This is what I cannot stand:

I've thought about it... For months- years, actually. This grosses me out way more than dirty diapers or puke. Officially, the thing I dislike most about the toddler years --- I despise the after meal cleanup under the table. It is so disgusting to me for some reason... I'm not sure why my kids can't seem to keep the majority of their food in their mouths or on their plate or at least on the table somewhere. Anywhere. But crawling on my hands and knees with a rag under the table picking up moist morsels of half eaten food after a meal... Hate it. Hate it. The end. This is Chris writing in case anyone ever reads this or wonders if Curt or Chris is the one who hates this. It's me.

Loving this weather!

I was about to post a picture of what I dislike the most about the toddler years. But I decided to first give thanks for the good things in our life- like being outside together, enjoying this gorgeous weather and doing some hiking. So after this post, I will feel less guilt about posting what I really can't stand. Stay tuned...

Food Smear time

We had another great session of food smear.  We have this ritual of food smearing that has been passed down through the generations (on the Barkers side I am sure...).  We start with just some peanut butter.  We smash it on the table, on the floor, in our kids hair, under their fingernails, under the table, both sides of the plate, in the folds of their neck, on cabinets, walls, windows oh and occasionally in their mouth.  Then we add bananas and repeat the whole process not leaving any crevase untouched. 

Some people call this time snack time, but that seems strange.  We think food smear time is more apt.

Coming into focus

Don't all dads think their daughter is perfect?  So it was a shock to my system when she recently required glasses.  And due to my poor choice, she is wearing dark gray glasses against her pale skin and looks hilarious. Studious.  Dorky. One well meaning friend even said she was cute in a quirky sort of way.  What? My crazy, funny, beautiful daughter?  Quirky?

It is in relationship that we learn most about ourselves - usually the parts of ourselves that we have kept most hidden from others and perhaps even our self.  We try not to focus on those parts but they come out at odd times and remind us that they need to be dealt with at some point.  Joseay is a beautiful girl and she remains so.  Her energy and curiosity alone are infectious and that smile melts me quickly.  Now she has an additional advantage, she can see more easily when she has her father wrapped around her finger. Not fair.

Thank you my beautiful daughter for teaching me about beauty and correcting my altered view of the situation.  We love you like crazy. 

I might look for another color of glasses...

Never skip date night!

Green to Radiant

Fall seems to have snuck up on us out of the blazing heat as we received about 10 inches of rain in a 24 hour period here in Chattanooga taking us immediately from a parched, hot summer to a wet, cool autumn. We lost electricity (or “the batteries are dead” according to Brown) with down power lines blocking the driveway forcing a sleep over at the house with a few guests around candles which was nice.

With all the changes in the air, we decided it was time to rid our house of that blessed peace-bringing invention called the pacifier. We have had them as a part of our lives for a few years now but it is time to say good bye. So me, I thought of several gradual ways to wean Miss Joseay off of her pacie, taking slow baby steps one at a time. While I was coming up with a spreadsheet to plan these steps (not really, but don’t put it past me), I came home and Chris said “it is done.” “What is done?” “Her pacie.” “What do you mean?” “They are gone. She took a nap without the pacie and now they are packed up.” Hmm. I wanted to tell her how abrupt that change was and how it clearly would not work. Except that it worked beautifully. Joseay has slept through several naps and nights without the pacie now so just like that, she (and we) loses another remnant of her babyhood, and she takes another step toward being a little girl and no longer a toddler.
Seasons change at the blink of an eye, where you once saw beautiful summer in the green leaves, they suddenly turn radiant and summer exists only as a glowing memory.

Plasma Cars

So Brown and Joseay are enjoying the newly paved driveway. Wait a second, who is that big kid on Brown's plama car?