Yesterday I went to Meijer to get a couple things and noticed the beautiful display of BACK TO SCHOOL items.  Is it really that time already?  This summer is flying by. I went to the BACK TO SCHOOL display and just stared at all the items.  I couldn't get myself to buy a single thing. " I still have time," I thought to myself.
    We packed a lot in this summer and I learned a few things about myself. Here are a few worth mentioning.


1. Make time for yourself.
I have been trying to get up before everyone else and do something I like to do, like write, read my Bible, or just SIT in silence.  It has been golden and totally worth the hour of sleep I lost in the process. I need that to start my day so I can feel like I did something for me today.

2. Take time to slow down and soak it in.
We have been really busy this summer with camps, museums, and play dates.  Honestly, we have had some of the BEST times meeting new people and just living an adventure everyday.  I have to remind myself not to jam too much in because it will be those moments just sitting on the living room floor in our pajamas singing FROZEN for the 20th time I will cherish most.

3. Remember your husband.
Sometimes it is really hard for me to put my husband first when my children are small and still need so much of me.  I am reminded that I need to continue to make him feel that he is a priority in my day and life no matter how crazy life can get.  We are the core of our family and without a strong core things seem to fall apart.

4. Cooking can be fun and taste good.
I really wanted to try to cook this summer.  No, like really cook( not microwave leftovers). Follow a recipe without any subsitutions (for now) and provide a yummy meal for my family.  I challenged myself and I was surprised that most of my meals were somewhat tasty. At least 5 meals were not even good enough to feed to our dog, but I always have a frozen pizza to save the day in case of an emergency.

5. Bad days will happen.
No matter how much I pray, prepare, and try...things will go wrong.  I don't always like when Eden seriously throws away all my make up when I am not looking or when Brielle turns into a teenage girl every morning when getting ready. I know I am not going to be a perfect mother everyday. Sometimes I just want to lay on the couch and watch Ellen and eat a whole box of Fruit Loops, instead of cleaning up poop off the floor because Eden doesn't have on a diaper and Brielle stepped in it and ran through the house. You know, that kind of thing.

6. Three deep breaths can change anything.
Sometimes I just need to remind myself to breath when dealing with ignorant people. Let's face it, they are everywhere. I love getting parenting advice from people with no experience with caring for children. So you think you have this figured out? Good for you, my friend. Call me in a couple years and then we will talk. : )

7. When in doubt smile and nod.
Even in the most awkward and uncomfortable times the smile/nod will ease some discomfort.  LIke the time my three year old tells you that her mom can make magic milk that you can squirt in your eye when it hurts. Yeah, umm...smile/nod and let's go home now.

:) What did you learn about yourself this summer?

Top Ten Reasons...

    I decided to compile a list of my top ten things only parents of girls know....

10. The way your dress twirls is very important.

       I didn't realize this was such a big deal until last week.  We tried seven dresses on before she found the dress with exactly the right amount of twirl when she spins.

9. There is no business like bow business.

     So when you do a three year old's hair, make sure to have at least two bows handy to place in various not-so-common spots in her hair because Minnie Mouse would like it that way.

8. Shoes are a girls best friend.

    Sometimes you will see her talking with her shoes, naming them, and carrying them around the house like dolls. This is totally normal, right?

7. Don't leave home without a tiara.

    Some of our biggest meltdowns were over a missing tiara at the grocery store. Help me, Lord.

6. Finger nail polish in every color is essential.

      There are days when rainbow toes go with every outfit.

5. Sofia the First

     She is everywhere.

4.  Lip Gloss

    Should I say face gloss? Have you seen a three year old put on a stick of bubble gum lip gloss?

3. Tea party like a Queen.

   The topic of conversation yesterday was to drink out of your tea cup with a pinkie up or down. Hmm..still working on my tea hands.

2. Save your drama for your mama.

  Girls create enough drama for a Broadway play. This should be fun in about ten years....

1. Jewelry

  This goes for girls of all ages... Sorry guys, we never grow out of this one.

The sunburn on my heart....

     It is 1:00 p.m. and here I sit drinking cold coffee I made at 8:00 a.m. this morning.  I need to write today. I should be napping, cleaning, eating...doing a million other things, but I am choosing to write.  I need my therapy today.  Today has been a normal day, but I keep feeling this urge to write .I feel it deep within my bones. 
    I feel very raw today, you know when you get a sunburn and every little thing hurts when it touches your skin. Even the wind blowing makes it feel like razors across your back....I feel like I have a sunburn on my heart right now.  My heart just hurts today.  It could be because life just has a way of doing that sometimes, doesn't it?  People disappoint you, plans fall through, friends move away, yet you have so much to be thankful for that it feels selfish to be anything but thankful. 
   So today I noticed something about myself.  When I feel my heart is under attack, I don't stop moving. I try anything to distract myself of the feelings inside. I spent 30 minutes trying to build a Godzilla sized fort for my two girls which they knocked down in 30 seconds. I didn't want a spare second to be free to reflect on the battle within my heart, but is that really what God wants of me? Why am I not going to Him with my heart? Why am I not giving Him control of my heart and what I do with it? That worried me that somehow in my last year of being in my twenties, I forgot what my Heavenly Father is truly capable of.
   I am glad I got a chance to get this out, but I feel cold cup of coffee date with the Creator of my heart, the Keeper of my secrets, the One who knows all things and I know exactly where to find Him.

      So a couple days ago I was at a play group with the girls and a mother came up to me with a friendly smile and asked, "Are these your girls?" I smiled and politely said, "Yes, can't you tell." Then she said this little gem, " I just love that your girls have mullets. So cute." I looked at her with an accidentally-on purpose stink eye. Seriously though, who does that? Then I grabbed the girls by the mullet and walked to the nearest swing and let their mullet blow in the breeze.  I happen to think mullets are adorable no matter how old you are. Seriously though, I do. 

     Enough of the mullet talk. Tomorrow I am bringing and 3 year old and a 1 year old go strawberry picking. Picture that. Now picture that as it pours down rain. That is definitely blog worthy. For sure. So be sure to check back. I will even try to insert a picture or two.


-Kelli

   

Count your blessings

     So if you haven't tried a Paint and Canvas before, you need to with best girlfriends/husband.  It was such a fun environment and great meatballs to snack on! :)  
    After spending a weekend with one of the most positive people on the planet, I decided if want to complain today, I would just smile and count my blessings instead.  Let's just say, I did a lot of smiling and counting today. My cheeks hurt. ( I am not complaining!) I need a good cheek workout, anyway.  (Have you seen my girls??) I proudly pass on my big cheeks. They will thank me later.  I am convinced that smiles just look better between two big round, red cheeks.


Totally random post today! Check in soon to read about our first summer outing next week.  I am sure you will not be disappointed.

      I am wrapping up another school year and I can say that I honestly LOVE Reading Recovery and I cannot say enough good things about it and what it does for children.  Now that "school is out for summa" I am gearing up for a long summer with my girls.  I am always looking for new and fun ideas on how to keep little ones engaged and learning.  If you have some fun and exciting activities for young ones, shoot them my way and I will try them out.
    
      As many of you know, writing is my therapy.  I love writing about my adventures being a mom.  There is nothing quite like it. Although, it is a lot like teaching without the lunch and prep breaks and the PAY CHECK, but hey who needs money anyway?!

 I will be writing a lot more for my blog now that the girls are getting a little older and more independent...Yay! I will be treating this much like an online diary.  So beware. :)  I am a little candid.


    So last night I was tucking Brielle in bed and she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and this is what happened....

B-Mom?
Me- Yes...
B-How much do you love me?
Me-SO much, my sweet girl.
B-Like to the sun?
Me-Yes. But more than that...
B-Like to Heaven?
Me-Yes.
B-That is a lot.
Me-How much do you love me?
B-(hugs me) This much, Mom...
Me-That is a lot.


Can I just wrap her up and keep her this little? Seriously, I don't deserve this life, but I am so glad God thinks I do.

A Four Year Wife

Four years ago I put on a white dress, changed my last name, and promised of forever.  To this day I still look back on that day and try to live it all over in slow motion. 

Since little Eden arrived, Matthew and I have spent a total maybe 3 hours alone together.  So we decided it was time for a date night.  Mamaw and Papaw Moody offered to take the girls and we graciously accepted without hesitation! :) (Thank you!) 

  After dropping off the girls, I let myself forget for the next 3 hours that I was a mom and really get back in  touch with being a wife to my husband.  We were both craving a juicy hamburger so we made our way to Chili's.  We sat the our table and we had our first conversation in weeks without someone crying, screaming, or pulling on our legs.  We ate our food and actually chewed it.  I couldn't believe how different food tastes when you actually take time to chew it and look at it.  It felt like our first date all over again. I smiled and found myself giggling like I did when I would really like the guy on a date.  My cheeks hurt. 

  We were then off to the mall for some his and her shopping.  At first I felt naked not carrying one baby on my hip and one tugging on my arm, but I soon got over that feeling.  :) I found some cute pants to fit my post pregnancy body and tried to embrace my new saggy belly, bottom body. 

Soon it was time to put my mommy hat back on and I was ready for what the night might bring with our little girls because I had a date with their daddy, my husband.  We made it past the newly wed stage and moved on to the, "I hate it when you do that, but I never could tell you until now stage." and we are still married. :) So we must have done something right.  We made it through fixing up two houses, me being pregnant two times (hormones make you do crazy things), and raising two of the most perfect girls.  I think we have a lot more to look forward to, but it is just as great to look back to that St. Patrick's day 6 years ago when I wrote my number on a napkin and gave to guy wearing a green four leaf clover t-shirt thinking...I just found my pot of gold.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!