Not a creature was stirring.....

Whew!!! That exclamation always seems appropriate the week following the holidays. While ours wasn't as hectic as it could have been, we had our fair share of running around and all together busyness. Despite that, we were also able to spend a relaxing week at home together as a family. In fact, I decided to be intentional about spending more time with the kids. I made time to read them new books, play with new toys, work on "projects" as Xander likes to call them and anything else they asked to do. While I didn't get to do as much of this as I wouldv'e liked, it felt good.

My thoughts regarding the "stuff" I wanted to get done while I was home were turned to the fact that, in a week, my kids would be gone. Without daycare until January 12th for Avery, the in-laws graciously agreed to take them for the week that Jon and I had to return to work. So, I began thinking and realized, I could do many of the tasks this week while the kids were gone...and that's just what I did.

Now turning attention to the title of this blog, while the extra time at home proved to be a great time, the time at home this week proved to be extra quiet. It's always quiet with the kids gone but after being with them all day every day for nearly 2 weeks there was something extraordinarily quiet about them being gone this week. Though we've accomplished a lot, things just don't seem the same without the stomping....err pitter patter of little feet running through the kitchen as I make dinner or those calls from the bedroom (albeit frustrating) for an extra hug or kiss or just to "hold you" as Avery often asks.

As I sit in the quiet living room after dinner, reading the newest of the novels I recieved for Christmas, I realize how quiet the house really is. Despite the fact that there are two of us home, there is no noise. No giggles from the bedroom, no hollers from the bathroom, no requests for a snack or a drink of milk, just silence, and I quickly begin to realize how much I miss the chaos that is our life.

The kids are coming home tomorrow and while I'll probalby quickly become frustrated with the level of noise, there is a peace knowing that even when the house is quiet there are two little precious souls sleeping soundly in their beds right down the hall.

On the Move

Well my "little" girl just isn't so little anymore!!! She is definitely exploring the new found independence that accompanies crawling. She is into everything and we just can't keep her off the floor. (for those of you who visited over Easter, you were able to experience first hand exactly what I mean.) If we pick her up to cuddle her she's fine..... for a minute, then the squirming begins and she just isn't content until she's off and running again.

Albeit, she may not venture far from us, she just wants to be down. It seems her new favorite pastime is exploring the jungle gym that is mom. I'll be standing at the sink doing dishes or cooking supper or sitting in a chair at the table and she just pulls up and hangs on for dear life. As I move, she just leans, something kind of like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz if you can picture that. Her feet remain stationary as her body just leans from one side to the other. It's pretty humorous but also a little cumbersome when I'm trying to get something done.

However, I'm not complaining, after months of trying to foster a little independence in the angel, she's finally found it on her own and is definitely a MUCH happier baby!!!! This is an answer to prayer.

Stay tuned - we have a feeling she'll be cruising along on her tootsies before too long.

Mommy's "special" kisses

Have you ever noticed how kissable babies are? I LOVE to kiss Avery - especially with her chubby little cheeks - it's irresistible. That's what I was doing the other night as I was getting her ready for bed. She tends to get really cranky right before bed so Jon and I employ all kinds of tactics (one's that would probably have anyone other than a parent thinking we were insane) to keep her happy. She and I had been in the bathroom looking in the mirror (she's definitely a girl because she LOVES to see herself in the mirror). I had been bouncing her on my hip and she was laughing.

As we made our way into the kitchen to check the status of the warming bottle, I was smothering her little round face with kisses. One thing about Avery - she loves any kind of affection you pour onto her so she will lean her little head into you as you kiss her as if to say "please don't stop doing that!!!" I happened to stop right in front of the sink - above which is a window - she caught her reflection and was once again spellbound. I turned with my back to the window so she could see herself over my shoulder.

I started lifting her over my head and kissed her again - this time she was actually trying to "kiss" me back - we were both laughing when all of a sudden in mid kiss, raised above my head she threw up!!!! It went all over my chin, down the front of my shirt - inside and out. Jon was sitting close by and ran to my rescue. I immediately turned and started rinsing my face in the kitchen sink while simultaneously rinsing my mouth out. Jon kept asking "did that go in your mouth?" If it did I rinsed it all out - I wasn't about to try to find out if any actually when into my mouth. I honestly think that was THE most disgusting thing that has ever happened to me!!!

Sorry if I just grossed you out but you could see it coming couldn't you?

P.S. Tyler - am I "link" worthy now?

Gilded toilet

So far in our adventures in parenthood we have been fairly lucky. No real "messes" as far as toddler creativity goes. That is until Friday night.

Jon and I had some friends over for dinner and an impromptu "play date". They have a little girl, Grace, who was three in January that Xander enjoys playing with. The two of them were playing well together and were moving between the living room and Xander's room. We (being all of the adults) started to play a game in the living room. The kids disappeared and we assumed they were in Xander's room playing. I hadn't really noticed how quiet they were being (a rare occassion for our little guy) until I heard the toilet lid slam down. I thought "this can't be good". Now, I do have to give them the benefit of the doubt, Grace is potty trained and can go to the bathroom by herself. I assumed that might be what they were doing, I was wrong!

I checked the bathroom and there was no one there, I thought it was strange, then I thought I'd better check the master bathroom. Our bedroom light had been off and Xander rarely ventures in there if the lights aren't on. Sure enough there were the two of them, in the master bathroom, covered from head to toe in some type of metallic gold substance! Xander was proudly "painting" the toilet with it. I looked around the room only to realize, they had gotten into a few scrapbooking supplies that had been in our bedroom closet. They removed the gold metallic ink pad from it's base and smeared gold fingerprints ALL OVER the room. The dresser was covered, the walls were covered, the television screen was covered, the light switch plates were covered - all making a neat path into the bathroom.

That wouldn't have been SO awfully if Xander hadn't taken it upon himself to "baptize" the pad in the toilet, at that point it was dripping wet making a wonderful paintbrush. When I arrived they had closed the toilet and were "painting" the tank and toilet seat. the dad's came in and took the kids out to clean them up and I started scrubbing. Amazingly enough it wiped right off of the dresser and walls. I cleaned up the toilet and thought I should check under the seat. When I lifted the lid, all of the water in the toilet had turned to gold, it literally looked like liquid gold and it was ALL OVER the bowl. I scrubbed and scrubbed and eventually got most of it off.

OH, what an experience. Come to find out it wasn't Xander that was the curious one but Grace and Xander and come and found her amid the art supplies and the two of them continued their "project" in the bathroom. Oh, what a night, I think I felt the worst about Grace's pants. They were covered in gold ink. I just hope it washes out!!!

A one pull-up day.....

Well, parents of all toddlers eventually experience "potty-training", we are currently in the midst of this experience. Xander has been going potty on the potty chair off and on for quite some time. This week I decided I would start trying to put him in pull-ups again just to see what would happen. We started Wednesday and sent him to daycare in a pull up. I reminded Jon to be sure to let the baby-sitter know what we were trying to do so that she could enforce it.

Well, when Xander arrived at daycare Jon said let's try to go potty before I go. (the babysitter has worked with him on and off while training another little boy - Xander would NOT go on the potty and always asked for his daddy to take him. It was quick thinking on Jon's part to get him to go and get a little more comfortable with the situation while he was still there.) Well, he went for Jon and continued to go all day long and was sent home in the SAME pull up that he wore that morning!!!! We were so proud. We continued the same cycle that evening and made it to bed with no wet pants all day long!!!!! He proved he could do it again on Thursday and we are all so excited.

Needless to say all good things must come to an end. Friday he did pretty well but amid some distractions - we had some company over - he did go in his pull up that night. Saturday was a little rough because we weren't home to really try to keep him on a schedule. We tried as best we could but he doesn't particularly care for public restrooms (who does!!!). That is going to pose a bit of a challenge.

All the same we are very proud of our "almost big boy" and will continue as best we can with the potty-training.

A visit to ........ Dr. Seuss????

I never thought a two year old could be so entertaining but ours keeps us in stitches quite often. Friday morning presented such an occasion. As a precursor, I have to add that Xander LOVES to read before bed and constantly begs for just one more story. We recently introduced him to the sing songy rythyms of Dr. Seuss. Taking that into consideration, this is the conversation that took place friday morning in the Hughes household.

Jon having recently returned from leading a group of jr. high/high school students on a ski retreat, thought he may have injured himself in the process. He'd had a pain in his chest since he got home and we finally deduced that he may have a cracked rib. Friday morning he finally decided it might be time to call the doctor and have it checked out. Xander, being the astute and observant toddler that he is was taking in our conversation about going to the doctor. After being home with dad a few days that week, because he was sick, he deduced that we must be going to the doctor for him.

As we were getting ready for the day he started saying, "I don't want to go to the doctor." ( He actually LOVES our doctor and loves going to see him.) I told him that was OK because daddy was actually the one going to the doctor. We started talking about the doctor and I asked him what his doctor's name was. He looked and me and said,very matter of factly, Dr...... Seuss. I cracked up laughing and of course at that he continued to answer the question with the same response. He was so matter of fact about it, Jon heard me laughing and came to get in on the conversation. He later shared it with our doctor who also thought it was hilarious.

On another note - I think we must have the smartest toddler in the world (doesn't every parent think so). Xander read to me Friday morning. Well, maybe not so much "read" as recited words that he probably memorized from hearing the same story over and over and over. He has recently become very attached to the Eric Carle story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". I enjoy the story too and read it to him a lot before he goes to bed. Friday morning as I was getting the kids dressed he asked me to read it. Being the big brother that he is and, at this point, the only child who can talk or make any kind of decision, I often let him decide if he wants to get dressed first or if he wants Avery to get dressed first. He ALWAYS wants to go first.

So, when he asked me to read the story I explained that I had to get Avery dressed first and that maybe he should read it to me. ( I didn't really EXPECT him too). He opened the book to the title page and said, "the very hungry caterpillar". He then proceeded to recite nearly every word on the first page - "In the light of the moon, an egg lay on leaf." He turned the page "the sun, POP". For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, when the sun comes out the little caterpillar pops out of the egg. He continued reciting some of the fruits the caterpillar eats along with, "Still Hungry". When he finally reached the page of Saturday, when the caterpillar eats all kinds of junk food he said "sing mommy, sing." Mind you I don't really "sing" but I do try to recite the page quickly and without taking a breath - he seems to like it best that way. I was very impressed. So much so that we invited Jon to share in storytime later in the day and for a special treat - Xander read the story!!! What a big day for our little guy!!! I can't believe that we could enroll him in preschool this fall if we wanted too. Of course, he has to decide to be a real "big boy" and go pee pee on the potty first - Another story for another day!!!

All this freetime

No one ever told me that being a mom was an easy job, no one could have expressed how incredibly rewarding it is either. I've been reading blogs for a while now and enjoying them so much that I decided that in all my "free time" I'd like to start my own, so here I am.

Life passes us by so quickly, and we often don't take time to enjoy the little things. I often find myself in a moment with the kids - especially Xander - thinking, I've got to write that down. But then I don't and needless to say the memory goes undocumented and evetually becomes forgotten. Hopefully this will help me be a little more intentional about documenting those "little things", especially since I've got others to share them with.