In the New Year

The year got off to a bit of a rough start round here as we all came down with a disgusting stomach flu that involved mucho puko, several sleepless nights of holding sick bebbies, and so. much. laundry.  As Murphy would have it, our 30-year-old dryer kicked it in the middle of this rukus (thank goodness it wasn't the washer) so as we round off this first week of January we are all feeling much better and are also the proud new owners of a shiny, brand-new dryer.  Besides being sick over the new year this has been such a lovely and, for the most part, low-key holiday season that it feels good to start this 2014 at home, just being together as a family, sick or no.  I was looking through photos of years past and finding my heart strings tugged.  I just cant get over how fast kids grow.

This girl is 3 1/2 now.  She is growing like a sprout... turning into this funny little person who loves volcanoes, fairies, and books. She is beginning to count, and write some letters (T, H, I, S, O, P, Q) I love seeing her first depictions of the world in crayon and paper.  She has such a kind heart, and a love for taking care of her chickens, and her chickadees (as she calls them) but I kid you not... this one has a mind like a steel trap.  You can't get anything past her, and you can't get away with any of that tricky reverse-psychology that you see parents use on their kids.  We pretty much have to shoot straight with Sadie, and lead by example...and that is just as it should be.  There are so many fascinating aspects of her personality, a wonderful mix of serious and silly; she is truly a joy and a treasure in our lives.

And this guy... oh my.  In one year he has gone from the most roly-poly butterball-alicious baby to this busy, bustling little man.  His current interests are climbing and jumping off of things, banging his toys on walls, and especially windows, unloading the dishwasher, throwing food and splashing all the water out of the bath.  He loves all things mechanical: the vacuum, the mixer, the washing machine, the blender, the drill...if it has a motor, this guy digs it.  I walked into the room this morning and he was embracing the air purifier singing it a little song.  He is so funny.  He is in the midst of a independence and language building period.  In the last few months his vocabulary has increased 10 fold, although most of it is only still discernible to his close family--but my favorite is when he is ready for bed and asks for "book milk" which is his way of saying he wants to nurse and read a book.   Eli wants to do everything that his big sister does--and it breaks his baby heart when he gets left out. This puts us in an interesting and slightly challenging dynamic when it comes to some of Sadie's favorite activities (crayons, paint, marbles, clay...) but we are almost to a stage of comfort where they can engage in most of the same toys and art supplies--that will be so nice.

Loren and I are loving every minute of this messy, glorious and exhausting parenting journey.  Every day is a blessing and a joy--no matter how many crayons get eaten, how much puke gets cleaned, and how many loads of laundry need washed.  These early years are so precious and so fleeting--we take every wiggly snuggle and slobbery kiss we can get, read Everybody Poops with enthusiasm for the five-hundreth time, and laugh and love these two little amazing people with open hearts and minds-- and that is exactly what we plan to continue with in this new year.  Many blessings to you and yours, happy 2014!