{ Little Mr. and Miss and What They're Up To }

Miss Katy Grace

You are sunshine.

Your smile gets comments all the time.  It's a great one!

You are a happy, happy, happy girl.

Little Miss 14 months

You like to sleep.  A lot.  Often you give me that look, "Mom, pleeease put me to bed" and when you find your pillow you reach your little hand out for your "night-night" (blanket), snuggle in and that is that.  You spoil us in this respect, Young Lady!

You chatter

You never meet a stranger

You are your daddy's daughter,

but everyone is saying you look like a miniature Mama

You're loving shoes and clothes as much as ever.

You know when you've got a pretty dress on.

If you can pull clothes out of the laundry or dresser you're perfectly content

You are getting quite attached to your daddy.

Having him come through the door from work is the highlight of your day,

and romping around on the floor with him, well, those giggles get me every time!

You're actually a little bit naughty sometimes.  Shocking but true.

But oh! can you turn on the charm!

You're cutting four teeth right now.

Waving bye-bye.

Giving out hugs.

Stealing our hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Oliver Forest

You're every bit two.

A goer, a fixer

big brother protector.... but, Sister (whom you call "Day"), don't take my toys!
You hug and kiss your sister so sweetly.
You want to make sure you know where everyone is in the family.
 

You're loving to do:

playdough, puzzles, paint and anything hands on

 You are fascinated with colors

 You are our little helper:

Unloading the dishwasher

setting the table

unpacking groceries

You are EATING DINNER now!  It's taken two years, but what a relief!

You're done cutting teeth.

 You love your preschool Sunday school class.

The stroller we bought for you and your sister is your "car", and because 

you've gone to the carwash with Daddy, you must regularly "wash the car" by sending 

it out to the back porch.  I love that budding little imagination!

 

You're soooo excited about the baby!

You point to the baby with so much pride

 and oh, how your eyes light up when you feel him/her kick!

You've been wakeful at night.

Are you afraid of the dark?

Does something hurt?

We sure wish we knew, but it's a phase.  It will pass.

Until you turned two, you weren't much of a snuggler,

but now you like back rubs and quiet times together.

We love them, too

and we love YOU!

{ Mama's Little Helper }

Yesterday Oliver and I made cookies together for the first time.  Let me preface this by saying that it came about because his nap routine had gotten disrupted by errand running in the morning. He fell asleep in the car, then we needed to have lunch and by then he was too awake to sleep. I was NOT a happy camper, to be honest. In an attempt to make the most of "my plans" being rearranged, I took a deep breath and dove in.  I wish I could say it was magical from start to finish. In his opinion I think it was, but I have to confess by the end of the project, I was getting frustrated and overwhelmed. But on his face was sheer joy and I wish now I could have just soaked that in and appreciated this time together fully.

It is easy to paint these experiences in their rosiest light. Just show the pictures and tell the parts of the story that evoke Christmas warm and fuzzy feelings, but I am realizing that being real, letting my true mama moments be what they really are here in this spot is better. These memories we made together are precious and I grew from the experience.  I don't want ME to get in the way of US and that is a lesson I am learning every day I'm a mom.  

{ A List to Catch Up }

I honestly don't remember the last time I blogged.  I'm guessing it was for Oliver's birthday.  This little spot is so neglected, and not because I lack things to say, but simply because life is busy.  I am thankful now for a few minutes to type down some random thoughts so as not forget this current slice of life.

We spent a delightful Thanksgiving with my parents.  This deserves a post by itself.

I am thankful for the season of thankfulness we have passed through, and am daily hoping for a more thankful heart, not just once a year.

Along with thankfulness, I am conscious much more of specific situations and people God is laying on my heart to pray for.  I am encouraged by this tenderness of soul and humbled that He wants to hear my heart.

I am thankful for the week before Thanksgiving that Tim worked just half days and for the long weekend we got to spend as a family.  He decorated the outside of our house for Christmas, even washed some windows!  Wonderful!  I was able to go out for a several-hour shopping day just to myself on Saturday while he stayed home with the kids.  I went to like 8 different stores.  That never happens, people!

I am enjoying the beginning of the Christmas season, specifically eggnog in my coffee every morning.  This is seriously becoming a bad habit!

Right now I am on the last short story of the LM Montgomery book I am reading myself to sleep with at night.  I'm a little sorry to see it come to an end, but I'm already on to "David Copperfield".  Why did I choose one of Dicken's longest books at this stage of life?  Also, I don't know how I'm going to read it in my favorite, on-my-side, book-propped-up-by-one-hand position before bed?  I am determined, however.

Tim and I are enjoying reading "A Christmas Carol" together this Christmas.  We are two chapters through and enjoying it very much.  It is the first read for both of us, though we've seen multiple movie versions, and my personal favorite, Focus on the Family's Radio Theater rendition.

Over Thanksgiving, Katy Grace took her first steps!  She has been standing on her own for some time now, and still has a while before we can say she is officially walking, but it was very exciting none-the-less.

Oliver is providing no end of entertainment these days, as he imitates anything and everything his sister does that gets attention, be it hurting herself or getting in trouble, or learning to walk.  He had us all laughing as he staggered back and forth between supporting hands!

We, sadly, ended up with no picture evidence, but we hosted a fall party a few weeks ago.  It was an opportunity we took to thank various people who have helped us out a lot this past year.  We had 13 people for dinner and appetizers.  It was  A LOT of work, and yes, we admit to at least partial insanity for putting on such a thing while I'm pregnant and we have two kids under two, but it was a great success and the kids were ideal and very much enjoyed by all.  It was a fun way to begin the holiday season as well.

Maybe because we're gluttons for punishment, we are gearing up for our annual Christmas party open house in a couple of weeks.  Today I made the invitation and it's going out very soon.  We're very excited, especially after taking last year off... something about having a baby.  The day of our party this year also falls on Katy Grace's birthday, and because she's still too little to know any different, and to make it easier on us, we're celebrating her birthday at the same time.  I AM decorating "birthday" not Christmas for this portion of our house, though.  It's going to be a "Sprinkle Party" and I'm very excited!

While we're talking parties, Tim and I are really looking forward to attending our first holiday event this coming Saturday.  Looking forward to just being adults without kids, dressing up, delicious food and wine tasting with friends.

Tim and I have been making our way through the movie "Hugo" the past couple of nights.  It is beautiful... and slow moving.  Not sure I like it enough to see it again, but it is enjoyable for now.  Tim loves clocks and Oliver loves trains, so it is a good movie for our family in those regards!

After a change of plans, we are planning to go cut our Christmas tree this weekend.  We decided to invite friends along this year, since we now have a vehicle large enough to do that, and a trailer plenty big enough for two trees.  Should be a fun time!  This will be Katy Grace's first time to go tree hunting, well and Oliver's too, come to think of it.  He's slept through it the past two years.  His first year he was barely under 2 months old, and though awake, I don't think that really counts!

Over Thanksgiving my parents showed us a couple of Tim Hawkins' videos on YouTube,  They were pretty funny and have provided laughs since then!  Here's a sample if you want to laugh, too.

{ Happy Birthday TWO You }

Oliver is 2! 

No more saying he's ___ months old. He is just two, for a whole year. It is a big change for me. 

We threw him a train party to celebrate this year. It was easy to choose a theme. He talks of little else but Choo-Choos. We had a few of his little friends and their families over for a fun evening. 

Here is a little look at the festivities.

{ Beginning work on his train cake }

{Engine }

{ Box Cars }

{ The Party Place }

{ Tickets }

{ Friends }

{ Good gifts:  train books read by Grammie and a starter train set }

Welcome to 2 little mister!

{ Three Little Pumpkins }

 ~ First there was one ~

 ~ Then there were two ~

 ~ Then he counted 1, 2, 3 ~

 ~ And she counted 1, 2, 3 ~

 ~ The secret was out ~

 ~ How excited we are! ~

Baby Number Three

April 2013

{ Resemblance }

The other day, while spending some time with the kids in their room, I decided to look through my baby book, the one my mom had kept for me.  I found some photographs tucked inside and on closer examination, found that they were taken at the ages that both of my kids now are (within a month)!  I think there is some resemblance there (I was too lazy to scan them so I just re-photographed them).  You get the idea, though.

 { Here I am at 7 months and 22 months }

 { Kathryn }

A friend sent these pictures of the kids that she'd taken when she visited recently

{ Oliver }

{ A Day of Our Life :: July }

1. Visual reminder to pick up my camera

2. Breakfast

3. Messes

4. It's a good day when I have dinner ready to pull out of the freezer!

5.Cleaning the kitchen

6. Laundry

7. Outside chores

~ Our "Catalina" roses blooming

~Oliver cheering on the tree trimmers across the street

~ Fresh raspberries right off the vine

8. Play Time
9. Tim home for lunch

~Reading up on the manual for one of our many house repair projects

10. Story Time

11. Family time after dinner/dress up