This and that...

I realized after my second child that there is a pro and con situation with when they start talking. Pro...they tell you what they want. Con...they tell you what they want. :) Really it's awesome that Hayden can tell me, "Mommy...I hungee" or "Mommy, huhts" (while pointing at a body part that hurts). Of course she likes to tell on her sister when she isn't getting her way. It's so painful and yet so funny to watch them interact. One minute they are about to go all WWF in the middle of the kitchen. The next minute they are singing and playing "ring around the rosy (which by the way, have you ever paid close attention to the lyrics?? It's kinda sad singing about disease!)." Things can get way out of control fast, but then the seem to calm down almost as fast. Siblings have such a unique relationship. Hot to cold, warm to boiling, etc etc etc. It's been a long hot summer. There have been so many happy and fun memories. I can't wait to write my summer wrap up. Can you tell I'm chomping at the bit?? :) My summer has been extraordinary, I must admit. I really love this DIY/refurb/flip stuff. I can actually sit still and do something well and really learn from it. If I get better, maybe I'll create a separate blog to discuss my projects. Although there are about a million blogs about the same thing, my two cents and my ideas wouldn't hurt anything. :) Natalie is so into Hello Kitty right now. She HAD to have a hello kitty back pack and lunch bag for school. She asked me, "do you think the kids will like it, mom?" I said, "It doesn't matter if everyone likes it or hates it. what matters is that YOU like it. No matter what anyone says, it's cool if you like it." Never too early to try to teach my kiddos to just be and love themselves. School starts in 2 weeks!! I'm excited for you Natalie but also not really ready to have you out of the house in someone else's care for a few hours a week. It's me ripping the bandaid off slowly before kinder. YIKES...that's going to freak my freak. :( Love you both! It's nap time!! XO Mom

Calendar of Events

Soooo, recently I've been thinking about creating a white board calendar of "to dos" for the girls, well mostly Natalie since Hayden doesn't really get stuff like that ...yet. :) I also thought, what a great way to incorporate a "reward board" at the same time. Natalie does something nice, or good, like sharing or trying hard with no whining, she gets a star for the day. She can collect several stars or get them taken away. You don't like that part, Nat, so I'm hoping you learn a little bit about cause and effect in the process. If she gets 7 or more by the end of the week she gets a special treat! She's already loving it and we're on day 2. On the calendar I write two to three things we are going to do each day or try for the first time. I love that it gives Natalie stuff to look forward to and it is teaching her the days of the week in the process. She wanted to check the "agenda" last night to see what fun things she was in store for. So we did ballet today and she was so into it. I gave her a star cause she was learning so well and really seemed focused, which for her...is...HUGE. It was a lot of fun to watch. Yesterday we did gymnastics and she learned how to do a summersault without me even helping her. I was helping her sister do a back flip (which they both love to do), and saw from the corner of my eye, Natalie roll over! I was super proud of her...again, this...is...huge! She is very cautious and to see her be a little adventurous was just amazing to me. Hayden of course, is a little too adventurous, but watching her excited and learning some new capabilities was pretty cool to say the least. :) Today I was on the treadmill for an HOUR and even though y'all were playing, Hayden could tell it was longer than usual. I couldn't help it, I really need it to clear my head and get focused. Recently I've been feeling "not myself" and I know exactly what I need to do. I like being in the midst of a hard cardio session just because I feel the fog lifting and my mind clearing as sweat pours down my face and back. I realize I can get really emotional about some things and normally probably over react. And by the time you read this you will know for SURE that your mom is NOT like this. :) tee hee. In all seriousness though, I need to follow my own convictions of being a good person. Yea, I may not be like everyone else, but I also have to remember compassion and freedom to just be who you are which makes our country SO freakin' great. I don't want anyone to feel hate on me, so I shouldn't feel hate on anyone else. It's all about that book I love so much by Ms. Byron Katie, "Loving What Is." No one can hurt you, but YOU. The way you think and project probably has nothing to do with how things really are. The reality of what is can get so clouded by negative thoughts that creep in. I just want you girls to understand that even your "big shot" mama has moments of humility and sometimes I just need to take a step back and realize that life is so beautiful. Friendships and relationships of any kind are so beautiful and I treasure every single one of mine. :) XOXOX! Mom

My girls are SO fun!!

We have been doing a lot of projects lately. Where Hayden can't help, she colors and she totally feels like a big girl. :) Pretty much anything we ask Hayden to say, she says it. The other day we told her to her sister "don't cry." She cocked her head to the side and made a sweet little sad face, "no cryyyyy, thither." I wanted to cry. It was SO adorable and it prompted Natalie to put a smile on her face. :) Hayden is now saying Mommy which melts my heart. Mama is ok...but to hear her say, "moooommmmyyyy" is the bestest. If I go somewhere and daddy watched her, I ask her "did you miss mommy?" with a pitiful sounding voice she says, 'yeeeeaaaaaa" and hugs me tight. WOW could life be any better????? Natalie is learning so many things on a daily basis and is morphing into someone really funny. She says things in a silly way, or tells a joke and even practices funny faces in the mirror. Hayden has learned to stand her ground and push her sister out of the way when she's bothering her. She still gets extremely frustrated when she can't figure something out. I'm not really suuuure where she gets it from, so I'll blame her daddy. ;) She is a little comedian herself! Moves slowly while giving us looks from the corner of her eyes then starts laughing hysterically. Yea, she so knows what she's doing. Natalie is getting really great at cooking/baking, except when she cracks an egg, she throws the shell into the bowl also. wtheck?? When I asked her why she does that, she answers, "because it's so slimy." pff...my girls are little miss prisses. They don't like getting dirty; sand in their shoes; crumbs or sticky stuff on their fingers; etc; etc. It's good but also a little on the annoying side.

We went to a night baseball game the other night and the girls had a lot of fun even though it was hot hot hot!!

Natalie went to the dentist for her 6 month check up and I was worried. Her first time was pretty "harry." :( This time around was VERY different. She was mature and didn't whine or cry in the least. Bravery took center stage and she was a rock star. I was so proud and relieved as we were leaving that I had to stop myself from crying. GO GIRL!! You got to pick out two projects (princess foamy stickers and foamy bracelets) for being such a good girl. I'm so proud of you two, for all the things you learn on a daily basis and for the people you are becoming!! My girls, you are my everything and I enjoy creating and exploring and just cuddling with you every chance I get. I am trying with everything I have to just be a kind person and to be someone you will look up to all your lives. I will, every single day of my life, count my joys which includes the two of you. :) Love you too much!!!! :) XO Mom

A message of kindness

I felt the need to blog about a certain topic just so you, my little loves, would know exactly how I feel. Recently there has been some uproar about a specific fast food chain that I always have considered my favorite. Even though I swore off all fast food a long time ago, I still was holding them in high regard for their fries, their service, and a diaper changing table in the bathroom. Natalie you have had a fun adventure or two in your life that included a kids' meal and I think you started loving your lemonade because of this place. So the uproar is about the CEO of this company admitting to giving money to anti-gay organizations and for saying that they do not believe in gay marriage. My heart sunk when I heard this nonsense. I felt like how could a place who used to bring me so much joy (and calories) be so hateful. I keep thinking about how being a mom changed me forever, into what I believe to be an open minded, strong willed person who's heart swells for all those who love deeply. Nothing should matter when it comes to love. Race, age, OR sex. Natalie you told daddy yesterday, "I love mommy so much that I'm going to marry her." Even though it means different things coming from a 4 year old, it still touched my heart in so many ways. I said, 'I'm already married, hunny, but when you find someone you love and loves you....then you marry them." It feels good not to put a label on boy or girl. Fact is, a lot of those people feeding their kids this fast food in their own "protest" don't know for sure if their kids are gay or straight and when you think about the love of your kid...it shouldn't matter in the slightest. In fact, it doesn't matter to me. The only thing that matters to me is that you, my little loves, are happy and full of love and understanding. I want you to understand that people are different all over the world. Mom has freckles, daddy has no hair on his head, and the differences keep coming. Just because someone is different doesn't make them bad, it doesn't make them any less human than you. I want you to always be kind and helpful to everyone, especially those who need it. Right now, I'm doing something that is kind and helpful by boycotting this restaurant and standing up to what I believe to be a bully to someone who is just different than them. No higher power would ever want this to go on. Just because someone wrote something down doesn't make it so. I feel like people should stand by the words they believe in: "do unto others as you would want them to do unto you." To me that statement seems simple and people always seem to forget that. Loving each other is simple. It's the hate and the prejudice that takes so much effort. Love people for who they are because there is someone loving you for who you are. I hope you find the kind path, girls. Sadly it's so rare right now.

Thrifting Mama!

I've always liked thrifting, but never had a place for it in my house of new(er) furniture. I married a man who likes it that way and that was ok....just have always felt like things were off or missing in my beautiful house. Yes, I have always thought it was beautiful with my dated asian/modern accents. Ever since my girls entered the picture is when I really started wanting more colors and different kinds of character and home-y charm. For a short time the only brightness was in their rooms. I had a deep red accent wall in my dark-ish master bedroom that I painted a light blue when Natalie was around 2. It felt so amazing to take that red out! Soon after I experimented with the world of fabric art. I used pillow cases that came with some new bedding I got. Hot glued some faux flowers and voila! I was hooked. Maybe I have too many fabric pieces now, but I am loving it. Pinterest is my lady and I really feel like it has opened up some windows and flown open a few doors that have been closed for too many years. My creativity has been stored away because all I have concentrated on is the girls and losing the baby weight. I feel so energized with projects in my head. I feel so alive with the creative juices pumping. The only problem I have is needing it to be done now...and when I mean now, I mean like 30 minutes ago. :) I get kind of irritated if I can't get something to work right or if I'm missing a piece or tool. UGH. BUT...luckily I can usually get it done after a tiny amount of stress. I really feel like ME and truly amazing when I am creating and pulling ideas together. I hope I have at least 3 projects in my head for all of eternity. To me it's that extra piece of something that keeps me happy and fulfilled in my sweet little life. I think it's because that is who I am. I am a creator. I have visions that need to be applied and worked out and brought into reality. Honestly, while I'm doing it I don't care what anyone thinks about me. I am in my own little world and I feel such pride in my work. I hope that when you grow up you find something that makes you feel special, unique and completely wonderful. That "something" for me is obviously being your mommy, but also being the person who brings brightness, sparkles and creativity into our little world. :) My dream is that you will always think of your mommy that way. XO, Mom

Our Summer Vacation!

Well, we had "sort of" vacation. :) Daddy was off for about two weeks so we used that time to explore the great outdoors! Mommy isn't very "outdoorsy" but the places we went were very pretty and interesting. Needless to say it was pretty hot, but we still really enjoyed ourselves. We stopped by a new park in RR that is SO cool. It's an all abilities park for kids. Foamy flooring, lots of slides and fun jungle gyms. Swings, sand pits, music and water stations and even a model of a tiny Round Rock town complete with streets and stop lights! It's so cute. You both ran around like crazy little monkeys! Hayden chased Natalie and neither one of you wanted to leave. It was lots of fun and I can't wait to take you back there again!

My favorite place was of course the botanical gardens. It is so lush and beautiful and it doesn't disappoint when it comes to wildlife. We saw a snake, several lizards, squirrels, bugs, fish and butterflies! Hayden seemed hot, but she liked walking around a little. Somewhere along the line we lost Sleeping Beauty's tiny pink shoes. I was a little miffed, but Natalie said, "It's ok...I don't mind." Ha....O...K. :)

We also went over to the Austin Nature and Science Center. That was a pretty cool adventure for the girls. Owls, coyotes, bobcat, bugs, etc. They are all rescue animals that were once pets! Crazy. Anyway, it was pretty there and the girls got to dig in a huge sand pit filled with dinosaur bones! Natalie wasn't too excited about it after she realized she had to work to get to them. haha....so like her mama. ;) Hayden was throwing sand and well it just got really hot and we were at the end of the line. So we sat in the shade in a pavilion under a fan and the girls had their snack. Soon after we hiked back to our car and headed to lunch. The girls also got to swim at the Rock-n-River with their cousins (which I don't have too many pictures of because I'm freaked about water and them in it-so I'm always on full alert). They loved it. Natalie was a lot more scared than Hayden but she still gave it all she had to learn a little. Sadly, I haven't taken her swimming as much as I should have the last couple of summers. I had good excuses but maybe not good enough. We are going to do some work this week and hopefully get her sea legs working better! Can't wait till she is swimming like a tadpole under water. :) All in all we had a fantastic week with Daddy, sticking close to home and going on our adventures! Here is the two of you playing in Nat's room at her vanity. I love how Hayden's feet are tucked up under her butt! :) So confident and that look on Natalie's face makes me think of me.

*(still trying to get other pics uploaded...stay tuned followers!) We love you girls.....to the moon...and well....you know. ;) XO!! MOM

Natalie's Birthday

I feel bad that I didn't write this yesterday, on your actual birthday, but we were busy and mom got tired. :) It's been 4 years. Four years since I first laid eyes on you. I wanted you to be born sooo bad and then you made me wait through a 26 hour labor, but you knew what you were doing and you were so worth the wait! I will seriously never forget the joy that you brought to me the instance that I held you. There is no greater love. Instantly I became a better person. I didn't think. I didn't ponder. I just became. You have grown from a tiny, big blue-eyed baby to a TALL, beautiful, big green-eyed girl. :) Creativity comes through your role play and your art work. You have a passion to learn everything and it brings me happiness to see your eyes light up when something "clicks." :) You are very smart, funny and kind which makes everyone love you.

There are no words, (no matter how much I write here) that could express how you have enlightened our life. Your sister, dad and I adore and love you more than you can ever know. Happy Birthday, NuNu! I hope that you had fun at your silly fiesta party. An explosion of colorful decorations, swimming, sprinkler, sand, cousins, besties, big people you love and all your favorite things to eat! :) I give you every ounce of my love and my soul because you have given me so much more than that.

I love you... XO Mommy