The Kolariks: October 2014

In keeping with the celebrations, this month I want to celebrate being done with babies.

Don't get me wrong - all of the challenges that have come along with this part of the journey? Worth it. But we'd be stretching the truth to say that we enjoyed the chapter of our family entitled "Babyhood." Not that we think it's all downhill from this point - ha! It's just that for us, the benefits that start showing up around this age help balance out the less-than-ideal parts.

I am well aware that there will always be long, sleepless nights that pop up throughout parenthood, but I am so thankful that "being done with babies" means on most nights I can crawl into bed, and actually stay there, until 6 am. (Side note: Abby got two new teeth this month, so we've still had quite a few of the aforementioned sleepless nights...)

Although she's not wielding fork and spoon yet, I am thrilled that "being done with babies" means I can sit down at mealtimes and eat my food like a normal person without having to shovel food into someone else's mouth in between bites of my own.

Over the past month I've weaned Abby from nursing. (She's doing great with it, too! A little extra-clingy, but overall great!) For more than five years now, I've been either expecting to be be expecting a baby, growing a baby, or nursing a baby. I know there are plenty of mothers who have run a longer marathon, but this mama is ready to have her body back. So cheers to Pepto Bismol and Excederin, and a future unrestrained by "if pregnant or breast-feeding, consult a medical professional before use."

and as much caffeine as I wish...
Nevermind "Big Pabby" the skeleton photo-bombing in the background...

Abby has really come a long way with her walking this month. She catches her balance when she starts to weeble over, she can change directions and pivot seamlessly mid-stride, and she can stand up from the ground without needing to pull up on anything. I love the freedom that comes with being able to set kids down anywhere on their own two feet. Anyone who has been holding a baby in a public restroom, needing to wash their own hands, understands the victory in this. (And there are countless other scenarios where it's advantageous to have bipedal children, too.)

learning to walk unfortunately comes with
sidewalk face plants and forehead bruises...

Abby still isn't saying any real words yet, but she continues to babble a lot. Once, plain as day, she said "mama," but it was hard to tell if it was used in reference to me or not... She is getting really good at pointing at things she wants or is interested in though. Sometimes it's pointing AND grunting - the beginning of caveman conversations. And sometimes it's even exaggerated flailing and screaming. As much as I don't care for the extreme, at least it's communication I can make sense of. Some of her favorite things to point at these days are dogs and airplanes. I am so thankful we're entering the period of being able to understand Abby's wants, needs, preferences and interests. Man, it makes life easier. It's not like we expect the crying to go away altogether, but it's easier for us to handle when we know the why behind the cry.

playing in the toy bins at Sam's Club

is all fun and games

until...

someone gets sucked in...

We took a trip to Texas toward the beginning of the month. And we didn't bring a baby bathtub, or a changing pad, or a bouncy seat, or a fill-in-the-blank-wth-any-other-ridiculous-baby-"must have"... It's so nice to not have to bring an entire van-load of baby things any time we stay overnight some place.

Cracker Barrel road trip lunch break!

Something magical happened with both of our kids after their first birthdays. They both started to enjoy sitting in our laps to look at books! Having experienced two non-cuddly babies, this is huge. Some of my favorite moments involve being snuggled up with one or both of my kids, flipping through a beloved book for the zillionth time. I love when their heads rest on my chest, rolling slowly from left to right as they follow along with the story.

I love how we're getting to know Abby. Beyond knowing about the cute freckle behind her knee, or that *all babies* love jingle toys. It's game-changing to recognize their budding personalities. One fun thing that we've noticed about Abby, is that she always wants to have something around her neck. A purse strap, Mardi Gras beads, a sock - you name it, she'll wear it. Is this a girl thing? Or an Abby thing? Most times there are multiple things draped around her neck, and she puts them there herself, rearranging them and changing them out for new ones throughout the day. For some reason, it's little quirks like that that make her seem less like a pet and more like a person.

Not having a baby anymore means less segregated play, which has been so much fun for our family! For the past year we've spent much of our time "taking turns" with the kids. You get the boy, I'll get the girl. Can you watch Abby while I do such and such with Bruce? We'll do that when Abby is taking her nap. Etc. Now, for the most part, we can interact as a family unit and do activities all together. More zone defense and less man-to-man. Wahoo!

before he insisted to stand ON her hands...

Cat Pile!

In other words, for the many out there who are wondering but think it's taboo to ask - yes, we're done with babies. I'm sure there will be moments of nostalgia as we move pass this stage, but we're completely satisfied with the size of our family, and are looking forward to the coming seasons with our two amazing children.

And how is Bruce doing these days? Here's a glimpse into what life is like with that boy lately:

Bruce's first "real" building!

Why is a bubble bath fun? Why is it still dark outside? Why did you pick up the toys? Why do we have to sleep in a bed? Why is there no blue one? Why are you putting tape there? Why did it fly away? Why is there no water in the puddle? Why were you making a funny sound? Why do some cups have handles? Why do we have to live in a house? Why did you take his hat off? Why is there a hole in the sidewalk? Why can't I put it in the water? Why does Daddy not do dangerous things anymore? Why are sour things green? Why do we have weekends? Why does Daddy have to go to work? Why is it going to rain? Why is it raining? Why does Abby like balloons? Why did you put the towel there? Why is it called nachos? Why did Abby poop? Why is there a baby spider? Why are we late? Why did you give me a cookie? Why are some toys soft? Why is it not the weekend? Why is there a cat there? Why did I choose to not eat my dinner? Why does Abby want to play with that? Why is it trash day? Why is this glass? Why do babies cry on the bus? Why will a balloon pop if it touches the light? Why did you put cheese on the inside? Why did Daddy spill his water? Why can't we watch tv while we eat dinner? Why do cats like to take naps? Why is a banana a fruit? Why does Abby want more chips? Why doesn't the window roll all the way down? Why do babies have short arms? Why do we have birthday cakes at birthday parties? Why is she getting a little agitated? Why is it not on Netflix? Why did all the mosquitoes come in the house? Why is Daddy fixing the roof? Why can't I put it in my nose? Why is it called a breakfast bar? Why do the cows miss their mamas? Why are there stars on the flag? Why won't the cats eat the sticks I gave them? Why do you have to lock the door? Why did daddy have to go to the bathroom? Why does Daddy need his privacy? Why can't you go when it's a red light? Why didn't you bring any sandwiches? Why are they hiding behind a rock? Why is he bald? Why do monster trucks smash cars? Why are school buses yellow? Why does chalk draw pictures? Why is it spicy on the inside? Why does Abby like the library? Why does Abby have peanut butter hands? Why is the fiddle an inside toy? Why doesn't McDonald's make tater tots? Why is it heavy? Why can't I stick it in there? Why is he on a motorcycle? Why is it called a bench? Why do goats eat everything? Why does Walmart sell toys? Why don't we eat chicken heads? Why do dinosaurs have teeth? Why can't we swim in the Fall? Why is there a fire truck there? Why did my body tell me to wake up early? Why does it not work? Why can't you cook plastic eggs? Why don't you have a nose bone? Why are windows made of glass? Why did it go down the drain? Why is it not safe? Why are sidewalks hard? Why did they plant a tree there? Why is ice not a toy? Why is it dangerous? Why is there no propellor? Why is it called a fuse? Why are there two chairs?

There's the curious: Why do your pants have a hole in them?

And the trying-to-figure-out-my-world: Why does it get cold outside?

And the thought provoking: Why do people kill things?

And the "why nots?": Why don't you want me to get wet?

And the maddening: Why do I have to get off the cat? Why did you forget? Why is Abby crying?

And his all time favorite: Why is it just the way it is?

It's official... We've entered the "why" stage of Bruce's life. Ever since he started talking, he has always been full of questions. In fact, his first word was a question. And I love that about him. But this is getting out of control! He's still a keeper though.

When he doesn't have you trapped in a cycle of "whys" - you'll find him lost in pirate world. He has no issue with shouting out "All aboard, me hearties!" at the top of his lungs while playing in the backyard, along with various other pirate catch phrases. I'd say he'd fit right in with all those buccaneers, except for he thinks you "watch the plank" and look for the X on "treasure naps." Oh well, he'll get it straightened out one of these days.

Other highlights from the month:

Like I mentioned earlier, we spent a few days in Texas! Charlie had a job project interview in Georgetown and project review in Round Rock, and since he's been traveling a lot more lately, we decided to tag along with him and spend a couple of days with my mom and Rick in Horseshoe Bay.

silly road trip car fun!

It was the perfect time to be there - still warm enough to enjoy all the outdoor amenities of the resort, but not so hot that it was miserable being outside. With naps, and meals, and early bedtimes we were still tied to the house quite a bit, but it was fun to get out and about when we could.

We went to the "beach" one morning and played in the sand and shallow lake area. Abby mostly enjoyed the lounge chairs and beach towels, while Bruce thoroughly enjoyed swimming out to the retaining wall and splashing around like a sea turtle.

Later that day we took a walk around the miniature golf course to visit all of the macaws and other animals on display. We tried to play some games at the arcade there, too, but Abby was having a meltdown so we ended up heading home a little early.

The next morning we grabbed a sack of old bread and waffles and went to feed the fish and turtles. It was a gorgeous morning to be outside, and the turtles did not disappoint.

Charlie came back that afternoon, and Bruce really wanted to show him the beach, so we went back. In the same area there was also a swimming pool and my all time favorite ever hot tub, so we splashed around awhile until bedtime.

While hanging out around their house, Bruce was the happiest passenger on several golf cart rides with his Papa, and he had several opportunities for cactus appreciation hikes. The boy is crazy about cactus plants! And both kiddos had some time on the piano bench with Grandma of course.

It was a short trip, but an unexpected extra dose of grandparents, so we can't complain!

We also spent a weekend at Charlie's parent's house! Although I'm sure a lot of really great things happened, I will forever remember that weekend as the time Bruce climbed out of his playpen during his nap time (while everyone else was either napping or working down at the barn), got out of the bedroom, out of the house, and climbed up on the upper level deck to play by himself...

We had a pumpkin carving party! One of our favorite traditions was back on the calendar after taking a year off. Bruce helped plan the event, and since he's still crazy about bones, he really wanted to have a "skeleton party." So he picked out some fun decorations from the dollar store, and we had ourselves a Skeleton Party! We had a pretty good turn out, too! This semester we didn't adopt any new international students, so our crowd consisted mostly of families from our house church. Our neighbors were able to join us, too, along with one of my favorite teacher-friends! Bruce wanted a "pirate cat" pumpkin - can you pick it out from the group?

Charlie went to two World Series games! Charlie's mom is a huge Giants fan but hasn't seen them play a game in person since she went with her dad in the mid-60s. In a whirlwind of spontaneity, she was generous enough to take Charlie as her date to not one, but TWO games in Kansas City. They went to Games 2 and 6, and were really hoping to be there to watch them clench the title. Although they lost both of the games they attended, it was a really amazing experience to share together. Charlie's Uncle John and Aunt Avis even drove up from Louisiana to go to Game 6 with them, which was a fun surprise. The final game was viewed from the sofa, but it was still a fun, nail-biter of a game to watch. The experience as a whole might have turned our entire family into Giants fans!

We celebrated Halloween! Surprisingly enough, Bruce didn't want to dress up as a pirate. Instead, he was set on being a skeleton. We found some fun bone pajamas, and then just needed to make some bone hands and feet, and - voila! We had the best skeleton in town! This year we let Bruce decide costumes for the rest of the family, too. From the very start, he thought Abby should be a cat. I thought that was very fitting, since she loves cats, and at least it wasn't some off-the-wall idea with a next to impossible costume to make. (Unfortunately, Abby wouldn't keep her ears on, and was sitting on her tail the whole time, so it was a little hard to tell what she was dressed as...) When it came to Charlie and myself, Bruce teeter-tottered around a bit for our costume suggestions. Maybe we should be a dinosaur or a dragon? He finally consistently requested Charlie to dress up as a mama cat, and me as a frog. Then, naturally, at the last minute he decided I should be a cat-frog. And told me I just needed to use my imagination. Charlie's mom came down for the afternoon to go Trick or Treating with us which was a lot of fun. Like last year, we walked up and down Main Street while all the businesses were handing out candy, and then Bruce and Charlie went back out again after dinner to ring doorbells around the neighborhood. Charlie said that Bruce had a blast running up to the houses, giggling the whole way.

The best part of the month though? Hands down, the weather. It just beckoned us to be outside, together and happy. We've enjoyed so many afternoons at various parks, had several picnics, and went on walks just about every morning and evening. You can't beat that.