Ellery is getting really excited for Halloween this year. She decided one day to be a firetruck. I'm not sure where she got it from. Everytime she hears one she gets really excited! She has also decided what everyone else will be. Since this movie, Ellery has changed Jacob's costume form a big bag wolf to Pumpkin Jack (from Nightmare Before Christmas). Jacob and I are having fun planning and making her costume. I hope it turns out good.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Christmas Village - Town Hall
Last Christmas my father-in-law gave me a ceramic Christmas Village house to start my own under-the-tree Christmas Village. This was never a tradition in my home growing up, but ever since the first Christmas I spent at the Roper's I've wanted to make it a tradition in MY home. Kim, my father-in-law, has a very nice village, which, like his home, has been the focus of several remodel discussions and/or projects.
I was very excited to get the ceramic house last year, and even more so excited at the fact that it was not painted. Not only did I receive my first Christmas Village house but I also had the opportunity to make it personally mine. As the years come and go, and as I add to my collection under the tree, this one will always be special to me.
This last week I FINALLY got around to painting it. I wish I would have taken a picture of it before I painted it, but I think you can imagine, it was just plain white. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I look forward to doing a few more over the years to come. No, I don't plan on painting ALL my houses, I don't have that kind of time, but I'm sure this wont be my last one either.
This year, being the first, it'll be a small village. I plan on getting a train, a train station and probably a firehouse. It's a small start but it'll grow fast enough.
I was very excited to get the ceramic house last year, and even more so excited at the fact that it was not painted. Not only did I receive my first Christmas Village house but I also had the opportunity to make it personally mine. As the years come and go, and as I add to my collection under the tree, this one will always be special to me.
This last week I FINALLY got around to painting it. I wish I would have taken a picture of it before I painted it, but I think you can imagine, it was just plain white. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I look forward to doing a few more over the years to come. No, I don't plan on painting ALL my houses, I don't have that kind of time, but I'm sure this wont be my last one either.
This year, being the first, it'll be a small village. I plan on getting a train, a train station and probably a firehouse. It's a small start but it'll grow fast enough.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Life Moves Fast
It's funny how fast life tends to move. Especially the older I get.
Never before has this been more noticeable in my life than over the last two and a half years. I've always known time doesn't stand still for anyone, but watching Ellery grow makes me realize just how true that is. Now with her baby sister on the way I can only imagine how that will factor in. Just in the past few days Ellery has decided she wanted to start potty training. It was kind of out of the blue and she's done really well with it. She had a more difficult time letting herself "drop the Cosby's off at the pool" and when she finally did for her first time it was accompanied by many tears of obvious pain followed by jubilant cheers of "AWESOME - it go plop!!!" We're not sure where she picked that word up, but just imagine the little boy on The Incredibles (the one always outside the Parr's house on his trike) saying it... she sounds just like him - I'll have to try and get it on video/audio (just her saying it, not the scene on the toilet).
She definitely has a mind of her own.
With Halloween (Millie's favorite holiday) quickly approaching Millie has been trying to prep Ellery for the upcoming festivities, probably to insure she gets the most out of such a wonderful (candy filled) weekend. Millie showed Ellery pictures from last Halloween where Ellery is dressed up like a kitty. She seemed to like that and for a while said she wanted to be a kitty again this year. However, about a week ago - and ever since then - whenever we ask Ellery what she wants to be for Halloween she excitedly says, "a FIRETRUCK! wee-woo-wee-woo, trick-or-treat, I get candy!!!" Needless to say, we are trying to figure out a way to turn our little angel into a big red firetruck.
Every now and then I take a proverbial step back from life and try to look at it from a different perspective. More specifically, my own when I was much younger. I often try to compare my childhood with Ellery's, and my life with my parents as a new family starting out. Of course there are some differences... by the time my dad was my age I think he already had four children. Life is so different, I think, for Millie and I than for my parents. In turn, I'm sure Ellery is in for a MUCH different childhood. This makes me both VERY relieved, and somewhat sad. Sure I have my share of unfortunate childhood memories, but there were so many good ones too. Growing up where my back yard was a national forest, I was surrounded by relatives and the small town life gave way to many misadventures and learning experiences had its advantages. On the flip side, growing up where my back yard was a national forest, I was surrounded by relatives and lived in a small town had its disadvantages.
I can't help but think what life holds for Ellery, her little sister, and any other siblings that may join her. Even the next few years are so uncertain for us all. Where I'll be going to PT school, where we'll live after I graduate, how many children we'll have, etc....
One thing is certain. I know I need to live more in the present and enjoy it for all that it's worth. So often in the time travels of my mind I think about how good (sometimes how bad) times used to be and how exhausting and stressful life tends to be now. I have friends, and even family, who are at times of their life that I used to be in. Sometimes I look at them with envy thinking, "man, if only I could go back to the time of life you're at now, I could make my present so much better." Hind sight is always 20/20. But I don't think that's to point of life - to dwell on what we'd like to change or a time we might like to relive. I think sometimes I miss out on the here and now because I'm busy thinking about what I should have done in the past, or what I want to be doing in the future.
For the record, I'm content. I'm happy. What a time I'm living right now! Seeing Millie grow baby sister inside her, having Ellery at a stage in her life where she's SO excited to see me every time I come home that she almost jumps right through the floor, and I'm getting an education in challenging subjects I enjoy learning about. These times will be over soon. Millie will be done having children, Ellery will become a teenager where she most likely wont want anything to do with me, and I'll be working in a job (I will hopefully always love) that may hold monotony, without the challenges of school.
Life is good. I'm going to do what I can to just enjoy it, because, it moves pretty fast.
Never before has this been more noticeable in my life than over the last two and a half years. I've always known time doesn't stand still for anyone, but watching Ellery grow makes me realize just how true that is. Now with her baby sister on the way I can only imagine how that will factor in. Just in the past few days Ellery has decided she wanted to start potty training. It was kind of out of the blue and she's done really well with it. She had a more difficult time letting herself "drop the Cosby's off at the pool" and when she finally did for her first time it was accompanied by many tears of obvious pain followed by jubilant cheers of "AWESOME - it go plop!!!" We're not sure where she picked that word up, but just imagine the little boy on The Incredibles (the one always outside the Parr's house on his trike) saying it... she sounds just like him - I'll have to try and get it on video/audio (just her saying it, not the scene on the toilet).
She definitely has a mind of her own.
With Halloween (Millie's favorite holiday) quickly approaching Millie has been trying to prep Ellery for the upcoming festivities, probably to insure she gets the most out of such a wonderful (candy filled) weekend. Millie showed Ellery pictures from last Halloween where Ellery is dressed up like a kitty. She seemed to like that and for a while said she wanted to be a kitty again this year. However, about a week ago - and ever since then - whenever we ask Ellery what she wants to be for Halloween she excitedly says, "a FIRETRUCK! wee-woo-wee-woo, trick-or-treat, I get candy!!!" Needless to say, we are trying to figure out a way to turn our little angel into a big red firetruck.
Every now and then I take a proverbial step back from life and try to look at it from a different perspective. More specifically, my own when I was much younger. I often try to compare my childhood with Ellery's, and my life with my parents as a new family starting out. Of course there are some differences... by the time my dad was my age I think he already had four children. Life is so different, I think, for Millie and I than for my parents. In turn, I'm sure Ellery is in for a MUCH different childhood. This makes me both VERY relieved, and somewhat sad. Sure I have my share of unfortunate childhood memories, but there were so many good ones too. Growing up where my back yard was a national forest, I was surrounded by relatives and the small town life gave way to many misadventures and learning experiences had its advantages. On the flip side, growing up where my back yard was a national forest, I was surrounded by relatives and lived in a small town had its disadvantages.
I can't help but think what life holds for Ellery, her little sister, and any other siblings that may join her. Even the next few years are so uncertain for us all. Where I'll be going to PT school, where we'll live after I graduate, how many children we'll have, etc....
One thing is certain. I know I need to live more in the present and enjoy it for all that it's worth. So often in the time travels of my mind I think about how good (sometimes how bad) times used to be and how exhausting and stressful life tends to be now. I have friends, and even family, who are at times of their life that I used to be in. Sometimes I look at them with envy thinking, "man, if only I could go back to the time of life you're at now, I could make my present so much better." Hind sight is always 20/20. But I don't think that's to point of life - to dwell on what we'd like to change or a time we might like to relive. I think sometimes I miss out on the here and now because I'm busy thinking about what I should have done in the past, or what I want to be doing in the future.
For the record, I'm content. I'm happy. What a time I'm living right now! Seeing Millie grow baby sister inside her, having Ellery at a stage in her life where she's SO excited to see me every time I come home that she almost jumps right through the floor, and I'm getting an education in challenging subjects I enjoy learning about. These times will be over soon. Millie will be done having children, Ellery will become a teenager where she most likely wont want anything to do with me, and I'll be working in a job (I will hopefully always love) that may hold monotony, without the challenges of school.
Life is good. I'm going to do what I can to just enjoy it, because, it moves pretty fast.
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