Tova is 17 months

Well this lady.  When she grows up watch out.  If you are on her good list be thankful.  She's getting taller, I can tell because she is finally growing out of her 12 month cloths. Our tiny girl finally moved to 12-18 month cloths, ha!  She still needs to be held a ton especially when she's getting the lay of the land at a new place or if there are strangers in the room. But when she does warm up to a situation watch out.  Running, laughing and screaming are her favorite things.  Sliding down the stairs, jumping into the pool and washing her hands are also in her top ten.  We finally have her eating more 'real' food which has been great for this nursing mama.  AND...we've been stringing full night sleeps together.  Ok, so not in the past week but there has been a definite change in my ability to get some more sleep.  Hmm, what else??  Still no talking other than screaming mama, dada and dede (Deven) but there is a lot signing going on which is helping with the screaming my name bit.  She loves loves shoes, light sabers, books and having people so her hair over and over again.  She gives the very best hugs and the sweetest kisses.  She straight up is the baby of the family and she knows her power over the three of us. 

Construction zone

We may just have bitten off more than we can chew but we are in it now.  Well we were in it about four years ago when we started this with the rebuilding of Deven (now Tova's) old room.  The goal is to be done by October.  Cross your fingers folks cuz with with these near tornado weather conditions off and on in the last couple of weeks we are going to need a lot of fingers.  If anyone can do it though it's definatly Nick, the craziest most awesome guy I know.  This house is going to be beautiful.

P.S., We are taking suggestions on paint color.  Don't worry we are hiring out this portion of this job.

First day of school 2013

So I was in full on crazy mama mode this morning.  Thankfully Deven was of sound mind.  We got our new shoes on and were all packed up and ready to go relatively on time.  There were only a couple hiccups while we figured out which rooms to be in.  With a million plus one kisses and a thousand hugs I left the kiddos with their new teachers.  Yes, I called to check up on both of them and thankfully their teachers were able give me good news (they don't sugar coat it).  Here's all the evidence of the morning.  You can't say they aren't cute.

First kettle corn

We started the weekend off right with a quick trip to the opening night of aquafest.  Tova's first kettle corn experience.  She likes it to be sure!

Summer Fun

We've been having some crazy fun this summer.  Crazy because that's just who we are and fun because the sun just doesn't seem to be going away.  It's hard to fit everything in on the weekends but we are doing our very best.  Here are a few pictures that I don't believe have appeared in previous blogs but I can't leave out.

Up close and personal, Tova showing she knows what a camera is for.

This is how we are able to get Dev to move at least a slow walking pace as apposed to a snail pace on our walks to town.

Tova loves to take "notes"

My goof balls fresh one morning before school.  Some days I am so amazed I was able to actually get them dressed in the morning in a timely manner that I waste even more time to take a picture so I can remember "that one time" I actually did it.

Tova's Anne of Green Gables look at the Brew Feast this year.  Hmmm that sentence doesn't seem to add up well.

Cute Cute Cute at the Brew Feast this year.

May have to frame this one.

Tova hamming it up on a walk in Everett in June.

Deven's rendition of "People Are Awesome"  You Tube it, you won't regret it.

Swinging.

Dev's new Roman Soldier hat to dress up at a super hero party.

She is looking so big.  It's hard to see but she has her first piggy tails here.

Needed to capture her ability to carry a purse since practically birth, which is remarkable because I basically never carry a purse.  Nature 1: Nurture 0

Walk along the Everett Marina waiting for the farmers market to open.  Seriously it doesn't open until 11 am.  We'd been up for 5 hours already so it got a little nuts.

Attention right where it should be.

Tuckered out during my stay at home mom week watching Dev learn how to listen at soccer camp.

First fourth of July picnic and also first time she "fed herself." 

Tuckered out again.  Waking up at 6am means your day must end at 6pm.  Nigh Night.

A Zombie Birthday

Yes, this was all Deven's idea.  Deven has been requesting a Zombie party since January.  I have no idea where this idea came from, we don't watch zombie anything and before he mentioned it...well Nick and I had never actually mentioned the "existence" of zombies.  But living with Dev this sort of discovery is par for the course.  So a Zombie party.  In pictures.

Lovin' on Daddo a couple weeks before his birthday.  Making sure he stays on our good side.

Practicing for the big day.  Yes, I busted out a face painting station.  Thankfully the nearby beach offered way more entertainment and not too many kiddos were interested.  Best to keep my art to myself.

Keeping with the a kiddo Zombie theme Zombie Teeth, aka White Chocolate

Nick and I cut up black licorice to resemble zombie hair.  I think it worked.

 

 

It felt like master chef in our house except we were the fools that planned too much and there were only 3...2...1 minutes left before we had to pack everything up and get the heck to the park.

But they turned out freakin' fantastic.  Kiddos loved them but either grown ups were trying to watch their figures or these awesome jello eye balls with edible food paint just grossed them out.  From scratch peeps, from scratch.  That's just how we roll.

 

Dev in his zombie/monster face paint with buddy Myka who just loved playing our ring toss game (six pack of root beer using canning lids for a ring).  She kept putting the prize back so she could play again. 

I didn't get a proper picture but I had my mom and sister make up the Zombie Goo aka., red jello with strawberries cut to resemble blood cells.  Yes.

We got some cheep (not powdered) plastic gloves, put water in them and used them as ice cubes for the Zombie Juice.  Some of the fingers fell off but this just added to the "ambiance."

A creole recipe using fingerling potatoes for zombie fingers.  Was so good but again...I think it grossed people (grown ups) out. :)  I didn't get a picture but Nick grilled up some Muffaletta sandwhiches to go along with our attempt at a New Orleans food theme.

Frank has been with the family since Dev was about two but he certainly helped with the deco like never before.  I ordered the tape along with card board signs pointing people to various disgusting zombie places.

This was one of the invites we sent out.  I ordered from a gal on Etsy.  I had to print and cut them myself but...it was totally worth it.

 

 

Post party relaxation with his new football gear.  Such a Johnston.

Next morning all kids let us sleep in until 8am.  This may sound entirely too early for a Sunday but I am here to tell you it was a treat in this early bird house.

I hope he remembers this epic party.  I'm not sure Nick and I have it in us to do something this big again next year but I'm sure TMG ("the mama guilt") will get to me once again and we will end up doing something equally as awesome.  Happy fourth birthday Deven.  We love you - a ton.

Deven - four year check up

 

 

 

 

So Deven is 9...I'm mean 4.  Sorry, I'm easily confused these days since Dev is fast becoming a "big kid".  He says he's going to be sad when he doesn't live with us any more.  Where will he be living you ask?  We asked the same thing.  According to dev when he's a grown up he will be living at the fire station as a fireman.  Please note the picture of deven in his new fire suit to replace his out grown one.  Sleep easy folks our super hero fireman is on the job.

Seriously though deven has grown physically and mentally by leaps and bounds this year.  As always he continues to challenge our perception of when a boy his age should be doing or should be talking about or should be interested in.  Who knows any more.  All I know is this kid recognizes music artists from Hendricks to Macklemore.  He wants to know about any subject which is generally sparked by him hearing a word he hasn't heard before; only a true and full explanation will do.
Is he afraid or nervous to talk to you...or anyone for that matter?  Absolutely not.  In fact he wants to capture your attention so much and is thinking so hard that he will stumble over all of his thoughts colliding in his brain.

Speaking of his brain, he will lose it occasionally...or more than occasionally.  We look for it and call for it to come back frequently.  On it's way back it will stop at Starbucks and bring us all back coffee...a hot chocolate for dev...sister is to young for coffee treats so nothing for her.
We love our crazy, challenging talkative, hard working little man.  But boy is it nice when he takes his two hour naps on the weekend when we aren't running around town.