Almost TWO!

Time goes way to fast during the summer. I feel like I just wrote the last post. These kids are wearing me out! I can't believe Callie will be two next month. Time is forever a mystery to me. Here are some highlights from this month:

• Callie's language is exploding but we still only understand about half of what she says. Good thing she is a determined, expressive little thing. Here are some of my favorites right now:
• She calls windows, boom booms
• She likes to start arguments with Polly about me being HER mommy where she points to me and says "MY MOMMY!" and she wants Polly to argue back with her so they can go back and forth. I see it as practice for arguments in their future. It's also nice to be loved.
• When she wants lotion on her face she says "cheeks", this usually happens as a part of her own growing bedtime routine. 
• She likes saying "all done!" when we finish getting her shoes on or changing her diaper. 
• If anyone says, OUCH!, Callie says, "Okay?" to make sure you are okay! It's the best. 
• Polly is in a very defiant stage right now. Mine lasted...my whole life but I'm hoping it's short lived with her. 
• Callie is a cuddle bug. When Polly was her age, I could let her watch a quick show and get a few things done. Callie will tolerate this for a bit but then she wants me to sit down so she can plop her head on my lap. 
• Lately when Callie gets mad at Ben and I for telling her no, she runs to Polly crying for hugs. Polly soaks it up. It makes me so glad they have one another even when Callie makes a point to shoot me the evil eye over Polly's shoulder. 
• For the last few months when I've tried to sing Callie a song at night she looks at me, unamused, puts her hand up to her lips and goes, "shhhhhhhh". Lately, however, she looks at me and says, "song?" but there are only two songs she wants to hear and if I deviate from the plan she yells "NO!".
• Polly is very excited about going to Kindergarten and becoming a Girl Scout. I'm not quite ready for all of this to happen but I also can't wait to see her little sponge mind grow and grow. 

Polly and Callie Overdue Update

Uh oh! It's May!

Soooooo life happened over these past few months and I just couldn't sit down to write a blog post. Here's a list of all of my excuses:

• My sister, mom and nephew came for a much needed visit at the end of March. We ate, we laughed, we drank adult beverages and I never made the time to write about life because I was busy doing life.
• My cat died shortly after their visit. That really sucked. Oscar was my favorite and I still think I see him out of the corner of my eye daily. Gusto, our other cat, misses his buddy and is driving us insane. He had been sick for a while and we had to make the tough decision to put him down. That was harder than I expected. 
• Winter killed my soul and just wouldn't end this year.
• Crafty Supermarket took over my life but it turned out to be the biggest spring show yet! I was a proud mama of a indie craft show that day.
• Work. Work. Work. This is a busy time of year for me. It really starts hitting in March and just doesn't stop until about September. Half way there! 
• These kids are exhausting. For real.
• I just didn't feel like it.

Phew! That feels better. The good news is I took pics each month anyways so here they are! 

If you are still there, here's what's been going on with these girls:

• Callie is a tiny crazy person. I thought Polly was strong willed, determined, bossy (I even hate using that word to describe girls but it's true), and stubborn. Then I met 1.5 year old Callie. She was an angel baby and then 14 months hit and she gained her sense of independence and determination. Our house belongs to her now. 
• Watching these two girls love one another and make themselves laugh until they drool is one of my most favorite things in the world. Callie races to Polly's room first thing in the morning to swan dive on top of her and giggles fill the air. At night they hug, and topple onto the floor into a pile of laughter. It's a bit maddening when I'm ready for mama me time but still melts my heart every time and I have to pause and soak it in. 
• My nightly walks save me. In the summer I love to get the girls into bed around 8 and set out for a walk on my own. I try to spend as much time with my family as I can but I also find that having time on my own with my own thoughts is so important. 
• Out of the blue one day Polly said, "This is a sad thing." As if I'm about to hear a heartbreaking story. Then she continues in a somber voice, "I've never had pink cotton candy." Yes kid, life is really throwing some hard punches at you.
• Her excuses for calling us into her room range from the regular old, "I need to potty." "I need another hug." "I need a drink of water." But some nights she gets creative with things like. "I keep getting sad because I haven't had jello in a really long time and I keep saying I want cinnamon rolls for breakfast but we never get them." We are truly depriving our children with no pink cotton candy, no jello and no cinnamon rolls. The horror.
• Callie is picking up more words every day but they aren't super clear. We are doing a lot of guessing around here these days. When we clarify her request correctly with a question she does this really cute hushed, smiling, "yeah" as she nods her head. When we get it wrong she screams "NO!" with deep furrowed brow. I wonder where she gets that one from.
• Two things she says clearly is, "Thank you, Mommy. " when I hand her something she needs and "Bless You Mommy." when I sneeze. These melt my heart.
• I'm trying to slow down these days and really be in the moment with them. I've been super stressed these last few months for various reasons but none of it seems to be worth letting this time speed by. I have not perfected being in the moment but I'm trying. 

UGH February

Whoa, the flu hit our house this month. Callie and I were spared but it hit Ben and Polly HARD. I kept Callie quarantined and nearly destroyed my skin with washing and hand-sanitizer. I seriously considered drinking it. This is a busy season at work for me and Ben had a lot going on too so it was rough timing and I still feel behind. I literally had to stop everything and take care of my family and I couldn't help but think of others that don't have the support or flexibility that I have. This working mama thing can be so hard and full of guilt. Guilt about working, guilt about not working. Guilt about guilt. Ugh.

Anyways, there were moments where I just wished I could absorb their sickness myself. It's hard seeing your people be so sick. On top of all of that I was having issues with their new insurance company (I'm on my plan through work). So not only did I have a sick family but I was on the phone a bunch arguing and worrying about their health care. It shouldn't be that way but it will likely not get any better under our current administration. Health care is a right. PERIOD. It should not be this hard.

I didn't have much time to breathe this month much less make notes about these cute kids. Look at those serious babies up there! Here are some thoughts from the blur of February.

• While sick and barely awake Polly looked up at me shaking her head and said, "I don't know what I'd do without you." I melted into a puddle but honestly I don't know what I'd do without her.
• Polly never stops making noise. Even when she's eating, she is humming a song. She slept in our room a few nights when she was sick and talked in her sleep. I wasn't sure if it was from the sickness or if she truly never stops making noise. 
• Callie is picking up a few more words here and there. She can definitely say cheese which is the only word you really need to get by in life. She's newly obsessed with wearing her coat and gets very angry when you try to take it off. 
• When Polly and Ben were so sick, I would pick Callie up from day care and take her to dinner or the grocery store to minimize her time at the house. It was nice getting to spend that quiet time with her one on one. It's hard to focus on either of them when they are both going full speed so it was nice to get to slow down for a minute and really see her. 
• It is so hard to find the balance between self time, family time and time with your spouse. Sometimes we are all in a good groove and then other times we all seem to be hanging on to sanity by a thread. We are all SO looking forward to spring and summer so we all have a little more space to spread out and get some much needed sunshine. Time changes next weekend people. There is hope for us all!. 

Ugh January!!!

January is the longest month of the year. It feels roughly 131 days long, for real. This is a crazy season at work for me so I did a terrible job of writing down little notes about my girls but that's not the end of the world right?!? I'll still feel guilty about it though because that's how I roll. Here are some highlights from this month:

• Polly and I were talking about babies one night and she looks at me and says, "well it looks like you have a baby growing in your belly again." Thanks kid. Again, it's just a pizza baby. 
• Callie has moved to the toddler room at daycare. She has her own little place to hang her coat and marches into the big kid room like a little boss breezing by the baby area. I'm just not sure how time has passed so quickly. 
• Callie is pacifier free! She is a handful but in many ways she has been a very easy baby. I was dreading the process of taking it away but I guess she stopped napping with one at daycare a while ago so I just tried it one night and she was fine. 
• Polly asks me the craziest questions while she sits on the potty like, "where would I be if I was never even born?!?" 
• Polly sometimes randomly says, "I just can't believe such a cute baby is my sister." Sometimes she adds, "I never knew what it would be like!" I love thinking about Polly trying to imagine what it would be like to have a baby sister and that she's still delighted about it. I hope that never changes.
• Callie as started pretending and it's my favorite thing.
• Polly went to work with me a week or so ago for the whole day and she did really well! She's such a little person. Sometimes it's so nice to have some one on one time with her. The two of kids can be intense sometimes to the point where it's nearly impossible to focus on either of them. I loved working and being able to turn around to see her quietly drawing or with her little headphones on, eyes glued to a movie. It was good to realize that she really can be a good listener outside the chaos of our house.