Baby Crazy

How is it possible that at 22 months old a child can be so baby crazy! Sarah is obsessed with babies, in books, on TV, in real life (you have to pick her up around babies as she will go over and touch the baby, all the while saying "BEEEBEEE, OHHHH, BEEEBEE"). If she hears a baby crying she has to announce that the baby is "Cawhying!" We were in a children's resale shop yesterday and she literally carried and pulled 3 baby dolls behind her thru the store - we weren't going to buy them so I had to tell her that the "Babies had to take a nap," so she put them back, patted their backs and we left.
She of course feeds, baths, rocks and even takes her babies potty and encourages her babies when they do go potty "Yay poop!" This is all consuming for Sarah, well besides watching "The Wiggles", carrying her "nuggie" (soft snuggy blanket) around everywhere she goes, and her all day focus on pooping in the potty!! She is one amazing and silly, little lady!


Here she is doing a careful balancing maneuver to keep the baby on her lap!

So, if ever anyone is in doubt of what to ever get this child, say for Christmas, Birthday or just something to obsess over, please remember what we hear all day, "BEEBEES PEEEASE"

Halloween 09

Our little Bumble Bee and Han Solo (Jakob was insistent on being Han this year, not a Jedi, not Vader - Han - thanks to Grandma Kathy for the awesome costume - he LOVES it and has asked to sleep in it!) Sarah loves her little bee costume, I brought it home from the store and she said "Peeeetttyyyyy Beeeeeeee BZZZZZ"

We painted our pumpkins this year for the first time, it was super fun and a lot less messy - except for Sarah!
Oh, Jakob lost his 2nd bottom tooth on t0/30/09 - very exciting!!


We went down to our little downtown in our neighborhood - called Multnomah village (shops, restaurants etc) - where they blocked the streets for kids to trick or treat in the shops, it was quite busy and Jakob had a hard time waiting in line while looking at his candy!

Sarah, sugar high. Jakob, sugar low!
Mommy and Sarah taking a rest!
The village full of families out trick or treating!

We drove a few blocks over to visit our friends Amber and Josh, and went trick or treating on their street. This was one of the spooky houses on the block, too spooky for Sarah (music and all), but Jakob or should I say "Han" was quite brave!

Here we are at the first spooky house, right next door to Amber's house. Sarah is on the porch a bit freaked by a skeleton that you can't see - she was just standing there pointing at it - no words coming out. It was really funny!

Sarah, enjoying her "Wolleeeeeee POP"

Mouth full of candy, working on his next choice!!

If you want a good cry read these lyrics from Zach Gill...

Mark is finally able to sit down to work on our dvd's of our kids, the last one was, I believe done just after Sarah was born - so almost 2 years ago. He found this song "Watch Them Grow" by Zach Gill, he emailed me at work today and said I would cry like a baby when I heard the song and that he could barely watch the videos of Sarah and listen to the song at the same time.
So, I watched the video, already teary eyed over the fact that I couldn't even remember when Sarah was 5 months old and making super cute noises, rolling over, had no hair, just that little hair chunk in the front with those huge cheeks - then about 5 minutes into the movie this song starts, I didn't know when it would start but as soon as I heard the first words "She's close to God," I started balling, I knew it was the song, maybe because I hadn't heard that lyric before, but as it went on "You see, for her, he'd do anything" I knew it was THE song! He paired the song with me and Sarah in swimming lessons, nothing that special, but she is so darn cute! Anyhow, Mark always knows how to get to the core of my soul - damn him! :)
The rest of the video is priceless, it follows the kids everyday activities and big accomplishments, like Sarah crawling, Jakob playing sports, turning 4 and Sarah walking! I think I cried harder at the fact that I didn't remember some of these things, I remember Sarah walked early but don't really remember her first steps, thank goodness for video! I remember Jakob's first steps, I feel a tinge of guilt but then when I have a reality check, I remember that I wasn't working while taking care of him, and didn't have another kid to take care of. Plus Sarah was everywhere and I do remember her always trying to take a step and then falling down, not like Jakob who would take a step and basically ran right away - nuts! Even seeing little things like how we had all our toy boxes around our TV to prevent Sarah from touching any buttons, or how big Sarah got so fast- she didn't fit in her little tub at 5 months, how she LOVED Roxy and would say "da" for dog before "Mama", or Jakob's sweet little voice and how he used to say "world' in a sweet little way when he sang "Twinkle Twinkle" or how he used to have a "mean face".
Anyhow, I guess I'm trying to say, I wish I could remember all their sweet noises, movements just like the first time they happen. Watching the movie made me realize that life moves sooooooo fast, I knew that before, but this really hit home. I think about how stressed we've been as a family with work, money, moving, etc. and I think, "Look at this movie it shows how precious our life really is, who cares where we live (rain or sun),or what we are wearing or driving, look at our gorgeous kids and all the amazing things they are doing, because of us - how great is that!"
What a great feeling, to be able to realize the enjoyment of watching our kids grow.

"Watch Them Grow" by Zach Gill

She's close to God, I'm sure of that
She sits him down, and they have a chat
She asks for sunshine, and he agrees
You see, for her, He'd do anything
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
She is a monkey, and I'm her tree
And now she's climbing all over me
Swinging on my vines dancing on my limbs
Her monkey sounds sound like angel's hymns
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
She is an angel, she is an imp
She's got my big toe, and her mother's lips
She gives fishy kisses, and great big bear hugs
42 pounds of pure love
Then one day she'll be 17, feelin' too big for her home
Seems she was just only 3, oh how our children they grow
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
Then one day she'll be 33, maybe with a child of her own
Seems she was just 17, oh how our children they grow
He'll ask for sunshine, and she'll agree
You see for him, she'd do anything
He is her child, the center of her world
She is his mother... my little girl
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go

More fall fun, before the rain set in!

Saturday morning at the Westmoreland park.

Fall fun

This is by far my favorite time of the year, the weather is cooling down, enough to wear skirts w/tights - love that - sweaters and even rain boots. Rain boots are something special to me since I never had them growing up in California.
I absolutely appreciate and love the fall color, it's amazing, I feel so lucky to see the rainbow of colors outside our window and as I drive around and in the forest across the street from us. We've started collecting some leaves to decorate with this year, but it rained quite a bit over the weekend, so the leaves were pretty wet.
We attempted going to the pumpkin patch and got rained out - not just drizzle - we would have stayed if was drizzling, but it was pouring!! I knew it was for casted to get 1 inch of rain but it was sunny at our house when we left, well we drove about 40 minutes to this pumpkin patch and the sky was black when we got there. We stayed just to buy a few gourds and a pumpkin, and to take a picture of the kids in front of the sign, it's a little tradition for me. I love this pumpkin patch, there is a train to ride out into the patch, and a boat to take you back. I think it's so special to me because it's the first pumpkin patch we visited when we moved to Portland and in fact I took Jakob there when he was just 2 years old, by myself and we had a blast. So, we've had to make the trip every year since.
So, because of the rain, the kids were able to stomp in some serious puddles - Sarah's first time - which she loved - until she fell in it (no pictures of that).
We've been keeping busy with walks at night thru the forest, flashlights and all, very exciting for Jakob, Sarah gets a little scared but Jakob stays right next to her while she is in the stroller, "to protect her", but I'm thinking he's a bit scared too. He really enjoys listening to the frogs in the creak and the crickets and finding things with his flashlight. It's quite an adventure, and we get some exercise and fresh air.

At Lakeview farms pumpkin patch - you can't see the rain coming down, but look at Sarah's face - she is totally wondering why she is standing there in the rain - meanwhile people behind us are running to get cover from the downpour!!
Puddle stompin'!

Walking in the park, noticing some really big, pretty leaves!


This is the trail we've been taking at night - so fun!
Jakob on his bike, hunting for puddles to ride thru!

Lady Killer

Sarah's newest accomplishment!

Before her newest accomplishment, I had to post this picture of the kids - they look so big to me in this picture - how does time go by so fast!!