Free Books

Look what we discovered while taking a walk in Peachtree City... how fun!

I love this idea! There was even a children's section, nice and low where kids can reach.

Annie was less impressed with our discovery.

Scenes from Christmas

Making cookies with Mimi.

The finished product for Santa!

We had an awesome Christmas. I hosted my family for the first time, with everyone arriving the day before Christmas Eve for our traditional celebration. Surprisingly, I wasn't stressed at all, even with the cooking and cleaning preparations. Between my mom and I, we made all our favorite foods for the event: Swedish meatballs, Italian stuffed shells, a ham. We had a blast opening presents, drinking coffee, lingering around the Christmas tree.

New kitty.

Deep, manly thoughts.

My handsome little brother and my happy little girl.

Me and my mom.

Daddy finally convinced her to take a nap before we opened presents.

Christmas Eve we headed to church to listen to Matt play in the band and freak out about Violet with a lit candle in her hands. Fortunately my mom was there to supervise! We stuck around afterwards for dinner with my neighbors. Even though we had a reservation, the place was packed and we waited forever. The kids hung in there and then practically fell asleep at the table! Violet was so tired she barely acknowledged putting out Santa's cookies by the fireplace. Good thing we had already sprinkled the reindeer food!

Christmas morning was a first - the first time we've been just our little family of four in our own home. Violet had so much fun looking through her stocking, opening her Santa presents and seeing what we got her. It was strange to be home, but a good new tradition. Then we packed up and hit the road to see Matt's family for the rest of the holiday.

Just doing some light reading.

Family game night.

Little baby on a big bed.

The last part of our Christmas was spent with Matt's family. His parents gave up their bedroom for us, seeing as we now have a pack-n-play, and mattress on the floor for Violet, and gear galore. It was very generous and so appreciated. At their house we had another round of gifts and fun - even when the power was cut for most of a day! Everyone (minus Annie and me) took a trip to the aquarium (I let my mom babysit so I could get a haircut!) and we even left all the kids with their brave grandparents so we could take in dinner and a movie on the last night in town. It was a good, relaxing time. For the most part, both girls behaved themselves beautifully. We even had a professional photographer come to the house to capture some family memories. I think a good time was had by all.

Now we're home. I took down all the decorations yesterday while Violet was having a pajama party with her best friend Emma. The house looks a little dull without all the beautiful lights, but it's also nice to have it done. I'm going to try and pack in a lot in this last week before heading back to work, but I'm trying not to think about all the school things I need to do until after the new year. Then I'll tackle the grading, report cards, lesson planning, and general anxiety that will come along with returning to work. For now, I'm going to try to enjoy my two girls at home. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Those Mischieveous Elves

Snacking on the gingerbread house.

Hanging around in the kitchen.

Turning hairbows into tutus.

Having a slumber party.

We had two elves visit us this year! Penny came to our house and can't be touched, lest she lose her magic. Elfie came to Violet's school and hasn't earned her magic yet. Violet can touch her and help teach her how to be good and kind, so Elfie can earn her magic. Penny helps Elfie get into all kinds of things, although fortunately our elves don't appear to be the truly mischievous kind. Mainly they just have fun moving from place to place each day. What trouble have your elves gotten into this year?

Gingerbread House

So what if it's before 9 a.m.

She managed to follow the picture for the first side of the roof, then creativity took hold.

Not bad for her first gingerbread house!

And she even managed to restrain herself from eating all the candy! So proud!

Annie at 3 Months

Happy three months to my Annie! What a sweetie. She is getting bigger by the day.

Still gets swaddled at night and sleeps close to 12 hours, yay!

Growing out of some 3 month clothes (those legs are just so long).

Loves sucking on her knuckle when she can get away with it.

Still not too attached to paci, despite the different kinds we've tried.

Losing her hair in a ring around her head.

Still breastfeeding, although only for a couple more weeks. Then mama's back to work!

Full of smiles. Singing to her will guarantee a big grin and a chortle.

Fascinated by books, especially during the dreaded tummy time.

Might be turning into a Daddy's girl. Sure gets spoiled by Daddy!

We love you, Annie!

What Matters Most

A quiet moment with my girls.  This is what matters most in this crazy, non-stop world we live in.

The Last Friday

It feels like today is my last official day as a stay-at-home-maternity-leave-mom. The hubby is at the office. Violet is at school for the last day before she's out for Christmas break. After today, I'll have two kids at home every day until I go back to work.

Annie slept until 8:30. She nursed in the calm of the morning, with me alternating between checking my phone, watching the Today Show, and drinking in her sweet face. Then we played on the playmat, sneaking in a few physical therapy exercises along the way, rolling to each side, practicing sit ups, having her track objects so she'll turn her head, strengthening those neck muscles. I snuck in a pumping session, probably one of my last, to add to the stash of breast milk taking over our freezer. When she got fussy, I carried her around for a bit, marveling at how heavy and warm her body is in my arms, before putting her in the swing and letting her drift off so I could jump in the shower. Now I'm writing this, my hair still wet, knowing she'll wake up any moment (silly girl only sleeps 30-45 minutes at a time). Then we'll have to decide what to do with the rest of our day until it's off to Violet's Christmas party, then a visit from an old friend, then a neighborly dinner and gift exchange.

It's a good, peaceful end to what has been a lovely 12 weeks home with my baby. Life will slowly get more crazy and crowded from here on out, until it's time for full-blown reality to come calling. I keep thinking about work, only to catch myself and force it from my mind for the time being. In the new year, I'm resigned to thinking and planning and stressing and accepting what is to come. But not right now, not if I can help it.

Violet-isms

Getting a ribbon at gymnastics!

She might not be the best gymnast, but she sure does love it!

On the way  home from our last gymnastics session of the year, I had both girls with me in the car. Poor Annie had been on the go since 1 p.m., first an hour drive to therapy, an hour of torture, an hour drive back, and hour at daycare being nursed and changed and getting Violet ready, then we were off to gymnastics to watch Violet for another hour. Bless her, the girl was finally done.

We were in the car, picking up dinner before finally heading home, and the sweet baby was just wailing away. Violet leaned over, grabbed her hand and said "Don't worry, Baby Annie! God is watching you!"

Heart. Melt.

I had to write it down so I don't forget (probably one day when they are screaming at each other over borrowed clothes or broken diary locks) that once upon a time they were so sweet.

And in that spirit, here are a few other hilarious things Violet has said that I don't want to forget. Ah, they grow so fast!

movie computer = movie theater, as in, "Can we have popcorn at the movie computer today?"

fall vegetable = fall festival "I went down the big slide at the fall vegetable!"

candy corn = candy cane "Look at all the candy corns lighting up in the yard!"

whole. lide. world. = whole wide world, said with such drama, as in "Our house is the best in the whole. lide. world!" (She's also a bit obsessed with having the best whatever - best Christmas tree, best outfit, etc, in the whole. lide. world.)

And of course, there is a never-to-be-forgotten incident of Violet witnessing me nursing Annie for the first time. "Why is the baby eating Mommy?" followed up later with "Babies don't eat ice cream! Babies eat Mommies!"

Ah, love my big girl!

Christmas Cheer

Violet on her way to Polar Express day at school in her Christmas PJs.

My happy girls with Santa!

Physical Therapy

Playing with Marla.

I'm happy to report that Annie's physical therapy continues to go well. Yesterday was the best session we've had to date, with lots of smiles and giggles from this baby. Usually she gets so darn mad during our time in Marla's office, we're both exhausted by the time we leave. But she actually seemed like she was having fun yesterday. I'm glad she's working out her neck issues, but I'm also happy that she seems to be getting along with people other than her mama. I worry that Annie's going to freak out in daycare, surrounded by so many new faces. But the fact that she is so comfortable with Marla now gives me confidence that she'll do well once I head back to work.

Reading a book during tummy time.

A well-supervised tummy time nap.

Santa Baby

We took the girls up to Breakfast with Santa at my school this weekend. Last year was the first year we convinced Violet to take a picture with the jolly old man, and I spent a week of prep work talking her into a repeat performance. She was too shy to tell him what she wanted for Christmas, so he promised to surprise her. Good man. 

Her expression! I could look at it all day!

The photographer was incredible. He managed to get both (!) of them smiling at the same time! Now, whether he managed to actually capture this miracle on film remains to be seen, but it was fun to watch. Annie's suspicious face is just too much - it cracks me up every time I see it!

BFFs 4 eva!

Who needs Breakfast with Santa when you can have Breakfast with Daddy?!

Pretty much sums up how I felt at the end of the day too!

Be Still

In teaching, it's all about finding the "teachable moments" and taking advantage of them. Those moments that are unscheduled and off the lesson plans, when a particular question from a little raised hand might lead down a tangent, away from the original plan but to a learning experience just as valuable, and maybe more so do to its authenticity.

Motherhood is all about taking advantage of the moment as well. The moments when your child has finally fallen asleep and a quick mental calculation reveals you probably have time for a shower if you hustle, and might even get the dishwasher unloaded and a round of laundry started and your hair dried before the little darling stirs, but only if you seize this moment right now and spring into action, even if it means drinking your now-lukewarm coffee in the shower. Totally worth it, right?

This morning (and I use the term "morning" loosely - 5:30 a.m. does not count as morning in my book, not since the baby started sleeping until 8 a.m. on a fairly regular basis) I found Annie wide awake in her bed. No amount of paci-pushing would satisfy her. Poor thing was coughing and snorting and generally sounding miserable with this lingering congestion. Finally, reluctantly, I pulled her into bed to feed her. She ate ferociously. And rewarded my generosity by promptly spitting up all over me, the pillows, the bed.

This occurred exactly 30 seconds before big sister came downstairs in the dead of darkness to announce, in tears, that she was no longer sleepy. What followed was two minutes of high drama as I tried to strip off my now-soaked clothes, Violet wailed as Matt forcibly led her back upstairs to bed, and Annie continued to just be wide awake.

I randomly posted about the saga on facebook, which I never do anymore. I wasn't trying to complain, I was just trying to be. And oh how the sympathetic mamas responded! Sometimes it is important to be a voice, just so others can call out and remind you you're not alone. My friend Brooke wrote back that she had experienced a similar morning. What she didn't say, what only I know, is that she's a mama to three kids (5 and under), and she's a working mama, a teacher no less, who somehow had to get those three precious children out the door, dressed for the day, on a cold, wet Monday while keeping her sense of humor intact. Miracles, I tell you.

Two hours later, as the house emptied and the baby fell asleep, I found myself in one of those holy moments. The rooms were silent save for the sound of falling rain outside on the flat, bleak morning. I quickly cataloged everything I needed to be doing - load of spit-covered laundry, fresh sheets for the bed, a shower, the grocery list - but continued to sit in the holy silence, grateful for my clean pair of pjs, warming my hands on my now-lukewarm coffee mug, admiring the perfect Christmas tree keeping vigil in the living room.

Sometimes it's important to just be still. To be still in the eye of the hurricane that is life, as the competing responsibilities of work and parenthood and friendship and domestic duties whirl around in a blur. To be still, to know, to be in the holy silence.

Because all too soon the baby will wake up, with her wet diapers and dazzling smiles. The big sister will come home from school, full of needs and stories from her three-year-old world. A hot shower will eventually be procured, as will dinner and those clean sheets. Life will happen all around, faster than we can keep track.

So for now, right now, I will be still.

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Psalm 46:10

Christmas Time is Here

The stockings are hung by the fireplace with care (gotta get one more!)

We've decided this is the best tree we've ever had!

Annie during her required tummy time - the tree seems to help.

Introducing Penny the Elf! She got into Violet's hairbows one night, silly thing!

Say Cheese

We finally had our family photos taken. I procrastinated big time scheduling these, scrambled to find a new photographer, and then our original date two weeks ago got rained out. When the appointed Saturday finally rolled around, all four of us had colds, it was a chilly, windy day, and Violet had woken up for unknown (and unwelcome) reasons at 4:45 a.m. and refused to go back to bed. I waffled all day on what the girls were going to wear, afraid it was too cold for them to don their red matching Christmas dressed (purchased specifically for this purpose). I'd spend a week prepping Violet for wearing her dress (she had so far even refused to try it on), and when I changed my mind that day and told her she could wear jeans, she did a 180 on me and freaked out, insisting on her "pretty red Christmas dress."

Yep, the recipe for success, let me tell you.

Family pictures stress me out. You need the right outfits, the right background, the right smiles, just so you can look like the "right" family for the .2 seconds it took to snap the shot. I'd love to hear the behind-the-scenes story of some of the cards that will come through our mailbox this year. Were your kids freaking out and crying the whole time save the moment the shutter snapped? Did your photographer have to photoshop that massive zit off your chin? Did everyone smile even though on the inside you were seething? Ah, good times.

Right before we left the house, I managed to convince Violet to smile for me and actually look at the camera (she tends to let her eyes wander these days, or put on a really forced smile to prove how annoyed she is by the entire process). We got a few of the girls together, too. Knowing at least something was preserved on camera helped me relax when it came time for the real photo shoot - at least I had my own pictures in my back pocket should worse come to worse.

Can anyone photoshop me a nice winter scene into the background?

Still, as you can see from the previous post, we still managed to capture a few good ones. My favorites are with me and the girls, although we got a serviceable family shot for the Christmas card too. And at least it's over with!

Me and My Girls

Annie Makes Some Noise

At the Mall

While I'm not insane enough to hit up a mall on Black Friday, we were crazy enough to take the girls out to the mall one weekend recently. I haven't been to a mall in who knows how long, and as soon as we got close, I remembered why. The traffic! The crowds! Violet kept wanting to wander off, stressing me out! But it was a way to kill a cold evening when we'd been cooped up in the house all day. The highlights of our visit for Violet were as follows: riding the carousel, drinking Sprite, and riding the elevator. And then we went home. Literally those were the only things we did during our mall visit. And let me tell you, that was about enough for me!

Sweet sisters.

Serenaded by Daddy.