Little whiles - Day 12

Today was a long rainy one. By about 3:00 I needed to get out of the house. We went to the mall play area, got Liam's feet measured, ate a hot pretzel and scoured h&m kids.

Little whiles - day 11

Sister sure knows what she wants and she will let you know about it. The red hair is showing itself to be true. She's a ton of fun, but I forgot how lovely nap time is. Liam hasn't napped for a while now. I love snuggling with her as she drifts off to sleep. She's started napping for so long lately that I sometimes have to wake her.

I forgot

I was lying in bed this morning remembering that I didn't post a photo yesterday so I'll do two today.
Here's one of the sweet girl lovin the trampoline!
(Taken with my i phone.)

Little whiles - Day 10

I baked this afternoon by myself. Isla was napping, Liam was outside with B. Ingrid Michaelson was playing in the background. It was lovely. I find baking so enjoyable especially when nobody is clinging to my leg.

Little Whiles - Day 9

He was doing lego alone. It's not easy to get Liam into doing something alone. This took a lot of encouragement. He loves being with people. He'd prefer to do anything with someone rather than his favorite thing alone. Actually his favorite thing is people I think, so forget that. He often asks us to help him pick out his pjs....the guy has been dressing himself since like 18 months! He just wants people around. I know this is a wonderful thing about him, but it can be so hard too. Wanting to appreciate him, who he is and how much he loves people. 

Little Whiles Day 8

Ok, so.... I'm cheating. I didn't take a photo today. It was rainy, I felt very tired today for some reason. 

This one was taken a few weeks ago. 

Little Whiles - Day 8

Making paper airplanes. He's teaching me. He loves teaching about the things he knows, like making airplanes and how to jump in super mario brothers....he's never more clear and animated than in these moments. We made some good ones this afternoon.

Little Whiles - Day 7

The game is called Blokus. And that he does! Blocks me at every opportunity. 

A common game around here. A disaster to play with a curious one year old.

 Who won this one? Probably Liam. 

Little Whiles Day 6

Little Whiles - what day is it?

I knew I'd miss one. But looks like I missed two! B and I got to go out the other since my parents were here babysitting. It was so nice, we had a great conversation, but quickly afterwards we both got sick. We had a gone over to a friend's house afterwards and B puked there. Lovely, so my excuse is that we were sick. It was still fun to have my parents here. My Dad gets Liam hyped up like no one else and Isla adores my Mom. No matter what, the kids are very loved when they're here!

Little Whiles - Day 4

Here's real life for you. Isla crying to get out of her chair. Once she's done eating, she wants free. 

Little Whiles Day 3

This one is just crazy and happy and strange. Its totally him. 

I love it. 

Little Whiles - Day 2

I try and take them out every afternoon after Isla has a nap, at least for a little bit. By about 3:00 I am a bit stir crazy and so are they, going out keeps us sane. Here's the lady crusin' the sidewalks. She loves seeing the neighbors and pushing her car around. 

Real Life Mondays

Maybe I should I should start a theme? Monday just seems to hit me and I realize I took the weekend for granted.

This Monday started very cold with a dead car battery and both kids buckled in to the seats ready for school. Later in the day, Isla had a very short nap and Liam played far too much Wii. Dinner was an appetizing uncooked rice (because my stove likes to turn off secretly while on low. So while I'm chopping broccoli and  thinking my rice will finally be "just perfect", but the stove is not even on - I have issues with rice, despite it being quite an easy thing to cook).  And as the kids were refusing the rice I was attempting to make them eggs and dropped one on the floor which cracked and raw egg began dripping under my refrigerator. Sigh. Bedtime has arrived and I'd love to decorate the house up and be all festive for Valentines like this sweet gal, but it's not happening. I wish I was more creative, but lately the creativity has been lacking. More on this later.....

I've been thinking a lot about realness and being authentic. I love it when I see it in people, but wonder if I'm an authentic person. Is how I talk, live, parent and even blog real? It's so easy to make your life look perfect and sparkly through the lens of a blog (cake pops in any post help too :)), but is it anywhere near true to my life? Is my blogging helpful to anyone? Don't get me wrong I love dreamy, perfect pictures with happy smiling children and glowing light in the background, but I don't want you to think that is what my days look like. I have many days where I feel like I'm drowning in whining, dust, being angry instead of loving, piles of laundry, unfinished just about anything. I'm constantly tidying in my very tiny house, that is seemingly always messy. Seriously, I am often telling B I just tidied this, really I did...although it looks like a bomb hit when he gets home.

Well, I want to be open. I want you to know me. I want you to know that I struggle, I get grumpy, I get angry instead of loving my kids and being a stay at home for me is hard. I'm not a homebody. My car is often a mess. I forget to move the laundry to the dryer and it smells like mold. I hate cleaning the tub and ironing.
But,  I love my kids. I love them like crazy. More than I could have ever imagined.
I adore my little family. I would never have my life any other way. They are what I breathe. They're worth it.

So, starting today. I'm going to post a "real" photo a day. My title of this little project is going be "The Little While's", inspired by the lovely Sheye for a project she did. My plan is to do this till the end of March. I'm in a bit of a photo rut and this is my idea to get thinking a bit more creatively and hopefully inspire you and myself too.

"The Little While's - Day 1"

Nighttime

Our little dolly has been night weaned. I know I mentioned thinking of doing it a while back. Well, I chickened out the first night we were going to try, but after being woken countless times that night and living in a fog all day, I thought it was time. The first 3 or 4 nights were somewhat torturous, but I was committed and so was B. The first night B rocked her, then the next nights he just went in and told her he loved her and to lie down.  She of course protested loudly like my babies do :) The girl has had unrestricted access to nurse for over a year, she should protest!(I know some of you are dying reading that I have nursed her for over a year through the night, but its what worked for us and how I got her to gain weight. I hate letting babies cry too, its just not me.)  I really did feel like it was time to do this and she was old enough to understand a bit. She also eats about 4 times as much as Liam, so I don't think she needs to nurse for nutritional reasons any more. The first week or so I really missed her warm snugly body nestled all up to me, but I'm feeling like this is good for our family. She still isn't sleeping through and wakes depending on the night, but B is the best and keeps going back to settle which isn't taking very long any more.  

I don't have a lot of photos right now because my computer hard drive is full and I need to move some stuff over in order to upload some more right now. 

We spent a night at Great Wolf Lodge this past weekend with B's parents and a cousin. Liam had such a fun time and we're all feeling a little exhausted. Goodnight :) 

After all this sleep talk, I'll leave you with this. Night.