Viv's Playmat.... finished, shipped and received!

I finished it last week, but wanted to wait to post pics until Jess had received it. Because I just KNOW that she's reading this blog a lot. And, well, I didn't want to ruin the surprise.

So, here it is! Only 2 months late :)

More glamour shots of Miss Indie

Taken by my co-worker, Moses. Doesn't she look so great?

Away : (

Ugh. Away from the girls and James this week. Actually, for 9 days in total. But I'm on Day 3 already, at least. This part of the job is really tough.

I find myself reaching for pics on my phone of the babies pretty much constantly. So, this week will be a "greatest hits" of sorts.

I took this this video this past weekend. Can you believe she's only 3????

Weekend Roundup Nov 11-13

It's pretty hard to pick my absolute favorite moment from this past weekend. It could be this from the Farmer's Market:

Or this from the kitchen:

But, in all honesty, it's probably this from the bathroom:

An amazing rainy day!

It started last night, actually, with an impromptu party photoshoot! Then, Flynn was all smiles this morning after sleeping through the night. High five! Oh! New development: She now can "moo" when she hears the words "vaca" or "cow", and if she sees a dog, she does this funny "ouh-ouh-ouh!" sound.

At 10:00 am, I took Indie for her very first pedicure. I let her choose a color for both of us to use. Can you guess what she picked??? I think she liked it. In the middle of being pampered, she rather quietly and demurely said, "You know what? I think this is fun." Which was followed by her holding up her hands and saying, "Next time, let's also do these." Uh-oh. I foresee this becoming a habit.

Then we came home and had lunch. Which was followed by a bumpy trip ON the car (Indie's new bed) where we went to a dark cave (our bedroom) and were chased by a very-mean-bear that-was-actually-really-nice (Flynn). When it was my turn to play the bear, I hid and watched as Indie and Flynn came looking for me. They were holding hands and Flynn was walking! Indie was being so careful with Flynn! It was so cute, I let out a gasp and then they found me. Of course, then I had to make a big roar and chase them on my hands and knees! Flynn didn't quite get that part. Instead, she stayed for a hug.

What a lovely day! I tell you, as long as I can keep having days like this, I think I could work 4 days a week and be OK with that. Of course, next week when I'm in LA and missing the hell out of the girls and James, I'll probably be thinking a bit differently.

... I was just about to write more about the conflict of whether to work vs. stay at home, but you know what? I think I'll give myself the afternoon off on that one. Instead, I'll just spend a few more hours (and the weekend) thinking about how lucky I am to have both of these funny babies, a good-looking, good-cooking husband, a warm roof over my head, a beyond supportive family, a job that inspires me that I'm pretty good at... and a cute new haircut :)

Thanks, galaxy!

Mom, can I go check on Flynni?

Ahhhh, the quiet before the storm. Indie doesn't yet realize that she can get out of bed on her own, without our permission. That'll change soon. Regardless, I really am so pleased to see that her first thought in the morning is her sister's wellbeing. Or maybe it's being able to go play with her sister's stuff? Kidding!

I got a new haircut. Apparently, iPhone's camera thinks it's... (wait for it)... heavenly!

Train to be a model...

Photo taken on my Un-official Take Your Daughter to Work Day by my co-worker, Moses. Doesn't miss Indie look cool?

Come on Flynn!

Come on, girl! Over here! Come on! You can do it!

A busy couple of days!

Last Monday I was driving Indie to school and casually mentioned that she could come to work with me to see my friends on Friday. Wow. Never casually mention anything to a 3 year old. They hold onto that kind of stuff!

So, in we went on Friday and she had a LOT of fun. Playing LEGOs, meeting lots of people, having her picture taken by Moses, drawing on Rachel's Wacom tablet. On the way home she said, "That was a beautiful city. And I really like your friends."

Saturday saw a haircut for Indie and a series of mini-dance parties where Flynn was the star.

And then, the BIG GIRL BED came!!!!! The "Girl's Quilt" is on there temporarily... Indie's Big Girl quilt is in progress, to be finished sometime in the next decade.

Come here often?

Guess there's still some romance after all!

Cooking and Eating

James is teaching Indie to cook in order to get her to try new foods. And it is working! Tonight she was eating salad! At least, she was licking the dressing off the leaves. But, the kid is proud of her work in the kitchen. I said, "Daddy is making such nice things for us to eat, huh, Indie?" And she put her hands on her hips and playfully scowled, "No. WE'RE making nice things to eat." Meanwhile, Flynn never needs any bribing at mealtime.

New tricks! New treats!

Halloween was two nights ago. Officially, it was Indie's 3rd Halloween, but it was the first one where she really got into it. I mean, REALLY into it. I am so excited to see her gravitating to the kinds of weird and Halloweeny things I liked as a kid -- the witches, the vampire bats, the spooooky ghosts. Her costume, though, was all pink. Here she is at pre-school:

She even came home from Trick or Treating and hoarded her candy bag like a good little greedy guts! So proud.

Meanwhile, we had another first. This morning, as we were rushing out the door, James said, Jaime look. Look. And Flynn was standing on her own, of her own volition, holding a pink headband. And then she started to walk... as if it were nothing. Hey, she does this all the time!

Then she fell over.

But, she got almost around the whole dining room table! I wish I could have gotten it on camera, but we were all so busy holding our breaths and trying to act nonchalant, I couldn't even move. Pictures of this to come soon!

Where did the time go?

Part of getting older and finding more things you are deeply in love with is the increasing (and unsettling) knowledge that our time on Earth -- like a cobalt blue Ford Focus with manual windows -- is merely rented and that we really ought to eke out another trip or two thousand before it's time to head back to Budget with a less-than-full tank of gas.

We've all heardourselves mutter, "Wow, where did the time go?" When you are 22 and un-attached, this sentence is said with a sense of accomplishment -- Man, you've been having such a good time, you didn't even realize that the year had whizzed by. When you are 35 with two children and a husband, you hardly dare evenwhisper it.

3 years and 5 months ago, I was blessed to give birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl. My Indie. 7 weeks later, I had the great privilege to be with my family in a room, surrounding my father with love as he passed away. It was the most significant summer of my life.

3 years and 5 months. That's a long time. And yet, it seems like yesterday. I am tempted to say "Where did the time go?" But, if I think about it, the time went to plenty good places. Some of the most perfect Sunday mornings at the farmer's market, with a sack full of just-pickedstrawberries, listening to a guy with a guitar playing "Blackbird," and watching Indie put a dollar in his guitar case. Sunset drinks with James in Hawaii. Learning to spin yarn. Getting a sewing machine. Learning to quilt. Holidays with Mom, Jess and Jeff. Grandma's 90thBirthday. Making snowmen in Steamboat with Liz, Peter and the Robinsons. Eating James' amazing roasted chicken. Getting Indie her first cowboy boots (red ones!) Getting new patio furniture. Getting pregnant and giving birth to gorgeous Flynn. Oh, Flynn. Awesome Flynn. Watching her transform from a sweet nothing to a tank of a 12 month old. Those gold and enamel feather earrings that James got me the night before we went into hospital, a forever reminder that heis so excited to be doing all of this, too. And yes, even work, which gives me great pleasure, even if I need to learn to construct some boundaries.

In light of all of these amazing things, what right do I have to ask "where did the time go?"

Maybe it's not time that is fleeting, but memory.