Nice Little Wednesday

Today I spent an absurd amount of time wiping down all the walls and doors in my whole house.  This fact both fascinates and repulses me.  It is truly a phenomenon that I was unaware of before having children.  All surfaces from three feet off the floor down is one of those dirty spots in the house that can easily be overlooked, much like baseboards and fan blade skuzz.  But then one day you notice it, and it's like OH MY WORD THAT IS SO FREAKING GROSS!  So I crawled on hands and knees around the house wiping all sorts of nastiness from walls, doors, kitchen cabinets.  How does this even happen?

And because I have the most thoughtful daughters ever... to celebrate our clean walls, they took the stack of magazines to be recycled and made confetti... then threw it at me when I was done.  Aren't they sweet?

I found these little felt heart Christmas ornaments on clearance for ten cents per pack of three.  I had the genius idea that we could do something amazing with them for homemade Valentines, but now I'm a little stumped.  Fresh out of spectacular ideas.  Help?

I went to the UPS store to mail a package and Presley kept pretending to give the UPS guy a high five, but then pulled her hand back at the last second a 'la "too slow Joe".  This happened about five times and the UPS guy fell for it every time.  She thought she was the funniest gal around.

It's naptime now for the littlest, and the middle and I are watching some Tangled... a nice little Wednesday indeed.

Fresh Start

I'm finally motivated enough to begin taking down the Christmas decorations.  This is the very least enjoyable part of the Christmas season... packing away ornaments.  It is like unpacking and doing laundry after a vacation.  A necessary hassle.

Today, I got a little choked up putting away the tree.  I realized that I'm not sure when I'll get to see all these sentimental ornaments again.  Who knows where we'll be next Christmas, although I guess it is like that every year, for every one.  We don't know what our year will hold, what plan God has for the next year in our lives.  But for me, this year, it is certain that I really don't know where our family will be for Christmas 2012.  I don't know when we will have our own Christmas tree in our own home.  For how many years will these ornaments be in storage?  It's not the decorations themselves that I will miss so much, it is the comfort... the safety, the familiarity, the tradition of it all.

I'm not an adventure seeker by nature.  I don't thrive on spontaneity or uncertainty.  I am not a risk taker.  This whole "moving to Haiti" thing is totally and completely out of my comfort zone, a move totally orchestrated and designed by God... I'm willing to be along for the ride.  So in moments like this, packing up the decorations, sending many to the yard sale pile, I am reminded of this journey that God is preparing for us, and while I am excited, it also carries some sadness of letting go of the way my life has been, compared to what it will be from here on.

Number One Fan

I love Hipsters.  Gary and I have great love for spotting them while we're out.  They provide us with hours of amazement.  We think our Mylie Mae is half hipster, based solely on her wack-a-doo fashion sense.  We have a healthy respect for it.

I think we may have spotted our most favorite Hipster to date.  Monday, while visiting the zoo we spotted him.  It was majestic, I wanted to follow him and just look at it.  Dressed in old-timey zoo keeper garb, accompanied by the prerequisite skinny jean, plus a mighty fine handle bar mustache... this guy was incredible.

Think a little bit of this...

And a whole lot of that...

With a dash of...

I really contemplated asking him to pose with the family for a picture, but I didn't want him to think I was:

a) a total nut job
b) mocking him
c) a total nut job

People really do make life more interesting.  I'm so glad we're not all the same!  Thank you Old-Timey Hipster Zookeeper... I am your number one fan.

Heard Around the House {December Edition}

Sweetpea:
"Can I help give Presley Toilet Lessons?"

BuddyBoy:
"Mom, do you know why I like places that are way way way far away like in the country where there aren't very much people?  It's because you can drive and there's no speed limit.  Can six year olds drive out in the country far far away?"

Seven

My precious Buddy Boy,

     Today you are seven years old.  Years.  I just really can't believe how fast these years have come and gone.  I feel so blessed to be your mom, and at times feel totally incompetent to mother you.  You are so smart.  It is ridiculous.  There will be a day, in the not so distant future, when I just won't have the answers to your questions.  You are such a thinker.  You are also really really funny, and we get the same jokes.  You're pretty clever.  You're also really really spontaneous.  That's my nice way of saying that you lack a lot of self-control and are impulsive.  I'm praying that God will use this trait somehow, and that you'll gain some self-control with maturity.  There will be a day, when I will miss your random cartwheels down the aisle at Target, or in line at Chipotle, but right now it's pretty annoying.  But I still love you. 

   You love God.  And for this I am so thankful.  I know that things in this world will try to tear your faith down, and damage your innocence.  Despite this, and probably because of it, I pray everyday for you, that you will grow strong in the Lord.  I have believed since your big personality began to take shape, that God has big plans for you.  My prayer is that you will work for and love God in whatever He has planned for your life. I think you're amazing, and God has gifted you with so many talents.  Stay humble.  Serve others.  Love God first.

     You are so special to me Noah Loyal.  I became a mother because of you.  My heart swells with love for you.  Your eighth year will be a big one, sweet sweet boy.

Love,

Mom

Birth day

12/21/04

First Birthday

Bright blue eyes, big kissable lips, and one sweet cowlick

Second Birthday

Such a ham 

Third Birthday

Pretending to be shy while people were singing to you... you even told me you were pretending 

 Fourth Birthday

Fifth Birthday

Birthday trip to Disneyland with just mom and dad... with a stop in Cabazon where you pretended to be a baby T-Rex... this is my favorite picture of you ever.  It so captures your personality. 

Sixth Birthday

Same crazy cowlick and awesome smile 

Seventh Birthday

Baby teeth are gone... and the awkward phase begins.  I still think you're handsome.

Heard Around the House {November Edition}

Sweetpea
"Mommy, you look beautiful... just like a pirate."
"I'll feel my bike's muscles.  Yeah, it needs air."  {... as in the tires need air}

Buddy Boy
{waking me up in my face at 1:00am}"Mom, what treat do you think I should have with my lunch tomorrow?"

This photo isn't from November, but it was too funny not to share.  Sign reads: "I Love Giselle?"

He went to a Diamondbacks game with the sole intention to declare his love for fellow first grader Giselle, who would also be at the game... on the Jumbo-tron.  And he did.  Sure enough, the cameraman spotted him, took pity on his plight, and gave him about 30 seconds of air time, every second of which he stood proudly holding his sign.