Hello and Goodbye

Care Bear Love

Cassidy loves the Care Bears. She loves the movies and we read stories from her Big Care Bear Book every night before bed. It's so fun for me that she loves them so much because I loved them when I was little too! I've been looking for a new Care Bear for her but they don't make them like the used to - they're just different now. I keep hoping I'll find a vintage one in brand-new condition but I just haven't yet. Her favorite is Wish Bear. What a surprise to find that the church nursery has a vintage Wish Bear that someone donated! So she always looks for him and has lots of fun with her stuffed little friend. Here they are this morning (new friend Ruby too).

Mmmwaahh!

Santa Baby

Pumpkin was a huge hit at church today in her "Santa dress". The children's program was today and it's hard to believe she'll be in it next year! After church there were lots an lots of cookies and candy to be had, but our girl was only interested in a huge cup of popcorn! I think she ate her weight in it today! (Sounds like someone else in our family....hmmm....who could it be? Grandpa Faust?!)

It's been a while since we had a balloon but yesterday we were out running errands and Cassidy saw one with Snow White ("No White") on it and fell in love.

Hangin' out

Both kids love the front porch room in our new house. Travis especially loves hanging out on the stoop like this. The first few times he tried to step down he biffed so now he sits down and scoots on his behind. He's kind of our gatekeeper. You can come in, but you have to get beyond this big guy first!

New friends

One of the best things about our new town and new church are all the new friends we're making! Here are the kids reading a Christmas book with our friends Rich and Marian (our first dinner guests in our new home! Fun!) This week we had a playdate at our house with some other new friends: Ruby and her baby sister Charlotte and Joel! It's so great that the kids have such fun together...and I get to hang out with two other moms that I really enjoy!

Christmas time is here...

We're all moved in and (almost) every box is unpacked. We've found a home for everything we own and it feels goooooooood. It's extra work but extra fun to move into a new house at Christmas time. I love putting up our tree and decorating for Christmas anyway, but in a new place that's our, all ours, that's even better! The kids are loving their new space. They have lots of space to play and explore and are already completely at home here. One of Cassidy's favorite spots is the window seat in our dining room. What a great place to look outside and watch for Daddy to get home from work!

A "silly smile": Travis is hard to catch on camera these days. He's too busy getting into, well, everything. So sometimes we corral him into his pack and play, as seen here.

My favorite Christmas decoration of all is my Mom's ceramic Christmas tree. Cassidy loves to count the lights and name all the colors.

Leaves!

We had an unseasonably warm day last week and the kids had a ball playing outside in the leaves. (These are the last pictures taken at our "old" house in Story City - we have moved! Pictures to come soon...)This snuggly outfit actually fits Travis really well, but he had his arms pulled way up, making it look huge on him! Silly guy!

Cassidy loves grabbing handfuls of leaves and tossing them up in the air. Ah, the simple joys in life!

I love the expressions on her face that Kurt captured in these pictures. At once I see hope, confidence, and sheer delight in her eyes.

1-2-3! Cassidy Dawn is three!

There's something about THREE that seems so decidedly un-baby to me. She's still little, but not a baby. She's a child. A kid. Lately, out of the blue, she'll say, "Hi, Mom" or "Help me, Mom" and I feel like turning on my heels and yelling, "Who do you think you are, calling me 'Mom' like that? I am your Mama!" Mom is what older kids call their mother. I want to be Mama for a long, long time.

These days Cassidy is in love with her little brother. He's her best buddy, her sidekick. And now I know for sure that all my worrying about having Travis so soon, forcing her out of single-child-hood and into sibling-hood before she was two, all that worry was as silly as everyone said. I'm thrilled for her that she has him, and vice versa. They were meant to be together.

The kids had their annual well-baby visits with our new pediatrician last week. It was uneventful except for all the shots. Cassidy wore a hospital gown (the littlest I've ever seen!) for the first time in her life, and she loved twirling around in her "special dress" in the examining room. Dr. Nau said she was great, just who she should be at three. And exclaimed about her hair, calling it "unusually long and lustrous for such a little girl!" She's special, we know.

I wonder what this next year will bring for our pumpkin. We're in a new state, with new friends, a new church, a new home. There are more changes to come, too. I can't wait to see how her life continues to unfold. It's a little hard watching your baby turn into a kid. Maybe she can sense my emotion about this. Tonight after dinner we were playing her new fishing game. After a few minutes she put down her little red fishing pole and stood up in her chair. She hasn't tried to get up on the table in a very long time, and when she did just that I almost reprimanded her, but I'm glad I didn't. With confidence and skill, those little knees edged their way across to my side of the table and she reached out for me to put her in my lap. She hugged me for an extra long minute and kissed me right on my mouth. Then she looked me square in the eyes and said with a smile, "Thanks, Mama" like she so often does after a hug. You're welcome, Cassidy. And happy 3rd birthday, my precious dolly.

Can you imagine the excitement that this little girl experienced today when a person showed up at our front door with a bouquet of balloons just for her? Our dear friends, Uncle Scott and Aunt Kate to Cassidy, sent these for her birthday. It made her day!

Trying to see herself holding her balloons in the mirror.

A new favorite: Ants on a Log. Give her about five minutes and she'll hand you the cleanest piece of celery you've ever seen. When I tell her she's supposed to eat the celery too she just laughs like I'm crazy. I keep trying. :)

The Farmer and the Ladybug

Happy Halloween! It's always fun to dress up! The kids loved seeing lots of other kids in fun costumes too, and handing out candy to all the "chicka cheaters". We had a mild evening weather-wise and enjoyed being outside, talking with new friends and eating too much candy. :)

A glorious fall afternoon

Both kids love being outside. Cassidy still has a lot of fun with her slide and sandbox (as does Travis) but today she mostly wanted to runrunrun! Travis loves to watch his sister, try to catch up with her, and eat fistfuls of dirt. Boys will be boys! We are grateful for every sunny day and are really enjoying being outdoors, especially for walks with the kids in the stroller. We're getting to know our new town really well on foot.

Pumpkin loves to bring me "surprises" from outside, often leaves. Here you go, mama!The trees in our backyard and many in town are still very colorful.

Cassidy running around her favorite tree, in our sideyard.

Sweet Travis

It's almost impossible to get a picture of Travis NOT smiling.

Cassidy would really like it if I would let her jump from the top of the slide. Here, she's asking me to catch her.