Shots of great times...

It's been a LONG time coming. I know. These photos are just a snippet of my iphone uploads. I realized as I was transferring the files that I snap so many shots while on the go but then as if I never took them, they stay in my phone lost in the electronic web of time. No longer...these are my favorites and cover the last three months of some exciting adventures, parkdates, playdates, shopping excursions and overall classic hours spent in our home!

...now in month three of big girl swinging!

In her words, "Mommy, I'm playing the stand up bass"!

Hanging with cousin Chiara. Carousels and suckers, what more do these children need?

This may be an indication of what is to come when Dylan has more hair.

And Kaitlyn, too....

My favorite image capturing his fro...

Who painted who? First water coloring session as siblings.

One of our favorite parks-the kids can run, and run, and run. Then, they nap. It's great logic.

Kaitlyn's Airel Princess Shoes-the only shoe of four pairs we tried on that she immediately stated, "These feel great, mommy. Yes, these are the shoes." Note, she actually pointed to the box as they came out stacked with the other sandals and stated then that she wanted that pair.

Our Easter Eggs. First year of coloring together!

Dylan with his 'twin' Luke at the park.

I'm not sure if this is any indication for what preference of transportation he'll desire...but, if you ask me, he does look like a natural!

The sunglasses do it for me. Too cool for words!

That's my boy!

Halle Berry at the Revlon Walk/Run 5K I did with a few girlfriends...She is way tinier than I ever imagined. Fun stuff-ran the route in 33 minutes!

Mother's Day and a carousel. Happy Girl. Happy Mother.

Sitting atop the biggest lady bug ever! This silly Kaitlyn look is so typical! See the atitude already?

Putting lipgloss on her girlfriend...oh my! These two girly girls were up to their ears in dazzling frills and sparkly lips!

A Mother's Day Note

It's the end of Mother's Day and I feel exhausted but truly celebrated. While I wish Mother's Day rang well into multiple days, much like the the Jewish Passover, or the Muslim 30 day Ramadan, I will take a 24 hour spread of time. Being a Mother is like no other chapter of my life and quite frankly I couldn't go back to any previous one even though I can daydream at times of being child-free so I could carelessly shop on a whim and take overly long showers with loud music channelled throughout the house! Oh, those days are gone.

The days that are here are filled to the rim with adventure, imagination, way too many "NO's" and just as many "I love you's"...to highlight a few moments of late, here are some notes worth mentioning:

High Chairs are collecting dust as both children would rather dine on their knees or sit on the regular chairs than being in what they would consider the chair for babies!

Dylan, now at 18 months, has expanded his B vocabulary with: Balloon, Ball, Boo for Book and seems to be hard at work with refining a few random words such as umbrella (usually sounds like 'umbellah') and uck for Truck-which of course is accompanied by a big sound and finger pointing as he only says this word when he sees one...He will have to speed up his talking to have any chance at debating Kaitlyn (that girl was singing the alphabet at 18 months)!

I say to Kaitlyn, "I love you, too" and she responds, "I love you, three".

Kaitlyn continues to go to school three days a week and most recently began to stay later on two of the three days to encourage an afternoon nap. On the fourth late day we had a break through-she was found in a deep slumber when I arrived to pick her up. I was so ecstatic, I couldn't wake her up to take her home. It was the strangest feeling, I just wanted her to stay sleeping and sit in awe over her.

Dylan is known at Kaitlyn's school on a first name basis and he even thinks he goes to school when I drop Kaitlyn off. He carries in her lunchbox and places it in her cubby along with helping himself to the cups of water. Her teacher, Ms. Daniels, includes him in her good mornings and circle time when we arrive a little late. Needless to say it's been a wonderful environment for both the children. The routine has paid off and will further pay off for Dylan when he starts there in the new year!

It seems that a million details have been lost this past month due to my lack of documenting the stories of these children. I'm not even sure I can retrieve them from my memory as each day is flooded with new experiences, memorable and imaginative conversations and my ever present mental fog.

Just a highlight...Kaitlyn is truly her father's daughter. This girl is an adrenaline junkie. Recently when I asked her what kind of car she wanted to drive when she was big she corrected me with, "Mommy, I don't want to drive a car. I want to ride a motorcycle." Then she went on to clarify that it would be pink with diamonds. Another adrenaline hint was what she revealed she would like to do for her upcoming birthday....fly in a helicopter wearing her princess dress. Yes. Yes. This is a super frilly girl that will one day tell me about her sky diving adventures, bungie jumping and off-roading excursions. I'm not sure I'll want to know in advance-they will be risky for certain!

A Walk with Cosimo...

"Dylan has a peanut. Cosimo has a peanut.....(pause).....I have a congina!!!"

Profound words from Kaitlyn as we strolled down the neighborhood sidewalk.

Snow Day

Southern California is wacky. One day it's raining, the next it's 77, and even within one day you can use heat in the morning and AC by afternoon. I'm not sure about all this dramatic change within such a short timeframe but I am certain about my love for snow and the outdoors. We were overdue for a visit to the nearby peaks that with the recent showers we've been blessed with I planned a quick afternoon trip for the four of us to throw ourselves into a mound of snow and possibly get a real chill.

The children were beside themselves. Watching them interact with the snow was such fun-Kaitlyn showed real sport, enough to let me know she'll be snowboarding by 5 and Dylan may be following in snowshoes with myself. I truly love being in the snow and dream of the day that I'll have my own snowshoes to allow me the freedom to just jaunt off through vast valley's of freshly fallen snow!

The short trip took a mere 40 minute drive, required no special gear and provided the nature fix I had been craving. A few snowballs were enjoyed and of course, no snow day is complete without a snowman...meet 'Snowy' (Frosty's cousin)!

FeBreeze...no more!

Almost four hours ago and the smell remains. I was on the phone with my brother-he a Catholic Priest studying in Rome, so yes, my mind was on him, catching up and not so much on the children. All I can recall was that Kaitlyn darted off to use the restroom in her typical fashion and Dylan followed. I do remember not hearing too many sounds coming from Kaitlyn which should have been my first red flag. Generally she declares, 'I need my privacy, Dylan!' This is followed with a series of nagging statements until I intervene and peel him away from his sister's shadow! Not tonight.

At some point in my conversation with 'Fruncle' Denis I decided to take a peek in the restroom to see if all was going as routine, anticipating a few statements to direct Kaitlyn to pull her panties up and wash her hands...no. Not this evening. A cloud of tropical peach and mango FeBreeze greeted all my facial orifices and then my eyes met Kaitlyn holding the bottle of spray, clearly caught in the act. How many times did she spray this and where did she spray? Instantly I shifted focus on Dylan-he must had been a target...I couldn't finish my mental accusation as there stood Dylan, both arms, up to his elbows in the toilet bowl playing with Kaitlyn's toilet paper and yes, her poop and pee!

Are you kidding me?

Pee water had been splashed all over the floor. Kaitlyn was standing with her panties and pants around her ankles, the FeBreeze bottle in hand with fingers still wrapped around the nozzle, repeating, with great confidence, 'it was smelly in here Mommy, smelly!' As if I care right now, little girl! Still on the phone with my brother who was now put into a laughing hysteria, I managed to get both kids out of the restroom. It was a situation. A real situation.

The Adventures of Bella and Aspiga...

Holding onto one of the two mermaids!

Up close, Aspiga...she was the source of great entertainment this evening over dinner!

Two mermaids. One girl's wild imagination!

Acquired as a gift for being such a great student at Kaitlyn's first music class today, Dylan and Kaitlyn left Hi-Line Music with two plastic mermaids. Sure. They could have taken a deck of cards, Kazoo, bouncing ball, or even a mini yoyo. Nope. The mermaids were eye candy for Kaitlyn and Dylan always wanting what his sister wants, found a mermaid, too!

On the way home Kaitlyn began narrating the mermaids present life. At one point I overheard her voicing for each mermaid, "I'm MAD." "No, I'm MAD." Yes, both mermaids were mad with each other! By dinnertime, Dylan had really forgotten about these plastic creatures and thus Kaitlyn became engrossed in her mermaid tales. When Steve asked her what their names were, Kaitlyn responded with, "I will ask her."

"What's your name?" Pause.

To Steve, Kaitlyn stated, "Spella," holding up the purple mermaid. Wow! We both were taken aback by her clarity of name. And then Steve inquired about the second mermaid name. After a quick banter of clarification, Kaitlyn stated, "Aspiga," holding up the blue mermaid.

Aspiga? Are you kidding me? This girl's imagination is ON FIRE. Spella morphed into Bella by the time dinner was over-but at no time did Aspiga ever change or simply be laid to rest. These two mermaids were carried around the house, had a splash in the bath and are currently nestled around Kaitlyn someplace in her heaping mound of blankets upon her bed. Everyone, Kaitlyn, Bella and Aspiga are in a deep slumber. I suppose no one is MAD now!

What Happened?

I will spare the photo. Getting into pajamas this evening inspired this note. I'm wearing a blue and white striped tee with pink and black pajama bottoms; to keep me extra warm, I finished my look by adding an army green sweater. Wow. This screams Hot Mama Alert! Watch out Steve....I'm just tantalizing right now, can't you tell!

C O M F O R T.

STOP! Halt! NOW!!!! This is what happens. You see it everywhere, you hear about it...the Mother Frump.

I understand this reality. I understand how it creeps into your daily life, first with the leisure pants (you know those elastic waisted forever forgiving velour pants), then the baggy lifeless shirts and overnight it's like you stop wearing make-up, accessories and daily have hair in a ponytail as you are lucky if you get a quality shower once in a three day span. It's a sad moment right now as I realize I've mastered the look and the lifestyle.

Ugggh. Sigh.

Can this awareness be enough to snap me out of it? I used to be fashionable, sassy and memorable with my selected wardrobe pieces. Now I'm hanging out with a lumpy muffin top adorned with stretch marks, stringy highlighted hair in need of a serious root job, and sorry folks, boobs that are not only smaller than I ever had before, but way more saggy. Wow. I said it.

Hello Beauty. You in Here? I need to rekindle our friendship. It's been a while since I let you out...

Yours truly,

Overly tired, out of trend mother of two toddlers under the age of three!