Photo Dump + Updates
Here are some photos and updates from life lately, which, when it rarely does allow me the time to sit down and write, I am feeling a little bit too lazy to do so! Something about the cold just makes me want to hibernate.
What do you do on weekends? We are at the point where short (2-3 hour) outings are becoming more feasible, but I feel like everything is either not age-appropriate for Amelia or totally a germ-fest (i.e. indoor play spaces, shudder). Our weekends differ from week to week, of course, but our default plan seems to usually involve some kind of outdoor walk/hike followed by lunch out, because restaurant lunch is infinitely more manageable (and affordable) than restaurant dinner!
The three days a week Eloise is in school seem to be filled to the brim with errands and plans lately, but when we do have a free day, I relish the time with this little lady. And, admittedly, in a way that I never did with Eloise. Whenever I catch myself feeling sorry for my second child for one reason or another, it's always good to remember there are SO many benefits to being a second child too! Like, her mother's unbridled love and affection without all the paranoia and anxiety that usually happens the first time around :)
We have been pretty gamey lately. Bird Bingo, above, was a gift I had given to Nick a few years ago that we recently resurrected, and Eloise loves the matching aspect, as well as the little tokens, which often get repurposed for imaginary play elsewhere in the house. We've also been playing Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, which is another good one for counting and color matching that my parents got Eloise for Christmas. These two are also on my short list for the girls.
Kombucha! Our grocery store now has this health elixir on tap, and little miss Amelia wanted to try mine and loved it! She also likes apple cider vinegar in water, go figure! I've been feeling a little extra crunchy lately and maybe my kombucha-drinking baby has something to do with it.
Sunday is fill-everyone's-vitamin-holders day. Such a time saver. Although most of us take more vitamins than our cases comfortably fit, and I may need to upgrade us to the geriatric-sized ones sooner than later! (All of Eloise's and most of my days of the week have completely rubbed off--now I know not to bother buying cutesy toddler ones with frogs on them! Live and learn.)
Friday pizza night, never gets old. We've been getting the dough from our town pizza shop and we all have our roles down pat: Nick stretches and shapes the dough, I slice the toppings, the girls spread the sauce (which I supplement because is there anything worse than pizza without enough sauce?) and sprinkle the toppings, and we all eat up every last bite!
I've forgotten how hands-on (euphemism) this age is. Will I ever accomplish anything again? Don't tell me, I don't want to know.
But don't worry, she's so edible that all is forgiven. This age is also so painfully adorable that it's all I can do not to eat her alive.
Playmates. I never tire of watching their relationship grow and I am still pinching myself that I get to raise a pair of sisters. It was never in my plan or even on my radar! I'm glad I'm not running this show, thanks God.
This picture made me cry actual tears. Excuse our dingy basement stairs because I just can't get enough of how much they love each other.
My world! I take it for granted daily, and our world is sometimes embarrassingly small to me. Whenever I clue myself in to the events of the actual world outside our bubble, it's almost too troubling to bear. I'm always walking a fine line between wanting to shut it all out and being educated enough to help. Am I crusading for world peace right now? No. Would I love to find time to volunteer, like I used to? Yes, and I plan on it one day. (I did just donate one of our Ergo baby carriers to this charity, which is a wonderful cause that pulls at ALL my heartstrings.) But I'm doing what I can, and most days that's raise these little people up to be good, decent humans, and hopefully that's enough for now.
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
