Momology

Three Cheers for Family

2009-11-29T23:30:00.002-06:00

It seems that often times, the anticipation for a big event is better than the event itself. After months of looking forward to it, the big day finally arrives...and it bombs.

But not this time.

This past week was my family reunion, and it was every bit as good as I'd hoped. Actually no, I take that back - it was way better. I'd thought, "yeah, it'll be nice to see everyone again"...but I hadn't grasped just how great it would feel to be laughing and remembering and totally comfortable with family. There was none of the stress often associated with family events, just fun. I love my family!

Aunt Jo, Uncle Dan and my cousin Anna were missing, but this was the first time in nearly ten years for (almost!) all of us to be together. A decade makes a big difference. The "little" kids are no longer little. There's a fresh generation of kiddos. It's a whole new dynamic. and so much fun.

Memories old and new....Shanghai card games....laughter...weight lifting competitions with water-filled kegs...Chuck Norris jokes...magic tricks...laughter.... Scrabble....arm wrestling...TV antennas on the rooftop so we could watch the football game...little girls performing a play about how their great-grandparents met 50 years ago....and more laughter.

Honestly, the only bad thing about the reunion was that it had to end.

Well, and half of us getting sick in the middle of it wasn't the greatest either.

We still have a couple more days with Omi & Papou here, and we've all made a solemn vow not to let another decade pass before the next get-together. Thanksgiving 2011 - it's ON!

I know these pictures won't mean much of anything to anyone outside of my family, but this blog is mostly intended as a memory book for my daughter - and these photos are jam packed full o memories. Photos are mostly unedited and from a combination of cameras and photographers (including the 3-foot-tall variety!). I wish I'd gotten better group pics, but oh well - that just gives us something to plan on next time!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

(and the link in case it won't load for you)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T22:30:00.001-06:00

My life is so blessed.

Given the time of year, I've been thinking lately about how much I have to be thankful for - blessings both big and small, and even the challenges turn out to be blessings in disguise.

But, the sappy and heartfelt post will have to wait until another time.

Right now I'm too busy soaking up the joy that is my family reunion...and looking forward to a belly full to turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Three Thousand Words

2009-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

A picture's worth a thousand words...so here's the story of Nadia and Blackie the Cat in three photos.

if you look really close, so you see a black kitty tail peeking out by her feet.

Actually, that's not quote the full story - because as much as Nadia torments her at times, Blackie truly does love her back. In the the rare times when Nadia leaves her alone for more than 5 minutes, Blackie comes to seek out some Nadia-lovin' and she seems lost when Nadia is not home. Every night, Blackie sleeps curled up at Nadia's feet. They are just like any pair of best friends - they frustrated the heck out of each other, but they will always stick by each other too.

Four

2009-11-22T00:00:00.004-06:00

Four seasons in a year.
Four quarters in a dollar.
Four chambers in a heart.
Four cardinal directions.
Four Gospels.
Four leaves in a lucky clover.

Four years ago today...
....my life was blessed with a daughter.

Happy Birthday to my favorite FOUR year old!
I love from here to the moon and back again.

Race for the (hiccup) Cure

2009-11-18T14:00:00.001-06:00

Day One:
"If you have the hiccups and think about cows, they will go away. I'm not kidding!"
I read my little brother Daniel's Facebook status and laugh.
"What's this about hiccups and cows?!" I ask.
"Yes, " he exclaims, "it's an amazing discovery!"
"I tried it and so did my friend, and it really works. Think about cows...and hiccups dissapear."
He is totally serious.
I laugh. I tease.
And I tell him that I can't wait to get hiccups...
so I can test his theory

Day Two:
What luck!
I get the hiccups.
I think about cows.
The hiccups do not go away.
I tell Daniel that his theory is flawed.
He accuses me of not wanting the hiccups to stop.
Surely, he insists, I must have still been trying to hiccup.
Clearly, the problem lies with me - not the bovine hiccup cure.

Day Three:
Nadia gets the hiccups.
I tell her that Uncle D says that they will go away if she thinks about cows.
So she thinks about cows.
"Cows!" she chants, "cows, cows, cows."
"Brown cows....white cows..."
*hiccup*
She reports the results to me:
"It worked for a minute and my hiccups went away....
but then new hiccups started."

Day Four
I'm at work and a friend comes back to the frame shop to raid the 1st aid kit.
He's not feeling well - needs meds for a headache, and he has hiccups that won't go away.
I tell him my brother's theory.
We laugh.
Ten minutes later, he's back again.
"You can never mock your brother again," he tells me,
"Because it worked!"
Daniel has a new hero.

Next time you have the hiccups, will you do me a favor?
Think about cows...
and then let me know what happens.
Maybe we're really onto something here.
Maybe this is the next great scientific breakthrough!

------
On a totally unrelated note, because I feel compelled to include a picture with every post - a few pictures from A Midsummer Night's Dream last weekend. Daniel has become quite the thespian in the last few months, and I am so proud of my brother. The play, put on by our town's Youth Acting Guild, was fantastic and Dan did a great job. He is Egeus, in the white robe, in the photo below. Even Nadia stayed enthralled for the entire two hour show (the fairies may have helped with that). This coming weekend is Thoroughly Modern Millie - can't wait! Dan, you should already know it but in case you don't - I love you and I'm proud of you.

And a couple more pics of the play.

Kristin, Brett & Lilly

2009-11-16T08:30:00.001-06:00

A few days ago I got to do something I hadn't done in quite some time: a photoshoot.

And I had a blast!

Kristin, Brett and Lilly - you guys are simply the best. I love this family. They are so real, so easy going, so fun, so full of laugher - not to mention, a very cute kid and good-looking parents. :o)

Lilly is an awesome little girl, too. She took a few minutes to warm up, but once she decided she was okay with me - I swear, the kid never stopped smiling and laughing. And oh what a laugh!

This wasn't the first time I photographed their family - you can see last year's session here.

I'll tell you honestly, I haven't felt the passion for the camera lately. I haven't had any desire to do photoshoots. But I had such a good time with this family...well by golly, they made me realize that I do miss it! Hanging out with them working the camera just felt like enjoying a morning with friends. In no time at all, we'd capured a memory card full of fabulous photos. Driving home after the shoot, that was the first time I've felt that photographer's high in a while. Now I kinda feel the itch to do it again....

My apologies in advance for waaaaay too many pictures. It's just impossible for me to pick and chose between so many winners. Believe me, this is just a tiny percentage of all the photos we got. :o)

Kristin and Brett, thanks so much for meeting up with me and letting me capture your beautiful family! Let me know next time you'll be in town, and we'll plan a playdate!

On Aching Hearts and Fear

2009-11-13T08:00:00.004-06:00

Motherhood has a way of making my heart ache.

Sometimes, the heartache comes from the pain of seeing my child struggle...and not being able to take it all away.

Other times, it's a joyful ache, the stinging pride of watching her mature and flourish...the eye-watering sweetness of the truly amazing little person she is becoming.

And sometimes, it's both at the very same time.

I have been feeling the double ache lately as I watch Nadia struggle to conquer her fears.

She used to be a fearless child. There were no such thing as strangers or dangers in her world. Every new experience was an adventure to thrill and delight, and she dove into all of them with enthusiasm. She was social, she was brave, she was utterly without fear.

And then...well, it's hard to say for sure what happened. Maybe it's just that as she's gotten a little older, she's realized that there are dangers out there. Maybe the insecurities of her life have impacted her on a deeper level. Regardless, I welcomed the first signs of trepidation in my girl. I'd suffered too many mini heart attacks from her reckless nature, and was glad for her to stick a bit closer to my side. It's good to have a little healthy fear.

But those fears have grown. Over the last year, I've watched Nadia's fearlessness turn into wariness and then into fear and, on occasion, even into terror. A dozen different thing have become sources of anxiety for her. Now we're not talking paralyzing fear (at least, not most of the time!), and there are times when her spunky courage comes back - but the dramatic change makes it a strange and unsettling thing for both of us.

She used to recklessly dash out into the parking lot, oblivious of the dangers; now she clutches my hand with bone-crushing intensity and has a mini freakout if a car comes without 200 feet. In the grocery store, she scurries behind me and peeks out with trepidation if another shopper enters the other end of the aisle we occupy. Whereas she used to vie for a turn pushing the heavy vacuum cleaner, she now sits on her bed with her ears covered while I vacuum. Spiders and crickets - heck, even ants! - send her into hysterics.

It kills me. My heart aches to see these fears in my baby girl. And it's the bad kind of heartache.

But watching her conquer those fears fills my heart with another kind of ache. And this kind, it's a good one.

What's that quote about courage? Something like, "courage doesn't mean being unafraid; it means feeling fear and doing it anyway." Well, that makes my daughter the most courageous person I know.

Nadia is conquering her fears. She is not about to sit back and accept the things that frighten her. She actively seeks out her phobias, tackling them head on.

"I am a little bit afraid of monsters," she'll admit, nodding her head and wrinkling her forehead in that adorable way of hers. "but, I know they really are just pretend and God and you will always keep me safe, so I really am juuuust fine." And as she continues her pep talk, her forehead smooths out and her eyes brighten.

Or, "I am nervous to say hi" she'll tell me, "but I can do it when you hold my hand!

I just love how she's able to verbalize and reassure herself.

Spiders. She's afraid of them. And yet, she searches the library shelves for books about spiders (and snakes and all manner of creepy-crawlies), and she reads them eagerly even while shuddering in fear. The first Halloween goody she showed we was an orange spider ring that both terrifies and fascinates her. One of our friends has a rubber lizard that terrifies her, but it's the first thing she looks for every time we are at their house. And, whereas she used to shriek at the mere sight of that lizard, she is now able to hold it in her own hands - all the while saying, "look Mom, I can be so brave!"

"WooHoo!" she shrieked as she flew into the sky on the swings a few days ago. She was honestly a little nervous, but she channeled her fears and turned them into something positive. After a few minutes, her tentative "WooHoos" turned into more genuine whoops of delight as the fear trickled away. She had faced her fears - and she's conquered them.

And then, she fell. Poor kid!

But guess what? She was back on the swings five minutes later. This time she just had the caution, "only a little bit high, Mama, not the highest ever."

Two months ago, she was wary of climbing the first step of the jungle gym at the park. The only way she would walk across the bridge was if I were carrying her. And you could forget about her hanging from rings.

So this:

is a victory.

Her spunkiness and exuberance are coming back more and more every day, because she is making it happen.

It makes my heart ache with pride.

And it inspires me to step outside my comfort zone, confront my own fears, and try something new.

Parenthood - it has a way of teaching and inspiring us, doesn't it?

Flying Lessons

2009-11-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

This is what childhood should be.

Carefree

Full of joy

Full of freedom

Flying high into the sky

Laughter that makes your heart soar

Smiles that stretch your face almost painfully

The security of knowing you're loved

And yes, even scary tumbles from the swing

Because it's good to know that someone is there to catch you when you fall

It's good to know that it doesn't have to stop you

You can relish the comfort of a snuggle, and then brush off the dirt - and start again...a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger

You can learn that despite the bumps along the way, life is full of hope and promise and beauty.

Especially on a gorgeous fall afternoon at the park

With kitty cat rainboots on the wrong feet

Curing the Monday Blahs

2009-11-05T22:00:00.001-06:00

Some Mondays are just so very....Monday-ish.

Case in point: this past Monday.

The reason for our glum morning is a whole 'nother rant, but we decided to turn our frowns upside down with an impromptu trip to historic downtown. Think cobblestone streets, quaint little gift shops, dusty antique shops, friendly people everywhere - that's the downtown square. LOVE it, and we don't visit anywhere near often enough!

My girl is quite the little shopper these days, and she had a blast discovering all the little treasures.

And - of course! - posing in front of the full-length mirrors.

These concrete frogs are scattered throughout the area, each one decorated differently. This one made for a great sunny resting spot.

The couch at the art gallery was also good for sittin' a spell. Hmmm, I'm seeing a trend here. Apparently my kid likes to rest a lot?? (HA!)

The shops and frogs and rest-stops were all well and good - but none of those were Nadia's favorite thing. Nope, that honor was claimed by the SPICIES! I had bought a bag of Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzels earlier, and the former Miss I-Don't-Like-Anything-Remotely-Spicy LOVED those things. Loved as in, I had to cut her off before she ate the entire bag in one sitting. Goodness. Hey, at least she's got good taste. They are seriously yummy, and I'm not entirely pleased that I had to share my snack! ;o)

I'd say it turned out to be a pretty darn good morning after all. Whoever said "The Mondays" are a bad thing?!

Sweets for the Sweet

2009-11-02T22:00:00.001-06:00

She has an orange-and-black bag bulging with sugary sweets...and yet there are two goodies that rank higher than fun-size chocolate bars and Smarties.

Actually, I take that back - there are three favorites. There's a flimsy little orange spider ring that The Girl finds truly awesome.

I can't claim to understand that reasoning, but it doesn't take too much effort to understand why the other two top the list.

I mean, they are cool! (not the mention, big - and size certainly does matter when it comes to treats!)

On a totally unrelated note, something seemed a little odd about one of Nadia's eyes today. Hmmm. :o)

Thanks to Baba & Pappy and MawMaw & Pepa for these special treats!

P.S. Color and exposure is totally wacky on these pics, but I don't feel like messing with it so they are what they are! I am becoming MUCH less of a perfectionist in my old age. :o)

Mommy's Little Monster

2009-10-31T00:00:00.003-05:00

One of her favorite movies lately is Monsters Inc (mine too!) and it has permeated our life.

Now, every time she gets going in a really big belly laugh, she gasps out "Monsters Inc would just love this for all the energy it makes!"

Let's just say the monsters aren't the only ones that appreciates the sound of her laugher. :o)

Au Naturale

2009-10-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. ~ Anne Frank ~

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~ Martin Luther ~

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~ George Washington Carver ~

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~ John Muir ~

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back. ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982 ~

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse ~

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. ~Charles A. Lindbergh ~

Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning~

Homecoming

2009-10-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

Yep, more football!

And this time it's a homecoming game.

Homecoming is a big deal in Texas. A really big deal. We're talking, it's perfectly normal to spend $100+ on a homecoming mum. And yet, I never went to a homecoming game as a teenager - ahh, the joys of homeschool!

But there's a first time for everything.

It was the homecoming game for the highschool literally across the street from us, the highschool that my little brother will attend next year (?! how is that possible?!), and Nadia and I went with Oma and Daniel.

Go Bulldawgs! It was so much fun to see all the hoopla. As for the game itself? Well, there's only so much you can say about a team that loses its homecoming game by 42-7. It was truly comical to see how much they suck. We sure did make some noise for the one and only touchdown they did mange to pull off, tho!

Here's the real highlight of the game and what you all really want to see - the cheerleader!

Her Daddy got her some really cool light-up pompoms....but they were, uhm, temporarily misplaced. They were missing for a good couple weeks, and then found just a couple days after the big game.

"Why are they all cheering over there, and we're not?" asked Nadia, and Oma explained that the other team had made a touchdown.

"A touchdown?" she exclaimed. "but that's what we want!"

You got it, kid!

All that hootin' and hollerin' and jumpin' around wore out our littlest fan as the evening turned cold and late. It sure was handy to have an Oma there to snuggle up next to!

She perked right back up for the halftime show, tho - and honestly, so did I. Wow, what a show. I was too entranced by the elaborate dance and athleticism on display to capture more than one image of it.

This last picture is for Nadia, who spent the first half of the game on princess-lookout and was ever so excited to see a real princess and prince (aka, homecoming king and queen) crowned.

It's not often a mother and daughter get to share a first - but this was the first homecoming game for both Nadia and me.

She just has me beat by over 2 decades.

Team Spirit

2009-10-23T22:00:00.004-05:00

I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but - I kinda like football.

I have to be honest and admit that for all the years I've been saying that I don't like football, the real truth was more like "I don't know anything about football and don't care to learn."

But in the last couple months I've been to several of my little brother Daniel's 8th Grade football games, and guess what??

I *gasp* have had a blast at them.

Who knew there was a football fan in me, just waiting to come out? I can almost follow the game now and make sense of what's happening. Impressive, huh?!

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I get to sit next to the cutest and most enthusiastic little fan around.

Oh my, Nadia is quite the little cheerleader. Yowza, the moves on that girl! Words can't express how adorable it is to watch her imitate the cheerleaders' every move and shout "lounder, louder, louder! hold that line!"...I'm gonna have to get it in video.

What I just don't understand tho, is how, even with Nadia rooting for them, Daniel's team has yet to win a single game this season.

Yep, that's right. they are UN-undefeated. *sigh*

hey, it's about more then the score, right?!

#65 - that's Daniel!

The absolute hightlight of the game for Nadia is seeing the mascot. Someone dressed up in a giant tiger costume is super exciting to me kid....but if that tiger waves at or otherwise acknowledges her, the ecstasy goes thru the roof! The moment captured in this picture was followed by a whole evening of "I really did get to 'high five' that tiger! Really, with my own hand! Really, it's true!"

The Treasure Hunter

2009-10-20T08:30:00.002-05:00

If you knew my niece, you'd so be giggling at this picture.

It's really not a very good capture of it, but still - I positively love her secret little smile when she's excited about something but trying to hide it. Cutest. thing. ever!

And there was lots of smiling going on for her big birthday party on Sunday. She's six now. As in, all the fingers on one hand plus one on the other hand too. Wow.

She had a treasure hunt party, complete with clues to find presents hidden all around the house and a treasure map with an "x" marking the spot where the goody bags were "buried" in the backyard and a treasure map cake with hidden treasure inside. Jen, you sure did put together a great party for her - the clues were SO cute!

It brought back memories for me too, of the birthday when I turned...oh, maybe 7 or 8? My parents surprised me with clues to lead me on a treasure hunt all through the house to finally find my brand new big-girl bike hidden in Dad's office. Since my birthday is in December and we lived in Missouri, it was cold and icy out...and yet that didn't stop Mom from running back and forth for half and hour, helping me stay upright on the bike. Good memories. :o)

But this post isn't about my birthday, it's about A's. So, here are some more pictures!

One of the clues included a secret code that had to be cracked in order to find the next hiding spot. Here she is hard at work, with her many eager helpers.

Once all the gifts were found, it was time to open them. You don't mind if I brag on my girl for a minute, do you? Good, because I was going to anyway! About a month ago, I got Nadia a little princess doll that I'd found at a thrift store. She liked it well enough, but A. LOVED it! Every time she came over, that doll was her constant companion. So I casually suggested to Nadia that she maybe she could give it to her cousin for her birthday...and Nadia was totally overtaken with enthusiastic agreement. It makes me proud to see what a generous and loving heart my daughter has - especially since she didn't claim the doll back when Anna pulled it out of the gift bag!

Here's Uncle D. reading one of the new books to all the girls - and Nadia with A's new yellow kitty cat tucked under her arm. Goodness, that girl and her love of cats!

Finally it was time for cake...

....and then some inky fun with her new stamps.

As the oldest of four little girls, we often think of A. as the "big sister" and "the big one"....but she really is still just a little girl. Happy Birthday to one my favorite big little girls!

Nadia's review of the birthday party: It was great and it was fun. I would like to go to her next party too. I think A. will probably invite me, right Mama?

Let's Hear it for the Bun

2009-10-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

Pigtails and braids are classic little girl hairstyles, but there's just something about a bun that makes me smile - especially when it's my little girl.

Yesterday was the first time I'd ever put Nadia's hair up in a bun, and oh. my. gosh!!! I thought I was going to pass out from the cuteness.

(even if it does make her look a bit too grown up...who is that poised, elegant little lady?!)

Another good thing about buns: even I can create a pretty darn good looking one. This is significant for someone like me who is all thumbs when it comes to hair. AND, Nadia's hair stayed up and neat all day. Three cheers for the bun!

Oh, and the reason she wanted a bun in the first place? It had to do with being a princess, of course. She usually selects either Aurora or Snow White as the princess of the day, but yesterday she chose Mulan and asked that her hair be UP like hers. Mulan - that's the first thing you think when you see a bun, right???

The outfit is totally her own creation too. She's such a little fashion stylist.

Penguins & the Not-So-Itsy-Bisty Spider

2009-10-14T22:00:00.003-05:00

just a few more pictures from our zoo adventures earlier this week. :o)

The penguins were the last stop of the day, and on the opposite end of the zoo - but they were worth the walk. Who can resist birds in tuxedo?! Nadia repeatedly trailed a finger along the glass, in hopes of getting the penguin to follow her. Out of twenty attempts, it finally worked once. Apparently, this means "the penguin really, really likes me a LOT!"

And then we had the giant spider web. I can't say I care much for spiders, but there are exceptions to every rule...and the giant spider shown here is the cutest one I've ever seen.

Wild Animals

2009-10-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

Turns out a damp, cool day is the very best day to visit the zoo. We met friends at the Dallas Zoo yesterday, and due to the weather we practically had the place to ourselves! It wasn't too cold or wet to make us miserable - just enough to scare everyone else off. Wusses. ;o)

It had actually been several years since I'd been to the Dallas zoo, and I hadn't been too impressed with it back then. I remembered concrete enclosures with steel bars and bored, pathetic looking animals. But it's undergone a tremendous face lift recently and it's now quite a nice zoo. The kids area is great! I'm thinking about getting a membership - considering it cost me $16 to get in yesterday, $60 for a full year of unlimited visits isn't a bad deal!

One of the (many!) things I love about Nadia is how she talks herself through things. She is not the bravest child these days, and she was quite wary of all the reptile and amphibians exhibits. At each one, she'd stand a few feet back clutching my hand and say "that really is a real (snake/spider/other), but it really is behind glass and we really are just safe." And then she would slowly go closer. She ended up loving all the lizards and frogs. So I guess she really IS the bravest child - bravery doesn't mean not being scared, it means confronting your fears and working through them and she did that admirably.

And? she even touched a snake. When the zookeeper first got the snake out for the kids to touch, she hung back with eyes as big as saucers. But then I asked her "do you think it would feel wet or dry?" and when answered "wet" I asked if she wanted to touch it and see. So she nodded, and once we made it to the front of the line her bravery held out long enough for her to test that hypothesis. So now she knows that snakes feel dry, not wet, even tho they look wet and slippery. :o) She also tells everyone that it was a "very, very, very nice snake!"

A few random animal shots, including the funny looking muskrat (I think?! can't remember for sure, hope I'm not making a fool of myself!)...

...and the adorable and friendly but stinky sea otter.

Feeding time for all the wild animals.

Notice how she's clutching the apple so that "the giraffe won't think it looks good and take it!"

And my very favorite series of photos from the day:

Unsurprisingly, Nadia fell asleep on the way home - but as I carried her in she awoke and struggled to get down. "I'm not tired," she insisted as I balanced her on wobbly feet - and then she walked straight to the couch, laid down, and didn't move until I woke her up 2 hours later. :o)

Here's to you, Ben!

2009-10-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

The first time I met Ben, he was just a cute little eight year old.

Now, well, he's no longer eight and he sure as heck isn't little!

But he pretty much is the kind of young man you hope your little boy will grow up to be.

My brother-in-law Ben is a senior in highschool this year, just a few months away from entering the world of college. He has been accepted at Texas A&M, where he plans to join the Corps of Cadets and study business & political science. Politics just might be a good route for him too, given his success in debate- in fact, there's a picture of him right now on his highschool's homepage for his victory at a recent debate tournament. He's also an award-winning swimmer, and a dedicated student and employee....and just an all around great kid. We're all proud of you Ben!

A few days ago, I got to take some senior pictures of him proudly sporting his letterman jacket and Aggie t-shirt. Lookin' good!

Sand Between the Toes

2009-10-04T23:00:00.002-05:00

The nearest beach is hundreds of miles away...but that didn't stop us from finding our own way to sink our toes into the sand on a sunny day. The volleyball court at the local park works just fine for "sand angels" - and making Mommy's car sandy for days! Oh, and the sailor dress is "vintage" from my own childhood, and although it was totally unplanned I think it's perfect for these "beachy" pictures.

Lovefest

2009-10-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

M&N - that's Me!

2009-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Daughter...sister....wife....friend.....

These are but a few of the titles I have worn through the years, but there are none I've claimed more proudly than MOMMY.

There's only one person in the world that calls me by that name - which seems rather appropriate, since she is the center of my world.

Sometimes it just totally blows my mind to think that I am a mother! Not only have I somehow become an adult (huh? I don't always feel very grown up!), but I have a daughter. There's an incredible little girl who looks up to me and calls me Mommy. And she's all mine. Wow!

So, one afternoon last week Nadia and I sat at the kitchen table with a bucket full of foam ABC stickers and construction paper. After carefully spelling out several names (proud mommy sidenote - the kid knows ALL her letters!), she plucked a yellow "M" from the pile and stuck it to my forehead.

"This is so you always know who you are," she said. "You are my mommy, and that's for 'Mmmmm.'"

Of course I promptly found an "N" - in pink! everything's better in pink! at least, when you're a three year old girl it is! - and likewise labeled her.

The image below is the only one I managed to snap of my Little N tho, since she was too busy commandeering the camera and directing a photoshoot to actually pose for a shot.

Plus, that rosy letter didn't stay put for too long.

"Actually Mama," she decided, "the "N" should be for you too, because you are NADIA'S MOMMY!"

And she gently placed the N beside the M.

Okay, everyone together now - awwwww!

As I said: There are many titles I have worn through the years, but there are none I've claimed more proudly than NADIA'S MOMMY.

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Before asking, please review the following FAQ:
Did Nadia really take all of these pictures herself? No, but she did take the first two. And yes, I'm proud of the little protege!

Peace, Love and Rock & Roll

2009-09-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Biker Babe

2009-09-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am totally in love this series of photos...but one of my favorite things about it is the dichotomy of seeing my princess-obsessed girly-girl as a tough biker chick/rocker. That is SO totally not her these days! But the stunning beauty? That really is all her. (yes, I'm a biased Mommy, and proud of it!)

Bowled Over

2009-09-21T13:30:00.004-05:00

Hi, I am Nadia. I went bowling. They had heavy balls. And they had - what are those long staight things called where you throw the ball to knock down the pins? Oh yeah -they had alleys. You put the ball on that silver thing and it goes sliding down onto the alley and it goes rolling to kick the pins down. It is very exciting and happy when they all get knocked down! It was lots of fun. It was easy, too. I went with Mommy and Caden and Cole and Miss Jaimee. And that's my story! I want to go bowling someday again. Bye!

See Jaimee's version of our super fun day here!