Sometimes when Dominic naps...

Sep 19, 2014

Scarlett and I run out of things to do, so I dig deep and encourage her to take a unmentionable number of selfies...mostly she just wanted to stick my hair in my face and laugh...

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Preschool...

Sep 17, 2014

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I have officially been a stay at home mom since August 1st, but have only spent a total of three weeks with the kids, managing story times, grocery trips and impromptu play dates.  In these three weeks I have formed routine, a completely different bond with my kids, and I have truly enjoyed every day managing my home and our very minimal social calendar.  So when Monday came and Scarlett dressed up in her uniform and I loaded the kids into the car I was immediately nervous and sad.  I was letting go of a little piece of my life.

As I reflected on Scarlett and this huge step, I realized that leaving for work always felt like I was leaving her, but dropping her off at preschool felt like she was leaving me.  I felt  a distinctly different emotional response that I never felt when dropping her off at her Godparents or driving away with my mom at the kitchen table.  This is the beginning of her and the beginning of us as separates.  The beginning of a change in my prayers for her future.

I swelled with pride and nervous anticipation when she walked into her new classroom, and with a hesitant confidence, put her back pack in her cubby, put her name stick in the basket for attendance and took a seat on the rug with the other kids.  I gave her a wink and knew that we would be okay, at least until next year when she enters kindergarten and I have to actually let her go.  Full time school sounds like a step I am definitely not prepared to take.

I love this girl and I am so proud of who she is and who she is becoming.

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From baby to boy...

Sep 15, 2014

All it took was a buzz cut.

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This event was easily the most dramatic 20 minutes of Dominics life.  What started as a happy, helpful boy, quickly dissolved into a fussy, uncooperative mess.

When we were done he was covered in hair sticking to his tiny sweaty body , but after a bath and a look in the mirror he was completely satisfied with his new big boy look.

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A trip to the zoo...

Sep 12, 2014

Chris and I made a decision early on in the house hunting process that our number one priority was to move into a home that needed little to no work.  We did this for a couple of reasons, 1) so I could be a happy stay home mom and feel as settled as possible in the first week or two of arrival and 2) so we can enjoy our weekends as a family and explore our new city.

The first weekend we took the kids to Pike's Market, and it rained, one of the two days of rain we have seen since moving to Washington.  It was cold, wet and with summer coming to a close and a three day weekend, the market was packed and quickly because a stressful excursion for us and the kids. Last weekend we made a much better kid friendly choice of the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.  It was a perfect day and the zoo was perfection.  The zoo seemed to keep most of the natural landscape and had numerous open ground exhibits that spanned the zoo so there was always an element of "I spy" with the animals.  Zebras, giraffes, ostriches and monkeys roamed free together in a large open mass of African terrain.  I noticed that because of the open concept I was really able to enjoy the majestic beauty of each animal in a more natural habitat without the hindrance of bars or chain link.  There were a ton of play spaces for the kids, tunnels and caves for them to explore, and rocks and trees to climb.  It was a really beautiful day and we highly recommend this zoo to anyone in the Seattle area with kids.  And their membership prices are extremely reasonable...if only it didn't rain an average of 220 days a year, and if only the zoo was indoors. 

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Empty rolls?

Sep 10, 2014

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We always have empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls and when I started keeping them for art projects I realized that our family uses way too many paper products.

This empty roll project came from the need to keep my kids busy while packing up a three bedroom house in two weeks time.

What you need:
empty paper towel and/or toilet paper rolls
tape (we used packing)
scissors
flat vertical surface like a wall or fridge

Set out your rolls in a design that would allow it to carry something from top to bottom.  Tape in place.  Or to make it a little more fun, cut our holes in your roll so that the object you drop will have to navigate the holes to get to the bottom.

I used this project to help Scarlett do some critical thinking about where to put the holes and how to set up the rolls to get an object from the top to the bottom. Fun and educational. Win, win.

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