ABCZ

Never try to paint a 2-year old's room, when you are home alone with said 2-year old, and have a bad headache.

That is all.

Our little angel cracks me up. Here's a few gems from today:

As we snuggle while waking up...
ME: Did you know that snuggling you in the morning is the most favorite part of my day?
ANNA: Yes. My most favorite part of my day is seeing Daddy. (I love that!)

When Daddy gets home....
CURTIS: So, how was your day Anna?
ANNA: My day was great, Daddy. So, how was your day?
....then, 15 minutes later as we sit on the couch together....
CURTIS: So, how was your day Anna?
ANNA: No, Daddy. I already told you how my day was. I'm not telling you again.
GREAT! She's learning her communication skills from her father. "Why are we talking about this? Didn't we already discuss this once?"

Talking to Oma on the phone (we keep trying to prompt her to speak German to Oma)...
ME: (Whispering) Tell Oma "Ich Liebe Dich" (German for I love you).
ANNA: I love you in German, Oma. I love Grandpa in German too.

I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it.
- Anne Lamott

My new leaf turning is going well so far.

- I have 2 full days of journaling and eating well under my belt (that's BIG for me lately).
- I went for a really long walk with my friend next door today. Good exercise.
- I'm making a steady dent in the laundry, picking up the house, doing dishes and checking things off of my to do list left and right.
- I'm praying. Not as much as I want to be or should be....but trying to keep God first in my mind and heart.

Part of me is a little scared/pessimistic. I feel like I'm feeling good and doing good - but want to keep it up. And I know in the past I get sidetracked and drop one of my balls (so to speak) - and I don't want to this time. Can people really change? I hope so - I'm TRYING HARD!!! Wish me luck!

....a good time was had by all. Here's a few pics. The three of us went this weekend with my sister, two of my cousins and one of their husbands (the other one is in Louisiana, as he works for State Farm and apparently they have quite a bit of work down there all of a sudden).

...the Weight Watchers Wagon, that is. And trying to turn over a new leaf (or, tree, as the case may be....maybe orchard better describes it) in my "housekeeping" prowess. Too much at once? The hell you say!

My mom rocks. She and a friend came over last week and spent 2 whole mornings here at my house helping me clear out crap, clutter, closets, etc. We re-arranged furniture, filled 3 HUGE garbage cans with stuff to throw away, and the ENTIRE back of our full size truck (all the way to the camper shell) with stuff to sell at a garage sale. It feels so much better now. I'm trying to stay on top of it - laundry, toys, dishes, etc. I don't know why this is so challenging - because these are all things that I really LIKE to do....but it is. I think I'm just torn in so many different directions that it is hard to stay focused. I start doing laundry, then think - "Crap. I have that graph to get out. I'd better do that." Then when I get to the computer, Anna starts whining about something, and I think, "Crap. I should be spending my time playing with Anna. That's why I'm home." Etc., etc. So, end result is nothing gets done - or some stuff done, but nothing gets done WELL.

But - this is when I'm going to try to change all that. So, my "To Do" list is current (LOVING this software that I got for that) and I'm trying to stay on top of it. Wish me luck! I'll update on how it's going....if I don't get sidetracked first.

Anna has wanted to be Belle for halloween for about 3 months now. She is always talking about it, telling people that she's going to be Belle, pretending to be Belle, watching Beauty & The Beast, etc.

So, I've been scouting for costumes for over a month. I had my eye on several on eBay, considered making one, looked in the stores...and finally found the PERFECT dress. It's adorable. It will need to be altered a bit, because she's so tiny - but it will be different than the other 100 Belle's out there - so I was happy. That was a week or so ago. Then today, I found the tiara and scepter to go with it, and just as I pressed the submit button to finish committing myself to an insane total price for this complete costume, my daughter uttered the phrase...

I want to be the PINK princess!

Ahhh! I quit!!

We had a little playgroup field trip to Mrs. Grossman's sticker factory this week. Daddy was home, so he got to come too. We had such a great time. Everyone gets to bring their dogs to work with them, and they all just roam around free....in the offices, the lobby, on the production floor. It was too cool! The kids had a blast. At the end of the tour, they let us go to a big room full of tables and gave the kids stickers and postcards, and they got to make their own postcards. Here's a few pics!







My favorite pic, of my two favorite people - Anna and my Sweetheart















Angus - the Mrs. Grossman's mascot
















Mommy & Anna by the lavender bushes in front (and yes, Anna has a sticker on her forehead).

...(this could be a post about the mystery of where Anna always hides just ONE shoe out of every pair - but we haven't located that spot yet - and that's not what this is about anyway).

Do you ever feel like things are so good that you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop? I feel like that a lot. Not that my life is perfect...far from. I have more than my share of stress (doesn't everyone), much of it probably self inflicted. I am overweight and out of shape and not happy about it. I have a lot on my plate, and I have struggled with depression. But I am also constantly aware of just how good I have it, in the big picture.

As my Dad is fond of saying, "You don't have to look very far to see people with bigger problems than your own."

In the scheme of things, I am so very blessed. I am married to my best friend, and we genuinely like each other, which I think is sometimes harder than LOVING each other (which we do also - very deeply). We have a very peaceful, supportive, loving relationship. And although we have our tiffs - they never last long. I watch other friends of ours in their relationships, and I see how good we really have it. We have a beautiful, healthy, funny, smart daughter, who lights up our world. We have wonderful families, who, despite the fact that they drive us crazy sometimes (a phrase Anna has now picked up, BTW) are always there when we need them. We have our own home. A roof over our heads. We have luxuries that we surely take for granted. We have food. We have our health. Sometimes, I just get SCARED about that 'what ifs' of losing those things that I have taken for granted for so long, and I feel sad for the people who live without them each day.

Ahhh....I guess I'm feeling sappy tonight. I just don't want to catch myself taking the blessings that I have for granted. I feel like I am supposed to be DOING something with them, and I'm not sure exactly what.

For some reason, this picture cracks me up. It just SO doesn't look like Anna. She looks like she's trying to pose on these steps like some supermodel or something. She's much sillier than this in real life. Always the life of the party. Just struck me as funny. But you have to admit - she's pretty cute.

She like to whisper in my ear...."Mommy you're pretty. And I am pretty too."

Another busy weekend working on Anna's playhouse! I'm almost embarrassed to admit how much we've already spent on this thing. But....not really....because we're not extravagant, 'blow money on stuff' kind of people, and this is something that Curtis has dreamed of doing for his kids for as long as I've known him. He wants it to be special, and to last and still be "fun" when she's older too.

So - the beadboard paneling on the walls and ceiling inside is in progress. There will be 4 heart shaped sky lights in the ceiling. The carpeting (indoor/outdoor) for both floors has been bough, but not installed yet. The roof sheathing is on, but the rest of the roof material is not yet. The railings are in progress. Here's a few pics:

Kodi & Anna - chillin' in the bottom floor of the new digs.


My handsome hubby endangering his life to make sure that no errand drop of rain can soil his princess' head.


View out the back window - into the park behind our house.

View out the back window and door (which has yet to be built). Also missing the railing still.

We were leaving PetSmart the other night, after Rigby's obedience class, and decided to take the boys home some treats. So, as we're standing in the checkout line, Curtis (who is holding Anna) takes note of the slovenly, oaf that is the checker, and leans back and whispers in my ear, "Nice mullet." We had a little snicker.

At which point, Anna (surely used as an instrument of God to humiliate us for making fun of someone) says, very clearly, and VERY loudly,

"NO DADDY! THAT IS NOT A NICE MULLET!"

My mom asked if he heard and was looking at us, and I said, "I have no idea. Neither of us could look at him." It was funny. Thanks for keeping us honest, Boo-bear.

So, at the ripe old age of 2.5 - Anna is writing her own material now. She's into jokes, and tonight, she made up her first, while she and Curtis and I were driving in the car. What she lacks in finesse she makes up for in timing and enthusiasm. She IS her own laugh track. It went something like this....

A: Be quiet. Listen to me. I'm talking. Let me tell you a joke.

Us: OK - tell us your joke (exchanging quizzical looks).

A: How did the dog get to Wal-Mart.

Us: (Still unsure, but amused) Ummm...I don't know. How did the dog get to Wal-Mart?

A: (Barely able to contain herself by now) He went through the Broadway Tunnel! (Now she's laughing and throwing her head back and slapping her leg in hysterics.)

Maybe it needs a little work - but we thought it was perfect. And we really DID laugh out loud. What a crack up. I don't know what we ever did without her, but I know that it is difficult to be around her and not have a smile on your face. She is so much fun, and such a neat person. We're pretty lucky - all around.

....to the house. It will be Anna's house....but it looks like it's going to be bigger and better built than our own home. This is what lucky girls with engineers for Daddies get as a 'little playhouse'.

We're VERY lucky girls to have such an amazing man in our lives to love us so much. He's a keeper.

This is what Anna is starting sentences with now.

"Honey, we really need to go buy some more bananas."

"Honey, would you please hand me my milk."

Ahh...geez. If you're sick of Anna stories, you should probably just tune out of this blog for the next 20 years or so....she cracks me up.

Well, I finally overcame my fear of cutting Anna's hair (I just LOVE the little ringlet curls and that she's finally GOT some hair) and took her for her 1st haircut.

We went to a 'kids' only place called Lions & Tigers & Hair. It was very cute. They put her up on a booster in the chair. She put the drape on and then decided it impeded her access to the toys that she got to hold in her lap and ditched it. She did great! And when she was done, she got to get glitter sprinkled in her hair and she got a surprise from Mommy. It was fun. My little girl is getting big!

It was just a trim, so no major difference, but here are the before and after pics.

BEFORE:



















DURING:(Don't mind the hysterical, screaming kid in the background. I told Anna, "He picked a different hair cut than you did.")




















AFTER:

This is our favorite new Anna-ism. We have conversations that go like this:

A: Mommy - will you please give me my purple comb.
Me: Your purple comb isn't in here.
A: Yes it is. It's over there.
Me: No, honey. I don't think so.
A: TRUST ME - it's right there!

The sad part is - she's usually right. For the most part we've learned that if she says she sees something, then the SEES something. The girl has much better eye sight than we do.

Also funny this week was:

Me: Come back and sit down to eat your dinner.
A: (Holding up 2 fingers and looking authoritative) - I will come back and eat my dinner in 2 MINUTES.

Such a joy...constant entertainment.

I belong to an internet board that is all moms. We started as a 'pregnancy' group of women with babies due in 2003, and since then have stayed very active and are now a closed community. There are about 100 of us, all across the US and Canada. As amazingly nerdy and reclusive as it sounds, some of the women on that board are very close friends.

But, there can never be a lack of drama. It's always something. I hate drama. And recently some great women have left the board over said 'drama' - which really bums me out. I can't say I blame them for being upset - but I'm selfishly sad that they've left. I hope they come back.