Monthly Archives: May 2008

Sweet shoulder sunlight ~ Best Shot Monday

Posted on by
Reply

Imagine a long weekend filled with “tiny whinys” and constant (I am not exaggerating -from the very early minutes we got up until the moment they fell exhausted into bed) bickering. There was a lot of love lost between the two girls this weekend.

And then they pull a moment like this –

– and I almost forget the arguing. Almost.

But this sweet moment was forgotten just moments later, and the antagonizing continued for the rest of the weekend.

And then, I open this photo.

*sigh*

She is so gorgeous and so sweet. I can’t possibly be upset with her, can I?

I’m getting ready to print some favorite photos out. Do you like this one in color or in black & white? I can’t decide. Possibly I will just print both – I’m sure I can find a spot for both of them!

Make sure to stop by Tracey’s for some other sweetness this Monday morning.

A snuggly bedfellow

Posted on by
Reply

When did my little Emma become an easy-to-put-to-bed, good sleeper?

And why am I questioning it? I mean, I suffered through enough sleepless nights, I should just take it as my reward, no questions, right?

(But, the real question is how do we get Addie to that beautiful point that Em is at right now?)

I have even let Em sleep with me the past few nights while J. is away.

E: “Mama, can I sleep with you tonight?”
M: “Em, we’ll talk about it later.” (As I nod towards Addie…indicating that we don’t want to talk about it in front of Addie because sleeping with Addie…well, it just doesn’t work very well.)
E: “Oh, we will talk about it when A-D-D-I-E is not here.”
M: “Mmmm hmmm.”
E: “Can you just tell me Y-E-S or N-O, M-O-M?”

Yeah, she is into spelling everything out. She thinks that by spelling a few choice words Addie won’t know what she is talking about. Hmmm…wonder where she got that from?

(Note to self: Stop spelling everything N-O-W, or start spelling backwards, until she catches on to that one, too.)

She is a stitch! I cracked up when I put her to bed last night when she told me, “Don’t worry, Mama, I will leave some room for you!”

And when I climbed into bed she was indeed all the way over to one side of the bed. She rolled over and fell off the bed, in fact. I got her back in bed and told her that she could move more to the middle so she wouldn’t fall off.

So she snuggled into me and whispered, “I love you, Mama.”

That, my friends, is payback for all of those midnight drives, walking the neighborhood at 2am, and rocking, rocking, rocking so many nights away when she wouldn’t sleep.

And it was oh, so worth it.

Sunshine ~ Theme Thursday

Posted on by
Reply

Whew, it is back, with a vengeance! The past few years I specifically remember the first few weeks of May…for some weird reason they are always a little chilly with a nice thick marine layer that never quite burns off.

And then…

We get the full on sunshine and 90 degree days that do not stop for months on end. Gotta love living in L.A.

So on Saturday, when I read that this week’s Theme Thursday was sunshine, I was a wee bit worried since we were in the middle of our cold snap. (Hee…our “cold snap” just means we need a sweater, I mean it was only 60 degrees the other day. It is all relative, I guess.)

But then Tuesday, the sun found us again. Addie and I ventured out to examine our garden, do a little watering (She is a tremendous help in the watering department, let me tell you!), and soak up some sunshine.

This is what the sunshine brought us…

Couldn’t resist plucking one a little before its time…

And do a little “taste test” …

Addie has been back out there at least twenty times to check to see if the others are “ready.” I told her that they need some water, sunshine and time to get nice and red and BIG. I told her it may take a few weeks for them to be ready.

About five minutes passed and she hopefully asked me, “Are they ready now, Momma?”

Strawberries clearly do not operate on the toddler timeline.

———————————————–

Stop over to Stacy’s to see how sunny days have inspired other photographers as well.

Catchin’ Up…

Posted on by
Reply

Yikes, where to begin? Is it really already Wednesday? Have you all given up hope that we would even do a real check-in this week? I haven’t even had a chance to tell you all about our fun weekend and we are almost to the next weekend already.

Things have been a bit hectic, largely in part to my project being due today. I did send it off at 2:30am this morning though, which is contributing to my fog-like state today. Factor in Addie’s untimely freak out between 2 and 3am this morning, and both girls staring me down at 6:30am this morning and it makes for one Mommy in need of some serious coffee. It is around 3pm now and I’ve been trying to get Addie to curl up on the sofa with me for a few zzzz’s – but it ain’t happening. So I may have to resort to that coffee after all.

J. left this morning – well, he is leaving this afternoon right after his interview for B-school! He is going in right now, so let’s all send some good thoughts his way in about 22 minutes. I am convinced that he doesn’t need them – but it can’t hurt, right? And then he is flying to SF for a conference for a few days. He has been traveling a lot and ALL of his girls miss him terribly, but he has definitely spoiled us when he is home.

So last weekend, we did the usual dance class and then we went to an Open House for Ad’s school that she’ll be going to in the fall. Did I ever mention that she got into the little preschool that I had originally tried to get Em into – the one like 2 blocks from our house? Well, yes – she did. So I will be walking both girls to school next year, I’m so very excited about that! In hindsight the school that Em is in now was exactly what she needed, and I think that Ad’s is going to be exactly what she needs. So it all worked out in the end.

The school is the sweetest place you have ever seen. I want to curl up in one of its many nooks and just hang out for the day. Her class is actually in an old Craftsman style house that is split down the middle to accommodate two classes. So it is kind of a long hallway with little not quite “rooms” off of the main pathway. Each little “room” is an amazing little space – a reading corner, a building corner, an art corner, a make-believe corner, a dress-up corner. It is so very cozy and we got to meet her teachers, too. I am certain she is going to love it there.

So we had some excitement on Saturday, and I felt like I was not fully concentrated on the girls last week, so I took them to one of our favorite parks on Saturday afternoon.

The first thing Addie does when she gets to the park? Take off her shoes…my little hillbilly child.

The first thing Em does? Head to the monkey bars…she is going to master it before the summer is over, I think.

Which brings us to Sunday. Glorious Sunday.

I slept in til 8:30am…in the morning! Yes, you heard correctly my friends, I got a sleep-in and pleasantly awoke to breakfast in bed, which was amazing.

Momma didn’t cook, clean, do laundry, unload the dishwasher…she really didn’t do ANYTHING all day long. We shopped a little, had a yummy dinner AND ice cream for dessert and just hung around enjoying the day. It really was lovely. My camera even came out of hiding for the occasion.

A few of the girls while we were playing in the yard…

And to top it off, J. and the girls got me this amazing necklace. When we were in Hawaii I was really tempted to get a silver turtle necklace – they are everywhere and so cool – but I never did. J. found one with not only a turtle, but a Mommy turtle with 2 little tiny baby turtles. How sweet and completely appropriate is that?

So I must say I felt very spoiled and loved, and it was a great way to kick off the week.

I didn’t even need to make a wish in the fountain after dinner, although Addie did….

Not too much to wish for when you have these two little monkeys around.

Crafty Tuesday

Posted on by
Reply

Taking a moment away from my crazy project (that is due today to the client…well, technically tomorrow, Wed., so really tonight, before I go to sleep – argh!) to show you what arrived on my doorstep for my birthday last week.

Ready for it?

My lovely friend Kim sent this to me…

Filled with this yumminess…

And I’ve only been able to steal a few minutes away to use it for two measly little Teacher Appreciation cards for Em’s teachers last week…

I am so dreaming of it and lusting after all the fun my new tote and I could be having.

Meanwhile it sits on my craft desk mocking me, willing me to come play.

Must…Return…To…Stupid…Work…Project.

The force is strong with this one. I have a feeling the cute little pink and brown tote may win this weekend. I hope it does, at least.

I also hope you all have some craftiness to share so I can sit whilst I’m brain dead tomorrow and enjoy a little blog surfing.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted on by
Reply

Just want to wish all the Moms in my life a very happy day today. I started to write to each of you, and realized that I was writing the same things I did last year, apparently I still feel the exact way. So it has been done.

But three people I didn’t thank last year that I really should have…thanks to my one true love, J., for venturing into the land of parenting with me. And thanks to my girls. I wake up every day and am so thankful that I get to be a Mom to the two of you!

Have a happy day ~ wishing you some Mother’s Day spoiling!

Yeah, Me!

Posted on by
Reply

I just got an award from my doctor.

He exclaimed while looking into my ear, “Wow! That is a rager! The worst ear infection I’ve seen all season, by far!”

I am a bit of an overachiever. If I’m gonna do something…I’m going to do it well!

No wonder it hurts like crazy. Off to get medicated. Have a great weekend!

Kids Say The Darndest Things ~ Friday Edition

Posted on by
Reply

My friend Christina has started a little Friday fun by jotting down the funny things her cutie little girl has said over the week, and since I’m all about themes, and topical days (it gets me out of a jam when I don’t have time to find real stuff to write about!) I thought I’d join in today.

I’ve been saving a couple funny things Em and Ad have been saying and I really want to get them down somewhere so I don’t forget them.

So here goes – my funny Valentines…

——————————

Addie’s funny words and phrases:

ahind = behind, as in “Mama! Look ahind you! There is a puppy!”
yook = look, as in “Yook at me, Mama!” Must also grab my chin and turn my head towards her when saying this.
musbash = mustache, as in “Do I have a musbash, Mama?” Said every time she takes a drink of something, not always a milk mustache, either.

——————————

Emma’s funny phrases:

knick-knack name = nickname, as in “What is your knick-knack name, Daddy?”

And, the other day she asked me – “Mama? Is Addie pushing your buttons right now?!”

——————————

And a couple of funny stories from Addie and my “day out” together the other day:

Addie: “Mama? Can we go to the puppy/kitty store (what she calls PetSmart)?”
Me: “Sure. I have one more errand to run, and then we will stop, ok?”
Addie: (sighs) “Ah, Mommy. Do you know how happy that makes Addie?”

(I tell them all the time when they do something *nice* – “Do you know how happy that makes Mommy?” but it sounds very funny coming back at me!)

And one more…

We were going into a bathroom at a store and an older gentleman was coming out and held the door open for A. and I. Then, later when we were leaving the store, he happened to be leaving as well and again, he held the door for A. and I.

Me: “Thank you so much! We are just going to follow you around all day so we can have the doors held for us.”
Man: (chuckles) “No problem. I’m just doing my duty.”

So A. and I continue down the street and all of a sudden she starts giggling…

Ad: “Mama…he said It’s my DOODY!”
Me: (kinda clueless at the moment) “Yes, it means like a chore or a job.”

And then I see her face and she is snickering at the word, because she thinks the man was referring to poop.

Where on God’s-Green-Earth does that girl come up with this stuff? Never in my life have I ever used the word, “doody!

My girls seem to have missed the memo that says that only boys laugh at bathroom humor.

Fun ~ Theme Thursday

Posted on by
Reply

Make sure you stop over to Stacy’s for Theme Thursday today, our theme being FUN, and she just returned from Northern California (one of my favorite places in the whole world) so I’m sure she will have some very FUN photos.

As for around here…well, it hasn’t been so much fun. Although my birthday was very fun, we have all been kind of lying low again this week. The camera has been on hiatus still and we are all just trying to get back to normal. I did think about the theme earlier this week and thought for a moment, “Hey, Ad and I should just go out and shoot some photos…” and then I got busy doing nothing something again, and never got around to it.

BUT, thankfully my little Em is totally like her Daddy and can not bear waiting to give a present until the appropriate time. When we picked her up from school yesterday she handed me my Mother’s Day present and pleaded with me to open it.

“But, Mama! Miss MarieRose said that you can open it before Mother’s Day! Can you open it now?”
“Can you open it now?”
“How about now?”

Finally I gave in and opened it when we got home. She was so very proud of her craftiness. (HEY, I totally should have saved this for Crafty Tuesday…)

If you can’t tell – it is the most adorable little purse. When you open the clasp, it looks like this…

Doesn’t that just melt your heart?? Oh, my.

We have been reading the Junie B. chapter books after we put Addie to bed at night. I have so waited for this day…reading REAL, FUN books to the girls – I’m not sure who is having more fun, Em or Mommy.

And then inside the purse, was this…

And she was so proud that she glued the little “sticks” into the shape of an “M.”

I do believe this can be claimed as my favorite Mother’s Day gift. Ever. It is so sweet and fun.

Think of all the “advice” you get before you have a child – “it is the hardest job you’ll ever have,” “that first year will really rock your world,” “sleep now, while you still can,” “watch out for projectile vomit,” etc.

Why doesn’t anyone say how much FUN it is to be the center of someone’s world. Even if it is only for a few short years?