The Fifth Tally

It's late and I really want to share great pictures of our Spring Break...but I'm getting oh so sleepy. So alas, I leave you my last thought of the day because I think it shall become my life's mantra. Or at least my own little private joke when I start to get too hard on myself.

Lately, in my newest line of work, I do a lot of tallying. Over and over and over, it's line, line, line, line and then the much anticipated diagonal slat. Tonight I realized that I always get excited about the fifth tally. It's a little different than the other motion and it touches all the other lines. There's also an air of importance about it.

That's when the epiphany rang out like Easter Hosannas in my heart. I've been striving all my life to be one of the nice looking straight standing lines. Looking back now I can see that I have manipulated my looks, sometimes opinions, my methods and even my handwriting to follow suit with the "up and down" lines.

And you know what - it has been exhausting!

I'm realizing that I am at my very best (sob) when I can stretch out and lean in and cross over the other "lines". Because I'll never be one to finish all my dishes before I can allow myself a quick call to a friend that suddenly comes to mind. And I'll put off laundry if a wooden cross needs to be built for our church Easter Service and it's the right thing to do to keep my father in law company and fed while he volunteers his service. And sometimes a little closet needs to be painted when the straight lines in life wouldn't ever venture into such a messy project.

I like being good at lots of things, and not perfect at one thing. And I enjoy touching all you other lines.

I will most likely always fight my tendency to go this other direction, but tonight I am resting in the knowledge that I am for sure a fifth tally!

(Tomorrow when I deal with my fifth tally of a little girl, I am going to praise her for leaning in a little)

Sneaking in another Stefanie "milestone"

Yesterday I had some errands to run for moms group and was really craving some out of the house alone time. I've come to realize that you don't even appreciate your freedom until you are a mom of young children and have so very little of it...

I called my mom and she was free to come "spot" me for a "spell". Of course she had a million of her own things to do with her time - but once a mom, always a mom and she came to my rescue!

I knew my errand wouldn't take too long, but I wanted to be gone for awhile...so I packed up three huge baskets of laundry and Mike's poker quarters (shhhh!) My moms group errands did take me a long time and I savored the repeat trips up and down the aisles to look at everything and relished even more my decision making time. Then off I went to the laundromat!

I was like a fish out of water there. Here I am with a weighty bag of quarters, and come to find out that slot machine washers are a custom of the past! Luckily there was a very helpful attendant there ready to redeem my quarters and teach me the trade.

I did three loads of wash simultaneously and then on to the dryers. I even got to wheel around those basket carts that made me think of that old episode of Friends (remember?).

I spent 20 dollars total - a little more than imagined, but my time is money! Right?!

Try doing something new - it's invigorating!

Flo

A couple of weeks ago Daphne was sitting next to me on my bed while I was doing some work on the computer. An ad came up on the screen for Progressive Insurance, and a picture of their now famous character, Flo.

Daphne peeks over and says, "Oh, I love that girl. She is such a great actress!"

Gotta love her enthusiasm!

Tumbler

Daphne is taking tumbling this year. She is loving it and is such a strong girl! In February she got student of the month at her studio, receiving a special t-shirt and a little write-up and picture on the wall!

So fun!

Little Ms. Independence

I'm going spend some time documenting what Daphne, Maisie and Ruby have been "up-to" these last few months. This week I shall try to describe everything that a 40, 50 and 60 year old Stefanie, will want to remember about what made Daphne so very special when she was 6 and 1/2.

Tonight it's just a funny story that demonstrates the independent/capable/responsible qualities that have truly made up Daphne's character from day one.

With more daylight stretching our days just recently, the kids and I have been outside more. Tonight Daphne just wanted to stay outside even when I was ready to come inside. I was dying to take a bath, and I decided it would be okay to let Daph stay in the backyard while I took the little girls upstairs. I put Ruby in the bath with me to keep a much needed eye on her 2 year old self, and let Maisie hang out in the bathroom and my bedroom.

Needless to say it wasn't a relaxing bath, but on the mommy scale it was still a bit enjoyable:). Pretty soon Daphne was standing in the bathroom doorway with a plastic garbage sack.

She says to me, "Mom...I've got some good news and some bad news". I started imagining the worst. Immediately she continues with her "news" with a proud smirk on her face..."The bad news is that it smells really bad, but the good news (wait for it) is that I cleaned up all of Gus' poop in the backyard". And she proceeds to walk towards the bath with the sack and wants to prove it to me! Unfortunately I didn't praise her for her work straight away, but gave immediate directions to take it and dump it in the outside garbage! She kinda frowned and said, "but mom aren't you so glad that you don't have to do it now?" And I did a mom sort of backtrack and praised her, with a little advice to never bring it in the house again"

Now this is a funny story of her independence, but I have to say that I take her for granted all the time. She has been showering, washing her hair, brushing and moussing her hair all by herself for at least a year and a half and just in the last few months does her own hair too. She also has took on a daily ritual of a "morning run" once she is already for school. She does the cul-de-sac a couple times, stopping mid-way to pray and then back home again.

She truly is our little ms. independence - I'm so very proud of this characteristic in her!

Ruby's First Girlfriend

Ruby and Ava have the beginnings of a great friendship. They see each other often at church - both in the nursery and at social gatherings. Their mommy's are the kind of friends that like to support each other, so sometimes Ava is at Ruby's house and sometimes Ruby is at Ava's house...while the mommy's have appointments, meetings, need some fresh air or just cause! And let's face it they have Dora and Elmo in common!

As one of the mentioned mommy's - I love these little girls together! I'm so excited that Ruby has her OWN little friendship.

What a blessing that has poured forth from two mommy's needing each other:)
Thanks to the other mommy for taking these sweet pictures of our girls!

Braver than Brave

Or stupider than stupid...

I have pictures to prove it but sometimes the task of getting them on the computer stops me from writing when I feel like it. So for today I just have to tell, not show.

Yesterday Daphne, Maisie and I painted the closet we have under our stairs. Why? my imagination tells me you ask. Well, it's a bit of a story...but the short version is that they like to play in there, have dubbed it the "submarine", and I thought it would be really fun for them to actually transform it into an underwater world.

Yesterday we prepped and prepped, and then got the first coat up. It was really cute to see them rolling paint on the walls with their little mini rollers and the look on their eyes that they were doing something that they were meant to do.

It was messy, but I've decided that messy and memorable go hand in hand. Stay tuned for the transformation pictures.

I am so tired today!

Happy Birthday Glorylaine!

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To my sister Becca Laine, who's had a heck of a 2010 so far! Happy Birthday Becca - we love you:)

Milestone

Hello faithful blog friends. I post blogs to you everyday - sometimes two and three times a day - but only in the little computer in my head. I've written ones to make you laugh, ones to make you reflect on life's speed, ones that make you cry, and ones where I was demanding your immediate comments to make my days feel brighter.

But I am so busy and I hate it - I really do. It's just a season, but I am tired of not doing my favorite things.

So today, I simply leave you a couple pictures of a milestone in my life. Nothing life shattering, funny, or thought worry. Just one of the things that have made up my life in the last couple weeks....my very first root canal. Whoopie:)

My dentist and friend, Amy did a fantastic job too! And I was a great patient. The best part of it all was allowing myself a Shamrock shake at McDonalds afterward:)
The post in my head that day was "Everyone get a milkshake in honor of Stefanie's mouth day".

It's not too late - the minty green ice cream concoxion is quite refreshing!