Little Miss M

Little Miss M was born the summer of 2010 and like her brother she has brought so much love and laughter into our lives. She is part princess, part tomboy, and part entertainer; that's a perfect combination in my book. She is a fiercely independent child, although lately she does seem to be going through some separation anxiety and has been more clingy than ever before. I have a feeling this will be a passing phase. She loves wearing frilly "princess" dresses, twirling, singing and dancing, and playing in the mud or with her brothers trains. She has a wicked sense of humor, and a facial expression for every mood. With her birth our little family felt complete.

Little Man

Today I watched Little Man playing at his preschool's Fall Festival and I was amazed by how big he is getting. He hasn't been a baby for a while, he's 4 and a half, but today he seemed like a real "big boy". I love the little boy he is becoming. He is so inquisitive and loves to soak up information from everywhere and everyone he comes across. He loves everything about science and asks so many questions that sometimes it's hard to keep up. He loves creating things and is always inventing things, or writing/drawing/binding his own books. He likes to swim, and play soccer, and get dirty. But he also likes cuddling and taking baths. He can be challenging but in some ways that is what I love most about him. He certainly challenges me to be a better parent and a better human being. He has changed my life in incalculable ways and he is my heart and soul.

Phoning It In

I am so tired tonight that I think I might fall over asleep before I finish writing today’s entry. It was a long day of volunteering for my “moms group”, followed by prepping for tomorrow’s preschool information fair, and making a last minute scarecrow with the kids for the fall festival, which is also tomorrow. So I am going to cut this entry short because I have to get up early again tomorrow. I’m just happy I am posting anything at all.

Feeling a Bit Nostalgic

The fall is always a nostalgic time for me; it reminds me of my youth, especially my teens. Today I drove past two places that I frequented as a teenager and both were gone. The first one was the store where I used to buy doc martens and chukkas. The store has been gone for years but I still remember going there with my friend Faith and buying my first pair of 10 eye boots. The second store was a thrift store that I frequented in junior high and high school. I found many treasures there: vintage jewelry, one of kind dresses from years gone by, and vintage handbags. I still have many of the patent leather bags I purchased there. I am hoping that in a few years Little Miss M will like them.

The fall also makes me nostalgic for family who are no longer with us. I have been thinking about my grandparents a lot lately. I was lucky to have wonderful grandparents, on both sides, they were such special people. I try to honor their memories in my children and in my own life.

NaBloPoMo & Rediscovering My Voice

Hello! This blog has sat dormant for way too long. We have had so many changes in our lives since my last post nearly four years ago. Most notably, we have grown our family by one. We welcomed Little Miss M in the summer of 2010 and are now a family of four. Now that I am coming out of the “baby fog”, I thought it might be a good time to start this project up again (not that it ever really got off the ground). In an effort to make this process slightly more habitual I am going to participate in NaBloPoMo.

My intention for writing here is to capture memories of our little family but also as a creative outlet and rediscovering of myself, my voice. As the mother of two young children, I have often felt that my job has been to focus my attention wholly on them. In that, I have lost some of who I used to be and I am in the process of redefining who I am and finding time for myself. My children have changed my life in unbelievable ways. They bring such great joy and love into my life and they are such a blessing. I’ll write a lot about them here but I will also comment on other things like the upcoming election, finding my creative self, and life in general.

Give a Round of Applause to our Little Man

Today was an exciting day for our little man. While crawling around his play room and the kitchen he suddenly figured out how to go from being on his belly to sitting up. Here's how it happened...he was near the fridge getting closer to the laundry room than I wanted him to be, so I asked him to come back over to where I was in the kitchen. He looked at me, turned, and then sat up on his bum. I was so amazed (and proud). I said "Yay!" and started clapping for him...and then..he smiled and looked me straight in the eye and starting clapping (another first). I was so excited for him that I started laughing, and then he started laughing and clapping some more...soon he was laughing hysterically with that giddy belly laugh that he does and I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I am sure we were quite a sight. It was a great day!

Now if only he would sleep through the night.