learning and re learning and learning again

So far letting go has been a good thing. Also, engaging your kids seems to pay off.  Adi has reached the age where a planned activity and guidance in doing that activity will buy me at least 10 if not 20 minutes. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but it seems like eternity when wild man Belay is hot on the loose.  Wild man, on the other hand, is of the age where a planned activity results in fraid nerves, a lot of shouting, a headache, tears, and 45 minutes of crying in his room while trying to "pull it together" to rejoin the family.Ahhh, the things you learn day by day when parenting your second child. For instance, or should I say for another instance( is that a word? probably not, but I like it) Little boys do not slowly fade.  Little boys play until they pass out. It is 100% or 0 %.  Telling Belay that it is time to leave the park is the meanest most horrible worst thing I can do as his mom in one day.  Especially when he has finally mastered the entire park.  There are no off limits anymore, he can climb, slide, swing, jump, shimmy, and scoot with the best of them.

 Back to today.  It was the first real fall day in my mind. Chilly enough for a sweater but sunny(until the rain came of course). So, in honor of such a day I suggested we bake cookies, oatmeal spiced cookies. Adi was thrilled at this suggestion and grabbed her apron and even scooted her little chair up to the counter. This was the first time I actually "baked" or let her help in any matter in the kitchen.

She did great. The cookies were yummy even though they came out kinda big. And we all enjoyed eating them when daddy got home and the clouds rolled in. Well all snuggled up on the couch with big glasses of almond milk (the most delicious beverage in the world) and a plate of warm spiced oatmeal cookies and some fleece blankets.


Of course, twiddle dee and twiddle dum got the lick the mixing spoons.

 Has he ever had anything so good?

 Post cookie baking dance party (a regular occurance at our house) check out those moves of Adi's in the back ground.

 Still smiling, just cause.

 After all was said and done and jammies were on, Adi resquested Andy to take some photos of her and she posed herself this way(what 2 yr old does that?) The sky out of our window actually looks really cool as the storm was blowing through, cool enough to follow the crazy dance party picture...maybe not but a close one at that (wow that was a really long sentence, and post).