tagalong monkey

Pearl always wants to do whatever Malcolm is doing ... 

And she is quickly becoming an expert climber ...

So I was only partially surprised when I heard laughter coming from my bedroom and went in to see two little monkeys jumping on my bed.

Long-sleeved shirt: Osh Kosh B'Gosh (hand-me-down)

Onesie: Old Navy (thrifted for $0.50)

Fleece pants: Circo (thrifted for $0.50)
 

Long-sleeved shirt: Arizona Jean Co. (thrifted for $0.50)

(Ripped!) pajama pants: Okie Dokie (hand-me-down)

I'm definitely going to have my hands full as soon as Pearl decides to ditch the crawling for walking ...

Then these two siblings will be unstoppable!

a boy and his toys

My husband is always concerned that our kids "don't have enough toys."

I think he's silly.

(Especially after hauling the multiple, over-sized boxes of toys ...  And train tables ...  And books ... During our move!)

While, I know my sisters and I had our share of possessions, I also spent many (many!) hours being creative and making up new games or situations for the things that I already had ...  I didn't necessarily need something new to grab my attention.

So, it seems (at least right now), is the case with Malcolm.

He will go for longs spans of time, basically ignoring something, then get into it full force all of a sudden.

Just this past weekend, he reacquainted himself with his collection of cars and trucks and was back to his old tricks of racing them and carefully lining them up ...

Over and over again.

Sweater: Greendog (hand me down)

Tee-shirt: Now & Zen (hand me down)

Khaki pants: Old Navy (hand me down)

Socks: Unknown brand (hand me down)

Shoes: Sperry (thrifted for $2.00)

In fact, although you can't tell from the above expression (he was actually trying to hide behind the couch), he was less than enthusiastic about me and my camera infringing upon his play time.

ghosts of the past

As has been mentioned around these parts, our house sold and we are currently residing in a "temporary" location until the short sale we bid on comes through.

To say that our current home has "history" would be a bit of an understatement.

Not only was the home built in the 1920's, and, therefore, is full of woodwork and character, it has also been in my family for decades ...  Owned first by my grandfather, then by my uncle and dad collectively, and, now, just by my dad.

But, it also has been lived in by these same people.

The downstairs unit has been graced by my great-grandparents, and my own family ...  From my birth, until the time I was nearly twelve, this was also my home.  I shared one of the two bedrooms with both of my sisters.  I played in the (small) yard (that felt huge at the time), and created plays and shows in the basement (which was set up as our playroom).

The upstairs unit, where we are living today, was where my dad grew up ...  He slept in the same bedroom that Malcolm currently calls "his."  Then, when my dad's family moved away, my uncle continued to rent the upstairs unit ... And, in more recent years, my sister and a friend lived there.

It's obvious to see that this house has been called "home" by most of my family (at one time or another), and now, here I am ...  Back with my husband and kids, and living here (albeit in a different unit) a second time. 

Making new memories in an old house.

Continuing the history that started so many years before.

While I never anticipated that our home selling (and buying) experience would put us in "The Double," I find myself happy that it did.

Yes, we are a bit squished in our two-bedroom retreat.

Yes, the kitchen is tiny and the stove is old.

Yes, it is awkward tip-toeing around the one-year-old that sleeps in the master bedroom.

And, yes, packing and moving on two separate (and closely-spaced) occasions is going to stink.

But, it is so incredibly cool to hear my dad talk to Malcolm about how he used to sleep in the same room when he was a boy ...

To see how this simple house connects generations of my family.

sibling love

While out on our last walk through the old neighborhood (last week), I snapped this photo of my kiddos.

 

 

Although I doubt that either of them will remember much about this part of their lives, I hope that they can look back at my photos (and this blog?) and see the formation of their friendship from the very beginning ...

(I know I'm happy that I'll have this space to return to once they are a bit older!)

on the lookout

This isn't exactly the "something cute" I referenced last week, but it is "real" and I think it sums up the way we've been spending the last couple days around here.

Long-sleeved shirt: Miniwear (thrifted for $1.00)

Sweatpants: Jumping Beans (hand-me-down)

Socks: Cherokee (pack of six for $8.00)

As I posted on Monday, we are half way through our move, and are currently enjoying a bit of an adjustment period in our new place.  This includes exploring the neighborhood and the house itself ...  Both of which have been a lot of fun with a three-year-old, because everything is interesting to him!

One of Malcolm's favorite things right now is to stand out on our front porch and watch (with a bird's eye view!) as various vehicles make their way up and down the street.

 

Hopefully, he continues to enjoy this little past time as the weather gets nicer and spring turns to summer ...

I, for one, will never tire of seeing his adorable expressions (like the one above!) when "favorite" vehicles (like UPS trucks or anything orange) come into view!

half way

This past weekend was "part one" of our big move ...

Since we sold our house in February, we put an offer in on a short sale and may have to wait up to four months to hear if the bank accepts the offer ... 

So, in the meantime, we (so very luckily) have moved into a rental property owned by my dad.

It is cozy (only one level and two bedrooms instead of three!), but already, it feels like home.

pudding cookies for my puddin'

Back for Pearl's birthday party, I needed a simple yet delicious cookie to add to the dessert table ...  So, I went with an old standby recipe that I got from my mother-in-law.

These "Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies" are a one bowl deal and use a box of instant pudding mix to give them a little extra flavor and keep them nice and chewy (just how I think all cookies should be!).

 

 

You will need:

 

2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of butter (or margarine)

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 box of instant pudding mix (any flavor ...  I used chocolate for this batch)

2 eggs

12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

 

To make the cookies:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 

Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and pudding mix and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed.

 

Add the flour and baking soda ...  The dough will become very thick and stiff (and hard to mix, especially if doing so by hand, but stick with it!).  Stir in the chocolate chips.

 

Roll the dough into balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and place about 1-2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined backing sheet.

 

 

Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies have set.  They will still be quite soft and doughy in the center.

 

Allow the cookies to slightly cool on the cookie sheets (for about 5 minutes) and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

 

Makes about three dozen (delicous!) cookies.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

neon and glitter (this must be another pearl post)

Every week, I tell myself that I'm going to get some pictures of Malcolm wearing something cute for my "Thursday Threads" post ...

Every week, I come up short.

Sometimes, it is because we don't have a reason to get out of our pajamas (and into anything other than sweat pants) ...  Other times, it is because he is three and doesn't particularly like to cooperate when my camera comes out of its case.

I had high hopes for a nice Easter photo of the two of them ...

But, no worries!

Pearl is usually more than happy to obligue (although she, too, is all over the place and doesn't appreciate sitting still for more than a second or two) ...

This week was no exception.

Since she only has two teeth (and does not get to eat a lot of candy just yet), Pearl's Easter basket this year was full of clothes.

And since our house is in disarray for our upcoming move (Saturday!), it was easier to pull something out of that Easter basket and put her in it ...

Long-sleeved tee-shirt: Circo (on sale for $4.20)

Onesie: Baby Gap (gift)

Fleece Pants: Wonderkids (thrifted for $0.50)

Socks: Old Navy (gift)

 

Luckily, it was cute.

pearl's first birthday bash (a recap)

The month of March was a whirlwind of activity!

Between prepping and packing for moving and planning a first birthday party for my girl (that would hold up to the standard set by her brother's first birthday party), I am lucky that I'm still in one piece!

But it was all worth it ... 

(I love it when an idea just comes together!)

Pearl's pink and green owl party theme came from a cute invitation I found and purchased on Etsy back in January (nothing like getting a jump on things!).

I originally planned on making an owl-shaped cake out of cupcakes (sort of like the octopus cake for Malcolm's third birthday), but changed gears at the last possible moment when I found the following pattern during a Google search. 

I adapted it slightly for my needs and wants, and ended up with this ...

 

 

I had just enough cake left over for a small "smash cake" so that Pearl could dig in ...

 

 

And "dig in" she did (she practically ate the entire thing)!!

 

 

All in all, everything went off without a hitch and everyone had a great time celebrating my baby girl's first birthday!

Now, hopefully, moving goes just as smoothly ...