The Fever

You know what is bad for Baby Fever?  Looking at pictures of your babies as babies.

Cate, 4 days old

Cate, 8 weeks old

Cate, 3 months old

Cate, 4 months old

Charlotte, 4 days old

Charlotte, 8 weeks old

Charlotte, 4 months old

Charlotte, 7 months old

YIKES!  I can't quite handle this.

The Things You Take for Granted

Halloween Fun

Cate learns so many fun songs at preschool.  Here is a quick video of one of them.

Keep in the Sunlight

Thought of the Day

My Pumpkins

Yesterday I took advantage of the high-60 degree, sunny fall weather and headed off with the girls to the pumpkin patch.  We drove our car past the mega-huge and popular Cox Farms and went to a smaller one, Ticonderoga, that ended up being perfection.  Ticonderoga was so good, in fact, I'm sort of considering going back immediately.  It was awesome!

We started things off the way every kid wants to...I made the girls sit and take pictures.  It took a couple clicks to get a good one and then we were off.

After that, the girls and I hit the slides.  We all went together and I think the person that had the best time on them was me!  And that is saying something because every time we got to the bottom Charlotte would hop up and scream "Again, again, again, gain, gain!"

Slides=Fun for everyone!

We then did some playground-type stuff, jumped on a trampoline, visited the animals, crossed the foot bridge, and trekked to the actual pumpkin patch.

After selecting the perfect dirtiest pumpkins, we hopped on the hayride.

I let the girls play tetherball (??????) until it was time to head home for lunch.  Still not sure why tetherball is at the pumpkin patch but Ticonderoga can do no wrong, so it's all good.

Cate playing "ring around the rosy."

Charlotte with her soccer gameface on.  I'm calling it now--future star right here!

Can't wait for Ticonderoga next year tomorrow!

My Little Minnie Mouse

If our house ever caught on fire, I know what single object each of my girls would grab before dashing out.  For Cate, it's no-brainer--her beloved yellow blanket.  For Charlotte, it is her 2013 Halloween costume--something she loves so much, she wears it every single day.

When it came time to pick a costume, it was obvious what to dress my little Minnie Mouse lover up as on October 31.  So, last month I ordered a classic Minnie dress and ears on the internet.  It took about a week, and I had almost forgotten about it when the box arrived.  The outside of the box wasn't well marked, so I didn't know what it was.  Charlotte was there when I opened it and she was so excited when she saw the ears, she nearly keeled over.  There was no way to keep her out of the costume and let me tell you, we are getting our money's worth!

Here is a little video of our Minnie Mouse.

Tomorrow is a New Day

I came across this quote a few days ago and it really resonated with me.  I sometimes wish for a do-over...don't we all?

"Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Grammar Nerds Unite!

I know I'm not the only grammar nerd out there.  How funny are these?

Bye Bye Baby

Remember that time Charlotte was a baby?  Me neither... :(

She's independent, opinionated, agile, and affectionate.  She imitates Cate, sings on her own, asks me questions, tells me how she is feeling, and has her own little pretend world already happening.

Charlotte still thinks I have the power to control everything (but really, don't I?).  Today she told me to make the thunderstorm stop.

Yes, the baby is definitely gone but with that, we have an awesome toddler here ready to take on the world.

What We're Into Lately

Things have been ca-razy here lately.  Not sure why, but we feel very busy running from one thing to the next.  Maybe summer just lulled me into a sense of "I got this" when it came to managing kids and the house, but fall has come on strong to let me know I. DO. NOT.

Here's what we've been into lately:

1. This 10-Minute Exercise Routine
I have inexplicably gained ~five pounds over the last few months.  It is baffling!  I am not doing anything different.  Maybe I carry Charlotte less?  Eat extra gummy peaches?  No clue.  Anyway, lately I have been doing this exercise routine during nap times every so often and it's making me feel better.

2. I Got a Haircut!  And Color!!
For most women, this is normal.  Let's just say it had been awhile for me...

3. Charlotte Drove the Car

Not really but she did sit in the seat and say, adorably, "I driving, Mama!"  Insert melting heart here.

She did, however, finally get very good "driving" the scooter we gave her last Christmas.  

4. Consignment Sales

I volunteered at a fun one last weekend and scored this tent and two princess dolls, one Aurora and one Cinderella, similar to this one for this girls for next to nothing.  There were also some things my family members asked for and the sale had it all!  There is nothing like getting a good bargain on great kid items.

5. Imitating Aunt Liz

Cate told me the other day "I want to run like Liz!" so she proceeded to do some sprints and easy runs around the basketball court.  Even Charlotte got in on it.

6. Charlotte Knows Her Letters

File this one away under "only her parents care" but Charlotte knows all of her letters.  In August we were randomly looking at the magnet letters on the fridge when Charlotte grabbed one, took it over to me and pronounced it "J."  She was right.  I quizzed her on another.  "Umm, B!" she said, very clearly.  I asked Cate, "Did you know Charlotte knows letters??!?" and Cate said, nonchalantly, "Yeah, I taught her."  Apparently, I can kick back and let Cate do the parenting from now on.

To be clear, before August, I had not sat down with her even one time and gone through the alphabet.  I tried to sing the ABC song, but she would just run away or sing "Twinkle Twinkle" over me.  And here she is, a few months shy of 2 and she's rolling out with K, V, Y, and, my favorite to hear her say, Q.

After going through all of the letters, I realized she knew most of them.  Now that we've actually reviewed the alphabet a few times, she is almost perfect.  That dastardly U is the only one that gives her problems anymore.  Is it a W?  Or, a V?  She just can't quite nail it.

Anyway, here is a video of us doing letters from late August:

Voila!

Me Neither

It doesn't matter how many months (or years!) you've been out of the baby phase--this one is so true.  Oh elusive eight continuous hours of sleep...you and I will meet again...one day.