I want to start living by this quote:
“If you cram your life with the things you love, there’s no time for the things you don’t love. They have to fall away.”
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Charlotte's Web
Natalie and I have been reading Charlotte's web to each other during our bedtime reading for the past few weeks. We picked it up at the library. I told her it was one of my favorite stories and that I wanted us to read the whole book together. Now that she is such a voracious reader, we haven't read an entire book together for awhile. It's usually a chapter here or there at bedtime, but then she reads the rest on her own.
It was a great experience and she loved the story. We dug out Wilbur, whom my mom had given her a year ago and now he is more beloved than ever, taking the prized sleeping place by her side (along with Cow, who never gets fully bumped). We finished the book a few days ago. So I got the movie and we watched it together today with Katherine.
There is nothing like looking over and seeing your daughters eyes filled with laughter and joy during the movie, then tears when Charlotte dies. I was a little worried how that would go over, she wasn't too affected by the event in the book, but in a movie, right in your face, it's hard to miss the meaning. She cried and snuggled up close and sad it was so sad. And at that moment, I felt her truly as part of me, and my mom... emotional through and through. I have vivid memories of my mom sobbing at movies in the theater when I was a girl, back then I used to get a little embarrassed, but I am the same way and now look back so fondly of those memories. And to witness Natalie, my little emotional, beautiful girl with the same traits, makes me happy in a way I cannot describe.
It was a great experience and she loved the story. We dug out Wilbur, whom my mom had given her a year ago and now he is more beloved than ever, taking the prized sleeping place by her side (along with Cow, who never gets fully bumped). We finished the book a few days ago. So I got the movie and we watched it together today with Katherine.
There is nothing like looking over and seeing your daughters eyes filled with laughter and joy during the movie, then tears when Charlotte dies. I was a little worried how that would go over, she wasn't too affected by the event in the book, but in a movie, right in your face, it's hard to miss the meaning. She cried and snuggled up close and sad it was so sad. And at that moment, I felt her truly as part of me, and my mom... emotional through and through. I have vivid memories of my mom sobbing at movies in the theater when I was a girl, back then I used to get a little embarrassed, but I am the same way and now look back so fondly of those memories. And to witness Natalie, my little emotional, beautiful girl with the same traits, makes me happy in a way I cannot describe.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Fairy Princess Room.... Complete!
Three and a half years later, with a strong color preference, Katherine finally gets a room fit for a princess.
The before, very cool, but not very girly. An older photo obviously! But that was the previous wall color and border.
She is a purple girl, through and through, and when we found this border while flipping through a wallpaper book, game over. Everything else was designed around it. And... we both love it! It was very cute to see her get so excited when I put it up. Mind you, the border was the final stage. So the first weekend spent painting her room and she saw this...
She was minimally excited about the purple walls. Not the reaction I was hoping for after a full weekend of painting. Three year olds can be PITAs to say the least! :) Now of course, I did this the weekend before Christmas, cause you know, I didn't really have anything else going on, so why not? Needless to say, the next phase was a few weeks later.
The next phase was wall paper. While I knew this would be more difficult, I really didn't count on how hard it would be to hang multiple sheets on 10 feet high ceilings. And try to line up the seams. The frickin' seams! How I hate thee. No matter what I did, they started with the pattern perfectly aligned on top, and a full inch off at the bottom, with seams in full view. Grr.... but she was excited when she saw this, so I let the details go. Mom, I have a whole new appreciation for that cool flowered wallpaper I had when I was Natalie's age. Thank you, for now I know what you must have gone through!
And finally, the peice de resistance, the fairies. At the sight of the final show stopper, Katherine got really excited. And that made it all worth it.
So now of course, Natalie wants a pink room. Is six too young for child labor?
The before, very cool, but not very girly. An older photo obviously! But that was the previous wall color and border.
She is a purple girl, through and through, and when we found this border while flipping through a wallpaper book, game over. Everything else was designed around it. And... we both love it! It was very cute to see her get so excited when I put it up. Mind you, the border was the final stage. So the first weekend spent painting her room and she saw this...
She was minimally excited about the purple walls. Not the reaction I was hoping for after a full weekend of painting. Three year olds can be PITAs to say the least! :) Now of course, I did this the weekend before Christmas, cause you know, I didn't really have anything else going on, so why not? Needless to say, the next phase was a few weeks later.
The next phase was wall paper. While I knew this would be more difficult, I really didn't count on how hard it would be to hang multiple sheets on 10 feet high ceilings. And try to line up the seams. The frickin' seams! How I hate thee. No matter what I did, they started with the pattern perfectly aligned on top, and a full inch off at the bottom, with seams in full view. Grr.... but she was excited when she saw this, so I let the details go. Mom, I have a whole new appreciation for that cool flowered wallpaper I had when I was Natalie's age. Thank you, for now I know what you must have gone through!
And finally, the peice de resistance, the fairies. At the sight of the final show stopper, Katherine got really excited. And that made it all worth it.
So now of course, Natalie wants a pink room. Is six too young for child labor?
Monday, January 16, 2012
Camping in Florida
Just back from our first family camping trip. And it was... awesome! We went with our neighbors and several some of their friends to this amazing campground that had a playground, a pavillion with basketball courts and pavement for the kids to ride scooters on, and a river to hunt for shark teeth.
I used to camp at least 2-3 times a year when I lived in CA, and before I had kids. I love to camp and spend an entire weekend outside running around. But since having kids, then moving to FL, Dean and I haven't camped. First it was getting used to FL and the bugs. The bugs are both plentiful and ever-present here. Then it was Katherine being an infant and I wasn't up for camping with diapers.
But now... K is three and N is six and I was ready to give it a go. And... they LOVED it. I was worried about night time, and frankly, we didn't sleep alot the first night... but strong coffee and fresh air helped with the 5:20, pre-dawn wake-up call that K insisted upon. And of course, we picked the perfect time in FL to camp... The weather actually hit below freezing, a rarity here. But we survived and even Dean had a great time. Dean is a reluctant camper. Once engrossed, he really does enjoy it, but the sleeping in the tent part, eh, he could do without. But he loves me and knows I love it and takes one for the team. Man, I love that guy.
So smore's, a leaky canoe and much hearty meat later, we will be camping again soon. Next up, camping by the beach in non-freezing weather, stay tuned!
I used to camp at least 2-3 times a year when I lived in CA, and before I had kids. I love to camp and spend an entire weekend outside running around. But since having kids, then moving to FL, Dean and I haven't camped. First it was getting used to FL and the bugs. The bugs are both plentiful and ever-present here. Then it was Katherine being an infant and I wasn't up for camping with diapers.
But now... K is three and N is six and I was ready to give it a go. And... they LOVED it. I was worried about night time, and frankly, we didn't sleep alot the first night... but strong coffee and fresh air helped with the 5:20, pre-dawn wake-up call that K insisted upon. And of course, we picked the perfect time in FL to camp... The weather actually hit below freezing, a rarity here. But we survived and even Dean had a great time. Dean is a reluctant camper. Once engrossed, he really does enjoy it, but the sleeping in the tent part, eh, he could do without. But he loves me and knows I love it and takes one for the team. Man, I love that guy.
So smore's, a leaky canoe and much hearty meat later, we will be camping again soon. Next up, camping by the beach in non-freezing weather, stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)