first black eye

2 years 10 months and i'm guessing around 457 times of hitting his head, yet this is finn's very first black eye. it took the combination my niece macy's skull and a jumpy house to allow us this first. and finn didn't even cry. what a man!

my little constructioneer

i've been off of work for five days. five glorious days which have been spent mostly appeasing finn as he is sick. meanwhile, i'm sick, but neither child is doing much for me. selfish selfish children. regardless, finn and i have been having fun, and i'm trying as hard as i can to be actively playing with my kids for a good part of the day. that is said as i'm sitting on the computer and finn is coloring underneath my desk and i have my knees pulled up to my chest as finn requested that i give him more space to work. this apparently is a time that he wants less active participation by mom.

because of this illness, we have been inside a lot. i go crazy being inside a lot, especially knowing that winter is coming and i'll be stuck here even more. any excuse to get out of the house, even for two minutes is worth it. yesterday and today, men were working on our street fixing another portion that is crumbling apart, and the moment i heard the trucks coming, i clothed finn and we ran out to watch them. naturally, i told the construction workers that it was finn who heard them and begged me to take him outside. they let us check out the back hoe and finn was mesmerized. today, we watched them shovel asphalt into the hole and when i told finn it was time to come in, he simply said, "no, i'm going to stay out here with the constructioneers." my fears of an unfriendly child are resolved.

life as an only

yesterday, i dropped finn off at his grandparents for a night away. they went camping, which is the only way that child will ever experience camping. we aren't campers. don't get me wrong, we like the outdoors. i would love to spend the entire day hiking trails, taking walks, just enjoying nature. but one thing i am certain of, i will be spending the night in a bed indoors where there is running water and heat and a place for my kids to sleep that is separate from where my body rests. my mother-in-law likes to tell me that one day i'll be a camper, like this is a phase. this is not a phase, kathy, i will never join you for a week in the wilderness, unless there is a lodge. if there is a spa in that lodge, then definitely sign me up.

i was extremely excited to have two days alone with my second child, especially when i received a call 1 hour after drop-off from my mother-in-law saying, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM? DID YOU GIVE HIM CANDY FOR BREAKFAST? HE'S TALKING REALLY FAST AND WON'T STOP MOVING AND LOOKS LIKE HE IS GOING TO FLY OUT OF THE CARSEAT AT ANY MOMENT?" that little conversation was enough to give me a greater spring in my step as i realized that i didn't have to deal with finn during one of his crazy, hyper, "watch me watch me watch me watch me", this-is-what-it-would-look-like-if-toddlers-took-cocaine type days.

there is one problem with this night away though. i think ada is enjoying this only child thing quite a bit. i didn't know that a ten month old would even realize the difference in the amount of attention she received, but it's amazing. she was giggling non-stop for the first hour we were alone. she wouldn't stop talking the entire time we were at lunch together. when people stopped to talk to her at the store, she would look into the back of the cart where finn usually is, then crack up. it was adorable, but a little sinister. i hope she's nice when he gets back. for the next two hours though, i'm going to pour as much attention on this little girl as possible. because seriously, how adorable is she?!

oh my heart.

needs vs. wants

i didn't realize that life would change so much by simply adding just one person into the mix. it's been a little over 9 months since that person entered our family. i'm just getting to the point where i can handle the added craziness and work. i think. i say that and then this afternoon i will likely be scrubbing poop out of the carpet while trying to prevent the pooper from crawling through said poop while choking on tiny pieces of lint she found in the carpet as finn shouts, "look at me mommy. turn your head and look and me. watch me do this." followed by him jumping in a circle or something equally exciting. it's just a normal day in my life of juggling the one who needs the most attention with the one who wants the most attention. case in point, this series of photos attempting to get one image of ada standing up. eighth times the charm.

1st day of school

i used to turn my nose up to those women. you know. the ones who cried when their kids went to school for the first time. why on earth would anyone cry? their children hadn't left them for good. it's just preschool. plus, that the point of parenthood and the nature of life. you have babies who grow up into toddlers and go to preschool and guess what? then they grow into older kids who go to elementary school!!! suck it up ladies, and deal with it! those women are crazy! am i right?

WRONG! sitting at finn's preschool parent orientation at the end of august brought a flood of emotions that i was not prepared to deal with. the teachers simply talking about how to drop off your child was enough to bring tears to my eyes. tears in my cynical, judging eyes. retribution for all those women who i made fun of. come first day of school, i sat in the parking lot for the entire time just making sure finn was okay. i couldn't bear to leave.

don't get me wrong, i see the positive side of this. i relish the time that finn is at school making friends and learning to be more independent. and for two and half hours, ada and i have a little girly one-on-one time, which is usually just spent with me picking up coffee and us giggling at each other and enjoying the silence. but then i look at her, and i remember that only two years ago, i was staring at my firstborn in the same way, while he was just learning to do the exact same things that she is. that firstborn is now in school. cue the waterworks and stop judging me.