Finally getting around to it...

This is Baby girl at one week and at one year.

Socks

I do not like socks. My kids to not like socks. But now I have to keep socks on her to keep her off of his bed. I put baby legs on her thinking that would slow her down a little. No, not so much. So now I have to keep socks on her.

Blessed

I have been feeling crappy/blue/angry/mopey lately. I have been strumming a sad self pity song. But I have realized that there are people that have things worse off than me and I need to pull my head out of my butt and look at the positive side of things. If there is one thing in life I hate is whiners. I am a strict, deal the hand you are dealt, blossom where you are planted type of person. So needless to say I have hated being around myself the last few days(months) and tonight that changes. There are so many wonderful things that I still do have in my life and I need to be grateful for what I have, not what I think I should have or what other people have, or what I hope for some day. I have today and what is in it.

-Summer in Washington. I especially love that it stays light out until almost ten. Although it is kind of tough enforcing an eight o clock bed time while the sun is still very much awake and will be for the next 2 hours. "Mommy, it can't be bedtime. It is still day out side!"

-Coke sluprees. 28 ounces of pure caffeinated heaven.

-My Jeep. Yes it is not my "fun" jeep, but it is still pretty fricking awesome. If I haven't been in it for a few days, I still can smell that new car smell. And the kids each have sky lights for crying out loud.

-Grocery shopping and cooking. There is something so incredible about taking different ingrediants and then making them into something that tastes good. Might not always be good for you but hey, sometime you have to make chocolate chip cookies.

-Speaking of cookies, Otis Spunkmeyer cookies. That is all I should have to say about that.

-Toys. After they are in bed, and I am picking up after them, I love finding toys in funny places. I don't see it as annoying, I see it as a little remembrances of my kids.

-Wall knocking. After Bear is in bed, he will knock on his wall periodically just so I don't forget he is there.

And last but not least, my kids. They make me laugh every day. Bear with his joke telling every five minutes. The same joke every five minutes. "When is a car not a car mommy?" "When it turns into a gas station!" And he will laugh and laugh. And my little Bug with her dancing at anything that sounds like music.

I am very blessed I just have to remind myself sometimes.

If I were going to live on a deserted island...

And could only bring one thing from home, I would bring my camera. I don't think I can leave the house without it with me. What would you bring?


We came in the door from Costco this morning and Tela walked right out on the porch and laid down in the sun. So Bear says, "I am going to lay in the sun too!" And he did:

Notice the sponge in his right hand. It just didn't do the job like his hand. He washed my bumper the entire time I washed my car. And made me rinse it off about five times too.

Moving

Oh my soul, just these last few days she has just taken off.
Today I walked in to find her on top of Bears bed. His bed is four feet off the ground with the only access points being a vertical ladder and a slide. My first thought was, I am going to kill who ever put her up here and left the room. And then I realized that we were the only ones home. So I put her on the floor thankful she had not decided to throw herself off the edge. She immediately went right over to the slide and scaled it within 5 seconds. She made it to the top and turned around and gave me her most proud smile.
I didn't realize I had made a little stair case for her either. I had my sewing kit, my scrap booking case, and another case all lined up next to a table that has my cricut on it. I found her at the top of that today playing with my cricut.
She has taken to walking places now. As long as she is not in a hurry and people are not encouraging her to do so. I watched her for 10 minutes yesterday on the back patio. She had a water bottle in her hands and she walked all the way across it. She would take about five steps, lower herself to regain balance and continue on. She has been doing that all day. If she is walking to a person, she gets within a foot and just dives forward into that persons lap.
The child has no fear and is already pretty banged up. She is also very stubborn and will try to do things until she gets done what she wants done. I have been watching her try to push a stroller into a space that is not big enough for the last few minutes. She has turned it upside down, sideways and backwards. I love her persistence.

Before naptime

Not only does Bear have the twice daily job of feeding and watering Tela, now he has added responsibilty. The park that is right around the corner from us has a petting zoo and we went today. And brought home a rabbit. But only for 4 days. They have a Bunny renting out program for families to take home bunnies for a few days and see how it fits into the lifestyle. Now we are probably not going to keep him, but this is a great way for Bug and Bear to see an animal that is different than a dog. We get to study it and talk about it and then give it back in a few days! I think it is an awesome program. Bear has learned quite a bit so far just from his very observant questions. We talked about how we can't keep him out of his cage for too long because we don't want bunny poop all over. He had a very quick solution for that problem.
"I will show him how to use the big boy toilet!"
"I don't think that will work bud."
"Why, is his butt too small and he will fall in?"
"Something like that."
"Okay."
When we got home, I took Peanut Brittle out and let him hop around a bit.
"Mommy, don't forget about the poop!" as he ran from his room. He returned a few moments later with one of Bugs diapers.


And this morning was the most heart melting moment so far along this road we call motherhood. Despite Bears almost hourly hugging of her sister, she has not gotten used to it. I could say that she has become very much more irritated by it as time has gone on. Today he hugged her and rolled onto his back so that she was laying on his tummy. She wrapped her arms around him and layed her head down on his chest and hugged him. And they laid like that for a good 30 seconds. Of course my camera was across the room and I did not dare leave them for a second for fear of her launching off the bed. But I sucked all the sweetness in while I could.

We stopped at a garage sale this afternoon and bought a couple of baby dolls for Bug. Well once in the car, one went to Bug and Bear took charge of the other one. He talked to it all the way home and told it that she was going to have cookie pancakes for dinner. He named them Mrs Baby doll and Mr Babydoll. Even though they are both dressed in pink. Well my mom found her own garage sale and at it they had a Graco stroller, a doll play yard/bed and a swing/carseat. Even though these were intended for Bug to play with, Bear took over and loaded the babys up and turn a single stroller into a triple stroller. And Bug decided that she was not going to swing the baby, she was going to crawl in the swing herself and get the ride. It is a really cute set that I am glad they are both going to get use out of. And I am not afraid of the girly factor of it all. I know that some people may be very opposed to boys playing with dolls, but if nothing else, it is just going to teach him how to be kind, sensitive and considerate. And he is still a rough and tough little boy that is not afraid of getting dirty.

Back seat driver

We were sitting in traffic yesterday trying to get to the farmers market. The ferry lane next to us was moving just fine and the fact that I would not drive in that lane irked my son.
"Mommy, drive that way!"

"No, we are not getting on the ferry."

"But mommy, just drive that way! I don't want to sit here."

This continued on for a few more minutes suggesting different routes for me to take around the cars in front of me (and I should mention, none of them legal.) Since I was not complying with his requests, he decided to take matters into his own hands and told me,

"Actually, can I just drive mommy?"



We went to the Dr the other day for their 1 and 3 year check ups. And they could not be further from each other on body types. She is at the small end of the spectrum in height as I previously mentioned. He on the other hand is in the 95% for height and weight. He is 35.5lbs and 40 inches tall. I was surprised on the weight thing. The child is so slight and for crying out loud I can see his ribs poking out! But they are both healthy and that is what matters right?