Friday, November 9, 2012

November Thankfulness

In the month of November we have always (as many of you also do) done a daily thankful post on facebook.  We started several years ago, thanks to my friend S, and it has become an annual tradition that I really look forward to.  As little V has gotten older, it has been great to see her perspective shift.  This year we are doing it a little differently.
Rather than posting it on facebook, where little V will never see it, we are making a wreath.  A wreath filled with leaves of thankfulness.  Every morning we each fill out our leaf for the day then pin it to the ribbon covered foam wreath.  The wreath is something that we all walk by several times a day and it serves as a daily reminder of how fortunate we truly are.


By Thanksgiving we should have an almost full wreath that we will set on our table, with flameless candles in the center and use as our Thanksgiving center piece.

Monday, November 5, 2012

full of wonder

Friday little V had the day off school.  We decided to have a relaxed day at home.  Little V suggested we stay in our pajamas all day and there was absolutely no argument from me.  We spent the day doing a lot but also doing nothing.  We tackled a couple home organization projects, did lots of laundry, and made a big dinner.  In the midst of all the relaxing busy-ness (let's be honest, you can't truly have a do nothing day with two children under the age of 10!)  I observed something truly remarkable between my children, they really love each other.  Of course they love each other, they have to right, they are brother and sister, but baby R was so much more content today just because little V was home.  They really enjoy each other.  Baby R is enthralled with every little thing that little V does, he wants in on the action.  And little V wants to include him in everything, she wants to make him laugh, protect him, and teach him things.  Of course I love my children, but witnessing the love between the two of them is remarkable.  I know we will have many (many) days of disagreements in our future (such is life, right?!?) but I want to always remember how they look at each other with eyes full of wonder.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

The morning race

I am not a morning person, that is putting it mildly.  I'm really more of a don't talk to me, don't look at me, don't even think about joking with me kind of morning person.  Both V's on the other hand, wake up bright eyed and ready to tackle the day. (We are not too sure about baby R just yet, but it's looking like he takes after the cheery two.)  Because of this combination of 'attitudes,' mornings can be kind of interesting around here.  They usually go a little something like this...

The alarm goes off before the sun rises (why do we do anything before the sun comes up, who's bright idea was that?) and little V happily bounces into our room, "Mom time to get dressed," she says.  I sleepily follow her into her room, where I crawl into her bed and slide under the covers while she gets dressed.  Then I slide out of her bed and somehow find my way to the coffee.  We fry eggs or make oatmeal depending on the mood, make a healthy lunch, get the backpack packed, come up with a hair-do, make the bed, and brush teeth. All the while big V is on baby R duty, diapering and feeding. It is a carefully executed, highly choreographed routine that gets us out the door at precisely 7:25 every school day.  We must never be late, little V, at a young age, has learned the importance of not just being on time but being early, she runs on Lombardi time.  This routine will get her into her classroom at 7:50, allowing her 10 minutes to complete her morning work and squeeze in a little socializing before the pledge of allegiance.

But this morning there was a slight hiccup.  We had the duties at the house covered, we got out the door at the right time.  This was something we never saw coming... a train!

According to little V, it was the slowest moving train she has ever seen.  With every second that passed her voice got  a little more concerned.  It was as if with each passing train car I could sense her blood pressure rising.  "Mom, we are going to be late.  Can't you go around?"  Unfortunately, there is no way to get around the train, our only option is to wait it out.  We can handle this, "we still have plenty of time," I try to explain to her.  I feel her calm down as the railroad crossing lights stop flashing and we begin moving.  But it seems we are not the only ones affected by the train, the back up of traffic into school is longer than usual.  Oh no, here we go with her blood pressure again.  I guess it's not just her blood pressure, someone in a car somewhere behind us honks their horn.  And then, the moment I never saw coming, my sweet little V turns around in her seat and shouts to the car behind us, "I KNOW you are not honking at us! Get a grip buddy!"

I guess I better look online for a train schedule, we don't need that kind of drama in the mornings.

Needless to say, we still made it to school on time, I guess there was just a little less socializing this morning.

 

Halloween

I love Halloween.  I love the weather, the pumpkins, the spooky decorations, dressing up, and I love homemade Halloween costumes (shocking, right?!?). This is the first year I've had to come up with 2 do-able costumes, but I think we did alright.

A little imagination and we turned this...

...and this knitting project...

...into these!

A fancy flamingo & the old man from UP.

Hope you all hit the candy jackpot last night!