The Post Where Nadia is Cute

Nadia climbed into our laundry basket the other day when it had our comforter in there and declared that she was going to sleep. So of course I had to snap a few shots of the total cuteness.

She also won’t keep her clothes on lately. She insists on sitting on the potty for only for two seconds – then she’s done.

Just a quick shot snapped from my car as I was driving it on A1A. Love from Florida!

The Post with more Black and Whites

These are photos from October of this year. I feel that the scans are a little bit contrasty. I’ll probably go back to developing and scanning my own film in 2010.

Turkey Walk

Jonah’s Thanksgiving rhyme that he learned in school.

Nadia counts again and then does a somersault. Jonah can’t even do a somersault!

The Post Where I Try to Catch Up

Okay, so. I’m way behind on photos so I’m just going to upload a bunch and you can take it from there. Ta da!

Jonah and his friend, Alex, at Downtown Disney goggling at Buzz Lightyear.

Nadia loved the carousel.

Waiting for the DeLand Christmas Parade to begin.

Blue crayon around her mouth. Yes, she was eating it.

Happiness is watching Tinkerbell.

At the Central Florida Zoo’s now dry splash park this weekend.

Peter’s new facebook profile pic.

The princess and the frog.

At Hontoon Island State Park today.

Smarty Pants

Nadia shows off her counting and singing skills.

Translation: “Trust in me, just in me, shut your eyes and go to sleep. *ding dong* (doorbell) Who’s there?”

Christmas Traditions

In this post I’m going to try to gently remind people without small children something that they may not be aware of or remember.

I have wonderful memories of spending Christmas morning as a child ripping through presents and then going to my grandmother’s house to stuff our faces with delicious food. I was lucky and blessed enough that we lived close to both of my parent’s families so that we often got to see them, if not on Christmas day, then a day or two after. But Christmas eve and morning were always spent at our own house. We had our own traditions and it was a special time for our small family unit of my mom and dad, me and my sister.

So far, we haven’t been lucky enough to be able to live near our dearest family and friends in the years that we left Minnesota and Wisconsin. This was really, very hard for us during the holidays, as Peter always had a church job that made it impossible for us to be home on Christmas day. Especially when I was pregnant, I felt the lack of spending those exact days with the people closest to our hearts.

Even after Jonah was born, we preferred to be in Minnesota but it wasn’t possible until last year. And even though it was our first real Christmas home – on the eve and day of the holiday I wished that we were back in Potsdam, beginning our own Christmas traditions with our kids – making it magical and special for them.

Jonah is four now. Nadia is almost two. It’s time for us to be at our own home so that the kids can wake up excited on Christmas day to see what Santa has brought them. On Christmas eve we will sit around our own tree and sing carols and open a Christmas eve present. These are the memories I want our kids to have.

We are blessed enough in that we get to travel home the day after Christmas to see our families. I am giddy with excitement to see everyone again and to stuff my face with my mom’s fudge and cookies and my MIL’s incredible holiday spreads. I plan to eat double my weight in food and treats. Seriously.

Here are some traditions I have started with the kids-

Making gingerbread cookies this year. This was Jonah’s.

Decorating the tree.

Get silly with Santa hats.

Merry Christmas!

Still Alive

Yes, I know that it has been another month and more since I posted. Our lives are in super flux right now and it’s hard to ramble on with this or that when I have no clue where we’ll be next year. Changes may be coming, or they may not be. It’s hard to tell.

The good news is that I have a session to proof, hooray! The film needs to be developed and scanned but it was a super fun time. I stepped outside my comfort zone and photographed two teenagers. Hopefully I’ll have something to share soon.

Nadia and Jonah keep me so, so busy. Honestly, blogging just isn’t in me in the evenings after they go to bed. Mainly I knit or spin and try to not drink too much wine.

So sorry for the constant delays and spotty posts. I can’t promise to be better in the future.

Jonah “Crumb”

Jonah shows where middle C is and then plays a lovely atonal composition with his chin.

 

And just because I was taking a walk down memory lane – he was Nadia’s age in this video.

 

Elephants, I Like Elephants

Nadia is currently obsessed with elephants. She loves the elephants marching in The Jungle Book, she loves the Elephant Song on youtube – she’s just generally crazy about them.

I’m in the middle of two giant lace shawl projects so I took a quick break from counting stitches for about a week to knit this elephant up for her for Christmas.

Cute, huh? And a really fun and easy knit. The pattern is Elijah by Ysolda and it’s seamless which made me super happy. The last time I made a toy (birthday bunny) I was so frustrated by all of the seaming of tiny pieces I swore to never knit plush again. Now, I think I might do a few more for Christmas.

I’ve been dyeing up silk scarves and felted Christmas ornaments this past week like a person possessed. No good photos yet but I should have some up soon.

This weekend we went to a fall festival nearby and Jonah got to ride a real horse. Not a pony, a horse. He was scared but he held on and went around the ring three times. He’s growing up so fast and do so many things on his own. We were really proud.