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.