Is this my new addiction?

As I sit down to feverishly type away at my first ever blog, my doting husband asks, "This isn't going to become your new addiction is it!?"
My answer... "NOOOOOOOOOO"...
But alas... I am a stay at home mommy. One of my main links to the outside world of adults is the internet, via email, myspace, forums, what have you... and now this!
My lovely friend Amanda has turned me on to the world of blogging. I only wish I was as clever and candid as she when it comes to expressing my deepest, darkest... thoughts... err I mean display of the happenings in every day life at this Stewart household. Either way, I have since vowed to no longer write "update emails", rather I will post a blog once a week with updates of the going ons in our home.
At times you may get a short clip or two (although Amanda has warned at the lengthy amount of time uploads take on here). But... I may just give in a little and spoil you with some cute candids of my two little ones... or short scenes of crazy happenings with the monsters! Either way, obviously if you are here, you are curious, and want to see... so enjoy what is to come!

The happenings thus far since my last "update email"

Mason is a full blown walking machine now... he even tries to run. It is quite cute to watch and observe just how different he is from his big sister. Justin and I have agreed that he is much more agile and all around more physically capable of certain things than Gabby was at this age. Such as: Mason throws his ball around, very cute! He tries running, he dances ( although Gabby did too, Mason has quite a lot more rhythm so to speak than she did), he plays head/shoulders/knees and toes with us ( basically has the bend-over-toes part down as of now) and for the most part just bull dozes his way through our home on a daily basis to get what he feels he needs at that point and time. He is becoming quite the character to watch and entertains us all on many levels. At times his big sister is very annoyed with his clever little antics, but for the most part enjoys having a little buddy around to play with and entertain.



Miss Gabriella is turning 3 on Sunday... CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? I know I can't. Seems like yesterday when I found out there was a little thing growing in my belly... and the overwhelming sensation I had when finding out the news... and then the day she was born, how I wanted to savor that moment forever. Now look, here we are 3 years later, and it literally feels like 3 weeks later... where has the time gone? Lots of memories these past three years, all of which we cherish and savor every last bit of.
We are throwing her a birthday party at Bounce U this year. For all of those uninformed on Bounce U... it is a big warehouse type facility with large bounce-playgrounds filled with air for the kids to go wild on and play... and the parents get to get in on the action as well... I think overall we may have more fun than the children at Bounce U! She is quite excited for her party... she is having a Cinderella themed party. Gabriella is our princess at heart. On one occasion last week she informed me after I finished doing her hair that she looked just like a princess... I couldn't agree with her more! Having her first birthday party here in Arizona has made me a little emotional. I feel like in some ways I have let her down as far as making new friends goes. In NY she had quite an array of little toddler friends at her birthday party, all of which she saw or played with on regular occasions. Here it has been hard to make a lot of new friends, and I feel like it is my fault. We have made a few good friends, and I have to keep telling myself that is all that matters... that it is quality not quantity... and that she is only 3 and won't know the difference. Still... mommy lays in bed at night and has dreams that nobody comes to her party... ahhhhhhhhhh... I know I know... stop it Tara... it will be a great party and she will love it!

Again, this blog is to get everything out there... updates, as well as thoughts and feelings... so yes, you will be getting a bit more than my previous emails... but hey you can delve into the wonderful world of Tara's thoughts. And... how is it so far!?


But yes, Gabriella is doing great. She started tap/ballet class a couple weeks ago... I will be sure to post pictures as soon as I download some. She loves the class and looks forward to it every Saturday. Right now I am researching preschools in the area. I am teaching her many fundamentals at home, however I want to give her some social stimulation as well as help enhance many of the concepts and skills I have started to try and instill in her. I am very moved by the Montessori ideology... however it is a bit costly. Who knows, maybe we will put her in Montessori preschool and then do a Charter School for elementary on up... or maybe we will do regular preschool (with a curriculum I deem "worthy") and I will incorporate Montessori teaching into daily routines where she isn't attending preschool that morning. Either way, Justin and I are finding ourselves faced with starting to make decisions about our children's educations and where they should go to school. I am even toying with the idea of home schooling them for primary years... because the public schools out here in Buckeye aren't that great... or maybe we will just move in two years to get Gabby in a better school district... OH I DON'T KNOW!!! But, you can count on me, that wherever she goes, Justin and I will be very active in her learning and education and make sure to build on whatever she learns at school here at home... we are excited for her to start a more "independent" life... that is... time away from mommy and daddy... she's always had one of us around accept for the rare occasions where grammy Tammy or Auntie Amanda watched her for a few hours! Whatever happens, it will all be fine, and work out... this I know!



So... this week is Valentine's Day! Hip Hip Hooray!!! Right? I mean... the love bird's day... cupids time to reign down on us all... gag me with a spoon. Justin and I haven't celebrated a Valentine's day alone since... hmmmm since before we moved to NY! However this year, it is all going to change... Thats Right... we are going to a nice dinner ALONE! There is a nice restaurant in the Verrado area that will watch our children for free while we eat dinner on Thursday nights. Well it just so happens that this Valentine's Day IS on a Thursday... so we made reservations. We need it more than ever! As much as we love our children and the joy they bring to us every day, we occasionally need some time to ourselves. The further along we get in the "parenting process" the more we realize this!

Reflecting on Valentine's Day, I must take a minute to ahemm" SHOUT OUT" to my wonderful, doting husband. My thoughtful man left work early today, went out shopping, and came home to surprise the children and I with our early Valentine's Day gifts. This sweet man of mine bought me 4 new tops and 2 pairs of shorts to celebrate summer... yes he knows me well... I don't want jewelry, I don't want chocolate, I don't want flowers... I want CLOTHES! We have never gotten each other a gift on Valentine's Day due to financial circumstances (saving money for getting out of the Navy and such) but now we can do these special things for each other that mean oh so much! I appreciate all Justin does for me and our family on a daily basis. He definitely is my rock, my soul mate and my best friend. The only person I can tell everything to, yell everything at, cry everything to, and still not be judged and later sit back and laugh with at all of my seriously delusional idiosyncrasies. So for this, Justin, I give three cheers to you... and say thank you honey for always being there for me, and always trying to understand me! I love you!

Our days here in AZ are getting warmer, and that is so nice for us... mid 70s is what I like to see mid February... snow is pretty... when you don't live in it! Our dogs definitely enjoy these summer like temperatures, and are sun bathing fiends right now. At one time these little buggers were our everything... and over time... two kids later, they have kind of taken a back seat when it comes to our attention. Justin and I are consciously trying to make more of an effort for them now... and bring back that love that we do have for them... and not take them for granted. The joy in their eyes and wiggle in their bottoms when we play with them, cuddle them and pet them make it so worth all of the other "crap" we get from them!

Well... as long winded as this first post is... I must say... that about wraps things up for now. I can assure you that the rest of my posts wont be nearly as long and tedious as this one... so enjoy it now... because a once a week update will leave me searching for things to write about after a while!

If you want to, comment back and let me know what you think of my many ramblings on!!!

OK... so I just added these videos... guess I have to put them in WHILE I am typing the post? rather than at the end... because I can't insert them... or if I can... please SOMEONE tell me how to do so! They just showed up at the end!!!

Quick recap of the vids... first video is of Mason... we are trying to get on camera his dance to "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" but because he is camera shy, he just decided to prance around our bedroom instead... but check out his smooth walking skills!
second video is of Gabby... I caught her on my bathroom toilet playing NintendoDS... just like what daddy does when he sits on the toilet for any length of time... priceless!
third video... one of the only finished rooms in my house... Gabby's room... I video taped it for those of you far away to see what a pretty princess room she has!

So that is all for now... it is now after midnight, I started this at 10:30... so ya... this takes FOREVER to set up... but for you all... it is worth it!

PS... any misspellings or misuse of grammar... DEAL WITH IT... It's late and I am tired!!!