Mallory Heffner

Move over Hugh, Mallory's now the biggest thing to hit pajama town. Okay, maybe with a little less satin and a few more actual bunnies, but jammies all the same. Our girl is on day 8 of straight pj attire. If I even suggest anything other than a 1 piece nighttime ensemble, all hell breaks loose. WWII looks like tea time compared to the fit that ensues if I try to come between my girl and her beloved sleep gear. I've tried placing a few suitable outfits in her jammy drawer, but Mals knows better. She can sniff out a pj impostor like a blood hound. So jam-bows it is.

Brady digs her form of self expression and has reminded me to sit tight, ride this one out, because this too shall pass. He is so wise.....so wise.

August in 43 seconds flat

Brady had 2 first days of school this year. He headed back to Ashland Park Robbins for his second year of pre-k, but I decided to that a smaller private pre-k would be better for Mr. B. His teachers were wonderful at APR, but there were just too many kids. According to Brady there were simply too many boys and not enough girls. You know how he gets about his female:male ratios! Brady started his new school last week and is doing great.

Since Brady got new tubes in his ears he has been talking more! He is more willing to try and talk and will  imitate everything you say. He prefers conversations to be complementary and focused on him. In his world, no topic is more relevant or intriguing.

 Warning: flying rocks!

 Brady has always been and entertainer, but recently he has been crafting situations to make everyone laugh. He will put these glasses on and poke his little head around the corner and wait for you to look at him. If you don't adhere to his timeline he will turn into a monster and attack you. Monster noises bellow from our home on a daily basis.

 Mallory began her academic career today. She embarked on her first day of pre pre school. At drop off I was prepared for the toddler meltdown. The kind where tears and snot are flying and my girl has to be pried off my leg with a crow bar, but not today. She skipped into her classroom like she was born there. I was both proud and disappointed by her display of independence. Surely, she could have spared one tear??

 The family headed to Fort Calhoun for some good ol'fashion history. They host a living history event on the first Sundays of the month through October. It was pretty cool. The barracks were open and volunteers were dressed up like it was 1822.

 Brady decided to rob the general store. They will be out of cookies for months.

 Brady making mental notes. He knows Jeff will have a pop quiz on the car ride home.

The kids thought they were in Disneyland. They had a great time running from room to room.

July in 30 Secondsish

The 4th of July is big time around these parts. We have a neighborhood parade that could rival Macy's Thanksgiving parade....okay, maybe we are a few floating animals short of a NBC production. We still rock Woolworth Blvd baby. Last year we won the "best non-motorized" division. We were champs and it was confirmed with fancy blue ribbons. We had our eyes on a repeat. Our kids were cuter. Our float was fancier. Our spirits were on fire. The victory was ours to lose. Well, lose we did and I would say that the kids (ok, ME) are a bit sore about our loss.

Next year we will WIN. Production has already begun, a countdown established, theme tucked away, and staff sworn to secrecy. Brady shares my thirst for victory and has been mowing the judges lawns. Well played son, well played. It's on Field Club 4th of July "Non motorized" division, it's on!!!

 We flew to California to see G-ma Robin and Papa Bruce. Our kids were angels on the plane. ANGELS. I was slapping superior parenting high fives up and down the aisle.

 It turns out Brady is a bit of a beach boy. Every time a wave came in he engaged in the wave dance. He welcomed the salty waters with a scream, smile, clap and tap dance. He single handily brought the "stank leg" to the west coast. Your welcome Venice beach, you are welcome!

 Mallory was a bit more cautious of the ocean swells. She preferred chasing the birds and building sand castles. Unfortunately, the sand fleas/little critters thought Mals was super sweet and took about a million bites out of her. She was not as fond of them and swelled up like a little tomato. I'm thinking our girl may be trading sandy beaches for city streets.

 Jeff and I were grateful to have a few days to ourselves. The grandparents and Aunt Hailee were sweet as honey to grant us a few precious days to hike, paddle board, eat and drink ourselves into a peaceful state. We love our littles, but we also love time away from them. Fortunately, they were amazing for their team of babysitters. Unfortunately, upon our return they melted into a puddle of tantrums and hissy fits.

Brady turned 4! If you ask him how old he is he says "or." He starts his second year of pre school in a couple of weeks. He's pretty pumped to be an upper classman this year. I over heard him talking about the "fresh meat" coming in this year and I had to remind him that his heart belongs to Claire. Yep, our darling Claire is still around and as beautiful and sweet as ever. She starts Kindergarten this year. OMG. Brady has planned her first day of school outfit to include a shirt that states "taken."

 Da and Day! Brady calls Mallory Da and Mallory calls Brady Day. They are 2 peas in a pod. Their relationship is evolving by the minute.

 Mallory turned 2! She is growing into a strong willed, funny, caring and compassionate kid. She has developed an obsession with baby dolls and sun glasses. No departure is complete without both in tow. It is a joy to see her spirit spring to life. At times, Brady would love a bit less "spirit," but he knows she is a work in progress.

Brady and Mallory hammered down a monster cookie for their birthdays. Their mouths were stained blue for days and I think they are still coming down from the sugar high. I didn't plan a big birthday celebration this year, but we did sing and celebrate in our own special way. Both kids are lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who insisted on making their days special. Thank you!

Sum sum summ'a time

Yep, our girl rocks piggies!

Summer has kicked off in a stellar way. A visit to Mahoney State Park launched summer vay-cay into ultra cool status. That place is awesome. Brady was a huge fan of the indoor human hamster park. Ball pits, massive slides and tunnels that twist and turn for miles. We trekked 19 stories up a tower to watch the sun set. Mallory opted for a seat in my backpack while Brady climbed each and every one of those stairs by himself. He insisted his quads and gluts needed a bit of toning and this was the perfect task to get the job done. We toasted marshmallows and went on a brief hike. I say brief because half way through Brady turned into a bit of a diva and wouldn't walk through such treacherous terrain. By treacherous terrain I mean a lovely trail through a glorious wooden area. So Jeff and I took turns carrying him. He almost became a human sacrifice to the nature Gods. Grrrrr!

On the home front we've been juggling our time between summer school, speech appointments and the pool. Being the scholar that he is, Brady couldn't handle an entire summer without fine tuning his academics. While B-man is at the ol'lecture hall, Mallory and I hit the gym. It turns out that Mals is quite the athlete. She is diligently working on her first pull up and has already nailed her first push up. She is hilarious and I love seeing her little spirit evolve.

Suds and studs

Once Brady realized that "self help" skills were on his IEP he decided to tackle a couple tasks on his own, beginning with bathing. The traditional soap down indoors is too conventional and our boy likes to dabble on the fringe....hence the deck bath. His technique is solid and I applaud his environmentally inclusionary approach, which means all surfaces, objects and individuals within a 10ft radius will also be cleansed....well. I believe goggles will be a staple for the next deck bath extravaganza.

Water World

Brady made me swear not to post these pictures. He wasn't ready to reveal his swim body until he was done with the entire P90X series. This early onslaught of summer caught him off guard. The 90% humidity and mid 80's temp demands a swim suit, but with only 80 of the 90 days completed, he feels incomplete. As a compromise he went with a more full coverage swim suit today. Upon completion of the series he will unveil his European style pool ensemble. He's been substituting naps for crunches and cookies for carrots. Get ready ladies, get ready!

Home Ec

Jeff and I have decided to explore our inner pioneer by taking a stab at making many of our own household items and food. We weren't comfortable with the idea that we didn't know how to make some of the most simple cleaning items or basic foods. So we got out the horse and carriage and ventured down educational trail....via the Internet and my new bible "Making It, Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World."

You can't believe how easy it is to make your own tooth paste or all purpose cleaner! It turns out, if you have baking soda and vinegar you are 90% of the way there. I am having a blast creating my own products that I know are safe and effective. No chemicals and they are about an 1/8 of the cost. I usually spend $4.99 on one tube of toothpaste, but not anymore!!! Today, I made a toothpaste from baking soda and peppermint essential oil for about .50 cents. Brady says his breath is fresher than ever and he plans on going on a kissing tour to truly test the product. Today alone we've made toothpaste, grainless granola (paleo crunch), kiefer, polishing paste and peppermints.

Thanks to a wonderfully warm spring we have already enjoyed several of own radishes and turnips. Our little plot of land at the community garden is growing like crazy. Beautiful greens are popping up everywhere. There is no better feeling than eating something you have grown yourself. Brady has been a fantastic farmer. He planted our crop of snap peas and is the official water boy. Mallory is more interested in chasing the ally cat around. She has yet to develop her green thumb.

All of this really comes down to trying to become more self sufficient, independent and knowledgeable. All things Brady says he has had in the bag since birth.