trying to revive this blog.....

I started this blog back in July as a means to record daily life with my kids so I could one day look back and relive these days. I have, needless to say, dropped the ball with this.

I liken this blog to the closet in the hall. I know it is there, I think about it from time to time, I stop by, open the door and peer into it thinking of all that I could be doing with it and then I close the door, push it out of my thoughts for the time being and move on to something else. Today I will tackle the blog and leave the closet alone for a bit longer.

Time seems to be moving so fast these days so I find it overwhelming to sit down and record what is going on in our lives. The kids are growing up so fast and daily hitting milestones that make me joyful and tearful all at the same time. Isaac will be turning four in June, Aralyn is 18mths, I am a year and half from 30....sadly I just had to stop and spend a few minutes trying to figure out my age along with my husbands. I just turned 28 this past Oct. This is sad I know, but I can not seem to remember if my husband will be turning 29 or 30 this July! Okay so I did the math and he will be 30!! Wow, guess I need to get on the ball with planning something special. Yet another thing to add to the always growing, never ending list of things to do....

So back to the kids....
Isaac is an interesting one, to say the least. That kid amazes and frustrates me every other minute. He is brilliant in his own little ways, that kid can remember and relate things I would have trouble with. He is very into his tv shows, movies, and computer games. He spends most of his days on the computer and then he will break for a while to build something with his blocks, play rock band with his sister and I (I will fully explain this one later on...), build at tent out of pillow case and box or a blanket and a chair (I have learned that anything can be a tent, even a shirt). He has such a vivid and wonderful imagination, I love to listen in on his pretend play...now that he actually articulates for his imaginary characters (represented sometimes by a piece of broccoli, other times by a stick, and sometimes he uses real figurines or dolls) instead of the high pitched squealing of years past...I can still hear that baby voice :)
He became a fan of the Wiggles (much to my dismay) and since has started his own family rock band. He will pass out "instruments" to each person in attendance. I usually get a "guitar" (today that was an Easter basket, the other day it was a gift bag), he almost always plays the drums on my pots, which sometimes he ties string to and wears around his neck, other times he uses two pots and bangs them together (oh yes it is as loud and wonderfully annoying as you might be imagining). Aralyn gets a different "instrument" each time, I guess he hasn't decided which one she would be good with yet...she has tried the saxophone (a morocco), the guitar (a piece of paper), and the drums (the top to a pot and a spoon). Daddy gets to play with us sometimes too and Isaac usually asks that he sing or beat box, sometimes getting him to play the "guitar" also. This has to be his favorite activity right now....aside from his computer games. And it is my favorite thing to partake in, my son, bless his little heart, has no rhythm and dances like a very goofy white boy!
Emotionally I am hitting some walls with Isaac. He has such an overload of emotions sometimes and it is very hard for me, being an overly emotional person myself, to calm him down. He gets upset over the silliest things. He will ask nicely for a grilled cheese sandwich, and then complain that it was not cut properly or that it is too hot. He will ask for candy and I will answer with okay just wait a second, as soon as the word wait leaves my lips he is gone, on the the floor in a full out tantrum. I am just thrown off because I expected this at two, and we didn't have these issues then, but now at almost 4 I just have higher expectations that obviously are off base. I am trying hard to get to the core of it, what is throwing him off so bad that he can't handle certain situations. That will be a blog in of itself.
The kid is smart but don't try and test him on his knowledge! Much to my fathers dismay, Isaac is not a trick pony. He knows his numbers, and most of his letters, but don't ask him to show you he will purposefully give you wrong answers. You have to just watch him and really listen to him to see what he really knows, and it really is quite a lot. He likes to learn on his own terms and in his own time, he doesn't care much for how you should do things, he likes to figure things out for himself, finding his own way. Nat and I have been discussing at length schooling options for Isaac. I have always been firmly against public schooling (needs another blog as well) and have always thought we would do a traditional homeschool approach. However, as my son has grown and I have started to really evaluate this little person, I have become more unsure of the homeschooling approach. I love the Waldorf and Montessori schools, but we just do not have the money for that. The "Unschooling" methods have started to look more fitting for my son's needs. He seems to be thriving and learning much more when he is allowed to do it on his terms. The less I intervene and the more I simply guide and facilitate the more he absorbs.

I could go on about Isaac but I need to get to Aralyn while I still have the time.

Aralyn Jolie, born the day before her mama's bday, is a ball of energy, attitude, and cuteness. She cracks me up every minute.

She absolutely adores her big brother and follows him around all day. Isaac is much more of a loner and sometimes just wants to be by himself. I have always allowed him to go in his room and shut the door if he needs alone time, this breaks Aralyn's heart sometimes, but I feel it is important to allow Isaac this. She is nothing of a loner, she wants and needs people at all times. She loves to cuddle and interact. She is still breastfeeding, mostly at night, she gets busy during the day and doesn't ask for it too much. She is still sleeping with us through most of the night. We just took down her crib and have her mattress on the floor (waiting on the bed I just ordered). She will lay down in her bed for naps and at the beginning of the night (till about midnight). I lay with her but she is good about getting in her bed and falling to sleep, lately she has stopped nursing to fall asleep. This of course is a bitter sweet thing for me. I was growing very weary of that rocking chair, she was just getting too big and when she would fight me on sleep it was very annoying and uncomfortable, laying next to her in her room is much better. Part of me is ready for her to wean, but a bigger part of me knows I will be so sad to see that day. I do hope we continue our breastfeeding relationship a while longer. Not just for my sake, although I truly love cuddling her to the breast and getting those precious quiet moments with her admist our busy days. She is thriving and I attribute a lot of that to her still breastfeeding. She has only been sick once with a fever virus that lasted two days. Emotionally she is a very mature kid. She doesn't fuss when I need to leave her with other people, she understands and is confident I will be back soon. She is already out of diapers during the day. This is mostly due to practicing EC with her from birth. (that will have to be another post as well). I think the breastfeeding and bond we have shared have helped though, she is just very mature emotionally. She is still a tiny thing, I think she weighs around 21 lbs. I can still wear her in a wrap, although most times I just carry her on my hip.
She is talking much more than Isaac was at this age, I think her first word was Isaac. She says please and thank you for everything, such a sweetie ;). She loves animals, music, paints, crayons (but only for eating), playdoh, being outside, being held, playing anything with her brother, cuddling her stuffed animals and baby dolls, going to her maw maw's house and aunt Amy's house, she also loves loves loves her cousins Emily and Alexis.
So my baby girl is sleeping out of a crib and using the potty, she is talking, walking, running, climbing, signing, dancing, painting, and playing dress up. She is a big girl. I am so proud of both my kids and amazed daily with how unique and wonderful they each are. As I yearn for another I am reminded daily that the reality is most days I can barely hold it together and I should just enjoy and survive these days as best I can. We are still young...right?