A scene from Ever's birthday

Bugs

This picture is 98% Jon.  Brown eyes are mine - so I guess there's that.  And he wouldn't wear flowers on his cardi.  (and he wouldn't say cardi.)

He has some strong genes, that husband of mine.  Good thing he's so handsome.

Ever's most used nickname these days is Bugga Wug.  I believe that, at birth, mothers gain the right to make up cutesy nicknames for each of their children.  Owen started calling her that too.  (He also calls her sweetie pie and Ever bug.  And EEVVVER!!!  nonononononononononononono!  But I don't think that last one is because of me.)

Our little bug picked one up recently and has spent the last few days sneezing (in triplicate - is that genetic too?) and rubbing her little red eyes.  Few things are the same combination of sad and funny as a baby with swollen eyes and snot covered eyebrows.  Then their hair starts sticking up all strangely and gets all crunchy.  Soon their entire upper body is covered with a thin layer of dried mucus.  (Side note...I had 13 dried tissues in my pockets yesterday.)

Yet somehow, when seen through the film of mother sympathy, this only makes them look cuter.(?)   Maybe the extra snuggley-ness plays a role too.

Feel better soon Evie.

Chuck

Ever can finally wear some of my favorite baby shoes of all time.

Gingerbread (read: graham cracker) Houses

I'm not really in the Christmas spirit.  Not bah-humbugy but there is no 'magic' feel to this time of year for me.  Maybe that's a different post.  Or maybe I should just leave it at that...

(I do like the lights though as evidence by my willingness to do the whole Zoo lights outing.)

BUT I kind of like the crafty feel of the season.  The part where you make things for people.  And eat good, warm food.  And while I'm gradually parting ways with sugar...I think it's fun to play with every once in awhile.  When I came across this recipe for Perfect Decorating Frosting I really wanted to try some houses with the boys.  

(They mostly just poured sprinkles on the top.  But they were prooooud of those sprinkles.  And a little hopped up on the sugar.)

It was 20 minutes of pure seasonal fun.  I can't wait to do more things like this as the kids get older.  I love having an excuse to do fun activities.  I mean, I probably couldn't justify making dinky lopsided graham cracker houses if it was just me in the kitchen...you know?

Cleaning runs in the genes

We aren't quite sure whose genes.  I captured photographic proof of Ever cleaning this past week...her newly discovered passion.  She'll spend 10 minutes putting the blocks back.  Or clearing away Owen's cars.  

How to make this last...or harness it for good.  (mwhahaha.)

((If anyone needs a good cleaning person...I know a lady who charges by the 10 minute block.))

Zoo Lights

Jon was out of town over the weekend and, for the most part, the kids and I took it easy and hung out at home.  Where it was warm.

Also, Jon came down the a stomach bug the day before he left.  So I was trying to stay close to home in case that 'blessing' descended on us quickly.  

Thankfully we were spared.

And I thought that we should do something to celebrate surviving the weekend (in more ways than one).  So we bundled up and went to the National Zoo to see the Christmas light show.

Everly was especially impressed and employed out some of her biggest 'WOW's.  

That one trip was probably more work than an entire 5 days of single parenting. Stuffing babies in 15 layers of winter gear, DC traffic, DC parking (shiver), the hills, the cold, the tired toddler who wanted to be carried, the potty emergency that needed to be dealt with by the car...in the dark, the stroller that wanted to expand every time I tried to get it in the trunk...

But I'll do a lot when I get paid in WOWs.  That stupid stroller can't compete with a WOW.  No way.  And I am a sucker for sparkly lights.  The trees were pretty amazing.  Go if you're in the area...just take the metro.

For Ever: In A Year (part two)

For Ever: In A Year (part one)

Twelve Happy Months!

This little sunbeam is twelve months old!

What a happy, happy day.  

Owen was playing at a friend's house for almost the whole day - so Everly had a rare day alone with Mama and Daddy.  It was like a gift to us.  

Everly, 

One year ago today we brought you home.  You were only a few hours old and a tiny little squish of a thing.  Your birth had been peaceful and calm and taught me much about faith and trust and God. You slept 6 hours straight that night - right at my side.  

Today I looked at you as I was putting you to bed.  You are a year old now and a big, steady girl.  The past year with you has been just like your birth, peaceful and calm.  Caring for you is simple - you give back in love everything that we invest in you and more.  You continue to teach me about faith and trust and God - and I'm grateful for that.  

You are like a little fishing bobber, or a buoy, always floating on the sea, riding the waves with ease. the ups and downs don't phase you - Owen's mini storms can't pull you under - you just pop back up with a smile.  

Let's do another year of this together, you and me and daddy and Owen.  You know what?  I can't get enough of you...let's do a whole lot more years together.

I love you.

Mama.

Happy, on Thanksgiving

Happy Friday!

Fall Afternoons...

were made for playing trucks on the sidewalk with good friends.

Eleven Happy Months

This month's photo shoot happened early last week.  For the last 10 months Ever has been such a compliant model for me.  She'll give me her biggest smiles and kick excitedly while I snap 20 or 30 shots (I'm officially a mom, 20 shots is no biggie).  

This month, not so much.  She was a little squirm for sure.  The second after I put her down she'd be positioned like the last photo.   You can see her gearing up for the flip above.

She's tasted freedom and no giant mama (even with dad's iphone) is going to deter her from the promised land of running around playing with Owen.

Little chubby cheeked bug.

At 11 months, Ever:

-is  walking.  All over, all the time.  I turned around yesterday and she was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  Her big grin showed how pleased she was with herself for sneaking away from Dad and Owen to find me. 

- eats more than Owen.  The girl loves everything.  When she's done she'll fake you out - opening her mouth and then, just before the spoon hits, turning her head away and covering her mouth with her tiny fist.  She also will stick her tongue out and spit when you clean off her face.

- loves to point at things.  Usually with two arms stretched straight by her ears.

- Says "Wooooooww!" and "Yea!"  Also knows dada and nainai (night night) and mama but those are used more rarely.  She can blow kisses (sticks her finger in her mouth), and sign please (clapping).  But where she really excels is sound effects.  She does car noises, cows, and ducks pretty distinctly and tries other animals too.  

- loves people.  She gets so excited when we're on a walk and we see anyone or anything.  She'll scream at them and point and wave.

- has just about 6 teeth.  They're almost all through.

In about 2 weeks this little one will be 1!  So excited about the life we have ahead with her.

Why I love fall

Trees look like some sort of lung structure.  And glow.

Morning light.

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue

Even the shed flower stems are beautiful. 

Cute little knit hats.

The sky turns upside down.

Traveling

We had a few big airplane trips to wrestle with this summer.  I'll admit that I went in to it all with very low expectations*. 

 Not in a pessimistic way.  More in a 'I know that this could seriously rough' way.  I think it helped.  Compared to what I was prepared for the trips were a breeze.  (*I am all into crisis management though - so I think having low expectations comes with the territory.)

I joked with another parent-friend that a flight before kids was definitely not glamorous.  After kids, if you fly without them, it's kind of a vacation (they bring you fooooood!  I could read a whole boook!)   I definitely didn't bother taking a book.  I slept.

And I'm glad we ended up packing light.  Besides, it's better to use the extra space to pack fun treats like a mini helicopter (which Owen flew for almost the whole DC-Miami flight - too awesome!)

It helps to bring along a cute, happy baby.  People LOVE them.  And we found out that bringing a smallish one is a double bonus because of the bassinet.  The bassinet is your ticket to the good life because it means you have to sit in a bulkhead row.  SCORE!  Leg room AND instant bathroom access.  It also means that everyone waiting for the bathroom will play peek-a-boo with your cute infant (who is supposed to be sleeping in the bassinet) at 2am.  And apparently a lot of people need the restroom at 2am.  Babies love this and it seems to make the other passengers happy too.  Win-win (win).

We just took it slow.  And kissed our cranky (or happy...) babies a lot so we'd remember that we love them so much that we couldn't bear to leave them on the other side of the big, big ocean.

Scheduling in loooooong layovers helped too.    I don't know who needed them more but they were a great chance to rest and see a new place at the same time.  

Even though it was over 40 hours of flight time this summer (not counting layovers or car time) I we actually had fun

Which really had nothing to do with my planning (or low expectations even)

In fact...looking back at our flying 'adventures' I can only attribute it to a whole lot of grace, protection, and mercy.

So some major thanks got given (and get given) to God.  

 In sum, what I learned on summer vacation:  Less packing, more praying and take a cute baby with you for entertainment.  :)  [ And on long flights try to get a bassinet. ]

How Ever Spent Her 11 Month Birthday Morning

Some art time.

Sit-ups with Mama.  

A little light reading...

Interspersed with pensive thinking.

aaand a snack.