My other life has begun

My other life has begun. The one in where you learn what is most important to you - the people most important to you, the values most important to you, the love most important to you and the kind of life you want to lead that is most important to you. I'm sure this should have happened earlier in my life, but I'm finding it happening now. I have found strength in places that I didn't know I had, and weakness at times when I felt empty inside.

I have been learning that there are silver linings to all clouds, or hurricanes or weather bombs...and I try to focus on those. I do have several silver linings in this situation that I try to remind myself of before I go to bed each night.

I have a the most wonderful and loving husband and children any woman could ask for.
I have the most loving, supporting and helpful mother.
I have the most sincere, loving, charitable extended family and friends.
I have the most cheerful, sweet children that can make me smile at almost any given time of the day or night.
I have an amazing sister who I am lucky enough to call my best friend who knows how I feel before I tell her, and knows what to say before I do.
I have the most awesome dad in the world. He makes me feel loved and makes me laugh. He's grown to be one of my best friends, and I am lucky to have the opportunity to spend time with him.

Think of one thing that is most important to you tonight. I bet it will be a good one.

Good night.

Many firsts

The month of November has given us many firsts in the Falcone house. Jay is now eating solid food, and he is attempting to crawl. Navarre and Jay take baths together since Jay splashes too much in his little infant tub. Navarre loves to put on shows for us...unless we specifically ask for a certain song or show, then it's a no go. Navarre is tracing her letters and doing a wonderful job. Her swimming lessons have ended, and she ended the class with jumping off the side without holding on to anyone's hands and kicking herself around the pool on the kick board. Hopefully the pictures below show you how much fun we've been having this month.

I love the bath!

Navarre yells across the pool, "I'm doin' it! I'm doin' it!"

"MMMM, I love oatmeal."

Me: "Navarre, it's time to get ready for bed."

Navarre: "I'm ready."

Me: "Do you think all princesses go to bed like this?"

Navarre: "Yes"

Navarre's letters...she traced all of these except for the w!!

Plum tuckered out.

Play it again, Jay.

Happy Halloween

Jay enjoyed his first Halloween. He went trick-or-treating with Daddy and Navarre, while I stayed home and passed out candy. He was asleep in the stroller by the second house. The weather was crappy - misty rain and cold - but that didn't deter Tinkerbell, the cow and Daddy. Navarre was so excited that she actually looks happy in this picture and forgot to pose or do a silly picture face that she normally does.

Here is the aftermath of having Halloween candy as the bedtime snack....yes, that is chocolate smeared on her mouth and a piece of chocolate she is affectionately holding against her cheek.

The Great Pumpkin

My last picture post was right before Nanny and Aunt Betty arrived. They were here for Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. It really is an awesome time of year to be up here, which is why we usually have visitors that weekend. We went to the Valley and picked apples and pumpkins and gourds. We did fun kiddie Valley stuff like pay too much to go to the lame ass petting zoo they had at the orchard and walked around looking for the pigs they said you could feed apples to - not I said looking for, not feeding. We escaped the orchard with minimal fits from Navarre. Just the usual, "I'm super pissed off because I'm little and don't understand that I can't pick the gargantuan pumpkins from the vine like I pick apples from the tree" type of attitude from the 3-year old. We had a really good Thanksgiving dinner at Jamie's folks' place, and Nanny and I made apple jelly ALL day Monday. It was a nice weekend with beautiful weather, nice visits with family and a good time all-round.

Navarre must have got her love of puzzles from Nanny.

The jammies glow in the dark, but if Navarre doesn't fall asleep before hers loses their "glow", then she gets upset.

Sadly, this is the best picture of this three-ring circus.

A pair of caterpillars

It's so amazing how quickly they grow and change...