TWO

Martypants, you are two years old! Oh, my sweet baby boy, you aren't really a baby anymore at all. You are so independent and so full of life; always on the move, feet off the ground more often than not these days. Jumping is definitely your jam. You crouch down as low as you can, then spring straight up into the air. You land on your feet most of the time, but even when you fall, you are brave, and usually get right back up to try again. Smiling from ear to ear, of course.

#secretagentdoodlehead... such a happy kid. Every single time I pick you up from preschool, or the church nursery, or the gym daycare, your teachers/caregivers comment on how incredibly happy you are, and how happy you make all of them. The other day, one of the girls in the gym Kid's Club gave me an example: you were running around the room like you always do, but all of the sudden you stopped, threw your head back, and just laughed yourself silly for no reason at all. Precious boy, I hope that joy stays strong inside you forever.

Mart-Mart, you love to play in the water. From the tiniest puddle to the biggest ocean, you adore getting wet. Your daddy tells me that you are entirely too clean for a little boy because I give you a bath every night. But I know how much fun you have splashing around with your fishies and duckies, dunking your head under water and practicing blowing bubbles. So even if you wanted three baths a day, I'd certainly oblige.

You also love graham crackers, macaroni and cheese, climbing on everything (and giving me heart attacks), The Bubble Guppies, choo-choo trains, stacking blocks, playing drums with whatever "sticks" you can find, shoes and hats, jumping on our bed, and chocolate milk.

I love you, bud-bud. And every single day, I look forward to the day that you can whisper those sweet words back to me. But even if that were never to happen... just being your mom, watching you grow, and seeing you become more spectacular each and every day... that would be enough. Being near you is more of a blessing than I could have ever dreamed up. My love tank is full because you are mine.

Happy birthday James Martin. I got the best one, and that one is you.

Marty's Fall Haul: Styled By Mom (Part One)

I have been doing lots of shopping this past week to get Marty ready for fall. Most of the loot has been purchased online or at Target (our second home), with plenty of thrifting mixed in because who doesn't like $2 skinny jeans?

At the moment, temperatures here in Houston are up in the 90's, and we still have a few more months of summer before it really cools down. Fall is nowhere in sight, but sweaters and jeans just keep popping up everywhere, calling out to me with their adorableness. I can't seem to resist, even if it means hoarding them all away for a month or two.

Short sleeved t-shirts are practically year-round attire here, and living in a HOT part of the country has its perks during summer clearance time. It thrills me to my bones to get 80% off on a t-shirt that can still be worn for another 4 months! Layering those babies with cardigans, flannels, and hoodies will get us through our handful of cold snaps and our annual trip back home to Memphis (fingers crossed for a week of proper fall weather).

This last look is dedicated to my in-laws. If Marty ends up with the geek gene, it will have certainly hopped over from their branch of the family tree, and I won't mind at all. I will just have my sister-in-law on speed dial for emergency superhero/sci-fi education when I can't understand a word my son is saying.

Part two of this post to follow tomorrow or the next day. In case toddler boy fashion doesn't float your boat, you've been warned. I had to split this one into two because I lost the light before I could photograph the last few outfits. One of them includes a graphic tee featuring a picture of Albert Einstein, a fellow late-talker. *wink*

Outfit details:

#1- Shirt | Scarf | Shoes- thrifted | Jeans- thrifted | Sweater- thrifted

#2- Tee | Vest | Skinnies- thrifted | Shoes- thrifted

#3-  Shirt | Tee | Skinnies | Shoes | Toddler Wrist Watch

#4- Cardigan | Tee | Shoes

#5- Cardigan | Tee | Skinnies | Shoes

Late Summer Buzz

Some folks will call me crazy for paying twenty bucks to get my toddler's hair cut. But lots of others are standing right there in line with me, during this back to school frenzy. (Next year, I'll try not to let Mart-meister get so shaggy as to require a cut in August.) Snip-its is packed this week. Today I saw a girl of probably 6 or 7 getting quite the works: hair washed and cut and curled and glittered, plus a manicure and pedicure, etc., etc. I guess maybe I actually get off cheap, having a boy.

I love going to the kiddo salon because I honestly don't possess the skills, tools, or patience involved in cutting Marty's hair myself. Our local place has friendly stylists who have perfected the art of distraction. Belt the child in, snip-snip, buzz-buzz, here's another cookie, and we're done. Not a teardrop in sight, which is totally tip-worthy in my book.

In typical almost-two-year-old fashion, Marty wouldn't stand still long enough to get a good "after" photo of the front. We basically just buzzed the sides and back, leaving the top long so that we could sweep it over. The style was inspired by this little cutie.

Submissive Chalk

Marty finally found some chalk that knows how to fall in line. 

And if you ever find yourself short one caboose? Colored bubbles will do in a pinch.

WEEK PEEK

Church with these two handsome men, and then a super healthy and nutritious lunch. Marty got to try his first McDonald's Happy Meal because he has the best daddy in the world who insisted. And also because we are American, and what respectable American almost-2-year-old has never had a McDonald's Happy Meal?

Marty loves a splash pad, so it is especially convenient that we have one in our backyard. Perks to living in a mall, I suppose. I took him out to run off all that post-nap energy, and he was just so full of life and personality that I couldn't stop taking photos. And the sunglasses. Oh my, he rocked those things throughout the whole splash pad affair. The ladies were impressed, I assure you...

H&M FINALLY opened their online shop, and the Internet was buzzing all about it. So of course I had to hop on the bandwagon and order a few things for my little stud-muffin. My friend is convinced Marty is going to strangle himself with that scarf. In the name of fashion...!!!

We are dreaming of Santa Barbara this week after chatting on the phone with my sweet friend who lives there. I met Ava while living in China, and I miss her like crazy. We are planning another trip out to Cali in the next couple of months. Santa Barbara is to die for, and I seriously cannot wait to see my friend. And the beach...

After more than 6 months of wearing my hair in some variation of a bun or ponytail, this mama got a new look. You know your hair is bad when a) your closest friend asks you how long your hair is these days, and b) your other friend calls and books you a salon appointment followed by text messages with the date, time, and driving directions. Bad hair. Good friends. (p.s.- I have never in my life worn my hair wavy or had it colored this light. My husband is still in shock. Ha!)

Bo was in California all week on business, so Friday night we all three went out for dinner and then had ice cream in the Pearland Town Center pavilion. There was a band playing, so Marty danced around (well, more like spun around and around and around) and we just enjoyed a simple, summer evening with nothing else to do but be together. Being together is the best.