Our New Normal

Since getting home from the beach, we've started to fall (no pun intended) into a routine of- dare I say it?!- normalcy. Ah, it feels good.

The unpacking is a handful of boxes away from being done, the room decor is starting to take shape, and aside from the noticeable lack of furniture, this place feels like and is starting to look like HOME.

Here's a look into what a week of our new normal looks like:

We explore. Every day. Multiple times a day.

We sit and search for frogs (Ryan's idea to actually pull the chairs over and relax while looking for them, hah).

We snuggle in tight while we search for all the things there are to find... until she's old enough to keep up with her brother on foot- cannot wait to see the two of them run around together!

We pick berry-looking-things from berry-looking bushes.

We take the front loader off roading to do front loader jobs.

We find all the sticks there are to find and then I run interference when Tally doesn't understand that certain sticks are very special and aren't to be eaten (I should record myself saying this to Tally: "Tally that's Ryan's stick, you take this one," and this to Ryan: "Sorry buddy, it's hard for him to understand that you want to give him some sticks but not others.")

Don't you dare take this stick, Tal. ;)

We makes messes when we eat because when you get really excited about eating it tends to go ev.er.y.where. But with that two-tooth grin, she can make all the messes she wants.

We stalk the plumber who's working on a repair and find Daddy's glasses and say things like, "I'm a cool dude" as we watch (rather closely) the very nice and patient plumber fix.

We play/eat legos and build lots of "tall towers"

We clean... usually in the same spot for a longer-than-necessary time, but we clean. ;)

We have friends visit who bring baby pumpkins and flowers and then we use them to decorate for FALL! (Ryan did the decorating... thought long and hard about where each pumpkin and the flowers should go... and then I did some rearranging the next day.) ;)

We get a little upset when the bottle is not ready on time and then big brother swoops in and puts his arm around his little sister and mom puts the bottle on an even longer delay while she holds in the tears and snaps a picture. Because these are the moments that must be caught, right?!

We have playdates and all the kids and their mamas FIT and we get to see the little munchkins eating on the patio right through the kitchen sink window as the mamas go back and forth with more pizza bagels, wipes, fruit, wipes, water, wipes, crackers... and wipes. And then we come up with the idea of just getting a hose and spraying everyone down the next time they all share a meal on the patio.

We watch the girls give Tally haircuts with Ryan's toy wrench and feed him his food individually by hand as he soaks up every ounce of undivided attention (because this pup loves undivided attention).

That's about what our new normal looks like. And we are big, big fans.