yeah, lots of catching up, but first...

Five days until Christmas

Feliz Navidad

What? It's December already???? We ARE alive and busy with Advent. Thirteen more days until Christmas...

Balance

I was just telling my mom that I remember when I only had Allie and while she would take a nap in the afternoon I would clean my house like Martha Stewart's daughter-in-law on Thanksgiving Eve. Now I just turn my head in shame when I see Martha's face on the grocery store check out rack. I'm still in survival mode. Kindergarten is ok. I'm still not too excited about Allie being in our school system, and I'm having issues with the right balance of book education and character education that I want for my family, but to be honest I think I'll struggle with this the entire time my babies are in school and maybe some more. I am however, enjoying all of the excitement about "homework".

...and to even out all that chaos *up there* I bento and I love it! Allie does too. She finishes her lunch about 80% of the time! A mom told me she saw Allie and her best friend sharing cucumbers in the lunchroom. Love it!

Shopping Fun

I love to spend money. I know, I know. Every possible emotional and psychological syndrome that I could possible have is on your checklist of "WTH is wrong with her" now. I don't care because I'm not going to try and figure it out or fix it. Because I love to shop. Well the SAHM thing, kinda threw a kink in my game. No worries. Over the last 5 years I've worked through the combo of need and guilt. I shop for groceries! Need without the guilt. Plus, we can stretch a trip to Whole Foods or Costco into a half day event. Play, samples, shop, visit with the old people who love to swoon over my kids, borrow(read: pretend to buy) new toys, eat, and then naps on the way home. Really, you can't beat it. Don't laugh.

Whole Foods even has an eating area, playground AND a meals worth of samples!

Oh AND entertainment!! This day PBS showed up and had games, balloons, and Cat in the Hat!
I don't even think Martin hears a drummer. His beat is more along the lines of a triangle or tambourine. He insists on getting a "sad face" every time we got to Costco which is every week . I know. Happy face would be too... normal. Martin does not do normal. Normal is not cool.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy birthday sweet girl!

My sweet Allie,

I think I've opened this page up at least 20 times trying to find the right words to say to you. The most overwhelming part of it is that this birthday was a huge milestone for me. I feel like I've given you away. To the world. You're not all mine anymore and as much as I love to see you grow into the person you're meant to be, I'm really sad that I have to share. Most days when I climb into bed to tuck you in, I kiss your sweet little face and I have to stop myself from wishing it was just you and me again. Hours of cuddling and playing dress up. Playing loud music and dancing while folding laundry. Wrapping you up in a carrier so no one could touch you and struttin' down the isles of Target with my feathers all puffed out like a proud momma hen. I miss that. The simpleness of just being your mom and no one else.

Now it's time to share. You spend more waking hours under the wing of another and I'm adjusting. I guess I knew all along that you are too wonderful of a person to keep to myself and I was right. You're my sunshine, my rainbow after the storm. I love you. Don't grow up too fast.