monday at the madhouse ~ final five

We started this weekend with nothing on our plates. Just a slow weekend to do what we wanted. And yes, we completely filled it to the brim -- but all with great fun.There were visits to the aquarium and parks, lots of long walks, the farmer's market, dinner with the fantastic Eric and Eero (who showed Ezra his tablet, above -- love seeing photos of those two playing together). There were tacos and guacamole and meals eaten at restaurants and brunch at friends' homes. There were new dogs to meet, new yards to explore, and the kid's first toad spotting.And I would be remiss if I didn't say there was also some moodiness. Ezra is one month away from being two, and dare I say it's starting to show. The amount of negotiation is exhausting and yet, forces me to be perhaps the most creative I have ever been in my lifetime. There is crying and frustration for this kid, but there are also hugs and kisses and moments when he looks up, holding my hand, and says, "Ezra happy." And that is pretty damn rad.And now, I need to tell you that Mondays at the Madhouse are coming to a close. I'm going to stop posting weekly about this adorable boy when he turns two. I've thought a lot about this since he was born, and while our family stories drive tons of traffic to my site (thanks everyone!), I think at age 2, Ezra is becoming his own person, and he should get a say about having an internet presence.I will likely still have occasional posts about the family and what we're up to, but not as regularly, and not with as many photos of Ezra. This whole "sharing on the internet" is a tricky thing to navigate, and while I'm happy to share things about my own life to the world, I want him to make those decisions for himself. Also? I don't want this to turn into a space where I write about his tantrums or his potty training. Those things are for him to experience, not the world. And those things are right around the corner.So after this week, you'll have four more weeks of seeing Ezra, and then we'll have to get a little more creative about our Monday mornings. Don't worry. I have ideas :)One big change this week was that on our family walks, Ezra is actually walking more. There's far less time in the stroller, and more time exploring the rocks and cracks in the sidewalk. Which is why it took 1.5 hours for me to walk 10 blocks with him this week.Patience is a virtue. Right?Are you guys eating all the peaches right now? Because we cannot get enough over here. My god, they are heavenly this time of year.We have a vacation coming up soon, and on this trip we need to bring our huge carseat as we'll be driving a lot once we land. So we tried out this new gizmo that will let us pull the kid through the airport like luggage before we check the carseat at the gate. I think it's a hit. Back in May, I got Ezra a ziplock baggie full of Fisher Price trucks at a garage sale for dirt cheap. Smartly, I hid them until this week when he was tired of his current toys. Oh you guys, what a hit. They have travelled with us everywhere, provide hours of entertainment and have even been in the bath tub.Another shot of Eero and Ezra with the tablet after dinner. Oh these two.At brunch on Sunday, we ate outside in our friend Sarah's backyard (which was lovely). After eating (and playing with trucks), we found a black toad in the rocks. Ezra is examining it up there.I would be lying if I didn't admit that I am being called into duty to play with the trucks with Ezra constantly. Bubie Carole is coming this week, and I cannot wait for him to have a new truck partner. It will be a well-deserved break.And I captured this "God Mom!" teenager look on Saturday morning. Up next? Eyerolls, I'm sure.