As requested.

I got six emails or facebook messages asking me what sort of veggies/quantities/whatnot we actually got each week from the CSA (this does not include the fruit share), so I decided to provide a literal example based on what we got yesterday. See what I mean about liking to cook?

No one requested pics of my poor sweet (sweet enough to eat, apparently) daughters mosquito bites, but here is a pic of a paltry few of the bites. Last night my dear darling much loved friend since 9th grade Jen was in town from MN with her astonishingly beautiful and sweet children. We brought the kids along so that they could take advantage of seeing their "cousins" Will and Julia, who they have not seen in a year. We had no idea that sweet Jules was being eaten alive as she romped in the grass with Mike, Will, Nate and Luke. Luke had not one single bite, while Jules has 24 (who else would quantify the actual number of ravishes but a Mother?). Hey skeeters? I HATE YOU AND I WILL LAUGH WHEN IT GETS COLD AND YOU SHRIVEL AND DIE!

In other news, I am officially a mom-who-does-things-fast. In much the same way that I procrastinated writing papers until the last minute in college, I leave off packing until the last minute in motherhood. I have officially packed up the kids and myself in 20 minutes for the next two weeks at the beach. The beauty of the kids getting older is that we literally need few things: some clothes, some diapers, some sippy cups, and a giant dose of patience. We get the vacation off to a raging start with a 2 hour drive to go to a water park with 25+ cousins and grandparents and family tomorrow....only to drive 2 hours back home, sleep, and drive 2 hours to the beach the next morning. I am interested to see what it is like taking a 2 and 1 year old to a water park when we arrive at 11 am, given the fact that my kids generally sleep from 12.30 to 3.30 every day. A learning opportunity which I am sure I will report on. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow, and I can't wait to be at the beach for the next two weeks.

I am longing for the respite of the beach, August has been wrought with travel galore and I am anxious to put the keys to the car away, forego the gym, and the pool, and play dates, and settle in for some fun and food and family.

A wonderful life.

We miss you, Grandma.

You lived a beautiful life as a Mother of 7, a Grandmother of 15, and a Great-Grandmother of 13.

You shared your love with your family generously and without reservation or judgement. You shared your love with the people who you served as an R.N for so many years. You taught us all how to love better, and more completely.

Your marriage of 63 years was a blessing to us all. The way that you welcomed me into the family, the way that you shared your books, your love of knowledge, and your love of family, was something that I can only hope to emulate.

You were a beautiful woman, who lived a beautiful life, and I thank you for all that you were to Nate, and to our family. You lived a life of grace and dignity, and you will be sorely missed.

We are heading to Scranton tomorrow to celebrate the wonderful life that you lived. While we weep, we will celebrate, and be grateful. Thank you, Grandma.

Bugs

My daughter has absolutely no fear.

We had a fantastic few days at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

On Friday, after spending the day at their pool, the kids found a beetle.

Luke found it first.

"Mama! It's a bug! It's a biiiiiiiiiig bug!"

Mama said, "Touch it, Luke".

Luke approached the bug........shivering with excitement. He pointed at it, reached out his finger............squealed with a mixture of fear and fascination, and pulled his finger away. In typical Jules action, she came over to see the excitement.

She examined the critter with her discerning eye.

She picked it up, brought the bug of excitement up to her face, and commenced to play with it.

Luke looked on with a mixture of abject horror and utter delight.

He literally was enthralled at the image of his little sister, his companion, his best friend, manhandling the item of his curiosity and terror. He stood by, pointing, talking about the bug, and getting goosebumps as he contemplated the horror that Jules had willingly brought upon herself as she welcomed the bug into her little hand. Meanwhile, Julia just knitted her studious little brow and studied the beetle intently.

Jules even offered her little plaything to him, and he knocked his little knees together and screeched with the shivering fear and wonder at the idea of actually TOUCHING the bug of horrors.

We eventually put the bug back in the bushes and life went on.

My girl, bug lover, student, fearless and brave.

Thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa for the great visit, for the babysitting while we golfed, the great food, and for loving us and our kids so very much!

Jules and Grandma

My kids are lucky to have a relationship with 3 of their great-grandmothers.

Here is Jules and (Great) Grandma up in Scranton a week ago.

Grandma, may I be as gracious, and wise, and sharp, and funny as you someday (someday meaning like today ~ let alone 60 years from now)

Kiddos ~ May you look back and know that your lives were filled with the love of wonderful family.

Here Comes the Sun

Julia loving all the activity at Maggie's

Julia and her Godmother Amy catch up!

I love this picture of Julia and her Great Grandmother. She is a lucky little girl to have you in her life Grandma.


Rub a dub two filthy babes in a tub


Slam DUNK. Whenever Luke slam dunks it he yells "BOOYA!" and it makes me laugh every single time.

I remember this children's book that I used to read to the little girl that I helped home school out in Seattle. I can't remember the title, but it was about the Winter Solstice. It talked about the return of this light, and how that was really what was being celebrated on the darkest day of the year. It was a beautiful book, (I think that it talked about the 'little fingers of light'? ~ If this rings a bell with anyone please let me know as I would love to find it for my kids). With the solstice behind us now, I see the light returning to our lives.

Both of our kids were incredibly easy newborns. They nursed, they slept, and they made the adjustment to motherhood easier than I had anticipated. Having been through infancy/the first year already with Luke, when Julia was born I had enough foresight to know that I had about 6 months before things got hard. Probably really hard. Exclusive nursing, no messy solids, and a non mobile baby would mean that life was still relatively easy aside from the sheer physical work associated with nurturing two small babes at the same time.

As predicted, September was the perfect storm of challenge and change. Julia started crawling. Julia started eating two meals of solids/day. We had a kids free vacation in early October, that, while wonderful, was tremendously stressful to me as I was so worried about leaving my babies for 4 days, worried about pumping/leaving enough milk, and worried about maintaining my supply while away. I really really wanted to make it to a year of breast milk only/no formula, and that vacation felt like a (much needed) but huge threat to my goal. The onset of winter illness started with colds and an ear infection or two. I felt trapped inside the house ~ Luke finally went to one nap and Julia got into rhythm with two long naps which meant that I pretty much had a child napping all day long, which made getting out hard. Nate was travelling a lot. It was busy.

Suddenly I feel as though things have gotten much easier. We survived that vacation without any formula (I actually had about 100 extra ounces of milk in the freezer when I got home, and worried for nothing, as usual :)), and Julia is nursing away at almost 10 months old. Getting to a year will be a breeze at this point, and I don't really see us stopping then, truth be told. The kids play together without needing us for at least an hour every morning and usually longer every evening. They love each other and are already entertaining one another. I am getting better at being more flexible with Julia's naps, and am beginning to again take advantage of Nate working from home so that I can get out more with one child while the other one is napping. Luke and Julia are both in just really happy and easy and funny stages. I have gotten used to laundry/diapers/meals for four people. They are at an age where we are starting to do crafts, and puzzles, and more artistic projects. They learn new things daily. Julia is sleeping till 7 and Luke till 8 lately, and both of them are sound asleep by 7.30 every night. I am so looking forward to the spring ~ I can't wait to be at the park with two little ones running around, instead of having two babies in vastly different phases. I know that I will get Luke and Julia on the same nap schedule sometime in late Spring or early Summer, which means fun morning excursions, and some actual alone time during the day for me. I can't wait to have the two of them on the beach. Soon Jules will be entirely off of purees and we can all eat as a family outside on our deck. There will be no winter coats, or multiple layers, or hats to worry about. The evenings will be long. The park trips will be daily. I feel really grateful to be where we are right now. After the difficulty of fall, life seems so easy, just knowing that Spring is in sight.

We had a great visit to Scranton and the Burg this weekend. It was a joy to spend some time with Aunt Maggie, Kelly and Amy and their families, and to see Grandma M (my kids Great Grandmother). While at their house sometime on Friday, little Julia cut her very first tooth! Her bottom right center tooth is just poking through the gum. She also seems to have sprouted more hair almost overnight, and she becomes more interactive by the day. She loves to be a part of things now ~ she watches everything Luke does, when he laughs, she laughs. She says hi when she waves. She sleeps beautifully. She stood in the middle of the room for about a full minute the other day without holding on to anything at all. She just started giving those big wet sloppy baby kisses this week. I love it. Thanks to Aunt Maggie and to Tony and Carolyn for having us ~ we love you and it was great to see you. Thanks for helping us start off our 2009 surrounded by the love of family.

"I did it"

It was a busy, wonderful holiday weekend. Friday we went to the Zoo as a family for the first time. Although I have been there several times this summer with the kids, it was the first time that Nate went with us. We had a great time, and Luke and Jules enjoyed it as usual. When we got in the car, hot and tired, Nate turned to me and said "Holy %&*! I have no idea how on Earth you do that alone with two kids". I didn't tell him that I have no idea how I do it either. I didn't tell him that there is no real choice, you just do it. Nothing like a little real world experience to force a little Mom appreciation.

Saturday we started our festival hopping up in Sburg with Carolyn and Tony. We were treated to a great time and the kids were thrilled to get to spend so much time with their grandparents. We hit up Stroudfest and the Garlic Festival, swam in the pool, ate like Kings, and went to a BBQ at Leigh and Tom's house. We ended the holiday weekend in the burg with some playground time with Leah and Madeline, and got home around 2. Coming home to an empty fridge is the worst. With the help of the cornfield next door, tomatoes and basil from Moms garden, and some kabobs on the grill, we managed to pull together a last minute dinner and Luke got to "drive" his first sports car.

This weekend was also a first for him ~ His first sentence! Yesterday he proclaimed with joy "I DID IT!" in front of Carolyn, Nate and I.

Jules is also in just a beautiful place with her sleeping ~ She goes to bed at 7, wakes only once to nurse, and then sleeps till 8. I love this.

The house is a wreck, the fridge still empty, and I have to get to work. Happy September all!