Currently Link up

Currently, we're linking up with Randalin and Wendy to let you know what we're up to this week.

Mama is...

Enjoying the mini vacations we keep taking. They may not be to exotic locales, but they are relaxing enough that we sometimes forget what day it is. To me, that's always the sure sign of a good time being had by all.

Learning to manage my time. Usually Keith and I have really been trying to give each other time to get work done so that we aren't resentful of each other. That means we have to plan and manage the free time that we do have, so that it's put to good use.

Inspired by people on Instagram and other bloggers. There is one person on Instagram in particular who has inspired me to get creative with my cooking. She's always posting pictures of her dinner or lunch and I'm always salivating. One night I decided to truly be inspired. I made a dish similar to one she had posted that very afternoon, and it was a huge hit with my tummy and with Keith and Cole's.

Becoming a high school teacher. I'm not counting the weeks yet because it's still July, and I don't count weeks when it's still July. But soon, I will officially be a high school teacher. For years, telling people I was a middle school teacher garnered a lot of sympathy and raised eyebrows. "You do what? Why?" I'm glad that will be a thing of the past.

Indulging in hot dogs. For some reason this summer, I've really started to like hot dogs. It used to be that I could never really eat more than one because they'd fill me up and I'd get a little grossed out by what I'd just eaten. But, now we have sauerkraut and hot dogs on our regular grocery list. We either get the nitrate free dogs from Applegate and those are delicious. Or we buy them from the grass-fed butcher and those are out of this world.

Cole is...

Enjoying painting on his easel. Several times a week, I break out the paints and he just has at it. Since I'm no artist, I don't mind if he mixes colors and makes a mess.

Learning the small details about what Mama and Dada prefer. He may not be great at listening to the important things, like "Don't throw your sippy" or "Please stop bouncing on the couch," but he sure knows what we like. The other day Keith asked him what he wanted to drink and he said coffee. Keith said, "What kind of coffee?" Cole's replied, "Decafa" (my coffee of choice). Keith then decided to go a little further and see if Cole really knew what he was talking about (as if answering "Decaf" wasn't enough). So Keith said, "How do you take it? What do you like in it?" Cole answered, "Sugar." We both looked at each other in astonishment. Keith pushed a little further, "Anything else?" Cole replied "Milk with my sugar."

Inspired by Pete from Pete's a Pizza. Pete runs around the house being chased by his father. Cole likes to be naked and do the same thing. He pretends he's Pete. It's kind of funny, until he stops and looks like he's trying not to pee on the floor.

Becoming a real camper. He listens a bit more now when we tell him not to go in the road (although not all of the time). He actually sits on the bench when we eat dinner and eats with us. (We got him this awesome high chair that clips onto the picnic bench, but ever since we stopped using the booster seat at home, he wants nothing to do with said awesome high chair.) He walks in the center of the paths that are surrounded by poison ivy, and he doesn't drop food everywhere. He likes to roast marshmallows, but he's not as interested in eating them. He stays a good distance away from the fire and seems to understand somewhat that it's dangerous. (I think the smoke and the heat are the biggest clues). AND he can even fall asleep when there are people partying nearby. A bigger plus is that he stays asleep when Keith and I have to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Indulging in ice pops. He must ask me about 3-4 times a day for an ice pop. I got the idea from Randalin to make my own ice pops for Cole and he loves these the best, although he'd anything as long as it is frozen and on a stick of some sort.  So as soon as he's done with breakfast, the ice pop indulgence begins.