Hello! Yeah ... I didn't let it FULLY die. Welcome back to you too! So it's been like a year, I know get off my back! I've got some stuff goin on. So let me briefly update you and then get to why I'm picking back up.
So here's what's been happening. My volunteering is up, my husbands extra curricular activities are at an all time high, we took a big family vacation last fall, my daughter turned 3, found out I was pregnant again (YAY!), then we found out it was TWINS (Double YAY!), trying to be the awful parent I am and make the beyond late decision to enroll said 3 year old in Pre-School (can't believe we got in), preparing for that, prepping for twins, hubby started a new position at work, trying to get another fundraiser done, run my house, not go insane, and yeah ... that about sums it up. That also does not include building relationships, being on a launch team for our new church campus that has consumed my whole summer and LOTS of family business.
WHEW! Make you exhausted?? I hope? ... No? Just me? I'm the laziest person alive? Yeah, yer pry right. Well ... that's my story and I'm stickin to it!! So what brings me back?? Well besides the fact that I think about blogging all the time. I really do. I miss writing my incoherent and rambling thoughts for friends and strangers to read, preferably aloud. But, 9 times out of 10, I'm either swamped with more pressing issues, or just trying to take a break. A genuine break. I think the decaf coffee I ordered from Starbucks today that was definitely mis-made WITH caffeine helps my productive attitude today, but this is something I just can't get off my mind lately.
The top (Unlucky) 13 things I just beyond words love about my kid. Here's where any male readers I have left leave. But seriously, stick around. Having a kid scares most men nearly to death. I'm actually really proud my husband didn't puke or pass out when we found out it was twins during the ultrasound. That was always his one stipulation of having kids, I wasn't allowed to have twins. HA! Twin girls no less. I'm not sure who's in more trouble - me (SO MUCH ESTROGEN!!!!) or my husband ... (SO VERY MUCH ESTROGEN!) We both might run away from ages 12-23. Oh look at that! I'm rambling ... But dudes, bare with me, you may learn something and realize kids are totally terrifying ... totally.
So what do I love about my kid. That she's adorable, and I get compliments everywhere we go. That she's smart, or independent, or well behaved or yadda yadda, yadda ... Same stuff ALL parents love about their kids. No. Those things are awesome, but not on this list. These are the little things. Those things every mom tells every mom to be to take time to notice. I have. And I can't stand it any more. I love my kid!
13. The hair on her legs. Super weird, I understand. But seriously, she is almost 3 1/2 and she's starting to get noticeable hair on her legs and it is DANG cute. Why? I literally have no idea. You could say hormones, but I loved it before I was even preggers. I just think about how she is getting to be such a big girl and one day she'll hate it and be embarrassed and we'll have to walk that road. But for now, it is sweet and innocent and just so stinking cute. Probably because she doesn't yet look totally like Chewbacca. (Spelled that right all by myself too by the way! No one is giving you brownie points Christie! Oooo Brownies!)
12. The way she eats. Oh my gosh! I sit and watch her eat almost every meal. Mostly because I'm with her nearly 24/7, but also because I know the Heimlich and I'm usually eating at the same time. So I sit and stare at her like the weirdo I am. I LOVE watching her little lips smoosh together and pout out when she eats. Her bottom lip pops out like she's pouting with every chomp and HAHAHA dang if it isn't adorbs!
11. Her handful of freckles. She's got about 8 or 9 little teeny tiny moles or freckles - depending on who you ask. They're all smaller than the head of a pin, and I think they are one of the cutest things I've ever seen. She has one by her eye which I think is inherited from my husband and his sister (each have a very small, cute freckle by one of their eyes) and I call it her sparkle. She also has one on the end of her nose and one on her ankle above her foot that are favorites as well. I don't know why, I will probably NEVER know why, but I think they are amazing. Probably because they are a part of her.
10. Her crazy hair. It's crazy for many reasons, 1. crazy how little of it she has for 3. B. Crazy for how out of control what little of it she has. My husband calls it "little old lady hair" - short, thin and curly. It is. We refer to it as our humometer. It lets us know if it's humid out or not by how tight the ringlets are. She never wants me to do it, doesn't like to wear headbands and will only stick with bows for about half a day. Typically she runs her hands through it wildly and she kinda looks like Albert Einstein meets Annie. When she runs they bounce and it makes me giggle almost every time. Most times I say I hate it because she looks like an unkempt, neglect case, but in reality that's how she rolls. Crazy and it works. People usually don't say "look at that hair", they say "look at those curls!" Hey ... all the power to ya kid, leave the styling for the rest of your life ... you're ... well yeah you're gonna need it.
9. The way she reads to herself. I can be anywhere in my house, and often, I can hear the sweet, tiny sound of her voice making up whatever words come to her through the book she's paging through. Sometimes the words correlate with the book, like characters, title, actions in the book, and sometimes not at all. Either way it's so stinkin adorable, I keep trying to record her, but you know, once they know you see them, it's all over. Sometimes she'll tell me to "go away." HA! Love it. Read on little reader!!
8. How she isn't like other kids. Now ... I don't ALWAYS love this about her. I'm a typical parent and worry about ... well everything. It bothered me for the first 2 years of her life that she wasn't EXACTLY like every other kid we met or had ever met. If you're not a parent yet, kid comparison is like fast food. It's the easiest thing in the world and really not good for you. EVERY parent will tell you not to do it and EVERY parent will inherently do it. We can't help ourselves but to see what other kids are doing and compare that (good or bad) with our own kid. If you say you've never compared you're either delusional or lying. Not judging! Just saying, every parent has compared at some point about some thing. My kid is a little weirdo. Sometimes it scares me but as we are getting older, I'm diggin it! Like how she doesn't play like most kids. She doesn't really pretend very much but she sure can entertain herself. (What do you think she's doing right now?! She doesn't know I snuck into the office a few minutes ago to keep writing. I'll get up when she realizes I'm gone and needs me.) She sings, she dances, she tries to climb trees. Sometimes she jumps around, sometimes she reads, sometimes she just spins or runs around. She's crazy and wild and I LOVE that she gets to be all those things. She also likes to tell random strangers completely random things about herself like - "look at my dress!" "I have a bow!" "See my purse?!" ... yeah honey, no one cares, but good for you! She's starting to get my social skills - Thank God!
7. How she's doing this arms crossed thing when she's "mad." Talk about hilarious. When she's "mad" (I put mad in quotes because she's not really mad, she's just being goofy and kinda pretending to be mad aka she thinks she's mad) she turns her back, crosses her arms across her chest and makes a Hm sound. HA! What a little diva! I usually start laughing which in turn makes her laugh - sometimes - and I either let her keep doing it or we talk it out - as much as you can with a 3 year old. I love how stubborn she is - sometimes - though. Cracks me up and reminds me of ... well me. This is gonna hurt in a few more years. Badly.
6. How it doesn't take much to make her laugh. She has been the laughiest baby/kid. Man. It doesn't take much to make her laugh or smile and I LOVE that. She thinks farts are funny, loves to be tickled, and has even told a joke! Her own joke! Wanna hear it? Yeah I know you don't but it's my blog and I'm gonna share it anyway. We were trying to learn to spell one day, and we were working on MOM. So I had those letters written on a piece of paper and one by one we rattle them off. When we get to the last M she thinks for like a second and goes P! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! She purposely spelled MOP and laughed herself silly for about 45 minutes. Glad to see that's all I am to you kid ... a MOP. She cracked herself up about that on at least 2 other occasions as well. She's hilarious and I love love love to watch her laugh and laugh with her. Laughing is our favorite!
5. Her interest. She is a little wonder bug. She got that from her dad - Thank God! I love to watch her face as she investigates something. Whether it's a bug or a leaf or a new toy. She gets her fathers furrowed brow and goes to work. AWESOME. Go investigate little explorer! Figure out your world. Man it's so cute to watch the eyes, practically see the ole wheels turnin in the noggin and then out comes the tiny finger to poke. Love it.
4. The way she looks right after sleep. I really don't know what it is; maybe it's the fact that I've had time away from her, or that she's extra lovey, but the way she waits for me after waking up is one of my favorite parts about the day. It used to be in her crib, then she got a big girl bed and got out and would knock on her door, now she opens her door and waits for me at the top of the stairs. She still has a little bit of sleep in her eyes, not ready to talk yet, whackadoo hair and a forlorn longing look for her mommy on her face. UGH! LOVE! Sometimes this moment gets me so mommy I feel like I could explode with Love for her. We always hug, I usually tell her I love her and post potty (priorities) I ask how her sleep was. Some days I get a snuggle and some days I don't, but I always get a happy girl with hugs n kisses.
3. The way her breath smells after sleep. Oh my it's stinky. Everyone's breath is stinky after sleep. Hers is no exception. But there is just something about it. It's a sweet stinky. If I get post sleep snuggles I usually try to lean in close when she talks to get a whiff. Again, why? No idea. Really. I can try to say that it's the result of rest, or her, or I have no clue. All I know is I love it. Weird, crazy, yep, but can't be helped. Hers smells different and better than my husbands and definitely doesn't make me wanna throw up - so that could be part of it too. There's really no way to tell.
2. Her face. Yeah all parents think their kids are cute, I know. But I LOVE her face. Not that I think she is the "cutest" kid on the face of the planet, but just looking at her face. I love her cheeks and eyes, her teeny little nose. How soft her skin is. I could probably stare at her face up close for hours. Yes I need more date nights out, so sue me! But seriously, I just absolutely love everything about her face. There isn't one specific thing I like or makes her pretty ... it's everything. I like to rub her cheeks gently, when she lets me, and pull her bangs off her forehead and just kiss her. Love.
1. When she tells me "Love you too Mommy." This is one every parent will tell you is the best. Because it is. No way around it. When you hear your child tell you they love you - forced or not - it is euphoria. I honestly have no idea why people do drugs. Have a kid, work hard to raise them, love, care for and protect them, and listen to them tell you they love you. High as a kite. Best feeling ever. Makes those moments when you want to leave them on the side of the road worth it. Those days when you can't stay out drinking or go where ever you want whenever you want. Wear a bathing suit the same way (for some of us - those of you freak moms who you can't tell you were ever pregnant and you get to walk around in a bikini ... good for you but you stink. That is all.) - all worth it. It is one of the things that keeps my world spinning. Keeps me motivated to do and be better. To have more patience with her, to try to teach her more, to just keep her wanting to tell me she loves me. Mostly because I know there will come a day when I hear "I hate you!" more than "I love you" so maybe I'm just stockpiling, but either way, it's the highlight of each day.
My button isn't perfect and I won't try to shove in your face all that she can do that maybe your kid can't - mostly because that drives me nuts. I brag about her, but in moderation and I try to use humility and humor when I do it. As a parent you can't help but be proud of milestones and big moments, at any age. You don't have to try to make your child (or make them OUT to be) the single greatest kid to ever walk the earth. (That spot has already been filled and no one can surpass the son of God ... sorry ... really not even worth trying to surpass him) But it goes with out saying, even if you don't believe in God, it's still impossible to tell if your kid is actually the greatest ever - so why do we try? Love your kid for the freaky little weirdo they are. Love that they always want to ride in the shopping cart you don't want them to ride in. Love that they ask for something to eat then refuse to eat it. (WHY?! You told me Peanut Butter ... EAT IT!) Love that they tell strangers the most random things that the strangers pry won't understand because they don't speak "the lingo." Love that little thing you got shadowing you! And come up with your own list of all the things you love about them. Above and beyond the obvious. All our kids are smart, all our kids are independent, all our kids are perfect (or hellions) etc ... but what about their eyes? That one tooth that came in funky? The nape of their neck? They way their toes wiggle just a little when they sleep? What about those little things ... we'll probably forget all that one day, but I hope I never do. It's one of the reasons I couldn't stop myself from blogging it.
I'm sorry if this post wasn't for you, but I'm not sorry that I take the time to notice and love the little things. I hope that if not now, some day when you have a little person in your life (in ANY capacity) you take the time for the little things ... like hairy legs and pouty lips.
So here's what's been happening. My volunteering is up, my husbands extra curricular activities are at an all time high, we took a big family vacation last fall, my daughter turned 3, found out I was pregnant again (YAY!), then we found out it was TWINS (Double YAY!), trying to be the awful parent I am and make the beyond late decision to enroll said 3 year old in Pre-School (can't believe we got in), preparing for that, prepping for twins, hubby started a new position at work, trying to get another fundraiser done, run my house, not go insane, and yeah ... that about sums it up. That also does not include building relationships, being on a launch team for our new church campus that has consumed my whole summer and LOTS of family business.
WHEW! Make you exhausted?? I hope? ... No? Just me? I'm the laziest person alive? Yeah, yer pry right. Well ... that's my story and I'm stickin to it!! So what brings me back?? Well besides the fact that I think about blogging all the time. I really do. I miss writing my incoherent and rambling thoughts for friends and strangers to read, preferably aloud. But, 9 times out of 10, I'm either swamped with more pressing issues, or just trying to take a break. A genuine break. I think the decaf coffee I ordered from Starbucks today that was definitely mis-made WITH caffeine helps my productive attitude today, but this is something I just can't get off my mind lately.
The top (Unlucky) 13 things I just beyond words love about my kid. Here's where any male readers I have left leave. But seriously, stick around. Having a kid scares most men nearly to death. I'm actually really proud my husband didn't puke or pass out when we found out it was twins during the ultrasound. That was always his one stipulation of having kids, I wasn't allowed to have twins. HA! Twin girls no less. I'm not sure who's in more trouble - me (SO MUCH ESTROGEN!!!!) or my husband ... (SO VERY MUCH ESTROGEN!) We both might run away from ages 12-23. Oh look at that! I'm rambling ... But dudes, bare with me, you may learn something and realize kids are totally terrifying ... totally.
So what do I love about my kid. That she's adorable, and I get compliments everywhere we go. That she's smart, or independent, or well behaved or yadda yadda, yadda ... Same stuff ALL parents love about their kids. No. Those things are awesome, but not on this list. These are the little things. Those things every mom tells every mom to be to take time to notice. I have. And I can't stand it any more. I love my kid!
13. The hair on her legs. Super weird, I understand. But seriously, she is almost 3 1/2 and she's starting to get noticeable hair on her legs and it is DANG cute. Why? I literally have no idea. You could say hormones, but I loved it before I was even preggers. I just think about how she is getting to be such a big girl and one day she'll hate it and be embarrassed and we'll have to walk that road. But for now, it is sweet and innocent and just so stinking cute. Probably because she doesn't yet look totally like Chewbacca. (Spelled that right all by myself too by the way! No one is giving you brownie points Christie! Oooo Brownies!)
12. The way she eats. Oh my gosh! I sit and watch her eat almost every meal. Mostly because I'm with her nearly 24/7, but also because I know the Heimlich and I'm usually eating at the same time. So I sit and stare at her like the weirdo I am. I LOVE watching her little lips smoosh together and pout out when she eats. Her bottom lip pops out like she's pouting with every chomp and HAHAHA dang if it isn't adorbs!
11. Her handful of freckles. She's got about 8 or 9 little teeny tiny moles or freckles - depending on who you ask. They're all smaller than the head of a pin, and I think they are one of the cutest things I've ever seen. She has one by her eye which I think is inherited from my husband and his sister (each have a very small, cute freckle by one of their eyes) and I call it her sparkle. She also has one on the end of her nose and one on her ankle above her foot that are favorites as well. I don't know why, I will probably NEVER know why, but I think they are amazing. Probably because they are a part of her.
10. Her crazy hair. It's crazy for many reasons, 1. crazy how little of it she has for 3. B. Crazy for how out of control what little of it she has. My husband calls it "little old lady hair" - short, thin and curly. It is. We refer to it as our humometer. It lets us know if it's humid out or not by how tight the ringlets are. She never wants me to do it, doesn't like to wear headbands and will only stick with bows for about half a day. Typically she runs her hands through it wildly and she kinda looks like Albert Einstein meets Annie. When she runs they bounce and it makes me giggle almost every time. Most times I say I hate it because she looks like an unkempt, neglect case, but in reality that's how she rolls. Crazy and it works. People usually don't say "look at that hair", they say "look at those curls!" Hey ... all the power to ya kid, leave the styling for the rest of your life ... you're ... well yeah you're gonna need it.
9. The way she reads to herself. I can be anywhere in my house, and often, I can hear the sweet, tiny sound of her voice making up whatever words come to her through the book she's paging through. Sometimes the words correlate with the book, like characters, title, actions in the book, and sometimes not at all. Either way it's so stinkin adorable, I keep trying to record her, but you know, once they know you see them, it's all over. Sometimes she'll tell me to "go away." HA! Love it. Read on little reader!!
8. How she isn't like other kids. Now ... I don't ALWAYS love this about her. I'm a typical parent and worry about ... well everything. It bothered me for the first 2 years of her life that she wasn't EXACTLY like every other kid we met or had ever met. If you're not a parent yet, kid comparison is like fast food. It's the easiest thing in the world and really not good for you. EVERY parent will tell you not to do it and EVERY parent will inherently do it. We can't help ourselves but to see what other kids are doing and compare that (good or bad) with our own kid. If you say you've never compared you're either delusional or lying. Not judging! Just saying, every parent has compared at some point about some thing. My kid is a little weirdo. Sometimes it scares me but as we are getting older, I'm diggin it! Like how she doesn't play like most kids. She doesn't really pretend very much but she sure can entertain herself. (What do you think she's doing right now?! She doesn't know I snuck into the office a few minutes ago to keep writing. I'll get up when she realizes I'm gone and needs me.) She sings, she dances, she tries to climb trees. Sometimes she jumps around, sometimes she reads, sometimes she just spins or runs around. She's crazy and wild and I LOVE that she gets to be all those things. She also likes to tell random strangers completely random things about herself like - "look at my dress!" "I have a bow!" "See my purse?!" ... yeah honey, no one cares, but good for you! She's starting to get my social skills - Thank God!
7. How she's doing this arms crossed thing when she's "mad." Talk about hilarious. When she's "mad" (I put mad in quotes because she's not really mad, she's just being goofy and kinda pretending to be mad aka she thinks she's mad) she turns her back, crosses her arms across her chest and makes a Hm sound. HA! What a little diva! I usually start laughing which in turn makes her laugh - sometimes - and I either let her keep doing it or we talk it out - as much as you can with a 3 year old. I love how stubborn she is - sometimes - though. Cracks me up and reminds me of ... well me. This is gonna hurt in a few more years. Badly.
6. How it doesn't take much to make her laugh. She has been the laughiest baby/kid. Man. It doesn't take much to make her laugh or smile and I LOVE that. She thinks farts are funny, loves to be tickled, and has even told a joke! Her own joke! Wanna hear it? Yeah I know you don't but it's my blog and I'm gonna share it anyway. We were trying to learn to spell one day, and we were working on MOM. So I had those letters written on a piece of paper and one by one we rattle them off. When we get to the last M she thinks for like a second and goes P! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! She purposely spelled MOP and laughed herself silly for about 45 minutes. Glad to see that's all I am to you kid ... a MOP. She cracked herself up about that on at least 2 other occasions as well. She's hilarious and I love love love to watch her laugh and laugh with her. Laughing is our favorite!
5. Her interest. She is a little wonder bug. She got that from her dad - Thank God! I love to watch her face as she investigates something. Whether it's a bug or a leaf or a new toy. She gets her fathers furrowed brow and goes to work. AWESOME. Go investigate little explorer! Figure out your world. Man it's so cute to watch the eyes, practically see the ole wheels turnin in the noggin and then out comes the tiny finger to poke. Love it.
4. The way she looks right after sleep. I really don't know what it is; maybe it's the fact that I've had time away from her, or that she's extra lovey, but the way she waits for me after waking up is one of my favorite parts about the day. It used to be in her crib, then she got a big girl bed and got out and would knock on her door, now she opens her door and waits for me at the top of the stairs. She still has a little bit of sleep in her eyes, not ready to talk yet, whackadoo hair and a forlorn longing look for her mommy on her face. UGH! LOVE! Sometimes this moment gets me so mommy I feel like I could explode with Love for her. We always hug, I usually tell her I love her and post potty (priorities) I ask how her sleep was. Some days I get a snuggle and some days I don't, but I always get a happy girl with hugs n kisses.
3. The way her breath smells after sleep. Oh my it's stinky. Everyone's breath is stinky after sleep. Hers is no exception. But there is just something about it. It's a sweet stinky. If I get post sleep snuggles I usually try to lean in close when she talks to get a whiff. Again, why? No idea. Really. I can try to say that it's the result of rest, or her, or I have no clue. All I know is I love it. Weird, crazy, yep, but can't be helped. Hers smells different and better than my husbands and definitely doesn't make me wanna throw up - so that could be part of it too. There's really no way to tell.
2. Her face. Yeah all parents think their kids are cute, I know. But I LOVE her face. Not that I think she is the "cutest" kid on the face of the planet, but just looking at her face. I love her cheeks and eyes, her teeny little nose. How soft her skin is. I could probably stare at her face up close for hours. Yes I need more date nights out, so sue me! But seriously, I just absolutely love everything about her face. There isn't one specific thing I like or makes her pretty ... it's everything. I like to rub her cheeks gently, when she lets me, and pull her bangs off her forehead and just kiss her. Love.
1. When she tells me "Love you too Mommy." This is one every parent will tell you is the best. Because it is. No way around it. When you hear your child tell you they love you - forced or not - it is euphoria. I honestly have no idea why people do drugs. Have a kid, work hard to raise them, love, care for and protect them, and listen to them tell you they love you. High as a kite. Best feeling ever. Makes those moments when you want to leave them on the side of the road worth it. Those days when you can't stay out drinking or go where ever you want whenever you want. Wear a bathing suit the same way (for some of us - those of you freak moms who you can't tell you were ever pregnant and you get to walk around in a bikini ... good for you but you stink. That is all.) - all worth it. It is one of the things that keeps my world spinning. Keeps me motivated to do and be better. To have more patience with her, to try to teach her more, to just keep her wanting to tell me she loves me. Mostly because I know there will come a day when I hear "I hate you!" more than "I love you" so maybe I'm just stockpiling, but either way, it's the highlight of each day.
My button isn't perfect and I won't try to shove in your face all that she can do that maybe your kid can't - mostly because that drives me nuts. I brag about her, but in moderation and I try to use humility and humor when I do it. As a parent you can't help but be proud of milestones and big moments, at any age. You don't have to try to make your child (or make them OUT to be) the single greatest kid to ever walk the earth. (That spot has already been filled and no one can surpass the son of God ... sorry ... really not even worth trying to surpass him) But it goes with out saying, even if you don't believe in God, it's still impossible to tell if your kid is actually the greatest ever - so why do we try? Love your kid for the freaky little weirdo they are. Love that they always want to ride in the shopping cart you don't want them to ride in. Love that they ask for something to eat then refuse to eat it. (WHY?! You told me Peanut Butter ... EAT IT!) Love that they tell strangers the most random things that the strangers pry won't understand because they don't speak "the lingo." Love that little thing you got shadowing you! And come up with your own list of all the things you love about them. Above and beyond the obvious. All our kids are smart, all our kids are independent, all our kids are perfect (or hellions) etc ... but what about their eyes? That one tooth that came in funky? The nape of their neck? They way their toes wiggle just a little when they sleep? What about those little things ... we'll probably forget all that one day, but I hope I never do. It's one of the reasons I couldn't stop myself from blogging it.
I'm sorry if this post wasn't for you, but I'm not sorry that I take the time to notice and love the little things. I hope that if not now, some day when you have a little person in your life (in ANY capacity) you take the time for the little things ... like hairy legs and pouty lips.
