Happy Half-Birthday, Clive!

I am in shock that our Clive turned 6 months old today! Where have the last six months gone?!?

Clive Simeon had his 6 month appointment today and he weighed in at 17 lbs. 9 oz. and measured 27.5 inches long. He's a good sized baby.

Clive is the happiest baby ever (are you tired of hearing about that yet?)! He smiled at everyone in the doctor's office today except the doctor. :)

We celebrated his half-birthday by going to Hudson and eating cookies (the cupcake shop was closed). Poor Clive didn't get to partake in the cookie feasting though. He's stuck eating mashed sweet potatoes and bananas.

So far he has two teeth that are steadily pushing through his lower gum line. He rolls around and stands very well. Sitting up he's still wobbly at. He is incredibly active and wiggly ALL THE TIME. When he starts crawling we'll really be in trouble.

Here are some of my fave photos of our smiley guy.

A cheese blessing

Some days, God really makes me smile.

Late this morning Chloe and I ran out to get a few groceries. Grocery shopping always takes longer with a toddler and before I knew it my stomach was growling for some lunch.

Since I'm trying hard to avoid cheap fast food I quickly considered my lunching options. What I truly craved was a few protein-packed slices of salami paired with a morsel of cheese.

We approached the deli counter and as I asked for various meats my mind raced. Would it sound silly to buy just one piece of cheese to go along with my salami? Is that even allowed? Will the deli lady think I'm trying to mooch a free piece of cheddar if I ask?

As we finished our order, I asked for a piece of cheese for Chloe. Our local grocery chain gives free cheese to little ones and Chloe looks forward to that cheesy goodness every time we shop.

Lo and behold the deli lady hands over Chloe's cheese and it's a little thicker than normal. Two slices were stuck together! One for me and one for Chloe. God is so good to care about even my silliest desires. Thanks for that tiny blessing today, Father!

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" [Luke 11:9-13]

Home sweet home

After 10 hours on the road, we were unspeakably relieved to pull into our own driveway late Sunday night.

The trip was long but good overall. Matt and I took turns sitting in the back with the kiddos reading books to Chloe and/or feeding Clive. Clive was obviously fed up with sitting in his carseat at hour 8. So we stopped for dinner and thoroughly tired him out (it is impossible for him to fall asleep in a busy crowded place - he's such a social kid). The last 2.5 hours in the car were a breeze! Clive slept soundly and Chloe was content to listen quietly to her Patch the Pirate cd.

We got home and jumped into a busy week so unpacking has been slow. I'm so thankful my hubby is being understanding about that!

Ah. Dorothy was right; there's no place like home.

Click here to see our vacation photos.

Vacation pics and snippets

Since I'm pumped about getting to bed before 11 tonight (yay for Clive finally eating some solids and sleeping longer!) I'll give you the highlights of our vacation thus far in bullet points. I feel like I save time when I'm not using a verbose format. :)

• Chloe has made two sand castles on various Lake Michigan beaches.
• Clive is the smiliest, easiest, happiest baby in the universe.
• I'm eating way too much cheese.
• Chloe's tummy does not agree with the sour tastes of rhubarb.
• Peanut butter kiss custard. 'Nuff said. :)
• Chloe got her hair cut. It's 3 inches shorter now and she looks like such a big girl!
• We are making a royal cluttery mess of my mom's condo.
• Clive is becoming a pro at bottle-holding and toe-grabbing.
• Chloe is a dancing, singing, head-phone obsessive, imaginative, lovable nut.
  
• Though it's tough to be away from home with two little ones, I'm loving being around family and friends.

Blogging on Vacation?

We arrived safely in Wisconsin after a vvvvvvvvvvery long drive and a heavy rain storm. It's so good to be in my home town! Though I seem to have temporarily forgotten what city driving is like . . . And the highway/street names didn't all come back to my brain like I expected.

My mom has wireless internet access at her place so I'll be able to check my email and keep up on blogging as time permits. I'm not so sure about reading blogs while I'm away. At home I usually check the old blog reader throughout the day since I have it set on my google homepage.

Which brings me to my question for you all: How do you keep up with blogging while you're away from home?

Traveling Tips

Tomorrow we'll be hitting to road for an 8 1/2 hour drive to Wisconsin. Yikes!

We plan to attend church, stay for lunch, and then hit the road. Hopefully the kids will take long afternoon naps in the car (Clive digs car movement). Then we'll stop for dinner and stretch our legs. The timing should work out nicely. Because predicting how road trips will go with two small children is always a breeze. :) Right.

Today we need to pack and do all the finalizing errands and tasks necessary for our two week absence. Packing is my number one priority today and it just struck me that I haven't planned any traveling diversions for Chloe yet. I usually like to get her some new books, cds, or toys to make the trip go by faster. But I haven't done any of that this time around!

That's why I need your help. Any one have any creative traveling tips for us? I so wish we had a portable dvd player . . .

Old friends

Last night we got to catch up with some very old friends. Ray & Jen Arnett (nee Pischke) were in Cleveland for a library conference so they stopped by for a dinner visit.

I've known Jen since we were teenagers. A lot has changed since then!

The Arnetts have two darling girls, Kathleen and Faith. Chloe was thrilled to have two playmates on her turf! They succeeded in getting out almost every toy of Chloe's and making a royal mess. They had a ball though.

And we adults had a ball too! We caught up on life events from the past four years and chatted it up about libraries, Matt's studies, life in small town Michigan, cloth diapering, and much more.

Thanks for coming guys! If you (or any of you bloggers out there) are ever in the Cleveland/Akron area you're welcome for dinner and fellowship!

Isn't it fun to get together with old pals? How do you stay in touch with your longtime friends?

Summer Schedule

It's hot and humid here in Northeast Ohio. It's finally starting to feel like summer!

Our summer calendar is pretty filled already.

Here's how our summer breaks down:

• Weekly summer story times at the library for both kiddos
• Weekly summer Bible study on Monday evenings
• Bi-monthly playdates with Bible study ladies and their kids
• Monthly Girls Night Out dates with Bible study pals (This month we're doing a fondue night! Woo-hoo!)
  
• Two week vacation to Wisconsin in June
• In-laws visit for most of July
• Wedding in August
• Chloe's 3rd birthday in August (can my baby be turning three already?!?)

What are you up to this summer? Any vacations planned?