"If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney

Yesterday I asked Bella what kind of job she would like to do when she is an adult (if you have read this blog before you know her answers change daily, so it is good to ask often in order to keep up).

Bella: "I want to build things."
Mommy: "What kind of things?"
Bella: "Like buildings and towers and stuff."
Mommy: "Oh, so do you want to be an architect?"
Bella: "No, I think a Buildatect."

The Good Shepherd

I was making dinner tonight when Bella asked, "What are you making Mommy?"
"Shepherd's Pie", I replied. "OH! ... I LOVE shepherds, but I don't like pie" she declared.
Hmmm....I really would have guessed it the other way around. Then again, I can't say that I have met a shepherd that I didn't like. Have you?

October Sky

It's that time of year... my favorite time of year. Autumn! There's nothing better than a sunny fall day. The air is cool, the leaves are bursting with color and the sky is so blue you just want to lay in the grass and spend the whole afternoon daydreaming. So what the heck, I gave it a try. The ground felt cool on my back, the crisp fall air filled my lungs. I closed my eyes and enjoyed it...for about 30 seconds. Then the dog licked my face and the 4-year old jumped onto my stomach. Ugh.

So instead we played tag, we raked leaves and made big piles to jump in, played fetch with the dog. And all of a sudden my daydreams paled in comparison to my reality. Ahh.

Don't Push Your Luck

Yesterday we went to Target to pick up a handful of items. I was speeding through the store to avoid having to stop in the toy or candy department. We were at the very back of the store and had almost everything we needed when Bella said, "I have to go potty". Never fails. I asked her if she could hold it for just a few minutes to which she happily said yes. So I ran to pick up the last item and went straight to the checkout line. As I was paying for everything, 3 people behind me in line and people in both lanes next to us, Bella says, very loudly, "I sucked it in Mommy." Looking back on the situation, I should not have asked her the next question...a confused, "What?" to which she yells out, "My poop! I sucked it back in!" with big smile on her face as if she is waiting for congratulations. I glanced around at all the people around me who were now stifling their chuckles ...what else was there to do but laugh.

I'm not even sure how to end this story...I think I'll just leave it at that.

Secret Schmecret

I was cleaning the house today when I stubbed my toe. I held back the curse words because Bella was in the room, but let out a holler and a grunt. Bella asked, "What's wrong Mommy?" to which I replied, "I stubbed my stupid toe." She looked at my toes and said, "I like your toes Mommy, they're not stupid."

How AMAZING is the mind of a child! All afternoon I thought about how optimistic children are. It is inspiring. So as of today there is a new rule at our house. No more complaining. If you're unhappy with something don't complain about it, DO SOMETHING about it. If you don't know the answer right away, write down the problem and come back to it later. NO more focusing on the negative. Focusing on the positive makes everything brighter. It's as easy as that. Instead of "I hate cleaning the house", how about "I love it when the house is clean!" Then enjoy the clean house. Life is too short to dwell on the negatives. And while we're stewing in the past, we may be missing the here and now.

If you want to live the good life, then just live it!

Sunday, Monday...

Last night I was helping Bella brush her teeth. She tried to turn on her electric toothbrush and it wouldn't start. I took it and tapped it hard on the sink and it started. She looked at me with a big smile so I said,"Mommy's just like Fonzerelli!" Blank stare. "What's Fonzerelli?"
It was that moment that I realized I have become the "Nerd Mom". From now on, I will start to embarrass my kid, just by being myself. Just like my parents embarrassed me and your parents embarrassed you. Next year she will be off to Kindergarten and it will only get worse from there. The way I dress, the way I talk, the car I drive, the music I listen to (although my daughter is a Beatles fan - so let's hope that holds over forever). I will be dorky 'Laverne' to her and her friends when in my mind I think I am Pinky Tuscadero. Oh well, that's just the way it goes I guess.
I think there will still be plenty of Happy Days ahead.

Aaaaaay!

September 12, 2008

...and shoes! I am also thankful for shoes! How could I forget shoes!

September 11, 2008

Today I am grateful for...

My beautiful daughter who is so full of life and quick with a smile to brighten my every day.
My husband who is able to enjoy his passion for hunting, even on this rainy Colorado day.
My sweet, gentle, caring dog who protects me and loves me unconditionally.
My mother and my step father, my father, my sister and my soon-to-be-brother-in-law who love me and whom I love dearly.
My in-laws who make me feel like I have always been a part of their family.
My friends who constantly remind me that life is meant to be fun and enjoyed.
My memories of all the people I love that are no longer here on earth.
My comfortable house, in the gorgeous state of Colorado, in our free and beautiful country, in an awe inspiring world.
My voice, my mind, my heart and my soul and the freedom to express them.

On this day, September 11, 2008, I am thankful.

Delicious!

I don't think baking is in her future.

ICE CREAM MAN!!!

Well, we were out for a walk tonight and the inevitable happened....
For 4 years we had never let Bella onto the fact that there was such a thing as an ice cream truck. Now, before you judge and think "Why would we deprive our child of such a thing as the ice cream truck?!" On a hot summer day you could hear those tinny sounding chimes of the ice cream truck song (usually 'The Entertainer') a mile away. Just enough time to track down your mom or dad for money, running through the house screaming "ICE CREAM!", then running out of the house along with every other kid in the neighborhood and waiting for the truck to turn the corner onto your block. Then it was decision time. The hardest part. Bomb pop? Push up? Drumstick? Or my favorite, the Creamsicle. So why has our daughter not known about this classic summertime phenomenon until now? Well, a few reasons really. First of all, it is not like the kid is lacking in the treat department. We're seriously considering changing her middle name to 'Chocolate' at this point, just because I don't think she can live without it. Secondly, in this day and age of the credit and debit card, you run the risk as a parent of not having any cash on hand when the truck comes by, and then you have to deal with temper tantrums and end up driving to the supermarket to pick up Popsicles if you want the crying and screaming to stop. And lastly, we knew she would eventually figure it out and there would be plenty of years of "ICE CREAM!" to come.

So that brings us back to our walk tonight....we're walking down a long block when all of a sudden, the ice cream truck turns onto the street and is headed right towards us. I look around frantically, there is no where to go. Bella asks, "What's that sound?". Now, she has heard the music before from inside the house, but never asked what it was. I guess she just assumed it was someone driving by with bad taste in music. The truck gets closer and closer, the music is getting louder and louder. When it finally pulls up next to us, she realizes what it is. I have to say the look on her face was priceless! It was worth depriving her of the ice cream truck until now. Her eyes were wide open and a huge smile came across her face. And then she looked at me and said "That's where the noise was coming from! Ice cream!" No turning back now.

Of course, I didn't have any money on me because we only headed out to walk the dog around the block, so I had to run to the store when we got home to get Popsicles. C'est la vie.