While We Live We Love: A Visit to our Alma mater

Presbyterian College has a special place in my heart.  It's a tiny school, but it makes a colossal impression on you during such a formative time in your life.  I suppose that argument could be made about all colleges and universities, but PC is different.  It changes you.

PC is also where I met Bo. We have such fond memories of the campus, the friends we made, the professors, classes, and the weekend parties.  It is so special to us, that a few years after we graduated, Bo convinced the president of the college to have his secretary invite our graduating class to a Christmas Eve party at Neville Hall, an iconic building in the middle of campus.  I received a personal invitation from the secretary, and Bo and I drove to PC on Christmas Eve in 2004 to attend the party.  We arrived to find no one on campus.  Bo, having arranged an elaborate scheme to bring me back to the place we met, proposed to me on the steps of Neville Hall.  It was a surprising and romantic proposal, and one that held such meaning to us both since it involved a place we love. 

Neville Hall

Bo, McCord, and Wade climbing the steps of Neville

PC's motto is dum vivimus servimus, "while we live we serve."  On Bo's wedding band I inscribed, dum vivimus amo, "while we live we love" - a tribute to the place that means so much to us.

Because it's my alma mater, where I met my husband, and where we got engaged, you can imagine what a thrill it was to introduce our boys to the campus last weekend.  It was fall break, and not a soul was around.  The campus looked as if it belonged in a storybook - exactly how we left it when we graduated and closed that chapter in our lives.  It was so refreshing to find the pages untouched.  

PC has a great tradition of holding the graduation ceremony underneath the beautiful oaks that line the front horseshoe on campus.  We graduated under this beautiful oak, and now we can share it with our 2 year old.  

On Monday, Bo and I celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary, and I am forever grateful to PC for bringing us together.  

Happy Anniversary, Bo! 

Still my boyfriend. 

Wade is 4 Months Old

...and a couple of weeks!

Happy 4 month birthday Wade!  

Oh, how fun it is to be 4 months!  This month you started taking Kindermusik, took your first trip to the beach, and you've learned how to kiss.  Oh, how I love your open-mouthed slobbery wet kisses!  You have totally stolen our hearts with your sweet, easy-to-smile disposition and your brother has especially enjoyed playing with you this month now that you're getting into the exersaucer and jumperoo.  These past 4 months we've enjoyed watching your personality unfold and we could not have asked for a sweeter baby - all you demand is a quiet dark room to nap in, otherwise, you're a pretty easy going little guy.

At your 4 month check-up last week, we were shocked to learn that you weigh 16.14 lbs and are 27" long.  That means you fall into the 90th percentile for weight and the 97th percentile for height!  There's a reason we've nicknamed you "Chunky."  You really skipped over all of your brother's hand-me-down clothes in the 3-6 month range.  You're wearing 9 month clothing and we're loving every roll and crevice on your pudgy body!

Wade, I just can't get enough of you!  I love to hold you close to my chest and rub my cheek on your head, you are just so warm and kissable, and I enjoy carting you around all day.  I know all too well that these days are few and fast, and that one day soon you'll be crawling and then walking, and running to keep up with your brother.  I will mourn the loss of this stage.

Here you are standing with your Daddy on your 4 month birthday next to McCord's maple.  We'll be planting your Sugar Maple soon.  McCord is obviously too busy to smile for the camera, but he wants to be a part of the moment none-the-less. 

Litchfield 2012
Wade's first trip to the beach

Instagram

I've been Instagramming lately.

A quick run to the Home Depot for some fall plants.  BTW, for those of you who have BiLos  nearby, did you see the heirloom pumpkins they had on sale last week?  We bought 3.  That may not be enough.

And I've discovered that I'm a better Instagrammer than I am blogger.  Sometimes it's difficult to find the time to sit down to write a meaningful post on my blog.  I created this blog for 2 purposes:
1- to keep my parents and in-laws posted on what's going on with our family (and anyone else who's interested)
and
2- to keep track of things I've sewn with the hopes of using the blog to help market the High Cotton business one day.  It's a small endeavor, and one I hope to get to sooner rather than later.

Oh dear Wade, why must you grow so fast?!

I've been growing bored with the way the house looks lately and made some new curtains for the kitchen out of some old fabric from my stash.  It's a Schumacher remnant that I've hoarded for years.  I looked it up online because I'd like to order some more and found it on this website.  Apparently it sells for $124 a yard!!!  Perhaps I should have sold it on etsy to help send the kids to college?

You'd think as a stay at home mom that I'd have ample time on my hands, but the truth is our days are very very full in a wonderful, fulfilled, but challenging sort of way.  And honestly, after getting 2 little bodies bathed, diapered, and tucked in for the night (or for the next 3 hours in Wade's case), my energy is spent, and while I intend to document the memories of our sweet and tender days, blogging is the last thing that gets done around here.

We've started a Sunday evening tradition with the kids of cooking hotdogs over a bon fire.  We even roasted a few marshmellows last night.  

Here we are relaxing McCord-style!

Enter Instagram, the busy blogger's lifesaver.

McCord's girlfriend, Taylor aka "Taygee"

While it may be difficult to blog, you can bet I'll find time to post a few pics here and there on my Instagram page because it's oh so easy.  I created a sidebar on my blog of the latest things I've Instagrammed in case you're interested.  It's the usual stuff I would normally love to blog about: yard sale finds, things I've made #fromthesewingroom, arts and crafty stuff, and also the funny, sweet, and silly moments with my boys.  You can find me on Instagram @redmondsc.  Or if you don't Instagram, but you'd like to see what all the fuss is about, you can see pics online and who I follow (currently following several designers who Instagram, and I LOVE to see the things that they are posting!) at this link.  If you Instagram too and I somehow missed you, please let me know.

Bo was out of town last Saturday, so the boys and I went to Windy Hill Orchard to pick apples.  I highly recommend if you're in the area. 

You can feed them with a bottle!!!!

And switching gears.  Here's a conversation I had with McCord the other day about stay at home moms. We were driving down the road and passed the bank where Bo works.

Mc: Dada!  pointing to bank

Sara: That's right, McCord.  That's where Dada works. Do you know what Daddy does while he's at work?

Mc: silence

Sara: Dada works with money.

Mc: silence, processing what in the world this means

Sara: Do you know where Mama works?

Mc: Home!

Sara: Yes!  I do work at home!  What do I do while I'm at work, McCord?

Mc: Eat! Eat!

Apparently, McCord thinks I eat all day for my job.  Yes, please.  Someone pay me to do that!

I think it's only appropriate to end with this photo.

Thoughts on Parenting

And what is our real job as parents, if not first to nurture the beings entrusted to our care, to have faith in their inchoate processes of growing and becoming, and then to show up, again and again, for as long as we are able, to bear grateful witness to their unfolding destinies?Katrina Kenison

Bo & McCord
Litchfield 2012

Wade's first trip to beach
3 months old

Estate Sale

Sunday's paper ran an ad for an estate sale of a woman who was considered a master quilter and baker.  Estate sale + sewing + someone who loves sweets?  Yes, please.

I just had to go check out this curious adventure!

Apparently the woman had 5 children and she and her husband built their house which was secluded among the trees on 26 acres.  Her sewing room was huge and included french doors that opened up onto a second floor deck with views of the thick woods and large creek in her backyard.  Sounds romantic but the house was a complete mess!  I believe she was a bit of a hoarder!  I expected to be the only crazy person who would travel way, way, out of the way to get a bargain, but the house was packed with lots of other crazy people just like me.  What fun Wade & I had scavenging for a bargain!

Here are a few pictures of the randomness that was this estate sale.

Wrapping paper, anyone?

Vintage sewing machines

There was an impressive sale on fabric. 

Yes, that is a tree trunk in the center of the room. 

I scored two bundles of striped knit fabric. 

Several yards of charcoal gray and red velvet - thinking about making some matching Christmas outfits out of the red for Mc and Wade. 

I fell in love with this childish flannel - it has a little boy dressed as an astronaut and his dog shooting a rocket. It looks vintage, but I have no idea. 

I spun the flannel into a blanket for Mc with soft minky fabric on the reverse side. Wade's matching blanket is in the works. 

If you are as curious about this estate sale as I was, and would like to see the pictures of the merchandise before it was picked over, click here.  You won't believe your eyes.

Preschool Day Hooray!

Today was McCord's first day of Preschool and no one is more shocked than I that we made it into the classroom at drop off with no tears.  McCord, my normally shy and reserved child, may very well have been the most excited child there and was literally bouncing with excitement!

He was so proud to wear his school bus t-shirt and pants. 

Tuesday he got to meet both of his teachers, Mrs. Martha and Mrs. Helen, in his new classroom.  He had three questions about preschool: will I get a snack snack; will I get to go outside; and will I get to paint? In that order.

Matching outfits for Wade and Mc for the special occasion.

We've been doing lots of talking about preschool and what to expect, because you just never know what their little minds are thinking.  Thankfully, it all went well - and I contribute that mostly to this book that we've been reading lately.

One of my friends graciously took this just before dropping Mc off - love that Wade with his jolly self is even smiling for McCord. 

Here's Mc all tuckered out after a busy day playing and learning. Doesn't he look especially collegiate?

Not sure if this is the school's tradition, but there was a bunny in the lobby for all of the children to greet. Mc loved meeting "Shirley."  We got his monogrammed seersucker backpack from this seller on etsy. 

And what did we take home to remember the day by?  McCord's own self portrait!