Two Years Ago

Yesterday we celebrated the second year of Madeline's life. She and I began the day with "special breakfast" as she calls it and then went to get portraits taken of her beautiful face. I bribed her to smile for the pictures by offering her a fabulously large cookie at Nordstrom. I just stared at her as she chomped on her cookie and drank her milk, remembering how tiny she was and how much she has grown. And even more than that, how quickly the time keeps passing us by. We celebrated her life with a pasta dinner and a peanut butter and chocolate birthday cake - she loved it! Poor Nathan had to go to work last night, but Maddie and I made the best of it. We just played outside together, taking bark off the tree and throwing a ball back and forth. Her blonde hair almost looked like a shining white as the sun surrounded her little silhouette. I remember thinking as we played that these are the moments to invest my time in - not washing dishes, folding clothes, making calls, dusting, etc. etc. Those things will eventually get done, but my daughter longs for special time - carefree time - with me, without the chores and cares of life interrupting our bonding time. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me of such a simple concept, simple but easy to forget in all that MUST be done! Well, I am now off to the library for story time - Maddie loves her books!

Meltdown

Do other mothers have meltdowns in front of their children? Some days it just seems that everything happens perfectly - I wake up rested, my daughter obeys (the first time), I accomplish everything on my list, I make a great dinner for my husband, and I have time in the evening for myself. Then there are the other days...days like today. I woke up tired and tirelessly rushed to get myself and Madeline ready to leave for a toddler class (which is supposed to be fun, but sometimes it's so stressful just getting there), she had a tantrum at the toddler play class, then another tantrum at the great-grandparents' house, and then a nap. The nap was great, but was followed by other screams as I had to clean her messy diaper that gave her a horrible rash. As I tried to calm her she only became more upset. So I walked into the other room, and had my own meltdown. The look on her face analyzed me as if to say, "What's wrong with you?"

Why do we have days like these? And do our meltdowns make our children look at us and confirm their beliefs that we do belong in the crazy house?

Signing Time

If your toddler is at least a year old, then you will not want to miss out on this wonderful series by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman and Emilie de Azevedo Brown, two sisters who created Signing Time to help all young children learn how to communicate using basic ASL signs. At this tender age, our children are desiring to communicate with us clearly, yet they don't yet have the words which can often cause frustration on both sides. With the Signing Time series, young toddlers are taught basic words like milk, mommy, daddy, water, etc. Each new DVD presents new words based on other themes like "Favorite Things" and "ABC Signs." This series is made for children with special needs, as well as for hearing children. Our daughter began watching this series when she turned one and we have now collected the first six volumes. It's interesting to watch her even now as she approaches her second birthday, when she really wants to make a point to us about something, she reverts back to using the sign language to ensure our understanding of her needs. And when she was about 18 months, she could say all of her ABC's to me while I signed each letter to her - it's absolutely wonderful to watch her brain process such an advanced concept! It's a fabulous investment for your own children or grandchildren and we've begun giving different DVDs as gifts for our friends with young families. Visit the Signing Time website and preview all their wonderful products!

Avon Breast Cancer Walk - Part 2

Well, what an exciting event! My mom and aunt walked the entire 26-mile fundraising event and reportedly finished off just as strongly as they started. Now they want all the women in our family to participate every year. This event reportedly raised about $3 million dollars to go toward breast cancer research - wow! I can imagine that if Grandma were still here, she would have been sitting proudly on the sidelines cheering on her two sassy girls. I hope the Lord allowed her a glimpse of the joy it brought them to honor her in such a tangible way.

Mommy Lay With You?

Madeline sweetly asked me this question tonight as she prepared herself to go to sleep. She frequently asks this of my husband and myself almost every night. She and I frequently rest in her "big girl bed" until she falls asleep. But tonight was different. Usually I'm having to tell her to lie down on her pillow, close her eyes, no more talking till tomorrow, etc. And tonight she wanted to stay up longer, but only so that she could love on me. She started with kisses and hugs, and couldn't stop giving them. Then, she sat up and said, "Thank you...breakfast...mama." I said, "You're welcome for breakfast, Maddie!" Then she proceeded to thank me for her Maria's shirt, her apples and cheese, her sheets and everything else she could think of. Then she resumed her hugs and kisses...As I lay there I thought to myself, "I'm going to miss these moments someday, but I'm sure loving them right now." She then laid down next to me and said, "Mommy close eyes." When I opened them again, she was staring at me and I wondered what she was thinking about her mommy. I felt as though I could see her brain process my presence - she then closed her eyes and fell asleep. As I quietly got up from her little bed she opened her eyes once more and said, "Good-night, Mommy" and went back to sleep.

The Magnificent Doll Store

She is absolutely adorable and yet it is so hard to watch her grow up. Her "Gigi" (great-grandmother) took her to a doll store to pick out any doll she wanted. Gigi told me that when they arrived at the store, Madeline had picked up a couple of dolls and walked around with them but eventually laid them back down. But when she came to "the one" she picked up the baby doll and rocked her back and forth in her arms. Gigi said once she started rocking the doll, she and the store owner knew this was the baby for her. This little doll has brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing, of course, all pink (Maddie's favorite color)! And they also brought home a lovely little baby buggy in brown wicker, very sweet and old fashioned, and the legs even creek a bit when it's pushed. What a lovely day they spent together. I am so blessed that Madeline is able to share such wonderful memories with her grandparents and great-grandparents. So much of me doesn't want to miss a moment of her and I have to remind myself that everyone else loves being with her too. And after Madeline has grown up and has children of her own, she will have this beautiful doll to pass down and share the story of the wonderful trip to the doll store that I will keep telling her about over again.

Almost Speechless

After seeing all the unbelievable images of the hurricane Katrina, I can't help but feel guilty for the trivial matters I often complain about. I also feel so helpless as I stare at the screen of pictures and hear the pain in their voices - I want to help, but there is nothing I can physically do. I just feel grateful for where I am, but at the same time I know that I am not invincible to the disasters of the world which makes me want to appreciate every moment I have with my loved ones. We just never know what tomorrow might bring, so we are called by God to live for today and not focus on what might be.

Lost in the Beautiful Day

Madeline and I ventured out to Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge. What a gorgeous setting tucked away in a beautiful neighborhood. We began the outing with a picnic lunch, just outside the entrance to the Gardens. Then we made our way into lovely flowers paving the roads we walked, with fountains and fish ponds to greet us. Madeline found sticks and rocks to toss about and made a game of hide-and-seek among the trees and a garden gazebo. When we were too hot to walk anymore, we found a bench shaded by a small tree. We drank water and played silly games that are only made up between mommies and their babies. We toured the art gallery at the top of the property and were happily greeted by the two featured artists, sharing their lovely displays. We made our way back to the entrance and Madeline's souvenir is a watering can so that we can take our new found inspiration and cultivate our own little garden at home.