Inspiration sold at Target :-)

I had the luxury of getting out for a few hours yesterday to run some errands without the girls! This doesnt happen very regularly, so I always get a little "drunk" on my freedom when I can just get in and out of the car easily, not have to heave 2 kids into carts, not have to negotiate buying new toys, snacks, or games with Madison, and certainly not have to simultaneously dangle McKenna's favorite toy in front of her with one hand while steering the cart accurately with the other.

I really capitalized on my freedom yesterday as I leisurely wandered through Target. I got to explore whole sections of the store that I dont normally visit because I was by myself. As I was walking by their Art and Frames aisles, I decided to duck in and check out what they had.

Now, I've been in my house for 4 years. It is furnished, and most rooms are painted. But, that's been the extent of my "decorating". It has always been next on my things "to do" list, but we've just never really prioritized time or money to decorating. Something else always just seems more important or necessary. And, I often just dont have the time to actually look at home decor items when I am out with the kids. So, my walls look a little blank and I've committed to trying to pick up some things here and there to try to start making a change in that.

Enter Target. They had some stuff on Clearance that I really liked, so I picked up a couple of different metal signs and one framed piece. I love the framed piece. It is so simple... just a pink frame with a scrapbook style inspirational message inscribed inside. When I saw it, it really invoked alot of emotion in me..... I know, getting emotional in the middle of Target from a sign????..... I can be a little over the top sometimes :-)

It says " If you are confident, You are Beautiful". I love this as a message in general, but especially as a Mom of 2 girls. From my own experience growing up, I know that instilling confidence is one of the main things on my "You Must Accomplish As A Parent" List for my girls. As kid, I was generally more of a follower than I was a leader, and my confidence definitely wasn't where it could have been. I had some issues with my appearance (the braces and the teenage acne certainly didn't help, either) and I also put alot of value in what other people thought of me. I didn't really get a sense of myself until my mid to late 20's. That's really too late to develop that. I want to make sure that my girls always know how great they are and how much they have to offer. I know that I can only do so much. I can only encourage those thoughts for them but some of that will come from inside themselves. But, I am happy to do whatever I can to help foster those feelings....... even if it means hanging a sign from Target in their bathroom as a reminder :-)

Hippie Dance

Tonight was a REALLY fun night for me. McKenna was in bed early and Matt is out tonight, so it was just Maddie and I hanging out. She was playing, so I decided to do a little updating of my playlist songs. Usually, Maddie has no interest in "my" music. If it isn't something from the Disney Princesses, our local Makin' Music CD's, or a soundtrack to a movie, she generally isn't interested.

So, as I sit here updating the songs on my laptop with the speakers turned on, I see her little feet moving to the beats. So cute. But the best was when she jumped up when Depeche Mode's "Just Cant Get Enough" came on and started totally rocking out. Now, yes, I will admit that the song is MADE for dancing to, but the fact that one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands of ALL TIME (I was a Depeche devotee in high school!) got her to get up and jam was awesome! So, I decided to get up with her and we were dancing like mad together and it was so much fun.

As we were dancing around, she was giving me pointers :-) "Mom, you have good moves. Now, do more hippie shakes." So, I started shaking my hips a little more and she said "Mom, good job. You are a good Hippie Dancer." If you only knew, Madison :-)

I see many more dance sessions coming our way :-)

Thursday Thirteen!

Sarah from These are the Days has inspired me to do my first Thursday Thirteen post! I couldn't agree with Sarah more.... this will be a great way for us to get to know each other better each Thursday. And, if you are a fellow "Thirteener" go ahead and link to your blog in my comments and we'll come get to know you better too!

So, here are my 13 Favorite Things About Summer:

1. Not having to take 15 minutes to bundle my kids in coats, hats, gloves, and boots just to run out to the store
2. Pedicures.... I'll be honest and say that I really only do them in the summer when i can admire my pretty toes in my flip-flops :-)
3. Being able to only put McKenna in shorts or a onesie so I can see those ADORABLE little chubby legs ALL DAY LONG!
4. Seeing Maddie in a cute little summer dress with flip flops and her hair in pigtails. She is such a little girl now
5. Going to the beach
6. Grilling
7. All fresh fruits, but oooohhh the Cherries! (Had to borrow that one from Sarah - the cherries are addictive!)
8. Sitting out on the back deck
9. Cute shoes
10. Daylight Savings Time
11. Being invited to BBQ's, picnics, and parties. Everyone seems to be just a little more social in the summer.
12. Summer holiday weekends - love Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day
13. Matt and I have summer B-Days!

Ok, let's hear your Thursday Thirteen!

Drool, Drool, and More Drool

My kids have both been early teethers. Maddie had her first teeth at 4 months and McKenna at 5 months. McKenna got her two front bottom teeth first and those 2 teeth have been it for the last 3 months. We've been waiting and waiting for additional teeth to appear because this child is such a drool machine! She has had days where I am literally changing her bib every hour because of the amount of drooling she's doing. I guess her little body decided it was going to make up for lost time and sprout 5, yes 5, new teeth at once. Now, if I was getting 5 teeth all at once, I'd be a crying, screaming, whining mess. Not this little trooper... she's a little off, but mostly she's still just her laid-back happy self. Kids can teach you the best lessons about not sweating the small stuff!

A Change for the Better

So, several months ago, I started on a plan to very slowly introduce more natural and organic foods and other household products into our lives. Eating more organically has even lead us to buy a share in a local CSA this summer. Our CSA share at Maysie's Farm has already been a great influence in our lives on alot of levels, and we are just loving it! The CSA share provides us with all of our vegetable produce needs from late May - November. We get to go weekly to the farm to pick up our food and also do some picking in their "Pick Your Own" gardens. We've picked some great peas so far and enjoyed lots of other great veggies from our weekly pickups.

More recently, I also decided it was time to stop playing around with the extra weight I've been dealing with the last few years. So, 10 weeks ago, I signed up at Weight Watchers and found an amazing meeting leader. I just want to thank my friend Jess for recommending this particular meeting/leader because she is so wonderful, completely inspiring, and she makes me WANT to go to my weekly meetings. Well, last night I went for my weigh-in and I hit my goal!!! Now, keep in mind that I still have at least 11, if not 16, more pounds to lose to meet my own personal goal. But, I'll tell you, it feels SO GOOD to have met my Weight Watchers goal weight! More importantly it feels so good to be more energetic, feel healthier, and to feel confident in myself again! So, here's to losing 23.4 pounds and here's to losing another 16 hopefully!

It's amazing what a positive influence the weight loss and the healthier/more natural eating has had on all of us. I love this new lifestyle we're creating.

Girlfriends....

I went to dinner tonight with a group of girlfriends that I met early in my "career" as a Mom. Our kids are all of differing ages and on different schedules now and we dont get to see each other as often as we'd like to, but when we do get together, it's always sure to be a great time. And, tonight didnt disappoint! Sometimes you just need to chill out with your girlfriends and let it all hang out. K, S, P, B, and L ... I had a great time tonight. Let's do that more often!!!

"It's fun having a baby in the house?!"

Ever since we first told Madison that a baby was on the way, she has been really excited about being a Big Sister. I think in the beginning, all of the focus was on the "Big" part and how being a Big Sister = being a Big Girl. If there is anything Maddie likes, it's being the Big Girl in the house. She routinely reminds McKenna that she can wear flip flops, she can take a shower with Mommy, and she can have the occasional lollipop all because she is a big girl. She then reassures McKenna that she too will be a big girl someday and that she will teach her how to do all of the big girl things she can do! It's so cute.

Lately, though, besides even being the Big Girl in the house, Madison has really gotten into being the Big Sister. As McKenna gets more and more interactive, I am watching Madison respond to her more and more and it is so much fun to watch. Maddie loves to dance and jump around in front of McKenna and make her belly laugh. Then they both start belly laughing and its contagious. I think that might be the best sound in the whole world.... to hear your family in a chorus of laughter! Madison looks out for her sister.... gets her binky or a dropped toy, picks out new toys for her and even wants to feed her sometimes.

In earlier months, Maddie would say to us "it's fun having a baby in the house, isn't it?" Sometimes I wasn't sure if she was making a statement or questioning it and asking for validation from me? I always assured her that I thought it was lots of fun having a baby in the house. Recently though, Madison has been making proclamations all around the house, often saying "It's so much fun having a baby in the house!" What a joy it is for me to hear that. There was never a doubt in our minds that we would have a second child, so that was always a given. What wasn't a given was how our sweet, easy going little girl would react to having a sibling in the house. I am happy to say that Madison couldn't have adjusted any easier or better. I should have never doubted that little girl, she always manages to blow me away!

You know what, Madison? It is really fun having a baby in the house. But, the best part is sharing the experience with you and seeing it through your eyes. I love you and your sister so much!

Love

This is my family. They are the three most fun, loving, challenging, endearing, make-my-life-worth-living people in my life. I know there are a million different cliches about how much having a family changes your life, changes your capacity to love, changes your opinions on the world, and most importantly changes you as a person. And, the truth is that every single one of them is true. I've never known love like this, and I've never been happier in all of my life.

Matt and I met by chance at a DANCE CLUB of all places. Not exactly where you think you are going to meet a mate, ya know! And, I never in my life have been happier to have gone out with my friends that night to celebrate my birthday, because that was the night my life changed forever. I met this impossibly handsome, dedicated, fun-loving, understanding, compassionate, intelligent, hard-working man and I've never looked back. We were meant to be together. We make such a great team.

Now, five years into our marriage we are so blessed to have these two daughters I like to think of as my own personal miracles. I know all parents think this, but I feel so lucky that these two little girls chose us to be their parents. They are both just the coolest people we know!

I want all three of you to know that you make me so happy and I cant wait to spend our lives together having fun and loving each other!

You Oughta Know....

.....that my friend Sarah (see blog roll) gets all of the credit for the witty play on words that is the title of my new blog. Yes, MY NEW BLOG! Do the CAPS adequately convey my excitement? Well, let me tell you, I am super excited. Some of you may know that we (Matt and I) had a blog very briefly after Maddie was born. We used it mostly as a way to update family and friends on her development and milestones, but frankly, it wasnt the smartest time in life to start a blog. And, as my husband pointed out last night, I was less than enthusiastic about writing a blog in the first place... he had to do all of the set up and get us going before I even started posting updates myself. At any rate, it fizzled after a few months.

I've been toying with the whole blog thing lately as more and more of my friends have started to blog (and now that McKenna is 8 months...AGH!), it seemed like something I could actually keep up with and enjoy. Then, Sarah decided to have a Blogging 101 "class" at her home last night for the moms in our playgroup. Sarah came up with this great name and set up my blog for me to demo at the class. Thanks so much, Sarah!

So, here we go.... I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I know I am going to!