THE END

I began blogging a few weeks after Jackson was born.  I was in love with my little guy ... I was sleep deprived, overwhelmed, anxious, and sore.  I wanted to capture his every movement and sound and smell.  I snapped photo after photo after photo.  The blank spaces in the Hallmark baby book just didn't seem to offer enough room for my savored memories, yet starting my own baby book seemed much too daunting for my un-crafty self.  And so I turned to blogging.  Somehow the act of typing some sentences and uploading photos a few times each week gave me the opportunity to create my own version of a baby book.  But more than that, blogging made me pause in the moments of chaos and self reflect on who I was as a mother.

I continued Jackson's blog through his first birthday.  After taking a few months off, I started this blog when Adeline was born.  I quickly realized that it was next to impossible to create a blog just about Addie.  Forever more, my life was changed ... Jackson's life was changed.  And so I blogged about him.  And her.  And them.  And us.  Filled with amateur photos and grammatically incorrect sentences, I tried to capture not only our highs and lows, but our day to day life.

As 2013 falls upon us, I've decided to take a break from this blogging world.  My kids are filled with such energy and passion, and I really want to just be.  Not behind the camera,  but running with them at the park, or crawling with them in the princess castle, or painting with them at the kitchen table.  I hope to muster up time and energy for another blog again someday.

I can only hope that the 290 posts over the last two years will stay alive in my heart just as much as it does on paper.  I've just sent this blog to be bound into a book for each of the kids; and someday, they better thank me!  I praise God for Jackson and Adeline ... my once two under two.

CINEMAGIC

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for a rated G movie to emerge in the local movie theaters.  Finally, over the holdiays I noted that Monsters, Inc 3D was being rereleased.  As an unprepared mother, I organized our New Years Eve fun to include an early evening showing of this film without even knowing a single thing about it. 

When we entered the theater, I noted that the rating for this movie was "PG."  My heart sank ... how could I have misread this in the papers?  I immediately searched reviews on my phone, finding that, indeed, it was a G movie, but I also read the movie plot for the first time ... And just when you've convinced your youngsters that there are no such things as monsters, here comes Monsters, Inc!  What was I thinking?  By this time, JP and AA were giddy with excitement of being inside the dazzling lighted theater.  A and I made a split decision just to go ahead with it.

And so one big bucket of popcorn, 2 lemonades, 4 pairs of 3D glasses and 4 movie stubs (and $40!!!) later, we found our seats. 

The look on JP's and AA's face once the big screen started was priceless ... they were so excited!  JP lasted the entire movie (I asked him time and time again if the monsters seemed a little scary, to which he shook his head "no.")

AA just kept eating and eating and eating the popcorn ... I don't think she was totally into the movie.  When her tummy was full (half way through the movie), A took her out for some time as she didn't really comprehend the whole whisper concept.

All in all, our first family movie outing was a success ... and I don't think that any of the monsters followed us home!

FARGO FUN

Sometimes it's not where you go, but what you do that makes life exciting, right?  With a little logistical help from Grandpa A and Grandma K, we stayed at a hotel with a waterpark and flew home on an airplane.   The kids were in absolute heaven!   JP and AA lasted over two hours in the water; we watched a movie and took a nap all cuddled up on a king size bed; we ate snacks and drank juiceboxes; and, we flew home in 45 minutes flat! 

Where did we go?  Well, Fargo of course! 

My kids now think that Fargo is the "funnest" city ever.

SUPERHERO

Goodbye Thomas and Percy.  Goodbye James and Gordon too.  So long McQueen, Mater, Doc Hudson,  Jeff Corvette, Luigi, Guido, Miles AxelRod, Nigel Gearsley, Max Schnell, Fillmore and Sally. And don't even think about Abby Cadabby, Big Bird or Elmo.  JP is just so, over you.

Yes, it's here ... ready or not, my little kid has apparently turned into a big boy overnight.

Hello, Superheros.

PIPSQUEAKS

Instead of bike rides, wagon wheels, and long afternoons in the parks, we spend our winter days filled with many indoor activities ... library story hour, soccer world, bounce house, or ....

Pipsqueaks!

For $2 the kids can play with trains, race up and down slides, and drive little cars.  They burn off so much energy!

SNOW DAY

What better way to avoid the cold dreary weather outside?

Play make believe inside!  

(Despite boxes of new Christmas toys, these two kept busy for most of the morning with their princess/superhero gear and a magic blanket!)

CHRISTMAS: PART II

Next stop:  Grandma K and Grandpa A's house (and even a visit from Grandpa T)!

Just couldn't be a gathering without baking with Aunt K!

After waiting ALL day, sitting (relatively) quiet through Christmas Eve service, and attempting a holiday family photo (for way too long!) ... 

it was ALMOST time to open presents.

Well, after eating dinner with Grandma's Christmas dishes.

The kids held out ... and the chaos began.  I cannot imagine what it will be like when JP and AA have a few cousins to join them on this side of the family!

I asked JP to leave out a special snack for Santa ... he carefully chose a few cookies and insisted that Santa would want a "spicy" beer to drink.  Smart kid.

Santa mom and dad had clearly been out gifted by the grandparents the night before, so there was a bit of explaining to do in the morning .... some day they'll understand, right?