Favorite Photo Friday

I turned thirty this week.  In some ways I feel older, more comfortable with who I am and what I believe.  In other ways I feel like I am still trying to figure things out and striving to become a better mother, wife, daughter and friend.  Some things I know for sure, and have learned in my thirty years:

1. Family is most important.

2. Being a mother is the hardest but most rewarding job ever.  Children teach you more about yourself and life than you ever could imagine.

3. A good foundation and lipstick is everything.

4. Pray everyday.

5. It's okay to eat dessert first, just eat your vegetables too.

6. Don't try to please everyone.  Stand up for what you believe in and people will respect you.

7. Love yourself.  Love yourself when you make mistakes, when you achieve your goals, when you have bad hair days, and when your clothes fit too tight. 

8. Fresh air solves a lot of problems.  So does a nice, long walk.

9. Forgive yourself for your faults but learn from your mistakes.

10. Having self-confidence is more attractive than good looks.

11. Be optimistic, it's a much happier way to live.

12. Know how to make at least one really good meal, one that people request and remember you for.

13. It's okay to daydream.  If you can dream it, you can do it.

14. A new pair of shoes can give you all the confidence you need.

15. Be a hard-worker in everything that you do, that way you'll have no regrets.

Make-Believe

I firmly believe a bit of make-believe is good for the soul.  Using imagination feeds children's creativity and allows them to grow into their individuality.  The other day I told Chloe she was queen of the butterflies and we went looking for her friends.  We've had quite a few butterflies in our yard the past few weeks, but of course on our hunt that day we couldn't find any.  Chloe didn't mind, she loved the idea of being queen and searching high and low for her other colorful friends.  Watching her imagination start to form was magical to me, and I found myself starting to believe a bit of the make-believe.

Strawberry Pickin'

 

 

We ended our Memorial Day weekend strawberry pickin'.  Chloe filled her mouth as quickly as we picked and Yates thought it was more fun just to squeeze the strawberry juice out of the strawberries.  It was a great way to spend the holiday together as a family - and we left with sticky fingers, stained shirts and full tummies. 

Favorite Photo Friday

We spent last weekend blowing bubbles.

This weekend we're going to blow out thirty candles for Mama's birthday with cake, maybe some ice cream, and lots of kisses on my two baby's sweet cheeks.

Brothers

 

They eat together, play together, sleep together.  Most days these two are inseparable.  Coach is happy to have someone who will feed him snacks anytime, and Yates doesn't mind sharing - even when it comes to cookies and mac -n- cheese.  There are times that Yates will go and lie in Coach's bed even if Coach isn't in it, as if it's a special spot just for the two of them.  Coach is always gentle despite the fact that he's three times Yates's size, and Yates doesn't mind the licks or slobber that he gets in return for a few rounds of wrestling.  They are best friends, and love each other just as brothers do. 

There's no BUDDY like a BROTHER.

Slam Dunk

Yates...

you are my slam dunk.  

Favorite Photo Friday

Reading is Magical

As a child I was a bookworm.  I loved to read, and when I read I felt as though I went away to a magical place.  In Chloe's room, in the morning, her disco ball reflects the morning sunlight and it looks as though fairies have placed sparkles all over her room (or at least that is what I tell her).  One morning this week, Chloe wanted to read a book underneath the light.  I couldn't have come up with a better place to read myself, and as a teacher I was so proud that she already understands reading is magical, and deserves its own magical spot with fairy sparkles and a fairy crown.

Then later this week I read this harsh reply NC Senator David Curtis wrote in response to a public school teacher's email on teacher compensation.  It truly hit me to the core.  Not only did he have many of his facts wrong, I thought senators were supposed to be working for us, the people of our state - the teachers, the parents of children who are learning that reading is magical.

I was so upset by his dismissive response that I wrote him myself explaining the sacrifices that my family, my husband and I make. While we, public school teachers, don't expect much in return - we do expect more respect than his harsh reply.  I encourage you to write him as well, if you have any strong feelings about the respect teachers deserve.  If nothing else, I want my children to grow up in a loving, nurturing school environment - an environment that teaches my son and daughter that reading is magical.  I fear that if changes within our state are not made we will continue to lose good teachers and lose sight of the good North Carolina public school systems do for our children.

Rule Breakers

 

 

We were supposed to have an afternoon picnic outside on our blanket... I had everything ready - snacks, drinks and picnic blanket in hand.  As soon as I put it all down on the ground Chloe and Yates and other plans.  Instead, they decided it would be more fun just to play with the picnic blanket.  For a second I almost stopped them, thinking no, this wasn't what I had planned.  Watching them giggle and squeal in laughter made me rethink everything.

Sometimes things turn out better than you ever could have planned - it's okay to break the rules once in a while, sometimes life is happier that way.

Best Friends

They fuss, they fight, they kiss, they make-up.  They are best friends.  Chloe's bossy, Yates loses his patience.  Yates wants everything that Chloe has, Chloe wants everything Yates has.  They giggle and laugh at the same things, cry and whine at the same things.  They are complete opposites but yet so much alike.  They love to play tag - even though Chloe usually wins (by default - her legs are longer) Yates doesn't mind and keeps on running like he knows he will catch her one day.  Dinner usually erupts in laughter after some type of conversation they've had... or maybe it's just because Mama's cooking is that hilarious.  They truly are best friends, and even though most of the time I'm their referee, they love each other unconditionally.

My Mother

 

 

 

A few things you need to know about my mother...

 

She lives by grace.  She forgives when she is wronged, she apologizes when she's wronged.  She doesn't hold grudges and will not go to bed angry.

 

She always has a clean house.  Now that I am a mother myself I have no idea how she managed to make sure there wasn't a speck of dust in the living room, our bathrooms always looked squeaky clean, and there wasn't a crumb left on the kitchen table.

 

She thinks naps are essential to happiness in life - but she only says she is going to "close her eyes" because if you say nap she might sound lazy, and lazy she is not.

 

I learned to like vegetables growing up because I had to clean my plate before I got dessert - and I knew she meant business so I did as I was told.

 

She has perfected the pound cake.  If she ever decided to sell it there would be a line down the street everyday.  Her spaghetti is pretty good too.

 

She says what she thinks, but with a filter.  She's never going to hurt your feelings but she will tell you the truth.

 

She has always been my biggest cheerleader.  Even in college when I was a nutritionist major, then art major, then fashion design major, then history major, then political science major, then elementary education major she believed I could succeed in every single one and encouraged me on.

 

That being said, she has patience - lots of it.  Not just with her children, or grandchildren,  but with friends and acquaintances.

 

She still cleans, cooks, and takes care of me and my children, every single day. 

 

She has a really, really good memory- especially when it deals with numbers, and I can't even remember the last time she lost something.

 

She taught me the importance of exercise.  We used to go on walks and runs together when I was as young as middle school.  I will always be grateful that I had a role model to show me what persistence means.

 

The way I see her love my children makes me want to be a better mother.

 

She believes in good, southern, old fashioned manners.  Stand up straight, don't chew gum, put your napkin in your lap, don't put your elbows on the table, wait until everyone has been seated and the blessing has been said before you even think about picking your fork up, don't reach across the table, say please and thank you, yes mam, no sir, and know how to set a table for any occasion - formal or informal.

 

My grandmother, her mother - Granny, was the heart and soul of our family.  I think, in some way, she was afraid of the big shoes to fill once she had grandchildren.  What she doesn't know is what I see in my children's eyes - that she is what our Granny was to us, the heart and soul of our family.

 

Just for Laughs

Chloe: " Ahh... he's naked! "

Yates: " ? "

Bath time is our time for just laughs.  Chloe and Yates are always happy and play together so well, splashing and kicking the bath water.  We have to have bubbles... every single time - and the more toys in the tub, the better chance for giggles and squeals. Rarely do they fuss and almost always do they carry on some kind of conversation between the two of them.  I have no idea what it's about - they seem to understand each other completely, but I'm pretty sure some of it involves conspiring to splash hard enough to get Mama all wet.  Once fingers and toes are wrinkly, it's time to get out of the tub.  But even out of the tub, their sweetness continues - and I love the way Yates's baby skin smells after he is all clean - and the way Chloe's curls start to dry and spring back to life.

Bath time is our time just for laughs.  There aren't many rules (except for the few of course like - don't drown your brother, or don't drink the bath water), I just let them be - and I get to watch their love for each other grow and grow as they giggle and splash.

Weekend Recap

A few things to note from this weekend:

1. I didn't get to take many pictures.  It was a busy, busy, busy weekend.  But a really, really, really good one.  In fact, most of these pictures weren't even taken by me (thanks hubby and Papa).

2. We spent Saturday and Sunday at two different parks and the weather was perfect.  Saturday we rode a merry-go-round - which Chloe was terrified of and made Daddy cheat and sit on one of the seats.  Yates let me hold him while he rode one of the horses and giggled the entire time.  Mama got dizzy - and I realized I don't do merry-go-rounds.  Chloe, we'll go find ice cream instead next time.

3. We rode a train (at the park).  Yates was terrified, and hated the tunnels - Chloe loved every minute of it.  Go figure.

4. Chloe had her first dance recital Saturday night.  The recital was themed "Disneymania," so the backdrop on stage was a castle - during the dress rehearsal Chloe insisted it was "Chloe's castle."  She did such a great job, and after she finished her performance I was waiting for her on the other end of the stage.  She ran into my arms yelling, "Mama, I did it!"  I swear my heart melted on the floor right then and there.

5. Sunday we spent time with Granny and Papa walking around downtown Charlotte.  Of course Papa bought Chloe and Yates ice cream and they both licked every bit of it up.

6. We stopped at the park and danced to live music.  Or Yates danced, and we watched.  That boy's got some rhythm.

7. Yates gives the best kisses.  He smacks his lips to let you know he's ready and then he's in for the kill.  Usually there's a bit of tongue - and sometimes, if you aren't careful, teeth action.  The juiciest kisses ever.

8. Chloe has started to call me "Mommy" instead of "Mama."  I'm not sure how I feel about this.