Dear Del 14 mos

Wow Del!
This month has been crazy! I started a list of things that I wanted to make sure I noted in your letter.... it's here somewhere... I guess I'll just have to try to remember as much as possible.
The biggest news, I think, is that we've decided that you have taken your first steps.
And you did... about two weeks ago.
But no more. You're done with walking. Even with us encouraging every non-step... it's a no go. And really, we don't want to encourage you- it'll happen when it happens. You've mastered standing and have a big proud grin on every time you stand. Often you clap and/or dance while standing to show us just how proud of yourself you are.

The prefferred method of transport is definitely crawling...oooh- or even better, being carried and pointing to the desired destination.

If you don't know the sign for something you point and grunt at it. When we show you, you beging practicing right away. Often you go through a list of signs as soon as you wake up, as if you need to just remind everyone, including yourself, of the signs. This communication thing is very helpful for us and you. You've also started shaking your head "no" which is also super helpful. Sometimes I think you are just shaking your head for practice... like the time you kept shaking your head when I asked if you wanted up out of the crib post-nap. After about nine times of you saying "no" I pulled you out and it was all good. You often sign milk and then when you're about to latch on you point to my book and sign book. You see, the book is part of the nursing deal- you drink, I read- and we all know it. You also say things like up, oof (when you fall), chicken, bock (as in what a chicken says), tickle. Oh, speaking of tickling! Every time your shirt is off... or you manage to lift it up you rub your belly and tickle yourself while giggling. Who knew that tickling oneself could be... well, ticklish.

In other big news... I started to wonder if any more teeth were coming after we spotted your 8th tooth popping through- finally. So I ran my fingers along your gums... two others coming in at the same time! Poor you. No wonder sleep and not sleep (if we're being honest) were a little challenging.

Oh, and I probably should mention (only to keep with the precedent that has been set in mentioning this in every letter thus far) you continue to be l.o.u.d!! I still think it's a positive thing in theory but in the living part of it sometimes I just wish you could use your words. Your list of signs and verbal words probably don't cut it. Soon enough, and I'll be missing the "cute" (your non-parents description, not ours) sound of your yelling.
You are also a crazy milk monster lately! On, off, on, off, on, off. Maybe it's that teeth thing. I don't know.
Gotta go though because you're on my lap trying to pull my hands off the keyboard and begging for milk with your loud voice and frantic signing.
Love you always,
Mommy

Chicken Crazy!

I know.
I've been laxadasical in updating.
You see... there's a new obessession.
Chickens.
I've been blogging more on my sustainable living blog.
I've been researching everything chicken.
Here are some "noisy" pictures from tonight when we were hanging out with the chicks (two at a time) in the living room.

She's attempting to kiss Picky- s/he's our most feathered bird.

Ark Boy wants to do everything we do and Ren Man often puts a chicken on his shoulder. Tonight Ark Boy figured out how to and the chick was super happy to hang out for a while.

Another shot of Picky. The chicks are in their awkward adolscent half feathered/half fluff phase.

They grow and change so fast.
So this is just a brief update to say we're all here and well- just busy!

Dear Noah- 36 months

Dear Noah-Noah,
Wow! Three years old! All day I was thinking about how much we've done since three years ago when you and I were snuggling for the first time. I'm overwhelmed by the list running through my head! You are still soooo cute. When I ask you if you know you're too cute you say: "uuuuhhhh, yep! I do!"
Just recently you started calling everyone "buddy" as in: "What are you doing buddy? What's this buddy?" etc. etc. It's so funny. I have to assume I say it too because lately I've been realizing that the funny things you say are coming directly from us (more me, I think- only because I talk more than Daddy). You will often say: "Look! I will show you"... that's a funny little phrase.... and then I noticed that I say that to you. "You wait here, I'll be right back" is another one- you use it right before you go to the potty by yourself. You've started using more "please" and "thank you" type words. More than once you've said "excuse me" and I have no idea why. So I'll say: "did you burp?" and you say: "yes, I did." I even heard you telling Del: "That's right buddy! It's a dog!" after she signed dog. I still don't know why I'm now called "Muzzer" but we'll go with it...
This month we got baby chickens and you are very very gentle with them. This, I think, has helped you learn how to be gentle with Bixbee. Last night we were gently and slowly petting Bixbee and you said: "Look! he has black feathers!"... so I think the chickens have been a bigger influence than I thought. You tell everyone that the brown ones are going to grow up to be red and the yellow ones are going to grow up to be white and when they are all grown up they will say: "bok-a-bok-a-bok".
We had your first most-birthday-like celebration yet. Nina-Poobah (as they are called by you when talking about both of them), Grammie, Uncle Shawn, Tant A, Uncle Josh, Auntie Chelse, Kate, Mike (who you haven't seen in a long time because "maybe sometimes he's at work", Emmie, and Chase all came to share a pizza, a Grammie made cow cake, and ice cream.

thanks Mike for the picture-taking!

Everyone was following you around with the lens of their cameras after you took some of your gifts outside to play with. You're not a fan of having your picture taken so you kept hiding....

This month you've shown once again that you love to help with tasks that are authentic. You spent a long weekend at Nina-Poobah's and they said that you spent all day bringing compost down the driveway to the flower bed at the bottom of the long, steep driveway. It's very fun to be able to include you in more and more.
We love you buddy,
Mommy

and the busy goes on...

I know blogging has been sparse.
Remember that day last week... Tuesday? that was so hot?
Ark Boy found a catepillar.

He wanted to watch it turn into a butterfly... immediately.

He ran outside the next day to find the catepillar where he had left it...
Fortunately he's a pretty easy going kid and was not too bothered to learn that catepilars don't tend to stay put.

We've been clearing the ouchy holly trees, celebrated Ark Boy's third birthday, had a visit from 1/2 of Ren Man's family, and have started raising chicks:)
We're having a hard time staying put with the warm weather instead of running off to a farm somewhere...
Only a couple more years (hopefully) of school to go.
In the mean time:
we joined a CSA this year
the strawberry plants are growing well
we plan to plant corn in 1/2 the front yard
and wild flowers on the other 1/2
build a coop
and free range our chicks (as much as one can in a suburban back yard)

Dear Del... 13 months

Hi Big Girl,
Time is flying by! I didn't realize until this moment that I am several days overdue with your letter. Oops!
As it gets warmer we get busier. We're planting plants, clearing the yard of some trees, raising our first flock of chicks.... we're busy busy busy.
And you are right in the middle loving all of it.
You sit in the dirt while we ready the garden, hang out in the wago watching the prickly holly trees coming down, and lunge for the chicks when you can- you even started "bock, bock"ing when Noah was telling you what the chicks will say when they are grown up.

You and Noah have started playing more together. Yesterday in the car Noah was laughing at Mommy and you didn't know what he was laughing about but you cracked up laughing seeing him laugh. We recently turned a big box that was in the living room into a fort for a couple days. You spent many minutes crawling in and out with Noah and giggling all the while.
You can walk holding on of our hands and stand for a while by yourself.... until you realize what you're doing and get scared. The crawling thing is working out well for you so far, why fix what isn't broken. And when you do get frustrated with that you just ask to be carried and then point to wherever you want to go... in the basement and outside are your favorite. To ask to go outside you sign dog (smacking your chest). I think because our neighbor has a dog that is often outside. I'm not sure if you really want to see the dog... I think it just means you want to go outside.

You are always so very excited when I get home from work and sign "milk" immediately. We start nursing but if anyone offers something to eat- goldfish, bagel- you pop off and lunge for it.
You are making yourself more and more clear between hand gestures, sounds, and body language. You play with toys we think are too old for you (pounding balls into one of those hammer and hole things, retrieving balls, placing them in holes, and hammering again). Yes, we are amazed by this.

We've been looking back at your baby pictures and we're amazed by the person you've grown into in just a year. We are the first to say that you were not a very cute baby and now... yeah, we are overwhelmed by cuteness. You imitate everyone which adds to the adorableness- for sure!
Anyway, family is visiting, more is coming, and Kate etc. is also coming over today. Things to do... oh, and you've just remembered I'm not holding you so you're crawling over, pulling up on my leg, and begging to be picked up.
Love you forever and beyond!
Mommy

I scoff...

.... no more.
I've often been shocked when seeing how couples that are our age still have rather traditional roles.
Men work outside the home.
Women may work outside the home, but are less likely to.
Women are primary caregivers, clothes washers, floor cleaners, cookers, dish washers, bed makers etc. etc.
Not in this house.
Oh no.
Childcare is probably split 60/40.
I rarely wash dishes, have recently started doing diapers but don't wash other clothes, have cooked a handful of times in the 5 years of our marriage, mopped a floor once, etc. etc.
It's not that I refuse to do these things- just that Ren Man does them first.
I am/have been shocked by other couples who do not have a more equitable relationship as far as work/home balance.
And then I had a work commitment the same day Ren Man did.
Neither of us could budge as far as getting out of our commitments.
So...
I organized child care and Ren Man looked shocked when I suggested he should be the person called if the kids needed something.
So maybe we're not as equitable as I thought.
What if Ren Man had a "real" job working 40+ hours a week.
I would not have thought so before but now...
I'm fairly sure
I would be the primary caregivers, clothes washers, floor cleaners, cookers, dish washers, bed makers etc. etc.
Interesting...