The Same. But Different.

Ok, I am back.

I had so many things I was going to get on here, but now I've forgotten them, which feels appropriate... you know, since I wanted to get them on here so I didn't forget them. So I suppose I will start fresh with recent happenings.

I have been noticing lately how different my kids really are from each other. Yesterday they were playing pretend kitchen with one another. Jace asked Maizey if he could have an apple. She put a pretend apple on a pretend plate along with a pretend napkin and handed it to him. He didn't say thank you, but he did quietly eat the pretend apple. Maizey then asked him for an orange. He picked up a pretend orange and pretend chucked it at her head. She picked the pretend orange up, thanked him and pretended to peal it. YOU'RE WELCOME, he said to her.

If Maizey hurts herself and I ask what happened, she will give a detailed play play of what when on up to (sometimes) five minutes prior to the incident as well as the actual incident itself. If Jace hurts himself and I ask what happened, he says only the most important part, which is - I hurt myself and I'm crying - every time.

I felt like I could strong arm Maizey into doing anything I asked just by using the tone of my voice and the look on my face when she was two years old. We did argue and she could be a tiny little beast, but for the most part, we did  pretty good. Jace? Not even a little. He's the one that uses his tone of voice and the look on his face to get HIS way. Although, it rarely works. I can yell louder, plus he thinks going to his bedroom to sit alone on his bed in silence is a punishment. If he tried to send me to a timeout like that - all you would see would be a trail of dust. He just knows how to push my buttons, he goes limp when I pick him up, he can run fast when he has something he shouldn't, but if I want him to run down the sidewalk to go pick Maizey up from school, all he can manage is a snails pace. He's trying to strong arm me. Is this a glimpse into our future??

I watch carefully for the moments when they are the same. When they sit side by side at the coffee table drinking hot chocolate after sliding down the snow slide and climbing the snow mountain for an hour together and from the back they look like the same size. When they snuggle with Brian on the couch and don't move for an entire movie. When she says she will read him more bedtime stories after we tuck them in because neither of them thinks that three stories was enough, so he climbs up onto her bed and she gathers the books she knows by heart. When hours later we head to bed, and find them snuggled up in bed together, because
beds in the same room just isnt close enough or warm enough or comfortable enough for them.


 Christmas eve in matching p.j's




my phone is full of pictures just like these. So. Many. Sleeping. Pictures. 
 
I like that they are different and that no matter how much I want them to act the damn way I want them to act, they still insist on being whoever they want to be. I am happy to be raising little people that are already their own little people. Let's be honest though, can't he just SOMETIMES do as I ask, the first time, without getting into an argument with me?

The Crappiest Welcome Back Post Of All Time

Happy 2014!!
Where did that last month go? Actually, where did the entire fall and beginning of winter go??
I have many funny stories to get down on paper before I forget them. I have many pictures to post. I actually do have the time do it, but for some reason, I just can't really make it happen. I think I still want to do this - this blogging thing, I don't know why I wouldn't want to knowing that reading back on this 'ol blog is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I have been allowing myself the space and time away, and when I am ready, I will be back. It could be tomorrow, it's hard to say.

I have three pictures that I got all ready to go on here, but then never got around to putting up.





We had a super fast and lovely over night visit with my Mom a few days before Christmas. We all loved it.

aaannndd......
 



If I had been organized enough to send Christmas cards - here's what it would have been. Just pretend you are receiving this in the mail and that you are over joyed to get it, okay?!