Day 5: Material Girl

I know a lot of my posts this week have been about Hayden, but I can't help it. The girl just makes me smile (which is a good thing, because it probably keeps me from killing her when she does things like slinging poop across the family room). Anyway, lately she has been choosing her own outfits from her closet. I've been going along with it because I'm always curious as to what she'll pick. But today, I am totally in love with her selection. First she picked out a navy blue long-sleeved t-shirt. Nothing special there, but then she picked out this frilly little pink tutu, a pair of gray leggings, and some pink ballerina slippers with matching legwarmers. She wasn't even a figment of my imagination in the 80's, and yet, she's so there. She looks like Britney from Alvin and the Chipmunks. To top it all off, we put her hair in a water-spout pigtail, and she picked out a pink and blue bow with a purple butterfly on it. Who said a 19-month old couldn't have fashion sense?

Day 4: Joyful Surprises!

Sometimes, it's the little things that make you smile. Like finding out you don't have to get up early tomorrow morning because there's no school! I'm not sure who's more excited, me or Jason!

Day 3: With a Face Like This...

Today was kind of a rough day, but I did manage to find a short-lived moment of joy today. I was super-tired because we were up late working on Jason's homework last night - he has a rain forest project due tomorrow, which I didn't know about until yesterday. Hayden was at her hurricane best/worst scattering toys, books, and shoes, while I was trying to master a mountain of laundry. Not a good combination. After folding and re-folding at least 17 times, I was pretty grumpy. But when Hayden came clacking down the hall sporting this purple hat, my red-buckle peep-toes, and a Cheshire cat grin, I had to crack a smile. She was pretty darn cute. How could I possibly stay mad at a face like that?

Day 2: Shoes! Glorious Shoes!

It really is all about the shoes. I don't know what it is about a pink peep-toe or a leopard-print kitten heel, but they just make me smile. And somehow, this has rubbed off on my now 19-month-old daughter. Jared and the kids spent the past weekend visiting family in Oregon, and he brought home a suitcase full of hand-me-downs from our niece, all for Hayden. Included in this care package were at least 10 pairs of shoes. There were sparkly silver Mary Janes, strappy sandals, pink Skechers, and even a pair of faux leather boots. As soon as I brought Hayden's attention to them, her eyes got big and a huge smile lit her little face. She ran to the pile as quickly as her chubby little legs could carry her. She then proceeded to pick up each pair of shoes tenderly, admiring every one. Then it was time to try them on. All of them. Not a pair was left untouched. She ended up wearing the sparkly silver ones today. Now that's joy.

Week 9 - Day 1: It's My Potty and I'll Cry if I Want To!

Today was a pretty good day. Jared took Jason to school, so I got to sleep in a little. Had a fabulous lunch with Jared. Did some shoe shopping (which is never bad, even if it's not for me). And then spent the night at home with my wild and crazy kids. Hayden has decided that she wants to sit on the potty like a big girl, so we bought her one today. She loved it! She spent about half an hour tonight sitting on it, then standing up to look at it, then waving a can of air freshener over it, only to start the process all over again. The joy in this? Realizing that our diaper days are numbered! Woohoo! Unfortunately, Hayden decided to remind me that that number is probably a large one... a few minutes after I snapped this photo, she dropped a #2 bomb followed by a flood onto my family room rug. She thought it best to get off the potty to accomplish this. Sigh.

Week 8 Finale: Party's Over!

So, I've pretty much sucked at keeping this up to date the last 2 weeks. It's been crazy-busy around here. But, I think the bulk of it should be over now. I hosted the Young Women's "New Moon" sleepover this weekend, and it was NUTS! But lots of fun, too. I admit, I went over the top with the preparations, but I think it was worth it. We had bottled "blood" to quench the girls' vampiric thirst, Team Jacob and Team Edward bracelets, even our very own moon shining over a poster of Edward. The girls went on a photo scavenger hunt around the neighborhood, collecting photos of various items referencing their team icon, and of course, they watched "New Moon," swooning every time Jacob appeared shirtless. Oh, to be a teenage girl with raging hormones. Thank heaven that's all over! However, I wouldn't mind the metabolism. I'm told that Kelsi, who is the definition of "toothpick" ate 5 servings of lasagna. Plus there was salad and cupcakes, M&M's, and she returned from the scavenger hunt with a container of yogurt she'd pawned off one of my unsuspecting neighbors. If only!

So, now that all this partying is over with, I've realized that I can't even remember the last time I had a normal sleep schedule. It's time for me to relax and enjoy life again. So, this week, my focus is on finding joy in everyday things. Wonder what I'll find!

Week 7 & 8 Catch-Up

I know. I've been falling down on the job with this blog lately. Life has just been cuckoo-crazy lately, and I can't seem to catch a break. So, to catch up... The shower went off smashingly. I even got all the painting done, my house cleaned, the garden weeded, and all the food beautifully arranged on the table before the guests showed up on Saturday morning. Miraculous. The real miracle was the amount of help I got. Between me, Jared, Kristen, Emily, and two of my wonderful Young Women: Melissa and Sariah, nothing short of magic occurred at my house. When the last of the shower guests left and the last dish was washed on Saturday afternoon, around 3:00, I literally fell into my bed and didn't surface until almost noon Sunday morning. Which is when I realized that my mother was coming into town... in just a couple hours! I had asked her weeks ago to come up during her Spring Break and help me work on the quilt set I promised to make my girlfriend, Stacia. So, that's been my focus this week. The pictures are of what we've accomplished so far. We're making a quilt, bumper, and bedskirt for her new(ish) baby boy. It's been taking forever, though, because it's probably one of the most detailed designs I've ever done. But it's for one of my best friends, so she deserves the best. And it's gonna be super-duper cute. I'm kinda bummed out today, though, because my mom is leaving this morning. I've done my absolute best to try and convince her to stay, but to no avail. Even Hayden's sweet face couldn't convince her to stay. Geez, can nothing soften this woman? ;) (Love ya, Mom!) I guess it's okay, though, because I've got another party to finish throwing together. The Young Women's "New Moon" sleepover is tomorrow night... at my house. It's gonna be nuts! But it should be fun, too. Just lots to do...