Picture with Santa

Christmas

2012

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2007

I see there is a bit of a gaping hole in the pictures with Santa.  It's kinda that way with everything these past couple of year :)  I think that 2013 is about to fill it all in and I am so excited!!!!!!

Christmas Cards

I made our Christmas cards this year!!!!
I am hoping that the fact that I made them will force me to send them out :)
One problem is addresses, if you are looking forward to getting one of the cutest Christmas cards we have ever sent out then send me your address via email.  jhblueeyes@gmail.com

Maybe it's because I...... yep that's it, that's why it's been so hard to write.  That is my story and I'm sticking to it :)

Well I have been a paid editing maniac this summer and it feels so good to pour myself into it.

  Although the down fall is that I haven't spent all that time taking and editing pictures of the kids :(
 
We had a great summer and the fall is still a non stop list of things to do and places to be. The kids are in swimming and Tie Quan Doe and LOVING it!  All three of them are taking a family class at the Y and are so excited when we can make it to both of the two classes they offer each week.  Ella started swimming lessons, Ava is still working on the same level,  Ethan got lucky enough to end up in a class all to himself and has gone from doggie paddle to diving and the front stroke in two classes. It is crazy how a little one on one time can help. 

That is all for now, see those crazies over there? yep them, they need food so I have to go buy some.

Bucket List

We had a bucket list this summer of all the things we wanted to do, I think there are still a lot of pins left the do, but at least when things got a little boring or we needed a change of scenery we would pull it out and find something to do.  So today when we all seemed to be a little impatient with each other I pull a pin and some chalk and we headed for the drive way.  I moved the van so we had lots of room and we set to work.We had a bucket list this summer of all the things we wanted to do, I think there are still a lot of pins left the do, but at least when things got a little boring or we needed a change of scenery we would pull it out and find something to do.  So today when we all seemed to be a little impatient with each other I pull a pin and some chalk and we headed for the drive way.  I moved the van so we had lots of room and we set to work. 





Ella wanted a white balloon and the sun glasses.

Ava drew her own rain drops and flowers.

Here

Today Ant worked on the bathroom while I prepped for my wedding this weekend.  I took my breaks to jump on the trampoline and fold laundry.  We were meant to head outside tonight for a backyard movie, but the threat of a thunderstorm put a kibosh to that fast!  So instead we'll take them out for ice cream after dinner, before or after a bath depending on the damage the mud puddle has done to them.
Ella has mastered how to FREAK OUT!  A lot of the time she is just to little to do what she has set in her mind she should be able to do and stomps off in a wild flurry of hair and loud, LOUD opinion of the situation.
Ava CAN READ!  I love it!
Ethan is BOARD!  unless he is doing EXACTLY what he want to be doing any deviation and BOARD! Ethan maybe we could.... BOARD! OK how about....... BOARD! 
We went to a friends wedding on Friday night, OMG she was gorgeous, her dress was gorgeous, their kids were gorgeous and that hubby of hers is a perfect match!
Ella danced as soon as the music started till we dragged her out she did not want to go.  Ava danced with her Daddy and Ethan was...... wait for it...... BOARD!
Ant is making dinner and I should be helping in some way, not in the kitchen because it is so darn small!!!!!  Hope you all had a good weekend :)

Ella

2 years 9 months

Feisty

Independent

Loves to paint, play doe and playing board games

Can be found next to her brother or sister laughing at their antics

 

Ethan

5 years 9 months

Funny

Adventurous

Rides his bike like nobodies business

Will not get a mohawk, his hair must be flat

Ava

5 years 9 months

Beautiful

thoughtful

Has a great love for dresses, art and creating

Still covers her ears when she gets scared

Dog days of......

Spring, it's not officially summer yet I have already gone to the library to hide form this heat.  We met up with a friend from school today, really wishing it was at a park where their crazy kid behavior would not be noticed.  Oh well it was cool the kids had a great time :)

Do Wishes Come True?

Well of course they do I explained again.  I didn't want Ethan to lose the magic as we strolled through the streets of Disney world.  He looked more upset with each time he ask if Wishes came true and I confirmed that they did.  He was almost in tears, I lowered to talk to him to find out what his dreams were that would make him that upset.  He looked up at me and said no mom I said "do witches come true....... so Ya I tried to convince him that the horrible witch Meleficent really does come true.
OOPS

Mornings

She woke up this morning in tears, legs kicking and arms flailing.  There are many mornings like this.  Maybe it's bad dreams, maybe she just needs time to wake up I'm not entirely sure.  I have to refrain from letting my emotions getting all tangled up with hers.  Hers will calm down in a moment or two and there is very little for me to do.  If I involve myself, it lingers, elevates even so I try to understand what she is crying about in hopes that there is a bit of comfort I may give.  This morning it was devastating that a footprint project that is hanging on the wall at the gym, is well, hanging on the wall at the gym.  At first I thought it was her crib that she was crying for and that was going to be a problem as it went out with the trash the morning before or was that two mornings ago?

update in point form

• We have yet to get Ava her hair cut.  She has changed her mind, but we still a good trim.
• Ethan as of this week has taught himself to ride a bike without training wheels
• Ella is completely potty trained
• there are only 12 days of kindergarten left 
• we are in the middle of    lets make that at the beginning of renovations.  This project is SOOO big it's a bit scary
• The kids and I have been growing a fairy garden, which is not turning out as bad as I had thought
• there is more tattling going on in this house then I have ever heard in my life and that's just today
• Ava can read easy readers 
• Ella is now in a big girl bed

3 on the Third

I've been wanting to do this for a couple of years now, but seeing as I have way more laundry to do now and this mom thing I signed up for is way more intensive then the brochure indicated.  I don't get around to doing all the things I want to do.  Here are the last two months.....

JUNE 2012

MAY 2012

Well that was more then I plannd to say about that

Today I am cleaning out the diaper box, it has been over five years now that we have had one in the house.  As of the last couple of weeks we are done with diapers.  I want to cry, I want to jump for joy, but above all I'm so proud. 
Leaving babyhood is so bitter sweet.  I have been wading through it and like with all things you have never moved on from before, it is almost a shock. 
Wait!
What?
 I don't have babies, you have to be kidding me. 
Now what do I do?
With kids I mean, not that I didn't know it was coming.  More I wasn't sure how I would make it through, like a dream come true I had no control of. 
How do you help to create great people, people who are healthy and strong, smart and caring.  People who won't get pushed around by life, but won't do the pushing either.  How do you help them see happiness is everywhere and that sadness is a blessing in disguise. How do you teach them to not hold themselves back when all you want to do is hold them close and stop them in this moment in time (that is unless it's one of those crazy moments where poking your eye out with a spoon seems like a saner thing then what is going on around you, those can pass).

I came here today to post about some of the cute things that have happened here lately and I will come back to do that, but this is what came out.  Maybe it's because I've been photographing newborns or that people around me are getting pregnant I don't know.  I have been thinking about it a lot, what it is to be a parent and not just a mommy.

I was invited to tea

 I have so many things I would love to share, but then I sit down to write with a to do list so long and dreams waiting to come true needing far more attention then the fairy tale stories portray, nothing comes out.  Sure I write a couple of lines, then a couple more only to have to leave them behind due to more pressing matters. For example "MOM I stepped in poop" or "MOM! Ethan won't play star killer with me" and even "MOM! Ella just peed on the floor" most of that being said in real time live as I typed this.

I wanted to write about the Mothers Day Tea the kids had for us moms at their school.  I think I melted into a puddle on the floor.  These bambinos are really special you know.  They sang, served us tea, juice and cookies then showed me proudly around their classes.  What I loved the most was their cards, they drew pictures of me and had to finish the sentence My mom.....

 Ava wrote: cs me ces.
which translates to: cooks me cookies
 Ethan wrote: is et bst iyf me.
which translates to: is eating breakfast with me
 It warmed my heart that they both picked things that we do together.

Then, now and even nower

I always love looking at how kids change as they grow up so I'm going to be lazy and just do one of those posts. Actually I'm not even going to consider it lazy because there are more posts this month then all of this year so far and those who are still popping in here are just happy to see something new :)

So here is Ava now and if you go here you will see a similar picture from 2008.
And just for the record this is post 472.

The Cat

She lays in bed as the cat circles her. Soots rubs up against her face for affection or cleans Ava's hair before cuddling up into a ball on her pillow. Ava's voice calls out "Oh man Soots thinks my hair is yarn".
This morning as I combed out Ava's hair I found one of soots claws in it. I guess Soots does think her hair is yarn.

Update

Ava's hair..... still looks the same, I got sick and we cancelled her appointment. I have yet to make a full recovery so no new appointment has been booked.

I have a working keyboard that means I can do this ggggggggggggggggggggggg and it doesn't take me an hour weeeeeeeeeeeee and look at the way that e just dances effortlessly across the screen. The old keyboard went even more down hill having me abandon typing for the most part altogether. The s, w, h stopped working as well, so along with the e and the g there weren't may word I could use to get my point across so instead of madness I chose avoidance.

And just so I can add a new picture I love..... we got our trampoline up over Easter weekend and it is the best kid distractor ever. All three of them will spend hours in there, all yelling BEST TOY EVER!

Hair

Ava is going to get her hair cut on Thursday! Like cut to her shoulders! I want to put my foot down and say no! no! no! but that just isn't who I am. It is not my hair or my head and it is not an unreasonable request.
Unless, maybe someone out there can say "yes it is, you have every right to lock her in a tower and throw away the key, she did say that she wanted to be a princess right? so that makes it an acceptable option".

It looks like this now

I want to cry
cuz that hair
that hair she wants to cut off
is BABY HAIR

which seriously Jen
let go already!

I LOVE this word

A lot of the blogs I read have stopped posting regularly....... what? oh yes, that kettle is very black.

I can't even remember the last thing I posted and I haven't taken many pictures of life here in the little house. In this house I don't really have enough room to take any pictures. Standing at one end of the room you can't capture crazy bouncing, non standy still children, WHO WON'T STOP MOVING!

We have a long list of things that have to be here. A friend of ours came over and she was all "this house is.... cozy" when you repeat cozy enough times it starts to sound a lot more like crazy.

I was just off searching for some adequate picture to share with you when someone decided there would be non of that and up chucked into my lap. All is now cleaned up and there is a two year old with red cheeks curled up in my lap.


Here is a pic of a great new place I found to do a photo session.
Hahaha I just read that back to myself and yes dear friends life is that scattered :0)

It seems that winter has started, we have been lucky so far. Just two days ago I was outside cleaning out the car in a sweater while Ella slept in her car seat.
Today is cold and snowy, the roads are icy, brrrrrr IT REALLY IS WINTER!
That meant a good day to clean and relax in a warm house.
So relaxing..........