Baby Stages

As I'm preparing to spring clean and organize our entire house (as most people do pre-moving), it makes me realize how much baby stuff we have. It also makes me realize that I don't have any babies any more. My 20-month-old can run, talk a little, feed herself, and is preparing to be potty trained. To me when a child is potty trained that's the last "baby" necessity. After that mom is no longer the primary person in charge of physical needs. We also now only have one booster chair out, as Ava likes to sit in a big chair now, and it's honestly nice I don't have two high chairs to clean. Those things are always disgusting and collect dirt.

I imagine the past 20 months of my life has been very similar to having twins, always having two of everything. It will probably continue to be that way. I can't wait until they wear the same size clothes or they're only one size apart.

It will be hard to take down the crib, put away the crib sheets, changing pad, baby toys, clothes, swing, exercauser, pacifiers and monitors. The other day I was folding up a crib sheet and it made me sigh and get a little sad. I look forward to the day when I can get all my stuff out again and be excited about the new person in our family. Until then, I try to wait patiently - but am not very successful. There is no longer any reason I have to go to Babies R us, make registries, the new organic baby store downtown or go to La Leche League meetings with my friends.

A new set of milestones awaits us, things like preschool, reading, dance lessons and having a sunbeam (the 3-year-old sunday school class). Somehow though these seem like daunting tasks, fighting short attention spans and having to get more organized. We probably won't send Ava to preschool because I am really not interested in it. I think I can teach her well at home. Dance, on the other hand, is something that a mom could teach her daughter, but I have such good memories of it I would love to give Ava the same gift.

A weekend in AL

Last weekend we took a few days and drove to Alabama to visit Tyler's Grandma Paxton. She has been sick for several months and it was nice to spend time with her. We drove down with Tyler's family in the van and enjoyed much milder weather. Although it wasn't a "fun" trip, it is really important that Ava and Violet get to know their Great Grandma - or Gigi. We stayed with Tyler's uncle and his family. It was so nice of them to share their home with us. Violet obviously isn't in the picture below. She's been a huge grumpster lately and was napping.

From Drop Box

Happy Birthday Ava!

On Saturday Ava turned 3! I can't believe I have a 3 year old. She was so excited when she saw the decorations going up she jumped up and down. Above you can see her home made ice cream cake which was really really hard to make. Frosting doesn't stick to ice cream very well.



She had two parties, one on Saturday, one on Sunday. The one on Saturday was with her (and our) friends, plus Tyler's family, and the one on Sunday was mostly with my family and friends. For Saturday I made sparkly princess hat and crown cupcakes.




For Ava's birthday "activity" we went sledding. It was really warm (well.. 40's) so the snow was melting. But there was enough left to still have fun.


Tyler's sister Audrey and Violet.


Tyler, Ava and Morgen.



Birthday girl!

Ava holding a sleeping Violet.


Playing in the "tub."

Decidedly so.

Here's Violet and I in a peaceful time while Ava was sleeping.
Smiling.

The next few are for my mom, who was dying to know what Tyler's acceptance packet to U of M looked like. It was fed exed and I had to sign for it at 9 am on a Saturday! It came with a binder, a few documents and a shirt.

"Congratulations you're invited"


The box and the front of the binder.


The letter.

The big box.

My 25 things

I posted this on Facebook and thought my readers here might enjoy it too.

1. I am addicted to trashy reality shows, and always have been .. including Jerry Springer back in the day and Rock of Love Bus, The Bachelor, anything on Bravo, etc.
2. I am enjoying having a dog more than I thought I would.
3. My memory is really random.
4. I love diet coke, but try not to drink it. It's my one indulgence. This may contribute to my memory problems.
5. I don't drink alcohol, coffee, and green or black tea.
6. I love focusing on one craft or activity and doing it all day. Needless to say, I don't get to do that ever anymore.
7. I feel really blessed by my parents and all they have taught me and all my "surrogate" parents. I have learned sooo much from them and constantly try to learn from the people around me.
8. I am probably one of the most dedicated and perseverent people you will ever meet.
9. I am very serious when it comes to following my faith, but at the same time am very understanding and open minded about other people's beliefs and way of life.
10. We would looove to have another baby.
11. I really like Love and Logic parenting books.
12. I love shopping at whole foods and if I had the money would buy as much as I could that is organic - including clothes. Those pesticides and fertilizers are nastyyy.
13. I am a very scheduled person.
14. I am obsessive compulsive about some things, but completely laid back about others.
15. It drives me crazy when my kids won't nap. (Like now when Ava is screaming upstairs...)
16. I get really tired mid-afternoon.
17. I love to travel.
18. Although the amount of debt we are about to take on for grad school is very very scary, I'm excited that there's a light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully the sacrifice will be worth it.
19. I love being around brutally open and honest people.
20. I miss my mom being close and enjoy having Tyler's parents and siblings close by.
21. I would home school my kids if I thought it would be best for them.
22. Buying our Buick Rendezvous was stupid ... we should have bought a $4000 van. Now we're going to have to sell it and start from scratch, only having our semi-beat up Accord. Oh well, we did our part to support GM. Good thing Ann Arbor has public transportation like a normal city, not Detroit.
23. I have a picture in my mind of the back yard my dream house has. It is big yard with a grove of trees in the middle and a bench.
24. I played volleyball in High School for two years, then stopped because my position wasn't open on varsity. The girl who had my spot was pregnant, yet still on the team. It was messed up.
25. I am debating about what I should work doing when Tyler's in school. Any ideas?

Sunday night fun

I got our old camera up and running for a bit last night.





I have been really blessed that over Ava's nearly three years, I have only spent probably around $200 on clothes .. ever! Yes, my children don't look as stylish or as cleaned up as I would like, but I simply cannot rationalize buying clothes for them when they have Christmas, birthdays and grandmas who love to buy them clothes. Most of them are second hand, but that's ok! We don't have the money in the bank, and I've been paying the bills for the past year, and I know exactly how much we have and don't have. I would much rather put our money to use when they're older teenagers are really care about the clothes they wear. Until then, I'm making sure my kids are happy and healthy and making the clothes they wear less of a priority. I try to avoid going to stores or shopping like the plague. The less often I go to the store, the less money I'm going to spend.

One of my mom's theories about why the economy is so bad is simply that there are too many stores. People don't NEED so much STUFF! I love this.