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Things are always changing around here. Every walk I take is different than the one before.  We are overrun with dragonflies and damselflies.  They're just everywhere.  Plants are continually blooming, exploding with color, surprising us.  They dance in the wind, beautiful. And then they are finished for the season, gone as quickly as they came.  Right now, we have raspberries, tons of them, and day lillies, trumpet vines, and the vegetables in our garden.

Michigan Lilly

Grapes

Orioles, on a date

As the weather changes, so do the animals we come across here at Moraine.  Baby deer and racoons have been making appearances every so often.  Orioles passed through for a few weeks, hummingbirds are still visiting regularly all day.  We have a million frogs.  Driving down the driveway at dusk is a feat in itself, avoiding all of the frogs and chipmunks is tricky.  We have turtles, snakes, and a few really beautiful warblers, too.  In fact, Big brother and I saw this big guy during a bike ride:

Northern Banded Water Snake

 Yeah.  In one of the ponds.  Just hanging out. Waiting to eat an unsuspecting 9 year old boy if he gets too close.  Not cool.

Yikes.

Painted Turtle

Blue-Tailed Damselfly

Big brother's baseball season is coming to a close.  He worked so hard.  He played with heart.  He tried harder than I've seen him try at anything. Summer has so far been spent around home when we aren't at baseball.  He watched a sub-titled kung fu movie this evening (He watched the entire movie in Mandarin before learning from D that he could change it on the DVD settings.   hahaha!). He's been playing wii and catching critters and reading comic books.  He has stilts and a badminton net from his grandma that keep him occupied outdoors when he isn't hunting critters. He keeps pretty busy between sporadic complaints about being bored.

Rosalita

D and I have been trying hard to stay on top of our small veggie garden.  Pulling weeds and watering twice a day.  It has been very rewarding so far.  Tomorrow we'll harvest our radishes and spinach.  I didn't expect so many to grow so well, and now I am filled with pride and cannot wait to taste the fruits of our labor (literally).

Radishes!

Beans!

One of our bathrooms has been under construction for several weeks.  It is finally starting to take shape.  Piece by piece, we are getting closer to a completed project and I will be so - SO - happy when it is finished. 3 a.m. shuffles across the house tripping over cats to go potty are not fun.

hug?

Friday night, D's parents babysat for Big and little brother and we got to go on a date.  It was our first date since little brother was born.  It was so wonderful.  We ate Olive Garden and talked over our wine about how blessed we are.  We get emotional sometimes when we talk to each other about our kids. It's a lovely bond to have with someone, sharing the intense love of your children.  We ate slowly and laughed a lot.  Then we went to the beach.  Where we live is very near the water, and I think we're lucky for that.  We talked more about our kids and remembered days before being parents of two.  We watched the sun go down, and decided to come home because we missed them.

going.

going.

gone.

Grandma and Grandpa put little brother to bed, so we came home to a quiet house.  We ate the brownies they brought for us and went to bed feeling full and happy. I love my husband.  I am so thankful for him.

7

little brother is 7 months old now.  He is growing and developing a little personality more each day.  He rocks on his hands and knees and scoots across the floor easily and quickly.  He has been sleeping better at night now that he is a little older and we are a little more consistent.  He says 'da da' all the time.  He is the most easygoing and pleasant baby I have ever seen.  He eats a lot, laughs a lot, and really likes to read books.  He travels really well and thinks his Big brother is the most amazing person ever.  I love them so much, you guys.

bubbles!

 Something I have learned since being the mother of two children is to be nicer to people.  You never know how much or little someone can tolerate. You just never know what is going on in their heart or their head or their life.  I don't ever want to be the person responsible for pushing someone right over by being unpleasant.  I know that my level of tolerance has really changed since having little brother.  I am more tolerant of some things - like sleep deprivation, for example - than I was before.  I am much less tolerant of more things - like negativity or criticism - than I was before.  Taking care of a family changes you.  There are just too many things to take care of.  Sometimes you have to change your limitations. I know I have.  My kids need me to. They deserve all of my emotional energy.  That's important for me, and I have learned that it is for other people, too.

 So, take it from me, it doesn't hurt to be nice, or to bite your tongue sometimes.  It's okay to say nothing instead of something hurtful.  The moment will pass and you'll be glad you did. Eventually it will be second nature. Take it from me, you really don't know what someone else may be battling - no matter how well you might know them.  It is always better to be a thoughtful supporter than a negative force.

"A fellow who does things that count, doesn't usually stop to count them."  -Albert Einstein

-S.