5 Beautiful Years

I haven't written here in two years. Two years. At my last check in, you had just turned 3 years old. Now your are 5. Half a decade has passed since I danced right into labor while waiting for the pizza guy. Half a decade since you came flying into our lives.

I knew I wanted to sit down today and write this. Now that I'm here, though, I'm finding it hard to find the words. I want to give you something to look back on, something to give you some clues about who you were at this age. So where do I begin?

Well, to start, you are amazing. You're smart, funny, vibrant, quirky, and curious. You make me laugh every day. Some days it's in the way you tell stories, very matter of fact and with a tone of voice that makes you sound like you're trying hard to be so much more mature than you are, with your hands gesturing to make your points. Sometimes it's your terrible knock knock jokes. Seriously, terrible jokes kid. They are so far off from making sense that we can't help but laugh. Sometimes it's the way you giggle when you fart. Yeah, I said it. But everyday, in some way, there's laughter in this house.

You talk all the time. All.the.time. Some days the chatter drives me nuts, but most days it makes me smile at how much you want to learn and how much information you have to share with this world. Your enthusiasm bubbles over and is contagious. You also sing. You sing in the car with me as we run our errands, you sing in your room when you play, and sometimes you even sing as you're falling asleep. Often, those late night ballads are Spanish songs you've learned in preschool. "Tengo muchas cosas en mi mochilla...." Yesterday, with great concern, you asked me what you would sing when you grow up (you're going to be a famous singer, you know) because you were afraid that all the songs would have been sung by then. I promised you that you would have your own song to sing, no matter what, and I truly believe that. Maybe you won't be the next Katy Perry (but who knows, maybe you will!) but you definitely have a story and song to share with this world.

You like horses, all things horses. Your birthday party this year will be at a farm so that you and your friends can have horseback rides. You swim like a fish and you still love it. Year after year, swimming has been your constant. You adore the ocean. If you could walk on the beach every day, you would. You've done amazingly in your Spanish preschool this year and made many great friends. Ezekiel is one of your best buds and you happily tell us, frequently, that his favorite color is red. Yours is currently orange, by the way, although pink comes in a close second. Your favorite stuffed animal changes frequently, and if I asked your favorite food, you'd probably say macaroni and cheese. That's what you chose for your birthday dinner tonight, by the way.

You like bugs. You like dirt. You like finding bugs in the dirt. You also like Disney princesses and unicorns and rainbows. You are so perfectly you.

You also still whine, a lot. You're worried about being a big girl going off to Kindergarten, although you don't always show it. You get annoyed with your folks and roll your eyes like a teenager. With as much as you talk, as capable as you seem, it's easy to forget just how small you still really are. So we have our hard days, we have our struggles. You and I, we're basically stuck together at the hip, some days by choice and others, not so much. Where you go, I go, and vice versa. You're still growing, adjusting to this big world, and truthfully so am I. My world tilted on it's axis when you arrived and I'm still finding my new balance. But in the past 6 months or so I feel like something has finally clicked into place. Most days we revolve around each other in relative harmony, instead of bouncing off each other like pin balls. This makes our days much more fun.

Your relationship with your dad is pretty awesome, by the way. You two have the best adventures. He has taught you how to play video games, how to fly quad copters, how to build PVC forts.  He also reads you bedtime stories, plays dolls with you, and does cool science experiments. He's pretty cool.

Ending these things is always hard. I don't want to be too sappy, but I don't want to be nonchalant either. I could pretty easily go on and on about how much I love you. But let's just say that I think you're a pretty amazing kid and leave it at that, hmm?

You're Three!

Dear Tara,

I've been remiss in posting here. Somehow the past year has just slipped away from me. But I could not miss writing to about your third birthday. Tara, you are now a bright, vibrant three year old. You weigh 35lbs and are 39 inches tall.You've been three for 25 days. 25 busy, event filled days! We've had an action packed month, lady!

Your Grandparents, my mom and dad, came for a visit for your actual birthday. They stayed for a week and you loved the fact that they brought their pet parrot, Sassy, and that Grandma took you on your favorite "horse", Seaweed, on the carousel at the zoo. You asked for a "Silly Rapunzel" birthday party and that's exactly what you got. Your party had pink cake, paper lanterns, lots of bubbles and lots of friends. You, my dear, are clearly loved.

On the day you turned 3, June 1st, we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa as they returned home. Two days later you and I got on a very large plane and flew to the other side of the country to visit your Maga and Papa, daddy's parents. They were so excited to see you! You've grown quite a bit since they last saw you. Although you had some rough spots settling in among the new place, new people, and new time zone, overall you did fantastically. You helped Maga feed all of her fish every day, and many days you fed the dogs, Tucker and Lady, and Daisy, the cat. While we were there we went to the beach with your cousins, picked strawberries, explored a castle-like house, saw some really cool cars, got to ride on a steam train, and eve got to see real dinosaur footprints! Down the line, you may not remember this particular trip but let me tell you, that was one heck of a summer visit to Maga's!

Over the last year we've watched you grow an incredible amount. You've always been an advanced talked and that hasn't changed, yet since you've turned 3 we've noticed that some of the misspoken words that remind of us the baby you once were are now dropping away. For as long as you've known who she is, you've pronounced the super hero Wonder Woman (your absolute favorite super hero) as "Wonder Homen". Just a few days ago, you woke up saying Wonder Homen and went to bed saying Wonder Woman. Another piece of my baby girl slipped away. The big girl who is taking her place, though, is pretty fantastic.

You like all things pink. If pink, on anything, is a choice, that's the one you'll pick. You like Disney Princesses. Ariel, Rapunzel, and Aurora are your favorites. You adore all things mermaid and you're rather fond of unicorns. My Little Pony is a big hit in this house. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are your gals, in that exact order. You enjoy books about ballet and fancy things. Yet, for all that, you also adore your super heros, stomp your dinosaurs through the mud and into the waters of bath time, and have no qualms whatsoever about playing in the dirt. I can't seem to keep your face clean anymore! You are definitely your own girl and I love getting to watch that girl develop and grow.

If asked, you're quick to tell people that your favorite animals are flamingos and dolphins. You can mostly count to 20 and are beginning to recognize letters of the alphabet in the world around you. My heart smiles when you stop to point and proudly exclaim "T! T for Tara!". Books are still a big part of your world, and hopefully will always be. Lately, you prefer to have us tell you stories at bed time, stories out of our imagination. Your own imagination is growing by leaps and bounds. I love to listen to you playing with your toys. Perhaps you'll be telling us stories soon. You still sleep with a blanket over your head (but, thankfully, you now actually sleep!).

For all of the fun that we have with you, I'm not going to lie and say that 2 was easy on this house. They don't call them the terrible twos for nothing and you, at 2, really gave us a run for our money. From what we can tell, 3 is starting out the same way. You're a vibrant, energetic child with a stubborn, willful streak a mile long. You're both very independent and terribly dependent, mainly on me, depending on the situation. You tend to be shy when first meeting people and need some time before opening up. Social situations with peers can sometimes be difficult for you, as you learn to interact, play, and share. You don't like to listen to mommy and daddy, because you'd much rather be doing exactly what you want to be doing. Right now you often are overwhelmed by huge emotions that your young brain and body just don't know how to handle yet. This is a daily struggle, but we'll work through them, together. You don't take our word on anything, which is a trait that may serve you well down the road. You really make me think about what raising a child is all about.

You are also inquisitive, joyful, adventurous, silly, and loving. Your smile melts my heart (especially your "cheese!" face for photos!). You have a fantastic memory. You try very hard to help us in everything we do. You remind us to slow down and see the fun in life. You still hold our hands and ask us to swing you.

I love you with all of my heart, my big three year old girl. Let's see what this next year holds for us, together, shall we?

Love,

Momma

Megan's Baby Shower

I have been terribly remiss in keeping up with my blog, so let's change that, shall we? Last month Tara and I took a trip back home, to Wisconsin, to visit my mom. While there, we stopped over in Minnesota for a visit with my dearest friend from high school and also attended her baby shower. Seeing as though baby could be gracing us with her presence any minute now, it's high time I got on with the pictures.

So, without further ado, I present my beautiful friend Megan and all of the lovely women that came together to welcome her baby girl into the world.

2 Amazing Years

Dear Tara,

27lbs, 9.5oz, 36 inches tall, and you are now 2. You're amazing, vibrant, extremely verbal, active, beautiful, and you are now 2. In fact, you've been 2 for nearly a month now. Many evenings I've sat down to write, and many evenings I've left it unfinished. I don't know why, but I've found this post to be the hardest one to write yet. Putting who you are into words is more difficult than ever. Your vibrant personality, your stubborn nature, your advancements and achievements...I don't have the words to do you justice.

I know everyone says this, but I'm amazed at the differences that 2 short (but also very long!) years has made. Just look at who you were 2 years ago.

My 7 lb 9oz, 21 inch baby has grown into a full blown toddler! 

We spent your birthday this year in Connecticut with your dad's family. Your Maga and Papa, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and both Great Grandmas came together to make your day a special one. You didn't really understand that the birthday party was for you, because you'd recently been to a number for other friends, but when you realized that we were all singing "Happy Birthday" at you, your face broke into the most fantastic grin. It was beautiful to watch.

Everyone adored you, and you fell in love with them. You had so much fun and still ask to go see Maga and Papa, along with Lady and Tucker, their dogs. We only wish it was easier to visit them. You didn't exactly do the best on the long, cross country flights. We spent a lot of time apologizing to the people in the seats in front of you. Thankfully, you're pretty cute and they understood. 

So, let's see. I should probably tell you a little about what you can do. By 19 months old, you could count to 10. Now, you count reliably to 13, sometimes with 14 and 17 thrown into the mix. You sing the ABC song and are starting to recognize letters. You've got all of your colors down pat. Brown and white are particularly cute, since you pronounce them as "browned" and "wipe". We still go to swim lessons twice a week, and you're doing really well! You like lessons so much that I often catch you singing our swim songs outside of swim class.

What else? Well, you're tall enough to reach the light switches in the rooms, which you enjoy. You talk, a lot. You're amazingly verbal, using complicated concepts like "maybe" and stringing 4-5 words together into full sentences. Just a few days ago, while playing with your dinosaurs (another favorite right now), your dad heard you say "No sharptooth. This one don't have mouth." (All t-rex like dinos are "sharpteeth", thanks to the Land Before Time movies, and apparently that one didn't qualify because its mouth was closed.)

Not too long ago, you used to say "oots!" instead of oops. Can you get any cuter? I mean, really.

You love to sing. I love to listen to you sing.

You're also sneaky, in a completely obvious toddler way, and rather stubborn. You like to say or ask something, knowing that we'll likely repeat it in order to confirm what you said, and then reply "Ok!", as if it was all our idea. 

"Go park?" 

"You want to go to the park?" 

"Ok!" 

Yeah, I've fallen for that one once or twice. You have your fair share of terrible 2s. You only hear what you want to hear and often get very angry when you hear something you don't want. Getting you to go to sleep is frustrating. Getting you to sleep past 6am is impossible. 2 years in and we still haven't won the battle over sleep.

Seriously, though, you are generally a joy. Yes, you have your trying moments. Yes, mommy and daddy think we're going insane sometimes. But you make up for it with the way that you like to make sure everyone in the family, including the cat, gets proper goodbye hugs and kisses any time someone leaves the house. You make up for it when you burst out into a full rendition of "Let It Go" complete with dance moves. You make up for it with "big hugs", smiles full of sunshine, and the best little giggle.

There's so much more. So much. I just don't have the words, or the space, to truely explain who you are. Just know that we love you, love watching you grow, are looking foward to who you will be, and will most certainly soon miss who you are now.

I love you, baby girl.

Love,

Momma

P.S. You have a thing for sticks right now. What's up with that?

Easter 2014

I really looked forward to Easter this year. Last year Tara was just too little to really get what was going on. This year, this year I could actually have a little fun.

Tara's grandmother had sent an Easter book (Happy Easter Mouse!) along ahead of time, so we'd been reading at night about decorating and hiding eggs. On Saturday we set up a little egg painting station with food color dyes, q-tips, and a full body smock.

Jeff's parents - aka Maga and Papa - joined us on Skype to watch the whole messy process.

Tara had a good time painting the eggs and really enjoyed the crunching sound they made as she smooshed them into the table! We think they came out pretty well, if we do say so ourselves.

After Tara went to bed, I started in on my roll as Easter bunny. At not quite 2, candy isn't really a part of her life. Therefore, I wanted some simple, fun items to fill her basket with. As luck would have it, I was able to snag a fantastic bunny/baby doll to serve as the big ticket item. For over a year now I've had my eye on the amazing dolls made by Patatine. I hope to snag a full sized doll for Tara at some point down the line, but I am equally enamored by the baby dolls that she calls "Poppies". This year she made up a few with bunny ears and I knew one had to be mine...err, Tara's.

In addition to "Belle", our poppy, I added some clothes, shovels, and snacks sent from Grandma, some stickers, a purple glow stick butterfly wand, and a few special eggs.

I knew I wanted to set up an egg hunt for Tara, since I have fond memories of egg hunts in our backyard as a kid. I loved the idea of dying wooden eggs for her, both so that she'd have some sturdy eggs that would last long past Easter and so that we'd have a fun toy that we could use for learning colors. While the dying process was a bit time consuming, I really had a lot of fun creating these for her. Thanks to some blue lips, though, I now realize that I'll need to seal them in some way if they're going to stick around for long term play!

I also wanted to have some fun eggs with surprises inside, but without candy. Tara likes the Tinkerbell movies and I came across a pack of Tinkerbell and friends stickers, so I thought that would be a great prize for the inside of the eggs. Each fairy character has her own color - green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue. By complete coincidence, the six pack of jewel eggs that I'd already bought came in those exact colors. I carefully cut each fairy out of the sticker sheet and tucked them into the eggs (as you can see above).

I may have gone a little nuts with the details the next day. I placed the eggs all over the yard and sprinkled "fairy dust" (glitter) all over each of the jeweled eggs...No judging! I was having fun.

 Jeff brought Tara out with a little bucket and showed her how to find the first egg. We told her that the fairies had come, along with the Easter bunny. After the first one she caught on to the game and didn't have much trouble finding the rest.

 While she examined her finds, I sneaked back inside and placed her Easter basket on her bed. Just the night before we had taken the front off of her crib, making it her new "big girl" bed. We felt that finding a basket of goodies in her bed might be a great way to get her excited about the big change. Once she'd picked up all the eggs, we told her that we'd seen the Easter bunny run out of her room and encouraged her to go see what he'd left.

She loved everything she found. Overall, Easter #2 was a rousing success. I can't wait for Easter #3!