*bicicleta!

Vera rode her bike for the first time today!!!

Sooo Ben got her this little bike with training wheels early last spring. I immediately could tell why a balance bike is so.much.better!!! I had thought we would look for one on craigslist or maybe find a discount one somewhere, but if she had to use training wheels - no big deal. I mean most of us learned that way right? But watching how easily some of her little friends transitioned to pedals, and seeing all the horrible habits that training wheels introduced, I really regretted not finding the balance bike for her. I'm not concerned that she be an early achiever [though I admit a wee bit of jealousy seeing her little friends, wishing we'd gone that route] - but why start something that will only make it harder to learn in the long run? So last week we borrowed Sam's and she rode it briefly twice and then all the way to the park this morning. That was enough to help her understand how to get started on her real bike and this afternoon she practiced and practiced. I was so proud of her!! Anyway, if you have the opportunity to get your kid one of these, I highly recommend it - it's so cool how they teach balance and stopping yourself and needing a little speed to get going. They're not just for the urban/whole foods/REI crowd :)

I LOVE her smile here at the end!



I also brought out this little toy I found at a garage sale when I was pregnant with Edie - she kind of scooted around a bit and loved it:

*el bautismo

I recently realized I didn't print any pictures out from last Thanksgiving and have been going through some on the computer to do so.  I don't think I mentioned it back then, but we had Eden baptized that weekend since Ben's family was here.  I do regret a little that with all the Thanksgiving busyness it seemed like a hurried affair - I remember realizing as I sat down in the pew that her gown was on inside out!  Anyway, I'm glad I have this sweet picture.  I really love the way our pastor does baptisms - it feels very meaningful and special and genuine as the church welcomes the child into the family.  Whether you believe in infant or believer baptism [or have no idea what I'm talking about], the church is making a vow to love and protect and teach that child about Christ. Our church does feel like a family - we've started so many meaningful relationships there.  Personally I have learned a lot about loving God through serving others - there are some amazing people there that I look up to in this way.

Back to the baptism.  Look at my two sweet girls there - here's a reminder for me to pray and pray for these two little souls every day.

*insólito [random?]

I can't find my camera.  I'd really like to get back to posting our daily life - I just love to have it to look back on.  Let me think of some daily life going on around here...  Vera and I have started [only a few so far, and definitely not a habit yet] having a little devotion time in the morning. I figured it wasn't a bad thing to use chocolate milk as a bribe to get her to sit down with me for a few minutes to start our day off right - I mean I have my mate right?  She memorized the first part of Psalm 23 a few months ago, so I read that to her and then we each pray for something.  This last week I read with her in Galatians about 'the fruit of the spirit' being love, joy, peace, etc.  It's really neat to talk to her about these things and to hopefully be touching her little heart.  She really is a wonderful, sweet little girl. She loves us so much - always telling us so, and always including how much she loves Edie and her friends too.  Anyway I was saying she is really a wonderful little person - who still struggles in big ways with wanting to do things her way and not wanting to be corrected or disciplined.

Edie ... wow she is really her own person too.  I don't know quite how to deal with her little bouts of aggression - you tell her to not do something or take her away from a situation and she swipes at your face or grabs your hand to bite you!  For now I calmly hold her hand away and say ouch that hurts, you may not hit, etc.  or put her down away from me.  She really is the cutest little thing though, I still can't get enough of her - just watching her toddle around accomplishing her little baby plans. So stinkin cute.  She signed "please" yesterday trying to get some of Vera's chocolate ice cream - it was really cute how quickly she learned it to get that ice cream!.

She is sleeping amazingly right now - at night from about 7:00pm to 8:00-30am!  She sometimes wakes once in there and if she doesn't settle down quickly I go feed her, just hoping I don't encourage a bad habit!  She doesn't take a morning nap anymore, but does take a good 1-2+ hour afternoon nap.  I know everyone is really interested in all this!  Speaking of sleep, I always wondered when Vera would sleep soundly enough that we could go in to tuck her in or just look at her sweet sleeping face.  Sometime in the last year it finally happened!  She is sleeping right there next door with the door open and we go in and out of her room, the bathroom, do the dishes and she sleeps through it all - I love it!

Lately Ben has been writing non-stop. Literally all day, every day, late late into the night.  He takes a break usually between 5-6 when we eat and he gives Edie a bath.  It's crazy and he is so tired.  I'm really proud of him - I mean I would have crumbled about 5 years ago!

All right, there were some random thoughts.

*la abuela

I have a picture of my mom and newborn Edie in this same spot one year ago.. will find it.

My mom is so.... productive.  She doesn't give an extra thought to baking bread or sewing up a doll dress or fixing Bunny's face, making a Halloween costume, baking a pie... What is wrong with me?? Seriously I think a major hindrance is this internet!!  So many ideas, but I spend most my time collecting the ideas and little effort implementing them.  One afternoon while I was working, my mom got Vera started on her own little flower embroidery. It didn't take a Soul mama book to inspire it!  I really want to be more like her [and Ben's mom too] in this way. Once I publish this post, and check facebook one more time [jk jk].

I'll post a picture when she finishes - it's really cute!  

After my mom had left I caught this sweet moment of Edie looking at the pictures of both sets of grandparents.

*caminitas

Ben and I always comment on our "favorite thing" about Vera or Edie.  Right now I just love watching Edie toddle around.  She'll walk to the end of the room, circle around and back again, maybe moving a toy or a cup from one spot to another. She seems very purposeful about it all.  I spend a lot of valuable clean-up-the-house, finish-the-dishes, get-myself-ready time just watching her.  

I want to eat her up, I love her so.

she loves these rainboots - just you try to take them away!

and a cute one of another favorite thing: seeing my 2 girls play together.  Edie was pushed around on this favorite chair today, she loooved it.

*varios

Some random photos from lately::

We've had such a nice string of seasons this year!  Summer was pretty mild and pleasant and we had a nice long Fall.  It snowed the other morning, but now it's sunny and crisp outside - perfect Fall weather.  When it was still quite warm, Vera and Edie had fun in the sandbox - so cute seeing them playing together :)

a cute one from the day before halloween:

Edie got a bike helmet for her birthday!  I had taken her once in a while to the park in the trailer sans helmet [it's super close and I stick to the sidewalk], but the other day we ventured all the way to the library!  I thought it might not work as obviously she is going to notice and dislike that huge thing on her head. I put it on quickly and gave her a little piece of cheese to hold in each hand: just enough distraction and the trip was a success.

  

Trying to capture her cute expressions while watching Baby Signing Time:

Posing with Edie in her new chinese pajamas.  I had put rags in Vera's hair the night before - it worked and she looked so cute!

I ♥ my baby:

more sandbox:

*tarjetas

I finally just updated my etsy shop with some notecards :
send me an email if you are interested!

It's a weird, embarrassing thing to try to sell something you've made : /  I just have to say that.



On a more professional note, my cousin has recently worked really hard to update her online stationery shop,*Blissfolio*.  It's so pretty :)  Check it out if you are planning to do photo Christmas cards! or get some personalized stationery - so fun.

*nevada day (aka Halloween)

You might remember how I "pledged" to sew an hour every day for a week.  Well a couple birthdays that week, a visit from Ben's dad and a terrible bout of flu that weekend and I pretty much didn't do a thing. I cut the pattern out is about it.  With the sickness, things around the house were just piling up and Ben is really trying to get his 3rd chapter written on his dissertation - so I invited my mom to come help out for a week.  It was definitely a huge help for all of us!  In fact I'm sitting here eating fresh homemade bread with my mate as I write this :)  She got right to work on Vera's Tinkerbell costume [I did cut out and sew the petals!] which turned out amazing - so cute!!

ready just in time for the preschool halloween party:

sweet little sister moment:

The Halloween weekend was really busy!  She got to wear her costume to ballet - they were all so cute!  I think only 2 girls weren't wearing wings of some sort.

We may have started trick or treating rather early - I wanted Edie to get to go before bed.  We did a second round later with Graham which was really fun.  Graham was so cute - Vera kept trying to hold his hand and he'd wiggle out of it.  When I told them they were serious trick-or-treaters he said, "Me not trick or treater! Me fireman!!" :)  Vera kept saying, "I sure love trick or treating!  Why do I love it so much?"  She got a lot of candy.  I have never really liked Halloween - especially the gory, ugly stuff [and the pressure to have a creative costume], but it's fun to see how excited the little ones get.

We've recently met another neighbor, Evie.  She and Vera get along really well.  She was sooo excited when we rang their doorbell! 

 Edie kept trying to go in all the houses.

I love this costume!  Before Vera wore it, it was Marie's and maybe Olivia's too.

Vera wouldn't even pass this freaky cat to get to the door - I had to carry her.  Edie wanted to cuddle with it and flipped out when we had to move on: