"A Wink and a Smile"

 It's crazy stuff I tell 'ya! Her age has suddenly caught me off guard. My once homeschooled daughter who NOW attends our local Catholic school is nearing HIGH SCHOOL ... we just did the Open House at our local girl's Catholic High School ((((SIGH)))) Somehow it doesn't seem right ...This girl is nearly my size and those FEET (or FINS, are passing me) She is beautiful and strong She is smart and funny She captures my heart ... so much of ME is in her I see WONDERFUL and GREAT things in her future ... Happy 14th to my {k}!

She is beautiful She is smart She is caring She makes her mommy and daddy so proud! ((((SIGH)))) Where did the years go?

My first baby will be turning "16" in just 20 days.  This surprise is something she really wanted and I know it really will help her with her studies.

I'm trying my best to get caught up, but things are busy with school, work, swim team, and trying to register for middle school/high school next year. In the mix of that we had some snow days that really shut our town down (5 day weekend). The girls were home from school, the husband even spent part of the week working from the dining room, I still had to homeschool as well as do a little bit of work from home, doctor appointment was cancelled, and a shadow day at our local Catholic school NOW needs to be re-scheduled. It's nice to have snow days, but they honestly can wreak havoc on LIFE. Some things that did take place (eventually) ... Fun in the SNOW I turned the big 4-0 ! My dear hubby took me to a fine restaurant and we enjoyed every minute of it . There was yet ANOTHER swim meet ... our last one until STATE championships in early March. The girls did so, so ... not enough practice the week before with all the snow days and certainly too much in the way of junk foods ;) ...

When I started blogging this girl was 8 years old and she looked more like this ... Same dimples, same smile ... but, no more GAP (she's happy about that). Same sweet girl Same great helper Same little artist with her own style Same girl who loves to swim ... although she's a lot faster now. I could say so many wonderful things about this young lady (is that what you call a 13 year old?), but I'm sure you've read it all before. The only thing I would add is that I just hope that she stays so much of who she is because I LOVE HER SO! Happy 13th to my 2nd dear daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Her plans for the day ... school, swim, and then a high school football game. Somewhere in there we will need to squeeze in some yummy cupcakes. Even 15 year olds like cupcakes ... right? I'm not even going to cry about how I cannot believe that my first baby is 15. I'm not even going to think about how she will be driving a car in a few short months. I'm not even going to think about how she will be getting her first job this summer. I'm not even going to think about how she likes a certain boy. I'm not even going to think about how she recently borrowed a dress and looked way better in it than I. I'm not going to think about any of that. Instead I am going to think about ... The little girl who loved to play with Fisher Price Little People and gave them all names. The little girl who couldn't get enough of books. The little girl who watched Winnie the Pooh probably a hundred times. The little girl who had the biggest blue eyes as a baby ... they were ad...

She was so, SO excited to turn "8"! What better way to spend a birthday than in a warm sunny place with sandy beaches! This girl is pretty lucky. 8 wonderful things about my special girl ... (and there are way more than that) most often in a happy mood creative smart loving (she is a great hugger) helpful people pleaser athletic/strong great smile

Oh where did the time go? Happy Birthday Cate Once upon a time so small Today a big girl *a mommy attempt at a bad haiku

I know ... I've used this photo twice in the last month (At least this time I changed up the way the photo looks (thank you PW). So sorry. I just can't help it. I love this photo because this IS really my girl. She smiles a bit like me ... with all of her teeth. She squints her eyes ... a little like me. She gets a bit goofy with her pictures ... a little like me. My 3rd little girl is now 10! She is my true middle child ... a little like me. She's quiet She's quirky She's unique She's pretty She's chatty She's always thinking She's strong She's emotional She's a critter lover She's empathetic Happy 10th Birthday to my millennium baby!

and the only one MALE who walks on two feet in my house ;) I met him when I was 16 ... he is now 39. He still makes me smile. He makes my heart go pitter patter. He's funny. He's caring. He gives to me more than I could ever come close to deserving. I would keep going to give you 39 reasons why I love this man so, but that may seem silly. OH, what the heck, I'll do it anyway! 34 more reasons why I love this man ... (and in no particular order) He's super smart ... big brains are very sexy. He no longer has hair, but he lost it all in a very good way ... no weird missing patches. Plus he has a nice round head. BALD is BEAUTIFUL ;) He gives GREAT hugs. He calls me and texts me to check on me ... I love that he still thinks about me all the time. Family is first to him. It was clear from the beginning and that belief is not waning. He sometimes exercises with me ... that always keeps up both motivated. He didn't hate me when I brought home a 2nd doggie without asking h...

OH MY!!!!!! Well, it isn't happening yet. Apparently I was unaware of the fact that in our lovely state of AR, you can drive with someone 21 and older at the ripe YOUNG age of 14. YIKES!!!!!! I got my learners permit in the state of NJ at age 16 and drove by myself by my 17h birthday. ANYWAY, today is my oldest daughter's birthday. She is 14 (gulp)! My head is spinning. Things have changed in the last year ... She is nearly my size (almost 5'5") She wears the same size shoe as me (practically) She has a few extra curves ... don't EVEN want to go there ((((SIGH)))). She is incredibly smart (doubling up on Honors Algebra 2 and Geometry) She is very giving to others (volunteers weekly tutoring children needing help with reading called Building Bright Futures... at our Parish) She is active with swim team, youth group, and French club. She is a WONDERFUL BABYSITTER to her siblings when Mommy and Daddy need a little help. She helps her Mom teach Sunday school to 5th gr...

That definitely is not a phrase I coined ;) HAPPY 7th to {b} or {r} ... feel free to guess her name (those who don't actually know her). I've described her pretty well here and there She's going to have an exciting weekend ... at least I hope she thinks so. There may very well be a stop HERE before heading to pick up big sister at swim camp HERE and then watching 3 bigger sisters participate in THIS swim meet before heading HERE for some fun. If that isn't a great birthday , than I do not know what is!

The early morning present ... A Sweetheart Doll from Build-a-Bear .  Made especially for {c} by her Daddy in NYCity.  She loves it already.  Her name is ELIZABETH . The cake made by Mom.  It was one of those decal cake mixes that was a PITA to get onto the cake.  Feel free to try it, but I'm not sure I will (again). The birthday girl loved her cake ... she was so happy! Making her wish.  What does a 4 year old wish for?  I wonder ... Blowing out her candles.  It's so hard to imagine my "baby" is not so much a baby anymore. BIG SIGH ...

She's N I N E and what a FINE age it is. 9 wonderful things about my pretty girl ... She's a thinker ... you can always see her mind working She asks a lot of questions.  While sometimes this can drive you nuts, I'm pretty sure it will get her far in life ;) She got her mommy's pretty blonde hair and I think it will stay for a while.  If not, just like her mommy she can add a few highlights and it won't look "fake" She loves animals and creatures of all kinds.  Sometimes we think she relates best with them.  Maybe she'll be my VET someday. She is strong and agile.  Her swimming is really coming along and she can be very FAST! She wears purple glasses and has braces, but is so cute looking with them! When she wants to do something she is relentless ... she'll keep at it and doesn't give up. She is sensitive and can be heartbroken easily ... good things to have in this world to make it a better place. She is quirky and unique.  Hopefully those...

Besides MY birthday , today is also the birthdate of ... Sarah Palin Jennifer Aniston Sheryl Crow And also  sharing the 11th with me ... many other celebrities, athletes, authors, inventor (Thomas Edison), and even a POPE (a really, really, really long time ago). It's also the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes! GREAT DAY !!!!!!!

I don't talk about her a lot.  It isn't that I don't get along with her because I think that I do ... pretty well.  We don't have that chummy girlfriend type mom-daughter friendship and I am sure part of it is because we don't live near one another.  I also think it may be because my mom carries a whole lot of baggage.  She had a tough childhood ... one with abuse, neglect, and no parents to raise her.  She grew up in the foster care system and I know her childhood was really very sad.  Her take on life is very different than my own, but despite that she wanted so much more for her own children and I do believe that she did her very best.   She married my Dad who was her knight in shining armor.  He took care of her and understood her.  I know that I have talked more about my Dad because even thought I didn't have that chatty father-daughter relationship, we understood each other in a quiet sort of way.  A lot of my personality comes from my Dad, however some o...

13 years ago TODAY I became  a  MOMMY   I can remember the whole experience so well ... eating a gross Domino's pizza before bed and having terrible heartburn waking up at 2am with an early sign of labor (plug loss), but I still had no idea waking up again at 5am to some contractions nudging my husband out of bed to tell him that "this may be it" my husband telling me "no ... too early and I have RAMS football tickets for today" still having contractions my husband is gearing up for some tailgating, but I am guessing this isn't his day for that we wait wait some more I tell my husband that he will have to miss his game today ... we've got other plans my husband says he wants to try to sell the ticket (we are poor and need the money) he finds someone to buy his ticket so we get in the car to make the trade downtown we go ... sitting in traffic, hitting every bump, and me having lots of contractions the trade is made and we stop in at a St. Louis Bread Co...