19 months going on 3

It is so hard to believe that this spunky full of life gal used to be a baby. Infact just today while driving I referred to Kate as a baby and Charlie stated, "Mommy, you have to stop calling her baby, her name is Kate, she is getting to be a big dirl (girl)."

She adds to her verbal collection everyday. Here are some new favorites:

Wa pu HOMEY (what up homey)

Peeee HOMEY (peace out homey)

Where you going

What you doing

Charlie Preschool

Want SNAAAAACK

You want

Night Night

Yeh Mommy Yeh

Sleepy

Happy

Ice Cream

Bouncy Ball

Basket ball

I Dont Know

Stop It

Sad

When playing in the pretend kitchen, she cocks her head to one side and says, "A doup, mommy?" meaning, can I make you soup mommy?

My personal fav: Ready To Rock

Rocket ship....moon (from a little fun thing we do)

Miss Mama, Miss charlie....

While driving to the bank last Tuesday after dropping off Charlie at preschool Kate said, "Where Charlie?" I said, "at preschool" Kate then said, Where daddy? I said, He is droppping Charlie off at preschool and then going to work, to which she replied, "No miss daddy" while also doing the miss sign. SO cute.....

As rough and tough as she is, she is afraid of bugs, ants, and grasshoppers. When she hears or sees these things she does the scared sign, and makes her face all squished up. It is pretty darn cute, and she follows all this up with TERRRY (scary)

This was during a hike last week, she had already signed and said scary, and then when I didn't pick her up to protect her from the scary grasshoppers, she tried her desperate face...

She loves to rub her face all over ours and insists on sleeping as close to her daddy as physically possible. Her favorite person in the world continues to be her brother and when he gets hurt or upset she races up to him, gets down to his level and mumbles something, she nods her head and uses this soft voice. I imagine she is saying something like, "Charlie, you ok...don't worry I am here.

A big change the past month is she has started following directions, she can walk along the sidewalk and although I don't trust her like I do Charlie, she is starting to understand and control some of her impulses. A very excited thing.

She asks to paint daily, and helps herself to the art cabinet, which has resulted in pen marks everywhere and chewed up and spit out pen tops....take a minute to observe her painting, it is actually very good, and I had nothing to do with it. And as I am sure you know, all true artists taste their mediums.....

crafts and kids

I found my calling in life...to be a needle felter. I spent hours last night making the gnome above, and the kids LOVE it and have been playing with this Ms. gnome all day. Tonight I will attempt to make a he friend for this gnome. And the shots below are from our latest trip to academy of sciences, over 3 hours of goodness.....

all in a day

this nice bike was our best purchase yet. we take bike rides everyday and it turns into serious cardio for me as this little dude petals fast. He insists on taking off the training wheels, and I think we may just do it.

After months of watching Charlie bead and insisting she can do it, we finally gave her a string and some beads, and after about 10 minutes of trying she starting beading her own beads. 19 months. I was proud.....this is how she does all her art and eats, standing in a chair. so cute, and a bit unsafe.

I love the energy of little kids. Charlie can wake up, play hard, go to swimming class, the park, out to lunch, play in the backyard, and just go and go and go. Lately we have been trying to get back to our rhythm and it is working so well. Inside time/housework/ outside trips to park/hiking/lunch/nap/outside time/dinner. It works for all of us, and I notice that most days the kids clock at least 3 to 4 hours outside running around playing.

Charlie started preschool too, which gives me two mornings a week to run errands and spend quality time with Kate. It is a fine balance between wanting to spend me time, get things done, and just slow down and enjoy 1 on 1 with Kate. I also want to use that time to catch up with good friends.

Here are a few iphoto shots of my day yesterday. I love this time of year. We see sunny days almost as much as foggy ones, pumpkins are everywhere, apples are screaming to be made into apple pie, and the kids are so fun.

so amy theses are for you:

One thing we do every morning is get out of the house and run around. I have found two new spots to adventure in and I am so excited about it. One is around smith field and the forest past it. It is magical. Charlie runs around with his pretend gun shooting monsters while getting down low looking for gnome, troll, and fairy houses. Kate loves to run around after Charlie and says things like "Wait me charlie" and the best part is lily comes with us and gets to get out some good energy too.

We also have the best pumpkin patches around (ok yeh I have nothing to compare it to) but how can you get better than locally owned patches with the ocean behind you and mountains in front. We also are lucky enough to have a perfect set up for things such as painting, beading, and play dough. I can set the kids up and cook!

I finally got around to clearing a spcae and buying some big art paper. The kids LOVE their art wall......

Kate got some special mom time at a local pumpkin patch while Charlie was at nursery school...

We are busy, spending great time with each other, getting to know new friends that we like a lot, and really making the most out of each moment. This is a wonderful time of year. Although being where we are, we really don't have real seasons, so when trying to explain to charlie what fall is he got pretty sad, "oh know, leaves die, trees die...." such a senstive sweetheart.

When Family and Friends grow up together...

they celebrate love together.

They work hard to create the perfect space to reunite with old friends/family and meet new ones.....

and love each other's children as if they were their own....

they do strange things together....

like licked ants off the floor, and giggle over it...

they become best friends....

and love spending time in each other's arms...

They develop strong friendships with people they love....

and love them as if they are family....

When family and friends grow up together they create such an amazing amount of love, trust, and happiness that their kids spread it around without even trying....

Little boys love to sit on their fathers' laps...

and those same fathers become doting grandfathers...

they raise their children together, because it really does take a village....

And that love helps create new families.....

Husbands realize how important these gatherings are and take both children home so their wives can party until the wee hours of the morning...

they dance together....

and feel thankful to have each other....

And most importantly celebrate the people who made all of this possible, who welcomed the Bentes and the Wilsons into our lives 30 years ago.

When family and friends grow up together, everyone benefits.

Charlie quotes of the week

Adam and Charlie went to play tennis last night and Adam called me on the way home. He said (all direct quotes): Charlie is such a good little tennis player. I hear Charlie in the background say, "I'm wucking good" remember to substitute in F's for W

Of course I was unhappy with this. We had a short lived phase where Charlie used this word. Once I explained to him that wucking wasn't a word (hey I wasn't lying) he promptly stopped using it.

After kids were asleep I asked adam where he heard that...adam sheepishly smiled and said, I am sorry I let it slip, he was hitting forehand after forehand and I said, "Charlie you are so fucking good."

ahhhhh

Charlie was hanging downstairs with mama, pa, and some family friends when he announced he had to poop. He went into the downstairs bathroom, undressed himself, placed his little booty on the potty and went. He called for Mama when he was done. She helped him wipe, put his clothes back on and wash his hands. When he was all finished he looked up at his Grandma, whom he adores, and said, "I'm proud of you, Mama"

While getting ready for bed I asked Charlie to close the window in the living room, his little nudey rudey body raced up to the screen and took a deep breath through his noise, and said, "It smell soooo good out there." I smiled and said, "What does it smell like?" and he replied, "It smell like night time." I love this guy.

At the academy of sciences we walked up to a small tank with a preserved fish that is now extinct. This fish was huge, and Charlie said, "Why it not move?" and I said, "It is dead, all fish like this don't live anymore." He said, "Why?" with a sad face. I stumbled trying to explain factors that lead to extinction. He stopped me and said, "It not happy anymore?" And I said, no it isn't happy, it isn't anything. its dead. He said, "Is that fine?"

While lying in bed last night Charlie let out two toots. He said, "Mommy, I warted. two times, should I woft it to you?"

A few days back adam was getting ready to go to work and Charlie said, "you have to go to work?" and Adam said yeh. Charlie looked up at his dad with the most sincere look and said, "preschool IS my work"

LOVE THIS AGE!

motherhood is....

That feeling when your son is hurt and you can't stand it.

When his tears become yours.

When he looks up at you and says, "Mommy, I want you to grow another yittle yister."

That feeling when you say something positive to another mother and she replies with something negative and hurtful and unnecessary

That feeling of disappointmen.

Of missing friends that should live closer but can't

Of seeing your 19 month poop on the potty and the next day pee on the potty.

That feeling when family is near and stops everything to go on a swing with your child, or teach him how to plant a flower.

When you walk into a room and find your kids reading side by side.

That feeling when you feel like you want to tag team out. You want to run to the sidelines and touch the hand of your partner and sit on the grass watching the game being played instead of being a player, a coach, and a referee.

That feeling where you have done your best for what seems like a full day and it is only 3:35

That feeling that it is ok to grab a beer at 3:25 once in a while.

That feeling of letting go. Why I can't master it? It will help me heal. Help me move forward.

Motherhood is stopping everything you are doing all the time to sit on the floor and play workerman with your daughter.

Gardening is good...

for kids..

EDITED TO ADD: Gardening is not good when a little gardener gets dirt in his eye and rubs it and it gets infected and a normally independent, sweet, and curious 3 year old becomes helpless, needy, in pain, and sad.

Charlie collected these fallen pears, waited patiently for them to ripen, and then promptly devoured them.....

I used to think my dream home would have a huge kitchen, a fire place, a patio....but now all I need is a backyard, a nice one. With gardening space and grass to roll around on. Don't worry, I have no expectations of ever owning a house.....I would rather sit on the lawn in the sun and watch my two children eat pears they grew than work all day so that I could barely afford a mortgage.

so adam, start looking. for a lot, a big lot. We can buy a yurt, pitch a tent, and work the land.....I am even willing to go as far as watsonville. :)

We...

WE....

make last minute trips to the discovery museum instead of napping, and play in streams to cool down....

learn new things everyday, like hula hooping, Yes I busted out my ole hippie moves to show Charlie, and Yes everyone around me was impressed....Amy do you remember the days?

rock out both at home and at far away places....

sit and read a lot.....

sit in the sun by the side of the house, and try hard not to pick all of mama's flowers and tomatoes....

dig piles of dirt and work together to relocate it....

make dirt castles.....