Life Checklist

Being so focused on music studies, I never branched out and took any art classes when I was in school. I wish I had...art, especially painting, is an interest. 

Over the past few weeks I've developed an odd mental combination of "What the hell"/"Go for it!"/and "Look how much of your life has already passed you by" which pushed me to really embrace my desire to paint. I've taken books out of the library, read lots of websites on oil painting, and watched a few YouTube videos. Oh, and supplies. Asher is such a  good sport for tolerating the wait while his mother confusingly stared at all the paint supplies in Michaels for what I'm sure seemed like hours (it wasn't).  

 My first painting:  

Other things I am adding to my life's checklist for the near future:

Do more Asher/Mama things

Yoga

Run (just as the outside temperature is starting to plummet to freezing degrees. Brilliant, B, brilliant). 

Sew some wool pants for my kids. 

She's walking on sunshine

Lady Tabitha took one unassisted step on October 30th. She was pseudo-walking holding into Stephen's pants leg, and for a second let go and took a step before falling. 

Since then, nothing. Nada. Zip. Sloth baby prefers to be carried, and I like it that way as well. 

Then yesterday, at 5 freakin 30 Lady T woke up and was not liking the idea of going back to sleep. I took her into Stephens office to play...and she did it. I put her down and held out my arms. She took a step. Then she did it again and took 3 steps. My baby is walking!  

I don't have a walking pic, but she took a good nap later in the day. Walking is so exhausting!

In other headline news, Asher has a fish.  His name is Belefant. I tried to hold my tongue in suggesting names and let Asher figure it out on his own, and I think he did fairly well. Good choice, my love, good choice. 

Back in the Saddle

I had my first rehearsal tonight for an upcoming opera I'm in--Mermaid in the Jar. I am the Mermaid. (When I first told Stephen he made some comment about type casting. Smart Ass).  Anyway, I'm going to take a few moments to ramble about how much I loved tonight. 

First, great opera.  I'm usually a modern opera snob. Mermaid...no way Jose. If Kafka had gone into composing rather than straight writing, I'm fairly sure his works would be comparable to this opera. The plot is twisted (more or less about a really sad/negative girl who gets a mermaid in a jar, and then kills it), And the music is genius. 

Next...I've so missed going to rehearsals and performing in a capacity similar to this. I sing in the classroom and in church often enough, but it is not as rewarding as opera. 

And finally...human contact that has nothing to do with child raising. I love my kids to the moon, but non-kid talk with old and new friends was a more than welcome change. 

The kids did fine, too. When I went to pick them up they were happily playing with a toy wheelbarrow.  The wheelbarrow was tipped and Tabitha was inside it.  She has a fascination with crawling inside of, well, everything, even of she's not supposed to be there. Tabby is very, hmmm...catlike (ha!  How appropriate!).  Apparently most of the time I was gone Tabitha was fascinated with getting her hand in Asher's mouth. 

(pic from Rachel A.)

Awake

I've been having some insomniac nights this past week. It's good when I can be productive during those late hours and the babies sleep in(well, at least past 6) or when Stephen gets them the next morning.  Not so good on days like last Sunday, when I didn't fall asleep until about 2, Tabitha woke for the day at 3:30, and I had to leave for work at 7.  Yeh...that was rough. 

Anyway, there are major perks to nights like these, such as witnessing events like the one that occurred about two minutes ago:  I am lying in bed next to a sleeping Tab.  She suddenly screamed, reached down, pulled a sock off and through it over her head. All while sleeping. I know the kid hates socks, but I'm very impressed she figured out in her sleep that I snuck some on her. Babies. 

Lovely Fall and Some Birthdays!

I'm trying this whole blogging thing out again. My kids are growing up so fast. Both of them have birthdays in October...the month is especially bittersweet as a Mama. They are so wonderful and fun and have SO much personality, but I do wish they could stay little. Anyway, yes, blogging, here we go..

Fall=Awesome.  So colorful, so many outdoor opportunities. Apple picking, Brown's pumpkin patch, teaching Asher about squirrels and then hunting for acorns, Cider (and we drink A LOT of cider in the fall!).  We haven't been going on many hikes as I'd like, but there have been lots of outdoor walks, trips to the playground, and jumps into ginormous piles of pine needles and leaves. 

Early in the month we had our first professional family photo shoot. It was fun, and our photographer was so good with Asher. We got some great pictures. 

Tabitha was fairly sick earlier in October with an eye issue (pink eye?) followed by an ear infection. Thankfully, she recovered in time for her first birthday!  

Tabitha didn't seem to notice her birthdaywas about her but was happy with our whole family being home together.  She also enjoyed the trip to her favorite playground. Asher loves birthday celebrations of all kinds. Especially when there are presents. Even more especially when the actual receiver of the presents doesn't care who plays with them (or opens them!), so he got to take over breaking in all Tabby's new toys. 

Asher has been talking about and planning his birthday for months. Not surprisingly, he was thrilled when the day finally came. Rather than have people over, he chose to go to the New England Air Museum. This turned out to be a wonderful trip.  The kids saw planes up close, and the museum has activities for little kids. We even got to sit in the cockpit of a plane from the 60s and Ashef learned about all the controls a pilot uses. 

Halloween...watching Asher waffle around in his duck costume made the whole sugar high for a couple days worth it. I love my little ducklings. 

I've hit the highlights, so onto a bit of unchronological rambling. 

Daisy has been here this month and Asher and Tabby have had so much fun playing with her. Jumping in leaves seems to be their favorite outdoor activity. Sometimes PopPop joined in the fun, too. These kids are so lucky to grow up having such a good relationship with their (wonderful) grandparents. 

Speaking of, Great Grandma S. took Us all out for a birthday celebration lunch. In fairly sure that Asher is old enough now that he will remember his great grandparents (3 of them are still living and doing great!)

Stephen had a bunch of things he was playing for in October. Music from Pagliacci was heard in our house quite a bit this month. Happy Bridget. 

And to end with some favorite recent pics: