Seven

They say to keep your marriage healthy, you need to constantly work on it.



I'd volunteer for overtime if I could do this everyday.

Cheers honey! Best date ever.

Some things never change

Me: So Aust, are you getting too old for this yet? (handing him the KIDS National Geographic magazine that had come in the mail.)

Austin: When you spend most of your childhood doing something, like I grew up reading this magazine, you just always like it, so no.

Ain't that the truth?

In good hands...

Harlie had her first day of not-at-her-auntie's-house daycare today. After much internet searching and thoughtful consideration, we settled on a new in-home daycare center that the sister of my childhood friend was opening, just a few miles from our home.

Harlie has been excited to start "preschool" like her big cousin Mazzy, so to help her prepare, we took her to Target to pick out her very own backpack.



Unfortunately, my attempts to capture a photo of Harlie dressed for her big first day were thwarted by the GROUCH MONSTER that inhabits her body most weekday mornings.

In the weeks leading up to today, I was filled with anxiety, wishing and hoping and praying that she would be comfortable in her new environment and that she would not be the "wierd" one or "bad" one of all the kids.

Lucky for me, the day was a huge success...and I think this new arrangement is going to work out just fine. Fingers Crossed!

Easter Slideshow

Kids can turn your life upside down and inside out, but this right here is why it's all worth it. Yes, even when they are trying to use you as a human rock wall in church.

Click to View Easter Slideshow

Seeing the joy in your child's smile can fill your soul like nothing else can.

Food Faves II

A little over a year ago I posted about the kids' favorite foods and how my own childhood favorites bring me joy. Now, recently Austin has discovered a very unique new food fave and it looks like this, or a variation of this:



A plain bagel slathered with crunchy peanut butter, bbq sauce and Sunchips. YUM, right? The concoction changes all the time...whatever condiments he can find in the fridge are fair game and the crunchier the better. I can get down with that, since, as I've mentioned before, I'm in heaven once you slap on some potato chips or Nacho Cheese Doritos onto a tuna fish or egg salad sandwich. But guys, the other day, he took a See's Candy nougat and walnut St Patricks Day "potato" that is coated in cocoa powder and doused it in worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

The dude needs an intervention.

Harlie, on the other hand has adopted some more conventional favorite foods. Currently her favorite breakfast food is waffles and if given the chance would probably eat soup or pizza every night for dinner. She also still enjoys avocado, frozen blueberries and yogurt as much as she did as a baby. And boy does she loooooove chocolate, almost as much as I love hearing her say "chocolate."

Springtime with Stinkerbell

Wishing all my days were sprinkled with ladybugs, dandelions and Toy Story snuggles.

Sizzle to Fizzle

What started out so great last weekend...











ended so so bad...



But it was fun while it lasted. Happy 36th birthday baby! Here's to our wacky wonderful unpredictable crazy making life!!!!

Someone used the potty!

Tonight, as we were chatting in the living room with Scott's dad, who was in town visiting from Mexico, I caught a whiff of what I thought was a poopy diaper and whispered to Scott "Your turn!" Although, as it turns out the smell was just a teaser, but a clear sign that a dirty diaper was on it's way. Then Steve made mention of how potty training was probably on the horizon and Scott laughed and said, "Uh yeah, we thought she'd be potty trained by now". Harlie could tell we were talking about her and so we asked if she needed to use the potty. She hopped right off the couch and ran to the toilet, as Scott followed. Shortly after, I heard Scott cheer, so I raced to the bathroom, thinking there's no way she actually did it. As I rounded the corner, I saw Harlie's huge smile and the proof in the potty. Hooray! And then as I bent down to congratulate her, Harlie says to me "Mama, wanna smell it?"

Missing You

I just got off the phone with Auntie Keri, it's 11:17am, and I have two hours of taking calls to get through before my lunch break. I still feel guilty that I left you crying as Daddy and I left this morning and I'd kill for a sloppy kiss and death-grip-around-the-neck kind of hug from you right about now.

--

Now, it's 6:33pm and I'm trying desperately to get dinner on the table before 7:00. You are hanging on to my leg, wanting to help, or be held, or play with the knife, or climb into the oven and all I want is some goddamn space so we can get through the must do's and get you to bed at a decent hour. And let me tell you, bedtime is it's own monumental struggle. You fight it tooth and nail as if to say "Uh, guys, didn't we just get home, I thought we were gonna hang out?! No Fair!"

--

My own bedtime is approaching and like always I get weepy that soon I'll be waking up and scramble to get to work on time, just to sit there and wish I was somewhere else all over again. I peek in on you for the 3rd time tonight and wish I could crawl into the crib with you...but instead I just straighten your pony blanket and touch your cheek.


This is how it goes most weekdays. When you're pushing, I'm pulling. When I kneel down for a hug, you run right past.


I want to apologize, Bubs...for this. For today especially. You were sick and Mama was cranky. And in typical fashion, I didn't put the puzzle pieces together until it was too late.

I love you.

Love in Sparkles

What I expected to be a pretty ho-hum Valentine's Day, turned out to be kinda awesome all thanks to:

A $5 bottle of Trader Joe's wine

Homemade chocolate chip cookies

A box of chocolates

It's Complicated on DVD

An X-box for the teenager

and best of all, a handmade card full of love and sparkles.

I guess romance on a budget isn't always so bad.