Just some new pics of the kids. The first 3 are from a pumpkin patch we went to with our playgroup (notice Mr. Ollie there trying to steal Ms. Ava's binky!). Then some more of Aiden's preschool art projects, and a picture of Ava cruising (trying to get those books of the shelf!) and Aiden playing trucks:)
Finally, some new videos of the kids! The 2 posts after this are new pics as well.
This video cracks me up. Aiden is very excited about Christmas (and Halloween isn't even over yet!) and talks a LOT about Santa. He even remembers exactly what he got for Christmas last year (and he was barely talking then!). Last week, he was having a tough time in the car, so I pretended that Santa called my phone to remind Aiden to be a good boy so that he would get presents on Christmas morning. Now whenever my phone rings, Aiden asks if it is Santa calling again! Lol.
A NOISY Ava babbling in her crib. I hope you all are prepared to hear this all day long when we come home to visit!
More of Ava babbling in her crib. I love when she points to herself when I turn the video screen around so that she can see. So cute!
And finally, Ava pushing her piano around. She has decided that she does NOT want to learn to walk by herself. She will just push this piano all over the house, using it to get where she wants to go, lol. It is a noisy form of transport, I'll tell you that much!
Just some misc. pics of Ava. She really loves playing in the toy kitchen, she loves to bang the spoons on the countertop and play with the phone (a girl after my own heart!)
Anyone that has a toddler and a baby can agree with me that most days, it is hard to stop and smell the roses. Most likely, you're stopping to smell the poop, on the butts that you're wiping that is. Most of my life, I have been unable to appreciate the period of time that I am in and have always looked forward to that next big "thing"--the next phase of my life where surely I would be completely, entirely happy. In middle school, I couldn't wait for high school. In high school, all I wanted to do was get to college. In college, I was sure that I would be really truly happy when I graduated and became a career woman. Once I had a real job, I looked forward to when I got married and had kids.
Now that I'm there--in that happily ever after that most little girls dream of--well, I'm really trying to embrace it. I want to live in this moment, the here and now of everyday life, instead of looking forward to the future. But I'll admit that it is hard to do some days. It takes effort to appreciate these little beings and to remind myself that I, too, was once so young and vulnerable, taking in the whole world around me and shaping my future self. More than anything I want to teach my children to find joy in the smallest of everyday moments--looking for shapes in the puffy clouds, finding a violet in the middle of the yard, seeing a snail creep his way across the driveway.
Today in the car Aiden was throwing a fit because he dropped his book and I couldn't get it because I was driving. Ava was fussing because she had thrown all of her toys out of her carseat. I felt like I was going to lose it with the two of them both crying. I closed my eyes (briefly, I was driving, lol) and took an audible deep breath. Aiden said, "Mommy took a deeeeep breath. Do you feel all better now, Mommy? It works for Aiden too!" and he took a deep breath, blowing his air out as loudly as he could. I couldn't help but laugh, he was just so cute. I realized that there I was, in the moment, teaching something without even realizing it, and it made me smile. I give myself a lot of grief sometimes, thinking that maybe I don't try hard enough to be the best mom that I can be. But sometimes being the best mom I can be just means letting my children see me trying to be the best person I can be, mom or not.
As I wander down this path of motherhood, I'm finding happiness in some of the most unexpected places. I expected to feel happy when I heard my baby laugh for the first time or my toddler say, "I love you too Mommy!" I didn't expect to feel happy making a rocket out of a paper towel tube or crawling around the house on my hands and knees giving horsie rides. Henry David Thoreau once said, "That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest." When I think about it, I couldn't agree more.
Most of you will probably remember reading "The Monster at the end of this book" when you were a child. It is a hilarious book about Grover, a bit of a scaredy-cat, being afraid of turning the pages of the book because a monster is supposed to be at the end. But at the end of the book, it turns out that the monster was actually just Grover all along. Cute, right?
Try explaining this to a 2-yr-old. Aiden and I read this book (again) this morning, and he just plain doesn't get it. He laughs and laughs as all through the book as I make a big production and do Grover's voice and insist, "NOOOO! Please please please do NOT turn the page! There is a MONSTER at the end of this book!" Then when we get to the end of the book, I spend at least 10 minutes trying to explain the irony of it all, because Grover actually WAS the monster, and see, he isn't scary at all!
Aiden: Mommy...where is the Monster? Where did he go? Maybe he is sleeping?
Me: No Aiden, see, Grover IS the Monster at the end of the book! Isn't that silly? Grover was the monster all along!
Aiden: Maybe the Monster is at school? (Turning the pages and going back through the book) Or maybe he went to the store? I don't see any monster. Is he taking a nap?
Me: No, see buddy, Grover IS the monster! He was afraid of himself all along! Isn't that soooo silly?
Aiden: Maybe the monster is on this last page....I am afraid of monsters you know.
Me: yeah buddy....maybe he's on that page....good job....
Maybe he'll get it next year...do they teach irony in 3K? :)
I took Aiden to the local nature center this same time last year and got some cute pics, so I tried to re-attempt it this year. With mixed results, lol. Aiden was not cooperating for the pics with Ava on the bench (can you tell? lol), but once he found this cowboy hat, he was good as gold:)
I also included some pics of the gorgeous mums and some pics of the kids playing their instruments together:)
A HUGE congrats goes out to Frank, Carie and new big brother Joseph!! Baby Brandon Frank Raizis was born this morning--Happy Birthday Brandon!
We are so happy for you guys and can't wait to see pics!!!
Not the best video--she's not feeling it this morning. But this is a few clips of her taking 2-3 steps at a time. It's very clear to us already that she isn't going to be as quick to learn as Aiden was!
On a side note, if anyone knows how to get a 9 month old to stop waking up for the day at 5am...let me know;)
Like at any fair, there was no shortage of farm equipment at the GA National Fair. We went again yesterday with Chuck's office, and Aiden had a great time trying out all of the machines.
Isn't this such a cute idea? I really wanted to decorate pumpkins with Aiden this year, but wasn't sure what to do since he is too young to carve a pumpkin. I busted out the Mr. Potato-head pieces and, voila! Aren't our pumpkins cute?
Happy Halloween!
