We triple-dog-dare you to have a merry Christmas

Perhaps my lack of posting can be forgiven with holiday wishes.

Holiday cards in 2013? Nailed.It.*


*Except for those folks who haven't seen "A Christmas Story." For those people: they were confused as to why we would dress the kid up as the Easter Bunny, they missed out. Mostly in life, because it's a classic and they should see it. But also? The card. 


 

Toddler priorities

JJ: "Where'd mommy go?"
Ball&chain: "She's upstairs."
JJ: "Awwwe."
(the next second) JJ: "Where'd mommy go?"
Ball&chain: "She's upstairs."
JJ: "Awwwe. I wanna hug."
Ball&chain: "Do you want to go give her a hug? Go upstairs."
{me, upstairs melting. She DOES LOVE ME!}
L: "Hey J, wanna watch Doc McStuffins?"
JJ: "UH OK!" {feet running... not upstairs}

{passed up for a kid who talks to her toys}

Catching up - barely

Holy hell. It's only been a month - maybe two but so much has happened I don't even know where to begin.

In no particular order, because I don't know how to keep track.

1. My baby is no longer in Kindergarten. SAY.WHAT. 
   
   
   
   
2. My baby baby is no longer a baby - she's two. WHAT THE WHAT?
   
3. The summer is here and we are working it out to make it fantastic.
   

   

   Dinners outside and spent loving.

   
   
   
4. We took a 2 week vacation, haven't done that - almost ever.
   
5. Related: the Jersey Shore is not just for trancing and MTV reality shows. It's magical.  More magical than the magic capital of the world.
6. Related to the 2 week vacation, we did so by way of a 10 hour road trip - each way.
   

   

   Local fun - and Google photos makes gifs? All good.

    
7. We are making friends - or trying to. It's hard work.
    
8. Took JJ to her first real movie. We all survived. It was very much like her sister - popcorn is key.
    
9. We have our first lost tooth. After weeks of wiggling and throwing up in my mouth (it's a horror show - loose teeth) we have one down, one to go that is loose. In the meantime? She has shark teeth - rows of teeth coming in it's horrifying.
   
   
10. There are so many real stories within these small

    

    Summer outside movie fun.

     line items. So many stories to tell - but we're busy. Livin. Put that on a magnet. Pin it.
    

Scholar vs. Clairvoyant

I interrupt this unplanned - can't get my act together to update - blogging hiatus to give you this. 

In walking through the book store the other day - this happened:

Me, "You know what we should start to get, kid?"
Her, "What?"
Me, "Some chapter books - I think you are ready for longer stories!"
Her, "Oh yea. I'm also going to start reading minds."
Me, ....
Her, "What?"
Me, "What did you say??"
Her, "Reading mind."
Me, .....
Her, "What?"
Me, "Sorry. What do you mean?"
Her, "You know. When you read. IN your mind."
Me, "Ohhh - you are going to start reading IN your mind - so reading to yourself."
Her, "Yes (irritated and in an oh so scary mini-me-like familiar tone). That's what I said, I'm going to start reading minds."

For someone who is in fact ready to read to herself & read chapter books - she really needs to learn that adding or leaving out certain words in a string of words (sentence) matter.

My Dodo

Did you know a "dodo" was a dad of daughters only? This is the rumor we hear - and I love it. And I love my dodo. Hard. And my girls? My girls are so freaking lucky. And I am lucky for my girls, for me. I mean, it's Father's Day and he is insisting on changing our stink ass little girl's diaper. I mean? It doesn't get much better than that, folks.

My dodo is difficult to compare to. He's everything to us. To me. To them. He's the kind of man they will know is possible, the kind of partner a girl can have. There, 100%. And I don't know how many of there of him there are out there.