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