When did I blink?

It seems I'm not the only one in the house
reminiscing younger days.

Gracie's always been one tough cookie.
Don't let that fool you...
She's very much a girlie girl...
and has the emotions to prove it.
{Just sayin'}
DK has a house full of girls {even the pets}.
Poor Blessed Man.


When she was much younger,
she used to sleep in sponge rollers.
The next day?  Bam! 
Beautiful curls that would last the whole day.
Perfect.

The only problem was that as she got older, she wished for beautiful, long... STRAIGHT hair.  Mom's days of playing dress-up with her girls were fading as they were gaining more independence and...
opinions. 
Gasp!  This Gracie.  She has always been our "strong-spirited" baby. 
Gotta love it.

Last night, my baby girl pulled out the rollers.  She knew I would be excited.
{Only she pulled out the hot rollers.  If you thought sponge rollers were uncomfortable to sleep with... Yikes! 
Who could sleep with those hard things?}

I gently rolled each lock of hair in her sponge rollers.
Enjoying. every. moment.

She did it just for me.
She also wore her "My Dad Rocks" t-shirt just for Daddy.

This lil' girl adds spice to our family. 
We wouldn't feel complete without her.  See her gettin' her dance on?  Seriously.

We want our girls to be little much longer,
but it feels like trying to hold on to sand. 

Gracie reminds me all the time that she can't wait to be a teenager.
I remind her that she should enjoy this season of life
because the teen years will be here before we know it.

There's a song by Kenny Chesney called "Don't Blink"...
I can't bare to listen to it's lyrics.
It makes me want to throw a 3 year old temper tantrum
in rebellion of time.

I can't believe my baby {my BABY} will be turning 8 in January. 
So be prepared for another Gracie post about that time. 
I'll try to make it interesting by showing some preggo pix. Ha!
At least you were warned. ;)

I found these little video gems of Gracie {just turned} 3...
and Nator {just turned} 5...

Please don't remind me that our girls will be driving soon.

Tissue?
Just pass the whole box please.
Thank you.

Me and my big mouth {Random 12 #10}

I'm joining Linda again for another great meme.

Join in the fun and link up...

I'm sure she'd love to have you stop by, kick up your feet...

and have a second cup of coffee. ;)

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?
I would first try to wait it out, but if it's a ridiculously long red light.  Well, yep.  I've been there.  Done that.  The light was taking for-e-ver and I wasn't a danger to anyone... because there wasn't a soul in sight.  So, there you have it.  Lemme adjust my halo a bit.

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?
Yes, while tucking the girls into bed.
Gracie mumbles, "Goodnight Nator."  {only she uses her real name}
I tell Nator, "What she means to say is that you're her favorite sister in the whole wide world and she loves you very much."
Without saying a word, Gracie hops into my bed {since DK is out of town}.
From her bed, Nator asks, "Gracie, is that what you really mean to say?"
I think... Why, oh WHY did I open my big mouth?
Trying to shut the door, I tell Nator goodnight.  She is persistant and wants to know if Gracie really means to say those words.
I tell her, "Well, it's kinda like in the movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, when the dad wears a speaker that interprets all of his heartfelt thoughts.  Gracie feels those words, but doesn't always express them."
I look at Gracie and she giggles, confirming what I just said.
I look back at Nator and she is crying.
Why, you ask?
Well, after taking the girls to see that movie weeks ago, Nator didn't sleep well for 3 nights. Don't ask.  It didn't seem too scary to me.  You would have to know Nator.  She's a sensitive soul.
I, of course, had to open my big mouth by saying the title of the movie, causing a water-works display.
"C'mon, you can sleep with mama, too."
So, here I am typing this to the tune of 2 little girls snoring {just a little} in my bed.  That part I don't mind.
Mental note:  Never {ever} bring that movie up again.

3. When you reply to someone's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)
There's a lot in blogdom I don't quite get.  Replying to comments is one.  I suppose I do a mixture of all 3.  Another issue is in becoming bloggy friends/followers.  There seems to be an unwritten etiquette I'm not quite familiar with.  Oh, I have other questions too... maybe for another post.

4. Your favorite Disney movie is:
That's hard to narrow down.  The Parent Trap, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Enchanted, Cars... With 2 little girls, this is the season of my life.  Love. it.

5. Do you recycle?
I do my best, but my community is not making it easy.  We don't have curbside pick-up, so I deliver my paper and plastics to bins.  They've recently moved the bins... and they haven't come back.  I've found more paper bins, but no plastic ones yet.  Grrrr...



6. Games of strategy or games of chance?
Mostly chance, but a little strategy never hurt anyone. ;)  Too much strategy may feel competitive.  In that case, I'm out.

7. Do you have any recurring dreams?
Nope.

8. What did you learn from your first real job?
Answering phones at Domino's Pizza,  I learned...
It's okay to have fun.  {Dough fights in the parking lot.}
Giving blesses you.  {I would show up at my youth pastor's house with lots of pizza.  I mean, why should I be the only one 'gaining' from the overflow? hehe...}
The sun can hurt you.  {Holding pizza signs during the middle of the day can cause heat stroke.}
Some men are strange.  {Of course, I already knew this one.  I will spare you from comments that were made as men rode by us, holding our signs.  You're welcome.}
Being popular is not as glamorous as it seems. {Two popular cheerleaders from high-school started working with me.  They had reputations and the baggage to go along with it.  I was their shoulder.}

9. Do you buy or borrow most books?
I do both, but I love to own a good book... so that I can make notes, underline, dog-ear, etc...

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?
Surely you're not suggesting that I'm old enough to have lived long enough to have a trend revisit?  Ha!
I honestly can't think of any that I've revisited.  Of course, seeing oneself in old pix will encourage oneself to Just. Say. No.

11. When do you start Christmas shopping?
A little before Thanksgiving... but mostly after.

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion?
It may have been something silly with my girls, but generally speaking, I'm the type of person that jumps up and down on the INSIDE. ;)

I'm thinking I may have to join Linda in this meme too...

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

{hehe}

Parenting Advice {kind-of}

Sometimes you do what you have to do.

Gracie has issues with staying in her seat when eating... anything.
She takes a bite.  Then, off she goes...
doing her latest moves she learned in ballet, tap or jazz class
around the table.
{On second thought, maybe I should follow her lead. 
Eat the calories, burn the calories, eat the calories, burn...}

I think my first blog post {ever} had something to do with
Gracie at the dinner table.
At least she's eating her dinner now, right?

If you need advice on keeping your children in their seats,
tying them to their chair works helps.

{Disclaimer:  When tying with the above (super-talented scout) knot, it may or may not come undone when wiggly child wiggles.}

Yeah, she's innocent alright.
No sneaky expression ever crosses her face.
Nope.
Oh... and no worries.
She asked me to tie her {after I threatened it}.
She called my bluff.
That's just the kind of parent I am.
Must. follow. through. {hehe}

I'm not teary-eyed b/c I embarrassed my 7 yr old

We kicked the night off with some music... Gracie style, that is.
Remember she loves writing songs.
DK put some music to it.
She was smiling ear to ear!

No photo shoot is complete without Gracie's ballet poses {and silliness)...

 

or Nator's signature 'I love you' shots.

 

And Yes, I TOTALLY intended to embarrass my 7 year old fashionista by sporting one of their tutus.

I think she must have asked me 5 or 6 times if I was really going to wear that.

Jasmine's tutu was the hit of the night.

One little girl shrieked so loudly with delight, it made Jazz jump a foot off the ground!

 

These girls rock!  Once again, they turned down every piece of candy that was offered as they Trick-or-Treated for UNICEF.

In three years of going door to door in our lil' neighborhood,

they have collected $60.00 in spare change.

We drop the coins off at a Coinstar and donate the cash by paying online.

 

Their efforts are rewarded with some family fun!

{Mama lost the tutu and tiara as to not embarrass herself

her daughter any more.} 

We're too late for the costume contest.

{Which they both won 1st place in their categories last year.

Not braggin', just saying'.  Who cares if my girls were the only kids there. Ha! Kidding.}

Fun was had by all anyway.

We totally rocked at the bumper cars... for sure!!

 

But seriously.

At the end of the night, it's all about the shoes, isn't it?

Fashion AND comfort = pure heaven.

Nator loves her new shoes {which are full of fur} so much she puts them on with her PJ's.

Upon checkout {of the above mentioned shoes}, they happen to be selling the book and stuffed animal series...

If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

Gracie picked, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.

Before bedtime, Nator leans close to me and asks,

"Mom, do you really think I could change the world?"

I fight back a tear and consider what they contribute.

With confidence, I answer,

"Yes."

That's what it's really about.

Giving back...

to change the world and make it a better place.

{wiping tear now}

{Almost} Famous

Finally.

Someone said I look like a {somewhat famous} celebrity.

With this familiar face, it was bound to happen sooner or later, right?

One gentlemen said that I could sell insurance.

Meaning "Flo" from the Progressive Insurance Ads reminded him of me.

Really?

One dear friend said that I looked and sounded like Francesca Battistelli.

{Since I haven't listened to much music these days, I had to look her up.}
Did you know that she {co}wrote It's Your Life?

You know, the theme song used on Biggest Loser?

Gotta love a good, successful {low-range} vocalist!

Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's nearly been a year since we were involved in some sort of music ministry.  It was nice to hear 'Nator' and Gracie play on the piano today.  We will be starting lessons {hopefully soon} and music will fill our house once again.  I get all warm and toasty just thinking about it. 

My friend also said that she, Francesca and I are like soul sistas.

{Thanks, Clare!  To know you is to love you.  Seriously.}

After listening to Francesca's personality, love of food

{some of my faves by the way},

movies and hobbies... I have to agree!

Although, my waistline would never look like hers eating such foods.

It's a nice dream though.

So, it's Francesca or Flo??
If the singing career didn't pan out,

I could always sell insurance, right?

And speaking of friends,
Thank you to Sarah for this bloggy award.

Check her out.
She's great and takes cutie-patootie pix
of her sweet baby girl.
Thanks, Sarah!