Bouncing off the walls

Playgroup is always great fun for Franny, but today was even more exciting because we all met at the Inflatable Kingdom for some bounce-house fun. After an hour and a half of non-stop bouncing, we walked next door to the local McMenamins for lunch. And by "we" I mean five adults, five toddlers, and three babies. To their credit, the toddlers were very well behaved and ate their grilled cheese, veggies, and tater tots with very little mess. It was the perfect wind down to a high energy morning. The kids all left with very tired eyes and the moms all left hoping for very long naps.

Bounce house #1

The big slide ascent


The big slide descent


Franny and her friend Caden walking to the pub


Onslaught of chaos

If its not one thing...

Several months ago, Franny went through a phase where she insisted on sleeping on the floor. I found it all very irritating, but as long as she slept I didn't fight it. And, one day she just decided to get back into bed. At the time, I thought to myself Thank goodness that phase is over! But now, Franny has decided that she wants to sleep in her chair. This has been going on for several weeks, and is to the point where her chair is beginning to resemble a chaise lounge. It is probably nothing that a wash and dry of the slip cover won't cure, but it drives me crazy. I know it will pass eventually. But what will come next, I don't even want to speculate!

Trimming the tree

This year Franny and Cole trimmed the tree in matching jammies. Some may think it a bit corny, but we think they're darn cute!


First Christmas as siblings


Hanging with Daddy


Playing with bells


Checking out the tree

Special tradition

Last week, Franny and I enjoyed our annual Christmas tree excursion with Grandpa. Franny always loves spending time with Grandpa and this was no exception. In addition, this year we moved her car seat into his "red truck", where she was able to also enjoy riding in the backseat with Dusty and raiding Grandpa's peanut stash, not to mention another special treat of yummy gumdrops! In retrospect, excitement from the ride probably overshadowed the actual tree shopping, although since Christmas is really more about family, love, and sharing than finding the perfect Noble, maybe she had the right idea. But we did find a very nice tree, as well!

Crazy kids

Cole and Franny had a rousing game of peek-a-boo going this afternoon. I don't know the last time I heard so much giggling! I don't know who loved it more. After having Cole in stitches, Franny wanted to switch positions, so she sat in the high chair and Cole peek-a-booed her (with a little help from me). I think Cole thought that was even more hilarious! I have a feeling that I am going to be seeing--and hearing--a lot of this game.

"No picture!"

Currently, Franny does NOT enjoy having her picture taken, and will hide her face, run out of the room, or grimace to avoid having her picture taken. I know this phase, as with all the others before, will eventually pass. But it is sad not being able to chronicle her experiences and adventures with that wonderful smile and beautiful face. Maybe tomorrow...

Big sister

When it comes to Cole, Franny's boisterous side is frequently accompanied by a very dear and sweet side.

Mommy time

We try very hard to make special, one-on-one time with Franny. But with a nursing newborn, too frequently I become sidelined, and it has become special "Daddy time". As a result, my quality time with Franny is usually limited to the 1 hour intervals while Cole is napping. Today, however, we had the rare opportunity to spend the morning together. With two others from Franny's playgroup, we went to the zoo to see the Thanksgiving feast prepared for the polar bears and sun bears. Despite the very cold weather, it was an extremely fun time for both of us. We branched off on our own for a short time and watched the feeding of the sea lions, which was, by far, the most entertaining thing I've ever seen at the zoo. Franny loved it too, which of course, was the best part. After we left, we stopped off at our neighborhood Starbucks for a hot chocolate and just a little more "Mommy time". It was reminiscent of the many adventures that Franny and I used to have when it was just the two of us--I miss those times. She is an amazing, sweet, and incredibly fun little girl, and I absolutely adore her. The days and weeks are passing much too quickly and she is changing and growing just as fast. I often wonder what our relationship will be like in five, ten, and twenty years from now. I hope we will still laugh and love each other like we do now. For that to happen, it is going to take a lot of "Mommy time". Lucky me!

Happy Halloween

This Halloween was one of those rare times where we had the chance to introduce Franny to something completely unknown to her and watch her joy and enthusiasm unfold. At first, she was very quiet and wouldn't say "trick or treat". But, she once she realized she was getting candy, she did muster a quiet "one for Cole" and "thank you". Clever girl! We started at our neighborhood community center and then proceeded to the blocks around our house. By the end of the night, she had a very enthusiastic "trick or treat!" and even was so bold as to try and open the door when the residents were too slow for her liking. Next year's Halloween will be fun, because she will be able to pick out her own costume and we'll be able to see her anticipation and excitement build for a night of trick or treating. But first-time joy is absolutely priceless. I wish I could capture the sweet look on her face and her first quiet whisper of "trick or treat" in a picture, but it is impossible. None of the "firsts" can be captured; they are reality mixed with her joy, mixed with our joy to create moments that can only be recalled in the memory. I'm not usually big on Halloween, but this one was really wonderful.

Sly grin

It makes me wonder what she's thinking...

The sweetest sound

Franny likes to use the WHOLE bed (and then some)

Subtle hint?

For the past few weeks Franny has started wearing two shirts and no pants. I don't know if she's trying to tell us she'd like to wear more skirts and dresses or if this is just her new fashion statement. Either way, I'm just glad she's wearing clothes!

Picking pumpkins

Franny's bed

Poor Franny stayed home from school on Tuesday due to a touch of stomach flu. In true Franny form, it was quite difficult to even tell she was sick, until later in the day when she got very tired. So, for Cole and I it was just another day with the big-sister--lots of noise, play, and silliness. One of Franny's favorite chores is to help me with the laundry. So, we went through all the rooms folding, hanging, and putting away clothes. We did Franny's room last, because the chore quickly becomes dress up play, and the laundry forgotten. By doing her room last, I still get the benefit of her help (although her help actually makes the task take twice as long!) This time, however, Franny was more interested in playing with Cole than doing her dress-up routine. They played in her room for over an hour. Franny "read" Cole books; Cole had tummy time, with Franny cheering him on "good job Cole--hooray!"; and Franny shared her "friends" with him. It was enough to melt a mom's heart, for certain. Then, they played on her bed for close to half an hour, chattering away, playing peek-a boo, and having some fairly gentle rough-housing. Now Franny wants Cole in bed with her all the time. And, I think Cole feels the same way!

Mom disrupting the fun with the camera

Franny giving Cole the giggles


Residual "Franny joy"

Bedtime--big eyes due to the flash in a half-dark room. For book time, Franny tucked Cole in, sharing her favorite giraffe blanket. For those in the know, this is a very big deal.

Tuesdays with Grandpa

Franny adores her Grandpa, and is very lucky to be able to have great fun with him every Tuesday evening. Unfortunately for me, I don't get to witness their fun first-hand. While I only get bits of Franny's chattering to have an idea of what they do together, it is guaranteed that they will play in Grandpa's "red truck" and that they will share some peanuts from his travel cache. Beyond that, it is their special time, so I can only speculate. But I can clearly tell from Franny's mood and the extent of her chatter, that they have a very good time. Today, Grandpa set her up with the best milk cup any young girl could ask for. And she definitely thought it was the coolest, as she held onto it through the rest of the evening. Some things, only Grandpas can think of!

The mistress of all things wet

Until yesterday, Franny would absolutely not use the "big bathtub". The girl who would jump off the bank into the Deschutes River and swim to the bottom of the pool would not even get into the tub up to her ankles. With so much else for her to adjust to--school and Cole being the big two--I didn't press it. Over the last month or so I have been talking up the big tub and finding fun tub toys for when the big day came. Either my strategy worked or she finally was just ready, but yesterday she climbed in without hesitation. Her "bath" lasted a good 20 minutes, although maybe five minutes of washing took place. She floated on her back, pushed around on her tummy, blew bubbles, and had a really fun time. And I was able to use the bonus 15 minutes to feed Cole and clean the bathroom. What a deal!

Her favorite toy, by far, was the watering can.

My rainbow

Between Franny and Cole's blogs, I know I've posted a variation of this same shot several times over the last few months. But with Cole changing so rapidly, each new set seems so different from the last. When I see pictures of Franny and Cole together, sometimes it's very different from experiencing the same situation first-hand. In real time, managing the two together takes so much focus, I frequently miss the reality taking place before me. Being able to later look back and see their love for each other, through these captured moments is both mesmerizing and overwhelming. It is then that I realize that those two amazing, little beings in the pictures are my children. And it is then that I regain my perspective and understand that while life can get difficult and frustrating, all that chaos is will eventually pass and be forgotten. In contrast, Franny and Cole are now and will always be a constant presence in my life. And when I slow down long enough, I realize that, with my family, I have everything that I could ever want or need. Those are the moments where I breath deeply, knowing I am truly experiencing the purest form of peace and thankfulness.

Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
really do come true.

The Story of the Fourteen Bears

Franny always has a favorite book that she insists on reading to herself and having us read to her over and over. But none to date has quite captured her attention as The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter, a new edition to the original, which was a favorite of both my sister and I when we were growing up. Unfortunately, the Winter addition pales in comparison to it's Summer counterpart, but Franny loves it nonetheless. We read two books of her choice to her at bedtime every evening. For nearly two weeks now, those two books have been The Fourteen Bears. I will be shocked when she finds a new favorite and I cease to hear "read it again!" During the day, I hear her chattering lines of it to herself, which I clearly recognize from having read it so many times: Every day the fourteen bears walked paw in paw through the forest. And the birds sang, and the breeze blew, and the sun beat on their ears. I find it amazing, the calming effect that fond childhood memories have on the soul, and this book evokes those feelings for me; I am extremely fortunate to be able to experience that nightly. It will be sad when The Fourteen Bears' time has past and Franny finds a new favorite book to love.

Reading The Fourteen Bears to Cole

Falling asleep to her favorite book at naptime

More and more the little girl

Morning in NW

We broke out for a walk in NW this morning--what a beautiful day! Although it's taking a little adjustment, I think Franny likes the new stroller; she can sit or stand, but best of all, she can get nose-to nose with her little brother. For us, it definitely beats packing Cole in the sling or persuading Franny to "take turns" with her stroller. Franny would prefer to ride in the front--when the carseat pulls out there is a front-facing seat--but she is very good about relinquishing the position to Cole. All in all, a very pleasant morning and a very pleasant walk.

Three cheers for Franny!

I didn't even realize it until Franny had gone to bed, but yesterday, I didn't need to change her "Elmo diaper" or "princess pull-up" all day. Even better, she used the "big potty" all day, so there was nothing for me to clean. Great job, Franny!!

Picture 10,000

This picture in Sunriver marked my 10,000th picture/video with our digital camera. It's hard to believe I've taken that many images in just over one year; we bought this camera in June of last year. In addition, we have even more pictures from our old camera and another camera that we borrowed. That's a lot of pictures!

Digital cameras are wonderful. When I look at past pictures of Franny, and think of all the memories we have been able to capture and retain, I am so thankful. Not to mention the advantage of being able to zoom, crop, and edit! Due to this technology, we have an incredible chronicle of her first 2 1/2 years--with many more years to come--that will be perfectly preserved.