2years old and almost 4!

Adjusting to life in our new city continues! How could we have been here for 6 months already? 

Just like the growing of children, movement of life- time continues to pass!

We are working on creating some roots and enjoying time with each other.

I am starting some small volunteering hours each month doing home visiting for the local center for families and am looking forward to (hopefully) feeling connected in a small way to the working/professional part of myself. I've been running and looking forward to the Madison half marathon coming up in a few weeks. Also planted some seeds in the small garden recently. I'm calling it a garden experiment, seeing as I don't really know what I'm doing, nor do I have a green thumb. I'm hoping for salad fixins' in a few months! My mom and dad are coming for a few days this weekend- I am SO excited for them to be here and for us to have time together. Must remember to take lots of pics! There is nothing better than spending time with those you love.

And speaking of those you love....

are these not the most adorable toes ever?

I'm so grateful for the small moments that I continue to appreciate.  And it's true that if you don't write them down...so many of them you won't remember. so sad but true.

I want to remember this.....

fun with a roll of toilet paper

and how happy I feel when I see this sweet little face smiling at me.

And how exciting it was for her to wear an outfit she found in her baby clothes box that still fit, and how she would let me know which baby in our lives should get each outfit that was now too small for her (lets send this to baby oli or baby emily elizabeth). As an almost 4 year old she is growing so much in every way. She goes to preschool 4 days a week and her teachers say she does really well! She has made some friends here in Madison, and Mya, Freya, and Lulu are her girl clan from school. There is also a little boy Ryan that likes to cuddle up next to her when she comes in to sit by the wall before walking to their classroom and gives her a hug after school. Adorable. She loves drawing and is really interested in writing letters, and spelling her name and all her friends names. It's interesting moving into the realm of teaching your kids things that you aren't sure about- ....for instance why we write words left to right, what animals different animals eat, etc.  I find myself saying hmmm, let me look that up alot already, lol.


Izzy has been asking about death recently and what happens after you die. She's decided that we will be going to a different planet after we die, and specified that we should go to the same planet, and tonight said she would not be sending her bun bun to any baby we know but that he would be going with her when she went to another planet. I love my biz. and these conversations make me sad. The pain of thinking about life without your children, or having to say goodbye to your children, of the end. They also make me so grateful for life, for all the time we have now. and remind me to snuggle in for few more minutes at bedtime, not worry about the mess a fun activity is going to make, and enjoy all little moments watching them run at the playground, blow bubbles in the bath, make pizzas, get excited when I say it's tv time....

and when she says, "mom I picked you some flowers for your boo cafe" (bouquet).

um.....please don't ever say that the right way!

Your eyes melt me. 

I love our times together. 

Thank you for your patience as I learn as I go with this parenting thing.

I can't believe you are turning 4 in just a few short months!

You are my angel. Love your arm, back, tummy scratched when you are relaxing or going to sleep. You bite your fingernails like your daddy.

You are very sensitive when you get hurt.

You are brave and working on trying things many times until you get it!

You are creative and fun.

You are strong.

Tonight as we rode the bike home from the park you told me you want to be a princess. I've been encouraging you to think about what it is you want to  "do" as a princess. You decided you would be a princess explorer and would explore around on a giant bunny and your name would be mommy. lol. loved that conversation.

could time please slow down so you could be my little girl forever??!!

i love you.

And then there is this little monster....

explorer, lover of play, outside, walking on train tracks, pulling of cats tails, big hugs, bike rides, construction vehicles, thomas the train, wrestling, driving in the car, playing with friends (especially your sis's friends), snuggling while you play with my hair, going to target, sand boxes,

learning from his big sis

Experiencing difficulty with....well many things throughout the day. ha.

It's really hard to be 2.

i love you bubs. 

and will you let me help you navigate these crazy years of wanting to be an independent little guy. 

I promise I'm trying to help! =)

thanks for all our wonderful mornings together, and reminding me to play. you are such a special gift and I'm so lucky to be your mommy. let's always be on the same planet together okay?

 oh how i love this pic of you.  

It helps to write down all the sweet memories that mean nothing to anyone else but you, knowing that when you read them it will take you back to that time/space in some small way. Preserving that memory. I think that's why I love taking pictures so much as well. All the fun times and moments together, big and small- captured! Now that I've stayed up way past my bedtime once again I better sign off so that I can enjoy some more sweet memorable moments in between the whining and complaining tomorrow, =).

I am a blessed mommy. Here are a few pics from Mother's Day 2012, playing with water outside.

 a few randoms. Izzy, almost 4, drawing a story board and proclaiming her feelings about having a bro.

goodnight!

bubble bath

is there anything better than a bubble bath?

The recent haps

Graham left for Taiwan today and we are already missing him. I'm sure the week will go fast though, and we will stay busy.

On Friday I opened Izzy's backpack to find my first school made mothers day gift.


Here it is:


I absolutely love it and started crying, lol, when I saw it. Bodie immediately grabbed for it and smeared peanut butter on it of course- haha.

We've been doing a lot of park time. Iz has been loving swinging high these days!


Graham came home early for mothers day and we went to pizza at our neighborhood place- glass nickel pizza-and we has so much fun.

Here are graham and iz showing how exciting it is waiting for he pizza to come. ;-)


Iz has been loving taking photos with my phone lately. Here are a few of my favs from olbrich.





Also been loving pretend cooking with real food...





Photo of her coffee drinks, by iz-


And bodes enjoyed this...


The last few morning runs I've been on I've seen a mommy and 7 little ducks swimming in the lake. They are so incredibly cute, I stopped both times to take pics and take video. Just too adorable. I've been really enjoying my early morning runs with the new day feel and mostly only the movements of animals. So peaceful. (a very big contrast to the rest of my day, ;-)).








Tonight we went to the community center playground and iz and I were looking for four leaf clovers. She said- mom look! and gave me a clover (3 leaf clover plus one she had picked from another clover and laid on top, lol). I busted up laughing- just too cute. I love kids. And when they are yours... some of the biggest highs in life.

Tomorrow is mothers day. Feeling very grateful for my mom and everything she's done for me/all the times she's been there for me. Also feeling very blessed to be mommy to 2 of the best kids, with such personality and humor, anyone could have asked for. Being a mom is so very demanding, but so rewarding and so worth it.










Loving my family. Love when I can step away from the stress, worry, comparisons, self- doubt and anxiety about life, doing things right for your kids, for yourself, being an adult and a parent.... and see how lucky we are to just have each other.

Our crazy, fun, loving clan.


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my iPhone

Location:La Follette Ave,Madison,United States

Date night!

We had so much fun on date night Sunday. We went out on our bikes and tried jolly bobs- no luck, closed- so headed to the great Dane for beer tasting and nachos, and then to dinner. On the way home it was pouring rain and cold. It was such a blast racing home on our bikes, I can't wait for our next date! Love you babe.















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Location:Atwood Ave,Madison,United States