Focused

 GG is painting something very important and has no time for her silly mommy trying to take her picture.

" GG can you look at mommy and smile for a picture?"

"GG can you look at mommy?"

" GG, look at mommy."

"Come on GG, look at me and smile. Please!"

"Now smile please, smile for mommy."

"OK, show me your teeth!"

And...

we're done.

Babysitting 101

Sophie had her first paid babysitting gig on Saturday. It was for GG, but it was paid. I did instruct her to not treat her like her sister. She was to treat her like someone was paying her to care for their child. Even though they are 10 years apart, they still have spats like sisters sometimes.  I left (with Shep in tow) to go to a baby shower for two hours. Cell phone in pocket. When I got home GG was napping and I had artwork to prove they actually did activities. Sophie painted with her. GG loved it. 

They did handprints. 

I just adore this girl.

GG told me all about it. 

"Sopie paint my hand"

" I got my bwue"

" I got my ornge"

"I got my yeyow

"I got my pink"

"I got my green"

Posers

This is for you, Daddy/Hubby. So you don't forget what we look like :).

Since we were in our Sunday best, we decided it would be a good time for some pictures.

We used the timer and everything.

We miss you.

Passed Out

I walked into the living room yesterday and found this.

It brought back memories of this.

And this.

And the very first time was this

grateful

I've had a bad morning. My husband is gone. Out of town working. I'm trying to be a single mom to three kids. One who has been up every night, every two hours, for the past week. He's teething and I know it doesn't feel good. One child who is in the midst of her terrible twos and can throw one heckuva temper tantrum. At a moments notice. From smiling to screaming in a millisecond.  One who is a pre-teen and wants to debate my every single word. 

I actually cried this morning from feeling so overwhelmed.

So I decided I needed a new perspective. The baby went down for a nap. I sat outside on my back porch and enjoyed a cup of coffee. In a cup that is adorned with artwork from my pre-teen. I am so grateful for her. She is doing exactly what she is supposed to do. To challenge me. To learn what her own thoughts and opinions are. To pull away from me a little. It hurts sometimes, but I am so proud of who she is. 

I thought about my sweet baby boy. Who would I be without him? He is healthy and for the most part a happy little boy. Teething is hard. I know this. He is almost 5 months old now. He actually has full on belly laughs. And he is LOUD! He loves to be down on the floor and roll all around. He's growing so fast everyday. He's my last baby and I want to enjoy every moment of his baby-ness.

I thought about my husband. I know he doesn't want to be gone. Away from us. But it's part of the job. And I understand I'm not really a single mom. He's there. I'm so thankful for him. Thankful that he provides for us. So that I can be home with our children.  And that this is where he wants me. 

I sat and drank my coffee and watched this little girl color. It was a beautiful morning. And I needed to soak it all in. To change my perspective. 

Life is good.

don't let the smile fool ya

see those teeth? they are making this sweet guy one little cranky baby.

To Daddy

Daddy,

Today I went for a ride,

played with toys,

rolled around

and, oh yeah, 

I sat up.

All by myself.

I love you

and I miss you.

Love,

Shep

I'm a big kid now

Not too long ago GG was giving me a hard time about going down for her nap. I decided maybe she was ready for her crib to be a toddler bed. I took the railing off and put it in her closet. It didn't work out so well, so it quickly went back on. I guess I didn't secure it on well. Sunday evening I went in to her room and she had somehow pulled the railing down and was climbing into her bed , loading it up with stuffed animals and books. I picked it up to actually take it off, she thought I was putting it back on, and she threw a fit. She pointed to her closet and said " No No No, in dere". She remembered I had put it in the closet the first time. So off it came and her sweet daddy ran to Walmart to get a safety rail. 

So far it's worked out pretty well. She goes down for her nap and at night as I'm walking out of her room she says " Goodnight Mommy". 

Do you think she's proud?

And on another note...

yeah, it's a ladybug chair. 

Don't judge him... he has sisters :)

Charlotte

She's making her home on our front porch.

the marathon birthday weekend

... we survived! :)

September 12th through the 14th are always a crazy few days for us. Sophie and G.G. are exactly 10 years and two days apart. So we can't really have a birthday party together for them. This year Sophie really didn't even want a party. She just wanted a couple of friends to spend the night. Which was fine with me. I picked them all up from school and they came back and hung out at our house for a while. Josh has been out of town but he made it home in time for dinner Friday night. We ordered pizza and then had cake. I took them to a late movie that night. They loved that. They got all dressed and ready and when we got there they wouldn't let me sit with them. Oh the joys of being a mother to a pre- teen. They did let me sit in front of them though because I told them I wouldn't share my giant bag of m & m's I smuggled in. Bribery always works.

Anyway, it was lots of fun and Sophie had a great birthday. I can't believe she is TWELVE!!

As for the pictures below. G.G. broke my digital camera Friday so the only thing I had to take pictures was our video camera. Not great quality. But we did get a new one on Sunday, so GG's pics are better.

GG wanted so bad to be one of the big girls. It was so funny hearing her try to talk as much as they were. 

Sophie's favorite cake. The " best sheet cake ever" recipe by Pioneer Woman. It was a hit.

She was surprised! She got a pair of shoes she really wanted but didn't think I would buy. I love those moments.

Our birthday card mantel.

So Sunday was GG's turn. We had a party for her at a local park. It worked out great. The kids had a lot of room to play and roam around. We cooked hamburgers and hot dogs and just had a great time visiting with everyone. I was worried about the weather, but the rain held off. It was overcast and a little windy. That was actually great though because it wasn't horribly hot and we had a little breeze to cool off.

Sandbox time!

She picked out her Dora cake at the bakery. And even blew out the candle by herself.

Time for presents! She got the hang of this pretty quick!

She hugged her friends goodbye.

And this is what happened before we even were out of the park. 

Completely pooped! 

I can't believe they are 12 and 2! My girls are growing up. 

2

2 years ago today, my second little angel baby was born. She made me work a little harder than the first. And that still holds true today. She is a spunky, opinionated, independent little two year old. Due to some complications after her birth, she got to bond with her daddy for about an hour before I could hold her. And she is a daddy's girl, that is for sure. 

She absolutely lights up our lives. Her sense of humor kills me. She is so funny. She makes us all laugh out loud just about every day. She loves her big sister and copies everything she does. She adores her baby brother and greets him every morning with a "Moning li'l buddy".

I am so proud to be her mother. She is such a blessing in our lives and I can't imagine it without her in it. 

Happy Birthday G.G.!

We love you with all of our hearts!

Mommy, Daddy, Sophie and Shep

12

12 years ago today, September 12th at 1:23 p.m., my first angel baby was born. She was a hefty 9 pounds 8 ounces. She came quietly and quickly. She cried a little but then they handed her to me. And my life was forever changed. I remember one of the first things I said to her was, " We are gonna have so much fun". I just knew she would be my little partner. My best little friend. And she has been. She made me a mother. And I am forever grateful that she is my daughter. 

Happy Birthday Sophie Sunshine!

We love you so much

Mom, Dad, G.G. and Shep

sweet mornings

just hanging out together

Just a bit of advice

If your pre-teen daughter decides she really, really , really wants bangs, " just like yours mom"... don't cut them for her yourself. Because she will hate them and she will leave for school in the mornings crying because she "can't do anything with these bangs!!! ".

And oh the guilt you will feel.