Into the woods we go.

We went on the most beautiful walk over the weekend.

After a pretty lazy couch vegetable Sunday we all needed a little fresh air before bed. Also both Max and Claire had had late naps and needed toddler size workouts in order for bedtime to happen.

It was after supper before we were coordinated enough to head out, the fall sun was quickly lowering, the sky red, so we had to keep it close and decided to head for this little trail nearby we had heard about.

The trail was full of little wonders. An old shed, house, or a workshop? Isolated in the woods, trees growing through the windows and falling in on itself, sundried and grey, the door hanging open, you couldn't help but imagine what it's once upon a time was. The most beautiful pile of cars ever seen, circa nineteen forty Troy guessed, with two front windows, round top and wheel wells, two round little headlights sticking up on the front, the seats eaten, rust brown and moss covered. Animal trails leading down to the brook on the side, through the bright lime soft moss forest floor, a hill rising on our other side, with tall straight thick dark evergreens and slim light hardwoods beginning to lose their leaves. Old trees lay composing, soft and squooshy. Sometimes the trail weaved dangerously close to a ravine ledge over the brook, thrilling the kids, making my heart skip a beat, holding their little hands tight. The sunset light made it magical, serene, at times the long shadows made it a little haunting, a tad eery.

It was such a pretty little trail we decided to go back again yesterday to take some pictures, joined by my nieces and my mom, my mother's and Thane's shared birthday. The light of course was different midday, but no less beautiful, just different. More cheery. I almost got nice pictures of each of the kids, except Seth was either on the move or not smiling in all of his. My mission for nice pics to enlarge for the wall almost accomplished.

 

Already.

All the signs are pointing in one direction.

We're back from summer vacation, our days neck deep in swimming lessons, and the ball schedule is well on its way. My last maternity leave payment has been deposited, a scribble on my calendar tells me next Tuesday holds a meeting at work to catch up on what I've missed the past year. The grocery list holds cake ingredients for Max's birthday dinner.

My baby's turning one year old.

From the smooth sailing start of another healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery, feeling smug that I knew all there was to know about babies, to the plummet that was January through April with Max's health troubles and my humbling white flag moments, I've never had such a 'we made it' feeling at a first birthday.

We made it. Either we've learned to manage his skin better (definitely), his allergy elimination treatments are working (no food hives lately anyway), he's growing out of the eczema and allergies (fingers crossed), or a combination of all of these (probable). I hadn't truely appreciated a poopy diaper until I had dealt with a constantly constipated baby. Whatever the cause of the improvements, he's definitely come leaps and bounds and back into his happy little self.

Regular milestones are taking precedence over food diaries, good days are outweighing bad days, and bad days are not so bad. Even the six teeth he's cutting at the moment (yes, a whole mouthful at once) aren't sending us into a spiral.

Maxwell stood on Monday. We were all immersed in our own things, Max had been practicing pulling up and down. Seth walked into the room and says, "Um, Max is standing!" At which point our group exclamation startles him and knocks him over.

He stands on his head and feet lately, laughing and looking through his cute little legs. He crawls slowly and deliberately, stopping to explore each little thing he passes, picking at things with his finger and thumb. He's a sweet little patient baby, we call him the Professor with his quiet watching, taking it all in, an analyzing stare until he dubs it okay to smile.

He crawled up to sit with his sister at story hour yesterday, staring up in awe and listening to the story for a minute. He found Claire's sandals and instead of putting them in his mouth like I was expecting, he tried to put them on his bare little toes. Big boy in the works here.

All ball.

Our first summer babe.

The ingredients for a really cute Peter Pan.

Polar bear.



Max's first Christmas.



Analyzing.

 

Not sure about the Easter / egg connection.

Pulling up to stand!

Making his mark.

Always waiting for everyone else to be ready.

Keeping up with the big boys now.

Happy Birthday Maxwell. We love you.

A few things on my mind...

• How to build a tire swing? I'll google this tonight me-thinks. I had envisioned a romantic single board swing for our front tree, but the boys vote is for a tire swing. Really makes more sense for multiple kids anyhoo.
• What are the options when redoing our front porch? Our current porch has pretty white columns atop fugly, wearing out carpet floor. (Outside. Really. Carpet outside was a very bad idea. Who thought up the outdoor carpet idea?) Upon driving through the historic portion of old Woodstock I've decided we could get away with wood decking, not painted, (to avoid annoying painting maintenance) combined with a painted white front kickboard (from the deck to the ground) to tie in the columns. Make sense?
• How great this evening was. Troy was happily driving golfballs into our 'back field'. (Those lake scavenged balls from his days working on the golf courses are coming in handy. We'll send the kids up there on a 'golf ball hunt' sometime, maybe this should be next Easter's event, lol.) Seth was happily riding away on his 'new' bike, Thane's old bike with the seat put down. "I like this bike. This is a good color. This is a good bike!", he said. Bike riding is Seth's absolute favorite thing to do, most of the summer he walks around with his helmet on, indoor or out, because he'll be back out on the bike in a minute. I just picked up Seth's birthday present today, a load of gear to trick out his ride. Reflectors for the tires, a bell, a bottle holder, and Hulk bike gloves. He has a thing for dress up gloves, he's going to love these. Shhh. Don't tell! Claire was puttering around enjoying the warm air, climbing up onto the lawnmover seat and down, up and down. She was picking up rocks off the lawn and bringing them to us, the little gatherer that she is. She's been watching Troy do a lot of this lately too, beginning to transform last years moat back into this years lawn!

• My boy Seth is turning 5 tomorrow. FIVE. He is the world's most loving child, and hilarious. This year he has become even more articulate. I loved the fifth year with Thane, it really is a metamorphosis year from little boy to big boy. Seth is also my most tactile child, the thumb-sucker, the stuffie lover, the one with the penchant for anything soft. Will those sweet little boy things go this year?  Take a peek at these:

Seth asleep anywhere, as usual,

and with his big brother on Thane's first day of school three years ago.

On his third birthday, loving new wheels, and new stuffies.

Sweet little hands and toes at the beach.

Going camping, all that blonde hair!

Into birthday icing. (Look at that mischievious grin!)

More snuggles, more beach, more blond hair and cute toes. Too cute Seth. Don't grow up on me too quickly!

Mother.

It's Mother's Day, and although it's 1 in the morning and I should go to bed (had an extremely productive evening on a website I owe my photographer though), I feel the need to post about my Mother's Day.

I woke up to Claire as usual, for her early morning snack. I nursed her in bed as usual, we both half sleep during this feeding. Today, she must have drifted off earlier than her belly would like though, and then I think she woke up and realized this, and was really upset all of a sudden. I picked her up and hugged her and told her it was okay, and helped her to start nursing again. This was just a normal moment for us but where today was Mother's Day it seemed so poignant to me. Claire is going through a little stretch where I am her person, and she would be perfectly content to see only me. It's the best part about being a mom. Just me, as is, I'm enough! To her I'm great, I can fix all that's wrong in her little world.

I had two sweet little boys who were particularily sweet today come into my room just busting to give me their presents. I got to 'sleep in' until all of 8:30. They had made me presents at school and were so pleased with themselves. Thane then said, "Breakfast is ready. You can come up if you want to or we can bring it down if you want us to. But it's whatever you want to do." How cute is that?

At the thought of sausage in my bed with these sweet (but messy) boys, I decided to go upstairs, where my husband was cooking away (french toast and sausage!) while feeding Ms. Claire her brekkie. Where my birthday is days away and the plan is a new camera (yay!), he had gotten me chocolates and a knitting magazine. It was such a nice little gift, a thoughtful little token that he notices what I'm up to, that I would think a knitting magazine would be pretty neat right now. That man. I love him. I feel very lucky today.

I remember when each of these babes were born, and how, and the little moments along the way that make them them, and the little quirks and cuteness that we love about them. And all of this sweetness and my heart just busting for my three favorite little people made me think about my own mom, and think for the upteenth time since I've had babies that as a kid I didn't (couldn't really) realize how much she has loved me also.