There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire,

which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which

kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.

-Washington Irving

please follow the link for some inspiration

The Milkman

The other day we had Joey's friend, Dustin, over for dinner. He's in town for a short time doing some pilot training. After spending some time chatting after dinner while the kids were running around the table, Dustin asked Joey and I, "So where did she get that blonde hair from?" Joey and I thought for a second and began to spit out our usual answer, which usually includes a rundown of our blonde genetics. Before we could get much out, Georgie answered, "From the milkman."

Needless to say, we laughed for quite a while. I know I've given that answer before but not very often...and I definitely wasn't aware that Georgie was listening. But they hear everything, don't they! I guess of all the, "from Mimi, Gaga, Bryant, Aunt Kathy, " etc. answers, she liked the milkman one the best. So do I, Georgie, so do I!

still a sucess

Kindergarten still seams to be going well for our little Isaac. He comes home looking like he's just climbed a mountain! He's completely beat from all that thinking. It was hard to get him going at 7 am this morning...he attempted playing hooky but I'm sharp;) I caught on to that one! This all day school business is tough. The poor little guy has no idea what he is in for. But neither did I. I miss him. I miss him more than I ever thought I would. And when I picked Georgie up from Lisa's today she cried her little eyes our for at least 10 minutes. She just kept saying over and over again, "I don't want to go home." I think it's safe to say that she misses him too. Home is not the same without him. We feel lonely. I didn't realize what a LIFE he was to my life!!...what a presence. But I'll get used to it. And I know that this is good for him. He needs to be busy and he needs to be with another teacher {other than me}. And at the same time, I'm getting to know Georgie on her own. She's a different little girl when Isaac is not around. She talks to me as if we were the same age...meaning as if she's 29, not that I'm a fellow 3 year old. It's hilarious. So, life goes on and my hope is that it just keeps getting better, or at least keeps making me better. So here's to change! Taking it one day at a time.

Isaac starts KINDERGARTEN!!

The day all started with the sound of an early alarm clock. It seems that this is to be part of our daily routine now for the next 13 years, at least. I could cry about that almost as much as sending my first off to kindergarten! The first words out of his mouth were, "I don't want to go to school, Mommy, I'm scared." He had said something to this effect off and on since the beginning of summer so I wasn't completely surprised. I just listened and proceeded to encourage him to get dressed. He repeated the phrase again a few times but never resisted getting ready. We listened to Smile, Smile, Smile by Dan Zanes a few times and talked about how it fit the day ahead. He smiled.

He requested that we walk him in and again repeated that he was scared. This time I told him that he needed to go to school because there might be some other kids there that are lonely or scared and he needed to help them. He also needed to help his teacher by being a good example for his class He was quick to correct me. "Mom, that's not why I NEED to go to school. We don't go to school to help, Mom, we go to school to LEARN," he articulated VERY clearly in an exasperated tone. I just laughed.

Not long after getting to the school, we saw the consistent bright thought for him about Sunset elementary...Maile would be there! He greeted her with a hug, just like we'd talked about in our role playing game during Family Night last night.

Here's a shot of his classroom and teacher, at his left.

She seems like she's going to be GREAT! Mrs. Madl is her name!

Even though this picture is quite fuzzy I simply had to post it because it tells a very cute and sentimental story. This morning, after Isaac was all dressed and had expressed some reluctance to go to school, I kissed the inside of his palm. I told him that it would be there all day and that if he felt sad or lonely he could squeeze his hand three times {our secret hand holding code for "I love you"} and I would be there for him. He could squeeze his hand against his cheek and feel me kiss it or wrap it around his chest for a mommy squeeze. He grinned from ear to ear about this idea...it was working! Later, on our drive to school he asked me to kiss the other palm. I did and then told him that he could put both his hands on his cheeks for a huggy kiss from Mom! I'd somewhat forgotten all about this once he got into class and I went to wave goodbye and go. Just as I left I came back for a sneak peek to see how he was doing. I saw him sitting there, like a little lost lamb, with two palms pushing into each side of his face. At this point the tears really seemed to start knocking! But I was saved by a thought of panic!!.."get a picture!" By the time I pulled the camera to eye level he'd already pulled his hands down. I got his attention and showed him with my hands what I wanted him to do. He gave it to me, instantly, with a confident, sincere smile. I love you Isaac boy! I am so excited for the great life ahead of you! And I can't wait to smile, smile, smile when I see your face this afternoon...at 2:55! We'll post a re-cap of your day then!

"Private Date" with Isaac

To celebrate his last full day as a preschooler Isaac and I spent some quality one on one time together. I let him plan our day...over and over again;)

We started out with a plan to hit up the park, head for the library, get lunch on base and then go to the swimming pool. When it became clear to him that he wanted to go to McDonalds for lunch he decided that he would rather play on the playground than go to the pool. So we spent the day, traipsing around Altus in our swimsuits...just for fun!

Thanks, Isaac, for spending the day with me. It was great to soak you up, just you, for a full 6 hours! xoxox, Mom

Preschool for our Georgie Girl

Isaac and I took Georgie to her first day of preschool yesterday. Crying at my heels, pulling on my thigh and pained looks were NOT part of the process. She was as eager as she was to jump in the pool on the first day of summer. It helps that a big brother has gone before her. She thinks that this must mean that she is big. And, I guess it does. She's getting bigger. My baby is growing up. Enjoy it Gigi! Don't let your big boob of a mother, constantly trying to snuggle you, kiss you and keep you small hold you back! I just need a reminder that its only ONCE a WEEK!

And you get to play with old friends {Landon and Anna}, make new ones, and maybe even learn your alphabet! {she's been quite uninterested thus far} Happy preschool days, Gigi. We love you!

Utah: Gaga and Papa

if there's anything my parents are good at it's being grandparents.

my children talk about them daily and miss them every moment.

and its no wander. gaga and papa seem to need nothing in the world but to love, bring joy to and spend time with my children. In addition to this, they have provided them with some of the most fun experiences of their beautiful little lives. i want to devote this post to gaga, papa, isaac and g...so that my parents might know how necessary they are and that my children might be able to look back and more intensely remember the love that they had in gaga and papa. how lucky they are!

gaga planned a scavenger hunt including...

hugs,

and surprises!

it was a HIT!

my dad, in love with chordy

and gigi

and will and the rest of the gang.

gaga, jumping and playing with reese

and chordy

gaga and isaac have always had a special bond. you don't need more proof than to be with them for 15 minutes. these next few shots will be pretty convincing though!

can you feel the love?