So thankful for our big family and our fun trip to Pensylvania for Thanksgiving. Thank you Mimi and Papa Mike.
We love u all.

xoxoxo Happy Holidays.

I love Ben Watts work! I wish I had gotten a chance to work with him in the past but I still admire his eye… Check out his new book. Lickshot. I know a little place where you can buy a copy signed by Ben also.

The penguin shines across the loving hydrogen.

Well we have arrived officially. It was hard to say goodbye but we did it and by the time all of our things were out of the house it truly didn’t seem much like home anymore. It was hard to say goodbye to all of the people who we will miss so much. Friends who we will continue to miss and love forever. This is quite a journey. Tonight I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the dogs. they flew today and happend to be on a plane that got stranded in Texas for three hours, Zeke doesn’t fly well either. I know he will be scarred from this trip and it will take a little while for him to get back to normal. I plan on taking them somewhere to run and play tomorrow. Van is adjusting well, tonight he danced with a waitress from Thailand who fed him every last bite of his sweet potato and the band sang twinkle twinkle little star and the itsy bitsy spider to him while he sat in his high chair on the dance floor. He is happy and that makes me feel content.

Today was full, and packed literally with things to do. We are weary and tired. I must say i will never again in my life pack up an entire house to move thousands of miles away by ourselves, with a small child running around in circles. Tonight when we got home from our little going away party. I heard Conner say to Van let’s go upstairs and get ready for bed, so I thought awesome time for me to separate the recycling. I heard Conner coming down the stairs a few minutes later with a huge box (my clothes) and I said “hey where is Van”. Conner said I thought he was with you. “uh NO, you took him upstairs to get him ready for bed, Hello!” Our front door was open so I immediately ran outside, and found him standing by our Pod (storage container) talking nonsense and pointing in the sky, as if it were some alien ship that just landed in our parking spot and is now sucking up all of our belongings and turning mom and dad into zombies.

I freaked out, but everything was alright. Last time, we will let this little guy out of our sight. It is soooooo difficult to pack boxes and be efficient with a little one running circles around me. It’s tiring enough just taking care of him! So anyways. The pod is cool and all that but having people to help is so much cooler.

Thissss…… makes me laugh.

Today was one of those days, I cracked open a beer the minute the clock hit 5pm. I needed it. Van hid my phone today, acted like a mini tornado, missed his nap and then we had to take off for the pediatrician for some shots. So he was not a happy camper, did I mention that he is getting a tooth too!

One thing that is kind of funny is that Van has found his nostrils. I am not sure he knows what he is doing but man does his finger get up there….. talk about digging to china. I am just one of those people who doesn’t want my child walking around with his finger in his nose. Well nobody is. really. So I have been having some discussions with him about it and he just yells out random peoples names after we have our talks. hmmm We are spending a lot of time lately learning body parts so maybe that explains the exploration up into nostrilville. I did overreact a bit the first time I saw him doing it. I was exercising with my class the other day while discussing with them that this was happening and they were all chuckling, I peered over the stroller, and yep you guessed it. Digging to china…. So they all said not to overreact and just let him do it? Because he will think it’s funny to get my attention and keep doing it. So I ask you this do I just go on with my day and go out in public with my son who likes to stick his fingers entirely too far up his nostrils to the point that it looks painful and ignore it? Or do I say something to him and let him know that is unacceptable and inappropriate?

Bembo’s Zoo is a fantastic typography work that plays with letters to create animals for each alphabet letter!

Van started walking today, it was amazing we were all in the kitchen. Mimi, Conner and I and he just walked right across the room like it was no body’s business. He seemed as if he had known how to do it for months, years. Anyways, it pretty much blows my mind to see this little thing walking across the room with a drunken wobble and a crooked smile. He is so proud of himself and when he sees us clapping in disbelief and sheer happiness, he claps for himself too with a puffed chest and a grin from ear to ear.

His carnival came to town this weekend and it was fun, just right for a one year old. He had all of his friends there to share his day with him. It was definitely a birthday that will be remembered for ever. Thank you all who made it to celebrate his first year of life. We really do appreciate your presence in his life & ours.

I decorated the house with paper bunting that I made out of scrapbook paper, hole punched colorful circle confetti for the table, and cut out circles for his home made carrot cake, out of fondant. The mini cupcakes were covered in butter creme frosting and sprinkled with carnival sprinkles. The cake balls I made were filled with choclolate cake and covered with candy melt chocolate and sprinkles. We did a weird kind of raffle & an animal cracker guess. The party favors were carnival toys, and recycled baby food jars filled with jelly bellies tied with raffia. To view more photos from the party click here &
here.

I took Van to a portrait studio today to do some photos of him, I prefer the more photo journalistic approach but these are something I could never do myself. He is almost one and I thought since I haven’t had any taken of him yet now was a good time. Not ones I would frame and hang on the wall however. I did find this one of Conner when he was a little one and it was fun comparing how similar they look!

I don’t have a little girl yet but I love to think about what she will look like and things I will dress her in! I do love the Sophie & Lili Collection and they are having a huge tag sale, check it out! Also Ouef is having their first ever sale all clothing is 70% off.

So today when I was in the pantry I decided to read the ingredients of the trader joes cheerios that I give to my Van. I just read the ingredients on everything that I feed to my family so this is normal for me. I found an ingredient that I had never heard of (trisodium phosphate), so I looked it up and here is what I found.
An ionic salt used as a thickener/emulsifier for foods, as well as common uses as a degreaser, detergent, and laxative. It is a chemical that can peel wallpaper off of a wall & they sell it at hardware stores. I know the entire world and then some feed their children cheerios but I found a cereal that actually tastes better, is in the same price range and is all organic, healthy times teddy puffs
To read more about ingredients you should not consume click here.

Here are some of my favorite green companies offering eco-friendly & health-friendly toys, I feel it is important to check up on everything we give our kids to play with. It may save their life. I am just uber conscious and almost annoying about it. I love this peace baby block set.

• TaraLuna Baby Buddy Toy – this fair-trade cuddle buddy is made from organic cotton ($10).
• Organic Gift Shop Rollie Animals – toddler appropriate; made from natural wood and finished with food-grade oil ($7).
• Under the Nile Veggie Bunch – veggie-shaped toys stuffed with organic cotton ($26).
• Peace Baby Block Set – made from sustainably-forested pine ($28).