two red lines

halloween discoveries

We realized today while cutting out crate paper pumpkins that if you turn them upside down they look amazingly like elephants.  It was the first time I have seen Vi draw eyes in the right place on something.  Her elephant was perfect.  Much more crafting on this rainy day.  Oh, Happy Halloween.   The fidgety artist.

 

about Vi

When we moved to Portland and into a new house Violet went from sleeping in her big girl bed next to our bed in our room to sleeping in her big girl bed in her own room.  The transition went more smoothly than I thought possible.  Keeping her through the night in the bed has been a struggle however.  The last few weeks we decided that she was ready to go to sleep on her own. Previously we stayed with her for a back rub and shut eyes till we snuck from the room.  So now we are tucking her in with hugs and kisses and a wee small rub then leaving her in her room to fall asleep on her own.  And at first I thought it was easy peasy because she was like see ya tomorrow, I am going to sleep on my own now Mama and Papa.  So Andrew and I would leave her room and within ten minutes it would get really quiet in her room and she would be fast asleep.  However, something happened about the second week.  Now, after we leave her in her room to fall asleep there begins a lengthy process of convincing Violet that she doesn't have to go potty a fourth time or that the pain in her leg is only "going to sleep pains" and that when she wakes up in the morning it will be gone.  Once in awhile we might think she has gone to sleep only to hear a characteristically sneaky creak come from her room and see her little pj'd figure standing in the door.  A lesson here....if you think change came easily, you were wrong.

The other thing about bed time is this thing she does when bedtime is approaching...she will start in with these questions, are you my friend mama?  Which is code for are you going to put me to bed tonight.  And as we begin the bedtime routine the asking gets more hysterical if there is any ambivalence about who is putting her to bed.  I myself would prefer to have Papa put me to bed as I think he possesses a whole lot more patience than I do and he always whispers sweet things to her when she is tucked in.  Often they talk about the next day and the friends she will get to play with.  But still she starts in with me about this friend stuff.   I have assured her that I am pretty much life-long friend material but after the 100th time of hearing this phrase it starts to feel like nails down a chalkboard. 

Vi is also having some confusion about birthdays and more specifically why we get to have them too.  I think it is a little confusing that Papa's birthday comes ten days after hers then Mama's comes two weeks after Papa's.  It kind of feels like we may be stealing her show.  So when we bring up birthdays she sort of pauses and reminds us that she just had a birthday with this quizzical look of confusion because really wasn't she the only one with this whole "birthday" thing?  I can safely say she can steal my show this year as I am feeling 40 breathing dangerously down my neck. 

warm feet

I really am studying but I just couldn't help sharing these adorable slippers with you.  Might have to justify warming Vi's feet with them somehow. 

fall

Overheard in the cafe over a shared hot chocolate with Violet.  One teenage girl says to the other, Yeah, and why would I want to use my brain?  I felt the same way after a rather large midterm yesterday when the professor thought it would be a good idea after our two hour essay exam to stay for the remainder of class and think some more. 

I know, I know, you need pictures.  I have them and they are locked in my camera with dead batteries keeping them oh so out of reach. 

I have a class this weekend and am not looking forward to the family time impingement.  Alas, it's just a few days though.  Violet and I had a good time today being trapped in the house with a car that was intermittently starting.  Luckily the sun has been out and brilliant so we were able to hop (and in Vi's case this is mostly true though she does more of a sashay) down to the cafe for a treat then to the park.  Sweet fall sunny days.

who is this guy?

To me a few nights ago, Andrew, should we be part of the PTA?

Me, uh, sure.  But that's a few years away.

Andrew, well maybe we could get our agenda worked out now so when we do join the PTA we can dominate. 

Me, sure honey, whatever you think.

I am pretty sure this is one conversation I will have to remind Andrew he had. 

setting the record straight

This morning....

Papa, get up in your chair and eat some cereal kid.

Violet, I'm not a kid Papa, I'm a girl.

Also a request that Papa be a dinosaur for Halloween.  He he. 

a petite boring Monday post

We had a successful overnight on Saturday night.  I have been cleaning the house this morning trying to get together a bit of a recap for you, something to smile about on a Monday morning, but I am not coming up with a whole lot.  Andrew and I had a really amazing night together.  We spent a lazy afternoon walking around the neighborhood, stopped for coffee.  When we walked over to the restaurant that we were dining at I thought whatever were we going to talk about given we had been alone for several hours already and hadn't been able to talk like that for awhile.  Turns out we had plenty to say.  When we were sitting in the very popular Thai restaurant eating succulant meat with our fingers I saw us across the room in a mirror.  Not only did I feel happy, we sure did look happy too. 

Violet has quickly become a fixture at Hallie's house.  She, reportedly, did great.  Piles of giggles. 

I have some big projects at school cooking up. Lots to do and holidays beckoning (Vi claims now she wants to be a "costume" for Halloween).  With a few birthdays behind us I feel like we could use some monotomy.  The rain has moved in to help with that. 

Loves.

GOAT

Holy buckets of three year old energy. 

Zoo pictures are really only interesting if you were the one taking them.  I am going to post one anyway cause it makes me happy.

Violet is having her first slumber party away at Aunt Hallies on Saturday.  I don't know how I am going to make it through the night.  It's my honeys birthday so we are going out on the town.    I can't wait till we get to pick her up Sunday morning.