travel

sweet dreams

Saturday, February 22, 2014




Last night (well every night, really) I had a very sweet conversation with my little girl. I wanted to be sure to write it down because there are days when bedtime couldn't come soon enough. I need to be reminded of all the really good stuff to make up for the fact that I walked around today in black leggings and a black turtleneck and yellow fuzz all over me that I really couldn't be bothered to take a lint brush to. 

Every night it's the same routine. We say a family prayer. Pato goes to bed. We then read books and sing songs with S. This is getting hard lately because she will interrupt and say, "No! Not Old McDonald!" Or, "No! No monkeys jumping on da bed." Occasionally, she'll throw in a, "No! Don't sing, mama!" And she waves her hand in my face to make sure her point was made. The teenage years are going to be interesting with this one. So, we've resorted to making up songs because she doesn't like them repeated too often. 

After the books and the singing, we kiss her stuffed animals (all dozen of them) and we give hugs and kisses. A typical night will look something like this...

S: Mama. Big kiss big hug? (We give each other a big hug and I get a spit-filled kiss from her) Oh, thanks mommy. Mama, tell me story? 

Me: (I make up a short story about a little girl having a play date and eating yummy things.) 

S: Oh, thanks mommy. 

Me: Okay, S. Time for bed. I love you.

S: But...but. Mommy don't leave me. I want talk to you. 

Me: (I'm butter. Melting butter. Because I know someday I'll be dragging information out of her.) Okay, baby. Let's talk. What do you want to talk about?

S: Ummm. Hmm. Mama best friends? 

Me: Yes, baby. We are best friends.

S: Mama pweez? Really really pweez pweez best friends?

Me: Really really best friends!

S: OH! Thanks, mommy! 

We then give one each other another big kiss and big hug. She says, "Goodnight, mama!" And as I shut her door, I can usually hear her whisper, "sweet dreams..." 

J: Sixteen Months

Wednesday, February 5, 2014


Have we really had sixteen months of this boy? I feel blessed for every second this boy has been in our lives. He is truly a joy. Not a day goes by that I don't look at him and think, "What in the world would I ever do without you?"

At sixteen months this not-so-little one...

....has finally finally learned how to climb down the stairs. You have no idea the load that has taken off my shoulders. He slides down with his bum, and often makes an audible "humph" with each step. He did fall down the stairs at church last Sunday, but was only a little rattled. S, on the other hand, thought it was absolutely hilarious.

He gets into everything. From the moment he wakes up he is either tearing something apart, throwing something, opening cabinets/drawers, pulling things out of their place...you get the idea. He keeps me on my toes.

He gives the sweetest kisses, and accompanies them with a, "mmmmwah."

He has little interest in toys. "Then what does he play with?" you may ask. Beats me. Anything he can get his hand on, I suppose. Pens, nail clippers, Christmas cards, remotes, a shoe, keys, small picture frames, phone chargers, you know. Safe stuff. Actually, no. He does like toys that involve hammering things. 

He is a little giggler, and is most ticklish by his neck.

He can say: mama, dad, banana, book, agua, stop, shoes, bye-bye, night-night, mas, Dora, okay, cracker, backpack, bubble bath, cereal, all done, and "I did it!" He is really trying to put sounds together to form words.

He is a cracker connoisseur. 

He gets a little cranky a couple times a day. Whenever this happens, you just need to cuddle him with his duck-lovey, his pacifier, and his blanket and he will quickly cheer up.

When you tell him "no" he makes the saddest face in the world. He acts as if his heart has been broken and you immediately have to fight the urge to say, "Oh, no! It's okay! You can totally throw the iPad into the tub if that's what will make you happy!"

For the past two weeks, he's decided that 2AM is prime party time and lets everyone know it. He is wide awake and just wants to play and yell, "Dora! Dora!" 

For you, kid, I'd give up sleep entirely. I'd have to give up my sanity as well, though, and then yeah, things would get ugly.

S: Twenty-Nine Months

Tuesday, February 4, 2014


C had mentioned missing my monthly updates on our two, so I will try to do better at documenting their monthly changes...and the list keeps getting longer as they figure more things out.

It feels sort of silly to do a "twenty-nine month" update. You stop counting by months after two, but whatever. I never made any promises on this blog to not include anything silly. Or dumb. I digress.

This little ham...

...talks all the live-long day. My word, she does not stop! Where did she get THAT from? Kidding! It seems like everyday she learns a new saying. Like, "Oh, I think so!" Or, "That's a good idea!" We love having conversations with her even more now that she's so observant.

She is super polite and almost always says "thank you." We're working on "please." And sometimes she'll say, "Thank you! You're welcome!"

She is such a hard worker and loves to learn. She can name/identify all the letters in the alphabet, counts in English and Spanish, can identify all her numbers, knows her colors, can name all the common shapes, can usually spell her name, and knows that M is for mama, D is for dada, and P is for Pato.

She is awesome in nursery now. We never thought this day would come! Last Sunday she basically pushed me out the door. She is so much more social and I can't believe how much she's grown.

Her favorite things are: tea parties, tickling, dancing, making sure everyone has a blanket, eating snow, playing with cars, singing, playing with sand, and coloring. Oh, and telling people what to do.

She is my mini-me in so many ways, which sometimes really makes us butt heads. But, at the end of the day, she reminds me that we (and Dada and Pato) are best friends, and all is right again.

...doesn't show signs of stopping.


The view from the sunroom. Can you believe all that snow? Now add a few more inches and that's what it looks like now.



So, we're still in New Jersey. This is the snow-iest winter we've had since our years in Utah. We wished for snow, and we got it. Big time. And, we're supposed to get even more tonight. My mom asked me in the car, on our way home from a really crowded Trader Joes, "Where will all the snow GO?" Snow on top of snow on top of snow, I tell ya.


These past couple of weeks have had their highs and low's. Two days before we were supposed to drive home we learned that a pipe had burst at our house. Sigh. We did get lucky, though. None of our things were ruined, and everything happened as well as a bad thing could happen. Our landlords have been taking care of things as quickly as they can, and C has been driving back and forth from NJ and VA to visit us since he had to be back for work. We feel extremely fortunate that we have a wonderful place to stay in the meantime and even more fortunate that my parents haven't kicked us out yet!


This was S yesterday with her very first snowman. She named him "Apples," which is ironic since he has a carrot nose and eyes made out of grapes. I think she enjoyed eating the snow just as much (eh, if not more) as making her little buddy.  By the end of the day, however, we could not see Apples anymore because he was covered by an entire layer of snow.


So we are making lemons out of lemonade; which is really easy to do when you're surrounded by so much family, lots of friends, snow-a-plenty, and a freezer full of ice cream.

Blog Design by Nudge Media Design | Powered by Blogger

Hover Pin It Code

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...