Hanging Out and the Chalk Festival

So we totally love this kid - just had to say that. :)

So, in my goal to be more healthy this pregnancy around, I've gotten into a reasonable habit of exercising.  My good friend Kim and I agreed to do a babysitting swap twice a week so we can go to the gym.  We've done it 3 times so far, and I must say it keeps me in line to exercise at least that much since the promise of babysitting is kept - there's no getting out of it!  I laugh at myself waddling (yes I'm already starting to do that) into the gym with my not-so-small belly now (seriously - I am showing WAY more than I did initially with Ross).  There are a few strangers I see all the time at the gym...well should I call them strangers still since I recognize them and exercise right next to them at least once or twice a week?  Maybe acquaingers - because we're acquainted in our similar exercise choices, but still sort of strangers since we don't talk - just silently and almost awkwardly work out next to each other.  Anyway - tangent.  I wonder if some of these "acquaingers" think to themselves, "lady - you got to lay off those oreos and shakes, because no matter how much you exercise, you're just getting fatter every time you show up here."  I think I've surpassed the chubby stage of pregnancy though and have been graduating to the basketball territory as of late.  I usually never wear my wedding ring to the gym, because - eww - sweaty hands wearing a ring?  But now, I don't want people to think I'm an unwed pregnant mother so I've tried to remember to wear it more often - but it's - eww - sweaty ring wearing hand.  Oh well.  What we do in fear of others' judgments.  
Okay - back to the babysitting swap to exercise story.  Ross is forming new friends lately which is good for him.  Wesley is about three months younger than him, but he is a little busy body.  He and Ross started walking about the same time to give you a picture.  Sometimes they play together, and a lot of times they try to take each others' toys, but they mostly bond while snacking on cheerios and goldfish.  They also share a mutual enjoyment of running through bubbles and dance parties (we have those sometimes...and sometimes we do them all together).  

Some quality playing.  Ross kept poking Wesley on his shirt and shouting "tra tru"!  He was super excited that he had firetrucks all over his shirt.

My picture taking session was short lived - Ross was done.

Today Steve was trying to study like a....well my mind went blank - so you can fill in that line.  He was studying really hard - we'll leave it at that.  Ross helped me make some waffles for breakfast (aka dump spoonfuls of batter all over the counter), scrub some dishes (aka play with bubbles and splash the dishwater all over the counter - but this helped to clean up the batter so we're good there), sweep (I had to keep reminding him not to touch my dirt pile and try to pick up old cheerios in it), mop (in which he slipped twice and was banned from the kitchen for his protection), and vacuum (he gets really excited following it around and running away from it - we tried to use the hose to suck his shirt up for fun...but he didn't think it was very fun).  We had a very busy morning needless to say.  

Drink break conversation.

Ross needed some help with his homework.

And Daddy was happy to oblige.

Didn't you know that green crayon is a vegetable?  Delish.

Yes - as a matter of fact - I do kiss this face every few minutes.  It's my right as a mother.  And it keeps me sane. :)

I love a good laughing face. :)

For a break tonight we decided to walk to the city center and check out all the sidewalk chalk art that everyone in the community did today.  It's an annual thing, and I totally forgot about this morning in our cleaning craze.  So we found some pretty fun pieces and then had dinner at Connie's Corner Cafe which is a cute little 50's restaurant.  It was a nice break for all of us, and the weather was perfect for walking.  Oh how I love Oregon - so many fun things everywhere. :)

I was amazed at how GOOD some of these chalk squares were!  But we live in Oregon - the artsiest fartsiest state ever.

It went all day - the guy at the top was still working on his piece!

Some friends' chalk squares.  Awesome!

This raining umbrella one was amazing!  It's all done with chalk, but it seriously looked like paint!

I absolutely LOVE that someone did Ezma from The Emperor's New Groove

And this boy is just cute...those little chubby hands are too adorable!

Another view for your viewing pleasure. :)