Punkiness

Abigail went to the punkin patch yesterday. Jess took this awesome picture of her. She is wearing her poncho that Shannon sent us. The poncho is from Peru. Abigail is from Washington (he he he) but she had a great first trip to a punkin patch. She took advantage of testing her freedom, explored the world, and played with fun animals that we always are trying to get her to say the sounds of because it is just too darn cute!
The pictures from there trip are the best. I almost feel like I was there. It makes a big difference for me that I can see some of her life through these pictures...it

Random Update

Things are going great right now which I shouldn't jinx. But life isn't too unmanageable. I am trying despearately to stay on top of my classes that I am taking. I know how I am with procrastinating, so I have to stay one step ahead of the homework at all times. I'm doing okay and we're almost halfway through the quarter. The kids are doing good.

Tyler is working on losing more of her teeth. Lately she has been coloring up a storm. She's also started decorating her walls with math problems she writes up (like 1+0, and 2+2, and stuff like that) She seems happy and content. She has been spending more time in her room than I have ever seen her do, she seems to be making it her home :) She plays and sets up houses, and builds stuff.

Ricky is doing his best in Spanish, I keep telling him that it will only get easier, he's in the 8th grade now, so by next year in high school he'll be ahead. Tonight he's in Walla Walla for his second to last football game. They won their last game, he's hoping they win again tonight. Personally, win or lose? who cares, its how you play. but I'm not the one who's playing either, so I keep my opinions (some of them anyway) to myself.

Abigail is rockin and rollin the walking thing. It is amazing how her learning is on an up swing right now. She's back to doing something new almost everyday. Tonight when we were leaving Jess's house we were driving by where the high school practices football, and I said football, and out of her mouth came (and perfectly) "football", it was so frigin cute. We brought a little chair that my very close family friend Jackies dad made out into the living room for Abigail and she loves it. She crawls in and out, brings up her books, stands up (we say sit down and she does but she smiles that little mischevious smile) she's super busy with all of the walking and talking she's doing.

James is leaving on Sunday to go over to Seattle for training/school. Totally cool for the work aspect of it! I'm excited for him, this is his second trip over the mountains. Of course to be honest, I do alright with him gone, but I like it so much better when he is home. It could be a lot longer than 3 days so I am grateful this is what he gets to do.

3 Years

James and I have been married for 3 years today. I just can't believe that we have done so much in that time. Our lives have changed, our family has grown. It is amazing to be married to James. I never thought marriage could be so sweet. Everyday is wonderful. My life has grown sweeter and fuller ever since the day James walked into my life.

Lates better than never

This last weekend we had Tyler's late birthday party with her friends from school. They had a great time. We found some easy games off of the internet and they played, and of course they laughed and were ultra goofey (I think 6/7 years olds just come that way!) and then with Halloween so close by they had eye ball cupcakes, that was a huge hit with kid crowd. This was probably the most stress free party I've done. It was easy. I planned it for 10:30am, (no daughter asking me every ten minutes if it was time yet) and we planned for a one hour party. The kids were together long enough to actually have fun, get silly but also go home before everyone was just warn out from being there. I'm glad so many kids showed up! It was a lot of fun.

James and I were so lucky to find Abigail's nanny. It's kind of a crazy little story. Today is an anniversary of sorts (although a very sad one). I went back to work a year ago today, after Abigail was born.

Abigail started out in childcare that was just right down the road from where I work. This was really great at the time. I left later for work, I spent my lunches at her house so I could nurse Abigail, and it only took me five minutes after work to pick her up. This was great until that provider starting watching a member of her own family and I noticed a decline in some very important care of shmabel (Schmabel is Abigail's nickname).

So when Abigail was just five months old a friend of mine started watching her. My friends life took on a new direction and just a few weeks into that situation we were looking for new care.
The search began and I was trying to not be picky but still meet our comfort level...

We found another child care provider, there were some compromises, like I couldn't go and see Abigail on my lunch anymore, which was okay because our breastfeeding experience was declining (but thats another story). The only other problem was that this day care could not take Abigail in until April and it was only the end of January! Luckily our parents helped us get by as we looked for temporary care.

That was when I decided I would post a child care ad on Craigslist. I had so many people respond, and I was mentally and emotionally drained talking to the varied and unqualified candidates. Until the day I got an email from the above miss. Jessica.

The day I met Jessica I had just come from another interview with a woman the day before who I wouldn't even let touch Abigail. I was weary, anxious and all to paranoid about who I was going to find for sweet Abigail.

Me and Jessica (not even joking) talked for over two hours during our interview. Jessica's qualifications were amazing, she was trained, experienced, professional, ingaging, intelligent and is a natural educator.

Those were the things that were tangible that I fell in love with. There is some more unseen qualities that I really can't describe that draws me to Jess. I trust her completely, I believe in what she does and who she is.

All those things don't seem to paint the complete picture of all the things that make my life better because she is in it!

Jessica really goes above and beyond what anyone could ever dream of to have taking care of their child. Although she does so much more than "just take care of our daughter" she's really helping us raise her.

Oh yeah, back to my story. Jessica started taking care of Mabel in February and by the end of the time when we were getting closer to having to move Abigail to the new day care both Jessica and I didn't want to end our relationship. So in the process of finding temporary care we ended up with a permanent friend and a permanent Nanny.

Abigail's life is enriched, her care is speacial to her very own needs, and she has everything I would want to give to her if I didn't have to go to work everyday. I am blessed, I'm very fortunate, I am extremely grateful that Jessica is a part of our life.