On having boys...

These two are always on the go, never stopping as if there is no time to waste and it has to be spent playing, playing and more playing. They are very physical which someone warned me about when I announced thatI was having a second boy but it was not until just a few weeks ago that they started to interact more and be physically more playful with each other. I do hover over them when they do this kind of play but only because it's new and it seems to be taking some time for me to adjust to it. I am sure I'll manage but boy is it crazy loud sometimes. They huff and puff and scream and laugh! I can't imagine having it any other way.

The Weekend

We welcomed summer with a bang over here in our tiny house. We had some good company on Friday and Saturday, my husbands twin brother was in town and we got to spend some time catching up with him. While we lived in New York, he was our next door neighbor and most days we'd see each  other at least once a day for a cup of coffee or a shared meal. We miss having him around so this was a great treat for us and the kids as well since they just adore having him around.

Saturday was a day for Farmers Market visits and outdoor play. The day ended on a bittersweet note where we ( my whole family and my husbands family ) watched Bosnia say goodbye to their first World Cup :( But there is a silver lining, this was our first ever World Cup so not too shabby I say.

Sunday, we spent some time with my parents eating good food, making silly chalk drawings and running with dido (grandpa) who was a good sport making my four year old very happy. We also snuck in some beach time and tried grilling a pizza (or two).
Bring on some more fun summer, we are ready!

his is lovely

 building legos on the deck

 stripes and quilts went to the beach...

 running is his middle name

less cheese next time

Shared room mini tour

Most of the rooms in our home are always a work in progress. I am someone who loves to make a home feel like it's a collection of loved pieces and not a showroom. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed many beautify done homes where the fabrics matched and the pictures hung perfectly on the walls, but that's not how my home looks like.  I have collected many thrifted and vintage pieces as well as affordable practical pieces over the years. One of my favorite places is our kids shared room. The crib is one that was gifted to us from my parents and the twin bed for our oldest is made in the USA. I am hoping to buy the same bed for the little man as soon as he's ready to transition. The school desk and chair was an estate sale find a few years ago, it cost us $3.00! I repainted it and voila a great nightstand it's one of my favorite pieces. The cloud pillows were a project I did a few years back and most of the soft toys were gifts from family and friends.
As I mentioned, the room is still a work in progress but I kind of like the simplicity of it right now.

Time is on my side, yes it is

Yesterday, I turned thirty four years old. The age, or the number if you will, doesn't really bother me or make me question my existence or anything deep like that. I do, however, realize how quickly years pass after you have children. Now, I know, this is what everyone tells you when you are young and naive but really, it does fly insanely fast. Today is Thursday, I swear yesterday was Monday. This is how most of my weeks go by. Chaos rules the workdays, once the weekend comes you think that it will be this time to relish and take in and get stuff done but it flies even faster than the weekdays did. You are left with unfinished projects and plans not executed and you tell yourself " Next week, I'll get that done next week for sure" or "I'll play with the kids more next week". The thing is, next week is not the solution. Next week is chaos. (sounds depressing I know, I promise it's not, bare with me for a second here...) I guess what I'm trying to say is that waiting and making crazy long to do lists of projects and plans that create anxiety and the feeling of failure is not the solution here, at least not for me and my feelings towards time. I want to make this year a year of less planning and projects, I want to make it less about accomplishing. Instead, I want to work on being satisfied with projects not being done. I want to enjoy the process without the pressure of accomplishment. I want to be OK with it. This year is for placing less expectations on myself. Not sure how I'm going to get there yet though. You see I spent six years of my life as a refugee and probably six more as an immigrant. The status was "waiting ", I always felt that I was waiting for life to start again. So making these lists and having high expectations was a way of catching up on time that has long been lost. A way of saying " see I still accomplished a lot, even though I lost many years". I want to be OK, I want to make piece with time. Time, let's be friends :)

For my birthday, I treated myself to new grays-be-gone roots at Indigo Salon and had a romantic birthday dinner at Hen of the Wood which was out of this world good. If you haven't been, do your taste buds a favor, treat yourself to a great culinary experience!

Summer is going to be good!

Our weekend was jam packed with all kinds of good old outdoor play. Saturday we celebrated our littlest and him turning two! Time flies when you're having fun and he is just so charismatic that every minute spent with him is pure happiness. My heart is full!

Since most of Saturday was spent setting up and cleaning up after the birthday party, we decided that Sunday would be just a day to be outside and enjoy this nice weather we've been having. The kids and I spent the morning riding bikes and playing in sprinklers. The afternoon was easy going with backyard play and some water table fun. Hamza acquired a dinosaur dig kit form the Smithsonian and spent an hour and a half digging up the bones while I got to lay out for a bit ( thank you Smithsonian, because of you I am not quite as see through as I was before). Being in the sunshine did us all so good. After the winter we've had, I vow to enjoy and take in the sunshine whenever I can get it.

Birthday boy!

On Lake Champlain at about two and a half months old.

Time flies when you're having fun. This Saturday our littlest one will be turning two! He is the typical second child, he knows the ins and outs on how to get it his way in any situation. He'll turn on his charm and give you a hug in a minute and all that when he really needs something. He'll even say "Takuu meme" and "you elkommm" all on his own. He's a good one this guy, I think he can stay for a while :)

Easy kind of weekend

 Sometimes we forget how beautiful Vermont can be, I mean we love it in the fall when the leaves are changing colors and in the winter when the snow covers the ground but summer, it can be pretty special. We got a glimpse of summer temperatures this weekend and we decided to just be outside as much as we could.

This weekend was filled with building boxes and bird feeders from recycled wood and loads of gardening for me ( more like pulling weeds for days). We made easy meals and enjoyed some good company. There is something so good about just being in the moment and forgetting plans and chores.

We ended our weekend on a high note with burger night at Bread & Butter Farm which is always a huge success in my book. Good food, music and a huge field for the kids to run around. Success! If you haven't gone yet and have kids with loads of energy ( like we do),  then that's the place to try.

Hope your weekend was as sweet as ours!