Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

My friends Jackie and Cary came down from Baltimore with their 8 month old daughter, Natalie, and we had a great time hanging with kids, grilling, and watching a bit of Sex and the City. I also got them hooked on Deadliest Catch as there was a marathon on this past weekend. SCORE!!!

Hey Mom! There's a chick in my exersaucer! Cool beans!

Henry taught Natalie that trucks and tractors are the tastiest!

Sloan tests drives having a little girl only to find out that a baby's love of its feet knows no gender.

Jackie and I cuddle our bambinos after a dip in the baby pool.

Dad, why you gotta get everything on film? I'm trying to take a bath with my lady friend and I'm not down with all of the paparazzi.

I'll share my tractor with her but this chick is CRAZY if she thinks she can even touch my Scuba Steve.

I used to have chubby cheeks just like these, Natalie.

You keep saying that word gentle, Mommy. Can't you see by now I have no idea what you're talking about?

I call this my "McDreamy" pose. I have no idea what Natalie is doing.

Dad ROCKS!!! (Yes, Henry. He does.)

Who sleeps like this?

I have not fed the dog chocolate. She actually has become quite the lady (if you discount the constant licking of her crotch). She is pretty much potty trained and only goes in the house if she starts to whine to go out and I'm in the middle of doing something important like bathing Henry or going to the potty myself. She also now "sleeps in" until 7 am. (My consideration of 7am as "sleeping in" is a tell-tale sign of my age. Argh.)

So do not go a-calling PETA. She just sometimes gets on my last nerve. I am ready for her puppy teeth to fall out, but all in due time. I will say that my constant carrying of a water gun to squirt her with has helped. I'm considering getting a holster.

Please Don't Tell My Husband...

but he was right. It was pretty stupid to adopt a puppy before Henry could even walk. Lolly is driving me crazy. On a regular basis, I threaten to feed her a bowl of chocolate. Today, she has barked and whined like she needed to go out a total of 13 times. She has yet to pee, but has managed to get mud all over her paws, eat a bunch of grass (which she'll just puke up later), and dug up either a giant earthworm or a small snake. Last night she puked up grass and ate it before I could get to it. Several times I've puked a little because of what she has done. Sloan suggested we adopt a dog that was at least 2. But, no, I just HAD to have a puppy. I'd like to think that I've learned a valuable lesson and will begin actually listening to my husband. Well, let's not start talking crazy.

I have, however, looked around and once again confirmed that Henry is the cutest and sweetest baby ever. At the gym, women flock to him oohing and ahhing over his big brown eyes and long eyelashes. He is pretty close to walking. Which is good because he needs to foot speed and height to get away from the Lollster when she is in one of her "puppy" moods. I took the both of them out to my sister's yesterday, and Lolly came back pooped (AWESOME!) after being taken on 4 walks and being chased around by her seven kids.

DOWN WITH ARCHULETA

I am calling anyone with two ears and a soul to VOTE like crazy for David Cook. I might just move to Canada if David Archuleta wins American Idol, and unlike Alec Baldwin, I'm true to my word! Ugh. Archuleta makes me want to poke out my eyes with a dull pencil so I don't have to see his clothes that he stole from the set of Superbad. He makes me want to rip off my ears and send them to Michael Johns as a "It should've been you" present. I'm beginning to think that someone, or specifically, some church is paying off Randy. That he gets paid every time he tells Archuleta that "he is in the zone" or that "he can sing the phone book." I used to joke about this conspiracy theory, but after his opinions of David Cook singing "Don't Want A Miss a Thing," I'm pretty sure about it. Seriously.

Hey, Archuleta! Michael W. Smith called and he wants his "cool" back.

Henry's New Skill

Bib Pocket Diving.

Bob the Builder is for Amateurs

"Hey Lolly! Come check out these guys with the chain saws, chipper, and giant tree eating tractor!"

"Dad is going to be stoked as the tree guys are even using this awesome tractor to clean the gutters." (Note that his sippy cup is now chained to his high chair. He's accidentally dropped it on Lolly's head a couple of times and I'm tired of playing gravity games. I know, I know. It is a bit cheap motel.)

"Mom, this tractor isn't as big as that one. But it's still pretty awesome."

We're thinking of doing something new with our yard.

So we're considering redoing some of the landscaping in our backyard. What do you think?

This is the fence that used to keep Lolly from escaping.

The top of the tree.

This is just about one third of the tree. (Sloan calls these photos "Reasons I Don't Have to Mow the lawn this week.")

Do you think that having the shade of the tree closer to our house will help to reduce our heating and cooling? I should check with Al Gore.

My guess is that any heating and cooling savings are negated by the gaping hole in my ceiling.

I suppose we could always just bring the outdoor in. (Henry was sitting in the center of the 4 branches and I was on the couch that was positioned in front of the blue things in the corner.)

Score! We don't have to clean the gutters!

Don't you just love the view?!?

He ain't safe, but He is good...

This morning, taking advantage of Lolly napping, Henry and I went out to the sun room to play. As we were eating cars and building things with blocks, I heard a crack, and then the next thing I see is my skylight and bits of tree raining down on my son's head. I was stunned. He was screaming. But okay. Not quite sure what to do, I picked up my screaming son and went into the kitchen to check him for wounds. He had sticks in his hair, but shockingly, there wasn't a scratch on him. Nothing that a few goldfish couldn't take care of. I, on the other hand, was a wreck. I called Sloan and then proceeded to talk to the insurance company. As I type this, Trey, our regular handyman, is hammering away, already replacing the offending skylight before the further predicted rain begins.

It was a giant living tree from our neighbors yard. It broke through the fence (which makes taking Lolly out to the backyard a bear as she HATES her leash. I've resigned to just letting her go in the kitchen until the fence is fixed.)

The more I think about it and all of the "what could've happeneds" I am amazed at both the power and finesse of Jesus. It takes a tremendous amount of strength to pull a living, about 60 foot tall oak tree out of the ground. I'm estimating it took about half of the strength it takes God to teach me that He really loves me and for me to hear it and take it to heart to do this. But it takes incredible finesse to knock down a tree and have it fall on a roof, roof of a sun room that is entirely made of glass, and to only yank on a gutter and knock out a Plexiglas skylight, and then to have that skylight break on a toddler's head and for NOT A SCRATCH TO BE ON HIM!!!

Yesterday, our Pastor preached from Hebrews on the discipline of the Lord. How no one likes the word discipline. It always has negative connotations and we always, incorrectly and sinfully, assume that discipline comes when the Lord is displeased. Yet Scripture tells us that God disciplines those whom He loves. As Steve put it, He loves us enough to cause us pain. (Yeah, I know. What a great Mother's Day sermon. It was one of those ones that made me say, "Awesome. Suffering. When's lunch?"

You might think that it would've been better for none of this to have happened. That that would have really shown me God's love for me. But have you met me? Do you know how hardheaded and stubborn and disbelieving I am? Had this not happened, then I pretty much would've had a normal day for me. Changing diapers, going to play group, waiting for Lolly to poo outside. But instead, I've spent the day hugging and kissing my son, grateful he is okay. I've spent the day praising God that no one was hurt. I've spent the day reflecting on the fact that Someone strong enough to rip trees from the ground is gentle enough to keep my family from harm and willing to move anything to show me HE is for me and cares for me.

So I'd say, that despite the fact I had to have a glass of wine at 11 am to calm my nerves--it has been a pretty productive day in the Phillips household.

Henry's First Haircut

We took Henry for his first haircut on Saturday and we now, officially, have a little boy. He looks so grown up. And besides trying to eat the steering wheel of the police car he was in, he behaved wonderfully. (He kept looking at the screaming 5 yr old boy next to him as if to say, "Dude, what's your problem? You're sitting in a fire truck, watching Toy Story II and eating candy.")

Daddy and Henry wait at Pigtail and Crewcuts for the police car chair. Sloan is upset they don't show cartoons where he gets his haircut. (Notice H's cool tye-die raincoat!)

Before. (You can't really see it in this photo, but he is rocking a mullet.)

Dude, I'm getting my hair cut, driving a police car, watching cartoons, and wearing a cape!

Does life get any better than this?

After. Bye Bye Mullet.

Mother's Day 2008

What an awesome day! Beautiful flowers from my 2 favorite men. Got to sit through the entire church service without Henry wiggling too much. Awesome lunch of surf and turf at Bookbinder's grill. Got to watch whatever I wanted on TV and "Mannaquin" was on! Lolly didn't have a single indoor accident.

Henry enjoyed lots of food firsts at Bookbinders and loved them all: Black olives. Buttered bread. Seared tuna. Filet Mignon. Creamed Spinach. And of course, he split an ice cream sundae with Daddy. (Mommy does not share her dessert on Mother's Day.)

Heartbreaking and Hilarious.

Lolly scratched her left eye on a stick and has to wear the collar for ten days and be on antibiotics. We've had her 3 days. We're awesome parents.

Am I a bad person if I laugh when she runs into door jams with her collar?

Puppysaucer?

Henry teaches Lolly the joys of the exersaucer.

Lolly checks it out for herself.

Henry and Lolly Play Outside

Henry: Hey, Lolly. Get in the pool with me. I know mommy can't wait to smell wet dog!

Lolly: Mommy, something smells kind of funky in this baby pool. What? You couldn't find the swim diapers so he's just going commando? No way am I getting in that pool with you, kid.

Lolly: Wait a second, Mommy. That thing in the pool, that thing I've been dragging around in my mouth looks an awful lot like a Bra Baby. It was too confusing for you, you say? So you just gave your son and your dog a bra contraption to play with?

Mommy: You lick your crotch.

Lolly: Touche, Mommy. Touche.

Lolly: I'm just going to chill underneath this slide.

Henry: I'm coming to get you, Lolly!

Henry: Give me kisses, Lolly! Kisses!

Lolly: Dude. You're my big brother. Can you at least close your mouth?

Henry and Lolly Loll Around

We brought Lolly home from the shelter last night and it has been fun. Henry woke her up last night at 2am when he woke up not feeling well (Ok, actually, I did when I went to get him a sippy cup of milk.) She has been wonderful. At first when we took her outside to pee, she was confused and would go on a pad as soon as she got back inside. We started taking the pee pads outside, and she has begun to get the hang of it. She is pretty much peeing outside half of the time and has pooped out there as well. I'm confident she'll be housebroken before Henry.

Henry gives Lolly her Lollipop toy he picked out for her.

Henry plays with the toy that he is now questioning giving to Lolly. I've tried to tell him that he gets all the Henry trains and Lolly gets all the Lollipops.

Lolly inspects the backyard.

Lolly has found her favorite place in the house--under Henry's high chair!

Lolly and Daddy watch American Idol and complain about David Archuleta.

Henry now loves to play beneath his exersaucer.

So does Lolly.

Henry throws balls to Lolly. He thinks she is the funniest thing he has ever seen. I've never heard him guffaw like he does with Lolly. Sometimes she licks his feet when he is in his high chair and he laughs so hard I worry he is going to throw up.

Henry shows Lolly all of his toys.

It's American Idol, People...NOT the next Mousekateer!

I cannot let American Idol go on another week without screaming, "What the heck are the judges and America thinking?" Am I going crazy here? How can anyone seriously like David Archuleta? I'm not going to deny that the boy has this clean-cut image, definitely has the Mormon vote, and has a beautiful voice. But come on? What kind of album would he make? He is like a teenage, male Kathie Lee Gifford. He'd be fantastic on a cruise ship or at Kings Dominion. But he makes me want to puke. Just thinking about how cheesy he is makes me shake. Ugh. He makes Michael W. Smith look like a punk rocker. It is Rock N Roll night and he pulls out "Stand By Me" and "Love Me Tender." Both great songs. But I just envisioned some tacky couple slow dancing next to their 6 cheese fountain in a VFW basement for their first dance as Archuleta sang "Love Me Tender." Elvis' version was both lovely and sexy! Archuleta was sweet like grocery store birthday cake icing. Too much of it and you puke or fall into a diabetic coma.

Guess the illness that Henry has...