Last night was a night I hope not to forget for a long time. Andrew got us tickets to the musical Cinderella, along with the additional ticket for the pre-party with Ariel, Elsa and Belle. We were all so incredibly excited! We had no idea ahead of time which princesses we were going to meet, but when Eliza Jane came around that little corner and saw that beautiful yellow gown..."My see BELLE! Momma! My see Belle!!" Her eyes and face were lit up with glee. First we got to meet Ariel, and Eliza Jane was a little shy with her. Then Elsa was next. And then moment she'd been waiting for...a chance to hug Belle. I have to say, I was really, REALLY proud of her for sitting and taking a picture with her! After we met the princesses, they did a little etiquette class teaching us how to properly clap and say, "bravo". And then this is when Eliza Jane started crying because Cinderella wasn't there and we'd built this up to be all about Cinderella and "other" princesses. It was nearly a #momfail but we pulled it together and got excited again about the anticipation of seeing the most beautiful of all princesses. I told it over and over again to my girlfriends today how great Eliza Jane did thru the play last night. She sat on my lap, completely fixated on what was happening on the stage. Turning her head just so, so that she could get the perfect view of "My Cin-rella". In those brief moments where Cinderella wasn't on stage I heard, "My Cin-rella? Where my Cin-rella? Where my Cin-rella go?" And I would have to reassure her that the princess would return. During intermission we took a break to watch Curious George with a sweet little girl sitting next to us. She told me she was four, and loved M&Ms. She even shared a few with Eliza Jane. I tried to get her to laugh or even smile...but this was the best she would do. In my heart I knew she could make it through the second act, but I have to admit that I was a little nervous that a … [Read more...]
Update On Us
To all the sweet friends and strangers who read my blog, thank you. Since it's been a while since I wrote a legit post, I thought I might update you all on what's been going on, because I guess you've been wondering. To keep me on track, I'm going to use my favorite Blogtember post template: Reading: Today I got to read my March edition of HGTV magazine as I sat at the doctor's office waiting to have my blood drawn. It was the most relaxing 15 minutes I've had in a while... Playing: With my babies. Always. Emory is at that stage where he just smiles all the time and it's truly the most wonderful thing in the world. Watching: So tomorrow night I'm surprising Eliza Jane with tickets to see Cinderella...and the pre-party where she'll get to meet some other princesses! Her face. I can't wait to see it when she sees the princesses! I just hope she can sit through the play afterwards. Trying: We are all trying a few things: Emory is trying to figure out how to roll over. Apparently he does all of his tricks for his teachers at daycare and saves none of them for us! Eliza Jane is trying out gymnastics {as many of you have seen on social media - she LOVES it!}. Reynolds is trying out t-ball {and seems to spend more time playing in the dirt...just like his daddy once did!}. Cooking: Who has time for cooking?! Seriously. Eating: My friend Aimée made a beautiful and delicious cake for Emory's dedication yesterday. I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time. It's that good. Drinking: I need someone to teach me how to make Starbucks' vanilla latte. Because it's all I want. And I desperately need caffeine in the morning. Exercising: Much like cooking these days, who has time? Actually, the plank challenge has made its way back to the office. A couple of weeks ago we even got our owner to do it with us! Look! It's sweet Lou! {And Mary, and Breanna and Caroline!} Calling: I miss talking to all the friends that I got to chat … [Read more...]
Sunday Night…A Reflection On Being Busy
It's 8:09 p.m. Sunday night as I start this post. It's been a month since I last wrote to you all, and it seems like that was yesterday. Or maybe the day before yesterday, but certainly not four-plus weeks ago. As I was sitting in the living room this afternoon talking with a good friend that we refer to as Grammy Carolyn, she said, "Well, you must be busy because you haven't been writing..." I started thinking about that word: Busy. We say it a lot at my workplace and it has sort of lost its meaning for me. The dictionary states that busy as an adjective means: having a great deal to do. I have an overwhelming amount to do most days. I know this won't compare to some people, but I did six loads of laundry last Saturday. That's after having done laundry thru the week. I don't save it up. How did I have enough for SIX loads of laundry? And then believe it or not, by the following Monday I had another load in the wash. And that's just the laundry. Busy. I have three babies. All under the age of four. Some of you are in that boat. Some of you may wish you were in that boat and some of you are glad you are out of that boat! We are busy laughing and playing and learning and enjoying this thing call life. Today Emory was dedicated in our church service. As I was thinking about him and his dedication, my biggest prayer for him, after the prayer of him coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior one day, is that he loves and lives his life to the fullest. I hope that he is full of the joy and happiness that his sweet face radiates each and every day currently. And I hope that he is a joy to those who know him. So as I sit here at 8:21 now, thinking back on all the wildness that this crazy, busy weekend has entailed...I hope to share it all with y'all in the coming days. And that I'm not so busy that I can't sit down, before another four weeks pass, and tell y'all about all the great things going on in our home and in our world. I hope you … [Read more...]
Going Back To Work :: Week 1
Last week was my first week back "at the grind" of my j-o-b. And so many of you have asked how it was... It was great. It was crazy. It was fast. It was exhausting. It was smooth. It was everything I thought it would be....and more. Y'all. I really do love my job. I love that my kids are WELL taken care of at their daycare. They love it. They thrive there. And let's just face it, if they were home with me all day, we would all look like hot messes and they would be dumb as bricks! :) I'm just honest about my capabilities, or lack thereof... God didn't make me to be a stay-at-home mom. I admire you sweet women who have the love, the grace and the PATIENCE to stay home with your sweet babies. But that's not for me. Nope. The Lord gave me an amazing job at an incredible company, and I get to work with the best people in the world (though sometimes crazy!) all day long. And I love it. So, while it was tiring and yes I fell asleep on the couch at 8:20 p.m. Thursday night, it was wonderful to be back. The funny thing was, all ten weeks I was at home with Emory I don't think anyone ever got sick. Day one of going back to work, Eliza Jane woke up with a temp of 102. Daddy got to stay home with her! Thankfully she got over it quickly and was back to school on Wednesday. I haven't had to drop all three off at daycare by myself yet...but that day will come so pray for no melt-downs when it does! So here's to week 2 and feeling great about it at the end of it (ha!). A couple of pictures from last week...the first most of you have probably seen - I was greeted with 150+ balloons in my office last Monday morning when I opened my office door! And the second of all three of my bald babies with their Grammy blankets on my desk! {L→R: Emory, Reynolds, Eliza Jane. We didn't get the bucket picture with Emory because our photographer sold her bucket :( } Thanks for your notes of encouragement, your love … [Read more...]
Parenting Is Hard :: Frightful Threes
Some of you who saw the title of this post either sighed and said, "heck yes it is" and others of you may have laughed and said, "just wait...". A few weeks ago I posted something on my Facebook wall about how parenting can be so challenging and how I just wanted to crawl in the bed and suck my thumb... And yes, me with my three kids under four...I'm getting mine. Whatever it was I did to my parents as a kid, is coming back ten-fold. Or whatever it was Andrew did to his parents... That's probably the more accurate statement. {Love you, babe! haha} I love our kids. All of them. Each of them individually. But y'all with kids, you know there are some really hard days. REALLY. Hard. Days. And the "terrible twos" is a joke. I'm going to go with the "Frightful Threes". And honestly so many friends told me that the age of three was much more challenging than the twos. I'm siding with them. To those of you who dealt with the drama, the screaming and fit-pitching at two, lucky you because it came and went sooner. At three, it's been building since like 18 months. What is this behavior. And I don't want this post to be all about how terrible our kid is because he's honestly not a bad kid. He's got the kindest, sweetest heart and he is simply wonderful. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, one moment he's great - playing with his sister, kissing his brother, being just the sweetest kid and then like the flip of a switch, someone does or says something {or he's told "no"}, and he goes completely bizurk! That's when the challenge starts. Disciplining him in a way that is loving but firm; That doesn't break his spirit but shows him that we mean what we say. I had lunch with a friend last week, who has a son the same age as Reynolds. I sat down and my opening question to her was, "Does ___ act like a lunatic at times?!" Because we'd had two - what I call - episodes - in the last 12 hours, and it's completely exhausting emotionally, … [Read more...]
On Writing Thank You Notes…
First of all, I really should own a stationery store or company with all the excitement I have regarding notes and letters and pretty papers. The other day I got a sweet email from someone asking if Reynolds has learned to write a thank you note. Sadly, he has not, but he'll scribble his name or trace his hand on a birthday card so that counts for something, right?! {We're getting there...} That email did get me thinking about the fact that I have not written thank you notes just yet for all the Christmas gifts we received {sigh...} and I can't believe that January is half-way over so I've got to get on them...fast! So where do you go for help to write your thank you notes? I'm not the most creative person when it comes to writing {or anything else} so sometimes I need a little inspiration. Well, lucky for us, Gifts.com has created a helpful guide to inspire us all. It provides tips and examples on how to properly write a thank you note, including some do's and don'ts to make our friends and family members feel appreciated. It really is terrific! Now go get your stationary, I'll get mine!, and let's get writing! Don't worry about being too formal, a thank you will always put a smile on anyone's face! If you're in need of Thank You notes or stationery, check out my last post about Basic Invite or check out the link below! Happy writing! … [Read more...]
Reflections On Maternity Leave :: Things I’ll Miss
As my maternity leave is winding down {I go back to work in less than two weeks!}, I've been thinking about all the things I will miss about this time that I've had not working...being in our home with sweet Emory. Aside from the sweet smiles and snuggles with Emory, of course, there are so many daily things that will be missed, starting with watching the Today show. I have been watching the Today show since my days at Berry College and being able to tune in every morning has taken me back to yesteryear. I'm going to miss Kathie Lee and Hoda's Boozeday Tuesday and Winesday Wednesday, etc. I'll miss Live With Kelly and whomever she has on with her that day. I'm going to miss reruns of Fixer Upper, Property Brothers and Home Improvement {that show is so much more funny now that I'm older!}. I'm going to miss long walks outside {since the weather has been so amazing here lately}. I'm going to miss having the laundry caught up... I'm going to miss having time to read. I'm going to miss going to the grocery store, un-rushed. I'm going to miss having supper cooked and ready to eat by 6 p.m. I'm going to miss having the house picked up, most days. I'm going to miss the calm and quiet moments. The lunches and visits with friends. I'm going to miss the feeling or perception that there is order in the world of our home. {Mind you, it is not totally organized or "finished".} That's not a finite list and there is a lot that I will miss...but I'm looking forward to getting back to our "normal" however non-normal it may seem at times! For the next twelve days I've got some major things to accomplish - starting with painting the closet in R's new bedroom and then installing a closet organizer...should be fun! I'll share pictures when it's done! I hope you're having a great week! … [Read more...]
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