Mama Can't Go Down

So last week my husband turned 30.

I can't believe I am married to a 30 year old.

I think that may be worse than actually turning 30 myself.

I feel old.

Anyway...

For YEARS I have been wanting to throw him a surprise birthday party and decided that I'd wait until his Dirty 30 and go all out.

And all out we did go.

I got together with his dad and starting in November we've been planning.

His company is turning an old warehouse into an office building and before the clients moved in, we totally squatted and threw the party there.

We had caterers, DJ, Bar...the whole 9 nine yards.

I had a blast planning and keeping it a secret,

until about a week before when we had had a couple of close calls and I felt like I was going to explode.

On the night of the party I drove him to "dinner" where he thought he was meeting up with family to celebrate.

Much to his surprise we walked into his surprise party and were greeted by around 100 of his closest friends and family.

Success.

And then we partied.

Happy Birthday Babe.

Still on a little bit of a high from that night, I had been floating through this week enjoying not having to make plans and decorate any thing when...

BAM.

I come crashing down.

Hard.

And literally.

I fell.

Down the stairs and Taegan's school.

Sprained ankle, brace, crutches and all.

Welcome back to reality.

So,

I drive myself and three kids, in tears, to a friends then I take my wounded self to urgent care.

As I was sitting there with the nurse, who didn't seem to know more about nursing than myself, I told her...

"I really don't have time for this!"

She said, "Don't worry, we'll have you out of here in no time"

No lady...

You don't understand.

I REALLY don't have time for THIS.

Mama can't go down.

Kids still need to fed/changed/carried/loved sprained ankle or not.

So now I'm trying to keep up my pace while on crutches and in a brace.

My heart has been blessed more times than I can count and I've gotten the pity face from most of the moms at nursery school as I hobbled down the halls.

Just wonderful.

Bright Side?

Its 67 degrees today.

I am sitting here at my kitchen table, with my foot propped up, typing away while my kids run in and out from the trampoline to the playroom with dirty feet and big smiles on their faces.

 Countdown to summer... begin now.

Enough

I don't have any grand words for you this morning.

No over whelming to-do list to complain about.

No crazy Lilah-Grace stories to report.

No exciting news on the horizon.

We just ~are~ today.

We are home.

We are together.

We are content.

I treasure my Friday mornings.

The girls are running around the house in their jammies and bare feet playing mommies and restaurant.

The dog is sitting in the sun chewing his bone. 

And I get to just sit.

To just be.

And that is enough.

Girls

We had a full on Stand-Off here last night...

I told LG she had to take three more bites of her chicken and cheese quesadilla.

She stared me straight in the eyes and proceeded to pour her glass of milk onto it.

When I told her now she had to eat three bites of chicken and cheese quesadilla with milk all over it, 

she started to mushed it up into pieces,

then dumped it off her plate onto the table.

I wasn't budging.

EAT. IT.

We sat there for a good 20 minutes playing chicken.

Who would give in first?

Taegan was witnessing the whole thing so I had to set the precedent.

Well...

She took her three bites.

And then just to stick it to me she said, she liked quesadillas with milk all over it.

Grrrr...

Earlier that day this is what she handed me...

I had just cleaned the up stairs.

Made beds, put away clothes, etc.

She didn't like her outfit.

She was "ITCHY".

She is THREE!

This is going to be a loooong 18 years.

While we are on the subject of my hard-headed, willful, free-sprited girls...

I'll leave you with this.

I want this for each of their rooms.

Some days they make me want to pull my hair out.

(or have a very strong alcoholic drink)

They are strong and stubborn and some day...

 They will change the world.

Words

Happy Twenty Twelve.

It is sure to be a good one.

Lots to celebrate.

Lots to be thankful for.

Last year was the first year that I heard about choosing a 

*Word*

for the New Year.

I like that idea better than choosing a resolution.
Although last year I thought and thought for months and months about the perfect

*Word* 

for 2011...
And I choked.

 Here we are January of 2012 and I never did quite narrow it down.

SO...

To alleviate some pressure and anxiety and inevitably giving up on the challenge...

This year I'll make a list of *WordS* for 2012.

Words that sum up the things that I want to be and focus on in this new year.

* Present *

* Grateful *

* Simple *

* Conscious *

* Contentment * 

* Centered *

* Play *

So there you have it.
That's what I'll be workin on for the next twelve months or so.
That and these dang New Years cards that I have yet to send out.
They are New Years cards bc I missed the window for Christmas cards and at this rate I should just be sending out Presidents Day cards b/c that is probably when I'll get around to them.

P.S.
All the kids were back in school today and I swear I heard angels singing Hallelujah as I walked out of the preschool doors sans kids.
Today was good.
And so are these...

But Mom, I Can See Her...

Over the holidays all (or most) of the girls from my mom's side of my family got together to see the Nutcracker.

The older I get the more our family get togethers mean and amaze me.

Growing up it never dawned on my that all families didn't live next door to each other or in the same neighborhood or even in the same town.

My mom is one of eight and I am one of 24 grandchildren.

Anywhere I go I see someone I'm related to or someone who knows someone I'm related to.

Its been only in the past couple of years have I really come to treasure this.

And anytime that we can get everyone together is always a good time.

So, we took up a couple of rows down at Center Stage and soaked in the Richmond Ballet.

Lilah-Grace, at the ripe ol' age of 3, was finally old enough to participate in our "Girls Night Out" and sat wide eyed through the entire show.

She did narrate a little and commented on the ballerinas and princesses crowns and outfits. 

Halfway into the set with the ballerina dressed as a snake comes out and does her part.

She is dressed in a nude colored unitard with scales on her sides. 

(think the famous Brittney Spears sparkle outfit)

Her dancing was incredible and her moves made her look just like a snake.

Lilah-Grace's mouth was open and she didn't blink as she watched the girl slither around the stage.

I whispered to her, "How cool is this and didn't that girl look JUST like a snake?"

And in much more than a whisper she turns and looks at me and says...

"Yeah. But Mom...I can see her Vagina!!?!" 

Well, I almost peed in my pants right there.

People were turning their heads and giving scowling looks, but I couldn't help it.

And of course I had to tell someone.

So I leaned to the row in front of me to tell my sister and just as the scene was ending she lets out a huge snort and I'm sure the whole theater turned to look.

I did love the ballet, but my sweet (and very honest) little girl stole the show for sure.

Fast forward.

Since we all got together to do the ballet, we figured we'd keep it classy with some red and green jello shots on Christmas night.

CHEERS!