Little Home Improvements

Dear Em,
As I have expressed multiple times on this blog, this winter was tough for me. It was just so incredibly cold & dreary & gray & blah. When I get frustrated with life, I often take on home improvement projects. We had big plans for outside of the house this Spring (more on that soon), so any projects I took on inside the house would have to be small.

I was browsing Etsy & found these bright & happy stars. They were just what tour bay window needed to brighten things up a little bit. I wanted to get a few stars, with room to add more later. The possibilities were almost endless. I browsed for a long time before I finally chose a variety of stars in mostly blue, green, & yellow colors.

Once they arrived, Daddy & I installed them using fishing wire. All winter long, it was like we had a little piece of stary of sunshine inside our home.

The clear one paints rainbows on our walls every afternoon when the sun hits it. The addition of these stars was a small change to our home, but they bring a smile to my face every time I look out the window. Of course, they look even better now that the snow is melted & everything is green again.

Sigh, I love little home improvements that make a big impact, don't you?

I love you so,

Mommy

Messy Bedrooms & High Heeled Shoes

Dear Em,
We had asked you to clean up the mess in your room, & I heard a lot of clacking coming from upstairs. I peeked into your room to find you like this. You were decked out in jewelry & had an old pair of my high heels on...but you were cleaning up. This is just how you roll on a typical day.

I would like to say like mother, like daughter, but at the end of the work day I am happy to kick off my pumps for a more comfy pair of flip flops.

I love you so,
Mommy

My...Our...2015 Birthday Adventures

Dear Em,
You love birthday celebrations, & this year I realized why more than ever. Our birthday celebrations & pampering & fun tend to also become your celebrations & pampering & fun...this year more than ever. My birthday fell on a beautiful, sunshiny, Rhode Island day this year. Since you've been on an adorable picnic kick lately, we made sure to fit in a walk at the Narragansett wall, rock tower building, & a picnic.

You and I also pampered ourselves with a mani/pedi. When I think about the fact I didn't get a mani/pedi until I was in my twenties & you've already had several, I have to laugh to myself a little bit.

It was a busy day that included things like a Parent/Teacher Conference, a ton of errands, dance class, & Kindergarten Orientation (OH EM GEE, how are you starting kindergarten this fall?!!), but we squeezed in some fire pit, birthday cake fun as a perfect end to a completely amazing day.

I couldn't have asked for a better day. Thanks for sharing so much of it with me.

I love you so,

Mommy

Love Letters

Dear Em,

"Hope when you take that jump, you don't fear the fall

Hope when the water rises, you built a wall

Hope when the crowd screams out, they're screaming your name

Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay

Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad

The only way you can know is give it all you have

And I hope that you don't suffer but take the pain

Hope when the moment comes, you'll say...

I, I did it all

I, I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places, the things that I did

With every broken bone, I swear I lived..."

- I Did It All by One Republic

When I first heard this song, I had to hear it again. I instantly downloaded it & listened to it on repeat for at least the next few days. Listening to it energized me. Yes, yes to all of it!

When I think of how I want to live my life, this song explains it so perfectly...& it's what I wish for you as well. We may fall down as we live this crazy thing called life, but fear of falling shouldn't stop us from trying. We get back up & make the most of each moment. If at the end of your life you can say you truly lived- you loved & you lost & you tried everything you wanted to try- that is what I wish for you.

I love you so,

Mommy

Throwback Thursday: Birthday Me

Dear Em,
This is little birthday me. It's possible we had just moved, & I didn't have bunches of little friends, but my mom always found a way to make our celebrations special...complete with balloons & a dog in a party hat. Ha!

I love you so,

Mommy

Picnics

Dear Em,
The topic of picnics came up at school, & you've been on a picnic kick ever since. This past weekend we had two picnics. You set up a blanket on our lawn & top it with silverware, plates, & napkins. Daddy & I bring the food.

You pat the blanket, letting Daddy & I know where you want us each to sit. You eat with giddy smiles covering your face. It's the most adorable thing. I love you for so many reasons, & one of them is how incredibly happy & excited you get over something as simple as a picnic on our front lawn.

I love you so,
Mommy

Mother's Day 2015

Dear Em,
Mother's Day didn't go exactly as planned this year, but it was truly perfect. I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to the songs of the birds & couldn't fall back asleep. You crept into my room excitedly at 6am & were thrilled to find me awake. We quietly snuggled and watched Big Hero Six, hoping to give Daddy an extra hour or two of sleep.

You whispered something into Daddy's ear & he left the bedroom. You ordered me to stay in bed, with a sparkle in your eyes & a smile across your face. I knew you two were up to something. At one point you ran out of bed & yelled downstairs to Daddy, "make sure they're heart shaped!!"

Daddy came upstairs a little while later with corn fritters for you & I. Mine were cut into the shape of hearts. He also gave me my first scavenger hunt clue. After we ate our yummy breakfast, you guided me through the scavenger hunt clues that you & Daddy had worked on. You excitedly encouraged me to run from clue spot to clue spot. At the end of the hunt was a bunch of sunflowers, a handmade card, & some candy...& you jumping all around in excitement.

Daddy had so many fun plans for my special day: kayaking at Narrow River, a picnic lunch & kite flying at Jamestown. It sounded so lovely & so fun, but I was feeling a little bit exhausted & overwhelmed. We've had a lot going on in the past month, & I've been feeling a little bit like my to do list (all with firm due dates) is a mile long & every time I cross something off the list, three more things need to be added to the list. I sheepishly looked at Daddy & asked if he wouldn't mind having a home day. I wanted to do two things: relax & get things done. Daddy smiled. He was happy to do whatever I wanted to do.

We called Grandma to say Happy Mother's Day & Happy Birthday (she was visiting with Aunt Andrea & Uncle Lowell in Florida). Then we facetimed with Nonnie. You excitedly asked Nonnie if she wanted to play Barbies with you. Nonnie happily agreed. You placed my phone in the center of your doll house & "played Barbies with Nonnie" for the next four hours (you also played say yes to the dress & babies). Your room was a disaster by the end, & you were a little disapointed that Nonnie couldn't help you clean up.

With no child to entertain for those four hours, I lounged in the brilliant sunshine & listened to an audio book for a little while. Then Daddy & I worked to bring all of our summer yard things out. Once I realized that this was the day I could ask Daddy to do any kind of house work without him getting outwardly aggravated at me, I tried to squeeze in as much yard/house work as I could. Ha!

You finally said goodbye to Nonnie, & we headed to Home Depot to pick up some yard supplies. We planned to eat out for dinner, but we weren't sure where we wanted to go. I wanted to eat someplace casual that makes the kind of food we can't cook at home. We finally settled on Celestial Cafe, & I'm so glad we did. The food was amazing. We want to go back & eat all the food. It was a perfect, little family dinner. You sat next to me & we made beaded necklaces & colored pictures together when we weren't eating.

We headed home, & you set up a picnic blanket in the front yard. There we sat & ate the Tres Leche cake you & Daddy had made from scratch the night before (I had a Tres Leche cake in Dallas a few months ago, & Daddy found a recipe to recreate it for me). It was so yum! You & I headed upstairs after that & we snuggled while we read bedtime books.

I don't know that a Mother's Day that includes yard work & a trip to Home Depot is what most women would consider perfection, but this year it was exactly what I wanted & needed. Thank you for being a fun part of my special day, & thank you for being the reason that I can call myself a mother. You are the most incredible & most challenging part of my life, & I thank God for the wonderful adventure that is motherhood. I also thank God for giving me Daddy & all the rest of the help & support we have raising you. Motherhood surely takes a whole community!

I love you so,
Mommy

Love Letters

Dear Em,

"Let's punish him! We'll spank him & then we'll put him in timeout. And when he gets out of timeout, I'll give him a wedgie."

- Emma, age 5

Ha! Poor, Daddy. He's absolutely outnumbered by his two girls with very strong personalities. I can't quite remember why Daddy needed to be punished. Perhaps he was teasing us as Daddy is apt to do...or maybe he just didn't want to make us corn fritters that morning. 

Your idea of a punishment cracked us both up, though. You declared his punishment with such sweetness & excitement. Daddy & I both laughed out loud before you & he chased each other around the house trying to give each other wedgies.

Oh, & before you think we raised you to be a wedgie-giving bully, we have a rule about wedgies. You are only allowed to give wedgies to Daddy...& Daddy gives them back lovingly to you. Ha! I love our quirky, hilarious, ridiculous family life.

I love you so,

Mommy

Throwback Thursday: Dance

Dear Em,

Are you absolutely my daughter, or what?

TBT: Me

You this past weekend.

I love you so,

Mommy

Scout Leader Baby Peach

Dear Em,
This past fall, we went on our first family hike. You loved it, & Daddy & I were so excited. We couldn't wait to include family hikes in all of the outdoor things we love to do in Rhode Island. We've gone a couple times so far this spring.

There is a trail five minutes from us that is perfect. It's not too strenuous for littles, but it actually includes a few different trails. So far, we've explored a different part of the trail each & every time. We bring a backpack, pack some snacks, & typically let you stop to rest & snack somewhere around the halfway point.

Being the girly girl you are, we should have known that hiking with you would be unique. You started giving us hiking names. Not happy to be assigned a name, I told you I wanted to be called Hakuna Matata. Your eyes sparkled when you heard that. You excitedly told us that you wanted to be called Scout Leader Baby Peach. So, we have Scout Leader Baby Peach, Scout Leader Hakuna Matata, & Scout Spider Man (you've insisted that Daddy is not ready to be a scout leader).

For the first couple trips, you would climb on every rock to "check for danger." While I like that you are cautious out in the wild, I didn't want you to think of exploring & hiking as dangerous & sinister (I would also prefer for your imagination to be a little bit more on the positive side instead of being about babies being in time out, people being mean, or scary things lurking around the corner). So, now we look for magical things in the forest...like butterflies that show us the way. You also carry around a magic wand (aka a stick we found on the path). "Poof! I made that tree appear. Poof! I made that rock appear. Poof! I made your pants appear" (good thing, because I would prefer not to hike without pants).

While sometimes you seem to prefer to walk the path less traveled (i.e. in the brush beside the path instead of on the path), for the most part you're becoming really good at finding the trail markers & reading the signs of the paths. Mostly you love climbing on rocks & jumping off. You seem to have two speeds, running & barely moving. I have to say, it's the most entertaining hiking I've ever done.

I love you so,
Mommy