Genial Greens

My kid loves broccoli. If you ask her what her favorite thing to eat is, she says "broccoli and carrots'. Every mothers' dream. So tonight I made her chicken, noodles, carrots and broccoli for dinner. As she ate her dinner happily, she stopped to study the broccoli and remarked, "It looks like little trees. And they're all hugging."

I think she's destined for greatness.

True Love

Tonight I asked Bella to pick out a book to read before going to bed. She picked out one of her favorites "Olivia" and I picked out the new book she got from Grandmommy for Christmas, "On the Night You Were Born"... a beautiful book that is about how special my daughter is to me (and her Grandmommy, I'm sure). As I got closer to the end, my eyes started to get teary, a lump formed in my throat and I could feel my heart swelling. After I read the last line, I just looked at Bella and without saying a word, gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. She looked me straight in the eye and said, "I love you too Mommy" and gave me a hug.

Words cannot explain how I felt. My beautiful daughter FELT what I was feeling. She KNEW at that moment that she was loved. I can't think of anything that I have done in my whole life that was more satisfying than that one moment. WOW! I will hold on to this feeling for the rest of my life.

Bella Hilton

This morning we were getting ready to head off to school and I put some shiny 'lipstick' on Miss Bella (really lip balm to help heal her terribly chapped winter lips). We were just heading out the door when Daddy came over to give his little girl a kiss goodbye. She turned her head and then gave him the Heisman hand and said, "No Daddy! My lipstick!"
Look out Paris! There's a new girl in town.

A Hard Days Night

Hard day at the office? Sweet dreams Busy Bee.

Pessimist or Smarty Pants?

Well, we survived the holidays. We had a houseful of people here on Christmas Eve, lots of food and wine, gifts for the kids, even a little Christmas Carol Karaoke. At one point in the evening, our friend Keely gathered the kids around and told them that she could go online and track where Santa is on the NORAD website (see article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22388259/).
So they all gathered around the computer to see where Santa had been and when he might make it to Colorado. Keely read aloud the places around the world where Santa had already delivered gifts. Then she said, "The good news is, he made it out of Iraq." To which my daughter replied without skipping a beat, "What's the bad news?" We all broke out in laughter. It always amazes me just how grown up that little 3-year old voice can sound. Wise beyond her years for sure.

Happy Holidays

The holiday season is here and once again people are talking about how to be politically correct. This is just my opinion, but I think people should stop talking and start acting!

I think in the spirit of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Bodhi Day, Edi al-adha, whatever holiday you are celebrating, you should take a look outside yourself and celebrate the world around you. It is a beautiful place and there is so much to learn from it.

This year and in years to follow, I will try to teach my beautiful, open-minded child that it is OK to ask questions. It is OK to find faith in the people and things around you, whether they are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist. It is OK to be inspired by the mountains, the oceans, the animals and the earth. It is OK to wonder what else is out there. It is OK to celebrate life and OK to celebrate death. I will teach her to be kind to others and to always try to do the right thing. I will teach her to be kind to the earth, it is the only place we have to live. I will teach her to respect other peoples beliefs and cultures, to visit far away places, to meet people and to embrace our differences. I will teach her to be vocal and to be heard. I will teach her to be caring, tolerant and understanding. And I will teach her to love.

Happy Holidays.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I was unloading the groceries today when Bella came up to me with a very concerned look on her face and said, "Mommy, can we build a chimney?". I knew right away what the worry was about. I told her that sometimes...when people don't have chimneys...Santa comes through the window instead. With a sigh of relief, she went back to what she was doing.

I'll Be Back

Can't write now. Too busy living.

Stay tuned......

So Many Things to be Thankful For

We woke up this morning to find it had been snowing all night. Bella was overjoyed! It wasn't 8am before she had her coat, hat, boots and mittens on and she was out the door. The snow was still falling softly so I ran to get my camera to capture the moment. As soon as she caught sight of me, she gave her best smile and said "Snow Cheese!"

Five years ago, had I awoken to find snow on the ground the day before Thanksgiving with a list of 20 errands to run, I'd have been crabby and annoyed with the weather. But looking at it through a 3-year olds eyes, the snow just makes everything brighter. A brand new playground for the day. So as we drive around today running our 20 errands, we'll stop to splash in the puddles and collect snowflakes on our tongues and enjoy this beautiful Colorado day.

I can't think of anything I am more grateful for than the opportunity to watch my beautiful child learn and grow. Everyday she makes me laugh, she makes me think and she makes me thankful to be alive.

Happy Thanksgiving to you. What are you thankful for?

Baby I'm Amazed

It just never ceases to amaze me how children see and process the things we as adults have grown so accustomed to. Today Bella was full of funny perceptions....here are just a few:

"Mommy, my hair is wiggly. Yours is not." (Oh how I wish I had "wiggly hair" sometimes!)

(It was a little overcast and windy this afternoon)
"Mommy, can you turn the sun on please? It's too dark."

As she was going to bed tonight, she was telling me a story about a bird flying in the sky and she said, "I see it in my eyes when I am sleeping."
Sweet dreams beautiful girl. I hope you see lots of sunshine and pretty birds in your eyes tonight. Love, Mommy