A Butterfly, and a Monkey

 Another beautiful fall day today, so I decided to dress the kids up in their Halloween costumes and take some pictures. I had to bribe Claire with chocolate chips to get her to sit for the picture. Jack is so much easier to photograph right now. I ended up getting some great shots. Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year.

Autumn

I really love this season. The weather is the perfect temperature, and the colours are amazing. Today was the perfect day for a walk, so we took full advantage. Claire had a blast playing in the leaves, and finding a walking stick. I also used the opportunity to get some shots with my new camera. They turned out so nice.

Also, check out this comparison photo of Claire and Jack during their first Autumn. Claire was eight months, and Jack is five. I think they look a lot alike here.

Princess

Claire is in the 'princess' stage. As in, she is fully and completley convinced that she is, in fact a princess. She loves tiaras and anything pink and frilly. In a pinch she will wrap a blanket around herself and call it a princess dress. She especially likes to take her princess clad self over to the front hall where she dances around in front of a full length mirror and sings, "I AM A PRINCESSSSS, I AM A PRINCESSSS" over and over again.

Daddy and his Babies

 I am so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing daddy for my children.


This man calls everyday  to say 'hi' to his little girl because he misses her when he's at work. His face lights up when he comes home from work and sees them, and they are equally as happy to see him. He gets down to their level and plays with them whenever he's home. He takes Jack in his arms as soon as he walks in the door without me having to ask. He spends close to an hour reading Claire bedtime stories and tucking her in at night, and gets up with her if she wakes up at 2am. He tells them he loves them everyday, and is constantly giving hugs, kisses and affection.


He loves his babies as much as I do, and I am so thankful. Not just because he gives me a break when I am tired and burnt out, but because I know they will be better people because of it. He is teaching Claire that she deserves to be treated with respect and love. He is teaching Jack how to be a good husband and father. And he is teaching both of them that they are important and valued, and for that I will always be grateful.

Can't you just see the love in her eyes?

Claire and Crafts

Crafts are probably Claire's favourite thing in the world. It amazes me how she can sit there for hours and create. The messier the better. She now has what we call 'the craft cupboard' stocked full of all kinds of items to make her very own masterpiece. At preschool she usually comes home with at least half a dozen crafts and paintings, and when asked what she will do at preschool she is bound to say 'paint' or 'crafts'.

 She also really likes putting glue on her hands and peeling it off. How do kids instinctively know to do this?

The Sweetest Thing

Today as I put Jack down for his nap I think I fell in love with him even more. He's still swaddled so I wrapped him up nice and tight which he seems to think is hilarious. He gave me a bunch of giggles and would not stop smiling. Then as I was nursing him, he didn't take his eyes off my face. He kept getting distracted and forgetting to eat because he was so busy looking at me and smiling. I was trying not to really stimulate him because I wanted him to go to sleep, so I was just sitting stone faced, and the kid could not stop grinning at me. It was the sweetest thing. How could I not fall in love with this smile?