What really makes for a good childhood?

A few years back Ainsleigh got one of those kid friendly cameras for Christmas. We finally downloaded all the photos instead of deleting the bad to make room for more.

The quality is pretty bad, but it was so much fun seeing all these photos that Ainsleigh has taken over the last 3 years or so, many times unbeknownst to us.

There were so many funny photos of Paige as a baby.

Ahh the days before Paige had her trademark head tilted, hand on hip pose for photos.

I bet half of them were photos of me sitting in the chair while Paige slept or nursed. You forget how of your day is spent that way when you have a baby.

Keeping it real

It looks like pbskids.org has also been a large part of her life. 

And how could I not love the early morning photos of me trying to smile while desperately hoping these photos would never be published on the internet?!

My favorites were definitely her self portraits.

I know it looks like a genuine smile but I was totally doing one of those, "Okay, I'll smile for the photo, but then you need to get out of the car because we are running late!" I hate that so much of our life is spent like that.

Then there were random still life captures of her toys and bedroom. 

It was very entertaining, but also a little enlightening seeing her perspective on our life. It hit home once again that this is my kids childhood we are making each and everyday. While Tim and I are worrying about making ends meet or getting time to ourselves, career changes and housework, we are inadvertently making memories for our kids that will make up their childhood when they are all grown up.

Who trusted us to do this?

Definitely thankful for a little "perspective." 

rough start

Paige and I just got back from riding Ainsleigh to school on our bikes. I have been trying to take her a different way so that she ends up at the crosswalk where she can ride across a somewhat busy street with the help of the school crossing guards. I am trying to prepare us both for the time when she can I let her ride by herself. It will be much easier if I know she is crossing there.

Like many times in our life together, she has decided this is something she "hates" doing. There is no logical reason for this. It is just something she has set her will against and therefore it is grounds for battle now. So it was THAT kind of morning. But I can't blame her too much. I was kind of hard on her with my "there will be no friends after school today" and "we are not riding bikes to school for the rest of the week because you have lost the privilege" threats. She hates crossing on the crosswalk, well I hate mornings like this.

It has been a rough week for all of us. Last night we lost power right before bedtime, while we were reading. The silence in the house made it so hard to sleep that I did a lot of thinking. You know the kind of restless, you should be sleeping but can't make your mind stop solving problems kind of night. I am hoping that things get better for all of us. It seems that we are not alone in our struggles. The transition to motherhood has been a difficult one for me. I know, it has been a few years so you would think I'd have worked out all the kinks by now but I am trying to have peace with my decision to stay home. I am really grateful that we can do it. I'm always questioning it though. It has been hard giving up my independence. I felt so much more stable when I knew I could make my own way without depending on anyone else. I know it will come again but it is hard for me as I'm sure it is for most stay at home moms.

So Ainsleigh is at school, Tim is at work, Paige and I are watching Curious George and another week has officially begun. I can only hope it is a good one, we all need it.

a coin and a pioneer girl

Last night, right before bed, Paige swallowed a coin. I thought, since she was almost three we would be pretty close to being past this kind of stuff. But no. We called her doctor's office and talked to a nurse. Apparently all we can do is watch for it. Sounds like fun, right?

Also last night, Ainsleigh decided that she would like to be Laura Ingalls Wilder for Halloween and Paige will be baby Carrie. I went to the fabric store today and bought a pattern, but man it takes over 3 yards for the dress and 1 yard just for the bonnet and another 2 3/8 for the pinafore. How did these pioneer folk afford the yardage their clothing required? I guess it is fine when you only have a few dresses and then hand them down or make clothes for the little ones out of the the bigger dresses when the older kids grow out of them. How's that for up-cycling? It was really fun getting fabric for new projects for both me and my girls and some to make little girl aprons to sell. 

The idea of making these dresses and bonnets reminds me of the Thanksgiving that my Mom made my sisters pilgrim dresses, hats, and aprons out of black and white fabric...I am going to hunt down that photo. At the time I was a little embarrassed of my family being a little weird but now I suppose I embrace it.

Photo as promised. Sorry Meghan and Carly but you are pretty cute. 

To be fair, thought I'd post this photo of myself also found while digging 

We picked raspberries at Country Corner with the Mom and Dad and the Foster cousins today. Temperature was 96 without the humidity factored in. We are definitely feeling it now! We are all pretty exhausted.

Off to change Paige's diaper and do some digging. 

helloo!!??

I can't believe it has been over a year since I've posted. So much has happened and I really miss having things documented here. I love reading back over the blog and remembering things that I have completely forgotten.

The plan is to really use this blog as a journal. So if anyone other than me reads it, I am sorry if it bores you to tears.

My two year old and seven year old. Time is flying.

Ainsleigh has started second grade. She turned 7 in July and this year is completely different than last year. I don't know if it is the teacher or the fact that her bff, Abby, is in a different class for the first time. We shed tears over that but I think it has encouraged Ainsleigh to get to know some other kids better. The first day was hard. I watched her walk into class a little awkwardly and unsure of herself. She moved past it quickly and so far it has been awesome. She actually loves to go to school. We have had lots of nights with school friends over...a blessing and a curse but you'll have that I suppose. She is a great at math and a really good reader. She tested at a 4th grade level at the beginning of this year.

I would love to homeschool her and move at her pace. We found some really great resources and groups that we could join locally. I've studied up on how we could use her art as part of her studies since she seems to love to learn that way. I was so excited but it just didn't happen this year. She is flourishing in school and obviously I'm proud of her and happy she's happy.

Some serious freckles have popped out this summer. I love them!

Paige and I get a little bored without her at home. I think I might lose my mind if I watch another barbie movie. We are working on potty training and Paige is once again taking really awesome naps that I missed with Ainsleigh home over the summer. One day she told me, "Mommy, Ainlee's my best friend. I reeeeeally love her!" I told that was nice and I loved her and she said, "No, I love Ainlee." We ride Ainsleigh to school on our bikes every morning though, so goodbyes aren't too bad.

Paige and her waffle and Ainsleigh with her girlified boy's bike

Summer break flew by. We read lots of books, starting out with sucky fairy and mermaid books that looked popular at the bookstore. Then we went back to the Little House books and read Little House on the Prairie and Farmer Boy. We had read Little House in the Big Woods at least two times and it is still Ainsleigh's favorite, by far. There were a few Series of Unfortunate Events books thrown in, plus The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. We got the movies for those and talked about how books are usually better than movies. Then we read my personal junior high favorite, A Wrinkle in Time. I can't believe how much she loved it! I was so proud.

Now we are reading On the Banks of Plum Creek. I just love these books. We learn so much from them. She loves to hear how they made different things but I was really interested in how Little House on the Prairie did such good job of respectfully teaching about the conflict between the settlers and the Native Americans. Better than any textbook could. Seeing it through a child's eyes with Laura as at the narrator is so honest and straightforward.

Paige is talking a lot now. We are cracking up because she answers so many things with "Yes" except she says it more like "Yeths!" There is a lot of spit involved with her S's but she's getting much better. She loves to dance and performs for us at least once a day. She reminds me so much of her Aunt Carly. I could totally see her performing for the nursery at church and singing Madonna's "Papa don't preach." Carly, that was awesome. Mom was so proud. Anyway...

My sister, Meghan is back visiting with her family and we spent last Saturday with them. Ainsleigh and Eden are the same age and they look so grown up playing together. They have been skyping and talking on the phone a lot. I think sometimes, between Grandma and Eden, Ainsleigh talks on the phone more than I do!

Paige and I are planning to do some drawing and sewing to round out our day. Hopefully Barbie can stay put away for one day. Gah! I hope so.