I love taking Grae to work with me.  Besides having the amazing opportunity to see him every time I have an extra couple of minutes, I also get to show him off to all my friends every day… and almost every one of those days someone will exclaim something to the effect of “He looks just like his Momma!”

Now, I know that the majority of these people either 1) are only noticing his red hair and 2) don’t know what Ian looks like- however- I can’t begin to contain my smile. I’ve never looked like anyone in my family before. (I’m the only fair skinned, red head in a family of brunettes with beautiful, tan skin.)

Regardless, when I look into that gorgeous face, knowing that there are a lot of people out there who think he looks like me is the biggest compliment I’ve ever been given.

At 4 months and 2 weeks old, Baby G FINALLY rolled over ALL BY HIMSELF!  I’m so proud of my little monster!  In addition to the big roll, he has found himself a girlfriend…a strawberry blonde girlfriend at that 🙂 My boy knows how to pick ’em 🙂

I’m not sure why it happened, or to be honest, even what “IT” is… but as I drove home from work yesterday, I decided something’s gotta change.

My mind is open.

Nothing spurred this on.  I had a great day at work, a giggling baby in the backseat, and a relaxing evening planned with my boys.

But, instead, I spent the night on the computer, researching.

I’m not a spontaneous person.  I calculate, plan, dwell on, (maybe even agonize over), each and every decision in life.

At least that’s who I used to be.

Lately though, I’ve been getting these strong, restless urges that I jump on quicker than I can blink. And, yesterday, out of the blue, a newfound, yet overwhelming, need to create something has hit me again.

I don’t know what that means or what it will look like, but I’ll be damned if I don’t figure it out soon. 🙂

photo credit: Heidiclaire.blogspot.com

In the meantime, we’d really appreciate your votes. 🙂 Click on the brown box below. THANKS!

Ian and I are arguing on the phone while he is driving home from work.  He walks in the door with a glass jar and says:  “I brought home a spider.”

Me: “YAY!! What kind? Let me see!”

Ian: (cracking up) “You are such a science teacher.”

😉

I seriously think I have the best job in the world.  My students are awesome.  Their questions, comments, and conversations are so innocent, inquisitive and naive- not to mention- HILARIOUS.  Today in the science lab, a first grader raised his hand, and in the most serious tone, asked, “Mrs. Mielke, is Mother Nature REAL?”  After doing my best at explaining that Mother Nature isn’t a real PERSON, but instead just a personification of nature (yeah, yeah- YOU try to do better with six year olds), another student chimed in and said- “Yeah, it’s like a BELIEF- just like Jewish people believe in one God and Christians believe in LOTS of Gods!”

Hehehe… Now, even I am confused. 🙂

I love them. 🙂

Grae got this great toy car from Aunt Jacque for Christmas and I’ve been re-introducing it every couple weeks since then.  In December, he was still too young to show any interest, and 3 weeks ago, it scared him so much he cried.  I tried to run it by him again tonight and he is completely smitten with it!  This is really the first time he’s delighted in a toy and its just too cute not to share.

Thanks, Jacque! 🙂 🙂

I’ve had a lot of emails asking how big my chunky monkey is these days…

He’s HUGE. 🙂 He is bigger (taller and heavier) than almost all of the babies in the baby room… and, NO… he still can’t roll over.  But, he’s getting closer! It will be any day now.

At his 4 month well baby check up, Graeson weighed 18 pounds, 2 ounces- which places him in the 95%.  He was 26.5 inches tall- 90%- and his head circumference was 41.5 cm (28%)… Apparently he has a small head… we all know he didn’t get that from Daddy or Mommy! 🙂

🙂 Thanks for asking about my little Boo.

Oh, AND he sucked his little piggy toes today for the first time… Who knew something like that would make me so proud?! 😉

XO

My newest discovery:

Green Machine!

RJ has decided that he is quite a picky eater.  Every night for dinner he requests “ravioli from the can, not the cooked stuff” and he wants it straight from the can. Not even warmed up in the microwave.  Yuck. When he is asked to eat one or two pieces of broccoli or one bite of salad, he will sit at the dinner table for over an hour trying to wait us out.  I’ve even tried bribes… “RJ, if you eat one little piece of broccoli, you will get a piece of cake!”  One hour later, he had nibbled off the tips of the broccoli, but left the stems!  Needless to say, he didn’t get his piece of cake.

A couple weeks ago, however, we went to Costco and got a sample of a green veggie smoothie and we all loved it- INCLUDING RJ!  We bought two jugs of it and RJ has been DRINKING his veggies since. 🙂 YAY!

The slogan of this DELICIOUS juice is: “Looks weird, Tastes amazing.”  And it is exactly that.  Y’all have to try it! 🙂

It tastes like a fruit smoothie, but in addition to the banana, mango, and apples and pineapple, it also contains broccoli, parsley, wheat grass, and even blue green algae!

Maybe someday I’ll try juicing at home and making my own veggie smoothies, but for now, this is an awesome alternative and it makes me feel a little better when the little guy chooses to eat everything but the green stuff on his dinner plate. 🙂

Votes are always appreciated 🙂