Down South

Did I mention that we went for a wonderful weekend in the middle of May to visit my family in Texas.
Thank you everyone for making our trip so much fun! Here are the scant few highlights that we thought to take pictures of.

We took pictures by funny license plates

We had a real Texas BBQ lunch at a honky-tonk.



We crochet bright red ten gallon hats.

Oh home, sweet Texas home!

Christmas in July

Remember this:
Oink!
Well, it's time!

Matthew happily volunteered to model the lovely hand-made gifts that my lucky readers are receiving this sunny holiday season.

Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy your lovely knit headbands

And this pretty pixie cap. (The only things cuter would be to see it on your own sweet baby!)

Now off you go, hopefully with warmer ears and more fashionable heads than before.

Two person book club

No matter where I go in life or who I meet, I find the most motivation and encouragement in my own sisters. I'm sure Jane Austen or Louisa May Alcot or someone else said something like that.

While talking to Mary at the beginning of the month we found we have a common goal . . . Read A Tale of Two Cities sometime in our life, perferably sooner than later. We also needed a little help getting the ball rolling. Now, just so you know Mary, I'm on page 90 and I think I just met the most important characters.

Feel free, anyone else, to join us in our little literary adventure.

Here for you is a short list of reasons why I like Dickens (even though I've never actually finished reading any of his books.)

1. I think he's a wonderful historian.

2. His characters make me laugh. Although their situations are very sad, most of them have a wonderful sense of humor. Most!

3. If I had been living in his time,, I'm sure  I would have been one of those funny girls who snuck the newspaper from the men in my life to secretly read his stories in the attic.

It's a very short list!

What's For Lunch

Jill doesn't have teeth yet, but she wants so badly to feed herself.


We've been trying some new things. Like little pieces of banana and over cooked carrots, pears, and mush.

Jill is much happier about the eating arrangements now that she doesn't have to wait for us to load a spoon.

And she gets a few more baths, too.

Spring in Idaho

Yep! It finally came. It's finally spring in Idaho. Which reminds me of this dandilion fountain Matt and I saw in Germany last May, and which also reminds me that it's time to weed the garden. This year we planted tons of the regular stuff, and it's all just bearly coming up.

Oh Idaho! We love you. We love your frosts in the middle of June, and we love your week of spring right before your month of summer that leads into another week of Fall and then a pleasently long winter. Oh Idaho! We love you.

Since last we met . . .

So it's been a while, and the Team has had a few adventures since the last time I posted.
* We took a trip to Provo to celebrate Matt's sister's graduation and meet our new cousin Seth.
* We made a table cloth. (Jill and I. And Matt admired our fine work.)
* We started reading Middlemarch by George Elliot. Really I started reading Middlemarch, but because I'm listening to the audio book, everyone gets a chance to hear it from time to time.
* Jill learned to sit up on her own, how to fold her arms, and how to "sing" during the quiet moments in church.
* We took a trip to Texas to visit family and celebrate my brother's graduation.
* We went to some parties.
* We celebrated mother's day.
* We tried making new foods.
* I knitted a few things.
* We planted our garden.
* Matt started playing league soccer. Just a little warm up for the FIFA World cup this summer.

Just a few things. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up before too long.

xoxoxo

Thanks for letting us visit everyone. We love seeing you!

Thanks, with love, Clueless

Dear family and friends,

Thanks for all your advice on baby food. Thanks Mom for reminding me that small mouth jars fit on my blender, Lorraine for mentioning oatmeal and immursion blenders, and to you Grandpa Pack, for actually giving me an immursion blender you weren't using 6 years ago. I've been making dip and smoothies with it. Little did I know what a gem I had stashed away in my cupboard. Thanks Kari for the "one meal for the whole famiy" tips, Natalie for the great website, and thank you everyone I've asked about high chairs and strained veggies.

Most of all, thank you Matthew for changing so many dirty diapers. You're th best.

So I've learned a few things in the last few weeks.

1. Just because Jill makes a funny face on the first try of a new veggie it doesn't mean she won't love it the second time.

2. Rice cerial is better with veggies mixed in.

3. If you make your baby laugh while she's eating, you might get food spit all over you.

4. Carrots stain rubber; beats stain cloths.

5. There is no way to stay completely clean while feeding a baby.

And here's something I've been wondering:

Jill's doc gave me a list of veggies to try "in the following order:"

Carrots, squash, beets, green beans, peas, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, and broccoli.

Not being the best at following directions, we've just been having whatever is on hand, so far, carrots and beets. Next week we'll have some green beans. I plan on skipping peas all together, but maybe later, out of the garden.

What do you all think of this funny list, and what types of things did you start you baby with?

With Love, Clueless