Life

Driving home from Houston last night, I saw this on a billboard:

One day your life will flash before your eyes.

Make sure it's worth watching.

Sounds like a recipe for success to me.

The Best Day

This morning in the car Noble was a little whiny. Kayci's new thing, when he's having a hard time in the car, is to ask, "Do you want Kayci to sing you a song?" To which Noble will answer either, "No!" or "______" (he'll say what he wants her to sing about). This morning he answered, "Mom Mom!" And so my girl proceeded to sing "One little, two little, three little Mom Moms..." and as I listened to her, I thought, that's ME back there. She was doing exactly what I did as a teacher and as her Mommy when she was that age, and it touched me. So often when I think, "she's exactly like me!" it's because she's doing something I'd rather she didn't do, or repeating something questionable that I said. :) This parenting is tough work...I don't know which is harder, honestly, parenting Kayci who's just like me or Noble who is my polar opposite. All I know is that every day is an adventure, with some days I'd rather forget. But for the most part, despite my ineptitude, we muddle through.

Today we agreed that Noble would go to school and we'd have a Mommy & Kayci day. Kayci decided our agenda, so we had pedicures, lunch at Must Be Heaven and then went to her little friend's house for a playdate. Now we're home again for a bit so she can have a little more time to herself before we pick up Noble and start our evening. The days when it's just the two of us are pretty rare, so I look forward to them. I wonder what Kayci will remember when she grows up--all of my missteps, the times I got mad and yelled, the many times I made her pick up her room AGAIN...or the days like today, when it's just an ordinary day that feels a little special. I don't know, we'll have to see.

I started thinking about this earlier when I was working a bit while she watched her Taylor Swift DVD. This song came on, and it made me think about today. I hope today is one of Kayci's Best Days. :)

The Best Day

Songwriters: Swift, Taylor Alison

I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on

I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run

Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold

I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall

But I know you're not scared of anything at all

Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away

But I know I had the best day with you today

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean

I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys

And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away

And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school

But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you

Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay

But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger

God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run

And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three

You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me

It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs

And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall

I know you were on my side even when I was wrong

And I love you for giving me your eyes

For staying back and watching me shine

And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say

That I had the best day with you today

© SONY/ATV SONGS D/B/A TREE PUBG CO; TAYLOR SWIFT PUB DESIGNEE;

Flippin' Sweet!

Spring is truly here...the weather has been gorgeous (with the exception of yesterday's gray cast, but the sunset totally made up for it!). To celebrate, I'm flippin' out...

...and, heaven forbid my day be all play and no work. Noble left me a present this morning.

Around here, we call that floor candy. I may have accidentally thrown some of the unwrapped stuff away, too...oopsie. :)

It's been a fast week around here. I guess having a birthday party on a Sunday (after having a kid home sick the entire week before) will do that. Noble is officially 2 and we have celebrated and then some. Yesterday I commuted to Houston for a big work day, and my sweet girl cleaned up ALL of Noble's toys so I'd come home to a clean house. How awesome is she?! I know you're jealous, try to hold it in. She's just amazing, that kid. Did you see the pic of her on our family blog this week? GORGEOUS!!

File these under "only in a small town:"

...Tuesday I walked Kayci in to school to pick up some papers from the PTO box. One of the secretaries stopped me and reminded me that I'd left a bag there last week when I dropped some things off for the 4th graders. Anyway, she gets the bag and hands me a box, saying "and this came for you." Well, I haven't ordered anything for PTO, so I was like, oh, no, that can't be mine. But then I looked again, because it was a familiar box: Target. Apparently our regular UPS guy was out, because someone accidentally delivered a box addressed to my home (201) to the school (2201). How crazy is that?! And even crazier that I'd walk in and pick it right up...

oh, right. What's in the box, you say? Nick & Nora's Gingerbread Monkeys for next Christmas. Target FINALLY went to 50% off, ending our stalemate. Whew!

...so then today James has scheduled a photo shoot at my friend's house for a brochure he's working on. She called me right as it was time to leave and said her dog was missing, so I went out ahead of James to search for her dog (he's old, like Sami, and I was afraid he'd gotten out to the highway). Anyway, I get there and she's out looking for her dog. Luckily, a few minutes later, her neighbor remembers something...and sure enough, there's the dog--in the armadillo trap. Only out in the country, right?? Glad he's okay, though--that was a rough few minutes, can't imagine how poor Heather was feeling! Scotty, no more free chicken, dude.

Totally random today, I know. It's hard not having time to keep up with things, I feel like I've missed so much. Nothing exciting to report...still trying to figure out what Spring Break is going to look like around here. I'm excited to have 9 days with my Bitty!

Noble is 2!!

2 rocks!

Already?!

A year ago, we were buying first shoes and awaiting first steps.

I can't believe Noble will be TWO on Monday...where has the time gone?

Smile!

That made you smile, didn't it?

We're on Day 3 of some crazy viral fever,

Day 7 of last week's ear infection, icky cough, yucky throat and antibiotics.

Um, yes, I'm a bit stir-crazy.

Sorry, other Mommys--I was premature in heading out to the library with your kids yesterday.

Sigh.

Everything happens for a reason. I'm trying NOT to stress about the work not getting done, and just go with the flow.

The flow of messy house, laundry piling up, and a boy who needs to be held. Then kicks and fights not to be held...then climbs up me to be held again...it's a vicious, tiring cycle.

But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Seriously, look at that smile.

Crazy, isn't it?

FREAKY!!!

I saw a link to this color test on How About Orange...I'm sitting here with a sick kiddo, thought, hey, I've got time to kill.

It is CRAZY, FREAKY how accurate this thing is.

Here are my results...Best Occupational Catoegory: Creator. Second Best? Organizer.

The details of each describe me to a freakin' tee.

Freaky.

Come on, do it, do it!!!!