day 45: love babies

Today, I got to wake up to this perfection.  In fact, it is so beautiful, that it counts for both pictures today.  I got to wake up on our three year wedding anniversary to my two favorite people wrapped up in each other in the shape of a heart.  (sort of). 

I get to see these babies sleeping every day, but it never gets old.  No matter the problem that arise during the day or how many times they test my patience, they are so peaceful and perfect when they sleep.  I try to think about moments like this during those hard moments of the day, to remind myself how precious they can be.

day 44: reliving the wedding

It's the day before our wedding anniversary and we decided to celebrate by watching our wedding video and looking through all the pictures from that time.  It made me so happy to remember all those feelings and hearing our wedding vows made us feel giddy.  And it was really special to share it with Marley and Vivi.  Well, Vivi just nursed herself to sleep the entire time, but Marley enthralled.  She wanted to hear all the details and wanted to know who was in every picture. 

She told me I looked like a princess.  And for that, she is amazing.

day 43: bath time art

Marley cried and cried today when Aunt Noah and Grandpa left.  Poor girls is always missing someone, so I spent the entire day trying to cheer her up.  Even when I thought I had done something that would brighten her day, she would start crying again about them leaving.  She really had so much fun having them there.  Fresh meat to play any game she could come up with.  Pretending to catching squirrels and throwing them into ice chests in the living room?  Aunt Noah gettin' those squirrels!  Reading ten books in a row?  Aunt Noah was down!  Ten millionth dance party of the day?  Aunt Noah was ready to boogie.

No wonder Marley was brokenhearted to see them go.

Asa wrote the girls' nicknames on the wall with shaving cream and let them rub it around in their hands.  Vivi was doing awesome and keeping it away from her mouth, right until I took this picture.  This kid literally puts everything in her mouth!  When will this stage finally come to an end?!

day 42: the saint louis zoo

We went to the Saint Louis Zoo today!  Aunt Noah really wanted to visit the zoo while she was here, and we have never turned down a trip to the zoo.  It was a perfect fall day for a trip to the zoo, and we ended up spending the entire day there, and we didn't even see everything!

Marley was super excited to see the flamingos, her favorite animal.  Because they are pink, obviously!  I don't even know the last time she was this excited to take a picture for me.

Vivi loved the zoo.  When we go places like the zoo or museums or festivals, I really try to make sure that Vivi spends more time out of the stroller than in the stroller.  That is how she learns and explores and has new experiences.  So, it is hard work to keep track of her out of the stroller, but it is so worth it to me.  I want my kids to have experiences and adventures, not zoo trips stuck in the stroller.

So, this moment would not have happened if she had been in the stroller, and it was one of my favorites of the day.  An orangutan was sitting right up against the viewing window holding a blanket over his head.  Every one was standing back a little looking at him, but Vivi just walked right up to him and reached for his face.  She had absolutely no fear.  She studied him, completely focused on his face and he stared right back at her.  It literally gave me chills to watch them.  They had some sort of connection together, even though it lasted less than a minute.  They were communicating and it was magical to watch.

Maybe she has an animal related job in her future?

day 41: s'mores and mani-pedis

Nothing says "fall" to us like camping and sitting around a fire.  Definitely two our absolute favorite activities in any season.  And although we couldn't go camping this weekend, we did get to have plenty of fires in the backyard, along with some delicious s'mores.  We are all fans, but especially Marley, my little chocoholic.

Vivi had her first pedicure and manicure today.  Noah took me out for a pedicure during the afternoon, and we enjoyed some very needed girl time.  I got to go somewhere childless, y'all!  It was seriously the best gift I could have been given recently.  I needed it.

Anyway, Marley wanted her nails done when we got home, so she got the full mani-pedi treatment, complete with a soak!  And I decided to try doing Vivi's also!  She surprisingly sat very still while I did it, just watching me.  She had just seen what I was doing to Marley's nails, so I think she caught on to the routine.  She even helped us blow on them when I was done.  She loved it, even though it only last a couple of days.  She would look down at her nails and squeal with delight.

day 40: having so much fun

Aunt Noah and Grandpa were here today, but Asa had to work most of the day.  So we spent most of our time at home.  But that doesn't mean we didn't have fun!  Vivi loved being pushed around by Asa in this truck.  Adults always get sick of games like that way before the kids do.  Every trip would end right here in front of us and she would have the biggest smile on her face and sign "more."  She was so happy!

We learned that Aunt Noah loves dance parties as much as Marley and Vivi do!  Marley was all decked out in princess dresses, jamming around the living room with Aunt Noah and Vivi.  The had so much fun.

 I love how confident Marley is in her dancing.  I was always nervous about what other people thought of my dancing and I try not to let that creep into our girls' heads.  I want them to dance however they want to and love it.

day 39: blanket snuggles and family arrives

Vivi loves when we lay a little pallet on the floor for Marley.  She reminds me of a dog who will find any piece of fabric on the floor and lay right on it.  Well, Vivi does the same thing.  She will roll around in it and run and jump into it and sometimes just sit there enjoying the comfort.  It's funny how she can be so cuddly and so active at the same time.

Aunt Noah and Grandpa arrived this evening.  It is so amazing to have them here and we are going to soak up as much time with them as we can.  We hadn't seen Aunt Noah since March!  Marley is really enjoying having them here and Vivi is quickly getting to know them.  It is so nice to have a breath of fresh air with people you love and love your kids!

day 38: why marley hates to sleep

When Marley accidentally falls asleep, the Vivinator destroys.

day 37: snacks outside

We spent a lot of our afternoon outside today.  And we needed a snack, so I brought out some cut up apples with sunflower seed butter.  It was actually really good together (our first time trying sunflower seed butter).  And Vivi was obsessed.  She dug her hands in, spread it all over her tongue and face, and totally didn't need the apple to get it to her mouth.

This kid cracks me up!  And Henna didn't mind cleaning up the mess on the chairs.

Marley loves "cooking".  She pretends to cook with me, uses her little kitchen and dishes a lot, and really loves pretending too cook outside.  Today she made us tacos out of sand and rocks and leaves.  Vivi and I pretended to eat them, and then when it was Marley's turn I guess she forgot about the pretending part.  She ended up with a mouth full of rocks and sand and tried to keep a straight face while spitting it all out.  She didn't want me to know she had done it!

day 36: gifts from spain

We came home from our weekend away to find a box from my grandparents who recently visited Spain.  They sent Marley a little flamenco dress.  She is obsessed.  She wore it all day and she asked to sleep in it.  And she will now be a flamenco dancer for Halloween.  She is totally in love with it!

Vivi got a few gifts also, but her favorite thing was this pair of sunglasses.  She knows when she looks cute and she flaunts it!  She walked around outside posing and smiling, just waiting for me to take her picture!

day 35: the 10k

Today I ran a 10k!  I actually ran the whole thing!  I was pretty surprised with myself and so relieved when it was over.  The girls were with Asa the whole time, so he took a few pictures of them for me.

Vivi has a love-hate relationship with shoes.  She loves to hold them and carry them around and try to untie them.  But she hates them on her feet.  I purposely don't put shoes on her now when we are about to get in the car, because she will scream the whole time about having the shoes on!

Marley got her face painted with a pink flamingo and a huge pink flower balloon while I was running.  She was actually really happy about it, despite the look on her face!

It was great to have my fans there cheering for me when I got done.  They are the reason I am getting healthy!

day 34: tough mudder

Asa competed in the tough mudder today.  It was a long day, but so much fun to watch him!  And I am doing the next one.  For real.  It looks like a blast.

I was a little stressed about what to pack because I knew that Marley would completely freak out if she got too muddy.  And, hello, we were at the tough mudder.  There would be mud.

She was exactly as I presumed she would be.  I think she only cried about the mud once, but after her rain boots got muddy, there was no getting them back on her.

However, she was very proud of her Daddy.  She wanted to see everything and told me, "I want to be a tough mudder one day.  It's a dirty job."

I was navigating the stroller over land it wasn't meant to travel on, through mud puddles and over huge roots.  I was frustrated and working up a sweat and I had just missed Asa at one of the obstacles.  I looked down and saw this.

Marley was holding Vivi's hand and singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to her.  It was absolutely precious.  One of those moments where I just stopped and watched them for a while, because whatever I was upset about didn't matter more than this moment.  I had to soak it up.

day 33: destruction

Sometimes, it is so hard to find the book you really want.

This is Vivi's favorite new trick.  Every single time I don't know where she is, she has climbed on a chair and is destroying something on the table. 

This girl is hard work.  She is into so much more than Marley ever was.  Here is what a normal afternoon is like:

I start doing the dishes.
I hear something drop, turn around, and Vivi has dropped a cup of water off the table.
I pick up the cup, clean up the water, push in the chair, and go back to the dishes.
Vivi starts pulling the silverware out of the dishwasher and throwing them on the floor. 
I take her into the living room, pick up the silverware, and start again.
She pulls on my leg. "Maaama. Mama?"
She is eating a crayon.
I take away the crayon, turn off the water, close the dishwasher and admit defeat. 

I really love her.  Really.  She's adorable and sweet and my baby.
But she is a lot of freakin' work!

day 32: scooter riding and fall clothes

Asa brought a scooter home for Marley today, and she is figuring out how to ride it. 

We frequently forget that Marley doesn't like to be taught how to do something.  I guess it's a four-year-old thing.  But if we try to help her figure it out, she tells us that she already knows how.

"I can do it!"

So, we let her figure it out.  It may mean that she falls a few more times, but I do actually enjoy watching her learn the way she wants to and I think her sense of pride swells when she finally gets it solved.

Oh, I am a sucker for a baby in cuddly fall clothes.  I just want to snatch her up and squeeze her. 

But she would scream. Because when we are outside, the last thing she wants to do is be held.  She just wants to explore.  There are so many things to do out here!

day 31: opening the door

I decided to make today a good day.  A string of bad days has had me feeling down and I know what the best medicine is for our family: the outdoors.

While I cleaned the kitchen and made dinner, I opened the back door and the girls played outside.  They would run back and forth, in and out, along with the flies, but it didn't matter.  They colored together, took their babies for walks, and pretended to grocery shop.  This little thing of just opening the door seriously made the biggest difference in our day.  We were all happy.  The fresh air blew through the house and our minds.

day 30: my companion and performer

Baby girl is needing to be held a lot lately.  She has become my dinner helper in the Ergo and my companion for most of the chores.  I like having the company when she is content.  But sometimes she isn't.  And that makes for a hard day.

Tonight Marley wanted to put on a show for us.  She got dressed and then waited in the hallway while we turned off the lights and made a spotlight for her.  She announced herself and walked out.

"Presenting, Princess Marley of the dancer!"

She twirled and smiled and checked to make sure we were watching.  She told us where to shine the spotlight and stuck her tongue out in concentration.  She took this very seriously, and it was a joy to watch her.  She was so happy performing for us.

day 29: daddy comes home

Daddy came home from fishing... right before I was about to lose my mind.  Two days of being along was about my limit.  But luckily, along with him coming home, the sun came out and the temperature went up a few degrees.  So, we had some family time at a little pond nearby.  Marley was heartbroken all weekend that she hadn't been able to go fishing with Daddy, so she was ecstatic to be able to go fishing this afternoon. 

She didn't catch anything, but she is getting so great at casting and her patience is improving every time.  She really does become a completely different kid when we are out of the house doing something she loves.  I should try to make that happen more often.

Vivi is not so much fun to fish with.  She is either trying to pull hooks out of the tacklebox, or run into the water, or pull the pole away from the fisher-sister, or running for the nearby bridge that is missing a few boards. 

Needless to say, mama was busy.

But her precious face and random hugs and kisses brighten those hard moments.

And she was totally fascinated with a grasshopper that Asa caught and handed to her.  Marley cried when we asked her to touch it and Vivi cried when we took him away.  Those are my kids!

day 28: marley tying knots and vivi fights sleep

Marley spent a long time trying to tie my pajama pants this afternoon.

Wait, pajama pants in the afternoon?  Why, yes, we stayed in our pajamas all day.  And it was wonderful, thank you very much.

Anyway, she tied while I made lunch and when I asked her to go sit down so she could eat, I realized she had tied the strings in knots all the way down to the bottom.  It was a lot of fun to undo.

Vivi is getting so much harder to put to sleep lately.  She fights and squirms and bites me.  And then she hugs and kisses and snuggles up next to me.  So, I always feel very victorious now when she actually goes to sleep.  I always take a moment to really savor all the hard work I had to put in!

day 27: vivi on the phone and marley on the world

"Hi-ee Da-ee!"

Daddy left today to go to a fishing tournament.  We went to an alpaca farm this morning with a local homeschooling group.  But it was rainy and in the 40s.  It was a rough day of not being able to go outside, grumpy mommy, fussy kids, no Daddy, and an annoying dog.  We had a long day.

But I have enjoyed watching Vivi play on our phones.  She sent her first text message a few days ago and even took a few pictures all by herself.  It's pretty cute watching her act like all the adults around her.

Tonight at bedtime, Marley and I spent a long time playing with her globe.  She showed me all the places she wanted to go, and I told her what they were all called.  She wants to go to Africa and Florida and Australia most of all.  Having a globe is seriously the coolest thing to our four year old.  She is really learning that there is an entire planet of things to explore!

day 26: adoration and the secret adventure club

Vivi looking at her sister in adoration.  She really does love her Marley, despite all the fighting and competition.  She even tries to say her name now.  It comes out "mah-ee."

Marley wrote these letter all by herself after Asa helped her build a fort.  She copied it from a Franklin book she loves, where Franklin has a secret club and learns about sharing it with all his friends.  She had a blast inviting every one in on this cold, rainy day.

day 25: our picky eater and our first fall fire

Marley is the pickiest eater I know.  My mother would probably disagree and tell countless stories of how picky I was as a child.  And as a teenager.  But Marley is the pickiest eater I know.

A few times I had read the theory that if you just let your kids decide what they are going to eat off of their plate, they will eventually make the right choices.  It really sounded like a dumb idea to me.  How would they eat healthy foods by choice?  She can't just eat cheese for dinner every night!

So, we kept pushing it and telling her, four more bites.  And she would whine and sometimes she would win and sometimes we would win.  It was exhausting and frustrating and Marley knew it.

I decided to give the ignoring thing a try.  We would make her a plate of all the food we were having, including vegetables and anything else she claimed to not like.  And every night I would tell her, "Marley this is what we are having for dinner.  You can choose to eat it or not, but I don't want o hear any complaining about it.  If you don't want to eat it, just leave it there."

The first few times I wondered why we were doing this.  She still complained even when I repeated the rules to her.  She didn't eat and then asked for a banana at bedtime when she discovered she was hungry.  I would bring out her leftover dinner and tell her that was her only choice.

And then, one meal at a time, things have gotten better and better.

"I am loving this dinner," she told me as she scooped chicken and vegetable soup into her mouth.
"This is weely good!"
Last night she literally shoved handfuls of green beans in her mouth.  (Yes, she was filling her hands with green beans.  This was a victory and I didn't want to mess up her flow by mentioning using a fork!)

She is not a perfect eater by any means, but one success at a time, we are getting better!

Vivi hasn't been wanting to sleep without company lately.  Maybe it's new teeth.  Maybe it's a runny nose.  Maybe it's just growing up.  But either way, we naps are short and her nights are spent pressed up against me.  So, tonight Asa and I were enjoying a fire and I brought her outside to join us.  She is a busy baby and rarely sits still in my lap.  But she was mesmerized by the fire and content to hang out for a while.

day 24: bookworm and chalk

The library is one of Marley's favorite places to go, and I adore that about her.  Sometimes I ask her if she would rather go to the library or the playground, and she always chooses the library.  If I let her get every single book she chose, I literally wouldn't be able to carry them out of the library.  She is interested in everything.  She wants to learn everything about everything.

Unfortunately, I can only handle going once a week because little Vivi, little sweet adorable Vivi, is a complete monster in the library.  She is pulling the books off the shelves, running into the computer area screaming, and crying any time I try to control her.  As Marley says, "It's hard having a little sister."

We played outside with chalk today and Vivi loved it.  She watched Marley lie down on the ground and me trace around her body.  When Marley got up, Vivi immediately lied down on the ground and stayed perfectly still while Marley traced around her.  It was a rare moment when Vivi wasn't moving.

I love seeing how she is watching us, studying us, and then she tries to copy what we do.  15 months is a fun age in that way.  Their little brains are just soaking up everything they see and filing it away in the right areas.  Her mind is constantly working and I love seeing the proof!

day 23: painting and knights

Vivi's first time painting.  She loved it and I will definitely be doing it again!  What started out as painting with a paintbrush quickly turned into painting her face, hands, feet, and my arms.  It was so much fun, though.  

 "This is how a knight poses."

She is obsessed with knights right now.  We have been learning all about them.  Well, we have been learning some nice things about knights, skipping over the not-so-pleasant parts.  She has decided now to be a knight for Halloween. 

Oh, and she is in love with this shirt Asa got her.  When she wears it she says, "People will pwobably think I'm in the ah-mee."

day 22: daddy comes home

Today, Daddy came home from training.  He has been gone for two weeks and we missed him something fierce.  I was honestly a little worried about Vivi still having a bond with him when he got back.  But she knew exactly who he was and where he fits into her life.  She loves her da-ee and was delighted to have him home!

Marley put on a front for days that she wasn't excited to see him.  Unfortunately, she equated Daddy coming home with having to leave Texas.  So, every time I mentioned him coming home, she would say, "But I just want to see Mimi and Papa..."  It broke my heart.

So, we all got in the truck and drove up to the company to pick him up.  Even on the way there, she was keeping up this charade and I was just hoping with all my strength that she wouldn't act like that in front of him.  We waited until we saw him walking up to the truck and I said, "Marley, who is that?"

She squealed, "GET ME OUT! I WANT TO HUG HIM!" and threw her hands up and kicked her feet!  Relief.

We have been trying very hard to explain to her that we miss every one in Texas also and we understand how she feels, but that our family of four needs to be together.  She still isn't the same since coming home.  She is happy to be with us, but she misses every one is Texas and I think her messy little heart is having a hard time with it all.  She lives a life where she is always missing someone and that is hard for a little girl.