Friday Fun

Have a great weekend everyone!

A daddy and his daughters...

and sometimes when you try to make them pose, you end up with this...

She's such a big girl...

What happens when Adeline tries to dress herself...

Sometimes there is success....and sometimes, she puts both legs in one leg hole....which is much more entertaining for the rest of us.

My birthday...

Patrick told me he had something planned for my birthday. He would take care of all the details including childcare. I LOVE surprises! I told him I was planning to wear a dress. He said I had to wear shorts. I wanted to wear flip-flops. He said I should wear sneakers. Really. Are you sure? My mom and my friend, Nancy, both thought I would have fun. I am hard to surprise but..... I. had. no. idea. There aren't many things that make my "fun" list that involve the specified attire. I started guessing in the car. Patrick was laughing at my meager attempts. We started heading for the city. um....I'm running out of ideas.

We took a tour of Washington DC on segways! Oh. My. Word!!! You have GOT to do this!!! They are the most amazing invention ever!

It was fun to have our picture taken in front of some of the standard tourist attractions after living in this area for so many years.

Oh, and did you notice....more plaid shorts. After all, it was my birthday.....

Gettin' my craft on...

My friends, Missy and Rachel, both have more talent in their pinky fingers than I could hope to attain....no really, spend a little time on their blogs. However, I decided to follow their lead for this fun craft project. While Patrick was playing tennis with some guys from church, I decided to "bake" with felt. I love how cute these cookies turned out. Too bad none of the people who joined my craft giveaway have little girls!

Missy is thinking about starting an etsy shop. Trust me, it will be well worth your visit. I'll keep you posted when she is up and running.

Wednesday's at the pool...

Wednesdays at the pool have been a fun part of our weekly summer routine. We have a pool in our neighborhood, but it really isn't fun for us to go to the pool without our friends. Plus, mommy really doesn't know what to do with TWO girls (one who can't even sit up) at the pool. On Wednesdays, it is "guest day" at the pool in town where many families from our church belong. There are several of us who meet there every Wednesday for swimming, lunch, and great fellowship.

Pool days make us very tired...but it's a good kind of tired.

Wordless Wednesday

3 months

Camille,

I can't believe how fast you are growing and changing. You are already grabbing your toes,

sitting in your Bumbo seat,

and rolling over (no pictures...she's been rolling from her belly to her back, but yesterday rolled the other way)!

You "talk" up a storm, and we are all madly in love with you. Thank you, Jesus, for this precious little gift.

Thankfulness revisited

I think I made my position on thankfulness pretty clear in this post. However, I've been having a lot more thoughts on this topic recently, partly triggered by these...

I love weddings. I've been in a lot of them, attended even more of them, and planned several of them (not the least of which was my own). I am a detail person, and I am asked a lot for wedding advice, which frequently snowballs into me being a wedding coordinator. I don't mind. I like doing it. For some, I am a consultant only (I don't attend the wedding). For some, I only attend the wedding (and just make sure everything goes smoothly that day). For others, I plan everything from the music to the decorations to directing the MC at the reception. I don't charge anything because, again, I enjoy doing it, and I believe God has given me this gift to bless others.

I love when a wedding shows the personality of the couple. If they are musicians, the music should be live and lovely. If they are artistic, the programs should showcase some of their talent. If they love horses, why not ride in on one (for an outdoor wedding of course)? You get the point. I've planned some where I love everything they choose and some where I am shocked by how different our taste is....there really is a lot of subjectivity in what is beautiful.

In planning something as intimate and life changing as a wedding, you get to know the couple (or family) well. I find that I come to respect them more or lose respect for them as we go along. There are challenges with almost every one. Sometimes it is a clash of personalities (family dynamics), sometimes it is a tight budget, and sometimes I am contacted at the last minute when things are just not going well and there is too much to do with too little time. Sometimes it is all of the above. Some couples care about every detail (um, that would be us), and some just want someone to make decisions for them and show up on the day. What the particular challenge is is not nearly as important as how they face it.

For as varied as the couples and styles of weddings are, there are equal number of variations on thankfulness. For some, after I've put in HOURS of work, it would be nice to at least get a card. I know I shouldn't expect anything, but I struggle with feeling I have been taken advantage of when someone doesn't even take the time to write a thank you. Sometimes, not even a thank you for the wedding gift (if it's someone I know personally). I know that it is not personal, but it still bugs me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the most recent wedding I planned. Not because everything was easy and smooth, but because the family was truly thankful, and gracious. The bride and her mother each sent me heartfelt cards of thanks, which was more than enough (especially since the bride did some free babysitting for me). However, the bride's mother came for a visit this week and brought me the salt and pepper shakers above and some dinner plates. They match my set of pottery that we use every day. The company that makes it is located in Maine, and she was there visiting her parents. She called my mom to get ideas of pieces I might need (a few of my dinner plates broke). This is one of the most thoughtful and personal gifts I have received. The card (and babysitting...because I really was thankful for that) really would have been enough, but I am humbled by their thoughtfulness. Thank you Bloomberg family. Helping you was a pleasure.

For more "weekend thoughts" visit Crystal's blog...

Wordless Wednesday

She still loves it...

Tiny Talk Tuesday

A: "I'm going to cook something and it will be very, very hot."

_____________

Adeline taking grapes off of a bunch...one of them still had a stem attached...

A: "Mommy, I can't open this grape."

_____________

Adeline loves to sit on the sink in our bathroom when I am putting on makeup. Patrick just rolls his eyes as she names all the items (she's such a girl). My favorite is "EYE liner!!!" Sometimes I give her a little bit of lotion to dab on her cheeks. She turns her head back and forth admiring herself in the mirror and says, "I look pretty!!!"

One day after I put on my makeup and reviewed the names of each thing with her, I found her "on the phone" in my bedroom. This was the conversation...

A: "Hi mascara. How are you?....... Are you good? Hi mascara!!!"

_______________________

Camille starts screaming in the playroom...

Me: "Adeline, did you make Camille fuss?"

A: "yeah....I was changing her diaper."

Me: "Where did you hurt her?"

A: "Her face."

Me: "What did you do to her face?"

A: "I spanked her." "I'm sorry Camille...."

Well at least you're sorry for hitting her and making her scream....yeah, mommy somehow didn't think that was enough penance.

_______________________

Daddy: "It's dark in here (when putting Adeline to bed). I can't see you. Oh wait, here's your head, and your arms, and your belly, and your legs (tickling her)."

A: "and here's my pO pO and my girl parts."

Yeah, daddy...why skip from the belly to legs? There are parts in between there......I just love her innocence.

Head over to Mary's for more tiny talkers.