Santa No!

Dear Kids, 
I took you to get your picture taken with Santa this week.  We met the twinks there to hang out and ride the train after.  Henny, you did a great job this year but Hazel was all NOOOOOOOs!  She screamed so her visit was short but Henry stuck around to let Santa know that he wanted a gravity suit.  Santa looked confused.  So don't get mad at him if of all the things he brings down our chimney this year the suit is not one of them.  

Henry, Sylvie, Hazel, Etienne

Love, Mama

Too Young to Drive

Dear Peep and Peach, 
We've been making the most out of the gift of warm fall days.  Anticipating the brrrrrrr of winter edging in we created an activity jar to keep us from being big sluggish bears in hibernation.  We came up with a great jar of activities.  You were very excited to contribute ideas and put it together.  We have yet to need to pull out any sticks yet but am excited about the apparent randomness of it...by apparent I mean I actually color coded different types of activities and dad and I have the ability to veto the first stick pulled.   I know!  It is kind of cheating but at the very least we have a rain, snow, cold plan.  You have been a big help with the deluge of leaves.  You help me gather up the leaves with the leaf sweeper and dump them at the street.  You get very discouraged after cleaning up for an hour or more to find 100 more leaves on the deck.  I think we are closing in on the end and perhaps only 2 more clean ups to go.  Bahboo and Grandma P bought a swing we installed in one of our large pin oaks and a new ninja turtle bike.  You are in love with both and Hazzie loves taking a wagon ride next to you on her bike.  

 

 Just don't ask her to sit in the leaves with you.  Baby lady, you like picking them up one by one on the deck but sitting in a pile sends you in to screaming ugly cry.  She is also quite content sitting on my lap in the swing, the ropes are so long it gives you a real feeling of flying and gliding through the air.  I get lots of requests to push you in the air as high as I can so you can yell out, "EXHILARATING!"

Of course we take walks on campus to enjoy the leaves and students milling about.  Our last journey we explored Jordan Hall, the biology building's green house and specimens displayed about the halls.  You loved this and were full of questions and observations for weeks after.  We spent an hour and a half exploring the creek one afternoon.  

I loved watching you two playing in the power wheels car together.  Henry, you are a crazy driver!  Hazel loved it giggling like crazy.  She does a good job of making it clear when she was done!

We've also enjoyed having some fires to clean up the sticks and of course to have marshmallows, a favorite of you both!  I have to say I do love the hibernating evenings when we curl up on the couch with a fun book or movie together.

In these moments I try to remember as I take the 10,099th frame with my camera to pause, breathe, and capture all of it.  I have this block, my camera isn't a full frame, that's fine...but as a photographer this means one thing, and as a mom it means another.  I can't capture the smell of your little warm bodies, the heart flip when baby lady takes two steps on her own away from the stool to crane her little head back and pucker her lips for a kiss, to hear the giggles from my strong boy thinkin' he can beat me wrestling.  My piles of Henrys and Hazels grow as you jump quickly from one phase of childhood to the next; as next year won't be like this, and the next after it will bring different happiness and challenges.  I want to keep it all in my pocket to pull out in a week, in a year, in a decade, when Daddy and I are old and hoping you'll pay us a visit...to keep me warm, to keep me connected, to keep me in this moment and the next at the same time.  I love how the colder months make me feel.  

Love, Mama    

Walk On with Ya Bad Self!

Dear Hazel Pants (Henry's latest name for you), 
This past week was a big one, we've worked a LONG time for it in therapy.  You are cruising minimally, yet you decided to take three steps on our own. Yep!  So proud of you!  Henry was sitting next to me on the couch and you were standing, holding on next to the foot stool.  You stepped out with one hand and demanded our attention.  When you had it, you took three steps and applauded for yourself.  Way to go small fry!  a couple of weeks later and you're still at 5-6 steps, but you're workin! You're improving!  We are so proud of you.  
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153513506720484&set=vb.598475483&type=2&theater
Love, Mama

Scary Tarantula, Sweetie Kitty

Dear Henny and Hazel Pants, 
I'll keep this short because the pictures far out weight the text I could clack away.  Halloween! this year was a collaborative effort between me and you Henny and it was awesome.  The past three years we gave you choices of what you wanted to be... year 1 you were a hot dog, year 2 you were Chewbacca, and year 3 you were an impressive Yoda with a hand made light saber replica thanks to your dad and last year you were a lit up Robot.  Well, this year you wanted to be a tarantula.  You and I sat down in the kitchen with your notebook.  While I listened to your description I sketched and you made adjustments as needed.  We made a list of materials needed and upon review you wrote in "cursive" the parts we had forgotten.  We selected our fabric easily but the search for eyeballs proved more of a problem.  At the last minute, just after settling on google eyes you were searching through some discount Halloween bins and found some Styrofoam eyes on sticks and a bag of eyes and asked if I thought they would work. UH! Yeah!  They were perfect!  

I worked a couple of days cutting and sewing the parts and then we constructed the hat together.  It all turned out so spooky and hairy!  

You impressed your friends at school.  They gathered around you to poke and ask questions.  

The children's museum gave you lots of attention too.  You and Hazel did your first haunted house with us, Bahboo and cousin Tony.  

We were able to trick or treat with our buddies again this year, a fun tradition.  

Bahboo, Krispie and Currie joined us.  The weather was beautiful and Hazel looked cuddly sweet in the kitty cat outfit that Henry picked out. 
 
 Hazelita, you sat with Daddy and shook candy in both hands, got all yellow from a baggie of cheese balls and waved and said hi to random trick or treaters.  

I can't wait to see what you choose to be next year.  And...here are the pictures.

I love my little ghoulies!   Love, Mama

P.S.  I always have standards for the Halloween outfits. They must keep you warm, not cover your face and be comfortable and flexible...after this year, I have to add it must light weight.  The weight of all of those legs and the big back slowed you down and wore you out early.  haha

Legos Past and Present

Dear Peep, 
We had a great morning!  We woke up earlier than usual.  Daddy was off work and sleeping in so you and I made our way into the living room.  We pulled out the Legos and discussed what we might build.  You decided we should build a fort of some kind, which transitioned into an animal study center complete with camera manned outlooks and a system of allowing well behaved animals to enter the gates and a top notch wind powered data collection system.  You decided that we must not ever put out the red flag, as that means to kill the animals on sight, not something you wanted to do under any circumstances.  It was fun and about of an half hour in remnants of my 8 year old self playing Legos all day with Uncle Gary and my cousin Rick were inching in. As a kid we had a lot of building pieces and all the special pieces we assigned values to to be bartered and exchanged for better building pieces.  What I found today was a major stock pile of all the special pieces we would have appraised at top value.  A treasure chest of little clear colored pieces, swivels, big wheels, antenna, satalites, computer components and walkie talkies; all major scores.  

Grandma P did great finding this batch for you at a garage sale.  Now, we need to bolster the building parts if we are going to play Legos for an hour plus with more frequency.  I loved working with you and your high level of creativity connected with solving the problems one might encounter in the real world.  After we finished our project Daddy awoke and you had to show him.  He was equally impressed with our architecture and concept for animals.  You also asked me to take a photo of you with it to post on Facebook.  Yikes!  Your world is sure different than mine was growing up. 

You're quite a Lego buddy.  I'm the luckiest mom ever.
Love, Mama

Hazel's 1 year Check Up

Dear Peach, 
You're growing strong!  You had your one year appointment and shots last week.  It is really your 13 month but that didn't save ya from getting poked.  You've made a lot of progress in your PT and OT.  While you're still a bit behind in your strength, endurance and motor skills you're above on track for your cognitive and problem solving.  You're a funny little cat.  We've caught you multiple times trying to write on the walls!  Lucky for you and us you can't get the lid off the markers just yet.  You like to play keep away games and give the dolly that WW brought you for your birthday snuggles.  Though you may still be learning some motor skills, like walking, you are a super on beat dancer with interesting moves.  

Today you showed a lot of love to some hardcore punk songs.  Daddy and I weren't too proud of your natural head banging skills.  Any beat you hear you make yours and start moving.  The other day Grandpa Tim and Bahboo were beating on the wall trying to figure out an electrical issue and you liked that just as well.  When you're not dancing you're getting Mommy to help you stand up.  You like when I count and as your legs start to melt you propel yourself for me.  

You're also using some signs; all done, more, night night, I love you.  Knowing a few signs doesn't keep you from using your voice; mama, daddy, Hi Daddy, bye, night night, duck, I love you, and one day you said bye grandma when Grandma P was leaving.  You're a smart cookie.  One day the remote fell on the floor and the batteries popped out.  I made my way to pick it up and you had put the batteries back in.  You know what every day items are used for too.  If you ask where the eyes, legs, mouth, and nose are on your dolly you will point them out to me.  You still only have two teeth by I think my next month you have the edges of your two top front teeth poking down.  So, at the doctor, you weighed in the 25th to 50th % and your height is in the 50th to 75th %, a study curve this far.  I know one thing, you are the most lovey baby lady.  Your joyfulness brings us and so many such happiness. 
Love, Mama