More memories to get on paper....

Well, after four years of blogging about motherhood, I am proud to announce I FINALLY have this virtual mother's journal on PAPER! That's right, 400+ pages later, I have a book for the kids to enjoy someday and it feels SO good to have it in my hands. One New Year's Resolution accomplished - two days early! Ha!

Now that the holiday madness is over, the kids and I have been having a fun week being lazy in the morning, playing with Christmas toys, and enjoying our local gym pool. Matt and I even had a date night last night and were happy to have a non-family member successfully put our very "routined children" to bed! This morning, the kids were pumped to attend a half day "camp" at our local gym. They played tennis, made glittery snowflakes, and did more swimming. They were so happy and tired on our way home. Lucky little kiddos.

And lucky me, as I took a morning to NOT look at the watch while I did a solid workout, took a shower, got a pedicure and shopped around town for our New Year's Day gathering.

Lucy even got a call today from our previous, beloved babysitter, Miss Molly, who asked if she could take Lucy out to lunch and to get a manicure tomorrow. She about died when I told her about it. Lucy and Miss Molly look at each other as very special friends and I am so happy Lucy has a relationship like that with someone. I, of course, Lucy's biggest fan, love when people recognize that she's a spunky kid and people appreciate her as her own little person. It makes me proud that she can build relationships like that with people at such a young age.

These times and these breaks in "normal life" are a fun little treat I am learning to cherish even more, now that I have a little Kindergartner who needs to be out the cold, wintry door at 8:05 a.m. during the week.

Tonight we had dinner together at Chipotle and Lucy asked to sit real close next to me. We just snuggled quietly and chowed on our meal (we were starving!). She said something to make me laugh and as we looked at each other with huge smiles on our faces she said, "Ya liked that one?"
She is a hilarious person and sometimes acts way beyond her 5.5 years on this planet.

The little Tomma and I were watching Diego before bed tonight and he pulled my face to his and put both little, chubby hands on my face saying, "You are a wonderful good mom." and kissed me.

What a great year this has been and how lucky am I to be their mom!?

Christmas 2009 in the Record Books...

What a fun holiday week this has been! Perhaps down the road it will be looked back upon as a year when the kids were SO into Santa Claus. Between our "Elf on a Shelf" (new this year), multiple run-ins with Santa (mall, Crossroads Village, tree lighting downtown, etc.), constantly talking about being on the "naughty or nice" list, watching Polar Express five times, etc. It seemed the topic of Old Saint Nick definitely took over the theme of our holiday!!

The past two weeks have been crazy busy - school parties, gift buying and wrapping, a trip to Flint, trips to Meijer Gardens and the Public Museum, the Princess and the Frog, preparing for Santa, getting to church early, dinner at our place X-mas eve and two days at my parents. I got a mystery cold/sinus infection this past week (figures...I have been healthy for 9 months) but as we all know, moms can't stop - especially at Christmas! We are an exhausted but happy crew.

The kids have spent the past two days loving their new toys, crafts and games. It was a success on all accounts! Happy New Year!

Being a Grown Up....

Maybe it's just me, but still, on a fairly regular basis, I think it's funny that I am a "Grown Up."

It's sometimes funny to me that I am someone's MOM - their whole world. That I am the source for all their security, love, safety, well being. I mean, really? Me?

Wasn't I JUST singing "Annie" in my basement window well? Now I have these little people counting on me to pack their lunch and remember their homework folder?

It doesn't seem that long ago.

I remember specific days of my childhood. I remember the smell of my neighborhood in the spring. I remember being bored and making up things and riding my bike and running to the neighbors. The "grown ups" seemed so old and well, "grown up!"

I had no idea how a check book worked or how much time it takes to clean an entire house.

It's funny to me that last night, there I sat, a 35 year old woman running a meeting about things like finance and policies. That I have a job with a lot of details that I have to keep straight. That I pay a babysitter and I am the person coming home from the meeting.

Wasn't I JUST the kid who was eating the turkey t.v. dinner on a Friday night, grumbling about how I didn't like the sitter?

It doesn't seem that long ago.

Being a "Grown Up" is swell and all....it just doesn't seem like I'm supposed to be doing this yet. But at the same time, I have had this feeling in my gut lately, that ALL those things I have experienced...

Art, singing, sports, practice, family, holidays, teachers, traditions, the good, the bad, church, grade school, high school, college, single life, new friends, old friends, roommates, boyfriends, good times, bad times, moments, memories....

Prepared me to be this "Grown Up" in the world now. So I guess I need to accept that it's what I am and it's exactly where I am supposed to be.

But I may still get caught singing "Annie" every now and then....

Let it Snow!

The snow has arrived (7 inches the first night!), and with it, even more excitement over this Christmas season. Lucy was the cutest on Friday morning when she got all bundled up before Kindergarten and headed outside for some play! We walked to school - right down the middle of the road. We were one of the only school districts in town who actually had school. I almost felt bad asking her to hurry it along on our way so she wasn't late. Lots of snow angels to be had this winter!

What a cute little snow bunny!

Promises...

Tommy: "Mom? Even when I am a grown up I will still kiss you all the time. I promise."