mom moment: macaroni & cheese.

Just one of those mom moments that I’ve got to remember … there’s nothing quite as thrilling as being a parent!

It was about 7:30 pm on Saturday night. We had finished dinner from Boston Market – turkey, mashed potatoes, and macaroni & cheese. In true toddler style, Lil ended up with a nice macaroni & cheese mustache, which Dada wiped away as he got her into her pajamas and ready for bed.

Fast forward an hour or so. I begin to get up from the couch, and the following conversation unfolds:

L: “MaMum, where you going?”

Me: “I’m going to wash my face, honey.”

L: Touching my face, just outside my mouth, “Oh, you have macaroni and cheese there?”

The innocent mind of a child. Sometimes I wish I could bottle her up and keep her this way forever.

1,000 gifts … 51-100

Gifts 51-100 are done and can be found here! Some of my favorites:

61. The word ‘fabulous.’
65. Dreams. The awake kind when you think about who you want to be when you grow up … even though you’re 31 years old.
70. A great feeling workout, whether it be at the gym, some Just Dance Kids dancing with my daughter, or both!!!
88. JUS

1,000 gifts … 1-50

Update: So I’ve decided to use a separate site to house my 1,000 gifts posts. I’ll leave 1-50 here, and in the future, I’ll just post a link (and maybe a sneak peek) when each set of 50 is up. My 1,000 gifts …

This year, I’ll count 1,000 (and hopefully many more) gifts, or blessings, in my life. Some may be silly, some more serious, and probably most right in-between. I’ll fill you in on it a little more later, but for now, here are the first 50.

1. The health of my family.
2. The playdate that shouldn’t have been. We were supposed to be visiting a wedding venue with my sister, her fiancee, and the rest of my family yesterday. When the stomach bug hit Lil through the night on Saturday, we were forced to stay home. We ended up having a fabulous day in – playing choo-choo, watching Shrek, making macaroni & cheese, and just being.
3. The fun in “just for practice for the party that’s 4 months away” cake making. I have a few improvements I’ll make on our next “practice” cake, but it was a start that left me feeling fairly confident.
Trial 1.
4. Good relationships with my sisters.
5. Pandora radio.
6. A 60+ degree Saturday in January. We had an amazing time at the park, which leads me to number 7.
7. A growing little girl. She can now ride her bike!
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8. Time-outs.
9. My ability to listen. Just listen.
10. A little 2-year-old girl curled up in my lap, watching Dada paint the new back door.
11. Inspirational bloggers.
12. Motivation and dedication.
13. Driving a bit further just to say, “hello.”
14. Coffee.
15. A warm home.
16. The reflection that accompanies packing up the Nativity this year.
17. Little kisses.
18. The promise of our first “Bucket List” trip.
19. The 2011 Family Gift, which is much more of a blessing than anything money can buy.
20. The light in Lily’s eyes as I show her the Steelers hoodie she’ll wear the day after their loss to the Broncos. We’re no fair weather fans, thank you very much.
21. Great crock pot recipes.
22. Memories in print.
23. Starting an inspirational book.
24. Colleagues who are incredibly real.
25. Pinterest for inspiration.
26. A large, currently blank wall.
27. That tiny cross that still needs a home in our home.
28. Beginning to craft invites 4 months in advance.
29. My kitchen assistant, who happily pours, mixes, and measures.
30. Finding something you’d forgotten you had.
31. Color.
32. Being able to come to work on Monday (also known as avoiding the stomach bug).
33. FaceTime.
34. My uber-handy husband. There’s nothing he can’t do, and I’m more grateful than he will ever know.
35. A beautiful sunrise.
Sunrise.
36. The eyes of a little girl who noticed the beautiful sunrise a few mornings ago.
37. The times I actually listen to my inner voice.
38. Supportive and loving parents.
39. A gym at work.
40. A song that reminds me of who I am and where I came from.
41. A comment or like on a blog post.
42. A song and coaster this morning that take me back to that place that brought me here.
43. A note from a friend.
44. Checklists.
45. The ability to plan months in advance for things I truly enjoy.
46. A tin roof at the office. That sound puts me in a happy place every single time.
47. Comfy slippers.
48. My standing desk. I love this thing!
For my first 1,000 gifts post ... my standing desk.
49. Thriving plants that survived a tumble across the car.
50. Handwritten things. Just a little handwritten note can mean so much.

you.

I’ve found myself thinking a lot lately about how things are different …

  • About how I hardly ever do a load of laundry by myself. You’re always there to put the clothes in the washer, watch me pour the detergent, and to pour the OxiClean and Unstopables in for me. And I know I can’t push even one button on the washer or dryer because “YiYee do it.” You always seem to come running when it’s time to put the clothes in the dryer, too. I love that you always tell me that they’re cold and heavy.
  • About how differently you play. We went to the park today for the first time since October (I know this because you weren’t using the potty yet … but you are for sure, now!). You’re much more confident, and also much more curious. And your feet can finally use the pedals on your bike! (P.S. – You wore your helmet for the first time, too! You fought a little bit the first time, but we didn’t even get a peep from you the second time!)
  • About how often I cook with you – whether you’re sitting on the counter just watching, standing on your step stool trying to get into something you shouldn’t, peeking through the oven window, or getting messy by helping me pour, stir, and roll. I love these times together.
  • About just how grown up you’ve become. Our conversations are just that – conversations. You’ll tell me things you’ve done at “Ms. Lucy’s” when I ask, but you’ll also recount memories from days prior that even I don’t remember. You’ll point out how things are similar. And just yesterday, you walked outside and noticed the amazing sunrise. You turned to me and said, “See pink, MaMum?” Just so you know, my heart melted right then and there. What you shared with me that morning was so much more than just a sunrise.

As each phase comes and goes, I always think it can’t get any better than this.

Yet somehow, it always does.

lil’s pics …

My Dada & MaMum got me one of those boring kid-friendly cameras for my birthday – it’s a whopping 1.3 megapixels. Thrilling!

Curious about what life looks like through my 2-year-old eyes? Wonder no more! Here are some of my best shots of 2011 …

My life … it’s all castles, rainbows, and pink skies.

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My self-portrait, peeps.

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My pink Christmas tree. With Steelers ornaments.

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This is my MaMum and my dog. I had to dress MaMum up with a flower necklace – she was lookin’ a little rough.

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MaMum and Blue Bear. They’re silly!

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A girl can dream, right? Check out these glasses!

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My Dada’s choo-choo on the shelf. I love choo-choos.

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Dada’s driving somewhere. Look at his shirt – think it was Labor Day, 4th of July, or Memorial Day? His seat needed some pizzazz.

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Um, I think this is my MaMum on the potty! That’s funny!

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My view – through the sunroof. I think.

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Dada shaving!

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MaMum’s crazy shoes at my party.

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My cousin … I gave him a crazy hat! <3 I think he’s eating a strawberry. Mmm …

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Watch for more of my amazing photography in 2012!!!

2011 …

2011 was an interesting year …

We learned a lot about our limits, our comfort zone, and just how much we can handle. I learned a lot about myself in the process. I also learned a lot about my husband, which makes me love him even more.

We watched Lil grow – from a few words at the start of the year to full conversations at the end of the year. Her personality has grown, too. We also said goodbye to diapers and “ma pa” (pacifier) and got her ears pierced! She loved Shrek, Buzz Lightyear, and most recently, Hello Kitty. She also had a health scare of her own that ended up being absolutely nothing – thankfully!!!

We cried when friends lost their lives.

We prayed when we heard bad news about the health of family members and struggled to help the ones we love.

We celebrated – new babies, weddings, birthdays, a new job, an engagement.

We worried about our future, then celebrated when things didn’t only work out, but seemed to fit just right. The lesson learned? Follow your heart. Things will work out, and money can’t buy happiness.

We watched as wonder and amazement filled our daughter’s eyes. I won’t forget the excitement I saw in Lil as Plex, Muno, Toodie, Foofa and Brobie danced onto stage. I thought that little 2-year-old was going to burst with excitement.

We cut up part of the hardwood floor we put in 7 years ago and put up a new fence.

We started projects we didn’t finish (which is the story of my life …).

We grew as a family, and I think that’s the most exciting one of all.

I know 2012 won’t be any different. There will be good times and bad. We’ll celebrate happy times and pray when things aren’t going so well. We’ll hurt. Tough decisions will be made and patience will be tested.

But we’ll be okay.

I don’t really do resolutions. In my opinion, January 1 isn’t any different than any other day of the year (Though it does mark the birthday of a family member!). But I do reflect and try to focus on what’s happened and what’s to come. I try to let go of the past and move forward, though it’s not always easy.

May your 2012 be filled with blessings – peace, love, and lots of laughter. Life’s short, so enjoy every second of it!

Happy New Year!

dance, mamum!

We’ve been doing a lot of dancing today. It started with the music playing in the bathroom this morning as I showered.

Mid-afternoon, we danced to Toy Story 3 – we love the part in the end credits where Jesse & Bullseye play the Spanish version of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and get Buzz to stop repairs on the cardboard rocket to dance with Jesse. “Get up, MaMum! Dance!”

Our third dance today was to a song playing on Lil’s Tag Junior. To be honest, I have no idea what the song was, but we danced! “MaMum, come here! Dance!”

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We’re not afraid to dance. In fact, it is usually my husband that gets the chance. Lil is a daddy’s girl for sure, and she asks him to dance much more frequently than she asks me. It broke my heart early on, but I’ve since realized just how important it is for them to bond. Instead of being jealous that it’s him dancing with her and not me, I’m proud that he just goes with it. So while they make their memories, I’m there to take it all in. Yep, I may have the best seat in the house!