a texas tradition

 Bluebonnets in the spring. Absolutely beautiful. Texas has fantastic traditions, but this is certainly one of my favorites. Thank you, Lady Bird Johnson!

Being out in the field today with Chickee made me think of this fantastic poem that my friend, Kat, had given to me/her as a present at one of my showers before she was born.

Texas Child

Blessed is the child who is Texas born,

Where the wind blows free

And the sun shines warm;

Where children grow up to be honest and true,

To believe in themselves and in what they can do.

Dew-sprinkled mornings, star-studded nights,

Fields strewn with wildflowers, big-city lights,

Sand-dollar beaches, and Hill Country streams,

Wild western vistas as wide as your dreams.

It's all a part of the state you call home,

and a part of your heart, wherever you roam.

Tall tales 'round the campfire,

or on grandma's knee,

Rich with legends and heroes, a proud history.

So dear Texas child, just revel in glory!

Some day you'll write your own Texas story.

- Kathryn Designs

I do love my "Texas Child"! 

beach babe

A "first" for our whole family... a trip to the Texas coast! Everything about the weekend was absolutely perfect. 

Weather: sunny, 80s, light breeze. 

View: scenic view of the ocean. 

Accommodations: snuggled up in our tent. 

The tent! Our neighbors referred to it as the Taj Mahal of tents. Ha!

Activities: walks on the beach, wading in the salty water, sitting on the shore listening to the waves, and for the "man's man" in our family- fishing and a visit to an aircraft carrier. 

My fly fisherman. He is fantastic.

  

Dad helps Chickee dip her feet in the water. I think she liked it!

A quick tour around the USS Lexington.

 Doesn't get much better than that, folks. 

 Corpus, we'll be back...

"i hear you cluckin', big chicken"

One of my favorite smells in the world is the aroma of a library. I can smell it right now. It takes me back to my college years, nestling myself in the basement of the library where the old periodicals were kept and perusing endless articles for research projects. Those were the good 'ol days. Ah...the smell of knowledge. 

My reading material has slightly changed these days. Now I am enjoying sharing my love of books with one of the loves of my life. Lately we've been making library visits part of our weekly routine. Even though she is more interested in "eating" the books, there is, of course, still so much value in reading them to her: she gets to be exposed to language, she can study pictures and images, and best yet- we get to cozy up together.

And children's books can be so entertaining! Bart and I get some good belly laughs from reading them. 

Bart and Chickee enjoy "Little Chicken's Big Day"

I can't wait to make even more "reading memories" with her and with our family.

~ ~ ~ ~

Children are made readers in the laps of their parents.   -Emilie Buchwald

We read to know we are not alone.   -C.S. Lewis

grow, girl, grow!

So it's official: my Chickadee is growing up too fast. I keep telling her to slow down a little, but she is full steam ahead.

Proof we're growing?
* She is now wearing size 24 months clothing and size 2T. I even had to buy her a 3T the other day in one brand; granted, that brand did run small. But hello! the girl is only 5 months old! Ha!
* She can successfully roll from her back to her tummy, which is hilarious in and of itself because she does not like "tummy time". So the fact that she voluntarily rolls herself into that position is so funny. She enjoys being there for about 30 seconds and then is calling out for a little help!
* She can now sit on her own! Until yesterday she could balance in the sitting position, but let's be honest, it wasn't true sitting; it was the tummy chub that was holding her there. Now she's using that strong core that she has to sit up like a big girl. Must be from all that BodyPump she did when she was in utero.

In this house we are notorious for changing the words to songs and books to make it fit the moment. So, adapted from "Go, Dog, Go"- "Grow, Girl, Grow"!!

spring has sprung!

To celebrate, Chickee picked her first flower yesterday! Then tried to eat it. Then was very confused as to why I took it away. Life is hard when you are 4 months old.

Happy Spring, everyone!