leaf piles

Playing with GPS this weekend!



17 weeks along.


I'm not actually going to write about leaf piles, I just drew a blank when thinking of a title and wrote the first thing I saw when I glanced outside into the rain/snow mix we have coming down on this chilly afternoon. I shouldn't be surprised that it is cold, it just seems as if we have had a gorgeous fall settle in this past month and I was getting used to spending hours outside everyday.
I don't really mind the change in weather- it is fun to get out some old sweaters and fleeces and feel like it could be an afternoon for hot chocolate. It seems about time to have a fire in our stove and hang out as a family reading.

Soon, we will be facing a stark (and welcome) contrast to snow, fires and hot chocolate, as we leave for Florida with mom and Steve. I am so excited to play in the sand, beach and pools with my little fish. She loves scooping sand and playing in the water and I cannot wait to do it in warm weather. Ryan has also been swamped with work and responsibility, so it will be wonderful to spend time together as a family! On that note, if anyone has suggestions for keeping my monkey of a child entertained for 3 1/2 hours on my lap during a flight, I'd LOVE to hear them! I am nervous about that part of the trip, but thrilled and anxiously awaiting everything else. I already have summer clothes packed in the suitcase and am currently looking at a stack of sand shovels and sunscreen that need to be tucked into bags too.

Here are a few updates on the last post: We have not had any more night terrors! I am not counting on them being over, but it has been a blessing to have a break from them. Now, every night before bed, we say a prayer and ask Jesus to keep Coranelle sleeping soundly and feeling safe. If I forget to say a prayer before bed, she'll say "A-mee"- which is her way of saying "amen" to remind that we still have something to do. She sits her little body quietly on my lap, with her hands folded, head against my chest, and listens until I say "amen" and she chimes in. No guarantee that the prayers stop the night terrors, but it was a fun habit to start and she is SO adorable when we pray that I had to paint you a little picture. Speaking of adorable, she just gets cuter all the time. I know I am biased, but it's allowed, so humor me. When we go to the rec center or church now, she happily runs in to play with the new toys... but always remembers to turn back and say, "Bye Mommy". When I return, she always runs to greet me and says good bye to everyone in the room and blows kisses. When I picked her up from her second successful trip to MOPs this morning (for a 2 1/2 hour period of time!), she was as happy as could be. (I know, because I picked her up and asked her how she was, and she said "happy.. happy") The ladies taking care of her said that she was a lot of fun and did really well. All the ladies at church know her by name now and get excited when she comes in and always make a point to tell me how much fun she is. (They probably say this to all the parents, but... it's true- she's getting to be SO fun!). I just love her so much!

Now, for all you moms out there growling at me because your kid is not sleeping, not eating, throwing tantrums, or whatever- don't hate me. I'm just focusing on the positives. We have tantrums- daily. We do. She gets frustrated that she cannot walk by herself in the grocery store or push the cart the whole time. She screams and howls at times when I try to put her in her car seat. She gets mad at me when I tell her she cannot stand on furniture and we have to put her in her crib for a time out. We deal with all that on a daily basis. But, what I love is that her little personality is coming out and she's learning how to express herself and it's so fun to see her becoming a little kid. She is such a blessing and I am so happy that I get to see every day. I missed her TONS this morning during MOPs and when my parents took her overnight on Friday for our date. I know it is great for her to spend time with other people, and great for us, but she is addicting!

On that note, we did get to go on a lovely date this past weekend and Coranelle had a sleepover with Grandmadele and GPS. We got to get coffee at Ozo, have a delicious dinner at the Med and enjoy Glacier ice cream and a movie. It was a much needed treat and wonderful to have some time to catch up with Ryan without a kid yelling, or wanting down or needing something. We need to do it more often! Coranelle did really well at her grandparents' house- except for not falling asleep until after 9pm, but she does that at home, so no complaints.
Here are a few pictures of our date.
Waiting for an hour at the Med. I didn't mind the wait at all because we could sit and chat and people watch!
We shared a latte at Ozo before dinner. My mom dropped me off to wait for Ryan to finish work on her way to take Coranelle to Longmont and I even had a few minutes to myself to journal! What a novelty!

My mind is drawing a blank for what else to report. But, before I forget, I have exhausted my list of books and I need some more ideas, hopefully before Florida. So, if you've read a great book lately, please share.

I hope you are all having a wonderful November!