"MOMMMMYYY, I NEED YOU"

One of the hardest things for me to deal with as a Mom is the sometimes frequent episodes of being called back into my kids rooms after they have been put to bed. The reasons are many. . .needing a drink, needing to go potty, the hall light needs to be turned off, my desk needs to be closed up, or I had a bad dream (when in fact no one had even gone to sleep yet). I think part of what makes this so challenging for me is that my introverted self has felt so starved during the course of the day that once the kids have been put to bed, I just relish the quiet and opportunity to process the day. So when I hear that "MOMMMMMMMYYYY, I NEED YOU!", it is like being yanked out of bed in the middle of the night (well, kind of). I'll be honest and say that there have been times, I have stormed into the kids' rooms after the second or third episode and VERY FIRMLY said "this is enough, now what do you need." But there are times like tonight, when I take a deep breath and say a quick prayer for the Lord to grant me more grace and head in calmly to find a little girl claiming she had a bad dream but who really just wants her mommy to lay next to her for a bit. Once there, she wraps her arm around mine and whispers, " I love you Mommy. . .is my hair tickling you?" She then goes on to tell me what boys chased her on the playground today and also to inform me that when she was younger her finger was only "this" long. I know the day will come when I'll miss these episodes, so I'll continue to pray for the grace to extend grace and enjoy the rich moments that often follow.

Knock, Knock

Knock, Knock. . .Who's there?. . .Ghost. . .Ghost who?. . .BOO!!!! Yep, this was Maia's very own made up joke that she told LOTS of time on Halloween to score some great loot. And yes, we've learned that St. Louisans are pretty serious about kids telling a joke in order to get some candy. Matt stuck with Caden and some friends who had younger kids while I took off running to keep up with Maia and her friends as they flew from house to house. It really was a great night and Caden's first words to Matt the next morning upon waking up were. . ."I had fun trick-or-treating with you last night, Daddy."

Caden sorting through his loot and looking like he has a bit of a sugar high already

Maia and her good friend and neighbor Julianna heading back home with buckets and bags full. They don't even look one bit tired!

Matt the Mummy and his little pumpkin.

Maia, Caden and our elephant, I mean buddy, Tripp getting ready to head out.

One cute little pumpkin!

Sick

Maia--getting ready to go for a walk with Mommy, Nanni and Pop-pop-- just rushed into my room to kiss my forehead while I lay sick in bed.

Bookworm

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This girl loves books! A few weeks ago Caden and I went on our weekly trip to the library while Maia was at school. When she got home from school and found a new bag of library books in her room she didn't even bother to take off her back pack but just sat there for almost an hour looking through every last book. I always loved going to the library as a kid and can still remember the cream colored plastic mesh bags we would fill up and carry up to the check out counter. I can also still hear that familar thud that the librarian's card stamper would make as she dipped each card into the machine to let us know when each book was due back. I think we have been making weekly trips to the library since Maia was about 2 years old and now Caden has learned to look forward to our weekly trips as well. I wonder what little things they will remember about our library trips when they are in their 30's?

Happy Birthday Matt

On Saturday we celebrated Matt's birthday. Maia, true to her creative self, made Daddy a birthday crown and an array of bookmarks of all sizes and colors. Matt's parents were in town to join in the celebration and treated us to a great dinner at Maggiano's. Many of you may know that if you eat "family style" at Maggiano's, the meal can be quite long, so Maia passed the time by "serving" us and Caden enjoyed "feeding" Daddy.

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Tomato dream

The other night Caden woke up needing something. When I came into his room he wanted to know "why the tomatoes fall on the house?" I tried to explain to him that he'd been dreaming but he was convinced that there was "a really bad thunderstorm and tomatoes fall on the roof!"

It's Monday...

Caden: "Is it Monday?"
Daddy: "Yes, it is..."
Caden: "You go to work?"
Daddy: "Yes, I do have to go to work."
Caden (leaning his head against mine): "ohhhh... I'll MISS you!"

Another Milestone

No need to worry about this little firefighter showing up to the next fire in diapers. . .he has ditched the diapers and is most definitly potty trained. Maia basically potty trained herself in less than half a day and since she and Caden have fairly different personalities, I was trying to keep my expectations in check. But he really was a breeze as well thanks to Lightning McQueen underwear and treats like lollipops and marshmallows. We did two mornings of what I call potty-training boot camp which involves pushing fluids and setting up camp on blankets right outside the bathroom door and really not taking my eyes off of him. As soon as I saw any indication that he might need to go, we were on that potty in a flash. I really can't believe this little guy is old enough to be running around in underwear!

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Upon a Star

On the way home from the balloon glow tonight, Maia was looking up at the stars from her place in the stroller next to her little brother. She began to tell Caden that “if you wish on a star, your wish will come true” but first she had to look up and check with her daddy to see if that was right. “Well, it might. You could try…” was her father’s sensible reply. And then, the wish: “When I grow up, I want to live on a farm…” Seal up this request Dream-maker and have your way.

7 Years Ago

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Maia's First day of School

Caden and the Cicada

What's your favorite color?

Maia to Caden: “What’s your favorite color?”
Caden: “lollipops”
Mais: “No Caden, your favorite color.”
Caden: “Girls”
Maia: “Caden, like blue or gray…”
Caden: “Um… Cookies.”

First Day

Just wanted to share some pictures from Maia's first Day of Kindergarten! She really was excited but we could tell she also was a bit nervous. The parents were invited to come to the kids' classrooms after the morning meeting in the gym to observe for a few minutes. Maia's review of the first day was not as positive as I had expected. She said, "it was just too much. . .I didn't know what to do. . .I didn't know where to go." Things really were organized, but it is simply a whole new experience for Maia and I guess I forgot just how overwhelming it could be for the first couple days. She is going just 1/2 days, so when I picked her up I had my camera ready to take a little video with her telling us about her day, but um, I didn't even get the camera out because she clearly was not in the frame of mind for an "interview." We talked about her day off and on throughout the remainder of the afternoon and evening and it became evident that she was simply feeling overwhelmed by everything. By the time I tucked her in for bed, she seemed more encouraged and said, "tomorrow will be a better day Mommy." My heart could have melted when she said that. Anyway, we are really excited for Maia to be part of this school and their philosophy of learning. She will get to help take care of the school chickens, work in the school garden, and do art in their awesome art room. Oh and did I mention that the school provides a free breakfast for each child who wants it every morning in the classroom. Free. . .for every child. This amazed me. I'm sure there will be more school posts to come in the future, but for now, here are Day 1's pictures!

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Peach and Blackberry Picking

Last week we braved the heat and made the trek to Eckert Farms in Belleville, IL to pick peaches and blackberries. On the day we went, Eckert Farms allowed each child to pick a bag of peaches for FREE! We didn't hang out in the orchards or blackerry fields too long because it was really, really hot, but the kids enjoyed the picking and we all have been enjoying eating fresh peaches that taste almost like candy.

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The Wheels On The Bus

What was once just a fun toddler song is now a reality in the Seilback house. Today, Maia climbed aboard a BIG yellow school bus for the very first time. She actually starts Kindergarden on August 16th, but today was a "practice bus run" for the Kindergardeners. I'm so grateful that her little friend "J" who lives just a few doors down is also riding the bus and is in the very same class as Maia, so they took this maiden voyage together. While waiting at the stop, Maia said to "J", "let's sit together on the bus," and then when the bus pulled up, it appeared like Maia had a death grip on "J's" wrist and was not about to let go. The ride got great reviews from Maia and the driver "Miss Kathy" was so welcoming that this Mom is feeling a little more at ease about sending her daughter off each morning.

What's in the bucket?

. . .why the salamandars, of course, that Maia caught and were just begging for a scooter ride!

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On Turning 5

So our dear daughter turned FIVE in June. Where has time gone???? I was reminiscing today about the days just before Maia was born and how there is just nothing like the sweet expectation that comes with awaiting the arrival of your firstborn. Not that there isn't excitement with the arrival of subsequent children, but there are just more distractions then. Anyway, since Maia turned 5, I'll mention five words that immediately come to mind when thinking of this little girl. . .thoughtful, determined, athletic, spicy, and creative. I am so excited to see what interests Maia decides to pursue in the years to come. . .on one hand she is an all-out tomboy and loves bugs, getting dirty, and climbing trees, but on the other hand she loves to put on her ballet leotard and gracefully dance around the house and have her nails painted. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up she'll usually say a nurse and an artist. Recently she said to me. . ."mommy, if you are still alive when I'm older, can we be nurses together." Maia loves the outdoors, riding her bike, playing on playgrounds, painting and drawing and looking at books. Happy 5th Birthday Maia. . .you bring so much joy and laughter to our lives! Below are pictures from her 5th through 1st birthdays.

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In the Garden

The End of the World!!

Does a child's toy calendar hold a clue to the end of the world?!?

Camera DOWN!

Caden calls out paparazzi daddy (and then resumes dancing):

On Turning 2

Our little guy turned 2 on May 24th. We celebrated a couple days early while on vacation with my family at the Outer Banks and then tortured him on his actual birthday by spending many, many hours in the car as we traveled back to St. Louis. Caden is just a precious little boy. He just has such a sweet spirit about him. He loves to do anything that involves hopping or jumping and will climb up and jump off things repeatedly. He has a keen ear for the ice cream truck, garbage trucks, buses and any other out of the ordinary vehicle that may be making it's way down our street. He loves looking at pictures of monkeys and often won't let me turn the page in a book if the next page does not also involve a picture of a monkey. . .so we just get cozy and talk about and stare at the same page for quite some time. Caden really enjoys spending time with Maia and these two have a pretty special relationship which I hope remains through the years. Caden loves curry chicken (just like his Mommy!), watermelon, ice cream and gets super excited when it is time to pop popcorn the old fashioned way in a big pot on the stove. Right now he has a fascination with Lightning McQueen and Mack and can often be heard walking around the house saying "Ker-Chow." This fascination was likely generated from watching the Cars movie 4-5 times on our road-trip to NC. He is in the 95% for height and 75% for weight. . .just like his sister. It does seem like someone did send Caden a memo a few weeks back informing him that he was almost two and could now act like it, because we have heard more of the "NO!" word lately and have had an occasional meltdown when things have not gone as he had planned. But for the most part, he is a pretty easy-going boy. We are thankful beyond words that God has shared this little boy with us and entrusted us to care for him and nurture him in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Below are two recent pictures of Caden and then one from his 1st birthday and a few from his first couple months on this earth.

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Outer Banks Part 2

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Outer Banks Part 1

Two weeks ago we had an awesome time vacationing with my (Kelli) side of the family at the Outer Banks. All the cousins had a great time playing together. Enjoy some of my favorite pictures.

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