The Half

My baby boy Ethan turned 2 ½ last week.

He is taller at two and a half than his brother was at three, and he’s already in size 3T clothing—new territory for us since we’re used to having shrimps who remain well below the average size for their age. Taking bets now on when he passes his big brother in height! People regularly ask me if Ethan and Erik are twins when we're out, even though Erik is closer in age to Marie than he is to Ethan. Seeing Ethan grow big and strong is especially encouraging considering that he’s been on his no-dairy diet for a year now, and I was a little concerned about how it might affect him. Not at all, it appears!

He loves all things Thomas the Train and any type of vehicle that moves, whether it’s cars, buses, cement mixers, construction equipment, or planes.

Also animals.

Welcome to the jungle!

We’re having more moments like these:

But more often than not the day is filled with moments like this:

Pizza crust smile.

If this doesn't make your day...

I simply showed him how to do duck lips while looking at himself on my phone, and this was the was the hilarious result. [I may be biased, but this video totally rivals my favorite laughing baby video of all time...in which the little boy is also named Ethan!]

We took away our Ethan’s pacifiers (“ba-bas”) the day of his half birthday and had him put them in a plastic bag to “give” to his little cousin Scarlett. I had been talking it up since the beginning of the month, and making a big deal about how he would be a big boy on the 28th and get a cupcake (aka gluten/dairy-free chocolate muffin, but whatever!) and I kept saying big boys don’t need pacis anymore. The previous night he had woken up at 3am crying for his ba-ba, so I was definitely nervous that we might be sentencing ourselves to more misery--I like my sleep! But on the big day he happily put all the babas in the bag and has not asked for them since. He mentioned once or twice that his cousin had them now, but that was it.

One huge sacrifice, though, has been his afternoon naps. Despite my best efforts, he has only slept once during the entire week, and that was only after four consecutive no-nap days. The death of the nap has obviously contributed to a few more of those select moments pictured above, but it’s also given us the chance to go out and do some things in the afternoon that normally we wouldn’t. So we’ll see how it all pans out in the next few weeks. Hopefully we’ll be able to just get him to bed earlier at night and fall back into a good rhythm soon.

I’ve also debated sharing this for fear of jinxing it, but big boy has been tackling totally self-led potty training for a few weeks now. It’s kind of amazing, really. After my first two difficult potty trainers—one of whom seemed nearly hopeless at times—I really can’t believe my luck. I don’t pressure him. I don’t tell him to go. He just asks to go to the potty so he can get a jelly bean, and I say okay. After a week or two we bought him pullups, which he wears daily and often keeps dry. And he’s also started asking to go when we’re out and about. I’m still not holding my breath considering I was still potty training the other two in some facet when we were pushing age four…but I am one delighted mama considering the possibility that it could be infinitely easier (and earlier!) that it has ever been before. Fingers crossed!

He was so hapy he gave himself a medal.
I will give him a million if it means
no diapers!

His language continues to blow me away--ever since he started cooing his first words as a baby he has amazed us with his verbal prowess, and it just continues. Big brother and sister have obviously influenced his abilities in this sphere…but unlike them, he and his big gregarious personality are willing to talk to anyone and everyone who will listen, wherever we are. He keeps a running dialogue/monologue with a play-by-play description of exactly what he is doing or hearing at the moment:

“Look at da bunny outside! He’s eating his breakfast! I wanna eat my breakfast! I’m gonna eat Leapin’ Lemurs for my breakfast now. I’m getting my bowl and my spoon. I hear da airplane! I’m sitting down now so I can eat. Mommy please get my cup! Mmm, dis tastes good!”

And he’s not afraid to be a curious cat or total ham in public. He rambled up to a librarian stocking the shelves the other day to ask what she was doing, and asked a fellow preschool mom holding smoothie, “What are you drinkin?” In church he likes to entertain the fortunate souls who get to sit near us by loudly repeating whatever the priest says: “Mommy, he said Jesus!” “He said heaven!” “Mommy, he said lunch! Can we go eat now?!” And when we take Marie to school in the morning he will stop in his tracks until he gets to high-five Marie’s principle at the crosswalk and shout out the name of who he’s pretending to be at the moment. “I’m Thomas/Percy/Spiderman/Anna/Sid the Science Kid!”

A conversation about numbers.

Thankfully, despite his independence, my little Ethan man is still happy to snuggle with me while reading, or ask to sit in my lap on the rocking chair while I sing his bedtime song—he’s also asked for hugs and kisses a few times and even told me the other day “I want to give you a kiss on the nose!” So as much as I want him to stay my baby, we are so lucky to watch our adorable boy continue to grow and develop into his own little unique and super sweet big boy!

Happy Easter! {2014}

{EASTER MASS}

Everyone is looking--good enough!

Getting to celebrate with my brother this year!

{EASTER BASKETS}

{EGG HUNT}

A BLESSED EASTER 

TO YOU AND YOURS!

Sandy Yay Go

Last weekend, we embarked on our reward getaway following Peter's two long years of grad school. (If you missed the back story, you can read all about Peter surprising me here!). The trip was only two days, but it seemed much longer with everything we did and all the relaxing we accomplished!

It was my first time in California and the farthest west I've ever been, so I was happy to add that to my little map (clearly I need to work on my western states and my non-western-European countries).

It also was the first kid-less trip we've taken in almost six years--when I was 9 months pregnant with Marie as we drove/flew around the country going to two different weddings and visiting family...it wasn't exactly a relaxing getaway. So technically our last real vacation without a kid (in-utero or extra-utero) was our honeymoon. We were more than ready for a little break!

The kid-less part was made possible by my fabulous in-laws, who generously agreed to house and feed the children so we could lay on the beach. I was worried about them surviving not only a weekend but a school day as well with the kids, what with all the different drop-off times and locations and kiddo personality quirks and dietary needs. But my in-laws assured us that everything would be fine (and in fact, they managed like champs!), so we escaped before they could change their minds.

No kids dance!

My doting husband knows I love the beach, so he picked Coronado Beach as our destination. More specifically, we stayed on at the Naval Air Station, which occupies the north part of Coronado Island, and its beach adjoins to Coronado Beach but is about a bajillion times less crowded. Also, the Navy Lodging where we stayed was both a great deal and the nicest military lodging I've ever seen. The Navy definitely has it made--show me an Army Lodging king-bedroom suite for the same price with a full granite kitchenette, stone tile, and ocean views and I'll get back in. Just kidding. But still.

We packed alot into two days, but it didn't feel rushed or stressful. We did everything on our own terms, we stayed out all day without worrying about naptime, we talked without being interrupted, and we got in and out of the car numerous times a day without even thinking about buckling carseats or breaking up fights or singing the ABCs as a distraction. It was glorious. The weather was also absolutely perfect while we were there, which was a great bonus.

Our day one activities included a morning run jog shuffle on the beach, brunch at the Golf Club, and an afternoon lazing around on the beach (and being goofy).

Brunch, run, and hanging out at the beach

So happy we could do a cartwheel

With all the time I've spent on east coast beaches, I saw something that I'd never seen before: "sparkly" sand. Not sure what type of rock or mineral made up the little gold flecks in the sand, but everywhere I looked it was shimmering in the most beautiful way!

Shining sands

In the evening we had a schmancy sunset dinner at Island Prime with an incredible view of the skyline, and an evening strolling around Coronado Island, relaxing at a cafe and enjoying the nightlife.

Delectible dishes and views from Island Prime, followed by dessert at a coffee house on the island.

Who wore it best??

On day two (which was also St. Patty's day!) my dear husband cooked me breakfast while I lazed around on the couch before we enjoyed a morning walk on the beach. We spent the rest of the morning touring the "retired" aircraft carrier, the USS Midway, which was cool for alot of reasons--but the most special was the fact that my dad's dad (whom I never met because he died when my dad was in college) was a WWII fighter pilot in the Navy. He died on St. Patrick's Day, so being on my first aircraft carrier all these years later on St. Patrick's day and seeing the kind of life my grandfather lived as a WWII pilot was just a really neat connection.

It also made me thankful that I was in the Army instead of the Navy--the Navy might have fancy lodging on base to try and make up for its claustrophobic berths, but I still wouldn't want to call this space home for the better part of my days.

This tight space is "big" enough to
house our family of five and all of
our belongings--plus one extra.
NO THANK YOU.

After leaving the ship, we had lunch at a fun new taco bar called Puesto in downtown San Diego, and continued on to Point Loma, which wraps around San Diego and Coronado Island to the north, and provides some awesome unobstructed views of the city and the Pacific. While on Point Loma we visited Cabrillo National Monument, which marks the 1542 landing of the first European explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo from Portugal, who explored the coast of California.

On the flight deck, a statue modeled after the famous kissing sailor,
and lunch at Peusto followed by a stop at the gelataria.

Cabrillo National Monument

View from Cabrillo Natioal Monument of Coronado Island
where we stayed, with San Diego behind it across the bay.

After we visited the monument, we ventured down to the base of the point to check out the tide pools, then just sat together to take in the expansive views of the ocean crashing over the rocks before tearing ourselves away to head back to the airport. 

I did miss the kids and was happy to be reunited with them, of course, (though only Ethan was happy to see us upon our return!) but it was awesome to have a few days to reconnect with my best friend and get away from the stress of daily life together. It was the perfect trip from start to finish, and we both agree that it wold be a great place to bring the kids someday!

Two Years a Home

Today marks two years since we moved to Colorado and started our new life.

March 10th, 2012

Two years ago, we were freed from the constraints of the Army telling us where we had to live, how long we could stay, and where we had to go next...we finally had a choice in the matter, and the world was our oyster. In the years leading up to our "freedom," we'd toyed with many different possibilities for our future; at one point we even dreamed up adventures like going on a two-year mission with FIDESCO (which my dearest friend and her husband started last year, so we can live vicariously through them!), or taking a WHO job in Geneva where we could raise little Swiss/French babes. Ultimately, we decided that the most prudent family decision would be for Peter to start on grad school immediately while I made the transition to caring for our kids full-time. As our time in the Army wound down, the final two choices in the grad school pool were Dartmouth and Denver University.

Though living in Denver seemed like a better choice for our family, I wasn't exactly jumping for joy at the prospect. You see, two years ago, I wasn't ready to call this place home. And I certainly wasn't okay with planning a forever here. Everyone talked about how beautiful and wonderful it was for all sorts of reasons, but my previous visits to my husband's hometown revealed stretches of brown, barren landscape, houses packed together, and mountains that looked grand indeed, but I couldn't concede that they were beautiful. Striking, maybe. But not beautiful.

View from the aptly-named Mountain Vista High School:
March 10th, 2012, and March 9th, 2014.

Colorado was lacking the lush green of the east coast I was so used to, and most importantly it was lacking in proximity to the most important thing I could think of next to my husband and kids--my family in Pennsylvania. Peter spoke very highly of Denver of course, but I figured he was just a biased native, and I wasn't buying it. So when we moved here just in time for his first course, I tagged along hesitantly and laid out some stipulations: he needed to agree that it would not be a permanent move, and as soon as he finished grad school he had to promise to seriously consider employment elsewhere. Specifically in the north/east quadrant of the country...preferably within a single day's drive of my family, and near the coast so I could access a beach. Priorities.

On the day we moved into our Colorado home, though, something changed.

Maybe it was the abundant sunshine and mountain views from our backyard. Maybe it was living so close to my in-laws. Maybe it was never wanting to move across the country with kids or see another moving box again in my life. Or maybe it was the combination of those things and so much more that convinced me: an elementary school tucked into every neighborhood, a community literally planned for the ease of family living,  a multitude of young professionals with kids in the same stage of life as us. Whatever it was, within a week I was overwhelmingly happy with our new location and situation. So content, in fact, that I never wanted to move out of the neighborhood. Or even out of our house. Ever. Until it was time to start searching for a retirement community a few blocks away, of course.

Two years later, I am still falling in love with this state and our little slice of suburbia. I'm seriously spoiled by having everything I could ever need here--help from Peter's family, grocery stores, school, church, library, the doctor and dentist, four free rec centers, our gymnastics gym, outdoor trails, playgrounds--all within a few mile radius. And our house is such a blessing. We had rented it sight unseen--my in-laws went over to check it out the month before we moved here and proclaimed it fit for a family of five--and although many days I get fed up staring at the linoleum or popcorn ceilings, and I wish it were ours in name so I could go crazy on it with some HGTV therapy, the fact is that it is everything we need and more. We have space for all of our kids and then some, a great floor plan, a spacious master, a full basement, and a great yard for Samson and the kids (with those mountain views!). Every morning after I lift Ethan out of his crib, we go over to the window, open his shades, and say "Good morning, mountains!"

View from Ethan's room.

Our time with my in-laws around has been wonderful. We get to share in so many celebrations and milestones. Birthdays, school concerts, holidays, and graduations. We've taken fun trips to the museum and playground, met for lunch, and enjoyed community events together. They've helped us multiple times when we've been in a pinch, and have watched the kids for everything from ski trips to doctor's appointments. This past year my mother-in-law has even been gracious enough to watch Ethan once a week so I can go into Marie's classroom and volunteer. It's fun for me and a huge help for Marie. When the summer rolls around, we also usually meet up for free concerts in the park and a dinner picnic together. I love their support, their company, and the luxury of our kids getting to spend so much time with their grandparents. It couldn't be a more perfect setup!

Then there's the proximity to God's playground. Not only do we get to say good morning to the mountains every day, but many days we go hang out with them in person! In under two hours we can be on the slopes enjoying world-class skiing, whether it's a weekend in Vail or a day trip to a closer ski resort. The chance to ski together as a family this year (and pass the gift of skiing on to our kids) has been beyond awesome!

Mass in Beaver Creek!

We've driven through Rocky Mountain National Park twice, which is one place I must entreat you non-residents to visit if you ever come to Colorado.

I also loved discovering western Colorado during our vacation last summer; I was seriously amazed by tons of natural wonders--waterfalls and caves, Hanging Lake, a Grand Canyon-esque state park--some of which I'd never even heard about prior to our trip.

But it was standing on the main peak at Keystone Ski Resort during a ski trip last month that really brought it all together for me: from the top we could look down to the left and see the lake where we went camping this past summer...

...and then we could look up to the right and see the mountains we climbed this past fall.

And then we could drop down into the trees and treat ourselves to some champagne powder.

Not.too.shabby.

I could always wish for more, of course. I could wish for that beach, or at least a little more water (like real lakes and rivers instead of pretend reservoir lakes and dry creek beds). I could wish a million times over that Colorado was next to Pennsylvania or that we could travel at the speed of light without paying astronomical fares...and I do, because I love my family dearly. It's achingly hard to know that visiting each other will set us back by a paycheck, that I can't just have lunch with my mom or be around for things like my sister's solo in her musical like I want. That's something I'll always wish could be different. But phone calls and Skype and technology help, and even if I could, I'd want to change nothing else about our life here.

Especially when I think of where we could be now. Peter could've chosen the prestige of a full-time MBA at Dartmouth over a professional MBA at DU; right now we could be living off of loans in a tiny town home in the back hills of New Hampshire, with no income, no family support around, no chance to put the kids in sports or preschool, and no certainty of employment following graduation. And afterwards, we'd still have to figure out where our forever home would be, we would likely be forcing the kids to move schools, and we'd have to go through transition again with no support.

Instead, I am outside soaking in the sunshine as I type this, watching Ethan play happily on the driveway in 70-degree weather (even though we had six inches of snow just two days ago--because crazy Colorado), basking in the beauty that somehow escaped me before this day two years ago.I really must've been blind, because beauty is definitely only word I could use to describe my home now. I still find myself stopping to take pictures of the mountains and the sunsets just as often as I did two years ago when we moved here and it was still new.

Backyard sunsets.

And after Peter's graduation last Friday, we have the privilege of continuing life as usual and relaxing in the security of his steady job, instead of having to figure out what our next move should be (like we would if he was in a full-time program at a place like Dartmouth). We have the option of living in this home as long as we wish, and we have the incredibly happy fortune of knowing that we don't ever have to leave the community we've been building for the past two years unless we choose to (and I'm pretty positive we won't!). We can continue to appreciate our good neighbors and fun sports teams. The schools we drive past every day are the ones where I'll get to see my kids grow up.  The friendships we've formed in the community and through our church family can keep developing. We have access to the best care available for our kids and their challenges, as well as access to some great venues where we can go to the symphony or hit up family night at the hockey game. And as much as it pains me to admit it, in the past two years I've even developed a soft spot for the Broncos and the Avs...just as long as they're not playing the Eagles or Flyers.

March 10th, 2014
(Ethan was napping and Daddy
was at one last study session! And
Samson was barking through the window.)

I know without a doubt that we truly are where we're supposed to be.
We're really lucky.
I'm really happy.
And two years ago today, I arrived home.

That's a really good feeling to have.

Em Be, Eh?

Nearly two years ago (and merely a week after we'd moved here), I sat in our big, empty house, surrounded by boxes as I watched Peter get ready for his first night of grad school.

Tonight, we got to sit  in the Daniels Great Hall at Denver University with all the other haggard yet joyful families of Daniels Business School students, as we braved the rain/snow/slush to celebrate our loved ones' Happily MBA After.

I promise I didn't cry as they draped that nice snazzy "hood" across my amazing husband's shoulders, officially awarding him with his hard-earned Master's Degree in Business. At least not too much, because I had to see clearly enough to take a million pictures.

It's been a long ride. A lot has happened in two years, the most significant of which can be seen when we look at our 5,4, and 2-year old kiddos, who were 3, 2, and 4 months respectively when Peter set out on this goal. It's been challenging for all of us in different ways, but I maintain that Peter has had the toughest end of the deal. Two nights a week for two years straight--summers included--he's gone straight from his full-time job to class in the evenings. Most of those nights I'd wave to him in passing as he got home around 11pm, often with hours of homework still to do, while I made a beeline for our nice cozy bed. He's spent countless off-days and weekends working on group projects and doing research. He poured himself into a consultation for a local non-profit organization, who ultimately based a significant business move on his recommendation--and following the consultation they even asked him to sit on the board as a member because they were so impressed with his analysis.

His class took different tracks following the
core curriculum semesters, so it was cool to
see him graduate with two of his
best buddies from their cohort.

I don't think he's slowed down once in the past two years because of his unreal work ethic. (And technically, even though he got his shiny hoodie tonight, he still has two final classes to attend next week, complete with a final exam that he continues to study for). The kids ask every night if Daddy is going to be home for dinner or if he has school, which is hard enough for any father to hear, and he's outdone himself trying to be the perfect dad when he's home, along with being the top student and pouring himself into his day job, too. It's a lot of pressure for a perfectionist like him. But his hard work and sleepless nights have definitely paid off, and I can see how much he's grown both personally and professionally through it. And, as the keynote speaker touched on, gained some real-world leadership experience that even the army couldn't give him.

And I'll stop now before I get all sappy or harken back to some dreaded reference like the Pillars of Officership. But I am such a proud wife, and I'm SO incredibly excited for this next phase of our lives where we will get to see each more than once a week for dinner. Also, celebrating with that little getaway won't hurt, either.

Well done, Love. YOU DID IT, and we are so proud of you!!!

Though it's hard to tell, (because pictures are super tough for some kids),
Marie is absolutely elated that her daddy has graduated and gets
to spend more time with her than his coursework!!!