The Mother's Day Bunny

We've been continuing to enjoy life with our boys in our small little slice of Santa Barbara heaven.  They are both getting to be so much fun!  Evan is moving around quite a bit, and wants to be everywhere at once, especially in the places where Elliott is.  He's moved on from the army crawl to what we call the "peg leg" crawl.  He gets up on one knee, then uses the other leg straight to propel him forward.  It's pretty effective and hilarious all at the same time.  He's also trying really hard to pull up on furniture, and Steve's guitar made the perfect angle to practice on.

Speaking of guitars, Evan is crazy about Elliott's guitar, and frequently crawl into the bedroom where it is hanging on the wall and bang it until one of us pulls it down for him to strum on.  It is one of the few things that can hold his attention now for more than a few minutes.

We have been implementing weekly traditions into our routine to try to be more deliberate about making special family time in the midst of our busy schedules.  Tuesday nights are sing along nights, and before bedtime Steve will pull out his guitar.  So far we have a pretty small repertoire, including Farmer in the Dell, Wheels on the Bus, Froggie went a Courtin' (a Gaultney family favorite, uh-hu), and the most requested - Let it Go from Frozen.

We got a little tiny bit of rain this week, which is always a cause of excitement.  Elliott's daycare held snail races, which involved first hunting for snails, then dipping them in some paint, putting them in the center of the paper, and watching to see who's could crawl off the paper fastest.  On the far right is Elliott's buddy Joseph who was been with him in daycare since the start.  They were even born in the same hospital on the same day!

We had a very nice and relaxing Mother's day last weekend.  Steve and Elliott made me breakfast (and did the dishes!) while I relaxed in bed and read an In Touch magazine - the most frivolous thing I have done in ages.   Elliott made me a few crafties at daycare, including a painted flower pot with flowers that says "My mom is a Rockstar!" and a poster with questions and answers about his mom.  

The funniest:

Q: How old is your mom? E: 14

The sweetest:

Q: Why do you love your mom? E: Because she loves me and she is my best friend.

After breakfast we were getting our day started when Elliott looked at me and said, "When does the Mother's Day Bunny come?"  Oh kiddo, the little guy though that he got a piece of the action also!

Not only do I have the best boys ever, but I feel so fortunate to have strong role models to show me the importance of mothers and strength of women.  Their support and guidance has enabled me to be the best mom I can to Elliott and Evan.  Thank you Mom, Gram, Sandy, Grandma Claire, Aunt Jean and Aunt Krista!  You will never know the depth of impact you have had on me.

The clock is tick tick ticking

It's hard to believe that my boys are already 3.5yrs and 9 months old!  It's also hard to believe that I started this post 2 weeks ago, and am just now sitting down to finish it.  I love my boys, and I love my life, but I wish I could just slow the clock down a bit.  I mean, these smiles need to be appreciated over days and months, not just a few short hours on a Saturday afternoon.

I'm feeling the same challenges in parenthood that I felt after a few years in the peace corps.  My life is so routine that I forget to document the small moments.  I know they are special, but when viewed in the day to day perspective they feel so common that I will never forget them, and yet I'm so afraid that one day when I'm old and gray and the boys have families of their own that I will have forgotten how precious they are now, in their small, sweet, happy perfection.

Speaking of sweet, happy perfection - McConnell's is still a family favorite.  Thankfully Evan is just happy chewing on a spoon, because it's hard enough to get my little bit of ice cream when Daddy and Big Brother are in the mix.

My favorite parenting strategy to date is to not let the kiddos know that something exists.  Who needs ice cream when this little guy is perfectly happy with kale?  9 months old and no teeth yet, but that doesn't stop him from eating everything he can get his chubby little hands on.

Elliott is a budding everything - actor, speller, dancer, and artist.  Of course his favorite toys are the unconventional ones, and he spent an entire afternoon coloring his new "fort".  I tried to explain Michelangelo to him, but he just gave me a blank stare and kept on coloring.

Evan is a happy go lucky kid, and his smiles keep getting bigger.  No, that's not a sad face, his smile is just so big it's taking over his eyes.

He's not crawling yet, but is so close!  You would be amazed how long his reach is when he sees something he wants (which just happens to be everything in sight!).

And another unconventional toy - this spray bottle has been in constant use since August.  Most often it's a fire fighter hose, and Steve keeps him occupied by spotting different "fires" in the back yard for him to go put out. 

The pillows and blankets on our couch come in a close second to the spray bottle.  On this night they were a boat that the boys took out for a quick spin before dinner.  Elliott and Evan are two peas in a pod, and already have so much fun together.  Elliott loves to envelope Evan in big hugs and kisses, and Evan just lights up when Elliott comes into the room.  All Elliott has to do is say a few words of gibberish to get Evan rolling on the floor laughing.

We have added "5 minute clean up" to our evening routine to counteract the disasters they make together.  We set the timer and everyone cleans up as fast as they can (which is snail pace for Elliott), and when the timer goes off we do the "happy 5 minute timer dance" to the alarm song.  We even have a song to sing while we clean, which goes "the clock is tick tick ticking..." over and over.

Yes, our moments may be small, but I have never been happier.  I love these guys!

Musings on Motherhood

Wow.  How is it that Evan is 5 months old already?  We've been busy keeping our heads down trying to figure out how to manage life as a family of 4, while still enjoying every moment of the short time we get with our boys.  Some days we are (barely) keeping all the balls in the air, while days like today we are so behind that we are just trying to get everyone out the door dressed, fed, and well caffeinated (Steve and I) to manage the lack of sleep caused by a happy but vocal teething little boy. Never mind the chaotic house, the half completed weekend projects, the unloaded dishwasher, and clean laundry sprawled on the couch.

 

When I joined the Peace Corps they told me it would be the toughest job I ever loved.  I got all sorts of respect from people here and in Zambia for moving to the rugged unknown, half way around the world.  Yet the Peace Corps doesn't compare in either measure - tough or loved - to what I experience daily as a mom.  There, all I had to do was show up.  The rest was taken care of for me - no bills, a flexible work schedule, instant friends. Here, society expects me to keep an orderly house, care for the kids, pay bills, buy and prepare food, do laundry, etc.; all while working full time as a successful and competent employee.  It's an unrealistic expectation that parents meet every day. Yet the tough is nothing compared to the love I feel for my little kiddos, and our happy family.  It is so easy to get bogged down by the daily logistics and constant effort, but that isn't what matters.  I gladly brave the tough every day because the spontaneous hugs and kisses from Elliott, the light up his face smiles from Evan, and the vibrant joy and humor they both exude make me feel like the luckiest person in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, enough sappiness for one blog post.  I know what you really want is an updated dose of the ridiculous cuteness that is my world.

 

We spent Halloween at our local mall.  Of course, Elliott was a fireman (he's been obsessed for the last 6months).  He's already told me he wants to be Elsa from Frozen next year.  We'll see if that obsession lasts.  Evan was Yoda.  He already looks wise for his years.

 

A typical Saturday morning at our house.  We enjoy relaxing in our PJs and waking up slowly.

 

My sister Jessica and her family stopped by last month.  Elliott had a blast playing with all of his cousins, but was most impressed with Uncle Dave's construction gear.

We try to do at least one fun outing every weekend, and usually go to the beach.  When you live in paradise, why not go every weekend?

 

We celebrated Elliott's 3rd birthday in September with a, you guessed it, fireman birthday party.  It was one of the hottest weekends of the year, and we had all our little firefighters put out a "fire" with water balloons.

 

And all my boys snuggled up reading stories.  How did I get so lucky to end up here?

Best. Family. Ever.

 

 

Evan's First Month

I can't believe Evan is 5 weeks old already!  In some ways it feels like he has always been a part of our family, yet it seems like just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital.  June was a blur of introducing him to all of our good friends and family, and figuring out how to operate as a family of 4.  I don't think we have it all figured out yet (it still takes us 45 - 60 minutes to get out the door on any given occasion), but we are beginning to settle in to a comfortable, happy pace of life.

The last time I left you all we were here - our first family photo:

In the weeks since, Elliott and I have enjoyed our many snuggles with baby Evan...

...while Steve seems to enjoy nap time most:)

 Although Steve is also working to ensure that he gets off to the right start with his musical education.

My mom was a huge help, and stayed with us during Evan's first week to help entertain Elliott, and take care of the normal household duties so we could rest when we got home from the hospital.

My dad also joined the party, and was able to say a quick hello to Evan right after his birth before heading home to work for the week.  Don't worry, he came back the following weekend to get some extra quality time.

After they headed back home we made a quick trip down to Newbury Park to introduce Evan to Great Grandma Claire and Great Grandpa Harry.   Grandma held him the whole afternoon, and said that he has a different energy than Elliott did (calmer and more mellow I think).  Grandpa made sure that the afternoon was appropriately documented.

Next up was a visit from Steve's parents (Lully and Grandpa).  Sandy got in some great playtime with both her grandsons, while we put Grandpa Wayne to work helping out with our various house projects.  He helped us completely gut and remodel our kitchen when Elliott was only 3 months old.  This time around we are planning to build a half bath in our garage - hopefully it will be less invasive/chaotic than the kitchen.  

The introductions wouldn't be complete without our beloved Nini.  Anita watched Elliott until he was 2yrs old, and became a part of our extended family.  Evan will be with her next year.

Evan got to meet most of my side of the family at our annual 4th of July camping trip here in Santa Barbara, including my sisters Jessica and Janine, and their kids along with my aunt and cousins.  We weren't brave enough to stay at the campground with a 3 week old, so we mostly made day trips out to visit, although Elliott got to spend a night with Grandma and Papa.  He had a great time playing with all of his cousins:

Including Bo who is only 6 weeks younger than him.

Evan enjoyed relaxing on the beach under the umbrella

And Elliott decided to test out the waves with Daddy

Our last group of visitors were Steve's brother Jason and his family.  Uncle Jason and Aunt Lori showered both of the boys with love and attention.  Cousin Miranda brought along her new husband Cassidy.  

We took the gang out for a spin on the "Little Toot", a water taxi that goes from Stearns Wharf to the Santa Barbara harbor.

It was Evan's first boat trip, although he slept through the entire ride, and wouldn't have had much of a view anyway from inside the baby carrier.

Elliott got to drive the boat, and the captain said he did a great job.

A first month update wouldn't be complete without a montage of "baby's first...", so here you go:

Evan's first... trip to Home Depot

Evan's first... bath

Evan's first... trip to the beach (my sister Janine and her baby Amelia met us in Ventura)

Evan's first... car trunk diaper change

Evan's first... good read

Elliott continues to be a joy - he's energetic, caring, and has a great sense of humor.  He is always doing something to make us smile or laugh.  And best of all he is a great big brother who gives Evan big kisses and is always willing to help out by grabbing a diaper, blanket, or whatever is needed.

I don't know how we lucked out to get two of the best boys ever!