This.

This is all I could have asked for for Christmas. This picture. You'd think I have so many pictures of us, but I don't. Not at all. I could complain about my looks...but ya know what? I'm giving myself a pass. Those 3 smiles you're looking at are all that I can see. When I saw this as I was downloading the pics, I got all choked up. I'm still choked up. I'm going to get this printed at my professional printer and cherish it forever. Thank you for taking it, Mikey.

Sucker for these sorts of things

http://www.sanddunebooks.com/

Check out this link and if you're like me, you'll be ALL over this type of thing. I ordered one for my mom and one for my dad.

A World Without Etsy???

This is s.e.r.i.o.u.s.
I just heard about some new law going into effect in February 2009. It is the CPSIA (Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act). It will make all handmade items that don't go through hundreds of dollars of safety tests illegal to sell! Ridiculous!
Read more about it here and add a button to your blog! The link I just shared will tell you how to add the button.
I could not live without Etsy. I love it.

Mr. Jingle

Mike's school has 3 "towers": Technology, Medical, and Professional. Each tower had a contest where the kids had to vote on a male and female teacher to be Mr. and Ms. Jingle. The criteria were the teacher had to be Friendly, Caring, and (aw geez, I'm forgetting.)




Guess who was voted Mr. Jingle???

I think we can make all sorts of jokes with the monniker Mr. Jingle!

Mikey's pretty hard on himself, so an external reward now and again is bound to make anyone feel good. I'm proud of him. This semester at school has been a rough one with the death of one of his favorite students. He's still affected by that everyday.

Anyway, give your hubby an extra hug today in honor of Mr. Jingle!

The Store that makes me Crazy

Anthropologie.
It's just to die for.
How does it survive...
because it is so.damn.expensive.
I really want to know
who shops there.
Reeeeallllly shops there.
Are there
that many rich folk
in the world
to keep it going?
Was there the other day
browsing and browsing.
And browsing.
Didn't buy a thing.
Picked up one thing I needed
and could afford
then felt silly
taking that $12 item
to the checkout.
Put it back...
in the wrong spot.
On purpose.
Oops!

There is some
serious eye candy
in that store.

Pout.

Them

Am quite smitten with them, I am.

Tree Lighting Wrap Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Tree Lighting Wrap Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Dinner Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blizzard of '08

This ain't dandruff, people. Check ol' Houston out!!!!
It just so happened that we had pre-planned to get our Christmas tree on this day. Cosmic forces intervened to give us a snowy afternoon to do so. I was like a ridiculously excited puppy. MORE EXCITED than Lily. The guy at the Christmas tree place found me appalling, I'm sure. He stood around for 15 minutes in the cold and snow staring at us (tree, ma'am, which tree????)while I dragged my family around the lot taking pictures of us in the "winter wonderland" that is Houston Garden Center. I made believe I was in the Pacific Northwest, y'all. Cut me some slack. We don't get much beauty in these parts :-(

Look at us in our evergreen forest! hahahahahahahahaha

Mike picking out the perfect tree.

Lily giving me the cold shoulder after snapping my bazillionth picture.

I had asked her to catch snowflakes and close her eyes and it all proved too much.

Breaking News

It's snowing.
Back with pics later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things to Remember and other nonsense

Yesterday, the girls and I were at Kindermusik. OMG we love Kindermusik. I wish we had it everyday. Lily's been going for well over a year now and Natalie started a few months back. Lily goes to her own class now without me, while Natalie and I attend a class together down the hall (at the same time as Lily's class.) Natalie's baby class is so dang cute. Well, the big deal yesterday was sweet Natalie Noodle clapped for the first time ever! Yay! I pointed it out to all the moms and when she did it again they all clapped and cheered her on - so it was very exciting. People without children (and heck, even Dads?) may think this seems silly to get so riled up over, but when your baby does something new with purpose it just makes the world seem like a better place. Small joys ;-)

Also of note yesterday, while Lily and I were at the breakfast table I asked her what she was going to ask Santa for Christmas. She thought for a minute and said, "A bigger placemat." ????????????????????????????????? Alrighty, then!

Speaking of...here is Lily's latest letter to Santa. She wrote it out and told me it says I LOVE YOU SANTA CLAUS. LILY. She wanted to hang it on the fireplace so he knows it's her house. She asked me for tape and everything. She didn't write down anything she wanted, she just wanted Santa to recognize her and to take the note back home with him to the North Pole. She is so sweet. Behold:

I love how she writes her name in all straight sticks - because when you think about it...that's what her name looks like.

And then there's our Penny Moon - the new dog. This is what she does on a daily basis:

If you look closely, I have numbered all the shoes. She brings one of each shoe out of (usually my) closet. Any shoe will do, but she prefers anything furry. Like my gajillion dollar Ugg boots. She deposits them on the living room floor. Other juicy temptations for her are any and all stuffed animals. Being relatives of Catherine Moon's, this house does NOT LACK OF STUFFED ANIMALS. Thankfully, Penny just slobbers them, as opposed to shredding them. Thank heavens for small mercies.

I will close by announcing that I have removed my live feed widget off the sidebar because one of my favorite Noodle and Bean readers let me know it was freaking.her.the.hell.out. I promise I didn't add it to spy on people, I just saw it on another blog and thought it was way cool. It also let me know if anyone besides her was reading! If you read Noodle and Bean and have never commented, please let me know you're here by leaving a comment! And you can subscribe to the blog to receive updates in your inbox when I post something new in the sidebar to the right. It says "Follow Along" and you can get hooked up that way.

I will be posting some wicked cool photos of Lily on the other blog in a minute. At least I think they're wicked cool. And, I'll be posting some wedding pics over there, too. I did a BANG UP JOB on this last wedding. And I do mean LAST wedding. I don't think I'm cut out for weddings. By the end of the night my back kills me and boy do I ever drag my feet getting those pics edited. I edited 617 pictures people. Whoa.

Whew! I rambled today. Must be lonely. xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxxo

A Dancing Bean

Here is a video of Lily dancing...reminds me of the way Elaine Benes from Seinfeld danced. Ha! Also: still in love with herself. I guess I should hope she always is!


Lily Dances like Elaine from sara moon on Vimeo.

It's So Clear Now

Lily gets a weekly class update sent home on Fridays. I was reading through it and check this out:

"We have been reviewing the numbers 0-9. Many of the children are still having difficulty recognizing these numbers. A great way to practice with them is by using flash cards, which we do during circle time. Assessments are in January, and we will be testing when we return from the holiday break."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????? There are so many things wrong with that paragraph. Let me count the ways.
1. My girl has known her numbers for over a year - so it ain't her who is "still having difficulty".
2. SO WHAT IF SHE IS STILL HAVING DIFFICULTY? She's three years old. And so is everyone else in the class. THEY'RE THREE YEARS OLD. I think they'll get it eventually.
3. Flash cards. They're using flash cards in a 3 year old class and want me to use them at home. Uh, how about no. How about we'll play with playdough and color and paint and sing and dance instead.
4. ASSESSMENTS. For 3 year olds. Testing. For 3 year olds. What are they going to tell me...that my 3 year old doesn't have her numbers memorized yet and by god, she's 3 already? That she needs to go to tutoring? That she's not smart enough?

I am ALL about education - but good gracious. I'll say it again - THEY ARE THREE YEARS OLD.

If all goes well, we'll be long gone from this school and baking bread and making soup and taking nature walks instead of using flash cards and taking tests, thankyouverymuch.

I Think I Found Something Amazing

I haven't been all that thrilled with either of Lily's school situations. She has been going to some sort of preschool since she was 2. The first was an expensive, glorified version of daycare that made me cringe 2 of the 3 days a week she went. She finally got a teacher I liked and when she was moved up out of that class - took me all of one day to yank her from the new class.



Last spring, I sent Mike at 5:30 in the morning on enrollment day to get her into one of the best preschools in the area. She's been going there since the school year started 3 days a week.



I have been increasingly disturbed with how cookie cutter the activities and school itself seemed. Nothing bad has happened and not once have I felt she isn't being well taken care of or is unhappy. Quite the contrary - she loves school.



In my heart though, I am dissatisfied and knew there was something more for my kids - somewhere. Also, in my heart, I am a total HIPPIE. I absolutely do not live a hippie lifestyle I realize, but that's where my heart wants to be. I kind of cherry pick some hippie criteria that suit me and then am a creature of comfort on the rest, unfortunately.



:::::::



Okay, this will relate, stay with me. I follow several blogs - lots and lots that I peek in on daily (quickly). Some of my favorite blogs are from moms who I find amazing. I have noticed some things they all have in common: they are CRAFTY, they are artistic, they are hippie or hippie-ish, they are calm, they love nature, they don't care if their kid wears Matilda Jane (though I do love cute clothes!), they keep life simple, they love to cook good food, they are child centered.

In case you're wondering, here are some links to my faves:

Em Falconbridge

Kelly McCaleb

Amanda Blake Soule

Sarah Jane



So reading on Emily's blog, I peeked into a link she had (not sure if it's still there) for Rudolf Steiner Education. Admiring her a TON, I wanted to see what it was about. After poking around there, I saw he was the inventor of Waldorf education.


I had heard of Waldorf education before and one thing I had heard was that the kids aren't taught to read or write until they were like 7 years old - AND I WAS APPALLED.



::::::::



Flash forward to now. I've been seeing more things about Waldorf pop up now and then. For example, another place I've seen stuff is on Etsy. Waldorf toys. Like this, this, and this.

I googled Waldorf schools in my area and there is only one. The Harvest. I went yesterday to check it out and I. AM. IN. LOVE.

The rooms are like warm cocoons of goodness. Seriously, they glow a pinkish hue and look soft.
Everything is all natural materials (wool, wood, etc.)
Everything that goes into their little bodies there is organic, dye-free, white stuff free.
They bake real bread with their own little hands on Tuesdays. They make real vegetable soup (with veggies brought from home) with their own little hands on Thursdays.
They frown on electronic media. We won't be allowed to watch tv on school days.
They spend TONS of time outdoors everyday RAIN or shine.
They imagine and pretend and play play play.
Kids learn best through play at this age. We've all heard this a million times and I want my little girl to stay a little girl and enjoy these days that pass so very fast.

I could go on and on. I'm so excited we found this. It could change our lives ;-) Really.

Here is an interesting link and I hope you will take a peek for your own kiddos (wherever you may live) and if you are Lily's family to see what she (and Natalie one day) is embarking upon!

Rule 1,456: Never Turn Down a Cookie

This morning we were in a rush (as frickin' ususal) to get Lily to preschool by 8. We've gotten into the very bad habit of her not eating breakfast. Strike me dead, I know. Well, I fix things and she's not hungry that early...I've TRIED. Promise. So now, I just give her her daily heroin fix (juice) and she's good to go. In my pathetic attempt to get some food in her this morning, I offered her a chocolate gooey butter cookie to grab for the car ride. I even brought the plate down to her nose level so she could select said cookie herself.

Do you know what she said? "Mommy, cookies are NOT allowed at school." She turned her back on those cookies and walked away. Go figure.

Mind you these were the same cookies she was begging for last night. Mind you, the kid LIVES and DIES for chocolate. Can I get an amen, family? I think I might have a goody two shoes on my hands!! Repeat: I might have a goody two shoes! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a teacher, I LOVED the goody two shoes kids.

3 of my 5 girls

Miss Penny Moon basking in the sun:
The Bean in one of her new Matilda Jane outfits!

Natalie, being the cutest, happiest baby in the world (even with a rotten cold):

Missing from action: Luna who is staying with Miss Susan to recover from knee surgery and Abby who is staying with my mom and dad until the fence is fixed.

The Sickmobile

You should have heard my car tooling down the highway today: "Cough cough cough cough cough cough coughcough cough cough......silence.....

Cough cough cough cough cough cough....silence....

Repeat, repeat, repeat.


All 3 of us Moon girls sound pathetic. Howevah, I think we feel better than we sound. I broke out in a total trunk rash last night as the virus made its way out of my body.

Allison, I KNEW you would either want the soapnuts, or have them already. Rock the soapnuts!

A Really Cool Website

Are you familiar with: www.dailygrommet.com ?? Love it.

Also, check out THIS!! SOAPNUTS! I'm think I'm ALL IN! Organic, eco-friendly laundering. Tell yer friends! http://www.laundrytree.com/buy-soapnuts

Lookie

Oh my goodness. I think Natalie needs one of these.

House Full of Sick

we'll return to your regularly scheduled programming once i can lift my head off the pillow and breath through my nose again.

saaaaaaaaaaaave meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Crickets

It's sounding a lot like crickets around here...anyone still out there reading????

1. I went to the grocery store with my shirt on inside out today. Sounds about right as of late.

2. Natalie is taking a wicked-long nap - should I go check on her (or not) for fear of breaking the plane of napdom once I enter her atmosphere?

3. Lily can be both Linda Blair from the Exorcist and Glenda the Good Witch in the same hour. I am astounded and can't wait for AGE THREE TO BE OVER ALREADY.

4. Our yard is in total devastation and chaos. We finally had the tree dude come and take away the 4 root balls tumped over in our yard. HE IS DOING A HELLUVA JOB. Ahem.

5. I want my mom to come home. I miss her. I need her. (Parents are on a cruise in Mediterranean (I think?) Malta, Italy, Spain...is that the Mediterranean?

6. Making my chicken again this afternoon. Yum.

7. My feet are cold.

8. Since the birth of Natalie and post-pregnancy hair shedding - hair. always. greasy. In less than 24 hours. Hate.

9. Can't wait to take my hiatus. Can't wait.

10. If you're out there, have a wonderful weekend!

Dakota Rescue Needs Us

Hello everyone,
Dakota Rescue is sent emails almost everyday on rescues in need. Unfortunately we are only able to offer exposure on our site and send out emails to our network of rescue supporters right now. Currently Dakota Rescue is at capacity and we have minimal funds and we are not able to take on any of these recent rescues.Please, if you know of anyone looking for a loyal friend or if you can sponsor one of these rescues by way of temporary fostering or sponsor a rescue by donating this would be a huge help. Circulate our emails, we appreciate your support!
Peaches & Larry - These two adorable labs are needing a home fast. Their current foster can longer keep and if need to seperate we can. 7 month old lab mix. Peaches has been spayed. Larry has been neutered. Both UTD on all shots, including rabies shot. Both have micro chips. Both are crate/house trained. Both get along with other animals. Both ride well in cars. Both are good with kids. Basically they are perfect!
Reggie - This is Reggie! My sister Sarah and I were dropped off on a dirt road and wondered up to horse farm. I was hungry and scared and trying to chase the horses. I wondered why my old owners dropped me off never to be seen again. Reggie is wonderful with children and other pets. He is UTD on all his shots and heartworm neg. We are working on manners and learning to walk on a leash. I am a smart boy and have lots of energy! I am looking for someone to take me home and love me forever. He is heeler/lab mix about 6-7 mths. If you have room my sister Sarah would like to come too.
Sarah - This is Sarah!! She is a lab/heeler mix about 6-7 mths old. She and her litter mate Reggie were dropped off on my dirt road and wondered up to my farm. She was hungry and scared and looking for her old owners. She is wonderful with children and other dogs. We are still working on manners and to learn to walk on a leash but she is a smart girl and it won't take long for her to figure it out. She is UTD on all her shots and heartworm neg. She is on heartgard and frontline. Sarah would make a wonderful addition to your family and if you have room she would love for her litter mate Reggie to come too.
Several Rescues - There are 3 dogs and 1 cat. If no one takes them in right away, owner is taking them all to the pound. They are all spayed/neutered and UTD on shots. A man came into the shelter to turn in his three dogs and one cat. He is being relocated to NY and was planning on turning them into the pound. He was talked out of it, and we are trying to find a home for these guys. All play good with other animals, cat would rather play with dogs, and the dogs love cats. They are all potty trained. Please help find a place for these guys together or separate.
Benny - Benny is so special he has his own bio, click here.
Dakota Rescue, Inc. Headquarters P.O. Box 230677 Houston, TX 77223-0677 www.dakotarescue.org Dakota Rescue Team

Nordic Bo Peep and Long Lost Sheep Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Nordic Bo Peep and Long Lost Sheep Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Halloween 2008: A Recap

This was the first Halloween Lily actually went trick or treating and she loved it. Daddy, Nana and Boppa took her around my parent's street. She was a ....KANGAROO. Natalie was a baby in a Halloween dress courtesy of Miss Susan. Ha! Very creative, I know.
Lily had a Costume parade at her preschool which was way cute. It was her first "school event" ever. I'm officially a mom now.
Behold:

I plopped Noodle down in a pool of light. Doesn't she look like she's glowing? Speaking of looking like...Natalie looks just like me as a baby as she gets older. I'll dig out a pic of me at 8 months and show ya sometime soon.

Here she comes folks...wait for it...

Awwww...there's our girl!

Natalie out to support her big sis on parade...

Lily's class (there are 15 kids and only 3 girls!!) They are singing their Halloween song, "Pumpkin, Pumpkin Big and Round" to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We practiced that a lot. That's Miss Joyce there, one of Lily's teachers. She and the other teacher Miss Judy have been teaching that class for 15 years together. Suh-weeet.

All the Halloween sweets I need .....

Go Fug Yourself

Okay, besides Sundry, I do believe this site has the best, wittiest writing on the web. Scroll down to find the Gwyneth Paltrow post that starts with Awwwww: Hells no. So HILARIOUS!!!!!! Their writing is the bomb.

Holiday Gifts

Check out this link for world-friendly holiday gifts!

http://worldofgood.ebay.com/home

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!:

CUTE handmade girly clothes!! www.grosgrainstore.com

An Explanation

So I know I sounded all erratic the other day with my "quitting this business" post. and thank you for all your support in the comments!!! i wasn't seeking compliments, really I wasn't. i was venting. sorry for that. however, I am going to take a several month hiatus. no one was mean to me, but people have been this year - I just haven't mentioned it! ask me about some of the drama i've dealt with this year! here's the thing: i don't know how to run a business! are you kidding me? what do I know? I threw myself head first into this like i do everything and have learned along the way. i still work too hard and take up way too much of my life with my business. and that's not fun anymore. over the next few months i'm going to regroup and plan and make the business work for ME. because you know what? i'm damn good at what I do. this i know for sure (thanks oprah.)
I am a wonderful lifestyle photographer and people are sooooo lucky to have me do what i do for their families. ha. i said it. i rule. i wish i could hire me to capture my family (with me IN the pictures too). what i don't rule at is managing my time and my finances. i'm going to work at that and come back better than ever.
the end.

"Did I do OK?"

These are the words I read on the lips of our our President Elect, as his wife joined him on stage after giving his victory speech last night.

Yes Sir, Mr. President-Elect Obama. You did more than OK.

You were amazing!!!!

Happy Hearts in the Moon/Mikulec houses today. I'm so excited on my children's behalf more than anything else.

Words cannot express my optimism and hope on this day.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

just one more

to be fair and balanced...

Lily loves Lily from sara moon on Vimeo.

OMG OMG OMG OMG

This will be so fun if I can get it to work! Testing, testing...

Untitled from sara moon on Vimeo.

Kinda like Sara vs. Texas

Found this on Dooce's blog, linked to your right. It's cute and won't offend anyone, promise.

Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Entering a contest again. This girl can sew!! She is so creative. I'm going to learn to sew. Mark my words.

Penguins are so Sensitive

That is a line from a Lyle Lovett song and today I'm feeling that Saras are so sensitive. I'm not ashamed or weakened by being sensitive.

About to throw in the towel on this photography bidness.

Just about, but I'm going to sleep on it.

It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there like I have with this business. Going to give myself credit for that, then I'm going to take my ball and go home.

Whoah.

Found these while digging through some files today. Lily was about 16 months. Look how chubby and baby she was....awwwwwwww.

Caught Red-Handed

Told ya.

First Responder

If she shows up at your house in an emergency - be afraid. Be very afraid.

Addict

Noodle: Hello. (eyes dart sheepishly)

Everyone: Hello, Noodle. (encouragingly)

Noodle: I'm here to talk about my uh, addiction.

Everyone: Go on, we're all here to support you. (heads nod in agreement)

Noodle: I'm um, I'm struggling with an addiction. An addiction to....(gulp...nibble...drool....chew....)

................Pedigree Small Bits for Big Dogs.........................

Sweet Jaysus, WOULD SHE STOP IT ALREADY!! Like a moth to the flame, she's drawn to the damn dog food dishes. She can crawl over there at lightning speed and get 4 kibbles in her pie hole before you can shout out, "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"

Stinker.

Fowl

Here it is! The chicken recipe I raved about. I was drooling all over myself eating this. It's so easy, it rocked, and best of all, 'twas delicious. Yes, I made two like the recipe says (the marinade recipe needs to be doubled) and I will be making her chicken pot pie recipe tomorrow with the leftovers.

My pic before it went in the oven: (i was soooo proud!)

Grosgrain contest entry

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!


I'm linking this to win a contest ;-) This woman is such a talent.

Read it and Weep

The C Spot
This is a politically-minded link - skip over it if you lean right b/c it'll just make you mad at me. GO CLARISSA!

Sunday night

no idea what's going to come out of my computer at the moment... but this is for you Shelly!

Mike is doing better. He's very private and tends to put things on the back burner so I'm not sure he's okay with everything. However, I did all I can do for him and he is dealing with things in his Mike way - which seem to keep him hanging in there.

My mama is home and enjoying being away from work for awhile. I had the whole family over for dinner tonight. Mom and Dad came over early to hang out with me, Mike and Natalie. Lily was with Nana and Papa all day. Sometimes I think little Natalie gets overlooked b/c Lily is such a BIG personality - so I had them come over just to see her. Have I mentioned...

HOW MUCH I ADORE THAT NATALIE?????? Yum. She has a cold and is horse right now. Can you imagine a little 8 month old all horse and squeaky? Adorable and pathetic at the same time. Makes me want to smoosh her all the more. Nom, nom, nom.

Back to my dinner: Y'all. I watched Oprah for the first time in like 4 million years and she had on Christina Ferrare (Claire-issa - you love her don't you?) She inspired me to cook a roasted chicken. AND IT ROCKED MY WORLD!!!!!!! I will post the recipe and picture when I'm not completely wanting to throw my camera and computer out the window. (I had all my holiday mini-sessions this weekend and I am POOPED and TIRED of of cameras.) Although I did take a picture of my chicken - it was that beautiful ;-)

I'm out.

A Little Update

Happy Wednesday my peeps. I'm here working at the computer and thought I'd give a couple of updates.

The situation from Mike's school is just awful and tragic. The student who took his own life was a favorite of Mike's whom he joked and talked with everyday. He was an honor student, so adorably handsome with the most beautiful smile, had good friends, a loving family. Mike is pretty devastated. He can think of not much else, and says he feels consumed with this event. Leaves me (as a mother), Mike and can you imagine his family - wondering why and if only he could come back. Mike met the family last night and they are kind, loving, open and were close to their son. How could this happen?

My mama is doing well, but still in the hospital. She should be coming home today. I've been her little watchdog making sure the nurses and doctors are taking the absolute best care of her. No one could ever love my mom more than I do. She is the most important person in the world in my eyes :-) Get well soon, Deedee. (that's what Lily calls her)

Sad, Glad, Nervous, Thrilled all at once

Sad: Mike called me from school this morning at about 7:20. I said hello, he said hello. Long pause - then I got all annoyed and was like, "Hellllllloooooooo?" He choked back to me that one of his students committed suicide over the weekend. It made my skin go all hot and crawly. Mike was so upset and had to go welcome a room full of kids. Teaching can be rough like that.

Glad: Sundry makes me glad. Do you read her? Her post today made me giggle when she used the word "hoopty". What a brilliant writer she is. The words just flow from her keyboard like buttah.

Nervous: My mama is having a big ol' surgery today to correct all sorts of problems that being pregnant with ME has caused her all these years later. All sorts of internal shenanigans.

Thrilled: Colin Powell - ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You said what is true so eloquently and rationally. Couldn't agree with you more!

And some pics for Monday:

See how googly she makes me? That's a proud mama right there, y'all.

Who is Your Best Friend?

This morning while listening to "that lady" and the "firefly" song (Frances England people - buy it!) Lily was singing along to her heart's content. Then, the song Best Friends came on.

Me: Lily, who is your best friend?

Lily (without missing a beat): Natalie.

heart turns to goo and chest swells with love

I know!

I know I'm a nut. A complaining nut. You don't have to tell me, or think it even! Trust me, I know. Howevah...hear me out.

Lily is so high maintenance it drives me to insanity. The last week has been particularly trying.

Bedtime: We finally converted her crib (yes, she was STILL in her crib) to the toddler bed about a month ago. Went like a dream for the first 2 weeks, now she has figured out that she can get out of bed at will. One night I rolled over and found her next to me. Egads! She scared the bejeezus out of me. I marched her back to bed very nicely. Another night she came in around 2 and I was too flippin' tired to take her back, so she stayed. These days the nights are all a big long blur. I get up for one kid or the other so often I lose track. Now, little Miss has taken to fighting us at bedtime. Up and down, up and down she goes. We are trying to be so consistent and not give in - but it's so exhausting!

Potty: (OMG she is going to be the oldest child to wear pull ups EVER.) Last night Natalie, Lily and I took a bath together. Afterwards Lily and Natalie were in their towels on my bed before I plopped them into their jammas. Lily opens her legs spread eagle looks down at her hoo-ha and lets the pee FLOW people. I was flabbergasted. SO ANGRY. I yanked her down off the bed and she thought it was soooo funny. I somehow, beyond belief, managed to keep my cool and ignore what just happened. Not 5 minutes later I had her in her diaper for bed (it creeps me out she's still in a diaper for bed - I'll admit it) and she calmly asked to go to the potty. WTF???????????????????????????????????????????????????? One minute she's spread eagle peeing on my bed, the next minute she asks all grown up to go to the potty. WTF??????????????

Scooter: Remember my sweet post about the scooter? She still likes it but boy does that thing cause her to melt down. The helmet is too loose, she can't steer, she can't make it go, it's going too fast, blah blah blah.

Shoes: I am such a shoe lover. That kid. If the shoe has the slightest issue (too tight, too big) or her socks have "lumpy bumps" she pitches a fit. Much to my dismay, after all the cute shoes I've gotten her, she lives in purple Crocs. They are the only shoes she never complains about. I even went online to find seamless socks, ordered them, put them on her and even THEY bug her.

Bathtime: From the first time I ever had her in the tub she gives me problems. The girl HATES having any water whatsoever on her face. I have never had a successful, pleasant hairwashing with her. There is ALWAYS crying involved.

What??: OK. She's also started to say "What??" all the time as if she can't hear you. I am on the verge of taking her to the doctor to have her hearing tested. All the time with the what-ing. I think she's just doing it to be a POOP, y'all.

I'm just tired of the infinite number of battles/issues we have.

And the next instant she is so charming it kills me. Driving along listening to the cd mentioned below, she chimes in with "Mommy, that's a violin." And darned if it was.

????

what have i done wrong with her? she's an emotional wreck. i've tried so hard.

The Best New CD

I love Frances England and she has a new CD out. One of the songs is a total goose pimpler. I listen to this cd even when Lily is not in the car.

You and Me

my other favorite is

Fast Train to Grandma's

Back to Reality

Today sucked big rotten eggs.

Fuh-neeeeeee

Today I bought Lily a pink scooter. It's foot powered with 3 little wheels instead of two, like the Razors. It's perfect for her and she ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN' LOVES IT. Being the superb mom that I am ;-) I also bought her a bitchin' helmet on sale for 9 bucks. It has butterflies and ladybugs and two sets of googly eyes - so cute.

I mentioned how she loves the scooter, right? Well, she LOVES THE HELMET EVEN MORE!! She would not take the helmet off for anything. I had to pry it off her head for bathtime. Her entire head was soaked to the core with sweat after having the helmet on for like 3 hours straight. Then, after her bath she demanded to put it back on for stories before bed. There I was reading away with Lily strapped into her helmet. Hilarious. I suggested it might not be that comfortable for sleeping so she agreed to take it off.

This is one of the funniest, cutest memories I have of my Bean to date. I'm so glad she loves the scooter and the helmet. There's no feeling like watching your little one be so joyful about something so simple.

It was a good day.