All Done

Dear Layla,


One morning a few weeks ago, a radio station was talking about how restaurants and stores are starting to ban children.  They claim that children are too messy, too noisy, and too much trouble.  It might sound surprising, but I can see their point.  Kids are all those things. The key is that parents are supposed to teach their children how to behave in public places. 


To date, Daddy and I have only had to "take you outside" once.  You were 6 or 7 months old, tired, and cranky.  Daddy took you outside and walked you around the parking lot until you calmed down.  It felt like an hour, but it probably wasn't even half of that.


It's been one of my pet peeves for years now to see parents leave behind huge messes made by their children. We went out to Sunday lunch after church a few weeks ago and I saw a family leave a monster-sized mess at the table.  The worst part was the floor: it looked like the two children had thrown more food on the floor than they ate. The parents just left it there. They left it there for someone else to clean.  It just bothers me. More than once I've knelt down and wiped up things with a napkin when you've dropped food on the floor. Daddy and I have had waitresses and waiters tell us not to worry about any of your messes, but I do worry about it. I can't help it. 


Daddy and I are working really hard at teaching you how to behave at the table, especially in restaurants.  We want you to sit, not stand, in your chair. We want you to eat with your fork and spoon.  We want you to wipe your mouth and hands when you are done.  We want you to have fun and enjoy your meal. We aren't a bunch a tyrants for crying out loud! :) 


In this video you do something that I have never taught you. I don't know where you learned it, but my guess is at Mama Jane's house. It's become your after-dinner routine.  While I start cleaning the dishes, you push in all the chairs and bring me your plate.  It's cute. And, as a bonus, it's good manners. 


Love,
Mommy

Peek-a-boo!

Dear Noah and Layla,


Who doesn't love a game of peek-a-boo?! It's difficult to say which is cuter: Noah laughing or the way Layla says "peek-a-boo"?


Love,
Mommy

Flowers in the Winter

Dear Layla and Noah,


I can't believe the daffodils have already bloomed!! They've been out for weeks now and I have been itching to do a little photo shoot with them.  Today was the day! Noah, you were more interested in crunching the dry leaves.  Layla, you were ran from flower patch to flower patch, picking several of them. 


We managed to get a few great shots, but my favorites are of you two sitting in the front seat of the car.  I giggle each time I look at them. 


Love,
Mommy

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Valentine's Day

Dear Layla and Noah,


Right after Christmas, like literally the day after Christmas, I found the most adorable matching outfits for Valentine's Day.  I was so excited about them!! I imagined dressing the two of you in the sweet outfits and getting a great, frame-able picture. 


It was a lot harder than I had anticipated.


Love,
Mommy

Digital slideshow made with Smilebox

Hair-Do!

Dear Layla,


People always comment about your hair.  Sometimes they talk about how long it is, or how you have such pretty curls, or how you have great volume.  I've even been told that you look like you are wearing a wig because you have so much hair. :)


One of your favorite things is to have me blow-dry your hair.  Nevermind the fact that your hair is always bone dry when my dryer is out.  I think you just like feeling the wind in your hair.


Love, 
Mommy


P.S. - The loud noise in the background is Daddy in the shower.  Just ignore that.

Getting Dressed

Dear Layla,

I've been trying to teach you how to put on your pants on for a few days now.  If "pulling up your pants" means grabbing them at the leg openings and yanking them up to your knees, then you have already succeeded.  

Love,
Mommy

Noah is One-Half!

Dear Noah,


You are officially 1/2! Happy 6 months Little Man! 

To celebrate, we took you to Muddy's Bake Shop for your first ever cupcake.  I just love that place.  They are a local bakery with a great atmosphere.  They sell a variety of desserts, coffee, Coke in glass bottles, and other goodies.  My favorite cupcake is the Pucker Up.  It's lemon cake with lemon icing and surprisingly it's not super lemony.  


They were all sold out of the Pucker Up cupcakes when we got there so I ended up with a Prozac (chocolate cake/chocolate icing) and you got a Classic (vanilla cake/chocolate icing).  


You were not impressed. Perhaps next time you will need to try a Plain Jane (Vanilla/Vanilla) or a Capote (Chocolate/vanilla) or a Grasshopper (chocolate/peppermint) or a Chocodoodle (chocolate/cinnamon brown sugar) or . . . or. . . . oh, who am I kidding???  We will eventually find you favorite even if it means tasting many, many cupcakes.

And that is NOT a bad thing.

Love,

Mommy