BTS 2013

The long awaited day finally arrived!  

This girl hardly slept at all the night before.  

4th grade is a very exciting year, ya know. 

This guy was a little apprehensive, but suuuuuper excited for his first day.  

Outside his classroom.  

Getting off the bus at the end of a loooong day.  

There were hugs & smiles all around.  

Things to remember:

1. A special breakfast of donuts, which Daddy brought home after his all-night shift.  
2. While waiting to go inside the school, I watched a small boy climb out of a car, clutching his plastic Walmart bag of school supplies.  I caught a glimpse of a scrapbook page inside his bag, so I knew he must be a kindergartner, too.  He was all smiles, and waved to the driver, then turned and spotted the crowd of kids & parents waiting for the morning bell.  His face fell as he took in all the strange-to-him people, and I was so glad to see the principal spot him right away, and guide him on where to wait & what to do.  Poor little guy! 
3. Walking into the house after work & soaking in the SILENCE that greeted me.  Even the dog was acting like it was weird.  
4. J talking about the Jitter Bug Juice they had as their end-of-day snack.  Sprite, Crystal Light, and rainbow sherbert.  "Mama, you HAVE TO keep this recipe".    

Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa for the new outfits!  

Food, Wonderful Food

It's true what they say about having multiple children. With the first, I was super concerned about what she ate, when, how much, for how long, what she did & when, and how she measured up with other kids. I haven't completely relaxed with #2, but the rules are much less stringent or strict.

At 4 months he had a taste of chocolate ice cream (that one was courtesy of Big Daddy). I think someone has snuck him a sip of root beer. And recently his diet has expanded tremendously. In the past few days he has sampled steak, chicken, turkey, fried rice, cream of wheat cereal, croutons, and chocolate chip cookie. He's been refusing his baby food, so not only does he need to try new things, but he also needs to get some chow in his belly (other than the ever-popular graham cracker).

I'm still against juice for babies. I almost lost my mind when I discovered my MIL giving juice to Big Sis when she was about 6 months old. It wasn't her fault - I never outright stated my aversion for babies having juice, nor did I even realize I felt so strongly about it until the incident occurred. I think it has way too much sugar for tiny bodies, and lays a foundation for craving sugary drinks in the future.

Big Sis has expanded her drawing skills recently, adding butterflies, flowers, trees, and now houses. Note the stairs in pink and blue.

Beggar's Night + Halloween

Last night we participated in Beggar's Night (an Iowa tradition). Our sweet friends, the Mons, invited us to their neighborhood, and we thoroughly enjoyed the treats both during and after the trick-or-treating.

Big Sis was Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and Big J was a cowboy.

(Notice the badge? He wasn't just a cowboy, he was a Texas Ranger)

This was just before Trunk or Treat tonight - yes, she got DOUBLE the candy.

I think we brought home as much candy as we gave out! Good thing Mama and Daddy will "inspect" it closely before she's allowed to have any.

A Better Day

Today was a better day. Despite the bad weather and the fact that we once again had to cancel the pumpkin patch, I am getting a little more in the Fall/ Halloween spirit. And of course I have new pictures of my kiddos, and that always makes me smile.

Brother and sister hanging out. Now that he is doing more, she's getting more interested in him.

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of DIY Halloween decorations. Combined with Martha Stewart glitter from Wal-Mart, they are sparkle-tastic! She loves ANYTHING with glitter.

It turned out cute. Plus, it's glittery, so it's all good. Love that Martha Stewart!

Big J took the bottle for the first time today. I'm not sure if I starved him into it, or if he just realized it was the same stuff in a different delivery system. Regardless, he sucked down 2 oz. in about 2 minutes, and I was so happy. I hope it wasn't a one time trick.

Race day is tomorrow. Here's to wishing for clear weather, strong legs, and a good night's sleep tonight.

I am Selfish

When you become a parent, everyone tells you how much you have to sacrifice. How hard it is. How you'll never sleep again. Well, folks, it's all true. These are sacrifices you'll be happy to make - for a while. I don't really mind losing my freedom. I don't really mind the whining, the poking, the kicking, the silly songs, inane word repetitions, Princess fixation, temper tantrums, food obsessions, or the unnatural fixation on inanimate objects required to be in hand before Nappytime.

What do I really miss the most besides my boobs, my waistline, and the ability to carry on a coherent conversation not related to my child's bodily functions? Sleep.

You think that once the kiddos are no longer infants, that you'll get your sleep back, but it's a lie. Your doctor tells you that at 6 weeks, your sweet babe should start sleeping through the night (translation: they'll go down for 6 hours at night, but still get you up between 3-4 am). Believe me, the night Peaches slept for 6 hours I woke up feeling like a new woman. But that was 3 years ago, and I've since lost that refreshed feeling.

Now she sleeps pretty well, but at least 3 times a week she gets up in the middle of the night for something. Maybe she has to go potty, but insists on flinging herself through the door onto the bed to announce that fact. Sometimes she gets scared, and wants to crawl into bed (although we did the Family Bed thing for a while, we now discourage this, as she has the foot action of an all-star soccer player). And sometimes she can't sleep and insists that she will only go back to bed if we locate her doggie/ baby/ blankie/ water/ sticker/ book.

I love my child, but I miss my sleep. My sweet husband can sleep nearly anywhere, anytime. I think that's how he's gotten through the last 3 1/2 years (that and the fact that my side of the bed is closest to the bedroom door). Let this be a warning to all you parents to be: learn to nap.