Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 - I have more photos to share. I guess I forgot all about a christmas post. yikes. It's really just Eli and Olivia ripping open presents. It's the end of February and they are so much bigger than in this photo. crazy how physically fast they grow. anyway - I'll be back for this post.

Indian Dance Party

Well, we decided to have a small group of kids over for a fun Indian headdress making / dance party. Monica, my sister, made some delicious Gluten free appetizers. Popcorn with crispy kale, Fennel salad with pistachios, deviled eggs, small beet sandwich bites, cheeses and fruits. It was all so scrumptious! We laid out crafty stuff for the Indian headdress – beads to hang from the sides and paper feathers to color on. Zach made a special dance mix with lots of Yo Gabba Gabba. It’s a must in our house. We danced (that picture of Eli and Olivia holding hands and dancing is amazing), we ate, we made stuff and we laughed. Even though the bunch ended up smaller than expected, it was fun to catch up with the mamas and see how big their little ones are getting.  

So some of you know and many of you don’t know that the last couple months my sister’s family and our family have merged under one roof… plus grandma. We’ve been living together for about 5 months. It’s actually been a lot of fun. We were a bit on the fence if this would work for all of us. 5 months later we’re kind of impressed by how well things are going. I mean overall it’s just great to see our kids growing up together and waking up together every morning. They’re the best of friends and knowing that when they grow older, calling each other cousins, will be so special. The bond will be strong. They’re only about 13 months apart. As I say this, I realize it's not always going to be this way. Life has a tendency to separate or challenge close bonds. As their parents, I hope we can keep this bond strong and full. I’m always curious if anyone has had any similar experiences? How do you keep the bond strong if the kids end up in two different states? We’ve been living in the now which really is all anyone has but my brain drifts off into the future almost daily with the “what if’s”. It’s a habit… it’s the problem-solving mother in me. I guess I need to accept the planner side in me and let go of the outcome. We’ll see how the relationship molds. Right now, it’s really amazing to experience the sweet and loving connection they have for each other. (note: I’m not really sharing the terribleness that does happen //pushing, shoving, taking stuff from each other, screaming and jumping on each other these two go in and out of daily – but with that, every morning, their eyes light up when they see each other – they run to each other and hug. It’s like seeing puppies playing guys… everyone’s happy and smiling.) Sweet moments are stronger than the chaotic ones. 

Buzzing Around with Olivia and Eli

It's the end of hot summer days and the beginning of cool fall nights. Time to start packing up the bathing suits and pulling out sweaters! YES! Yes, please. Yeah, I do realize that today was like 90 degrees but it's just a mind thing that I like to play along with... iiiiitttt's getttttttting cooooolder (hypnotizing voice) Florida why can't you have seasons... urgh. I'm happy that these two have had a ton of fun together this summer... beach trips, park days, coloring together, building blocks, walking the dogs, and especially going to their cousin's birthday party recently. I have to document this amazing little friendship Olivia and Eli have. While we step into a new season we'll be experiencing new milestones for both of them. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn! Goodbye 2's, Hello 3's (deep breath) I love them so much and will continue documenting their relationship together. (insert winking happy face) ;0)