Trick or Treat!

It's 9:30 and we were surprised the girls are actually sleeping! Filled to the top with candy I figured it would be a long night (knock on wood they are actually out for the night!).

We had fun today. Carol from ECFE came by for a home visit to play with the girls and brought a bin full of rice and scoops. They were totally focused for almost 45 minutes! Carol suggested tracking Rasa's sleep habits and bringing up anything out of the ordinary with our Pediatrican. Rasa wakes up a few times a night still and then is up very early.

After Carol left we made pumpkins out of construction paper and decorated them with crayons, markers and stickers. We had lunch and naps and then a pizza party later on. Gabby and the girls played out with the other neighbors and anxiously awaited trick or treating. It was fun, not terribly long, maybe six or seven houses and then in to check out the candy stash. Rasa and Adia let Gabby do all of the work knocking on the door and saying "trick or treat". They mostly just stood there with their bags open and then whispered "thank you" lol!

It's fun to relive some of these childhood favorites as a Mom. I actually had fun trick or treating too :)

The girls with their candy stash! It's weird they almost look like twins in this pic : P
PS notice the chocolate ring around both of their mouths lol!

Happy Halloween!

The girls and I have been having fun all month doing different autumn/halloween activities when Daddy is away at work (sorry you miss out Hun :( ). We've been to a maze, a big swimming corn pit, the pumpkin patch, a small local farm (with piggies and cows - Adia's favorite!) and went on a hayride with Nana last week. The girls like Halloween and I was surprised a month ago when decorations in stores started going up that they even remembered from last year what it was all for!

Royce's work hosted a family halloween party we went to Thursday night. It was really fun, lots of little kids, treats, prizes and a pizza party. Some of my old friends and co-workers were there with their little ones too which was really fun for me as well.

Tuesday night we were pondering what the girls should wear since it was an indoor party and their costumes they have are made for outdoor trick-or-treating. Rasa spoke up right away and said "I wanna be a princess". Weird, I know. Adia agreed so off I went to find princess costumes. I opted to buy the dress up clothes instead since they were the same price but better made and could be used for years. I picked up a box of plastic heels and some sparkly hair clips and we were all set. When I got home the girls ripped everything out of the packaging and tried it all on so excited that we couldn't get them to sleep that night and little Adia slept clutching on to a pair of her plastic high heels!

Thursday morning comes up and the girls are asking every five minutes when the party is. After naps I started getting them ready and put them in white onsies underneath since the dresses were a little big. Adia's all set to go and Rasa is giving me a vibe that I'm starting to wonder about. I tell her it's time to put her dress on so we can go and she puts her hands on her belly stroking her onsie and says, "soon. not right now". I tell her we need to get going and remind her she needs to wear a costume. She said "No. I'm going to wear this". I was like the heck you are. I spent my Tuesday night fighting crazies at Target for last minute costumes and there is no way I'm bringing you to a party wearing a short sleeved onsie! I calmly tell her if she doesn't wear a costume than no one will give her candy. She thinks for a minute and then yells "put me in my dress!" Candy is the best tool. Of course Rasa's not having the princess shoes and makes me put her in her london boots but whatever. At least I talked her out of her pink baseball hat. Something about the hat with a snowwhite dress just didn't work!

We get outside and ready to load in the car and I tell the girls I need a quick picture. They run half way down the block before turning around after hearing me say if they don't let me get a picture we're not going hehehehe. Check this out lol!

I call it princess complex. Yes it starts early, even before age 3.

Then they lighten up and off we go.

Lullaby

So my babies are going to be three in January and while they are still my babies I'm not oblivious to the fact they are little girls with opionions, wants and thoughts all their own (how could I be they scream it at me everyday!). Our sleep routing has changed slightly over the years but they still nap once a day and we still sooth them into their sleep. Tonight when I was sitting in the rocker in the dark holding Adia like a baby (she likes it that way!) Rasa was settling in on the floor on a pillow with a blanket over her head. I always sing a lullaby to them but tonight I asked if they wanted me to just to make sure. They both said yes and I sang, in the dark, rocking my baby while thinking loving and sweet thoughts about Rasa by my feet.

The song I sing most is a Music Together lullaby that I changed just slightly to include the girls names:

Sleep
Sleep
Sleep Rasa Bea
Sleep
Sleep
Sleep Adia
I will keep you safe and warm
So sleep
Sleep
Sleep, Sleepyheads

As I sing it relaxes me and the girls just float into a calm peace before falling fast asleep. It's this time that I'm so thankful for right now knowing someday, maybe soon, I wont have this time with them. Some night they might tell me not to sing to them. It gives me time to reflect on my heart and my love of being a Mom, being their Mom. It gives me a peace and happiness about my family even after the most frustrating and trying days.

Nights like tonight it makes all of the pain of being committed to helping them sleep night after night, during my own illness or exhaustion, after long days when all I really wanted to do was put them in their beds and close the door, so worth it because like the saying goes; they are only young one time and its gone in an instant.

Tonight I treasured the moment and my blessings and remembered that one time when I longed so badly for a baby that I was promised I would be blessed more than I could imagine in my wildest dreams. Thank God for Rasa and Adia.

Wordless Wednesday 86 - sleep, sleep, sleep sleepy head

Wordless Wednesday 85 - i almost forgot to add this one!

Rasa, Rasa, Rasa

Rasa and I were snuggling on the bed yesterday afternoon and when she sat up the light coming through the window just illuminated her and I asked her if I gave her some candy (yes of course I have to bribe my kids to let me take their pictures!) if she would let me photograph her. She was game so I grabbed my camera and a handful of hot tamales and knew I had no more than five minutes!

After I loaded the pictures on my computer I was shocked at how mature and grown up she looked. I actually teared up a little. My sweet little babe, the girl who is literally attached to me all day long (even as far as when I walk her grabbing onto my leg and hobbling along). Won't be long before she grows out of that and I long for her sweet touch.







*This is her signature "funny face" lol!

*Rasa set up this picture and then asked me to review the image after the first time I pretended to take a picture of the owl and then got busted for not having proof.

Good Morning!

The girls get up really (really, really, really, really) early! Correction: Rasa gets up really early and then wakes up me and Adia (both of us could easily sleep until 9 every morning!). The loft where they have all of their play things is only down the hall from our bedroom so I left them with their breakfast to sneak back to bed hoping they would play a while before noticing I was gone. Ten minutes later Rasa wandered into my bed wanting to play peek-a-boo under the covers giggling, jumping and wiggling! Adia heard her laughter and came a running. It didn't matter that I was pretending to be asleep or that I tried to hide under the covers, they just kept on giggling and playing until finally I agreed to join in on the fun.
Tired or not these two make it impossible to have a bad morning!

(PS and off topic...that is Stockmar modeling beeswax in Rasa's hand that she's warming and not only is it waaaaay better than playdoh, it has the most amazing natural smell it's like something straight out of Aveda).