Thursday, April 26, 2018

Mexico

 For Spring Break this year we went to Mexico, specifically Tulum and Cancun. We have been once before to Cancun but Tulum was totally different and new for us.

We loved traveling with the kids but since they are still so young we have kept it pretty easy - family in DC and Maryland, the beach and nearby cities. Tulum was our first international trip that wasnt all inclusive. We were a little nervous but with some planning ahead and positivity we went for it.

And it was completely worth it! We had the best time making memories, experiencing new languages, food and environments and of course soaking up the natural beauty of that area.

I read a book on the trip (Im at a point in parenthood where I can read a book on vacation!!!!) and she wrote about why she travels with her kids and her words summed up so perfectly why its worth the "hassle" of traveling with kids. It spoke right to my mothering heart.

“Sometimes people ask me why I travel so much, and specifically why we travel with [our little kids] so often. I think they think it’s easier to keep the kids at home, in their routines, surrounded by their stuff. It is. But we travel because it’s there. Because Capri exists and Kenya exists and Tel Aviv exists, and I want to taste every bite of it. We travel because I want my kids to learn, as I learned, that there are a million ways to live, a million ways to eat, a million ways to dress and speak and view the world. I want them to know that “our way” isn’t the right way, but just one way, that children all over the world, no matter how different they seem, are just like the children in our neighborhood — they love to play, to discover, to learn.
“I want my kids to learn firsthand and up close that different isn’t bad, but instead that different is exciting and wonderful and worth taking the time to understand. I want them to see themselves as bit players in a huge, sweeping, beautiful play, not as the main characters in the drama of our living room. I want my kids to taste and smell and experience the biggest possible world, because every bite of it, every taste and texture and flavor, is delicious.












 Delicious dinner of fresh wood grilled fish, an old fooz table that the kids loved to play with while we waited for our food and the best Caprihinia Ive ever had at Casa Jaguar






 Tulum is built into the jungle so all of the shops are open air like the one above and most of the restaurants are the same








ha! sister was over having her picture taken


 The kids woke up pretty early most days so we made the most of it and watched the most beautiful sunrise at the beach









The Mayan ruins were really cool to see and we got that gem of a picture below at one of the lookouts :)
















 A Cauti, we saw them all over. They were precious and friendly and I wanted to smuggle one home




Cant wait to start planning our next family adventure
xoxo
Ashlea

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

can we build it? yes we can!

I hear that phrase daily around here thanks to Bob the Builder and Coopers love of construction. His favorite toy right now is a pile of scrap wood in the garage. He loves to build with it, he has told me that he has made a foundation, a rail yard, a construction site, and a house. I cant wait to see how his smart little structural building mind develops and grows. Watching him work is my favorite :)




 xoxo
Ashlea


Tuesday, March 13, 2018

my first video

I have been wanting to play around with making videos and editing for awhile now and finally got the software and got started.

One of my favorite podcast, Coffee and Crumbs, had an episode about preserving memories and they shared so many good ideas on how to do it. I have a terrible memory and so having keepsakes and a way to file away memories from the kids being little, travels and just snapshots of life is so important to me.

Both kids have a baby book, I remember being so delirious with sleep deprivation but forcing myself to document those baby memories so I would have them. And sure enough when I go back and read them there are things I have forgotten with time.

Videos have been the way of keeping memories that have appealed to me the most so I took some video at the park the other day so I would have some footage to get started with. It was windy that day so the audio was terrible so I set it to music but I want to aim to get better sound with them i the future because I know like the baby book memories, with time I will forget the sound of those sweet high pitched voiced and the way they pronounce things <3

click here to watch the video

Monday, February 5, 2018

Charlotte 4.5

My big girl is rounding the corner to 5. FIVE YEARS OLD. Craziness.

She is an amazing big sister, a role she was born to play. Sometimes a little bossy but man is she always looking out for her little brother, teaching him, guiding him and goofing off with him. She makes me so proud when she shares with him or shows him how to do something




She still loves rainbows, puzzles and food.

She eats more than me and is still an itty bitty. I love how she will try a bite of anything and is excited to try new foods. She is so easy to take to restaurants and Im excited to travel and eat around the world with her as she gets older.

She is still so crazy smart. She is reading and writing and always asking insightful questions and putting two and two together.



She is adventurous and brave and loves showing off her skills and putting on shows





She loves school and her friends and does so well there.

She has starting wanting to learn a lot about geography and different places around the world. Its been fun to talk about places Ive traveled and get excited about out upcoming trip to Mexico.

She still loves art and is always creating things for me and loves all the art they make in school


Although I cant believe she is almost 5 I just love the little person she is becoming and love being around her. My best girl, my favorite girl, my sweet smart girl. I am so lucky she is mine

xoxo
Ashlea

Christmas 2018

Since its almost February I figured I should get Christmas posted :)

Both kids were so into this year and it was so fun to see it all through their eyes.

lots of Christmas movies, top favorites this year - The Grinch and Polar Express (Polar 'Spess)




advent calnder

Coops had a day out with Dad to ride the Christmas train - choochoooo

and me and my girl went to see The Nutcracker with friends

christmas cookies
Chrsitmas date night to see some beautiful historic homes


inside fun

Christmas trip to DC


working even on vacation

downtown hsv

writing a letter to Santa

Christmas morning


snow at Grans and Papas!








a wonderful December in the books :)

xoxo
Ashlea