Sleep.

The beauty of a sleeping child never grows old.

Afton and her toes.

Afton doesn't like dirty feet. And hates things between her toes. She spend quality time ensuring they are clean. If she step on a bit of dirt or food she sits down and takes care of it. With her fingers or the zebra or any other object she thinks would work.

Mornings.

Does that coffee stuff really help?

Siblings.

As time passes, and it passes at a speed I can barely keep up with, the kids find more ways that they can play together and get along.
It is so nice to hear the yelling stop and then walk into the room and find them playing trains, cars, tea party, lego and giving each other rides on the baby walker.
Holden has been telling people lately, "This is my baby sister, Afton Lily!"

Sleep.

Holden rarely wants to go to bed when we want him to these days. I've recently discovered that if you give him a break and some space he often curls up and falls asleep.

Afton's smile.

Afton is a tough little girl. She has wiped out more times and more extremely than Holden ever has. And after her initial tears and sadness she gets right back at it. With a big smile.

Christmas. After the fact.

Holden shows me on of Afton's new dolls.

Afton likes dolls.

Holding still for a moments...

...and then off they go again.

We have no pictures of Christmas and the chaos that is small children opening gifts. But it was fun! The kids enjoyed time with family and playing in the snow and eating treats. Holden has finally stopped asking if there are more gifts.

The small stuff.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
'The small stuff' is different for everyone. For us 'the small stuff' is a lot of the stuff.

Holden removed all the wine from the wine cabinet and made 'forests' for his trains to drive through. It's great to see the creativity when we don't pull the kids back as soon as they make a move in their own directions. We stay close for support and encouragement.

Life.

Holden and Afton are 22 months apart. Watching them grow up together and learn to play together, eat together, cause trouble together....has been fun, entertaining and often tiring. The energy of two young kids is crazy. Sometimes we want to be part of it and sometimes all we can do is sit back and watch them go. And then, they tire, we tidy up and then it happens all over again.

Cuddles!

Afton continues to a little cuddle girl.
We try to maximize on it as much as possible as we know it won't last forever.

We want to take pictures.

The kids have taking to running at the camera when I try to take pictures because they want to see the image in the little screen. Or Holden just yells, 'No pictures.'

The 'Santa Threat'

It's crazy how quick a mischievous boy will straighten up when you say, "If you're not nice Santa might not bring you a gift."
And then after I say it, I'm excited because there is that magic of believing and then disappointed in myself that it is used as a threat.
The excitement when we read the Christmas book is so amazing and the fact that after a few times I know all the reindeer's names is also amazing. And Holden asks, "Who's that reindeer? Is that Blitzen?"
The imagination is by far one of our best sides/abilities/trait/gifts...

Ahh...wood heat!

The kids have embraced the wood stove as much as us. They ask to go there to warm up after baths and after cold walks outside. They sit there to eat snacks. Afton blows air at it when she goes close because she understands that it is hot. Life is better. And it was pretty darn good before.

Waiting.

If I wait here long enough they will open this cabinet and let me play with the treasures inside.

Baby!

Afton is a baby lover. Whenever she sees one of her baby dolls she yells, "Baby!" and usually gives them a cuddle.
Afton is becoming a little girl at an alarming rate. "Hello." she says into the phone as she walks around with it to her ear. "Mine!" she yells when Holden comes close to her stuff, yesterday it was her jacket. She launches out of her crib. She drags chairs around the house and climbs up on everything. She spills her milk and says "Uh oh." and rushes off to get a rag to clean it up.
She likes to dance. She tries to jump up and down. She's quick to laugh and cuddle. And she nods when she wants something and shakes her head if she doesn't.

A few older photos that make me laugh.

Holden served up lunch. You can eat now he said.

It's hard to do naked yoga when there is a mini girl attacking your head.

Nothing completes a meal like a dance session on the chair.

Facts from a 3 year old.

On the drive home from a baby shower this week Holden shared these facts with us:
Afton was born.
Santa Clause is going to bring me a helicopter.

He spoke with such conviction that I thought I should submit a letter to Santa for myself.

Again...who needs toys?

We just had a wood stove put in. To replace the ugly brick gas fireplace that was 'ornamental?' Now it feels like we live in a warm cabin. Plus the kids have managed to get hours of entertainment from the boxes that the chimney came in.

Child approved.

The kids took some quality time to check that my bike was installed on the bike trainer properly and that it is all in good working order. They know that a happy mom is a good mom and that in my case a mom that gets her exercise is a happy mom.

Who needs toys...?

Especially when you can launch off the window sill onto the couch.

And watch the weather, the cars pass on the street and the slate being cut for the home reno's from you jump launch pad.

Oranges.

Some oranges are that delicious.

Art.

Our perception of what is art and what is not art depends how we see things.

Words from Holden.

"Mama, you need to buy your own chainsaw." After a morning of getting fire wood and seeing his Papa operating the chainsaw.
Later he said, "Papa needs to buy you a chainsaw."

"Big boys drink tea. Not just Mama's." as he was drinking sleepy time tea with me.

"I'll make it better for you in here Mama." after I told him that I would play lego after I went to the bathroom. By making it better, he meant putting the toilet seat down and turning the light on. It was better.

"I'm not a baby. I'm a big boy." after coming home from the Waldorf preschool where some older boys called him baby Holden.

"Can I help my baby." as Afton was trying to get off of our bed.

The best may have been when I heard a thump upstairs and then Afton crying. When I got upstairs Afton was out of her crib and no longer crying but playing happily. She had just woken from her nap.
I asked Holden how Afton got out of bed.
He said, "I helped her."
I had to ask, "Did you push her or pull her?"
"I pushed her." he replied proudly.
Papa suggested that if he was going to do that again he should put a big pile of blankets on the floor prior to the push over the railing.
He listened.

Holden's first day of school

This is an old picture (a month or so old) but I like it, so here it is.
Holden is attending the french preschool and despite the teacher's initial concerns that he did not understand french she has informed us that she is making great progress with him.
From a parents stand point the progress is obvious. We used to have to leave him there crying and now he happily takes his shoes off and runs up the stairs to see his teacher, friends and the classroom toys.

As a stay at home mom it is not easy to leave your children. Or more so, it is not easy for your children to have you leave them. I'm pretty happy to leave them in the capable hands of other parents, friends and/or neighbor children for the sake of my sanity and for the children's socialization. We all benefit.

I want to eat that.

And he did.
Can't really complain when the child is psyched to eat half an avocado, even if it was supposed to be for my salad.

The potty is gone.

Until we start potty training Afton in a few months.

They do look the same.

Our little boy is growing up.

Before: Holden has the best thickest hair in the family and used it all summer as a sun hat as he never really liked wearing a hat.

After: preschool attending and clean cut.

Our little girl is growing up.

Afton has enough hair for 2 little pony tails.

She also started walking last month and seems to follow the same fearless path that her big brother does. Jumping. Diving. Climbing. Crashing. Laughing.

A little sushi lunch.

I can do it by myself.

Afton no longer wants to be fed by us.
It makes her happy to do it by herself. She makes a mess. As kids tend to do.

Run biking.

I was a bit skeptical about the run bike. It wasn't until I understood the idea that the child will learn to balance and then not need training wheels that I realized that it was a great idea.
But still, it wasn't until we went to the bike shop and Holden pushed the run bike all the way up the stairs and then all the way down and then refused to leave it behind that we got one.
He loves it. He's fast and a bit fearless.
Outside, with his helmet on, he'll tackle hill and curbs, wooden stumps and jumps and has a blast. It's impressive to watch a little kid go. And some what stressful to try to chase him down when he rides away.

Is this okay?

Afton knows when she is doing something that she should not.

And that makes her laugh.

There may be trouble ahead.

Sleep.

The deep and sound sleep that follows a busy day.

I have...

...Mama's helmet!

I have Papa's helmet!

I'm wearing Mama's helmet!

I'm wearing Papa's helmet!

I'm taking Papa's helmet off!

No naps on the road.

Afton is not a big napper on our camping trips. But she will take some quiet time in her play pen. Sometimes that leads to a nap and sometimes it leads to emptying out the drawers into her play pen. In both scenarios we all get a little break from each other.