Particular Kinds of Fun

While Reid is focused on the discovering the self, Lucy has started exploring "the other".  She asked for help the other day making herself into Word Girl and she referred to herself as such all day.

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Play

At 4 months and 35 months, both kids are enjoying a surprising amount of independent play.  Reid likes just about anything he can fit in his small(ish) hands and Lucy likes to stack things, making legos a recent hit. She also loves building playgrounds (known to the rest of the world as forts), throwing balls, lining up rocks, playing in the water (at the sink, in the bath, from the snow), and doing puzzles.  They both have a moderate respect for reading.  And of course being chased and tickled is probably the all time favorite around here.   

Tears and meltdowns

I will probably want to remember some of these moments as well as all the smiley ones...

*Reid cries when you make lion or monkey noises at him. He also cries when he sees a video of himself crying.
*Lucy melts down when she remember that dad is her "friend in the whole wide world" and he is not home

Things I didn't know

I didn't know how proud I would be coming up with a good lie... "why yes, this water scented with lavender sprayed on your pillow does indeed make you braver and will scare off the owls (Lucy's particular form of monster) that  bother you."

I didn't know how delightfully refreshing it would be to be around someone who sees the world without preconceived ideas.  Jelly on your celery - of course - we put peanut butter on so why not jelly?!

I didn't know how quickly I would shift from saying, "He only wakes up once a night" to "I can't believe he is still waking up once a night every night."

I didn't know that putting a toddler to bed would look more like tricking them to sit still long enough to close their eyes rather than romantically reading books and cuddling.

I didn't know that babies were so different from each other at just three months (even if they look exactly the same).

Lucy at 4 months

Amazingly Super Wondergirl

I have tried pretty hard in Lucy's little life to keep the presence of princesses to a minimum, but it turns out my worry was silly because today Lucy was telling me a story in which a little girl named Lucy rescued the princess from a robot.  She called herself the princess rescuer.  She is brave and kind and I love that she sees herself as such.  

Backyard playground

Everyone warns you that you take fewer pictures of your second child than your first, but for me, I have found that having a stationary subject is a welcome relief from blurry picture after blurry picture of Lucy.  My photography skills apparently don't extend into toddlerhood but I can't miss documenting this stage simply because I'm no good at it. She is growing just as much as Reid - she has reached new levels of independence and bravery that are both terrifying and wonderful. It used to be that she wanted an adult by her side while she played outside but now she is frequently off on her own exploring.  To my horror I have heard the garage door open while upstairs feeding Reid and looked out the window to see Lucy on her tricycle happily riding down the street.  

Growing Up

1st tooth * giggles * grabbing feet * rolling all over

This little guy is getting the hang of manipulating the world around him and now it seems that every single day he learns something new.  I love watching him so young and yet so excited about life that it almost makes me forget how much I want him to stay tiny forever! 

Simple Mornings or Why Swaddle Blankets Come With Instructions

The video should work now.  Mike has advised me that my videos might be too long, but I just can't cut them down.  Just like I can't delete pictures because I adore every single micro expression of my little ones.  

Why I love my job {part II}

Why I love my job {part I}

[While watching Curious George this morning.]

Mom: What does curious mean?

Lucy, without a moments hesitation: It mean hello in Franch.

nap time

Everyone has a story to tell...

                                    

Halloween Festivities

I grew up wearing a pillowcase with a character on it (think carebear) and blush for a costume, and subsequently never really caught the whole Halloween spirit.  But Lucy's passionate insistence on being an alligator cracked my Halloween grinchness and we all dressed up for the parade of parties this weekend. Not aiding Halloween's case was the fact that no one knew who I was (even though I clearly stole the idea of Rosie the Riveter from a popular show on just the week previous).  But it turns out cute kids outweigh any awkwardness that Halloween requires. 

In the end, we stayed at a party too long and missed the trunk or treat at the church, leaving a very disappointed Lucy. But her cute dad came to the rescue by creating a trick-or-treating experience in our house and handing Lucy candy at each door.  She kept saying "trick-or-treating" but still got her candy and was tickled by the whole adventure.

Youth verses Age

I turned 31 this past week, and while it did produce an hour in front of the mirror looking for signs of aging skin, I feel very lucky to be where I am, even if it means getting older. 

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Illusion of stillness

Baby pictures seem a tad redundant - the little ones are not doing much more than lying or reclining and maybe making a funny face here and there - but I simply can't get enough.  I love looking at this cute boys little mug.  Like I seriously can't get enough.  Sometimes I even look forward to getting up in the middle of the night to have him all to myself. But maybe I like these simple portraits not just because I can't get enough but because in real life there is a lot more commotion and this allows me a moment to slow everything to stop and just look at the cute kids that inhabit my life. They fill every corner of my life with energy and intensity and wonder and it drains me.  But also simultaneously fills me.