Every Day is Mother's Day

Five years ago on Mother's Day, I was riding home from the hospital with my one-day-old daughter. I was excited and exhausted, overjoyed and overwhelmed, completely in love with my tiny beautiful baby and completely terrified, all at the same time. I'll never forget that day.

Yesterday, we celebrated Bella's 5th birthday, surrounded by friends. When the party was over, she and I sat outside eating just one more piece of cake and enjoying the last minutes of the warm sun. I watched as she played with all her new toys, her face filled with joy. It was a great day.

Today it is Mother's Day once again and I am thankful for my own mother - who supports me in everything I do and is always there for me. I know now how hard it was for her to raise my sister and I. And I know now that the love between a mother and her child is never ending.

And I am thankful for my mother-in-laws, who treat me like their own daughter and for the rest of my family and my family-in-law, who I also love very much.

I am in awe of all of my girlfriends who have become amazing mothers. We share a special bond now. All of motherhood's ups and downs make us stronger and wiser and better human beings. We laugh together, cry together, share advice and stories. We survive the tough days with a spur of the moment play date, or plan a girls night out to regain our momentum. We support each other because we know how important our jobs as mothers are. All of you have inspired me more than you know, and for that I thank you.

I am blessed with a husband who loves me for who I am, and tells me so every day. He is a wonderful father and it shows. My favorite moment of the day is when he walks in from work and I hear, "Daddy!" and the sounds of little feet running to the door. Thank you Daddy for all that you do.

Not a day goes by that I don't know just how lucky I am. My daughter has taught me more about life in the past 5 years, than I have learned in my almost 40. By stopping to see the bright green grass growing in a crack in the sidewalk, or wiping away my tears when I lost a loved one. She gets it. Not because she doesn't yet know the evils of the world, but because she chooses to see the good. She is funny, charming, and she knows that unconditional love is the best thing life has to offer - and when we adults forget that, she is quick to remind us. And it works every time.

So thank you my families, my friends, my husband and my beautiful daughter. Thank you for making me the mother and woman that I am today. I couldn't do any of it without you.

Happy Mother's Day.

Rules are Rules

I guess she'll never be Miss America now...

A Rainy Friday Dress Up Party

"Mommy, where's my other go-go boot?"

Now there's something you don't hear every day.

Great Minds Think Alike

 We just got home from a 1st birthday celebration. Good friends, good food,  kids running wild,  lots of giggles, presents and birthday cake. As I tucked Bella into bed she said, " Mommy, will you snuggle with  me a while?". So I laid down in bed next to her and we turned on the stars (a little turtle we have that lights up and shines stars onto the ceiling).  Pretty soon her breath slowed and I felt her body start to relax in my arms. She  was gazing at the stars above, her eyelids getting heavy. I asked her what she was  thinking about. In just a whisper she replied, "I'm thinking about love." A few moments later she was sound asleep.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing.

A Lover of All Things

On the walk to school today Bella spotted an 'obstacle' on the sidewalk and called out, "Don't step in the poop Mommy!". Then she said "You should just gently step over it. Because Nature is our friend."

 Boy, she can take even the sh*tiest situation and make it sound nice.

NO WIRE HANGERS!

Bella got a hold of my 'eyeliner' (red lip liner). Aunt Tracy said she saw a slight resemblance to Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest...

The Grass is Always Greener...When You're 4 Years Old

 On Wednesday Bella was coming with me to a meeting, and we had to walk through an alley to get to the building we were going to. All of a sudden she had a big smile on her face and said, "Look Mommy! The green grass is growing in the cracks!" I stopped for a moment to look down at the street. Sure enough there were little patches of grass peeking out from between the cracks in the pavement. So I said, "Yes it is, and you know, I wouldn't have noticed that if you hadn't mentioned it."

I learned something from this story...did you?

Just Be

So if you have read this blog in the past, you know that I occasionally like to ask my daughter what she wants to be when she grows up. Her aspirations change daily (sometimes hourly) so the answer is always alluring. 

So today I asked. 

And today's answer was (with a very disciplinary tone), 

"Mommy, I'm just gonna be who I be."

I don't doubt it for a minute.

Good Day Sunshine

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day in Colorado. Late this afternoon, Bella was playing out in the backyard and I was sitting out with her soaking up the sun. It was as warm as a spring day and someone close by had a fire going, so the sweet smell of smoke lingered in the air. Bella decided we should have a picnic. She went into the house and came outside with lots of goodies...carrots, raisins, graham crackers and chocolate milk. She sat down next to me and said, "It's a good day Mommy, isn't it? It IS a wonderful day." Then she sighed, leaned against me and drank her milk. 

OK - this next thing is going to sound like I made it up, by I actually wrote it down word for word...I just have an amazing kid (if I do say so myself).

It was nearing bedtime when Bella climbed up onto my lap and said in a very serious tone, "Mommy. I need to ask you something." "What is it?" I replied. She said, "Can I have a little bit of your love?"  "You can have ALL of my love!" I said. Then she gave me a hug and said, "Mommy, I can feel all of your love." You and me both kid.

It was indeed, a wonderful day.

Twiggy

When I was 4 years old, I had very long hair. My parents wanted to cut it short (probably from day after day of tears when trying to comb through it). Unbeknownst to each other, they had each bribed me to get the haircut. My mom bought be a Barbie swimming pool that I desperately wanted and my dad took me to lunch at my favorite restaurant. They didn't find out until after the haircut that they had been scammed.

Yesterday I was going to give Bella's hair a little trim (the last time it was cut at the local kids barber shop, the woman who cut it had no clue what she was doing and we walked out of there a little lopsided!). I started to cut it and Bella said, "Mommy, cut this part that is always in my eyes." So I asked her if she wanted to have really short hair. She heartily replied "YES!" So we cut it short. She now kind of looks like a cross between Twiggy and Bob Dylan. 

I think I will voluntarily take her to lunch and get her a Barbie swimming pool...will keep her busy until her hair grows back!