curious...

Gone are the days of sitting contently.  

With every inch of your little body, you seek ways to explore and discover.  

Some of this exploration and discovery is wonderful, especially when it involves books, playing with your sisters and splashing happily in the tub.

But on most days, you seem to be looking for more of a thrill than just looking at books and playing with the toys on the living room floor.  Most days, you sit by the baby gate and wait for one of your sisters to leave it slightly ajar so you can quickly escape.  You escape as fast as your little crawling knees and hands will let you.  You crawl fast to the stairs and quietly make it to the top where we hear you bounding around.

Most days, you wait for Momma to put you in your highchair and forget to strap you in.  You peek down and desperately try to find a way out.

Most days, you stand by the back door and scream and yell to the dog or your sisters to let you outside.  Most days, you look for all the cabinets in the kitchen that don't have baby locks on them and happily unload all the contents.  I believe our tile has a few more cracks in it from all the banging you do during dinner preparation.  

Curiosity has come to stay, I'm afraid.  

Although it keeps me busy, I am grateful to see a happy and well-adjusted baby learning from all the curiosity in her blood!

up for a breath

July arrived and I realized that we hadn't even stopped long enough to really relax and enjoy our summertime.  We have rushed here and there, driven and flew and kept too busy for my summer liking.  Although it has been busy and quick we have some good memories from the vanishing month of June.  For July, we have emerged from the suffocating feeling of being too busy and are up for a breath of fresh summertime air.  Lazy summer air.

first batch of tomatoes from the garden - a loose tooth - evening tea party - canoeing - Rangers Game - charming yellow cabins in the woods - roadside asparagus - ready to load the boat with kids - thoughts of a highchair escape - first baseball game

ten

This month you were determined to figure out just how to make your arms and legs work together to crawl across the floor.  About a week ago, you were able to crawl across the room without resorting to the good ol' army crawl.  You now proudly crawl about the floor in search of new things to get into.

You also began pulling up on couches, chairs and tables this month.  At first you would only pull up to your knees but just yesterday, I witnessed you pulling up to your feet and standing.  The sheer joy on your face when you made up from kneeling to standing by yourself, made my full-time job as your mother so rewarding.  We were both filled with such great happiness as you reached your goal and squealed with delight.

The teeth have come with full force this month.  3 new teeth came in together to join the lone bottom tooth from last month.  Your little smile looks so different with 2 big front teeth on top and 2 little teeth on bottom.  You are evolving from baby to toddler daily.  While I love all your little changes, I can't help but lament over the fact that my baby is getting bigger.  I find myself holding on to these baby days tighter than I ever did.

You were sick for the first time.  It was a horrible case of Hand, Foot and Mouth.  Your poor little mouth swelled up and sores covered the inside, making it very hard to eat, sleep or drink.  It took hours to get you to sleep and you often woke in agony from the sores.  It was a rough 5 days but you finally got better and we were so happy to see you happy again.

You continue to watch your sisters very carefully.  I even caught you playing school with them and the neighbor girl the other day.  Your sisters love you so much and are so eager to play with you now.  This is a fun stage for Momma to see.

What fun we are having with you little red.  Your crazy hair, distinct personality, sweet cuddles and determination are amazing to see each day.  We love you!

Building a house for fairies

After visiting a local fairy garden tour, my girls were insistent upon making some fairy houses for our yard. A few days ago, we went down to the woods and searched for some natural adornments for our fairy houses. {Everything found was on the ground.  This is our little nature walk rule.}

After separating and sorting our goodies from the woods, we began to create our whimsical fairy homes. 

 We used simple wooden bird houses {made at last month's Home Depot Little Builder Day} for our houses.

{Popsicles were promptly consumed after we realized that we needed more Popsicle sticks to make a door.} 

First, we took some old paint and painted acorn caps for little fairy hats.

While they were painting, the hot glue gun was heating up for some serious gluing!  After the acorn caps were painted, they were set aside to dry.  Next, little natural treasures were glued onto the bird houses to make fairy homes.

The little fairy houses were hung on the branches of our trees in back to gently sway in the breeze.  

My girls hope this will lure all the fairies to our yard.  

 

recital

Today, you danced on stage for the first time.

You eagerly counted down the days until your first dance recital.

Special tights, shoes and costumes were donned for the occasion.

New little friendships emerged from the hearts of excited dancers.

Happiness flowed from the smiles of the little dancers and their families after the dance was over.

A combination of accomplishment, relief, excitement and joy filled their little tap shoes on stage today. 

We were so proud to come see our own little dancer.

Bravo, my dear!

September - May

It's here.  The finale of her first school experience.  It is met with joy over her successful year with two amazing teachers that nurtured and guided her every step of the way.  I love these two ladies so much and am so grateful they took the time to love and teach our girl this year.  

I am sentimental to see it come to an end.

This little girl has learned to love school this year and we are delighted!

Yesterday I was Mommy

Yesterday, I was Mommy.  

I took a break from my various other jobs that seem to tie up my days and just enjoyed my kids.  Chauffeur duties ceased, the laundry piled up from the week, dirty dishes filled the sink and the floor was littered with toys and food.  

It was a sweet reprieve to take a hiatus from our busy days and just focus on being Mommy.

We took a hike in the woods and found various woodsy treasures to adorn our fairy houses.  

Sweet smells of cookies baking filled the house.  

Little bakers eagerly helped make oatmeal raisin cookies.  

Mud pies were made and set out in the afternoon sun to dry.  

We laid out a blanket on the back lawn and told secrets under the trees.  

We stared up at the clouds and found little creatures lurking in the sky.  I pushed giggly little girls on the swing for hours.  

We read books together.  They loved the time together.

As I looked into their smiling eyes alive with closeness and affection for me, I realized that this is what we all needed this Mother's Day.  Uninterrupted time together pulled our hearts closer and wound us up tight in a little ball.  We are close again.

These years go fast.  Faster than I ever imagined.

Yesterday reminded me of how fragile and fleeting this time as a mother of little ones is--it reminded me of how precious their little lives are to me.  Getting caught up in the daily grind of chores, errands, appointments, routines can sometimes take over and diminish all that is charming about these years.  Taking a day to remember why I am Mommy and why I love to be their Mommy was just what I needed.

All I could think of last night as I went to bed was this funny little quote about motherhood:

"The days are long but the years are short."

Boy is that true!  

Hope you enjoyed time as a mother or with a mother yesterday!