water babe.

Teddy is an outdoorsmen. He likes to climb and explore. It's as if his body is in constant motion and can't be contained inside our little apartment. So I take him outside because he needs it. He needs to feel the breeze and the world moving around all of his own motion. Even in my stomach he was this way; bouncing around like a mexican jumping bean. We are subsequently park hoppers and lovers of summer. We are summer addicts. There can never be enough of it. Warm weather is on the rise and we are finally able to enjoy the Hap Magee water feature and the belly, and little boy shoulders, and chunk legs that accompany water fun. 

HOUSESITTER

HouseSitter is one of my favorite movies. Goldie Hawn is crazy as per usual and decides to go live in an abandoned dream house that belongs to Steve Martin (one of my other favorite human beings who acts) and romance and comedy ensues. 

For the past few weeks Phil, Theodore, and I have been house sitters ourselves (first for an all-boy-baseball-playing-family-of-four for 4 days, then for a fun-family-from-twelve-to-five-with-chickens for 12 days). We had a little break in between but truly as I sit here in my apartment at the moment it seems like I haven't lived here in ages! We had loads of fun with both families; watching games, swimming, saying nightly prayers, nagging about homework, laughing about my horrible athletic skills, doing carpool, and eating kid-food. All the children doted on Teddy and he loved being the baby. Getting pushed around a deck in a toy car is living the life in his book!

I learned a lot about taking care of a larger family. It's a different kind of tired than the new baby kind but it sure is a type of tired! Life moves so fast with lots of littles going to and from the house to all of their activities. I'm excited to someday (hopefully and God-willing) have quite a brood of my own but it made me realize how much I should treasure this quiet, peaceful, aloha-slow, sweet, and one-on-one phase of parenthood.

Today Teddy and I went to his Kindermusik class where he danced around and cuddled me, then we went to target where I just couldn't resist buying him a hawaiian print baseball cap, and now he is napping. When he wakes up we might go to the park, or on a walk, or we might just play toys and knock down blocks. I love our life right now.

Two other Goldie Hawn movies you have to see as soon 
as humanly possible to make your life better:
Overboard
Foul Play

He has a fan club.

This weekend we have been babysitting four adorable boys in addition to our one. Teddy is in heaven and is in fact asleep in his car seat at this very minute because he is exhausted from all of the fun-having. The best part of the whole situation is that these boys are some of Theodore's biggest fans. Teddy has even procured a new nick name: "thee" like sea with a soft "th." Here are a few of the funny praises I've heard sung for my little toddler.

"Teddy is so popular he should be rich. I would even give him a quarter because he's so cute!"

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I mean... I get to hang with Teddy and literally NO ONE gets to hang out with Teddy."

"what up thee!!"

"WHY is Teddy SO popular?!!!"

Teddy is going to get too big for his britches!

teddy the bold.

Phil and I have this deal. It's a shake-on-it verbal contract. On the condition that we have 6 children, the 6th child gets a special middle name of Phil's choosing. (I realize now as a wife-to-law-student-daughter-of-lawyer-surrounded-by-lawyers this might not be something I want to put into writing but my word is my bond anyhow so I am already stuck!) This middle name (the meat to the name sandwich) will not be just any name mind you. The name bestowed will be a title like a knight in very shining armor might have had in days of yore. 

Here are a few options using Jack and Jill as examples (I guess Jack the hill climber and Jill the water fetcher would make the most sense) :

Jack the brave

Jill the fair

Jack the courageous

Jill the brave

Jack the patient

Jill the kind

Jack the true

Jill the wise

Jack the virtuous 

You get the idea. I must admit that aside from being a little absurd it's also kind of....amazing. We love to think of new character traits for said titles. We also like to discuss what Theodore's title could be as he grows more and more into his own little human self. Learning more about him and about his unique spirit I have a few titles I would certainly knight him with. 

Theodore the BOLD: Theodore is one bold kid. He has a fire and a bravery about him. He walks barrel chested through life. The word bold is probably the first word I think of when I think of Theodore. I'm not sure exactly why, but it is. He just is bold.

Theodore the DETERMINED: I have seen this child return to the same door at church countless times heck-bent on escaping swiftly to head to the nursery where he knows the toys live. Each time I walk over, scoop him up, and return to our seat and our snacks and our toys. He tries again hoping I'll give up. He is so locked in focus on what he wants. Out. that. door.

Theodore the INDEPENDENT: Teddy's joy increases with every new task he can complete on his own. This is true for all children of course but there is something more to it. In hindsight it is clear to me that he was eager from a very early age to do things on his own. In infancy when other babies cuddle like warm balls of dough on their parent's chest he was already reaching, if only with his eyes, towards things he couldn't yet touch or move. I think he was frustrated that he didn't know how to use his body yet. Now that he can walk and run he is on the move like a train charging towards it's destination.

Theodore the MAN: We call him Teddy-man so this title is most appropriate. Teddy loves to dance and sing; two traits that are often thought of as artistic and sensitive. Two traits that I love about him. He has many sensitive sweet characteristics that melt his mamma's heart. Lately though he has also been showing some very macho tendencies. He has developed a new love of cars, car sounds, crashing toy cars, and pointing to cars as they drive by. Teddy also loves to wrestle and play with sticks and dig in the dirt. He likes to try on baseball hats and throw balls. He even has a "manly voice" that is low and growly and very very bossy.                     

IT'S ALIVE!

This post has no pictures... to see what we look like nowadays go checkout some of our recent family photos at lizperryman.com!

I'm BACK. Did you miss me and my lazy blogging?! 

Well I missed you!

I had a weird sort of privacy scare and decided to go dark for a while. It didn't effect me directly per se, just freaked me out about the internet. So I shut it down like a momma bear should.

So now I'm back. I missed writing even if it really is just for me and a tiny posse who occasionally stop by to see what me the PG and Teddy man are up to. Also I'm a HORRID record keeper and this blog is my journal. (Ewe everyone says that but it's true!!) I want to keep memories of park days and zoo trips and leave out all of that stuff about being stressed, and busy, and having dirty dishes in the sink. Or maybe sometimes I'll let you see my dirty dishes, and my laundry, and my to do list... ugh I feel like I'm getting hives but life is good and my blog reminds me of that. So follow along or don't. My husband notices I don't need an audience in order to talk and talk and talk and I don't think my writing is much different. So here we go.

What's new:

*Teddy is a full blown toddler. He's thinning out and getting long and lanky although he seems to retain substantial chubs in the cheek region. Perhaps he's storing goldfish.
*Phil is allllllmost done with school and then comes THE BAR. So that situation is best described as scary slash exciting. Phil has been a student for our almost four years of marriage. We've learned a lot and have a lot of lovely memories and we're looking forward to the next chapter of life!
*Spring is my current romance. I want to be outside ALL. DAY. So does Theodore. He likes bike rides, and walks, and hikes, and park time. 
*Crock pot cheesecake does not disappoint. It's all over pinterest and it truly is so easy a caveman could do it.
* I went on a project binge, so get ready for furniture posts. So many fun things!
* I feel like I've been having growing pains lately. I feel myself growing as a mommy, as an "adult" person with responsibilities, as a juggler of commitments. Mostly I've been fighting the growth which I think has just made it harder to progress. So I'm trying a new thing today: growing up. (This is a post in itself to come...)
*I've been performing in The Lamb of God Easter Oratorio.  The music is so uplifting and lovely. It makes my Easter Season. We have our final free performance this sunday at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco! claim tix at lambofgodoakland.com. I am Mary the Mother of Jesus.
* Oh and let me mention again; we took our family photos with the amazing Liz Perryman who is incredible inside and out. check out her website and see our family fun!

That's that. She's alive and blogging.

oopsies and "stuff" and fathers.

Theodore, Daddy, and Laundry another trifecta in my life.

I've had a few "oopsies" lately...

1. I shattered my phone screen
2. I crashed my car (driving veeerrry slowly) but nonetheless it is no more. The big car in front of me won.
3. I accidentally died my bathroom rug yellow-orange in the wash. It isn't a big deal but I had to have a third thing (because bad things come in threes people!) or else my Irish superstition would get the best of me and I would be tiptoeing around life until I break something else.

Maybe I needed a to learn some lessons this month. Maybe I have been fighting off and tending to so many colds and flu and bugs in our house that I'm too tired NOT to break things. Maybe I am the queen of the klutzes. (Probably all reasons apply.) Whatever the case may be these three things don't make me very sad.

I have family, I have love, I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have so many lasting unbreakable things. I also have blessings like health, safety, work opportunities, talents, the joy of nature, friendship and on and on and on. Everything else is silly, silly stuff. I love that elementary school teachers loath the use of the word "STUFF". Thank you for helping me define it as a nondescript almost derogatory word for inconsequential matter. 

Oh and lately I've been feeling very thankful for the father of our house who is now juggling work, school, early mornings teaching seminary, and family life with grace and dedication. Watching him makes me want to step up my game. Have you seen this video on fathers? And our father in heaven? Watch it! He loves you.

Teddy's Place.

Theodore's nursery is a labor of love. When he was just a tiny little tadpole the burning desire to nest caught fire in me and I began dreaming, planning, pinning, and pretending to sew. My grandmother, Theodore's GREAT Grandma, made him a quilt with umbrellas and tiny diaper pins framing animals and numbers he now chirps at (because everything is a bird, or a dog, or most recently a baaing sheep). I became a little nutty (read as: hormonal crazy pants lady waddling around Berkeley and Ikea on a mission)  about every little detail of what was to be his corner of the world. 

Now I smile when I walk in that room. I hope he can feel all of the love we tried to squish in through that door. Here's a peak into Teddy's Place.

 The Mexican wrestling poster is actually a sheet of wrapping paper from Paper Source. Much cheaper than a print!

 Most of Theo's books are on his play table in the family room but we keep a few here we don't want him to rip to shreds!

 The changing table is my favorite refinishing project so far.

 A hat that our friend made for Theodore, a picture of the Oakland Temple and some teeny tiny hearts that I cut out when I was loopy with nesting instincts.

 Theodore models his room. So suave!

 A view of the crib.

 Pinterest success! I'll show you how I made this later. It's such a happy little rain cloud!

 Hot air balloons made with love by Auntie Courtney.

 My old Teddy Bear Rufus, Giraffe from a calendar, and Teddy's first TOMS for spring!

 Floating above the crib.

 Some book favorites.

Theodore in his natural habitat.