Repeat

Nyah @ 1 1/2

Elsa @ 2 1/2

I love this shirt on our girls, it has to be one of my favs. I know it's just a shirt but this ol' thing lived a long life in Nyah's closet and now has a secure spot in Elsa's, courtesy of Aunt Ali. It's just so nice to see it again.

Long live hand-me-downs.

A Kindergartner

This is what a kindergartner looks like.

She's anticipated this day for quite some time and was so excited when the morning finally arrived, probably mostly to finally be able to wear her uniform, but excited none the less.

And though I thought I was ready, the truth came out the night before, like I was the one about to walk into a huge school and start my life of learning. 

She has been in "school" since she was two and a half. I should be an old pro at this, right? But no. It's so different. She has always attended small, sweet schools where I could look her teacher in the eye and chat about my child everyday at drop off and pick up. Schools where the teachers would tell Ny they love her on a daily basis, and kiss her, and hug her. Schools where she was free to be a kid. And now, my sweet baby being one of almost 800 other kids. I flipped, my mind filled with what-ifs.

And she wanted to ride the bus. But, after drop off the first day, I realized that her school is a loving place. She walked in like a superstar, meeting up with all the neighborhood kids as they exited the bus. And I got to say hey to the teacher and watch her settle in, though she just wanted me to go, thank goodness.

I am that parent and can't help it, not one bit.

And the highlight of her day? Throwing the food she didn't eat at lunch away, like in the garbage. No left overs at school. And showing her teacher that she could tie her shoe. Thats all I got out of her because in true kindergartner style, all of my questions about her day were met with, "I don't know". 

But she is still not riding the bus. Baby steps (for momma).

Vaca & B-Day

I just can't get over how old Jude looks sitting at the picnic table with the girls. He is now standing unassisted and smiling and then cautiously sitting down. Steps are coming soon, I just know it.

We had such a wonderful week with my grandma (Nan). We headed south, visited family, went to the beach, and celebrated Nyah's fifth birthday!

Nan gave Ny 50 one dollar bills for her birthday and took her shopping to buy whatever she wanted, something Nyah has never done. After picking a few things and then putting them back, realizing how much things costs, Ny finally decided to spend all her money on one Cinderella dress. I was proud of her and think she got a better grasp of money and paying for things.

My cousin McKenzie with Jude. He loved her, obviously.

We made a quick stop at the beach after breakfast one day to see the water and check out my cousin and her husband's water sport business, you can find them on Ft. Myers beach or here, Wind and Water Sports.

It was so wonderful to be on the beach again. Nyah and Elsa picked up right where they left off. Jude enjoyed his first visit though he didn't get to swim and get down and dirty in the sand as he wanted to. Next time.

Our best attempt at a group photo.

When this is what they really wanted to be doing.

We then had a pool party to celebrate Nyah's birthday and she got to show off some of her newly acquired swimming skills. So fun.

 Here's the teenager in her new princess dress.

The look wouldn't be complete without glass slippers.

Overall, it was such an amazing week spent with family, none of which would have been as easy without Nan's help (and patience). But we missed George like crazy (as usual) and came home one day early just to see him. 

We are refreshed and ready for Nyah and George to start school.

Our Many Roles

Somedays I feel I would be a better mother if I only had a background in teaching or art, medicine, cooking, diplomacy, sewing and the list goes on.

But, luckily for mothers and fathers of today, YouTube exists where one can become an instant expert in anything. 


My skill of choice on this day? Hair stylist. And after just a few short videos I felt confident enough to give long layers a go on Nyah's precious curls. And I am just realizing that maybe this is why my bangs were always so crooked as a kid. My poor mom had nothing to go off of as she stepped into hairdresser role. God Bless YouTube. And forgiving curls.

Confession & Nyah Photos

Confession time over here. Gotta get some stuff off my chest. And of course in the grand scheme of things, anything I mention in this post is absolutely miniscule. But I have to admit that I think I have self diagnosed blogger burnout. As in I am so tired of hearing my own voice, my own thoughts, ideas, and opinions. I am bored with myself but I feel a certain guilt when I take long hiatus from the blog, like I'm a blogging failure, a total drop out.  I know there are family members out there waiting to see what is going on with the children they love and I feel like I am letting them down when I don't produce. 


So I am going to get back to basics. Get back to what this little blog was intended to be about. Remember what I wrote in my first post ever?

My main reason for starting this blog is to make sure our family, both near and far, can share in   our life. I know I am not the blogging type, I am not a writer nor do I claim to be. I am using this blog as journal to record this beautiful life I have been blessed to live. I don't want to forget a single second. I also think it will be nice for the girls to look back and see what inspired and motivated me at this time in my life. So this blog is for our girls, my family, and me. Enjoy if you choose.

So that is what I will be providing from now on. Little updates of the kids here and there, weekly? Monthly? Who knows. When I get time to collect my thoughts and then type those thoughts is probably when it will happen. But those moments seem to be few and far lately. 

Elsa is in such an active, curious, talkative and awesome phase right now (like always) and the time she is awake is precious and I want to give her 100% of me. Jude needs so much love an attention right now (as always) so that means I am constantly loving on him/holding him during his waking hours so that means I have to get busy doing the stuff that makes our family clean and healthy during nap time. And when Ny gets home from school, it is on. Referee, judge, and chef me is needed and I have to be on top of my game. 

So, hopefully this is just a passing thing and I will get my time and inspiration back, but who knows. Thats the funny thing about me and creativity. It seems to come and go. With the blog the creativity in me stuck around for almost a good two years. Lets see what the future holds.

With that being said. Here is a little Nyah photo update. She has turned into the ultimate babysitter, specializing in little brothers...

For the record, the little leopard number Ny is wearing is a hand me down and is worn inside the house only. George almost choked the first time he saw it and naturally, Nyah adores it.

Practice

Here is the conversation that went down as Ny and I were taking a walk around the block over the weekend. As the slow deep hum of the motorcycle made its way past this is what was said...

Nyah: Mom, will you buy me a motorcycle?

           

Me: Um, well, ask Dad. But you know, you will have to learn to ride your bike without training wheels first because motorcycle don't come with training wheels.

          

Nyah: Oh. Okay then. I will.

So we went with it.

She still needs a lot of practice but loves the idea of riding a bike with no training wheels, like the neighbor girls. 

And I just discovered that balance is definitely one of those things better felt than explained. But I am most positive she is feeling it because she breaks out into the sweetest giggle the moment I let go, even if it's only for a split second. And then she looses all control, all balance, and we both end up in a heap of laughter as we turn the bike around to try it again. 

Gingerbread House-Round Two

Its that time of year again and it just hit me that I have not done a thing in the way of devising a master plan to conquer the construction of a gingerbread house. If you remember anything about the absolute disaster that was our graham cracker house last Christmas, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Here's a little refresher of the graham cracker house (pre collapse) in case you forgot. 

So it was lingering in my mind, how I was going to make this year a success, when I stumbled across a gingerbread house making kit at the local mega store. I grabbed it, thinking it would come with pre cut gingerbread pieces which we could construct ourselves and decorate. But oh no. I opened the box and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a fully constructed gingerbread house, and eight tiny reindeer. 


And though I felt a bit guilty that I was cheating, yet again, it actually worked out because Ny got to jump right into the decorating if the house. Because she has little to no interest in the construction of the house. Her main objective is sneaking as much candy as possible. 

So overall, this years construction was very low stress with little frustration and though I will be tempted to make this boxed gingerbread house the tradition, I am determined to master the gingerbread house, from scratch, start to finish, top to bottom. 

Next year, gingerbread house, next year.

Priorities

Hot chocolate with marshmallows. One of the many perks of living in a place where the temperature drops below seventy degrees. 

And also the thing she confessed to her teacher she was most thankful for in life, just above puzzles, playing with her sister, and Mommy fixing her hair. 


I'm just relieved I made the list. Rupunzel's mommy has been redeemed.

Size

We had our first big pediatrician visit in Louisiana earlier this week.  A lot of the usual check up stuff with the dreaded shots, weight, height, etc. I was excited to get Elsa's height and weight because this will be her last appointment before she turns the big 2-0, just kidding, she will only be two. 


When Nyah turned two, I read up that this was the best age to determine what height the child will be as an adult. There are several formulas out there but I guess by doubling the child's height at the age of two is a good indicator of what their adult height will be. Another is based on parents heights, and the child's height and weight at a given age. An awesome and fun little parenting tool, I thought, like guessing the sex of a child during pregnancy by peeing on Draino (have you heard of that one), or doing the Chinese gender chart. 


Well, the height predictor put Nyah at a statuesque 5'9".  And as I ignorantly put Elsa's information in yesterday, excited for the results of my child's future, it predicted her at the age of eighteen to be...5'3". And though I think these are both beyond the perfect heights for our girls, I couldn't help but feel sort of jipped, robbed of the sheer delight it must bring to watch your child physically grow and grow into the beautiful adult they are meant to be, without knowing when they are finished. 

I immediately wanted to give the information back, permanently erase it from my memory because what business of mine is it to predict these girls futures? I mean what if this info lingers in the back of my mind and then the next thing you know I'm steering Nyah away from becoming a jokey and Elsa from being a runway model or volleyball star because I don't want them to get let down or fail? I don't want to let the knowledge of their predicted heights allow me to put them in a box in life because that is a total rip off and completely unfair to my children because the journey and dealing with and overcoming let downs and failures is what building character is all about.


So thanks to modern medicine and simple math equations we are now being way too invasive in our childrens' lives. I mean we look at them in the womb, their protected little world without second thought. And though the medical benefits way outweigh the weirdness of it all, hello, we are not supposed to see in there.


So does height matter in either direction? I think absolutely not, especially in matters that deal with the brain because knowledge is power and that is what I hope they depend on most in life. And as George so kindly reminded me, there are those that defy the odds in life each and every day. 

So wether I will be stretching up to kiss their beautiful cheeks or bending down a bit my heart will remain confident that these two girls will be capable of anything they set their minds on because on the inside, they are both giants.

Help

After yet another long, busy day yesterday of an art festival, shopping and some more shopping for those little things that keep popping up on our list, I was completely zapped. Nothing in this world has the ability so suck the life out of me quite like Walmart. I still get extremely overwhelmed each time I walk into the store and go completely blank immediately after entering and always have to take a moment to look around and take it all in with my mouth hanging wide, no doubt. It is just so big. And so busy. I literally have to do a mental prep before I enter and do a check, double check, triple check for my list, then hold is tight because I am nothing without it.


So we came home around dark, all of us hungry and tired and wanting food but I haven't been too aggressive in stocking the kitchen because stocking up takes money and I have a serious phobia when it comes to spending. But I am going to fix the kitchen problem asap. Its a must. Because I am no good without food, as you are about to see.


So Nyah and I, and Jude and Elsa, all got settled in on our bed couch, which we are currently using until we purchase a popper sofa, in attempts to decompress before food, bath, story, and bed. Jude was nursing, Elsa was bouncing on my legs and Nyah butted in right in front of Elsa to get in on the Mommy action. I simply pulled her off my lap with one hand, not able to take a single person more on me. And I guess after a day of working on not interrupting and following instructions the first time they are given, she was over it. After being pulled off my lap, she so sweetly looked at me with her wide beautiful eyes and stated that, "You are a grumpy Mommy. You are a bad Mommy, just like Rapunzel's Mommy."


And just in case you aren't as well versed on your fairy tales as my fairly tale loving four year old, let me just fill you in. The Mommy she was referring to is the wicked woman who stole Rapunzel from her crib, from the castle, and from her parents in the newly vamped Disney version of Rapunzel called, Tangled. In this version, similar to the original story, the woman locks Rapunzel away in a tower, never lets her out, lets Rapunzel's hair grow, and often calls for Rapunzle to "Let down your hair!" Only so she can come up and pretend to love Rapunzel as a mother would, but really uses Rapunzel for her hair, which has special powers that allow the woman to retain her youth. 


So there it was. The words no mother wants to hear and Nyah's true feelings. She thinks I suck at this mother thing, the only job I truly care about in life and the only thing I desperately want to do successfully. George, of course, advised that I shouldn't take her so serious, she is only four years old and I couldn't help but think, exactly. She is only four years old. She is more innocent and pure now then she will ever be. She is not yet aware of purposely saying things to hurt another. She is only capable of telling the truth and in this case she was best able to get the truth out by relating me to the only mean "mother" she knows, not and evil step mother, oh no, but a woman who steals a child.


So, of course, I spent much of last night and today trying to recover from that blow and completely re analyzing myself and my life and trying to figure out how to be a better mother, a better person, and how to get more sleep with all the runny noses up in here. 


And so I guess this is a call for help. Advise is needed from much better and wiser mothers because I am feeling like such a failure. Is this a normal thing for kid to tell their Mom? Or am I just that sucky? I need help because it might come as a big surprise, but guess what? I am totally sucking at the recovery from this one. I almost feel as bad as the time I locked Elsa in the hot truck. 


Thanks in advance from one humbled Momma.

Back to School

It was back to school for this one last week. Better late than never. I feel like she has been waiting all summer for this moment, bored out of her mind with all of the baby stuff going on. 


I stayed awake late into the night on the eve of her first day with anxiety. Was it too much to send her so soon after the move? Would it be as inspiring as her old school? Did I pack everything she needed in her lunch box? 


Well, she woke that morning, got herself dressed, jabbered all the way there then rushed into school and jumped right into her work like she never stopped, and even forgot to kiss me goodbye. That is the great thing about Montessori, the work (activities) are pretty much the same around the world. 


She came home that day walking a little taller, showing her little sister how to do a few more things, suddenly taking her duty as "big sister" very seriously. On the second day she asked me not to walk her in, though I made up some excuse so I could. And now school is like her second home, it is part of her, something all her own.


Elsa on the other hand cried during drop off for the first two days. Now she just takes her shoes off at school and makes every attempt to stay and join the class. She wonders around the house calling for, "Yaya?" and shrieks when it is time to pick her up. She misses her partner in crime and so do I.

Freckles

Nyah and I had the most interesting conversation the other day while were chilling on the couch, enjoying our alone time together, conversing about life while the two other young-ins' were napping. The conversation was going really well when she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and with such concern asked me, "Mom, what is on your face?" 


I immediately started whipping around my mouth thinking I had chocolate or ketchup or who knows what on my face. I am kind of a mess lately. And she was all, "No, there. What is that on your face?" And I kept wiping and asking, "What, where?" And honestly I was getting a little nervous because she was looking right at something.  


"Dots," she said. "You have polka dots on your face."


"Ohhhh. No babe, those are called freckles."


After a little giggle from her, we were on to the next topic. Probably something about tying a rope to her new house so she could pull it or something. She is big on this idea lately and I am afraid I don't quite get what she is talking about. But I'm trying.


So yesterday I was packing up and organizing and cleaning behind the couches (hello, total jackpot by the way for Nyah, she had a serious reunion with her toys each time I would move the sofa to reveal her long lost doll shoes and blocks and everything else) when I finally realized Nyah had wondered off and was being way too quiet for way too long. I finally called for her and out of the bathroom she finally came with the cutest little smirk on her face. 


"Look Mommy, I look like you now."

Sometimes I wonder if she is listening. But I am quickly learning that she is listening. To everything.


And so this is how she spent the rest of yesterday and part of today because she of course picked the special kind of markers to make her freckles. The kind that doesn't wash off with soap and water or even vigorous rubbing. 


Oh how I love this creative and funny little freckled face girl. 

Summer Shots

After Nyah was born, I was pretty adamant about having professional photos taken every three months. Not sure what made me think this was necessary, but after buying all of those adorable shots I realized that if I bought them then I should probably display them, and thats when the house became a total Nyah shrine. So I decided to back it down a bit.


We haven't had professional photos of the kids taken since last summer and with a new addition to the fam, it was definitely time. So after a little persuasion from my mom (thanks Mom) and finding the perfect photographer from a friends photos on Facebook (thanks Facebook), we went for it.

I have been posting a few of the shots here and there taken by Amber Berninger of Modern Relics Photography but here are the rest of my favs. I am so thankful she was able to capture so sweetly this special time in our lives.

And soon after, all hell broke loose. They stopped cooperating, got a crazed look in their eyes and were just completely over it, and I honestly can't blame them. But it was fun while it lasted.

**The story behind Elsa's saggy britches and too short dress is completely my fault, I take full responsibility. I bought the girls & Jude new outfits for their photos and being (what I thought) was a proactive and diligent mother, I wouldn't allow the girls to wear their new things (after much begging) until we got to the photo shoot. I didn't want anything to get dirty. It wasn't until we arrived and got the kids dressed that I realize that Elsa's "dress" was actually a shirt resulting in the exposure of her last minute, too big diaper cover. Lesson learned.