Daddy's girl

One of the things I love most about being a mom is watching the relationship between N and Zoe. I had heard once that you fall more in love with your husband when you see the way he loves your child.

I was raised by a single mother and have only met my father once. It was a source of much of my self-esteem troubles growing up. When I was a teenager I began to pray that whoever God had for me would be the father I had always wanted. Some one who genuinely loved our children and would take the time, no matter how much, to engage with them on their level.

One of the first things I noticed about N 5 years ago was how much he enjoyed his children. I sat in his sister's dining room, watching him chase his girls around and hearing them laugh from their bellies.

You could say it was the thing that made me see him differently than I had in high school. It was also then that I began plotting how I could get him to ask me out.

That's a story for another time.

This weekend was family time. We spent much of the time at home, just being. When I got home from work on Friday, this is what I saw:

I love the way they love each other. No matter where Zoe is or what she's doing, her daddy HAS to be a part of it.

He can get her to laugh harder than anyone else. She will freely give him kisses and then tickle him right back. He will laugh and squirm like her tickles really work.

N is the man of her dreams.

And mine too.

You may see her at the World Cup

Last weekend we had the opportunity to take E to her soccer awards ceremony. She played really hard this year, ran her heart out and scored some goals.

N and I couldn't be more proud of her.

The trophy was a bobblehead girl playing soccer. Too cute!

Friday Five Faves - vol. 9 - The sleep talkin' edition

Are two of you that read this freaking out a bit that I've done the 5 faves a couple weeks. IN. A. ROW? I know I am!

Maybe the signs of summer (we totally missed spring) have made me think more in list form than the winter months.

That does make sense, as N will tell you. He has a new list every weekend!

1) Dr. Chris. Yesterday was Zoe's first dentist appointment. We take her to a pediatric dentist. There are 5 doctors in this office and Zoe's first visit was with Dr. Chris. He was charming, kind and reassuring.

Even though Zoe cried and cried and cried he assured me that her teeth were beautiful and he doesn't see anything to worry about. He quickly put some fluoride paste on them and we were out the door.

She even got a Tigger toothbrush and got to watch some Tigger and Pooh before Dr. Chris came in. I think they already know the way to her heart!

2) Movies. Yesterday, after the appointment, my mom took Zoe to her house for nap time. That meant I got 3 hours to myself. That's 180 minutes of me time.

I went to the grocery store, raced home, made some lunch and watched He's Just Not That Into You. It was a cute movie and I love Jennifer Aniston.

Plus did I mention the house was quiet and I was alone. It's those moments that recharge my batteries and make me a better mommy, wife, friend, person.

Thank you mom!

3) The quiet house. Our cricket, Jiminy, is no longer with us. It's been quiet for a full 36 hours now. I'd like to say that I miss the little guy, but I really don't.

I had a brief moment last night when I thought he'd returned. It was all his buddies outside for the funeral.

4) Sleep talkin'. Since I typed that, I've got that Bee Gees's song in my head, "Jive Talkin'". Which is always a good choice for a song to get stuck in your head before coffee.

It was 2 am and I head "Oh NO!" along with some babble coming from the monitor. My first instinct is "OH NO!" she's awake.

Apparently Zoe may like to sleep on her tummy like her father, but she talks in her sleep like her mother.

It was so cute, despite it being 2 am. That's mainly because I can see her little expression as she says it.

5) Benadryl. I have no idea what's going on this month, but the pollen is blowing. Right into my sinus cavity. I've had the itchy, watery eyes, the stuffy nose, the scratchy throat. It's gross.

Thankfully there is Benadryl. Totally helps me fall asleep and clears my head. Not to mention helps me fall asleep after being awoke by "OH NO!" coming from the monitor.

Oh Benadryl, how I love thee.

Hope you're Friday is full of as much disco as mine is.

She caught like three feet of air that time

Zoe has learned to jump. With both feet at once.

S is for Sister

Now that Zoe is getting older, we have an easier time keeping all three girls entertained. This past weekend there were lots of giggles and playing.

After dinner there was even an impromptu soccer game. D & E were on opposite teams trying to score while Zoe held onto her ball and chased after them.

There were games of Ring Around The Rosey, some water game where they each got soaked and some coloring.

I love to see the bond Zoe is developing with her sisters. D tends to take care of her while E is more of a playmate.

It is a joy to see all of our girls enjoying each other.

It fills a place in your soul.

No good, very bad day

So I don't mean to be an Eyeore with this post, but I've got to share with you the day that made me appreciate all the other days that I thought were no good and very bad.

I'm going to do them in a list format because, well I'm lazy.

1) Received some news at work that I'm not feeling too positive about. Kinda sucked the wind right out of my sails.

2) Arrived home to find the lid to our garbage can had broken, leaving the lid open. We don't have a secret place to put the can, so it's out in the open. The lid kept the garbage from being visible. In my very handy way, I put some tape on it.

3) Got everything ready for some French Toast for dinner. Got our three pieces of bread, dipped the first two pieces, got to the last side of the third piece only to discover a HUGE green spot of mold. New dinner plans!

4) Put a new diaper on Zoe only to discover that one side did not have a sticky tab.

The final piece of my evening that makes all other pale in comparison:

5) The cricket. A couple weekends ago N and I heard a cricket in the laundry room. It was low and behind the dryer. Our neighbor was pulling weeds and working in his yard on that side of the house. We figured it was by the dryer vent outside.

Until I got home. I could hear the cricket again.

By the backdoor.

I pulled out furniture, grabbed Zoe's flashlight and did some cricket hunting.

I got lucky, I found cricket. Which is a feat that is almost impossible because they get quiet when you get near.

Unless they are in your wall and don't see you coming!

The cricket is in our wall. Where it is dark ALL THE TIME.

Meaning is chirps ALL THE TIME.

How long do those guys live? Apparently two weeks at least.

Oh the Lord, He has a sense of humor.

It'll be like Roller Girls, but without the language and the body-slamming

Both D & E have their birthdays in the summer. It makes planning birthday parties hard. In the past we've run into some other obstacles.

To combat all those things, we've decided to do a joint birthday party for the girls the Saturday before Father's Day.

D really really really wanted to go roller-skating for the party, so that's what we're doing. The rink nearest our house offers a pizza/skating party. Each of them will invite 4 of their friends.

I decided to keep the tradition of homemade invites that I do with Zoe with both D & E. Not to mention they love to do any and all kinds of crafts.

Here are the artists in action:


We decided to cut out an inline skate, attach some wheels, a bow to indicate laces and the word "PARTY." D's favorite color is pink and E's is purple, so we decided to use those as the color scheme.

They did the entire invitation, minus the bow. I couldn't be prouder of their work.

The countdown is on.

Until I can convince N to do a little couple's skating.