The Chairs

The chairs ...

can't be placed at the table 

because Huck will climb onto the table and teeter dangerously along the edge. 

can't be placed along the opposite wall/counter 

because Huck will climb onto the counter, sit on the stove, and play with sharp knives. 

can't be placed against the sliding glass door 

because Huck will climb onto the chair and beat the glass door with some heavy hard object ...  a can of soup is a good example. 

can't be placed alongside the pantry cabinet 

because Huck reach up from the chair and pull down every the glass jar of drygoods in his reach

can't be stashed in the middle of the living room ... just not practical

can't be thrown away 

because eating dinner while sitting on the floor is slightly messier than eating at the table. 

I'm not sure where we actually put the chairs really matters 

because Huck simply moves the chairs wherever he wants.

Benefit of life in a very small house ... 

it can be cleaned top to bottom in 1 hour (or tidied in 15 minutes)

and you can always hear your kids (good thing right?)

Downside of life in a very small house ... 

no where to stash those darn chairs

Current Family Life Phase

Della ~ CanI CanI CanI Please CanI CanI CanI

Huck ~ Extreme observation and exploration what can I get into?

That was a Close One!

One of Della's current favorite phrases

Wow! That was a close one!

Said when she ... 

 jumps off the bed and narrowly misses the door frame

 steps off the edge of the step-stool and lands unexpectedly on the floor

 looses her grip while climbing her bookshelf

slips in a puddle when running

looks up just in time to avoid ... something

As it turns out, in our home there are endless applications for this phrase 

 and Della is very good at pointing out the near-misses

I wonder what that says about our parenting style? 

PS ~ she's barely 3 years old. 

 We supervise her daredevil stunts

We make sure helmet and gloves wearing is a positive mandatory requirement

We carefully explain the risks and discuss the potential consequences 

(more often than not in regards to something she should not do to her brother ... 

such as push him down the slide)

We remove all the obvious weapons and dangerous props

We lovingly kiss and place a princess band-aid on her boo-boos 

and we let. her. play. 

Della ... 

I only hope you learn from each "close one" 

and continue to enjoy growing Bigger. Stronger. Faster. 

I also hope that your Brothers innate cautious personality will balance your fearlessness 

as soon he'll be the only one able to keep up with you. 

Shower Mischief

As a parent sneaking away to take a shower can be a gamble

what will you find when you emerge from your steamy refuge?

I figure as long as everyone is alive and unharmed then I won the gamble. 

This time Della managed to retrieve her Disneyland photo album 

and extract every. single. picture.

she was happy to describe the memories each picture presented 

and was somewhat helpful in returning the photos to their proper home.

Do you think this may have been her version of a hint? Disney Trip #2?

Hired Help

I had a visitor at work the other day. 

A handsome young lad who very much wanted to eat my colored pencil erasers,

 sort my paper clips and push all the keyboard buttons.

His favorite was swiveling on my office chair

but who doesn't enjoy a good swivel?

I may not have gotten much done during his hour long visit but it was very memorable. 

Hair Care and Enthusiasm for Life ...

This picture makes me smile. 

Daddy is so focused on the task at hand.

Della's hair is a force to be reckoned with. Super fine it tangles into a terrible rats nest every night. Luckily this little girl has a very tough scalp and is a trooper when we brush it out. She isn't yet very fond of styling but I did manage to sneak in some braids the other night. 

Lately Della has been using a grammatically odd expression of enthusiasm 

"[It's] my favorite I ever did see"

and she has lots of favorites throughout each day

favorite food, activity, clothes, shoes, car, plants, ... lots of favorites.

Della, you are our favorite daughter and we love interpreting your phrases. 

You are trying so hard to communicate in very detailed and expressive sentences. 

Every evening when I get home you thoroughly describe all the parts-n-pieces of your day.  

Keep talking to me Della ... I love it!

A Month in Review - January 2015

 2015 has already presented some Challenges

... some of our own making 

... and some unexpected ones

but we (the parents) put one foot in front of the other and move forward 

and focus extra love and attention towards our two beautiful babies

A Month In Review

the longest, curviest, beautifulest, eyelashes I've ever seen

the contents of her entire wardrobe

obviously no longer in her wardrobe

she's progressed from just missing to now hitting the rings 

but still can't quite manage to grab hold ... soon

playground attitude (3 years)

one handsome dude (14 months) 

we added another cat to the family 

 

and hired a handyman

mommy decided to start her own company

because ... Challenges are good for the soul (?)

lunch date with a four eyed monster

a tub of building blocks = noisy cheap entertainment

sisterly love (torture) 

the pain of a teething baby

his last baby teeth were also the most painful!

those darn canines took all of January to finally push through!

  growing too quickly

watching his sister at little gym

making it very apparent that he'd also like to participate ($$$)

master of the jump

and the rings (for which she is too tall)

fearless     ...     and daddy's princess

This was her last class at the >3 age group

she's since moved up to the drop-off class !!!

proving she does have her beautiful moments

which last only a split second 

(eating blue berries) 

the many faces of Della

our pirate princess

 

Mr. Mechanical ... loves his vacuum

lined up for ice cream

Day to Day life with the Porters

Exciting stuff isn't it?

Christmas 2014 - Part 2

Christmas 2014 - Part 2

Immediately following our Christmas day festivities, Nana headed south to visit her parents. 

With Della's prompting (she wanted to visit G.G. and Papa) we decided to drive down the following morning and surprise them all!

Classic road trip driving pictures 

kids in car-seats by day         ... and ...         kids in car-seats by night

 ... and car-seat snacking. Doesn't everyone put strawberries on their fingers?

We called the great-grandparents from the local grocery store to ask if we could pick up any supplies

because we would be at their house in just a few minutes!

They were very surprised! 

It was after dinner when we arrived so no pictures but the following morning ... 

 Sudoku and breakfast with the great grandparents

a morning excursion in the back yard with Nana

It was a nice but short visit as spontaneity doesn't preclude employment obligations 

after some quality time we headed home via the 101

We had thought to spend a night on the coast on our way back but 

due to the heavy rain we spent an hour playing on the beach before 

warming up in the trailer and heading on home. 

Note the sand on Huck's back courtesy of his sister

Huck's infamous tripod stance

and the equally infamous finger point

Playing in puddles

Daddy!

Cutie!!

What you don't see is Huck sliding down this sandy hill ... over and over and over

Warming up and drying off in the camper/spare-room/play area/covered picnic facility

But I don't want to put pajamas back on ... well ... maybe

Huck discovering the carbon monoxide alarm button

... and then we drove late into the night arriving HOME way past bedtime 

but very happy to snuggle into our own beds. 

2014 presented many challenges some of which are trickling over into 2015 but

we are very thankful for our blessings such as 

Happy, Healthy children who are very much LOVED by their parents who are working hard at ... 

well, at everything! 

Here's to new adventures in life, career, and family ...

Random picture of mama letting Huck get a closer look at the Christmas decorations 

as a means of documenting her existence.