{pillow nemesis}

here's the thing.

i like pillows.

throw pillows to be exact.

my sister, sam, teases me about them. and how i'm always arranging and re-arranging them.

i particularly take painstaking care to arrange the pillow on my bed.

there is just something to be said about a well made bed.

here's how i like my bed to look.

pretty right?

well.  i have a pillow nemesis in my home.

not casey.

not the kids.

the dog.

it can be a matter of {seconds} from the time i finish making the bed, to when he decided to 

jump on up and {RUIN} my pretty pillows.

leaving in his wake, destruction.

please, notice, he messed up the blanket as well.

he does this to my couches.

the guest bed.

*sigh*

it's a good think i like this dog.

most days.

{good friends}

recently a few of my {besties} have posted about our friendships.

they are sweet and sentimental reads...

to me at least.

if you are interested in reading them they are 

here

here 

and 

here.

thanks hannah and kayt!

{crazy aunt millie}

this girl.

oh, this girl will charm you.

to add to her {craziness}, she is indeed a lefty.

mmmm, i just LOVE her!

she likes to play footsie with me under the table.

and finally,  you know how people tease that if they don't have a crib, 

they'll just put baby in a drawer?

well, laney and millie were playing that laney was the mom and millie was the kid.

i'll let you come up with your own narrative on how their play time was spent.

{mama needs a day off}

being a mama is a whole whirlwind of emotions sometimes.

it has shaped and shaped and shaped me.

i used to look like a square, and now i'm sort of circular shaped...or heart shaped.

metaphorically, i mean.  

though, i suppose i'm a bit rounder then i used to be...

anyway.

i don't know about you other mama's out there, but sometimes you have one of {those}days.

the kind of days where if you hear one more {fussy}voice.

if you have to scrape {poop} out of one more pair of panties.

if you have to fold one more sock...

you might just pull your hair out.

i had one of those days this week.

i was feeling like i just so {desperately} needed a day off.

i needed to {get away} and take a break from being a mama.

casey came home from work and i let loose with my woe's of the day.

i asked him, could i get out for a bit?

go to a coffee shop and read a {non-fiction} book for a few hours?

my generous, patient, and understanding husband said, of course.

so after dinner and getting the kiddo's to bed i headed out.

i got my delicious {mexican mocha}.

and started to read.

aahhhh.

then do you know what happened?

guess.  just guess.

just a few short minutes in, i started to miss

casey 

cricket

itty bitty

and magruter.

even if they were at home sleeping, i wanted to be home. 

to be in proximity with them.

i am not {me}, without {them}.

as challenging as some days can be, i'll take it.

to get to be married to casey, mama to my 3 little's... i'll wipe every boogery nose.

i'll wash poopy panty after poop panty.

i'll play pretend for hours on end.

i'll get peed on while changing diapers. {actually, this has never happened to me, but i'd take it!}

it wasn't until i had kids that i realized what a selfish and lazy person i am.

i used to be a square.

but being a mom has rounded out those rough edges, and i'm now more circular.  i'm more complete.

cheesy. i know.  

but you know what else i know?

i am {blessed} and {privileged} to live the life i do.

these children of mine, they are a gift.

Psalm 127:3-5

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,

         The fruit of the womb is a reward.

4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

         So are the children of one’s youth.

5How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

         

{crazy aunt millie}

 my {crazy} girl is at such a fun and silly age!

she is potty training and she's doing {really} well for the most part. 

i'm really proud of her.

i wasn't quite ready to tackle potty training, but she left me no choice.

she would de-pants herself, remove her diaper and beg to sit on the potty.

so i went for it, and we've for the most part had a lot of success, praise God!

even though a while back i cut bangs to try and control the {madness} that is this girls hair,

i still can't seem to keep her looking sane.

she is just so silly, so {go go go}.

i love her energy.

please note the photo below.

if you've known our family since amelia was born, you might recall that she preferred a paci.

around 18-20 months of age she began to be {really}attached to it.

i had friends who waited too long to pull the darn thing and then 

battled for {months} to get the child to get rid of it.

so i decided to get rid of it.

after 3 sleepless days (sleepless for millie) it was gone!

no more paci!

she went to sleep just fine.

{then} about a month ago, she started sucking her thumb.

out of the blue.

and i cannot get her to stop.

{eerrggg}.

this girl is so crazy.

and i love her so so much.

{a first taste}

the boy had his first taste of cereal this week.

this is his story.

{silly girl}

new post over at The Manhattan Project about delaney and packing up to move.

click here to check it out.

{embrace the camera}

this week remi and i got behind the camera and in front of the mirror.

he especially had fun chewing on my nose, pulling my hair, and grabbing the camera.

mmmmm.  don't you just want to eat this boy up!?!?!

go {embrace} the camera!

{an interview with delaney}

*disclaimer*

i am an unoriginal copy cat.  i stole this idea.

that being said, it's still fun.

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?

Do you love me?  Huhuhuhu?(sort of giggled this)

2. What makes Mommy happy?

That I love you. 

3. What makes Mommy sad?

That I don’t love you.  That I don’t obey you, I mean.  That you actually don’t like to discipline me.

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?

when you’re tickeling me.  hehehehee

5. What was Mommy like as a child?

Me.

6. How old is Mommy?

3 years old?  *not quite*  I don’t know how to guess that.

7. How tall is Mommy?

As big as 2 lines.  Bigger then dada.  *hmm*

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?

You like to play with me!

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?

Cry.

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?

mommy, I don’t know what famous is.  *I explained* does Hannah know who you are? *yes* oh.  then you ARE famous.  *apparently, if hannah doesn't know who you are, you are a nobody*

11. What is Mommy really good at?

at playing.

12. What is Mommy not very good at?

playing.

13. What does Mommy do for her job?

look at things.  *maybe we shop too much* 

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?

cereal? 

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?

doing the dishes.

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Stuart Little.

17. What do you and Mommy do together?

clean up.

18. How are you and Mommy the same?

we are both small.

19. How are you and Mommy different?

I’m little and you are really big.

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?

you hug me.

21. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?

the beach.

22. Who does mommy love the very most?

You love me.

photo credit Illumination Photography

find them here and here

{embrace the camera}

i've come to realize something really important.

it's better for me to stop what i'm doing and play with my kids.

i'm sure that {so} many of you mom's can relate.

it's so hard to let the dishes sit in the sink.

to let the laundry sit there unfolded.

to let the beds go unmade.

to wait on picking up all the toys.

but the other day,  delaney had been {begging} me to play ponies with her.

and i just couldn't seem to fit {her} into my busy schedule of up keeping the house.

in a moments break to take amelia to the potty, i opened up my potty treat.

(yes, the girls {and} i get potty treats, because well, i think potty training can be just as hard for me as it is amelia, and darn it, i need a treat too!)

this is what it said on the inside of {my} potty treat.

i mean, do you {see}that!?!?

i popped that delicious piece of dark chocolate into my mouth,

let the mess of my house sit there for another hour,

and spent the next chunk of my day being  {cherilee} the pony.

and i opened my eyes to all the love around me.

and i realized {how} much it meant to the girls that i got down on the floor and played with them.

i would rather them have memories of laundry piled up, dirty dishes, {and} a mommy who played with them.

who communicated with them, that i {wanted} them

that i {enjoyed} them.

they are never going to remember those dishes in the sink.

they will remember me {washing} those dishes {instead} of playing with them.

and i fell a little more in love with my cricket and itty bitty that day.

what are you showing to {your} kids to be your priority? 

what are they going to remember?

{daily delaney}

oh daughter.

you've no idea what's coming to you.

let me just inform you, that you do in fact have a little brother.

a conversation from this morning:

lane: hey mom, wanna play dinosaurs with me?

me: lane, i'd love to, but i need to get ready for our friends to come over.

lane: who's coming over?

me: sarah and emery.

lane:  MOM!  NOOOO!!!!

me:  uhhhh, what's the problem?

lane:  but, emery is a {boy} and he will {chew} on my dinosaurs!

me:  do you see that little person, over there sitting in the blue bumbo seat w/ drool running all down his front?

he's a {boy}.  and he will {chew} on your dinosaurs.

lane:  *passes our on the floor from shock.*

just kidding about that last part....but her face.  oh her face upon realizing that her 

sweet smiling little brother will soon {torture} her.

friends with little boys,  you are good for my daughters life.

testing