Girls night out!

I love girls night out. Girls night out started after Jacob was born, and every other week Lily Kate and I go out on a date with NO BOYS! She loves to say that. We go out for a chocolate milk at Starbucks and a shopping trip at Target, or on a mission to Gymboree so she can pick out a Thanksgiving recital dress, or a trip to the library to stock up on books and movies, or just a hang out date at the smoothie shop. No matter where we are I get two or three hours to hear all her stories from school, or ballet, or how her fish Gill is doing. Our time is full of her silly giggles and laughter. I experience her unabashed forwardness to strangers and through our conversations I get to see the sensitive and compassionate side of Lily.

As Lily gets older and busier I feel that my time with her seems to be slipping away. She is no longer by my side from the time she gets up in the morning to the time I put her down at night. And that is why I love girls night out, for me every minute is priceless.

The great outdoors with Jacob

Jacob loves to be outside. He loves to walk down the drive way, look up at the trees and say tree, leaf, leaf, leaf, until you pick him a leaf. He loves to ride in the John Deer with Lily Kate driving, wind in his hair, the bumpy gravel drive shaking his little body around. He loves to push a little scooter around, or dig in the dirt, or even better follow his big sister exploring the yard. He loves to fill little buckets with gravel, and most recently he loves to carry little pumpkins around and then throw them down in the driveway. He loves balls and he loves to swing badmitten raquets around in leaves and the dirt. He loves to throw himself into the five foot hydrangea bushes in front of the house, and he just sits there and looks up over the blooms at you. Every time he hears a bird chirp or a dog bark he says "B" or "D"! Every bug, bee, frog, fuzzy wuzzy, ant, or ladybug he comes in counter with is a moment of great intensity and curiosity. Jacob has provided a great opportunity for our entire family to rediscover the great outdoors.

Daddy's home!

What a joyous occasion when daddy comes home from work every afternoon. Jacob and Lily hear the big truck as it comes down the driveway. Jacob will bang on the door and yell dadad! dadad! There are big smiles and cheers for dad as they both rush to the back door and wait for the garage door to shut and for dad to emerge. I have to move them away from the door so Josh can get in. They both hang onto daddy as he trails thru the kitchen and into the living room. The night is play time with dad, bath time with dad, and Jacob gets the special privilege of dad putting him to bed every night. Dad is the star of the evening, a truly well deserved place.