My Loves

I haven't done much of an update on these two kids of mine so I thought I would do that now. 

Nur continues to be the most amazing gift.  He turns 3 in just one week, and I really can't believe it.  We are having a party for him this coming Saturday with family.  When I ask Nur what he wants for his birthday, he always says cupcakes.  Won't he be surprised when he gets cupcakes AND presents.

Nur has a heart of gold.  He tells me he misses me after I've been at work all day.  He randomly comes up to me and other people to say he likes our hair, or our shirt.  When we sit down to eat a meal, he'll look at me and ask, "do you like it mama?"  He is full of hugs, and kisses, and cuddles.  He tells me he loves me all the time.  He is the sweetest big brother I could ever imagine.  (I hope his little sis realizes how lucky she is)

Nur is a sensitive soul.  He loves everyone and is sweet to everyone, and sometimes I wish he would fight back a little, but it isn't his nature.  He loves music, and asks me to sing to him constantly.  His favorite songs are anything that I can put his name into.  He is great at sharing.

Nur loves his baba, and they play a lot of silly games together that involve a lot of laughing and wrestling.  I smile watching my boys together.  I'm not sure what Nur's comprehension of adoption is, but he proudly tells everyone that he is from Opia. 

He has caught up so much in speech.  Sometimes he says things to me and I'm floored!  It wasn't that long ago when he wasn't vocal at all.  And now he speaks in sentences. He is a very articulate little boy. He still has some work to do with food, but we are getting there.  Meat is always a challenge for him, but he was able to chew and swallow turkey this Thanksgiving.  That was a success!

Nur is also starting to socialize more and at school, he'll talk to the other kids.  I feel very blessed to be his mama.  I am amazed that this smart, sensitive, kind and caring child is mine.  I love him so very much, and thank God for him every single day. 

TT, TT, TT.  She is really growing up before my eyes.



Yes, my almost 2 and a half year old is still obsessed with her Nuki, but she has been informed that Santa is taking it this year, and we're going to throw them all away.  I'm going to miss it actually, but will enjoy seeing her mouth. :)

TT is smart. She is singing and counting constantly. Her vocabularly is out of this world.  She was potty-trained in about 5 days.  She loves reading books, and her favorite right now is one I pull out every Christmas, "Twas The Night Before Christmas." 

She remains my emotional child.  You never know what you're going to get from her when she wakes up.  Sometimes she wakes up happy and hilarious, and other days you may not want to make eye contact with her for the first 30 minutes.  When this girl is excited, she will scream with delight and hug all those around her.  And when she gets up upset, watch out.  This two year old still hits.  And oh, we are working on it.  Yes, my emotional child.

TT is also very sweet.  She loves to be cuddled and held, and well, I rarely refuse as I'm so fortunate to have an almost 2 and a half year old who still loves to be touched and hugged as much as she does.  Every night before bed, she wants to say goodnight to the Christmas Tree and to give it a kiss.  She kisses her dolls and takes such good care of them.  I catch her feeding her dolls and giving them "drinks."  She has a nurturing spirit about her. 

She loves playing silly games with her baba.  Her favorite is cave, where they make a cave under all the covers and she brings in her nightlight.  She loves music, and is always requesting more songs.  She sings loudly to everything and knows so many songs by heart. She is fiercely independent, and wants to do everything HERSELF.  "I do it myself Mama!!!"  TT is such a blessing to my life. She is perfectly made and perfectly beautiful and I love this little girl so much. 

There were hours, days, and months where I was running on empty with these two.  Life felt low.  I had two wonderful blessings but at times was too overwhelmed with life to really enjoy them.  I felt like I was in a constant fog.  Now I look at these day, and adore the bigger plan in all of this.  I adore that they are best friends, protect each other, and always have each other to play with.  I don't think I'll ever hear them say they are bored, and if they do say that, I'll just tell them to play with each other. 

I have two amazing children.  They are so loved, so wanted, and I couldn't imagine this story any differently. 

Christmas Cards, and Other Posts

I've mailed almost all my Christmas Cards, including to all of you wonderful people. :)

I then had to order a bunch more, so if anyone still wants them, let me know, and I'll send next wee.  I received more responses than I was anticipating, which I was very happy about. 

I tried to post something about Thanksgiving with pictures, and I got an error from blogger that I've used up all my space and must upgrade.  Hmm. . . looking into that now.

Anyone, hope you received my card.  And I can't wait to receive yours. :)

Death, A Two Year Old Perspective

Someone I love, and who has been sick for a while passed away late last week, and yesterday there was a visitation for her, and today was the funeral.  As always, coordinating such events are always quite the ordeal in my family.  So, TT and I headed to Wisconsin yesterday for the visitation with T's parents, and T and Nur stayed behind and met us in Wisconsin for the funeral today. 

I tried to explain it all to TT as best I could.  "Mama, we are going to vacation?"  "Mama, we get to stay in hotel and go swimming!"  "Mama, we going to a party with a lot of people."  Well. . . I wouldn't call a visitation for a deceased person a party, but all TT knew is that we were doing something out of the ordinary and Nana and Gidu were coming with and we got to eat fast food and snacks, and watch DVDs in the van.  All of this equates a party for a 2 year old.

We got to the funeral home, and my plan was to keep TT away from the casket.  I didn't want her to be scared.  I didn't want her to cause a scene, or to be disrespectful in any way.  Yet, after a while, TT found her way to the casket.  She asked if I could hold her so she could see better.  I picked TT up, and she studied our dear friend.  "Mama.  She's napping.  Shhh. . . "  "Mama, will she wake up soon?"  I explained to TT that our friend has gone to live with Jesus.  TT seemed to like that response.  I put her down, and she went to a children's area of the funeral home where there were coloring books and crayons.  TT colored on a picture of a butterfly, and then she grabbed my hand and said, "Come on Mama."  I asked TT where we were going, and she said,

"Going to find Jesus mama."

TT drug me around the funeral home, picture in hand.  Finally, she found the casket again.  She asked me to pick her up, and she placed her drawing in the casket with our dear friend.  She told me the picture was for Jesus. 

I was amazed and in awe of TT's child-like faith.  A bunch of adults gather in these situations, thinking of what to say.  "Oh, she looks good."  "She is at peace." "She's not in pain anymore."  I believe all these things, I do.  But the faith and reassurance a two-year old provides in these situations is unparalled.  TT provided a glimpse of hope and love for everyone there. 

My daughter and her compassion and love amaze me.

And not to forget about my son, as soon as he got to the funeral today, although he didn't have a clue what was going on, he went and found those hurting the most, and gave them the best hug anyone could ask for. 

The Great Christmas Card Exchange

I have SO enjoyed hearing from people on my last post, and already have all the Christmas Cards addressed that have reached out to me so far.  Sometimes it amazes me how small this world has become with all the technology we have at our fingertips.  My little Nur and TT will be sent all over the US, and that makes this mama very proud. :) 

For those of you who haven't seen my last post, I thought with Christmas coming up, it would be fun to do a Christmas Card exchange.  Just respond to this post with your address (that will not be displayed, I promise) and I will send you a Christmas Card of my two angels.  And don't feel obligated to have to send me one.  I love getting Christmas Cards, but I understand if you can't do an exchange, but if you would still like one of my family, I'd love to send one your way.  And if you are willing to do an exchange, please include your email address in your comment so I can email you my address. :) 

If I hear from you before Friday, I will have your card in the mail the day after Thanksgiving.  I can't wait to take a picture of the door I display my cards at and I hope it's full of Christmas cheer this year. :)

Happy Monday!

Christmas Card, Christmas Card

Do you want a Christmas Card with two of the most adorable 2 year olds you've ever seen?  I'm naturally talking about my Nur and my TT.  :)

Just leave a comment on this blog with your address, and I will mail you one.  And I promise I will not publish your comment, so only I will have your address.  And if you don't know how to leave a comment, you can email me also at: leah (no space) spafford (at) yahoo.com.  And well, I'm not going to lie. . . I LOVE getting Christmas Cards.  It's one of my favorite parts of this season.  Checking the mail, getting actual mail instead of just bills, displaying all the cards on our door. . . proudly.  So, if you want to send me a card, also comment on this post (I won't post) and let me know if you want to mail me a card, and I'll send you my address.  I promise. . . I'm normal. . . not a stalker, and actually a pretty cool person. :)

Let the Christmas Card exchange begin! :)  And on Christmas Day (which I'm actually spending at my house this year! yay) I will take a picture of all the cards I receive. . . I hope you will see your card. :)

Let the holiday season begin!

PS. . . I may have put my tree up today.  I blame the kids! It was their idea. ;)

Bedrooms

I'm very grateful that Nur and TT have a space they can call their own.  It is their safe place, and I enjoy watching their rooms fill up with their stuff.  Their personalities are starting to come out in their bedrooms, and it's so fun to see the transformation that is happening. 

TT's space.  It's the smallest bedroom in our home, and well, I could spend time being upset about that, but I'm seriously tired of American greed.  This two year old has her own space, and it's entirely hers, and well, it's all she needs. 

 The rug on the floor is called the reading rug.  This is where we love to come and read books.  TT loves reading, and is so good at turning the pages and following along. 

 It wasn't Halloween.  TT just loves dressing up.  Constantly.  And in that automan you see in the background she keeps all of her princess dresses.

 Her vanity.  This is also the hair chair.  She sits there and looks in the mirror while I comb through her beautiful locks.  You can see in the background a bin full of her "pretties" as well as a variety of detanglers, leave in conditioners, etc.  Yes, she has more hair product than I do!

 Look at that footprint.  Was my baby that little?  Apparently she was. 

 TT started having being scared of the dark.  We would hear the worst scream come from her room every other night.  The kind of scream that made T and I jump out of bed. . . and sure we were going to see an ax murderer in her room.  But instead there were shadows, and they scared her!  So we got her an LED nightlight with a rechargeable batterly, and she loves it.  We also still use a video monitor.  I love being able to see her whenever I want.  And her newest phase. . . My Little Ponies. :)

Nur's space.  This boy has the biggest bedroom in the house.  Lucky him.  And I'm glad it is a large room, because this boy is turning 3 soon, and will be getting a train table! :)

 He and TT playing.  Because of the hardwood floors, they play a lot of cars and trains in this room. 

 This is what we call the reading corner.  There is a pillow bed to lounge on and we love to cuddle and read books.  This is also where we hosue a lot of Nur's vehicle. 

 I'm a bit anal about all toys going in their place.  Every evening before PJ's we clean up toys.  The kids are great at helping.

 Someday, this boy will be potty trained and no longer need a changing table.  Until then!

 Nur has a pillow pet, stuffed animals, and blankets in his crib, yet every night before he'll sleep, I watch him throw everything out of his crib.  He's a funny boy that Nur. :)

 Just a little glimpse into Nur and TT's space.  Hope you enjoyed! :)

Colder Days Are Here

It officially feels like winter here in MN.  We have no snow on the ground, but we've had flurries here and there, and today as I drove to work, it was a very brisk 20 degrees. 

Nur and TT love the outdoors, and a part of me already feels the cabin fever setting in.  Considering we won't get outdoors much again until April, I better start getting creative with what we do with these kids so they stay engaged.

I staged a photo shoot with them the other day in hopes of capturing a photo to use for this year's Christmas card.  Here is an outtake, and a picture that I think represents their personalities.

Over the weekend, TT got her very first haircut! I don't know when little girls usually get their first.  Nur has had several already.  All I know is I could no longer brush through her curls, so I knew it was time.  I go to a fancy salon downtown, and my stylist said that on Saturdays she'll do her clients kid's for free!  So, I brought TT to her very first salon, and she loved it and hasn't stopped talking about it.  I can barely tell it got cut.  It's still very curly, now it's just easier to brush through.

We work on numbers and letters a lot.  They can both count to 20, and now I'm attempting to get them letter recognition.  They can recite the alphabet, but the individual letters have little meaning to them. . . except "O."  Nur knows that letter very well. 

Nur is especially obsessed with our globe right now.  He loves to play with it and find Ethiopia, which he can do every single time.  I can tell this little boy has a lot of pride for his country.  As do I.  We like to spin the globe for the kids, and have them point to a country and then T and I will tell them a bit about that country.  They love this game, and I hope we are giving them a worldly view.  I know they are only 2, but I'm attempting to build a foundation. 

We sing constantly.  Music was a huge part of my life growing up, and it still is.  Nur requests me to sing "Forever" about 100 times a day.  TT's favorite song right now is "Away in a Manger."  She'll request it, but then when I sing it, she'll look sad and cry.  My sensitive child.  We also play the piano and sing along.  They both have so many songs memorized, it makes me proud.

I think my children are going to be as into politics as T and I are.  At dinner, yet again, I asked them what they are thankful for.  Nur said Obama.  Then TT said she is thankful for Romney.  I tried to remind them that the election is over and it was time to move on. 

They go to "school" twice a week.  Thursdays we call school, and Sundays we call Church School.  (And if I dare mix that up, they quickly correct me)  I love the relationships that are being built through school, and I love the social skills that they are learning.  Last week at Thursday school (which is through our school district) one of the instructors came over to tell me that Nur is stacking many blocks, and that that is above his age level, and he will pass school readiness with no problems.  That of course made me smile.

And speaking of school, I'm starting to research pre-school opportunities for the fall.  I will have two 3 year olds in September, and I think pre-school would be great for them.  And a lot of the deadlines are January, so I need to get rolling on this!



Oh, the Joy You Bring

I wish I had the words to fully express the joys that Nur and TT bring to my life.  Everything they say and do has me looking at them like the amazements of this world that they are.  How grateful I am to know what a mother's love feels like. 

As a mama, I spent so much time talking to them about life and what's going on in this world. . .  even though I know they probably comprehend perhaps 2% of what I say.  I spent time reading books, teaching, directing, singing.  This parenting thing is a huge investment.  But you know what?  They are listening.  They are comprehending, the are processing.  And before you know it, the investment is paying off right in front of your eyes and my two babe are becoming people.  Intelligent, beautiful people, who will do great things in this world. 

Here are some recent occurances in my household.

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Lately at the dinner table, I have been talking about current events to Nur and TT.  And those current events of course involve the upcoming election.  Last night as we sat down for dinner, before I could even mutter a word, TT says, "Mama, I want Romney!"  Nur then got upset at his little sister, and yelled, "No, I want Obama!"  I just sat there smiling and laughing, and proud that my two year olds know two of the candidates running for Presidency of the United States.

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Last night at the dinner table, I asked the kids what they are thankful for.  TT said Mommy and Nur said Opia. 

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We also speak about different countries a lot in our house, as my family is a little United Nations.  We have a globe, that both Nur and TT call Earth.  TT tells me the other day.  "Mama.  Nur from 'Opia,' Nana and Gidu from Egypt, and TT from United States!" 

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A couple days later, I was in the bathroom with TT and we were putting on mama's makeup.  (cause this is obviously a two person job)  Nur runs by the bathroom telling me that he's going to go get Earth.  He comes back, and is spinning the globe, and then says, "Look Mama.  Opia!" And you know what? It WAS Ethiopia!!!  My two year old found Ethiopia on the globe.  I know adults who can't do that!  I started screaming and hugging and kissing, and Nur was so proud of himself.  As he should be.  I always wanted to raise my kids to know that we are citizens of this world, and that no country is "better" than any other.  My two year olds are getting it. 

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Last week, I came down with the flu pretty bad.  And it is hard to take care of kiddos while sick.  T was nice and stepped up and tried to keep the kids occupied so I could lay in bed and moan.  But no matter what T was doing with the kids, TT would always find me.  Monday night, I was laying in bed, had Dancing with the Stars on in the background, and I heard little footsteps come and find me, carrying a bottle of 7Up, or as TT calls it, "Mama Juice."  She got into bed with me, handed me the 7Up, and said, "Mama sick.  TT take care of Mama and make her feel better."  And instead of insisting that I turn on cartoons, she laid with me and we watching the dancing show, and she stroked my belly to try to help Mama tummy feel better.  I'm so proud of her compassionate heart.  Of course 3 days later, the proximity TT insisted on having with mama meant that TT then got the flu.  Oh, the vomit!!!  Hoping the boys in the household miss it completely.

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Nur comes up to me about 33 times a day, and asks me to sing "Forever."  It is his favorite, and he will stop whatever he is doing to hear it. 

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be.

And then there was Halloween.  These two thought it was pretty amazing that they were able to go door to door to get candy.