Tidbits of Everyday

Things have been busy lately...yet I haven't managed to have a single, huge thing to post about (then again, do I ever, really?). So, I figured I'd just fill you in on a few of the things rattling around in my head.

ps-I've had my camera lens all smudgy and didn't realize it, so if the pictures don't look as crisp as normal, that's why.

First off-yay! yay! yay! I love fall. yay! for fall colors. yay! for fall weather. yay! for fall clothes. Just yay! in general that fall (my favorite season) is finally here in full swing! There, just had to get that off my chest.

The view from our back deck. The leaves are WAY brighter in person (especially if it's not overcast), I promise.

Scarlett is starting to walk. We're up to probably 15-20 steps total. Very exciting, especially as I haven't had a kid walk before a year yet. She is also starting to do very big girl things like trying to put on Georgia's shoes, stealing her bracelets to wear, and using a makeup brush for her cheeks, and not just to chew on (I can just hear the teenage fighting now ;). As I'm preparing for her 1st birthday at the end of the month, I'm gearing up to wean her. I've never voluntarily weaned a baby before (I had to wean Ezra because the doctor needed me dry for a lumpectomy and with Georgia, my milk dried up because of my pregnancy with Scarlett and the allergy diet I was on), so it's a little different this time around. It's just hard for me to realize that Scarlett's really, truly growing up. She's so little (15lbs at the end of September) that I sometimes forget she's as old as she is. Add to that the fact that I'm not pregnant (praises be!), which is kind of unusual because I've never hit a baby's 1st birthday without being in the midst of preparing for another baby. It's just a little strange to have my arms getting a little emptier as the days go by. I'm excited for this little baby break, don't get me wrong, it's just a little odd feeling.

Scarlett trying on one of Georgia's play bracelets

I think it's safe to finally say Georgia is officially pottytrained. After many failed attempts and sullied panties over the last eight months or so (she kept on losing interest after insisting she wanted to wear panties), Georgia's finally decided to stick with it. We still have the occasional accident when she doesn't make it to the potty in time, but when she is completely done, I know that will be it and I won't have to do much to help her. Georgia's very independent, so she insists she goes on her own time-table (no encouragement or insistence from me will get her to go potty when I want her to) and that she goes completely alone [insert eye roll here] and even cleans herself up. Ridiculous, I know, that she's so young and recently trained and is already doing everything by herself. But, I always knew Georgia only does things on Georgia's terms, and I'm just kind of her guide along the way. Oh, and as for a Georgia-specific witticism: she calls me Mamma Mia, which I've just gotta say, is friggin' adorable.

Mmm, isn't she beautiful?

We're getting ready for Ezra's 4th birthday on Friday. He's getting so big it kills me. I can't even believe my baby is so old and independent. He does mostly everything by himself (well, except for cleaning up his toys which he insists is just toooo hard to do by himself :P). Ezra's independent nature is definitely a catch-22. On one hand, it's really nice to have a kid that'll completely dress himself every morning, occasionally make his own breakfast, and entertain himself. On the other hand, Ezra thinks that because he's allowed to be independent, that means he gets to get his own candy down from the top of the fridge without so much as by your leave. The other day Ezra got his own chicken nuggets out of the freezer, put them on a plate, put them in the microwave, and started it for 1 min, 20 sec (which, while too long, wasn't all that off of what it should've been). I still haven't figured out if that was a good thing or not. Not to mention his utter refusal to wear entire categories of clothing. Ezra figures that because he's allowed to dress himself, that means he's allowed to refuse to wear anything with buttons on it, anything that doesn't match the underwear he is currently wearing that day, or (until very recently) pants (instead of shorts...with the cold weather...you didn't think I let him run around with no pants on, did you?). It's a constant attempt to find balance between squelching his independence and still teaching him to figure things out, do things for and by himself, while teaching him that there's still rules and regulations he has to follow. Definitely a work in progress.

Ez showing of his new haircut
(I told you if he didn't start letting me do his hair, we were going to have to go back to really short)

We're currently in the midst of the 13 Nights of Halloween (thanks Coty for the idea!). Basically we do crafts, play music, watch movies, read books, and eat dinners that are all Halloween-related for the 13 days leading up to Halloween. I also cut out and hide a Halloween shape for the kids to find each morning to help them count down the days. The kids have really been enjoying it. Part of me wonders why I've brought all this extra work on myself, especially in the very busy days leading up to Ezra's and Scarlett's birthdays and Halloween...but I think the simple answer is that I LOVE Halloween. Really, truly love it. It's so easy to get bogged down in the Halloween prep, especially if you're a masochist like me and make the costumes yourself, so I thought that maybe this will help me remember how fun Halloween can be and help my kids love it as much as I do.

My spider-web dip. Basically just any old regular dip with a sour cream spider web and an olive spider.

Here's some pics from some last nights Halloween-cookie decorating (who knew you could get a pack of 6 Halloween cookie cutters for $2 at Walmart? What a steal! The $6 Halloween-themed sprinkles...well, that's a different matter):

Doesn't he so look like he's enjoying himself

Scarlett does too, for that matter

Aaaand this would be the reason we don't actually eat most of the cookies

Man, don't I look exhausted? That would be what Spencer's (unusual) 62 hour work week will do to a girl. (ps-my hair is in a pony, it's not really as short as it looks in this pic)

Oh look! a picture where Georgia is actually looking at the camera and not making a silly face.

Ahhh, what a good sport

Thanks for reading my ramblings! Have a fabulous fall day and do something Halloween-ie. Even something as simple as worms/spaghetti for dinner fits the bill!