Little One | Spring gifts

I am charmed by these pants—Diane von Furstenberg for Gap—and this set of wooden Wind in the Willows characters. I highly suggest you buy one both of these for your babies. Or mine. And yes I would put in Bruno in those Zebra leggings in a heartbeat.

Seb | New sweater

Someone is feeling better, and looking mighty fine, if I do say so, in the new sweater Mamaw made him. Unfortunately Bruno is feeling the full impact of the virus now. While he napped for a bit this afternoon, Sebastian and I spent a little while on our balcony planting the basil plant we bought at the farmer's market last week. There is nothing like outside time to refresh this little guy.

We had a good visit with Cody's parents, despite the fact that Sebastian was very sick the entire time. I wouldn't call it "fun" but it was certainly comforting to have them with us. We couldn't have made it through the weekend without them. I actually feel pretty rested, and not very stressed, which I can promise you wouldn't have been the case without their help and encouragement. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Seb | The first virus

Our dear Sebastian is experiencing his first tussle with a stomach virus. I took this picture Friday afternoon, when I thought he was just feeling yucky because of his allergies, only to find out a couple hours later that it was the calm before the storm. Poor little man. We took him to the ER last night because he seemed so weak. It seems that it was unnecessary, but I talked to a nurse on the phone who suggested that we go, so we went, and we were there forever. But no surprise there. I do, however, have a peace of mind about this virus that I know I wouldn't have had if we hadn't gone. Now we're just eternally grateful that Cody's parents are in town for the time being and have been so helpful in keeping us clean, fed, and rested. 

But please pray for us. Pray that Sebastian heals quickly, that Bruno can escape this virus (and me and Cody, too), that we don't inadvertently pass it on to others, and that Cody can finish well in these last days of final papers and tests. We're almost there!

Praying that you and your family stay healthy amidst so much sickness.

Toys & Books | Duplo

I have so many things to blog about, like Cody's last day of classes at Duke, trips to the park, hilarious things that my babies are doing these days, and Bruno reaching the 10 mo. mark. But as is often the case when I have so much to share that I don't know where to start, I am breaking the blog silence by sharing with you something that, in the grand scheme of things, is pretty insignificant: Duplo. Who am I kidding? It's life-changing. Whatever great thing you've heard about other blocks is a lie. Duplo is where it's at. I want to kiss the person that thought of these blocks. The only thing that could make them better would be if they were made available in more natural colors... I, of course, would love that. But as is, they're not so bad. Even this mama couldn't part with her Duplo when she rid her home of every toy that wasn't eco friendly or made of wood! They are pure magic, I tell you.

A few nights ago when Katie came over, Sebastian sat on the floor with his Duplo and made a dinosaur while we talked. No one told him to make one, and no one told him how to make it. It was his first real show of creativity with blocks, and I couldn't have been more thrilled at seeing his imagination in action.

I have been thinking a lot about what things we'll be taking with us to Germany, and Duplo is at the top of my list. Even if for some reason Sebastian's interest in Duplo waned, Bruno's will pick up.

But I don't think we need to worry about Sebastian...

North Carolina | What we'll leave behind

When I think of leaving Durham, I'm honestly not that bothered by it. I knew that we would only be here for a short time, and as hard as it is to leave any home we build, we also feel ready for the next thing. But then... I think of the people we love so much, and feel as though I would live here forever. Durham is home to some of the most beautiful people I know. It doesn't seem to matter that many of these people are also transient Durham residents, and that they too will be leaving soon. We're leaving first and I just don't like that.

At the end of this week we were able to spend some beautiful hours with two very dear friends. Lounging, playing, talking with Miss Katie, and a nice long walk downtown to a new ice cream place with Miss Megan and Finnegan. I will miss these two so so very much (almost as much as Sebastian).

We love you Katie and Megan, and the rest of the beautiful Durham crowd! Thank you for making our lives here so sweet.

Brothers | Two peas

These pictures sum up their relationship perfectly. Hilarity mixed with adoration. Bruno just can't get enough of Sebastian, and Sebastian loves nothing more than to make Bruno laugh. Seb's goofiest side comes out around his little brother, just to make him laugh, and sometimes he shows his tenderness toward Bruno by sitting next to him during a diaper change and singing, "Jesus Loves You."

I can't imagine two more beautiful, loving, hilarious boys.

P.S. More of these brothers

Shop | Ferse Verse!

There is something so sublime about a thick, quality tea towel, and Ferse Verse delivers. It is a personal (and yes, frivolous) goal of mine to have a well-stocked supply of tea towels in my kitchen. They are beautiful, soft, dry dishes so perfectly, and make lovely bread basket liners. Win!

via

Home | Beat the heat

I love warm weather—hot weather, even. But when it comes to wearing Bruno, chasing Seb, and somehow keeping the 3 of us from getting sunburned, afternoons in North Carolina can be a little challenging. I will never ceased to be amazed with the fact that it keeps getting warmer until 5 o'clock here! In Ohio, you can expect the temperature to reach it's peak between noon and 1 o'clock. I've probably been guilty of repeating this fact to my friends numerous times (sorry!), but I'm still not used to the difference. This isn't so fun on cold days, because when it's cold, it's going to be really cold in the morning. But when it's expected to be in the high 80's, mornings are sublime. My new goal is to take the boys out first thing in the morning, so that if it's just too hot, we can pick some indoor activities for the afternoon/evening hours. Today we took Cody to school at 9:00 a.m. and headed straight to Forest Hills Park, one of our favorites. I wore Bruno in the Ergo most of the time, but after a while he started getting antsy, so I let him out to do a little exploring on his own. I love watching his world expand as we get to introduce him to new things and finally let him participate in the activities Seb loves.

Speaking of Seb... he's in the, "You can take my picture if you can catch me!" phase of life, so in case you were feeling that I love Bruno more because there is more photographic evidence of his cuteness, rest assured that all is well with my big man Seb. Although it would be nice if he'd sit for a picture every now and again...

Bruno | Discovery

Last Thursday we took an evening trip to the library. While I was waiting for Seb to hop out of his seat or do something or other that makes a toddler move like molasses, Bruno discovered the cold, foggy window. I guess I shouldn't have let him lick it, but obviously, I did anyway. In fact, it was so adorable, you get three pictures of him in action. Sensory development, right? I love this curious little man who is growing up way too fast.

North Carolina | Warming up

We've  had some fairly consistent warmth for the last two weeks now, and it's been glorious to say the least. Sandals and shorts have been slowly making their way into our wardrobes, and our balcony door is being left open more and more. The heat is off, and the air smells sweet. Last Tuesday we enjoyed a picnic at Duke Gardens, and one afternoon Bruno and I enjoyed a walk there with friends. We stopped to rest in the grass for a bit, and Bruno got his first dirty feet and taste of grass (and twigs and dirt, ahem). On Sunday, Cody wore Sebastian out so much with hours of playing outside that he fell asleep on the couch for the first time in his life... stinking adorable, that's what.

I love you, sunshine.

Little one | Play idea

Sebastian is really into games right now. He discovered our board game stash hidden away in a vintage suitcase and he's never been the same. But how on earth do you play a board game with a 2-year-old? Last week Seb was particularly determined to play Sorry!, which I quickly discovered he had already played with daddy... he wanted to get a Sorry! card so badly that when he didn't draw one after a few tries he started saying, "Sorry!" and swiping my piece off the board and across the room. Obviously, toddlers don't feel the need to play by the rules, which got me to thinking... he really didn't need all the particular pieces and elements of the game, he just wanted a part of it. He wanted to play in a way that he could understand, and yet would feel special and new. Likewise, Cody quickly discovered that when he plays Chutes and Ladders with Seb, that the really fun part for him are the action parts, i.e. going up the ladders and down the chutes.

So when Seb and I played Sorry!, we took away the choking hazardous pieces (since Bruno was playing, too) and used the wooden rings from our Melissa and Doug rainbow stacker. It was more like air hockey than Sorry!, but is that a bad thing?

Holiday | Easter

This Holy week was wonderful and exhausting, but also very exciting as we've been able to better explain to Sebastian what it all means. At our church's Maundy Thursday service, Cody washed Seb's feet, and thus taught Seb how Jesus washed his friends feet. On Good Friday, Sebastian went up the cross and helped his daddy place little white papers with our names on them at the foot of the cross, to symbolize us dying to ourselves. And of course, on Easter morning, we celebrated our risen King with Easter ties, jars filled with tasty treats, and lunch followed by an egg hunt at friend's house. And before bed and nap times this week, I read to Sebastian about the Last Supper, the crucifixion and Jesus' Resurrection.

Cody and I normally observe the Sabbath from sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday, so Easter started last night for us. We watched Easter Parade, which of course doesn't really have anything to do with Easter, but seems like a good tradition to us, and ate Easter treats. Since I'm still on my diet, I made these raw vegan brownies, which were absolutely delicious. I didn't have time to take a picture of them because, of course, I was eating them.

Happy Easter season, my friends! May you be blessed by our risen Lord Jesus.

P.S. Sebastian picked his Easter "basket" off the floor, but Bruno apparently had felt that it belonged to him, so he lunged towards Seb, grabbed him around the leg and growled. Ooo boy.