35 weeks: Coconut

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Ahh coconuts.  This reminds me of my honeymoon.  Mr. Destructo was trying to knock a coconut from a tree with a plank he found on the beach.  He eventually succeeded in getting one after I nearly peed my pants laughing at how ridiculous he looked, cracked it open, and realized it wasn't ripe.  Good times, good times.  

Oh what I wouldn't give to go back to Costa Rica

How far along: 35 weeks.  This question is really redundant since I title the blog post with what week I am in.  I will actually be 36 weeks tomorrow though.

Total weight gain:  Up 24 pounds again this week.  I am wondering if weight gain will slow way down in the last few weeks like it did with Destructo.  I actually lost two pounds in the final two weeks with him.

 Maternity clothes:  Yes all of them.

 Stretch marks:  I have a few new ones on my hips. Please let my stomach be spared yet again.  Only a few more weeks to go.  Or less.  But not too much less since I did manage to get Destructo's bag packed, but my hospital bag at this point consists of a stack of four clothing items on my dresser and a mental note to bring the camera.

 Sleep:  A tiny bit better than last week but still sucky.  I am at least getting more two hour stretches so that helps.  I feel human like again.  I dread the newborn sleep deprivation torture all over again.  I am a really not nice sucky person when sleep deprived and my fuse is non existent.  This doesn't bode well for taking care of Destructo since a lot of days dealing with his shenanigans takes the patience of a saint.

Best moment of this week:  My baby shower/ sprinkle.  It was so fun to get together with family and friends and celebrate the baby.  And spending time with Destructo.  I am going to miss it being just me and him all the time.  I wish I could have had more time as a stay at home mom with him before the baby came.  I am loving getting to do school work and arts and crafts and outside time every day and I know the baby will throw a kink in that.  Not that I am not excited about the baby, but I just really wish I could have had a bit more stay at home mom to only one kid time.  

 Miss anything:  Not having some sort of pain and being able to freely breathe. 

Movement:   He has had quite a quiet week.  I guess he is running out of room in there and not moving as much.

Food cravings:  Still just milk like always.  Milk is so good.  Quite the conundrum for this lactose intolerant person.

Have you started to show yet:  I am a beached whale.

Gender:  Baby boy who will probably never have a name.  

 Labor signs:  Braxton Hicks and I had some pretty intense period like cramping two nights in a row that was so bad it kept me up.  A few quite painful contractions sporadically.

 Belly button in or out:  Out yuck.

Wedding rings on or off:  My hands are swollen enough now that I am not chancing it.  Same old, same old this week although I still can get them on my hands.

Happy or moody most of the time:   Excited to meet the baby, but anxious for time to pass and life to settle back into it's new normal once he is here.  I really hate change and I dread getting used to taking care of two kids and figuring out how to best manage Captain Destructo when I can't devote 100% of my time to him.  Oh and for sleep.  I like sleep.  I dread sleep deprivation if I haven't already mentioned that.

What I am Packing in my Hospital Bags

I am packing my hospital bags tonight.  I have one for me and my hubby, one for the baby, and a breast pump bag (just in case even though the hospital has them why not use my own?)  It sure does make this feel a whole lot more real.

Anyways here is what is in the baby's bag thus far.  First off it is in this awesome Carter's Fashion Tote Bag diaper bag.  This is the one I got with Kai and it has held up well thus far.  I have clothes packed for the baby.  With Kai, I didn't have any clothes other than his coming home outfit and actually made my sister pick some up when she came to visit.  I found I much preferred having him in clothes since I am sucky swaddler and it was easier to make sure he was warm that way.  This is newbie's coming home outfit:  

I love turtles.  I have the Carter's 2-Pack Stripe and Turtle Swaddle Blankets as well.  Plus the hats and matching socks just for the record.
There is a heavy fleece blanket for the car ride home packed right now although if it is warm by the time newbie comes that will come out.  His due date is March 26th which could be hot or cold.
I have baby mittens in there as well since newborn nails are typically so sharp and long.  There are some Gumdrop pacifiers and  burp rags.

Can you guys think of anything else I am forgetting?

As for the breast pump bag, I have the Medela Pump in Style Advanced.  In with it are new Replacement Tubing and Medela Spare Membranes since I have heard not to reuse those.  I have a few Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags just in case my milk comes in before I leave and I have another non latcher.  I have Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter to soothe sore nipples.  I have Earth Mama Angel Baby Booby Tubes packed.  Even if I never use these for anything breastfeeding related, they have come in quite handy already.  I use them for headaches that I can't get rid of.  I have a few sets of Bamboobies regular and overnight in there and all the pump parts and a few different bottle sizes just in case.

Honestly if it is anything like last time, the breast pump will sit in the car the entire time.  But I would rather have it there and not need it than to not have it at all.  Finally I am bringing my Boppy Pillow.  This is so great for positioning small babies.

Well you guys have to wait for my hospital bag since I am way too tired to figure out what is going in that one tonight.  Tomorrow, tomorrow, there's always tomorrow.  I mean I am only 35 weeks, 5 days so hopefully I still have a little bit of time to get ready.

This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!

It's Been Quiet Around Here

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately.  The end of pregnancy is rough.  Plus I have been in clean all the things mode since being a (mostly) stay at home mom.  I am still working one day a week although next week will probably be the last week I actually go in since it is getting harder to drag myself there.

Destructo and I went to the zoo Tuesday.  He loved that.  I did too for the first hour.  Then walking got hard and I kind of hated it lol.  He is getting to be such a big boy though.  He rode the kiddie train all by himself for the first time.  At one point while all the kids were watching animals, Destructo was pretending to shoot the turkeys.  He then gobbled them all up and said how full he was.  Yeah can you tell we are a hunting family?

Last night I was all set to work on a blog post about the different cloth trainers I have tried and my thoughts on them.  Then we got put under a tornado warning.  For the first time in five years we actually took cover.  We don't really have anywhere safe in our house unfortunately.  We sat in the hall and Destructo was strapped into his car seat with his bike helmet on.  He thought it was quite the adventure and pretended he was on a plane ride complete with making us pay him tickets.  Luckily nothing happened other than some high winds, hail, and tons of lightening.  

To top this busy week off, I am in last few weeks of pregnancy joy.  Or hell either way.  I am having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and lots of painful cramping and not sleeping.  I literally see every hour on the clock.  This happened with Destructo and it just seems cruel to me.  Why would it be where you can't sleep in the last few weeks before you have a newborn and don't get to sleep?  That is so backwards to me.  Someone make it stop haha.

Finally, tomorrow is a busy day because it is my baby shower/sprinkle.  I am so excited to get together with family and friends to celebrate the fact that a new life is about to enter this world.  I can't wait.  The rest of the weekend is going to consist of doing all the last minute things I need to do to get ready for this baby.  I need to set up the swing and bassinet, finish getting the few things out of the attic and washing them, packing hospital bags for me and the baby, and getting the car seat ready.  Busy, busy, busy I tell ya.

On a final note if anyone reading this wants to do a guest post in the few weeks after I have the baby, I am definitely looking for some.  I have a feeling my blogging will be few and far between while I adjust to life with a crazy Captain Destructo and a newbie.  Just let me know!

Week 34: Butternut Squash

I scream vegetable again.

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How far along: 34 weeks.  This question is really redundant since I title the blog post with what week I am in.  

Total weight gain:  Up 24 pounds.  I don't think I am going to hit my 25 pound weight gain goal.  Oh well at least baby is healthy and growing.

 Maternity clothes:  Yes all of them.

 Stretch marks:  I have a few new ones on my hips. 

 Sleep:  I feel like I already have a newborn the last two nights.  Last night I seriously only got a few one hour stretches and a three hour and a two hour stretch.  

Best moment of this week:  Making a lot of progress on getting my house cleaned and organized before baby comes.

 Miss anything:  Yes a day without a headache.  I have had a headache eight days in a row now.

 

Movement:   He is quite active, but nothing like his older brother.

Food cravings:  Not this week.

Have you started to show yet:  I am a beached whale.

Gender:  Baby boy who will probably never have a name.  

 Labor signs:   Some Braxton Hicks and he seems to be sitting a tiny bit lower than he was.  

 Belly button in or out:  Out yuck.

Wedding rings on or off:  My hands are swollen enough now that I am not chancing it.  

Happy or moody most of the time:   It is a mixed bag this week.  I alternate between every emotion in the book numerous times a day.  

My Favorite Bible Books for Toddlers

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you will have read this post and know I have struggled with getting Destructo to behave in church for quite some time.  We have tried coloring, random toys, treats, etc.  It is so much better than it was even six months ago, but he is still a handful during mass.  My church actually opened a cry room which I love since I don't feel as guilty about him talking loudly in (which he is quite apt to do at least a dozen times during the mass.)

But in our nearly three years of having a child, I have found a few books that I really like taking to church with us.  

Ready for church Christmas Day

The winner winner chicken dinner is  Life of Jesus: Puzzle Block Bible.  They have a number of these books and they have four cube blocks in them that  you can arrange to show different Bible stories.  Destructo doesn't actually do this with it, but he loves to use them to make biscuits, or stack a tower, or whatever creative musings he comes up with that Sunday.

Lift-the-Flap Bible comes a close second.  He loves to lift the many flaps on each page and see what is hidden beneath it.  This book also has a lot of very good Bible stories and has continued to entertain him for an entire year so it is well worth the money.

For your very young toddlers, I would recommend Baby's First Bible.  Very simple stories with brightly colored pictures.  Oh and it is a board book so not so easy to destroy.  It also has a carrying handle to make it easy for unsteady walking toddlers to carry around.

Once your child is ready to graduate to an older child Bible, I recommend  The Beginner's Bible: Timeless 
Children's Stories.  This book still has bright pictures, but has a lot more words and a ton of different stories.  It says ages 4-8 and I think that is about right although Destructo really enjoys it now at nearly three.  It is paper pages though so definitely not until your child is not a destructo of books.

Finally the last book that I most highly recommend is one Kai got for Christmas this year.  The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers.  It has a story for each day of the year with a Bible verse and a prayer to go along with it.  We read it each night right before bed and I have Destructo repeat the prayer.  He is a bit young still to fully understand the lessons the stories are trying to teach, but this is a book that will grow with him for sure.  Once he is a bit older, I plan on picking one of the Bible verses each week to use as a memory verse.

So what books are your favorites for church or just teaching your child about the Bible?


This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!

Big Boy Beds can Bite Me

Destructo has never been a great sleeper by any means.  But since I moved him into his big boy room and bed, he has been fighting sleep so badly.  He says he hates his new bed and wants his cribbie.  I feel bad for him.  I really do but putting him back in the crib really isn't an option with a baby due in less than six weeks.  (Cue panic here)

So we have been pushing through.  Last night he didn't go to sleep until 10:30 and woke up this morning around 6:30.  He told me he was super tired and wanted to go nap at 11:50 which is quite a bit earlier than normal.  I laid him down and he then proceeded to scream about how much he hates his bed and isn't tired.  You asked to go to sleep early buddy.  I told him he had to have quiet time even if he didn't sleep.  I went to spring him from captivity two hours later and he had finally just fallen asleep.  

Yay I won that round.  But now it is 9:23 and he is in there rolling around, yelling random things, and not sleeping.  He has also taken to destroying his room without ever leaving his bed.  It is pretty darn impressive I tell ya.  

Someone who has been through this transition lie to me and tell me it will get better.  He does seem to really like his new fireman room during the day time.  Just not when it comes time to sleep.  Man if only I knew when I was a toddler what I know now.  Naps are precious and I would take a long one every day if I could.  

Week 33: Durian Fruit

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What the heck is a durian fruit?  And the thought of giving birth to that just looks painful.  Sounds painful?  Eh whatever.  You get the point.

How far along: 33 weeks.  This question is really redundant since I title the blog post with what week I am in.  

Total weight gain:  Up 21 pounds.   I am really hoping to only gain 25 pounds this time, but it isn't looking promising right now.

 Maternity clothes:  Yes all of them.

 Stretch marks:  I have a few new ones on my hips. 

 Sleep:  Eh it could be worse.  I mean I am only peeing every two hours at night so that is something.  

Best moment of this week:  Finally moving Kai into his new big boy room.  He was so excited.  But it was also the worst since he has since decided there is "two potatoes in his bed and he can't sleep there.  We need to throw out his firetruck bed into the garbage and make sure the trash men pick it up."

 Miss anything:  A life where I can get up quickly, take deep breaths, bend over without acid refluxing into my throat, and take Advil.

 

Movement:   He is quite active, but nothing like his older brother.

Food cravings:  Not this week.

Have you started to show yet:  I am a beached whale.

Gender:  Baby boy who will probably never have a name.  

 Labor signs:   Nothing this week.  I barely had Braxton Hicks.  

 Belly button in or out:  Out yuck.

Wedding rings on or off:  I can wear them but it is getting tight.

Happy or moody most of the time:   Tired and stressed.

Pregnancy: Things to Buy

As everyone who reads here on a regular basis knows, pregnancy and I aren't exactly best friends.  I love the end result of pregnancy, but don't care for the process as much.  But over nearly two full pregnancies (gah I am 34 weeks on Wednesday 34 ahhh) I hve found a few items that I highly recommend to help soothe the aches and pains and pukes and heartburns of pregnancy.

This was the belly at 32 weeks pregnant

First off coconut oil.  This stuff is awesome for keeping itchy, stretched pregnancy skin moisturized (and a million other uses.)  I also use it as a hand lotion since my hands get dry from all the washing after peeing a bazillionty times a day.

Morning sickness is made better by jolly ranchers, ginger ale, unisom, and  vitamin b6.  I have a bunch of other suggestions in this post.  Oh and if morning sickness is interfering with taking prenatals, I highly recommend gummy prenatal vitamins.  I was always able to get these down no matter how icky I felt.

  Heartburn sucks.  I deal with it nearly daily not pregnant due to acid reflux.  I got a sample of  Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic Heartburn Tea when I ordered a few cloth diapers.  Oh my gosh does this help.  I drink one or two cups a day and it has really made a difference.  Heck I even got my hubby drinking a glass before bed.  It tastes very mildly minty and seems to help more than anything else I have tried with the exception of papaya enzyme.  This stuff also really helps and I take it with every meal.

If you haven't already invested in a pregnancy pillow, run don't walk to the nearest store (or Amazon which has become my best friend here in late pregnancy no bra or shoes required) and get one.  This is the only way I get any sleep at night along with two other pillows strategically placed.  I have the Leachco Snoogle and really like it.  What is funny is that I slept on it one way while pregnant with Destructo and a totally different way this time around.

And finally, I highly recommend a birthing ball.  Even if you have no plans to go natural, this is great during pregnancy for rolling on and doing stretches on.  It has helped my chronic back problems immensely.  It can also be used to get your body ready for delivery.  I bounce on mine a lot.  Heck I even amuse Destructo with it.

Okay as I think of things I am missing as I go about my day, I will hop back on here and add them.  What things were necessary when you were pregnant?

Oh I thought of two more things.  Okay one was pointed out to me on the blog's Facebook wall but whatever.  Maternity yoga pants are the most comfortable thing ever to wear when you are pregnant (and then for the two years in between pregnancies.)  They sit below the belly which is awesome so nothing to make your belly even more itchy and are stretchy and comfy.

Carpal tunnel braces were also lifesavers in my first pregnancy.  I got pregnancy induced carpal tunnel really badly with Destructo.  Luckily I have only had it very mild this time.  But the first time I wore braces every night and sometimes all day on the bad days.  I was in so much pain and had trouble using my hands much.  It was even hard to pick up baby Destructo for the first few weeks.  Luckily the pain/numbness went away within about six weeks of his birth.



This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!

Homemade Dishwasher Tablets

I am spoiled and like the convenience of dishwasher tablets and that has become one of Destructo's chores to put it in the dishwasher and turn it on.  But they can get expensive even when buying store brands.  So I set off to find a homemade recipe that is easy (because I am a bit lazy), cheap (because I need to live more frugally now that I am more or less a stay at home mom), and one that works well (because I like clean dishes.)

I found the recipe I used on the One Hundred Dollars a Month blog and decided to try it back in the summer.  Yeah.  It took a while to work up the motivation to actually do it.  

It only has four ingredients.  Ignore the rubbing alcohol.  I didn't realize that was in the picture.  Destructo was busy coloring on my couch while I made this with a pen.  Rubbing alcohol works great to get pen off suede just FYI

Ingredients (not counting rubbing alcohol)

The recipe calls for:

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup epsom salt
and finally 3/4 cup lemon juice
I even included Amazon links for those who prefer shopping from the comfort of their couches.  I doubled this recipe and it filled three ice cube trays.

I would make it just slightly wetter than this consistency

You mix the dry ingredients together, add the lemon juice, mix it well, and then put it into ice cube trays.  I would love the silicon ones to pop them out even easier, but the hard plastic ones I have worked just fine.  You want to add enough lemon juice that the mixture forms a dough that can be easily scooped up and packed into the trays.  My first batch was a bit dry and crumbly.  The second was probably perfect.  Wait 12-24 hours and pop them out of the trays.

Ice cube tray filled up (don't fill it all the way up is a life lesson I learned)

Cute little soap tablet

Does it work?  Well I think it worked really well.  We have a 14 year old dishwasher.  Nothing goes in it without being rinsed first.  To test this soap out, I let Mr. Destructo's poached egg breakfast plate sit until after lunch.  I scraped the solids off it and left everything else.  I put it in the dishwasher without any rinsing just to see what would happen.  Yeah it came clean with just a slight film.  Everything else that was rinsed like normal and a few other things I tested with just a quick rinse and still some junk on them all came spotless.  So I was pleased overall since my dishwasher really sucks.  I just am too cheap to buy a new one until it fully dies.  

Before and after

I will also include this recipe from The Hippy Homemaker something that is similar to lemishine.  I use this to help with my dishwasher's suckage and my incredibly hard water.  I haven't made this yet but plan to once I run out of lemishine and will update this post when I do to let you know what I think.

Its ingredients are citric acid and kosher salt for those shopping from their couch.

Finally to save money on a rinse aid, I just fill a small tupperware container on the top rack with white vinegar.  This is far cheaper than commercial rinse aids and works better in my opinion.

So there you guys have it.  My newest attempt at saving money and  living a bit more ecofriendlier.  Let me know what you guys think of this recipe if you have tried it or do try it in the future.  I am curious how it works in a better dishwasher.

This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!

Week 32: Squash

So what kind of squash is it?  I mean they vary is size by a lot.  I guess I will put a picture of my favorite type of squash to eat and grow in the summer months since I have been fantasizing about planting my awesome garden this summer.  I even want to get some heirloom tomatoes which are supposed to be better for canning.  

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And just for the record, you should pick your crooknecks squash before they get to this point.  Once they start getting bumpy, they are nearly too ripe.  Once they turn dark yellow and super bumpy, they are super seedy and woody.  Still edible but not nearly as good.  Oh summer how I can't wait for you.

How far along: 32 weeks.  This question is really redundant since I title the blog post with what week I am in.  

Total weight gain:  Up 19 pounds. 

 Maternity clothes:  Yes even my hoodies are getting too small.  I am resorting to wearing the hubby's.

 Stretch marks:  I have a few new ones on my hips. 

 Sleep:   If I would start going to bed before  or later, it wouldn't be half bad.  

Best moment of this week:  Definitely taking Destructo horse back riding.  He loved it so very much and has not stopped talking about it.  

 Miss anything:  Being able to breathe right.  I feel like I am suffocating some of the time.

 

Movement:   He is quite active, but nothing like his older brother.

Food cravings:  Taco Bell.

Have you started to show yet:  Not not at all eye roll.

Gender:  Baby boy who will probably never have a name.  

 Labor signs:   Just Braxton Hicks.

 Belly button in or out:  Out yuck.

Wedding rings on or off:  I can wear them but it is getting tight.

Happy or moody most of the time:   Happy for the most part.

February Carnival of Natural Mothering

This month's Carnival of Natural Mothering's topic is movement.

 Movement and being physically active is
very important in both mothers and in their kiddos.  Childhood obesity is so much more common than it was when I was growing up.  Kids prefer to play video games than to playing outside.

I encourage Destructo to be active by trying to allow for an hour a day to play outside.  He loves riding his balance bike. He has a Strider balance bike for anyone who has been considering it for their kiddo.  He went from barely being able to ride it being able to coast long distances in a few months time.  This is a great way for him to stay active.

He also has a scooter (Razor three wheel scooter) and outside riding toys.  His favorite is the Little Tikes 2-in-1 Pirate Ship.  I found a small slide/climbing structure thing for him as well for 15 bucks on craigslist.  Down the road, I would like to get a swing set for the kiddos.  We also have a pool which is great for burning energy in the summer months.

The more energy Destructo is allowed to burn, the happier I am honestly.  His behavior is so much better.  This becomes harder in the winter months.  We are lucky in that we live in a semi warm climate and get nice days regularly all throughout winter.  If is is 40 or above, we are outside.  But when we are inside, I have found a kids mini trampoline is a live saver.  Destructo got the Pure Fun Kids Mini Trampoline for Christmas and has loved it.  We also do dance parties to fast music, obstacle courses involving the trampoline and his kids tunnel.  He also likes to burn energy by "running the bases" around the living room rug.  He loves baseball already.

Once he is old enough, we plan on putting him in some sort of sport of his choosing.  They offer soccer and tball for three year olds here so come fall he will do one of those.  He really likes both so I am curious as to which one he will choose.  According to him, he really wants horse back riding lessons, but I think he is a bit young for that as well.

As for myself, I try to stay active by jogging.  Not now so much since I am huge and achy, but before I got pregnant I had done couch to 5K all the way through and tried to jog three times a week.  I even did one 5K race (and did fairly well.)  I plan on starting this back up once I am cleared to exercise after the baby comes.  It is ideal for me since I can take both kids with me so even if my hubby is out of town, it doesn't hinder me.  I also do stretching exercises/yoga at home.  But honestly chasing Destructo is enough to keep me quite active as it is haha.

What are ways you keep your kiddos active?

This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!

Favorite Things Giveaway

Welcome to the Favorite Things Giveaway Hop, hosted by the Cloth Diaper Revival.
Each blogger participating has a great cloth diaper prize for you to win, worth at least $20, so after you enter mine, be sure to hop around to all the others in the linky!  Don’t forget to enter to win one the GRAND PRIZE for the event!

I am giving away an Albert Flip diaper cover, a Changing Diapers book, and a 5 pack of fleece Bummis liners. Pretend you see a picture of it. I forgot to take one before going down to my parents house for the weekend. I will put it in as soon as I get home tomorrow.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cloth Diaper Revival and the Favorite Things participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Life is Ironic

Life is full of irony.  I have a child that is as big a horse lover as I am/ was.  I dreamed of having this particular "brand" of child long before I was married or even really planning on having kids.  I was going to teach him or her to ride on my beloved mare Ellie.  (You can read a bit more about her here if you have never heard her mentioned before which is a likely case since I don't talk about her that much.)  The child I dreamed of would find riding a horse as natural as walking because they would have been doing it before they walked.  

Ellie was a hellion and a mischief maker.  She was super spirited, stubborn as they come, strong willed, and incredibly intelligent.  The irony of this isn't lost on me.  While I don't believe in reincarnation or anything like that, I swear to you I sometimes feel like I am raising Ellie in little boy form.  So many of Destructo's traits are things I have dealt with before in my wild child horse.  Irony.  

Bigger irony yet is the fact that while I have never really encouraged him to like horses and don't even really talk about it much since it just isn't that huge a part of my life anymore (and because it is still hard to talk about my horse without tearing up even almost five years later) he is obsessed.  He hauls them in his horse trailer, puts them in his toy barn (sending them to the barn without a trailer ride if they aren't "litening" haha.  He rides his Radio Flyer horse on springs every time we are at my parents.  Horses, horses, horses.  He is exactly the child I just dreamed of having.  

But the irony is that I don't have that mare to teach him to ride on.  Which means I will probably have to find a way to get him lessons once he is a bit bigger.  But I will do it because I would have loved to have had lessons as a child.  I mean I can still muck stalls and groom horses in exchange for lessons lol.  I am not that rusty.  But in the mean time until he is big enough for actual lessons, I am just going to make time to get him out to my college best friends house to ride her horses.  

It was in the 60's today and we did just that.  Yet more irony in the fact that while he rode her smaller, more tame horse Tonka he was fascinated with her big brown horsie Simba.  Simba the horse who was Ellie's best horsie buddy all while I was in college.  Simba the half crazy Half Arabian, quarter Thoroughbred, quarter quarter horse.  (If you don't know horses, just take it to mean crazy haha.  Love you Simmie.)  As we left, he said I loved riding horses momma but next time I wanna ride the big brown one.  Just like his mother.  The crazier the better.  I liked em feisty.  Maybe that is the concussions talking from being thrown off the feisty ones one too many times.  

Loving every minute of riding

Needless to say I have a horse loving child that is taking right after his momma.  It makes me proud.  You know except when it makes me cry.  Life is ironic.

Walking to the pasture to get the horses

Amazingly good form for a two year old