Old Tuesdays and New Friends

I am a girl of routine. I like having things that we do on certain days. For the last couple of months we have been regularly attending story time at the downtown library on tuesdays. I pack a lunch and after story time we head to the park for lunch and play time. It is awesome I love it. The readers that are hit and miss but still it is worth it. I just last week got back in the good graces of the library, I had a fine from my college days that was $30 and I just kept putting off paying it and so dakota, marie and I would go, dakota would ask to get some books and I would come up with some lame reason why we couldn't. So last week I did it I paid the silly thing off and we got books, yay. For those of you who know our current situation it wasn't the ideal time but I felt like do good and good will come to you. Not that I was doing good I was really making up for being lame and not returning the books when I should have but lets just go with the first thing I said.

Since going we have made a couple library friends that we meet up with at the park. Dakota makes friends with everyone and everywhere we go. I love that about her, her openness to talking to everyone and becoming friends with everyone. A couple of weeks ago we were walking down at the beach and a young woman was sitting on the wall reading a book so of course dakota, who was walking on said wall hops down and asks her what she is doing, what her name is, where does she live, does she have any daughters... The lady was very kind and encouraged the conversation. So I finally get dakota away but about 25 yards or so later she stops and says that she has to go back and ask her if she (the young lady) would like to be her friend and so she goes running back "do you want to be my friend" it was very sweet and so true to who dakota is.

So today was our usual tuesday, made a little different in that we went on a walk with andi and mia before the library. Along the way we spotted a ton of black caterpillars in this one area.
Dakota helped move some of them off the walkway, we found one that we think got hit but still moved him just in case he was going to make it.
Then it was off to story time. Our favorite lady was there, she brings her guitar and really has a good sense of the kids and their energy level. After the library we headed off to the park with andi and mia and our new friends from the library. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a great time running around, playing with one another.

and collecting rocks of course

Then it was home for a nap and then we met up with a new friend at arroyo. Some months back dakota and I were at trader joes and there was a little boy, jack, there with his mom and baby sister, we were on the same path so dakota and jack played throughout the store just having a great time. So the mom and I exchanged numbers so we could get the two kids together at the park or something. Well needless to say we never called each other but the other night I went to this meeting (a small group of preggers getting together as an emotional birthing class) and guess who was the organizer/mediator... jacks mom. Funny how the world works. So we got together with them today and had a great time at arroyo.
There was another little boy there who called out snake snake so we all go over and he has found a tree that has a somewhat hollowed out bottom and he says there is a snake in there, there is not a snake in there but the kids were loving it coming up with all sorts of stories about this little tree hole and then they would all scream as one would say I think I see it. It was a day of imagination at the park. A great day for sure.

Grumpy

grumpy or not this picture makes me smile

Not a very good heading but I am and I can't snap out of it. Look for the source right? Some say you have the control to change your moods and I really want to believe that but doing it is a lot harder than just saying "snap out of it". So tomorrow I am going to snap out of it and just think good happy fun thoughts and see how it works. I have no real reason to be grumpy I love my life I love my family I love being pregnant I love that spring is in the air. I love that we changed dakota's gymnastics's class and she loves it and her teacher is awesome! I love that even though randy lost his job we are going to be okay because we are a family and because we have family. I love my essie dog, she is just a sweet lover girl who drives me crazy because she barks at any noise she hears or thinks she hears. This is kind of weird but my pregger belly is amazing to me not only because there is a baby in there but also because my skin is a little bit translucent and I can see a network of my veins and the human body just amazes me. I love what a healthy eater dakota is she may like her dessert but she also eats her spinach and bell peppers, nuts and hummus, carrots and celery and broccoli, sprouted peanuts and pineapple and melon and blueberries and I just smile knowing she is getting such good healthy food. I love that she knows that she is not supposed to have high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated and she asks. I love that randy wants to take care of this family and that it is important to him. I love knowing that no matter what he will. I love my parents, I love the comfort and ease there is being around them and while the thought of moving in with a person's parents might scare some to death I would be totally okay with it because at this point my parents are people I truly enjoy being around. I love my brother derek and his wife tisha, they are funny and talented and serious and caring and smart again I love being around them and I feel so lucky to say that. My life is filled with so many wonderful people and I feel blessed and loved and supported all the time even when I am a grumpy pants.

Long time no blog

I have not a clue what I have been doing and why I haven't been able to motivate to blog but I haven't. We have had some good time too and I would think oooohhhh I could write about this but then evening blog time would roll around and be put on the back burner.
So the other day we had some rain and then it kind of cleared up but then it was raining over our house it was wonderful so the girls were running outside loving it.
Dakota has been doing gymnastics on saturdays and loving it.
















And she has really been into watching her body move.
She will be dancing and moving her hands and she will just watch her hands and then she will move her hips and just watch her hips it is cute to watch her exploring how her body moves at four.









On tuesday we had a great time at the park with some friends and it was just beautiful outside. Kai's dad was there and he was running up to the kids and they thought that was just the funnest thing ever. Always good times.

It doesn't have to be complicated

When I try to think of morning activities for the girls I forget how easy it can be I waste more time thinking about what grand thing we can do and then never do anything. Well this morning it was all about a little paste and some paper and that was fine with them and so very easy. I have it in my head that art projects need to include major prep time and organization (so therefore I shy away) when really just some paper and glue is awesome for them. So that was the beginning of our morning followed by a trip to see Karni, the most awesome midwife EVER. We got to hear little ones heart beat which is always so wonderful and beautiful. I know that people say things like slower heartbeats are boys and faster are girls, well this little ones heartbeat is definitely slower then dakotas. Speaking of little one and dakota she felt some kicks tonight. I don't think she really understood what she was feeling at first I think when we would say kick in her head was a much stronger "kick" and not the minor nudge that it is. But at one point she got a huge smile on her face when I asked her if she felt it and she is just smiling huge and shaking her head no, totally feeding off me and randy's excitement. Funny little lady. So after our visit with Karni we headed to story time at the library and then home for lunch and more dress up. Those girls and their dress up, it is never ending.


These are trees, dakotas first.

Do you ever wonder

what in the world is going on in their minds, what is she thinking, what does she see.
Most of the time I feel like I am in the know, only because dakota is a talker but she still has her moments where I can see a look in her eye or an expression that, I think, clues me into that there is something she is thinking about that she is not saying out loud.
Dakota's love of life and love of everything is always so refreshing to me.
Not to say that I don't love life because I do I am a very lucky person and I like to think that I count my blessings daily but dakota is just so pure and wonderous and her interactions with people are so positive and I feel like in those interactions she always leaves the person with a smile.
Okay so I am her mom and so I think I may have a slightly skewed vision of her and may just think she is the most wonderful human on the face of the planet but still I cherish the moments when I really realize just how lucky I am to have her in my life.

I have ideas

essie not pleased about the rain

but often times they stay that way. For Christmas I was going to make dakota a canopy for her "new" room and then I thought I would have dakota stay at the folks house and get the canopy done and do up her room so when she came home there her room would be. That didn't happen either and here sits the tulle and flowers waiting to be made no longer a surprise.
I guess the reality is I don't know what the heck I am doing. I bought an embroidery hoop that I was going to use as the top base thing but it is just not strong enough and I can't seem to get it together to either reinforce it or find something else. So here it sits. Other than that dakota's room is done. There are some things I would still like to do but all in time for now it is a great space for her.
It was a wonderful rainy day here in Ventura today and I am sure there was tons of fun to be had indoors but I just could not muster the energy to think of anything grand to do. Luckily dakota had dance this morning so we got out of the house for a bit
and then Marie came over and they had some good play time whatever they are doing it usually involves dress up attire.

And then it was movie time and then while I sat there watching finding nemo with them my eyes got heavier and heavier. You know when you get to that point where it is almost painful to keep your eyes open and you think okay I will just shut them and stay awake because that seems so much easier than holding the heavy things open but inevitably you fall asleep well I did for a millisecond because kiddos have sensors for that kind of thing and the moment I was out I hear MOM....MOM we are still hungry. I so wanted to say just give me five minutes, wait I think I did say that but five minutes translates to five seconds when you are four apparently so I was up and making popcorn but I tell you what I have not been that tired in a loooonnnnnggggg time.
So needless to say right after sierra came to get marie I told dakota nap time and off we went but then of course I was awake Ha! never too awake for me to take a nap. Before I knew it randy was home.
AND dakota got her first valentine from you know who, the wonderful mister noah, so very sweet.
thank you noah (and amy)

Dakota and noah have been mailing letters lately and I think it is really helping dakota learn her letters AND she loves getting mail that is for her,

me too though there is really something fun about getting a letter in the mail that is just for fun.

Unexpected Fun at the Park

So we were off early this morning for some park time, out the door by 930 we were meeting jenn, kai, dax and jet there. When we left the house I am sure it was already 70 degrees and then when we got to the park the sprinklers were on and the kiddo's were in heaven.
And us moms rolled with it because that is what we do, that is how we roll, HA!
Well not really ha I mean I think at first I was like oh no this is going to be messy
but then after a millisecond I was like we have to start counting on this as the weather warms up it was water and park play all in one AND the wet sand that it left behind is more fun to work with.

It is always so interesting to me well two things first as an adult I have a hard time saying anything to people I know or am acquainted with, people I have not seen in ages and so I pretend I don't see them and hope that we don't look each others way at the same time. I don't know if I am just weird or if others are like that but it is always this internal conversation should I say hi should I wait for them blah blah blah silly really, really silly. Anyway Dakota gave me a great lesson today in we all love to be acknowledged, a little girl arrived at the park who is in the same dance class as dakota and I pointed her out and dakota goes running over saying her name, saying hi you want to play, what a greeting. I don't know why I am so weird but really is it that hard to say hi to people we have met even if they don't remember you.
So then the other thing I was thinking about at the park today is the whole climbing up the slide issue and I do say issue because I have seen some parents as strict enforcers of the slides are only for going down, I am not in that camp because it is something that kids really feel the need to do and it is a great challenge.

I mean really. Here is my feeling you teach your children to pay attention when a slide is not in use great climb up it all you want but when you see children at the top it is off limits.
It is funny to me because when I stand back and watch it seems so natural for them to want to climb up things, to climb up slides just like doing superman on the swings or going down the slide.
Those were my amazing thoughts at the park today.
Sleep update: Just like when she was in her toddler bed next to our bed she starts out in her room but sometime between 1130 and 200 she either calls for us, which has been her way the last few nights, or she comes walking into our room. I am fine with it although last night she was really restless for some reason and that made me have a restless night and I am sure randy as well but most nights I am ready by the time she is.