A lost post!
So, to share a little secret with you all, I often upload pictures into posts that I don't publish, but come along later to add a few words then publish them. It's an efficient way to post without putting up 10 posts once every two weeks. Anyhow, this post never got published. A treasure, it is! From a late evening playdate with the fabulous Echo.

Echo and Moon, being beautiful princesses. ALL the girly-ness of these two shone ALL night.
Doing gymnastics. They had an obstacle course set up, but I didn't photograph the whole scene as I should have.

2 Fancy ladies, watching Hairspray. Notice the wardrobe change here. I think that was somewhere around the fifth change, not too far after a round of assorted swimwear.

By the end of the night there were some delirious little girls!

Owen's Train Party

Best Pal Owen had his third birthday last week.
Notice the conductor hats. So cute.
Kids moving their box trains around, post painting/decorating

Monkeys in a tree. Thanks for spotting them John!

Lan was there too, making googly eyes at all the mama's.

Family

I have not wanted to write this post, but I cannot have this blog without sharing this past week. My uncle Stan (my mama's brother) died last week, leaving so many sad, sad friends and family. It was such a gift to get to spend time with his girls this last week, opening my heart and experiencing a bit of their journey. So much more sadness and healing on the way. I miss my cousins already and hope to see them again soon.

Kim, Jen and Brandy. Kim's husband Pete in the background.

Kim, Pete and Lanny. Lanny was SO SPOILED with snuggles this last week.
Lanny on his first airplane ride to Spokane. A trip without Moon.

Lanny keeping spirits up for the moment

Extra time with Nan and Papou

We are so blessed to have such a big, beautiful family to share all of life's experiences with.

Watermelon!

Our co-op had 20lb organic watermelons for less than $3 last week. Such a great deal!

Lanny gnawed on some rind

Moon was sent outside to eat

Another trip to the zoo!

These are from last week. Fun fun fun!
A big and a little, sitting in the eagles nest

Moon and O on the tractor

Lovers Quarrel

Not quite as big as the bears...

Bad Mama!

Since poor Lanny is the second child, he doesn't have a baby book. So I am recording things here for him. Today he weighed just under 17lbs. Major weight gain in one month! Almost 2 lbs.

A visit from Uncle Jared and Marissa

Last week we were lucky enough to be spoiled with the fun of these two. It was great timing to have them come visit since Patrick is completely swamped with work and gigs this month. That means lots of solo-parenting for me (and lots of the use of the babysitter!).
Anyhow, we ate delicious Lebanese food from my favorite place, Ya Hala, drank wine and then went to Hawthorne to hang out the next day. That is something I never do, even though that trendy little district is just 5 minutes away.
Moon got some fancy bangles. A consolation after not getting a fancy lady bag and heels at the consignment store. Poor fashionista!

Lanny Manny

The flash gets him every time!

An Outside Afternoon

Manny, chilling in Mama's lap

Moon "climbing the pole"

Practicing her scooter

While Papa played us some music

Lanny's teething photo set

All while big sis was doing this

Happy kids; Happy parents!

Manly turns 6 months!

What a big guy you have become my little guy! You got your first tooth last week, have stopped sleeping like a dream (probably related to that teething thing!), have found your very loud screeching voice and most wildly, have started to notice when Mama is not in the room! You scream for me and reach for me and do so many other sweet sweet things to remind me that while I have many roles in life, my primary one is MAMA.
I love you so much and you bring me this joy that only a mama can know. And it is a different joy than I had with your sister! It's amazing how parenting 2 children can be so different! I have found my mama-flow, so things are easier in many ways. But, much to my sadness, you are often not the center of my world the way that Moon was. But life has also given you the gift of this amazing, wild, full of love big sissy who makes your face light up while the rest of us cringe! I don't know how you deal with the intensity and loudness of her, but that's the magic of you two.
We have started having 2 mornings a week together without Moon and while we spend most of the time running around doing errands, it is my special Manly Lanny time, full of snuggling you in the carrier and smooching all of your fat little rolls.
I love you baby boy and am so thankful for everyday with you and your big sister. One day you will understand what an amazing gift you are to your Papa and I. And it will humble all of us as much as your birth. xoxo Mama

Lanny's first trip to the Zoo!

We saw a hippo (and Moon was laughing about taking a picture of it's bun)
And a zebra; the only thing Moon wanted to see.

Loving the fishies

We also went thru a special dinosaur exhibit.
Here are some baby somthingoranother's

And Lanny by a big guy...

And Moon enjoying climbing on rocks more than anything else. Very Moon.

A visit from Cousin Amelia

2 girls, about to go on a walk to the 'bucks!
Matching girls! A 2nd birthday present for Amelia!

Waiting for the bubbles to drop...

Yay!!!!!

Oaks Park

Our local year round amusement park has a preschooler morning a couple days a week. Much fun, but many of the rides are too big for these little people.
These two looked tough while waiting, but once the ride got going they looked bored/confused/anything but excited.

No Media!

See, Lan gets to do fun stuff too!