Catching Up

I know.  I completely missed the month of November.  And most of December at this point.  I just don't know where the time went.  Well, actually it went the way of busy days filled with preschool drop offs, dance classes, play dates, messy lunches, naps, no naps, watching Curious George over and over again, spontaneous dancing in the kitchen, refereeing play time between a toddler and an active infant, climbing stairs, pushing strollers on walks through the neighborhoods, and swinging at the park.  Throw in there Halloween and the attempts to go trick-or-treating with a two year old and a then nine month old, a family trip to our cabin for Thanksgiving, and all the preparations and celebrations of the holiday season, and I still can't believe I haven't quite passed out yet.  There were bridal showers and bachelorette parties, and watching our wedding video for the first time with our kids in honor of our six year anniversary.  Time flies, and I can't believe how much our cup continues to overflow.  

So instead of a million catch up posts (because who has time for that?), here are some snapshots of what's been happening in our little world.

Ella really got into the spirit of Halloween this year.  When I asked what she wanted to be, she immediately replied with "orca!"  And since it was pretty tough to find an orca costume for such a small person, I decided to make it, instead, with the help of Pinterest and some sewing by Mimi.  It only seemed appropriate that we kept Gavin at the top of the food chain, too, so we thought he'd make a cute shark.

She tried on her costume many times before the big day.  She was so excited to wear her costume to preschool.

Definitely the one that is not like the others.

Trick or treating at Mimi's house.

My good friend, Kathy, is getting married later this month, so we celebrated with a glitter-themed bachelorette party in Vegas, followed by a "Love is Sweet" themed bridal shower.  By the end of the two events, I definitely had my glitter fix, and Adam was ready for all the stray flecks of glitter to leave our house.

Ella is the flower girl for Kathy's wedding.  While she was trying on her dress, she broke out in interpretive dance (because that's what you do).

I love cold weather, and the drop in temperature (finally!) meant more opportunities to go to the park and not feel completely depleted by the heat.  Gavin got to swing for the first time during this visit, and he's been a convert since.  Ella showed him the ropes.

We spent our Thanksgiving at our cabin, which was Gavin's first time to the lake.  He LOVED it.  He is definitely a nature-lover.  We found a great hike (perfect for the little ones) and he couldn't stop shouting at the trees. 

The weekend after Thanksgiving we went Christmas tree shopping and Ella got to help decorate (and dictate).  It was a festive time and I love that our kids are just as excited about the holidays as I am.

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day, the kids checked their shoes for special treats.

Wednesdays have become Mommy-Gavin days and I have been loving my alone time with this little fella.  He loves having lunch outdoors and people watching.  I love watching him grow and mature right before my eyes.

 Rainy days and cold weather means camping indoors.  Ella loves "sleeping" in her tent.

Gavin being the lookout.

 We do family strolls around the neighborhood whenever possible.  Ella has taken to pushing her baby doll around in her stroller.  Just like Dad.

These two are everywhere these days.  Keeping up with them can prove to be exhausting.  Their newest idea of fun is climbing stairs (with Ella speeding to the top and cheering Gavin on), and then chasing each other through our bedroom.  

Ella had her buddy Caiden over to decorate gingerbread houses.  She snuck in some licks of frosting here and there, but I'm relieved that not too much candy was consumed.

we HEART dad

Just a couple pictures in honor of Adam being an awesome dad.

Wearing matching jerseys while watching the (nail-biting) game this past Sunday.

A visit to Adam's work on Monday.  The kids loved it (especially the golf cart ride) and E didn't want to leave.

Feels Like Fall

I know it's only the last weekend of September, but it is officially fall.  Which means my favorite time of year is rolling around, and I'm willing the onset of cold weather by putting up our fall decorations.  This year has been especially fun now that Ella is older and able to help and appreciate the crafts I have planned.

Still too young to carve, Ella got to decorate her pumpkin with felt stickers.  She subsequently hid behind it when I asked her to pose for a picture.  She's a silly one, that girl.

A bit too young to craft, G enjoyed watching from his high chair and having a snack.

This girl loves cats.  She decided the purple cat I bought for decoration was now her new best friend.  Then, she was super excited that she got to do a cat craft to go with her cat friend.

Doing some tidying up outside.

We also put our scarecrows out, and it reminded me of how Ella used to love walking around the neighborhood waving to all the ones displayed by our neighbors.  Can't believe how much has changed in a year and how much she has grown.  And now we have Gavin, who is just as delighted to see those scarecrows.  I'm loving all the new traditions we get to start with our family during the holiday season!

Building Memories

Ella loves being helpful, whether it's throwing away her baby brother's dirty diaper or retrieving a pacifier or burp cloth.  Recently, we bought some items for her to use this summer, and she was super excited to help Adam put them together.  I'm not sure how helpful she was exactly, but she was definitely good at giving direction.

I asked Adam to get Ella something she can ride around in on our driveway.  They came home with this.

She couldn't wait to get in. 

Cruising with her pug.

She realized she could have used more trunk space.

Meanwhile, Gavin hung out.

I think I single-handedly keep Pottery Barn in business.

Helping build her new outdoor bench.

Not the best picture, but wanted to capture Ella eating her dinner on her new outdoor table and bench.  She loved it (hence we ended up eating outside that day).

Again, G hung out.

My Magic Mornings

Gavin wanted to hang out this morning.  He was sweet enough to still give me my alone time by lounging in the Rock 'n Play and look outside.

Now that Gavin sleeps longer stretches at night, I've been able to reclaim my mornings.  I've been making a concerted effort to wake up before the kids just so I can have some time to myself without a little body clinging to me.  It's been refreshing to just have some quiet time and the luxury of getting ready for the day all by myself.  I look forward to when Gavin moves into his own room, but I'm grateful for this new routine that's giving me some sanity back.

Backyard Fun

We've been having such busy weekends lately that we decided to keep things low-key this past Saturday and Sunday.  We hosted some friends for lunch and had a very nice family dinner with our parents on Saturday.  Sunday we decided to heat up our pool in preparation for summer and took our first dip.  Ella loves to swim and it just amazed us (yet again) how much she has grown from her pool days last year.  We look forward to swim lessons and lots of time playing in our backyard as the weather continues to warm up.

Fishing in the backyard.  Ella spent most of the time just throwing the fish around.

G and I watching Adam and Ella "fish" in the backyard.


Three little bodies.

Ella wanted to take a picture with her "Bubba" (brother).  This melted a

Ever the ham, Ella posed for her pictures.

I showed her the correct way to put her hands on her hips.  Can't have her grabbing her bum in every posing picture.

New year, new swimsuit.

She can now stand on the bench in the spa.

Hanging poolside watching everyone swim.

We stayed dry but enjoyed the afternoon anyway.

After swimming snack compliments of Po-Po.  Ella loved eating the watermelon straight from the rind.

While swimming in the spa, Adam turned his back for a second and Ella, who was walking along the bench seating, slipped and went under the water.  It was for a few seconds, but it scared us, nonetheless.  But a natural swimmer, Ella held her breath and when Adam lifted her out of the water, she was fine.  She cried from the shock, but I was surprised she wasn't choking and gasping for air.  She then proceeded to retell the events for the rest of the day.  I'm just thankful that it didn't traumatize her and that she still wanted to swim.  I definitely can't wait for her to learn to really swim, and it was yet another reminder not to take things for granted.