J o e y & A l e e t h e a - super cool handmade monster clothing and more! :D

Our Kindergartener and Preschooler

 

 

6 month baby bump

Here we are, this week I'm 6 months pregnant. Do you see that major roundness I've got going on?

I'm looking and feeling rather huge lately, and I'm just getting used to the belly's growth spurt over the past month - but loving every tiresome and interesting minute of it.The kids run over to me when I tell them the baby is kicking in there, and I ask them who wants to feel the belly and come say hello to their baby brother? "Meeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"

First time wearing that vintage dress, and the very first time trying it on in all year long. Got it last January from Etsy, of course - a sweet shop named Wunderbar vintage. Had I known how much I would love the dress, I would've at least put on some lipstick for the photo.

Adoring the looks on my kiddos faces - they did so great staying there for the photos - they're such troopers because they initially started out smiling - but this was an impromptu picture-taking moment, which turned into a super long 5 minutes...and do you know what 5 minutes is like with 2 kids and 2 dogs? More like 20 minutes. So this photo was after a dozen or so snapshots were already taken - all the while I'm saying under my breath and behind my smile to my pups "Aleethea, Souvlaki, ssstaaaaaaayyyyyy, good girrrrrrls, ssstayyyyyyyyy."

Joey could not wait til the picture-taking was over so he could go back to playing with his cardboard craft. Lily was taking it all so seriously, she was also saying "sstaaaaaaaaaayy" to the dogs. Do you see how Aleethea's ears are all pushed back? She is so sweet, she was patiently listening to and obeying Lily. Souvlaki isn't quite as patient yet - she was just waiting to pounce up and run once we were all done. Afterwards Lily was just so happy because the dogs listened to her. Ugh, so cute!

Missing in the photo is the Hubbs Joe - because he was taking the picture. And if he would've moved even just a bit, and attempted to turn on the auto-timer thingy on the camera in order to jump into the photo...well, forget about it...those 4 adorable sweeties next to me would've each started walking away in their own directions. So I've learned ya take what ya can get around here some mornings.

I think this one is going to get framed in black and white, and hung up in the new house once we move. That is, after I photoshop the Hubbs Joe into the picture too. :)

Not sure when I'll check-in here again since we're surrounded by boxes and moving this month. Sad times because I will miss the dear friends I made here in this small and quiet country town. But at the same time we are ecstatic to be moving back to our hometown of NYC.

Hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful October!

horseback and pony riding

 

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Here are my kiddos enjoying a beautiful chilly morning at the horse and pony farm. They had so much fun grooming and saddling up their pony, talking to peacocks and turkeys, following the roaming chickens, and they giggled their way thru the horse and buggy-ride as they sped around the ring.

Afterwards, they enjoyed their half-hour riding lesson. We're going here every month, and look forward to seeing our children bond with horses as they grow.

It was a relaxing time for all of us. The kids started their lesson with grooming and saddling up the pony to get him ready to ride, then ended the lesson with leading the horse back to the stable, and putting the equipment away. They learned some great lessons in compassion, care and respect for animals, and also responsibility that morning. What a total joy to watch my babies sitting up so proper on that horse, and having so much fun doing so. I've always loved being around horses, it was always a wonderful and calming adventure. As a kid I went horseback riding many times at Duke's - it was a ranch in the mountains of Upstate NY - which was great fun - but nothing compares to having my children experience horses in a more caring way. Not just riding a horse along mountainous trails, but instead first understanding that the horse is a living being, an animal who needs love and respect, an animal that needs to be taken care of.

There were also a handful of beautiful friendly dogs on the farm who greeted us and herded us around. :) Ask Dave to bring your own dog to the farm when you go. We're bringing our German Shepherd Aleethea there next month to meet the dogs and the horses (and NOT to chase the chickens, for sure).

What a wonderful way to spend a Fall/Winter day. We look forward to our next visit!

And if you're a horse lover, you won't want to miss the artwork by Arizona artist Kathleen Golter Roeth, (aka Tapestry316) who creates watercolor paintings, pen and ink, drawings, mixed media, prints, and more. Tell her we said hi. :) 

Did you notice those adorable knit hats Joey and Lily are wearing in the photos? Lily has on a brown fox hat, and Joey is wearing a grey and black raccon hat, both hats were handmade by the lovely Luluswoobies on Etsy who is so very sweet and very talented.

Hope you're all having a beautiful day!

oxox

perspective

 

 

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Just an Autumn day with my babies and the beast

 

Look at my thirsty bunch...I don't know why they look so tired. All cute and all tired, this was after our walk...but two of them up there didn't do any walking! The other one though, the furry one, did plenty of pulling.

It was a hot sunny day (mid October and 77 degrees), and I guess I needed a challenge. So I gathered the troops and we went for a walk. Me, and that beastly and playful dog along with those two adorable little monster kiddos in their buggy, pushing them up and down our neighborhood's hills.

We were out under the beautiful sunny sky and all the while we're walking I'm holding the leash while the furry kid a.k.a. little "Ms. Pully Longstockings" was attempting to tug us in the directions of squirrels every 2 minutes. Notice the tiny little foot-long leash on Aleethea? Yep, there's a really good reason for that thing. Where is Cesar Millan on days like this? Some days I can almost see him drive up to our house in one of his shiny new rental cars, then take Aleethea for a walk while inline-skating up our block. Wouldn't that be awesome?!

So by the time I got to the corner with the babies and the beat, I was sweating. A dog, an almost 4.5yr old, an almost 2.5yr old, and a bicycle-trailer-convertible-stroller-thingy. But do you see how comfy Joey and Lily both fit in that thing? hehe. They're so adorable, and they love sitting next to each other too. It was such fun for them to be riding around like that, just hanging out and noticing nature, and telling each other the funniest little stories.

They call that orangey goodness their "buggy", and it is awesome - it handles really well - so very easy to maneuver, and I also easily schlepped it down our front porch steps. Anyway...getting back to that 6-year-old pup up there...how many times can one say "heel" without sounding ridiculous. I mean really. I need the Dog Whisperer to come whisper something to Aleethea. Something to the effect of "ack!". That should do it, yes? After we turned the corner she did start heeling and walking a bit more calmly...but wow was she all trying to be the pack-leader, trying to get me to follow her lead. Can you imagine? She is hilarious. What a smart pain in the butt that German Shepherd Dog is! She has the energy of a pup, and it's a good thing she is not only amazing and beautiufl, but also 99% trained...because that other 1% is a wild beast! And gee those hills in our neighborhood are much steeper than they look from the car window.

All in all, what a wonderful workout, and lots of fun for all of us.

I can't wait til tomorrow to hook the bike trailer up to my bicycle, and also connect Aleethea's doggy-bar to my bike too. ha! Wish me luck.

Happy Halloween!

The Caped Crusader and the Skinny Ballerina go cotton-picking and hay-riding at the farm, and capture the great pumpkin in an authentic pumpkin patch - right here in Durham, NC!

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