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

Just Like her Father

This afternoon we were driving in the car when I heard a very loud noise from the back seat. I said, "Bella, Pew! Did you bump ?" (she calls them bumps...don't really know where she got it but we thought it was funny so bump it is) She responded, "That was a big bump, just like my Daddy does. He does BIG bumps!" Then she giggled.

...she didn't get it from me.

Look out Martha Stewart

Bella: "Mommy, these cookies are absolutely delicious!"
Mommy: "Well, thank you."
Bella: "Well you're VERY welcome!"

Just made me laugh.

Good Morning!

Why does it seem like on school days, the kids don't want to get out of bed, but on weekends they are up at the crack of dawn? I am sure when my mother reads this she'll be thinking...'Paybacks a bitch, huh?'

This morning as I tried to coax Bella out of bed, she burrowed under the covers and closed her eyes tightly. I offered her her favorite breakfast, tickled her feet and smothered her with kissed. She just held back the smiles and closed her eyes tighter. Then Daddy came in and turned on the lights. We left her alone for a few minutes and when I came back in to try to get her up again, she had her hands over her eyes and said, "There's bright getting in my eyes." I know exactly how you feel kid. Sometimes you just aren't ready for the bright in your eyes. But it is comments like that that fill my heart with bright.

Now GET OUT OF BED!

Just When You Thought It Was Safe

Oh where to begin.

Thursday: We're on our way out to run some errands when I decide it is a nice day to have "ladies lunch". I tell Bella we can go anywhere she wants to go for lunch and she says, "The Grocery Store" (which is Whole Foods, where we often sit and have lunch). She says she wants ice cream too and I say OK. We stop at the car wash on the way, and as we pull up she says in a solemn voice, "I can't have ice cream." With dread in my voice, I turn around and ask..."WHY!?".

"I peed."

I got out of the car, put the money in the car wash and as I washed the car, secretly dreamed that all the windows were open so I could just hose down the whole works, car seat, kid, peed-in pants. Ladies lunch was canceled.


Tuesday:
After an hour on the phone with Apple Tech Support trying to fix a computer problem (always fun) I look out into the living room to see my beautiful daughter standing on the coffee table in her underwear, head bent over, looking down between her legs as she pees on the table and LAUGHS her head off. Not knowing if tech support can still hear me while I am on hold, I refrain from saying ANYTHING at all. I march her up to her room silently. Tell her to get cleaned up and head back downstairs to clean up the table . Not happy.

Now at this point you are probably wondering, as I am, what is the bright side to these stories?

Here are just a few (believe me, it took me a while to come up with these)
1. Now that this has been published online, I have written proof and bribery for when she reaches dating age. I am sure her first boyfriend will LOVE to hear about how she peed on the coffee table! Better be home by curfew.
2. Honestly, the coffee table has never looked better.
3. For every upset, the victories are even sweeter. When we DO make it to the potty, the cheers are louder, the smiles bigger and the hugs tighter. What could be better than that?

“A child can go only so far in life without potty training. It is not mere coincidence that six of the last seven presidents were potty trained, not to mention nearly half of the nation's state legislators.” ~ Dave Barry

I'm a Big Kid Now

I was just flushing the toilet yesterday when Bella came into the bathroom with a big smile on her face and said, "YOU DID IT MOMMY! You went pee in the potty! Good job!"

I was so proud of myself.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

I think my daughter was abducted by aliens. On any normal day we deal with the usual 3-year old attitude. That's MINE!. Mommy I want this. Mommy I want that. A little whining. A little crying. A temper tantrum here and there. But this morning she said, "C'mon Mommy, let's share. Doesn't that sound like a great idea?" They must have been really polite aliens.