Five on Friday

To celebrate Baby Girl's big baby steps, we took her shopping for her very first pair of shoes. She'd fallen asleep on the walk there and I had to wake her to have her feet measured, which is why she looks a little dazed and confused. She loves her new shoes, though. They make the most satisfying sound as she clomps around the house.

Here's your five on Friday:

Everything about the daguerreotype photographic process is beautiful.

Six cooking techniques to master: The perfect pie crust is on the top of my list.

A very accurate description of life with a tiny train addict.

Barcelona. I want to go to there.

It's Cinco de Mayo this Sunday and we'll be celebrating with our favorite carnitas recipe.

Thanks for stopping by this week! Have a great weekend!

First Steps and New Shoes

April was a big month for Baby Girl. Yes, last month my little lady became fully and completely independently mobile. It went quickly, this journey to mobility. In February she started crawling. Then she discovered she could pull herself up. The next thing we knew she was cruising around her play crib. When we released her from baby jail she'd crawl to the nearest vertical surface, pull herself up, and cruise along side it. She stalled for a bit. I guess she was trying to get her sea legs under her because for the longest time - a month almost - she simply would not let go of whatever it was holding her up. She took a few unsupported steps at the beginning of April, collapsed forward into our arms, and decided that she would continue to hold onto things for just a little while longer. We could not coax her into more than 3 steps for weeks. 

Then she discovered the Radio Flyer wagon, affectionately known around here as Click Clack. B. brought it out one day and insisted he push her around in it. After a while, she decided she wanted to push him. When he was at school, she pushed her toys in Click Clack. She spent hours pushing it around, me trailing behind ready to turn the little red wagon around so she could push it the other way. Suddenly last week she started taking a few more unsupported steps. And a few more. And now she's pretty much walking everywhere. It's been such fun watching her gain confidence and we are so proud. 

Happy May!

It's May you guys! MAY! The sun is finally shining. It's warm...ish. There are darling little green buds on the trees, the daffodils are blooming, and I've been walking around singing this song all day. Not in my head, mind you, but OUT LOUD like a crazy person and I don't even care 'cause it's SPRING!!!!

May is gonna be AWESOME!

Five on Friday

Last week it was B. This week it was my turn. Adult human beings should not run 103˚F fevers. Seriously. It is not pretty. Five days into a robust course of antibiotics and I feel almost myself again. 

Here's your five on Friday:

You are more beautiful than you think.

Meet The New Diplomat's Wife

Dax Shepard made me cry. 

Love this little flat in Edinburgh.

This headline had me giggling all week. Seriously, though, I hope the little guy/gal finds a good home.

Have great weekend, guys and thanks for stopping by!

B. gets a camera

B. came home with the flu last Friday and woke up on Saturday with one heck of a fever that's lasted off and on, mostly on, for four days. It's been exhausting, not in any small part because my kid does not act like a normal sick kid. He'll run around and scream and play like a crazy person with a 104˚F (40˚C) fever until he hits a wall that forces him to lay on the couch in a baby puddle. True story. Add to this one very mobile, very fast, very curious Baby Girl, and let's just say that I've been busy trying to keep everyone out of trouble. 

B.'s been very interested in the camera for a while now. He likes to be in front of it. He tries to be behind it. When ever he wants me to use it, he'll either say "Picture" or I'll just turn around and there he'll be with my DSLR hanging around his neck. It'd be cute if it didn't also give me a little heart attack.  

I've been meaning to give him our very very old point and shoot and getting him to snap snap away seemed like the perfect way to keep him occupied during his up moments. He's taken some 500 pictures in the last two days and while some (ok a lot) are things only a mama could love, a few of them are actually pretty interesting (according to said mama). 

So B. got a camera. He also got a Tumblr to showcase his work. If you have a minute, go check it out.  :)

Boston, tonight you are my home.

at Boston's Logan Airport on our way back to Denmark in January

Today, all day, I've been thinking about Boston. Horrible. Heartbreaking. These things, these horrible heartbreaking things, are happening too often. It's all too much. My thoughts and love are with the victims, their families, and the people of Boston. 

Five on Friday: Anniversary Edition

Sweetheart,

Six years ago today you and I walked into the Osaka prefecture office and walked out man and wife. That night we celebrated at the craziest sporting event I've ever been to - a Hanshin Tiger's baseball game. Thank you for this life. Thank you for our beautiful children. Thank you for this amazing adventure!

Happy Marriage Anniversary!

I love you all the way to Mongolia and back. ; )

Here's this week's Five on Friday:

Japanese B&B (called ryokan) + hot springs bath = bliss. This one looks amazing.

Cherry Blossoms Around The World

Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I dream of Jiro's sushi, too. 

Cherry blossom macarons

Soaking tubs... I will have one someday.

Thanks for reading this week! Have a fantastic weekend!

Pretty And Polished Nails

I've never really been into painting my nails mainly because I hate it when the polish chips. I know. I know. It's gonna happen sooner or later but for me it always seems to be sooner. Like 5 minutes after they're all painted and pretty... chip! It's all downhill from there. So for years my nail care routine has been simple. I keep them short. I keep them clean. I buff them and shine them. Sometimes I'll slap a coat of clear polish on them because I can't for the life of me stay in the lines. Seriously I am like a drunken 3 year old with a paint brush. It doesn't help that my nails are the size of my actual 3 year old's. Lately though I have to admit, I'm kinda diggin' all the pretty nails. I blame Pinterest. 

These four simple, classic, and pretty looks are my favs:

Watercolor Nails  |  Silver Glittery Nails  |  The Accent Nail  |  Colorful Tips 

How about you? How will you decorate your digits this summer?

Sticking Up For Baby Sister

Baby Girl has a book called Peekaboo Kisses. She doesn't like to look at it so much as she likes to eat it. It drives her daddy crazy. This morning she'd snaked it from the little basket outside her playpen. She was happily munching away when he noticed and promptly walked over to take it away from her. B. had been playing quietly next to the playpen, completely absorbed in his trains, but something about this action, this taking away of a toy from his baby sister who wasn't causing any trouble, struck him as patently unfair. So before Baby Girl could let out her shriek of protest, Big Brother voiced his opinion of the situation. Loudly.

"NOOOOOO!" is what came out of his mouth, but to us the "That is some serious B.S." was emphatically implied. 

Five on Friday and Happy April!

March was a bear, you guys. A BEAR! Baby Girl is teething big time - currently there are 4 teeth coming in! - and that's making her super clingy. She wants to be held ALL.THE.TIME. By Mommie. And she's decided that the only places fit for a nap are my lap or out and about in the stroller. Try to move her from either one and it's nap time over. Time to play/wiggle in Mommie's arms. Put her down to get something done and she's screaming like a nazgul until the shear volume and duration force me to bend to her will.

Needless to say, there has not been a lot of time to kick around on the blog. 

This week's picture is of Himeji Castle taken during our elopement to Japan in April 2007 (yikes!). It was cherry blossom season and it was magical. I've been a huge fan of cherry trees and Japan ever since! 

Here's your five on Friday*: 

Profane and hilarious with some good recipes to boot! Thug Kitchen

Kids from around the world pose with their most prized possessions

Erupting volcano as seen from space

Perfect spring nails you will be mine by Monday.

I can't get enough of this little boy and his little French bulldog. 

Have a great weekend! Thanks for reading!

* I know that I'm posting this early on Saturday morning, but I've been working on this post in stops and starts all day, so let's just pretend. :-)

Baby Jeans

Is there anything cuter than a baby bum in baby jeans? I didn't think so.

Baby Girl and I spent some time in her big brother's room today while he was at school. All the cool toys are there. Besides, in a few months, when it's time for us to stop being roomies, she'll move in with him and it will be THEIR room. 

We haven't told him yet, but I don't think he'll mind.

 

I will never ever not be fascinated by snow.

 

 Ever.

Last week was like living in a snow globe and it was glorious.