Back to School

This is back to school week for Miss Hattie Grace! She is not a fan of summer breaks, so she was oh so happy to be going back. I am so proud of how well she is doing with all of her therapies AND she is even learning to read! WOW! We are hoping that this will be the year that she gets to mainstream into a traditional classroom. The plan is to start that process in Oct. or early Nov. She will be heading into Kindergarten - my mama heart is busting with pride!

On Tuesday, after a wild and crazy weekend celebrating Sophie's 3rd birthday (THAT post is coming soon!), we headed out to meet the teacher. She is in a new class within the program that she is currently in and hubby had not met that teacher yet, plus we all wanted to see her new classroom in working order!


Hattie was SO excited to be back at school!

Her new desk was ready to go and fully stocked.

We took some get-to-know-you-time with Ms Donna (she is sweet, but we are going to miss Ms Christine!)

We even checked out her very own personal locker!!

Then we came home - Hattie really wanted to stay. It was not easy to get her out of there, but a promise of tomorrow ... and a milkshake did the trick ... yeah, we bribed her.

(hanging my head in shame now...)

Finally the day came - the back pack sat packed and ready to go.


The girls ate their breakfast. Hattie's choice - poptarts (no judgment, please!)

Hattie was so happy to be going to school, she did not even mind a strikin a pose!

Sophie was gonna miss her big sis, so Hattie gave a little love!

They waited (not so) patiently for the bus to arrive. Which seemed to take forever to two anxious girls!

Finally we decided to wait outside. SOMEONE was a wee bit excited.

But someone else just saw an escape route and took off running!



My girl can rock the All Stars!

We waited so long we got a little silly ... 'Sup?!

We even fit a few posed shots in! Lovin on her daddy!

And her mama ... yeah, that's me, rockin the bed head ... I am so not proud!

Sophie just wasn't feelin the love.

Finally, the bus arrived.

She could not wait to climb aboard!

Sophie wants soooo badly to get on that bus too ...

...but she had to settle for waving through the window.

(this pic seriously melts my heart!)

And then she was gone.

How long til she gets home?

Dear Sophie ...

My Darling Girl,

Today you are three ... and your mama's heart both soars and breaks at the same time. You are no longer a baby. Not even a toddler. Today, you are officially a preschooler.

I am over come with pride at the girl you are becoming each and every day, but that sweet baby that slept in my arms is further and further behind with each tick of the clock. I think, because you are my last baby, there will always be a part of me that wants you to remain a baby. But I know you must grow, so I guess I better get used to it.

Yesterday morning you came down the stairs and crawled into bed with daddy and me. You snuggled in close and put your little hand on my cheek and said "good morning mommy. I like your face". I giggled and said "I like YOUR face ... and today is the last day your face will be two." And then I cried all.day.long.

And, right before you went to bed, I took the very last pictures of you as a two year old baby...


(by the way, thank you for making my hair so pretty for these pictures!!)

But, today I was strong.

Strong as I put you in a new big girl car seat (a booster seat - you are SO proud!). Strong as I watched you walk into Sunday school, closing the door behind you - not even worrying about where I was. Strong as you hemmed and hawed while making the very difficult choice of where we would eat for your birthday lunch. And strong as I watched you chit chat with your friends and family at church, at someone else's birthday party (don't worry, yours is tomorrow) and at Aunt Weezer's house! And strong as I watched you CLIMB into the tree I that I had to hold you in for your ONE year old picture.

Oh my, how you have grown.

So, this morning, I took the very FIRST picture of you as a THREE year old!


And, then I set an alarm for 3:02pm ...
...so I could take pictures of you at the very MOMENT you officially turned three years old.

I just pointed my camera at you and started shooting.

I didn't want to pose you this time ...

...I wanted to just capture YOU ...

...being you.

Because YOU are the sweetest three year old girl I know.

Three years ago tonight, as I watched you sleep in my arms, I knew that what I had prayed for had been given. I knew that I would love you immensely. I knew that you would hold my heart in your hand and wrap me around your sweet little finger. And I knew that I would LOVE being your mommy.

But, my sweet, beautiful, funny, loving, precious, precious girl, I could never have imagined what a wild, wonderful ride life with you would be. You keep me on my toes, that is for sure. You have more energy than ANYONE I have ever known. You talk nonstop - even in your sleep! You dance like nobody's business. You sing at the top of your lungs. You hug harder and longer than I deserve. You say I love you of your own free will - often stopping what you are doing to come over and wrap your arms around my neck to tell me. You tease your sister without shame, but love her more than anything. And you UNDERSTAND her better than anyone else. You LOVE your little friends - especially Evy and Max. You have a fun and fabulous imagination. And you are so very fun to be around.

In short, my beautiful girl, you are one of my greatest joys.

Being your mommy has changed me in ways I could NEVER have imagined. YOU are my adventure.

I love you my little Bug. So, so, so much!

Happy birthday Baby Girl (can I still call you that?), thank you for being mine!
Love,
Your Mama

How Can It Be?

Three years ago I was planning.

Hattie had moved into her big girl bedroom and the nursery sat waiting. The bedding was freshly washed, diaper bins stocked, bottles cleaned, car seat installed and hearts expectant.

It was only a matter of days before the world changed forever.

And I had absolutely NO idea how much it was about to change.


On September 5, 2007, This little bundle of Heaven was placed in my waiting arms and my heart ... well my heart was no longer my own. It no longer belonged to JUST Hubby, Hattie, Steven and Chris. There was a new owner. And from the moment she looked up at me from the isolette where the nurse was cleaning her off, she knew just how to wrap me around her finger.



And now, here we are, mere days - hours, really - left of her toddlerhood.

How can it be that this ...



has so very quickly become this ...



My heart has never - and will never - be the same.

And I would not have it any other way.

Dear Time ... STOP ALREADY

Three years ago we were decorating a nursery for a tiny bundle of joy that was on her way. We were picking out names, stocking up on diapers, choosing a tiny homecoming outfit and looking at sonogram pics, listening to a heartbeat and dreaming.

Today that sweet bundle of joy is oh so very close to turning three ... only a couple weeks left. So, the time has come to put the crib away and move on up to a big girl bed.

A few months ago some sweet friends Blessed us with a bedroom set. It's a queen size bed, but we figured it could sub for a guest room if the need arose. Hattie has a big bed too, so we are set if any of you outta towners wanna stop by.

(that was a hint, by the way!!)

So, this weekend we pushed the crib aside and daddy set to work putting that big bed together.

Sophie kept her eye on him (she was very excited) ...

... and then she got an idea ...

... she decided that daddy needed a little help!

At one point I got a little teary and told Sophie that mama was just a little sad that she was getting so big. She just looked me right in the eye, held her hands out wide, did a little dance and proclaimed...

... "Well, Sophie's HAPPY!!!!!"

well, allrighty then.

Once the bed was put together and made up - with the bedding that she chose herself ("colka dots", just like her big sis!!), we loaded it up with all of her old crib buddies, Big Bear, Little Bear, Brown Bear, Purple Pillow Pal and Minnie Mouse.

(Hmmm, maybe THAT is why she was runnin out of room in the crib)

The nightstand held signs of days gone by ... ya know, back when she was a baby.

But the new bed tells a new story ... of a big girl whose toddler days are numbered.

A very proud girl.

A very EXCITED girl!

Once the time came to actually SLEEP in the big bed, she got just a tiny bit nervous.

But, for the most part, she was proud.

And very, very big.

(now, please excuse me while I go have a big ol mama cry in the corner)

Fahion Statements

This morning I decided to try a little experiment. I decided to see if Sophie, at nearly 3 years old, could do the dressing process by herself. I KNOW she can dress herself, but I mean the entire opening drawers, assembling an outfit and putting it on her person process. I knew I would quite possibly get an "interesting" ensemble, but decided that I would be brave enough to let her wear whatever she picked ... within reason. (I mean, come on, we DO have to hit the voting booth today, so...)

I listened as she headed up the stairs, heard drawers opening and closing and then it got quiet.

Too quiet.

A few moments later she came down the stairs in ...

... a fluffy pink tu-tu ...
... and nothing else ...
... at all.
(I may have to alter this one ever so slightly before we leave the house)

It's not easy being a diva ... or her mommy.

But I cannot imagine a better thing to be right now.

Sweet, SWEET Abundance

I was lying in bed, wide awake, at about 1AM on Sunday morning thinkin about all kinds of things. One of which was this blog and what I want to do with it.

I thought about a summer re-design (workin on that ... ya know, cause summer is just about over...), I wondered how to get one of those cool little designy things to go between the posts for that pretty factor and I tried to figure out how to somehow get little tabby thingies up at the top so I can start featuring my photography. But mostly I thought about the content of the blog. What do I want to say?

I want to be intentional with what I say. I want to encourage anyone who reads this.

I want to tell a story here. This is the closest thing that my girls have to baby books (yes, I know that this fact alone qualifies me for worst mom of the year!) and I want them to be able to see their stories told. They deserve that.

And I want to share my faith.

So, this week I have been looking for stories to tell. And, while I do not have one big story, I do have several moments of Abundance that make my life the little foretaste of Heaven that it is.

When I woke up on Sunday morning (after the hubbs let me sleep in a bit) I walked into the living area to find the man who stole my heart almost eight years ago sitting quietly at the kitchen table, Bible layed out in front of him, with his head bowed in prayer. I resisted the urge to grab my camera and, instead, bowed my own head in humble, thankful prayer for this AMAZING man that I am Blessed to spend my life with. I honestly have NO idea how I deserve this gift, but I will spend my life in grateful abandon trying to make him as happy as he makes me.

Monday afternoon the girls and I climbed into the car to head out to meet hubby so I could have a girls-night-out date with a friend. The girls immediately asked to listen to the CD with songs from VBS. I admit that I may or may not have rolled my eyes ... I love the music, but it is ALL we have listened to int he car for over a month. But then Hattie looked at me and said "Please Mommy, I want to sing Jesus music" ... hello 2x4 upside the head! So we turned it on ... and up - LOUD. And I listened to both my girls sing their Jesus Music. And then got to walk around a mall with my friend Sue, spend absolutely NO money, try on clothes that FIT in stores like Lucky Jeans and then sit in a car and laugh, cry and talk for over an hour.

Tuesday afternoon I was hit hard with a nasty migraine. By the time my man got home I was in so much pain that all I could do was cry. No medication was working and I could not get even enough relief to let the meds put me to sleep. In the middle of all of this massive pain I opened my eyes to see Sophie inches away from me with a look of worry on her sweet face. She started rubbing my back (like she had just seen her daddy do) and said kept sayin "I so sorry mommy ... are you OK?" And then SHE started crying because she was worried. It was a new emotion and she had no idea what to do with it. So she just loved on her mama. I am so thankful that she does not know fear and worry well enough to handle these feelings. She is safe, secure and comfortable and any change away from that is a start to her. I am also thankful that she had a sweet example in her daddy as to how to take care of me (or anyone else in need) when it is necessary.

Wednesday afternoon Hattie came home and climbed off her school bus. I asked, as I always do, how her day was. She usually doesn't answer me - part of her ASD diagnosis - so I did not expect anything in return. But she started jumping up and down and saying "kite mom. KITE". I looked up thinking she had seen one and there was nothing there. I didn't really know what to think, so we just went in the house. A few minutes later, however, as I was going through her bag, I pulled out ... a kite. They went on a field trip yesterday and she had seen it and gone crazy over it. Her teacher let her buy it (they go on these trips to teach them to shop and interact within the community) because she was "so cute" about it. So, you see, when I asked her about her day ... SHE ANSWERED ME!!!!!!!!!! For the first time EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Praise Him.

Now, this morning, here I sit with my sweet little friend Sophie. We are watching Sesame Street and she is learning all about the letter L. At 2 years and 10 months she can recognize all of her letters and numbers, tell me what sound the letters make and give me a word for each of them. She also knows her shapes - including octagon and pentagon, colors (FINALLY) and animals. She says her S's with the sweetest little lisp you ever heard and she dances better than ANY of those kids on So You Think You Can Dance (in MY humble opinion). She is amazing.

So is her sister.

And her brothers.

And her sister-in-law.

And, do not even get me started on her daddy.

So, in 3 days, when I turn (gasp) 42, I will do so knowing that I am one VERY Blessed woman.

This is life ... in Sweet Abundance.


Thank You, Father ... thank You.