Growing Sound Roots

2019-05-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Micah at 6.5
Playing baseball and loving it.
Still enjoying Sunday school (first grade with Mora Jenna and only six other kids).
Enjoys kindergarten and Mrs. Mears.
Sometimes has trouble transitioning and focusing in class, but mostly does just fine.
Way ahead in reading...he can almost read his favorite chapter books like graphic novel Dog Man on his own. Has torn through early readers and Bob books.
He loves writing lists and stories and notes.
He cares about his friends (Owen and Liam at school, Isaac and Timmy).
Plays for hours with neighbor Timmy each weekend (legos, finding treasure digging a deep hole in the side yard, and more).
Still stubborn and picky about food (cheese and bread and some meat plus cereal and sometimes eggs are the bulk of the diet).
He loves his little sister so much and is super helpful and kind.
He still would rather sleep in mom and dads rooms most nights and still likes to snuggle.
Loves to swim, but we need to find better swim instructors.
Had a blast in all of our snow days this year, skiing down the hill around the corner from us, building snow forts and snow men, and sledding.
Has slowed down on LEGO play a bit (maybe because we are over saturated in legos!)

Dealt with tummy bug, fevers, colds, lice, etc.

Still gives me a kissing hand every morning at drop off.

Went through a My Little Pony phase, continued to love Star Wars, now watches Pokemon.
Is such a sweet loving kind smart hard working kid!

before swim push ups

Leilah's 2nd birthday party

Happy Valentines day

boxes are always fun

stuffies!!!

6th birthday party

bus trail hike

kissing hand before school

snuggle time with Gramma and Leilah

lost his first tooth!

Gingerbread house with Gramma and Leilah

Puzzles with Nana

Skiing with mom and dad at Mt. Baker!

Collecting all the Dog Man books

Loves his baby cousin Clare

Bellingham with Nana and Papa

New Years Eve with Owen, Yassein, and Timmy

snowman!

Purim Carnival with Aliyah and Leilah

100th day of school!

loves playing catch in backyard

always helpful with little sister

candy! from pinata at Dash's birthday party

1st baseball uniform

6.5 Half Birthday cupcakes

Kindergarten kid

6 years old!

first day of Kindergarten

fun at school with Espen

reading everything to sister

Riding on two wheels!

Halloween with Timmy, Yassein, and Eleanor

awesome snow fort with Timmy and Lex

snow fort

2019-05-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

Leilah at 2 Years Old

So many words! Speaks in phrases too. “No Charlie “ is the most popular.
Spanish words: este, hola, adios, ayuda, aqui
Not as good of a sleeper.
More clingy with mama.
Calls every character like Mickey Mouse, Elmo.
Loves her school and Teachers Abby, Iris, Erika. Barely looks back at drop off since she’s instantly engaged.
Friends: Jacob, Levi, Eleanor, Maria Cecilia, Odin, and all of Micah’s friends (especially Timmy, Isaac, and Yassein).
Is super close to and excited about all three of her grandparents.
Loves coloring, painting, throwing balls (she’s got a good arm!), music and dancing
Has had many colds, fevers, and one bought of hand, foot, mouth. Also had her first ear infection (emergency room on Thanksgiving day in Sonora...$800+ bill to prove it!).
Finally let us read some books to her. Favorites are The Giants baseball book, The lift the flap baby series, 100 words real photos books, and Hug.
Tried out potty training for a whole week or so before going back to diapers.
Enjoyed another big Seattle snow storm or two on her birthday week.
loved climbing things and dancing
got really loud (exercising her vocal chords)
obsessed with "driving the car"
likes getting herself dressed
loves to eat

always adventerous

beautiful eyes

with Great Gramma Jacquie in August

with buddy Odin and big brothers Isaac and Micah

carving pumpkin fun

pumpkin patch fun

splashing

that growing hair!

Hanukkah with the family and the last time with Great Gramma Jacquie

Twain Harte Thanksgiving with Nana

potty adventures

at the park

willing to pose for a photo at the zoo!

diaper diva

New Years day on Alki

2nd birthday party

cold cold cold!

with cousins Sarah and Norah

Poor little ear infection girl on Thanksgiving

Finding our Xmas tree

scared of the Pie Face game!

loves bath time with brother

lots of friends birthday parties

snuggles with Gramma and Micah

beach time with the fam

can you believe this is basically her backyard!?

time with cousin Clare!

always climbing

there were a few of these quick tantrums too

Already A Year and a Half!

2018-08-08T19:37:00.001-07:00

At 18 months Leilah is the sweetest little girl I know. She and her brother have a little love affair going on and yet she saves snuggles and the best hugs ever for her dada and mama. We love her so!

This month Leilah:

was up most mornings at 5am or 5:30, although recently has started sleeping in until 6:30 again!
loved stories before nap time and bedtime. She is very opinionated on which ones she wants to read or doesn't want to read. Favorites are still Sandra Boynton, Nancy Tillman, Hug, Goodnight Moon, and the 100 words picture books.
began climbing onto chairs, the toilet, the couch, the lovesac, the rocking chair, her stroller.
had a couple babysitters and wasn't too excited about them.
developed a bit of separation anxiety.
flew to the Bay Area with Mommy, Daddy, and brother to visit family and stay at Nana and Papa's. She got some time in the pool and walked around her cousin's farm, and went to her first luxury suite at the Giants game! She got lots of time with her cousin Clare (even though Micah tried to hog baby Clare for himself the whole time).
had another cold where she broke out in little bumps/hives again at the beginning.
seemed to be allergic to hay or something on the farm (just like her dad) and got little red rash spots on the back of her legs.
loved trying on other peoples shoes.
started to really like coloring. She actually focused on coloring for 5-10 minutes a few times!
enjoyed camping in the tent trailer with Gramma and hanging with cousins while at Mt. St. Helens area.
began her first parent-kid gymnastics class while Micah had his class. She loved it and mom loved not trying to keep her off the gymnastics floor the whole time. She loves the foam pit, the little trampolines, and especially loves hanging on the bars and trying to do forward rolls. She already doesn't want to hold my hand while doing the balance beam!
Helped celebrate her Gramma's birthday and got to hang with her Aunt Cassie & Uncle Andrew.
loved running around and around our kitchen island.
went on so many early morning exploration adventures with Mommy and Micah. Lincoln Park, Schmitz Preserve, Alki, the Cove, Jack Block park, the SeaTac Botanical Gardens, Fauntleroy Creek, and more!
said more words: "peez" (pleasewith sign language), "geez" (cheese), "mo" (more), "ba" (bird, bottle), "wa wa" (water) among others

17 Months Little Girl

2018-07-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

This month Leilah:

got a lot of quality time with her Gramma, then with her Nana and Papa while Mommy and Daddy were on their 10 year anniversary trip for ten whole days! She did absolutely amazing. Took great naps and slept through the night for them.
Weaned from Mommy milk completely. Our last times nursing were the day I got back from the trip and then we were totally done. She's been doing ok...now we just have to focus on pushing liquids. She seems too busy to drink sometimes!
woke up at 5 or 5:30am every day!
went to her first two splash parks. She was curious, but anxious about the first one and then loved the second one.
started actually being able to sit and listen to stories! She goes and picks out books now and wants to be read to a lot. Favorites are the 1st 100 words book where she points to the photos over and over again. She likes interactive books and song books best, yet will actually mostly listen to stories too now.
started making funny roars and growls for lions and tigers and bears and pigs
started saying yeah and yay along with no for everything!
continued to show more and more affection, especially to Micah. She often wakes up from nap time and her face just lights up when she sees him and she goes to hug him over and over.
mostly weaned by the end of the month and was sleep trained the week before we left for our big anniversary trip.
acted a bit like a scavenger, trying to eat food from everyone all the time
liked climbing up in the double stroller
enjoyed playing in her brand new water table in the front yard
enjoyed getting on all the bikes and trikes at the park
loved sliding down slides
had lots of good Daddy time
had a few mini temper tantrums when not getting her way
chased after Micah and friends, a.k.a. the big boys down the street during our first block party
celebrated 4th of July at the West Seattle Children's Parade
had lots of cute moments and snuggles and laughs with her Daddy

16 Months: So Big & So Fun!

2018-06-12T21:12:00.003-07:00

First Preschool Picture!

This month Leilah:

went camping in our tent trailer for Mother's Day weekend and loved walking around whole camp site loop
had her first bath tub poop (ha!)
cut all 4 molars
traveled to Orange County for Auntie Cassie’s graduation from CSU Fullerton. She loved walking around the campus (holding an empty soda can) and playing on the beach.
had so many fussy days and nights of waking every two or three hours.
had her first Disneyland trip! She did great at the theme parks with Papa, Mama, and brother. At Disneyland and California Adventure she loved anything with water like It's A Small World, Finding Nemo, and also the little kids bug rides
nursed to sleep in the carrier during the trip
started saying more words like Nana and Papa
started saying NO for everything!
started getting a little more snuggly here and there
loved saying Bye Bye to people or places and waving
waved and said hi as well to people and animals (especially doggies)
loved walking and climbing everywhere and especially loved trying to keep up with her big brother and friends
enjoyed Aunt Leigh and Ron’s house and toys and yard
loved the little duplo area and train ride at Legoland
was so so busy on the airplanes!
mostly weaned by the end of the month and was sleep trained (she slept 10-12 hrs without waking me up the last two nights! She cried for about 30 mins the first night, then 10, then 1, then none!).
weighed 26lbs at her check up!!
had her last co-op preschool classes of the year
ate a ton of snacks at stroller strides and all over

Hiking on Whidbey Island

Sleeping in the tent trailer

Front yard fun with Micah

Exploring out in our front yard

Papa says she doesn't like to smile, but I disagree ;-)

Couldn't get that dang can out of her hands! ha!

Wandering the CSUF campus like a regular

Party mode on graduation night

Loves the beach!

Bonding with Gramma

Auntie Cassie, Gramma, Leilah, & Mommy time

All dressed up for dinner at the Montage

So much Disney magic! Especially here on Finding Nemo

Hard to keep up with her!

The wonder of water

So much personality!

Disney Character breakfast

QT with Aunt Leigh

Lots of good time with Papa

In the Duplo land at Legoland

Her first solo ride. She loved it!

snacks. snacks. more snacks.

keeping up with brother all day every day

Mom Strong!

snuggling a sleepy brother and daddy at the Montage

An awesome first Disney trip!

Oh just hanging in the beer garden

She's so loved!

15 Month Old Little Redhead

2018-05-08T20:53:00.002-07:00

wants everything that is brothers

This month our Leilah Sue:

Is walking everywhere
Is so hard to take to restaurants
Eats so much!
Did just fine without nursing for two days while mom went on a work conference in Yakima
Met cousin Clare
Enjoyed children’s museum, kids area at library, and playground in Vail
Began mini temper tantrums (going limp) when didn’t get her way
Says more, up, down, dog, all done, Mama, Dada, Icah (Micah), nana (snack)
Feeds herself with a spoon semi successfully
Started going around the house with Micah’s tablet and headphones listening to music
Cut two and a half of her first molars! Thus was not sleeping well and was very irritable on and off
Helped Mommy celebrate her birthday
Had many beach days on Alki
Enjoyed Stroller Strides back outside on Alki
Went to Woodland Park Zoo (technically second time, but first interactive time!)
Walks to Ercolini Park and plays
Loves playing with Micah's masks and dress up clothes (especially the astronaut helmet)
Is 95th percentile in weight and height (26lbs!)

Earning her frequent flier badge

Meeting cousin Clare in Denver!

Enjoying what was left of the snow in Vail, CO

Fun with Papa in Vail

He's always lookin out for lil sis

Such QT with Nana and Papa in Vail

Frequent Flier training from brother

First Cousins!

Nice days and a disaster backyard mean time out front!

the world is her playground

exploring the beach together

Mama's birthday hike to Twin Falls with Krista, Odin, & Micah

Mama's birthday picnic dinner

Taking advantage of early warm evenings in the neighborhood

Walking to the park with so much love from brother

This silly girl loves doing this and walking around!

New learning tower that she enjoys even though she's not happy here

Lots of playground time

An unprepared beach day

Followed by a prepared beach day

Mom Strong

Exploring tidepools on mom's back

walking EVERYWHERE!

Loves his booster seat and loves his tablet & headphones

She loves music!!

silly girl likes to snuggle on Charlie's dog bed

those tiny hands!

Fun at co-op preschool

with preschool friends

Mom's favorite window at Preschool

at the zoo

Official co-op photographer

Micah at Five and a Half

2018-04-24T23:25:00.002-07:00

In the last half year Micah has become such a big kid! Although he may still be in Preschool, his preschooler/toddler behaviors are long gone. He is still such a caring, loving, funny, persistent, sweet kiddo.

Within the last six months he:
-was the shorts guy for fall and winter at preschool, only wearing shorts no matter the weather.
-got super good on the Alki playground, sliding down slides, doing the monkey bars, flipping over bars, sliding down the "fireman" poles.
-Did Lego set after Lego set after Lego set and a lot of them completely on his own. He also loves to create things from the huge tub of Legos without any instructions at all.
-Continues to enjoy weekly gymnastics with Coach Corey.
-Is funny and often sarcastic.
-Still loves all things Star Wars and rewatches the trilogy at any chance
-Favorite tv shows are Ninjago and Word World.
-Is interested in fossils
-Loves entertaining his little sister and loves helping her too. He picks her up, helps her climb, shares snacks with her, and gives her toys to play with.
-Likes dance parties and loves blaring his "Shabbat Rocks" cd
-No longer needs a lot of time to warm up to new situations.
-Stopped needing/wanting kissing hands at preschool drop off and just recently barely has time to say goodbye at drop off as he's already off playing with friends.
-Had so many sicknesses this winter! Two fevers turned colds and one horrible tummy bug (that went through the whole family).
-has phases of baby like behavior (trying to match sister)
-Currently likes to eat pizza (back to pepperoni being ok again), plain pasta with Parmesan cheese, meat and cheese tacos, burgers, sausage and hot dogs, eggs, apple slices, corn dogs, and all things sugar

He's reading!!!

Climber

still such innocent joy

Best buds!

Always hugs for sister

Reverted a bit to baby stuff like sippy cups now that sister has these things

legos always

so inquisitive

full of wonder

always exploring and collecting things

so loving and caring

gets down to her level all the time

Can't get enough time with Dad!

white christmas sledding!

so creative

actually interested in the big gingerbread houses downtown this year!

That hair!

doesn't like wearing clothes a lot

cousins

first NFL game. On the field for Seahawks Niners

His "dancin like an Old Jewish Grampa" dance

Micah at Five Years Old!

2018-04-24T22:31:00.001-07:00

In the last half a year, Micah:

-Sometimes wears mismatching socks, sometimes tries to color coordinate by wearing all blue
-Just began to be a bit more brave on the playground going down the slides
-Lego master. Can do a lot on his own.
-Loves to tinker and create with random supplies (creating things like a vending machine)
-Gymnastics has amped up to really work on skills. He did a week long coed camp in summer and had his last class with Coach Pele in June. Now is working with Coach Corey. They are starting to work on donkey kicks and cartwheels and around the world and more.
-Is funny and can be sarcastic. Uses words and phrases like actually and "really though?"
-Loves all things Star Wars
-Is interested in fossils and insects
-Went fishing with his dad for the first time
-Loves entertaining his little sister and loves helping her too
-Sensitive to smells and just recently claimed to like the smell of the dumpsters in the junction better than some of our dinner meals!
-Traveled with Uncle Benj to Nana and Papas without Mom and Dad for two days.
-Spent two nights at Gramma Susan's alone.
-Likes dance parties and pop music like the Trolls soundtrack and Uptown Funk
-Needs a while to warm up to new situations
-Transitioned so well to preschool, enjoys it (especially because it's "so short"!)
-Currently likes to eat pizza (pepperoni was his favorite until he started taking all the pepperonis off so we began to order just cheese), plain pasta with Parmesan cheese, meat and cheese tacos, burgers, sausage and hot dogs, eggs, apple slices, and all things sugar

Leilah's Uno Themed First Birthday Party

2018-04-24T22:28:00.003-07:00

Family first!!

Thank you Pinterest for another great Vrbas Family birthday party theme! I love me a good taco bar and a great fiesta and Uno happens to be our favorite family board game currently, so the Uno theme was a natural for our sweet Leilah's first birthday. I am absolutely completely unoriginal and copied all party details from Pinterest. Being a Stay At Home Mom really afforded me the luxury of time and patience to do some of these crafty projects that although easy, still placed me outside of my comfort zone. I first whipped up my own version of this cute colorful UNO fabric high chair decor. Then I got to work on my first handmade tutu thanks to this tutorial. Thankfully my Mother in Law is the best baker and took on all desserts! She made a lovely rainbow cake, cupcakes, and even the cutest little smash cake for Leilah. Our birthday girl was a bit ambivalent about the cake and I think perhaps she was just a bit too full and tired by the time we got to the cake. We are so grateful for our family and friends that came out to celebrate. Big brother had a good handful of his friends to run around with and Leilah even had a few friends from Stroller Strides and Co-op Preschool. Leilah was so lucky to have all three grandparents and her Great Gramma at the celebration weekend.

Doting grandparents

Micah and Phil made this awesome sensory board for Leilah's gift

Look at that cute tutu!

Yum!

First tastes of cake

Leilah and her buddy Odin climbing already!

Forcing her Wild big brother to stop and eat a bit!

Babies galore!

Two grandmothers and a Great Gramma!

Nana and Gramma

Taco Bar

It was fun making this high chair decoration

Leilah's monthly photos and development

14 Months Old!

2018-04-24T22:18:00.003-07:00

This past month our Leilah Sue:

Playing at the Lincoln Park playground

Liked books with lift the flaps or tactile features.
Had a few nights of good sleep.
Began walking a little more, but really did the funniest little knee "walk" everywhere!
Continued to be a bit more clingy and snuggly to mom.
Loved going down the slide at the park.
Was in a household of super sickies! We all went through a horrible tummy bug, Leilah included. So sad! Then a week or two later, Micah and Leilah had another fever turned cold.
Began wanting squeeze pouches again.
Did ok with sippy cups thanks to a straw sippy cup.
Loved music and liked rocking and dancing to the beat.
enjoyed climbing as many things as possible...especially step stools and stairs when she could get to them.
Loved her new shoes!
had fun when Tyrell, Karrie, & Kloe visited
got lots of time with her Daddy while Mommy and Micah were at Sunday school
had her first dentist appointment! Everything looks good and we have a month or two off from teething before molars start coming in.
Celebrated Passover with Katelyn, Greg, & Leela
Celebrated Easter with neighbors and Yassein & Jane & Gramma Susan (she still didn't quite understand what was going on with the egg hunt, but she enjoyed getting the things in her basket!)

So many snacks!!

knee walking around the library

swinging at Lincoln Park

loves balls

finally interested in books (a little bit!)

some decent walking!

But mostly knee walking like this!

that belly!

loves these new shoes!

the red hair is fierce!

swinging is fun!

sickness doesn't get this girl down much

always playing together

Yay! We made it through all the sickness

Papa came to visit!

breaking out the car when the sun starts to shine!

climber

sliding!

new shoes!

Point Defiance Zoo

Point Defiance Zoo with Nana and Papa

El Chupacabra eating out with the family

such a happy knee walker!

We survived Micah's field trip to Camp Long in the snow!

Music jam session playgroup at Stroller Strides

When Nana and Papa weren't allowed in our germ filled house

Finally out for a hike with Karen and Arya!

Passover with Leela

Bath time fun (a way more rare occasion than with baby Micah, ha)

Passover!

new tray

climbing and playing with brother

love it when Nana and Papa visit

She's 13 Months Already!

2018-03-14T10:46:00.002-07:00

Loves water play

This past month our Leilah Sue:

Loved things around her neck: necklaces, shirts, pants, stethoscopes, vacuum cords etc. It’s adorable and a little nerve racking
Was starting to show an interest in books. Her favorites are Brown Bear Brown Bear, and Are You a Cow?
Did not sleep well when teething. Slept so well when not cutting teeth.
Didn’t mind being out in cold, wet rain and snow. Found it amusing. She went in the backpack in the snow to watch Micah do his ski lesson.
Began being way more clingy to mom.
Enjoyed trying to keep up with big brother and his friends.
Another fever turned cough and cold, which meant sleep was horrible!
Developed a gremlin shriek/cry mostly at night, but occasionally in the day.
Stopped wanting squeeze pouch food packs.
Was not interested in milk from a sippy cup at all anymore.
Loved music and liked rocking and dancing to the beat.
had fun celebrating her birthday with family and friends and loved getting time with all three grandparents and her great gramma for a full weekend.
loved playing at Micah's gymnastics gym for their indoor playground. She loved climbing up and down the large soft mats and bouncing on the small trampolines.
went to her second Purim carnival and got to play a bit in the baby room, but mostly watched from the front pack.
loved playing with her buddy Odin again
loved splashing in the water at the Pacific Science Center, but started to be totally scared of the bath tub!
enjoyed climbing as many things as possible...especially Micah's chair and the couch with Micah.
Also really enjoys sitting in Micah's booster seat when it gets brought inside.
Took her first 2-3 steps!
Became way more sturdy and is able to stand up on her own for a while, but had no interest in walking more than a few steps
She liked the butterflies, but the wall was just as interesting at the Science Center

that hair! that look!

crawling crawling crawling!

Pat the Bunny with Dad and Micah

so much fun playing with brother at home

Home Depot with the fam

Valentines breakfast red eggs!

Co-op

watching Micah ski!

playing with her buddy Odin

Purim carnival

hanging on Charlies bed

such a big girl

sick day rainy day stuck inside shennanigans

co-op fun

a little tired at the end of preschool

she is always in this position!

tired and sick little girl :-(

Happy Valentines!

All three Grandparents!

Our One Year Old Social Butterfly!

2018-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

How has it been a year already and how has it only been a year at the same time? Baby girl has turned into a funny, sweet, social butterfly babbling away. She has so much love for her "mom" "dada" and brother (still no discernible name for him). Her smiles and laughter are infectious. Having two kids has been the best. At times it has been hard, but nothing like what I imagined because so far meeting Leilah Sue's needs has been pretty easy. She has just entered into the wants phase and is becoming much more opinionated about life, which will be fun to witness (fingers crossed. ha!).

This month:

was up and down with sleep. I think when she's teething we are up frequently and then when we catch a break, she can sleep a good 6 hour chunk.
had a lingering runny nose.
developed a super quick crawl and began relying on cruising the furniture a lot more
loved playing with her big brother and interacting with him all the time
Continued to love any and all foods we introduced her to. She also started drinking milk from a sippy cup (those new miracle cups are amazing!) and feeding herself snacks and squeeze pouches. She still plays around with the sippy cup and spits milk all over herself, yet she is starting to actually drink it more.
has five teeth (with two more cutting through soon)
loves music and bounces up and down with the beat
finds the funniest things to play with (usually not toys)
went through a phase of not wanting us to walk her around and just wanted to crawl. Just the other day began loving walking herself around with her little walker
Sometimes did two naps a day (a quick 30 min. one in the morning and then a long one from 1-3ish) and sometimes did one nap (11-1ish)
started snuggling Mommy or Daddy at bedtime and let us shush her or sing her to sleep.
began babbling so much more! She seemed to be having full on conversations with us even though we have no clue what she's talking about yet. Her most common word is "baba" and since she still refuses to take a bottle, we are not sure what it means for her. She very clearly says "mom" but I'm not entirely sure if she means me or breast milk.
She weighs 23.7 lbs (95th %) and is 31 inches long (98th%).

This is a rare sight with her, but sometimes a little fussy shows up

This is always pretty funny to see in the middle of the night when I expect her to be lying down or sitting up and instead she is standing like this.

Big brother still adores her and is still so loving and kind and careful with her

She just discovered Charlie's dog bed and loves going and sitting for a bit in it!

Her 1st birthday "cupcake" (muffin)

Her common reaction to her dad or brother

Leilah is 11 months old!

2018-01-07T15:38:00.001-08:00

This month Leilah:

has had a huge sleep regression over all. Many nights of waking every 3 hours, some nights of waking every hour or two, with one weird and wonderful night of sleeping all through the night!
been sick with a cold and cough
started crawling higher (not just army crawl) sometimes
loved playing with her big brother (chasing each other around the island, peek a boo, etc)
Ate, ate, and ate some more. So much food. Hummus, yogurt, cheese, eggs, chicken, guac, Cheerios, berries, potatoes, squash, bread, rice, pasta, and more!
has four teeth (maybe one more cutting through)
loves dance parties
is ticklish (which her brother loves to show everyone)
celebrated her first Hanukkah. She loved time with cousins and Nana and Papa.
plays with lots of toys, but doesn't have a favorite yet.
loved being walked around everywhere holding on to our two fingers
liked petting Charlie dog and giggled lots when we barked with him
celebrated her first Christmas at home just the four of us on Xmas Eve and with the Richardson’s on Xmas night.
had fun playing with best bud Odin
had a few days with just mom and dad while Micah went to Grammas house
had lots more time with Micah while he had vacation from school
went on a long road trip for a week vacation to Sunriver, Oregon with the Richardson’s and Allee’s. Loved climbing up the stairs at the house and liked being in the snow and in the new backpacking backpack. Got to meet cousins Megan, Greg, and Sawyer.
started letting Daddy sway with her and shush her to get her to go to sleep.
is saying sounds that sound really close to the words "Micah" "dog" "all done" and "more"

still on the go and trying to eat everything

and our photo shoot began to deteriorate quick!

this is how I felt a lot of nights thanks to her cold and teething

How Is She Ten Months Already!?

2017-12-07T21:47:00.002-08:00

This month Leilah:

has cut another tooth. Now she visibly has three. The two front bottom and one front top.
explored co-op preschool so independently. She crawls around the room with barely a care to check in with mommy. She loves watching all the other kids and parents and especially likes to pay attention to all the walkers.
had a harder time enjoying Stroller Strides. She is entertained while we sing, but the schedule is not meshing well with her morning nap time and so she is mostly zoned out/spacing out or tired of being tied in to the stroller. She just wants to get out and move!
had a huge sleep regression again most likely due to trying to stand, walk, teeth, and fight off/deal with another cold.
Does fine when she wakes up and someone else is there (Dad or a babysitter) although she won't easily go back to sleep.
Is still getting up on her knees to reach things or to get up to standing and cruising the furniture, yet she still mostly army crawls since she's so fast that way.
Ate lots of solids. There hasn't really been anything that we've given her that she doesn't like.
Is interacting more with Micah. He moves her around, she crawls on him and grabs at him, they laugh a lot at each other and she loves to watch him run around.
Has grown more attached to Daddy including saying "Dada" when he walked through the door after work the other day.
traveled alone with Mommy back to the Bay over Veterans day weekend. She met a very nice woman on the plane who let her play with all her Seahawks jewelry. She loved playing drop and chew the safety card on the plane. And she slept almost half of each plane ride there and back. Big bro Micah stayed home with Gramma and Daddy. Leilah got to visit cousins Sarah and Norah (Sarah's quote of the day was that "Norah's cousin friend came to visit her, but my cousin friend didn't come to see me and I'm sad."), visit with Great Gramma Jacquie and Uncle Benj and Aunt Beth as well as many other relatives who were in town for "Ben, Beth, & Beyond"'s baby shower.
traveled again with Mommy and Micah to Nana & Papa's house to see relatives and friends. She is so squirmy wormy on the flight and resists sleep, but somehow finally sleeps almost half the flight (the other half feels like WAY longer than 45 minutes to Mommy!). During the trip she was teething very bad and not sleeping very well. We stayed in Twain Harte overnight and had lots of alone time with Nana while Mom, Dad, & Micah did fun things like go bowling and go with Papa to the 49er/Seahawks game. Leilah loved crawling and playing with toys in Nana and Papa's kitchen. She ate lots of Thanksgiving food at the cabin, enjoyed a warm sunny day, and even slept in the pack n play for a good long nap at the cabin with 40 people there. Leilah also may have been the youngest in our family to participate in a Columbia old time photo!
Sometimes says Mama and Dada.
loves holding two fingers to walk around anywhere and everywhere.
is getting tired of being transferred from carrier to stroller to carseat and back every weekday.

Crusin the furniture

Proud big brother

My quick little mover!

So much movement, so much sibling love

Look at those cute little teeth!

trying to eat the card every time now!

Leilah: Nine Months In, Nine Months Out!

2017-11-07T18:42:00.003-08:00

This month Leilah:

Has been resisting diaper changes and any type of lying down position
has been teething so much! Chomping on her finger & drooling a bit.
has shown off her two bottom teeth lots.
had fun at coop preschool
Still enjoyed staring at all the mamas and kids at Stroller Strides
began sleeping longer most nights waking only once or twice (that also might be that she wakes up more and puts herself back to sleep since I turned off the baby monitor and only get up when I can hear her from my room!)
Continued to sleep on the go or have sleep interrupted for naps
Did fine with a babysitter while mom and dad had a date night and did great all day at Gramma's while Mom and Dad had a long date day for the Garth Brooks concert
Crawled a lot! She's fast with her army crawl and just yesterday she started practicing trying to get up on her knees.
Ate lots of solids. There hasn't really been anything that we've given her that she doesn't like.
Got another cold and cough :-(
Continues to laugh at everything her big brother does, although if he takes something away from her she will cry to let him know she didn't like that.
Is in a Mommy phase with some separation anxiety, making it hard for Daddy to hold her if Mommy is in sight.
has been enjoying weekly swim time with all four of family at the YMCA.
did well on a family weekend away in Bellingham.
was the cutest little matching Jack-o-Lantern pumpkin with her brother (thanks to their talented Nana who made their costumes).
was a trooper keeping up with the big boys trick or treating and she even went through the haunted house on Halloween!
Is 98th percentile for height (28.5") and 95th for weight (22 lbs)!
sweet moments together

Always on the move now!

Leilah Sue at Eight Months

2017-10-08T19:42:00.004-07:00

This month Leilah:

Has been sucking her toes during diaper changes early the last month
Trying to gum everything
First tooth broke through this week!
Enjoying coop preschool once a week as there are lots of fun different toys and so many fun people to interact with
Still doing well at Stroller Strides two or three times a week
Waking pretty regularly every three or four hours at night
Is in cloth diapers all day and disposables at night since she was wetting out of even the thicker toddler size cloth
Gets many naps interrupted now due to big brothers preschool drop off and pick up
Is very popular with Micah’s classmates. One little girl stands by her stroller and “babysits” for Leilah while we watch Micah on the playground
Did fine with a babysitter while mom and dad celebrated dads birthday
Enjoyed watching everyone and everything at Micah’s birthday weekend at Great Wolf Lodge
Got lots of Nana, Papa, and Gramma time that weekend too
Enjoyed all the wolf ears!
Played with other babies at the first day of Sunday school
Had fun at her first pumpkin patch and laughed after mom took her down the huge slide
She enjoys swings at the park
She is so close to crawling. Spinning around on her tummy, sometimes sleeping on her tummy, pushing up in a plank a lot.
She sits up super steady on her own.
She got a new walker that she has only been able to walk herself backwards in so far
She is babbling like crazy now with lots of mama dada sounds, but not really intentional yet
Eating lots of solids (mostly butternut squash, apple sauce, banana, and bambas.) she even tried little bits of chicken meatball and liked it. Still doesn’t seem to like avocado.
Two or three hikes
First trip to the children’s museum
Sits up in the shopping cart now
So many smiles for everyone
Voices some wants instead of just needs now
May have hand foot mouth 😭
Laughs at everything her big brother does
Loves time with Daddy
Just started getting spooked and crying by things such as an animated dad at Micah’s preschool and the loud hand dryer in a public bathroom

Most of our photo shoot went something like this! She is on the move...so close to full on crawling!

So grabby!

Mom! What is this thing on my head?! Where else can I put it where she won't grab it!? Ha!

Leilah at Seven Months

2017-09-07T19:52:00.001-07:00

This month Leilah:

has been doing a lot of crunches, trying to sit herself up and strengthen her core.
had lots of funny shrieking noises.
began spinning herself around the mat during tummy time, reaching out and grabbing things all around her.
was able to stay upright while sitting up.
played with her zoo activity center lots.
went to the Seattle Aquarium for the first time and the zoo also (she was fascinated with the meerkats).
accompanied mom and Micah to some Stroller Strides at Lincoln Park and Alki.
been entertained by her big brother most of each day.
has taken an interest in Charlie, the dog, grabbing him. He doesn't seem to mind!
traveled with Mom to Micah's gymnastics camp each day for a week.
had lots of signs of teething as she "chomps" on her fingers lots.
ate solid food purees a couple times a day. Lots of carrot, sweet potato, banana, pear, oatmeal and combinations of some along with a little cinnamon or nutmeg sometimes too. She also ate a bunch of Israeli Bamba's which are little easily dissolvable peanut corn puffs. Seems like she is safe from the peanut allergy!
traveled back to Nana & Papa's house in California and made her first trip to the family cabin in Twain Harte. She enjoyed time at the lake and being in the woods as well as her first "ride" on the horsey tree. She & Micah got to see Great Gramma Jacquie, Great Great Uncle Herm, and also got to attend Great Aunt Leslie & Uncle Will's 50th Anniversary party and get time with Aunt Beth & Uncle Benj.
visited friends in Camas, WA as well as the Columbia River over Labor Day Weekend. She interacted with her one year old friend Odin a lot, which was cute.
began to join big brother in their shared bedroom and slept in her dock-a-tot in her crib. She still is waking up three times during the night and needs mom to put her back to sleep, but her first chunk of sleep is increasing in length again (to 4-5 hours).

Half a Year Old! Leilah at Six Months

2017-08-10T19:35:00.001-07:00

This month Leilah:

has continued to sharpen her grasp and control. She grabs everything near by and brings to her mouth. She pulls her pacifier out and can push it back in now!
babbled a lot "talking" to us
had her first major sickness. A cold and cough and fever that lasted four days or more! She got it at the exact same time as big brother. :-(
accompanied mom and Micah to some Stroller Strides at Lincoln Park and Alki.
went on more family hikes.
had lots of signs of teething as she "chomps" on her thumb lots rather than sucking it.
tried solid food purees a bit more. Lots of oatmeal and banana so far and a bit of apple.
traveled to her fourth state, Florida, for a week long family vacation with California, Chicago, & Cleveland cousins, aunts, uncles, and Nana & Papa. While in Florida she got to go swimming in the pool and in the Gulf of Mexico and she loved both experiences. She felt sand on her toes at the beach and got lots of time with family. Loved hearing cousin Sophia's "Hi Monkey" each day.
went on her first camping trip & first international trip! She did great! When it was too hard to sleep in the tent because it was still too light out, she slept just fine in the stroller/car seat. She dipped her toes in the wave pool at the Birch Bay Waterslides and in the water of Porpoise Bay in B.C., Canada.
started doing crunches to try to sit herself up.
weighed 19 lbs 1 oz and is 27 inches long!

Leilah at Five Months

2017-07-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

This month Leilah:

has continued to sharpen her grasp and control. She grabs things on her activity mat and jumperoo and basically anything nearby her.
rolled over from tummy to back a few more times
babbled a lot "talking" to us
had her first ride in the new double stroller big girl style (no infant carseat)
had sleep regression waking up more frequently throughout the night (every 1-3 hours for a few days in a row, then after 5-6 hours).
has gotten back on a regular poop train (every other day or so especially when relaxed in the mamaroo).
celebrated her first fathers day (Phil's first with two kiddos. We went to the Strawberry Festival in Burien and then to Seahurst Park).
accompanied mom to lots of Stroller Strides and errands.
saw so many large crowds of people (McMicken 6th grade graduation, Hilltop's last day of school assembly and all school recess, and Micah's preschool graduation from YMCA Adventurer classroom).
had many bottles of mommy milk from Nana and Papa when they watched her (and Micah part of the week) while Mommy went back to work for GLAD certification one whole week. She was wonderful for them the whole week and didn't seem to need any extra time with Mommy when she got home.
celebrated her first 4th of July at the West Seattle children's parade.
enjoyed her new Jumperoo!
had her last PEPS group meet up at Temple.
gave Daddy a challenging time, refusing a bottle on two separate occasions (one when Mommy got her hair done and the other when Mommy went on a girls night out at the theater).
had a whole weekend with just Mommy and Daddy while Micah went to Gramma Susan's house by himself.
went on a couple family hikes.
Lots of signs of teething as she tries to put everything in her mouth.
tried solid food purees and wasn't too interested in them yet. Sweet potato, avocado, and banana so far.

signs of teething! Trying to "eat" everything.

Leilah at Four Months

2017-06-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

This month Leilah:

has developed a great grasp! I have to be careful what I sit her by since she will grab onto everything close enough. She concentrates hard on reaching toys that hang from her activity mat and she grabs them and tries to put them in her mouth.
rolled over from tummy to back (once last week and not again since)!
babbled a lot "talking" to us
got one little spot of ringworm (like athletes foot) under her chin from too much moisture (drool!). Now she gets to have an anti-fungal creme for ten days twice a day.
took her first road trip to Portland for cousin Diane's Bat Mitzvah weekend.
liked being worn a lot more now that we bought the Beco Gemini so she can be outward facing!
slept 8 hours fairly regularly at night!
loved the sound of her brothers voice and now gets distracted while eating if he is talking. He also makes her smile and even laugh often.
has been in mostly 3-6 and 6 month clothing.
only pooped about once a week. When I lost track of days since the last poop and she seemed super uncomfortable for two days, we went in to see the doctor. He said I could start trying to help her in all the ways that I had already been doing and recommended kayro syrup (which I have yet to get). I did baby massage, gripe water, and even lubricated a Q Tip (which worked!). I also bought the windi for future use and have been taking probiotics (and she already seems a bit more regular now). She seems to relax enough to go when in the Mamaroo.
celebrated her first mothers day (my first with two kiddos. Vegan biscuits and gravy, chocolate dipped strawberries, Starbucks Chai latte when I woke up, and a long walk through the farmers market and around our neighborhood).
accompanied mom to lots of Stroller Strides and errands. Accompanied big brother to gymnastics and a couple UW studies.
went to Lake Cavanaugh for the long memorial day weekend with friends and enjoyed her first trip to a lake.
Weighed 17.1 lbs at her 4 month appointment!

and one with big brother of course!

How was your day today?

2017-06-07T15:55:00.004-07:00

When I ask my four and a half year old son, "How was your day today?" and "What did you do at school today?" he commonly responds "Good" and "I don't remember." I know that this is not quite an accurate depiction of his eight hours away from us each day, yet I had no idea why this tends to be his response. It finally dawned on me today while I was out for a walk why he might respond in this way. Stay with me for a very lengthy connection.

Today my four month old daughter woke up upon arriving home after falling asleep in the car. When I tried to put her back to sleep on her bed, she wasn't having it. So, I decided to take her and the dog out for our typical neighborhood walk. Usually being out in fresh air, looking up at the trees and blue sky, and the motion of the stroller will entertain then lull her back to sleep. So, off we set. Well, first I had to put the baby in the car seat and set her on the front porch while I grabbed the stroller and the dog leash out of the car, went back in for the diaper bag and some water, put the car seat with the baby in the stroller, put the leash on the dog, then decide to just bring my phone and headphones and the poop bag and water without the diaper bag since we never need it mid-walk anyway (see where I'm going with this?). The first block and a half went great. Baby stared up into the trees and I got a few smiles. I began listening to a Motivating Moms podcast about Gratitude in Motherhood. The sun felt so good. The dog wasn't even pulling on the leash or barking at other dogs.

Then we got half way down the second block and the babe started to cry a bit. I grabbed the pacifier and she spit it out. I grabbed the pacifier again and tried to hold it in her mouth while awkwardly leaning over the stroller to push it as I managed to hold the dog leash in the other hand. Each time she seemed to start taking her pacifier on her own, I'd let go and stand up to push, then she'd spit it back out and start wailing. I figured I can deal with this for the two minutes it usually takes for her to conk out. Yet, two minutes of crying passed and she wasn't letting up. Ugh. Then I look across the street and some lady is walking towards me motioning to move the stroller side to side and I can sort of here her say to try that, but my podcast is still talking in my ears about having gratitude for all the little things in life. I was a little ticked that she thinks I need advice on how to calm my baby, but what the hell...I try it anyways. Nope...no magic there! I stopped the stroller and rested the dog leash on the stroller bar in order to grab the baby carrier and put her in it. After the few minutes of finagling with the straps and the little pillow she sits on she seemed to calm down a little.

I began walking the empty stroller and the dog with the baby in my front pack. She stayed calm for all of fifteen seconds. So, I began fiddling with the pacifier. Each time I tried to get the pacifier for her, the stroller began to off road. So, I gave up on the pacifier. "Maybe she's hungry," I thought. So, I take out the pillow under her, adjust the carrier straps, push down my non-nursing friendly sports bra and grab one breast for her to nurse on. Seemed to be working. Great. "Ahhh...this is motherhood and I'm so grateful for carriers that make this doable!" I thought as I awkwardly began again pushing the stroller with the same hand that was holding the dog leash since my other hand was still holding my breast to the babies mouth. I figured that was what the podcast would want me to be thinking. I didn't know for sure since I had fiercely ripped my earphones out and turned it off way back on the third or fourth block of our walk.

I continued about half a block before the dog leash got caught in the stroller wheel. As soon as I undid the tangle, I gave up on the breast feeding and began trying to give her the pacifier again. I didn't even get to the end of the block before the dog leash got caught up in the wheel again! At this point I was basically growling. Growling at the dog, growling at the stroller, at the leash, and even a little at the baby. Ugh. Growling is what we moms do when we don't want to swear. It's sort of a mumble combined with a deep guttural frustrated "I could scream so loud right now, but I'm in public" sound. I put the dog on the short leash and kept going.

At this point the baby began to calm down a bit and so along with worrying about not being able to get her to sleep, I began to worry that she was going to get super sunburned now and it would be all my fault. I also worried that she was just too damn hot since we are SO not used to eighty degree weather here. I picked up my pace as fast as the wobbly stroller and the dog on the short leash would let me. I was about a block and a half before home and realized that the baby finally fell asleep.

It was then that my emotions and worries dissipated and I realized that when my husband comes home later and asks how my day went and what we did all day, I'd respond with "Good" and "went for a walk." Because as real as the frustration and worries were in those moments on that walk today, the calm and sense of peace that came once baby was sleeping win out. When my four and a half year old gets home tonight and I ask him how his day was, I'll have a better understanding when he responds with good. I'll know that in that "good" are all the big emotions and little moments of the day that feel too basic and detailed to retell bit by bit. In "good" I'll hear that no matter what situations happened today the good ones won out. And thankfully just like this blog does for me, the details of his day may emerge later on his own terms when he wants to describe those big and small feelings and happenings of his day.

Leilah at Three Months

2017-05-08T12:23:00.001-07:00

This month Leilah:

has began to develop arm control and is starting to grab on to things like her light up rattle
has a stronger head and neck. Although she doesn't enjoy much tummy time, she is very strong when lifted up.
enjoys bath time
drank her first bottles while Gramma Susan babysat four half days that mommy worked (to practice for an upcoming certification in June)
hasn't been much of a fan of the Ergo carrier
slept 6.5 hours fairly regularly at night
smiles a lot at her parents, big brother, grandparents, and even strangers
has been in 3 month and 3-6 month clothes for almost the whole last month
only pooped about once a week for three weeks
had her 1st Passover, 1st Easter, and 1st tulip festival
had her first round trip flight to Oakland and back. She was awake most of the first flight, but did fine and on the way back she ate and slept half the way.
was given her Hebrew/Arabic name at a joint baby naming with Norah Seif (6 days older). Her name is Shoshana Kelela. Shoshana means Susan (Phil's mother and my mom's best friend who was like another mother to me) and also translates to Lily (a beautiful flower and the name of Phil's grandmother who just passed away and was one of the strongest toughest women I've ever known). Kelela is my best friend Jennifer's Hebrew name (turns out it is actually Arabic) and I hope that Leilah grows up to be a strong Jewish woman like her Auntie Jen.

Big brother had to get in on the action too :-)

Leilah at Two Months

2017-04-06T15:01:00.001-07:00

This month Leilah:

Has had really bad baby acne all over her face and head and neck although it's clearing up now. We hope it is not a sign of her teenage years, poor girl!
Started tracking us better.
Is growing more hair back (it was in a nice mullet fashion)... still looks redish.
Is sleeping 3-4 hour chunks at night and did a 7 hour sleep the other night!
Started smiling when you make kissing noises in front of her or when she sees those black and white animal cards
Is mostly so calm and just stares out the window on car trips or stroller rides.
When upset in the car, can be calmed by Micah's favorite Elana Jagoda song
Got to visit with her Aunt Cassie and Uncle Andrew. Aunt Cassie was the baby whisperer and had good luck with calming Leilah
Started PEPS (program for early parent support) group at temple with Mommy
started Stroller Strides with Mommy 3-4 days a week
Went on a family adventure day trip to Vashon Island
Had lots of time with Mommy since Daddy worked a lot of ten hour days and a few Saturdays
Got a lot of cuddles and kisses from Micah
Slept through the Purim Carnival
Visited Mommy's work friends at McMicken (The Lion King performance) and Hilltop (for a fun baby shower)

Micah at 4 and a half!

2017-04-05T16:00:00.001-07:00

Half birthday cupcake!

This last half a year in Micah's life he:

Is very observant
Listens to everything especially when you don't want him to
Has a sense of humor and likes to try to make people laugh
Loves singing and dancing
Reads picture books with such detail and variety of language as well as precision of known language from familiar texts
Favorite song: Uptown Funk
Favorite dance move: jump wiggle then "break dance"
Eats breads, quesadillas, ground beef and cheese tacos, pepperoni cheese pizza, smoothies, juices, cereal and granola, noodles with Parmesan cheese, crackers and cheese, chips, bars, some nuts and raisins
He would eat energy or granola bars for every meal if possible
Loves preschool at the YMCA with Teacher Tiffany and Teacher Jamila
Best friends: Yaseen, Alex, Liam, Timmy, Alex and Espen, and Isaac
Went back to taking a nap at preschool (and makes for challenging and late bedtime. We start around 7:30ish and he reads to himself after we read to him until about 9 or 9:30)
Counts to 29 on his own and to 100 with assistance on the 10s
Plays war with playing cards and is pretty good with the more and less concept
Has authored and illustrated three or four books
Loves traveling and is a good traveler
Had many travel adventures included San Carlos, Twain Harte
Participated in the now famous Women's March
Enjoyed many hours building legos on his own and with Daddy or other family members
Loved crafting each month with his Koala Crate crafts and loved new books from his Reading Bug Box subscription
Loved getting to hold other babies like Odin, Isaac's brother
Enjoyed many hikes with Mommy and Daddy
Was hoping for and asking for a little brother or sister. Then when we told him we were pregnant he was so excited. He would kiss the baby in mommys tummy and talk to the baby. When baby sister arrived, he was so loving.
Has had lots of colds and coughs
Did swim lessons at school
Did two months of sports sampler at school
Loves Sunday school each week in Seattle with Mora Sarah
Continues weekly gymnastics with Coach Pele
Likes to use the word "actually" a lot
Recently began lots of potty talk with everything being about poop, farts, toots, and butts
Favorite tv shows: Wild Kratts, Nature cat
Is obsessed with Star Wars and we watched all three of the first movies as a family.
Is speedy on his balance bike.

cool dude with Giants lace up shoes

Hanging at the Burke Museum

San Francisco streets

Hiking

At his preschool cubby

Helped Mom and Dad vote

Storm Trooper for Halloween with Yassein, Alex, Chloe, and Timmy (not pictured)

Big boy at the Horsey tree in Twain Harte

Pancakes with powdered sugar!

Helping get ready for baby sister to come

Singing and dancing this year in his school performance

His idea to make a star of David shield

A Koala Crate craft

New Years Eve with Alex and Espen

Animal adventures

No fear in the bounce houses anymore

Collecting at the pumpkin patch

Micah found our Xmas tree this year

With baby Odin on Xmas Eve

Xmas Day at the Gum wall

Snow!

Family photo shoot. Photo cred: Haley

Raising a feminist just like his parents

New sister snow storm day!

Loving baby Leilah

Dinner with best bud Yassein

Nightly ritual of reading to himself. Sometimes he falls asleep this way.


Books and Paw Patrol at Chaco Canyon Cafe

The Ebb and Flow of my Writerly Life 31/31 #sol17

2017-03-31T16:57:00.001-07:00

I remember writing a spin off of The Jolly Postman in third grade. I typed it and added pictures and had so much fun adding in other characters from various books and movies. I was so proud of that book, especially because I wrote it at home in my free time by choice. I also remember creating a lot of fun short stories as a first grader on our brand new Macintosh computer using the program Kid Pix with lots of fairies. I remember bringing these stories to school to show my teachers and my friends after my parents enjoyed them first. In school I always enjoyed our thematic writing prompts and the regular opportunities to have our writing on display or occasionally exhibited in our school's monthly newsletter for all students and families to read. It wasn't until middle school that my writerly life at school changed and sort of evaporated. I did keep a journal every night since 8th grade into college, yet that kind of writing was so formulaic and boring. It wasn't the write from the heart stuff. That stuff only really came once I became a teacher myself.

Since then, I have done three things to develop my identity as a writer. First, I participated in the Puget Sound Writing Project at University of Washington where I wrote every day and participated in a writing group receiving meaningful feedback on the pieces I shared. Second, I started my own blog about life, our remodel, and starting a family, and then of course sharing my children's development. Third, I subscribed to various blogs like Two Writing Teachers and participated (twice now) in their March long slice of life challenge where being a part of a community of writers and writing every single day has been invaluable. My hope is that my students and my own children find inspiration in my writing life. My four and a half year old has already authored three books that he dictated to me and illustrated. I can't wait to read more!