New fave activity for Madeleine is lying on the Boppy watching Conor play.

Budding Artist

Today we set up an artist's studio in our driveway so Conor could do a painting for his new big boy room. Following in the steps of his Pop-Pop, he took paint to canvas and created a modern masterpiece he titled simply: "Dino."






And the result in his room (not hung up yet...hopefully that part won't take as long as hanging the pictures in our bedroom and office...) Also note the horrible shade of turquoise blue that I chose for Conor's walls--I was nine months pregnant (I have to have an excuse for this so I'm claiming MAJOR baby brain) and as soon as I saw the painters putting it up, I should have told them to stop and headed to the paint store. Oh well.

Funny Conor Conversation...they're really unlimited...

Conor woke up from his nap today and yelled out his normal--Mummy, I'm awake, where are you?!?! When I went up and opened his blinds he said: "Look, the world is awake and it woke me up too!" He then went into Madeleine's room to see her and proclaimed: "Ohhhhh, she's lovely."
Where do these things come from?

Daddy Is So Busted

Tonight at dinner...
I turn off the TV as we sit down to dinner.
Conor: Why are you turning off the TV?
Me: Because we don't watch TV while we're eating dinner.
Conor: Well then Daddy gets a time out.
Me: Why?
Conor: Because he's not being a good listener because he watches TV when he's eating his dinner.

A Life Well Lived

Last week, we lost Andy's grandmother, Jill Davidson. She was just a few weeks away from celebrating her 101st birthday...pretty amazing. GG, as she was known to Conor, was someone I liked from the first moment I met her 10 years ago when she unabashedly declared her love for Bill Clinton despite the fact he was embroiled in scandal at the time. A true and proud Democrat through and through, GG was always ready for a great debate, a word of advice or a recommendation of a good book. It was wonderful to see how proud she was of her family...of Andy and the man he'd become personally and professionally. We're so lucky that Conor got to meet his great grandmother--we'll all treasure the image of GG with Conor on her lap singing "patty cake, patty cake, baker's man..."

We certainly can't lament a full life lived to 100, but we can definitely miss her.

Here's the obituary as it appeared in the Denver Post:
Jill Davidson, 100, of Denver, passed away peacefully on July 18, 2010 after a brief illness. Born in Texas in 1909, she grew up on a farm with her 7 siblings and taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Guymon, OK during the Dust Bowl. She married AJ (Jack) Davidson in 1937 and settled in Denver in 1955. Jill always saw the best in every situation and in every person; she was a wonderful storyteller, a loyal friend, and an inspiration to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed by her many friends and family and the entire staff of the Heritage Club Mountain View. Jill is survived by 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren, and 4 greatgrandchildren. Contributions can be made to: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, The Gathering Place, or the Denver Art Museum.

Update to Hot, Hot, Hot...

Finally convinced Conor to wear some short PJs...just in time for the AC to come back on.

Hot, Hot, Hot

It's hot as anything here today--heat index of about 100 and really humid. With the construction around the house, our AC is out...needless to say, we're roasting at night. And of course, Conor insists on picking out his PJs--a real problem since he currently has an affinity for footie fleece ones. The other day, I told him he should wear lighter pyjamas and he responded: "Actually I'm going to wear these because I'm a little bit chilly because there's a little bit of a breeze..." This kid will be selling swamp land in Florida or working on Wall Street!

So, I finally came to my senses and pulled all fleece PJs out of his drawer thereby limiting his choices. Last night he instead chose the cotton ones with snow flakes on them--of course he did. When he woke up in the middle of the night crying out asking for water and sweating (like a kid wearing snowflake PJs...) I asked him if he wanted to take off his clothes and sleep in his undies so he'd be cooler. Of course not. In the morning, he woke up and came into our room. Sadie was lying next to the fan panting. Conor looked at me and remembering our exchange from the middle of the night said: "do you think Sadie wants to take off her fur so she'll be cooler?"

On a separate note, Madeleine is starting to really look at me and smile...they're fleeting, but there and so fun to see. Here she is just hanging out in the hotbox known as our house--wide awake at 9pm.

And so I gave in...

Last night I was talking to my mum, telling her another funny story about Conor and she said: "you know, you should really write these down." So, today I gave in, pushed aside my "I hate blogs" attitude and picked up the laptop. I now vow to chronicle little moments (or big moments!) of our family's journey so we'll be able to look back and enjoy the memories. It's such a cliche, but as you're just trying to get through each day, you can lose perspective and forget the special little moments that happen.
Today as I start this, Conor is a rambunctious two and a half, Madeleine is a sweet seven weeks old and Andy and I are quickly approaching 35... Seriously, how did this happen??
And then came the tough job of actually putting a name to this blog. Growing up, my dad used to tell us fantastical stories--knights, princesses, special monsters who ate the bubbles from the farts in the tub (yup, you heard it right!). Jeremy and I used to call these made up stories "stories from your mouth." Conor has inherited that love for stories--both from books and from the mouth. At night, you can hear him telling stories to the zoo he keeps in his bed. So, what better name for this blog to take on. And funny enough, tonight at dinner, Conor started telling a "story from his mouth" and Andy was able to capture one of them on video.