Officially mobile!

Well now we are in for it... As parents at least.
Alexa is officially mobile. She is like this crawling machine now... With little hands to help her get into things and pull and push things and, and ... Well, just cause chaos in general. (Heh) Not really... She is still pretty docile, and more interested in taking her bothers toys at this point.
I admit I have been dreading this. I mean it's hard enough to have one spirited child who is mobile. Now... There are two.
My fear is this: I can just see me trying to go somewhere and they both decide to take off in different directions... That day will come (sooner than I would like at this rate). (sigh)
Well, my daughter is no longer an infant any more. She is caught in the awkward stage between babyhood and toddlerdom. She is growing up. It's nice in some ways, as she can do more on her own. But she will never be my quiet, snuggly, little baby girl again. She is growing up.
I guess, I should have expected it... I mean, we went through a lot of the same feelings with Tim. One day we were looking at this cute, cuddly, immobile baby and the next we were staring face to face with a fully-mobile-mind-of-his-own toddler. His favorite thing to do these days is play with his "box". My dad bought a fan a few weeks ago, and we kept the box. Tim started out just putting toys in it and trying to stand on it. Now he likes to drag his toys all over the house in his box. He also likes to sit and watch TV in it... He is so funny these days!
It's amazing how fast they grow up. I seem to be dwelling on that these days. ( I noticed my last few posts have been about that.) I think because of all that is going on in the world today, hurricanes destroying whole cities, crime everywhere and all the other horrible things that the media thinks we need to know about, I think about how my kids will grow up.
It makes me a little sad sometimes. I think of all the family I grew up with and I am saddened that my kids will never get to know their great grandfathers. (However, I am extremely grateful that my kids will know their grandparents and great grandma's and all other family members. Even family that is not blood related.) I hear stories of simpler times, when kids could play outside all day with no worries. My kids will never know that.
As a parent I will never know that. That makes me sad too. I know things were harder back in the "old days", as far as conveniences go. But what we have we gained in return? More personal time? No. More money? No. More quality time with our kids? Ok, I will have to say yes to that one, but I know that for most people that would have to be a big NO. It makes me grateful that at least I am able to stay home, I know for some parents working is not an option.
I am glad that I take a lot of pictures. I am a certified photoaholic. I have lots of photos of everything... It helps me remember. My kids are growing up so fast, sometimes it's good to remember when they were little and immobile (and not tearing up my house) and some times it's good to just remember how we felt at a certain moment in time, and to treasure that... For time is all to fleeting these days.

Scrapbook Group

Ok I am now coordinating a Scrapbook group, to meet once a month. Check out the site.
It is for people in the Phoenix, AZ area who want to meet on a monthly basis to exchange ideas with other scrapers. Please (as with all things) bear with me as I try and get this up and running.
I am looking forward to meeting other people in the area who share the same passion for paper crafts that I do.
Thanks so much for checking in...

Pics

OK here are some really cute pictures of the kids I could not resist posting.
I look at my kids and just think wow... Where has the time gone. I cannot believe that it is almost October... Fall is right around the corner (sigh) and Summer is (almost) gone.
It's been another Summer of first in our house. Lexa is experiencing everything for the first time... Her first time in the pool, her first solid food, her first bump on the head from brother...LOL. That was a first for him too. He felt so bad that he hurt her, he cried almost as hard as her. She is also trying to crawl and walk... We are taking bets to see which she will do first.
Tim actually has to share his toys now, and he has to watch where he is going (which is hard for a toddler) All and all he is a good big brother. He likes to help her do things and he is loving the fact that she laughs at everything he does. She is a built in audience (laugh track included). They are so funny together. Tim is also learning how to color and he is getting the alphabet down pretty well.
It's amazing how fast these kids change. (Sigh... I am not ready for them to grow up.) But they sure are cute!
Well it's late and hubby is up early... nite all

Growing up

Wow, it seems like my kids are growing up right before my eyes.
I have been noticing a few things about my kids the last few days.
When Tim eats now, he no longer gets messy trying to get the spoon in his mouth (and the food that is on the floor is there by accident not because he threw it there on purpose), and the way he loves to interact and play with other kids, and wants to share his toys with his sister (which is a big deal for any 19 month old) . He is getting to be such a "big boy". I was looking at some photos my mom took in June, and I could not believe how much he has matured in just 2 1/2 months.
Lexa too, has changed a lot in that time as well. She is now trying to crawl and she scoots and rolls everywhere. I am not really looking forward to her being mobile, as her and her brother have already been fighting over toys. But even in her look, she has changed. She is still quick to smile, but she watches everything VERY intently now. My dad says she can burn a hole right through you with her stare. She is also starting to mimic things... She claps and will try and wave now and she loves to make funny faces.
It just amazes me that my kids are growing up so fast... I just hope I can keep up.

Eclectic ruminations

Reading The Chronicles of Narnia to a 1.5 year old boy is interesting considering the fact that he is beginning to learn the sounds that animals make. For example, when we switch the TV to a kid-friendly station, such as Animal Planet, quite often you will see a snake on the screen. Timothy, on queue, gives a loud "hisssss" when he sees it.

Well, this makes for interesting reading time because I have my built in sound effects machine. In the creation of Narnia, you hear of a lion ("roooaaarr!!") a horse ("neeeeigh!") and then an elephant (he does not make the sound, he just puts his hand on his nose to signify a trunk).

So, this becomes quite fun and challenging when Aslan, the great lion ("roooaaaarr!!") makes Strawberry, the horse ("neeeeiiggghh!!") a talking horse. And when the Lion ("roooaaaarr!!") turns Strawberry into a flying horse ("neeeeiiggghh!!") named Fledge, and then sends Digory and Polly on an adventure, well, you get the idea. When Uncle Andrew tried to run from the animals, the Elephant (hand to nose) grabbed him with his "tunk."

Maybe I will wait a few more years before I attempt to read The Farm to him.

My daughter is quite the little princess. She is learning how to crawl, although right now it appears to be little more than a glorified face plant as she uses her forehead to balance her body and support her torso.

She also seems to be Daddy's little girl. Everywhere I go, there are these precious little eyes following my every move...what a great feeling. Of course, if mom leaves the room for two seconds and comes back in you would think she had been gone a week by Alexa's reaction! Ah, Shannon deserves such love. She is a great mom.

Hurricane

Wow, what a week. This week has been marred by a tremendous hurricane, and now, still, the aftermath continues.
I want to post a link here to a blog that belongs to a friend, Eddie Exposito, who lives on the outskirts of New Orleans. Eddie and his family made it out ok... We are VERY thankful for that. They are trying, this weekend, to get back to see if they still have a place to live, and what they can salvage.
Please continue to pray for Eddie and his family as they have a long uncertain road ahead of them. There are many places to donate money, but please, consider donating to the site listed on Eddie's Blog. The money will go to Sovereign Grace Church Fellowship. It will be put to good use and go directly where it is needed.
Our hearts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones and for those who are still waiting to hear from people. Also, pray for those, who, like Eddie and his family, are displaced in all this. They will have a long road ahead of them.
God is in control, may He continue to shine though this devastation.