Tova is 18 months...

I mean 19.5 months.  Well she was 18 months when we went for a check up last month.  It's official.  Per our doctor, Tova is just tiny.  Not unhealthy or lacking appropriate nutrition, just a tiny girl.  She's maintained her 30th percentile in height for most of her life which leads our doctor to conclude that she's getting what she needs and she is just going to be a little girl. This brings a whole lot of relief to this already crazy mamma.  The added worry that Tova may not be getting what she needs has been an underlying worry for the past year or so...not fun. 

Since receiving the news, this last month I've finally felt ok to start weaning or at least saying, "hey pretty girl let's eat some real food first."  While I love my extended nursing relationship with my biggest fan I am ready to start being my own person again...at least as much as you can become once you are a parent.  She's not all done yet and frankly I'm quite not ready to be 100% done either but we are getting there.

Mean while this girl is teaching us the difference between boys and girls.  She loves bags, sparkles, touching/feeling anything but especially plants, dirt and blankets.  She adores Deven but is also willing to kick is butt if necessary...and it frequently is necessary.  Tova loves, I mean loves ME.  This may sound conceded but its true and I will revel in it because I'm sure it will not always be this way.  Nick is a close third only trumped by her favorite teacher Miss Marisela.  Marisela is the only other person she will allow me to leave her with without complaint. 

She still doesn't talk much but she's all over keeping up with the three of us so honestly there is probably isn't time for much discussion.  She loves going out in the stroller with Sam and me, she loves oranges, bananas and raspberries.  She dislikes getting dressed and would just assume to stay in her jammies all day (who wouldn't).  No and different inflections of the word is her favorite thing to say.  Help and milk are her favorite signs.  Purple is her favorite color and elephants and turtles are her favorite animals.  She's a girly tom boy and we just love our girl.

Silvertips night

My boss has season tickets to the Silvertips therefore I get to buy some off him when he can't make it.  He was out of town this weekend so he decided to give me his two seats and actually bought another two for us all to go. He's say it was a thank you for always being able to take his tickets but I'm suspicious there is some unknown project at work or something!?!? 

Either way, it was quite an adventure being a later game but we lasted two quarters before having to drag both crazies home.  Of course we met up with chip and Charlie while there.  Thankfully they are used to...us. :)

Pics: a.  Dev knows how to get me to stop bothering him for a picture now and just gives me a smile when ever I ask!  b. Dev and Tova walking up to the bar together.  To their, or rather nick and my credit they only ordered water. c. Daddo and Tova Rae. d. Charlie being a darling and offering us his popcorn.

A simple trip out

Nick was at Husky tailgating.  The kiddos needed new jeans and long sleeve shirts for the winter.  So.  We went to the mall.  On. Our. Own.  We've definitely done this before but Tova is a little more mobile.  Deven is a little more argumentative.  Well this mama just took a big breath and we dove in.  My strategy was to hit them with an all fruit jamba juice of their choice then one store and one store only. Gap.  Of course.  Then straight to dinner in a restaurant of their choice.  Pasta it was.  The waitress knew what I needed and didn't mess around with a special glass.  We all kept it together mainly because I put away my need for them to be seated at a dinner table and the genius idea that is crap paper for a table clothe.  Though, the culmination was when we went to the inevitable last second bathroom trip and Tova's near demise by changing table collapse due big brother's climbing attempt...a WONDERFUL women told me that she'd been listening to me [whilst one of my children almost kills my other] and she thinks I'm doing a wonderful job.  I almost cried.  Cloud nine the rest of the evening. Period.

Bob's corn and pumpkin patch 2013

We did the patch right this year.  Acorn squash, corn on the cob, homemade mustard purchases and honey crisp apple the size of tovas head.  Oh and we picked out pumpkins for carving too.  Kiddos LOVED the tractor ride to the patch and hanging with the Wright's.  A great tradition.

Random visit to Bellingham

We had a free weekend day a few weeks back and it was gorgeous so we decided to visit and walk around bellingham.  We walked the new board walk on the bay and around down town.  Was super nice and always fun to reminisce about college which *gasp* was 10 years ago.

Halloween 2013

The third annual trick-or-treating trip to the Burgess's neighborhood in Everett was a success.
We loaded the kids up with pizza and bananas (upon their request).  The adults were armed with rum concoctions or wine in coffee mugs and we headed out into the twilight.
Dev went as Darth Vader; my attempts at convincing him of his near doppelganger match to Luke Skywalker were barely acknowledged.  Tova was Max from Where The Wild Things Are.  This may seem like an odd choice but given her 'tude and ability to command this family it is more than appropriate.  Plus the outfit was like a huge blanket.  Nick went as Deven's dad and I went as a financial analyst who was tired of wearing her prom zombie costume.  My work had a prom theme and I just happen to still have my senior prom dress.  I think the shock that the dress still fits was equal to the shock that I had makeup on, regardless of its zombie-esk attributes.
This was the Tova's first official trick-or-treating but it wasn't really her thing.  She did think it was interesting that people would give her things but apart from the dum dum lolly pop she got at the first door the walk and people watching were far more exciting.
This was NOT true for Deven.  Deven was 100% in to things this year so much so that when he and Charlie decided that a home owner was taking too long to come to the door they simply let themselves in.  Apparently this did not go over well.  'Worst Group Of Parents' award.
We were all pretty much exhausted when we got home and I was grateful that if it had to be a work night that at least it was Friday so slipping in a few minutes late to school and work was ok.
Until next year.  Dev says he wants to be Luke Skywalker.

Deven'isms

So It's been a million years since I posted anything so I thought I would wait one week more and write down a few samples of what goes through Deven's head day-to-day.  Obviously this was Halloween week but I wouldn't be surprised if these same snippets appeared in our family dialogue in June.
Mom! I want to be Luke skywalker's dad for Halloween. [Deven went as Darth Vader this year and I'm pretty sure I've explained Vader's relationship to Luke about a million times.  His request was genuine and without acknowledgment of any previous conversation.]
Mom!?! Why do adults think wine is so tasty? [a good but weirdly unexplainable question.  Note when you can't explain something to Deven just chuckle and tell him he's funny.  This tends to give you a free pass.]
Mom! We need a lot of Halloween candy because a lot of people want to come to lake Stevens because there is no volcano here!! [Deven is obsessed with Pompeii and ultimate destruction of large areas of land.  Of course people would want to be where there untimely demise by 'the volcano' (because there seems to only be one) was extremely remote.]
Mom! [Playing Tova's mini blue Cinderella guitar] This is a 1949 Gibson; that's why its so small.  [I'm not sure why he felt it necessary to give a reason for the size of guitar or whether it was just his reenactment of one his favorite YouTube celebrities Phil X.  If you want to learn about guitars he's your guy...Phil X that is but Devs working on it too.]
Mom!?! [Holding a dollar bill] Do recognize this guy? I'm pretty sure It's Frank Sinatra. [The day prior I was so proud that he recognized Frank when he rolled around on our Pandora station.  Apparently he and George have similar profiles??]
Mom!  [After we close his door for the night] Hey...hey...one more mouth kiss, please??? [In addition to the kisses we blew to him before closing the door].
[About 1hr in to our trick-or-treating adventure].   Me: Are you tuckered out?  Dev: Ya, but I just want to make a good  score, ya know?? Me: I totally get it.  Dev: Mom! I'm gonna get this house.  [Runs determined across a manicured lawn]
[While we we're talking about the upcoming holiday season] Mom!  I sure hope I'm not sick for Thanksgiving this year.  Me: you remember that you were sick last year? Deven: oh ya, sure.  [I think to myself, so he remembers being sick more than a year ago but remembering to flush is a problem?]
[To no one in particular]. You know, I don't like stormy weather because its cold and you have to wear a jacket and I really want to wear a swim suit.
We love this kid.  Most days.