INNER CHILD

It goes without repeated mentioning the I am often the beneficiary of the lessons Becky and I plan for Hope Group. It also goes without saying that sometimes we focus on some pretty heavy stuff. Last Monday we instructed the group members to draw a picture of themselves as a child while holding the marker in their non-dominant hand. I decided to participate, intrigued by what my left hand might create.
Wowza, it was a doozy.

I was taken by the abundance of emotion that came out in my drawing. I'll spare you the dejected details of the photo but I chose to share the letter I wrote to my young inner child:

We all carry a lot of beliefs from our past. Some beliefs can weigh as heavy burdens and I instantly thought of my Buca baby. Life can be hard and I don't ever want her to feel the loneliness I was reflecting back on. More than anything I want her sweet spirit to feel understood, important, and her individuality celebrated. So I did what any other mother would do.... we ate cookies. Just me and the Buca and some seriously delicious sugar cookies from Cutler's.
Our little date was sublime. Just the two of us without any to do lists, phone calls, or a care for the calorie intake that was adding up quickly. We just ate cookies and drank in the experience. My cup runneth over.

Someone once said how do you spell LOVE?
T-I-M-E
I have set a very deliberate intention to make certain that Layla feels my love for her. She is all deserving of happy childhood memories. It's time to nurture both our inner children.
On the way out to the car after our delectible dessert, Buca gently patted my face and made the sweetest eye contact with me, as if to say... "thank you for taking time to enjoy me momma." I think my inner child said, "dito."

MY MR

Go HERE to see a local post on my one and only favorite Mr in the world. He's quite the stud.
And P.S please ignore the country music on the video, no our doing :)

Tomorrow a superb post if I do say so myself. And for the weekend, a trippity trip trip to St. G.
Peace Out.

DEAR...

Dear Mrs Weather Girl who wore an awfully hideous shirt for the 11pm local news weather forecast last night,
You couldn't have been MORE wrong in your forecasting. Now, I do understand that predicting the weather is somewhat of a risky business. However, it is understandable only if you are off by a few degrees or if partly cloudy turns to mostly cloudy. It is pretty much unacceptable when you get my hopes of being able to sleep through my 5:40 am alarm because there will be crazy amounts of snow on the ground, thus allowing me to skip out on my much needed 9 mile run today. You're messing with peoples lives you know. I stayed up a little extra late because I was certain that this so called snow storm would hamper my early rise appointment. So at 5:41 am I looked out the window and hopes of staying in my nice warm bed and wrapping my best scissor kick around Kday's warm body, and instead I saw dry roads and a looming 9 mile run ahead of me. Yes I know, I needed and deep down wanted to go on my run. But next time instead of spending so much time picking out a shirt with all kinds of crafty crap draped all over it, spend a little more time checking the radar for an accurate forecast.
I will have you know that despite my crappy attitude this morning as I put on my running shoes,  Becky and I eventually rocked out our 9 mile run HERE. And it felt great. Kashi came along to and ended up with a very messy undercarriage that resulted in a bath in the tub when he arrived back home. And now I must go clean the tub. See weather lady, you've messed up my entire day. Thanks a heap. 
Sincerely,
s.day

The REAL thanks goes to Becky for meeting me so early and for keeping me peppy on our almost 2 hour run. She's simply awesome!

REGISTERED RADICAL-NESS

Buca - Mr. Vannigain - Mr. Finnagain
Cousins

3:45 pm on Thursdays roll around and offer up a favorable circumstance in which I am converted into a mother of 3. The Silver Boys arrive with smiles that fill a room and equal levels of energy reserve to launch a tiny rocket-ship to the moon. Among the ten gazillion questions Mr. Finnagain asks me about Kashi, thrives a curiosity to which I have not enough energy or know how to answer. So instead, we create adventures.

Today the rain outside resulted in the conceptual notion of a fort. I devised a master plan for a pulley system using blankets and the drapery cords. It worked beautifully and resulted in an abode in which all participants wanted to reside whilst watching a movie and devouring buttery popcorn.

Can you figure out what movie we viewed?

Rain turned to sun, which turned our Thursday festivities into an outdoor amusement park of sorts. Swinging on the hammock, soccer with Kashi, towing the sled around on the grass, and razor scooter races down the walkway. These are the undertakings of a woman's attempt to entertain 3 busy bodied beings. And thus the wake of the aftermath....
Honestly, could she BE any more W.T?

I have neither the time or energy to re-dress her after sitting in a puddle of water. She's been working on that apple for 4 hours.

Kitchen Table 

Don't hate us because we consider diapers and shoes a complete outfit.
Accessorized with a rotten apple. 

I don't quite have the skills necessary for a long term debut as a mother of 3... but someday those skills will be honed. One additional baby at a time. For now, I will indulge in my invigorating Thursdays with The Silver Boys. Because "practice makes perfect" and we are all aware of my unsavory fetish with perfection.

104:1:21

People. We only have one hundred and four days to plan Buca's 2nd birthday party extravaganza. If you don't remember last year, please mosey on over here and here to see the celebration of her first year of life. (and ignore the fact that I was a lot skinnier and cuter last year)
I'm a little over the top, I'm fully aware of that. But really, who wouldn't celebrate in the same form and fashion when it took such a miracle to get this little lady to our family. And even so, who doesn't love a fabulous party? So without further ado... here's a little teaser.

this photo was borrowed from One Charming Party website.

EWOKS AND TOE NAILS

You remember Ewoks? Well, I have one of my very own.

No, I will not share it.

And I guess I'm an official runner now cuz my toenail fell off last weekend. 

Double gross. 

I can't even look at it without getting the shiver me timbers up my spine.

 It's super cool though because I hear that only happens to people that run a lot. 

Saturday Becky and I braved the storm and hit up the road for about 6 miles.

And yesterday we paced through another 5.5.
And tomorrow, 7 miles.

Ew gross.... I just remembered I'm missing a toe nail.

See you tomorrow

OH PUT YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES ON AND GET OVER IT

I hate to admit it. I'd like to pull the blanket over my head and live in la-la land for a few more years.... but I have a big girl on my hands. Calling Buca a baby anymore is a conspicuous lie. I have a love - hate relationship with her age. She grows sweeter daily, as do the terrible two tantrums. She is my little shadow and I can hardly get enough of her chattering little voice... until it turns to screeching anyway.
But alas, a big girl needs big girl hair. And a lot of hair she has... so I'll embrace the new stage we're entering and realize that by embracing her at this very moment will only allow me to savor the taste of it's wonderfulness a little longer. That way there are no regrets. 

I'm diggin the zig-zag part right now. Especially because she makes the funniest little scrunchy face when I tickle her head with the comb.