Knee Deep in Mommahood

She jumps horses at Laurel Valley Ranch

2012-01-17T10:52:00.001-05:00

Camdyn's affinity for horses spans back at least a year and half, and when you are freshly 6 years old, a year and a half is a big chunk of your life. She's been taking private riding lessons since October. It's something that I thought would eventually wear on her, like swimming lessons and dance classes, and those crowded gymnastics classes at the Y. I thought it would run its course. Well, it still is, and it's the one and only thing in life that Cam has ever been fiercely dedicated to.

Hi. Let me introduce you to Market. (Initially I wrote Meet Market...but that sounds odd...like meat market, and y'all we are at the ranch not at the gym).

Market is a registered American Quarter Horse, and Cam has only ridden her twice. It turns out that her trot is smooth and her temperament trusting.

It turns out that Market is Cam's new favorite horse (so sorry Molly...baby girl is outgrowing you).

Cam's perfecting her 2 point position, she has her crop in hand. She's focused on the goals ahead. She's about to turn the corner...

Focus and determination painted across her face, much the same as Market bears her blaze. She will do this...

And she does; without fear, or doubts, or hesitation. She jumps. She's locked in 2 point, hands grasping mane and her crop, momentum forward, looking through Market's ears and focused on the end of the course. 2 jumps completed, one right after the other.

This is her success.

Actually, no, this is our success. Our success in raising one extremely independent, bold, and fearless little girl.

A little girl who is able to start recognizing her dreams. A little girl who has parents who support her and her passions even though there are moments where it absolutely scares the bejezus out of me (and yes, she's already fallen off a few times).

And this part of parenthood...you know the part where your children start becoming little people, with long term goals, feelings that they adequately communicate, and real accomplishments...makes me so excited about what the future holds.

We are going to tackle these rails together, Camdyn. One hoof in front of the other, eyes focused on the goal....we are going to do it.

Wordless Wednesday - Happiness

2012-01-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

"Happiness is when what you think,

what you say,

and what you do

are in harmony."

~Mohandas Gandhi

Out to dinner with Camdyn on her 6th birthday.

Now We Are Six

2012-01-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

"When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three

I was hardly me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six,

I'm as clever as clever,

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever."

~Now We Are Six, A.A. Milne

Dearest Camdyn,
It's hard to believe it's been a year since my last birthday letter to you. When I revisit my description of you last year, I simply smile. Time is evolving and ever changing, and none of us are the same people we were a year ago. You, my love, have replaced the defiance with compliance and understanding. Kindergarten has matured you quickly. You are now the peacekeeper with your sister far more often than you are the fire starter. At times she will pull out fists full of your hair and your response is "Hey. Why'd you do that?" It amazes me that you never retaliate. You know your role in our family. You know that you are the leader and the example for Chloe, and you are so comfortable in that role.

For this coming year, my wish for you is that you continue to love school, and reading, and that you feel loved and safe and secure. I hope you continue to grow confident in who you are and that you stand by what is important to you. And, I hope you know exactly how much you are loved.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl,

Love You Forever & Always,
Momma

Hope Floats

2011-12-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

"Childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome. That's what momma always says. She says that beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning.

Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will..."

~Hope Floats, 1998

Dear Friends,
Thank you for all your prayers and kind words over the last several weeks. I spent the last 8 days back home where I was in the care and company of family. I was home where my Momma took care of me; she reminded me to eat, and to nap, and to get out of the house. She hugged me when I cried so hard my shoulders shook. She cried with me and she sat with me when I didn't feel like talking. She gave me gifts wrapped in beautiful paper and reminded me that I am worth it. She reminded me that I should feel beautiful and proud of who I am. I am still who I am. I may have lost 12 pounds, but I haven't lost me.

I stand here today amidst the rubble; chunks of concrete laden with miscommunication and lost intentions. My choice is to pick up those blocks one by one and rebuild; build something that is bigger, and better, and stronger than what was there before. I don't know how long that will take and there is no blueprint, but I'm going to start laying the foundation of a happier me.

Any way I look at it, I will be happier.

I have hope.

~~~~~~
I won't be writing any more about these muddy waters, at least not until the water is clear again. This space is mine, it's my life story, but I know I am not going to want to revisit or relive this part of it, so it has no place here. Thank you for your prayers, your support, and the shoulders to cry on. If you have any perils of wisdom please email me.

Crisis

2011-12-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hearts are Breaking

Promises Broken

Doors are shutting

claustrophobia

Where is the window?

I can't breathe

Helpless

Spiraling

Shards of broken glass where a dream once stood

Big brown eyes and fear for the future

Betrayal and Lies and Selfishness

Where is my karma?

Faith, healing, peace, the new objects of my dreams

There is a God and he will not foresake me

He will embrace me and lift me up

He will protect my children from callous decisions and unnecessary evils

I have faith

**In my absence from this space where I share my life and my creativity, please pray for me and for my family. Although, I have no idea how God will answer these prayers, I know he will, and I know he has a plan for me. He is my rock and my redeemer and he is a God of love and mercy, and most certainly he will get me through this.

There Will Be Plenty of Time for Tears....Later.

2011-12-05T21:49:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we noticed that our dog didn't have much of an appetite. She would no longer finish the food in her bowl, and she started losing weight. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving she wouldn't come out from under our bed, and when we did coax her out, her ears were flat against her head, her tail was down, and she looked scared. I knew something was wrong.
So, I took her to the vet on Monday. She'd lost 3 lbs. They decided to draw blood.

Last Tuesday the vet called with the results...her kidneys are failing her. At the most, she has 6 months, at the least 2 weeks. It's day to day, really. We've been telling our girls that Kenzie is sick, but I couldn't bring myself to elaborate. We've been meaning to sit down and explain it to them...but it's one of those things that feels better to put off. It feels better to avoid reality.

Fast forward to Sunday evening, and I decide that we should give Christmas photos a stab since December is fading and my to-do list is not getting shorter. The hubs was running errands and I gathered the girls and the dog around the tree. "Let's just get a few shots...Momma only needs a few."

It wasn't going so well...

The dog was cooperating but the kids were not. So then I say, in my cheeriest voice,

"Come on girls! We need just one photo with Kenzie. This is her last Christmas!"

As soon as the words escaped my mouth I knew I made a huge mistake. Camdyn never misses a beat, nothing gets by her.

"Why is this her last Chrismas Momma?"
"Um, because she is sick, Cam, and she will probably be with Jesus next Christmas."
"But...I don't want her to die. I don't want another dog. I want Kenzie."

It's too late. The conversation went in the total opposite direction of happy Christmas card. She started to cry. I started to cry. And through heaving shoulders and her heavy sobs, I explained just how sick Kenzie is....and it wasn't easy.

We hugged. I encouraged her to love Kenzie every moment she can while she is still here. Kenzie licked her tears and I explained that Kenzie doesn't want her to be sad. There will be time for tears later.

I never did get another smile from my oldest girl that evening, but the doggie got a lot of love.

There will be plenty of time for tears later. She is going to be missed.

Session: Young Cowboys

2011-11-29T10:31:00.002-05:00

We met at Myakka State Park on Sunday. The weather was beautiful, the boys were in good spirits, and I was crossing my fingers that just a few shots would turn out. It's been six months since I played photographer, and six months since I've done a mock session.

We enthusiastically headed over to a tree to climb. The boys hopped up and I snapped a few shots, but then decided I should be up on the limb too. I attempted to jump up on the giant limb multiple times before requiring assistance. It made the boys laugh, I got my shot, and also got some motivation to get back to the gym.

After hiking down a trail, and around a swamp, we changed location. I knew there was this rustic "cabin" not too far down the road. So, we drove there, climbed out and then discovered it's a bathroom. Didn't matter...I just wanted the background. I wanted the texture of the wood.

It turned out to be a great spot for these young cowboys.

This hobby of mine is still relatively new to me. I'm still trying to figure out what my "style" is. I'm trying to figure out what I like and what I don't. I know I'm not good at posing subjects. Photos of forced smiles don't really speak to me....not the way that this one does, anyway.

If these were my children, I'd hang this one. It's unscripted, it tells a story. A story of a little brother who is looking up at his big brother for his next step. In the photo, he's trying to figure out what big brother is doing with his hat, but in life, he's learning how to grow up by watching his big brother.

And I think they'll figure it out together, side by side.

And I love this one too. It's life with more than one child; kids going in different directions, momma trying to pull it all together, while keeping herself together. It's one of those moments that just IS.

And it all comes together eventually, doesn't it. That's the way life works.

So, we ventured down a trail to a real log cabin. The boys had renewed energy to explore while I tried to keep up.

They broke my camera with their goofy faces and cuteness and then Big Brother tried on his somber face. He's a stone-faced cowboy and he's mad that his horse ran off. That's what we pretended anyway.

Then, Little Brother did some rock climbing. He seems so small compared to the big giant rock. And I had the chance to nail my focus.

As the sun was fading and the mosquitoes started biting, we decided to try one more location. Down the road we drove to a wooden fence covering the entrance to a trail. It was a good decision. I think I took my best photos of the day in that spot.

I still don't know what my style is. Different photos speak to me in different ways, I just can't pinpoint it, and that's okay. Maybe my style is that I don't have one. Regardless, I had a great time, and I hope that their momma got a Christmas card shot out of here somewhere.

Working On - Young Cowboys

2011-11-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

Oh, what a 4 day weekend does for the soul! We had a great time. I had family in town and hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the very first time. It was also the first time that my new dining room table was properly dined on, although the room looks just as naked as it did before. Except, now our Christmas tree is up, and the room has been rearranged to make room for it. I love how a beautiful tree changes the whole mood of a house and room. This is, indeed, my favorite time of the year.

So, I have stories and photos to share this week, but first I'll share a few of these. I had the pleasure of photographing my two favorite boys yesterday. It was a gorgeous day, and the park yeilded a fabulous venue for this rustic/ranch style session. It's been a long time since I've given this a shot, and I definitely had issues with my focus being off or just way too soft. I think I took nearly 200 photos and came up with a handful of keepers. I'm working my way through them, but here are a few of my favs.

Big Brother was dying to lay on a bench or table for me. I love it when kids call the shot. They are always so happy to smile for the camera when it's their idea. These smiles are real!

One of my favorite photos of the day - who knew a giant stone BBQ could turn into a decent photo spot!

Y'all this room was dark, really dark. I had to take my ISO up to 3200, and my shutter was dragging, and no tripod on hand. I attempted to salvage the photo. It's not perfect, but it's much improved from my original image, and I love the texture of the fireplace. Next time, Carol, bring your dang tripod..oh, wait, I still need one. Dear Santa, bring Carol a tripod for Xmas!

There was a mamoth rock across the street, and boys being boys, wanted to climb said rock. It gave me the opportunity to change perspective a bit, since I was shooting up and toward the sun. Sure I blew out the sky, but I managed to focus on his eyes in this one. This photo is like a time machine....I can see exactly what he'll look like at 15, in this photo.

The softer side.

I lovey this one too, although my focus is on his knee, and not on his eyes...I still think it's sweet! He looks like a lonesome lil cowboy.

Happy Cyber Monday, Y'all!!

A Miracle to be Thankful For

2011-11-21T13:03:00.000-05:00

This is Mr. G. He is the student teacher in Camdyn's Kindergarten classroom this year. Mr. G decided to change careers and follow his true passions in life, learning and children. He beams in the classroom and it shows, the children adore him, and he almost always has one, or five, glued to his side.

Just a few days after this photo was taken of Mr. G dressed as an M&M for Halloween, he suffered a massive stroke. One so dehabilitating that the doctors said there was nothing they could do. We were informed of this on Halloween night and told that his chances of survival were slim. Our family began to pray. Camdyn would pray for Mr. G every night. Grief counselors were brought in to talk to the children about Mr. G, the hospital, and death (as frightening as that sounds).

But, a miracle happened. The swelling and bleeding in his brain subsided, he was moved out of ICU, and rehab therapists were bought in. At this point he wanted to see children, so Camdyn and I made a trip to the hospital with one of her classmates. They were shocked and overwhelmed, he didn't look the same, he could not speak, and he looked pale and frail. His therapist asked the girls to sing "Happy Birthday" with him, and he would sing along. He tried, but no sound came out. The girls left the hospital that day talking about how much they love Mr. G.

A week later, and Camdyn is begging to see Mr. G again. We make another visit with the same classmate and are astounded at his progress. This week he is wheeling himself down the hallway. He is holding the Potato Turkey that Cam made him in his hand, and he is grinning the biggest half grin we've seen; his color is back, his soul is shining. This time when they sang "Happy Birthday" Mr. G sang along and LOUD too. I was brought to tears. What a miracle this man is! He surely has more work left to do on this earth.

Last Thursday, Camdyn's class had a Thanksgiving feast in their cafeteria. Afterwards, the parents were invited to the classroom to watch the children perform their Thanksgiving songs and eat dessert. It was then, that I saw this:

A piece of artwork depicting what Camdyn is Thankful for. 1. The Ranch 2. Natr (nature - OMG cute!) 3:

Mr. G. She drew him lying in his hospital bed. When I saw this I had to blink away the tears, I pulled out my camera, my heart swelling with pride. Her teacher saw me photographing her art and said, "She's the only one in the class that thought to put him on there" and then she began fanning away tears.

My girl has a big heart.

These are indeed great things to be thankful for, and now we are hoping that Mr. G., will be a walking and talking Christmas miracle.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

The Show

2011-11-17T09:58:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe it's been nearly a week since we went to the Taylor Swift concert. We had been looking forward to this show and a night out on the town with the girls for weeks.
We started off with a early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I forgot to pack crayons and a coloring book for Cam, but she did well, and actually impressed with me with her ability to self-entertain.

Of course, we hit traffic on our way downtown, and when we finally got within sight distance of the St. Pete Times Forum, it was 7:00. Camdyn was so afraid that we were going to miss it, and I was getting anxious too!

But we arrived, and hadn't missed a beat! The first stop was the restroom, where Camdyn took this photo with her ticket. For whatever reason, she had her leg up in the air with her hand on her knee, like Captain Morgan.

And then we got really excited about all the giant Taylor Swift posters in the corridor.

We found our seats, which were pretty killer. We had a great view of the stage. Notice that Cam has on a yellow TS t-shirt. I ordered it off her website for $5. It's a really old shirt from her days opening for Rascal Flats. I didn't care. We avoided the T-shirt line and I saved some $$. Score!

Here's the girls! Thanks for coming with us and making our night so special!

So Sweet!

During a ballad, Cam made the Heart on her own, while she was swaying to the music. Girlfriend had no problem keeping up with TS.

This is where she came down off the stage and walked the perimeter of the arena and then sat on a small stage at the opposite side. She was sooo close to us. (she's blurry and in purple and glows like the angel she is). We had such a great view at this point in the show, that we actually all sat down and rested our tired legs.

This is the finale. She flew on this balcony all around the arena, and ended up flying directly over top of us. It's also the part where I screamed like a teen-age girl and Cam said "Ow, Mom. That was right in my ear. Quit it." Sorry kiddo.

And after 2 hours of solid, non stop, entertainment, it was over. We took a very tired little girl home with us, who absolutely had the time of her life. I'm sure she won't ever forget her first concert, and I just can't wait to do more mother/daughter things with her (and her sister) in the future.

**all photos provided by Vanessa

We are seeing Taylor Swift on Saturday

2011-11-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to see this sold out show with my gal pals and my oldest girl on Saturday night. She is a huge fan although she doesn't know it yet....or maybe she does.

Wordless Wednesday - Slide

2011-11-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

If I could freeze this moment and the joy on their faces, I most certainly would.

Momma Bear Syndrome

2011-11-04T15:10:00.004-04:00

When Camdyn was a toddler I found myself in Momma Bear mode a lot more often than I do these days. It was easy, back then, to swoop her up and save her from danger, and to solve her problems for her. I was that mother that would glance a judgemental eye at the woman who let her rambunctious 9 year old (who was violating the height restriction on the play place at the mall) bump into her and knock her over.  I'd get all "This isn't safe, we are leaving. I'm Momma Bear and I'm protecting you!"
But then time happens, and kids grow, and circumstances change, and suddenly I'm that woman with a rambunctious 5 year old who accidentally knocks over a toddler at the play place at the mall. And much the same, the circumstances when I have to go in to Momma Bear mode have also changed.

I don't protect her physically so much anymore. Instead, I fight the urge to protect her emotionally, I fight the urge to save her self-esteem, the urge to protect her from a broken heart, or disappointment. In some situations Momma Bear is warranted, but in most it does her a disservice.

A few weeks back, Camdyn was taking her first semi-private riding lesson at the ranch. There were two older girls in her lesson, twins, 8 years old. In typical Cam fashion she began chatting them up. The child makes fast friends everywhere she goes. They went to the camp room and picked out helmets together and then returned to the area where I was sitting. I asked Cam which horse she wanted to ride and she said, "I want to ride Molly. I love Molly." One of the older girls said, "I don't like Molly. Molly is too easy. I need a more difficult horse."

I bit my tongue. My urge was to say, "Well, Camdyn is only 5 years old. She is a lot younger than you. She needs an easy horse and she loves Molly." But, I didn't. I wanted to see how Camdyn would respond to the older girl's comment.   Cam didn't say a thing about it. She just kept on talking about horses, and saddles, and the girls walked to the barn like the best of friends. She wasn't the slightest bit offended or put down, although I kind of was.

It got me thinking, how often do parents project adult feelings on children? As adults we forget the amount of innocence in children's conversations. That little girl was simply trying to state that she likes a horse who provides a challenge. She wasn't actually putting Camdyn down, she just lacked the maturity and eloquence to say it any other way. I was the one who interpreted it negatively.  My mind whipped in to Momma Bear mode, and I almost made an bigger ordeal about the comment than necessary.

As much as I want to protect Camdyn's self-esteem, her innocence, her feelings all the livelong time, I have learned that I can't and I shouldn't. Remember the incident at Chick Fil A a few Junes ago? I beat myself up over not saying squat to the kids who were blatantly being mean. Yeah, part of it is that I have an aversion to conflict, but the other part of it is that I also know that I can not walk beside Camdyn her entire life, defend her every move, fight her every battle, and be her defender all the time. I need to let her figure out how to handle life herself. She needs to learn how to stand up for herself, how to properly respond to someone who says not-so-nice things, when to stand her ground, and when to compromise. Coming from a woman who struggles with exactly that (not due to parenting, but just due to my genetic make-up) I consider the ability to resolve ones issues and stand up for one's self a gift.

And the next time Cam is on the offending end of the situation, the next time she utters words that are misconstrued as being mean, when she simply didn't explain herself well, I'm not going to jump in to defend her, to declare her innocence, or rectify the wrongs. I'm going to let her work it out, because conflict resolution is an important life skill....and because I'm going to save Momma Bear mode for when it really counts.

Wordless Wednesday - The Unicorn

2011-11-01T21:01:00.001-04:00

"A long time ago, when the earth was green

And there was more kinds of animals than you've ever seen,

And they run around free while the world was bein' born,

And the loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

There was green alligators and long-neck geese.

There was humpy bumpy camels and chimpanzees.

There was catsandratsandelephants, but sure as you're born

The loveliest of all was the Unicorn."

Poem written by Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

Wordless Wednesday (on a Thursday) - Love Her

2011-10-27T12:14:00.002-04:00

Adore Her

The way she grabs my hand; The way her eyes shine

Her little high pitched voice

Her imagination

Her sweet side; Her fiery side

Love Her.

I also love my sudden ability to get the eyes in focus.

Chloe Sings the ABC's

2011-10-25T02:00:00.002-04:00

I'm so much quicker with the video camera this 2nd time around. I realize that one day she'll wake up and the baby voice will be gone. One day, she'll belt out her ABC's perfectly as if she'd been doing it all her little life. So, I pick up my Sony Bloggie (like the flip, only better - love that device) and I press Record...because a few years from now, this cuteness will be a long lost memory.

This is where she gets all Country-fied at the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T11:44:00.001-04:00

We went to the pumpkin patch on Saturday....you know the same one that I lost Cam at last year. I couldn't help but think of that situation as we pulled in to the parking lot. I said to my girls, "Now, listen. This is the same place where I lost a kid last year. We are all going to stay together and hold hands. No running ahead." Cam piped in and said, "Yeah! You lost ME!!"

This year, I didn't lose any children and we had a great time. The weather was chilly and actually resembled true fall. I'll get a few photos up this week (I really didn't take many) but for now...I'll share this spectacle with you. After she was done, an elderly woman came up to her and said "God sure did grant you with rhythm my child."

Rhythm and buckets of personality.

Happy Monday!

Wordless Wednesday - The Love of Horses

2011-10-19T03:00:00.002-04:00

"The daughter who won't lift a finger in the house is the same child who cycles madly off in the pouring rain to spend all morning mucking out a stable."

~Samantha Armstrong

A Horse Named Molly - Riding Lessons at Laurel Valley Ranch

2011-10-17T12:02:00.000-04:00

Back in August Camdyn attended horse camp at the ranch. She loved every second of it and has been pining to go back ever since. After having a solid week of "STAR" and "Double STAR"
behavior, we rewarded her with a semi-private horse back riding lesson.

For her first lesson she chose to ride her best friend, Molly. Camdyn loves this horse, and she talks about buying her one day. It took the instructor, Camdyn, and the two other little girls in her lesson, the better part of 45 minutes to tack their horses.

Here Camdyn leads Molly into the lesson arena. She leads the horse around as effortlessly as one would lead a puppy on a leash. She seems so small to be guiding such a large animal.

Camdyn is learning to ride English. This was not my choice for her. I thought she would have a much easier time riding Western, although it was not my call to make. Camdyn is interested in dressage and therefore riding English is necessary. Amazing to me, that at 5 3/4 years old she is planning for the future.

Now, my knowledge of horse back riding is limited to several years of trail riding while camping, so feel free to correct my mistakes (LeeAnn). Cowboys ride Western, their saddles have a horn, and they steer the horse by holding the reigns (which are knotted together) in one hand. English saddles don't have a horn, and require the rider to hold the reigns in two hands and steer the horse more like a car, as Cam is doing below.

Cam thoroughly enjoyed her first lesson. She sometimes gets frustrated with the terminology (which is also new to me) and figuring out her left from her right which for some reason is more difficult from the perspective of the saddle. For example her instructor will say "Camdyn drop your right lead and move that horse to the rail." What? Yeah, I can barely figure out what that means, so for a five year old, it's a lot to process. But, she'll get there and she's loving every moment of it. Much to my surprise, she even enjoys the barn work (sweeping and mucking stalls) which she is required to do after her lesson.

When I watch her lesson there is that piece of me that just can't get comfortable. There's that nervous energy that I feel about the unpredictability of animals and the reasoning/judgment skills of a 5 year old. But, there is also that swell in my heart, as I watch my little girl do something that she genuinely loves. Her toothless smile is bigger when she's in that saddle, her energy level peeks as we head to the barn, I can see that this is her passion.

What I once viewed as a fleeting fascination, that would dwindle just as her adoration for elephants and Shrek has, is now becoming a piece of who she is. This is no longer a phase that she will out grow.

Camdyn can not fathom a world without horses, especially a horse, named Molly

Wordless Wednesday: This Cake is Iced with Awesome

2011-10-12T01:00:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back the Hubs celebrated a birthday. I happened to order his cake on a day that Camdyn earned double stars for her behavior at school. Her reward was that she got to pick out Daddy's cake. We sifted through the book of options at the bakery and then she chose this:

Two days later the Baker snickered as she handed me the cake, and then said "That is the best cake I've ever frosted."

What daddy wouldn't be over the moon happy about a unicorn cake?

He surely was. He loved that unicorn cake because our little girl loved that unicorn cake.

This is one of the simple joys of raising children.

Keep Calm

2011-10-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

Surely you have seen these signs before...

For the Stressed:

For the betrothed:

For the Bloggers:

For the Faithful:

And for the Mommas:

This tank was sent to my by my girl Jennifer from Circle of love and the craziness around it. Our kids are about the same ages, although she's raising boys and I'm raising girls. I absolutely adore her and whole heartedly envy her craftiness. Thanks for the tank, Jenn! I have a feeling I'll wear it until the fabric gives out!

MisCELLaneous Monday - Where am I???

2011-10-10T15:00:00.001-04:00

Where have I been? What day is it? What's my name? How did I get here? Yes, yes, I ask myself these questions often. Life is a whirlwind. Lovin' it and surviving it!

So, it's time to post some CELL phone photos in this MisCELLaneous post as well as a few deets on what I was doing last week, when I wasn't here. Here we go!

Last Saturday, we decided to convert Chloe's crib in to a toddler bed. I was hella reluctant about this. This is my second go-round here...I know better than to be EXCITED about this milestone. I know that it inevitably means she'll get out of bed whenever she wants to, I know it will mean procrastinating bedtime and bedtime struggles at some point in the future. But, the child needs to be able to get out of bed to use the potty, so in an effort to complete her potty training we converted her crib. So far so good. She has yet to get out of bed by herself in the middle of the night (which by the way, was supposed to be the point of converting her crib). She is still sleeping well and still asks to go to bed at night. But, I'm not declaring victory. I know that this will be short lived. ::Le Sigh::

I've purchased numerous items on etsy; headbands, knitted hats, tutus, hair band holders, leotards, but this is my biggest etsy purchase. I purchased a dining room table from Modern Rust on etsy. This farmhouse style table is made from reclaimed wood (I love you mother earth) and was made to order in 6 weeks and delivered from Virgina to Florida quickly. Yes, it looks like someone put a picnic table in my living room, but that will change soon. I am very pleased with the table and with the fact that the pink playhouse is no longer in my dining room. Now, I just need to finish this naked room.

On Friday, I took the day off of work. I attended an event at Camdyn's school in the morning, and then met up with Liz for some shopping, lunching, and a pedicure that didn't turn out like I visioned. It was relaxing and the company was fantastic, but the polish on my big toes has this white ghosting across it. I'm miffed enough about it to post photos of my "spoon toe" or "potato toe" as the hubs likes to call them on the interwebs. Really, my big toes are so round...like perfect circles. It's weird. I guess I'll have to go back so they can fix it.

These were delivered on Friday and made me forget all about the botched pedicure. I hear this show is fantastic, and I can not wait to take Camdyn to her first concert. Of course, I paid way too much money for tickets to this sold out show, but I don't have buyer's remorse over it at all...this something we are looking forward to!

On Friday night, we packed the suitcases and loaded the kids in the car and took them to Orlando for a weekend get-away. Our hotel room was upgraded...we ended up with 2 beds, 2 baths, and a loft style game room. This was more space than we needed, but we weren't complaining. It ended up raining the entire time we were there, so we spent a lot of time at the hotel, and the space really came in handy. The girls enjoyed playing upstairs and watching movies in their room.

On Saturday night, we met up with LeeAnn and Rylie and attended the Arabian Nights Dinner Show attraction. The girls, all 3 of them, were so well behaved. We ended up having front row seats and an unobstructed view of the action. The dinner was a smidgen above average, but the show was fantastic. When I asked Camdyn what her favorite part of the show was she said, "I don't have one. I loved all of it!"

Because of the rain, we cut our trip short and came home earlier on Sunday than we had planned. My house looked like a bomb went off in it, so I set to cleaning. While I was mopping floors, I caught the hubs doing this...completely on his own accord. Reason #652 why I love this man.

**note that the playhouse is not going to be permanently located there and the big brown box contains a new chandelier that needs to be hung
I hope y'all are having a great Monday!!

Down the Lane {photos}

2011-10-03T11:16:00.000-04:00

Sometimes my girls will fall asleep on a short car side, say in the 7 minutes it takes to get from the grocery store to home. I feel like they deserve at least a 20 minute nap, and so I drive through the country side, aimlessly. I take roads that I've never taken before.

That's how I happened upon this canopy covered lane, the trees arched over the street, moss dripping from the branches, and holes of sunlight peeking through like a moth eaten bed sheet.

On Sunday, I asked my oldest girl to come with me to the lane. "It'll only take a minute and you can wear that pretty new dress that is hanging in your closet."

To my surprise, she agreed, and willingly came with me.

Together we went Down the Lane.

She hopped out of my truck and asked me where she should stand. She followed all of my directions. This isn't the first time she's been in front of my lens, but really it was.

This is the first time that she played to the camera.

"Momma do we need to worry about cars since we are standing in the street?"

"No, love. This is a dead end street, there shouldn't be many cars coming our way."

"What if I pick up this pine cone and hold it? Remember that? Remember at the park?" I do remember that...so I let her call the shot.

And then I called this one.

And in less than 15 minutes, we were back in the kitchen. I didn't need to take photos for an hour...just for a spell. Just long enough to get a shot, and to test out that vision that was rolling around in my head.

I found inspiration. I found motivation. I found that creative "thing" that was missing. And the best part is...that my little girl helped me find it.

We found it Down the Lane.

Wordless Wednesday - Little Friends

2011-09-28T09:45:00.001-04:00

Love is rarer than genius itself. And friendship is rarer than love.

~Charles Peguy

You may remember this adorable shot of handsome that I took back in August. In that post I mentioned that I wish for these two what their big sisters have...friendship.

After spending a month in pre-school together, that wish is coming true. They get along...finally.

Handsome will say "May I have a bite?" And Chloe will joyfully hand him over a Craisin...and another...and another...until her pack is empty.

And then Chloe wants to ride his scooter. So, they switch and he rides her pink princess scooter and she rides his red Radio Flyer scooter...and nobody cries.

They are the cutest of friends.

**Photos compliments of Handsome's Momma, Becky.

A Little Bit Broken

2011-09-21T13:09:00.001-04:00

Last week, on our way to the gym, Camdyn and I made a stop at my favorite little cupcake store. Totally counterproductive, but that's the way it works, I guess. The cupcake store is located right next to a florist shop. So, to kill some time, we wander in and look around. Camdyn spies this little Gund stuffed Eagle. It's cute and she wants it very badly. I look at the sticker...$12.99. I tell her that she'll have to earn it.

We get in the car and we work out details on how she can earn this toy. I tell her that if she gets stars on her behavior chart for the next two days then she earns the eagle toy. Thursday she got a star, and Friday, she ended up with a straight face for disruptive/loud voice in the Library. No toy for Camdyn.

So, this week brings a fresh start and a new goal...two stars in a row earns the toy. She accomplishes her goal and yesterday on our way to the gym, we buy Camdyn her prized Eagle.
(Cam is obsessed with birds right now - thank you Rio - and her school mascot is the Eagles...so she is super happy about this stuffie). She is so proud of herself and can't wait to show her teacher. She talks about it all night long and sleeps with her eagle (named Flower) tucked in neatly beside her.

This morning, I tell Camdyn that she can bring the eagle in and show her teacher, but then the eagle is coming to the truck with me, toys aren't allowed at school. She was on board with this idea.

We get to school early, she is playing with her eagle and is totally pumped to show her teacher. When the door opens she strolls in with her toy, and 10 other kids, and some parents. She waits patiently for her teacher's attention. She finally taps her on the hand and says "Look - Eagle." Her teacher says, "cute" and then goes back to the conversation she was having with a 9 year old school patrol. Cam stands there for another 2 minutes, waiting to have more of a conversation with her teacher about her eagle. She finally gives up, and walks over to me, half broken hearted because the teacher didn't give her more attention.

::Sidebar:: I don't blame the teacher, she's busy, she has a million things to do in the morning, she has kids and parents coming through the door, she just didn't have time, and I get that, I really do.

BUT - the look on Cam's face killed me. I can still see her...eyes turned down, but trying to put on a smile as she handed me her Eagle to take home. The look of sheer disappointment blanketed her face. So, I said, "She said the eagle was "cute." She liked it!!" Cam just shrugged her shoulders. Then I left.

On the ride to work I was thinking about how something so important to a child is often just tossed aside by adults because we are too busy with our own lives and agendas to see their simple pleasures.
I wonder how many times I have done that same thing to her, only I was too busy to see that look of disappointment wash over her face. Five times? A hundred times? I have no idea.

So, I sit here, a little bit broken. Feeling every bit as disappointed as my little girl was this morning. I should have walked into her classroom with her (instead of waiting in the hallway) and said "Cam has something special to show you. She's been waiting all night to show you this."

I should have made it important, because it was important, to my child.

I can't change what happened this morning, and like a good friend told me , "Luckily they [kids] also forgive and forget pretty easily." She is right, Cam probably shook off her disappointment like a champ after I left the room.

But, me, I'm going to remember this...and the next time I find myself saying "one second" or "in a few minutes" or "not right now." I'm going to stop and remember the lesson here.

Time, is not more valuable than her sense of significance.

She is worth it.

Her accomplishments, her imagination, her stories, and her interests are worth time.

Taking the World by Storm on 12" wheels

2011-09-20T09:41:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday night I asked the Hubs to take the training wheels off of Cam's much too small bike. He grabbed his tools and together they sat down to work on the project, and five minutes later it was complete.

We spent 10 minutes that evening helping Camdyn learn to ride her bike. We would walk next to her with a hand on her shoulder, ready to pull her back to center when she would lean too far to one side or the other. It wasn't long before she was too hot and too tired, so we parked the bike for the night.

The next evening, I pulled my truck in to the garage and began my usual routine of unloading my bag, purse, backpacks, lunch boxes, and Chloe. Camdyn asked if she could ride her bike. "Sure. But stay close." I take everything in to the house and get Chloe set up with Dora and a cup of milk and then head outside to check on Cam. She is standing in the driveway, her bike laying on the ground beside her and she says, "Well. I have that all figured out." What? "You have what figured out?" I ask. She proclaimed, "I can ride my bike now."

Um...okay.

And off she pedaled on her tiny 12" wheels. I guess that's the pay off for waiting until 5 1/2 to take the training wheels off. I have to hand it to her...the girl has initiative.

We bought her a bigger bike this weekend.

Well done, Cam. Well done!

To Chloe - 2.5

2011-09-19T13:03:00.000-04:00

Dear Chloe Belle,

Funny. As I type your moniker I think of your little voice saying "No. My name is Chloe!" You aren't too keen on your nickname anymore, and are often quick to tell us your full name, which sounds like such a mouthful coming from your little lips.

So, here we sit at 2 1/2 and things aren't so black and white anymore. There is this element of predictability that is nice, or convenient or maybe both with babies. In toddlerhood, that fades, and we are now in the phase where we never know what is in store for us.

Sometimes in the morning, you detest wake up time. I can sing the Good Morning song to you and you scream for me to leave the room. You cover your head with a blanket and wish to hold on to the darkness. Other times, you wake smiling and singing along with me. It's a crap shoot, really.

The same is true at bedtime. Sometimes you stall, and you want to read one more story. You cry and flail and make a huge production when it's time to shut off the light. Other times, you willingly shut the light off and then crawl in to my lap only to say 5 seconds later, "I go to bed now." Either way, gone are the days of contented rocking in the chair. I still try. Every night I try, but rarely does it result in one or both of us falling to sleep. It's still my favorite part of the evening though.

Developmentally, you are progressing, growing, and learning just as you should be. You know all of your colors, you count to 20 in English, and to 12 in Spanish. You are interested in learning your letters and often recognize, A, B, O, C, and S without hesitation. You engage in pretend play right along side your Sissy now, who you prefer to call Camdyn instead of Sissy. You both like to sit at the kitchen table with your stables and toy horses and play at length. Your horses have conversations just like Cam's do, it really is the sweetest thing.

Your potty training is nearly complete. You've been in big girl panties during the day since you turned two, but it's taken awhile to get comfortable with the deuce. You still prefer a pull up for that business, but we are getting away from that now, and your pull up days are numbered. You really were a breeze to potty train.

Your favorite things still include your blankie, your paci, baby, and your crib. Oh, how you love your crib. I speak of getting you a "big girl bed" often, but you aren't having it. You love your crib. Honestly, I love your crib too. I love knowing you are safely confined in it, I love that you get good rest while you are in it, and that you don't have the temptation of toys to interrupt your sleep. You can have your crib...for another six months.

As much as you have changed over the past six months, some things are still wildly the same. You are still a screamer. When you get really frustrated, embarrassed, or really mad, instead of using words, you just scream...scream at the top of your tiny lungs. A few weeks ago, you were playing at a party and bumped your head on a metal railing. When I asked you if you were okay, you simply screamed at me. I tried to comfort you, but to no avail. You screamed louder. I began to stifle a laugh because you were really causing a scene, and when I could no longer contain my laughter, you really got mad, and took the scream to a whole new level. I finally had to have Daddy come over and help you regain your composure while I walked away. I know why you screamed. You screamed initially because you were hurt, and then you were embarrassed, and then you were just flat out mad that I was laughing at you. I'm sure bystanders mistook your scream for a tantrum, but I know the reason. I know you.

While you've found your gentle hands, and your words in most cases, you still have that big, giant voice. You have that ability to stand up for yourself and to make your desires known. You are fiercely independent and headstrong. You are testing the waters, dabbling in disobedience, it's the natural course, really. It's what you are supposed to be doing as you figure out right from wrong and consequences. But, you are also sweet as spun sugar; helpful as the day is long. You love to snuggle in front of the TV, help me pick up toys and unload the dishwasher. You are caring and motherly to friends that get hurt.

You are the calm and the storm.

And I am happy to weather both.

Love you Forever and Always,
Momma

Wordless Wednesday - Bubbly

2011-09-14T09:59:00.000-04:00

"You are the Ocean of Water, and You are the foam and the bubbles on its surface.

I cannot see any other except You, Lord."

~Sir Guru Granth Sahib

(excuse the after nap-time hair)

(this is her "cheese" face)

9/11 Remembered

2011-09-12T14:20:00.003-04:00

The girls didn't get to watch many of their shows on Sunday morning because Momma was glued to the 9/11 tribute which was broadcast on every major network. It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years.

I sat down yesterday morning with my cup of coffee and watched TV while two little girls played with horses on the floor next to me. Every now and then Camdyn would ask me question, "Why did the bad guys fly in to the buildings? Did the bad guys get out in time?" Hard questions to answer in a way that doesn't evoke fear in her tiny, innocent, and perfect world. But also questions that need to be answered. She'll only remember what she reads and what we tell her. Eventually she will know the magnitude of that day...although she'll never understand the gravity of it. She'll never know how much the world changed after 9/11.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

It's Tuesday, September 11, 2001. I'm living in a two bedroom apartment in Oceanside, CA with my old college roommate. We both work in the 24 Hour Fitness Corporate Office and we wake up about the same time that morning. It's 6:30 am pacific time. I turn on the radio and hop in the shower and about half way through I realize that they aren't playing music and radio hosts are talking. I realize that their tone is concerned and from what I grasp a bomb went off? Someone is bombing the US? I jump out, and immediately turn on the TV. My TV is tuned to SportsCenter which I was watching the night before, but they aren't talking sports. There is news on SportsCenter that is not sports related???

Out in the yard with your wife and children

Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky

I call for my roommate and I flip to CNN. What in God's name? My roommate and I stand and watch in disbelief.

Did you shout out in anger

In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

My mind swirls as I try to grasp what is going on in NYC, I think of the Hubs (only he wasn't hubs then...he was simply boyfriend No. 3). He had just flown in to Chicago to play a series against the Cubs. I dial him, knowing that I'll be waking him from some much needed sleep. I am worried. He's downtown Chicago and staying in a hotel located next to the John Hancock Tower (one of Chicago's tallest buildings). I get him on the phone, fill him in, and then I leave for work.

Did you weep for the children

Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

When I arrive at work, the scene outside has tragedy written all over it. Groups of employees are huddled against each other, and some women are bawling to the point of hysteria. You see, we live and work a mere 15 minutes from Camp Pendleton. The military (marines) have a huge presence in this area, and likewise, many military wives work for in the 24 Hour Fitness Corporate Office. They knew the gravity of this situation before many of us civilians did. They knew this would mean war. They knew that they would soon be sending their deployed husbands out to make this right....and they were distraught.

Did you burst out in pride

For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself to what really matters

We didn't work a full day that day. I think I stayed two or three hours before the powers that be told us to go home.

I'm just a singer of simple songs

I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran

My roommate and I spent the rest of the evening watching the events unfold on TV, while we restored a coffee table in to usable condition. For all it's worth, we spent the better part of the week glued to the news.

But I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Through all the tragedy, heartbreak and the feeling of helplessness and loss, there prevailed an even greater pride and patriotism. I'll never forget how many cars had flags hanging from their car windows. The same kind that people use to show team spirit for their favorite football team, only now they are American flags and we are all standing up for Team America.

I'll always remember the tears I would blink away and the lump in my throat when God Bless America was played at every remaining baseball game that year.

The greatest is love

This past Friday night, I saw Blake Shelton and Brad Paisley in concert. Brad Paisley performed his song "This is Country Music" to a montage of photos of performers who have passed on and snippets of American history. The song ended with a photo of the towers burning, followed by photos of military men, and the flag. When the song was over and the music stopped...All that could be heard was a unified crowd chanting "U.S.A."

The greatest is love.

**Song written by Alan Jackson

Treasured Moments

2011-09-06T09:55:00.000-04:00

We had a busy weekend which included a trip to Busch Gardens on Saturday followed by a late night out with friends that evening. We went to church on Sunday and then to a Fantasy Football Draft Party in the evening.

But on Monday...on Monday we took it easy. I spent the morning with a cup of coffee in my hand while the Hubs whipped up scrambled eggs. I even blew the dust off my camera, which hasn't been getting much use at all lately. I discovered that I miss her just as much as I miss the inspiration.

In the laziness of a Monday morning that was spent playing with the kids at home instead of making lunches, instructing little girls to brush their teeth, packing backpacks, and loading the car; I discovered treasured moments.

I visited their world. A world that knows no stress, no schedule, no perception of time.

A world where your imagination can take you anywhere you want to go. A world where horses talk and some can even fly.

A world where rules are simple. "It's too hot to go outside. Ride your scooter in the house. BUT - STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN. I do not want dents in my new appliances." "Yes. Momma."

After watching them play and letting the coffee in my mug grow cold, they snuggled up on the couch together to watch one TV show. Playing is exhausting.

(this shot is horribly OOF...but I love how their little fingers are intertwined. You just can't pose kids like this).

And as I scrolled through the photos that I had taken of the morning, I realized just how precious and fleeting these small little moments are. I warmed up my coffee, turned up Pandora, and set out to clean my Master Bathroom...when a little voice came in and said "Momma - can I help you?" I gave her the Windex and we worked side by side for half an hour.

Treasured Moments.

Wordless Wednesday - Her First Crush

2011-08-31T11:12:00.001-04:00

She likes this boy

She tells everyone, even strangers, that she has a boyfriend

They hold hands

They chase each other

She says she's going to marry this boy

This is her first
crush.

Reality Check

2011-08-30T10:12:00.000-04:00

Well, we survived the first week of Kindergarten, but not without a serious reality check.

Of course, this was MY reality check, not Cam's. Cam adjusted brilliantly, just like I knew she would. She loves school. Every morning she says her "good byes" and "I love you's" from one side of the doorway while I stand on the other, then she scampers off to hang up her backpack.

In the evenings, she is exhausted. It's tough keeping her awake on the 20 minute drive to pick up Chloe from pre-school. She's in bed and asleep by 8:00. These are welcome changes for sure.

But, there is this chunk of my day now that suddenly vanished. The hours from 2:30 - 5, that used to be my own. The hours where I would grocery shop, clean bathrooms, work out, or just veg out...poof gone. These hours now belong to the taxi service that is picking up two kids from two different locations. And now, once again, I am wondering "when in the world am I going to get this stuff done."

I mistakenly thought that life would simplify a bit when Cam reached elementary school, but the truth of it is that life just got a little bit busier, a little bit more complicated as we now have two kids with two different schedules at two different schools. And, now I'm starting to see a glimpse of what Momma's of older kids are talking about...driving them here, driving them there, homework, school activities, etc. etc...it's never going to get easier...the challenges are just going to change.

So, we'll adapt. This is going to be our new normal, and all the things that I stress about will get done eventually...or not. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that my kids are happy.

We are happy.

And the cleaning and scrubbing can wait.

Until we hire a housekeeper....

Oooh Ahhh - The Dining Room Dance

2011-08-25T06:00:00.004-04:00

It's our last day of the cruise.

We've been at sea all day, playing on the waterslide, soaking up the intense sun, and watching movies in our cabin.

It's dinner time. We shower and dress for the occassion.

Camdyn is on her best behavior. She has no toys to keep her busy, only a yellow crayon and a kid's menu. She orders her meal with her very best manners, "I'll have fruit to start and then chicken nuggets and fries please." She holds her napkin on her lap and sips water from a wine glass. She watches her "boyfriend" play his DS. I never have to remind her to settle down.

And then....the music pops up. There's an announcement. Diners start rising from their chairs. We know this drill. It takes Camdyn a minute to figure it out. She gets it.

It's time to dance with the waitstaff.

This was probably my favorite moment of the cruise.

Wordless Wednesday - Oh, the Places You'll Go!

2011-08-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

~Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any

you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course,

you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

OH!

THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

...You'll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

The Cruise

2011-08-23T10:12:00.001-04:00

In one word, our vacation was AWESOME. You know you had a good time when you realize vacation is over and you immediately start to plot in your head when you can go on your next one.

This was my first cruise. It was a short one...a 4 day-er to Key West and Cozumel and then back to the port in Miami. For us, it was the perfect length, plenty of time to relax and let loose, but not so much time that we were starting to look forward to getting off the boat.

We traveled with friends. Camdyn had a pre-school friend to keep her company and Cam's "boyfriend" was also there. She simply adores that child, you can just tell from the photos. We spent time with our friends at the casino, lounging by the pool, and at the comedy club in the evenings. We spent our time off the ship together, shopping and exploring and in the evenings our dining table was full of laughter and friendship.

For me, the best part about cruising was that there was no "work" involved in this vacation. There were no meals to plan, restaurants to decide on, roads to navigate, laundry to do, counters to wipe down, crowds to beat, etc. We made our own schedule, we relaxed the way we wanted to, and we just enjoyed BEING. Isn't that what vacation is all about?

For us, it was a good decision to leave Chloe home. I don't think she would have tolerated our late nights, missed naps, etc. the way Camdyn did. One evening we checked Camdyn in to Camp Carnival (which she loved) at 9:30 pm and didn't pick her up until 1:15 am. This was followed by ice cream and a bedtime that was shortly after 2 am. Fun? yes. For a 2 year old? No.

The next time we do this...it'll be with both the girls! I'm already looking forward to it!

On this trip I decided not to bring my DSLR. I didn't want to be responsible for it. I didn't want to lug it, and I didn't want to spend most of my time trying to get good shots. Do I regret it? A little. There were a lot of great opportunities for fantastic photos. Although, my point n shoot still captured the memories and now I don't have that shadow hovering over me that is "I have a ton of photos to edit." I was in the moment. I am happy for that!

**This is my first slide show thrown together in Lightroom. It's not perfect, but I didn't have time to tinker with it.

Enjoy!

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-22T11:01:00.001-04:00

I'm back. We had the time of all times on our cruise. Although, I've hardly had a moment to reflect, as we scurried in to the "back to school" routine the moment our ship came to port.

This morning, we successfully dropped Camdyn off at school, without a tear shed. How could I possibly cry when her expression was sheer exuberance?

I snapped a few photos (this was the only one on my cell phone) took a quick video, we sat her down in her seat, and said our good-byes. We were the first parents out the door. We had to be. She doesn't like us to cling. She doesn't need our reassurance. She does change well. She will be just fine and she knows it.

Although...I have already started counting down the hours until I pick her up.

I just can't wait to hear all about her first day.

I officially have a child in elementary school.

The thought is disturbingly wonderful.

Wordless Wednesday - Escape

2011-08-17T06:36:00.001-04:00

Today I'm all "Viva La Mexico."

But I'm missing her smile.

I'm missing her puffy cheeks and her soft skin.

I'm missing her baby voice, the way she hugs my neck and the kisses she plants on my cheeks.

I'm excited to be here, but excited to get home.

This is life with kids.

Sometimes you feel like you need to escape it,

but when you do,

you can't wait to get back to it.

Guest Blogger in da House

2011-08-16T05:58:00.001-04:00

Y'all - I'm in Key West today. We'll be shopping and lunching and enjoying the view. Since I'm having sooo much fun, I thought you should too. Meet my friend, Jenn. Her blog is a little bit of everything...crafting, moming, baking, you name it she does it with flare. She's sweet and gorgeous and her boys are too.

Enjoy.

Then go follow.

***********************************
Hi everyone, my name is Jennifer and I have a little slice of blogland called Circle of Love and the Craziness Around It. My friend Carol asked me to do a post for her while she is away and I was flattered. Carol and I met via the blogging world a few months back and I can honestly say I am grateful that our paths have crossed. We both have 2 kiddos around the same age. She has girls and I have boys. We relate....LOL! As moms, I think we can all relate regardless of the age or sex of our kids. We all experience the same ups and downs and we all need an outlet to keep is sane. With that....here is what I have been feeling lately.
"Hurry Up, Hurry Up"
These are every mother's famous last words....

Hurry up...eat your breakfast.
Hurry up...you're gonna be late for school.
Hurry up...we have to get your brother off the bus.
Hurry up...get to the bathroom.
Hurry up...we have to get home to make dinner.
Hurry up...get to bed.

Why as mother's do we always feel like we are racing against the clock? No matter what I am doing or where I am going, time is of the essence. Even when I am going someplace by myself (which is rare....so don't think I am traveling leisurely without my children), I feel like I can never really enjoy myself because I am worried about what is going on at home without me. Some days I wish I knew the secret to turning back the clock so I could enjoy life just a little more.....

We're Cruisin'...

2011-08-15T06:23:00.005-04:00

We're off, well, 3/4 of us are.

We are headin' to port.

Just me, the hubs, and my eldest child.

This will be Cam's and my first cruise.

My claustrophobic anxiety is already setting in.

I hope the cabins are "big enough."

I hope I can navigate the ship without having to get in an elevator.

I hope I am having too much fun to care (like I do in Vegas...elevators don't bother me there).

I hope Camdyn has the time of her life.

Although, how could she not.

Fun is the only language she knows.

Plus - her "boyfriend" will be there.

Gramma & Grandpa are holding down the homestead with Chloe Belle.

It's only a few days, but I'm going to miss her like crazy.

Word{ish} Wednesday - Handsome & my first posted PS edit

2011-08-10T03:00:00.001-04:00

Baseball is the only place in life where a sacrifice

is really appreciated.

~Author Unknown

I love this shot of handsome holding a baseball.

He & Chloe will officially start school together on Monday.

I wish for them what Handsome's big sister and Chloe's big sister have...

Friendship.

This photo also marks my first posted PhotoShop edit. Okay, truthfully, I processed it in LR first. I adjusted the W/B, I increased the blacks, then I applied the SurReal Preset from Presets Heaven.

Then, I took my already edited photo in to PS. My SOOC image is below.

Now, I don't really know my way around PS very well, but I had a dinner/gabbing/learning session, with my friend, Bridgette awhile ago and I thought I could use something she showed me here. So, I pulled out my notes, and I set to work removing that shoe from the photo.

I employed the use of my Lasso tool and it removed it mostly, but the ground looked weird in spots. So, I used the clone stamp tool (or something like that) and copied the grass area on the right, and brushed it over the weird areas on the left. Shoe - be gone.

Then, for fun. I ran the Coffee Shop - Cream and No Sugar action.

I'll get there...one shoe at a time.

She Did Horse Camp at Laurel Valley Ranch

2011-08-09T11:16:00.002-04:00

It's not really news that my girls love horses. I mean, they really, really love horses. We drive by them daily, we read about them at home. We watch Horseland on repeat, and my two year old can identify horses by their coat color, "that's a Palomino, that's an Appaloosa, that's a Paint." And likewise, I know more about horses than I did a few years ago.

When we decided that Cam would finish pre-school at the end of July, we needed a camp or activity for her to do for a week. I gave her several options, gymnastics camp, dance camp, or horse camp. Naturally, she chose horse camp. So, I got in touch with the the Ranch where she had her birthday party last January. I was a bit concerned that Camdyn might be on the young side to participate, but I was assured that they have children come to camp that are younger than 5 1/2.

After trading a few very informative and encouraging emails with the owner, Kathy, I decided to register Camdyn for 3 days of horse camp. I decided that going Mon, Wed, Friday, would offer her a day of rest from the intense Florida heat and humidity in between her horse camp days. Approximately $275 later and she was all set to go.

We arrived at LVR at about 8:45 on Monday morning. Cam was beaming ear to ear and was 10 kinds of excited about the horses already. I, on the other hand, had knots in my stomach and 10 thousand questions running through my mind. I signed her in, had a quick chat with her leader about sunscreen, her lunch, pick up time, and keeping her safe. I signed a waiver, Cam tried on a helmet and she was off to the barn.

I was left standing there having a "mommy moment." She's really growing up. She's not scared about this? She'll be here all day, she knows no one? Should this have been harder for her? In that moment as I walked to my truck I decided I would pick her up as soon as possible that afternoon. So, I showed up at 3:00.

She was happy, dirty, sweaty and exhausted...and thoroughly peeved that she missed her afternoon bareback session because I showed up early. Like a good Momma, I promised her she could stay for bare back riding on Wed & Friday.

I made good on that promise. I sat at a picnic table, armed with my zoom lens (which was fogged up from the humidity) and photographed Camdyn riding bare back for the first time. She trotted in her early morning lesson, but soon discovered that riding bare back did not afford her the same confidence.

Her instructor would remind her "pick up the reigns, Camdyn, and tell that horse where to go." And she would. She needed the reminder.

"Camdyn turn that horse around and go the other way. Look over your shoulder in the direction you want your horse to go."

That's what she did in the photo above. She turned her horse, named Special, around. 180 degrees, around, pride written all over her face, along with extreme concentration. My heart swelled for her.

Sometimes we forget that children have milestone moments on a regular basis. Moments where they accomplish something that may not seem like a big deal to others, who do it regularly, but for them, it's a big deal. Controlling that horse, that one time, was a big moment for Camdyn.

When I asked Camdyn who her best friend at Horse Camp is, she replied, "Molly."

Molly is a horse.

This does not surprise me.

Her experience at horse camp was a positive one. Sure, I wish they would have helped her apply more sunscreen after that swim in the pool, and sure, I wish someone would have made sure she ate more than skittles for lunch one day, but those are small potatoes, really.

She was safe at horse camp. She loved every second of it, including craft time. She brought home the cutest felt horses that she made in the camp room. And, boy I wish I could remember the name of the lovely lady who took the time to sit with me and Chloe on Friday afternoon as we watched Cam's final bare back session. She told me that Camdyn is fearless, and we discussed how much Cam enjoyed making crafts that day. That interaction and feedback made my day.

My kid, had an amazing experience at Laurel Valley Ranch, and her love for horses continues. She can't wait to go back for a few weeks next summer, and I'm thinking that some time in between now and then, she just might have to have a few private lessons.

Wordless Wednesday - Dance Trance

2011-08-03T10:20:00.001-04:00

I have no words for this.
Enjoy.

The Beach

2011-08-02T10:37:00.000-04:00

Y'all we had the best weekend and I'm going share bits-n-pieces with you, but I'm going to let LeeAnn do most of the storytelling.

You see this week we are out of our normal pattern, Camdyn is out of pre-school and going to horse camp 3 days this week, we have Gramma coming to town on Friday, and I'm just trying to tread the water and keep my stuff together.

So, I'll share a few photos with you, and then hop on over to LeeAnn's blog and read about how our time together went down.

I'm trying to re-develop an appreciation for the snapshot, so here we go!

Saturday morning, we met LeeAnn and her adorable family at the #1 beach in the country. The morning looked a lot like this:

Camdyn's best friend and her family happened to make a morning out of the beach too. And we were glad to hang out with them, they brought 2 umbrellas and thereby doubled the amount of shade we had to sit under. Here Camdyn & her Bestie play in the sand.

Bryce was all about the snacks. He filled up on blueberries and then promptly fell asleep on LeeAnn's lap...for over an hour. She got to relax, snuggle her baby, and listen to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore. Talk about heaven on earth!

Then, Chloe Belle and I took turns taking pictures of each other. Here's my shot.

And here's hers. No, I didn't take it of myself, I was trying to move her little fingers off of the lens and she pushed the button.

OMG - I'm a lucky lady :)

Becky took this shot of me and Chloe together - Love.

After morning crept in to early afternoon, LeeAnn & her family headed to the hotel for naps, and we headed home for the same. Then, they came over for dinner and play time. When I opened the door, the first thing we noticed was that we had dressed Rylie & Chloe in the same exact shirt, and of course since my girls usually coordinate, Camdyn was wearing a similar shirt from the same Gymboree line. How funny...and it made for a really cute picture! Notice that Chloe has my point n shoot...

And then the evening was over and we bid our friends farewell. I was kind of bummed that I never got a photo with LeeAnn...but then I loaded the photos on my computer (including 100+ pictures that Chloe took with her fingers covering the lens) and discovered this:

Chloe took it while we were taking pictures of them. Not the best shot, but her fingers were out of the way! It's a keeper.

We had a fabulous time with our friends, and we can't wait to get together with them again soon. Now, head on over to LeeAnn's blog and read in detail about our time at the beach and see some super cute photos!

4.5 Years Summed up in 4 Minutes

2011-07-29T08:00:00.010-04:00

I dropped Camdyn off this morning for her last day of Pre-School. I left her with 15 cups of pudding to celebrate with her friends and parting gifts for her teachers.

Surprisingly, my heart is not heavy. I'm okay with this. This is life and progression; moving on and growing up is what this gig is all about.

So, this is how we will sum up Camdyn's Pre-School career a 4 minute video of memories from the past 4.5 years. It's been good....It's been really good.

***Edited To Include***
My apologies, Flickr did not load my entire video last night. I will try and have the full version up later this afternoon. This is only the first minute of it...dang it Flickr.

The entire video is now up :)

...and we get to do it all over again with Chloe Belle.

Thanks for the Memories!

This I Know...

2011-07-28T02:00:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty much dedicating this week to Pre-School. It deserves a week on the blog, before we say farewell to this chapter and move on to the next.

I could watch this cuteness over and over again. Cam is the 2nd from the right.

Wordless Wednesday - Smile Because

2011-07-27T10:06:00.000-04:00

Camdyn & her beloved teacher, who has the patience of a saint, and the heart of an angel.

Camdyn says she wants Miss Carol to be her Kindergarten Teacher.

She is really going to miss her.

The Last Monday...Ever. Ever. Ever.

2011-07-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

I can hardly believe it. As I dropped Camdyn off in her classroom this morning the only thought racing through my mind was - This. Is. It. Her final Monday of Pre-School. 4+ years coming and going with her, through these doors, down these hallways, and it all comes down to this...her final week.

Sure, I'll still be coming and going with Chloe, and we still come and go to Church every Sunday...but she won't ever have be a student here again.

I spent hours this weekend organizing photos from school and compiling them in to a slide show...I found some treasures:

Baby Cam (in the purple) in the infant room...she was probably 15-18 months old.

Toddler Cam on Red day when the children were learning their colors - Chloe is in this room right now and about this age.

Camdyn and her Best Friend on Tea Party Day when they were 3. Funny how I thought they were getting so big. And now, I look at these photos and they still have BABY written all over them.

This little treasure was just given to me this morning by Camdyn's former teacher. I don't really know what she is singing, but she is singing by herself and her classmates are listening, and the 20 sec. clip is worth the click...well, if you are in to cute :)

I'm sure I'm going to spend a large part of my week reflecting on the last 4 years, wishing that time would just slow down, and that I could hold on to this a little longer.

But, I'll do my best to do exactly what my 5 year old is doing...she's looking forward to the future; Horse Camp, a week with Gramma, a trip on a big boat (cruise) and Kindergarten are all on the horizon. She's giddy with excitement about that.

She's probably not going to lament what she's leaving, she's only looking forward to what's lying ahead of her.

I'll try...I'll really try.

Wordless Wednesday - Sibling Love

2011-07-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes.

We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.

We live outside the touch of time."

~Clara Ortega

One of the greatest parts about having a sibling is having someone to share your history with. Someone who experienced childhood with you exactly as you experienced it. Someone to reminiesce with, someone who knows you as you have always been. Although, siblings grow up and often life and distance separates them, their history never changes, their connection to each other does not expire.

My girls will have this.

And so will these boys. I'm entering this photo below in Paper Mama's weekly photo challenge this week. It was taken in April, down at the Marina. A young single Momma and the source of all of her joy. I love how big brother has his hand on little brother's shoulder, and the pure joy on little brother's face. She is one blessed Momma.

Happy Wednesday!

Rite of Passage

2011-07-19T05:00:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, July 9th Camdyn did something special:

I'd always told her that she could get her ears pierced for her 6th birthday. Why 6? That's how old I was when I had it done and I remember it distinctly. I remember how proud I was of myself and what a big deal it was for me. I wanted that for her. I wanted it to be her decision and for her to have the same sense of pride and accomplishment about it.

We didn't make it to 6. About a month ago Cam began begging to have her ears pierced. She wanted to do it before Kindergarten and I kept holding her off. Finally, I caved. She met the biggest criteria...she really wanted it, and she was 5 1/2...close enough.

She had both ears pierced at the same time and she didn't cry or whine at all. She still is pretty stinkin' proud of her pretty ears and she can't wait to change her earrings in 6 weeks...just in time for the 1st day of Kindergarten.

My Kinda Party....

2011-07-18T10:45:00.001-04:00

Our weekend was anything but ordinary.

The hubs was in Miami for a "work trip." He won a contest at work and the prize was an all expense paid trip to Miami for the weekend. He went deep sea fishing with 5 other guys who also won the trip and they had great time.

I was on the home front with the girls, although I had plans of my own. I had tickets for a sold out concert at my favorite venue on Friday night. So, at 5:00 my friend Liz came over to play with the girls and I met up with some friends and we headed out to see Jason Aldean. The storm clouds were really looming and threatened to make our night really memorable. I figure seeing a concert in pouring rain must be like playing soccer in a downpour...it only makes it better!

These photos are courtesy of my cell phone...

I have never seen so many people at this venue before. Needless to say, the people watching was sublime. And by some freak force of nature it never rained during the show.

We had a great time singing along and screaming when we were supposed to....like when Jason said "How y'all doin' out there on the lawn?"

The lawn is where it's at. We listened to good music and embraced our inner redneck on the lawn that night.

The show was one of the better ones I've been to. If you have no idea who Jason Aldean is, you can read the review here. And, it sure was nice to have a night out with the girls. Of course, getting up with the kids early on Saturday morning wasn't a cake walk, but how can you not smile when this is what you wake up to?

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday - A little bit of Heaven

2011-07-13T09:43:00.000-04:00

"A little bit of heaven

Drifted down from above -

A handful of happiness,

A heart full of love.

The mystery of life,

So sacred and sweet

The giver of joy

So deep and complete.

Precious and priceless,

So lovable, too

The world's sweetest miracle,

Baby girl, is you."

~author unknown

This photo was taken by my friend Becky, on the beach, during the fireworks display. It was chilly, and I was perfectly content to snuggle up with my little girl as the fireworks lit the night sky.

On Independence Day

2011-07-11T12:43:00.002-04:00

Now the Lord is the Spirit,

and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

There is freedom.

~2 Corinthians 3:17

We spent the majority of the day on the 4th of July recuperating from an awesome mini-vacation to Atlanta. I did laundry and cleaned up a bit and we played with the kids, all the while the Hubs and I himmed and hawwed about how we wanted to spend our evening.

We had several options; The first was to meet friends at the beach for fireworks, we've never watched the fireworks from the beach so this seemed enticing. Although, then we deal with the parking issues, the crowds, the sand, the issue getting off of the key and home, so it would be a late night. The second option was to watch the fireworks from the Marina like we usually do. It's a good display, parking is not bad, and the kids could get to bed at a decent hour (since it was a school night and all). The final option, was to skip the fireworks, watch them on TV, and enjoy an evening at home with the family.

Around 4:30 we decided to not decide and instead we would carry out our tradition of eating dinner at our favorite family friendly, locally owned Italian restaurant. We've eaten here many 4th of July's so off we went.

This is the kind of place where the owner immediately brings two plates of hot buttered noodles for the kids the moment you sit down.

But he doesn't charge you for them. It's the kind of place where it's okay if the kids get a little loud, and the older people there actually comment on how cute they are and how well behaved they are even though they aren't whisper quiet.

It's a 4th of July meal of noodles, pizza, and lemonade that is quickly becoming as much a 4th of July tradition as the fireworks themselves.

As we left the restaurant we noticed that the storm clouds were rolling in. Black thunderous clouds coming in from the east that were beginning to drop speckles of rain on our evening. We decided to head to the beach anyway and we would just see what happens.

We arrived just in time to witness a mass exodus as hundreds (not exaggerating here) of beach goers were heading for their vehicles and leaving the lot. Parking was not a problem. We parked and waited. Lightning came, Thunder boomed, and heavy sheets of rain pelted our window. The girls watched Dora for half and hour and then got our of their car seats and began to play in the rear of Hubs' SUV. We saw our friends, who were waiting it out in their truck, they were soaked head to toe, enjoying a brew at their tailgate, and making the most of their time together.

Half an hour later the sheets of rain turned to a drizzle. We put our suits on in the truck and headed out to the beach. The beach was nearly empty. We got a spot for our towels right on the boundary line for the fireworks. We put down our things and headed to the water.

**The rest of these photos were taken by my girlfriend Becky with her iphone. I am so grateful she took some photos. Given the rain and the unpredictable weather I did not bring my DSLR to the beach. I did edit these photos in LR **

The view was surreal. A giant, full arch rainbow stretched before us, and water so warm it was soothing against the cold intermittent mist of rain.

The children did not mind. Here Camdyn plays with her best friend and her little brother.

Chloe Belle was giddy about the beach.

And before we knew it the sun was setting. The kids got out of the water to dry off before the main event.

I had a hard time figuring out which was more spectacular, the sunset or the fireworks...

Then, we sat together as a family and enjoyed the most terrific display of fireworks I have ever seen. They were literally right above our heads. This was Chloe Belle's first fireworks and she kept saying "OH MY GOSH!"

After the fireworks were over, we stayed on the beach for 45 minutes while the kids played with glow sticks and had a snack. It ended up taking us 30 minutes to drive off of the key, and another 20 to get home. The kids were in bed by 11:30 and extremely tired the next day.

But it was worth it a 100x over. The image of that rainbow, the sunset, and the children's faces, and the camaraderie with friends will make this 4th of July one of the best we've ever had.

I say...It becomes tradition.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2011-07-07T02:00:00.001-04:00

Our trip to Atlanta revolved around the great game of baseball. It happened that the Orioles were playing the Braves, and the drive from home to Atlanta was doable. So, we decided to see the Orioles play on the road and we headed north.

We went to the game on Friday night after a day that was spent in the pool and at the mall and even included a fairly significant nap time.

Here Cam dances with Abby as we entered the ballpark. Abby knows the drill and Cam has been to her share of ballgames. But, as best as I can remember, this was Chloe's 2nd game. The first one she attended was in Baltimore right before Abby was born, and she was only 6 months old.

(Her poses kill me. She is beginning to embrace her inner model.)

We arrived in time for the National Anthem and for what Liz & I thought would be a really long game. After the first inning I said, "Even if it all goes down hill from here, at least all 3 kids sat for an entire inning of baseball." Much to our surprise, they were still holding their own in the 5th inning when we decided to reward them with Dip N Dots, which should hold them over until the 7th inning stretch.

The stretch came and went and before we knew it we were looking at the final out. The game was over, the Orioles lost 5-4, but we were ecstatic. We enjoyed an entire game of baseball! Our kids were well behaved, they stayed confined to our row, and we all had a great time. This is the first game that Cam showed real interest in. She wanted to know how it was played, why the players were doing what they did, the Hubs even explained to her that Daddy used to do this and for the first time it clicked.

We headed to the tunnel to meet Uncle JJ after the game was over. We waited for about 20 minutes and then decided we would head back to the hotel and see him in the morning...it was nearly 11pm. However, the huge tears that welled in Cam's eyes at the thought of NOT seeing JJ convinced us to stay, so we did. She greeted him with big hugs and a toothless smile.

Then, we piled 3 very tired children in to the car and headed back to the hotel.

The love of the game must be in their blood. And for the first time, the Hubs enjoyed sharing pieces of his pastime with his girls.

This is a memory to treasure.

Wordless Wednesday - Vacation

2011-07-06T10:01:00.000-04:00

"If you come home as happy as you leave,

you have had a good vacation"

~Author Unknown

Last Thursday, we sent the dog to the kennel, packed the car with suitcases, a travel potty, and scores of toys and drove north to Atlanta, Georgia; Where we met Liz who flew south from Baltimore with Abby and met us at the hotel.
We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead and the girls were immediately enthused. We had adjoining rooms, space for them to play, read books on their own beds, and watch Dora on endless loop.

They enjoyed being in an unfamiliar place and living outside of the schedule.

This vacation was just long enough for us to take a break from the mundane, but short enough that we weren't quite pining to go home.

It was everything a family vacation should be.

**More to come over the next few days.

Flashback Friday - Give Her A Day

2011-07-01T02:00:00.003-04:00

What can you give to one small girl?

A diamond ring, a baton to twirl?

A pretty pink dress with lots of bows,

or dainty sandals that show her toes.

A walk in the woods, a romp in the park,

a shopping trip from dusk till dark?

A shiny new bike, a kitten for a pet?

No, there's still time for such things, yet...

Give her a day of her very own.

Just one small girl and her Dad alone.

Give her the gift that only you can,

the companionship of her old man.

Games are outgrown and toys decay,

but she'll never forget

if you give her a day.

~author Lisa Tasker

I still remember my 8th birthday. My mom bought me a brand new velvet dress that was the deepest shade of purple. It had a lace collar and cuffs and I was given a brand new silver purse to carry. My Daddy picked me up and brought me to eat at the Mayflower Restaurant, which was fine dining at the time. We ate, and I used my very best manners, and then he took me to a Piano concert which was being held in the auditorium at the college that I would end up attending 10 years later. Afterwards he took me to a nightclub, where I sat on top of the baby grand piano, and was sung to by the staff, while I blew out candles on a cake that must have been there waiting for me. He gifted me a pair of 14k gold bow-shaped earrings, which I still have today.

I felt so special and loved that night. The whole world rested on my daddy's shoulders. It was an evening that will always have a special place in my heart.

This is my wish for my daughter on her 8th birthday...an evening of similar splendor, just her and her daddy.

Some traditions must simply carry on.

Kiddie Gaga

2011-06-30T02:00:00.001-04:00

We went to a friend's house on Saturday night. There happens to be a drum set and microphone in their music room. Somehow the microphone and stand found it's way in to the kitchen.

This is what ensued:

I could barely get her to stand still long enough to snap a photo with my camera phone. She was singing and twirling and acting like the rock-star that she is.

I do think that a make-up lesson is in order when she turns 16, although the trip back to 1986 was delightful.

Wordless Wednesday - Generations

2011-06-29T02:00:00.002-04:00

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body.

You are the continuation of each of these people."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

When we were in Illinois a few weeks ago, we finally connected with my grandfather. He was doing yardwork when we pulled in to his driveway and he immediately put down his leaf blower and pulled up a chair.

We spent nearly an hour talking

and sharing that afternoon.

And what a blessing it was,

to spend that time,

four generations together.

Something Good - Cuteness

2011-06-28T02:00:00.005-04:00

I am linking up with LeeAnn today over at The Life of Rylie and Bryce too. If you feel like sharing something good, and spreading some good cheer, head on over there and link up!

For the purposes of this post Good = Cute, so let's just go with it, mkay?

My something cute for the week happened early Monday morning. If Chloe is going to wake up at night she always seems to do it between 3 and 4 am, and usually it's exactly at 3:45 am that I first hear her begin to stir. Lately, though, she hasn't been calling my name, or crying...she's been singing.

Last night at 3something in the morning (I did not reach for my glasses so I have no idea what time the clock actually read) Chloe started her "usual" on the monitor. I listen for a moment and roll over. She continues, over and over, and over again. About 10 mintues later, Hubs turns towards me and mumbles "What exactly is she saying?" Me: "You can't understand that? She's singing, "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." Him: "She is even cute in the middle of the night."

She sure is! I have no idea when she stopped singing, but at some point she did and she fell back asleep. That child makes me smile even when I sleep.

Oh...and we have Pig Tails y'all! Real Pig Tails! It only took her 2 years and 3 months to grow them, but we did it. She still doesn't really like to wear them, but when she does, it's hella cute!

Happy Wednesday!

I Gotta Feeling

2011-06-27T09:54:00.002-04:00

That Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night...

Nearly a week ago Camdyn graduated from pre-school. The children wore the shirts that they tie dyed a few months ago, and they wore their smiles, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

The teachers lined them all up on the stage while cameras flashed and moms waved.

Then a little voice boomed "Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance." My girl commanded every one's attention. She projected her little voice and spoke with authority. I was so proud of her.

Her teacher told me that this is the last year that they will be allowed to say The Pledge of Allegiance and being that this is the last time it will be spoken at a graduation, she wanted to make sure it was done right. She is disheartened about that, I think, and I am too. Our pre-school is at a church, you would think that The Pledge would at least have a place in church...

Then the big class performed their song and Camdyn sat and waited patiently until they finished.

Then, it was her class' turn. All six children stood, the teacher turned on their music, and they began singing their song about the colors of the rainbow and they had sign language for the entire song. Cam looked so cute as she concentrated on all of the signs. She didn't miss a single one.

Then the two classes sang a song together that they wrote themselves to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas...only it was called the Twelve Days of Summer. It was really cute!

Then it was time to receive their certificates or "cer-tif-li-cates" as Cam called it.

And in less than 30 minutes, the sum of 5 years spent learning in pre-school, came to a close. I got choked up a few times...and it was mostly just pride that was lodged at the back of my throat. But, really, I was happy for her. Happy that pre-school has been such a positive experience for her. Happy at how much she has learned and grown, and how loved she has always felt at school over the past 5 years.

We then went to the church courtyard and had cake, cookies, and juice. Cam wore her corsage that I bought her to mark the occasion, but she by-passed on the cake. She just wanted to run around with her friends.

Then, most of the parents packed up their kids and we headed down the road to a pizza joint that also has a mini arcade and an ice cream shop. The kids played games, ran around, ate pizza and played, all while the adults lamented about the Pre-School years over a beer.

As much as Cam will miss the teachers and her classmates as she heads to Kindergarten in the fall, I think I'll miss the friendships that we've built with the families in her class. We'll still get together, though, I think I'll have to host a "reunion" party once a year.

At about 8:45 I headed home with two very sweaty and sleepy little girls, who bypassed the tub, and went straight to bed and didn't bother to wake during the night.

I couldn't imagine a better to close to this chapter.

I gotta a feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night...

PS: V - Thanks for running my video and helping me watch Chloe. This night wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable without your help!

Wordless Wednesday - The Next Chapter

2011-06-22T01:00:00.001-04:00

"I hope your dreams take you...to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."

~Author Unknown

She graduated from Pre-School yesterday. In eight weeks she will be an official Kindergartner. I don't know what exactly I was doing when she did it, but she grew up this year... a lot.

If I could re-live yesterday, like Ground Hog Day, I would. Everything about the day was wonderful.

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

The Reason For Our Trip

2011-06-20T10:57:00.001-04:00

I wrote last week about our experience coming home from our trip, but I never got around to writing about WHY we went on our trip.

We went to Illinois to help Gramma celebrate her retirement. She spent 20 years teaching mostly 3rd grade. Whew. And. Hip Hip Hooray! Camdyn and I flew in at 3:30 that afternoon, and by 6:30 I was dolled up and enjoying adult conversation in an upscale banquet room. And for the first time ever, Camdyn was enjoying one on one time with her other set of grandparents.

Here Mom is beaming after receiving her certificate of excellence, or completion, or both! I like to think that she is smiling because she knows she's going to get to spend more time vacationing at our house now.

I hope she doesn't kill me for posting this blurry photo, but I had to. She is looking at my Stepdad and just finished reading the card he gave her. I don't know what it said, but it must have been pretty sweet, cause Momma's about to cry. He then followed that up with an Ipad 2, so she wasn't teary for long.

Then we woke up to a Saturday morning, with a wide open schedule, and chilly temperatures. We didn't know what we were going to do with the day, but we did know that we wanted doughnuts...and coffee. Well, the local Dunkin Doughnuts was closed, but as we were driving aimlessly in search of another doughnut shop we happened upon Dandy Doughnuts. We pulled in and thought we would give it a try.

It turns out that this is no ordinary doughnut shop...it's special. Special in that it serves Mini-bite sized doughnuts that are virtually calorie free. I'm not lying here...only 185 calories for a half dozen of these scrumptious little bites of heaven. And that's not the only bonus, they are fried in soy bean oil, so no trans fats or cholesterol. Can you hear angels singing? I can.

So, we bought a dozen and grabbed a table toward the back of the shop.

Each table has a game on it. Cam grabbed a deck of cards are we started playing Go Fish. I didn't even know she knew how to play Go Fish with a deck of cards, but she does, and this game took us nearly 45 minutes. 45 minutes that I got to spend sipping coffee, nibbling angelic doughnuts, and enjoying the company of my 5 year old who is growing up faster than I care to think about.

The doughnuts can be pre-dipped with cinnamon sugar, or you can buy a sauce and dip them yourself. Cam was a big fan of the chocolate sauce. She's totally my kid.

We spent about an hour and a half in that little doughnut shop that morning. It was the perfect start to a day that had nothing but unscripted good times lying ahead of it. Don't you just love it when you do something unexpected and it turns out to be so much more fun than you had ever thought?

That was this particular Saturday...and it started at Dandy's Doughnuts.

~if you are ever in the neighborhood stop by and support this family-owned small business. There is no better way to spend your hard earned dollars than in support of the American Dream of the small business owner.

Our next stop was to the local museum...

The Father's Day That Wasn't

2011-06-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

It's odd having Father's Day and not spending it with the Hubs. It's a Sunday, like any other Sunday, we went to church, and to Target, we fingerpainted, baked cupcakes, went to the park and swam in the pool...I took a moment here and there to text Hubs photos of the girls...it is Father's Day afterall, but it just didn't quite feel like it.

Although, we didn't get to spoil him with breakfast in bed, or give him bear hugs in appreciation, I hope he knows just how much we adore him. If I had to pick one quality about him as a Dad that I appreciate the most, it's this:

He is present.

Present in the little moments like showing the girls hermit crabs in a bucket at the beach. He is home just doing the the daily thing with us far more often than he's not. He knows that the impact that we have on these two little lives will be our greatest accomplishment in life. He makes us his priority.

So, I'll write in his card tomorrow, and put the last few touches on his gift, and we'll celebrate soon.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, my Husband, and all the worthy Dads out there who enjoy the gift of children.

Wordish Wednesday - Horse Love

2011-06-15T09:54:00.000-04:00

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact

with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.

~Sharon Ralls Lemon

On Sunday afternoon, Gramma, Cam & I made a spur of the moment stop by the local history museum. "The museum campus consists of a Victorian village with 26 historical buildings filled with artifacts of the era as well as several beautiful 19th century gardens that depict life in northern Illinois from 1890 to 1910. " (Midway Village website).

The paper said there would be a Wild West Show at 2:00 and....horses. We all know how my girl loves horses. We stopped by with no expectations and the "We'll just see what's going on" attitude. We ended up spending hours there.

After the Wild West Show which featured a dozen horses and cowboys shooting balloons, Cam was allowed to pet the horses. There was a boy giving pony rides on his Shetland Pony, but she wanted none of it...she wanted to ride a Quarter Horse. Well, she didn't get to ride around on one, but a very nice cowboy who recognized her love for horses let her sit on his beautiful horse.

This made her day. More photos and details from this event to come.

**Thanks to all who commented on my post yesterday. Although I know I should not have let that lady bother me so much, she did. I appreciate the supportive words and the humor. I am putting it behind me. Much love to all.

True Story: An Elderly Woman Called my Child a Brat on an Airplane

2011-06-14T12:01:00.004-04:00

We are back from our quick trip up north. We spent a lot of time with family, met up with my childhood best friend, and managed to squeeze in quite a few activities. We had a wonderful time. I have photos to share and stories to tell, but not before I share this one. The one that weighs on my soul like a paperweight.

It is 4:00 pm when we board the Allegiant flight headed south from Rockford to St. Pete. We didn't purchase seats so we board toward the end when they open the seating up to families flying with small children. I am happy to find seats toward the front of the plane, close to the lavatory making us the first people off of the plane. We sit in the third row and Camdyn selects the window seat. We settle in, we color until we are instructed to put the tray table up. When we are at cruising altitude Cam takes out her DVD player and she watches a movie, while I delve back in to Water for Elephants, it would be awesome if I could finish this book before we land.

About an hour in to the flight Cam announces that she has to go potty. The lavatory is occupied so I instruct her to go up there and wait and I'll come up when it's her turn. She's standing just two rows ahead of me.  She begins to tinker with the woman's armrest who is sitting on the aisle in the bulk head row. I instruct her to stop, and she does, and then she waits her turn, doing a mild version of the potty dance while she waits. When it's her turn, I get up and help her in to the rest room, I wait outside the door to help her when she needs it. I notice that the woman in the middle seat of the bulk head row is staring at me. I smile warmly. I figure she is curious about Cam, or is interested in how we are juggling the bathroom routine.  She stares the entire time I am standing there.

We take our seats and Cam watches her movie until we are instructed to put the DVD player away and prepare for landing.  At this time Cam notices that there is a little girl sitting directly behind her. They start talking and laughing and playing an "Eye Spy" game. On one occasion I remind Cam to use her inside voice.  They continue to giggle and shriek and Cam announces that she just can't wait to see her Daddy.

We land. I begin to get my bags together and I realize that someone is yelling, so I look up, just in time to connect eyes with the elderly woman who was sitting in the middle seat in the bulk head row. She says, "You have the most annoying kid on the planet." My heart starts racing, my mind begins to swirl. Is she talking to me? I look at Cam, her dark almond eyes are wide, but she says nothing. The woman turns around, so I try to dismiss it. But, she wasn't done. She turns around again and declares, "Oh My God. She has 3!" What? She begins chattering with the women next to her, apparently mistaking other children in the aisle for my children. My heart is thumping. I'm not good with verbal confrontation, but I feel a need to stand up for myself and my daughter. Everyone is watching.

She connects eyes with me a final time. She lifts a crooked, gnarled finger, and points it at Camdyn and says "Your child is a Brat. A Brat. That's all she is. A Brat." I have a lump in my throat and tears welling in my eyes. When I finally speak my voice is an octave higher than it normally is. I manage the words. "She is a child." And, that's the best I can do. I offer no apologies, I do not ask questions, I do not berate her, I can say nothing more. I look at Cam and her eyes are wild, there is fear behind them.  The woman retreats off the plane.

I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, "Don't let that ruin your trip, doll." "I won't" I say, but it already has. I know me. I know this will weigh on my heart. I know I won't be able to shake this off. This was a direct judgement on my parenting skills, or lack of. My mind is swirling. How did we manage to make this woman so angry? We were sitting 2 rows behind her and across the aisle - How did this happen? Was everyone annoyed by my kid?

We gather our suitcases and head down the Jetway. Another woman approaches me and says "it's hard to keep little ones still and quiet the whole flight." I know she was trying to help, but it didn't. She was still and quiet for 90% of the flight.  She was only talking for the last 15 minutes. My stomach churns.

When we are back at the car, I pull Cam in to a hug and tell her that she did a wonderful job on the flight, and that she was well behaved. She said, "Momma. That lady was mean to you. She was a bully." You know what, she was a bully. For some reason pointing fingers and calling a 5 year old names made her feel better. Maybe she felt validated by her judgements, or more important.  The whole spectacle must have given her some sort of perverse pleasure.   I explain to Cam that some people don't find children's laughter enjoyable, and that some people have hearts made of stone. "It's not our fault, Love."

We have an hour car ride home and I replay the situation over and over in my mind. For a split second I wish that Cam wouldn't have gotten so excited toward the end of the plane ride. I wish she was a quiet, demure child and I almost wish her exuberant energy away. Immediately, I hate myself for thinking such thoughts, even for a split second. Those are the qualities about her that I adore. That is who she is, and I love her bubbly energy and her zest for life. And, then I start tearing in to myself, why can't I stand up for myself, why can't I think on my feet in a confrontation, why do I slink down with my tail between my legs unable to offer a defense. Why am I so averse to confrontation?

And then I realize, although God did not grant me the gift of verbal eloquence, especially in a confrontation, he did grant me the gift of composure. After a call to the Bestie and a few tears later, I realize that I set a good example for my daughter. Caught in a hard spot between being a role model, respecting my elders, and standing up for myself, I did the best I could.

Looking back, I realize that woman was glowering at me while Cam used the restroom half way through the flight. She had it out for her then. She wasn't looking at me out of curiosity or because Cam was dressed nicely, she was giving me the evil eye. At that time, the only thing Cam could have done to set her off was tinker with the arm rest on the aisle seat (it wasn't even her arm rest). Her reaction to that slight disturbance was uncalled for and unjustified, and I don't care what a child does, there is no room for name calling.

I prayed for that woman last night. I prayed that the Lord would soften her heart, that he would ease her pains and her frustrations, and whatever ailments she is facing that make her world such a dark and hurtful place. And then I prayed for myself, that God would lift these judgements from my heart, that he would give me peace and restore my confidence in the human race and my own parenting skills. And, then I offered thanks for the fact that my husband was not on the plane when the incident occurred. As deficient as my verbal skills are, my husband makes up for it ten fold. He cares not what people around him think. His words are quick and on point. Had he been there, it would have gotten ugly. The woman would not have gotten the last word, and I'm sure that the Hubs would have ended up zip tied to a chair and Camdyn probably would have been terrified by a confrontation of that proportion.

I expect after incidences like this one, and the one at Chick Fil A last June, I will eventually find my voice.

No one ever said it would be easy.

And We're Off...

2011-06-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

Chug-a-Chug-a-Chug-a-Chug-a-Choo Choo

Well, actually, it's more like Vvvvrroooommm, cause we will be traveling by airplane instead of by train.

But, nonetheless, we are off to Gramma's house. Well, actually, half of us are off to Gramma's house and half of us are manning the homestead.

I'm going to miss this Sweetpea while I'm gone.

(Love how her wittle toe is curled under in this photo)

But, she's going to have a great time with her Daddy. They'll swim, they'll eat out, and she'll get to play with whatever toy she wants without the threat of a 5 year old tearing it from her grasp.

And the TVs will be all theirs. He'll get to watch as much ESPN, SportsCenter, and Basketball playoffs as he wants.

And she'll get to watch Dora over and over again without having to stop so Sissy can watch one of her her shows.

I imagine that they are just as excited about our trip as we are.

Cam and I will be having a similar amount of fun that is entirely different. We'll be busy, on the go, eating out and visiting family and friends. We'll spend just 3 nights away from our own beds, it'll be a quick trip, but a fun one.

Just me and my oldest girl jet-setting north, making memories and enjoying each other's undivided attention.

We'll be seeing you on the flip side of the weekend. Have a great one!

One more time...

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

My kids are getting older. Now, they aren't old by any means, but the moments spent rocking and soothing children to sleep are few and far in between.

I always cherished the times when Chloe Belle would fall asleep in my arms in the rocking chair; the sounds of her baby breath, the rise and fall of her chest, the heaviness of her toddler weight as I lifted her in to her crib. Those moments are now a rarity. More often then not, I'll start to rock, I'll kiss her cheeks, and close my eyes, and before I completely relax a little voice will say "I go bed now."

And it's over.

I sit her up, lay her down, whisper my Love You's and Good Nights, and shut the door.

In the blink of an eye the hallmark of babydom became a memory....until she got sick. This past Saturday Chloe caught a bug which resulted in a few vomit episodes and a tummy ache. We spent most of the day at the house watching Dora and relaxing. And for about 20 minutes, she snoozed on my chest before she woke up and asked for more Dora.

Not that I would ever wish a tummy ache on a child, but it sure was nice to have that feeling back, even for just 20 minutes.

(note: The hubs picked up my camera and snapped the first photo. It was set on manual and came out horribly, so I had to edit it back to decency. The second one he took on Auto and I had a hard time getting my edits to match...this irks me.)

Wordless Wednesday - Ocean Love

2011-06-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on,

long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”

~Author Unknown

Something Good - Gymnastics

2011-06-07T11:50:00.000-04:00

Camdyn has participated in gymnastics a handful of times. We tried it at the local YMCA when she was three, and then we took a break, we tried it again about six months later, and then we took a break. We tried when she was 4 1/2 at a local (and expensive) kid's gym and then we took a break. Each and every time Camdyn would get bored after 2 or 3 lessons.

The child has a natural ability and the circuit style classes were a breeze for her. She would get impatient waiting for her turn. She would jump off the beam and bypass kids who were struggling with balance. The classes didn't move quickly enough and didn't offer enough variety to keep her intrigued. Of course, this resulted in her not doing what she was supposed to be doing. Suddenly she'd morph in to a T-Rex in the middle of class and she'd be stomping around with her short arms, and two fingered claws out and Rrrraaarrr'ing at everyone. It was a struggle for me to watch and definitely a struggle for the teacher.

After begging to do gymnastics again, I thought we should let her try and so I signed her up (again) for a class at the YMCA. Much to my surprise, this class, filled with older pre-schoolers, clips along at a pace that keeps Cam interested. The circuits are harder, and once one skill is achieved a new one is presented. They don't wait for the whole class to get it, they teach more to each child....ahhhh.

Last night I had the pleasure of watching my nearly 5 1/2 year old beam on the beam as she accomplished a forward roll (with help of course). I smiled from ear to ear when she waved at me for my attention and approval and when she would shout "Watch this Momma!" from across the gym.

In the car on our drive home she said, "I am so proud of myself." "As well you should be, you did a fantastic job!" I don't know if she'll want to continue with gymnastics for the longer term or not, but for now, I'm celebrating the fact that she loves it, and that she looks forward to her classes, and that she is proud of herself. There are few gifts greater in life than self-esteem and self-confidence.

Feel free to link up your Something Good for the week with LeeAnn.

Fifteen Minutes to Paradise

2011-06-06T10:13:00.001-04:00

Which is pretty much how long it takes us to drive from our front door to The Number One rated Beach in the US. Says Who? Says Dr. Beach...and I'm guessing since he is a doctor of beaches, then he pretty much knows what he is talking about in his infamous Top 10 Beaches of 2011 List.

So, there the beach sits, and we rarely visit. The thing is....no matter how nice the beach is, it's sandy and it's messy, and this time of year it's really hot. I drag my feet about going to the beach...but when I get there...

It's a slice of heaven.

It's clear blue water. Water just cool enough to refresh, but warm enough to enjoy.

It's powdered sand between your toes and time spent looking for shells and hermit crabs. It's sunshine and giggles, saltwater, and fresh air.

It's God's best antidote for stress.

On Saturday evening, we spent time together as a family at the beach. The girls were content to dip their toes in the water for about 20 minutes before they both begged for swimsuits. They combed the beach for seashells and sharks teeth. They went with their daddy out to the sand bar about 20 yards off the beach. We enjoyed ourselves.

As we piled back in the car, I declared again, for the hundredth time, that we really need to do this more often. The sand, the mess, the slight inconvenience of driving over the draw bridge to get there...is all worth it. It's worth it to hear the giggles of delight as my girls run from waves. It's worth it to see their eyes alive with anticipation and wonderment. It's worth it to connect as a family.
And, I'm fairly certain that we'll be making the fifteen minute drive to paradise a tad more often.

SOOC Saturday - Breakfast Time

2011-06-04T09:40:00.000-04:00

My Little Girl has her favorite things for Breakfast....yogurt and a handful of pacis.

If you'd like to participate in SOOC Saturday, please click on the button and link up your straight out of the camera shot with Sassy!

Time...

2011-06-03T10:52:00.000-04:00

“I cannot promise very much.

I give you the images I know.

Lie still with me and watch.

We laugh and we touch.

I promise you love. Time will not take that away.”

~Anne Sexton

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday - Flea Bag

2011-06-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

Well, it's just one of those weeks...Tuesday felt like Monday and everything is running a day behind.

It's a good thing she is so cute...cause she has fleas.

Happy Thursday Y'all!

To Remember

2011-05-29T08:30:00.002-04:00

It was about 7:15 on Saturday evening when we pulled in to our local National Cemetery. It's a tiny piece of land on the outskirts of town, that we just happened to drive by several weeks ago on one of our "let's drive around because the kids fell asleep" rides through the country. On this night, we didn't just drive by, we drove in. We drove in with a purpose...

To Remember.

As Camdyn hopped out of the car she asked me if she could go play. "No, you may not. This is not a place to play, this is a place to remember the soliders that died for our freedoms. This is a place where we pay respect to our soliders." "What soliders Momma?" "The ones that are memorialized, or buried here."

And then we began to walk down the wide aisle in the middle of the grounds. She asked me what each solider's name was and which war he fought in. "His name was Edward, and he was born in 1939, and he fought in the Korean war...he had a long life." She carefully looked at each stone that lined the aisle, careful not to walk between them.

She learned today that our freedom is not free. She learned that soliders make a sacrifice and that sometimes they don't get to come back home. She learned how to pay respect today.

As we turned to leave, with tears in her eyes she said, "I'm worried for these soliders, Momma."

"Yes, my love. We worry for them and we are grateful for them."

SOOC Saturday - Remembrance

2011-05-28T22:16:00.001-04:00

I've been trying to participate in my girl Sassy's weekly meme, but just haven't quite gotten it together enough to remember to blog on a Saturday. So, it figures that this week she's taking the holiday weekend off, and here I am ready to finally link up.

This evening we went to our National Cemetery to Remember....She doesn't remember, she doesn't even know the significance of Memorial Day, yet she gets it...

SOOC (Straight out of the camera):

Thanks, Sassy for the opportunity to see beauty in my photos just the way they are. It's a wonderful thing when you can appreciate a photo without feeling the need to edit it into perfection.

Join Sassy next week for SOOC Saturday!

When the Blanket Obsession Evolves

2011-05-26T06:00:00.002-04:00

Chloe has always been my binkie and blankie baby. We have two copies of her treasured pink and multi-colored polka dot blanket that you saw in yesterday's photos.

But sometimes playing with blankie just isn't good enough, and playing with a queen sized flat sheet is more fun.

Chloe spent 20 minutes (and I'm not exaggerating here) laying this sheet out on our dining room floor. Yes, there is a playhouse in our dining room instead of a table. The playhouse gets more use than a dining room table would at this junction in our lives. Momma dreams of a beautiful table...one day.

Anyway, with the utmost care, Chloe spread this sheet out on the floor. She walked around it and smoothed all the wrinkles, only to reposition is slightly, and have to re-wrinkle smooth.

And, then it was nap time, and she decided the sheet should accompany her instead of her blankie.

When I look at this photo, I see bride, and wedding dress train, instead of baby and blankie.

She gathered it all up in to a big giant ball of Jersey Cotton sheeting and she heaved it in to her crib.

Where she slept on top of it until 3:30.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Wordless Wednesday - When Dads Grow Up

2011-05-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

Well I'm a grown man but as strong as I am,

sometimes its hard to believe,

How one little girl with little blonde curls,

Can totally terrify me.

If you were to ask my wife would just laugh,

She'd say, "I know all about men,

And how tough little boys grow up to be Dads

They turn into be babies again."

Well I know one day I'll give you away,

And I'm gonna stand there and smile.
But when I get home and I'm all alone,
Well I'll sit in your room for a while.

Well I didn't cry when Old Yeller died,

At least not in front of my friends.
But when tough little boys grow up to be dads
They turn into be babies again.
~Tough Little Boys by Gary Allen

Something Good - Sleepovers!

2011-05-24T09:07:00.001-04:00

Last Friday night, Camdyn had a friend sleepover for the 2nd time. They swam, they played, and at eleven o'clock I had to convince them to unwind and settle down for bedtime. We pulled out the bed that was hiding in the couch, and made them a cozy and fun place to sleep. We brought the nightlight down from Camdyn's bedroom and we tucked them in. When I left them for the night they were huddled around the night light singing the Tangled theme song, like the light was a lantern. (CUTE).

They woke with the sun and immediately started playing while Tastefully Simple Cinnamon Muffin Melts baked in my oven.

As she grows and her baby years tumble further down memory lane; with every tooth lost (we are currently at 4) and every vivid and accurate memory she shares with me; I become even more keenly aware - raising children is a dynamic and evolving experience; with every milestone I am sad to see pass, there is a new one emerging from around the bend.

It simply gets better all the time.

You can link up your Something Good with LeeAnn over at the Life of Rylie...and Bryce Too.

In Love with My World

2011-05-23T09:50:00.002-04:00

This weekend I had planned to dress the girls up and take them to the park for photos. It has been on my to-do list for a few weeks now, and I'm trying to squeeze it in before the weather becomes deplorably hot.

Once again, I wasn't able to follow through. I favored being at home this weekend, relaxing on the couch and watching the Preakness with my girls, who love horsies and who watched and cheered them on with intensity.

We played with our toys, swam in the pool, and ate dinner together at home - TWICE - as a family. I can't remember the last time we didn't eat at least one weekend dinner out.

And, as much as I would love to take photos of the girls at the park, when it comes down to it, I think I want more photos that remind me of moments like this:

A tiny tot sitting at a high top table, legs too short to even come close to touching the footrest. A snack time where Mrs. Potato Head is the honored guest, as well as a doggie who is waiting patiently for a Cheerio to hit the floor. A moment that is real, a moment that was made at home, a moment that is just a day in the life of a toddler...a moment that I will miss desperately 10 years from now.

And, although, I still want to take pictures in the park, I am finding that the simple photos of simple moments taken in our most treasured spot in the world, have much more meaning and value to me than photos taken in a park.

I am in love with my world (and the glorious natural light that flows through my house).

Wordless Wednesday - My Girl

2011-05-18T09:49:00.002-04:00

Armed with a Popsicle in the Light of the Setting Sun,

She Melts My Heart

Something Good - They're Back

2011-05-17T10:49:00.000-04:00

Ah, Tuesday, the sweet spot in the week where I get to focus on something good. This past weekend we spent time with Auntie Liz and Abby who were in town visiting home for the weekend. We spent a part of everyday day together from Wednesday through Saturday.

We ate out at our favorite cafe, we indulged in late night (okay, it was only 8 o'clock) ice cream together.

We had a swim date, that also involved pizza, and Popsicles.

Here Abby & Chloe show off their Puddle Jumpers. Chloe really liked Abby's turtle Puddle Jumper

and after Abby took it off, Chloe asked to wear it.

They enjoyed the heat and the water, sleeping in their own beds, the sweet tea, and just being home.

We enjoyed their company, the conversation, the opportunity to switch baby dolls and share (which the girls did a pretty good job with), and having friends over.

Note: This photo was wrecked, and it still kind of is. Before I edited it, the top half of the photo was completely blown out due to the bright sunlight. I found a button in LR that said Filter and I ended up filtering the top half of the photo and dropping the exposure and brightness. This made the water turn black, but hey, you can see faces now. One day I'll figure this out...baby steps. Tips anyone?

It was so nice to have them home for the weekend. To have some adult time together on Saturday night, without kids and to enjoy a ballgame, a concert, and a great meal with new and old friends.

And, I think the Littles enjoyed it too. They are too little to communicate that they miss each other, but Chloe has been asking for Abby and her baby doll every day since Friday.

Our friendship has bloomed... and theirs is blossoming.

Link up your Something Good with LeeAnn at the Life of Rylie...and Bryce Too!

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

2011-05-13T14:33:00.000-04:00

I Pray the Lord My Soul To Keep

Guide and Guard Me Through the Night

(she's patting my back and saying "Lay Your Head Down Mommy"

And Wake Me With the Morning's Light

(She's telling Sissy to SHHHHH. Mommy's sleeping)

Amen.

Wordless Wednesday - Eyes

2011-05-11T09:48:00.000-04:00

"For I dipped into the future, far as human eye could see, Saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be."

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Something Good - Target Brand Diapers

2011-05-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

About a month ago I wrote about Chloe using the potty for the first time. She did it unprompted and unassisted and pretty much took us by surprise. I decided I would follow her lead. In the past month she showed minimal interest in going potty on the potty...until Thursday. On Thursday, she wore undies to school all day and had one accident. On Friday, she had no accidents, on Monday she stayed dry all day and during nap time. Say What? Yeah, I know. I can hardly believe it myself. So, at 2 years and 6 weeks of age, Chloe is about 50% potty trained. She still needs to get the No. 2 down (I fear she is holding it). And I don't expect that staying dry all night long will happen anytime soon.

I credit two things with Chloe's keen interest and quick adaptation to the potty:

1) Her Sister - nothing like a pint sized role model to set the example
2) Target Brand Diapers

At the suggestion of fellow blogger T. Bird. I decided I would try Target Brand Diapers. I used Swaddlers until Chloe was about 6 months old and then I thought, hey, why not switch and see what happens. So, I purchased one tiny pack of Target diapers and a case of Huggies Overnights. I worried that Chloe would get a rash at night if she was sleeping in a less than a PREMIUM diaper. It worked. Chloe never got a rash during the day, and I was saving oodles of money - 148 diapers for $19.99...you have to be kidding me! As Chloe got older I got more adventurous and she started sleeping in them too. No leaks, no rashes to speak of (well, that were the diapers fault anyway - if you have explosive poo it's going to leak out Pampers or not). Granted they feel funny to the touch when they are full, but Chloe didn't seem to mind.

I believe now that she is 2, she is starting to mind. She doesn't like the sensation against her skin and she doesn't want a diaper. She wants her teeny tiny Hello Kitty undies, and she wants to potty on the potty. SA-WEEEEEE-TTTT! I'm going to get to stop buying diapers sooner than I expected. These Target diapers are saving me money all over the place!

If you haven't tried them you should :)

So, that's my something good!

My Kid Flashed the Congregation...on Mother's Day

2011-05-09T13:42:00.004-04:00

And I couldn't be prouder.

Sunday morning was the last day of Children's Choir at Church and also the last time the children sang in the traditional service. The last time Cam sang in this service I had to bribe her to wear the out-dated and musty choir robe. I can't say I really blame her. She didn't want to cover up her cute little dress with a hideous white cotton robe with blue lapels and huge blue cuffs at the wrists.

Yesterday, she donned the robe on without me having to ask and as hideous as it was, she still looked so cute in it. I was asked to help out in the Pre-K class, so I stayed in the chapel and watched the children rehearse their song and then assisted in walking them over to the sanctuary. Cam held my hand the entire time. As I directed her to her spot on the stage, I took my spot stage right, and out of view of the video camera (this Momma does not need to be on TV) to watch the children sing.

All was going as planned and the children were almost through the 2nd verse...they were singing...

"Jesus loves, Jesus loves, me, me, me,

It's written in the bible you see, see, see,

The bible tells me so,

And I know, I know, I know

Jesus, loves, Jesus, loves, me, me, me."

Camdyn was sailing through it. She was standing there with her hands at her sides and she was paying attention to the choir director, and then suddenly she became possessed with the spirit of Marilyn Monroe. Think white dress, standing over an air vent, only it's a white choir robe and she's at the mercy of her own hands.

During the last "me, me, me" Camdyn takes her hands, which were griping the sides of her choir robe...and her dress....and makes a big ole rainbow with her hands,
Me.
Me.
Me.
From left, to right, to left, in perfect rhythm with the song. It was like she was doing the "can can" for a moment. Everyone in the congregation let out a HUGE, collective, chuckle.

Now, I was watching from the side view, so I don't really know how much the congregation saw of Camdyn, but gathering from their response, I assume it wasn't totally indecent (good thing we make it a practice to ALWAYS wear shorts under our dresses), and the cuteness factor was definitely off the charts.

Honestly, there is just no containing her personality. She tried to stifle it but at the very end it comes tumbling out. As we walked back to the chapel I praised her and made no mention of the slightly indecent, but hilarious mishap.

I might, however, have to re-think how much Dancing with the Stars she watches.

Happy Monday!

The Doggy Paddle is My Best Stroke

2011-05-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

Quite literally.

I grew up in the MidWest. Our opportunity to swim and engage in water activities was pretty much restricted to 2 1/2 months of the year. Even with a giant in ground swimming pool in our backyard, I never did quite master the concept of holding my breath under water. I flail. I struggle. But, I certainly can get myself from point A to point B...usually holding on to a noodle, but whatever.

The hubs is a water baby. He grew up on the coast in San Diego. Water was an everyday part of his life. He played water polo and made the All American Water Polo team in college. The man can swim. He can do egg beaters in the water endlessly. He can do flip turns, and he cuts through water like a dolphin.

My kids got his athletic ability. I didn't realize how great my 5 year old is at swimming until I watch her with other children her age. She holds her breath, she retrieves matchbox cars from the bottom of our pool, she dives in headfirst. The hubs chucks her in the air and she canon balls to the bottom of the pool. She is fearless and comfortable in the water.

Of course, Chloe Belle watches big Sissy and she wants to do everything just like her. We recently purchased Puddle Jumpers for her at our local Target. After she began saying "MYSELF" in the water and refused to let anyone touch her, we decided that she needed some sort of floatation device. The Puddle Jumpers rock our world. Daddy now has freedom to play with Camdyn in the water, and Chloe has the freedom to float and kick and get out of the pool on her own. She also jumps off the side on her own too. She holds her breath, disappears under the water, and then surfaces with the proudest look on her face. Getting her to put the thing on is sometimes a struggle, but she sure is happy once she is swimming all by herself in the pool.

This is how we will be spending Mother's Day this year and that suits me just fine!

I hope you enjoy your Mother's Day weekend!

Wordish Wednesday - When Bloggy Friends Meet

2011-05-04T10:52:00.000-04:00

"You can pick your nose, and you can pick your friends, but you can't wipe your

friends on the couch."

~Ryan Seacrest

Ha! Nothing like a photo of a 2 year old picking a gorilla statue's nose to get the day started right.

Last Saturday, we met up with LeeAnn and her adorable family at Busch Gardens. LeeAnn and I met through blogging and being that we live in the same state, we had a connection. I love that she always responds via email to every comment, and through that means we found out that we have quite a bit in common. We met for the first time last summer, and just a few months ago we began planning another meet up. We decided that Busch Gardens would be a perfect place to meet and enjoy some family time.

We visited the gorilla/monkey exhibit while we waited on our friends to arrive. I love the early morning sun in this photo.

When our friends showed up we saw the elephants and then headed to the carousel. Rylie has the most beautiful blue eyes and she was a big fan of the ride, while Bryce was not.

Then, Daddy took Cam to ride the loop-de-loop roller coaster, and Chloe & Rylie rode this little airplane. I was a bit freaked out that Chloe would get anxious and try and climb out, so I buckled her in tightly and she enjoyed her ride.

We ate lunch, saw the tigers, and then headed to the splash pad so the kids could get wet. This is the only photo I have with all 4 kids in it. Amazing how hard it is to capture kids with the chaos of a theme park swirling around them.

Bryce was in his element in the water. He splished and splashed and appeared to be loving it. Somehow the one year old was the only one who stood still long enough for a decent-ish photo.

Before I knew it the afternoon was drawing to a close. LeeAnn and I did manage to squeeze in a few conversations and the kiddos were really well behaved all day. We decided that we should try and meet up a little more often.

Several weeks ago I received an email from my girl Sassy. She has a beautiful blog, family, and faith, and I have been reading her story for well over a year. I was drawn to her writing style, her faith in the Lord, and her story. I read about her 2 lb miracle baby, O, who is now a thriving 3 year old. I read about her testimony, her trials, and her decision to leave the Mormon faith. I followed her pregnancy with her 4th child in 6 years, and we developed a friendship.

So, imagine my surprise when she emailed me and mentioned that she is in town on vacation! Eeekk! What are the odds??? So, I invited them over to swim. I figured with 6 kids total, it might be easier to have them confined to a house/pool versus chasing them around a park or the beach.

It worked out well, Camdyn and Sassy's oldest boy got along really well. They enjoyed holding hands and jumping in the pool together over and over again.

And much to my surprise, Chloe got along brilliantly with O. We all know that Chloe can be feisty and high strung, but she wasn't that way with O at all. Chloe even SHARED Baby's stroller with her...and we all know that Chloe doesn't typically share anything related to baby.

I joked to Sassy that Chloe must feel O's sweet and gentle spirit and it must calm her.

And, then there is Sassy's youngest boy, who did nothing but smile and look adorable the entire afternoon. I could have eaten him right up!

If you want to read more about Sassy's vacation and our meet up you can go here.

I believe the Lord sometimes works people in to your life for different reasons. Whether I've met my friends the conventional way or through the the wide world that is blogging and Internet social media, they all have a place and a purpose and just like the rest of my IRL friends, I'm thankful for them.

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!

Sumpin Good - It's Been A Year

2011-05-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

My Something Good this week, is something my Big. It's been over a year since I penned this post about my Father's struggles with addiction. I wrote that letter to him last April in a state of helplessness as I fought my own emotional battle between anger and sympathy. Shortly after I wrote that letter he landed in the hospital again and battled through a detox that nearly killed him. I visited him for what I thought might be the last time. He vowed not to drink again.

And, then in October we took our family to the "Norf" to visit fall, the apple orchards, and grandparents. I was ecstatic about all that had changed in him. He was once again the Daddy I knew.

The Lord has helped him fight his battle with addiction. His faith, his desire to be healthy, and his love for his family has persevered.

And, this week, we celebrate one year of sobriety. That is definitely something good.

Now, we want to hear about something good in your life. Visit LeeAnn and link up.

Wordless Wednesday - Childhood

2011-04-27T11:40:00.000-04:00

A childhood is what anyone wants to remember of it. It leaves behind no fossils,

except perhaps in fiction.

~Carol Shields

Something Good - My two

2011-04-26T10:01:00.003-04:00

Today I'm linking up with LeeAnn and participating in her new meme. The point is to highlight something good in your day, week, life, in order to get the positive energy flowing and just to make the world a little bit brighter. So often we read stories of tragedies, the evening news capitalizes on our fears, and when you add it all up, the amount of negative and disturbing information that we process on a daily basis is cause for all of us to become afflicted with anxiety disorders and panic attacks.

My MIL (God rest her soul) used to always say, "Carol! Stop putting that negating Sh!t out there. Positive thoughts bring positive results." I think she was right. So, here we go...Imma about to tell you somethings that are good!

This morning, I was witness to the cutest thing ever:

The clock reads 7:30 am, it's time to load up the truck to leave for school. As I'm pouring my cup of coffee for the road I hastily shout to the girls that it is time to brush teeth because we need to leave. They both scamper off to the bathroom. I follow to "load" their toothbrushes (it's a lot less messy when momma does it) and then ask them to brush. Chloe quickly follows this with a "no." I shake my head. "Can Momma please help you brush?" "no." I leave the bathroom. I'm trying to figure out if I really want to fight this battle this morning. I stir the creamer in my coffee, and as I walk back down the hallway to the bathroom I hear a 5 year old voice say, "Chloe show me your cheese face. No, Chloe. Like this. Do this." I walk in and find Camdyn diligently brushing Chloe's teeth. She hit every angle, she brushed every tooth and Chloe stood there patiently while Sissy brushed her teeth.

Make My Heart Sing.

In other news that makes me happy. I'm really looking forward to our trip to Busch Gardens with LeeAnn and her family this Saturday. It's been on my calender for months and I'm excited that we are finally connecting again. And, this Momma is having a Girl's Night Out on Saturday night too with the O Squad. The two girls that I've known the longest here, the girls that have been there through thick and thin. The girls that have their place in this post about how important every friendship is. I'm sure a night will be had.

So, that's the sunshine in my life right now. I hope you take a minute to Thank God for all of your blessings and embrace Something that is Good.

Thanks, LeeAnn for this link up....I already feel like my day is off to a better start :)

Easter Makes Me Homesick

2011-04-25T11:10:00.001-04:00

When I was little we always spent Easter down on the Farm. We would spend the afternoon with all of our cousins and relatives. We would play basketball in the hayloft and push each other on the tire swing. We would indulge in a huge pot luck style early dinner and then it would be nap time. The kids would all tromp up the old wooden staircase and rush to lay down on old creaky box spring beds and nap so the Bunny would hop by and leave us treasures outside. Easter was not only about celebrating the fact that He Has Risen, but it was also about family...faith and family.

I think for that reason, I always get a little homesick on this holiday (of course, the fact that SHE just left makes the holiday hard too). I miss my family. I mourn the fact that my children won't grow up with similar memories. They didn't spend Easter surrounded by extended family, or even friends that might as well be family. We spent the holiday alone...a family of four, which should be plenty. I should be reveling in the fact that we are creating our own little traditions instead of lamenting on Easters past, egg hunts that we no longer participate in and family style dinner invitations that don't come our way. I should be happy that my kids are healthy, and we are having quality family time, but somehow there is a touch of sadness in what we miss while living so far away from family.

So, we made the best out of it, despite the fact that our A/C unit on our 1st floor stopped working mid-day on Saturday, despite the fact that it was 83 degrees and HUMID in our house all day long, despite the fact that it rained, and that Publix closed before I got French Bread to complete the meal that Stouffer's made for me. My children didn't know the difference and they enjoyed themselves.

Thursday night, we dyed eggs with Daddy.

See that tooth on the bottom right. Its days are numbered.

I love this photo. The egg somehow ended up in perfect focus. This was Chloe's first egg dying adventure. She caught on quickly.

As the sun set, we left our eggs to dry and took a dip in the pool before bedtime.

Church was a highlight of our Easter morning. The girls looked so cute in the coordinating dresses. Hubs tried his best to get everyone to look at him for the photo. I had 10 pictures to choose from, everyone took turns looking odd, I chose to the post the one that I looked the least odd in. :)

After nap time it was time for our egg hunt. We did it indoors this year. It turns out that the bunny brought a lot of chocolate and well, that would just be messy outside.

Chloe finds an egg hidden under Elmo's arm.

Oh the expression! Cam found an egg hidden in the chair. Is it just me, or does she look about 8 years old in this photo? She also slept over at a friend's house on Friday night. She never cried, she never asked to come home, and she can't wait to do it again. It's like she grew up overnight.

My whole world and some baskets.

Oh dear, this is her "cheese" face.

The bunny brought her bubbles and she was over the moon about them.

And here she is wishing that the A/C was working. I feel ya, Chloe.

After exchanging a string of emails with a friend this morning about our holiday and the way we like to spend it. I've decided that next year I will make a more concentrated effort to celebrate Easter the way that makes me happiest, to continue creating our own traditions, and that it's okay for my children's memories to differ from my own.
I hope you had a wonderful Easter.
He has Risen Indeed.

Wordish Wednesday - Please Take Me Home and Love Me

2011-04-20T10:19:00.002-04:00

I was passing by a toy shop

On the corner of the Square

Where a little girl was looking

In the window there

She was looking at a dolly

In a dress of rosy red

And around the pretty dolly

Hung a little sign that said:

Shake me, I rattle

Squeeze me, I cry

Please take me home and love me...

They were closing up the toy shop

As I hurried thru the door

Just in time to buy the dolly

That her heart was longing for

Shake me, I rattle

Squeeze me, I cry

Please take me home and love me

And I gave her the dolly

That we both had longed to buy

Shake me, I rattle

Squeeze me, I cry

Please take me home and love me

Song "Shake Me I Rattle"
1962
by Marion Worth

This song takes me back to my childhood. My father used to sing it to me as often as I'd request it. I have no idea how my father knew the lyrics to this Christmas song about a little girl who longed for a doll. But he knew them, and he sang them, and if I was able to sing without my children saying "MOMMA! stop singing!" then I'd be singing it to my girls too.

Wonderful memories, Daddy, of a childhood well spent.

Boys Will Be Boys - Photo Preview

2011-04-19T09:41:00.001-04:00

Every now and then someone will ask me to take some pictures for them, and I jump at the chance. It means I get to spend a solid hour doing something I like to do. I get to practice my hobby and each and every time I learn something. It's the best way for me to grow and it gives my girls a break from the camera.

Such was the case last Sunday evening when I met V and her boys down at the Marina for a mock photo session.

The weather was perfect and the smiles were everywhere.

And, this just might be my favorite photo from the evening. Pure joy, real smiles that result only from belly laughs and hilarium. I love the way big brother has his hand on little brother's shoulder, and how Momma is laughing with her boys. This photo is SOOC. I sharpened it a little for the web, but I couldn't bring myself to edit it. I think it's lovely the way it is, it is an exact picture of the moment.

And boys will be boys and they enjoyed playing on a sculpture in the middle of the park.

Ahhh, hands in his pockets....

Big Brother asked me if I wanted to see his silly face. Of course I did!

I'm a sucker for pictures from behind. So little, and such a wide world infront of them.

This couldn't get anymore picturesque...water, rocks, bridge, sailboat, and a partially toothless grin.

Our final photo of the evening...

Thanks for the opportunity, V!

Okay, so now will you put the lid down?

2011-04-18T10:54:00.000-04:00

I think we all have a short-list of irksome spousal habits. The ones at the top of my list are opening cabinets, cupboards, and doors and forgetting to shut them. This usually results in me either hitting my head on an open cupboard, or simply having to shut it to do what I need to do. If you open it, then shut it already. It's terribly annoying and sometimes painful. And, I suppose piggy backing on that would be the whole leaving the toilet seat up thing....a similar breed of annoyance only filthier.

With two kids, I'm awoken nearly every night. Most nights I don't have to get out of bed, but I wake, and toss and turn, and peer at the video monitor while I assess whether or not Chloe Belle will fall back asleep. And, it's also not uncommon for Camdyn to wander down the stairs in the wee morning hours and crawl in to bed with us. Of course, before we allow this we instruct her to use the potty, which she does.

Last night, this was our scenario:
A little voice moans from our bedroom door. "Camdyn, go potty." She flicks on the bathroom light and I hear her rustling around in my bathroom and then suddenly a little voice cries out, "Momma. I need help. Momma. I fell in the potty and I'm all wet." Hubs groans and turns over, I get out of bed to assess the situation. Sure enough, the seat is in the upright position, and Cam's nightgown is soaked with toilet water. Ugh. For, the love, it's 6 am. So, I instruct her to sit tight while I trudge upstairs to find her new bed clothes. When, I return she is sleeping on the bathmat in front of our shower. I re-dress her and we both climb in to bed....for 15 minutes of peace before the alarm begins signaling the start of a Monday morning.

As the Hubs and I did our dance around each other in the bathroom I asked him...."So, you think you can manage to put the seat down before we lose another kid in the toilet?" Hubs, "Girls, so demanding.....I suppose." Cause, I tell you what, the next time the potty swallows a little girl, he'll be cleaning it up.

Happy Monday, Y'all!

What a Tangled Web We Weave

2011-04-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Tangled...but not like that.

Last Friday night, Camdyn hosted her first ever "party" which was not related to a birthday.

We had ourselves a Tangled in 3D pajama party with two of Camdyn's pre-school friends. Cam's uncle JJ pre-ordered the Tangled DVD as part of her Christmas present last year, and when the box arrived from Amazon we couldn't wait to let her open it. She watched the regular version over and over that weekend, and then the party planning began, so we put the movie away for a week so she would be excited to watch it with her friends on Friday night.

And, boy were they excited.

We started the evening off with playtime until the sun set, because 3D movies are that much awesomer in total darkness.

Then, we opened a gift from Miss Becky. She bought all of the girls tiny Rapunzel dolls, which they LOVED and played with all night long.

Then, Chloe went to bed, and the lights were turned down, and our living room transformed in to a movie house.

The girls ate popcorn, and drank lemonade out of Rapunzel cups with purple bendy straws. They giggled, and sang along with the movie. They cheered, and covered their eyes, and comforted each other when things got a little scary. They ate ice cream sundaes and stayed up way past their bedtimes. They enjoyed themselves to the hilt.

I'm looking forward to more times like these, times spent with older kids who carry on their own conversations, kids who are building friendships, discovering the world, and exerting true independence. I'm looking forward to more play dates, and sleepovers, and being the Momma that is down for that in a moment's notice.

With every age and stage there are perks....and this is one of them.

Wordless Wednesday - Success

2011-04-13T09:29:00.000-04:00

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

~ Bill Cosby

On Sunday, we attended a birthday party at a local mini-arcade. Chloe took to skee-ball, although her little arms couldn't quite push or throw the ball all the way up the alley.

So, she climbed right up on the lane and shortened the distance.

And, she found the joy of success.
Happy Wednesday, Y'all!