she says is indistinguishable.

She also loves to play with dolls and her white doggy. She tries to feed her dog and her babies. I love to see this nurturing side of her. She will be a good mommy someday.

Somerset was waking up between 5-5:30 a.m. every morning. That does not work for me and was causing a lot of grumpiness for everyone. We invested in a programmable night light that displays the moon and the stars when we want her to sleep and the sun when she is allowed to wake up. It is currently set to have the sun shine at 6 a.m. (Too early for me, but better). We are still in the training stage, but it seems as though she understands our expectations and that the light will work. YES!!!

Leo has been fantastic. He still challenges us, but tantrums are almost a thing of the past. He is just so dang smart and he is constantly testing us. We will tell him he can't go onto the street and he will stand at the edge of our curb and smile as if to say, "How far can I go before you discipline me?" He is mischievous for sure.

Leo is extremely loving. He often gazes into my eyes and declares that I am the best mommy in the world and that he loves me soooo much. For all his antics, he has a heart of gold. He is truly a sweet and tender boy. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for him and I am crazy in love with him.

The kids sure do love each other, but they are starting to squabble. It is usually over a toy. They always want the same toy at the same time.

I had a fantastic Mother's Day. My mom and I went to get pedi/mani the day before and then on Mother's Day, I was treated like a queen. I got to sleep in until 8:30 a.m. I don't think that has happened for 4 years! I also got many soap related gifts. I took a class on cold process soap making, Joe built me a soap mold and he bought me 3 handcrafted soaps from one of my favorite soap crafters. Leo thought I should have a new mug for my coffee, soap and a lipstick, so Joe helped him make this possible.

The weather was great on Mother's Day, so we relaxed at home and grilled. I love my family!