We gladly took a few minutes on Sunday to just hang around and enjoy some much needed family time.
But now we are off and running through another crazy week – we’ll try to check in. Have a great week!
Hangin’ Around ~ Best Shot Monday
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Category Archives: Best Shot Monday
A Peek at the Future ~ Best Shot Monday
Dear Emma Gracie -
This weekend I had a very surreal peek into the future. It was as if we had fast-forwarded a good twenty years and I got a glimpse at what kind of Mom you will become. It was exhilarating and a bit frightening all at the same time to sit and watch you practically age in front of my very own eyes.
We were watching the neighbor girls and you are completely smitten with Sydney, (which is totally understandable since at six months she is at that great, adorably sweet, and delicious age). You are just fascinated with every aspect of her, even down to the diaper changes!
“Mama, I think Sydney wants to play with this.” “Mama, Sydney likes it when I hold her like this.” “Mama….” and so it went all afternoon. Addie and Madison tried to get you to play with them but you kept telling them, “No, I want to help Mama with baby Sydney.”
When I laid her in your arms and she started to take her bottle from you, the pure joy you were radiating was unmistakable. You were positively beaming. And then you sighed, “Mama, look. I think she really likes me!”
Oh, Gracie. It is so bittersweet. On one hand I love seeing that amazing, caring side of you and it verifies my belief that you are becoming a beautiful (on the inside and out!) girl. And I have no doubt that you are going to be the absolute best mommy someday. But, it wasn’t that long ago that you were Sydney’s age. I mean it was just yesterday wasn’t it? And so my internal struggle continues. I want nothing more than you to grow up happy and healthy, but it oh sometimes it really hurts. Thankfully you are happy and healthy, so it takes a little of the sting off.
So let’s try this. You keep that enthusiasm and readiness to help – but do me a favor and stop growing up for a few years. Let Mama catch up.
I love you, my sweet Big girl.
Mommy
(I wish I had focused more on Em’s face in this photo – albeit Sydney is scrumptious, isn’t she? But I love this photo because it reminds me of my view the entire day. Em gazing adoringly at Sydney.)
BSM ~ Reunited…
…and it feels so good.
Em didn’t have school on Friday, so we left the smoky air in the valley and headed down to Newport to spend the day with our friends on the beach. Any day at the beach is a good day, but this one was perfect. The water was so warm, and the sand and sea just kept calling our names. The girls ran themselves silly and just enjoyed being together.
Of course we have been paying for it the rest of the weekend. We have been a bit on the lazy side, just hanging out at the pool (Addie found her swimming mojo again, thankfully!), J. took the girls to the movies, we’ve been basically just kickin’ around. But, it has been nice to just enjoy each other before we all take off in different directions again this week.
Sticky Sweet ~ Best Shot Monday
We call her “our little sugar bear.” The girl looooves sugar. She is a pretty adventurous eater and likes a lot of “good-for-her” things to eat too, but the girl has never met a sugar she doesn’t like.
And one of her favorite sugary treats is cotton candy. You know. The stuff that is basically just sugar and some lovely blue artificial coloring. It is as sweet as can be, and so very sticky, too!
How can I get my (not yet sticky enough) fingers on some cotton candy?
What if I look all innocent and sweet like this? Who can say no to those cheeks and the curl?
Success!
This is what I’m talkin’ about!
Sticky finger good.
And my favorite shot – my best shot for the week. All that sugar sure does this girl good.
She is pure sweetness.
You Might Be A Big Fish In A Little Pond.
Inevitably every time we get into the car Addie will pipe up with, “Can you play You might be a big fish, in a little po-oond?” (Otherwise known as Lost, by Coldplay.)
She loves that song and I love to hear her sing it, so I gladly turn it on and feed her obsession.
That exact phrase popped into my head when I opened up this photo last week. She really is struggling right now with wanting to be a big fish, but also wanting to be treated like the baby fish in the family, too.
And no, she didn’t really test these fins in the water. She was actually very un-fishlike while we were at Nana and Papa’s. Emma more than made up for Addie, though. Em didn’t seem to mind the chilly water one bit, and I was forced to drag out of the pool every night. (Remind you of someone else years ago, Mom and Dad?)
I think that Nana and Papa don’t believe Addie really can swim, however, they do finally see that she is very stubborn.
She will swim when she feels like it. And not a minute sooner.
Gabella Ella ~ Best Shot Monday
My youngest niece Ella and I have had a bit of a love-hate relationship. For the first two years of her life, I have most certainly not been her favorite person. I sounded a lot like her Mommy, I looked a lot like her Mommy, but I most definitely was NOT her Mommy. Perhaps it was because I saw her so infrequently that she just didn’t know me, but every time I would try to do something for her or help her, she would just tell me, “No! Mama do it!” And trying to get some love from her was like pulling teeth.
And I still might not be her most favorite person, but I think Ella and I finally had a breakthrough this past week.
She has become very quick witted and an incredibly funny little girl. And while trying to keep up with her older sisters and cousins this week she finally let me “in” a little. We bonded. And then I found her button – and I pushed it just to see her get riled up. It was the most fun. And I think, although she pretended like she didn’t like it, she enjoyed the good-natured teasing as much as I did.
One day she had a comeback that was a little sassy and I called her Miss Sassy Molassy, usually a title I reserve for Addison. And, well, Miss Ella did not really care for that. “No Aunt Bean, I Ella!” she proclaimed.
So of course I had to come up with a new nickname for her.
“I think we should call you SasserElla.”
“NO! I Cinderella!”
“Nah, I think you are a SasserElla!”
“No, I just Ella!”
We had this same conversation several times this past week. And it cracked me up every time. At one point when I was teasing her she looked at me and with a deadpan expression she just said, “Then you are SpongeBob, Aunt Bean!”
I’ll take it. I’ll be her SpongeBob if it means that I can be on her good side for a change.
Cousin Time ~ Best Shot Monday
We have landed, at least for a few days, in Michigan. Since our feet have hit the Michigan soil, it has been nothing but kittens, kittens, cousins, and more kittens!
Poor Griffin. I don’t think the girls have left the poor kittens alone for more than two minutes.
And when all of the cats are occupied, just grab your closest cousin and give her a squeeze.
The girls will follow each other anywhere…
And even oblige Mommy (Aunt Bean) and stop for a photo op before a thunderstorm drove us back into the house. Although they avoided actually “sitting” on the log because it is “dees-gustin!”
This last one is my Best Shot for today because it just makes me happy when the girls can all be together. And also when they all fall into bed with pure happiness (and exhaustion) after spending the day together.
My First Baby ~ Best Shot Monday
I realize that Chaos has been kinda “Addie-heavy” around here lately. This became pretty apparent as I was flipping through photos and I had about 20 “keepers” of Ad, but far fewer of Em. And lately our Flickr photos is just one long stream of Addison sprinkled with an Emma or two here and there. So I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out this trend, I mean Emma is here. She is around.
And all I can come up with is…she just doesn’t seem to need me so much. She’s testing out her wings which just doesn’t involve Mommy.
“Can I just read these books on my own?” she’ll ask as I’m turning out her lights.
“Can I go play pbskids on the computer? – No it is okay, I can do it myself, Mama!”
“Nah, I don’t really want to go for a bike ride, I’ll just stay here with Daddy.”
“Can I go play with Audrey. No without you. You can drop me off?”
When I asked her if she wanted to go to the beach tomorrow, she said “Yeah! Who is going with us?”
(Because she can’t go to the beach with just her Mom?)
She just seems so old. Mature. Thirteen already!
And as she is off doing all the big, independent six-year old things – without me – I guess I must have just turned the camera and attention to Addie instead.
But while we were walking through a store last night, I felt Em’s soft, little hand reach up for mine. We wandered around, her hand in mine, as she pointed out all kinds of things that she thinks we need at home. I looked down to my favorite sweet spot on the top of her head, and there, under a bunch of blue hair glitter, I found my little girl. Looking up expectantly at me, willing me to just listen to her. In that moment I realized she may be careening towards becoming a big girl, but she will always be my first baby. She will always need me patiently waiting for her, for when she gets tired of flying out on her own.
Clearly Up.To.Something. ~ Best Shot Monday
And if I know Addison, I’m sure it is up to no good!
The mischievious little smile, devilish twinkle in her eye, and smear of blue (chalk?) on her chin…
all signs point to T-R-O-U-B-L-E!
He’s Got My Whole World In His Hands ~ Best Shot Monday
I don’t think it gets much better than sitting on the lawn watching my favorite man chase my two favorite monkeys around and around…
…Well, maybe seeing the pure delight on their faces when they get caught!