Record Breaking Birthday!

January 6, 2014

Low Temperature -16 degrees
Wind Chill  -47 degrees
Or, if you watched the news it probably did get to -52 somewhere!

Holy Moly! What a birthday to remember for Sylvie! Happy 8th birthday little lady! You rock our worlds. Today, after a lot of hemming and hawing, most of Chicago shut down. Schools, coffee shops, restaurants, stores, gymnastics, even CEO's send 11th hour emails to their staff allowing work-at-home-days. Which is good considering so many kids were suddenly home for the day as well!

And yesterday, January 5, was Sylvie's birthday party in Burr Ridge. Which happened during a big snowfall (again). I think we're up to 18 inches of fall officially in the recent past? So nuts! We were both nervous wrecks that people would cancel but they did not- phew! Party went well, we all had fun and even Jorge's car made it safely to and from and back into the garage!

January 3 we went downtown and hit up the new Doll of the Year and dealt with the snow and such there. Have I mentioned we have all been sick and hacking up a lung? Jorge has been on overload like crazy trying to keep us all afloat!

Happy Happy Birthday Sylvie!

Goodbye, 2013!

For us this was a decent year- nothing crazy wonderful or awful. We kind of skated through and enjoyed with smiles and lots of laughs along the way. Here are a few memorable things from this year.....

Sylvie turned 7. This has been quite a year for our girl. She is the most "squeaky wheel" in our family - so very verbal and wears her emotions on her sleeve. The end of 1st grade was very difficult in the friends sector, and we decided to meet with a child therapist. After the summer and having a break from friends, thing went well. Now, in December, we are having issues once again with anxiety, so we are back in therapy. She seems to really understand that she has these out of control feelings and runs through the house causing chaos, and then is very apologetic. BUT most of the time she is so so incredibly sweet, plays so well with everyone, loves her friends and writes songs and poems for them. She cares intensely for all of her relationships, friends, family and pet. She puts a ton of effort and energy into everything. This year she met a new best friend, Lily, and that has been so much fun. We went on a few adventures with her family and I'm sure she'll remember that she and Lily went to see "Frozen" together. What a pair- they are spunky, fun, silly and lively- so full of life! 

I would say this year was really the end of "babyhood" for Venice. Especially with her 2nd birthday, she has turned full-on toddler on us! We love her little words, she's like a parrot repeating things like crazy in her sweet adorable way. And she wants to play play play play play. She plays well with toys now- and can understand a pretend tea party, or a silly make-believe hunt for monsters. Sylvie especially has taken her under her wing and will play hide and seek and dress-up with her. On her birthday we met my mom at the mall and stopped in the Disney store. They gave her a crown from the Sophia the First series and she has been very in tuned with her "Fia" ever since. Sylvie and I have made her an amulet and found purple dresses to put her in and call her Sophia and she eats it up. She also follows in Sylvie's footsteps by being in love with Ariel and all things Mermaid. 

Me- I got bangs! But aside from that, in January 2013 my hopes came true and my old company hired me back on. We spent the first day of work measuring a cold, dusty space and I should have known this was a clue to how this year has gone. I worked on about 30 projects, measuring most of them. Stepping on glass and avoiding empty mousetraps. These projects that previously had been only in schematic design came to life and wow we were a busy company! I also gained a co-worker so that has been fun. And seeing some of these projects built is an awesome change. This company still feels like a good fit and as my husband said, I hardly ever complain about anything with my job, so I'm keeping it for awhile!!!! My favorite project was not a breadwinner, it was drawing an existing 1909 Prairie Style Home in Oak Park that had been remodeled nicely from a duplex to a single-family residence. It was just so neat, and I enjoyed laying out options for how the family moving in could use it. Looking forward to another good year with the company. 

Jorge is still with his company. He has flitted around different projects and spent a lot more time at home. Not much traveling this year has given him a chance to really bond with each of our kids. He spends hours helping Logan with his video game projects, finding amazing things for Venice to enjoy watching, and teaching Sylvie to sketch. He helped make a laptop Christmas present a reality for Logan and loaded it up with his favorite things. He's been my helper this year, though we have had a few fun date nights. He did sneak in a week in Las Vegas this fall for work, a bit of a memory from all of his travels there. By far the most fun were our family trips, especially the Indiana adventure to get the puppy. Jorge makes it so much fun to travel and be on vacation time, and just enjoys the heck out of life. Hoping this year is another good year for his company and he gets to touch an awesome project. 

Carly the puppy of course grew the most! She's 6 months old and such a keeper. She is very different in personality than our Abby, but I think she needs a family like ours. She is so intense, intensely loving us, wanting attention, looking to party it up at any given time. She and Venice go with the flow on all of our adventures, which is so appreciated as our family has so many places to be. We hired a dog-walker service and my friend Michelle walks her most of the time when I work. She loves the walks and her puppy training class. Can't say she has much self-control yet, but we're always working on it. All of the kids adore her. Venice wakes up and asks for her, pets her, tackles her, pulls on her, gets in trouble, and then goes right back for kisses. Carly takes it all and loves on her anyway. Logan especially has befriended this dog, she is always at his side. Sylvie likes to bring the dog up to her room and claim her bonding time privately or with her friends. 

We did not fly as a family this year but we had a quick decision to get a new-to-us car instead of spending $ to fix the old one. It was a weird transition at first but we are all used to the car now. And we took the new car for our trip to Indiana. We also went to visit mt brother and sister-in-law in Ann Arbor which was fun!

Logan was on a soccer team. It took a crew of adults to shuffle him to practice and then religious ed on Wednesdays and we all liked the Saturday games. He is proud of the goal he scored and looking forward to playing again.

(My Aunt Carolyn and me as a baby). 

I experienced two deaths this fall, and one earlier in the year. One was a friend from college. Not that he was my best buddy, but the idea that someone my age, with kids, could get cancer and die within a short time, was horrifying. Many friends from our college church St. John's came out to give him a good singsong sendoff and it was like a mini-retreat bringing me back to what and who I was back then. 

The other death was very difficult. Aunt Carolyn is my dad's sister and with the death of his own dad when she was 3, he was her protector. He was hit so hard with the news that she did not make it through what should have been an easy surgery. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a heart attack at her hysterectomy recovery.  My parents and uncle's family spent hours and weeks dismantling not only her life and her house, but also the legacy of my grandmother and great aunt who had lived there. Very sad but a testament to a beautiful life. There is something about hearing a eulogy that makes me strive to be a better person. My Aunt Lorraine also passed and at her funeral they played "Gentle Woman" that just runs through my head as a reminder of what I want to be. 

On a more upbeat note- my father in law Chef Paco had a year to remember! The family restaurant the New Rebozo opened a second branch and between the tv and newspaper and magazine coverage, a visit from Robin Williams, and plenty of silliness thrown in, they had an awesome year! Paco was asked to do a monthly cooking segment on tv and his personality is just shining through. He is awesome with the kids and so much fun! My mother-in-law, brother and sister-in-law cannot be left out of this either as they have all pulled their lions share of work getting 2 restaurants to stay running and amazing! 

I already posted about this one but Logan turned double-digits! That's a huge thing. We've been doing this parenting thing for a decade, and wow it's been a wild ride! We celebrated 16 years of marriage and in a few days it will be 17. Pretty soon we will have been married more years than not- how crazy huh?

Well this year has been dedicated to our kids health and happiness. They are our world and hopefully this year we can focus a bit more on us and our relationship together as well! Happy New Year everyone! 

One million Factoids.

Our family on Logan's birthday

10 years old!!!! He loved every minute of his laser tag birthday with all of the boys in his class. And every bit of birthday celebration for his big golden birthday.

Logan is good about practicing his recorder. And Carly was so adorable checking it out and turning Logan into a Pied Piper.

Today on the way home from school the kids had my mind spinning telling me 1 million factoids.

Me: "Okay, the Halloween candy is going into hiding in the basement. So if you want a piece in your lunch, we need to come up with a code word because if you say 'candy' in the morning, Venice is going to want some right then." Sylvie "What about 'cabbage." Logan "What about 'sweetie sweets.'" Me: "Well Logan. Venice knows what sweets are, so let's come up with something else." Logan "Unsweetened! Then she'll think it's not going to taste good!"

Logan: " We learned all about Ben Franklin and how he invented the library. And the second hand on the watch. And, And, And...." and he went on and on and on about all the things he learned today. "Mom I love 4th grade because I learn so many new things." "Mom, I'm a math guru." "Mom, girl in my class gave ME bunny ears today, usually I give them to her." "Mom, Girl in my class and I had fun making science flip books. I was making her laugh." "Mom, I blocked the soccer ball with my chest today."

Logan: "Mom, Dee Dee got three "Blurts" today. " What the heck is a blurt you ask? Well, just ask Logan! He'll tell you in a concise 20 minute rundown of what it is, how it happens, and who has them. So, basically if you "blurt" out an answer, talk out of turn, etc, you get marked on a chart. After a certain number of these offenses you miss recess.

Which brought around Sylvie blurting out anything interesting she could think of to change the conversation "Mom, we need to watch Bigfoot!" "Logan, do you believe in Bigfoot?" Logan "I'm not certain. But he is a Sasquatch. And the world IS full of possibilities, so maybe."

Sylvie: "I'm so excited about school tomorrow!" Me: "Oh, really? What's happening tomorrow?" Sylvie: "I just LOVE school!" I hope she loves school for a long time to come!

She and I went for a fun girl date time last night because Venice refused to let us hang out all evening together, so we plumped up the wish list for Christmas and birthday, consumed some sugary drinks, and just enjoyed non-baby music. She also read a chapter book out loud on the way home, she's a rockstar reader for having started late.

So after all of that and 50 other random conversations, as we're pulling into the garage Sylvie says "Oh, Mom. Guess what? The Clean Desk Turkey showed up at school today." Just a random "oh, and then this imaginary figure arrived in my classroom."  I was cracking up at the randomness and the blase way she said such a thing.

Venice has said some funny things lately too. This morning "Comfy!" when she snuggled into the bed. "I see you!"- first 3 word sentence. "Zana" is manzana. "Miss you"! is what she coos to the dog when we get home. She loves her "baby legs" leg warmers and calls them "Fuzzies." And if she's in a bad mood "No, V, no cute!" "No Yogan, no hi 5!" "No Mommy, no look!" She runs and throws herself on the floor for diaper changes. And she and Carly are both trying to bring me to tears by pushing the limits of feasible wakeup times, especially since the time change. So far "3:40 am" has been a winner. That day at work required espresso. Have I mentioned she has a cold and is miserable?  It's been challenging.

Carly is quite the character around here. Got a haircut putting her in the "cutest dog on the planet" category. She figured out how to get out of the yard. So I got myself over to the local home improvement establishment, bought things to blockade, fence in, corral. She got out again. I was dumping the trash in the alley and she got through a 2" crack in a blockade, and shoved her way into the alley. This dog strikes fear in me that she will disappear and I am constantly watching out for her and reminding her "stay in the yard!" I'm still not sure where she is getting out from, but let's hope I figure it out soon! She also knows how to put a paw on the chair and grab food from the kitchen table. Grrr.  Googling doggie behavior training now. She graduates from "puppy school" this weekend, but she has a looooong way to go! The kids however, are completely in love with this pup. And, she still loves me best:) I feed her and take her on walks and deal with her 4 am antics  What isn't to love?

The end of an era....

I've got a month left with my 9 year old and then on to a new era.....

Wow, age 10!!!!!! It seems so "double digits...." How the heck did I get through a decade of my son's life already? I want to do some of it again just for kicks. He was such a sweet kid through all the years and now it's been super busy here so he has to push (figuratively) for his attention a bit, and I feel bad. And then there is the freedom he has and independance. And kids come knock at our door and call on the phone to play with him- what's that all about? How did he get old enough for that? 

The other day I was with all 3 in a CVS right near the middle school at 3 pm. We were standing in line and getting things among a group of 3 boys who were buying snacks. No mom in sight. They knew just what to do. Dropped their backpacks at the door like the store requests. Paid and didn't overspend. And asked for double-bags so they didn't lose the candy and ice cream on their bike rides home. I'm looking at my toddler in my arms. And my 7 year old still eyeing the toys. And then looked to my son who could have walked right up to that group and fit right in given a few extra inches in height. He fit more in with the middle-schoolers than the mom and her kids group. So nutty!

Logan- I'm so very proud to be your mom. You are constantly thinking, not really questioning but seeing things in a new light. You are interested in so many things. This week's excitement is in medieval times. So you made a whole set of "cards" with paper that represent kings and queens and knights and dragons. Brick walls and moats of lava. Each has a point value and there are rules to the game. You play multiplication "war" with a deck of cards and get excited about how many Jack's you have or that you have all of one suit. 

This morning I was describing the Olympics ceremony where they shot the flaming arrow from the torch into the cauldron and you lit up hearing such a thing. I showed you the video and your whole brain starting ticking thinking of types of bows and arrows and flaming things you could add to your card collection.

Every morning you wake early, watch tv and snuggle with your stuffed animals, give me a hug when we run into each other. Make yourself breakfast. Pack the lunches into the backpacks for me. Play with Carly. And tell me "Mom, I just can't wait to go to school today....." and you always have some great thing you are looking forward to. You love school, I am so very happy. I think 4th grade is a good fit for you, and I hope you always have a love for learning and school. 

It's been a wild 10 year ride of being a parent and you aren't the only child to keep me on my toes. You have stood in line next to your two sisters and a puppy, the house, 2 careers, and of course things like family obligations. And yet you still just maintain a happy life, a good sense of self, and you are always there to hug us and tell us some amazing thing or fact that makes the moment right. 

I love you my Logan. My sweet sweet boy. Keep your head high and know we are all here for you. Always. 

The Dictator and the Mathemetician

This Sylvie is so so funny and has her own take on life, I tell you. Here is our dinner conversation:

Logan: "What would you do if you had your own world."

Me: "I would make people be happier."

Sylvie: "Okay, well, first, I would be the President of the World. And then, everyone would listen to me. They would all look alike. And dress alike. And wear tattoos with their names on them. And wear their hair the same way. "

Logan: "Would they all be the same height?"

Sylvie: "Yes, they would all be the same height, but I would be taller. Oh, and they would give me gifts every day."

Yup, we're going to have to keep an eye on this future dictator. Not letting her be president!!!!!

Mr. Logan, keeping us on our toes with his math homework. He has been doing word problems in his 4th grade class, and we are noticing he has a huge brain for mental math. He can add and subtract large numbers in his head and it's really cool to just see the mental time clock ticking away in his head! So impressed, I still second guess what 9 x 3 is! 

The Story of Carly

We have a puppy! And 5 weeks after her arrival I have a minute to write about it. What a ride! We lost our Abby 2 years ago and have been wanting a puppy for some time now. We went back and forth on whether to get her until the last minute. We were all set to say "no" when her photo arrived from the breeder and we just had to have her. So we plunked down too much money to reserve her for our own and made vacation plans around the date to pick her up from Terre Haute, Indiana of all places. I worked hard on researching the area to make it an awesome trip.


We had a blast, enjoyed our enormous suite and indulged the kids in room service. Twice. Highlights included.....

Go Karts for my future awesome driver, Logan

Teppan Dining with sake for him...

So, we got to the breeder where the kids were a bit nervous and Venice was obsessed with their cat who hates people.....

And we brought home the cutest puppy alive. 

And she is 12 weeks today and growing to be part of our family with a ton of love and plenty of treats. For all the saving the earth I have done using some cloth diapers we have one-upped things with plastic poop baggies by the carton-load. And it hasn't been easy to have a toddler and puppy under the same roof.

Bitey, whiney, barkey, and scratchy. Ruins things, eats things, is awake at all the wrong times. 

Loves us, loves the kids, gives the best "kisses", is super soft and squishy, hugs us back when we hold her, makes us laugh with her antics, our little Carly Puppy.Welcome to our family.

Summer 2013

Geodes!!!! Logan has had a mixed bag of emotions this summer. He's bored grocery shopping, and there have been a lot of trips! With a new family restaurant, they go with their grandpa to the store every Wednesday and Thursday morning, and then often come with me on Friday mornings to get groceries for our family as well. He started summer writing a huge book report in his binder, and will do xtra math online. He's also breezing through the random worksheets I print out. I forgot to buy a workbook for him, I have one for Sylvie this year. But basically he has been sporadic on learning, reading and writing. 

So I enjoy the opportunity to think outside the box a bit. We did a Swiss Family Robinson unit and I had the kids write up what they would bring on their island adventure. Then we watched the movie, which was really fun. I love watching classic Disney movies with the kids and really chatting about them over the following days. At a trip to the zoo, Logan came across a geode that was sliced in half and polished. His obsession was strong and all-encompassing. When I checked Amazon, they had kits where you break open a geode with real tools. So it somehow found its way to our Amazon cart and to our front door. The excitement was high as Jorge was home and we got to do this cool project right away when we returned home for the day. Geodes are a lot of fun and it was great breaking them open. 

I love that Logan takes interest in things outside of video games. I know summers are good for relaxing, for exercise, and for fun. But sometimes he misses his friends, competition, and the thrill of playing against someone who is not related to him. Basketball has been a good fit, and today we're planning a water gun fight. We're all signed up for soccer in the fall- super excited for that! Between the new puppy and getting ready for back to school, these last 40 days of summer should fly by. 

Loganisms

Logan stumbles downstairs, barely awake..."Mom, do you think when Sylvie goes out for coffee as an adult, I should own a coffee shop for her to go to? So then she doesn't have to pay?" So far for his future he plans to own a gaggle of huskies, play with and babysit for Sylvie's 4 adopted children (especially the 1 boy), and start his own business that is a food/ Lego place or work at Legoland.

Thursday evening by numbers...

Life runs 200 miles per hour around here. Especially on the 3 days I work. Thursday right now is our "easy day" as we have no formal after-school activities. Tonight wasn't anything to complain to the world about but it was bus-y!!!!

Here is a rundown by numbers.....

5:00 I leave the office
5:15 I arrive to pick up Logan and Venice at grandma's
5:25 leave grandma's. Logan talks the entire way home. Barbie movie is blasting and we cannot reach the volume (it's on Sylvie's side)
5:50 arrive at Sylvie's friends house to pick her up from a playdate. Venice is crying at full-volume. She's mad we are not nursing. Logan talks right over here about  a game on his iPad.
6:00 get everyone and everything inside and run over to put the water on the burner and turn the oven on. Run interference between all 3 kids needs and making dinner. Pull 3 separate things out of Venice's mouth (she usually doesn't do that!)

6:40 sit down to dinner.
6:45 everyone is done with dinner and I have to be done as Venice is throwing things and making a mess. Jorge calls saying he's on his way out of the office.

7:00 get Venice settled playing with toys, get the tv off, and open up the folders. Logan's homework is hard so we work on it together. Meanwhile I'm pulling Venice away from 50 things she doesn't need to be touching, dealing with mini-tantrums, and her obsession with playing with the ice and water dispenser on the fridge.

7:45 Sylvie has been working on an art project that required my help, and she's downstairs so assuming Jorge is walking in the door any minute now (it's been an hour) I chance having 2 kids doing homework that require mom's help, and one very naughty toddler.

7:47 Venice goes over to turn the volume WAY up on the stereo and Logan's screaming and upset, Sylvie's trying to get my attention, Venice is crying and I'm in the middle of dealing with something in  that takes 2 hands.

7:50 Logan goes in the family room to read his chapter book for awhile. Sylvie and I finish up her homework while I hold Venice and she gets her finger stuck in something, rips open a packet of wet wipes she swiped with her teeth and gets us both wet.

8:00 We all move to the family room after making sure all that homework is in the folders. Still waiting on Jorge. Venice starts whining about the tv being off. Logan starts wanting to go to bed but we have one more assignment.

8:10 Start reading for the "One Book One Family" project. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having the obligation to read and the kids have to listen. Love discussing the book, etc. But both years now Venice HATES this project!!!!!!!!! She whines. She bats the book away from me. She screams. She whines again.

8:15 she gets down on the floor to play.
8:16 she decides to hug Sylvie. And she gets her neck in a griphold and starts scratching with her nails. Screaming by both girls ensues.

8:17 Venice gets a time-out in the pack and play

8:18 We try again. Venice whines, I wonder where the heck Jorge is? We take a break from the book

8:24 We try again. I just read loud and talk over the chaos. I don't even know if the kids are listening. I just want this OVER. So do they. I try to summarize in meaningful ways so they understand it.

8:45 Jorge walks in the door, 2 hours after leaving the office. I'm trying unsuccessfully to put the baby to bed.

9:00 Get the kids to bed and try again for Venice.

9:15 Try again for Venice. Bring her to her room and rub her back and shush her until she finally. falls. asleep. Sylvie, on the other hand, is still awake in the same room. Sigh.

9:17 Do dishes, write a blog post, listen to Survivor.

10:00 Goodnight!!!!!

Tomorrow- is going to be even busier.

The one-and-a-halvsies are arriving!

What is our family up to? Venice is almost 17 months old and she's hitting the one-and-a-halvsies. Joy. She's turned full-on toddler on us and whiles she's still that sweet baby girl, she's voicing her opinion. As Jorge said today "sometimes it's about who is the loudest." and by girls are fighting to win that award! Venice is adorable and hilarious. Fiercely loves when Sylvie plays with her, especially "Ring Around the Rosie." Gives Logan big hugs. Begs Daddy for Elmo on his phone. And nurses like a crazy lady when I walk in the door from work. 

Just when I've been trying to wean, trying to get her to sleep better, and working with her on all of that, she's been running fevers this week. After a tempestuous 2 hour doctor visit it's looking like a UTI for Venice. So antibiotics it is, hopefully that helps her out. 

Logan, my man, passed out of SPEECH!!!!!! YAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!! So very proud of him. It's been 7 years, finally he can be so proud of himself for years of hard work. 

Sylvie is deciding to have her annual spring anxiety attacks. I have been working with the school psychiatrist and I have an appointment with her regular doctor to hopefully get a referral for some help for her. She needs it at this point. Tummy aches, school refusal, the works. It's not easy on any of us, especially her! 

We had a wonderful trip to Ann Arbor to see Joe and Emily's house and while it would have been nice to go further, it was okay that we didn't. It's been an extremely cold winter and even the warm places were not great in the weather department. We got a chance to see a show, which is where this photo is from. 

Thoughts

I work in a pretty urban area right now. Today I saw something that disturbed me and made me sad. A man who looked like my Dad about my dad's age, walked over to a guy who looked maybe 24 and gave him some money. That guy turned around and was yelling and fighting with the group of people he was with. I can tell exactly what happened. The guy went into Potbelly's and asked at every table if anyone had $ for lunch saying he was hungry. He does it all the time. He's one of a few and it's very unsettling to me personally if I see it. I hate for people to interrupt my personal space, put me on edge, and I hate worrying that someone is in need. And yet, I cannot hand over $. I just can't. This guy gives his every single day to begging. Every day I go into work, he stands on the corner and begs for cash and gives you flack if you don't give it to him. Why can't he work? Is he homeless? I wish I was brave enough to ask but he's very in-your-face and I don't feel brave enough to ask. And I feel guilty as a Catholic not giving to someone in need as well.

So anyway, back to my looks-like-my-dad guy, walking with his wife across the street. After he handed over his cash, that guy was causing a ruckus and looking like a fight was going to happen. It's spring break and there are kids everywhere. The gentleman who gave his money started getting mad at the guy's reaction. I mean, he went in begging for $ for food and he barely acknowledges the guy for giving him money and then starts causing issues right then. He got mad, started shaking his head and turned around in the intersection to go give Mr. Beggar Guy a piece of his mind. His wife grabbed him and said "don't you dare. You could get stabbed."

I couldn't get it out of my head. My dad's generation, born in the 50's- they learned to work hard. They had nothing handed to them but milk and cookies. All material things were minimal, with hard work for laundry, hard work for school (maybe even nuns!), hard work for college because it wasn't something everyone got to do or afford. My dad worked multiple jobs to afford college. They had a hard work ethic and I'm sure that guy handing his money over felt like that was a sacrifice on his part to hand over $20 or so.

And there was no thank you from this guy who felt entitled or bored or annoyed or drunk or drugged up or whatever. He had no reaction but to go back to disturbing the peace.

It hurts my heart that some do not give but take take take take take. And feel entitled for more. And others give and hope the recipient will do good things with it but apparently is a user. User of people. User of substances. Who knows. But today.... it made me sad.

Sibling Love by Logan

Yesterday we had an impromptu playdate when Logan's friend Hunter called for him on the phone. That in itself was cool, but when Hunter got here he was asking "So you have 2 baby sisters? That must be annoying." By the middle of the playdate Hunter was also playing with Logan and Monkey in the middle was a blast with all of us.

That night Logan was talking about the money Hunter had, $8000. Extremely impressive to Logan. And all the toys since he was an only child. You could tell it was on his mind. Meanwhile I spent the morning stressed by houehold things- trying to plan for a week of meals with 5 different people, trying to deal with having the house ready while I work at Crate and Barrel too much. And doing it all while keeping a 1 year old out of trouble and on little sleep because she doesn't ever sleep. Needless to say I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by our 3 kids myself.

Today Logan comes over and says "Mom, I'm glad I am not an only child, you know why? Because Venice and Sylvie are great sisters." Oh this made my heart sing! Between that and the fact that "Carol of the Bells" was on Pandora and I was feeling sappy about gearing up for Christmas this weekend, I definitely shed some tears!!!!

Who they are....today

Age 11 months- I have been looking through old videos and reminiscing about our older kids when they were young. It goes so fast, and yet so slowly, at the same time. Today, my Venice is a sweet handful. We call her "Venice the Adorable Menace." She reminds me so very much of Sylvie when she was little- she catches on to everything. Nothing gets past her. She just this week (at 11 months) has started saying words with meanings. "No" for Logan, "Mo" for Elmo, "Ga" for blankey, "Ayoo" for balloon, "Uh-oh" for well, uh-oh! She is a fierce hugger and will give them freely. She can and will walk, but not when you request such a thing. The other day though when I took this photo she decided she wanted something down the way and was just going to walk over and get it! She loves music and waves her arms and makes sounds until you turn on every radio, musical toy and cell phone in the vicinity. She is good at opening jars, and gets REALLY mad if you catch her after she's gotten the lotion or chapstick right to her mouth and is so very excited, only for you to take it away! She also raids the kids backpacks if you leave them nearby, she can open zippers in a flash and starts throwing homework left and right. She isn't a storybook baby unless you catch her at the right time. She would prefer to play on the floor with you, having you do things to make her giggle. She likes tub-time and is a good baby in the sink, doesn't try to climb out. She understands "help mama, " and takes pride in handing me silverware from the dishwasher one at a time, or carrying the coffee maker parts and pressing buttons. She is still an avid nurser and despite the fact that I am now working at Crate and Barrel part-time, she refuses to drink milk while I am gone. She just drinks water and waits for my return. She is doing well with grandma-babysitters. And she is trying to sleep better at night. Sylvie wants to pick her up and carry her around all day, and the girls fight over toys already. Venice wants everything Sylvie touches. Logan likes to be silly and a bit rough with her, but she adores him for it. They are definitely turning into a trio of kids and starting to enjoy the same things together. What an amazing little person this Venice is to add to our lives! 

Age 9- My handsome Logan- 9 years old!!!!! I can hardly believe it. I heard on the radio that age 9 is one of the prime years of our lives. I hope my Logan has a great one. Halfway through the school year he has made good friends with everyone in his class, and still has a few "best friends", especially Nick, who we do playdates with and he loves to be with whenever he can. He is in Flying High Gymnastics and while I don't think coordination comes easily to him, he works hard and has moved up the ranks. He is very muscular and likes being at the gym. His favorite though are the school fundraisers when he can use the giant inflatables with his school friends. He is learning a lot in Religious Ed. and is matter-of-fact about all thing spiritual. He still cooks on Mondays at the Rebozo and is starting to try new things. He really understands our life, our home and our routine. He's a rules guy and will wake up at 6:30 even on the weekends. He prefers his iPad over video games, unless Daddy is there to help, then Skylanders battles ensue! Homework isn't a battle, but he does not get excited to do it. He likes to do the bare minimum on anything he's not thrilled about. But will spend hours working on something he loves. He's still a very sweet person and will say things like "Mom, I'm sorry you had to deal with that." He has a lot of empathy for people and animals, and will get upset about someone in pain. Our sweet lovable Logan, he sure enjoyed his birthday this year. Liked being the center of our universe and especially the gifts!!!! 

Age 6 1/2- Sylvie girl, our lovely lady in the middle and always the star of the show. She has settled into good behavior a lot of the time, but she still causes a stir as she dashes through life, spilling this, coloring through that, asking for this, begging for that. We call her our spunky girl. She's the most likely to yell out "boo-yah!" over something as simple as hot lunch. She is a fiercely loyal friend, if you're on her good side. And if you have a particularly rough afternoon, she'll write you an "I'm sorry" picture with you and her holding hands. She likes things to be just so, always notices if I vacuum, and cares about the specifics of weather, the earth, animals, the who what when where why of our world. She's a good listener in that she likes to have a conversation, but she may be on to the next topic and not really "hear" you. She is just catching on to reading and you will find her sounding out words all over the place, drawing letters over and over (still backwards sometimes), and making little books. She's learning to be more independent, and still has her creative streak. She is so much fun, so funny, and likes to jump in when things get crazy. Her ideal is loud music, with all of us dancing, going crazy. She asks for playdates on a daily basis and would love if there was a "Barbie hour" where I would sit and play with her every day. Clothing is her kryptonite and she never has enough. "Justice" is her store of choice. She does well with gymnastics and ballet and Religious Ed. Hardly ever says she doesn't feel like going. Lilia says ballet her "her time" where she pushes her own body to do it just so, it's not about friends, it's her own zen time. I love that and I'm so grateful for the opportunities these babies have had. Thank goodness for our Sylvie. Without her our family might be boring, and who would want that right? Love all three of you kids!!! Love, Mom

Palm Reading Questions

There is a little place with a psychic near where we ate lunch, and they had a sign "10 questions for $10" so I decided to give it a whirl. Here is what she said, it'll be interesting to see if it's true!

-Will I get a new job soon? ~ Yes, in 3 months
-Will it be in architecture? ~ Yes, strong yes on this one
-Will Jorge stay at his company? ~ Yes, it's a good place and he likes it there. He's due for a promotion soon.
-Will Sylvie be a ballerina? ~ For fun, but not as a career
-Will we stay at our house? ~ For now, a 5 year and 15 year decision.
-Will Jamie have another baby? ~ Yes, one more
-Will Mom and Dad move to Michigan? ~ Yes, they like it there

36

Jorge "Mommy is going to be 36 tomorrow." 
Logan "Well now she's on the wrong side of 30." Laughter. 
Me: "Logan, where did you hear that?" 
Logan." Mom, it's simple math. After 35 you round up." 
Thanks for aging me 4 years Logan. 
And when I'm 44, can you remind me to round down?

Explorer!

This little Venice is giving us a run for our money lately. Maybe all the kids were like this, but our house is so set up for older kids and adults it's been a challenge to say the least. She is 9 months, 1 week and getting into everything. She can pull herself up and down like a pro, cruise along furniture, use her pushcart or a random box to get herself from here to there. And her crawl is  still this fast little hermit-crab imitation. 

We spent the weekend a few weeks back making the back entry safe for babies so we could tie our shoes without pulling legos out of a baby mouth and she discovered the back door. She loves to hang out here and see the kids, trees, squirrels. Unfortunately, she also loves to mess with all the cords and outlets right next to the door, and manages to find half a crushed cheerio, dirt, and legos wherever she can. Sigh. 

She's such a good little explorer. She loves to take in everything, will help me push the button to start the coffee in the morning. She wants to imitate everything the kids do and will throw baby temper tantrums if she is pulled away from something exciting. 

I just gave her a little box with a few pieces of paper grass and she has been intrigued  right next to me the whole time I've been typing. She really figured the box out. Most everything makes its way to her mouth but she does take time to explore in other ways. 

Like Logan she still likes to drum on everything, banging with her arms straight in rhythm and making herself giggle. Like Logan is fascinated with all things outside- grass, squirrels, trees, shadows. A neighbors cat came for a visit and I had both girls outside for quite awhile playing with her. She follows the little dogs around at the grandma's houses, and always has to know where her siblings are. 

We have kept busy so far with the school days starting, including lots of biking. Yay! I love biking. She keeps falling asleep though so I am trying to time it not to ruin a real naptime with a catnap. She goes with the flow of dropping the kids off at school. Dinnertime is not easy, and homework is a 2 adult project because she is not having it that mom plays with the big kids. But so far we're doing okay. 

I keep waiting for her to decide to just take a step away from the couch. She's definitely steady enough and her legs are strong enough. She just has to get brave enough. Time will tell! 

Favorite Board Books

Having a third child makes you reminisce on the other 2 as babies!

This is Venice's favorite book by far. It's a touch and feel book and she adores the "grass" page especially. "Little Feet Love."

This was Logan's favorite book by far as a baby. It was a lift-the-flap book. He loved it! "Dear Zoo."

Sylvie likes Silly books. She got a kick out of "Five Silly Monkeys."

Mmm..... Turkey....

Venice has these pretty little curls. She gets lots of compliments on them and a lot of attention for them when we are out and about. Sometimes they are super curly, sometimes they are unruly. We went through a "curly mohawk" phase that was quite comical. I try not to feed into the attention too much when Sylvie is around because I know hair is her thing, and if everyone thinks curls are great, she's going to be jealous.

She has tried to comb them flat after a bath, but hasn't said too much about them. Today she got upset about her sister's curls. I was combing Sylvie's hair and telling her how lucky she is that she has such shiny hair. She said "I think Venice will have straight hair like me." I said "She might not, it might be curly or wavy. But your hair will probably be shinier." She got upset, saying she always wanted wavy or curly hair.   I told her everyone has things they love about themselves, and envy about others. And had a little "love thyself" conversation.

I said "For example, remember you have those long skinny legs that I always wanted."

She said "Yeah, let's hope Venice gets Turkey Legs instead."

For the Record, and an Interview....

Recently Logan has made some blanket statement on his beliefs. I've been pretty open telling the kids some people don't believe in some things we believe in.

Logan believes the world will "happen over again." Has mentioned it multiple times. Kinda not sure what that means- reincarnation on this same earth or end of the world and a new beginning.

Logan does not believe in Aliens or any other life on another planet. I was trying to describe Area 51 and such and he just dismissed it and said "it doesn't exist."

Logan and Sylvie believe there are multiple Bigfoot guys in multiple locations through the USA.

Logan does not believe in ghosts, Sylvie does.

Logan thinks the world will go on forever and ever, Sylvie believes there will be an ending.

Sylvie emphatically believes in angels, Logan is wishy-washy but says "yes."

Sylvie is going adopt '2 girl kids.' Logan does not think he will get married or adopt a kid.

Logan wants to work at Legoland when he grows up. Sylvie wants to do homeschool and be a teacher and teach kids.

She who shall be renamed

Driving in the car....
Sylvie "Mommy, I'm going to rename Pink Blankey."
"Her name is going to be 'Stephanie.'"
"And Green Blankey, she will be named 'Ed.'"

Oh wow these kids crack me up. Logan got a blue blanket that we have no idea who gave it to him so when he started asking we said "Paco gave it to you when you were a baby." he LOVES this blanket. And Sylvie, well, when I found out she was a girl, I went out and bought a pink version just for her. And Venice, she got a purple one.

So here are my kids Logan with Blue Blankey, Venice with Purple Blanket, and Sylvie with Stephanie!