Mother Nature?

I don't know if it's a result of living in a very progressive town filled with a lot of free spirits and hippies, or if it's a wisdom that comes with age--but I'm starting to become much more attuned to our environment and sustaining this wonderful place in which we live. I have to think beyond my generation, and consider what life will be like for my children, and their children, and so on. Two recent examples of small steps we are taking--Number one--we are going to be joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Basically, we pay to buy a share of a local farm and we are then able to take advantage of their organically grown produce. Some items, like tomatoes and kale, are "pick your own" and you are free to take unlimited amounts. Others, like watermelon and berries, are limited in quantity because they don't harvest as many crops. We can pick-up our produce either Tuesday or Friday evenings, and can "pick our own" unlimited crops whenever we want during daylight hours. By joining a CSA, we are eating healthier and fresher produce while supporting our local farmers at the same time. A win-win situation. The timing would be especially beneficial since Owen is now eating up a storm and is experimenting with all kinds of new foods. We visited the farm this weekend and spent a good deal of time chatting with the woman who runs the farm. Isabella is really excited, and it will be great to involve her in the process. Another benefit is unlimited fresh flowers, which Isabella loves to pick! Her usual choices involve dandelions and other weeds, so just think of the opportunities with plentiful sunflowers and lilies! Number two--we are looking into switching from disposable to cloth diapers. We have a fabulous local store that offers a 21 day trial of cloth diapers for $10, so I stopped by last week and picked up my samples. So far, we have had a mixed experience and we haven't decided for sure. If we do switch, it would be to Bum Genius's all-in-one one-size cloth diapers. They are adjustable and will fit your baby until he/she is potty trained, so we'd never need to purchase new diapers. They are a bit pricy, but switching to cloth diapers would really save us mucho dinero in the long run. We aren't 100 percent sold yet, because they seem to be a bit leaky. I've talked to several other people who use cloth diapers, and I haven't really heard any complaints. So we are going to continue on with our trial period and make a decision at the end. I'd really love to make the permanent switch, for environmental and cost saving reasons. Plus they are just so darn cute! Stay tuned. So while you won't see me burning any bras or wearing patchouli oil, a part of me feels like I'm releasing a little of my inner hippie!!

I'm not ready!!

As we were driving home today, Isabella told me she wanted 4 kids one day--2 boys and 2 girls. She then proceeded to ask how babies were made. Ahhh!! I was prepared to have this conversation when she got older, but not quite yet at the age of 4. I sat there, silent, for a few moments, and then said "mommies and daddies make babies." Of course she asked how. To which I answered "they love each other so much that they make a baby." Isabella looked at me and said "they have babies by hugging??" Mommy replied "Something like that!" Thankfully, she moved on to another subject. How do you explain the birds and the bees to a 4 year old? For now, my response will have to do, and we can revisit when she's older :)

Mother's Day 2009

This year marked my 5th Mother's Day, and my 1st as a mom of 2. Each year, I'm reminded of what an honor it is to be a mom. It is something I cherish above all else. I wear many hats, but I am most comfortable in my role as mother. If, at the end of my life, I have raised happy, kind, and considerate human beings, then I will consider myself a success. I have career aspirations and goals outside of my children, but they pale in comparison to those I have for being a mom. There is nothing I love more than being a mother, and carrying the responsibility of shaping and molding my children's lives. Five years ago, I could have never imagined how much motherhood would mean to me. I'd like to think that so far, I'm doing a good job. I don't read all of the latest books, I don't follow all of the rules, I make mistakes....but my children are happy and thriving, and more than anything else--they are loved. Totally and completely. My husband tends to want to get me nice presents for Mother's Day, like jewelry, which is a beautiful and kind gesture. He is always too good to me for holidays. But he doesn't seem to believe me when I tell him I don't want presents and that I don't need anything. Because at the end of the day, I have the most wonderful presents of all--Isabella and Owen--and they are better than a lifetime of material possessions. I have been blessed a thousand times over, and I am forever grateful--on Mother's Day and EVERY day!

Bend it like Beckham!

My sweet Isabella started soccer this past weekend. She has moved on from swimming to gymnastics, gymnastics to ballet, and now ballet to soccer. Her BFF Nina's neighborhood organizes a soccer league for 3-6 year olds, and they extended the group to include "outsiders" who don't live in the neighborhood. A family runs the whole thing from their front and back yard, with white lines, cones, goals, and everything! Isabella seemed to really enjoy it, and I think she is pretty decent. The coach even said to her "hey Isabella, we need you over here--believe me, I've seen you kick!" A Mia Hamm in the making perhaps? I think Isabella will be quite athletic as she gets older, because she's a pretty fearless kid, who's not afraid to get hurt or dirty. She just goes for it! Nina was away for the first session, so let's see if the two of them will pay attention to the coach when they are together!

8 months!

Owen is 8 months, and since I am so behind, he will be 9 months in 2 days. I can't get over how quickly he has grown, and how close to 1 year he is!! Much has changed in the past couple of months. Owen is ALL over the place, crawling like a mad man. He started crawling right at 7 1/2 months and hasn't looked back since. He pulls himself up on everything and is constantly standing. He can make his way from furniture to furniture while holding on. He does NOT sit still--even when I hold him on my lap, he's standing up and looking over my shoulder. He is a hungry little fellow and has just moved on to stage 3 food. He ate a whole banana at school today! He has been experimenting with new foods, and his favorite so far is yogurt. He's not a fan of cottage cheese, but he does enjoy little pieces of bread, watermelon, and cantaloupe. He loves his Cheerios and baby puffs. His teachers tell me that he tries to steal food from other kids! He has 4 teeth, 2 on the bottom and 2 on the top, although the 2nd one on top isn't fully in yet. He has been sleeping wonderfully, which is great for the whole family. He is talking all the time, saying mama, dadda, and baba--I'm assuming for bottle. His teachers also tell me that he will let you know when he wants something by yelling. For the past few days, he wakes up in the morning, stands up in his crib, and bangs on the crib and shouts "dadda" over and over until Jamie gets out of bed. It is hysterical and heartwarming at the same time!! He has also been calling for "mama" when he is sitting with Jamie and can see me in the kitchen--there is no sweeter sound! His new favorite activity is clapping, which he does frequently for no reason at all. Owen and Isabella are becoming best friends, and I turned around in the car yesterday to find them holding hands. Those are the moments I live for. At one point this week, both kids were laying with me and I thought to myself "it doesn't get any better than this!" I just love them so much. Owen's 9 month appt is in a few weeks, so I should have some updates stats at that point.

And behind yet again!

I have now surpassed my record for longest amount of time between blogs. I vow to update my blog AT LEAST once a week from here on out. I have run out of excuses. So a lot has happened since my last entry. My friend Kristin visited us at the end of March, and we had a great time. She is due with a baby boy in August, so she had a little taste of what life is like with kiddos. She is in for a big shock! We went home to visit Grandma Jane for Easter, and Isabella colored Easter eggs. Both kids enjoyed their Easter baskets, although there wasn't a lot that Owen could eat. Owen reached his 8 monthday milestone in early April, followed by mommy's 29th birthday which we celebrated with our good friends Mag, Charlie, and Sebby. Weekends have been busy with birthday parties, playdates, and good old fashioned fun. Here are some pictures from the last month and a half.