Down to the bare bones

Since we move in 11 days I am getting us down to the bare bones of  "stuff" in our apartment.  We have been slowly moving things into our POD to be moved on November 9th.  Although the kids do have clothes they don't have many that aren't in the POD so we do laundry often to keep up. 

"Mommy please don't pack us up in the POD with our clothess!"

Ashcombe Harvest Fest 2010

This was our 3rd year attending this Harvest Festival.  It was a beautiful day and it was nice spending an afternoon together having fun in the midst of the big move chaos that permeates life these days.  

The next day we painted the pumpkins we picked at the pumpkin patch. 

Symeon was very focused the entire time using a brush in each hand.  

 Marin really enjoyed the paint!

Overall a fun couple of days!

What can I say she just cracks me up

Ok I confess on this particular day she was mixing things up so much all around the apartment and with her brother that I was tempted to leave her stuck under this chair just for a few minutes.  But trust me hearing her yell "tuck tuck" (stuck) over and over until I got her out was more than I could bare.  I think it says something about her way of being in the world that one of her earliest words is stuck??!!

(Ok for vanity sake I also have to add that my floors are not filthy dirty in this picture.  They ripped the carpet out of our apartment as they prep it for our friends to move in and the hardwood floors are really bad underneath.  It is a long story why it is ripped up before we left but in any regard these are clean floors well as clean as they can be for the situation.)

Paxton Fest 2010

 Symeon enjoying the petting Zoo

 Symeon and Marin enjoying the slide although Marin got stuck half way down and Shawn had to rescue her.

 

 Marin driving the tractor one of the many perks of living on the grounds of the festival and knowing all the volunteers.

 

Our home for the last 4 years it will be hard to leave.  

Hayride

Symeon's favorite part of Paxton Fest and since we were able to play long after the festival was over he didn't even need tickets and he didn't have to wait in line ahh perks.

Our last Paxton Fest was lots of fun and bitter sweet as we say good-bye to our home and our Paxton Friends which is how Symeon refers to all the residents.  The other day he looked at me and said, "My Paxton friends are really going to miss me"  how true the part he forgot is how much he is going to miss all his Paxton friends. 

One sleepy baby...

She slept like this for about 20 minutes then she woke up looked around and continued eating like no time had passed since her last bite.  Shawn and I were cracking up.  Oh to sleep like a baby but maybe without the spaghetti!

Oh to walk a mile in another's shoes

Daddy's Girl

Whatever Shawn is doing Marin is right there next to him mixing things up a bit.  Marin is so in love with her Daddy and it a joy to my heart to watch them together.  I must admit I was worried the first 3 months when she would not let him hold her but she really wouldn't let anyone but me hold her so I encouraged him not to take it personally but there were days it broke his heart.  But as she has aged she has made up for those first few months with utter and complete adoration for her Daddy.  The other night he was not home to put her in her bed and she let me know she was none to happy to have me as the substitute.  I reminded her that there were many days I was the only person who could put her to bed but she didn't seem to recall those nights on this night she only wanted her Daddy and I was so glad!

Marin loves to lounge

Yah that's my sister

At the playground the other day a little boy was saying something about Marin to his Mom.  I think he said something like that is a girl and Symeon yelled from the top of the slide "Yah that's my sister Babes McGee."  I just started laughing and said yes that is his sister Babes McGee. 

I think her nick name might just stick around for awhile.  She will answer to Sissy, Babes, Babes McGee or Marin Delp if she is in trouble. 

Holding Hands

I was so glad I had my camera on this day because they were so cute holding hands walking to the car.  They hold  hands sometimes in their car seats and everyone once in awhile they will walk around holding hands but they both have to been in the same mood and that seems to be rare.  But I feel so blessed to have captured these sweet pics of my little ones.

Marin's first haircut

I kept thinking that her awkward hair phase would end as her hair grew but honestly it just got worse.  It was always in her eyes and it looked terrible so we set off to have it trimmed.  As soon as the hairdresser saw her she said oh she needs her ends trimmed.  I told her I thought it would grow out and she said no and that I would be amazed by the difference after the trim and she was right.  Here she is sitting in the chair.  She sat so still the whole time with no expression on her face it was pretty funny.  She watched Symeon first and he does great for haircuts and then she did just like he did it was so sweet how he talked her through it. 

 

Marin, she cracks me up

Here she is on a self imposed corner time out.  We tried the corner with Symeon because he was having to much fun on the time out stool so I guess Marin was thinking about doing something that would warrant time out.  Marin does receive time outs even though she is so small.  Anyone who has met her comments on how much older she seems than 17 months and it is true.  What is really funny about her and time outs is that when she is done sitting she makes a beep noise like the timer and then she gets up and goes about her life.  It is pretty funny to think she lets herself off time out by beeping.  

One of her new hide outs

Forever partners

A hard day

I love the conversations I am having with Symeon these days.  Last night when he was getting out of the bath tub he said Mom can you hold me a bit I had a hard day outside today.  I scooped him up into my arms and chuckled as I held him tight loving out some of that hard day.  Later Shawn and I were cracking up about it.  Although to be honest he did have a hard day because he was not listening and found himself on time out quite a bit even outside which is really unusual for him. 

Mommy and Babes time

A side venting

Ok I don't often bring the kids to indoor play areas at Malls or Fast food restaurants but every once in awhile we go if the weather is bad or if we are indulging at Chic Fil A and every time I go I am frustrated and annoyed.  I don't think play areas are babysitters nor should people be allowed to sit at their table and send children into a play area unattended.  I often wonder if Mom groups or parents are like hey let's go to the indoor play area at the mall and ignore our kids while some other exhausted set of parent deals with them that way we can go home feeling renewed and not have to pay a babysitter.  Chic-Fil-A play area is not a babysitter for parents who need a break from their kids or who want to gossip about other people with their friends either in person or on the phone.  Spread the word in your neighborhood in case people don't know. 

Even Shawn is frustrated by this so you know it is annoying since he goes with the flow most of the time.  We never allow our kids to go into a play area without one of us.  Shawn and I have adopted a play area philosophy which has reduced our stress and allowed it to be fun to be with our kids.  We do not intervene in any kid interactions that don't involved our children and we only intervene if a child is in danger of being mortally injured.  I mean really it isn't a kids fault their parent is enjoying a book while they are risking their lives in the play area.  

Symeon's big boy bed

Well before anyone gets to excited about this milestone in Symeon's life I should not it lasted all of one week and he is now sleeping every so soundly and snug back in his crib.  It all started with a very excited little guy who was ready for a big boy bed and it all ended with a tired little guy who was coming up with reasons why  he needed to go back in his crib.  He did great for about a week and all of a sudden he realized he could get out of his bed and he did many many times mostly during what should have been nap time but then at night as well.  He loved the game of getting up and down and finally we told him he would have to start sleeping in his crib again if got out of his big boy bed and he was like OK.  I put him back in his crib he snuggled in like finally these two got it and put me back in my bed.  In the midst of all of this I was sitting with him one night and this is how our conversation went...

Symeon:  Mommy when will Babes be in a big girl bed
Me:  Probably when Babes is 2 like you
Symeon:  Mine wait for Babes we be in big beds same time. 

End of conversation and end of big boy bed so we will see what happens when we move and his only option is the big boy bed. 

On a different note another night a similar conversation went like this...

Symeon:  Mommy when will Babes wear big girl undies
Mommy:  Probably when Babes is 2 like you
Symeon:  Mine wait for Babes we wear them same time

End of conversation and the end of potty training for Symeon.  He will have nothing to do with it now and from what I know of him he is pretty true to his word so we will see where this all leads.