…how unbelievably spoiled I am.
Tell me this isn’t the most amazing bunch of flowers, you have ever seen?
And chocolate cake, too.
The boy knows the way to my heart.
Thanks again for all of the happy wishes. We are really blessed to have such an amazing family and friends.
I’m off to celebrate with him tonight (Thursday) and all day tomorrow. I’ll catch up with all of you over the weekend.
I still love how you can make me laugh no matter how bad of a mood I am in.
I still think you are one of the smartest people I have ever met.
I still love the way you look at me and that smile you have only for me.
I still thank God for helping me find my way to you.
I love that you bring me flowers and gifts…just because, even though I protest.
I still like that we can get, or give, “the look” and know exactly what the other is thinking.
I still think you are one of the kindest, most thoughtful and considerate men.
I still think we have made a pretty good life for ourselves.
I still don’t regret one decision we have ever made.
I still believe you are the best father in the world.
I still like having you as my best friend.
I still love you more and more each day.
I still look forward to so many more years together.
After 15 years –
I still love being married to you.
Both times I was pregnant, I spent nine months willing my girls to come out with J’s warm, chocolate-y colored eyes.
When Em came out, I realized that even with all of my willing (and eating a lot of chocolate) she was going to definitely have green eyes, like me. I was consoled by the fact that she got J.’s big, almond-shaped eyes, and not my squinty ones, though.
And when Addie came out, her eyes were even bigger, complete with even longer eyelashes – which I didn’t think was possible. Her eyes are more brown, some days they are close to that chocolate color, but most days they seem to be more golden, kinda green-brown, still definitely lighter than J’s.
In the end, (and all that really matters) I am happy to get to sing “Brown-Eyed Girl” to one of my girls. (Although I do adapt the lyrics to include Em’s pretty green eyes, too.)
Though as similar as they are, I am always astounded when I look at photos of them. The stories their eyes tell are very different, indeed.
Emma has serious eyes. Her eyes are wise beyond their wee little five years. They are always analyzing. Always thinking. Always plotting out her next move or scanning her environment, curiously anxious to ask her next question.
Addie on the other hand…
She does not have what I would call “serious” eyes. Where Em’s eyes seem so “wise,” Addie’s are completely child-like. She wears her heart in her eyes. One minute they dance with mischief and happiness, the next they are brimming with tears. They are so very expressive – you are never left wondering what she might be feeling or thinking.
It is why I love raising these two little girls.
They each come from the same set of genes, growing up in the same environment. You can tell they are sisters – you can see it in their eyes, yet they couldn’t be more different. They are two completely different and individual little beings.
Stop over to Stacy’s today to look through some other sets of eyes.
I’m so impressed with how these parents handled a very tricky situation with their son. I only hope some day to have the patience, quick thinking, and just an overall ability to handle a situation like that. (Oh, and to be able to say what the Dad did without wanting to haul off and hit the bully! That, too!)
And the maturity and grace of their 10-year old is surely proof that they are doing an incredible job with him.
Go take a read if you have a moment.
Isn’t it astounding to think there are some things our kids will never have the pleasure of knowing or using – like cassette tapes, VCRs, window cranks, live television, pay phones.
We did have the pleasure of playing with a pay phone over the weekend, however. Two, in fact. These old British phonebooths are tucked in a little courtyard near where we had lunch. The girls found them fascinating.
Dueling phonebooths
How cool is this?
You rang?
There is a phone in here…with a cord!
Hello?
Uh…huh. Yep.
Sometimes it is the little things. And this is why I always have my camera with me.
For more WW. Happy Wednesday.
It has been a bit of a dry crafting week. Aaaagain!
Oooh, oooh! Wait! We have been baking, can I count that towards being crafty?
J. found a new choco chip recipe for us to try last week. So we did. You know it took so much coercing, too.
They were really yummy except that the walnuts were a little old. Did you know walnuts can go stale? Yeah, that is the tip of the day. Probably ought to buy walnuts more than just once a year. So we are going to attempt the cookies again this week, sans nuts.
Tonight I made some blueberry crisp since two little girlies (who shall remain nameless) convinced me that we had to have two pounds of blueberries, and then said little girlies didn’t seemed to want to eat any blueberries. But bathed in a little sugar, oatmeal and butter, they are delicious! I forgot to take a photo, but I’m eating some now as I post…and trust me, it is good.
I know, I’m really grasping at straws here with the baking, and I did manage a few birthday cards, but I can’t show them yet since…well, they are still waiting to be stamped and sent out.
Which, by the way, today is my best friend Kimmer’s birthday today! (Um, hi Kimmer! It is your card that is still sitting on my desk…it is coming, sorry!) Will you pop on over and give her a little birthday love, for me? Sending happy thoughts your way today, Kimmer. Four more years! Eeeeee!!!
And in return for doing that little favor – I promise to have some real crafting for next week!
k-thanks-buh-bye!
We took a trip to J.’s office on Friday for a little dinner and fun. While we were there, the girls cleaned out Daddy’s change drawer and he had a few of these old juice bottles floating around, that they managed to abscond with as well.
On our way home I hear Em say to Addie –
E: Addie! Just open up the top, like this…
A: Yeah?
E: Then laugh into the bottle.
E: And then quick put the cover on the jar so you can trap your laughs inside the bottle!
And Addie obliges. Of course.
I was trying to get these shots from the front seat without them knowing – so they are not perfect. But when I look at them, I love the idea of bottling up those laughs for someday down the road when I really need to hear them again.
Find out what has everyone else giggling over at Tracey’s today.
Whew. The loooongest week ever.
Between the “earthshake,” some tired (therefore crabby!) girls, and the jam-packed days that this summer seems to be providing, it has just been a long, long week.
I did pull out a new game that I had saved over from Christmas to give the girls when a diversion was needed – and it has turned into an obsession!
Every morning, every evening, every tiny moment of “down” time – “Mama will you play Hi Ho Cheerios with us?”
Addie couldn’t believe I was taking the photo above without a “star” in it, so she had to provide a sweet face.
Today was our last day of swim lessons for this cycle. Addie seems pretty bored with the whole thing and would rather just spend her time in the baby pool.
Em’s instructor (Staaaanley! Whom she has a minor crush on and can’t say his name without being completely starry-eyed and giggly. She’s five. FIVE!) pulled me aside before we left though and said that she and one other kid, were the only ones who completed all of their Tot level requirements – one of which was swimming the length of the pool, unaided (40ft!). He said if she does maybe one more cycle, and gets her side breathing down, she can move up to Advanced Strokes.
Of course the entire time he was telling me this she was just looking at him like he was the most fascinating creature ever. GAH! And then after we walked away she kept asking me, “What did Stanley say, Mama? Did he think I did a good job? Is he so proud of me?”
Double GAH!
So anyhow, I need a break. I think we will take the next two weeks off, and then at least Em will probably do the last cycle of swim lessons before school starts. I think next year she will be full-on, ready to move up.
She keeps asking me when we are going to go school shopping. I promised each of them their own “day” with Mommy where we would do a little “Back To School” shopping. I used to love the start of school, searching for the right supplies to take in my backpack on the first day of school. Mmmm…the smell of new unsharpened pencils and the fresh, untouched sheaths of notebook paper. Yes, I was a bit of a nerd in school, too.
Anyhow, I think that Em is really just excited for a “date” with Mommy. And I expect we will have to fit that in next week before she drives me crazy with the incessant questioning.
Speaking of fall, I just threw up the last of my July photos in Flickr yesterday….today we have to create an August set!
Summer is drawing to a close, and I need to get off of this computer and back to soaking those last few moments up.
Stacy’s challenge for today was to show some style and our mad skills while fashioning our photo shoots. I had intended on putting together a little “shoot” with the girls, but kind of ran out of time. (Always with the excuses, I know.)
So, I started perusing the archives and trying to find some examples of our more fashionable shoots.
Um…I think I perhaps, subconsciously, wanted to have twin girls because, ah…I have years of photos with the girls in matching, or at the very least, fully coordinated outfits.
Like this one…
Or this one…
(Even the same backdrop, the ‘ol blue chair!)
And this one, not just coordinating outfits, full-on matching! The same dress (and white sweater!)…
And apparently whenever a holiday comes along it is the perfect time to dress them alike.
Like Easter…
Halloween…
And, of course, Christmas!
Unfortunately I think my days of coordinating their fashion are numbered. Apparently (who knew?) they are not twins, and they are very much their own little individual selves, with opinions on what they should be wearing. A lot of opinions.
Doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep trying to stage perfectly fashioned photo opportunities, though.
