This is what success looks like. It’s not pretty or polished, like some people may think. It’s day to day life. This morning my kids are fed and dressed. The livingroom may have a few items out, but it’s not dirty. My blue eyes is happily building himself a house in the corner. Snow White is potty training, and doing really well. My littlest bug is comfy in his chair enjoying a bottle. Our newest edition (a puppy) is taking a time out in the kennel, while our older dog is lying around. (Sadly blackjack passed right before the holidays.)

Lunch is cooling on the table. There is the rumble of dishes in the dishwasher and the washer is chiming that it’s done. Yesterday’s clothes are in the bathroom still and the kids desperately need a nap. But this is success. Beautiful, messy, unpolished success.

How can I say that with everything half finished? Because I gave today 100% of what I have. I took care of my beautiful babies.

It’s no secret that I’m not the best housekeeper. But that’s okay. I work the best I can and do what I can to make my home comfortable. The walls are filled with laughter, and the messes pile up. But that’s what living looks like. And that to me is success.

Snow White is One!!

Happy First Birthday Snow White!!!

My beautiful Snow White turned one!!! Mommy has been wanting to make her wear a tutu for a long time, so Snow White’s first birthday was the perfect opportunity. We aren’t having the party until Saturday, but I had to share a picture of my beautiful little girl. It makes my heart happy to see her cute little face in all her ribbons and glitter. It seems like just the other day I was announcing I was going to have her, now she looks like my beautiful little princess.

not all who wander are lost…

My baby girl is a full time walker now. Having two kids who are full time walkers is exhausting, but the world as they see it, is so big and wide and wonderful. I can’t help but wish I could be that small again, just to see the world the way they do.
Believe it or not, that is my garden my little snow white is exploring. It’s grown so tall with plants and weeds that it looks like a jungle to her little eyes. She loves to wander around in there, touching flowers, playing with the hose, and seeing the giant zucchini that come from there. Blue Eyes used to be the same way… but while Snow White toddles around, Blue Eyes is busy in his little cozy coupe, pretending to be a race car.

My sweet babies aren’t so little. And while it’s easy for us to get caught up in the world of PCS-ing, moments like this remind me that as long as we are together, who cares about the upcoming stress of moving. These little moments are the life lessons I need to be reminded of. So while I’m stressing out, this adorable little girl is finding the true meaning of life.

Rainy Day Fun!

Believe it or not, we have actually been getting rain! Rain! I have always been a rain lover, but around here it’s a rare thing. The only problem I’ve seen with the rain, is that sometimes the kids feel a little cooped up. I don’t mind them splashing around in the mud, but I can’t always supervise. So today, we thought we’d have a little rainy day fun indoors.

My kiddos are getting super big, but this is the perfect age for a little messy fun. This is the best part about being a mom.

Finger Paints!

My serious little painter

Of course we had to taste the paint

I have to thank Gunny’s Sandwich shop for the amazing roll of paper. They were willing to order an extra one so that we could have a roll.

I think Snow White ate Dog Food… and Ted Ted gets a bath

You heard my right, I think my little Snow White ate dog food. Blue eyes was “training” the dogs today. He tells them to sit and then gives them pieces of dog food. It’s super cute and the dogs are really patient with him, but it usually leaves a mess. I thought I got all the pieces up, but I just saw Snow White spit a piece out. Don’t all kids at some point? I know we were worried for a while that Blue Eyes thought he was a dog… and they’ve both gotten their hands on dirt. So I shouldn’t be surprised that Snow White had to try the dog food.

It seems like she shouldn’t be getting so big so fast. Take your eyes off of her for a moment and she’s crawled off somewhere, normally my room where there are big double mirrors. Blue Eyes loves to play in the dirt, so I’m just waiting for the day I see both of them covered in head to toe dirt. What’s funny though is that for someone who likes dirt, Blue Eyes freaks if his hand or feet are dirty. And then we end up with yet another bath. This last week I made him put Ted Ted outside of the shower while he went to play. I heard Snow White crying and went to check on her, only to come back and find Ted Ted in the shower with Blue Eyes. Since Ted Ted was already wet, I let him play. I watched Blue Eyes carefully soap up Ted Ted and then rinse him off. He sat Ted Ted on the ground and sat next to him, giving him a rubber ducky to play with. Yes, Ted Ted has become my little boy’s beloved friend. After the shower was over, he even stopped carefully to try to dry Ted Ted off, and was heartbroken when daddy had to put Ted Ted in the dryer.

Taking care of Ted Ted

I often find Blue Eyes copying mommy taking care of “Sissy” with his friend Ted Ted. That little brown teddy bear is helping him understand how to take care of someone and to help someone who needs it. Some day Ted Ted will stop going places with Blue Eyes, but for now, it’s so sweet to watch him take care of his friend.

Dear Snow White

My beautiful Snow White

My dear sweet Snow White,
You have no idea the joy you bring to my life. I love you and your brother so much. Right now you are busy exploring the world. I have to admit, you have already developed mommy’s temper. It’s not a bad thing, you may get angry easily, but you forgive and forget easily too. Learning how to walk has definitely brought your little temper out. Sometimes your daddy and I just have to laugh at how cute you look when you get angry (don’t worry, daddy laughs at mommy’s temper too).

Sweetheart, right now you are fascinated with music. If you hear it you have to crawl over and find out where it’s coming from. Mommy and daddy hope you will always love music, and we will do our best to let you hear all kinds of music. You do love the classical piano music, which makes mommy happy. Some day mommy will introduce you to the wonderful world of musicals and operas. We will put on our fanciest dresses and have a day out. Sometimes mommy will take Blue Eyes as well so that you can both can learn about the beauty of well composed music.

Mommy is so excited that someday we will play dress up and tea party. We’ll twirl around in dresses until you laugh. Baby girl, mommy wants you to know that if you don’t like dresses, that’s okay too. There is a time to dress up and look pretty, and there is a time when you will need to get dirty. Mommy hopes that you will learn how to be a strong woman who isn’t afraid of a little hard work, but that you will also know how to be a lady and treat people with respect. My love, you can keep your hair as long or as short as you want. Daddy and I argue about it now, but mommy will never make you wear your hair how you hate it.

There are so many things mommy hopes you learn. I want you to learn to be kind to all people, even if they are not kind to you. I also hope that you learn how to stand up for yourself and for people who are not able to stick up for themselves. I want you to learn how to appreciate beautiful things, but also how to make beautiful things as well. And most of all, I want you to learn how beautiful and how much value you really have. I want you to learn that you are a person of worth and that nobody can take that from you ever. I hope you teach others how to value themselves and how to love who you are. I also pray that you will pick someone who appreciates and treats you like you are a person of value. I know you will chose who you love and marry, but mommy wants you to learn to pick someone who treats you like you are the most important thing in the world. You deserve the best, my beautiful little girl.

Mommy knows you will have struggles. Mommy knows how hard it is to be a girl in a world that values the superficial. Mommy knows that you will have to learn how to stand up for yourself, and that mommy can only teach you so much. But my beautiful Snow White, I know you will have your daddy and mommy to love and support you. Mommy wants you to know that daddy loves you so very much. Sometimes he gets scared at raising a girl in todays world, but if you could see the way he looks at you, you would know you will always be daddy’s little girl.

I know you will fight with your brother sometimes. But mommy and daddy hope you will realize that you are here for each other. I hope you will stand up for your brother and he will stand up for you. He really loves you even if he pushes you down sometimes. Every night Blue Eyes has to help mommy put you to sleep. He lets you play with his teddy and sometimes he will let you hold on to his blankie when your tired. That’s very special my love. Your brother doesn’t share with most people.

Baby girl, I love you so much.
Mommy

Colors, potty training, walking, and Honest Company…

My kids are so full of energy. Some days it’s all I can do to keep up with them. Blue Eyes is sooooo active, I’m really considering putting him in gymnastics so he can tumble around. We have been working on a couple different things with him. One, he refuses to wear a diaper, so now we are working on potty training. He’s doing pretty well, although he likes to “be like daddy”, so sometimes he ends up peeing on the bathroom floor instead of in the potty. And he’s not so sure about number two on the potty. Two, colors. He loves to color. So now, instead of handing him the colors and letting him go to town on the paper, we actually name each color. Then if mommy has some time, we write the name of the color, or a shape, or sometimes numbers. He’s also learned to imitate singing. I have no clue what his songs mean, but they are so cute, I can’t help but smile when he’s singing.

Useful for counting, colors, and we went potty treats!

Snow White has figured out how to scoot along the edge of the couch walking. She gets so frustrated when she falls, but she’s doing great. She is so mobile now, I turn my back and she’s attempting to escape out the door, the way Blue Eyes did. She also eats an amazing amount of food for someone soo small. I mean she’s right around eight months and wearing six month clothes. But when it comes to food, she can eat three jars of baby food in one sitting!

Snow White modeling the mermaid tail I made

I know I post where I got the pattern from when I can. This tail pattern was not free, I did buy it. But it’s so beautiful, if you like it, you can find it here. The designer is a wonderful lady!

We also switched diapers this month. That may not sound like a huge deal but it is! No more sore bottoms for my poor babies. We found that the Honest Company, is really worth the extra cost. All natural and super hyper-sensitive. It’s amazing! This really is not a plug for the company, we were just desperate for something to work and finally found something. Plus, I love that I get to pick out the designs. Blue and green are Blue Eyes’ favorites of the moment, and some cute little strawberry ones for my little princess. They have been so great that I’m really about to try the laundry soap since I am allergic to almost all detergents. Okay, okay, I’m done talking about it…..

Have a great night!

Reason I’m crying….

Probably a year ago I ran across the most awesome blog every. Reasons My Son is Crying…. If you have kids, you understand. If you don’t have kids, you’ve seen kids like this…. and if you haven’t had either of those, you’ll get a good laugh anyways.

Blue Eyes has had a couple good meltdowns. The first time I tried to wash his blanket….. when I took his crayons away…
Tonight, I thought I’d share one of his current meltdowns.

Have a good evening!
-MB

Exploring

Snow White is fascinated with my camera.

This morning, as I was struggling to wake up, my beautiful Blue Eyes tried shoving my feet into my shoes. “Bye Bye” he kept telling me, as he got made that the shoes wouldn’t fit right. I pulled my shoes on the rest of the way and looked around. Blue Eyes and Snow White have been getting up at six am. It’s to freaking early to be going bye bye. I was able to distract him for about an hour with his favorite cartoon, PAW Patrol. But when that was done, he started dragging his favorite blanket and two teddy bears to the stroller. I’ve given up on putting the stroller away. If it isn’t in the living room, we never go for a walk, so we leave it there. Blue Eyes put his teddy bears in the seat and tucked them in.

Then he starts pulling Snow White’s blanket over to the stroller. He has given up the idea of leaving without her, so he gets her ready. There is a small box of clothes my sister sent on the desk. Blue Eyes spotted a pair of Snow White shoes and starts trying to shove them on her feet. Flip Flops do not go well with little tights. Getting frustrated, he came back over. I’ve given up at this point. I’m going on a walk. So I tucked both kids into my monstrous double stroller, and away we went.

I walked and walked, Blue Eyes babbling happily about the cars we walked past and the “pup-pups” we saw. I could only make out a word here or there, but he was telling a good story. Snow White looked around wide eyed with her thumb in her mouth. Thankfully, I was able to convince her to wear ear warmers. It’s not terribly cold here, but she freezes easily.

The walk woke me up. And even though it is far from a pretty walk, hearing my son babble about the things he is interested in, made me happy to be there. Walks are still magical for my little boy and my little girl. They talk, and giggle as we go. Soon Blue Eyes will be speeding around me on a bicycle, and Snow White will be my only stroller baby; but for a little while longer, I get to enjoy my two babies as we explore the world.

We spent the rest of the day reading stories, coloring, working on the names of colors and counting to three. One, Two, Three, is still not clear but he says them with the same tones I do, so I’ve figured out what he’s doing. Snow White has finally become mobile, and spent her time wiggling into the kitchen and getting mad when I put her back at the starting point. We pulled the cushion off of the couch to hide behind them, while sis sis tried to stand on the abandoned cushion. (She may decide to skip crawling like Blue Eyes did). Then we chased the puppies around. When the sprinklers went off, we watched in amazement from the little slide yelling “Water, water”. And when it was night-time, my little girl finally fell asleep from exhaustion and Blue Eyes cuddled with me for one more episode of Paw Patrol. From my babies stand point, today was an amazing day. From mommy’s view, I didn’t get a thing done. But sometimes we don’t need to get things done. We just need to watch our babies grow and explore.

Dear Mr. Blue Eyes

Mr. Blue Eyes and his “colors”

My dear baby boy,
You have no idea how relieved I am that you love your little sister so much. Right now, it’s a little frustrating when she gets a bottle in the eye, or when all 24 lbs of you tries to pick up all 10 lbs of her, but I’m so grateful that you have such a loving heart. I love that you want to help mommy take care of her. I hope that you will remember how much you love her when she is big enough to follow you around and get in the way. Right now sis sis is learning to crawl, and I know you don’t like sharing your cars, but I’m so happy you do. Some day she will discover princesses and tutus and then you’ll be left in peace with your cars and planes.
I hope you remember how much you love her when you two are fighting or teasing each other. I hope you will protect her when mommy isn’t around and that you will look out for her when you two are old enough to go to parties. I hope you will protect your sis sis when you both start school. It’s scary for mommy to know you are going to grow up, but you have mommy and daddy to teach you how to be a good boy and man.
Your mommy and your sister are your first examples of how to take care of your future wife. So when mommy is punishing you because you, “don’t hit girls” or making you open the door, it’s not to be mean. It’s because mommy and daddy want you to love and respect your future wife. We want you to grow into a man who deserves the best and knows how to pick someone based on quality not looks. Mommy and daddy want you to have a better life than we could ever hope for you. We want to teach you to be kind and strong. To protect those weaker than you, and care enough to rescue all of your little pup pups. We hope to teach you how to handle money better than we used to, and to value hard work.
Mommy is excited to explore the world with you and your sissy. I can’t wait to take you on adventures, and to dress up to find buried treasure. I can’t wait to take you to see plays and teach you how to have tea parties with your sister. Believe me, even if you don’t like dressing up, mommy will make sure there are plenty of cookies.
Today we color, and play airplanes. Today we pound on the piano, and splash the bathwater all over the floor. We dig in dirt and run around to the “Bananas” song. Today the dirtier the better. We steal sis sis’s hair bows and climb on the counters for cookies….
Someday, you will grow up, but for today, I’m going to enjoy you being my little wild child.
-Mommy