Flashforward Friday - Hint of Christmas

Happy Thanks-for-Giving!

Of the four seasons, fall ranks the highest in my mind. From our wedding anniversary, to the crisp cool air, to the simple joy of hay bales and pumpkins. They all lead to one thing – Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The day is not surrounded by all of the pomp and circumstance of so many other occasions. It is not about giving gifts and materialism. Rather, it is simply about coming together as a family and remembering and celebrating all that you are thankful for in your life.

Personally, I am humbled by the perfection of my life. There was a point in time when I never thought I would be where I am today – married to an amazing man and blessed with boy/girl twins.

For that, I am grateful beyond words. Funny how despite finding myself beyond words, I can always managed to come up with just a few!

Trying to put all that I am thankful for this year into one post could comprise much more than anyone would care to read, so I will just note a few of the highlights:

· My amazing husband – Michael works four jobs to support our family and to ensure the ability for me to stay at home to raise Ella and Aidan.

· My little double miracles – Hearing “I love you Mommy” and “Mommy, I want to cuddle” never cease to melt my heart. I treasure our end of the day conversations – after baths and books we always talk about what we did that day (our highs and lows). I love those last few cuddles and being able to send them off into a happy, content slumber with memories of the day fresh in their little minds.

· My ever supportive family – everyone on both sides love and cherish our family and are always there for us in ways beyond measure

· Our health – above so many other things, all of us have been so blessed with good health and my heart goes out to those battling health related issues.

· Life itself – Days may be stressful and times may be tight, but at the end of the day, we have a roof over our heads, food on our table, shoes on our feet, clothing on our backs, and a clean bill of health. Does it get any better than that?

So there you have it, my mini-list of gratitude! I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend, and as Ella likes to say:

Happy Thanks-for-Giving!

Wordless Wednesday - From Ella & Aidan

Little Wonders

I'm grateful for how Ella and Aidan’s little eyes absorb the world around them....

....looking to discover something new, and almost always filled with wonder....

....seeing beauty in things we dismissed long ago: rolly-pollies, hunting for acorns, or a cyclist peddling by....

....sharing the joy in children's first-time experiences and the process of little people creating beauty when given the opportunity to do so....

....little hands at work (play)....

....that children are uninhibited... without a care as to how they might appear to others.

On days when the squabbling, bickering, yelling and whining threaten to overwhelm me; on days when the Cheerio crumbs between my toes and the fingerprints on the windows make my head spin; on days when the incessant questions, diaper changes and maddening repetitiveness of toddler activities drive me almost bonkers; on days when I haven't the energy to change out of my pajamas or clip my fingernails, much less anyone else's; on days when I want to bang my head against the wall, or better yet to run away; on days when no one will leave me alone.

On days like that, it is the sweet small moment in time that flutters in, the genuine little glimpse of goodness that arrives, if only fleetingly, which, like a flash in the pan, makes a bright but brief appearance and serves to gently remind me before it's gone that...

...there is a reason why I do what I do. 



And it is more than worth every minute!

Thanksgiving Art

Ella and Aidan have been busy in preschool this month creating all sorts of fun stuff!

They have made turkeys on a stick from their handprints, decorated with feathers:

Cards made from their handprints with paint:

Ella's reads " I am thankful for donkeys! Happy Thanksgiving!", and Aidan's reads: "Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for trucks!".

And laminated pictures of their turkey handprints.

On the front they read: "Turkey, turkey, look at you, please be careful what you do. Thanksgiving Day will soon be here. We eat turkey every year! Go and hide. We'll eat pizza as we should".

On the back they read: "This isn't just a turkey, as anyone can see. I made it with my hand which is a part of me. It comes with lots of love, especially to say, I hope that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving Day, 2009"!

Tomorrow there is a Thanksgiving feast planned for the class. Parents are invited to attend, and we are having a nugget tray, fruit and cheese. As one of the room mothers and having helped to plan the event, I am really looking forward to sharing in the lunch with all of the children in the class!

One of the Many Things

One of the many things I am grateful for this season is that Ella and Aidan have been able to attend preschool two days a week. While I treasure the break and the ability to accomplish a few errands and tasks sans kiddos, I am more grateful for the experiences that preschool provides for both of them.

Sure, we have helped them to learn their full names, good manners, their ABC's, how to count to 20, dozens of songs and nursery rhymes, and much more.

Sure, we make it a priority to surround them with love and friends - plenty of playdates and opportunities to experience sharing, giving, and interacting with other little boys and girls their same age.

Sure, we love to take them a variety of places and expose them to the wonders of the world.

But we are not trained teachers, and can only do so much.

Preschool affords them the opportunity for so much more, and I am ever so grateful for their wonderful teachers and all that they do!

Thank you Miss Phyllis and Miss Kellie!

Flashback Friday

This week really isn't a flashback - it's more of a current "flash".

At preschool and at home the topic of being thankful has been a common discussion theme lately. I know that Ella and Aidan do not fully grasp the concept just yet, they really just enjoy making turkeys from tracing their hands!

However, I do believe that it is important to instill a value such as gratitude in them as early as possible - so we have the discussion quite frequently.

It makes me laugh to hear their cute answers when they are asked what they are thankful for - take a look for yourself:

Ella's answer is "donkeys" 99.9 % of the time. The rest of the time it is "chickens and fries".

Aidan's answer has never changed - it is always "firetrucks"!

Thank You Grandaddy - from Mickey & Minnie!

Grandaddy surprised Ella and Aidan in a HUGE way a few days ago!

He arranged for them to receive their very own pair of authentic Mickey & Minnie Mouse ears - all the way from Disney World in Orlando! You can only purchase these inside the themepark, so we are sure he had some sort of "inside" mouse connection.

If you ask Ella and Aidan, he called Mickey & Minnie personally and made a special request!

The absolute best part is that he also had them embroidered with Ella and Aidan's names on the back!

Thank You Grandaddy! Ella and Aidan LOVE their ears!!

Wordless Wednesday - Scenes from the Farm

AW Shucks!

We had a super fun morning with the Kilcoyne family today! We ventured out to a place called AW Shucks - a corn maze / pumpkin patch out in the middle of the countryside. Not only did this place have a huge corn maze, but also a nice pond, a nature trail, pony rides, a tree house, an animal barn and much more!

We all had a great time letting the tots run around and get out some of that two-year old toddler energy! The kids (and parents, too!) are all such great friends!

The morning began with a little playtime in the back of Mike's truck....

....and continued with a visit to the animal barn.......

....the tree house....

....a hay / tractor ride....

....duck races....

....a run through the corn maze....

.... and finally, a pony ride for Aidan! Yep, he actually rode a pony! Beauty was her name, and she was less than pleased to be the pony of choice for the day. I was on my guard, watching her ears flicker back and forth and reading her tense body language - ready to yank Aidan off in a millisecond, but we made it through. I was very proud of my little man!

Flashback Friday

As I think back through the past 2+ years......

One Week Old

One Year Old

Two Years Old

....I am in constant amazement at how simultaneously fun and utterly frustrating two 2 year-olds can be. Ella, in particular, can go from angel baby to the featured kid on Supernanny in under 10 seconds. And, as quickly as the tantrums come on (and for no apparent reason), they go. And what’s left are fun little people with emerging language skills, quirky senses of humor, and admirable, albeit unattainable (even with buckets of caffeine) energy levels.

Do I think the Twos are Terrible? Not even close. Overall, I would say that two totally rocks. Ella and Aidan are filled with such a sense of curiosity and excitement about their world that it’s virtually impossible not to catch some of it. Ella thinks animals are cool people with fur. Aidan is obsessed with school buses, airplanes, and every other means of major transportation. They both would rather run around outside while it pours cats and dogs than be cooped up in the house.

These days I am starting to feel more like a mom and less like a caretaker. Don’t get me wrong – at least 60% of my day still consists of wiping behinds, cleaning noses, and feeding on demand (mostly crackers and fruit bars).

But, the other 40% is filled with some pretty fun stuff.

Wordless Wednesday

A Day in the Park

The kids and I enjoyed a wonderful playdate this past Sunday morning with the Weltz girls!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous - a perfect fall day!

Here come our friends!