Happy Halloween!

From my law breakers and makers! 

Oh, hey there, hey!

Happy Halloween, y'all! 

I don't do crafts so I'm not the best at this holiday, but I still love it because it ushers in (or out in my case) my favorite time of the year, the fall.

Life is so much fun right now. It revolves around my children and my kitchen (long story), and free time that I have is poured into, oh I don't know, a SHOWER,

or DVR'd shows,

or the third Ken Follet novel. 

So here goes our Lately.

Words can't express the joy Police-car-man Coop brings to my life. He is kind, busy, and funny. Two years, eight months now. Coop is a riot. 

His favorite song is Taylor Swift's "Trouble." He requests it ("E-E-E Mommy?) every car ride. Every time it ends. All the time. I'm 90% sure his next favorite will be Taylor's "Shake It Off." What is it with her tunes? I hope I NEVER forget what he sounds like when he sings to this jam.

Each morning he tells me to hurry up and get out of bed because the SUN IS UP, MOM! 

When he goes potty, he sits down, spreads those legs, and literally folds over on his tummy and holds on to the bottom neck of the toilet, because OBVIOUSLY! he does not want to pee on the floor. He does this even in public places. Even yesterday in Sherwin Williams.

He is independent, and must do everything himself. 

He is very kind-natured and non-confrontational. Where he gets that I have from I have NO idea.

He loves Team Umizoomi. Yeah, you may have to look it up. Also high on his love-list are trains and trucks. Today we talked extensively about the fuel tanker and garbage truck we saw when we were driving. I'm sure all you girl moms can COMPLETELY understand. I find myself getting excited when I see trucks now, "Oooh a digger! Look, a digger!" Even when driving alone.

He is SO adaptable. He can sleep in his bed, your bed, a mattress in the corner, it just doesn't matter. 

He asks me to kiss Ben every morning and likes to rub his head like a dog.

He likes to talk through things. He recites who his Mommy, Daddy and brother are. "My mommy is Lauren." He even said "Goodbye Lauren!" The other day when I dropped him off at preschool.

He likes to talk about what he just did, but if you can imagine drawing out the last word in every sentence it goes like this: "I took a baaaaaath...I played with tooyyyyyssss...I ate some chickeeeennnn...I saw my friend Thomasssss..." 

He is my soul.

And then there's this handsome devil.

Ben is 3-and-half-months now. I am SO attached to Ben. And him to me, which is a bit complicated when I leave him with sitters or the church nursery. He's a screamer y'all.

I'm less "on a schedule" with Ben than I was with Cooper. He nurses every 3-4 hours depending on how the day is going. He is a rockstar car-seat napper and will nap 2-3 hours in that thing. Not so much in the crib. We're working on our crib naps, but I can't complain because by 7PM he's ready for bed and I typically don't hear from him until around 3 or 5AM. Eight hour stretches are DIVINE.

He started grabbing for things this week - and I quickly refreshed my Oball collection and other toys to keep him entertained with and touch. I can't wait for him to start coming into his own as he explores and notices the world around him. 

He is my heart.

So with that, I bid you a Happy Halloween! 

I'll be sure to share pictures of my law makers (and breakers) here and on Instagram.

Moving on.

Oh hey friends! It's been a bit. 

Our little family grew, as you know, but then it moved...
 

Yours truly did a little part-time work on an event for a cause very close to my heart...

And we have been doing a little, oh okay, a LOT of work renovating our new house. Not for the faint of heart, I assure you!

I'd be lying if I told you I haven't been overwhelmed. SO buried that I could literally not tell you where my feet were; that's buried deep y'all. 

But alas!
My event has passed, we survived a trip to visit family and friends in Texas, and now I am excited to get our little family back into a routine and work on making this new house of ours a home.

The casa.

Speaking of homes, I'd like to share a quick ode to the one I left behind.

The first home that I was a part of searching for and purchased. (My husband, well he's a different story, but we'd need a whole month devoted to that! Kidding honey).

The home that I found out I was pregnant in...twice.

The home I learned how to be a mom in, and my husband, a dad.

The home where I specifically remember the moment I understood love. Truly understood how wonderful and painful love can be; this being the unconditional love for a child.

The home I brought both my boys too. 

The home that saw tears and joy. Love and sorrow. 

Where I learned my Grandfather had passed. 

Where I brought new friendships too and watched them grow into life-long ones. 

The home near South Pearl Street. 

An area that cemented my love for Denver. Where I realized, I can do this, I can live away from my family and make this city...my home.

I had no idea how sappy I would be leaving the house, and funny enough, I haven't missed it a day since we left. However, when I was standing in my empty kitchen as we moved the last of our things out bawling like a baby, I realized just how much this home meant to me. It represents a home of firsts and a neighborhood, South Pearl, that will go down in the books as one of the best.

Thanks for the memories, old home of ours.