her smile is contagious. she'll brighten any day. my silly sia. she loves writing name, flip flops, her toy shopping cart, making her bed, brightly painted toes, bagels, vanilla yogurt and sweets. she'll find a use for any bag. i mean any. she idolizes her brother and sister. she has such a kind heart. greatly huge for someone so small. she promises her mommy she will always take care of her. and is always there when i need a hug or a smile. i love the way she snuggles up to me when reading books at night. lately, she has been my sole sidekick as slade and elle head off to school each day. she is always happily by my side. my little sia, such a smiley girl who always brightens my days.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
i'm still here... just happily busy being a mom. just know, i haven't forgot about you.
(i love all sorts of prints like these, don't you?)
i am just stopping and sitting down now for a moment. the kids are in bed, i just threw a load of whites in the washer and finally i am eating a dinner of crackers and cheese.
sometimes i wonder how a day can slip by just like that? yet, when i finally stop and remain idle for some time, i remember the moments. i remember the moments that made me smile. it was the confidence elle showed as she got on the school bus this morning and then found the friend she was planning to sit with. it was the giant chocolate chip cookie i bought sia as a treat today and in return she said "thank you mommy, i'm the best girl, right?" or her excitement to use the scanner at the self-checkout while we were shopping. it was the fabulous shirt i found (and bought) on clearance, perfect for the fall. it was the smile of proud satisfaction that slade gave to me as he came out of the batting cage looking my way. it was my two children sitting quietly in their rooms doing homework diligently. it was the sweet text messages i received from my more than supportive husband. it was the quiet "i love you's" and the kisses i placed on each child's forehead after they fell asleep. and, it is the calmness and serenity that permeates through our home as i sit here now.
everyday, there are those moments. joyful, happy, gratifying moments. moments that may seem inconsequential but are so nurturing for me and for our family. moments of reassurance. moments of life. i thought the day just quickly went by. but now i remember as i am sitting here now. i remember the simple, meaningful moments that give fulfillment to my life everyday.
i'm hoping to get a started on painting our kitchen. it's long overdue. when we moved into our house, it was painted a dark red. i have never liked it. it's so not me. and, i am really, really ready for change. i am thinking white. i've been dreaming of an all white kitchen for some time now.
so, while i am (hopefully) painting my kitchen, please enjoy these things from around the web:
this inexpensive teacher appreciation gift i gave to the teachers last may is being featured here. how cool is that? tip junkie, a site dedicated to DIY projects, crafts, tutorials and tips, featured it as an idea for a "meet the teacher" gift.
me and my little elle belle. both at the age of five proudly showing the cakes we baked in our easy baked ovens. amazing that the easy bake is still around today.
i loved my easy bake oven! i thought it was the greatest toy ever. i think it's where my love for baking and cooking began. this picture of me was taken in 1977 with one of the many two-tier cakes i baked. i swore it would be my wedding cake someday. and don't you just love the blue and white gingham apron? i know did!
33 years later.... my little girl loves her easy bake oven too. just yesterday she baked a yellow cake with vanilla frosting and added floral sprinkles on top. look how happy and proud she is. i still remember those feelings. i wanted to share my little cakes with everyone. just like my little girl, just yesterday.
this morning i dropped sia off at school. today was the very first day of preschool for my youngest of three. as i drove away, i looked in my rear view mirror and this was all i could see.
three empty car seats. none of my children were in the back. there was no chit chatting or singing or laughing or even arguing... it was just me.
wow...really? it's just me. although, i am feeling a bit lonely and somewhat odd without at least one in tow. i am enjoying a few moments to revel in the silence, to rejuvenate myself and to just be.
children inspire design continues with a year of giving. these posters and wall cards from their global child collection is the giveaway for august. and if you are the winner, you get to pick your language (english, spanish, italian, german, french or swedish), how cool is that? it would be french for me since my little elle belle wants to go to paris with her mom someday.
simply click here to enter or follow their blog. wouldn't it be nice to win some global compassion?
a sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.
-- Isadora James
together they like to laugh, sing, dance and imagine a grown up world. they take turns being the mother or the baby or the teacher or the doctor. they love to play together. silliness. sharing. love. protecting one another. holding hands when crossing the street or in an unfamiliar place. they are by one another's side. for comfort. and support. helping to button a dress or find a shoe. they will always have one another. side by side. a forever friend.
this weekend, i so much enjoyed and watched the true gift of sisterhood among my two little girls. a beautiful bond created and never to be broken. they will always be sisters forever.
do you have any weekend plans? we will be recouping (and resting) from a crazy first week of school. however, i hope we'll enjoy some pool-time too, especially since it is still so, so hot! on sunday we will be celebrating the baptism of a dear friend's baby. i can't wait to hold the little one. hope you have a nice weekend.
all my attention has been focused on the beginning of school and schedules that i haven't had the chance to post how wonderful our weekend was. since i'm scanning over some of the pictures we took, i thought i would share it with you now.
the weather proved to be extremely hot, so we enjoyed lots of time swimming and splashing around in our pool. and then, found other ways to have some fun too.
after not riding their bikes all summer because we were away, slade, elle and sia finally took them out and raced around the cul-de-sac showing daddy all of their new tricks. and yes... that is a bikini elle is wearing. i guess she thought that was the perfect outfit for riding her bicycle on a hot day!
the kids played in the sprinklers and with the hose
and all of us washed the car together (my little elle worked really hard)
on saturday morning, we took a trip to the farmers market, which is really a huge world market
and bought these...
our summer really isn't complete without at least one crab feast. and, it ended up being kind of a date night for jeff and i. only we were at home. it wasn't until after the kids were in bed that we decided to cook the crabs. and then, we must've sat for a couple of hours just talking, picking and eating crabs. i know it doesn't seem very romantic, but was totally enjoyable for us both. it is something we missed doing together while vacationing by the jersey shore this summer.
we also enjoyed a family dinner out at our favorite local mexican restaurant. the girls and jeff sat on one side of the booth and slade and i sat on the other. so much fun!!
and then, before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the first day of school and begin a whole new routine.
it really was a nothing-in-particular kind of weekend. but a weekend, so enjoyable for us as a family. it was absolutely the perfect ending to (what seemed to be) a quick summer break.
today marks the beginning of a brand new school year.
with tanned smiley faces, two of my three children got on the bus this morning and went off to school. slade was a genuine big brother and held elle's hand as she got on the bus for the very first time. she was so excited- a little nervous but such a big girl. i stood there with tears in my eyes holding onto my little sia and waved as the bus pull away. so happy for my little ones and the year that's ahead of them. the fun. the learning. the friends they will meet. and the many ways they will grow and thrive. yet i am sad. they are growing right before my eyes. they are becoming so independent. so big. they aren't so little any more. it's hard for a me as a mom. it's hard for me to just let go and send them off to school. it was hard to watch that bus pull away. no car seats. no seat belts. just like that, they are gone.
however, i know it won't be long. it won't be long before we are back at the bus stop this afternoon. with sia and jeff by my side, we will be waiting to see those same smiling faces as they come off that same bus. and, i'll be so anxious to ask all those questions a mother wants to know about their first day and their time away from home. for me as a mom, it will get easier i know.
elle smiling so big as she is headed to the bus stop
slade and elle, hand in hand, getting on the bus together
i'm the stay-at-home mother of 3 and the wife of an amazingly wonderful husband. i am inspired by the simple everyday joy of being at home. i truly love being in my kitchen and find happiness in all things creative. i am often at home crafting, baking, working on a home project or planning a party. it's my life... a place called joy.
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