This sweetie little boy is now a three year old. Holy smokes. It was a simple and sweet little party in the backyard with a couble decker cookie cake and a tableful of presents.

I am one lucky lucky mom, and I realize it everyday.

My sister and her clever husband are in town so we are pretending to be on vacation and enjoying Hawaii like tourists. I’ll check in once we’re back to real life next week.

xo
elle

There seems to be no limit to the things that you know how to say and do. You’ll repeat any word or phrase that we ask you too (this morning it was, “rolling with the homies”, “alright stop, collaborate and listen”, and other funny rap songs. You’re always astounding us with your new vocabulary and your Dad and I have had to start spelling things out to one another so that you don’t know what we’re talking about. Current catch phrases include, “that’s funny right there”, “that’s not funny right there”, “breakfast? yucky!”, “going to school? yucky!”, “it’s my birfday? yucky!” (everything is yucky sometimes), “gigi, not nice. not nice gigi.”, “where dada go? Dada at work?” “rub a back mama”, “mama, nuk a’dis!”, “you do it”, and in increasing frequency, “I do it myself”. Your skill set has improved by leaps and bounds. You can undress and mostly redress yourself. You are part Spiderman because you can climb things rather quickly (a 5 foot stack of pallets in 15 seconds and the stove with the help of a chair are examples of recent feats) and you love being so tall when you’re up there. When you’re done with a meal you know to put your dishes in the sink and with each little accomplishment you want to inform us and celebrate. We always comply. We are so proud of your abilities and your curiosity.

You are pretty much a Mama’s boy- you like having me around and can’t really go to sleep without me tucking you in half a dozen times. I don’t really mind. Although- sometimes you do call me into your room after bedtime (and several tucking-ins) in a panicked tone and then quietly say, “rub my back” when I arrive. You know what you want. You also adore your Dad and often ask me where he is if he’s not with us. You like to do what he’s doing. You love to be involved and help in the projects that we’re working on and you insist that we explain what we’re doing as we go along.

You are a picky eater, and I wish that I could blame it on you, but it’s really my fault for using cheerios and fish crackers as the first reponders to your toddler cries. Foods that you will eat: pizza, crackers, cookies, cereal (you always demand milk and a spoon), cake, candy, popcorn, nuts, cheesy roll ups, chicken nuggest, fries, dired fruit, raisins, yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches, donuts, cookies, and most recently fresh pineapple and apples. Everything else you usually reject without hardly a glance. We’ve been blending fruits and veggies into smoothies for you to give you something healthy for at least half of your life.

For a three year old you have lots of hobbies. They include putting stickers and band-aids on yourself, watching “nudies” (your adorable name for movies) on Mom’s iPhone, playing with cars and trucks, and figuring out how things work.

And you love the trampoline. We went to visit Grandma and Gramdpa (you know them as grammie and gram gram) last summer and played on their trampoline everyday. When we came home we bought one too. You spend some time out there almost everyday and love pretending to be a dinosaur. This might be a good place to tell you that you’re kind of a wimp too. I mean, we knew that we were jinxing you by naming you Danger- but we could never have forseen this. You’ll climb on things and run fast and fall down and not cry- but if Ginger leans on you, you’ll fall over sobbing that she’s hurting you. If she holds onto your shoulder to stabalize herself you’ll turn red and in face and cry. If she falls on you on the trampoline you’ll lay there under her, not moving, shouting to me for help. I guess your little sister is your kryptonite.

We feel so lucky and blessed to be your parents and it is exciting to rediscover the joys of the world with you. Here’s to another hundred or so years cute pants.

ps. As requested, I am now going to the kitchen to make your HUGE HUGE cookie in place of a birthday cake.
pps. look how far you’ve come! When you were two, one, and the day you were born

love you a million times over, and more.
xxxoooooxoxoxoOOOOOOOOOOOxxxoxoo
mama

I’ve done my darndest to take a photo of each one of the kids each day of their life. Nothing specific or crazy, just a visual documentation of them on that day. Sometimes I forget about it until after they’re sleeping and so I have to sneak into their room and use my little pop-up flash to capture their cuteness. It’s quite a departure from the photos of them that I like to take- but golly it’s real life. I have quite a little collection of them and they make me so happy. They are so full of energy during the day- and I just adore gazing at them in this one moment where they are calm and serene and sweet. And Ginger- with her Dad’s hat and the bottle still in her sweet hand? Classic.

p.s. The xoelle studio is coming right along- there’s a floor and 3 walls! I’d planned on posting about it as we go along- but it’s hard to sum up when we are right in the thick of it. Hopefully we’ll be in the thin of it later this week.

xo
elle

because I’d forgotten how sweet it was holding hands with this sode-toting/guzzling, motorcycle-hoodied sweetheart while walking the waterfront in Seattle. In fact, I’d completely forgotten about the clemantine soda that he insisted he carry and swig himself. The other night I was editing photos from our extended vacation in Spokane and I came accross this set and just grinned from ear to ear. This is why I take/keep/edit/post photos. To remember.

Or this fine day when we were making lemon cupcakes and Mr. Jack was so sweet to help putting the liners in the pans. He was also pretty serious about the quality and insisted on taste-testing each one.

I’m pretty serious about taking photos to “document” my life- I feel like Melissa Joan Hart’s character in Can’t Hardly Wait who replies to someone abusing her yearbook by holding it up and hollering, “these are memories frozen in time people!”. So me.

There’s some pretty serious memory-freezing going on in this house so be prepared for a few photo-heavy posts about our awesome summer (and the awesome new house!).

ecks oh,
Laura. =)

oh those luscious locks that I love so much. They were often wild. They fooled strangers into thinking that Jack is a girl. They whipped him in the face when the windows were down in the car. They curled so sweetly at his little neck. They got ratty and knappy if Jack had a particularly restless nap. I used just about every excuse in the book (“he’s not two yet!”, “we need to do it when there is better lighting!”, “baby curls won’t grow back!”) to not cut them, but the time came and the curls had to go.

We sat on the back porch and I clip clip clipped his little curls one by one until he woulndn’t sit still anymore. They are now in a little sandwich baggie that’s waiting patiently in the kitchen to get placed into his baby book.

Still the cutest boy ever.

xo friends,
mama elle

Jack’s birthday fell on a Sunday this year so we got to church early and took some photos and they had a party for him in nursery (with treats!). He woke up from his after-church-nap cranky but he perked up rather quickly when he realized that he got to open presents and eat cake. Speaking of cake- I really wanted to do something special because my Mom was the queen of great cakes and it was something that I always loved as a little kid about my birthdays. I am not really equiped to bake here (no mixer, flour, cake decorating supplies, baking pans…….) but I still wanted to actually bake the cake so I bought a really cool Wilton pan and boxed cake mix and canned frosting. I LOVED the results of the cake and it was so easy (and pretty!) with the Wilton pan. Jack got lots of awesome presents (a ukulele, working disco ball, fisher-price record player, noah’s ark, and lots of rad (and needed) clothes.

I love these birthday things. Can’t wait to celebrate them at least once a year.

hello ya’ll coming over from MADE- I am so so happy to be participating in celebrate the boy with Dana and so many other wonderful mommies and bloggers. Boys rule! I am the lucky mama of one particularly handsome almost-2 year old wonder boy, Jack. He is particulaly stylish and has deen wearing at least one bow tie a week since he was 5 days old, which makes him especially qualified to contribute to this post on dressing your little man for special occassions.

If you are the mama of a little boy then you already know that the clothing selection at your average department/retail/box stores for tiny males is really very limited- and that’s just for everyday sort of wear. What about white dress shirts? Dress slacks? A suit jacket? A proper bow tie? Not happening. I learned this when I was searching for an outfit for my son to wear to his blessing before he was born. Not only could I not find a simple white dress shirt and slacks for a newborn, I couldn’t find a single button-down shirt without sports or transportation screenprinting/embroidery on it or a pair of pants without cargo pockets/patches/intentional wear in any size. Thus began my education in the little man’s Sunday wardrobe, and it’s an education that I’ll pass right on to y’all.

First and foremost: little guys look their best when they are dressed like men. Stick a little guy in dress slacks, a nice button-down shirt, a bow tie, and a suit jacket and you’ve got a swoon-worthy companion. Many of the same rules that govern men’s fashion come into play here: shoe color should match belt color, either suspenders or a belt should be worn, not both (I prefer suspenders!), clothes chosen should be comfortable and fit the personality of the wearer. We will ignore men’s fashion rules in regards to patterns and colors. In fact, in elle’s book of little man’s fashion these are non-negotiables. Have that little man wear brightly colored striped (or argyle or polka dotted) socks, put on a bold print tie, and go ahead and mix up those prints. Dressing little men is fun.

Secondly, mix it up. Look for pieces that can be worn in more than one setting. A pair of chino or corduroy pants are perfect for a Sunday outfit when paired with the right elements, but they are also perfect for an afternoon out shopping with Mom when paired with a vintage-esque tee. My little man’s Sunday clothes are in his weekday rotation because they are versitale. Part of mixing it up is also pairing new clothing with vintage and handmade items. There is depth to that sort of style- it is timeless and efortless.

And of course, last on my list is where and when to get your hands on all of this wonderful stuff (and there is a strategy!). I have found that when it comes to dressy stuff for the little guys, when you need it and you’re looking for it, you can’t find it, but when you’re just wandering, there it is. So, I’ve learned to buy it when it’s there. For thrift and vintage shops that is year-round. For retailers that sell new clothing that generally means Easter and Christmas (or shortly thereafter to get the after-holiday discounts). Of course, the absolute best way to get your hands and exactly what you want is to make it yourself. There are so many amazing tutorials and patterns available especially with the addition of Celebrating the Boy to the blogosphere- so make something! And while you’re planning/waiting/sourcing-the-perfect-madras, here’s some inspiration for the scholar, poet, artist, rebel, treehugger, and the sailor in your life.

Now, on with the cuteness!

button down dress shirt by Janie and Jack
cherokee douglass dress shoes by Target
italian chino suit pants by J. Crew
classic blazer by The Children’s Place
telstar necktie handmade by Apple and Ivy

converse one star shoe by Converse, available at Target
regular fit jeans for baby by Old Navy
convertable gingham shirt by The Gap
skull and bones chambray tie by J. Crew

yellow and white gingham bow tie handmade by babybystevie
color block socks by kidssocks.com
vintage baby shoes sold by lishyloo
vintage plaid blazer sold by apple vintage
vintage corduroy pants sold by Age of Bliss
blue oxford shirt by Old Navy

red gingham shirt by Ben Sherman
vintage red wool blazer sold by heartcity
boys marled striped socks by J. Crew
boys striped elastic belt by J. Crew
boys seersucker shorts by J. Crew
marina moccasin by The Children’s Place
nato bow tie by xoelle

the velveeta little guy bow tie handmade by buttered toast
vintage suede velcro sneakers sold by Stylin Recyclin
vintage cardigan sweater sold by Thrifty Vintage Kitten
blue oxford shirt by Old Navy
boys striped socks by J. Crew
plaid shorts by Janie and Jack, available at ebay

button down dress shirt by Janie and Jack
vintage chocolate bow tie sold by stilleto girl
mio blazer handmade by mioseoul
vintage navy sweater vest sold by 3 ring circus
greendog baby shorts, available at Macy’s
boys cotton argyle socks by J. Crew
kids leather oxfords by J. Crew

my favorites:
thrifting locally. find a thrift store near you here.
vintage on etsy, especially frecklewonder, lishyloo and 3ringcircus
J. Crew (They sure do know their seersucker over there)
The Children’s Place

I hope these ideas have made dressing your little guy up for an occassion even more fun! Do you have any places you love to shop or style tips that you’d like to add? Let us all know in the comments below!

Rock on cool Mommas of little well-dressed dudes,

elle

You are 21 months old and I have totally slacked on these updates. You are a toddler now and your vocabulary is growing everyday (as is your hair, but I just can’t bring myself to cut it yet!)

You are a sweet big brother! You have a little doll that you take care of from time to time (but sometimes you just toss her head-first into things) and you like to give kisses to your real baby sister. You call her “baby” and will give her hugs and kisses on demand (and sometimes spontaneously). It has occured to you that we need to take her along with us when we go places and you have been known to come over to me with her carseat, motion for her to be placed into the car seat, and when I do put her in there and buckle her in, you will push and pull the carseat over to the door.

You are so very curious about the world around you. There aren’t many things that you’re afraid of (just the vacuum cleaner) and this constant exploration means that you get yourself into some pretty sticky situations. You are always talking as well and it takes us way too long to decipher your motions and new words. You are such a patient little dude about it thought and will repeat yourself over and over very calmly until we understand you, or you decide that it’s not worth the trouble and give up.

You are so so so handsome and I often want to just cuddle and kiss and hug on you. Luckily, you don’t usually mind too much.

We went on many adventures in the past few months-a trip to San Diego, your first ride in the ferris wheel, a few days lived as a garden gnome, a car accident and a cut on your head to prove it, your first attempt at skateboarding, and about a gazillion other things.

You have fallen so in love with cars. You love to watch them and drive them and you could watch the movie “Cars” all day long. Lightning McQueen has overshadowed Buzz Lightyear and your favorite character. You get so so excited when you see a car and even request to use the sippy cup with Lightning on it. You often pretend to drive a car when you’re holding something round, or sometimes just in the air in front of you.

You are still the pickiest eater ever. We can only get you to eat vegetables or fruits if they are in smoothie form. Your current approved list of foods includes chicken nuggets, goldfish crackers, cookies, chocolate, pretzles, cookies, cereal, toast, and bacon.

You are loving bathtime and will sit in there playing with the toys (and drinking the bathwater) until it gets cold and you’re shivering. Your Dad just recently discovered that sidewalk chalk in the bath is pretty rad, and you agree.

oh. the. tantrums. They’re really not too bad and you are a sweet child- but when you wake up from naps and before bed you can get very very whimpery and nothing is right. A few minutes of quiet time, hugs, and a snack or two generally eases the symptoms.

A giant box found it’s way into your playroom and you have had so much fun with that thing! We all take turns running through it. you have used it as a fort, a drum, a canvas, and a hideout.

It’s so great having you in our family! You have made the holidays a delight. For Thanksgiving we dished your plate out with at least one scoop from every item and you are one bite of your roll. For Christmas Santa brought you a trike and it was so awesome and distracting that you weren’t really interested in opening the presents. I bet we’ll have to keep you from them next year.

As I always say, it is a pleasure to be your Mom (and I know that your Dad would say the same thing about being your Dad). You are so special and sweet and smart and just funny and you bring the most important things in my life to forefront everyday. Thanks for being one of the best parts of our family.

love,

mama

You are 18 months old today! So much has happened since my last little letter to you- you are growing up so fast and have become a big brother!

Your eating habits have improved ever so slightly. We have added rice, chicken nuggets, cheesecake, chex mix, nilla wafers, and my cereal to the list of things that you’ll eat. You have two highchairs and like to choose which one you use each night. We spent a few days away from you and you came back to us saying the word, “cookie”. Wether you learned this word from the people who were watching you or wether you picked it up at home and just started saying then, we don’t know. It is certainly the most articulate word you use- and to you it means just about everything that is crunchy including crackers and chips.

Your fascination with large chairs continues and you often come to me requesting that I vacate a large chair so that you can climb into it. When it gets particularly quite in the house I tend to worry that you are getting into something dangerous, but lately when I go to investigate I find you sitting in the gold chair in your room reading a book. You love books. “Mike and the Bike”, “Goodnight Gorilla”, “Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel”, “Bedtime Bugs”, and “Toy Hero” are all current favorites.

You accompany us on many adventures. Since it’s been pretty hot outside and I’ve been pregnant, hot, and uncomfortable for most of the summer, those adventures are usually grocery shopping and/or dinner out. You love the fries at Red Robin and I am usually happy to help you eat your grilled cheese. On one of these shopping trips (to Target, probably for diapers) we took you to the toy section to see the giant Buzz Lightyear that talks when you press a button (have I ever mentioned that you LOVE Buzz Lightyear?) and he wasn’t there. In his place was a bigfoot toy that roars and pounds on the plexi-glass. At first you were curious about him, but the longer we stood there the more terrified you became. I think that it was the first time that you really got upset and afraid at something.

We took some family portraits one morning at Plaza Ferdinand and it was impossible to keep you in one spot. This is how I will remember you at 18 months old, always on the move, always curious about everything around you.

A joint training effort by your Father and I has yeilded amazing results. You are able to body slam (a full body attack waged with arms up, yelling, “bah be bah!”), show us who’s boss (the tapping if your elbow into the plam of your other hand), and show us your muscles (the flexing of your muscles paired with an intense growly face). It would be intimidating if you weren’t 22 pounds of blonde hair blue-eyed adorableness. These tricks are endlessly entertaining to us and to everyone in sight when we are out and about. We;ve also taught you how to nod youy head to the rhythm of music while pursing your upper lip gangster style and dancing. We practice in the mirror everynight after a bath.

And then you became a big brother. You were almost in the hospital room for delivery since it all happened so fast. You spent 3 days with our friends the Kellys. We missed you and couldn’t wait for you to come visit us in the hosptial. When you did you wanted to play “hide and seek” with your Dad all around the room. You met your new sister, of course, and you really didn’t seem too impressed. You have since fallen in love with her as we have. You love to point out when she is wearing monkeys on her clothes by making the monkey sounds. You love to compare her toes to your own (and sometimes you like to kiss her toes). You love to offer her pacifiers (only to pull them back out of her mouth once she’s accepted them) and you only get slightly agitated when I’m holding her and can’t pick you up. You call her “baby” and like to point out to people that she is one. I took both of you to an estate sale last week and Ginger was in her carseat and you were walking around. When two ladies got too close to Ginger you went over to them, told them that she was your baby, and tried to pull the carseat away from them. We like that you’ll be looking out for your little sister.

We visited my family in Spokane, WA where you got to hang with lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends. You got to jump on a trampline and try chocolate covered cheesecake. You went on your first gondola ride and danced the night away at your Uncle Scott’s wedding. You loved the trampoline and could not get enough of running around the 2 acre yard. It was a challenge for you to sit still during the plane ride but we learned that you love pretzels and escalators.

You’ve become an awesome little helper. You like to carry things into the house for me and wipe up spills on the floor (and your highchair tray). You also like to wipe up things that don’t need wiping up, using wet wipe after wet wipe. If I leave a box of them within your reach you will pull out every single one. This last week you loaded your Fischer-Price bus up with them and took them on a tour around the house.

Your vocabulary has increased and we can generally tell what it is that you’re wanting. You start saying or signing words that we don’t remember teaching you (like “walk”- I’m not even sure if your gestures are the appropriate sign for walk, but you say it with a “wah” and it’s obvious what you mean). There are still signs and words that we have used from the time you were 6 months old that you haven’t used yet (like “milk”) but you’re also saying all kinds of things that we don’t understand. There are times when I can tell that you are trying to tell me something and you are saying it slower and slower with more deliberate hand gestures so that I’ll understand, but I just don’t. You are so patient about this most of the time. You will keep asking for something over and over, calmly and without frustration, until we understand you and provide you with what you need. You picked up on “please” and “thank you” very quickly and will use them without being prompted. Your sweetness knows no bounds.

Of course, the tantrums have begun as well. In general they are a combination of hunger, tiredness, frustration, and dang parents that don’t understand what you’re saying, or do understand and just won’t hand over a third cookie. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this next time.

We love you so much little man- it seems that you get more adorable by the day and I am always wondering if I’ll be able to handle any more cuteness. There are so many good things ahead of us and it is an honor to be able to spend so much time with you.

love without end,
mama (and dada too)