Birthday Month

This month Gracie turns a year and I promise I will sit down and upload all of her monthly pictures. In the meantime, I will just leave this evidence right here that our hands are full.

And because standing on wobbly picnic tables and reaching for little LEGOS is not enough. She has started walking... 

Artist and Insight

In the Summer, Benjamin started taking painting classes locally at the teacher's house. She set up easels on her back porch and everyone had their own little station. He really enjoyed it! 

Dinosaur:

Mountains:

He also painted fish. They are all hangin on his wall next to his bed:

Now that he started Kindergarten, his drawing skills have sharpened so much! Today he brought this picture home. We asked him to tell us about him and he said:

That is me (person in orange to the right), and I am wearing a hat. 

That is Pellet and I am holding him on a leash with his collar

That's the sun at the top and it's a little blurry

Benjamin only new Pellet for little over a year, and it is amazing to see the impact that he left on him. His heart misses Pellet, I know. Because of that and a thousand other reasons, we miss Pellet so much! 

Pandemic Life Through the Eyes of a 3-year old

Benjamin’s school issued each kindergartener a little blue mask. 

Today on the way to school, Nico mentions that there are blue masks like Benji’s at Wheeler Pinea (the daycare).

So I ask him who wears those blue masks.

Nico: the teachers do!!! 

Me: oooh okay! That is great!

Nico: they wear them so they don’t have to smell all the poop! 

Me: I didn’t know that! 

Nico (with attitude): yes mooooom!

The Things They Say #921

Today on the way to dropping Gracie off at school, Nico tells me, out of the blue: “Mami, when I am a growm up, I am going to drink beered AND wine”

Yes son, can’t wait for the day when we all drink beered and wine together. 

A Year

I think back to this time last year and everything that has happened in the last 12 months. It is so much. Some things my brain understands and other things it gives up trying. 

Some things are drastic like Nico losing his chunkness. Other things remain constant like Benjamin’s bathing suit. 

. 

Time

9 years later

5 moves later

3 houses later 

3 jobs later

3 children later

Never in my wildest dreams would I had thought then that I’d end up working in this beautiful place, with Mr. Frog and everything! 

Ears

My Gracielou got her ears pierced today! Norm volunteered to sit with her since days leading up to today I ended up chickening out. Hearing her cry when she can’t get a toy she wants pierces my soul, therefore I knew I was not fit to sit with her during the piercings. 

Norm tells me she was most upset about being held still more than the actual piercing... not sure if that’s true or that’s what my ears like to hear. 

It is wild how the earrings make her eyes look so big!!

Her brothers are mesmerized by the whole concept. Nico told me that now Gracie looks like me...