October

This past month has been my favorite October. I have always loved Fall, all the pumpkins and changing colors, but now that I have Lillian in tow, I enjoy everything through her eyes... Those little eyes that see everything and tell her little hands to touch and chase everything. She loves finding pumpkins and crunching on fall leaves.  My little Hector the Collector has to stomp on and pick up all the fallen leaves she finds.  After picking them up, she invariably looks up to find the poor tree who lost them and says, "uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh" until I reassure her that it was meant to fall, and then all is right in the world.  She is also smitten with acorns.  How many acorns can this child hold in two fists?  She is bound and determined to find out.  When she feels the cool wind on her face she looks around to see where it is coming from.  Everything peeks her curiosity.  Everything.  I love that about Lillian.

When thinking about what costume to make for Lillian, I wondered what she would most be excited to see herself as.  The answer came immediately.... a puppy!  Then I thought a puppy is kind of boyish, so I decided to add a pink tutu.  Lillian was transformed into a puppy ballerina, which if you know my rough-and-tumble-outdoorsy-yet-into-everything-girly, this was the perfect costume for her.  She particularly loved her nose, and this was no small task to paint on her face.  She danced around trying to get the pencil and see her nose by crossing her eyes.  The puppy nose kept getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger...

  

We painted pumpkins with Lil's buddy Luke.  Lillian liked the paint, but thought the paintbrush was over-rated, so this ended up as an exploration in finger painting.  She liked her pumpkin, but really liked Luke's pumpkin, so the activity turned into Lillian exploring finger painting on Luke's pumpkin.  Thankfully Luke is very patient and didn't mind.  I think I have a strong-willed child.... does everyone think this about their own toddler?  Oh well, Luke didn't mind....

The final product... :)

We also made jack-o-lantern pumpkin pancakes.  I found them on a website my mom found www.artfulparent.com.  We also found the directions for the pancakes below.

 

On Thursday, we trekked downtown for my favorite Farmers' Market of the year.  Halloween!  We lugged our wagon downtown and joined the Munchkin March, a little parade around downtown SLO.  Lillian shared her wagon with Claire, who just so happened to be a kitty-ballerina.  The two of them made quite the pair.... especially when they decided it was time to ditch the wagon....    Oh well, they had fun, and I got some exercise, holding 30 pounds of toddler and pulling a large wagon.  The raisins only worked for so long.

          

Trick-or-Treating was so much fun!  Lillian was determined to walk from house to house and very particular about which hand to hold.  Uncle Jeff's, now Daddy's, now Mommy's, now Mommy's other hand, now Luke's, which was my personal favorite to watch.  Lilly and Luke make such a sweet pair.  They really love each other.  So precious...  And of course, Lillian had to carry her own pumpkin bag.  By the last house, she was saying "tic-o-teat" and "ank-you".  I love that little girl.  Everyone says this about their own child, but now that it's me, I just don't know I can a little one so small, so much, and how I can love her more every day.  So cliche, but so true.  I just love that little girl.  She drives me crazy, that one, but I do love her.

Dan and Lil carved a pumpkin before we went out.

 

A Trip Down Memory Lane

My wonderful, amazing (etc., etc.) husband took our daughter on a date, just the two of them.... plus Uncle Jeff, or as Lil refers to him "Ah-Juh".  So my Friday night was a date night alone.  I felt slightly guilty at how giddy I was to be dropped off at home all-by-myself.  Thank you Husband!

I realized it has been over two months since I last blogged.  It's amazing how being pregnant (if you missed the memo-- surprise!) seems like all I can accomplish these days.... Well that, and loving on the little toddler girl in our house.... and caring for the crazy yellow one.  Between the eating, sleeping, eating, and sleeping some more, and making sure everyone else is eating and sleeping, Dan and I celebrated our seventh anniversary! Seven years!  Either this means that I got married when I was ridiculously young or I'm getting old... or both.  It means both.  In honor of this milestone, I thought I would take a trip down memory lane.  Just a warning, our story is pretty cheesy.... but I wouldn't have it any other way.

September 4, 2004... Apparently we got married in the dark ages, because this is the only digital picture I could find of both of us on our wedding day.

Honeymoon in Maui.... Dreaming of going back....

First Christmas, 2004.... I love our first couch, don't you?  It used to be in Dan's bedroom in high school. :)

 Summer 2005.... First and last backpacking trip

September 2005, First Anniversary in San Francisco

 

 September 2006, Second Anniversary in Costa Rica

Oktoberfest, October 2007

Christmas 2007

First Home, October 2008

Lucy-Friend, March 2009.... Lucy-Friend sounds a little bit like something else, but don't worry, the only Lucy-Fur we had was on the carpet. :)  Loved that dog....

 Christmas 2009.... I loved being pregnant!              

February 2010

Lillian Marie Snyder, March 6, 2010

September 2010, Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Deanna Snyder. :)

 May 2011.... The Zoe Dog!

If you really want the whole story, come over and see the photo album of the four years before we got married, including our first date in 1999!

I love you, Dan!  Here's to the next seven years and beyond....

A Special Visit

We had a whirlwind of a week!  Rachelle and Jonas visited us for four days.  I was excited to see them come and sad to see them go...

From the beginning of their visit, Jonas had to be on the defensive while playing at our house.  Lillian has just started to understand the Toddler's Golden Rule.  It goes like this.... This is mine.  What you have is mine.  What you thought was yours is mine.  What you're thinking about getting is mine.  Pretty much everything in this house is MINE!  Jonas, being the saavy, older toddler, learned to hoard his toys.  When he saw a toy he liked, he picked it up.  He collected toy after toy, until he had a fistful, then did a little dance, keeping them just out of reach of Lillian.  After having them both in our cozy home for four days, I can honestly say that I don't know how parents of twins do it.... and I had an extra mom around with two toddlers!

We kept Rachelle and Jonas moving at Snyder-Speed!  I never realized how much I thrive on moving and getting out until I had Lillian.  We went to the park, downtown, Farmer's Market, our mommy-and-me swim lesson, walked and walked and walked, attempted library story hour (who are these two year olds that sit still for thirty minutes any way?) and to the park again.  Having these days with the two cousins almost inseparable made me realize how different they are.  Lillian is a curious extrovert who loves being out and about with people.  Lillian always wants to "go-go", and be a part of the action.  Jonas is a talkative, playful introvert who enjoys playing at home.  He can play and entertain himself with his toys and books for a whole day.... until he gets the chance to run, and then its "bye-bye" Jonas!

"Mom! Lillian stole my toy again, and the dog is coming to get me!"

"Don't even think about taking my duck or hippo!"

Dinner at Firestone during Farmer's Market...

We went to the Avila Barn on Friday afternoon.  Lillian and Jonas loved the barn, but for very different reasons.  Lillian loves the barn because it's outside and there are a lot of animals.  Jonas loves the barn because he loves to run, run, and run some more.  I think Rachelle is the most in shape mother I know.  She would have to be to keep up with that child....  is this the fate of all parents of toddlers?  Oh dear!

Ready, set, go!

Keeping the kids contained in the hay.... a mom's gotta rest!

Hay Ride!  Let's rest and enjoy the ride! ;)

 Picking peaches in the orchard...

Come back soon Jonas!  We miss you!

Summer Day

I love summer time.  Warm sunshine, long days, relaxing in the backyard.  I finally feel like it's July; only tomorrow August comes.  This whole having a child makes time fly.  Oh well, maybe at this rate, summer will last until October...

Today was a rare day at the Snyder house; we had absolutely no plans.  I can't remember the last time we could simply be a family.  We putzed in the backyard, explored downtown, and reveled in the late afternoon sunshine. It was wonderful.  As I watched Lillian run around naked in the backyard, helping Daddy by lugging around a huge garden bucket, running in and out of her play house, enjoying the sunshine with me on the back wall, I thought, "This is a day I will cherish until Lillian is grown."  And I carefully tucked away all the earthy smells, the little puppy licks, soft skin, and gentle hugs this day had to offer.

  (Who cares for this child anyway?  Don't they put clothes on her?)

After Lillian went to bed, Dan coaxed me onto the rooftop to watch the setting sun.  This is no easy step for someone who is as deathly afraid of heights as I am.  This was a big HUGE step for me.  After three attempts, I finally overcame my fears of tumbling unabated to the ground, and cautiously climbed the ladder onto the roof top.  Clutching the shingles of the roof with all the strength my fingers could muster, I made it!  The whole time I  thought, "How am I going to get down?  Why did I do this?"  When will this sun ever set?"  In between these doubtful thoughts, I had to admit it was a beautiful sunset.  I was glad I did it.  And.... Dan was right.  I survived the scramble down, and after happily scratching my dog behind the ears, and reassuring her that I was all right, I went inside for a big helping of ice cream.

And for those who care, here's a picture of my clothes line inverted umbrella.