First Yard Sale

Talk about crazy....my friend Michelle and I threw together a yard sale this week...yes along with going back to work...craziness.  Thankfully I have my clothes tagged and on hangers to go to a consignment sale next Saturday so it made it partly easy.  We got it set up last night.  I tagged some more stuff last night and then got up early today.  I stopped and put some signs at a few corners and posted pictures on Facebook.  Well some of it worked some said, "We saw your pictures on Facebook!"  Michelle did great selling boys clothes which most people wanted and said they are hard to find.  I sold some clothes but was able to get rid of some additional stuff- bottles, Bumbo Seat, toys and some household stuff.  But so happy to get rid of some stuff!

Here is ALL the stuff we had...kinda crazy...

When I get bigger

Captured a cute conversation last night before bed while Olivia and I were in the kitchen.

Olivia, "When I get bigger I am going to wake up and make you coffee! Yep, I put 8 scoops of coffee and fill it to number 8. I have to get bigger because it is heavy and hot."

My reply, "Ok. that would be great.  Mommy and Daddy would love that."

Olivia then states, "And then when I get really bigger, I can get the pancake mix down to make pancakes for you too!"

My reply, "That would be even better! You have to keep eating your fruits and vegetables to grow big and tall to do those things!"

In a way I want to keep her little...but for the time being she needs to be little and have fun with being 3!

Mom Guilt

It is 10:00 p.m.....I have been up since 5:15...and have a bag of school stuff to do and the house looks like a toy tornado and a hot mess! It started with an early morning run with friends...it was good...nice and cool.  Then came home and got ready for work.  I am 2 days in and at times have horrible mom guilt, especially with all these tummy issues.  In my mind I know Olivia is fine with being home with Brendon while I am at work or with Susan but I still feel guilty and that I am missing moments of her life.  I also know that in a few short years that she will spend many hours away from me when she is at school and she will still love me. There are women all over this world that work more, have plenty more children than I do, so in a way I also felt guilty for maybe being lazy and not working full time. So yes I had teary eyes as I have left the past few days but once we get a routine and used to all the change it will be fine.  It is fine for millions of other mommies and daddies so it will be fine for us! I just need to let go of the guilt...

So bare with me on these weary mom moments at this time...clinging on to some hope that it will be fine!

Confetti Disaster

This is why I shouldn't do school work at 10 pm....confetti disaster and no I am not turning the vacuum on now to clean it up....tomorrow is another day!

I know it doesn't look that bad on camera...but you should see it in person... oh my!

#girlmomstories

One of my favorite authors, Stacey Thacker has started a new series called #girlmom or #girlmomstories  The stories are short but powerful and capture what it means to be a mother of a daughter or daughters.  You can check out one of her websites mothersofdaughters

So here is my #girlmom story which came to me at a moment on the beach last week.

As I sit here four years later, I think about how many people were praying for our miracle.  Four years ago we left a South Carolina beach wondering if all those prayers and all that hope worked.  As shocked as we were, God answered our prayers and many other prayers that we prayed. Our daughter was loved before she was born, not only by us but family and friends.  We were blessed with our now, one and only daughter, a little bit early but she came into this world a fighter and still is today.  She will be our one and only, and completes our family of three plus our dog.  Since she is our one and only I will be her mom, best friend, mentor, tea party guest, restaurant guest, Little People player, car race zoomer, and the sibling that she will never have.  Her constant chatter, singing, sometimes crying, and laughter fill our home where silence once filled it.  She has taught me many things in the past four years- patience, hope, love, grace, and to believe.  So when we returned to that South Carolina beach last week, so many memories flooded my mind.  From the hope that we had a chance, to the memories we have made at that beach each year (except one year when she was a baby we didn’t go). I think my favorite memory this year was of her making footprints in the sand and watching them wash away.  I captured that moment because I couldn’t resist…because those tiny footprints are next to mine and when they are hers alone they can take her anywhere as long as she believes.  Her solo footprints reminded me of the poem Footprints and the last paragraph, “The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you.” Those tiny footprints she made will carry me in my weary moments as her mother. She is loved to the moon and back and one day she will realize how special she is and how much she has taught me. We have written the first few chapters in our own #girlmomstories and being a #girlmom which I hope we can continue to write…