She’s not the baby anymore, this Quail-eo of ours. She’s firmly headed towards little-girldom. More and more I find her imitating her big sister. When I get to witness moments like this- my momma-heart swells with pride. In all our “baby” can do now, and also in what a big girl our Zuzu has become. It’s moments like this when I can see her kind heart and soul and her desire to connect each of us to one another.

“Let’s practice our arabesque Quailee!”

And off they go….

2. Everyone sleeping in until 7am

3. One more eval for SPED down and one last to go before the first IEP

4. A dyspraxia diagnosis- no not as good as nothing being the issue, but better than apraxia for now.

5. Regular hugs and kisses bye-bye and night-night for Sugarplum from Zuzu

6. Zuzu starting up with a “big-kids” gymnastics class

7. colds starting to pass

8. a friend making it to 6 weeks

9. noting the pattern of which shirts cause people to comment on how huge I am versus which shirts cause people to comment on what a cute little preggo I am.

10. a special phone number programmed into my phone and taped to the refridgerator as our back up plan for kiddo care in case the “plan” doesn’t work. Which as life goes, is likely…

11. Miralax

12. mother-daughter gum chewing dates

13. weeknight chicken on the weekend

14. Pappa’s…mmmmm…..

15. not spazzing when the child throw’s up in my mouth

16. humor in a sad situation

17. high praise indeed

18. setting boundaries with small ones, but in a positive light

19. 8 oz Coke zeros

20. 90 calorie cereal bars when Sugarplum wakes me

21. minimal weight gain between OB appts after, um a couple of “large leaps”

January 2012 is a calm homey passage into spring for us this year. It’s atypical with it’s early flora, lack of cold or snow and major illnesses (albeit the round of sniffles have made their way through each of us) and lack of events or activities. Maybe it’s early nesting and resting in preparation for Sugarplum’s arrival, but I’m enjoying the routine of early to bed, early to rise, off to work and school and home again for evening cuddles each day.

Corner view is a weekly Wednesday date hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by Francesca. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic in form from around the world: Jane, Dana, Bonny, Joyce, Ian, Francesca, Theresa, Cate, Kasia, Otli, Trinsch, Isabelle, Janis, Kari, jgy, Lise, Dorte, McGillicutty, Sunnymama, Ibb, Kelleyn, Ninja, Sky, RosaMaria, Juniper, Valerie, Sammi, Cole, Don, WanderChow, FlowTops, Tania, Tzivia, Kristin, Laura, Guusje, Susanna, Juana, Elsa, Nadine

A sunny pause following breakfast out in the mountains with the family where the girls entertained themselves coloring. Zuzu learned to draw birds this morning. Lovey and I had a second cup of coffee. No one cried, threw food or launched their toys into a neighboring table. As still as life can be with spirited small ones. Bliss indeed

4. Sugarplum being named Sugarplum

5. The nightly request from the 5 year old to tuck, tuck, tuck her in

6. The nightly and insistent request from the almost 3 year old to kiss her duck-ducks at bedtime.

7. Books on CD weaving stories into my daily commute

8. Our Holiday Cards- I just keep staring at them.

9. Friends & Family sending Sugarplum Christmas presents already. Oh it warms my heart to have her seen as here already.

10. International justice and hope for the dear orphans.

11. Waking to realize you didn’t wake during the night

12. Gifts of meals arriving from far and wide.

13. The holidays peaceably coming together almost like it had been well orchestrated.

14. A wrapping day with Lovey.

15. Sisters realizing they fit side by side in either end of the tubby

16. The mischievious giggle from the almost 3 year old as her 3rd request to go potty at bedtime is finally denied.

17. Seeing the almost 3 year old thoughtfully ponder the cookie tray before precisely choosing the brownie after considering taking the same cookie her sister had.

18. 5 minutes for a conversation with a friend

19. calmness in the night
20. Sugarplum’s tumblings

21. The almost 3 year old learning to say, “No Momma” and stopping her tantrum short when prompted

Corner view is a weekly Wednesday date hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by Francesca. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic in form from around the world: Jane, Dana, Bonny, Joyce, Ian, Francesca, Theresa, Cate, Kasia, Otli, Trinsch, Isabelle, Janis, Kari, jgy, Lise, Dorte, McGillicutty, Sunnymama, Ibb, Kelleyn, Ninja, Sky, RosaMaria, Juniper, Valerie, Sammi, Cole, Don, WanderChow, FlowTops, Tania, Tzivia, Kristin, Laura, Guusje, Susanna, Juana, Elsa, Nadine

This spring promises to be an eventful one for our well feathered nest. The first signs of it are in the air as Sugarplum kicks her presence known into the third and final trimester of growth under my heart and the first yellow blooms open early in our garden. Their arrival is early, a sign maybe of an early spring in our home as well….

Happy New Year’s Friends!!!! (waving vigorously) It’s been far too long since I’ve posted and fueled by a little afternoon caffeine chosen over the afternoon nap, I’ve decided to pop in and share our New Year’s Holiday. We’ve been fortunate over the years to have a multitude of opportunities to ring in the New Year with a variety of friends. This year while we did not make it to the southern good luck tradition of eating greens and Hoppin John on New Years Day, we  feel lucky to have been at a fun gathering with a group of families that involved yummy appetizers, fireworks, fondue and lots of littles for our Sistred to run around with.

The reason we didn’t manage a New Year’s day brunch was a happy one as well. Our Zuzu is a big fan of what she calls “Hotel Vacations”. On the first day back to school after the Christmas Holiday you would expect her to excitedly tell about all the loot and loving gifts she received from loved ones near and far. But no. Instead in her mind she had already moved on to the potential “Hotel Vacation” Lovey and I had been discussing in the past week. With our newest bird getting ready to join us we’ve been trying to find devoted time to these little ones and their favorite things while not wearing out ourselves or becoming buried in an avalanche off of Mt. Washmore. So we agreed after our New Year’s gathering we would trek back up the mountain to one of our favorite towns to visit- Asheville and relax in a hotel that offered an indoor pool and go out for tasty treats and an activity or two.

We toasted in the New Year’s with a breakfast toast that is more in time with a tired family who can’t manage to see the New Year in at midnight these days.

The Early Girl is one of our favorite Asheville hang-outs. Any restaurant that offers up a tin of crayons, a paper tablecloth and a bucket of toys with each highchair has my blessing. Of course the tasty breakfast treats like multigrain pancakes for the kids, Early Girl Eggs Bennie which is the traditional with a substitute of a grit cake for a muffin and tomato gravy for the topping for me and a sweet potato-sausage scramble for Charlie all served in a sunny room makes sure that we have many happy returns. It doesn’t hurt that Zuzu learned to draw a bird off of the local pottery and the neighboring table offered to take our photo rather than ask us to leave.

The girls love to have the opportunity to swim and so the hotel was a hit. The other great treat for us was our first family movie as a group of 4. We had taken Zuzu to her first movie theater movie the friday after Thanksgiving while her sister went to school. It had been a special day for her to have solo attention from both of her parents and she had thoroughly enjoyed watching Arthur Christmas and a lunch out a restaurant. Zuzu’s always been one that is easily spooked by violence, even cartoon violence. Every time we try to show her The Muppet Show it is met with the question of “Why does that pig keep hitting that frog? It’s not nice!” So we’ve been hesitant to take her to a new show that hasn’t been previewed. Her sister on the other hand, is not easily scared. Knowing this we ventured out on New Year’s Day to Asheville’s Pizza and Brewing. A movie theater that offers up slices of gourmet pizza, micro-brews and second run shows. Puss N Boots was showing  and for $3 a ticket we figured if we made it through the opening credits with both girls it was still worth it to grab some lunch. Much to our surprise and delight, the Quail LOVED being in the theater. She immediately stood up and started pretending to run and dance along with the cats on screen and helped herself to Momma and Lovey’s specialty pizza of walnuts, pesto, gorgonzola and sesame seed while making it clear she wasn’t interested in the old grilled cheese we had bought her. It was a fun day for all and a great way to end the holidays. We’ll definitely be rining in the new as we prepare for our spring bird to join our family! Hope the holiday season was a delight for everyone!

Corner view is a weekly Wednesday date hosted originally hosted by Jane, currently by Francesca. A topic is given and you can see impressions; be it in photographic or poetic in form from around the world: Jane, Dana, Bonny, Joyce, Ian, Francesca, Theresa, Cate, Kasia, Otli, Trinsch, Isabelle, Janis, Kari, jgy, Lise, Dorte, McGillicutty, Sunnymama, Ibb, Kelleyn, Ninja, Sky, RosaMaria, Juniper, Valerie, Sammi, Cole, Don, WanderChow, FlowTops, Tania, Tzivia, Kristin, Laura, Guusje, Susanna, Juana, Elsa, Nadine

Oh I promise this blog wasn’t created for the sole purpose of whining. But well, I’m thinking mentioning it a third time equates to whining. I’m tired. Not so very tired, more suseptibly tired. As in my OB said, “How’s your energy level?” at one of my last appointments and I gleefully crowed, “It’s absolutely fine!”

And then the next day I yawned in the middle of the day. And then that weekend when the Sistred went down for a nap, so did I. And from then on, well, my weekend writing/photo editing/blog time was given over to the land of nod. I have lots to update on. It’s been a fabulously fun-filled last 3 months. 3 months! I haven’t told you about Zuzu’s birthday party, Halloween, our holiday tree gathering trek up the mountains, our holiday festivities including Zuzu’s first parade march, our gingerbread house decorating, our pastry building, our Tur-duck-in, our Christmas day and the glorious 5 days we had to ourselves to celebrate it or our happy little weekend heading back to the mountains over New Years. I haven’t gone on and on about the Quail’s horn tooting, her acquisition of new words and subsequent program plan update with Sara Rosenfeld Johnson, her new found fierocity and independence or the giggles and secrets between Stisters. I haven’t told you about the joy that is growing Sugarplum, whom I’m happy to report is officially tagged in-utero by her eldest stister and the name has stuck. The reports by my OBs, one of which involves my favorite OB mistakenly asking if I was 5 weeks further along than I am (oh the pastry builidng, did involve pastry eating, and Sugarplum measures more like a Watermelon than a sweet plum these days).

See how much you’ve missed? Well stay tuned. I’m going to do my best to catch you all up. Scouts honor!

Merriment is currently underway in the forms of lemon & peppermint sprinkled spritz cookies, warm roasted chickens, steamed milk with chocolate sauce, apricot brioche, a trip for our traditional tree hunt, that happily involved a lot less tears this year, the Sistred in residence all helping to dress the tree (and subsequently and routinely undress it), daily movement from our resident Elf on the Shelf- TJ, a marching 5 year old joining the Twinkle Brigade, an almost 3 year old learning to shout Santa and whisper sweet nothings to her now vocally referenced Momma and a closet full of giftees needing some wrapped attention.  I’m hoping for some quiet AND awake time in the weeks ahead. Until then Season’s Greetings to all and to all some peace and rest!