that's what he said

Most mornings I wake to ...
C: MOM! There are germs in my mouth. They're bugging me.
I think it's his way of getting me out of bed. Either way we start off the day with brushed teeth.

C: I want low fat milk. My stomach is rumbly.
M: Okay. Do you want a cucumber?
C: Nah... That's okay. Oh wait! But thanks!
Just love hearing that little unprompted "thanks".

(Chewing on a piece of gum.)
C: I'm blowing a balloon. Watch...
(Proceeds to blow while biting his gum between his front teeth.)
C: It's not working. Can't do it.

C: It just bite my finger.
M: Oh no. What bit you?
C: Un alien. Has flying wings so that's why. Because they flap.
M: So an alien bit you because it was flying?
C: Yeah that's why.

Talking to Daddy in the car while Mommy is in the bank.
C: Leave mommy.
D: What?
C: Leave mommy ... Please.
D: Okay. (Starts to drive around the bank)
C: NOOOO.
D: You told me to leave mommy. Poor mommy.
C: Oh great its all my fault. (With head hanging down)
(Daddy drives in a circle and picks Mommy up)
C: Daddy left you. But it's ALL my fault. Do I get gum?
The attention span of a 3 yr old :)


C: Are you my Mommy?
M: Yes.
C: And am I Mommy?
M: No your my little boy.
C: Oh. So when I am bigger...
M: When you grow up you will be a Daddy.
C: A kid Daddy?

C: MOM! Handle this! ...PLEASE!
M: What is she doing?
C: Kicking me.
M: Bella stop kicking him it hurts him and he doesn't like it. Say sorry.
B: Saw we Connor
(Kiss)
C: Did you see that Mom? Did you see that, what your dawder just did? Awwww Bella's cuuuute.

D: Come snuggle.
C: Dad. DAD. Your going to squish me like an orange.
D: No I'm not.
C: Okay your going to squish me like an apple. Dad. I feel sick. My belly is full up apple juice.

Connor loves giving compliments to me when I am putting him down for nap or bed. It is one of my favorite moments in the day. Even if he does it in hopes that flattery will get him out of sleeping. 
C: I like your hair Mommy... I like your shirt... Your pretty nails Mommy. Good job. Mommy really good.

Siblings

Sometimes we lounge ...

Sometimes we play ...

Sometimes we fight ...

Sometimes we share ...

Sometimes we laugh ...

Sometimes we're sneaky ...

Sometimes we sleep ... (only sometimes) ...

Sometimes we're rough ...

And sometimes we snuggle (just because) ...

Not a Baby

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this baby lately.

With a new baby on the way it is hard to think that Bella is not going to be the baby anymore.

Lately, she has seemed so much - bigger - to me than she used to be.

Even though she is still on the small side for her age

 (Recent check up 12/13, 26 months: 31 inches, -3rd% for height

 and 23 lbs, 20th% for weight).

And as she grows her personality grows with it ...

She loves to be a big girl and walk on her own wherever we go but when things get rough, she loves to play the innocent card or the baby card in attempts to avoid trouble. We often hear things like "hold me?" "in trouble?" "help baby". She leans on that baby dependence sometimes not wanting to do things for herself so we are trying to show her constantly how capable she really is. 

She loves "ring around the rosie", piggy back rides, and dancing/(singing) to music. 

She hides when she is upset; with a pouty lip and folded arms. Showing off her new found defiance.

She also loves the attention she gets when she hides.

 She is a watcher. Watching everyone around her when things get too busy.

 She is still a determined thumb sucker.

She wrestles around with brother, finally able to join him in his games. Or snuggling up together to watch Magic School Bus on a lazy day.

She has a mischievous streak in her but she is always quick to say "sorry". Often saying "sorry" multiple times a day for things like dropping something or when anyone is hurt or upset. She hates it when others are unhappy.

She makes the silliest faces, and has new ones all the time. She loves making people happy.

She has this sensitive, shy, lovable personality. She loves to say "Hi" to new people (from a distance), she loves to point out babies, and she gets this sweet little shoulder-to-cheek shy grin when someone tells her she is pretty.

Bella was an adorable baby. I remember holding her, a tiny bundle wrapped all up, dependent on my every move.

I watched her roll over, sit up, crawl, cruise, and take her first steps. Each phase passing too quickly...

But this phase; where my heartbeat can still put her to sleep, and my voice still calms her fears, and my touch can tame her cries, and where I am still her universe it is pretty great too.

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

After a grueling airport "adventure", involving:

- 15 min delays that turned into 6 hrs
- A canceled flight
- A change in airlines so we could make it to our destination
- Running across Chicago's airport to make a tight connection with a stroller, a carseat, 3 duffels, 2 backpacks, and two tots in toe
- AND an eventual arrival at Reagan National Airport.

... we finally made it to "Joe's house" as Connor calls it. I cannot begin to express how nice it was to spend the holidays with my family this year. I enjoyed every minute and relished in the fact that hopefully we will live somewhat closer before long. Both Connor and Bella received endless attention and their eternal motors lived up to it all (well Connor's did). There is just something magical about being in your childhood home for Christmas reminiscing in all that magic and seeing your little ones take it all in.

I was more than excited to venture out to see the play the Christmas Carol at our local theater, the Weinberg Center, and loved the whole event of it. I remember seeing the Nutcracker Ballet every year with my Dad as a little girl at the Weinberg Center, a tradition of ours; it was fun going back and picturing that little girl all dressed up and filled with excitement.

With such a short break it wasn't long before we were baking cookies and getting ready for Christmas.
Christmas Eve always consists of the family nativity play, listening to my Dad read The Night Before Christmas and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and watching The Grinch Movie (while the elves work). Uncle Joe taught Connor all about leaving milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. It was a night full of anticipation.





Christmas Morning always seems to go by too fast. I think I was the first one awake just like when I was a girl. There is a saying "I used to think being a kid on Christmas was the best thing ever, but it turns out having kids on Christmas is." I love that and it is so true, especially as my kid's get a little older and start to really feel the magic of it all. We waited for everyone to wake up and it wasn't too long before it was time to have all the kids rush down the stairs to stockings and then the tree. Connor and Bella were smitten with the stockings right off and the presents just didn't seem to compare to all those treats, so it was hard to get the unwrapping done when they were begging for chocolate. It wasn't long until they got the picture tho. And were ready to see what Santa had brought them. 

Bella was more than a little overwhelmed by it all and was consistently obsessed with the stocking treasures, Connor loved unwrapping and discovering his new toys ... along with that of Joseph's. Sufficed to say Christmas morning was accompanied with tantrums and cuddles.

'

I was in love with watching these two play together after all the excitement,

And before long ... Bella was wiped. 

Our Annual Family New Year's Eve Party, was filled with games, , finger foods, watching the ball drop, midnight kisses, sparkling cider, laughter, and sleepy tots. New Year's Day we enjoyed the Rose Parade and started on some not so fun packing.

Our way home was much less hectic but exhausting nonetheless. We were fortunate to have snoozers most of the trip, and movies came in handy for the rest of it. All of us were more than happy to snuggle up in bed and sleep deeply with dreams of all those we already were missing.