Bella's 6th Birthday

Bella celebrated her 6th birthday at home with a "Girls Barbie Party". It was wonderful to see her spend her big day with a few of her friends she's known since she was a baby, some friends from preschool and some news friends from kindergarten at Hawthorne. They drank punch from tea cups, giggled, ate Barbie cake, watched Barbie fashion movie, decorated purses then entertained us with fashion shows in her room. It was priceless to watch how well they all got along & enjoyed the same silly things! She then got to bring a cake to school on the actual day Nov. 30th and celebrate with her class. She loved wearing a crown and the badge they gave her. Although she insists she still feels five, it was as if she matured over night to me. She loved all the gifts, but mostly being with the people so dear to her. She continues to be my social butterfly & doesn't mind being the "Bella of the Ball". As I watch her grow up each year she inspires me with the person she is becoming. Like her singing teacher Jare once said to me, "Everything is so BIG to Bella". It is my wish that she stays exactly as she is now, confident in what she wants,excited about life, learning and every new experience. If her friends at her party were an example of who she surrounds herself in life, she'll grow up one happy girl. I will never forget the 8 little girls holding hands singing ring around the rosy all dressed up like the little princesses they are.

Fall, Halloween & my 2 little monsters

Finally fall is upon us, after one of the hottest summers I've ever encountered since living in Louisville, and no one is taking this beautiful weather for granted. Walking the kids home from school is one of the perks we've found having both schools in our neighborhood! I even enjoyed bagging my first piles of leaves this weekend, just being outdoors with my Bella and Dean who are so excited about Halloween & all the events leading up to Trick-or-Treating. Just this weekend my little Wonderwoman and Spiderman went to 3 events in one day. I suspect I was "over scheduling" on many levels, but they are only this young once & get so excited about the little things...especially when they involve face painting, cookie decorating, costumes, candy, bouncers and slides, firetrucks, goo making, bday parties, cup cake walk, ice cream cake, playground time, more candy, movies with friends, extended bedtimes, trick or treating at the zoo...Oh, did I mention the fact that my kids like sugar? Wow, what a whirlwind weekend. I am exhausted, but I had a blast. Yes, they were cranky moments, potty accidents w/the 3 year old, snarky remarks from the children and mommy, but more smiles & memories than anything else. Tomorrow Dean goes on his first class trip to a farm to see animals & pick a pumpkin. He has been waiting to ride the school bus for as long as he could say it. He, like big sis loves preschool. He is surprising us on a daily basis how much he is learning...all his letters and numbers! He too loves to draw & paint and play with the kids. He will be my little athlete & is doing great at gymnastics on Thursdays which warms mommy's heart. He is now even staying late a few days a week, eating and napping at school like his sister did last year. I am mostly in my glory when I actually have a block of quiet time to focus on work these days when the kids are gone, but a part of me sees it happening too fast. I've welcomed each stage they enter peeling off another layer of who these little people are, saying goodbye to the baby years. There also is that part of me who knows it will be gone in the blink of an eye. Bella is 2 months into Kindergarten now, and has completely found her scene. It is not surprising that my little social butterfly adores her friends and every aspect of elementary school. She was so ready to dive into learning, exploring and growing this year and is doing wonderful. We were so proud at her parent/teacher conference to hear she is doing great at Math, Science and English. She is attending a Spanish immersion school and is picking up the beginnings of a second language like it is second nature. She is enjoying afterschool programs like YoungRembrants (my little artist) and starting Girl Scouts next week. Tomorrow she goes on a field trip also to see "If you give a Mouse a Cookie", Friday is the Fall Harvest at school and Sunday the big event Halloween. October 31st used to be known as my anniversary. In 1998 I dressed up as a bride, was the bell of the ball & had the time of my life. Now, at 40, like this beautiful season of change it is all about my little monsters...well mostly. Like the wind of change that blows beautiful leaves by my office window, I welcome what tomorrow brings during my favorite season. Fall never felt so sweet!

LBI Summer Vacation at the Jersey Shore

It is hard to believe my much anticipated trip to Long Beach Island with the kids is behind me, but not without leaving it's imprint and a week of wonderful memories with my family in the sun & sand. The moment I drive over the bridge there is a certain kind of ahhh that filters in unlike any other place. It truly is a slice of heaven. I am again grateful for my parents making this possible year after year and that all my siblings were able to make the trip!!! Although my kids are not from New Jersey, they now have a certain love of the state I grew up in & the family they get to see summer after summer. Sharlette and I enjoyed residing bayside with the little cousins, spending the days beachside at Granny & Gramps sweet house on the sand. Bella flew her first kite solo with Aunt Kristina & Uncle Sean. She shared special time with Granny every afternoon, while I took Dean back for
a nap. Dean dug in the sand with Gramps his buddy and ran wild with his cousin Aiden. They were fast friends this year, hanging out when Bella was busy. The waves were extreme this year, which made me grateful the Dean gained some fear of the ocean's strength. Rook & I enjoyed surfing on boogie boards one particularly rough day. That was a blast. In the evenings we all gathered for a Yates family meal and Shar & I had sister time to unwind from parenting and embrace a glass or two of red wine delight with our toes in the sand wishing for nothing but to live closer. I could fill pages with details, but for now will leave this post...until next year LBI! It always makes me sad to cross back over that bridge. Thanks for the memories!

Road Trip to Alabama

I never imagined I would be driving almost 20 hours in 4 days with a 5 & 3 year old, but our recent road trip to Alabama showed me anything is possible. I am grateful for my father-n-law Cliff offering to drive his car while I attempted to entertain Bella and Dean with constant entertainment (mostly movies)! I am also appreciative of his similiar appreciation for all things caffeinated (Starbucks) & calm manner in the face of insane outbursts (from me & the children):). Short road trips we take from here on out will seem short & sweet.

Speaking of short & sweet our time in Montgomery & Demopolis was nothing but. We fit in so much and the kids bonded with their cousins both big and small. We arrived Friday in time to see Christopher play a baseball game then spent Saturday swimming in the pool, playing & playing until total exhaustion set in. Bella discovered a new love for mini legos, nerf dart guns and her cousin's company!!! Dean blessed us with a strong nap after waking Mommy up at 5am central!!! He never paused in between splashes & trampoline bounces enjoying all the big kid toys he could get his big little hands on. Mandy, MeMe and Halle headed up for the day so we got to play with our sweet littlest nugget of a cousin Halle! We drove down to her hometown of Demopolis on Sunday and spent a fun day inside between raindrops managing to get a nice afternoon swim in. We finally caught up with Darren that night after the golf tourn and headed back to Annabella's (MeMe's) to meet the animals and crash.

It was sad to leave the cousins. Dean and Bella went through cousin withdrawel on the drive back, but were left with wonderful memories. Dean says his favorite memory of the trip was the donuts :), but I say it was the warm feeling of being surrounded by family. Thanks to my sweet nephews Chris & Josh for taking such great care of your little cousins Bella and Dean. They adore you. Thanks Pam and Mandy for daquiri's and margaritas during Dean's nap time....ahh a few moments of relaxation with libations. Hopefully we'll meet again sooner rather than later in either KY or AL! The four rainbows we saw on the way home were just the perfect ending to a perfect trip. Not to say I recommend 10 hours in the car to the faint of heart, but as Dora The Explorer says, "We Did It"! And we'd do it again.

My Kids Are So Much Cooler

Dean walks around with a strut, hands in pocket, my little ladies man, my blond James Dean. Bella has a confident fashion sense that oozes "her style" in every sense...my little Pippy Longstocking so sure of herself. My son is all boy. My daughter is all girl. They are both beautiful blends of the best of us, but so unique in their own way. Bella at 5 1/2 is already driving my crazy with her "sass", her "tude", her hands on the hips commands. She is in trouble often & in between for her lack of respect for all things other than Bella. She bosses her brother, her friends and her parents from time to time, but she is equally loveable and adored. She is the most creative child I have ever met and can churn out a drawing without hesitation in a minute so sure it will be the best gift a person will have recieved all day...often it is! She is smart as a whip and stubborn as a mule. She is so decisive and sweet offering up her "I Love You's" more than anyone in our family. Deano, my little bee charmer makes me melt. He was born knowing how to flirt and is as kind as a mom could hope for. His words have finally caught up with his physical side and he amuses us on a daily basis as Bella did describing his world. He is also a rough & tummbly little guy, tall & strong. As Dean approaches the terrible 3's as his sister did I know it won't be easy. He too is strong willed & strong all together. God didn't grand me slight children physically or mentally. Although I am constantly in need of a glass of wine at the end of the day, I am glad they are exactly the way they are. I have my daughter who marches to her own drum and my son who is always on the run! They are social little creatures who amaze me by their sense of style and coolness. My kids are so much cooler than I ever was. Give Dean a pair of scissors and he'll snip for hours. Give Bella a crayon or marker and she'll draw for as long if not more. I am constantly amazed and frustrated at them, and in awe of who they are and what they will become. Bella wants to be a mountain climber and already is an artist....one of the best if you ask her or her parents. Dean loves his trains, all things balls and his sister so much. He is her shadow & she knows it. He loves to be where she is, begs for her to wait for him and occasionally...more often every day she reciprocates by letting him be in her company. Sometimes in between fights they play & laugh together, they hold hands and help each other. My kids are great...so certain of who they are, what they love and definately cooler than I ever remember being! I find myself always wishing for a break, but here I am with wine in hand as they slumber thinking about when I will see their smiling (or complaining) faces again.

Self Confident & Sassy

Tonight I was tucking Bella in after reading a chapter of Charlotte's Web and my precious little 5 year old said, "Mom I love you but..." But what? "But I wish you were prettier". "What" I said!!! "That's not a very nice thing to say Bella, in fact it's rude". She then repeated her previous insult adding, "I am not being mean Mom. i just wish you had ribbons in your hair, wore more makeup, had diamond earrings and a diamond dress". A visual of Cinderella popped into my head and probably hers too. I thought maybe had I been in my 20's when I had my kids I could have lived up to her Disney dreams, but as I close in on forty...less than 7 months from now, no chance. I tried not to get my feelings hurt knowing kids tell it like it is, but come on. That sucks to hear even from a five year old. Later I even thought, except for ribbons in my hair I wouldn't mind diamond earrings, a sparkly diamond dress (and a place to wear one), even time to wear more makeup!
Yesterday we went to the YMCA, just Bella and I. After working out I picked her up in the Kid Zone and asked if she found a friend to play with. Usually she has a line of girls following her. Why I am not sure since she often is indifferent about their company, but this time she lowered her head and said "No". "I wanted to play with the most beautiful girl there with a beautiful white ribbon in her hair, but she said I couldn't play with her because I didn't have pink on. I told her obviously the girl didn't know her colors since your buttons on your shirt were pink & not small either. Then led into mom rambling about how just because someone is pretty on the inside doesn't mean they are pretty on the outside. That went in one ear and out the other and she replied, "Mom, she was even more beautiful than me." Seriously? as Shar would say. Bella is both Sassy & Self-confident. She doesn't get the latter from me. As my mom always says, "Tell me a Bella story" and there are so many, and "you are in trouble" and as her mom I am.
She is now wanting to put foam rollers in her hair, wear makeup, purses, and be as beautiful as she can. She is knee deep in princess delight. She loves everyone of those fairytale beginnings, endings & middles. She went to see "Princess & the Frog" on her Daddy/daughter day and immediately focused in on her favorite part being when the Frog kisses the Princess. Scary, normal I know, but scary still the same. She is growing up way to fast. I need to dial it down and get her Little House on the Prairie. A little Laura Ingles would do her some good.
As we look at Kindergartens trying to make that big decision about her future:) I sure am glad there are uniforms in many public schools now, so we can tone down the accessories...limit the Hannah Montana & whoever the next "pop sensation" is... I know the apple didn't fall very far from the tree & in many ways she is like a little me, but I wasn't 5, self confident & sassy. That came years later.

Christmas in Louisville!

Once in a while you get one of those days where you think, "It doesn't get any better than this"! This year's Christmas was just that kind of day, wonderful & magical. With the stresses of the season behind me I was able to sit back and enjoy every aspect of the day through the eyes of my son & daughter. Talk about the perfect ages (2 & 5) to believe in everything Christmas! We made chocolate & gingerbread cookies on Christmas Eve setting out the plate for Santa & carrots for each reindeer! Both kids were sick and had spent the day at the doctors, but that didn't put a damper on the anticipation of what was to come. Just before closing her door I heard Bella sobbing. When I asked what was the matter she replied, "I just can't sleep because everyone is talking too much about Christmas". The kids waited together on the top step as I did as a child with my brothers and sister while Mom & Dad checked to tell us if Santa stopped at our house. My heart melted for the first of many times as Dean and Bella held hands giggling & tip toeing down the steps! Santa brought Dean's guitar he asked for & Bella's jewelry set & the fish she quickly named "Fred". Dean got a red remote control car & his first baseball glove (left-handed) from his PPaw! Bella loves her Barbie movies, all the princess accesories, books as usual. I could no longer avoid getting her girly things like hair rollers, nail stickers & perfume! Thanks to a friend's generosity Dean now has a Thomas the Train set which will certainly be treasured for years to come. Although I found myself missing family faraway we enjoyed the lazy day at home taking our time savoring Santa & all things Christmas. Cliff (aka PPaw) spent the day with us & Eric made a fabulous dinner of ham, fresh green beans & roasted acorn squash. I am so thankful for all we are blessed with and wish everyone in the world Peace, Love & Joy in thier hearts. Merry Christmas to All!