Easter

We narrowly avoided missing Easter due to sickness yet again.

We went down to the city for an overnight staycation and mattress run on Saturday night, so we joined our friends K, A, and Baby A for church at St. Andrew Wildflower in Highlands Ranch.  The kids had such a great time at Sunday School that they were the last ones out of the room.

We headed home and put the kids for their nap which was when the Easter Bunny came.  Unfortunately after nap, Andrew had a hard time waking up, and this spiraled into an epic meltdown about not wanting to wear pants.  But we got there eventually and a good time was had by all.

Kind Soul

Tonight I cried a little - nothing serious, just a hard, emotional day.

Andrew followed me into my bedroom and said, "I'm sorry, mama.  What can I do to make it better?"

I could hear the echo of my words in there - the compassion that I show to him when he is inexplicably upset was reflected back on me in waves.  I bathed in it.

I sniffed and said, "I could use a hug."

He said, "Can I hug you in the bed?  That would be good - to hug in the bed."

And he snuggled me gently in the fluffy duvet.

We're a true family - we hold each other up.  Unbelievably blessed.

Pants II

Andrew just went to his dresser to fetch his own pants.  Then with minimal help from me, he laid them out on the floor and put them on by himself.

I'm having a "he'll eventually be able to go to college" moment.

(Of course, the reason he needed to go fetch new pants at 4:30 in the afternoon was because he was too involved in play to bother going to the potty.  But you know.  Baby steps.)

He also performed his first Class III scramble up some awesome red rock (The Golden Pyramid) down at South Valley Park down the road here.  So he had a big day.

Incidentally, Clara made about 90% of this climb too - I just didn't feel comfortable with her on the summit pitch.  They both were incredible, and I see much rock climbing and hiking in our future.

Pants

Mama: I see that you must have gone potty. And you didn't put your pants back on.
Andrew: Yeah. Sometimes big boys put their pants back on. And sometimes they don't.

#nbd

Just a quiet Sunday afternoon with Travis, installing a new hot water heater.

Clara's First 100 Words

It took just over four months from one word to 100.  The theme was "food," from "yogurt" to "cinnamon."

At the risk of comparing my children, I think it's fascinating that though they said their first words at very different ages (17 months and 14 months respectively), it took them nearly the exact same amount of time to get to 100.

8/23/2013	Bear
8/26/2013	yogurt
9/5/2013	Ducky
	Mama
	Daddy
	Doggy
	Please
	Peek
	eat
	baby
11/12/2013	Socks
11/15/2013	(Ba)nana
	yuck (for diaper and trash)
	apple
	ball
	book
11/22/2013	Maggie
11/23/2013	hot
11/24/2013	jump
11/24/2013	no
	snack
	hi
	bye
	night night
11/29/2013	shoe
11/29/2013	water (wa wa)
11/29/2013	bonk
11/29/2013	truck
11/30/2013	potty
12/1/2013	sorry
12/1/2013	star
	meat
	peek
	stuck
	plug
12/5/2013	soup
12/5/2013	step
12/5/2013	Papa
12/6/2013	truck
12/7/2013	dump
12/7/2013	up
12/7/2013	hat
12/8/2013	blue
12/9/2013	back
12/9/2013	pop
12/10/2013	zip
	yeah
	eyes
	steak
	hair
	milk
12/12/2013	outside
12/12/2013	moon
12/13/2013	shovel
12/13/2013	hop
12/13/2013	help
12/14/2013	egg
12/14/2013	strawberry
12/14/2013	(avo)cado
12/14/2013	butterfly
12/14/2013	head
12/15/2013	snow
12/15/2013	owl
12/15/2013	dark
12/15/2013	Nana
12/15/2013	bacon
	fork
	some
12/18/2013	drink
	hug
12/21/2013	scissors
12/21/2013	brush
12/21/2013	sausage
12/21/2013	tunnel
12/21/2013	show
12/21/2013	bubble
	out
	hand
	walk
	on
	buckle
	boot
	snoopy
	happy
	toby (nana's dog)
	eggs
12/26/2013	happened
12/26/2013	purple
12/26/2013	slippers
12/26/2013	sticker
12/26/2013	juice
	puppy
12/28/2013	feet
12/28/2013	phone
12/28/2013	new
12/28/2013	friend
12/29/2013	dress
12/29/2013	why
12/29/2013	toys
12/29/2013	one

Christmas at Home

We begin our Christmas celebration at our home in Colorado, giving gifts between our immediate family. 

The infamous candles

Eighteen Month Stats

At 18 months:

your child is 23.375 pounds, and that is
at the 34th percentile for weight.

your child is 31 inches, and that is
at the 26th percentile for height.

your child has a head circumference of 19 inches, and that is
at the 89th percentile for head circumference.

Early December

The first part of December was a delightful celebration of advent.  It was really fun to have a kid old enough to understand just a little bit what a holiday was, and that it was Jesus' birthday, and why we give gifts. 

Andrew didn't totally understand the gift giving thing, though.  After Daddy took him out shopping one morning, he returned home after a strict discussion that gifts should be a surprise, and announced to me "Mama, we bought you candles!"  The favor was returned a few days later with "Daddy, do you want to see the tools we got you?"  Ah well.  He certainly was full of joy.

Mary, on a tractor

We went to see Santa at the Big R up in Conifer, which was really great, because there was virtually no one there, so the pressure was low.  Andrew didn't really know the process, although we've talked a little about who Santa is.  When Santa asked "What do you want for Christmas?" Andrew gave him a confused look and changed the subject: "Did you know there's a cowboy hat on top of that Christmas tree?"  They also had a discussion of some of the lawn equipment that was sitting outside the store.

Clara wasn't too sure of Santa at first, but agreed to sit on my lap and stare at him.

 

And then, of course, we had to try on some cowboy hats.  As you do.

 

Wood piles ready for winter

Watching the Charlie Brown Christmas Special