This week

 

* Paci wars - helping Judah learn how to sleep without it so he won't keep waking up Mama all night long when he loses it.  Not fun.  At all.  I am actually getting less sleep, but I know it will be worth it!

* First steps - Judah, motivated by a bouncy pink ball and fun with Mama took his first stepsoments wi
* First ballet class for Cora and while she took some warming up to it (crowds and new things are a bit hard for her at first), by the end she was hooked.  And now to find some ballet clothes that fit!
* Delicious moments with my two littles. Snuggles and giggles and fun.
* A Sad gray day when I could not make myself do anything other than let the kids watch musicals.  But they danced and sang and I didn't feel like I totally let them down.
* News that made me rethink the nest year and my word for the year and then realize it still applies, just in a new way (An inconclusive ultrasound - we have to wait 2 weeks for another to tell us more)
* Thinks knitted and things unraveled.
* Warm clothes dug out for a trip north to see family and friends
* Courage and patience prayed for again and again.
* Forgiveness sought from my children and hubs when I let sadness and fear fuel me to anger and harsh words.
* A week spent hoping for sunshine and receiving little.  But every little bit helps.
* A week of waiting and accepting and trying to trust that God set down these days before my life began and He meant them for good.

Messy Monday

My friend and fellow music mama posted this lovely post about the Beauty and the Mess.  About how mom bloggers post the perfectness of their lives and hardly ever the mess and how that can be discouraging for those of us who don't have our proverbial $hit together (like me).  In celebration of the mess, she called for others to join her in her imperfection.

This is not my first post about the mess that I hid in my photos.  About letting it go and enjoying relationships over a shiny floor.  It's not the first time I've let you know that I am SO far from having it all together.  But it's the first time I feel camaraderie with other blog mamas who are a work in progress.  Who aren't only willing to show how well they do life, but how badly or how messily, or how imperfectly.  And how beautiful that is.  So here is my contribution to Messy Monday.

 

My dining table. A mess on top, a mess underneath.

 

My beautiful daughter who has been wearing the same clothes for 2 days, bed hair and playing with the stroller which has been occupying the dining room for weeks now. 

 

And this. Which Cora so kindly pointed to for me. I think it is sweet potatoes and judging from how dried and crusty it is, it may have been there for weeks since that is the last time I mopped the floor. Usually I rely on the dog to clean up any leftover tidbits after dinner, but apparently she wasn't down with sweet potatoes. Classic.

Christmas Cheer

I love these little lovely babies.  I just had to share a couple of my favorite Christmas photos.

1 year

 

One wild year of blue eyed boy giggles and the ever louder 'yelling' that is the constant and singular form of communication he offers.  (Aside from 'Papa' when it's fun and 'Mamamamama' when he's sad) One year of joy, of tears, of midnight feedings that he held onto until LAST WEEK.  Of tired mama, of displaced sister who is slowly letting the little guy into her heart.

 

One year of stolen hubby kisses and extra baby snuggles and a horrifically messy house.  Seriously.  If you knew the level of grunge on my carpet at this very moment.  One year of the most gloriously wonderful loving little guy I have ever known, with his baby kisses and hugs and finally THINKING about learning to walk.  Of months and months with one dear little snaggle tooth on the bottom that made his little smiles so sweet and slightly lopsided and then within 2 weeks, 5 more appear.  Poor guy!

 

One sweet year of turning everything over so he could spin the wheels and yell.  One year of fishing countless items out of his little mouth and only 2 visits to the ER. 
One year of letting go and trusting that he will turn out OK, even if I don't spend time every day working with him on alphabet flash cards and shapes. (Yes,  I did it with Cora.  Don't judge!)  One year of E.C. and learning that he is going to do it his own way and in his own time.   I just gotta watch more closely!

   

One year with the happiest, most amazing, little guy.  I wouldn't have traded it for all of the sleep in the world.  Happy birthday little man!  We love you!

Word for the Year

I start out each year with the best of intentions. I’ve long since given up a list of resolutions because,
let’s face it, I stink at those. But this year I came across a new idea and for a harried mama
of little ones, it gave me pause and I thought, “I can do this!” I’ll let the author of the movement
spell it out for you in better language that I can.

“One word can change everything.
Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Scrap the long list of goals that you won’t remember three weeks
from now anyway. Choose just one word.
One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live or what you want to
achieve by the end of 2012.
One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.
It will take hard work, and will require intentionality and commitment. But if you let it, your word
will shape you and your year. It will guide your decisions and help you grow.
Discover the big impact one word can make.
One word.
365 days.”
A changed life.”

I’ve given much though to mine. I thought about Joy and Peace and Love and Hope, Gratitude and
all kinds of other words like that. But I think my word for the year is Acceptance. Accepting that I
won’t do this thing called motherhood perfectly or even well on some days. Accepting that I am
who I am right now, and it’s what I’m supposed to be, even if tomorrow it will change. Accepting
that my spouse can’t stand poopy diapers and I get stuck with most of them, and I love him anyway.
Accepting that baby number three is on his/her way even though it was not what we planned and I
will love every ounce of him/her, even if I don’t like being pregnant. And with acceptance, I’m
hoping that Joy will follow and all of those other words I pondered.
So I ask you this, what is your one word?
Happy New Year!

(for more details about the One Word idea, visit www.oneword365.com)