A little time has passed...

I simply couldn't fix my app problems... For over a year! Actually I quit trying to fix them after many failed attempts but I finally gave in and gave it one more try and what do you know?

Trying to recall why I stopped updating this blog has made me think over the past year/blur. It has been weird and wonderful. Sometimes I very much wished I was writing stories and posting pictures on here but a funny or frustrating series of circumstances would always prevent it. Eventually I just gave in to the letting go of it.

The main thing that caused me to come back after all this time was Ava... my little mini-me who runs instead of walks, yells instead of talks and falls on the floor instead of accepting no for an answer. Sweet little Ava may actually want to read a story or two from her early childhood and not just the years leading up to it before mommy got really.really.really tired.

Short end of the stick doesn't adequately describe what Ava has gotten from me. Not only does she get a mom with less energy and patience than Leah did her first 3+ years of life... the kid does not have a baby book AT ALL. I know it's common... As common as the guilt mommies feel about this phenomenon. But maybe a little less common are the empty picture frames hanging on her bedroom wall for almost 3 years... since I was pregnant with her. Or the fact that I just forget to teach her things I taught Leah... Such as not to put a roll of toilet paper in the potty... Or how to talk a little more quietly in public places or when you are 1.5 centimeters away from someone's eardrum. There are so many stories I could use to illustrate this (and the funny luvs diaper commercials about second children do a darn good job of it) but maybe a picture will best illustrate....





Here is my Ava, less one tooth after last summer's face-busting incident due to the fact that her mommy never taught her to slow down in the house instead of sprinting everywhere. We were at the pharmacy counter picking up antibiotics for an infection she got from (most likely) never being taught not to lick windows and floors and dirt covered food off of the ground.

Aside from that main thing, my life always feels like a comedy (except for the parts that aren't funny) and I want to share some of the enjoyment with whoever would like to read about it. Our girls are fun and funny and great friends to each other and they say hilarious things that may make you smile. My husband is fun and funny and ditto all that too. And so if I have a moment every now and then I'm going to try and write some of these things down again. If for nothing other than Ava's-poor-little-second-child-sake that's ok too....But I'm hoping to make you smile. (Whoever you are!)





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A little bit of love...

The most important ingredient you can put into your meal.





I like to carve my food sometimes. It makes me feel a little cheffy.


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Curley girlies lately - waiting on dad

If you leave us in the car by ourselves too long it just happens...



































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A little spotted friend...

A couple of months ago we were playing in the backyard and happened upon a ladybug friend...


Nothing unusual... We have several in the backyard on any given day and Leah always want to hold them.


So she found a leaf and guided miss lady upon it.


Leah's ladybug really liked her... She climbed right onto her hand...


And up her arm...


Woah! She really, really likes Leah!


Watch what happened next... See Badger on Leah's shoulder? Oh, did I mention right about the time the ladybug crossed her elbow she said "I think it's a boy... I am going to name him Badger." Shoulder...


And cheek!!!























And here is the video of what ensued... She was one excited kiddo. She even made a habitat for Badger and brought him inside for a while. 😊

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qra9ThrRjeo


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A little field trip... 10/31/14 Apple Day

This was our first group field trip, "UMS-style." Leah's school is a university model school, which is a hybrid of traditional classroom and homeschool. The parents and classroom teachers are considered co-teachers together. And this field trip was planned and executed by the co-teachers. That's mostly us moms (and a few brave dads.) Apple day was, as one might expect, all about apples.

We read stories about apples, did science experiments with apples, had some apple-themed crafts and made caramel apples for snack!

And then played like crazy at the park.

A little science...



A little competition...



A little Arabian??? Yes, there she is...My child is the Arabian apple carrier....



The story is one of a struggle over clothing. Right now Leah is sensitive to what she perceives as restrictive clothing... Closed toes shoes, sleeves, pants that touch her legs anywhere, waistbands... The struggle usually only lasts a few minutes after I force her to wear something she doesn't want to wear, then she gets used to it and forgets to freak out or complain. Some days I don't feel like struggling or listening to complaining and this morning was one of those... "Fine! You don't have to wear pants or tights and you can wear your sandals and no jacket and you will be VERY VERY COLD!" (Said a mother with a secret plan to pack her daughters jacket and leggings in the car for the moment when she came crawling back for more layers.... Of course her mother forgot... So she wore my sweater like a burka most of the day while I froze.)



I brought a bag of small apples for some of the festivities. I gave one to Ava to hold... And I looked down a few minutes later and she had eaten the whole thing! Seeds, core and all! I call her baby shark because of all those teeth (and all the biting) but I think she might also be related to the horse!









In her hand is what remains of the second apple of the morning.






When they were handing out inhibitions, Leah took hers and some of Ava's too, I believe. She is so cautious about new things. She has climbed a thousand play structures... but not this one... So she was nervous. I talked her through it.






Proud of herself... And then she climbed it 739 more times.



Little sister's turn...



She's a good-time-baby!



Whoops!!!! That could have been bad....



She recovered nicely... Don't worry Pops, I didn't let her go much further.



Yahoooooo!



Snack time! (And a major headband malfunction!)



I have had a lifetime love affair with chocolate... So to me it almost feels like cheating to say that caramel apples might be my favorite treat ever... But... they just might be. I'm a purest though. No sprinkles, no nuts... Just a crock pot full of melted caramel and a spoon... I mean an apple.

We loved apple day! And we love kindergarten!

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A little bob...

I forgot to post about this hilarious story. When the summer began Leah told me she "NEVER EVER" wanted to cut her hair again and she wanted to grow it out like repunzal.... Fine with me. Sometime after school started, things changed. She has always admired my moms haircut, commenting that she loves the way Bibby's hair "hugs her head." That is an actual quote. Hahaha.

Here's a pic of my mom's lovely head-hugging-hair-do... And my gorgeous sister as well. :) Nice hair, bib!



So Leah came home from school one day and said "I want to get my hair cut like Bibby's." 😌

I was like... "Who has ever wanted to get their haircut like their grandma??"

I guess if you have a cool grandma... So she begged every day for a couple of weeks. We talked about how she wouldn't be able to do a pony tail and how she would have to have her hair brushed and dried with a hair drier or it would look wacked out. She agreed to the terms and so we went to see an old friend for haircuts.



She cut about 8 inches off!!!


Leah was over the moon!!! She would barely move her head all night. She kept asking, "does it still look like Bibby's?"



The next morning I had to round brush it with a hair dryer to style it smooth again... She didn't complain one bit, she just kept checking to see if it was still looking like Bibby's.


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