Happy Birthday, Bub

So my baby turned one in August. The great thing about having an August birthday where we live is that you can have a back yard bar-b-que to celebrate and so we did just that. We invited all of our family and friends and everyone planned to come until about the week before when half of our guests backed out. That's what happens in summer when everyone starts to get double booked and all of your family lives out of town. Despite the change in numbers we still went ahead and did everything as planned and many people skyped and called and mailed their best wishes from afar. Nolan was loved on so much this summer during various family vacations and get togethers. Celebrating his birthday was a nice way to end the season before my parental leave ended and I had to go back to work. Shortly after we would be planning the transition to daycare and switching our sandals and sunscreen with fall jackets and boots. But until then we made the most of our summer. We travelled, we soaked up the sun, we spent as much time out in the daylight as we could. We sat on the back porch listening to the insects and we took Gunther for endless walks to the park. We swam and ran around. We had ice cream, planned picnics, and hung out at the marina. We bar-b-qued and we boated and we swung high on the swings. We played in the sand, we blew bubbles, we roasted marshmallows on the fire. We did all the things that spelled summer and we created lasting memories that I will always cherish. But my baby turning one? That is something that will only ever happen once and it happened in August when our yard was full of fun and laughter. Nolan took some of his first steps that day in front of everyone as cameras recorded the moment and everyone cheered. Maya insisted that she wear her dress up clothes just for the occasion, and ran around soaking in the compliments everyone gave about her attire. Chris and I ran around trying to make sure everyone was fed and comfortable and having fun. In the end, our baby turned one and another moment came and went like fleeting memories do. 

My little guy is now 15 months old and we have other seasons and moments to write about....but for now, let me etch the image of this cute little angel face into my brain so I may never forget what it looked like when my baby turned one. 

MIA

I needed a break from blogging. I almost stopped completely, and just when I was going to start deleting posts and cleaning up shop I started going back and reading all of the things that have been going on with my kids and I just couldn't do it.  Lately the more my kids grow, the harder it is to start remembering all of the little things about them that I swore I always would.  How Maya used to mispronounce certain words and how Nolan's whole body would startle if you swung him around too fast. How Maya's first kisses were so slobbery and how Nolan was only happy when cuddled up to me in the baby wrap. The truth is, I am such a sentimental person and as much as I am ok with my kids growing up and becoming who they are, there are just so many things that I want to always remember. 

So much has gone on since we have talked last. Summer vacation is long gone. I'm back to work and in the full swing of being a "working Mom".  And in the mist of it all my kids still remind me that the most important thing on my to do list right now is rolling around in the leaves. 

How Many Times Did I Use The Word Blog?

Yup, it's gonna be one of those posts. The one where I'm all like, "Hi, did you miss me?" and pretend like I had all these great excuses for why I kind of dropped off the face of the earth....you know....and all that. 

The thing is I needed a bit of a break because to be honest I wasn't sure whether I wanted to keep blogging anymore. I mean, it's not like I'm a writer or a photographer or traveller or a seamstress or someone who is trying to get myself "out there" and have tens of thousands of readers and all that. I'm not interested in becoming a Mommy Blogger who ends up on TV shows sharing the latest idea of how to do DIY Christmas decorations or how to bake a cake in less than five minutes. I don't want to be the girl who does a link up of what outfits I wear to work every week or who is famous for ranting about the myths of motherhood. Not that there's anything wrong with any of those people. I enjoy reading many of their blogs when I sit down with a snack during nap time. It's just that I don't really know exactly why I blog anymore and what kind of blog I want this to be. 

Really at this point I just want to be able to document these days as a mother, what my kids are up to, and all those thoughts that often go forgotten twenty five years down the road when I'm looking back. I like going back and reading about what it was like. I like documenting the good stuff, the fun memories, and even some of the not so fun ones. It's just do I really need to do that in such a forum? Why not just have a private blog or just do an old fashioned journal?

The reasons I have blogged in the past two years have changed over and over again. In the end I keep coming back. There's something about getting all my thoughts out at the end of the day and having someone listen that is cathartic for me. I like sharing what I am up to. 

So for now I will keep on blogging! 

My kids are growing like bad weeds and every day I look at them and still can't believe they are mine. You know when your child makes that shift - like all of a sudden they just hit that next developmental phase? There's nothing obvious that tells you they have, you just look at them one day and just know. That's been happening a lot around here lately. They just keep on changing and growing and being what I still can't describe other than to use the word - Miracle. So much has been going on. So many thoughts and reflections in my head. So much to write about and yet where do I start?

I'll start with, good to see you again!

Photos by Brent Foster

Lately

I didn't post anything last week....so sue me.

So much has been going on. Potty training, family news and gatherings, Easter, renovations. So much to talk about but no time to write. By the way, when did this person stop being such a baby and start looking like a little girl? Geeze, they say kids grow up fast but it really has been sneaking up on me lately.

I've been trying to post pictures in their original form without any editing or fake filters. What do you think about that?

Also, my baby boy is into everything now and so much more active than Maya was at his age. Quick, give me some ideas of things I can do to keep him entertained!

Mail

When you get something nice in the mail from someone you love, it is a wonderful surprise. When you get two nice things from more than one person you love on the same day, it is double the treat. 

That's what happened to Maya yesterday. I had stopped by our mailbox on the way home from picking her up from daycare and she yelled the usual "mail time!", as I grabbed the key to our box. When I brought the pile in and told her that her name was on two things, she was so delighted. 

I love sending things in the mail to people for a nice treat or just because. A birthday card, or a valentine, or a picture. I love it when I pick up the mail and someone does the same for us. It puts a little spring in my step, a little smile on my face, a little warm fuzzy in my heart. 

Boo and Bub

Do you have nick names or terms of endearment that you use with your little ones? When Maya was a baby for some reason we got in the habit of always calling her Maya Boo. Not in the Beyonce and Jay-Z sense, just in a fun little baby babble kind of way. After a while it became shortened to Boo and now this is her nickname at home. When Nolan was born I got into the habit of calling him Bub. Again, not sure why, it just kind of came out when I was fussing over him one day and making all kinds of noises and it stuck. Maya started calling him Noly and so that caused Chris to start calling him Noly Canoly. Again, totally random but it stuck. Sometimes he is Canoly for short.  

They are my Boo and Bub. 

I also have silly little rhymes that I say to them over and over again to a certain rhythm and Maya loves it when I do a little dance along with them:

Maya Marie, 

Is Cute as can be

Is Cute as can be

Is Cute as can be

Maya Marie

Is Cute as can be

Is Cute as can be

Is CUTE AS CAN BE!!!!

My Nolan, 

Is my Cute little man

my Cute little man

my Cute little man

My Nolan, 

Is my Cute little man

my Cute Little man

He's my CUTE LITTLE MAN!!!

Hey, I never said that they were remotely poetic or even interesting to anyone else outside of our circle!

Sometimes at the dinner table Maya asks us to say them over and over again and now insists that we make some up for the rest of us:

My Mommy, 

she's so so Pretty

she's so so Pretty

she's so so Pretty

My Mommy

she's so so Pretty

she's so so Pretty

she's SO SO PRETTY!!!

My Daddy, 

Is Fun as can be

Is Fun as can be

Is Fun as can be

My Daddy, 

Is Fun as can be

Is Fun as can be

Is FUN AS CAN BE!!!!

Our Gunther, 

Has lots and lots of Fur

Has lots and lots of Fur

Has lots and lots of Fur

Our Gunther

Has lots and lots of Fur

Has lots and lots of Fur

Has lots and lots OF FUR!!!

What do call your kids? I can't be the only one that has reduced myself to this behaviour. Ok maybe I am. Carry on.