Into Fall

We're well into fall and busier than ever. We had a nice Halloween trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with friends. Jessica (Mimi) and her boyfriend Allan came over to hand out candy while we took Riley around in her costume. Our little bumble bee and frog were absolutely adorable. For Riley and her sweet tooth, it was a dream come true...just knock and smile and nice people give you candy! She kept saying "more treats, more treats" and running ahead. At one point, she turned around and told TJ, "Dada hurry up!"We headed out around 5:30 with her friend Wesley, the pirate, for a little while, and then met up with Kerington (Didi) until about 8. Riley would've been happy to keep going for another hour, I'm sure. Brody was his usual easy going self, riding around in the backpack, smiling, and taking it all in.
Riley is growing and learning at an astounding pace. She tells me constantly that she's "hungy" and I try my best to keep healthy foods going into the bottomless pit, but there's no doubt she inherited her dad's sweet tooth. The good news is she just had her first visit to the pediatric dentist and no cavities. All of her teeth look nice and healthy. The dentist did warn that there's not much space in her mouth or between her teeth, so braces unfortunately are probably somewhere on the horizon. She seems to have a new developmental milestone each week. Last week was the week of "mine." Everything was MINE. "Mama, this is MY juice. This is MY toy. This is MY booger." Yes, she told me after I wiped her nose that I had taken her booger and she wanted it back. I had to draw the line at boogers. So, we're working on explaining that "MY" is not a nice word and that in this house we SHARE. This week is the week of "by self." She tells me, "Riley put shoes on BY SELF. Riley set the table BY SELF." And by self is usually followed up by "I got it." Everything therefore takes about 10 times as long, but it's a reminder that kids really do make the best teachers. I am not a patient person and this is forcing me to slow down and make sure I'm not squelching her efforts. It's actually been really good for me. I am honestly in awe of how being a parent challenges you to take an honest look at yourself on a daily basis. It's an incredible journey getting to know my babies and myself at the same time.
Whereas Riley is my exuberant maniac, Brody is my even keel. He is pure sweetness. It makes it easy for me to pawn him off on friends when I've got a dentist appointment or need to run some other non child friendly errand. In fact, just this week, after spending the day watching Brody man one friend told me "I no longer think you're super mom now that I know how easy and happy he is!" We both laughed, but man, it's true. TJ and I love spending time just making him smile and laugh. I hold him and my heart overflows with love.
Well, it's bath time, so that's all for now. I can't believe the holidays are just around the corner and its time to get ready for all the festivities. The pace of motherhood is relentless, but I'm determined not to miss all the little moments in the midst of never ending commitments and to-do lists.
Enjoy the pictures.